Author name: Meg Hamill

Meg Hamill has been working in the environmental non-profit field in Northern California for the past six years. She currently works as a naturalist for LandPaths (in partnership with the Open Space District) in Santa Rosa California. She teaches poetry in the public school through California Poets in the Schools (CPITS) and has traveled extensively throughout South and Central America, picking up Spanish along the way. In 1999 she completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Meg holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has published two books of political/environmental poetry. Read more, buy books and e-mail Meg at www.meghamill.com.

UK Beekeepers Protest Over Massive Death of Bees

Britain’s government has been warned that the country will enter into an “agricultural disaster” unless more money is put towards discovering what is killing the country’s bees. Protesters from the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA), dressed in traditional, white beekeeper suits, delivered a petition signed by more than 140,000 people to Downing Street today, calling for

America to Decide: What is Organic Fish?

In two weeks The National Organics Standards Board is expected to vote in Washington on what kinds of fish can actually be labeled organic.  Tell Washington what YOU think by signing a petition from the Consumer’s Union. [social_buttons]We’re all pretty clear on what “organic” means when it comes to vegetables, poultry and red meat, but

Google Earth Adds Underwater Ocean Element

Geared towards raising awareness of endangered ocean habitats, a new online tool allows viewers an in-depth peek at underwater reefs around the world. Google Earth has taken us up and out into the universe, and now they are taking us down and under the surface of the sea. The new Google Earth ‘layer’ will allow

Wal-Mart Holds Huge Summit for Ecological Sustainability in China

In what is being called the “the most ambitious private sector drive yet” to go green, Wal-Mart told hundreds of the chain’s top Chinese suppliers this week that the store intends to raise standards and “green” its supply chain. [social_buttons]You read correctly.  At this week’s “sustainability summit,” in Beijing,  Lee Scott, Wal-Mart’s CEO,  told top

Former Logger Protects 16 Million Acres in Northern Canada

Since 1993, Wayne Sawchuk, a former logger and grizzly bear hunter, has been working tirelessly to protect “the biggest well-kept secret in North America.” Wayne Sawchuk recently found some atonement for decades of his life spent logging, partying and grizzly hunting. Funded mostly by private donors, Sawchuck played a major role in the conservation of

Switzerland Places Ban on the Humiliation of Plants

A new amended law in Switzerland protects the dignity of vegetation. A law protecting the dignity of plants?  Laugh if you will.  I’m down on my knees in respect and awe.  At last the Western World is realizing the dire importance of taking other species into account. Recently, the Swiss Parliament asked a panel of

New Report Finds Toxic Bottled Water at Wal-Mart

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) tested ten brands of bottled water and found that Wal-Mart’s “Sam’s Choice” contained chemical levels higher than is legal in California, and exceeding voluntary limits set by the industry. [social_buttons]The study found that 10 popular brands of bottled water, purchased from grocery stores and other retailers in 9 states and

Shark Blood May Slow the Spread of Cancer

Scientists in Australia have discovered antibodies in the blood of sharks that could potentially prove effective in battling cancer. [social_buttons] It has been discovered that the antibodies (molecules that fight disease) in sharks are extremely resilient and researchers hope that this quality can be isolated to help slow the spread of  cancer, malaria, and other

$700 Billion Bailout Includes Tax Break for Bicycle Commuters

Tacked on last minute to the $700 billion bailout, bicycle commuters across the nation will be eligible for for a tax benefit that is already available to both train & bus commuters. [social_buttons] After $700 billion of our American tax dollars just went to bail out private banks, it’s a small relief that some laws

Scientists Borrow Glowing Jellyfish Gene for Brain Research and Win Nobel

Two Americans, and one Japanese scientist, (Martin Chalfie, Roger Tsien and Osamu Shimomura) recently won a share of the Chemistry Nobel Prize for “borrowing” the glowing jellyfish trait and putting it to use. [social_buttons] Well, we’re at it again, “borrowing” the magical and bizarre wonders offered up by the natural world, and using these wonders

Global Warming Could Quicken the Spread of Disease

Climate change could make it easier for some “deadly” diseases to be transmitted from animals to humans. Global Warming is not just about melting ice caps and rising temperatures.  Scientists continue to discover new ways in which the “butterfly effect” of global warming could transform life on Earth as we know it.  The Wildlife Conservation

New Cities Join The Urban Chicken Movement

Across the country, cities are passing new laws to allow backyard chickens.   Cities across the country have shown new leniency in the urban chicken arena.  Ann Arbor, Michigan, South Portland, Maine and Fort Collins Colorado, have all voted in the past year to allow backyard chickens.  They join the growing number of U.S. cities

New California Law Protects Farms Against Genetic Engineering Threats

This is a guest post by Meg Hamill, a freelance writer who also works at LandPaths in partnership with the Open Space District of Sonoma County, California. California passes its first law protecting farmers who have not been able to prevent GE contamination of their non GE crops. We’ve all heard the horror stories:  A

Air Capture System Can Filter Carbon Dioxide From Any Air, Anywhere

This is a guest post by Meg Hamill, a freelance writer, also working at the environmental non-profit LandPaths in Sonoma County, California This summer at the University of Calgary in Canada, great strides were made in  an air capture system, built to filter CO2 emissions from diffuse sources. Professor David Keith, director of the Institute

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