I was raised in a union home in southwestern Virginia and, like most kids of my generation, was encouraged to do well in school to avoid a life in the mines. For a while, it seemed possible.

Dear Earthtalk: What ever happened to the radical environmental group Earth First!? Are they still around and what other groups are leading the charge when it comes to so-called “radical environmentalism” these days?

It’s almost sugaring time here in Vermont. On our homestead, we tap about 25 trees, boil down the sap on the kitchen cookstove, and -- in a good year -- end up with four or five gallons of maple syrup…

The link between global economic growth and emissions growth has been further weakened as greenhouse gas levels show no increase for the second year in succession.

Flawed regulatory schemes have led to a passive, albeit legal, poisoning of the environment that we should no longer accept.

Products with a new certification that aims to solve the chemical conundrum for consumers are hitting store shelves this spring.

Reduction in global meat consumption is key to mitigating climate change, according to a new report by Chatham House.

Since the invention of electric light, the night has been getting progressively brighter. But a growing body of research shows experiencing total darkness is critical to our well-being.

Many environmental campaigns over the past 50 years have aimed at getting people to care for imperiled species in wild, far-off places.

Justice Scalia was a thorn in the side of the environmental movement. Now that his seat is up for grabs, the Supreme Court could be in position to make serious gains for the climate.

In response to climate change, a growing number of schools are taking kids outside to show them how a warming planet affects their local environment.

Dear EarthTalk: Why is the Arctic such a crucial area to focus on in efforts to stem global warming?

Language can be a tool for cultural transformation. Make no mistake: “Ki” and “kin” are revolutionary pronouns.

Waking up one’s nature awareness is a process of sharpening all of our senses to perceive more of what’s going on around us. It means discovering a sense of individual belonging in a story that’s as big as Earth itself.

If you want to learn more about nature, bring a child into your life. My 18-month-old granddaughter, Bella, loves nothing more than walking outside, exploring sticks, stones and plants, and sifting dirt through her fingers.

A conservation organization is celebrating what it calls a "historical settlement" that stands to put permanent restrictions on widely used pesticides and prevent federal agencies from doing industry bidding.

We all know that plants in our home release oxygen. But they are also able to clean the air from mold and toxins.

Scientists believe that record average temperatures may be helping to create an environment that has led to big increases in the number of disease-carrying mosquitoes.

The Amazon forests’ large mammals play a key role in maintaining the ecosystem that removes CO2 from the atmosphere and helps to slow climate change.

With the use of plastics expected to double in the next 20 years, the World Economic Forum concludes that by 2050, pound for pound, there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans.

Human society without fire is unthinkable. But a new book says we need to think of a world where fire gives way to electricity.

We can easily make a greater impact on reducing pollution while saving money on outrageous utility bills at the same time by using a green energy supplier at home.

What will it take to get zero emission vehicles on the road for everyone?

Dear EarthTalk: Why do many green groups oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) governing trade in the Pacific?