Photo: Wikimedia Commons, S. Sherpherd

One tablespoon of soil has more organisms in it than there are people on earth! 10 more amazing things you never knew about dirt:

Bald eagles are one of the great American conservation success stories. Brought back from the brink of extinction, the iconic bird is once again inhabiting more and more of its historic range. But its comeback may be putting other wildlife that it feasts on at risk.

We asked you, dear readers, to tell us how you’ve greened your lifestyle. Here’s one of our favorite replies, from Trish Riley.

I'm an environmental journalist and author who's taken my career objective to new heights in 2010. As the scope of journalism opportunities dwindled in the face of the "media collapse," I chose to address the problem by creating an environmental news and resource site, GoGreenNation, where I and my colleagues could continue to pursue our personal and professional objective of providing reliable environmental information to the public...

              Photo: Wikimedia Commons

At some point most of us have eaten an insect. Maybe it was a dare on the playground, or a culinary lesson in science class. Whatever the circumstances, it was likely a novel experience. But a new study in the journal Ecology Letters indicates that an insectivorous diet might benefit the planet.

I’ve seen the future and it’s the K-Light Solar Lantern, a small gadget with big potential. The detachable, shatterproof solar panel, which can be charged even when it’s snowing or cloudy, provides up to 10 hours at full LED brightness (or twice that long at half brightness). This past summer, looking for nocturnal creatures while walking my dog in rural New England’s pitch darkness, I found that either strength shines a high beam—especially when you screw the top off to convert the lantern into a flashlight. About the size and weight of a soda can, you can practically kick this device, thanks to its hardy construction. PiSAT Solar the manufacturer, donates a portion of its proceeds from sales to solar projects and helps provide the lights to African villagers, thus allowing them to replace dangerous and toxic kerosene lanterns. Price: $49.95.—David Seideman

Only a few short years after being removed from the endangered species list, the American peregrine falcon—once considered a creature of nobility and grace—has transformed into an "unappreciative jerk," wildlife experts reported Monday.

By "Tern" Alexa Schirtzinger--My morning news diet usually consists of NPR, the BBC, and a little New York Times. There's usually some dire event in Zimbabwe or Gaza or, of late, the U.S. economy. This morning, though, I was surprised to hear that people of my ilk are having trouble finding love:

By "Tern" Jessica Leber--More than what we eat, we are what we toss away. Anthropologists, archeologists, and so-called “garbologists" who wade through society’s dumpsters and landfills have long known in garbage veritas. Could our truth in trash be all that’s left some day?

By "Tern" Alexa Schirtzinger--Food metaphor: I adore ice cream. If I could eat it all day without getting indigestion or outgrowing my jeans, I probably would. But in college, morbidly afraid of the "Freshman 15,"
I knew I couldn't eat ice cream every night after dinner. I did, however, discover nonfat frozen yogurt, which I could eat with abandon.

Of course, it probably would've made more sense just to be reasonable and not eat creamy desserts every night. But I liked them!

By "Tern" Jessica Leber--The tuatara, an ancient reptile in New Zealand, may soon become extinct, according to a new study. The culprit is climate change, but the way in which rising temperatures will kill off these creatures is unusually insidious.