Lions, factory farms, Iceland, Kansas

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

The EPA is seeking to exempt big "livestock operations" from needing to report their emissions of toxic ammonia and hydrogen sulfide gases (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/25/AR2008022502472.html

On the tension between humans and wildlife in Kenya, highlighted by lion and elephant killings near a national park (National Geographic News)
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/03/080318-kenya-elephants.html

The legislative battle continues over new Kansas coal plants (Houston Chronicle/AP)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5643680.html

Iceland considered whether to resume commercial whaling...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7294564.stm

..and soon decided to do so (BBC News)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6059564.stm

Drugs, toxic birds, ozone, wave power

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

A study found a variety of human-made toxins in a variety of bird eggs all over Maine (Kennebec Journal)
http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/4855509.html

Although algae blooms are increasing in coastal areas, the open ocean is losing its phytoplankton fast. Climate change may be a cause. (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87959035

Associated Press
A thorough look at the array of pharmaceuticals detected in drinking water across the US
http://news.aol.com/health/story/ar/_a/probe-finds-drugs-in-drinking-water/20080309184409990001

The EPA will reduce allowable levels of ozone (smog) in US air. Some people say the new rule isn't strict enough; others say it's too strict.
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/air-too-dirty-to-breathe-in-345-counties/20080313094209990001

New York Times
One more biodiesel downside: water-fouling spills of waste oil from manufacturing facilities
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/us/11biofuel.html?ref=science

A fully wave-powered boat will attempt to cross 3,780 miles of the Pacific Ocean.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/science/11boat.html?ref=science

Starlings, tiny frogs, brownfields and a dead zone

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

Rare, tiny Maud Island frogs were discovered breeding in a New Zealand sanctuary where nobody had thought they lived. (Associated Press)
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/sign-of-hope-seen-for-rare-frog-species/20080303090509990002?ncid=NWS00010000000001

As I said earlier this week: Hundreds of bison are being systematically killed as they leave Yellowstone Park, for fear of them spreading disease to cattle (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-na-bison26feb26,1,5519098.story

A 2001 plan to reduce the vast dead zone off Louisiana is going nowhere...and the zone keeps growing. (Times-Picayne)
http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1204180301219420.xml&coll=1&thispage=1#Scene_1

New York Times
In New Jersey, developers are taking new interest in defunct, contaminated sites ("brownfields")
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/business/05brown.html?pagewanted=1&ref=science

Eating worms contaminated with estrogen from polluted water has interesting effects on starlings
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/science/04obbird.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin

Dugongs, lynx, coho, coal

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

The Fish and Wildlife Service proposed greatly expanding its designated "critical habitat" for Canada lynx in much of the northern US, which could affect use of public land there. (Billings Gazette)
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/02/29/news/state/24-lynx.txt

A renewed push to include "clean coal" in energy plans [ignoring, as usual, the environmental cost of coal-mining] (Associated Press)
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/governors-include-coal-in-energy-debate/n20080223180409990007

Legislatinve wrangling over new coal-burning plants in Kansas appears to be headed in favor of the coal companies and utilities. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/22/AR2008022202878.html?hpid=moreheadlines

The URLS of these two explain themselves:
http://www.earthjustice.org/news/press/2008/federal-judge-rules-against-us-defense-department-plans-for-airbase-in-habitat-of-okinawa-dugong.html

http://www.earthjustice.org/news/press/2008/oregon-coho-salmon-regain-federal-protection.html

Glass, pythons, dolphins, menhaden

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

Lack of a market for used glass in Maine is undermining the efforts of local recycling centers (Ellsworth American)
http://ellsworthmaine.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12980&Itemid=31

The Texas government might set a [high] catch limit on the state's menhaden fishery (El Paso Times)
http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_8074279

Report: Warmer climates could help Burmese pythons now living in Florida spread over much of the US (USA Today)
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/warming-could-help-pythons-grow-in-us/20080221084309990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

New York Times
Gray wolves in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho have officially lost what federal protection they had.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/us/22wolves.html?ref=science

In a Japanese dolphin-hunting town, reports of mercury-contaminated meat carry (somewhat) more weight than foreign protests
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/world/asia/21dolphin.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin

The renewed popularity of woodburning is a mixed blessing
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/us/19woodstove.html?ref=science

Climate Class, pesticides, Planktos, pollutants

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

The EPA authorized nighttime spraying of a certain pesticide over the urban San Francisco Bay area, starting this summer, to try preventing establishment of a certain introduced crop-damaging moth. (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/15/MN99V2PMN.DTL

A bill in the California legislature would require all public-school students there to be taught about climate change. (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/education/ci_8269190

Beijing tightened emission standards on new cars for certain pollutants (Reuters)
http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/31302

After numerous states, including Maine, sued the EPA for its plan to have a cap-and-trade on mercury emissions from power plants, a federal court voided the plan. (Bangor News)
http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=159956&zoneid=500

New York Times
A company trying to create [theoretically] CO2-soaking ocean algae blooms for carbon offsets has been set back, partly by opposition from some environmental groups and scientists.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/technology/14planktos.html?ref=science

Comments: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/13/commercial-ocean-fertilization-project-halted/index.html?ref=technology

Report: For the first time, "developing" countries have exceeded industrialized ones in growing genetically-engineered crops.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/business/worldbusiness/14biotech.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin

Flowers, wetlands, "clean coal", red snapper

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

I've been asked where I get my news from. For some sources, such as the NY Times and Bangor News, I regularly check the website. Several NGOs email me relevant newspaper articles; Gulf Restoration Network and Earthjustice are especially useful. Last year, I found many Reuters articles on AOL News, but those are rarer nowadays. And if all else fails, I turn to Environmental News Network (enn.com) and Grist.org.

The EPA vetoed the proposal for a huge wetland-draining project in Mississippi. [This article casts the decision as a "Green day for Bush", but activist NGOs credit their own lobbying efforts]. (Time)
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1709351,00.html

New, stricter fishing restrictions were enacted to help red snapper recover in the Gulf of Mexico (South Florida Sun-Sentinal)
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/college/hurricanes/sfl-130redsnapper,0,7414073.story

New York Times
*A look at the growing "sustainable"-flower industry
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/fashion/03flowers.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=science

The government cut funding for a previously well-paid plan to develop so-called "clean" coal. Lots of interesting comments.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/weekinreview/03revk.html?ref=science

Don't forget:
Great Backyard Bird Count!
This upcoming weekend!
http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/