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That’s Owl, Folks

Spotted Owl Remains Threatened Remember the northern spotted owl? Caused a bit of a fuss about a decade ago? According to a comprehensive, federally funded review of the available science, the world’s most studied bird still faces dire threats. While the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan sharply curtailed logging in the old-growth forests that serve as […]

Less Power to ’em

Blackout Had Dramatic Air-Quality Effect Last summer’s power outage in the U.S. Northeast was an economic disaster, but according to researchers it had one happy consequence: The air became, almost overnight, remarkably cleaner. The blackout saw over 100 power plants shut down on August 14. On August 15, 24 hours into the blackout, a group […]

Gulf Streaming Media

Distributed Computer Simulation of Catastrophic Global Warming Spreads Lots of folks who saw the recent global warming blockbuster “The Day After Tomorrow” have what might charitably be called uncertainties about the veracity of the science behind the plot. Now, in the U.K., a consortium of universities and the Met Office (weather and environmental services) are […]

Raci-Caught

Bush Campaign Chair Lies About Kerry Fuel Economy Plan Speaking of swing states: Bush presidential campaign chair Marc Racicot told a group of Michigan voters that the state could “lose 105,000 jobs” under John Kerry’s proposal to raise the average fuel economy standards of America’s vehicle fleet roughly 50 percent by 2015. The charge was […]

Ralph’s Bag

Nader Chooses Running Mate from Green Party Peter Camejo, a lifelong activist and two-time Green party candidate for governor of California, will be independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader’s running mate for 2004. Nader’s move is largely tactical: While he has refused to run as a Green, he has sought the party’s formal endorsement, which would […]

Tuna Little, Tuna Late

California Sues Big Tuna California sued the nation’s three biggest producers of canned tuna this week for failing to warn consumers that their products may contain harmful levels of mercury. State Attorney General Bill Lockyer named the makers of Bumble Bee, StarKist, and Chicken of the Sea tuna in the suit, claiming that they violated […]

Pop-Tarts

U.S. Accused of Trying to Isolate United Nations Population Fund United Nations officials, diplomats, and NGO workers are accusing the Bush administration of attempting to isolate the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) by bullying groups with which it works. Enviros, family-planning advocates, and other folks with a basic sense of decency have long criticized the administration […]

Tim McCormick, public transit evangelist, answers questions

What environmental organization are you affiliated with? I’m planning manager at the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority. It provides public transit for the state of Rhode Island. What do you really do, on a day-to-day basis? My job is really about being a liaison between the public and the bus system. Bus systems are not […]

Sprawl the Right Moves

Urban Planner Seeks New Vocabulary to Describe Sprawl Delores Hayden, a Yale professor of architecture, urbanism, and American studies, found herself struggling when she tried to describe the characteristic features of the sprawling suburbs surrounding American cities — features that are now ubiquitous but which have emerged so quickly, historically speaking, that our ability to […]

Oh Riley?

West’s Water Woes Put Spotlight on Bush Water Czar When the Bush administration appointed Bennett Riley to oversee both the U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Reclamation, environmentalists feared the worst. Riley, a cowboy-turned-lawyer and longtime advocate for property rights and against government regulation, hardly seemed like an auspicious choice for water czar. But […]