Topic: Waste and Recycling

Earth Day: Five ways we affect the planet

The late Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D) of Wisconsin organized the first Earth Day in 1970 after the devastating oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif. The event started as an environmental teach-in, with some 20 million Americans taking part on college campuses across the United States. Today, 500 million people in 175 countries observe Earth Day on April 22 as a way to celebrate the natural world and raise awareness of the environment. How much do humans affect the earth? Click below to find out.

How thoughtful farming could curb climate change, feed the world

Policy makers may begin to address climate change by encouraging sustainable agriculture practices around the world, according to a new report.

Japan: One year after Fukushima nuclear disaster, 4 repercussions

The March 11, 2011 Japan earthquake was one of the world's worst earthquakes. It triggered a tsunami, flooding, landslides, fires, and a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

John-Paul Maxfield aims to put nutrients from food waste back into the soil

Waste Farmers collects organic waste and creates organic agricultural products like fertilizer, potting soil, biochar, and compost tea.

Garbage piles up in 'green' Mexico City

Mexico City closed its last major dump in December in hopes of making the city 'greener,' but trash truck circulation and neighboring states refusing the capital's waste has led to one stinky situation.

12 simple ways to go green in 2012

If many people resolve to make their lives just a little greener in 2012 it could make a huge difference.

Correspondent reflections: The 10 news events that shaped 2011

In this special section, we look at the year’s biggest stories, and seven staff correspondents reflect on events in hot spots from Latin America to the Libyan front. 

Jonathan Bloom wants the US to reduce its food waste problem

In the United States more than 34 million tons of food is wasted annually. Much of it ends up in landfills, where it produces methane, a greenhouse gas more than 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide.

As China's prosperity grows, so do its trash piles

In cities across China, trash scavengers are more prevalent than recycling trucks. Low environmental awareness has led to mounting trash woes in major urban areas.

Japan tackles mountains of trash left in tsunami's wake

Japanese cities leveled by the March tsunami are now left with more trash than they would normally dispose of in a century. Recycling it all is a daunting task.

Can you build a business from values?

Many companies try to incorporate certain values into how they conduct business, but some businesses base their entire plan on values

Lobster shells valuable for golf balls, plant pots

Lobster shells from Maine's signature seafood are being used to manufacture decorative tiles, trivets and drinking-glass coasters. Work is under way to utilize them in countertops and tabletops.

Tax day 2011: Four ways to protect your tax returns from data thieves

Tax-related identity theft is the fastest growing kind of identity theft. Between 2005 and 2009 complaints to the Federal Trade Commission tripled from 11,000 to nearly 34,000, according to a Scripps Howard News Service investigation. Thieves steal personal information to use for themselves or sell, or they take it to divert a tax refund into their own pockets. Identity theft, as a whole, is on the decline, but the abundance of personal information in circulation during tax season makes it a prime time for thieves to strike. Here are four tips for keeping your information safe:

Japan nuclear crisis: Seven reasons why we should abandon nuclear power

The disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station underscores – yet again – the need to abandon nuclear power as a panacea for energy independence. Experts may never determine what caused all of the emergency cooling safety systems at Daiichi to fail completely. But they have learned that they are nearly powerless to bring the smoldering units under control. In the meantime, significant amounts of radioactive gas have vented, and partial meltdowns of at least two reactors have occurred. Indeed, nuclear power will never live up to industry promises. As a whole it is ultimately unsafe, an accident waiting to happen, and far more expensive than proponents admit.

Colby College professor Paul Josephson gives seven reasons why we should abandon nuclear power and instead turn to solar, wind, and other forms of energy production that won’t experience such catastrophic accidents.

Ghana says second-hand clothes are no longer good enough

Second-hand goods from the United States have long been a staple in Ghana, but now the country is seeking to get second-hand goods off its shelves.

From marijuana to 'sexting': new laws set to take effect Jan. 1

In all, 45 states, the District of Columbia, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico passed 31,005 new laws in 2010. Some of them will come into effect with the new year. Here is a sampling of some of the trends in lawmaking in 2010.