Latest Articles

Coming Gore book to spell out climate solutions

Gore to pen a sequel: The Path to Survival will be published next spring to coincide with Earth Day on April 22. According to the publisher, Rodale Books, Gore will spell out a blueprint for the changes that individuals and governments need to make to avoid catastrophic climate change. I expect the book will be […]

EPA determines coal waste raises cancer risk

The waste from burning coal — coal combustion products, or CCPs, like coal ash and boiler slag — contains toxic heavy metals like mercury and cadmium. But don’t worry, the coal industry says that the concentrations aren’t high enough to do anyone harm. Taking the coal industry’s word for it, the U.S. EPA decided in […]

Harassment reports against fishing observers double

In just one year, attacks have doubled on government observers contracted to collect catch and bycatch information from commercial fishing fleets.

Observers are the only independent source of data we have for tracking catches, monitoring quotas and recording harmful activity. They're contracted under NOAA, an agency within the Department of Commerce that conducts environmental research.

But the agency has ceased collecting data on reports of harassment or interference, supposedly because it lacks resources to investigate these matters.

Without observers, we truly have no way of knowing whether laws implemented to protect sea life and habitat are followed. So we've got observers in place to protect marine life, but who's protecting the observers?

Study shows that urban dwellings have less pavement per unit than suburban homes

Here's an interesting tidbit from the ever-geekalicious Todd Litman: a chart comparing average impervious surface per household in urban vs. suburban settings.

As you can see, large single-family lots -- the sort of homes that are surrounded by greenery -- actually require the most pavement overall. Apparently, it takes an awful lot of road space to get a homeowner to and from that exurban McMansion. (Take that, sprawl!)

From Big Macs to Beauties

Do you believe in tragic? Pledge to fight global warming — get a Big Mac? That’s like handing out SUVs as a reward for taking the bus to work. Except with more special sauce. Frock hunter To honor her father’s work wrestling crocs, snakes, and stingrays, 9-year-old Bindi Irwin will enter the jungle of the […]

New full-page ad makes the case against coal

Ah, this kicks ass! The group Architecture2030 is putting a full-page ad in the next issue of the New Yorker. You can download the PDF here. I’ve reprinted the text below: —– GLOBAL WARMING Think You’re Making a Difference? Think Again. There are 151 new conventional coal-fired power plants in various stages of development in […]

Cleaning up Great Lakes will boost regional economy, says report

Environmentalists love nothing more than trying to bring down the economy. So it’s really kind of a bugger that environmental measures often end up helping the economy: A plan to clean up and protect the Great Lakes environment would boost the regional economy by more than twice its $26 billion price tag, according to a […]

AASHE awards campus sustainability leaders

A number of campuses across the country received high marks for their eco-efforts this week. The Campus Sustainability Leadership Award, presented by AASHE (the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education), "recognize[s] institutions that have demonstrated an outstanding overall commitment to sustainability in their governance and administration, curriculum and research, operations, campus culture, […]

Big Oil gets OK from Australian state for multi-billion-dollar LNG project

A major energy venture on Western Australia’s Barrow Island is one step closer to reality after getting a green light from state environmental officials. Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Royal Dutch Shell propose the development of a massive liquefied natural gas field expected to generate 10 million metric tons per year (which, in non-metric terms, is “a […]

Wal-Mart’s eco-initiatives turning Arkansas into sustainability hotspot

Attention shoppers: we bring you news of the latest sustainability hotspot, none other than Fayetteville, Ark. Green start-ups are flocking to town, the University of Arkansas has established an Applied Sustainability Center, and the mayor rides an electric bike to work. Why? Because of a certain retail giant whose headquarters lies half an hour away. […]