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The article reports that the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources hopes to lure locals and visitors off the beaten path with its colorful map of "agri-tourism" destinations. From farm B&Bs and wineries to hayrides and corn mazes, there is a sample of rural life for every taste. Those with heartier appetites for the country can contact groups like Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms.

The article reports that the water utility, San Antonio, Texas, has, since the late 1990s, been doling out rebates on low-flow toilets to residents who turn in their outdated, water-wasting models. Last year, the city cleaned and crushed 1,000 recycled toilets and used the pebble-size pieces to pave a nature trail at Calaveras Lake Park. The white porcelain even helps light up the pathway at night.

The article profiles the uniqueness of service of bakery foods at the bakery called Birdbath, Manhattan, New York. The bakery serves organic treats in what may be the first completely green bakery. Its walls are built of wheat board and sunflower-seed husks and covered with milk paint, its floor is recycled cork, and its counter is made of old bluejeans and bamboo. buildagreenbakery.com.

The article reports on the formation of a new Puerto Rico chapter of the organization Sierra Club in El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. Forest Service system. Local activists cheered the decision. Other groups have already joined the chapter in its campaign against two mega-resorts planned by Marriott International and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. The fight against development in the ecological corridor has brought together community leaders, businesspeople, church folks, fishermen, and tree huggers.

The article presents five statistic variables of "Fever Index," from the revised edition of the book "Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic," by David Wann. Affluenza is a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more. Some of the variables are Wiggle Room that measures the size of the average new non-rural single-family home, Guzzle Gauge that tracks per-capita fossil-fuel consumption and Waste Line that estimates the amount of consumer electronics thrown away every year.

The article reports on a series of advertisements launched in Mexico last year to discourage men from eating sea-turtle egg, which have gotten plenty of attention. Women's groups have begun a counter-effort against the advertisements, which they denounce as sexist.

The article reports on the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers' Green Gyms movement. The movement started in 1999 and is now established in 50 cities. Volunteers get their weekly workout by planting trees, creating gardens, clearing trails, and carrying out other conservation projects.

The article reports that the Pacific Northwest fast food chain Burgerville recently announced that it would use wind-generated energy to provide 100 percent of the electricity at its 39 franchises and Vancouver, Washington, headquarters. The chain dishes up all-natural, hormone- and antibiotic-free local beef.

This article focuses on the book "Mongo," written by Ted Botha. Scavengers in New York City have to be stealthier than their French counterparts, since anything thrown away becomes city property once it hits the street. Illegality discourages none of Ted Botha's colorful subjects in the book.

This article presents an interview with Kimbal Must, co-chef owner of Kitchen restaurant in Colorado. The building is powered entirely by wind, the cooking oil is recycled into biodiesel fuel, and the menu of local and organic foods is as sophisticated as Musk's training at the French Culinary Institute in New York. He says that the most rewarding about running the Kitchen is just making people happy. It's amazing how many customers tell me how glad they are that we're successful. A restaurant can be busy and profitable and still do good things. On being asked about his favourite local ingredients, Colorado peaches are shockingly good. The corn is wonderful. And this summer's tomatoes were amazing. A grilled peach is grown on the western slope of the Rockies, with a Berkshire blue cheese from Fort Collins on top of bruschetta, a slice of heaven.

This article presents information on the motion picture "The Gleaners and I," directed by Agnes Varda. The time-honored practice of gleaning, picking up the remains of a crop after the harvest, is defended by the French as an idealistic, if idiosyncratic, part of their culture. When scavenging goes beyond the fields and into the city, things get more complicated.

This article presents information on the book "Gone Tomorrow," written by Heather Rogers. Since all things die or wear out, garbage can seem natural and inevitable. Heather Rogers's social history of trash upends that and other misconceptions. The writer shows how cold war, era inducements to produce.

This article focuses on the book "Paper or Plastic," written by Daniel Imhoff. The book isn't focused on the classic shopping-bag choice. He wants readers to re-evaluate the role packaging plays in the lives and the toll it takes on the environment. Daniel Imhoff packs his book with thoughtful analysis, innovative solutions.

This article focuses on the modern traffic signal lamps by San Francisco, California-based designers Daniel Krivens and Nicholas Lee. Each fixture is unique, but the raw material is hardly in short supply since many cities are replacing their red, green, and amber stoplight lenses with energy-efficient LED models.

This article presents information on the book "Garbage Land," written by Elizabeth Royte. To uncover the truth about her own consumption patterns, and what really happens to the waste she makes-Royte literally got her hands dirty, spending almost a year sorting and weighing her household trash, then following it to its final destinations. Few would want to ride on a garbage truck, much less paddle around a landfill or subject their senses to the "back end of New York," the city's sewage-processing system, but everyone should be grateful that Royte made the at-times-pungent journey.

The article suggests five ways in which people can contribute to environment conservation. Enforcement of existing pollution laws and making polluters clean up the environment and reduce dangerous emissions. Encouragement for the use of renewable electricity and the raising of fuel economy. Building communities that are safer for cyclists and pedestrians by keeping public-transit systems strong and sprawl at bay. To protect nature for the next generation by designating public lands as parks and wilderness areas, restoring native species and creating open spaces for people to enjoy. Speaking out in communities to improve the environment in all these ways and more. These ideas tap into basic American values of fairness, opportunity, and progress.

The article presents information about José Andrés Tamayo, a Catholic priest who has blockaded timber operations in Honduras. He has marched twice to the capital en masse to protest unregulated logging. Their demonstration led to a government investigation of Honduras' National Forest Agency and the resignation of its general manager. Tamayo's success has won him international acclaim. It has also made him target of for the drug traffickers and crime bosses who profit from the illegal logging. Though the legal logging limit in Honduras is 500 million board feet a year, the actual harvest of mostly pine trees is up to 60 times. The Olancho region has lost more than 6 million acres of forest. Eroding topsoil and water shortages have led to dried-out crops and in turn, to poverty, delinquency, and emigration. With no contracts or permits governing most of the logging the community receives nothing for its loss. Tamayo is seeking a moratorium on industrial logging in the region until a sustainable forest policy is created and enforced, and finished products are made in the community.

The article presents news briefs related to environmental engineering of buildings in the U.S. Officials in Prince William County, Virginia, have persuaded the developer of a new luxury subdivision to incorporate features that reduce polluted runoff--a costly problem nationwide. Public employees in Washington State now have one less excuse for calling in sick since Governor Christine Gregoire signed the nation's first "green building" law in April 2005. The law requires most new or renovated state buildings to meet green guidelines that conserve energy and water and promote recycling. Washington Middle School in Olympia will be among the first to incorporate the new standards, which officials expect will also boost student performance.

The article highlights the notion behind the theory of collective force. It reports that if two heads are better than one, one can imagine what good ideas a thousand can come up with. That is the theory behind one of the most important parts of the Summit of Sierra Club, a U.S. organization. It brings together delegates from all over the country to envision the future of the club. Before the Summit, local activists will meet to talk about the political landscape and the Club's approach to conservation. This open, democratic process will provide a fresh look at how the Sierra Club can mobilize its members, engage its communities, and galvanize America. According to Club president and Summit co-chair Lisa Renstrom, the environmental movement of the country needs direction.

The article presents information on the summit of the U.S. based organization Sierra Club. Like the movie industry, the fashion world, and the sports scene, the environmental community has its own A-list celebrities. And the Sierra Club has snagged many of them to participate in its Summit. Keynote speakers Robert F. Kennedy and Arianna Huffington both contributors to Sierra will bring passion and political savvy to their talks. Huffington, a political commentator and satirist, regularly skewers environmental no-gooders in her syndicated column. She also co-founded the Americans for fuel efficient cars, best known for its edgy television ads linking gas-guzzling sports utility vehicles to national security. Other experts will lead workshops throughout the summit. It is also reported and emphasized in this article that while art lovers can learn how to capture nature's glory in various mediums, adventurers can hear from top women climbers and get tips on vacations that make a difference.

The article reports that the U.S. based organization Sierra Club's first-ever large-scale national convention, Sierra Summit 2005, will fill the center with some 6,000 visitors, 150 exhibitors and green ideas galore. Two years in the making, the event will bring together Club activists from all over the country and interested members of the general public for education, inspiration, outdoor fun, and serious business. During the four-day Summit, attendees can listen to speakers like Robert F. Kennedy, Arianna Huffington and Bill Maher and participate in a wide variety of hands-on workshops and panel discussions. They share stories and celebrate victories with other activists at the "Sierra Showcase," a section of the exhibit hall with displays featuring the Club's most successful grassroots programs. It is further noted in the article that a thousand Summit delegates, representing every chapter, group, and national committee, will meet throughout the weekend to discuss the Club's work and help set new priorities and direction for the next five years and beyond.

This article informs that the research conducted by scientists from the Universities of New Mexico and Arizona, and published in the November 4, 2004, issue of Nature, shows a strong correlation between large fires and warm periods over the past 7,000 years. The polar bear may soon have company atop the already dwindling arctic food chain. Sightings of grizzlies in northern reaches where they were never seen before may indicate that warmer temperatures are allowing the brown bears to expand their range. The National Center for Atmospheric Research recently found that drought afflicts more than twice as much land as it did just 30 years ago, from between 3.8 and 5.7 billion acres in the early 1970s to as much as 11 billion in 2002. Rising temperatures are a key factor in the change. In the United States, drought in Arizona cost cattle-related industries almost $3 billion in 2002 alone. The researchers conclude that intact ecosystems are better able to adapt to climate change.

This article informs that this spring, Canada and Washington State has got tough with manufacturers, ensuring that cars sold within their boundaries will be significantly cleaner in the next ten years. With seven eastern states having already adopted California's stricter limits on toxic and smog-causing emissions, this growing green bloc represents one-third of the North American auto market. This climate-friendly aspect of California's regulations, which requires cars sold in the state to be more fuel-efficient, is being challenged in court by auto dealers and manufacturers. California began enacting air-quality laws before the federal Clean Air Act passed, and states can choose to meet those standards instead of the feds. With the bill signed by Governor Christine Gregoire in May, Washington became the first to move toward adopting California's greenhouse-gas restrictions as well as its tailpipe-emission limits.

The article reports that Aurelia Harwood, soon to be the first female president of the Sierra Club, a U.S. based organization related to environmental protection, has revealed her future plans. She broke a bottle of ginger ale on the doorway of a one-room stone cabin, and pronounced that she christens the Shasta Alpine Lodge and dedicate it to all lovers of the great out-of-doors. Now owned by the Sierra Club Foundation, the building was recently refurbished with a new roof and door made of recycled and reclaimed materials. Though it is used both as a rest stop for dayhikers, who can peruse its small library or take a load off at the table and benches inside and as a base for climbers, no one actually sleeps at the "lodge."

The article reports on the documentary film "The Appalachians," which focuses on the Appalachian region. This still-remote and distinct region is known for its poverty as well as its rich culture and natural beauty. All derive from its namesake mountains, which have both protected and isolated its people, and from the black gold (coal) inside those hills. Using archival footage, recent interviews, and plenty of music, the Appalachians tells some of the area's most colorful tales and shows how the struggles of the early pioneers later made it possible for outsiders to exploit the wilderness.

Examines the environmental policies of U.S. President George W. Bush. Issues concerning the reports of the Environmental Protection Agency on air-pollution reduction; Consequences of the partnership between the government and the American Chemistry Council for a study on the impact of pesticides on children; Status of the protection for northwest salmon and steel-head habitat.

Presents information on the book "A Field Guide to Sprawl," by Dolores Hayden, which focuses on suburban design. Description of aerial photographs in the book; Purpose of Hayden in publishing the book.

Comments on the contribution of utility companies to the campaign funds of U.S. President George W. Bush. Information on utility companies that have collected funds for the campaign; Total donations of utility companies to Bush and to the Republican National Committee; Result of a study on the air pollution emitted by utility companies conducted by the Environmental Integrity Project and Public Citizen.

Focuses on the decision of the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush to sell part of U.S. Forest Service land atop Colorado's Mount Emmons to Phelps Dodge Corporation, a multinational mining company. Application of the 1872 General Mining Law in pricing the land; Information on a moratorium on land purchases imposed by former U.S. president Bill Clinton in 1994; Discussion on the Revised Statute 2477 that the U.S. Congress repealed in 1976.

Reports on the selection of a concept for a quarter coin by Los Angeles, California graphic designer Garett Burke depicting Sierra Club founder John Muir. Reason for the selection of the concept for a quarter coin; Efforts of Sierra Club member Harold Wood to generate support for the Muir coin.

Focuses on the accidental poisoning of children in the U.S. through the ingestion of rat poison. Estimated number of children who mistakenly ingest rat poison each year in the U.S.; Regulation proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1990 to address the accidental poisoning of children; Effect of the rat poison on wild animals.

Presents information on the significance of warm temperature to the changes in environmental cycles as of July 2004. Impact of warming temperature on the activities of plants and animals; Rise of the levels of carbon dioxide in 2003; Findings of a study on the tropical and subtropical regions of the Atlantic Ocean.

Reports on the criticisms received by the U.S. Forest Service for its Sierra Nevada logging plan. Ways by which the agency promoted the logging plan; History of Sierra Nevada according to the brochure prepared by OneWorld Communications, a public relations firm hired by Forest Service; Conflict in the representation of the history of Sierra Nevada.

Discusses a study concerning pesticide use on corn, soybeans and cotton genetically engineered to tolerate herbicides or to produce their own insecticides by agricultural economist Charles Benbrook. Increase in pesticide use for genetically modified crop after three years; Reason for the increased pesticide use; Results of a British study on increased herbicide use in an ecosystem.

Relates the effort taken by the valley residents of Mount Hood in Oregon to oppose the plan of ski resort developer Mount Hood Meadows to build a year-round destination resort in the valley in 2003.

Advocates the reinstatement of tax on industries responsible for Superfund site, repositories of abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste in the U.S. Stand of the administration of President George W. Bush on corporate tax; Legislation proposed by Senators Barbara Boxer (D.-Calif.) and Lincoln Chafee (R.-R.I.).

Reveals the dismissal of a team of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists in October 2003. Rescue plan devised by the team for the Missouri River's endangered pallid sturgeons; Account of a similar plan for the Bureau of Land Management.

Provides information on the outcome of the student's campaign asking schools to stop buying from timber company Boise Cascade Corp. as of December 2003. Comment from Meighan Davis, national director of Sierra Student Club, on the student's campaign; Response of the University of Texas at Austin on the campaign; Release of a new environmental policy by Boise Cascade.

Provides information on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Number of countries that backed the protocol with the European Community; Effect of genetically modified food on humans; Coverage of the Cartagena treaty; Refusal of U.S. to sign the protocol.

Reports on the plans of the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush to change the classification of liquid nuclear waste as of January 2004. Implications of the classification change for the disposal of the liquid nuclear waste; Judgment of an Idaho judge regarding the plans of the administration.

Reports on the deceptive marketing charges filed by Monsanto against Oakhurst Dairy in Maine. Slogan used by Oakhurst; Remarks of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the case.

Looks at the threat posed by highways located in a preserve in Salt Lake City, Utah. Details of an agreement signed by Utah Governor Mike Leavitt and Interior Department Secretary Gale Norton in April 2003; Number of potential highway claims identified by the state of Utah; Purpose of the Revised Statute 2477.

Reports on the findings of Eric Williams, researcher at the United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan, on the environmental impact of microchips. Volume of fossil fuels and chemicals needed to create an integrated circuit; Total number of integrated circuits in the world; Volume of water needed to rinse out impurities in a single chip.

Reports on the success of the Paper Campaign, a coalition of environmental groups led by ForestEthics and the Dogwood Alliance, against the office-supply firm Staples. Cancellation of the planned demonstration against Staples; Agreement of Staples to more than triple the average recycled content in its paper products; Support given by the Sierra Student Coalition to the campaign.

Presents information on the building code of the Renewable Energy Mitigation Program in Aspen, Colorado. Energy consumption of average homes; Benefits of the program for the environment; Use of solar energy.

Discusses several reasons to protect the national forests in the U.S. Economic aspects of forests; Prevention of forest fires; Creation of jobs.

Reports on the action taken by U.S. communities in several states which restricted huge livestock operations. Reaction of factory farms to the move of the communities; Information on a bill passed by the Pennsylvania senate that seeks to limit the ability of local governments to make such restrictions.

Presents information on several bills in the U.S. regarding environment protection. Clean Power Act, championed by Senator Jim Jeffords(I-Vt.) and Representative Henry Waxman (D-Calif.); Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, introduced by Representatives Christopher Shays (R.-Conn.) and Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.); High-Speed Rail Investment Act, introduced by Senator Joseph Biden (D-Del.) and Representative Amo Houghton (R-N.Y.).

Focuses on Chuck Frank, owner of Z Frank Chevrolet in Chicago, Illinois. Legal battle of Frank.

Reports on the Order of Canada recognition given to Sierra Club leader Vicky Husband. Discussion on the projects undertaken by the environmentalist; Views on the preservation of the great bear in Canada.