Latest Articles
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Umbra on recycling pencil stubs
Dear Umbra, I’m looking for a place that accepts pencil stubs (one to two inches long) to recycle into new pencils. I’ve found recycled pencils online — made from denim, plastic, recovered wood, and paper currency. But what can I do with my stubs? PhoenixCovington, Ky. Dearest Phoenix, All the waste-reduction tips tell you to […]
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Like a Tundra of Bricks
Arctic tundra may produce rather than absorb CO2, accelerating warming It’s not often that drama emerges from the Arctic tundra, but there seems to be genuine excitement around revelations from a 20-year study just completed and published in the journal Nature. Researchers have long assumed that Arctic tundra would be a carbon dioxide “sink,” absorbing […]
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If I Were Dictator … Oh, Wait, I Am!
China establishes its first-ever fuel-efficiency standards for cars Attempting to combat its growing dependence on oil imports, China is set to establish fuel-efficiency standards for cars, SUVs, and vans for the first time. The standards are identical to those in a draft circulated last November, about which the auto industry strenuously complained, claiming they were […]
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May the Schwarz Be With You
Schwarzenegger signs bevy of environmental bills California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) won props from enviros this week as he signed into law more than two dozen pro-environment bills. The measures will (take a deep breath) allow drivers of hybrids getting at least 45 miles per gallon to go solo in highway carpool lanes, require that […]
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Readers sound off on the Republican National Convention, barbecue, and more
Sippin’ on Spin and Juice Dear Editor: I was astonished to read in Amanda Griscom’s column that many major environmental groups opted out of the protests in New York City against the Republican National Convention. By siding with the Republican-propagated view that these protests were likely to be violent, they allowed themselves to […]
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Lost in the Wilderness Committee
Wild Sky wilderness bill dead in the water for this year Despite overwhelming public and bipartisan support, an effort to create Washington state’s first new wilderness area in 20 years died yesterday, thanks to both partisan quarreling and the intransigence of Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.), chair of the House Resources Committee. The story is complicated […]
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My Pet Goat
Masai tribes eye white settler land in Kenya The Masai tribespeople of Kenya are running out of land for their herds of goats, cows, and sheep, and they are starting to covet the vast swaths controlled by the country’s white settlers — land that contains copious wildlife, including endangered species like the black rhino. The […]
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When You Wish Upon a Car
Car-Free Day: A good idea, but not without its difficulties Yesterday was Car-Free Day. Couldn’t you tell? Some 1,500 municipalities, the vast majority in Europe, participated, but the idea hasn’t really caught on in the U.S., outside of a few scattered cities. Reading the European news does not give one great hope that it ever […]
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Water Racket!
Noise in the ocean is killing sea creatures The world’s oceans are getting noisier and it’s killing the creatures that live there, scientists say. One major culprit is oil and gas drilling, which involves low-frequency seismic pulses used to survey geologic strata; military sonar and large shipping vessels also generate their share of racket. The […]
