ASSOCIATED PRESS

California in the Great Drought is once again Exhibit A, a living diorama of how the future is going to look for a lot of us.

For the last seven years, I've spent a portion of the school holidays doing live shows at some of the nation's best-known zoos. The shows attract thousands, mostly families with younger kids, and most leave with big smiles on their faces. I do however every year receive a number of messages that go something like this: "You're a massive hypocrite. You claim to be a conservationist, to care about wild animals, and yet you endorse institutions that keep these noble beasts imprisoned behind bars." My stance on this criticism - for which I have a certain amount of sympathy - is rather too complex to get across in 140 characters or less, so I decided to offer a more considered response to the ethics of keeping wild animals in captivity.

Calling this a "sport" may sound like a fun game, but the animals never volunteer to play. I have a hunch the hunted animals would prefer to happily sit on the sidelines and not be tormented and killed.

Evgeny Pestrikov via Getty Images

One of the ironies of cat behavior is how cats are attracted to people who don't like them. By deconstructing the behavior of cat haters, we cat lovers can learn a thing or two.

Steve Goodwin via Getty Images

The danger from climate change is not in some remote future: it's here, it's now, and our generation, not some vague "future generation" is in serious, serious trouble.

Though it may be some time before we see urban commuters zipping around town with a solar assist, the concept is certainly worth pursuing. After all, if you live in a hot and sunny climate, you certainly don't want to pedal. Why not get the sun to give you a push?

I recently wrote an article entitled "Urgent: Spare the Bear Who Killed the Hiker." The hiker was reportedly off trail, alone and didn't carry bear spray, all in violation of Park recommendations. The authorities at Yellowstone National Park thought it urgent to kill the captive bear named Blaze.

I wonder what our legacy will be. What will we leave for future generations --"another nice mess?" Will the last one out please turn off the lights?

On August 4, the U.S. Appeals Court for the 10th Circuit shot down the Sierra Club's petition for rehearing motion for the southern leg of TransCanada's Keystone XL tar sands export pipeline. The decision effectively writes the final chapter of a years-long legal battle in federal courts.

Shutterstock / isak55

While fertilizers are a vitally important way to maintain healthy soils, the topic has remained a polemical issue. Are mineral or organic fertilizers better for the environment? What is even the difference between the two?

In the Galilee Basin lies enough coal that, if burned, would tip the climate into the red zone, trash the Reef, destroy traditional cultures and condemn us all to a miserable future. Australia's Federal Government was ready give it the green light. Approvals were rushing in.

Who doesn't love a pile of puppies? With all the soft fur and puppy breath, the never-ending cuteness is irresistible. So imagine being offered a chance to have a pile of puppies delivered to your door to help pump up the fun at your kid's birthday party. But is this promoting puppy mills?

It was sad to see Senator John McCain in a recent floor speech publically shed the last vestiges of his pro-environmental maverick identity. It was an identity that reached its apex two decades ago, when he was frequently urging his conservative-minded party to follow him into green pastures.

Although a good, sound policy, the president's Clean Power Plan -- the rule regulating greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants -- will unleash a torrent of litigation rivaling that following the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Most major environmental rules generate legal challenges, but there are three reasons why this one will generate a litigation tsunami.

California state Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de Leon recently announced a new electric vehicle car-sharing grant for the City of Los Angeles that will make zero emission driving available to low-income residents.

Bottoms up on the lemonade and these other beverages. Don't waste it. As John Oliver touched upon in a recent segment on food waste, if you're tossing food (or drink), you're also tossing water.

The Clean Power Plan is a historic step to rein in power plant pollution that will speed America's transition to cleaner energy, protect our health and help to safeguard future generations from the worst effects of climate change.