Happy new year! January goes hand in hand with a plethora of resolutions, and hopes are high for change and productivity in the next 12 months. Between politics, pollution, and making some healthy decisions, we have a lot we can do this year to make the world and our lives better. Here are some articles from our friends around the web that get you on the right track.

1. AlterNet is reporting that Japan pressured the US to hassle the famed whale protection group Sea Shepard Conservation Society of Animal Planet's reality show "Whale Wars."

2. Obama has finally ended the Bush-era "No More Wilderness" edict, according to Change.org!

3. Greenopolis shares a great study that reveals trees and deciduous plants absorb about a third more pollution than previously thought.Go plant another tree!

4. There is a wonderful article on Rodale about how light therapy can help curb winter's blues or seasonal affective disorder.

5. Our friends at Eco Snobbery Sucks found someone who turned his bicycle into a drum set. You've got to see it to believe it!

Happy New Year!

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