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Huffington Post to get painted green

The news site is set to launch a division specific to "green" news through a partnership with Discovery Communications' Planet Green and TreeHugger brands.

Caroline McCarthy Former Staff writer, CNET News
Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, is a downtown Manhattanite happily addicted to social-media tools and restaurant blogs. Her pre-CNET resume includes interning at an IT security firm and brewing cappuccinos.
Caroline McCarthy
2 min read

The Huffington Post, the news aggregation and commentary site founded by political pundit Arianna Huffington and former AOL exec Ken Lerer, is finally jumping on the post-Al-Gore bandwagon.

The company announced Wednesday that it will be launching HuffPost Green, a site division specific to "green" content through a content partnership with Discovery Communications' Planet Green channel as well as TreeHugger, the popular eco-news blog that Discovery acquired last year.

If you're like me, your reaction to this news might've been, "What? You mean there isn't a 'green' section already?" The New York-based Huffington Post got its start as a liberal answer to the wildly popular Drudge Report news site, and while it's since branched beyond its political roots, it remains targeted toward a well-educated, left-leaning audience.

But although it runs sections pertaining to politics, media, entertainment, business, and "living," as well as a comedy site called 23/6 in conjunction with IAC, there still hadn't been a section devoted to the unavoidably trendy niche of environmental media. Until now.

"HuffPost Green will focus on eco news and trends--from style and eco-conscious celebrities to green lifestyle tips and the latest scientific findings and expert analysis," a release from the company explained, hinting that we will likely see photos of Leonardo DiCaprio with his shirt off in addition to the latest grim findings on climate change. "The section will also feature advice on sustainable investing and highlight eco-friendly businesses and sustainable business sectors such as renewable energy, green building, recycling and organics."

The new section of the site is set to launch June 4. Huffington Post representatives said the effort was spearheaded by current Editor-at-large Willow Bay, a TV journalist who currently hosts programs on the Lifetime women's cable network.