*BONUS Article* — Former Playboy Playmate Vanessa Carbone Stages Naked Protest Against Japanese Whaling

Former playboy playmate Vanessa Carbone has staged a rather unconventional protest against Japanese whaling by holding a 'desnuda' -- Spanish for naked -- demonstration outside the Japanese embassy in Santiago, Chile.

The Argentinian model was among a group of protestors demanding that the Chilean government create a whale sanctuary in the country's territorial waters.  Stripped down to nothing more than a skimpy thong, she unsurprisingly drew the most attention from passers-by.

Under existing international law, Japan is prevented from killing whales for commercial activities, but is allowed to hunt a specified number each year 'scientific purposes.'

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Greenbutts Unveils Flower Sprouting Biodegradable Cigarette Filters

*Disclaimer: I, Lord Gaea, in no way, shape, or form advocate cigarette smoking — but if you're going to do it anyway, might as well use Greenbutts to add some eco-friendly color to those nicotine-stained lungs, no?

Greenbutts filters are biodegradable cigarette filters that sprout grass or flowers when placed in the soil.  The filter, manufactured from organic cotton and natural de-gummed hemp, is bound together with wheat flour and water, and the filters don't contain any chemicals or additives.

This is a huge improvement over current cellulose acetate filters, which take as long as 10-15 years to biodegrade.  No actual word on how long it takes Greenbutts to biodegrade, but it's assumed to be somewhat faster.  Greenbutts filters are still in the concept stage where the company is still seeking investors and has no plans for production.

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Shark Victims Rally Behind the Species

Shark attacks often receive significant press coverage, but statistics show they are extraordinarily rare: in 2008, there were 59 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide, according to a survey by the University of Florida.

Nonetheless, Debbie Salamone has every reason to hold a grudge against sharks.  In 2004, she was swimming at a beach in Florida when a shark bit down on her foot, severing her achilles tendon.  Pew Environment Group Paul De Gelder, an Australian Navy diver who lost a hand and leg to a shark attack, is in New York City to advocate for shark conservation.

Six years later, Ms. Salamone and nine other shark attack survivors from six countries are petitioning the United Nations to protect the very species that tried to make meals out of them.  Shark populations worldwide are under severe pressure from industrial fishing, with 30 percent of shark and ray species assessed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature listed as threatened or near-threatened.

An estimated 73 million sharks are killed every year for their fins, which are used to make shark fin soup, and Asian delicacy.  Most of these sharks are 'finned' alive, then dumped back into the ocean to drown or bleed to death.

The United Nations General Assembly deliberates annually on policies and regional and international agreements on how to sustainably manage fisheries.  Ocean conservation groups, including Pew, are urging nations to strengthen protections for shark species worldwide.  This fall, shark advocates will press delegates to implement a strong management plan for sharks that would prohibit catching threatened or near-threatened shark species and en the practice of shark finning.

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DNA Testing Catches Up With Illegal Logging Trade

A single splinter of wood can now be traced back, via its DNA fingerprint, to the site of its parent tree on the other side of the world with a powerful new tool designed to stop illegal logging.  A Singapore company, Double Helix Tracking Technologies, is attempting to get its wood tracking method adopted by the federal government, which pledged during the election campaign to crack down on illegal timber imports.

Each tree, like each human or animal, has a unique signature, but groves of trees are usually related to each other like an extended family containing grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.  This allows researchers to cross-reference one log's DNA pattern with an existing database of sensitive logging regions around the world.

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Biofuels from Engineered Tobacco Plants?

Researchers from the Biotechnology Foundation Laboratories at Thomas Jefferson University have developed a new method to increase the quantity of oil in tobacco leaves so that it can be used as biofuels in the future.  They posit that tobacco can produce biofuel more efficiently than other agricultural crops.  However, upon extraction, most of the oil is available in tobacco seeds.

Statistics show that tobacco seeds are composed of about 40 percent oil per dry weight.  Also, tobacco plants don't produce seeds in copious amounts (only about 600 kg of seeds per acre).  Despite these drawbacks, researchers seem optimistic about these new findings and aim to find ways for these tobacco plants to produce more oil by manipulating certain genes found in the leaves of these plants.

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The Organic Growth of Portland's Green Roofs

Portland's ecoroof program is enough to turn other sustainability-striving cities green with envy.  The City of Roses boasts 351 green roofs and rooftop gardens covering more than 26 acres.  By comparison, Seattle has 62 vegetated roofs totaling about 9 acres.

Ecoroofs are touted for their ability to trap and hold rainwater that would otherwise pour onto streets or into gutters, carrying pollution and potentially causing sewer overflows, flooding, and stream erosion.  The roofs can insulate buildings, cutting heating and cooling costs; provide green spaces for people, birds, and bugs; reduce heat island effects; and even lengthen the life of a roof.

The effort got a huge boost when Portland mayor Sam Adams earmarked $6 million for an incentive program that's putting ecoroofs on private buildings all across town.  the 2-year-old Grey to Green program already has awarded $1.3 million for the construction of 6 acres of new roofs.  The program is slated to last until 2013.

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