Rio? Rio Who?: Next month really important people are getting together to talk about really important environmental issues. You know, like that pesky lil' problem called climate change. The United States, however, might not even show. What's up with that? Grist

Parliamentary propaganda: When David Cameron became Britain's Prime Minister two years ago, he said he'd lead the "greenest government ever." To um prove it, he went to the Arctic and played with some adorable huskies. Since then, there has been little husky- or tree-hugging to speak of. The Independent

Right foot green: You may have seen the popular Toms canvas shoes on the feet of many an idealistic young person. The company's business model is that a pair of shoes is donated for every pair bought. This seems like a great idea, but does it work? Mother Jones

Rattles falling ssssilent: Soon North America's most venomous snake may no longer strike fear in the hearts of hikers. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the eastern rattlesnake is slithering closer and closer to extinction. Reuters

Shiny pipe dreams?: Capturing and storing carbon before it wreaks havoc in the atmosphere is one strategy that might allow us to burn fossil fuels without the consequences. The problem? It's really, really expensive. But one project in Norway is trying to make at least the capturing part cheap and easy. The Economist

Pump perspective: Gasoline may be more expensive than we'd like right now, but how do our prices stack up against the rest of the world's? Let's just say we've got it easy compared to some countries. Bloomberg

The sand rush: Apparently, the new money is in sand. Natural gas companies are setting off to Wisconsin and Minnesota to mine the states' abundant supplies of franking sand, which they use in fracking activities. Wall Street Journal

Marine mamas: In honor of Mother's Day, here's a tribute to some seaworthy moms. Ocean Portal

Tips: @OnEarthMag (tag it #greenreads)
Image: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen/Wikimedia Commons