Latest Articles
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Disheveled in the Deep Blue Sea
Many deep sea critters are in danger of starving to death, likely as a result of rising ocean temperatures, according to a study published recently in the journal Science. The food supply available for creatures residing in the deep dropped significantly between 1989 and 1996, say the study’s authors, perhaps because an increase in surface […]
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Not Bonn Amis
A rift between Europe and the U.S. is hindering efforts to cut emissions of greenhouse gases under the Kyoto Protocol, said Michael Zammit Cutajar, the top U.N. climate official, as international climate change talks began yesterday in Bonn, Germany. Europe wants limits placed on emissions trading, while the U.S. wants to make wide use of […]
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Blow by Blow
The EPA last week accepted petitions from eight Northeastern states asking the agency to order sharp cuts in pollution from individual dirty power plants in the Midwest and South. The pollution is believed to blow into the Northeast and contribute to serious air quality problems in the region. Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA […]
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You Say Tomato, I Say Lawsuit
Thirteen states have passed laws that protect farmers and food producers from criticism that could cut back on their sales, and environmentalists and consumer advocates are warning that the laws are limiting the public’s right to know about potential dangers. Some publishers and broadcasters, fearing lawsuits under the laws, have declined to publicize information about […]
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Prez: Life's a Beach — and So Are Republicans
President Clinton on Saturday ordered federal agencies to boost efforts to clean up beaches and waterways, and he challenged states to do the same. Giving his weekly radio address while on vacation at a remote wildlife preserve in Florida, Clinton also criticized Republicans for “rolling back” environmental protections by attaching narrowly focused riders to major […]
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Steer Clear of that Weasel Diesel
Environmental officials are considering a crackdown on diesel, a common and dangerous pollutant that can clog lungs, damage genes, and cause cancer. The California Air Resources Board last year declared that diesel particles are carcinogenic and is studying ways to reduce their health threat; the EPA is considering a similar move. In a series of […]
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We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us
For the first time, more Japanese companies favor a tax on carbon-dioxide emissions than oppose it, according to a poll released by the nation’s Environment Agency yesterday. “The poll indicates there is a growing perception among Japanese firms that voluntary corporate efforts alone cannot curb carbon-dioxide emissions,” an agency official said.
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We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Not Us
Mobil CEO Lucio A. Noto got testy yesterday when enviros suggested that the company’s planned merger with Exxon, approved overwhelmingly by stockholders yesterday, would create an environmentally irresponsible monster. Noto lit into the Kyoto climate change treaty, saying Exxon and Mobil oppose it and that it’s “not worth the paper that it’s written on.” He […]
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This Is the Place
The Clinton administration and Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt (R) have reached a broad general agreement that could result in more than 1 million acres of wilderness in Utah’s West Desert. The still nascent deal faces potential opposition from environmentalists and county commissioners, and would need approval from Congress. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt has the task […]
