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Outbackwards

Australian Prime Minister’s Energy Package Pushes Oil and Gas Australian Prime Minister John Howard released a major white paper on energy policy this week, outlining a series of proposals that, while nodding in the direction of renewables, keeps the country’s fortunes squarely tied to oil and gas. “The reality is that the older fuels, of […]

House to repass energy bill to vex Democrats

Our House is a very, very, very fine House. If at first you succeed, well, try again anyway. That’s how GOP leaders in the House are reinterpreting the old elementary-school bromide as they attempt to create the illusion of hope for the doomed, pork-laden energy bill — and to deflect the political heat over high […]

Readers sound off on Ronald Reagan, animal testing, and more

Ashok to the System Re: Tax On, Tax Off, by Dear Editor: If the NRDC’s Ashok Gupta really thinks we need leaders who can tell Americans why higher gas prices are good for them, then Gupta needs to go intern for some mayor’s campaign somewhere. Or pick up a day-after-election newspaper and see what’s happening […]

This Is the Place … for Off-Roading!

Supreme Court Restricts Enviro Groups’ Ability to Sue Government In a unanimous decision handed down yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an effort by enviro groups to force the federal Bureau of Land Management to more aggressively protect 2 million acres of “wilderness study areas” in Utah from damage by off-road vehicles. The decision, written […]

Do You Have a Reservation?

Researchers Say Marine Reserves Cheaper Than Fishery Subsidies A vast, worldwide network of protected marine reserves would cost less than governments are currently spending to subsidize commercial fisheries, reports a group of researchers from the World Wildlife Fund in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Marine reserves encompassing 30 percent of the world’s […]

Flood, Sweat, and Tears

Flood Threat to Double Worldwide The number of people threatened by floods is set to double from 1 billion to 2 billion within a few generations if substantial preventative measures are not taken, according to a new report by researchers at Tokyo-based United Nations University. The report — released to coincide with the opening of […]

Ben Cohen, ice cream maven and TrueMajority founder, answers questions

With what organizations are you affiliated? I work with Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, TrueMajority.org, and TrueMajorityACTION.org. What do your organizations do? BLSP is a group of more than 500 business leaders in the U.S. who are committed to focusing on the most pressing issues we face (education, health care, environmental responsibility) by diverting a […]

Umbra on getting a job in the “eco-field”

Dear Umbra, I’m a conscientious baby boomer who would like to do things to help the planet. I’m simultaneously enjoying a midlife crisis. I have spent more than eight years in college, studying to be a psychologist/chef. Where in the eco-field is there a place for a reformed business owner/computer teacher/chef with years and years […]

When Elves Attack

Radical Enviros Target Suburbs Radical enviros are turning their attention from forests and wilderness areas to the nation’s sprawling suburbs, prompting growing concern among law-enforcement agencies and the developers and homeowners whose money is invested in said sprawl. The Earth Liberation Front has claimed responsibility for more than a dozen acts of sabotage and vandalism […]

Damage Control

Canadian High Court Clears Way for Damage Suits Against Polluters In a significant — and, to enviros, heartening — decision handed down Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that governments may sue polluters and negligent companies for damage done to public lands and natural resources that have no commercial value. The case involved an […]