In a mere matter of hours, we will likely know the identity of the next President of the United States. Regardless of who is elected, there is no denying that he will face great challenges in dealing with issues like climate change and funding renewable energy in a downturned economy. Fortunately, he won't have to go it alone. In the weeks after being elected, the next President will announce the members of his Cabinet and administration, and these people will also have a great impact on the future of the environment.

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Hey everybody. Check out Truevert, the new green search engine. Knowing that you're a green-minded person, Truevert will return search results that have an environmental slant. Search for "light bulb" for example, and your top matches will be about compact fluorescent bulbs, the green option. Type in "gasoline" and you'll get results dealing with gas alternatives like electric and hydrogen. You get the idea. So if you're looking for some green info, give Truevert a shot!

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Despite the recent drop in gas prices, there is no doubt that home heating will be an expensive proposition again this year for those of us using home heating oil. Some states will feel the pressure more than others of course, and New Hampshire has one of the higher heating bills.

Waste not, want not, say many New Hampshire residents, as large scale programs exist to recycle used motor oil as heating oil. Of 234 New Hampshire towns, an estimated 208 have programs in place to collect and recycle used motor oil.

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For several years now, residents of Cape Cod and all of New England have been talking about the Cape Wind project. This project calls for the construction of 130 offshore wind turbines in a shallow area between the Cape, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. The proposed plan, which is still struggling to obtain permits and approvals, could potentially supply three-quarters of the Cape and Islands' electricity needs.

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In New England, the fall foliage season is big business. The yearly display brings many thousands of tourists, or "peepers," to the region. However, climate change may be threatening to spoil everyone's fun. 

The leaves change color at this time each year because cooler temperatures cause chlorophyll, the chemical that makes leaves green, to break down.

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In the heated energy debate that will only escalate over the next few weeks, we have those who support the continued use of oil, and those who want to pursue renewable energies like wind and solar. I won't be arguing this point today - though I'm sure all of you know where I stand. Today I would like to talk about some of the under-utilized resources that people (including myself) don't talk about as much. All that is needed is for someone to come along and figure out how best to use them.

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If you care about the New Hampshire Seacoast, join Seacoast Green and start making a difference!

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An okapi, a little-known relative of the giraffe with parts of its body striped like a zebra, was spotted in the wild for the first time yesterday, and captured on film in the Democratic Republic of Congo yesterday.

This rare animal is kept in some zoos, but never has been captured on film in its native habitat. In fact, the species was unknown to Europeans a mere one hundred years ago.

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In India, recycling is big business. I'm all for the reuse and recycling of materials, but the recycling process in place here is far from green. India, along with China, Bangldesh and other Eastern nations, is rapidly becoming the world's toxic waste dump.

In Western nations, e-waste recycling is not very profitable because labor is expensive. But in nations where labor is cheap, the business model becomes mroe appealing.

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This Saturday, September 7, is National Threatened Species Day in Australia. Activists are trying to raise awareness of the fact that a full 20% of Australian species are endangered or threatened. This means that climate change and other human impacts could drive a fifth of Australia's biodiversity to extinction in the years to come. 

Affected animals include the flatback turtle...

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Katherine Heigl, actress from shows like Grey's Anatomy and movies like Knocked Up, got busted for littering recently on the streets of Santa Monica, California. Finishing her cigarette, she tossed the butt on the sidewalk, a mere 10 feet from a trash receptacle. Unfortunately for her, a police officer spotted the deed and approached her. He let Heigl off with a warning, but warned her that next time she may not be so lucky.

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On August 2, two anti-whaling activists, one Australian and the other British, approached a Japanese whaling ship while on a whaling hunt. Their objective was to deliver a letter to the ship informing them that what they were doing defied international agreements. However, these two men could never have guessed at the welcome they received. They were immediately seized, tied to the rail and then the mast (in Arctic waters), and kept captive for nearly three days before an Australian ship came to retrieve them. 

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Lee Myung Bak, President of South Korea, is recognized as one of Time.com's Heroes of the Environment. He certainly deserves the title, as he has been a champion of environmental causes in his country for almost a decade. But Lee Myung Bak wasn't always an eco role model.

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Yao Ming may not be an Olympic Champion this year - his team lost big to the United States on the first day of group play - but according to the United Nations, he's an Environmental Champion. It marks the first time that the UN has bestowed this particular title on an individual.

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Researchers say that police detectives may be able to learn a thing or two from the bumblebee. It turns out that the way bumblebees forage for food may be similar to the way serial killers target their victims. 

One would assume that the bees look for pollen in the areas closest to the hive. However, this is known to be incorrect.

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