Oh, EPA, why do you have to go around, you know, regulating all the time? You know it just pisses off Republicans. You tried to keep coal companies in West Virginia from dumping waste into streams, so now House Republicans (and, to be fair, a handful of Democrats) have passed a bill that would take away your authority to enforce the Clean Water Act. I mean, what did you expect them to do? No bigs, right? It's only one of the most fundamental environmental laws OF ALL TIME. The one that was passed in response to the Cuyahoga River catching …

Another point for dogs in eternal battle of cats vs. canines: While cats are bad for the environment, dog poop could help cut carbon costs. In Phoenix, a local dog park is trying to capture methane gas from dog waste and burn it in the park’s lamps. Dog owners scoop their pets' poop with biodegradable bags, dump it in a composter, and turn the composter's crank. Methane rises to the top of the barrel and is channeled into the lamps, where it generates light. The project will cost $25,000, but if that seems like an expensive way to power a …

House Republicans voted yesterday to let states decide whether a company is living up to the Clean Water Act or not. The EPA's decision to prevent West Virginia coal companies from dumping waste into rivers prompted the bill to begin with, so it's pretty safe to assume that the bill's not meant to strengthen CWA protections. The federal government says the cost of carbon is $21 per ton; a group of pro-environment economists says the cost is closer to $900 per ton. China's feeding its "strategic pork reserve" with soybeans grown in Brazil on environmentally sensitive land. As Moscow more …

Bay Area drivers could get a friendly push from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to fight climate change through "smart driving." This means: going easy on fuel consumption by avoiding sudden acceleration, keeping their tires inflated, ditching the golf clubs in the truck, keeping their cars tuned up, and most of all, following the goddamn speed limit. This $2.4 million public education campaign would also help drivers track their behavior -- think of it as the analogue of counting calories in a regular diet -- either through a mobile app or on a website. But, mostly, just follow the speed limit. …

The Spanish city of Murcia offered its residents a lifetime of free trolley rides if they would only give up their cars. Murcia, which is near Spain's southeastern coast, wanted to promote its trolley system and decrease the number of cars in the crowded city. So it proposed, through a series of ads and public stunts, that its citizens exchange a car — one paid off and in working order — for a trolley pass good for free rides for the rest of their lives. The transit agency in charge of the campaign claims they had success with the program, …

It's hot. It's hot. It's hooooottttt. You want green jobs? Here are your green jobs: 2.7 million Americans are employed in the clean energy economy, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution. But that could all end with a drop-off in government subsidies across the world. Nike, Adidas, Puma, Lacoste, and H&M have a relationship with a Chinese factory that pollutes rivers like you won't believe. The House Appropriations Committee passed a major funding bill that cuts the EPA's budget, delays carbon regulation, and allows mining in the Grand Canyon. At Dartmouth, tiny trash cans cut 200 tons …

Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed, and as young caterpillars, they eat the stuff. But humans like to have neat rows of corn and soybeans, and milkweed interferes with their field aesthetics. Which is more important? Doesn’t matter; humans have thumbs, agriculture, and industrial chemistry. Thus, 100 million acres of row crops are now milkweed-free; Monarch butterflies have fewer places to stash their young; and their population may be dwindling. Because farmers don't like milkweed, but everyone likes butterflies, insect experts are advocating for milkweed preservation efforts on conserved farmland or in personal gardens. This seems like a hard …

The current Yellowstone spill involved 42,000 gallons of oil. That’s bad enough. But the Keystone XL pipeline could dump 6.9 million gallons of oil into the river. Republicans want to repeal the incandescent light bulb "ban," but since it's NOT SUCH A BRIGHT IDEA (har har), their bill probably won't pass. Trees can suck up carbon from the atmosphere, delaying disaster for a little while. But so can cities, it turns out. Parks, gardens, abandoned lots, golf courses, sports fields, and river banks suck up more carbon than anyone imagined. Using profits to drive future profits, natural gas company Chesapeake …

As a millennial, I don't share boomers' enthusiasm for the power of science to solve all problems. So when someone says that strip-mining the Moon for rocks rich in helium-3, heating the rocks to harvest the helium, and using that helium for nuclear fusion will solve the world's energy problems, I am inclined to say, “Ha! You power-mad old person, you are living in a science fiction story.” But that, in fact, may be the direction humanity is heading in, Moon-wise. Strip-mining the Moon won't be profitable until scientists perfect nuclear fusion. So far they've only gotten that process going …

Millions of dollars worth of spruce and pine trees across the country have mysteriously withered and died in the past few months. The likely culprit is an herbicide marketed as a way to control lawn pests like dandelions. The herbicide is Imprelis, a new product from DuPont. It was supposed to be better for the environment than its predecessors and has been sold at a premium to professional landscapers. DuPont claims it "may not have been mixed properly or was applied with other herbicides." Landscapers just want to know if they're going to have to pay to replace the trees …