algae
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Mystery orange goo turns Alaska into a Cheeto
The Alaskan village of Kivalina woke up coated in a shiny, powdery orange substance last week. When that happens to me it usually involves bourbon and Doritos, but presumably the authorities have ruled that out in this case. They've also said that the goo isn't oil-based -- but that's about all they know.
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Attack of the evil killer algae!
Sickening amounts of green algae, fed by nitrous waste from French farms, have been growing on the Brittany coast, where French and British people go for vacation. When the algae decomposes, it gives off hydrogen sulphide, a poisonous gas. Two years ago, a man died from inhaling the gas. The next victim: a horse. This year more than 30 wild boars have died mysteriously on the beach, and the evil algae is the prime suspect.
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Critical List: $6 billion ethanol subsidy to end; Wyoming wolves screwed by Senate politics
The Senate is ending a $6 billion subsidy program for ethanol; anti-ethanol food and environmental groups say it's "not a perfect comprise" but that they're "encouraged" by the step.
Carbon captured from coal plants can feed biofuel-producing algae. Which is awesome because nobody else wants to eat it.
Put that tuna burger down! Overfishing could extinguish five out of eight tuna species. -
The most important fish in the sea
Menhaden are vital for a clean and healthy ocean ecosystem -- and they're in trouble.
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Three Gorges Dam has serious issues, China admits
When a country commits to any project as monstrous as China's Three Gorges Dam, it is bound to encounter occasional difficulties. The Chinese government, as governments are wont to do, has preferred to gloss over the dam's detriments and emphasize its attributes, like the 84 billion kilowatt hours of electricity it produced last year. But […]
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Biofuel from pond scum could replace 17 percent of imported oil
Good news: Growing algae for biofuel could allow us to replace almost half our oil imports! Bad news: It would take a ginormous amount of water and land. Better news: Even if we plan the algae farming in a water-conscious, environmentally responsible way, we can still replace 17 percent of imported oil with biofuel. That's […]
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The Gulf's invisible villain: natural gas
You can't see or smell the methane that poured into the ocean with the oil, but experts say it's stealthily destroying marine life.
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Ten green stories you probably missed this week
The big story of the week, of course, is that BP, after almost three miserable months, may have finally stopped its Gulf gusher. (Emphasis on “may.”) But chances are you missed these greener tales — from the beauty of pond scum to the bendable bike to the regenerative power of beer. Flasks of algae waiting […]
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10 weird green news stories flying under your radar
Enough with all the heat wave blather and depressing analysis of the ever-shrinking climate bill. Here are 10 enviro stories you may have missed this week: Green on me: China has dispatched its own flotilla of ships to battle a massive tide of slime off the coastline. Only it’s not oil, it’s algae — a […]