Leaves and Twigs: An Unscientific Round-Up of the Best Sustainability Stories on the Web

We’re back with our weekly review of a few of the best new sustainability stories, videos, photos and tools floating around the internet.

• “Conservation shouldn’t be like a club that only lets pretty people in,” says Treehugger. Ugly species need love, too.
• How green is your travel? Calculate the carbon footprint of your last vacation with this great online tool from Sustainable Travel International. [And use it to find out how you can cut back on emissions the next time you travel!]
• In a fascinating new article, Scientific American explores the way that biodiversity keeps the Earth alive.
• Discover this month’s “Making a Difference” award winner – Hidden Valley Inn, a luxury eco-chic resort in the Belizean jungle.
• Treehugger reminds us why we should reconnect with nature in a new piece, “If More of Us Love Nature, The Environment Will Take Care of Itself.”
• Our president, Tensie Whelan, discusses Rio+20 and the role of sustainable agriculture in protecting the world’s rainforest in an editorial for Devex.
• According to Treehugger, Google Earth is turning into a tool for conservation and saving species and habitats.
• A new infographic from Good explores the problems with our food system.
• Leading scientists are urging governments to focus on growing demands for water and energy, natural disasters, and measuring carbon dioxide. [Article from The Guardian.]
• Scientists discovered an astounding assortment of previously unknown species in 2011. Our Amazing Planet highlights 11 of them in a slide show.

Find other great articles, photos or videos on the internet this week? Tell us about them in the comments!