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Decision on whether to list polar bears as a threatened species is delayed

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, expected to announce on Wednesday its decision about whether to list the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, has announced instead that it will miss that deadline. The agency said it hopes to make a recommendation to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne within the next month, after […]

What everyone’s saying about Grist’s new book, Wake Up and Smell the Planet

Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately, I’m sure you’ve been hearing over and over again all the glowing praises for Grist’s slick new book, Wake Up and Smell the Planet: The Non-Pompous, Non-Preachy Grist Guide to Greening Your Day. What? You’ve never even heard of it? That must be an awfully nice rock […]

South Korea to outlaw single-hulled oil tankers in 2011

South Korea has announced that it will outlaw single-hulled oil tankers in its waters by January 2011, four years earlier than its original goal, due to the country’s largest oil spill in December. The December spill dumped about 2.7 million gallons of oil some five miles off the country’s coast when a barge struck a […]

Friday music blogging: Albums of the year 2007

For no particular reason and in no particular order (save maybe the top two), I give you my sentimental favorites of 2007: Band of Horses: Cease to Begin (FMB) Josh Ritter: The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter (FMB) Okkervil River: The Stage Names (FMB) Wilco: Sky Blue Sky (FMB) Cloud Cult: The Meaning of 8 […]

Green lists from 2007

Remember when we published our Top 15 Green Stories of 2007? Literally the day before the holiday break? So no one read it? That was awesome. Now go read it. When you get back, here are a few other random greenish lists I’ve stumbled across: Plenty magazine: Plenty’s picks for top environmental stories of 2007 […]

Judge orders restrictions on U.S. Navy’s use of sonar off California coast

A federal judge yesterday ordered the U.S. Navy to adopt specific restrictions on its use of sonar in order to protect whales and other marine mammals off the California coast. Mid-frequency sonar has been accused of causing a wide range of problems when it’s used within proximity of marine mammals, such as temporary deafness, beachings, […]

Peabody Energy partners on Chinese “clean coal” project

Coal behemoth Peabody Energy — a partner in the infamous FutureGen — will join with Chinese equity partners to build China’s first “clean coal” plant, dubbed GreenGen. (We just threw up in our mouths a little.) Partners say the project will provide near-zero emissions, and the first phase is expected to be on line by […]

Remind me why I live here

I have a little widget installed in my browser that shows me the extended forecast. This is what it looks like right now: Next Monday is gonna be awesome!

‘Church’, from Songs of Shiloh, shows some love for the planet

Often our culture equates caring about the planet with envisioning what could go wrong. (Think of dire visions of societal breakdown, disaster, and ruin -- Cormac McCarthy's The Road, for example.)

The Road is a powerful novel, but one can express love for our planet and our land in ways other than fear of a horrific outcome. (Imagine if the only way we could appreciate a loved one was to imagine his or her annihilation.) Music especially has this ability to express love, and perhaps the best "environmental" song I heard this year comes from a unique record called Songs of Shiloh.

Reportedly found in a cassette demo tape on the floor of a small recording studio in northern California, these songs from an unknown singer named Shiloh inspired songwriter Marty Axelrod and singer Nicole Gordon to gorgeous results. Especially memorable to those who sometimes go walking in the woods will be "Church," which matches soaring vocals to the gentlest sort of love for what we call nature -- or something else.

Take a look at the lyrics below the fold -- or better yet, listen to the song (mp3 file).

The movement’s greatest challenge is its own lack of diversity

The following is a guest essay by Marcelo Bonta. Marcelo is founder and director of the Center for Diversity & the Environment and the Young Environmental Professionals of Color. He is also a senior fellow with the Environmental Leadership Program and a member of the advisory board of the Orion Grassroots Network.

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How Do We Diversify?

Diversifying the environmental movement is one of the greatest challenges we face this century. Not only is it the right thing to do, but the movement needs to keep up with the rapidly changing demographics of the U.S. if it is to remain effective. Today, people of color in the U.S. amount to over 100 million people (about one third of the population), and by 2050, their numbers will more than double, growing to almost 220 million (over 50 percent of the population). People of color already constitute a majority of the population in California, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Texas.

The political and social implications of an increasingly diverse population and nation are vast. Communities of color have a mounting influence on society and politics, including the distribution of public finances, the way cities develop and grow, and the strength and creation of environmental laws and policies. Diversifying is not only a great challenge but also a great opportunity.

Can you imagine if the environmental movement was effective at engaging people of color and leveraging their substantial support and talents? Millions of new supporters would surely translate into more political victories for the environment, more public support, more members, a larger volunteer base, richer partnerships and more financial support. In other words, the movement would be potentially more successful and influential than it ever has been before.

Furthermore, people of color support environmental issues at a higher level than their white counterparts.