This article first appeared in Wilderness Magazine. To read more great articles like this one, become a member today. It is getting louder all the time. It used to be easier to escape the din, and national parks and our other public lands were among the spots you could find peace and quiet. Most of these places remain the best prospects for basking in natural sounds, but the decibel level is on the rise. more

Get ready to be inspired. Ken Burns’ six-part documentary The National Parks: America’s Best Idea begins airing on PBS this Sunday, Sept. 27. With breathtaking visuals, the documentary tells the rich story behind the creation of our national parks, a tale filled with drama, conflict, inspiration and humanity. more

Unlike conventional energy production, we don't have to raze mountaintops or drill into our national wildlife refuges to access energy provided by the sun. Huge swaths of the Southwest receive enough sun to power utility-scale solar energy projects. Not only does solar energy not run out: it also runs wide. In fact, in the Southwestern United States alone, the sun provides enough energy to power our country 6 times over! more