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Drill Bitten

To open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil and gas drilling, President Bush will have to change the minds of seven Republican senators who are on the record as opposed to drilling. Last year, proponents of drilling won a symbolic 51-49 vote. In the fall election, however, anti-drilling forces gained seats, and […]

River on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

The Spanish government approved a controversial plan last Friday to divert one of the country’s largest rivers in the north to the arid regions of southeastern Spain. Environmentalists say the plan to drain the Ebro River will violate European Union laws on water management and ruin the habitat of the Iberian lynx, which is on […]

Where's the Boeuf?

Provoking a culinary controversy across France, a renowned Parisian chef, whose restaurant in the past has received a three-star rating from the Michelin guide, recently decided to slice meat out of his menu. The decision by Alain Passard is viewed as an oddity in a country where fine dining has always included fish, fowl, or […]

There's a Rage in the Cage

Plans are underway in the U.S. to test the first genetically engineered insect in the wild. Researchers are trying to manipulate the genes of the pink bollworm moth — an insect known for destroying cotton crops around the world — so that it eventually eradicates itself. U.S. regulators are expected to give the green light […]

Them's the (Tax) Breaks

U.S. Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) will introduce legislation next week to increase domestic energy production dramatically and permit oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The bill will contain billions of dollars in tax breaks and incentives for energy exploration. The nuclear power industry — already in the midst of something of […]

Barton Fink

Republicans in the U.S. House have reconfigured the House Energy and Power Subcommittee into the House Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee so that power production issues receive more weight when environmental protections are being considered. The panel chair, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), hasn’t been shy in showing his true colors. Yesterday, he urged President Bush […]

Dung: Cry Out Loud

North America and Europe lead the world in releasing greenhouse gases and other forms of pollution, but India and Southeast Asia are catching up, according to a study published today in the journal Science. Biofuels like dung, wood, and agricultural waste are one of the main reasons why. The study focuses on how the biofuels […]

Refuge-nix

The National Wildlife Refuge System in the U.S. is in trouble, with an operations and maintenance backlog of $1.6 billion, says the National Audubon Society. In a press conference with friendly lawmakers yesterday, the group drew particular attention to 10 refuges threatened by water pollution and invasive species. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.), an important player […]

Civic Responsibility

The greenest cars sold in the U.S. are both made by Honda, says the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy in its annual guide to cars and trucks. The groups ranked more than 1,000 vehicles in the model year 2001 and found that the Honda Civic GX, which runs on compressed natural gas, and the […]

Killer Tomatoes Unlikely to Attack

Genetically modified crops aren’t likely to harm the environment or turn into super-weeds that survive longer in the wild than conventional plants, according to a study published today in the journal Nature. The study, which was financed by biotech companies like Monsanto and conducted in Britain, looked at canola, potatoes, corn, and sugar beets that […]