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Call Me Fishmeal?

International whaling officials begin meeting today in Granada to debate easing a ban on commercial whaling, with the recent whale kill by the Makah Indian tribe in Washington state likely to stir things up. A ban instituted in 1986 has helped whale populations recover, but most species still remain endangered. Japan, Norway, and a few […]

Greenery Is Chicago's Hope

Chicago’s environment department will plant rooftop gardens on a number of municipal buildings in an effort to reduce heat and pollution, and it will encourage private companies to do the same. Dark-roofed buildings and miles of pavement absorb the sun’s heat and raise the city’s temperature by as much as four to six degrees. The […]

Thanks for Nothing, Big Guy

Pres. Clinton on Friday signed a $15 billion emergency spending bill that will help fund NATO’s air war in Yugoslavia and hurricane-relief efforts in Central America, even though the bill contained several anti-environmental riders that his administration had opposed. He said the pressing need for the funding overrode concerns about the riders, including one that […]

Spain Is Banging Its Head over Heavy Metal

The region in Spain near the Guadiamar River is still reeling from an ecological disaster that took place one year ago, when the waste reservoir of a nearby zinc mine burst open and spilled more than one billion gallons of toxic slurry into the river, flooding hundreds of farms. The noxious waste has contaminated the […]

Brower Beaten

David Brower, the 86-year-old environmental legend, on Saturday abandoned his bid to become president of the Sierra Club, acknowledging that he didn’t have enough votes among the board of directors. He backed the nomination of Chuck McGrady, who was unanimously elected to a second one-year term. Brower, who sits on the board, had criticized the […]

Corn Canned

Following publication yesterday of a study that found genetically modified corn can kill monarch butterflies, the European Union governing body suspended approval for two types of gene-altered corn. Two other types have already been approved by the EU. In all, 18 genetically modified products have been approved by the EU since 1992; however, there has […]

Biz Cool to Bush's Warming Stance

Pro-business types are aghast at Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s (R) recent announcement that he believes global warming is underway. Bush, the top GOP presidential contender, said he changed his position after meeting with advisers who agree that there is “some warming, but disagree about its cause and impact.” The head of the Environmental Defense […]

Browner Courts a Fight

The Clinton administration will do its darndest to overturn an appeals court decision made last week that invalidated EPA clean-air regulations on ozone and particulates, EPA Administrator Carol Browner said yesterday. In addition to appealing the ruling, which Browner called “extreme, illogical, and bizarre,” the administration will press on with its efforts to crack down […]

Invasion of the Habitat Snatchers

As of July 1, ships planning to enter U.S. waters will have to show they are doing their part to stem the tide of invasive species. The Coast Guard is implementing new regulations that will require big ocean vessels to empty their ballast tanks at sea before entering U.S. waters, in theory washing out foreign […]

Nuclear Leak

Three nuclear power plants in New England held closed-door discussions with a British company last year about the possibility of shipping their high-level nuclear waste to the U.K. Though the negotiations went nowhere, British anti-nuke groups were angry this week when news of the discussions leaked out. The New England nuclear plants want to shut […]