Latest Articles

Off by a Mileage

EPA to revise tests of new cars’ gas mileage The U.S. EPA has announced plans to overhaul its current method for estimating the fuel economy of new automobiles — the miles-per-gallon numbers stuck on the windows of every new car. The method now in use has changed little since the mid-1970s, even though driving conditions […]

Plight My Fire

Spain reprimands public for careless behavior leading to forest fires Spain has endured about 23,000 forest fires this year, up more than 25 percent from the same time last year. The blazes have destroyed more than 370,000 acres of land and killed 17 citizens — and more than 90 percent of them have been started […]

A Flood of Accusations

Justice Dept. looking for ways to blame New Orleans flood on enviros The feds are digging around for info they could use to blame the flooding of New Orleans on environmentalists. At the request of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the Justice Department last week emailed U.S. attorneys’ offices in the Gulf Coast […]

Umbra on speed limits

Dear Umbra, I was babbling about the ’70s energy crisis, gas rationing, and the nationwide 55 mile-per-hour speed limit at work the other day, and found myself explaining to a group of younger people how you save gas if you drive slower. They had never heard such a thing! Could you refresh my memory about […]

On habitat protection, zoning restrictions, and angry citizens

Amazing ... these stairs are testament to how far some people will go to lay claim to beachfront property. According to this study, half of Oregon's fish are facing extinction from human impact. I strongly suspect that a similar situation exists in every state. Dams, logging, sport fishing, and development are combining to finish the job started by the Fish and Wildlife Service when they began planting non-native fish for people to catch. Large buffers against logging and development along lakes and streams would do wonders.

A possible smear campaign fingers greens for flooding in New Orleans

The Gonzales Justice Department may be seeking to orchestrate a smear campaign blaming environmentalists for the flooding of New Orleans.

The Jackson, Miss., Clarion-Ledger reports that the following email was sent to various federal attorneys this week by the Justice Department:

SUBJECT: Have you had any cases involving the levees in New Orleans?

QUESTION: Has your district defended any cases on behalf of the Army Corps of Engineers against claims brought by environmental groups seeking to block or otherwise impede the Corps' work on the levees protecting New Orleans? If so, please describe the case and the outcome of the litigation.

A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment to the paper, because the message is "an internal email."

Swedes aim to phase out fossil fuels by 2020

To counteract today's totally bummer crop of news, a cheery development from my peeps, the Swedes:

Prime Minister Goran Persson announced this week that Sweden will try to end its dependency on fossil fuels in 15 years by, among other things, ramping up use of wind power, boosting research into renewable-energy technologies, and providing incentives for renewable power and clean cars. Swede dreams are made of this ...

Senator wants to waive EPA regulations in Katrina disaster area

James Inhofe -- Republican senator from Oklahoma, chair of the Senate Environment Committee, and tormentor of enviros -- yesterday introduced a bill that would let the EPA waive for 120 days any environmental regulations that could stand in the way of the Katrina response effort.

Never mind that EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said environmental rules weren't hampering post-hurricane cleanup.

British Airways eases passengers’ minds

If you're flying British Airways anytime soon (say, to see the London Design Show), check out this news: the airline is now charging an optional fee for passengers to offset the impacts of travel. The surcharges (the amount varies depending on the trip's length) will be donated to Climate Care, an Oxford-based company that cancels out carbon with partners ranging from a bank to a yoga center.

Is British Air's move a step in the right direction or, as one critic put it, a way to "make passengers feel less guilty about their unsustainable lifestyles"? Would you pay more for a plane ticket if the money "cancelled out" your carbon? Should more airlines get on board?

From Teri to the Thames

Katrina’s ka-ching No national environmental crisis would be complete without celebs cashing in. We bring you Teri Hatcher, who’s unveiled a line of ugly (oops! did we type that out loud?) T-shirts to support hurricane relief. Meanwhile, Michael Moore may be considering a Katrina disast-umentary. That’ll show the penguins who’s boss. My cup runneth over […]