Latest Articles
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GM-y Cracked Corn
American farmers are expected to plant 24 percent less genetically modified (GM) corn this year than they did last year, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture study released on Friday. Declines are also expected in plantings of GM soybeans and cotton, a reaction to growing consumer resistance to biotech crops, particularly in Europe. Meanwhile, […]
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Brown Nosing
Presidential hopeful George W. Bush today will unveil a plan for cleaning and redeveloping brownfields, or polluted industrial sites, as part of an effort to give himself a greener tint as he goes head to head with Al Gore. In a speech in suburban Pittsburgh, Bush plans to announce that he would direct the U.S. […]
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It's time to renew your enviro vows, Al
The environment should be a winning electoral issue for Al Gore, so why has he said so little about it — thus far — during his run for president? Day after day, the vice president pounds away on his core themes of health care, education, the booming economy, and now, his sinner’s conversion to campaign […]
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Tanzanian Devils
Environmentalists in Tanzania are mounting a campaign to rid the country of huge stockpiles of pesticides and other toxic leftovers, which officials say pose serious threats to citizens. Tanzania has more than 500 tons of agricultural compounds, including DDT, dumped or stored at more than 100 sites, enviros say. Most of the material was imported […]
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They Must Be Exhausted
A record level of thick, choking smog enveloped Hong Kong for a second day yesterday, prompting calls from enviros and politicians to crack down on the area’s severe air pollution. Sunny, clear skies have become rare in the city in the past year, but yesterday’s air pollution was the worst since measurements began being taken […]
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Sneaky, Pete
A fight will soon reach the Senate floor on whether to allow oil drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a 1.5 million-acre pristine coastal plain that is home to caribou and many other animals. Opponents of opening up ANWR to drilling failed yesterday to kill a provision in a 2001 budget bill that calls […]
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Big Three's No Charm
Vice President Al Gore is pushing the Big Three American automakers for a firm commitment to begin producing vehicles in the near future that use fuel-efficient technology developed in a joint government-industry project, the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles. PNGV, launched in 1993 with the goal of producing a reasonably priced “supercar” by […]
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Wake Up and Smell the Petrochemicals
President Clinton said yesterday that rising gasoline prices should serve as a “wake-up call” for the nation to take energy conservation more seriously. Speaking at his second press conference of the year, he said that OPEC’s decision to boost oil production should reduce oil prices soon, but Americans should still do their part by using […]
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Gas 'n' Uh-oh
40 percent — petroleum’s share of global energy consumed in 1998 $246 — amount spent by the author on gasoline to drive a 1987 Honda Accord 5,700 miles on a cross-country road trip from Feb. 15 to March 15, 2000 $433 — estimated amount the author would have spent if he had driven a new […]
