Category Environment

These feats of conservation and sustainability hold countless examples of people following their passions for protecting our planet. Let your curiosity guide you as you explore fascinating corners of our environments and discoveries that are moving us toward a greener future.

Image: Coffee in a mug from the zero waste cafe, the foam swirled to look like a smiling face.

Zero Waste Cafes Offer the Pick-Me-Up We Need Right Now

Can’t survive without your morning coffee? From farm to cup, here are companies that are filtering the waste out of our coffee obsession, and making it easy to enjoy some java without hurting the environment.

Image: A young girl cupping a flower in her hands. The flower sits among many other kinds of plants, displaying the biodiversity in her backyard.

Weeds are a Good Thing! Why the Biodiversity in Your Backyard Matters

It's difficult to fully comprehend the stunning complexity and diversity of life on our planet, and even more difficult to understand how deeply that complexity and diversity matters. Ready for a deep dive into why biodiversity matters? Read on to see how you can help the planet by starting in your own backyard!

Image: A man snorkeling above a coral reef in one of the oceans, reaching for the camera.

What if We Saw the Oceans as Climate Innovators Instead of Climate Victims?

What if we stopped looking at the ocean as a victim of climate change, and instead realize that it holds dozens of ready-made climate solutions? The ocean is full of untapped potential to help us solve the climate crisis, we just have to reframe our thinking. Here's how.

Image: Three polar bears standing in the snow

Exploring Remarkably Resilient Polar Bears

Very special polar bears are living in southeastern Greenland on freshwater fjords without access to the sea. As polar bears typically hunt in sea waters, this has astonished scientists, giving them hope that polar bears may be able to adapt to diminishing sea ice.

Image: Three bins in a row, a green bin labeled compost, a red bin labeled waste, and a yellow bin labeled recycle

Want to Reduce your Waste? Here’s a Guide to Get You Started

If you’ve ever stood in front of an array of waste bins at the airport holding your empty coffee cup wondering “Is this garbage? Is this recycling? What do I do with this stuff?” and you desperately wanted to do the right thing but didn’t know what to do, this is the article for you. We’re going to break down what’s waste, what’s not, and what we can do to make waste a thing of the past.

5 min read

A Leopard Seal Tried to Feed this Photographer a Penguin: Capturing a Moment of Kindness from an Apex Predator

Ever see a breathtaking photo from the natural world and wonder how they got that image? Often the backstories are even better than the photograph! Listen to the remarkable tales from a Nat Geo photographer and you will be transformed.

Image: A person barbecuing in their backyard using fruit pulp logs.

Leftovers to Logs: Fruit Pulp Could Be the Fuel of the Future

There is a secret second life hiding out within almost every substance on earth, but today we’re zeroing in on an innovative way that one Argentinian couple is transforming fruit pulp. Want to know what they’re turning it into? We’ll give you a hint... it can warm your belly, your home, and your soul.

Image: FABSCRAP Volunteers holding some of their fabric that will be mended, repurposed, or recycled

21 Billion Pounds of Clothes Go to Landfills Every Year… Now FABSCRAP is On the Case!

We’ve mastered how to make the most of food scraps, but what about textile scraps? Let’s meet the female CEO of FABSCRAP, the company transforming textile waste from the apparel design process into a catalyst for a community of changemakers.

Image: A child wearing arm floaties and splashing in the water on the beach, under the beating sun protected by the ozone layer.

We’ve Halted a Major Climate Crisis Before. Here’s How We Can Do It Again

What if more people knew the success stories when it comes to solving the world’s big problems? In 1987, all 198 UN Member States adopted a protocol that’s still in effect today, and is estimated to repair the planet’s damaged ozone layer by 2065. Here’s the proof you’ve been looking for that the world came together to halt a major climate crisis before, and it is possible for us to do it again.

Image: A trainer and dog from Working Dogs for Conservation standing in a field.

Giving Un-Adoptable Dogs New Life as Wildlife Crime-Stoppers

With an incredible sense of smell, natural instincts for hunting, and a trainable nature, man’s best friend might just be nature’s best friend, too. The Pooches of Working Dogs for Conservation are finding their niche in this world as anti-poaching agents, catching poachers, saving animals, and proving that when we lean into our talents, anything is paw-sible.

Image: One of the mushroom slabs that is cut to create mushroom bacon.

Mushrooms Could Start Replacing Leather, Bacon, and Styrofoam in the Next 5 Years

Have you ever tasted bacon made of fungi? Received a package cushioned by mushrooms? My guess is not yet… but probably soon! New York-based company Ecovative has created an alternative to plastic, which can save water, time, money, and the planet, too!