Latest Articles
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A Bunch of Bull
A group of rural Nevadans crusading against federal protection for the bull trout compared their rebellion to the Boston Tea Party during a congressional field hearing held on Saturday in Elko, Nev. The Nevadans, backed by Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.) and Rep. Helen Chenoweth-Hage (R-Idaho), want to rebuild a road that was washed out in […]
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This Gives "School Board" a New Meaning
A bill passed by the House this month that is intended to assure adequate funding for rural school districts may encourage more logging on public lands, say opponents. Under current law, communities near national forests get money for schools from federal timber sales in surrounding areas, and as timber cutting has declined in recent years, […]
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Sherry Bosse reviews Consuming Desires by Roger Rosenblatt
In Walden, Henry David Thoreau wrote that "to maintain one's self on this earth is not a hardship but a pastime, if we will live simply and wisely." He warned his readers against an increasingly prevalent consumer culture in the United States -- in 1854. Nearly 150 years later, Americans are, on average, working more hours and accruing more debt than ever before in order to achieve some bloated variation of the American dream. Some things never change.
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Antonio the Tiger Not Doing Grrreeeeeaaaat
The Iberian lynx, sometimes called “Europe’s tiger,” is the world’s most endangered wildcat and may go extinct within a decade unless serious efforts are made to protect its habitat, the World Wildlife Fund warned yesterday. The Iberian lynx population has declined drastically in recent decades, WWF said, now numbering about 500 to 600 in Spain […]
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Give Some Loot, Go Ahead and Pollute
Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s (R) presidential run will likely be haunted by his state’s environmental problems, particularly Houston’s recently achieved status as the nation’s smoggiest city. To avoid losing federal highway funding, Houston must come up with a plan to reduce its air pollution by 90 percent, and Dallas by 88 percent. Bush touts […]
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Get on the Bus
Enviros and other critics of the World Trade Organization are launching a $40,000 outdoor advertising blitz in Seattle to get people thinking about the negative consequences of trade liberalization, as trade leaders from around the world prepare to gather in Seattle later this month for a WTO meeting. Fifteen groups, including the Earthjustice Legal Defense […]
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If At First You Don't Succeed, Buy Ad Time
Worried about mounting resistance to genetically modified (GM) foods, the giants of biotechnology are channeling tens of millions of dollars into massive lobbying and marketing campaigns to counter their critics. Until recently, biotech companies were reluctant to respond to critics because they wanted to avoid making GM foods an issue, but now that opposition is […]
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Climate Change Driving Us Buggy
Public health experts warn that as climate change becomes more serious, humans are likely to be hit by an increasing number of health problems, ranging from heat strokes to infectious diseases. Milder winters and increased flooding could help insects breed and extend their ranges, perhaps leading to more tick-borne infections like Lyme disease. Mosquitoes in […]
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Industrious endeavors in the former Soviet empire
America’s market-based solutions to environmental problems tend to look a lot like something you might have seen in an old Soviet propaganda film. Real Soviet propaganda. Take emissions trading. Under this system, I, an evil capitalist, sell you, another evil capitalist, the right to spew tons of air pollution, which I can do because I’ve […]
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Young and the Restless
Two longtime Congressional enemies — Reps. Don Young (R-Alaska) and George Miller (D-Calif.) — teamed up yesterday to successfully push a bill through the House Resources Committee that would earmark about $2.9 billion dollars in offshore oil drilling royalties each year for environmental protection. The money, some $2.5 billion more than is currently spent from […]
