Eat, animate, activate: With cucumber cars and cracker clouds, a stop-motion video based on Michael Pollan’s “Food Rules” shows how organic farming could feed the world. Marija Jacimovic
Honk if you ❤ green energy: President Obama criticized the drill-baby-drill mentality toward reducing gas prices, saying "That's not a plan, especially since we're already drilling. That's a bumper sticker." In yesterday's speech, he pushed an agenda that mixed oil and gas with solar, wind, biofuel, and nuclear. Associated Press
The learning climate: The controversy over leaked Heartland documents has somewhat overshadowed the controversy over what the docs say: climate change deniers are actively seeking to compromise your child’s education. Washington Post, New York Times
Apocalypto: The end of the world occurred much earlier for Mayans than the prophesized 2012. Was it war, plague, or flaming asteroids that took down the ancient civilization? Nope. A new study blames mild drought. ScienceNOW
Delay of game: The European Union is deadlocked on penalizing tar sands oil as a highly polluting fuel. Despite one UK minister comparing the Canadian crude to “land mines, blood diamonds, and cluster bombs,” the UK abstained from voting. Transport Minister Norman Baker said he was waiting for a proposal that addressed oil from Angola and Venezuela. The Guardian
Game on?: An independent study by Canada’s environmental agency says the air pollution amounts from tar sands excavation sites compare to mid-sized cities and large power plants. These emissions, mind you, occur before the crude oil is actually burned. Yale 360
Hold the butter: A fisherman recently netted a 27-pound lobster, but the big guy isn’t headed for the pot. After a week of celebrity treatment at the Maine State Aquarium, “Rocky” is back in the sea. Even at 40-inches, Rocky didn't leave with the championship title. A 40-pounder was once caught off Nova Scotia. WCSH6 Portland
Powering Playland: The toy company LEGO is investing $534 million in a wind energy project off Germany’s coast. The 77 turbines, to be operational in 2015, will consist mostly of steel and fiberglass, not interlocking blocks. Reuters
Clean energy catch-22: Malaysian activists stopped a coal-fire plant to protect wildlife habitat. The region now relies on biofuel from palm oil scraps that would have gone to waste. Sounds good, but if the energy scheme becomes too profitable, some worry it may lead to more environmentally destructive palm oil plantations. National Geographic
Smart mail: A new phone app says it can stop junk mail. Snap and send a photo of the address label, and viola, less paper waste. Fast Company
Tips: @OnEarthMag (tag it #greenreads)
Video Credit: "Food Rules" by Michael Pollan - RSA/Nominet Trust competition from Marija Jacimovic on Vimeo.
