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Will new prez toe the agribiz line on food policy?

Where does President-elect Obama stand on food policy — with the interests of Big Food and its Congressional water-carriers, or with the budding sustainable-food/food-justice movement? I guess the first substantial indicator will come when he names his secretary of agriculture. Until that time, we’ve got some data points to consider. • On the scary side, […]

Dems willing to keep Lieberman so he can work on energy issues

Senate Democrats are trying to figure out what to do with Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), after the former Democrat (who still caucuses with the party) campaigned aggressively for Republican John McCain. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid doesn’t seem to be pushing Lieberman out of the party. Obama’s spokesfolk say the president-elect isn’t going to “hold any […]

Who should be next head of the EPA?

There’s been a flurry of speculation about Obama’s choice to run EPA. Kate links to some background for all the candidates here. I believe every name that has been mentioned as a possible candidate appears in the poll below. Vote! Who should Barack Obama appoint as head of the U.S. EPA? ( surveys)

Big-money investors urge global climate deal

In a letter timed to kick policymakers in the pants before an upcoming United Nations climate summit, more than 130 investors holding more than $6 trillion in assets urged world leaders to rassle up a binding agreement to reduce global greenhouse-gas emissions 50 to 80 percent by 2050. “The climate crisis is a multi-generational challenge […]

Don Tyson details plans to export the U.S. meat model to global south

In Meat Wagon, we round up the latest outrages from the meat and livestock industries. —– A handful of large companies [PDF] dominate the U.S. meat industry. The biggest of all (besides Cargill whose interests extend well beyond meat) is Tyson Foods, one of the two largest beef packers, the second-largest pork packer, and the […]

Al Gore discusses energy and Obama

Here’s a Current video interview with Al Gore, with questions selected via Digg, in which he discusses — among other things — “clean coal,” Obama’s energy plan, and whether he’d accept top slot at EPA: (thanks LL!)

Florida scales down U.S. Sugar buyout in Everglades

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) is set to announce Tuesday that his state is modifying a deal struck this summer to buy out a massive sugar company in the Everglades and turn the company’s land back into wetlands. The retooled deal will likely cost the state about $400 million less than the original plan and […]

Hawaii switches to digital TV early to help endangered petrel

Hawaii’s television broadcast signals are going digital a month earlier than the rest of the country in an attempt to avoid disturbing the endangered petrel‘s nesting season with the destruction of the old transmission towers, which are near the birds’ nesting sites.

Fossil-fuel power plants in U.S. to test using some solar energy

A utility group in the United States said it plans to test coupling solar thermal power with natural-gas and coal-fired power plants in an apparent bid to reduce fuel costs and greenhouse-gas emissions.

Monsanto purchased a Brazilian sugarcane ethanol company for $290 million

At a time when many people were questioning causes of the recent food crisis, many more were investigating how our food systems can move forward to sustainably feed the increasing world population. Recently, the U.N. Task Force on Trade, Environment and Development released a report touting the noteworthy yields and economic benefits of organic agriculture […]