Articles by Katharine Wroth

In Louisiana, oil and water do mix

The so-called "toxic gumbo" in the streets of New Orleans is earning more media attention. An article on CNN.com today quotes Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Mike McDaniel: "Everywhere we look there's [an oil] spill ... there's almost a solid sheen over the area right now." The story also describes destroyed sewage plants, natural gas leaks, and oozing vehicles of all shapes and sizes. It is, as McDaniel says, "almost unimaginable." Almost.

We'll have much more on this in the days (and weeks, months, probably years) to come. For the moment, an interesting question comes to mind. How will a southern state not generally known for its high regard for the environment, or for its interest in outside meddling, respond to this crisis?

Stay tuned.

Seventh Generation partners with Target

In the summer of its ground-breaking ad buy of an entire issue of the New Yorker, Target has also begun a pilot project to sell Seventh Generation's eco-friendly household products.

This is not your father's mega-retailer.

Gas prices in Parade? What next?

Today's news of Gulf-Coast battering deserves lots of attention. But first, let us return to Sunday. Ahh, Sunday.

Spotted two instances of environmental shtuff creeping into otherwise "fun" parts of the paper. First, as further proof that the Sunday comics really aren't for kids (don't get me started on how my nephews are supposed to understand the Lockhorns ...), one panel showed a guy getting his car towed. Caption: "The car's fine, but with gas prices the way they are, it's cheaper getting towed everywhere." Ba-dump-bump.

Even more revolutionary: in Parade magazine, somewhere between the celebrity Q&As and the medical tips, lay a one-paragraph squib on local food. With gas prices rising, it reported, food prices might also rise. So buy local. This message brought to you by the Earth Policy Institute, which must have a persistent PR person. Well done.

OK, now back to our regularly scheduled weekday.

Chain restaurants stake out turf near schools

Wait, why are we all getting fat?