Michael Lawton

Michael Lawton visits a small town in Germany that fought for the right to produce its own energy. Several residents of Shoenau built small hydropower and cogeneration plants in an attempt to get away from nuclear power as an energy source. When a utility company tried to outmaneuver the townsfolk for control of Shoenau’s power, […]

Reporter Michael Lawton explores a car-sharing program that has taken hold in Germany. The founders of “Stattauto,” which means “instead of a car,” consider private car ownership wasteful and unnecessary for many urbanites.

Indonesia has planted millions of trees to help absorb carbon but that doesn’t make up for the country’s spotty record on preserving its forests.

Indonesia planted millions of trees to absorb the greenhouse gases caused by the December 2007 Bali climate conference, but the nation’s record on tree conservation has been dismal. Java used to be home to one of the world’s oldest teak forests, but illegal logging, fires, and government mis-management have destroyed the trees.