Latest Articles

The Glass Is Half Full — Just Don’t Drink From It

Most U.S. Lakes and Waterways Contaminated with Mercury, EPA Says U.S. EPA head honcho Mike Leavitt struggled yesterday to put a positive spin on the agency’s annual report on fish advisories, despite the grim news that virtually every body of freshwater in the country may be contaminated with mercury, which poses health risks to fetuses […]

The Leaser of Two Evils

New Report Belies Need for New Oil and Gas Leases President Bush has made increased domestic energy production, i.e., more oil and gas extraction from federal lands in the West, a centerpiece of his campaign, claiming it is the road to energy independence. His administration frequently proclaims the need to remove restrictive barriers to resource […]

Powder Puffery

New Report Blasts Ski Industry’s Voluntary Environmental Program The National Ski Areas Association unveiled its voluntary Sustainable Slopes Program in 2000 with great fanfare. “Regulations only help you avoid the worst,” said NSAA’s Geraldine Link, “and a voluntary program like this can only bring out the best in terms of environmental compliance.” Uh … not […]

Let It LEED

Green Skyscraper Underway in NYC Since the United States Green Building Council, a nonprofit industry group, published its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building standards in 2000, the field of environmentally friendly construction has become broader and more ambitious. Now the Durst Organization and the Bank of America have broken ground on […]

Circuit Boards Roasting on an Open Fire

Dumped Electronics Poisoning Poor in Asia Computers and other electronics discarded in the West frequently end up in poor villages in China and India, where they are stripped for residues of valuable metals in primitive procedures that poison local communities. Enviro activists report that Chinese villagers cook circuit boards over open charcoal burners to strip […]

Tips for earth-sensitive — and tasty — barbecuing

You know the grill. It’s hot out there: Time to empty the kitchen of cutlery and condiments and wander into the backyard to do what our ancient ancestors did: Barbecue something! Of course, people have been gleefully grilling, giving no thought to the environment, for centuries. Linguists tell us that the word barbecue likely stemmed […]

Up Against the Wall Street

Wall Street Remains Hesitant on Renewable Energy It’s a familiar refrain: Wall Street investors, we are told, are not yet sold on renewable energy. They worry that the technologies are not mature, that massive upfront infrastructure costs are too high a barrier, that despite rosy predictions from socially responsible investors, the price gap between oil […]

Good-Bye, Cool World

Scientist Warns That Decreasing Air Pollution Means Increased Warming Jeez, we really can’t catch a break, can we? A German scientist now warns that air pollution is masking the true extent of global warming — and as air pollution is reduced, warming may accelerate. Addressing the 13th World Clean Air and Environmental Protection Congress in […]

Does My Butt Look Big in This Car?

Toyota’s Hot-Selling Prius Appeals to Drivers’ Vanity Last month, Honda sold 1,963 Civic Hybrids and a meager 34 Insight hybrids in the U.S. — and sales trends for both models are trending downward — while the Toyota Prius fairly flew off lots, with 5,230 sold in the U.S. last month. A Toyota spokesperson said the […]

Whining Is Job One

Ford Battles Hybrid-Friendly Legislation, Destroys Electric Cars Ford Motor Co. CEO Bill Ford’s vocal attempts to position his company as eco-friendly are sounding a little hollow this week. As the California legislative session nears its end, Ford has ramped up lobbying efforts to kill a bill that would allow drivers of fuel-efficient hybrids to drive […]