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Two Cats That Pass in the Night
Three environmental groups filed suit against the feds yesterday, claiming that the U.S. Border Patrol is harming two species of endangered wildcats with its use of high-intensity lights and other tactics to prevent illegal border crossings. The enviros oppose expansion of Operation Rio Grande, a containment effort that involves brush removal, road paving, fencing, and […]
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Free to Flee MTBE
A report by environmental officials from eight Northeastern states is calling for the gasoline additive MTBE to be phased out within three years because it pollutes waterways. Coupled with similar recommendations made by a federal commission last month, the report puts increased pressure on Congress and the EPA to curtail use of the additive. Still, […]
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Don't Bank On It
Deutsche Bank, Europe’s biggest bank, has advised several thousand large institutional investors to sell their shares in leading biotechnology companies, including Monsanto and Novartis, because consumers are hesitant to buy genetically modified products. Since the bank circulated a report with the advice on May 21, stock in the named companies has fallen and the frenzy […]
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Forest Service Stumped
The U.S. government on Tuesday temporarily blocked logging on 26 national forest areas in the Northwest until the tracts are surveyed for rare plants and animals, as required by the Northwest Forest Plan. A permanent injunction should be put in place by early October, though it would be lifted once wildlife surveys are conducted. The […]
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Drumming Out the Corps
Wetlands destruction and urban sprawl have exacerbated flooding problems in the upper Midwest, where floods caused massive damage in 1993 and 1997, according to a new report by the Sierra Club. The group blames the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for contributing to the problems by approving nearly all requests for permits to destroy wetlands […]
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Delhi Order: Hold the Lead
India plans to phase out leaded gas by February 1, 2000, and most state-run refineries will begin producing unleaded gas by October. The move, long urged by environmental groups, is expected to significantly reduce air pollution in India’s large cities and cut down on pollution-related diseases.
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Tempeh Tantrum?
Responding to citizen outcry, Japan has proposed mandatory labeling of some genetically modified foods by April 2001, though the move could trigger a trade dispute with the U.S. Japan is the largest importer of U.S. food products, purchasing a significant amount of soybeans and corn in particular. More than half of all U.S. soybeans and […]
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Mounties Always Get Their Species
Canada’s new environment minister, David Anderson, has outlined a tough proposal that would criminalize the destruction of habitat for endangered species. Canada currently has no law protecting endangered species, and an endangered species bill introduced by the Liberal Party in 1996 was harshly criticized by more than 600 Canadian scientists because it only protected habitat […]
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Follow the Leader
Throughout Pres. Clinton’s summer vacation, he’ll be followed by radio and print ads urging him to permanently ban road-building on up to 60 million acres of wild roadless national forest land. A $100,000 media blitz by the Heritage Forests Campaign will pay for 180 radio spots in Massachusetts, hoping to catch Clinton’s ear while he […]
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Re-Tire-Ment Benefits
Australian researchers say they have developed a highly efficient way to recycle car and truck tires to produce a rubber composite that could be used in shoe soles, car components, building products, coatings, sealants, and containers for hazardous waste. The researchers at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization say their discovery could help deal […]
