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Southeast Hazia

Indonesian Environment Minister Panangian Siregar promised yesterday that the nation would draft legislation to crack down on those who light forest fires to clear land for plantations. He was under pressure from the environment ministers of other Southeast Asian nations, which have been plagued by unhealthy, choking haze caused by slash-and-burn fires in Indonesia. The […]

Home Depot is Where the Heart Is?

After several years of protests by environmentalists, Home Depot has agreed to phase out wood products from environmentally sensitive areas, including redwood, cedar, and lauan trees from old-growth forests. Home Depot, the largest home improvement retailer in the U.S. and the largest lumber retailer in the world, urged other companies to join the effort to […]

Turtles in the Soup

Half of the world’s turtle species are in danger of extinction, according to scientists gathered at a conference in Nevada. The main cause of the crisis is human consumption of the critters, for both food and traditional medicine. The Chinese in particular seem to have an insatiable appetite for turtles, and scientists believe that several […]

Changing the Channel

Stretches of California’s 1,100-mile coastline may soon be put completely off-limits to fishing, a dramatic step some policymakers are contemplating as a way to help decimated fish populations. A 37-acre reserve already exists in the Channel Islands National Park, but officials are considering a proposal that would dramatically expand the no-take zones in the park […]

'Scuse Me While I Kiss This Fly

Development in a Southern California community east of Los Angeles is being stymied in order to protect an endangered species of fly. The Delhi Sands flower-loving fly — the sole fly on the Endangered Species List — is only known to breed in fine sand dunes about 60 miles from L.A., which are surrounded by […]

Nary in a Coal Mine

Phasing out coal to clean up our air and slow the onset of climate change is possible on a global scale, according to a new report by the Worldwatch Institute. Coal’s share of world energy peaked at 62 percent in 1910 and is now at 23 percent, following a drop of 2.1 percent in 1998. […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]