Latest Articles

On Bjorn Lomborg and extinction

My greatest regret about the Lomborg scam is the extraordinary amount of scientific talent that has to be expended to combat it in the media. We will always have contrarians like Lomborg whose sallies are characterized by willful ignorance, selective quotations, disregard for communication with genuine experts, and destructive campaigning to attract the attention of […]

A skeptical look at The Skeptical Environmentalist

Before the terrible events of Sept. 11 nudged our national mood towards nouveau-earnestness, skepticism was the disposition of the day. Bred in the swamps of transparent consumer manipulation, untrustworthy political leaders, and information overload, skepticism stamped a permanent question mark onto the brows of Generation X and seemed poised to become the watchword of our nation.

Food for Thought: Britain’s food system

The fixings for a traditional British turkey dinner could travel more than 24,000 miles before they reach the table, according to a report released yesterday by the U.K. lobby group Sustain. On average, food consumed in Britain travels 50 percent more than it did a decade ago, at the expense of human and environmental health. […]

Ice, Ice, Maybe Not

The South Pole is treading on thin ice, according to a study presented yesterday that found rapid thinning in three of Antarctica’s largest glaciers. In the last 10 years, the glaciers have lost up to 150 feet of thickness, or a collective 37.6 cubic miles of ice. According to the authors of the study, who […]

Sunder Water

The home of one of India’s leading environmentalists, Sunderlal Bahuguna, was flooded last week when the Indian government resumed work on the massive Tehri dam project. Bahuguna has spent two decades protesting the project, which is expected to totally submerge the town of Tehri by November. Activists, including author Arundhati Roy, have condemned the project […]

That Extincts!

Environmentalists in Florida are concerned about state plans to weaken protections for the manatee and the red-cockaded woodpecker. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has developed a new set of criteria to gauge what levels of protection animals deserve, and it has indicated that the woodpecker and manatee may now merit lower levels. To […]

Ann of Green Stables?

“Awful” and “horrible” are just some of the epithets that have been hurled at U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman by farm-state lawmakers. What’s drawn their ire is Veneman’s effort to overhaul the $20 billion federal farm subsidies program, which she says threatens international trade agreements, supports the wealthiest farmers, and is bad for the environment. […]

Lifting Their Kilt-owatts

Scotland has enough potential wind and wave energy to power the entire U.K., according to an independent study that has been met with excitement by the Scottish government. Known as one of the windiest spots in Europe, Scotland could apparently provide almost a quarter of the U.K.’s energy needs from onshore wind farms, without having […]

If a Chopper Lands in the Forest, Does Anyone Hear?

Enviros, adventure guides, anglers, and local residents are worried that motorized recreation will soon take a toll on British Columbia’s famous wild lands. Following up on campaign promises to boost the economy, the province’s Liberal government has welcomed applications from tourism companies offering helicopter and caterpillar skiing, as well as snowmobile and all-terrain vehicle trips, […]

Moore Is More

In the largest gift ever to a single environmental group, the foundation created by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore announced yesterday that it would give Conservation International $261 million over 10 years. The money will help the Washington, D.C.-based group identify and protect biodiversity hotspots, areas that CI says cover 1.4 percent of the Earth’s land […]