Our monthly search for stuff that won’t dent your IQ.

Thanks to cable channels like Animal Planet and National Geographic, Nature on PBS, and even the occasional theatrical release (March of the Penguins hit big in 2005, raking in $127 million), you don’t have to head for parts unknown to spend time with cool animals. Similarly, if conservation’s your thing, you have a bunch of publications, including Sierra, Orion, and Nature Conservancy, to catch you up on efforts to preserve land, maintain ocean habitats, and — no big whup — keep the planet from incinerating.

But your options don’t stop there. And since we like to dig a little in this column, we unearthed some fantastic books and podcasts that also go green. The former are worthy heirs... Read More