Latest Articles

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 […]

Buy-O Tech

Biotech Industry Funnels Cash to Universities and Politicians The biotechnology industry is steering millions of dollars into both U.S. agricultural universities and political campaigns — and it’s getting plenty of return on its investment. At the University of California at Davis, for example, biotech companies contribute money for new buildings, laboratory studies, salaries for post-doctoral […]

Jonna Higgins-Freese reviews Reinventing Eden by Carolyn Merchant

In Reinventing Eden: The Fate of Nature in Western Culture, Carolyn Merchant, an environmental historian at the University of California at Berkeley, analyzes how one religious theme -- the Christian interpretation of the Genesis story -- has shaped worldviews through history, both mainstream Western views and environmental thinking. The book makes fascinating reading, and her insights might help environmentalists frame more effective messages for the public at large.

How Can We Sleep While the Liberals Are Winning?

Environmentalist Rock Star to Run for Australia’s Parliament Peter Garrett, former lead singer of the band Midnight Oil and a longtime environmental activist, announced yesterday that he will run for a seat in the Australian parliament as a member of the opposition Labor Party. He’s almost sure to win, as the Sydney seat he’s vying […]

The Drill of It All

Bush Administration Pushes to Open More Alaska Land to Drilling The Bush administration hasn’t been able to finagle its way into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but it’s pressing ahead with plans to drill for oil and gas on other remote, environmentally sensitive public lands in Alaska. The Bureau of Land Management this week proposed […]

Fit to Be Thai-ed

Toxic Waste Being Dumped on Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is becoming a dumping ground for toxic waste from wealthy countries, Greenpeace warned yesterday. Large quantities of dangerous refuse — including medical and electronic waste, old tires, and used lead acid batteries — are being shipped to Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines from industrialized nations that […]