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Melissa Kirkby, student at Sterling College
Melissa Kirkby is a senior at Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, Vt., majoring in sustainable agriculture. Monday, 12 Jul 1999 Craftsbury Common, Vt. Last week, I wrote a letter to a friend describing the new culture, new landscape, new rhythm of life I have discovered in the six weeks since my move to Sterling College […]
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The Forest Is More than a Collection of Trees
About 40 years ago, a young Dartmouth biology professor named Herb Bormann took a tomato plant, gently pulled its roots apart into two bunches, and planted it in two pots, one clump of roots in each pot. He watered both pots until the plant got established. Then he watered only one pot. The tomato did […]
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Heard It through the Pipeline
An environmental disaster far worse than the Exxon Valdez spill could happen at any moment, according to six senior employees of Alyeska, which operates the 800-mile Alaskan oil pipeline. The six whistleblowers wrote to three U.S. reps and Sir John Browne, chief executive of BP Amoco, which owns 50 percent of Alyeska, providing evidence of […]
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Good Morning, Vietnam
Vietnam has quietly assumed a spot as the world’s third-largest coffee bean producer and exporter, behind Brazil and Columbia, but although success with the new crop has lifted many farmers out of poverty, it’s also taking a toll on the land. Forestland is being cleared for coffee production at such a quick pace that the […]
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News Flash: Biz Doesn't Like Regulations
The Clinton administration on Friday proposed regulations that would disqualify companies with inconsistent records on federal environmental, labor, and tax laws from winning government contracts. The regulations now face a 120-day public review period, and the business community is mounting a major effort to stop the rules from taking effect. Congressional Republicans are siding with […]
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Knock on Wood Trade
Vice Pres. Al Gore said on Friday that environmental and labor issues should be on the table at the World Trade Organization meeting of trade ministers to be held in Seattle, Wash., from November 30 to December 3. No matter what, enviros plan to make their voices heard during the meeting. Forest-protection activists have launched […]
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New York Nixes Conservation Funding
In the wake of last week’s blackouts in New York City, which were propelled by surging energy use during the East Coast heat wave, enviros are stepping up pressure on the state to increase its funding for energy conservation. Reducing demand for electricity would lessen stress on an aging power system and cut down on […]
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Oh, What a Crummy Feeling!
Toyota USA faces one of the largest vehicle recalls ever, which could involve repairing or replacing emissions-control computers on 2.2 million vehicles sold between 1995 and 1997 at a cost of up to $550 million. Federal officials are seeking a court order today to force the recall, after Toyota rejected a proposed settlement last Thursday. […]
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Brazil: Nuts! to Biopirates
Two Brazilian states recently passed laws requiring foreign researchers to sign contracts and pay “bioroyalties” on any income they gain from the use of local plants. A national version of the law, which would also require foreign researchers to have local partners, is close to passage in the Brazilian Congress. Brazil is one of a […]
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Mexico Is a Leading Light
A $23 million project that introduced energy-efficient lightbulbs to two Mexican cities has become the first to be verified as actually reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. The pilot project took place under U.N. guidelines and Trygve Larsen of Det Norske Veritas, the Norway-based international verification foundation that certified the effort, said it can serve as a model […]
