Birds, do-gooders, stingrays and the "roadless rule"

brought to you by Sasha Paris

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.

Human Ecology in Action.

Obama delayed deciding how to implement Clinton's besieged "roadless rule" covering millions of acres of federal lands in ten states, and put the USDA in charge of managing those lands for now. (New York Times; one of 400+ online articles)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/05/28/28greenwire-one-year-delay-on-roadless-rule-for-federal-la-38237.html 

"The Goode Family" premiered on ABC, and is working wonders for environmentalism's image. Not. (review in Miami Herald)

http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/top-story/story/1065395.html 

Bangor News

Bald eagles were removed from Maine's state Threatened Species list. 

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/106976.html 

...and were blamed last week for decimating Maine's great cormorants [Deja vu ;)]  

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/106175.html 

Grist

On the environmental credentials of Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, and the near-future decisions the Court is likely to face.

http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-26-obama-supreme-court-pick/ 

Congress is considering a bill to regulate natural-gas-drilling (now exempt) under the Clean Water Act. 

http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-26-natural-gas-water-politics/ 

UK Guardian

On the intersection of British agricultural policy and declines in farm-haunting songbirds.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/may/25/birds-wildlife-conservation 

On the impacts of "wildlife tourism" on Cayman Island stingrays and other wildlife.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/may/29/wildlife-tourism-stingray 

Strange stuff and controversial politics

brought to you by Sasha Paris

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.

Human Ecology in Action.

Obama announced new vehicle fuel-efficiency requirements, to be implemented by 2016 (New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/business/energy-environment/20emit.html?_r=1&hp

...although they may not be as effective as some would hope for. (Grist)
http://www.grist.org/article/fuel-economy-in-context/

[Google yielded thousands of articles on this announcement, many distinctly biased in one way or another. Browse 'em if you're interested]

Congress passed a measure allowing loaded guns in national parks, tucked into a very different bill (Associated Press)
http://news.aol.com/main/politics/article/guns-in-national-parks/479231

Update on the big climate bill du jour (Grist)
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-22-house-panel-oks-climate-bill

Obama put the federal government in charge of formerly-state-led efforts to reduce pollution into Chesapeake Bay. (Washington Times)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/13/obama-federalizes-cleanup-of-chesapeake-bay/

Obama nominated an environmentally-controversial someone to head the Forest Service. (New West)
http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/obamas_stuns_with_forest_service_nominee/C37/L37/

The EPA began to clean PCBs from New York's Hudson River--toxins which will be landfilled atop a major Texas aquifer (Facing South).
http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/05/dumping-in-dixie-toxic-waste-from-ny-river-cleanup-headed-to-texas.html

The Mid America CropLife association apparently wrote to Michelle Obama, distressed that her "White House garden" would be organic. (La Vida Locavore) [I can hardly believe this, but it's too ridiculous not to share]
http://www.lavidalocavore.org/showDiary.do;jsessionid=E6383A70290E038C84B643E47A2B36BE?diaryId=1309

Earthjustice
A six-month suspension of Gulf of Mexico "bottom longline" fishing took effect, ordered last month after federal managers were sued for letting it kill endangered sea turtles. [I imagine some people are miffed]
http://www.earthjustice.org/news/press/2009/emergency-action-taken-for-threatened-and-endangered-sea-turtles.html

Also last month, Bush's weakening of the Endangered Species Act was formally revoked.
http://www.earthjustice.org/news/press/2009/obama-admin-restores-scientific-consultations-to-endangered-species-act.html

Bananas, green labeling, progress and stalled progress

brought to you by Sasha Paris

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.

Human Ecology in Action.

A bill introduced in the Senate aims to shift transportation, via federal spending, from cars toward public transit (Washington Post).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/13/AR2009051303687.html

The EPA newly reviewed permits for mountaintop-removal coal mining--and has approved most of them. (West Virginia News)
http://www.wvmetronews.com/index.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=30478

Six Indo-Pacific nations adopted a "plan" to protect their Coral Triangle (Business World Online)
http://www.bworldonline.com/BW051609/content.php?id=073

....and other news from the World Oceans Conference (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iSUN0r9EnsgSkdGCaJmUnLQ0QLHAD986MLH00

New York Times
Several massive food producers (e.g. Frito-Lay) are trying to market their products as "local." [*hits head against wall*]
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/dining/13local.html?_r=1

Groundwater use may become regulated in California--a fiercely-resisted notion.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/science/earth/14aquifer.html?_r=1

A hazard of increasingly-popular urban gardening: lead-laced soil.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/garden/14lead.html

BBC News
A British scientist invented "briquettes" of banana waste, which he hopes could help replace wood as cooking fuel in parts of Africa.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8044092.stm

International whaling "peace talks" have stalled over the prospect of Japan's resuming openly-commercial killing.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8042713.stm

Bangor News
Maine's governor proposed consolidating four state natural-resource agencies, earning loud support and opposition for the management implications.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/105818.html

Should Maine lobsters get certified as "sustainable"? Even within the industry, that's a controversial question.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/105920.html

Obama angers enviros many times

brought to you by Sasha Paris

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.

Human Ecology in Action.

Ambitious plans were adopted to "green" Vancouver (Canada Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090505.wbcgreen05art0034/BNStory/National/home

...and slash Berkeley's greenhouse gas emissions (San Fransisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/06/BAMM17G0VB.DTL

Associated Press
Gray wolves in parts of the Rockies and Great Lakes regions were officially removed--again--from the Endangered Species List.
http://news.aol.com/article/gray-wolves-off-endangered-list/460212

Kansas' governer left for a federal position, and her replacement approved one of the long-vetoed coal power plants.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/05/05/ap6378113.html

The USDA proposed new cow-grazing requirements for organic milk
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/11/19/us_revises_rules_on_cow_grazing_for_organic_dairies/

Grist
The Obama admin upheld a Bush-era rule preventing use of the Endangered Species Act to regulate activities that harm Threatened polar bears outside their range (i.e. greenhouse-gas emitters)
http://www.grist.org/article/index/2009-05-08-polar-bear-climate-salazar/PALL/

The EPA proposed two (highly criticized) models for measuring the net greenhouse-gas emissions of biofuels, land use included.
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-05-epa-ethanol-biofuel/

New York Times
The BLM (may have) authorized new uranium mining permits near the Grand Caynon, on lands previously off-limits to said mining.
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/05/06/06greenwire-blm-authorizes-grand-canyon-uranium-exploratio-10572.html

The Obama admin had been urged to amend the ozone-depleter-related Montreal Treaty to include immediate phase out of potently 'climate-warming' hydroflourocarbons. They decided not to.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/04/obama-not-seeking-climate-action-under-ozone-treaty/

Obama announced a bunch of new federal efforts to support production of corn ethanol and other biofuels.
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/white-house-steps-up-support-for-biofuels/

Poisoned waters near and far

brought to you by Sasha Paris

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.

Human Ecology in Action.

The Obama administration moved to reverse a late-term Bush rule making it easier for the waste from mountaintop-removal coal mining to be dumped in streams (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5giHtT8Pyma73d73FFOJx-evlk65QD97R0FDG4

The EPA began crafting restrictions on waterborne toxins discharged from power plants--toxins which had been airborne until the plants were required to "scrub" them from their smoke. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/02/AR2009050200703.html

Grist
Indiana's proposed "renewable" energy bill--including "clean coal" and nuclear power--failed.
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-30-no-renewable-nukes-and-coal/

On water pollution caused by natural-gas drilling [which is planned for my home region in the Finger Lakes--eek!!]
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-26-propublica-gas-drilling-water/

Bangor News
A serious illness outbreak in Sangerville, Maine, was (inconclusively) linked to a nearby dump of assorted nasty substances.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/105073.html

Maine's limited and recently reopened salmon sport-fishing season was canceled under pressure from federal managers.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/104899.html

The public comment period opened for a plan to restore anadromous fish in the Penobscot River
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/105038.html

Horses, flounder, major measures, coal-to-solar switching

brought to you by Sasha Paris

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.

Human Ecology in Action.

California adopted a "Low Carbon Fuel Standard" to eventually reduce the carbon footprint of vehicle fuel sold there, counting the impact of biofuel-related changes to land use. (Los Angeles Times editorial, set three days before the measure was approved, but--with associated comments--describing the issue's controversy well)
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-lowcarbon20-2009apr20,0,1679884.story

Report-out from the first day of hearings on the current big "climate bill." (Grist, which has since been posting daily updates on the hearings. Keep checking grist.org if you're interested.)
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-23-as-biz-leaders-call-for-a/

For the fourth time in two years, the governor of Kansas vetoed a bill to allow construction of two coal-power plants (Associated Press).
http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1140243.html

The EPA proposed new restrictions on mercury and other toxins emitted by cement kilns, after being sued for not doing so. (Earthjustice)
http://www.earthjustice.org/news/press/2009/federal-government-cracks-down-on-mercury-pollution-from-cement-kilns.html

Earthjustice convinced a Florida power company to replace plans for a coal-power plant with plants for a solar-power plant. (Naples Daily News editorial)
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/apr/11/editorial-solar-powered-plant-proposal-looks-winne/

Winter flounder fisheries have declined in New England, and inter-state fishery regulators are considering their options. (Brunswick Times Record)
http://www.timesrecord.com/website/main.nsf/news.nsf/0/CE0A47AE604971EF852575A00059D7B9?Opendocument

Lobster-trap reductions were proposed for reducing whale entanglements. Somehow, the idea is meeting resistance. (Bangor News)
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/104153.html

New York Times
Obama signed a bill newly designating two million acres of "wilderness" in nine states. [It had been rejected by the House in March, but was re-introduced]
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/30/wilderness-lands-bill-becomes-law/

On the continuing "problem" of wild horses in the western US, and whether equine birth control can solve it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/science/21horse.html?ref=science

Sea life, soot, "renewable" coal, Australia

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

Climate change--locally identified as such--is taking a toll across Australia (Los Angeles Times)

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-climate-change-australia9-2009apr09,0,65585.story?page=1 

Six environmental groups sued the federal government for failing to prevent bycatch of protected sea turtles in Gulf of Mexico longline fisheries. (Associated Press) 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30246972/ 

A proposed bill in Indiana would label nuclear and "clean" coal electricity as "renewable," included in tax breaks and future renewable-energy standards. (Grist)

http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-14-indiana-bill-would-define/ 

Report: Atlantic bluefin tuna could "die out" within three years.  The Mediterranean fishing season for them opened on Wednesday.  [What doom upon the seas we wish, to sate our yearnings for raw fish]  (The Times of London). 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6094307.ece 

Bangor News

Two animal-welfare groups sued the state of Maine for not preventing all trapping of endangered Canada lynx. (They've been threatening to do that since at least last June)

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/103716.html 

Federal and state wildlife managers are in dispute over recreational fishing for endangered Atlantic salmon in part of the Penobscot River. 

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/103966.html 

New York Times

Soot, especially in "third world stoves," is newly targeted as an atmospheric heat-trapper.  Cue the miffed comments. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/science/earth/16degrees.html?ref=science 

On efforts to "replant" a dying coral reef off of Japan

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/world/asia/15coral.html?_r=1&ref=science