They’ve picked up 37,000 pounds of garbage so far, and they’re just getting started.

When most people see a fast-food bag fluttering on the corner of the highway, they probably shake their heads and keep on driving.

The Pick Up Artists aren’t most people. These four young environmentalists are driving across America, conducting roadside cleanups and spreading the word about reducing waste.

After just three months on the road, the Pick Up America project has already collected more than 37,000 pounds of garbage. And they’re only 340 miles into their …

One man’s quest for vegetarianism and a cleaner planet

Millions of gallons of oil are spreading across the Gulf of Mexico, killing wildlife and threatening coastal communities. This environmental disaster makes it clear that there are costs associated with our dependency on fossil fuel. These costs are usually well-hidden and often seem out of our hands. We assume these are challenges for businesses and governments to take on, but too large and unseemly for one person to make a real impact.

I am reminded of The New York Times’ 2008 article, “…

If current trends are any indication, the change will be shocking as some 4,600 electric vehicle charging stations are built in the US by next fall.

In just a very few short years, we’ve gone from collectively bemoaning the demise of the electric car to now being presented almost daily with road sign after road sign that clearly indicates its imminence.

Tonic has been following the fast-moving developments in electric vehicle (EV) technology over the past year, and by all indications given by the automotive world tea leaves, car …

The Gentle Barn Foundation needs our help to save 60 malnourished cows – many of which are pregnant – from a dilapidated California dairy farm. Will readers step up to save the day?

In recent weeks, animal lover Ellen DeGeneres has been trying to bring attention to a deplorable situation: Dozens of black-and-white cows, many of them pregnant and sick with pneumonia, pinkeye and skin fungus, are living – barely – on a dilapidated dairy farm in Santa Clarita, Calif.

The farm itself is in the process …

Guayakí Yerba Mate could be your cup of tea.

In 1996, five men fresh out of college believed that they could help to re-forest the South American rainforest and positively effect the indigenous people by drinking tea. Crazy? Maybe not. Fourteen years later, Guayakí Yerba Mate has a core team of 28 flip-flop wearing, life-loving, idealists that are making a difference one sip at a time. Guayaki grows its products sustainably within the South America’s Atlantic rainforest and currently sustains and/or restores nearly 20,000 acres of rainforest, 34 indigenous …

When you’ve been out of work for a while, grooming is usually one of the first things to go. Also pants with waistbands and your hopes and dreams, but that’s another post for another day. Now that Maurice Tidy has launched Hair Care, a charity providing free, professional hairstyles to the unemployed, at least your head can look professional. You’ll probably want to put on pants afterward. One step at a time.

One of the most renowned hair stylists in the world, Maurice Tidy, and his partner, Gina Caruso, have …

Projected to launch in Africa mid-summer, the Solar Pebble will quite possibly prove to be a life-changer for rural African communities.

Created by three university students in the UK, the industrial design and sustainable strategist consultancy, Plus Minus Design, will shed light on some of Africa’s most rural and isolated communities. The innovative, and cost effective, solar-powered LED light will hopefully replace most of the kerosene lanterns currently in use by most of these societies.

The light, otherwise known as the Solar Pebble, costs under $3 to manufacture and will …

Spain’s Alta Velocidad Espanola train is destined to win the race against carbon emissions.

Spain’s Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) high-speed rail service is providing a greener, and more enjoyable way to travel short distances. For example, approximately six million people travel the 325 miles between Barcelona and Madrid each year. In previous years, 90 percent of those people have been taking it to the skies to do so. The number of jet-setters is lower these days, with frequent short-distance travelers choosing the speedy train.

According to analysts, rail …