Lacandon jungle burned for agriculture in Chiapas, Mexico (Photo by Jami Dwyer) Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai made her mark with a simple but effective idea: Plant trees to stop erosion and restore the ecology in Kenya. In ‘77, she started the Green Belt Movement, which is credited with planting 30 million trees. The movement brought poverty-stricken Kenyans together to replenish natural resources as a means to boost the local economy. But Professor Maathai, aka The Tree Woman, hasn't stopped there. Now, she's tackling global warming. How? Yup, you guessed it: Plant more trees! Why? Carbon dioxide, the major culprit of global warming, is readily consumed by trees. Because of rapid worldwide deforestation, we can no longer depend on natural forests to take care of our global surplus of CO2. Replacing dwindling forests not only helps to prevent climate change, but also beautifies our expanding cityscapes. So, join Maathai in her newest venture, the United Nation's Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, and go plant your tree of choice -- for Earth's sake. Suggested Sites... United Nations Environmental Programme: The Billion Tree Campaign - hoping to plant at least one billion trees before 2008. Can you help? The Green Belt Movement - much more than just planting trees. National Geographic News: Global Warming Fast Facts - pictures presenting the consequences of climate change. Union of Concerned Scientists: Global Warming FAQ - direct answers to common global warming questions. Los Angeles Times: A Global Warming Skeptic's Parting Shot - some senators don't believe in global warming.

Directory categories: Deforestation, Global Warming, Carbon Sequestration, Trees, Restoration Ecology

Archived under: Africa, Environment, Nobel Prize, Science, Society and Culture, Trees, United Nations

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Polar bear swimmers take a dip in Barrie, Canada (Photo by Kevin Lamb) While you're still picking confetti out of your hair from the New Year's Eve bash, hardy winter bathers all over the world will don swimsuits for a refreshing dip in frigid waters. Why would they do that, you ask. Well, many swear by the health benefits of cold bathing. The founder of the venerable Coney Island Polar Bear Club and "Father of Physical Culture," Bernarr Macfadden promoted the cold plunge as an endurance builder. Some people just find it invigorating and fun. The Vancouver Polar Bear Swim Club started with 10 brave souls jumping into English Bay. The club now boasts thousands of members who join the swim, even with water temperatures as low as 38 degrees. In Finland, winter-dipping, called Avantouinti or ice-hole swimming, is practically a lifestyle. If you're game to take the plunge, make sure you take the necessary precautions. Most clubs recommend checking with your doctor first and insist on a signed waiver before you participate. But think of the sense of accomplishment you'll have when you swim off the winter doldrums. The rest of the year should be a cakewalk! Suggested Sites... Bernarr Macfadden - Find out about the bodybuilder, health advocate, nutritionist, and author who founded the Coney Island Polar Bear Club in 1903. Winter Swimming World Championships - for the over-achievers in the Polar Bear Club set. Brrring it on! Icing Down with Arctic Adventures - try some "avanto" adventures of your own with a little help from Frommer's.

Directory categories: Winter Swimming, Polar Bear Clubs, Winter Sports, Swimming and Diving, Fitness

Archived under: Fitness, Health, Outdoors, Sports, Swimming, Winter

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Jennifer Myers celebrating Kwanzaa 'Tis the season for... well, reflection, and if you celebrate Kwanzaa, you lit the first candle of unity on the seven-candle kinara yesterday. Started by Dr. Ron Karenga in 1966, the African American cultural celebration of Kwanzaa has gained an international following. From December 26 to January 1, people of the African diaspora celebrate their heritage, each day focusing on one of the seven principles of the holiday, like self-determination and faith. While some folks still have questions about the validity of the holiday, we're fans of anything that promotes a reconnection with one's roots. Remember the past, unite with family and community, and eat, of course. Kwanzaa is, after all, a harvest festival. And the weeklong celebration culminates with the Day of Assessment on the first day of the year: a time for quiet reflection and subsequent feasting. Fried okra, plantains, black-eyed peas, cornbread, gumbo, and sweet potato pie. Now that's a hearty way to spend the last week of the year: yummy food, family and friends, and traditions renewed. Suggested Sites... Official Kwanzaa Web Site - learn about Kwanzaa's seven principles, symbols, colors, and celebration traditions. PBS Frontline Interview With Maulana Karenga - Maulana Karenga talks about the Million Man March. Yahoo! Greetings: Kwanzaa - send a Kwanzaa greeting. Food Network: Kwanzaa - mix and match recipes to heartily celebrate each day of Kwanzaa.

Directory categories: Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa Ecards, Kwanzaa Recipes, Kwanzaa Activities and Crafts

Archived under: Holidays, Kwanzaa, Winter

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(photo by Geneome) Poor fruitcakes. Once considered winter delicacies, they have become the butt of cruel jokes about doorstops and paperweights. Critics mock their longevity and density, and each year countless cakes are re-gifted or tossed away. Some speculate that the endless ridicule of comedians is to blame for the fruitcake's brick-like fall from grace, but others suspect a decline in the quality of the cakes themselves. For hundreds of years, fruitcakes were tasty concoctions of dried fruit, nuts, and spices -- and often a liberal dose of brandy or whisky. Mass-produced commercial versions left out the booze and the spices and replaced the dried fruit with a candied variety -- super-sweetened bits of garish and artificial goo. But now, hip chefs are reinventing fruitcake for the 21st century with innovative (and more natural) ingredients and presentation. Fruitcake is making a comeback -- and this time, it's edible. Suggested Sites... About.com: Fruitcakes - recipes and tips for making fruitcakes that are palatable and delicious. Christmas Recipe Index: Fruitcakes - a variety of fruity, tantalizing treats. Society for the Protection and Preservation of Fruitcake - learn to love the fruitcake.

Directory categories: Fruitcake Recipes, Fruitcakes for Sale, Christmas Dessert Recipes

Archived under: Christmas, Cooking, Food and Drink, Holidays, Recipes

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Little Ralphie takes aim, just before he shoots his eye out (From Angry Alien Productions) Every year about this time, some group of buttinsky do-gooders comes along with a list of "dangerous" toys that parents should avoid just because some kiddie somewhere might swallow something or put an eye out. When we were growing up, we weren't softies like these kids today. Our toys were hazardous. They were rusty. They gave us splinters. They exploded or stabbed us. We played with chemistry sets and concocted all sorts of toxic stuff -- and we'd eat it. We had Thingmakers that would melt Plastigoop, which could burn the skin off your arm. Our Erector sets could cut a finger off. Nowadays, kids aren't even allowed to play dodgeball or swing on the monkey bars, because someone might break an arm. Honestly! You kids today. Pick up your rounded corners, hypoallergenic, flame-resistant, no-small-parts toys and get off my lawn! Suggested Sites... W.A.T.C.H. List 2006 - warning guide to the most dangerous toys of the year. Boomer Baby Toys - boomers get nostalgic for the toys of their youth. TV Party: Kids With Guns - watch ads from the days when it was hard to get away from toy guns. Radar Online: The 10 Most Dangerous Play Things of All Time - toys so dangerous you'll beg Santa to take them back. Like Television: Toyland - watch vintage toy commercials.

Directory categories: Toy Safety, Toys, Antique and Collectible Toys, Toy Retailers, Child Safety

Archived under: Advertising, Games, Hobbies, Kids, Nostalgia, Safety, Toys

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