Latest Articles
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Corn Canned
Following publication yesterday of a study that found genetically modified corn can kill monarch butterflies, the European Union governing body suspended approval for two types of gene-altered corn. Two other types have already been approved by the EU. In all, 18 genetically modified products have been approved by the EU since 1992; however, there has […]
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Biz Cool to Bush's Warming Stance
Pro-business types are aghast at Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s (R) recent announcement that he believes global warming is underway. Bush, the top GOP presidential contender, said he changed his position after meeting with advisers who agree that there is “some warming, but disagree about its cause and impact.” The head of the Environmental Defense […]
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Browner Courts a Fight
The Clinton administration will do its darndest to overturn an appeals court decision made last week that invalidated EPA clean-air regulations on ozone and particulates, EPA Administrator Carol Browner said yesterday. In addition to appealing the ruling, which Browner called “extreme, illogical, and bizarre,” the administration will press on with its efforts to crack down […]
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Invasion of the Habitat Snatchers
As of July 1, ships planning to enter U.S. waters will have to show they are doing their part to stem the tide of invasive species. The Coast Guard is implementing new regulations that will require big ocean vessels to empty their ballast tanks at sea before entering U.S. waters, in theory washing out foreign […]
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Nuclear Leak
Three nuclear power plants in New England held closed-door discussions with a British company last year about the possibility of shipping their high-level nuclear waste to the U.K. Though the negotiations went nowhere, British anti-nuke groups were angry this week when news of the discussions leaked out. The New England nuclear plants want to shut […]
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Brower Tries to Climb Sierra Again
David Brower, the outspoken, 86-year-old American conservationist, is making a bid for the presidency of the Sierra Club, a group with which he has had a hot-and-cold relationship over the years. Should he become president, Brower has said he would reopen the issue of immigration, which caused a big schism in the group last year, […]
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Advice on how to cope with aging appliances
Before you buy, consider: Do you need a new product at all? Increasingly, consumers opt to toss belongings out before their useful lives are truly over. Rapidly changing technology is one reason for this trend — we want new products with new features. But often items are discarded because they are difficult to fix when […]
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The Phantom Menace?
Last week brought an end to the remarkable run of Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, who announced his intention to leave Washington and turn the reins of the federal treasury over to his well-groomed deputy, Lawrence Summers, known affectionately to some enviro insiders as Darth Vader. Although Wall Street may be comfortable with Summers, environmentalists are […]
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Food Not Fit for a Monarch
Genetically modified corn can kill monarch butterflies, according to a study by Cornell University scientists published in today’s issue of the journal Nature. The corn contains a toxin that kills pests that feed on the crop, but researchers determined that the toxin also poses a risk to the butterflies. They found that toxic pollen from […]
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Clean Air Inaction
Thirty-nine percent of factories tracked in a federal database were guilty of significant Clean Air Act violations from 1997 through 1998, according to a study released today by the Environmental Working Group. The violations by the businesses studied — oil refineries, pulp mills, steel mills, iron mills, auto assembly plants, and metal smelting and refining […]
