Latest Articles
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The Teflon Precedent
DuPont to Be Fined for Toxic Chemical in Teflon The U.S. EPA has announced it will levy a substantial fine — perhaps the largest environmental fine in U.S. history — against chemical giant DuPont, charging the company with illegally concealing evidence that a chemical used to make Teflon endangered its employees and the public. The […]
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Get Your Stinking Paws Off Me, You Damn Dirty AEP!
EPA Adds Charges to Lawsuit Against Power Company The U.S. EPA notified American Electric Power Co. today that it will be adding a new set of violations to its complaint — set to be heard in federal court in mid-2005 — that the company violated new-source review provisions of the Clean Air Act by updating […]
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Methyl Addicts
U.S. Seeks Another Exemption from Methyl-Bromide Ban Over the past year, the U.S. requested and received a one-year exemption from the Montreal Protocol’s provision banning the use of ozone-depleting pesticide methyl bromide, sparking international controversy. International controversy, however, is like crack to the current administration, so here we go again: At international talks this week, […]
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The Thin Green Line
Whistleblowing Chief of Park Police Fired Seven months after suspending her for speaking out about increased safety risks in national parks due to underfunding and under staffing, the Interior Department has fired U.S. Park Police Chief Teresa Chambers. Though she was pressured by her superiors last year to conceal the fact that patrols were being […]
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Erin Simmons, an advocate for healthy oceans, answers questions
If Everybody Had an Ocean With what environmental organization are you affiliated? I am West Coast organizer for Oceana. What does your organization do? What, in a perfect world, would constitute “mission accomplished”? Oceana campaigns to protect and restore the world’s oceans. Currently, our North American offices are focused on two major campaigns, “Stop Destructive […]
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A debate on water privatization, part two
Everyone knows that water is the stuff of life. But is it best viewed as a commodity or as part of the commons? Should providing safe, affordable water be the role of governments, corporations, or partnerships between the two? On Tuesday, July 13 (dates may vary for local stations), the PBS show P.O.V. is airing […]
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Advice on natural fabrics vs. polyester
Dear Umbra, I’ve never appreciated human-made fabrics — polyester and its cousins invariably feel less comfortable to me than cotton or wool. Until recently, I thought this personal preference also had the happy side effect of making me a greener clothes shopper, since producing natural fibers doesn’t involve long chains of polymers. A friend recently […]
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News Happens
Interesting Stuff That Transpired During Our Publishing Break We’re back, rested, and raring to go! While we were gone: The public comment period on the U.S. EPA’s proposed new mercury regulations ended, with a record of nearly 540,000 comments received, overwhelmingly supporting tougher rules. In other EPA news, the agency promised to reconsider its controversial […]
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Tigris, Tigris, Burning Blight
Iraq’s Once-Mighty Tigris River in Sad Shape Iraq’s Tigris River is horrendously polluted and may be poisoning Iraqis, but no one is sure just how bad the problem is — the near-total lack of security is preventing environmental researchers from properly testing the water. The decline of the once-mighty Tigris, which flows through the so-called […]
