WindStar Wildlife Institute Blog

Grandmother Is Fond of God's Creatures

I WAS very aware that another column was due in a few days but my brain didn't seem to care as it stubbornly refused to contribute even one idea. Stubbornly I sat there glaring down at the familiar yellow tablet but it seemed to stare right back, as if in a game of wills.

Easily intimidated, even by inanimate objects, I was about to toss it all aside, pick up a nearby book and read a while, but just in time, as if he were a gift from heaven -- which I always thought anyway -- one of my grandsons unexpectedly strolled into my living room and as we began a conversation, I knew I had the inspiration I so badly needed.

We have, since his childhood, enjoyed many and varied conversations so it didn't come as a surprise when he sat down in a rocker and began to relate his latest adventure involving members of the wild animal kingdom.

It seems a mother Raccoon and four cute little babies strolled into their yard and proceeded to make themselves at home. While the mommy searched for something to eat, the babies obediently climbed a nearby tree. It turned out that two cats lived there and the food supply was rather plentiful so at mom's silent signal the children left the safety of the tree and the food quickly disappeared.

That's where his story ended and where my unsolicited advice began-- advice about not becoming too up-close and friendly with Raccoons because of their penchant for carrying rabies. He took it just the way he did when he was a child--with a shrug of his shoulders but a knowing look in his eyes.

He has always been a nature lover--especially of birds. That began, I think when he was just a little fellow, when we sat on my old glider and watched all kinds of birds dine at a feeder my husband made and kept filled.

Where that grandson lives now all sorts of birds come to dine--some I have never seen before in my 80 years on this earth. One early evening as we sat outdoors at his house he said, "Listen Grandma, do you hear that bird? It's a Mockingbird." Something I hadn't heard since I was a child.

Once upon a time I tried that indoor "bird-thing" but soon found that though beautiful and fascinating they were also a trifle messy. I loved and cared for them--and was entertained by them for as long as they lived but somewhere in that time span, I found out that I much preferred to sit on the back porch and watch the wild ones.

I remember when my younger son and his wife owned a pair of love birds, appropriately known as Hugs and Kisses, who seemed to enjoy a "whither thou goest" relationship. Every now and then they were allowed out of their palatial cage to test their wings and I just happened to be there the day they landed on the head of my toddler granddaughter who thought that was great until one of them nipped her delicate pink ear. It was back to the cage for the birds and to the arms of a mother for our little girl.

I recall all of the animals and birds we have loved down through the years and each in turn have crossed over that fabled Rainbow Bridge where it has been said, they wait for us. In the meantime we miss them all because animals and the winged creatures give back so much in return for the love we give to them.

Minna Jacobs
Connellsville, PA

Windmills' Impact On Wildlife

WIND ENERGY is one of the most environmentally-friendly energy technologies in the world, and it will play a key role in addressing global warming, the greatest challenge the planet faces.

As with all human activities, wind energy development does have some effects on wildlife and their habitats. However, the impacts of wind energy on birds will never be as detrimental as other commonly-accepted impacts, such as those from buildings, windows, cats and communications towers.

A May 2007 report from the National Academy of Sciences states that in 2003, wind energy was responsible for 0.003 percent (three of every 100,000) of human-caused bird deaths. Even if wind energy development were to increase 100-fold, the impacts would still pale in comparison to other sources of human-related mortality.

The truth is that with the exception of one of the first commercial wind projects, installed in the U.S. in the Altamont Pass near San Francisco in the early 1980s, impacts to birds and raptors at projects have been low. The wind industry still takes potential wildlife impacts seriously: pre-construction surveys to identify possible impacts are standard, and the industry has a solid track record over many years of installing projects that are low risk for birds.

National environmental protection laws apply to all wind projects, and states such as Pennsylvania have even added another layer of consultation and review by wildlife agencies. These safeguards should ensure that impacts remain low and wind energy is developed responsibly.

Thomas O. Gray
American Wind Energy Association
Norwich, VT

This Book May Help You Connect Your Kids With Nature

TODAY I had the opportunity to represent WindStar Wildlife Institute by participating in a conference call with Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods--Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder.

As may you know,  Louv wrote a book that is changing the way environmental education is being taught all across the country and the world. "The Last Child in the Woods" is being translated  into 17 languages. And as Louv says, "More coming." This conference call was sponsored by Orion Magazine.

Tom Patrick and I had the pleasure of attending a presentation by Louv in Ellicott City, MD a few months ago. Louv is an engaging speaker with a special sense of humor. He said there was a portion of his childhood when he went around "pulling up stakes." These were surveyor's stakes marking woods to be bulldozed.

When the pile became obvious in his backyard and his Dad asked what was going on, he said, "I'm collecting spears." Recently, Richard had a contractor tell him that he would have been much more effective if he had just moved them around a bit!"

Let me tell you a few things about Louv. He has been a columnist and member of he advisory board for Parents magazine and has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor, and San Diego Union-Tribune, where he currently lives.

He is a visiting scholar at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, an adviser to the Ford Foundation's Leadership for a Changing World program and to the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. He founded Connect for Kids, the largest child-advocacy site on the Internet.

Louv's topic is simply nature education for children. Some of you can remember when your Mom would say, "You can go play in the woods but be home in time for dinner." That doesn't happen much any more.

Louv blames this on three things. The first he calls "Stranger Danger." Fear of abduction. He blames this on the press. Since 1975 there have been an average of 100 abductions of children annually in the U.S. A  large percentage of these were by family members. The percentage has not increased. He blames the press for making headlines of every child abduction. He quotes a Mom who said, "I would never let my daughter out of my sight for one split second...ever!"

The second factor is the electronic world that we live in. He asked a little boy, "Would you rather be inside or outside?" He replied, "Inside because that's where all the outlets are." With the electronic "toys," combined with the other factors, it is easy to understand why there are few children playing in the woods.

The third factor is liability--lawsuits. Richard mentions that a broken arm used to be "a rite of passage." All the other kids would write cute liitle notes all over it. Today it is grounds for a major law suit. "No Trespassing" signs are, by necessity, everywhere. The farmer's woods is no longer a playground. There are school playgrounds that have signs that read, "NO RUNNING."

One of the hypothises of the book, "Last Child in the Woods," is that our children are suffering physical and mental health problems because of this deprivation...Louv cites many studies indicating that children that are diagnosed with Attention Defecit Disorder improve dramatically when exposed to a natural environment. There are other studies that show that obesity and depression are also eleviated in children exposed to the natural world.

And so--to my question to Louv. "As a member of a naturalist team that takes children that range in age from two years to18 years of age on structured and supervised nature programs, what is the single most important piece of advice that you can give me?"

His answer: "First, skip the importance of information. Focus on the excitement and the wonder. Ensure that the children have fun. The wonder is the most important part. Involve the senses. Turning over a rock is the beginning of "wonder" for a child..."I am not alone." Fun and excitement are essential--and the keyword: "Wonder."

"Secondly, involve the parents. Many parents didn't have the opportunity to play in the woods. Their sense of wonder transfers immediately to the children."

Tom Patrick, President of WindStar Wildlife Institute, says nature center administrators have been wrestling with this problem for several years. Most centers offer structured nature activities but there is no time for kids to connect to nature on their own.

One example is when kids are led on a hike you'll constantly hear comments like "Don't climb the tree" or "stay out of the dirt" or "don't stop to look, we must keep going"  Some administrators feel it would be a good idea to have an area on the property that contained trees and perhaps a small stream.  Then let the kids be kids.  Let them climb the trees. Let them play in the stream.  And, don't supervise them while they are doing this--let them be kids and get emotionally connected with nature.

Parents have the power to ensure that their daughter or son will not be the "last child in the woods," and reading Louv's book is the first step toward helping your children develop a relationship with nature that will follow them their entire lives.   For more information, chick out  www.cnaturenet.org or you can email Louv at rlouv@cts.com

EDITOR'S NOTE: You can probably recall many experiences in your childhood that connected you closer to nature.  Please share some of these with others by clicking on "Comments" at the bottom of this message and tell your story.

Jack Lewnes
WindStar Master Wildlife  Habitat Naturalist
Port Republic, MD

'Everyone I Know Enjoys Watching Wildlife'

I KNOW some people who do not have any time for hunting but I do not know a soul that does not enjoy seeing wildlife. (Ring-necked Pheasant)

I watched a Canada Goose sit on a floating nesting box this spring until one day she just disappeared, leaving three unhatched eggs, and a mystery, behind. This mama goose sat on her nest in a small pond for several weeks through all kinds of stormy weather. Just when I thought her goslings were going to arrive, she pulled an Amelia Earhart. I was left with a keen sense of disappointment because I was really rooting for her. Was she killed or was something else wrong?

The summer of 2007 is bursting with new wildlife in our neck of the woods.
My older dog, Deuce, has flushed two hen pheasants and a hen turkey in our old pasture while the younger one, King, has flushed a Mallard hen off her nest.

Driving home Sunday I spotted five deer in a soybean field on a neighbor's property — two does and three spotted fawns. I also saw a flock of ducklings clustered around their mother in a lake.

It all bodes well for hunters. The early goose season in September will kick it all off and bow hunters will return to the woods in the middle of that month. The waterfowl opener comes in early October and the pheasant season in the middle of the month are capped by the firearms deer season in November. It promises to be a good autumn for hunters.

There are challenges and rewards to be found in hunting but a deeper reward can be found in just observing wildlife. An old friend of mine used to go out on fall afternoons and just watch the ducks plow into a slough or wing overhead. He didn’t take a gun along on these jaunts, even though he was a big hunter.

Talk to any bowhunter and they will tell you that one of their biggest kicks is watching wildlife—mainly deer—but other species as well—squirrels, fox and wild turkeys. I know deer hunters who have had up to 40 turkeys pass under their stand.

Maybe hunting has acquired a bad rap over the years that can be ditched if more people take to the woods and fields just to watch. Another bonus is you don’t need a license to just look.

Taking photos can also be done with wildlife cameras that can be strapped around tree trunks and positioned to cover a trail or a field. These cameras operate on the electric eye principal. There is something very exciting about checking your shots. --Daily Journal

Brian Hansel
Fergus Falls, MN

Wildlife Encounters Should Be Treasured

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO--Standing at a trailhead sign, a man and a woman argued. He wanted to start their hike. She wanted to go back to the car. The reason for their argument: a sign posted at the trail that warned of possible bear encounters.

"But, darling, we've hiked lots of other places where there could have been bears," he reasoned. "We live in Colorado. They live in Colorado."

"I know, but I didn't KNOW they were there," she countered.

"Come on, it will be exciting," he said.

"I don't want to," she replied.

While they argued, a family with two children passed by them and started down the trail.

The woman watched them disappear in the trees, the little girls chattering in excitement at the possibility of seeing a bear, the parents keeping them close.

The woman watched the family, shook her head, and relented. But five minutes later, she and her companion were back at their car. Another five minutes and they drove away, their hike aborted. I wondered if they would ever hike again in Colorado. Or for that matter, anywhere except the mall.

Wildlife is one of the reasons hiking in the Rocky Mountains is exciting. The animals and birds you can see on a hike here - Black and Grizzly Bears, Moose, Elk, eagles, vultures, Mountain Lions--elevate any trip to a memorable adventure.

Some of my most memorable hikes involved an encounter with wildlife. Some were dramatic - a belligerent bull Moose blocking the trail in Rocky Mountain National Park; a Coyote slyly circling an Elk herd on the other side of that park; a Grizzly Bear strolling with her cubs across the river in Yellowstone; a Bighorn Sheep herd poised like statues on a hillside in the Dome Rock State Wildlife Area; a pair of Great Horned Owls watching our campsite (and our small dog) on a remote stretch of the Colorado Trail.

Then there were the more intimate meetings--an Ermine, black-tipped tail waving, that crossed the trail just in front of my snowshoes; a Bull Snake that summoned its best rattlesnake impersonation as it blocked my way; a Roadrunner that lured me along a tumbleweed-choked path; a Raccoon that feasted on the can of dog food in our bear bag on a fall camping trip.

And one of my favorites--a Marmot we named Fat Albert who learned to stop traffic on the Pikes Peak Highway and beg for food.

We chose to live in Colorado for many reasons. Coexisting with wildlife is one of them. The fact Elk occasionally pass through our backyard and a Black Bear, black as night, prowls our neighborhood most late summer afternoons helps us remember we are visitors here.

The chance encounter on a trail is a reminder we aren't always at the top of the food chain, something worth keeping in mind.

I know a woman who has been followed by a Mountain Lion on a Colorado trail . . . twice. Both times, she was hiking at dusk, by herself. She's a small woman and she enjoys hiking quietly. The first time, on a trail in Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, she saw the Mountain Lion ahead of her. It was watching her, she realized.

Shaken, she turned around to walk, as slowly as she could make herself, back to the trailhead and the safety of her car. For a while, the lion followed, but then it disappeared into the brush.

"That's when I really freaked out," she said. "I didn't know where it was."

She reached her car safely and continued to hike in the future the way she loved--by herself, in the soft light of dusk. Her second encounter was in Rocky Mountain National Park. Walking on a remote trail, she saw a Mountain Lion. This time, it moved away before she reached it.

Was she afraid, I asked? A little apprehensive about hiking alone? She said she wasn't afraid, just aware that even if she hiked by herself, she was rarely alone.

But two Mountain Lions? The thought of those encounters is a little unnerving.

But, I have to admit that I'm jealous. --The Gazette

Deb Acord
Colorado Springs, CO

Feral Cats Aren't Wildlife

TRAP-NEUTER-RELEASE has not been proven to reduce the number of feral cats through natural attrition. Colonies tend to grow in size since not every cat can be trapped, and those that remain are fed and better able to breed.

The Cape May program has been touted as a success for many years, but where is the proof? Reduced rates of euthanasia at shelters do not mean that the actual number of feral cats is decreasing.

Feral cats are not wildlife. Their home is not outdoors.

Many adult feral cats can be socialized and adopted. But releasing domestic companion animals to live and die in the wild is neither ethical nor compassionate. Euthanasia, as a last resort, is a more humane outcome for these cats.

These colonies pose a public health risk. The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians has stated that there is no evidence that colony management programs will reduce diseases.

How disgraceful to allow this in a town that is an integral part of the Atlantic Flyway for federally protected migratory birds.

Linda Cherkassky
Voorhees, NJ

Saving Kids From ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’

WHEN MY husband was growing up in a new suburb of West York, PA, he and his friends habitually visited the latest construction site with their wagon. They would load long, ungainly pieces of lumber, then pull it many blocks to the edge of the development, where their backyards ended and the woods began. There they built a fort.

“That’s stealing!” my kids chime in, but I’m guessing the workers probably knew and looked the other way.

It taught them many things—about problem solving, working together and thinking creatively. But more importantly, it got them outdoors and gave them a sense of wonder.

We did these kinds of things years ago without any thought. We captured fireflies in a jar, turned over rocks in a creek, built dams and even performed experimental acts like burning ants with a magnifying glass on the sidewalk. If we didn’t live “out” in the wilds, we managed to find a corner, an edge, a space left open, to explore and discover. We gravitated to these spots.

But there aren’t many kids outside anymore. Drive nearly anywhere in the country and you’ll find the yards are vacant of playing children. There are many culprits: television, computers, video games, too much structured time, a fear of the bogeyman just waiting to snatch our children away and a lack of green space. (Each year, 53,000 acres of land are developed in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. That’s one acre every 10 minutes!)

There is startling new evidence that spending time in nature is as important to children as good nutrition and adequate sleep.

“To take nature and natural play away from children may be tantamount to withholding oxygen,” says author Richard Louve in his groundbreaking book, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder.”

Mr. Louve explains that in the course of a few decades, children’s physical contact with nature has faded at an alarming rate. New research connects the rapid increase in childhood depression and attention deficit disorders to this lack. For in nature, children make full use of their senses, are inspired to be creative, learn visualization and concentration, reduce their stress, develop a deep sense of spirit and a sense of play, become more fit and evolve into better stewards of the land.

With the planet in the mess that it is today, we can’t expect to grow environmentally conscious kids who will protect “their Mother” when they have not attached to the land nor made an intimate, personal connection with the natural world.

What to do? We, as adults, must get outside with them. Relearn how to find wonder in the natural world. Take them fishing, go out for a hike, camp out, watch a meteorite shower, build a campfire, identify wildflowers or skip rocks. We need to nurture magic in our children’s lives and detach them from electronics long enough to have their imaginations kick in. (Studies show that kids are connected up to 44 hours a week!)

My husband and I raised our children, now 17 and 15, pretty much off the grid as far as mainstream child-raising is concerned. We began their young lives by hiking the entire length of the 3,100-mile Continental Divide along the Rocky Mountains. Over the course of five summers, starting at the age of one and three years old and with the help of llamas, we walked from Canada to Mexico.

I can’t even begin to expound on the gifts this extreme exposure to the natural world has given my children. Suffice it to say, time spent in the natural world will equip your child to thrive in the world so much better than any school book, computer program, television show (even the Nature Channel), or organized sport. It will leave them self-assured, happy, and peaceful. Even very small doses of nature reap tremendous benefits.

As Mr. Louve says, we need to teach our children to “see into the beating heart of the earth.” We need to instill in them a personal passion.

Mr.Louve believes this is the long distance fuel for the struggle to save what is left of the natural environment, for “Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart.”

Cindy Ross
Pennsylvania

EDITOR'S NOTE: Cindy Ross lives in Pennsylvania and unlike some kids today, she has a hard time coming indoors. So much so, that she has written six books about it, including her latest, “Scraping Heaven: A Family’s Journey Along the Continental Divide.

Call of the Wild

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND--I'm sure that my neighbours understand. When they see the curtains twitching and the binoculars poking out, they realise that I'm monitoring garden wildlife.

Either that or they think they're living across the road from a stalker. But the blame lies firmly at Bill Oddie's door. Seduced by the BBC's Springwatch, I have spent the past couple of months exhibiting classic twitcher behaviour.

First, let me confess that I have been a reluctant convert. Overseas travel (that thing we did in the old days, before scientists told us that air miles are nothing to be proud of) has spoiled me.  I've seen rhinos in the wild in India, and on a hike in the Canadian Rockies I'm pretty sure there was a bear somewhere in the vicinity.

"That doesn't look like deer droppings," I said, pointing to a dark, smouldering heap on the forest floor. "No," said the other half. "It looks... meaty." Between these adventures and the glorious technicolour of David Attenborough documentaries, I confess that I've always considered local wildlife to be a bit, well, boring.

Determined to turn over a new leaf, I joined the national search for the Springwatch six. No, not a criminal gang, but half a dozen species chosen for a national survey. This year Springwatch received 24,453 'first sightings' of the creatures in question, so I'm not alone out there. Only a measly 5% of reports came from Scotland, though.

I proudly recorded and sent in my sightings of a swift, Seven-spot Ladybird, Peacock Butterfly and hawthorn flowers--although the Red-tailed Bumblebee and Frogspawn remain unaccounted for. The results of the survey have now been compiled by the Woodland Trust, and you can probably guess what they show. The warm spring has brought about the early arrival of some of our wildlife--Peacock Butterflies, for example, were spotted one month earlier than usual.

Scientists have refrained from drawing sweeping conclusions about the results. "We are concerned because the change seems to be so rapid," says Nick Collinson at the Woodland Trust. "And we know there is a mismatch of timing--flowers are coming out earlier than the insects that pollinate them are available."

Our changing world is seriously upsetting our wildlife. This was confirmed in the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's 2006 'State of Scotland's Environment' report, which found that the country's biodiversity is "under increasing threat from habitat loss, land-use changes, urbanisation and the spread of non-native species, as well as climate change".

So what can we do to help? There's the big picture--reducing our carbon footprint--but there's also scope for more direct action. If you don't have a garden, you can still have a window-box.  Fill it with flowers, and the bees and butterflies will thank you.

According to the Scottish Wildlife Trust (www.swt.org.uk), 90,000 species in Scotland require habitats. Although it's not possible to cater for all of these in our gardens, we can create vital wildlife corridors. Tips include planting native species, avoiding chemicals and, my favourite, not being too tidy. And you could join the SWT and visit its nature reserves. In 2006, wildlife tourism was estimated to generate £210 million for the Scottish economy, so there are financial reasons to respect our wildlife as well as green ones.

Meanwhile I'm fast becoming a wildlife bore. Ask me what's happening on Big Brother and I won't have the foggiest. But I'd be happy to tell you all about the nesting habits of the local blackbirds. That Bill Oddie has a lot to answer for.

Louisa Pearson
Edinburgh, Scotland

Alarm Over High Number of Seabird Deaths

HUNDREDS of emaciated seabirds have washed up dead along the southeastern coast of America, alarming scientists who fear changes in the ocean could have affected the fish that the birds normally eat.

More than a thousand Shearwaters, large gull-like birds that spend most of their lives far out to sea, have been found dead over the past two weeks on beaches stretching from the Bahamas to the Carolinas, say wildlife biologists.

Officials are not certain what is causing the casualties but say that the only common factor is that they appeared to have died of malnutrition and dehydration during migration.

"It's got a lot of folks talking and wondering. Is this a canary in the coal mine issue?", said Jennifer Koches of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. "Is there something serious going on out in the ocean that it should be causing us serious alarm?"

The birds, which feed on small fish and squid, nest on islands off southern Africa and then migrate 7,500 miles north during the summer to the seas off northern Canada and Greenland. Typically, the birds pass by America far offshore, flocking together in groups of 50 to 100 and flying closer to the water than most migrating birds.

Most of the dead birds are juveniles that were born this year. In Florida, where the casualties were first spotted, animal hospitals have been inundated with dying Shearwaters brought in by members of the public.

Preliminary tests in Georgia and Florida have indicated that no disease or pathogen, such as West Nile virus or bird flu, is involved in the deaths. A similar but less severe shearwater death toll was reported in 2005.

Craig Watson, a wildlife biologist with the Fish and Wildlife Service, said the birds were extremely malnourished and appeared to have simply starved to death. The winds on the ocean could be pushing the birds off course where they find less to eat, he said.

"The other thing is the forage fish they rely on may be unavailable to them for some reason," he said. "Is it because there is less out there? We don't know. We are hearing that off the coast of South Carolina it could be one of the worst years on record for forage fish."

"Whatever the reason, [the deaths] appear to be pretty significant. We just don't know how significant yet", he said.

Al Segars, a vet at South Carolina's Department of Natural Resources, said that dehydration was also a factor because seabirds get much of the water they need from the fish they eat.

Local birdwatcher internet chat sites have been buzzing with reports of Sheerwaters flying south--the opposite of their usual flight pattern--in what observers believe is a desperate hunt for food.

Ms Koches said: "It's not uncommon for some of these birds to die off during migration, but the numbers here are significant enough to cause alarm with natural-resources people internationally. No bird can sustain this type of die-off year after year." --The Telegraph

Tom Leonard 
New York, NY

Daily Grist Top 15 Green Movies

AND...ACTION! We've reeled in a cast of green-themed flicks; pop some popcorn, see what made the cut, then play critic in the comments section at the bottom of the article.

1  An Inconvenient Truth
Mr. Gore went to Washington, and we all know how that turned out. But when Al hit Hollywood, it was a different story altogether. An Inconvenient Truth let the former veep shout his climate message from the proverbial rooftops. Who would have thought a documentary about a politician with a whiz-bang computer presentation would make such an impact, let alone win a couple of Academy Awards? But Gore's star turn changed climate conversations forever. (2006)

2  Erin Brockovich
Julia Roberts lends star power -- and plenty of cleavage -- to this based-on-a-true-story epic of wronged Californians rallying against a shady corporate polluter. The title character, a stereotype-bucking, working-class mom, transforms her professional inexperience into an asset, helping to coordinate one of the largest class-action lawsuits in U.S. history. (2000)

3  Winged Migration
Before penguin peregrinations became all the rage, this documentary captured the grandeur of nature by following the migrations of more than a dozen bird species, spanning four years, 40 countries, and all seven continents. French filmmaker Jacques Perrin, working with a 450-person crew, used planes, gliders, helicopters, and hot-air balloons to capture the impressive journeys, which make waddling across ice look like child's play. (2001)

4  The China Syndrome
Released just two weeks before the infamous Three Mile Island meltdown in Pennsylvania, The China Syndrome tells the fictional story of a reporter who stumbles on a cover-up of safety hazards at a nuclear power plant. The film stars Jane Fonda as the determined TV journalist and Jack Lemmon as an earnest whistleblower, roles that earned them Oscar nominations for best actress and actor. (1979)

5  Silkwood
More nukes and news outlets: Based on a true story, Silkwood delves into the circumstances surrounding the suspicious death of Karen Silkwood, a metal worker at a plutonium processing plant who was on her way to meet with a New York Times investigative reporter about negligence at the plant when she died in a one-car accident. Meryl Streep and Cher reaped Oscar nominations for their acting, and Kurt Russell got critical acclaim too. (1983)

6  A Civil Action
Call it Erin Brockovich, East Coast style: A gripping true-life legal drama about polluted water, corporate malfeasance, and one Boston lawyer's personal and professional gambles to take down the bad guys, A Civil Action won over audiences and critics alike, and was nominated for two Academy Awards. Plus: John Travolta as a suave legal eagle. What's not to love? (1998)

7  Gorillas in the Mist
Shedding the shoulder pads of the same year's Working Girl, Sigourney Weaver plays naturalist Dian Fossey in this based-on-actual-events film. Fossey studied and passionately defended Rwanda's mountain gorillas for more than 20 years before she was mysteriously murdered. Weaver won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar for her performance. (1988)

8  The Day After Tomorrow
Audiences around the world clung to the edges of their seats throughout this big-budget summer disaster flick, wondering if Dennis Quaid would be able to trek through a climate-changed, storm-ravaged landscape to find son Jake Gyllenhaal. OK, that's not true -- they mostly chuckled at the overblown drama and bad script. Nevertheless, the film was a rollicking good ride that acted as a catalyst for climate discussions in the mainstream media two years before An Inconvenient Truth. (2004)

9  Chinatown
A Roman Polanski film-noir detective flick starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, Chinatown was adored by critics, won an Academy Award in 1975 for best original screenplay, and was nominated for 10 other Oscars. In addition to the expected murder, adultery, and deceit, its plot revolves around dams, drought, agriculture, land grabs, and L.A.'s precarious water supply. (1974)

10  Hoot
Based on a young adult novel by Carl Hiaasen that earned the prestigious Newberry Honor in 2003, Hoot centers on the lives of three kids who are willing to do whatever it takes to save a local population of endangered Burrowing Owls, facing down crooked politicians, land developers, and bumbling cops. Jimmy Buffett produced the film, and Luke Wilson stars as a bumbling cop. (2006)

11  End of Suburbia
In a year dominated by the ultimate fantasy film, Lord of the Rings, this clear-eyed, frighteningly prescient documentary took a real-life look at the impending end of cheap oil. The End of Suburbia explores how dry oil wells will impact the U.S. economy and the much-cherished, resource-intensive American Dream. It's enough to make you want to move to Middle Earth. (2004)

12  Blue Vinyl
This acclaimed documentary begins with filmmaker Judith Helfand discovering a severed ear in a field -- no, wait. Wrong movie. This one starts with Helfand trying to convince her parents to get rid of the blue vinyl siding on their house, sending Helfand and fellow documentarian Daniel B. Gold on a journey to the U.S. vinyl capital in Louisiana, then to Italy and beyond to talk with experts, doctors, and activists about the ubiquitous and harmful plastic. (2002)

13  Happy Feet
A hit with the kids, this Oscar-winning animated film capitalized on the penguin-mania inspired by the staggeringly successful March of the Penguins. Its heavy-handed message (human activity is messing with the food chain) was made digestible with the help of a whole lotta foot-tappin' fun. (2006)

14  Who Killed the Electric Car?
Narrated by Martin Sheen, Who Killed the Electric Car? is part murder mystery, part documentary, tracing the rise and premature fall of the electric car in the United States. The must-see for alternative-transport enthusiasts features interviews with Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson, ex-CIA chief James Woolsey, and others. (2006)

15  Fire Down Below
A fast-paced action flick starring Steven Seagal and Kris Kristofferson, Fire Down Below features big-time polluters frightening rural townsfolk into shutting up. That is, until undercover federal agent Jack Taggart (Seagal) comes to town to expose the truth and kick some -- um, sense into the dirty corporate scofflaws. (1997)

Runners-up

Syriana
This disjointed political thriller darts between loosely connected stories with a common theme: the disturbing effects of global oil addiction. Syriana stars George Clooney and Matt Damon; Clooney won an Oscar for his performance. (2005)

Over the Hedge
An animated film that touches lightly on the issue of sprawl and its effects on wildlife, Over the Hedge pokes fun at humans and suburbia via animals voiced by Bruce Willis, Steve Carell, and others. (2006)

Soylent Green
A classic film about an environmental dystopia in the now-not-so-far-off year 2022 -- complete with rampant overpopulation and massive food shortages -- Soylent Green stars Charlton Heston as a detective investigating the murder of a food company exec. In the end, Heston's character uncovers profoundly disturbing secrets about the industrial food system. Thank goodness it's just a movie! (1973)

Safe
Starring Julianne Moore, Safe is the slowest, quietest horror film you'll ever see. It follows the story of a woman who develops chemical sensitivities that drive her away from her cushioned suburban life. (1995)

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