Climate Politics
All Stories
-
Sayonara, Sonora
Environmental organizations have petitioned the Bush administration to increase protection for wildlife in its proposed management plan for California’s Sonoran Desert, saying the plan favors commerce and recreation at the expense of conservation. The enviros say the proposal violates a host of federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act and the Wilderness Act, by cutting […]
-
Can’t See the Trees for the Forest Service
Two House Democrats have accused the U.S. Forest Service of cooking its books in order to blame environmentalists for the fires that raged across much of the West this summer. Reps. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) spoke out yesterday against a recent USFS report in which the agency claimed that environmental appeals delayed […]
-
Over and Out
“The Bush administration won this ballgame 44-0.” That was how Brandon MacGillis, a spokesperson for the Washington, D.C.-based National Environmental Trust, summed up the World Summit on Sustainable Development, which wraps up today in Johannesburg, South Africa. Like MacGillis, many greens saw the 10-day conference as a step backward or, at best, a stalemate, with […]
-
Sin Diesel
Long-term exposure to diesel exhaust probably triggers a wide range of respiratory illnesses and causes lung cancer, according to a study released yesterday by the U.S. EPA. Based on decades of research, the study found “persuasive” evidence that the diesel engines operating on highways, farms, and construction sites around the country are hazardous to human […]
-
Fire Him
Allan Fitzsimmons, the man chosen by the Bush administration to head its wildfire prevention program, does not believe in ecosystems and says the extinction of threatened and endangered species would not be a crisis. Fitzsimmons was tasked last week with reducing fire danger on Interior Department lands through the newly formed Healthy Forests Initiative, but […]
-
Hoopa It Up!
In a movement that could change the course of U.S. land management, Native Americans are pushing for laws that would give them veto power over development projects on historically sacred sites. Despite fierce opposition to granting Native Americans such power, especially on non-reservation land, the legal push has made some headway: A bill is nearing […]
-
Look who’s missing in Johannesburg
Note: You’ll need Flash Player to watch the movie. If you don’t have it, download it now.
-
Mr. Green Jean
One North American leader attending the summit in Johannesburg — Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien — took significant steps toward establishing his green legacy at home yesterday by unveiling a major expansion of the national parks system and promising to ratify the Kyoto Protocol by the end of the year. His plan to create 10 […]
-
Hazing Ritual
It might be officially nicknamed the Golden State, but sometimes, it’s more like the Yellowish-Brown State: California continues to lead the U.S. in dirty air, with nearly twice as many “smog days” as any other state in the union, a recent report by an environmental group found. According to the study of government air-quality data […]
