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  • Keeping tabs on the Bush administration’s environmental record

    Just after George W. Bush took office, two memos circulated among his top administrators that set the stage for what the president, during his campaign, promoted as a new era of environmental policy. On Bush’s first day in office, January 20, 2001, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card sent a memo to all cabinet […]

  • Wood You Look at That?

    Boise Cascade Praised for Eco-friendly Policies It’s not often that an environmental organization takes out a full-page ad in the New York Times to praise a forest-products company, so it’s safe to say that Boise Cascade Corp. has done something extraordinary. This week, the company reconfirmed its commitment to phasing out old-growth harvesting in the […]

  • You Get What You Pay For

    Two EPA Officials Accept Jobs with Utility Industry Two high-ranking officials at the U.S. EPA are defecting to industry lobbying posts, causing an outcry among environmentalists. John Pemberton, chief of staff to the EPA assistant administrator for air and radiation, plans to work for Southern Company, an electrical utility conglomerate, while Edward Krenik, EPA associate […]

  • Meet the New Mobile, Worse than the Old Mobile

    New Snowmobiles to Be Permitted in Yellowstone Are Dirtier Than Old Models A new generation of ostensibly cleaner and quieter snowmobiles turns out to be more polluting than older models, according to tests by the U.S. EPA. In a controversial Bush administration decision, the new snowmobiles were approved for use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton […]

  • Sand Witches

    Artificial and Restored Beaches Threaten Marine Ecosystems Beautiful sand beaches are one of Ma Nature’s most splendid creations — except sometimes they’re actually the handiwork of humans. Every year, millions of dollars go to creating sand beaches on previously rocky coasts and rebuilding beaches at key tourist destinations that have been eroded by storms, changing […]

  • Community-based forestry takes root in the U.S.

    Can a “forest economy” be good for the forest? A new movement known as community-based forestry says yes. Also referred to as community forestry, CBF is dramatically different from most forest management practiced in the U.S., and increasing numbers of environmentalists are championing the cause. Land of the trees, and home of the brave. Photo: […]

  • Deserters

    Conference on Desertification Gains Little Ground The sixth international conference on desertification ended yesterday in Cuba with few results, save for a decision on how to finance efforts to slow the encroachment of arid regions and the loss of fertile lands. Leaders of 10 African and Caribbean nations attending the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification […]

  • Thirsty Hungary

    Central Europe’s Largest Lake Is Shrinking According to legend, Hungary’s Lake Balaton is constantly replenished by a young girl weeping in a church in the middle of its waters. Now, though, Central Europe’s largest lake is shrinking, and experts say the problem isn’t a happier lake lady; it’s global warming. Following four hot summers in […]

  • Giving Up the Ghost Fleet

    U.S. Navy Ships Get Ready for Transatlantic Trip, Toxics and All Thirteen is not a lucky number, and many fear that bad luck could trail in the wake of 13 decrepit and pollution-laden U.S. ships that are set to embark on a 4,500-mile voyage from Virginia to the British region of Teesside.* The ships are […]

  • It Was Fund While It Lasted

    Superfund Money Will Be Gone in One Month, GAO Says The countdown has begun: In one month, the Superfund will run out of money, according to a new study by the General Accounting Office. Money in the fund comes from a now-expired tax on industry and is used to clean up “orphan sites,” toxic waste […]