An account of one scientist’s testimony

On Friday, I participated in a briefing on Capitol Hill on the use of science in policy debates. Other panelists were Don Kennedy, editor-in-chief of Science magazine, Juliet Eilperin, environment reporter for the Washington Post, and David Goldston, formerly chief of staff of the House Science Committee and now a lecturer at Princeton.

In my presentation, I made two points that will not surprise long-time readers.

Tuna populations are in decline

Bluefin tuna have a lot of admirers. Marine biologists are intrigued by their size and speed, they're a noteworthy source of revenue for many fishermen, and many sushi lovers are willing to spend a little more for their favorite tuna roll. In fact, this fish is so important to so many, that it warrants a five-day meeting of the world's five biggest tuna fisheries -- accounting for 77 countries and regions.

Facts alone will never cut it

I want to tear my %$#@! hair out. On Wed. night in New York City, there was a formal debate....

The safety of your cosmetics

Ever since a friend of mine went to aesthetician school and started talking about the safety -- or lack thereof -- of many beauty product ingredients, I've been obsessed with purging my makeup drawer of any and all dangerous goodies.

They’re not a silver bullet, but they generally work

The last few days have been rough for carbon offsets on Gristmill, with our own Gar Lipow launching several broadsides...

New report says there’s a ton waiting to be used

From an MIT press release: A comprehensive new MIT-led study of the potential for geothermal energy within the United States...

Catch up post: replying to some comments

As promised, this is a catch-up post, wherein I belatedly reply to various comments.

Top ten student teams duke it out for cash, concert

As I reported last summer, mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, and GE buddied up to get students to “green” their...

Environment is top concern for Canadians. Americans, not so much.

Cascadians on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border share a deep connection to our temperate corner of the world. But if national polling data is any indication of regional opinion, we may not necessarily share the same views when it comes to the fate of our piece of the planet -- or even of the planet itself. Public opinion polling in the two countries shows a boundary between perceptions almost as stark as the national border drawn on a political map.

In recent polling by Gallup and Pew, Americans display little concern about the environment and global warming -- far less, as it turns out, than their Canadian counterparts.