Latest Articles
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The Rio World
Some 250,000 gallons of oil were spilled Tuesday into the waters off Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the worst ecological disaster to hit the region in 25 years. The oil, which poured out of a ruptured pipeline running from a nearby refinery operated by the state-owned oil company Petrobras, had spread across a 24-square-mile area by […]
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Car Talk
70 million motor vehicles were on the world’s roads in 1950 630 million motor vehicles were on the world’s roads in 1994 1 billion motor vehicles are expected to be on the world’s roads by 2025, if the current growth rate continues 12,000 pounds of carbon dioxide are emitted by the average car each year […]
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Buffer the Ozone Slayer
California Gov. Gray Davis’s (D) administration yesterday announced controversial new rules restricting use of the pesticide methyl bromide, which is highly toxic to humans and contributes to depletion of the ozone layer. The measures would expand required buffer zones around sprayed areas and require better public notification when the fumigant is used. The state was […]
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Chinese Government Poo Poos Exotic Platters
Four southern Chinese provinces have begun a 10-day crackdown on the rampant illegal trade in endangered species, many of which are sought as delicacies by restaurants. The operation — which began on Saturday and involves forestry, customs, airline, and police officials — led to the arrest of 396 suspects in its first three days and […]
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Reckless O'Bannon?
Industrial contamination of the White River in Indiana has lead to the death of hundreds of thousands of fish and may put a damper on the reelection campaign of Indiana Gov. Frank O’Bannon (D). More than 85 tons of dead fish have piled up along a 50-mile stretch of the river since it was poisoned […]
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Partners to Trade Emissions
The World Bank yesterday launched the first global emissions trading fund, which is meant to combat climate change by promoting the transfer of environmentally friendly technology to developing countries. Modeled after a sulfur-dioxide emissions trading program in the U.S., the new World Bank program offers companies in industrial nations credits against future carbon-dioxide emissions limits […]
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Bump in Grinding
Chip mills are driving up logging in North Carolina, according to early results from a two-year government-commissioned study of the mills’ environmental and economic impact. About 140 chip mills have opened up in the South in the past decade, and enviros say they are dramatically changing the timber industry, leading to increased clear-cutting, and enticing […]
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Kernel Clink
The U.S. EPA put new restrictions Friday on the growing of genetically modified corn, responding belatedly to concerns that genetically modified crops may be causing ecological disruptions. Under the new rules, farmers who cultivate genetically engineered Bt corn, which produces its own insecticide, will be required to plant at least 20 percent of their acreage […]
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I Know What You Did Last, Summers
Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said yesterday that a major lesson from last month’s failed World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle is that any new trade discussions must address the issues of environmental regulation, worker rights, and child labor. Summers made his remarks to corporate executives in Bombay, the business capital of India, an audience that […]
