The Top 35 Environmental Blogs

By Josh Catone

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of blogs dedicated to the environment on the Internet. That's really no surprise given that environmental conservation is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and has become especially pertinent in recent years due to concerns about global warming and mega-hit documentaries like Former US Vice President Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth.

As part of our participation in Blog Action Day, we waded through much of the environmental blogosphere and picked out our favorites (caveat: not all of these are blogs in the strictest sense of the word, but those that aren't are generally still long-tail environmentally focused content sites). It's very likely that we've left a few of your favorites off the list, so please feel free to leave them in the comments below. Presented in no particular order:

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• TreeHugger - TreeHugger is the mother of all environmental blogs, ranking #17 on Technorati's top blogs list (which makes it at least one of the most referenced enviroblogs). It covers general environmental news, events and products.
• EcoGeek - Geek chic environmental is a good way to describe EcoGeek, which writes about gadgets that are earth friendly.
• Environmental Law Prof Blog - From the always-good Law Professor Blog Network, this one deals with pressing concerns surrounding the issue of environmental law.
• New Scientist Environment Blog - Excellent environmental commentary and analysis from New Scientist magazine.
• AutoblogGreen - A spin-off from Weblogs Inc.'s popular Autoblog, the green version deals with cars and the environment -- think hybrids, gas consumption, alternative fuels, etc.
• Eco-worrier - Musings on the environment from a columnist at the Times of London.
• Grist Mill - Daily environmental news delivered in blog form from Grist magazine (which is also about the environment).
• Green Car Congress - Another environmentally focused automobile blog, focusing on technology, news, and politics relating to the green mobility industry.
• Inhabitat - Generally about living a greener lifestyle, this blog often deals with subjects around green building and sustainable living.
• Ecomoto - A two year old blog/magazine examining environmental trends.
• The Lazy Environmentalist - The blog for a nationally syndicated (US) talk radio show about easy green living.
• Alternative Consumer - Environmentally friendly products: you want 'em and Alternative Consumer has you covered.
• Teensy Green - Got kids? Then give Teensy Green a read. A blog for the environmentally aware parent.
• Haute*Nature - In their own words: "Ecologically based creative ideas, art & green products for your children, home and lifestyle... blending style with sustainability."
• Hippy Shopper - From the Shiny Media blog network, Hippy Shopper is about all the eco-friendly stuff you covet.
• Sustainable Style - You can have your cake and eat it too, or in the case of Sustainable Style look good and do well for the environment.
• Green Options - A great general enviroblog and community based out of Berkley, California.
• No Impact Man - The chronicle of a man living in New York City as he attempts to go completely zero impact (i.e., ride a bicycle everywhere, recycle everything, eat locally produced food, and so on)

• Great Green Baby - Another site for the green parent, Great Green Baby reviews eco-friendly baby products.
• EcoFriend - EcoFriend is a blog about all those sexy, environmentally aware products you want but can't afford.
• ecoFabulous - Reviews of great green stuff for the house, home, and body.
• Ecorazzi - Celebrity gossip meets environmentalism. Did you hear that Leonardo DiCaprio is building a 'green hotel' on his 104-acre private island off the coast of Belize with the owners of the Four Seasons Resort chain? No? Then read Ecorazzi.
• EcoStreet - A well-written and actively updated general evironmental news and commentary blog.
• Green As Thistle - Green As Thistle chronicles the progress of Vanessa, a Canadian journalist, as she tries to "spend each day, for an entire calendar year, doing one thing that betters the environment." She's on day 229 and still kicking.
• The Green Guy - The Green Guy writes about "ethical living" and about how to go green without making drastic, life-altering changes to your routine. I just wish he'd update more (by the way, the Adam Vaughn, who writes The Green Guy, also founded another blog on our list, Hippy Shopper).
• Mindful Momma - There are a lot of blogs out there about green parenting -- it's an entire niche unto itself -- and Mindful Momma is one of the best.
• Got2BeGreen - A blog focused on all sorts a cool green technology (a recent post deals with how to power your laptop with the sun, for example).
• Triple Pundit - An intersection of the evironment and politics delivered in an interesting voice with useful commentary.

• Celsias - A great general blog about the environment, politics, sustainability, and green living.
• Enviroblog - Eviroblog talks about public health in the context of environmental policy.
• Get With Green - If you're remodeling your home or building a new one, subscribe to Get With Green to learn about all the ways you can make your living space environmentally friendly.
• Green Thinkers - Green Thinkers is, in its own words, "an informal forum for ideas and thoughts on how to live a more green life."
• Green Wombat - From Business 2.0, Green Wombat was a blog about business, technology, and the environment. With the closing of the magazine this month, however, its future is likely grim. Read the archives online while you still can.
• Lighter Footstep - Lighter Footsteps is all about sustainable living and leaving less of an imprint by making greener living choices.
• Life Goggles - Another great general green living blog, with a slight focus on TV and movies as they relate to the environment.

Bonus site: If you crave environment news from multiple sources, check out Hugg, which is like digg, but for eco-centric stories.

Top 35 image by Kelli Shaver.

Cycle to Lose Weight… and Create Electricity

For those who live in NYC, are members of New York Sports Club and like to spin (and can handle the intense burning in your thighs), there’s a new spin class you may want to consider. Last year, the Chelsea club, located at West. 23rd St. and Eight Ave., installed Star Trac Spinner NXT bikes that are only available at 75 gyms in the entire country. These bikes not only get your legs into fantastic shape but convert your sweat, leg power and possibly tears, into electricity.

Writer Dorothy Spears describes the bikes in her New York Timesarticle “Pedaling Your Way to Environmental Nirvana.” The bikes are created by The Green Revolution, Inc.; according to the company’s website, it “connects health + energy + environment by turning human effort within a health club into usable energy… an idea whose time has come.” I can’t help but agree. People may not be willing to make significant lifestyle changes to reduce their carbon footprints, but they should have little problem getting on an exercise machine that tells them how much electricity they’ve generated.

Spears spoke to Green Revolution’s Mike Curnyn, who leads the company’s marketing and strategy. He explained how these bikes create energy:

Mr. Curnyn explained that each bike’s generator feeds into a cable connected to a black cabinet at the front of the studio. There, DC electricity is converted into AC electricity. This is supplied to the health club’s main electrical panel “the same way Con Ed is tied to that panel and pushing electricity into club for use,” he said.

Grid inverters in the panel play “traffic cop,” ensuring that human energy gets used first, Mr. Curnyn added.

The idea is certainly great, but there’s a reason that not all fitness clubs have installed these new bikes.

Although Green Revolution’s technology simply combines existing brand-name bikes with retrofitted generators, Mr. Curnyn admitted that it took roughly three years for clubs using his company’s product to make a return on their initial investment of $200 to $300 per bike, despite savings of “up to $1,000 a month” in club energy bills and the demand from cyclists who are eager to inject their workouts with a sense of higher purpose.

I hope that we hear about more gyms installing these bikes, as spin classes are popular with gym-goers. Imagine all the electricity that could be generated! And who knows, perhaps Green Revolution can create a special line of treadmills too.

57 Animal Species Critically Endangered in India

The IUCN recently released the list of critically endangered species of India. This includes birds and animals like the Jerdon’s courser, White Backed Vulture, the pygmy hog and more.

Before you read the complete list of animals included, read further to know what the status critically endangered means.

What is Critically Endangered?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has marked Critically Endangered (CR) to be the highest risk category given to any wild species. This means that the species population is so less that it can become extinct any time.

There are five criteria that govern whether a species can be called CR or not. These are,

1. Populations have declined or will decrease, by greater than 80% over the last 10 years or three generations.
2. Have a restricted geographical range.
3. Small population size of less than 250 individuals and continuing decline at 25% in 3 years or one generation.
4. Very small or restricted population of fewer than 50 mature individuals.
5. High probability of extinction in the wild.

If any animal or plant species is found to be adhering to any of the above criteria, it is said to be critically endangered.

Here are the 57 species of critically endangered animals of India.

Birds

Forest Owlet

1. Forest Owlet (Heteroglaux blewitti)
2. Jerdon’s courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus)
3. White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis)
4. White-backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
5. Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)
6. Long-billed Vulture (Gyps indicus)
7. Red- headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus)
8. Bengal Florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis)
9. Himalayan Quail (Ophrysia superciliosa)
10. Pink- headed Duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea)
11. Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarious)
12. Spoon Billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus)
13. Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus)

Mammals

Pygmy Hog

1. Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvania) and the Pygmy hog-sucking Louse (Haematopinus oliveri) The survival of this louse is dependent on the pygmy hog.
2. Andaman White-toothed Shrew (Crocidura andamanensis)
3. Jenkin’s Andaman Spiny Shrew (Crocidura jenkinsi)
4. Nicobar White-tailed Shrew (Crocidura nicobarica)
5. Kondana Rat (Millardia kondana)
6. Large Rock Rat or Elvira Rat (Cremnomys elvira)
7. Namdapha Flying Squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi)
8. Malabar Civet (Viverra civettina)
9. Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)
10. Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus)

Reptiles

Gharial

1. Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus)
2. Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
3. Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
4. Four-toed River Terrapin or River Terrapin (Batagur baska)
5. Red-crowned Roofed Turtle or the Bengal Roof Turtle (Batagur kachuga)
6. Sispara day gecko (Cnemaspis sisparensis)

Amphibians

Anamalai Flying Frog

1. Anamalai Flying Frog (Rhacophorus pseudomalabaricus)
2. Gundia Indian Frog (Indirana gundia)
3. Kerala Indian Frog (Indirana phrynoderma)
4. Charles Darwin’s Frog (Ingerana charlesdarwini)
5. Kottigehar Bubble-nest Frog (Micrixalus kottigeharensis)
6. Amboli Bush Frog (Pseudophilautus amboli)
7. Chalazodes Bubble-Nest Frog (Raorchestes chalazodes)
8. Small Bush Frog (Raorchestes chotta)
9. Green-eyed Bush Frog (Raorchestes chlorosomma)
10. Griet Bush Frog (Raorchestes griet)
11. Kaikatt’s Bush Frog (Raorchestes kaikatti)
12. Mark’s Bush Frog (Raorchestes marki)
13. Munnar Bush Frog (Raorchestes munnarensis)
14. Large Ponmudi Bush Frog (Raorchestes ponmudi)
15. Resplendent Shrub Frog (Raorchestes resplendens)
16. Sacred Grove Bush frog (Raorchestes sanctisilvaticus)
17. Sushil’s Bush Frog (Raorchestes sushili)
18. Shillong Bubble-nest Frog (Raorchestes shillongensis)
19. Tiger toad (Xanthophryne tigerinus)

Fish

Pondicherry Shark

1. The Pondicherry Shark (Carcharhinus hemiodon)
2. Ganges Shark (Glyphis gangeticus)
3. Knife-tooth Sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata)
4. Large-tooth Sawfish (Pristis microdon)
5. Long-comb Sawfish or Narrow-snout Sawfish (Pristis zijsron)

Spiders

Metallic Tarantula

1. The Rameshwaram Ornamental or Rameshwaram Parachute Spider (Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica)
2. The Gooty Tarantula, Metallic Tarantula or Peacock Tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica)

Corals

Fire Coral

1. Fire corals (Millepora boschmai)

List courtesy Zoological Survey of India