Articles by Katharine Wroth

Where there’s smoke, there’s inaction

In a boost for clean air and public health, an international tobacco treaty went into effect yesterday. Signed by 168 nations and ratified by 57, the agreement addresses advertising, packaging, smuggling, and taxes. More than two-thirds of the ratifiers are developing nations -- which are expected to account for 70 percent of smoking-related deaths by 2020.

One country that has signed, but not not yet ratified, the pact is -- wait for it! -- the U.S. "This treaty will save millions of lives ... the U.S. is missing the boat," says Kathryn Mulvey, executive director of Corporate Accountability International. "As both the global tobacco treaty and the Kyoto Protocol take effect with the U.S. on the sidelines, we are calling on our government to join with the global community in prioritizing people's lives over the profits of giant corporations."

Best of luck with that.

Who speaks for the armadillo?

I'm all for animal rights, to a point. I mean, we're like, y'know, all part of the same interconnected web and stuff? But sometimes a sense of humor goes a long way. What do you mean, road-kill candy is offensive? Next thing I know, you're going to tell me Nerds are an affront to environmental editors everywhere.

Update [2005-2-25 16:24:57 by Katharine Wroth]: Alas, this one has already been resolved. For the sake of the children, this candy will no longer see the light of day. Which is good, because all those eight-year-olds driving cars would have started aiming straight for the squirrels.

Now we’re golden

You think the reason more people don't switch to solar is because it's expensive and, well, takes effort? Nope, turns out it's just a fashion thing. At least, that's the theory behind multi-national Kyocera's solar panels, which masquerade as common roof tiles. (Special thanks to Phil, stuck in snowy Boston, for pointing this one out.)

Using a somewhat less subtle approach, an Australian company is moving forward with plans to build a 3,280-foot-high solar tower. Proponents say the tower will power 200,000 homes, and they've just purchased a 25,000-acre sheep farm to host it. Let the sun shine in.

Poop is not funny

OK, maybe a little. Hot off the, er, presses: a company in Australia is seeking donations of kangaroo dung to make recycled paper. Inspired by African and Asian operations that make sheets from elephant excrement, Joanna Gair hopes to make "Roo Poo Paper" a household name. The "pooey" product has proven useful as a conservation fundraiser in some places and is, of course, a hit with the kids. "It's taken my breath away just how popular this [idea] is," Gair says. Which is not a funny quote at all.

Folks in Milford, Nebraska, might want to consider the same plan, since they just spent four months battling a massive, burning pile of manure at a feedlot. The 100-foot-long heap, estimated to weigh 2,000 tons, began smoldering due to organic action at its center (here's to the power of composting!). After the state Department of Environmental Quality cited clean-air violations, concerned parties spent several weeks pulling the pile apart, and finally quelled the fire. What a relief that is.