Latest Articles
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Batting Cleanup
Fed Audit Finds Hanford Cleanup Not Working According to a federal audit released yesterday, efforts to clean up the contaminated groundwater around the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in southern Washington state have basically sucked — “largely ineffective” was the report’s more delicate phrase. Thus far the Department of Energy has spent $85 million attempting to clean […]
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I’m Gonna Git You, Succor
Panel Report Recommends Monitoring of GM Foods A new report from a 13-member panel of the influential National Academy of Sciences is serving as a bit of a Rorschach test in the debate over genetically modified foods. GM opponents found succor in the panel’s warning that modifying the genetic structure of foods could “create unintended […]
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Species Freezies
Scientists Preserve DNA of Endangered Species A consortium of U.K. research centers and scientists has launched an ambitious project to preserve the DNA of thousands of endangered species. The Frozen Ark Project will start with creatures expected to disappear within five years — like North Africa’s scimitar-horned oryx and Mexico’s Socorro dove — and then […]
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Environmentalism takes the stage at the Democratic National Convention
Where it’s all goin’ down. Photo: DNC. Environmentalism is descending on the Democratic National Convention this week in the form of biodegradable balloons and recycled confetti — and that’s just the beginning. All of the electricity powering the festivities is coming from renewable sources or an onsite fuel-cell generator. Local Massachusetts farms are supplying food […]
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Wet Suit
Northeast States Sue EPA Over Power-Plant Water Rules Attorneys general from Northeast states seem to have taken it upon themselves to lead the battle against Bush administration environmental rollbacks. Last week they filed suit against power companies for fouling the air; this week, six states are filing suit against the U.S. EPA over proposed new […]
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Criticize It, Don’t Legalize It
Groups Take EPA to Task Over Pesticide Evaluation The U.S. EPA is under fire from several directions over its procedures for approving pesticides. A report released today by the Center for Biological Diversity claims that the EPA “has shown reckless disregard for the impact of its pesticide regulation program on wildlife, and most importantly, endangered […]
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Shrub Reduction
Bush Fuel-Reduction Plan Shortchanges Rural Communities Many small, rural Western communities have been devastated by the decline of the logging industry, with unemployment high, poverty rampant, and drug use (particularly of methamphetamine) rising. Some of those communities found hope in the Economic Action Program, created by the first Bush administration, which offered money for retraining […]
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I Shot the Sheriff (but I Did Not Pollute the Groundwater)
Leadless Bullets Are All the Rage There are several bad things about bullets. First on the list: When they enter the human body at a high velocity, they have deleterious health consequences. Somewhere down on the list is that they typically contain lead, and while one bullet won’t stunt your kid’s mental growth (unless she’s […]
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Umbra on opening windows versus running the AC
Dear Umbra, My friend and I have been having a debate that I hope you can help us settle. What is the rule of thumb when turning off the air and opening the windows? I live in Texas and in the spring we have one or two days in a row that are cool enough […]
