Ecovillages vs. Big Cities: What’s Better for the Planet? I was surprised when I first entered Earthaven Ecovillage in North Carolina and immediately heard the rumbling sound of a tractor on a barren patch of land that had obviously been forest not long before. How can an “ecovillage” have heavy machinery and clear its forests? And when it came to answering the question of who has a smaller carbon footprint—an Earthaven resident or a New York City resident - the answer is not as clear as you might think. In the end, the most significant role of ecovillages is their contribution “to a radical transformation of values… that may make the transition to sustainability easier and more graceful.” They do this in four ways: “delinking growth from well-being, reconnecting people with the place where they live, affirming indigenous values and practices, and offering a holistic and experiential educational ethic.” read more at:
http://blogs.worldwatch.org/transformingcultures/ecovillages-vs-big-cities-what%E2%80%99s-better-for-the-planet/

Help dump the radioactive waste dump! Imagine for a moment how you would feel if the Government decided to dump radioactive waste in your community without listening to your concerns. Well, this is exactly what it is trying to do at Muckaty, near Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory. Muckaty is being pushed by the Federal Government as the site of a new radioactive waste dump, without the consent of local Indigenous communities. Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) is seeking your help with a petition to “Dump the Dump.” See:
http://www.acfonline.org.au/articles/news.asp?news_id=2917

GetUp’s mental health funding campaign: Public pressure has got the pollies attention, but this is no time to let up. If you wish to help, please visit:
http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/mentalhealth

Using gravity as a cosmic zoom lens! Did you think gravity was just a force that makes things fall down - think again. It has now been used as an astonishing cosmic magnifying lens. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10481197.stm

[Thanks to Jenni M, John H, GetUp and the ACF for the links.]