Latest Articles
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The Supreme Court considers an extortion suit against federal land managers
The Supreme Court heard argument in a curious case this week. No, I'm not talking about the celebrated "Bong Hits for Jesus" case. The second case on Monday's docket involved an Alabaman turned Wyoming rancher claiming that government bureaucrats had engaged in extortion by enforcing the letter of the law.
An appellate court in Denver, Colo., ruled that Harvey Frank Robbins (the rancher) could sue Charles Wilkie and other Bureau of Land Management employees under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (also known as RICO) -- a law used to prosecute mobsters involved in organized crime.
Now the chance for the Supremes to weigh in, and maybe hint at what they're thinking ...
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FOX News on Gore’s testimony
Fox News on Gore’s testimony: Is it me, or does Brit Hume misunderstand science at a pretty fundamental level?
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Readers write in about lucky bastards, “clean coal,” disparaging veggie burgers, and more
Re: Somewhere, Stalin Is Chuckling Dear Editor: I am sorely disappointed and disgusted by Grist’s use of “humor” to report the mine explosion in Siberia. Yes, coal is dirty and coal-mining practices are terrible. But neither of those facts gives you the right to blatantly minimize the value of the 106 lives lost. It’s […]
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If organic food is so popular, why are so few farms transitioning their land?
On a recent trip to Austin, I visited the flagship Whole Foods — a vast space where people gather en masse to render financial sacrifice to that new god, organic food. From the depths of the parking lot, as you make your way up to the store, you’re urged again and again by a sign […]
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Among bad deals, TerraPass’s methane offset project?
In the new issue of BusinessWeek: "Another Inconvenient Truth?" It warns:
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Bike commuting fashion tips
Took a long ride in the pouring rain a couple days ago to deliver some engineering drawings and test out some new gear. I'm looking for novel ideas to facilitate bike commuting. A commuter should be able to step off the bike and head straight for the coffee machine without having to change clothes or take a shower.The key to that is an electric hybrid bike, but clothing is also all-important. Although I'm confident I'd look real fine in spandex, it doesn't fit my stated design parameters. But if you must wear it, do not repeat the mistake made by the Polish bike team a few years ago. Make sure the shorts are black, not red. Word of warning to all you nerds out there: Spandex bike clothing will one day go the way of the mullet. Don't be the last one wearing it.
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Gore gets a warm welcome on Capitol Hill, and a few heated exchanges
Exhibiting a curious mixture of nostalgia and irreverence, Al Gore returned to the halls of Congress yesterday to make the case for sweeping federal action to fight global warming. Buoyed by his recent Academy Award triumph, Gore testified at hearings in both the House and the Senate. Audiences of hundreds lined the oak-paneled walls of […]
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Hogwarts and All
The seventh — and, alas, final — Harry Potter book goes green Is Draco Malfoy green with envy, or is it just the paper he’s printed on? With only 121 days until the last Harry Potter book hits the shelves (not that we’re counting), U.S. publisher Scholastic has partnered with the Rainforest Alliance to green […]
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You Mean Bombing Doesn’t Help?
Four years of war has not improved Iraq’s environment After four years of U.S.-led war and the two Saddam-ized decades preceding it, Iraq’s water, land, and air are in rough shape. “The Tigris and Euphrates rivers are essentially open sewers,” says Azzam Alwash of Nature Iraq, who also says clean-up is needed on over 500 […]
