The Plenty 20

Plenty Magazine recognizes 20 businesses, 20 people, and 10 ideas

By Anuj Desai, Dan Fost, Liz Galst, Tobin Hack, Jessica A Knoblauch, Alisa Opar, Sarah Parsons, Mindy Pennybacker, Victoria Schlesinger, and Jessica Tzerman

The Whole Earth Effect

How did a publication with just a four-year run help shape a community so prolific that it went on to inspire Google, Craigslist, and the blogosphere; save six American rivers; and shape sustainable business practices as we know them today? Forty years after the first issue of the Whole Earth Catalog, this oral history of the publication, as told by those who made it and those who read it, tracks the long-lasting impact of a short-lived journal that altered the course of the world.

By Steven Kotler

Hot Pursuit

One wilderness-loving hunter makes the case for when, how, and why to hunt

By Steven Rinella

Letter from the Editor

From the Whole Earth Catalog to The Plenty 20

By Mark Spellun

Land of Plenty

By you

Ask Plenty

By Tobin Hack

One Shot: Office With a View

By the Numbers: All the Environment's Men

As heads of state, US Presidents can be friends or foes (ahem, George W Bush) when it comes to environmental policies. Here's a look at the turbulent relationship between American presidents and Mother Nature.

By Jessica A Knoblauch

He Said/She Said

Tech: Sky Sprockets in Flight

By Jessica A Knoblauch

Eco-Speak: Ecopolis

The Big Picture

By Bob Eckstein

Transportation: Green-Thumb a Ride

By Tobin Hack

Art: Let's Talk About Sacks

By Jennifer Acosta Scott

Food: Go Cold Turkey

By Alisa Opar

Miss Eco Etiquette: Give and Take

By Kiera Butler

Wildlife: Mind Games

By Sarah Parsons

Cause Celeb: Green Racer

By Gina Pace

Life in the Green Zone

Lizz Winstead questions the limits of solar-powered satisfaction

By Lizz Winstead

Science: Hurricane Tamers

New technology just might reduce the roar of these vicious storms

By Victoria Schlesinger

Science: Courting Disaster

These movies make taking on Mother Nature look easy

By Jessica A Knoblauch

Science: Put a Cork In It

Winemakers look to sustainable stoppers to save cork oak forests

By Sarah Parsons

Science: Bovine Beano

Reducing emissions from methane-spewing cows

By Ben Whitford

Science: Findings

Business: Fresh Take

After a change in direction, Purfresh is embracing ozone to help address global food shortages, tackle salmonella outbreaks, and keep organics better longer

By Dan Fost

Business: Bag to the Grid

Composting's rising popularity nationwide spurs demand for another kind of environmentally friendly bag

By Dan Fost

Tech: Green Streets

A major oil-producing country is building the world's first ecopolis

By Ivan Gale

Tech: Plug-Ins vs. Hybrids

Adding renewable energy to the grid will make PHEVs cleaner

By Jessica A Knoblauch

Tech: On the Drawing Board

By Jessica A Knoblauch

Tech: Patent Watch

By Jessica A Knoblauch

Activist in Residence: Bill McKibben

Bill McKibben envisions the first year in office for our next Climate Change President

By Bill McKibben

People: Matthew McConaughey

8 Questions for the sometimes naked bongo player whose new movie pushes the limits of green lifestyle

By Victoria De Silverio

Travel: Paradise Lost?

A chain of untrampled Indian islands prepares for eco-minded development in hopes of becoming the next Phuket

By Dave Zuckerman

Going Places: Mexico City

By Tara Fitzgerald

Food: Say Raw-Milk Cheese

The debate raging over the legality of raw milk has dairy lovers worried about raw-milk cheeses. Will Parmigiano go under Prohibition? Not if the Raw Milk Cheesemakers' Association can help it

By Nathalie Jordi

Food: Seasonal Sippers

Food: The Darkness

Black is de rigueur for all things hip - cars, magic, the classic urban wardrobe. But what about food? Inspired by Halloween, we sought out the coolest ebony-tinged edibles for the perfect spooky feast

By Jessica Tzerman

Food: A Conversation with Carlo Petrini

Food: Farm to Fork with Dan Barber

The architect of a satisfyingly complex dinner faces the ultimate turkey conundrum: heritage or conventional bird? One thing he is sure about: his delicious down-home solution for leftovers

By Dan Barber

Home: Winging It

For Daivd Hertz, sustainably minded work starts with site-specific design and ends with nontoxic homes that are plug-in ready

By Amber Bravo

Ins & Outs: Flatpak to the Future

By Heather Wagner

Trash to Treasure: Strap In

Max McMurdo, the force behind British eco-design company Reestore, transforms a discarded deckchair frame into an edgy upholstered lounger

By Max McMurdo

The Green Fiend

Annemarie Conte dares to go plastics-free for a week

By Annemarie Conte

Style: Elements of Style

By Starre Vartan

Style: Natural Selection

By Alexandra Zissu

Style: Critical Mass

By Starre Vartan

Style: Take Two

Your feet will thank you: Morph those kitten heels you love but never wear into fabulous flats, and you'll be able to walk instead of driving or hailing a (carbon-belching) taxi

By Starre Vartan

Style: Quote

By Miguel Adrover

Green Media

New Reading and film for the ecophile

Industrial Evolution

Cradle to cradle, closed loop, upcycle, recycle—whatever you call it, the paradigm has shifted in the business of making stuff. Everyone from furniture makers to tech creators to textile artists is focusing on effective design, environmental impact, and material conservation. Companies are creating products that can be used again and again or that will simply expire without a trace at the end of their lifetime. And many have implemented take-back programs, recapturing used items from consumers and integrating them into new products. The following nine examples represent what many see as the brighter future of industrial production.

By Jessica Tzerman

Reviews: Mane Attraction

Testing which green shampoos shine or lose their luster

By Alexandra Zissu

Your Daily Green Dose

Vitamins that separate the wheatgrass from the chaff

By Brita Belli

Behind the Wheel

Honda Civic Hybrid

By Stuart Schwartzapfel

Seal Watch: Added Value

By Nathalie Jordi

Green, Greener, Greenest

What are the issues with food and plastic, and do you have any suggestions for minimizing health risks and protecting the planet?

By Lori Bongiorno

Best of the Rest

Lightweight

By Jessica A Knoblauch

The Last Word: Knocked Up

There are some decisions you can't base on polar bears half a world away

By Jasmin Malik Chua