Whither Europe on emissions?

Jan 28, 2014
Europe has been in the forefront of limiting carbon emissions. Do new European Union rules represent backsliding?

Our smart phone addiction

Oct 30, 2013
We buy (and throw away) our mobile phones at an alarming rate.

In rural England, fracking finds few friends

Aug 14, 2013
Britain's government supports fracking as a source of cheap gas and jobs but his plans are meeting stiff resistance in the countryside, where New Age protesters and rich conservative country-dwellers want none of it.

Kids' crazy sports costs offer tax perks

Jun 21, 2013
A listener responds to our conversation about expensive sports programs for kids.
Charles County, Md., is a new suburb filling up with families determined to help their children succeed. Konner Jackson, 11, plays three sports and is in his all-county orchestra.
Scott Tong/Marketplace

Unilever CEO: For sustainable business, go against 'mindless consumption'

Jun 11, 2013
Many companies focus on short-term results. The CEO of consumer-products giant Unilever, Paul Polman, says long-term strategic planning builds better businesses.

The Internet is coming to your car, watch, and dishwater, but can our systems handle it?

Apr 26, 2013
The Internet is powered by vast banks of computers which chew up energy. That's a big cost for the people who run these servers -- and the earth, depending on how all the electricity is generated.

For public good, not for profit.

Food hacking for good: Ways to improve the food system

Apr 10, 2013
A food hackathon in San Francisco brought together programmers, designers, and investors to work on ways to improve the food system.

McDonald's expands menu with a Fish Mc...

Feb 4, 2013
The fast-food chain offers Fish McBites, with fewer calories and certification that the fish is caught sustainably.

Unilever to dump microbeads from soap

Dec 28, 2012
Unilever says it will stop adding tiny plastic beads that act as exfoliants to its soap products by 2015.