News & Insights

Cygnet hatching in Abbotsbury marks first day of summer

The first cygnet of the year at Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset is the earliest since records began in 1393.

Energy Forests, the Feminine Art of Reforesting

SAN JULIÁN, El Salvador, Apr 30, 2012 (IPS) – María Elena Muñoz industriously weeds a clearing in the forest and then digs several holes, where she and another four dozen women are planting plantain seedlings, to help feed their families in this poor farming area in El Salvador.

East Africa: Kenya, Ethiopia Vow to Save Endangered Grevy Zebra

Nairobi – Conservation experts from Kenya and Ethiopia have drawn a roadmap for ensuring the survival of an endangered type of zebra.

Solutions for a hungry world – Connecting the dots: Understanding climate impacts on food security and hunger

At present, close to one billion people suffer from hunger. Experts agree that there is a high risk of climate change affecting food security at the global level, with the most negative impacts in the poorest and most vulnerable countries.

Warming Ocean Current Might Create Coral Refuges

While global warming devastates most coral, it also is predicted to bring a stronger deep equatorial undercurrent that could create a bit of habitat alongside islands

FL Motel Goes All-Nude to Boost Bottom Line

When times get tough, the tough get naked. At least that’s what a Florida motel owner hopes, as he turns his 32-room property into a potential magnet for nudists. The Fawlty Towers Motel in Cocoa Beach, Fla., is set to go clothing-optional May 1, after years of declining business and increasing competition from larger chain hotels, its owner told Florida Today . Going nude wasn’t a snap decision. Owner Paul Hodge first had to convince his skeptical wife. And he has yet to sway some of his concerned neighbors, who fear the soon-to-be nude motel will expose tourists, and…

Are You Guilty of ‘Table Side Racism?’

While “table side racism” might sound like an insane dining service, it’s actually a phenomenon sweeping American restaurants. A new study finds that “dining while black” can be just as bad for African-Americans as driving while black. Minus the police brutality, of course. The study was conducted by researchers from North Carolina State University. Researchers polled 200 food servers from 18 North Carolina restaurants. Their results showed 38.5 percent of respondents discriminated against black diners. What reasons did wait staffers give for their actions? Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly), a lot of stereotypes were cited. Respondents reported viewing black diners as…