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Representatives from Google Inc. and General Electric Co. said Tuesday that widespread use of renewable energy in United States would be possible — if it were cheaper. Renewable energy options will remain "boutique" industries unless their costs are cut to make them competitive with coal and other widely used power sources, said Dan Reicher, director for climate change and energy initiatives at Google.org, the company's philanthropic arm.

From just off white to mango orange, most people utilize paint to personalize their home. Based on this, It’s not surprising that paint is the most collected household hazardous waste at events across the country. There’s nothing wrong with jazzing up your living room or giving that old door a fresh coat; just be eco-wise while doing it.

Electric and hybrid vehicles may be better for the environment, but the California Legislature says they're bad for the blind. Sthe State Senate passed a bill Tuesday to ensure that the vehicles make enough noise to be heard by visually impaired people about to cross a street.

For years, her business cards identified her as Erika Ketelhohn, an independent appraiser of fine art. But over the past several months, ever since she started marketing her own line of women's clothing, Ketelhohn, who's also a wife and stay-at-home mother, has assumed a new identity. These days, she's Bee Askin, eco-fashion designer.

Part of back-to-school time means finding that perfect new outfit. One thing you may notice while shopping this year is more of an emphasis on eco-friendly clothing, whether it’s organic materials or recycled content. In addition to checking the label, here’s eight ways to make sure that you look good in green this fall season.

My mother has a green thumb. She has gardened in Houston, Dallas and the rocky soil in the Texas Hill Country. Each location required a little more expertise. Somehow, I missed the gardening gene. Most of my houseplants were punished to death by inattention. All the same, my ambition was to learn about plants. Possibly I developed this goal because it could be done in the air conditioning.

he doughnut stand's exterior was plastic and studded with incandescent lights. It had its own humming generators. And the cold water for sale came in plastic bottles. But unlike most of the hundreds of vendors at the Illinois State Fair, The Donut Family was in contention for the fair's first-ever Green Vendor Award. Why? It served its fare in paper.

Just a couple of years ago, the meetings had the appearance of a men's club. That's no longer the case when the Fox Valley Electric Auto Association convenes in Naperville each month. "Now it's more men, wives, college kids, grandmas, grandpas," said club president Ted Lowe, who lives in Wheaton. "The demographic's entirely different from what it was a few years ago."

Fed up with her job at a downtown consulting firm, Becky Barnes wanted to find work that was a little less corporate. So, two years ago, she turned to a career with which she had grown up: farming. This was a new type of farming, though. On her family's 2,000 acres of soybeans near Williamsport in Pickaway County, Becky — along with brother Isaac and his wife, Jayne — staked out a 2-acre patch for organic crops and flowers.

When Honora Wolfe and her husband moved to the outskirts of Boulder, Colo., she wanted an environmentally friendly way to commute to her job as a bookshop owner in the city. Wolfe, 60, found her solution about a month ago: an electric bicycle. It gets her to work quickly, is easy on her arthritis and is better for the environment than a car.

A new poll of 300 manufacturing executives shows that 65 percent have invested in reuse or recycling programs to promote “green” manufacturing, more than any other option.

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to bring a plug-in hybrid vehicle to market sometime in 2010, and Justin Ward, manager of the automaker's advanced powertrain program in the U.S., said the design will be similar to that of the current Prius, the most popular gas-electric hybrid in the nation.

The Weather Channel is providing 20 free trips to Washington D.C. as the prize for an environmental essay contest on the topic of what you’re doing to save the planet. The trip is part of The Weather Channel’s Forecast Earth Summit.

Robert Gilliland didn't think much about carpooling until gas prices got out of control. Now, he's happy to trade his motoring freedom for $120 in weekly savings. Gilliland found one rider through the classifieds Web site Craigslist and another using the carpool-matching service eRideShare.com. Thousands of commuters like him have turned to the Internet to arrange shared rides as average gas prices hover around $4 a gallon.

A top Honda Motor Co. executive said the company's new gas-electric hybrid will be priced lower than the Toyota Prius, its prime competitor. The new five-door car will only be available with a hybrid powertrain. Speaking to reporters at an industry seminar in Traverse City, Colliver said the new hybrid will be launched in April 2009.

The sprawling Beijing Olympic Village won its own gold medal on Wednesday for going green. U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson presented Chinese officials with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold award during a short ceremony, saying the 160-acre Olympic Village could serve as a future prototype for energy efficiency and environmentally friendly design.

It's a fact of life and one of the reasons I have a job: digital electronics will eventually break or get replaced. But it's hard to know just what to do with the gadgets that get left behind. Some people stuff them in junk drawers. Others want to donate or recycle their old electronics, but worry about compromising private data. And plenty of people want some monetary compensation.

Britain's Prince Charles, owner of an organic farm, says that increased use of genetically modified crops to help solve world food shortages could lead to environmental disaster. The heir to the British throne was quoted as saying in an interview published Wednesday that he believes new experiments with modified crops could worsen problems with food supplies.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the average American spends 100 hours commuting to work each year. That’s a lot of time behind the wheel, even if it’s a necessity to make a living. Let’s skip the obvious ways to cut the environmental impact for your commute (like carpooling and public transportation) and address eight ways that you can make a difference driving yourself to work.

Pediatricians are used to considering the health effects of the environment on children. Every day they test kids for lead poisoning, treat young patients with asthma and allergies, and question how frequently they diagnose autism and neurological disorders. Now an Oradell, N.J., pediatrician is considering what impact his own medical practice has on the environment.

Companies are stepping up their environmental initiatives, and that could mean one thing — a boom in "green-collar" jobs. A recent forecast by the American Solar Energy Society found that renewable energy and energy-efficient industries were responsible for the creation of nearly 8.5 million jobs in 2006, and by 2030 that number is expected to reach 40 million.

The world's oldest, deepest and biggest freshwater lake is growing warmer, dirtier and more crowded.

Three years have passed since Jim Walters shepherded construction of a "green church" in Scottsdale that incorporated 71 items aimed at saving energy, water and earth resources. His pride in the project continues to parallel his passion for environmental stewardship.

Amid rising investor worries over global warming and shrinking natural resources, directors are keeping a closer watch on environmental issues. Boards at Integrys Energy Group Inc., Quicksilver Resources Inc., Tesoro Corp. and elsewhere recently have created separate environmental panels — joining long-established ones at DuPont Co., Occidental Petroleum Corp. and Rohm & Haas Co. Other companies cover environmental issues with an existing board committee.

Computers are far from being truly clean machines, but Dell Inc. and other PC makers are trying to make their own business operations greener.

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Without a suitably sunny spot for a garden, Melanie Grimes looked to home's side yard for a good growing spot.

This is the second story in a series about urban vegetable gardens.
When Melanie Grimes wanted to grow more vegetables, she had to address a tough issue that many gardeners face: too much shade. After careful planning and design, she captured unused space in her side yard by raising a retaining wall and leveling the steeply graded ground.

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Officials say air quality is improving, but the city has seen blue skies and shrouds of gray.

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Some kids' clothes have a long shelf life. After one child breaks in this year's back-to-school outfits, it's likely that someone else – a younger sibling, a cousin, a kid whose mom is an avid second-hand shopper – will wear them again at a later date. It's one of the most successful forms of recycling.

Forklifts rumble around the scrapyard, grabbing pieces of metal and plunking them on scales: Will the junk be worth a tank of gas or a cart of groceries? Nationwide, recycling facilities are doing brisk business. Weekends are the busiest, when people have time to bring in scraps like copper wire, brass bits, aluminum window frames and rotted pipes and cans, hoping to make some extra money.

Going green isn't just for granola types. More parents are thinking eco-friendly when it comes to products and gear for their little ones.

A new law in Texas requires any company that sells computers to provide a free and convenient way for consumers to recycle their old equipment, reports the Waco Tribune-Herald. The law will go into effect September 1. Companies must accept desktop and laptop computers, keyboards monitor and mouses.

Green design now comes in a new shade – gray. Senior-living companies are turning to environmentally minded architects, designers and contractors to build retirement communities that will consume less energy, conserve water, improve indoor air quality, preserve the natural habitat and rely on recycled materials.

Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain pressed on in promoting their divergent visions for America energy independence Tuesday as voters struggled with near-record fuel costs and the government reported that June witnessed the second biggest monthly rise in prices in nearly three decades.

The last time the United States mobilized to combat price and dependency on foreign oil, engineers at General Motors developed a Cadillac motor that could run on eight, six or four cylinders to maximize fuel efficiency ... the nation's coal industry experienced a resurgence ... and Sebring Vanguard Co., introduced an all-electric passenger car the CitiCar.

Butter cows and other wondrous sculptures carved from the dairy products will get more use after they're done being displayed at the Ohio State Fair. All 2,500 pounds of butter will become biodiesel fuel through a project at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. It's part of a new, green-minded initiative to use the fair's recyclable or biodegradable elsewhere. The 155th annual fair opened Wednesday at the fairgrounds in Columbus.

If you live in Irvine, Calif., the car of one area postman is more expensive, more Jetsons and rarer than yours. An Irvine-area U.S. Postal Service branch got a Chevrolet Equinox hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in late July, one of just about 100 of the cars released throughout the country. General Motors Corp., which makes the car, will also provide a hydrogen-fueled Equinox to a postal branch on the East Coast later this year.

The bathroom tiles are recycled wine bottles. The hardwood floors are sustainable bamboo. And the sprawling garden gets sprinkled with rainwater collected in 300-gallon barrels. From its recycled plastic deck to its solar-paneled roof, everything in and about the 2,500-square-foot home on exhibit just outside of the Museum of Science and Industry has been designed to show the public how easy it can be to incorporate environmental sustainability into their own abodes.

Jobs related to the environment and alternative energy are touted as the next big growth sector by hiring firms. Institutions and corporations extol their own eco-virtues. And now Princeton Review, one of the handbook of college rankings-starved parents and high-schoolers, will assign a "Green Rating" to higher education.

The TV weatherman warns of ozone alerts, and we've all heard that global warming is melting polar ice, but did you know that your home's indoor air quality is a problem that should be making headlines? The Consumer Products Safety Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency report that a "growing body of scientific evidence has indicated that the air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities.

Whether it's a desire to be greener, to eat more locally, save on food costs or ensure food safety, more North Texans are growing vegetables at home. As many of the new micro-farmers have discovered, growing food is a challenging and sometimes frustrating task.

The farmers market at Eden's Organic Garden Center in Balch Springs doesn't have a name: It's just "market day" the first and third Saturdays of each month at the rustic outpost a few blocks north of Interstate 20 and east of Interstate 635. All the growers use organic or sustainable methods, and Tommy Copeland's Oak Grove Farms of Ennis is part of Certified Naturally Grown, an alternative to USDA organic certification for small producers who sell directly to the public.

Everything is organic these days, soup to nuts. So it was only a matter of time before conspicuous consumption went guilt-free. Jump in your Prius and join Texas Discovery Gardens on Tuesday for an evening of organic fashion, part of the urban retreat's Organic in the City series.

A day after state officials declared water quality on the rise at Texas beaches, an environmental group reported it found a 12 percent increase in confirmed outbreaks of dangerous fecal contamination along the coast last year.

Just like any person, our autos periodically get “sick” and need special attention. They age and sometimes need new body parts to replace the originals. But in many situations, we replace when we could repair. There are a variety of ways you can conserve Earth’s resources by opting to repair rather than replace.

Kraft Foods has partnered with TerraCycle in an effort to decrease the amount of packaging waste ending up in the landfill, reports Industry Week. Kraft will become the first major multi-category corporation to fund the collection of used packaging associated with its products.

Vinegar of the four thieves sounds like a summer blockbuster starring Hollywood's latest hunk. In fact it's far from it, as DeSoto mom Christine Stewart found out. "I began to search for the strongest, all-natural, nontoxic cleaner available," writes Mrs. Stewart on her Web site, "and I soon found information about Vinegar of the Four Thieves."

Summer camp is not just for kids. With warm weather, longer days and TV reruns, a camping trip may be on your summer agenda. Here are eight ways to enjoy the environment while also maintaining it.

California's insurance commissioner says the state is getting its first homeowners insurance policy that focuses on rebuilding with the environment in mind. Commissioner Steve Poizner said Friday that Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. will offer a plan that pays for damaged or destroyed homes to be rebuilt using environmentally friendly methods and materials.

Paris' ambitious mayor has a new "green dream" after the spectacular success of his bike-sharing scheme launched a year ago: a version for electric cars. Under Bertrand Delanoe's environmentally friendly plan, a driver could pick up a car, say, on the Left Bank, snake up the slopes of Montmartre, then drop it off — and only pay for the minutes spent behind the wheel.

Ford Motor Co. announced a slew of new products that will come to North America by 2010, including six vehicles from Europe, as the company responds to rising gas prices and consumer demands for more fuel-efficient options. Here's what's on the way.

Proper watering in summer is vital to keeping your landscape healthy. But it has additional benefits, too, including saving you money. The goal is to water only when your plants need it, and to water thoroughly at the root level.

An unlikely coalition of environmentalists, oil companies, government agencies and shippers is joining to ask the nation to invest in restoring the degraded landscapes of the western Gulf Coast and bolster oil production.

Aluminum can recycling rates increased by 2.2 percent in 2007, the largest gain in 10 years, reports Business Wire. Nearly 54 billion aluminum cans were recycled in 2007, about two billion more than in the previous year.

When nature calls, campers at Michigan's Grand Haven State Park can now go "green" at a new, environmentally friendly toilet-shower building that is the first of its kind in the state park system.

The motor oil aisle at the local car maintenance shop can be intimidating. With so many product choices, an indecisive individual could be stuck there for hours. Among your many options, you have the opportunity to chose between synthetic and conventional oils. If it’s all Greek to you, here’s an explanation of the difference between the two types.

Which draws more juice from the electric grid, a big-screen plasma television or recharging a plug-in hybrid car? The answer is the car. But the electricity drawn by plasma televisions is easing the minds of utility company executives across the nation as they plan for what is likely to be a conversion of much of the country's vehicle fleet from gasoline to electricity in the coming years.

WASHINGTON – T. Boone Pickens has a new role model: Al Gore. Mr. Pickens, a longtime Republican partisan, and Al Gore, the former Democratic vice president, don't agree on much when it comes to politics. But Mr. Gore's global-warming awareness campaign has set a bar for Mr. Pickens' own effort to sound alarms about the dangers of depending on foreign oil.

BMW's Mini brand plans to have electric cars on U.S. roads by next summer. Mini USA Vice President Jim McDowell said Tuesday that the company is deciding whether to lease or sell the vehicles and where they'll be available. He wouldn't say how far the electric car will be able to go on a charge.

A decade of quantum technological leaps mean today's designers have in their hands a virtually bottomless toy box of new materials and methods. Now advances are not just industrial — they're green. Eco-friendly paints and adhesives, water-driven machinery, precision lasers, even organic powder coatings for steel are all relatively new technologies borne of the industry's desire to balance style and stewardship.

The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday put off a decision on Texas' request to temporarily waive ethanol requirements for gasoline. EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said the agency needed more time to review more than 15,000 public comments and consult with other departments.

Look up the word “garage” in the dictionary, and you’ll see some variation of the definition “an indoor area for parking/storing motor vehicles.” If only life were that simple. Chances are your garage contains much more than cars. Today’s garage is used for storage, housing noisy appliances (washer/dryer) and maybe even shelter for surprise visitors. So while you’re cleaning the garage this summer, consider greening it as well.

A number of big, established car makers have announced plans to produce cars that will pull from the electric grid all or part of the energy needed to make them go. They join a flock of upstart companies, such as Tesla Motors, trying to prosper by defining a new generation of mobility technology. For everyone excited about electrifying the morning commute, Robert C. Stempel, the former chairman and chief executive officer of General Motors Corp., has a few sobering words.

Congratulations – you've decided to spring for those efficient, long-lasting compact fluorescent light bulbs. Trouble is, the bulbs contain tiny bits of mercury, a hazardous material that sometimes requires special disposal. So what to do when the corkscrew-shaped bulbs finally go out? Waste Management Inc. introduced a CFL recycling kit.

Gov. Rick Perry's quest to curb the nation's ethanol appetite is gaining him allies in unlikely circles, including liberal environmental groups and companies that benefit from biofuel subsidies.

California will become the first state in the nation to require new homes and businesses to be energy efficient. The California Building Standards Commission unanimously voted to adopt the green building code Thursday. Commission chairwoman Rosario Marin says the energy and water efficiency standards will help the state cut its greenhouse gas emissions.

Peter Moon's family of six snuggles into bench seats for dinners together. Their house is 1,100 square feet, a bit smaller than two squash courts. "We really don't need more space," says Mr. Moon, a 46-year-old software designer. "I don't mind being cozy." Mr. Moon says he and his wife dumped a much larger home in Boston three years ago to seek a simpler, greener life here.

Toyota's Tsutsumi plant has solar panels, grass growing on the roof and ivy crawling on walls to be as green in production as the Japanese automaker's reputation for mileage is exemplified in its Prius hybrid. Under Toyota Motor Corp.'s latest drive to make its famous lean production even leaner, it has also achieved a breakthrough in technology for painting vehicles, a senior executive said recently.

Many gardeners feel frustrated they cannot recycle the plastic pots, flats and trays used when planting. But that may not be such a problem in the future, reports the Chicago Tribune. The horticulture industry is making efforts to be more green.

Venezuela's CITGO Petroleum Corp. is handing out energy efficient light bulbs across the U.S., despite political tensions between the two nations. Houston-based CITGO is teaming with nonprofit Citizen's Energy Corp. of Boston to hold workshops on energy conservation. They plan to distribute nearly 500,000 small fluorescent bulbs in 11 cities.

THE DEAL: The Sierra Club and The Clorox Co. have partnered to promote a line of eco-friendly household cleaning products. Containers will bear the Sierra Club logo and the environmental group will get an undisclosed share of the profits.

My apartment is haunted by phantoms, and I’ll bet your home is too. Don’t bother calling the Ghostbusters, though. Unlike their mean, slimy movie cousins, these phantoms are easy to neutralize. I’m talking, of course, about phantom power draws—those useful, innocent-looking devices and appliances that inhabit nearly every room of our homes.

Wal-Mart, the nation's largest retailer, pledged Wednesday to buy more produce from local farmers as it kicked off a campaign to highlight the fruits and vegetables grown in Oklahoma and sold in its stores. The Arkansas-based company's 'Locally Grown' program, which recently debuted nationally, looks to keep prices down for shoppers, support local economies and slice shipping and fuel costs.

Three major auto manufacturers are promising to reserve 300 new hybrid vehicles each month exclusively for New York City as it replaces its entire fleet of yellow cabs. Nissan North America, General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday they are setting aside the environmentally friendly cars to help the city reach its goal of making all yellow cabs green by 2012.

A bipartisan group of 27 elder statesmen is sending an open letter to both presidential candidates and every member of Congress saying the country faces "a long-term energy crisis" that threatens the security and prosperity of future generations if swift action isn't taken.

University of Arizona officials say their efforts to turn the site of the controversial Biosphere 2 experiment into a hub for climate and ecological research are beginning to pay off. The university took possession of the glass and steel structure a year ago and has been working to develop the site as both a tourist attraction and a serious lab. The goal is to bring in scientists from around the world to work on issues like renewable energy, water conservation and climate change.

To cool off inside his cab, Ken Kafer hooks up his rig to a contraption that looks like a giant exhaust pipe for a clothes dryer. Besides air conditioning, the yellow hose funnels TV and even Internet connections through a window into his cab at a truck stop. The best part, Kafer says, is that he doesn't need to keep his diesel engine on. So-called "electrified truck stops," along with on-board tools such as auxiliary power units, have drawn interest from some truckers in part to reduce pollution and engine grind from idling and abide by a growing number of anti-idling guidelines nationwide.

For decades, children have hawked candy and cookie dough to friends and family to help fund extracurricular activities and school playgrounds. Now a handful of entrepreneurs have set out to change that paradigm, offering ecologically friendly products for kids and parents to sell for school fund-raisers. From recycled wrapping paper to fair-trade coffee, the business owners are pitching the products as viable fund-raising alternatives for schools.

Key West's hot-pink taxis are going green. Five Sixes Taxi has acquired 10 environmentally friendly hybrid vehicles as the first step to convert its entire fleet. Company officials project the new fuel-efficient vehicles, that are still painted pink, will get about 38 miles per gallon in the city, versus their previous vehicles' 12 to 13 miles per gallon performance.

Pope Benedict XVI began a pilgrimage in Australia Sunday, saying he wants to use his visit to raise awareness about global warming and to address the crisis of clergy sexual abuse. The pope met with reporters aboard his plane during the flight, and was asked about climate change following discussions on the environment during this month's Group of Eight summit in Japan. There is a need to "wake up consciences," Benedict responded. "We have to give impulse to rediscovering our responsibility and to finding an ethical way to change our way of life."

According to Nokia, only three percent of people recycle their unwanted mobile phones. They just leave them around the house or office. Three out of every four people added that they don’t even think about recycling their devices and nearly half were unaware that it is even possible to do so.

High-end models of the 2009 Toyota Prius, the most popular car in the U.S. and the most fuel efficient, will now have a new claim to fame: solar panels. The cars’ solar arrays, according to unconfirmed reports, will only produce enough electricity to keep the air conditioner running.

The garbage at McCommas landfill, all of Dallas’ old banana peels and milk cartons, its newspapers and coffee grounds, are slowly turning into fuel that can heat homes and cook meals. Now, the city has a plan to make the McCommas landfill the first in Texas to use biotechnology to rapidly produce methane gas.

Eight new biodiesel buses have arrived in New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed more than half of the city's 370 buses, the Regional Transit Authority purchased 39 buses at a cost of $15 million. The buses use cleaner-burning biodiesel fuel.

On a tree-lined corner of Studio City filled with modest homes, flower gardens and neighbors who chat across back fences, two wiry celebrities are engaged in a green grudge match. The good-natured competition between actor Ed Begley Jr. and Bill Nye, the host of the educational series "Bill Nye, the Science Guy" began when Nye moved into the neighborhood two years ago. Since then the two moderately famous and slightly geeky environmentalists have matched wits over whose home can leave a smaller carbon footprint.

Toyota Motor Corp. will start producing the hybrid Prius in the U.S. for the first time as the Japanese automaker adjusts its U.S. manufacturing operations to meet customer demands for smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

A new partnership between Allied Waste, the second largest waste management company in the U.S., and RecycleBank, a company that rewards recycling participation with gift cards, aims to provide nationwide access to RecycleBank’s program by the end of 2009.

President Bush on Wednesday hailed the move by G-8 leaders to coalesce behind a broad climate-change strategy, saying in a valedictory to summitry that "significant progress" has been made on global warming. "In order to address climate change, all major economies must be at the table, and that's what took place today," Bush said. Environmentalists said the summit's broad pledge to work toward slashing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2050 did not go far enough.

Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. is targeting environmentally conscious homeowners with a new insurance product that would cover the cost of rebuilding a home to green building standards. Fireman's Fund, which officially unveiled the plan Tuesday, is offering the green coverage option in several states, including Arizona, Georgia, Maine and Nevada. In California it will be folded into the overall plan beginning Aug. 1.

Sunflower Farmers Market, a Colorado-based organic and natural supermarket chain, plans to open a store in a former Carnival Food Store in Old East Dallas next year. The building, at 1800 N. Henderson Ave., has been vacant for more than two years. In April, founder and chief executive Mike Gilliland said he expected to open five or six stores in the Dallas area over the next 18 months.

Looking for a summer trip before school starts again and weather gets less than desirable? The following tips will focus on making your actual road trip as environmentally-friendly as possible.

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T. Boone Pickens made billions and a name for himself in the oil business. Now Pickens, 80, says he has a plan that will help solve the country's dependence on foreign oil: Wind.

At a time when the housing market remains in a slump, consumer demand is growing for energy efficient homes that are kinder to the environment. And it's not just individual homes that are going green. Increasingly, it's entire neighborhoods.

Dow Chemical Co. has a new goal to recycle one million pounds of paper a year as part of its WeCycle initiative, reports The Saginaw News. The project will create up to 20 jobs for Arnold Center Inc. in Midland, Michigan.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is blooming! Despite its urban image, the Bronx has 7,000 acres of park land, about 25 percent of its total area. In addition to Yankee Stadium and the Bronx Zoo, the borough's green spaces include the New York Botanical Garden; a 19th century garden overlooking the Hudson River called Wave Hill; and Van Cortlandt and Pelham Bay parks, where you can bird-watch, play golf and ride horses.

Cruising through town in a sleek $25,000 hybrid vehicle would make almost anyone look and feel good, but that’s not a reasonable option for all individuals and families. However, there are dozens of simple ways to reduce the environmental impact of your driving and save money at the gas pump.

Sea coral is blessed with wonderful colors, an intricate design and memories of the lapping ocean. It's no wonder that the worlds of fashion and home decor are in the midst of a love affair with it. Some argue, though, that coral is too precious to wear. "We want to discourage consumers from purchasing coral," says scientist Andrew Baker. "It's like ivory. It's a product of a living animal and the harvest of this item is unsustainable."

From climate change to volcanoes and earthquakes, the world's growing challenges have leaders in earth science proposing a merger of agencies that study the planet. Creation of a new Earth Systems Science Agency is urged in this week's edition of the journal Science, by merging the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey. Included in the group making the proposal are former heads of both agencies as well as others who have held science policy positions in government.

Sheryl Crow is urging people to get involved in saving America's wild horses. "I think it will be a real shame when we look back and we don't ha