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Officials in ‘crisis mode’ as SoCal condors poisoned

Weeks before California’s ban on lead bullets in condor habitat goes into effect, seven of the endangered birds have been found with lead poisoning. And that’s no insignificant tally, as only 34 wild condors are known to live in southern California. Wildlife officials are in “crisis mode,” says Jesse Grantham of the U.S. Fish and […]

Premier episode of a new online film series features Jones and Carl Pope

A new online film series called This Brave Nation premiered its first episode Sunday night: a conversation between Carl Pope and Van Jones. Both are natives of Frisco and both are equally adamant about environmental stewardship, but they have vastly different approaches. Here they chat about melding those tactics towards a common goal. Later this month, on June 15, Pete Seeger and Majora Carter discuss environmentalism, protest music, civil rights, and urban renewal. Should be interesting.

Snippets from the news

• Tyson Foods stops labeling its chicken as antibiotic-free. • Energy Department group will improve wind turbines. • Could fuel surcharges curb air travel? • Commercial fisherfolk lobby for offshore wind power. • Scientists present CO2 scrubber. • Turkey will sign Kyoto Protocol.

A tired pregnant chick “tests” six green baby books

Which baby book covers the gamut of green issues? Back in the old days, I used to do active product testing for Grist. Things like lotions and paper towels and CFLs — stuff that really got the heart pounding. But that was before a 30-pound orb attached itself to my front, slowing me down significantly. […]

Note to historians: mark this date!

I just got a press release that was introduced by the following: U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, today made the following remarks regarding the Senate’s historic 74-14 vote to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to debate on S. 3036, the Boxer/Lieberman/Warner Climate Security […]

Snippets from the news

• U.S. Senate votes 74-14 to debate the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act — or at least debate whether to debate it. • NASA “marginalized, or mischaracterized” studies on global warming. • New York City experiences bike shortages. • Quebec and Ontario team up to tackle global warming. • Poachers take a toll on rhinos in […]

Umbra on the impacts of biking

Dear Umbra, A couple of your recent columns have been about this novel idea of biking as the end-all in green transportation, but how green is biking, especially when you go out to buy a new one? If you switch to biking as the main source of transportation, you will be rewarded with the fantastic […]

Friday music blogging: My Morning Jacket

The first few albums from My Morning Jacket were haunting, twangy gems that sprang from their Kentucky roots. The Tennessee Fire and At Dawn were so reverby and echo-laden they sounded like they were recorded in an abandoned grain silo … because they were. I had the band tucked away in my mental CD shelf […]

Snippets from the news

• Canada launches its first emissions-trading market. • Hybrid drivers worry about replacing the battery. • Nano-towel can soak up oil spills. • World Bank stepping up efforts to address food crisis. • Is water becoming the new oil?

E.U. will cut fishing quotas

The European Commission will make deep cuts in fishing quotas in 2009, it announced Friday. Eighty-eight percent of E.U. fish stocks are overexploited, the commission says, as compared to 80 percent a year ago. Total allowable catches for some species will be sliced by more than 25 percent. Scientists have advised that fishing for some […]