To Save Nature, Leave It

Living in the least natural setting—the city—may be the best way to save nature, a Harvard economist writes in the Boston Globe. Urban dwellers drive less and have smaller homes to heat than their suburban counterparts, writes Edward Glaeser. By his reckoning, an average suburban Boston household emits six tons more carbon dioxide per year than an urban one.

"We are a destructive species, and if you love nature, stay away from it," he advises. "The best means of protecting the environment is to live in the heart of a city." It may sound counter-intuitive, but "the next time you want to fight for nature, leave Walden Pond alone and start pushing for denser development in downtown Boston." (More going green stories.)