For Real -- Humans are Melting the Polar Ice Caps

In case you were ever in doubt, new findings prove that mankind has indeed contributed to the rise in temperature at the polar ice caps which, in turn, has caused the ice to melt and ocean levels to rise. Apparently, we weren't deluded afterall.

Bye-Bye, Beach

Wuh-oh -- our world's tropical paradises may be receiving dramatic makeovers due to construction booms in nearby towns. Sand theives (and no, we're not talking Star Wars characters here) have begun rendering irreparable harm to coastal areas for want of cement ingredients. I've seen some pretty elaborate sand castles in my time, but this takes the cake.

Inspiring Reason to Drink More Beer

Check out these pics of a Thai temple built entirely of beer bottles! I knew my addiction was meant to serve a higher purpose.

India Gets Nukes, Sets Precedence

Well, it's official. On Oct. 8, 2008, the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act passed Congress and was signed into law. This overturns a 30-year agreement that the U.S. would not supply India with nuclear technology, which was signed into place after India's first nuclear test in 1974. "By creating an exception for India," writes California Senator Barbara Boxer, "the United States diminishes its own leverage and credibility in global nonproliferation efforts, undermining decades of gains in restricting the spread of nuclear technology worldwide." Uh-oh. Are you as terrified as I am at the dangerous game we're playing? If you're like me, you're probably wondering, who's next?

Green Add-ons to $700 Bailout Package

By now, you've probably heard that in order to get the $700 billion financial bailout plan to pass through Congress, $150 billion worth of additional costs were added into the package. What you may not know is that in addition to padding the wallets of television and movie producers, wool fabric makers, and rum runners (seriously, this is what's in the package), it also includes a provision that $17 billion go to alternative energy tax credits. This is seen as a victory for greens, who have tried to get the tax credits in place all year. However, was it right to tack it onto the bailout package? All I can say is, I'm glad I'm not a politician.

How Green is Your Mac or PC?

Old computers never die. They slowly fade into the depths of some distant landfill in China, leaching poisonous substances into the ground. Or more often than not, they simply suck the power out of your utility bill.

According to The New York Times in "It Comes in Beige or Black, but You Make It Green", over 90% of all "unwanted electronics" are left to rot in landfills. Luckily, there are ways to mitigate this awful environmental travesty. The major computer manufacturers such as Nokia, Dell and Apple have begun offering recycling programs for their computers. And we need to lean on them to provide even more opportunities to "reduce, recycle and reuse" e-waste. Even though Apple has been pointed out by Greenpeace for offering to reduce or eliminate polyvinyl chloride and brominated flame retardants from its computers and monitors, much more needs to be done for our efforts to begin having a quantifiable effect on the environment.

Be Good and Eat Your Vegetables

All right, I'm just gonna say it: We eat way too much meat and dairy in this country. Yes, this is partly due to population growth, partly due to the fact that third world countries can now afford to import our food products, and partly due to the number of fast food outlets and pre-prepared meal options that have become so popular over the past 30 years. But whatever the cause, we can no longer sustain our current rate of consumption. It's time to cut back, people! That's all I'm saying. It's bad enough that farm animals are confined to inhumanely tight spaces and suffer brutal conditions, but even stories of farm animal waste contaminating local water supplies have become somewhat commonplace. Worse yet, it's gotten so bad that giant factory farms are even polluting our nation's air quality -- and I'm not just talking about the methane produced by farting cows. This has just gotten out of hand, as I'm sure you'll agree. Check out this video in promotion of Prop 2 produced by the Humane Society and you'll see what I mean.