A look at the diverse array foreign countries with the most companies listed on the Nasdaq -- Israel, China/Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, South Korea and Singapore -- reveals one common link: none of them have much in the form of natural resources. For these countries, economic success depends on the intelligence and creativity of the people that live there. In a recent New York Times......read more
If you've ever been to the old-growth Redwood forests of Northern California, you know there's some seriously awe-inspiring, ancient vibes among those trees. "Growing is Forever" is a short from Jesse Rosten that he calls his "best attempt to capture the reverence I feel when in the presence of these giants." Not a bad attempt! If the narration is a bit too earnest......read more
According to the United Nations, 2011 is the International Year of the Forests, which means, well, not much. It's always the Year of This or the Month of That. But we can't not get behind this one. Especially when it looks this good. GoodPlanet Foundation, chaired by Yann Arthus-Bertrand (the filmmaker behind the epic doc Home), is raising awareness of forest issues through, among other things,......read more
Forest of Woods 2 is a handmade, scrap wood forest world from Pen Pencil Stencil, the personal studio of Oakland-based graphic designer Mark Giglio. This is the second of Giglio's popular, limited edition Forest of Woods series. The happy little Japanese Tree Garden, created as a celebration of Spring, is a perfect inspiration piece for the corner of your desk. ...read more
Wow. These are amazing. Taiwanese artist Tzu-chi Yeh creates realistically detailed paintings of forested landscapes that could easily be mistaken for photos. They're not, but you can rest assured that they come from the brush of a very talented painter. Bob Ross would be proud. It seems the art market likes Yeh's work too. One of the paintings just sold for a tidy $142,000. (via But Does It......read more
Having survived the Ice Age, the 270 million year-old Ginkgo tree is a classic example of a "living fossil," a lone hanger-on from a group that was far more diverse and widespread in the distant past. Taking its name from this remarkable tree, a new Italian footwear brand -- Forest of Ginkgo (F.O.G.) -- uses the Ginkgo as a metaphor for long-lasting, environmentally conscious......read more
The Forestbound Carryall transforms recycled canvas from a WWII aviator's kit into the perfect everyday carrier. The roomy carryall has plenty of space for all your daily necessities -- laptop, gym clothes, lunch, books, and more. Two well-protected inside pockets provide perfect homes for valuables like your wallet, iPod, and cell phone. The naturally worn fabric is fully lined with thick......read more
The world's net rate of forest loss has slowed markedly in the last decade, with less logging in the Amazon and China planting trees on a grand scale. Yet forests continue to be lost at "an alarming rate" in some countries, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Its Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010 finds the loss of tree cover is most acute in Africa......read more
This film explores the practice, the methods and the need for habitat restoration in British Columbia's temperate rainforests. There's a clear connection between healthy landscapes and healthy communities. This coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world, but decades of destructive logging, mining, and development practices have left vast expanses of our temperate rainforest in need of......read more
A draft of a climate agreement is finished, but it leaves many questions unanswered. Now, as government ministers swoop in to finish off the talks by 11 December, those questions must be addressed. Nature recaps the weekend’s reaction and looks ahead to the final days of the climate talks. 1. Edging closer to a final deal A week of “very low drama” produced a draft of a......read more