Latest Articles

The Big Disease-y

New Controls Needed on Wildlife Trade to Prevent Disease, Scientists Say Leading wildlife and conservation experts from 10 nations say that stronger controls on global wildlife trade are needed to stem the spread of deadly diseases from exotic animals to humans. “Most wild-caught animals found in pet shops and food markets have never been tested […]

Gore Text

Gore Calls Bush a “Moral Coward” in Speech on Environment The Bush administration is “wholly owned by the coal, oil, utility, and mining companies,” said former Vice President Al Gore in a fiery address to a packed theater in New York City on Thursday. The speech — fourth in a series cosponsored by activist group […]

Hot in Herre

2003 Tied for Second-Warmest Year Ever The year 2003 tied with 2002 for the dubious distinction of being the second-hottest year since 1880 (when such records started being kept), according to federal government data released Thursday. The hottest year ever was 1998, which scientists attribute to the U.S. release of ‘N Sync’s debut album. We’re […]

Pesticidal

EPA Sued Over Consultations With Pesticide Industry Group Fourteen leading chemical companies have formed a task force that is meeting in secret with the U.S. EPA, attempting to weaken endangered species rules relating to pesticide use — so charges a lawsuit filed against the EPA on Thursday by a coalition of Seattle-based environmental groups. The […]

The Oil Hits the Fan

Oil Pipeline Through Georgian Republic Runs Into Trouble A $3 billion, 1,000-mile pipeline — slated to be pumping oil from the newly opened Caspian oilfields through Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey to the world market by April 2005 — has run into a whole mess of trouble. Environmentalists and many local groups are incensed that the […]

Umbra on intransigent non-recyclers

Dear Umbra, I am a completely eco-friendly person and strive to have my family follow in those footsteps. We have a recycling system — one my canned-beer-drinking dad refuses to abide by. (Not that I’m criticizing canned beer or my father. Both are good.) He refuses to recycle his cans, and I’m a little tired […]

Umbra on recycling widgets

Dear Umbra, I am a huge fan of Guinness, often referring to it as Nectar of the Gods. Question is, are the cans with the cool nitrous plastic doohickeys in them recyclable? I’ve got a bet riding on this with the significant other. Thanks for enlightenment. MelissaDenver, Colo. Dearest Melissa, Yes. Guinness recycling is good […]

Umbra on beer containers

Dear Umbra, My friends and I consume a fair amount of beer, and we’re wondering: What’s worse for the environment, buying beer in cans or in bottles? KellyManitoba, Canada Dearest Kelly, Thank you for giving me a reason to look up the Earth’s mineral-reserves map in my atlas. I’ve learned fascinating things about aluminum and […]

Green Quixote

Humboldt-Based Candidate New Front-Runner for Green Party Nomination Meanwhile, far from the madding crowds in Iowa, Green Party activists are fishing about for a standard-bearer of their own. Ralph Nader said no thanks; he’s planning to lose the 2004 presidential race as an Independent. But a potential front-runner has emerged in the person of David […]

Permission to Pollute, Sir!

Pentagon Requests Exemption From Three More Environmental Laws The Department of Defense plans to petition Congress for exemption from three federal environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act and two toxic waste statutes. This will mark the third time in three years the Pentagon has made the appeal; Congress denied the first two requests, although […]