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Big Mess on Campus

Widespread Environmental Violations Found at Colleges Colleges and universities are normally thought of as hotbeds of environmental activism — but now, it turns out that some of them are hot with hazardous waste. Twelve colleges in New York and New Jersey have been hit with a total of $2 million in fines for violating environmental […]

Fish Less Foul

Strict Environmental Laws Yield Drop in Mercury Levels in Everglades Mercury levels in the wildlife of the Florida’s Everglades have declined by at least 60 percent over the last decade, according to a study by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The findings were hailed as the first indicator that efforts to reduce mercury pollution […]

What Sumatra With Logging?

Illegal Logging in Indonesia Played Role in Fatal Flooding Heavy illegal logging on the Indonesian island of Sumatra likely contributed to a devastating flash flood on Sunday that killed at least 85 people and possibly dozens more in the town of Bahorok. In a nearby national park, logging scofflaws had cleared nearly 100,000 acres over […]

Flaming Out

Chemical Co. Will Stop Production of Controversial Flame Retardants In a bit of positive news about nasty chemicals, the manufacturer of two flame retardants that have been found in increasing concentrations in the bodies of humans and wildlife announced yesterday that it would stop producing the chemicals next year. The company, Indianapolis-based Great Lakes Chemical […]

Sean Schmidt, Sustainable Style Foundation

Sean Schmidt is cofounder and executive director of the Sustainable Style Foundation. Monday, 3 Nov 2003 SEATTLE, Wash. It’s an exciting time here at the Sustainable Style Foundation. Senior Stylist Rebecca Luke and I are gearing up for a trip to Los Angeles where we will attend the 13th annual Environmental Media Association (EMA) Awards […]

Country Bird, City Bird

Audubon Society’s New Strategy Targets Urbanites and Minorities The National Audubon Society, long respected as a defender of birds and their habitat, is adopting a new strategy aimed at ensuring its own health and survival: The 98-year-old conservation group plans to build 1,000 urban nature centers in cities around the U.S. by 2020, an effort […]

Good Witches of the North

Canadian High Court Upholds “Polluter Pays” Principle While the “polluter pays” principle struggles here in the U.S., our neighbors to the north have resoundingly reaffirmed it. In a unanimous decision, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled yesterday that companies that pollute must pay for the damage they cause. The case in question concerned Imperial Oil, which, […]

A Mine Is a Wonderful Thing to Waste

Wisconsin Tribes End Mining Threat by Buying Site In a stunning victory for environmentalists and Native Americans, Wisconsin’s Sokaogon Mole Lake Chippewa and Forest County Potawatomi tribes announced Tuesday that they had bought the rights to a zinc and copper mine near Crandon, ending a 25-year controversy. The $16.5 million purchase was the surprise result […]

Sasakawa It to ’em

Two Environmentalists Win UNEP Award Two dedicated environmentalists — one from China, one from Brazil — will share the Sasakawa Prize, which is awarded every year by the United Nations Environment Programme. Xie Zhenhua, vice chair of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, has spent more than 20 years promoting environmental […]

Big Gulp

Ford May Restart Production of Its Biggest SUV Ford Motor Co. disappointed enviros with an announcement this week that it may resume production of its monster-sized Excursion SUV, dubbed the Valdez by the Sierra Club. Last year, Ford said it would stop producing the Excursion after the 2004 model year because of falling sales, but […]