Latest Articles
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EPA scientific advisers urge agency to delay final perchlorate decision
The U.S. EPA’s scientific advisers asked the agency to delay finalizing its decision not to set standards for the toxic chemical perchlorate in drinking water, saying the model its decision was based on may be flawed. “Given perchlorate’s wide occurrence and well-documented toxicity to humans, the [Science Advisory Board] strongly believes that there must be […]
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Is Tyson trying to drive its biggest chicken competitor out of business?
In Meat Wagon, we round up the latest outrages from the meat and livestock industries. ——– Update [2008-11-18 12:4:19 by Tom Philpott]: The credit-rating agency Fitch has come out with a presentation claiming that a Pilgrim’s Pride bankruptcy is “pretty inevitable” and would benefit its rivals (including Tyson), Reuters reports. PP’s bonds are trading at […]
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EPA board freezes construction of new coal-fired power plants in U.S.
In a major win for environmentalists, the U.S. EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board handed down a landmark decision on Thursday that essentially puts a freeze on the construction of as many as 100 new coal-fired power plants around the U.S. It will now be up to the Obama administration to develop rules on carbon dioxide emissions […]
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Cut defense spending in favor of clean-energy investing
Conventional wisdom, that dour specter, seems to be saying we don’t have enough money to fix many of our biggest problems, such as global warming or shifting to carbon-free energy. But wait! The Pentagon itself has determined that there are plenty of resources that the Defense Department could do without, according to the Boston Globe: […]
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NASA says October is sixth warmest on record
The corrected NASA temperature data for October is out here. It looks to be around the sixth warmest October on record, although interestingly (though not unexpectedly, see below), the five warmest Octobers on record are all from the previous five years. I don’t normally blog on the NASA monthly data, but the tiny, temporary, tizzy-inspiring, […]
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ProPublica investigation: Is natural gas drilling endangering U.S. water supplies?
This article, written by reporter Abrahm Lustgarten, was published by ProPublica.org. A version of it also ran on BusinessWeek’s website. In July, a hydrologist dropped a plastic sampling pipe 300 feet down a water well in rural Sublette County, Wyo., and pulled up a load of brown oily water with a foul smell. Tests showed […]
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To make the Thanksgiving centerpiece a sure triumph, go heritage — and reach for the deep-fryer
Fry ya later, alligator. In the 11 years between the Declaration of Independence and the ratification of the Constitution, arguments raged over the future of the nascent nation. One involved the naming of a National Bird. Writing to his daughter on the subject of his choice for the symbol in 1784, Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Eagles […]
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Obama’s energy and environment adviser on 2009
“Enjoy the holiday season … and rest up because it’s going to be a very, very busy 2009.” — Jason Grumet, environment and energy adviser to Barack Obama, speaking at a conference in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday
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James Bond a not-so-secret green agent
The new James Bond flick Quantum of Solace, which opens this weekend, has an eco-theme. I wrote about it in April: Quantum of Solace continues the storyline that began with Casino Royale and finds Bond shaken (not stirred) by the death and betrayal of a loved one. He wants revenge, and he points a (Gold)finger […]
