Despite the factory-farming regimen of drugs and genetic manipulation used to increase milk production -- which have left Betsy looking more like a tractor-trailer than a cow, rendered her lame, and given her an often painfully infected udder -- according to the USDA, per capita consumption of cow's milk has been steadily decreasing since the 1990s. It seems that more and more Americans are becoming aware of the negative health and animal welfare implications of drinking cow's milk and are switching to soy, almond, and rice milks (or other plant-based beverages -- there're even oat and hemp milks now) to enjoy with their cookies and cereal.

In an attempt to stop this healthy new trend, the dairy industry has begun a frontal assault on any milk that didn't come from a cow's udder. (Read more...) One national dairy trade group is so rabid about the situation that it has tried to get the Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of the word "milk" for these increasingly popular products, despite the common use of terms such as "soy milk" and "coconut milk" over many generations.

Now, the CMPB has launched a new campaign asserting that "real milk comes from cows." Besides annoying nursing mothers, this ad blitz -- coming from the same people behind the failed "got milk?" ads -- fudges the facts about dairy products' effects on both humans and cows. So PETA designed an ad of our own to be run near CMPB's headquarters, reading, "'Real Milk' Comes From Real Sick Cows."

Here's why we can say that: Up to half of all cows exploited in milk production suffer from a painful udder infection called "mastitis," which may cause pus to end up in milk, and around the same percentage is believed to possibly be suffering from lameness caused by being kept on hard concrete floors and in filthy conditions.

PETA's most recent dairy-farm investigation -- at Adirondack Farms, LLC, a milk supplier to Massachusetts-based Agri-Mark, Inc., which makes Cabot and McCadam cheeses -- found cows with bloody vaginal prolapses that were covered with pus and feces. The cows were left to endure this sickening condition, untreated, for almost three months. And in order to increase milk production, workers injected cows with bovine growth hormone, which contributes to mastitis (for which cows tested positive virtually daily).

All this is in addition to other findings, such as the fact that a manager thrust his arm deep inside a cow's rectum to "rake" out feces before artificially inseminating her with a "gun," another standard practice on dairy factory farms, and that cows were subjected to the din of blaring music while being beaten for failing to realize that they were not going in the desired direction, which got another cow electro-shocked in the face repeatedly. To produce milk, a cow has to give birth, so cows on most dairy farms are repeatedly artificially inseminated, some on what the farmers themselves call a "rape rack." The cows' calves are torn away from them within hours of birth, causing extreme distress that leaves some mothers bellowing after their lost babies for days.

Considering that dairy products have been linked to heart disease and cancer, it's no surprise that almond milk sales increased by a whopping 79 percent in 2011. Real nutrition comes from soybeans, almonds, rice, and other healthy vegetable sources, not from a cow's udder. Fortified plant-based milks are delicious and contain all the calcium, protein, and vitamin D of dairy products but with none of the cholesterol, lactose, hormones, or cruelty found in cow's milk.

And if anyone is concerned about bone health, studies have shown that consuming cow's milk not only provides no protection against bone fractures but may also even increase one's risk. According to a new study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, active adolescent girls who consumed the most calcium, primarily from dairy products, had more than twice the risk of bone fractures of active girls who consumed the least calcium. In other words, rather than gulping down sugary chocolate milk after a workout, as the dairy industry would have you do, drop some almond milk, fruit, and kale into a blender for a delicious calcium-packed power smoothie, then get your vitamin D by exercising outdoors, and you'll be much better off.

So, while the CMPB tries to scare consumers away from healthy and humane plant-based milks, people might just be starting to realize that drinking the breast milk of another species not only hurts animals but also is a rather weird, entirely unnatural, unhealthy habit that we need to break.

I thought it was pretty great that Whole Foods had opened that dialogue and, frankly, invited some criticism by being so open; a common question I got was, "Why would you work with them if they're still going to sell "red"-rated fish?" Well, here's why --

Starting on Earth Day (April 22), Whole Foods won't be selling any more red-rated seafood. They'll be the first (and so far only, but we hope that will change) national grocer to do so. Their original target date was one year from now. But they're so committed, they got there a year early. (Read more...) That's why.

We could have said no. We could have said, "We'll work with you after you get the red out." But the perfect is the enemy of the good. By working together, but us sensing Whole Foods' commitment and supporting but not rushing them, and by putting the information out there and letting customers take it all in at their own pace, I think we started at good and are now seeing a change that brings a major national grocery trendsetter closer to perfection. And it was all their idea.

Whole Foods Market's seafood guru Carrie Brownstein has for years worked on this, and we've enjoyed a smooth, efficient working relationship. (Blue Ocean's liaison is Dr. Alan Duckworth: aduckworth@blueocean.org) But much more important than what they've done with us, Brownstein and other Whole Foods staff have worked closely with their seafood producers to move some of them closer to sustainable methods. Those who've improved enough to make the cut get to stay in the fold. That's progress.

Whole Foods also offers various seafood certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (founded in the late '90s via partnership of World Wildlife Fund and Unilever; so beware of industry-spawned imitators), such as Alaska salmon, Pacific halibut, Pacific cod, and Nova Scotia harpoon-caught swordfish. (Fourteen years after the "Give Swordfish A Break!" campaign, those swordfish are recovering. This fall on an upcoming episode of Saving the Ocean -- a new series that I host on PBS television -- we'll be showing how harpoon-wielding Nova Scotian fishermen travel more than 100 miles from land to find and catch swordfish.)

If you want to make change, "Show me how" can be a stronger, more effective approach than "Just say no." That's what I think. Kudos to Whole Foods Market for showing how it's done.

This is a tough time for our planet. The human population has surged past 7 billion, and shortsightedness and greed on the part of a wealthy few has led to extreme poverty for the majority. And when the economy slows down, it is left to the earth to make up the difference. Dirty industry flourishes in the interest of quick growth; environmental review processes are gutted to get factories moving fast. Moneyed interests push misinformation about climate change into mainstream accepted thought. Anyone who suggests we slow down and give less destructive alternatives their due consideration is pilloried as a job-killing, tree-hugging, pinko Communist (Stalin's and Mao's lasting legacies being their keen environmental stewardship, naturally). The Lorax, the recent movie based on the fable by Dr. Seuss, was trashed in certain segments of the press for pushing an undesirable agenda onto kids, because it dared to suggest that levelling all the trees in sight wasn't necessarily a good idea. We are in an era of reverse ecology -- it has somehow become "cool" to hate the earth, and morally sound to sacrifice it on the altar of the GDP at every opportunity. As a result, turning one's lights off for an hour one Saturday night a year feels like shouting into the winds of a rising storm.

The ad hominem counter-arguments will no doubt come fast and furious. "Oh yeah, well, why don't you give up your car and your computer and go live in a cave somewhere, you stupid eco-fasci-socialist." I'm not suggesting that the world shut itself off and return to a purely agrarian existence; that's fantasy. Surely human beings are clever enough to figure out a way to have our toys and clean air too. As Al Gore said in An Inconvenient Truth, what is lacking is the will. How do we change our collective attitude from hungry consumer to responsible warden of a suffering world?

Maybe it begins with taking that moment to watch the lambs in the field, to reconnect with the innocent. To recognize that whatever you believe put us here -- God, evolution or random chance -- also gave us the capacity to appreciate and cherish beauty in all its forms, and an abiding wish to not see beauty destroyed for selfish, temporary gain. If it is indeed our duty to leave to our children better than we ourselves have inherited, then we owe each of them the chance to experience the forest, the ocean and the snow-capped mountain peak as we have. This can be the nobler purpose to which we aspire. We can start making the hard choices that reflect both our individual and societal commitment to achieving that purpose -- saying no to the cheap and easy solutions and the leaders who peddle them, and embracing our human responsibility to tend the garden of our unique home. For all the beauty present in the world is of the earth, and as the earth dies, so does beauty. No matter our political stripe, we can agree that beauty is worth saving. And it is a solemn obligation that extends far beyond the dying seconds of Earth Hour.

First we met Harry the baby pygmy hippo. Rejected by his mother, the friendly little guy has been fed by caretakers at a wildlife ranch in South Africa.

Then we saw the baby aardvark born this week at Busch Gardens in Florida. With pink and wrinkly skin, the baby's cuteness remains debated.

Strangest of all is probably Lilli, the young, six-legged calf from Switzerland. Although vets thought she wouldn't live for long, her zest for life has stopped her owner from euthanizing her. (Read more...)

In other animal news, Idaho's legislature passed the state's first law that would make mistreatment of pets and livestock a felony, reported the Associated Press. Ann Church, vice president of state affairs for the ASPCA, said, "We couldn't be happier, because it's a tremendous step forward for the state."

Researchers from the California Academy of Sciences and the University of Texas at El Paso made an important discovery this week while working in Burundi. The Bururi long-fingered frog, last seen alive in 1949 and presumed extinct, was discovered by a team led by David Blackburn and Eli Greenbaum, reported LiveScience.

About the discovery, Blackburn said, "I thought I heard the call and walked toward it, then waited. In a tremendous stroke of luck, I casually moved aside some grass and the frog was just sitting there on a log."

Huge areas of green space surrounded by great museums, public monuments, and other institutions, like the National Mall in Washington, DC or the 843 acres of New York City's Olmstead and Vaux-designed Central Park, are undoubted treasures, but most cities are too built up by now to green that much space. And that's okay. When we are challenged to think creatively, truly innovative solutions can be found. For example, just by closing one street, a city can create a linear park. Getting around on foot or bike is much more pleasant when you're traveling through greenery -- and properly planned, it needn't create traffic nightmares for cars, either. (Read more...)

The most successful parks include at least some of the following features:

• Everyone is welcome. The best places are those where young and old, new people, neighborhood regulars, and the whole panoply of characters that cities have on offer can gather to rest, play, and reflect. Places where you can pass the time by yourself, with friends, or chatting with a convivial stranger; places where you can read quietly or let off steam.

• Safety and cleanliness. A great park has well-lit areas at night and as few hiding places as possible during the day -- people feel most relaxed when they can see and be seen. Food stands are welcome, provided there are enough trash containers and recycling bins. Clean restrooms are a must. Playgrounds should have soft surfaces underfoot, like cork or wood chips.

• Seating. There needs to be a mix of comfortable seating -- and if the chairs and benches are attached to the ground and can't be moved into the sun or the shade, there should be enough of them in enough places so that people can make a choice.

• Retreat. Tall trees create a canopy, offering both shade and a buffer from street noises. Lots of nature and green compels us to slow down and de-stress.

• Activities. Parks should offer a mix of activities, whether they are bird watching or skateboarding, pet walking, bike riding, roller-blading, rock climbing, fishing, or reading a book. Ideally there should be a playground for kids and, space permitting, fields for ball playing and other high-energy activities.

• Accessibility. A successful park is accessible from all sides. New York City's Bryant Park is one of the more successful outdoor places because it's so easy to enter and exit it -- and it's clearly visible from the street. Convenient parking and access by public transit is important too.

• Art. Public art always enhances a space. Whether it's permanent sculptures or temporary visiting exhibits. Mixing art, design and creativity is fun and educational. Performing arts -- concerts, plays, and films -- are wonderful attraction for parks as well, especially on warm evenings.

• Landscape. Space permitting, expansive lawns can be as welcome a feature as formal gardens; artfully planted copses of trees can make a downtown park feel like a rural retreat.

• Water. Water features, such as a fountain, a pond, or a waterfall bring another element of harmony and beauty. The sound of moving water is always calming.

With the help of Steven Pedigo, my colleague at the Creative Class Group, I've scoured the world for playgrounds old and new, large and small. All of them incorporate at least some of the above elements, but most importantly, a visit to any one of them leaves you feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.

We love us some funny lady tweets, and what better way to get through your Thursday than with some laugh-worthy tweets from our favorite female celebs? We've rounded up the tweets that got us chuckling over the past week on everything from politics to cheating to Botox. Check 'em now, and don't forget to follow TrèsSugar on Twitter!

A number of news outlets from areas normally much too far south to see the lights -- like New York and Philadelphia -- have reported that residents may get a rare opportunity to see them tonight.

But as the Geophysics Institute at the University of Alaska points out, predicting when and where people will be able to see the Northern Lights is often difficult, especially because sightings can be effected by weather phenomena like rain and clouds.

Luckily, a number of research institutes have developed tools available on the Internet to help people determine the probability of seeing the lights in their area.

The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, offers an Aurora forecast map that allows user to zoom in on their region. The map shows the approximate time a particular area will experience the greatest level of geomagnetic activity. (Read more...)

Read the rest of New Infographic Shows the Human Cost of Apple’s iPhone

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BP has agreed to pay an estimated $7.8 billion to settle lawsuits brought against the company by businesses and individuals in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The disaster, which caused around 205 million gallons of oil to spew into the Gulf of Mexico, had widespread economic and health impacts on local communities. The estimated compensation, which is not capped, includes provisions for  $2.3 billion to bolster the region’s seafood industry and $105 million to improve available health care in the impacted communities. The Washington Post reports that under the agreement, BP also agrees to provide medical consultations for the next 21 years for those with spill-related health complaints.

A few hours before Obama was set to speak about energy policy at the University of Miami, West posted a rant on his Facebook page:

People have asked me before is there any area where I could praise President Obama? Certainly, he has an impeccable penchant for understanding the power of the bully pulpit. President Obama is also very adept at promulgating deceptive language masquerading as policy, actually just insidious political gimmickry. This "tax policy" is an example as well as today's speech on his "energy policy" shall be. Here is the bottom line, last night it took 70 dollars to fill the tank of my 2008 H3 Hummer, what is it costing you? (Read more...)

Read the rest of Takanori Aiba’s Amazing Bonsai Tree Castles are Miniature Living Worlds

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Read the rest of PinkCloud.DK Plans to Transform Oil Refineries Into Giant Energy Positive Communities

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Apple, the world’s most valuable company and hip-technology supplier to the masses, has officially begun an independent monitoring process of the factories where more than 90% of Apple products are made. The decision comes after an outcry of humanitarian concerns from the public over conditions at Apple factories in China including the infamous Foxconn factories where last year eighteen workers attempted suicide by jumping off the factory roof. Apple has been internally monitoring their production facilities for the past six years but the public made it clear that that was not enough. Apple became the first technology company admitted to the Fair Labor Association (FLA) who began independent assessments of Apple facilities today.

Read the rest of Apple Begins Independent Monitoring of Foxconn and Other Factories in China

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The video below captures the explosive lava bursts that lit up the night sky. Initial reports from Osservatorio Etneo claim that the eruption lasted more than five hours. According to Wired, the eruption caused a brief closure of the Catania airport, but lava bursts are simply a part of life in the area. Mirror Online reports that Mt. (Read more…)

The top stories of the week at EcoSalon.

This week, we’re fascinated by big, big furniture and the attraction of simple, hearty, unfussy one-pot meals. All we really want to be doing is warming our feet by the fire with a good book (maybe one of these). Oh, and reminding people that just because it’s cold it doesn’t mean global warming is nonsense. That, too.

We admired the beauty of the 11.6 million square miles of our planet called Africa, in 40 gorgeous photos. (Read more…)

After a rough patch, business in NYC’s Garment District is starting to pick up.

For decades, fashion mavens and budding designers have flocked to the quadrant between 34th and 42nd Streets, hedged in by 5th and 9th Avenues. Here, in New York City’s Garment District, fabric can be purchased, patterns made, pieces sewn, trimming added, and dreams realized, all in the space of a few blocks. Designers like Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, and Oscar de la Renta have all made the Garment District their home at a point in their careers, and countless others got their start in the neighborhood. At one time, the Garment District was the global hub of textile manufacturing. But not anymore.

“The only thing that has not changed is the location,” says Anthony Lilore, owner of RESTORE Clothing and a founder of the Save the Garment Center movement. (Read more…)