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Everybody Must Be Yellowstoned

Snowmobiles will be permitted in Yellowstone and Grand Teton under the National Park Service’s final environmental impact statement, released yesterday. The park service acknowledges that the plan is not the best one in terms of improving air quality, reducing noise, or protecting the health of park workers, visitors, and wildlife. Under the plan, only “cleaner […]

Chinese Take Out Genes

With over 20,000 people employed in research positions and as much as $1.5 billion in funding through 2005, China is second only to the U.S. in its dedication to developing genetically modified (GM) crops. The rest of Asia is following its lead, with India, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia dedicating billions of dollars […]

Birds of a Feather Crash Together

Somewhere between 5 million and 50 million migratory birds die every year from slamming into communications towers for cell phones, pagers, and radios, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Now, environmentalists are suing the Federal Communications Commission to force it to protect those birds. The lawsuit concerns towers that are at least 200 […]

Poaching Aches

If you associate poaching only with the cloud-shrouded mountains of Africa or the tropical forests of the Amazon, think again: Poachers are also taking a toll in North America. One recent victim was one of the last wild-born California condors, a female at least 30 years old and possessed of a nine-foot wingspan. The condor […]

Turning Over a New Leaf

Worried about deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and global climate change? Relax. A scientist at Columbia University has come up with a solution: synthetic trees. Klaus Lackner says his fake tree would suck carbon dioxide from the air, as plants do during photosynthesis, thereby helping cleanse the atmosphere of the leading greenhouse gas. According to Lackner, […]

Stone Cold Killer

The massive storm that dumped feet of snow on the Northeast over the weekend was lovely to look at, fun to play in — and bad news for some river species. In an effort to unbury themselves, many cities in the region dumped plowed snow directly into nearby rivers, a practice some scientists warn could […]

No Kidding

Combating environmental hazards has helped improve children’s health, according to a new report by the White House and the U.S. EPA. The report, which is scheduled to be released shortly, found that childhood lead poisoning and children’s exposure to second-hand smoke have both declined, largely due to targeted campaigns. However, the remaining cases of lead […]

And other words from readers

  Re: Hydra-gen Dear Editor: If you truly would like to see a hydrogen-based economy in your lifetime, then you should embrace President Bush’s plan like your favorite teddy bear. Do not deride the plan because it focuses on using fossil fuels to produce the hydrogen, thereby creating pollution and greenhouse gases and negating the […]

Brent Fenty, Oregon Natural Desert Association

Brent Fenty is the wildlands coordinator for the Oregon Natural Desert Association, an organization that has worked for over a decade to protect, defend, and restore Oregon’s native deserts. Monday, 17 Feb 2003 BEND, Ore. I am practicing my Monday morning ritual. After taking my dog, Kenai, out to run in a nearby field, I […]

Lewis This Is Clark, Clark This Is Lewis

Say goodbye to the bar scene. Rip up those personal ads. If you live in California and are looking for a sweetheart this Valentine’s Day, look no further than — the Sierra Club. Sierra Singles, a branch of the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the national organization, is not just an environmental group; it’s also […]