Van Jones, pesticides, GHGs, field biology

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

In January, a federal court ruled that pesticide use requires a permit if it could contaminate water. (Agriculture Online and Western Environmental Law Center, respectively. I don't know why this wasn't covered by more mainstream news sources)
http://www.agriculture.com/ag/futuresource/FutureSourceStoryIndex.jhtml?storyId=147700161

http://www.westernlaw.org/pressroom/press-releases/conservationists-win-decision-protecting-local-water-supplies-fisheries-wildlife

The House voted down a bill that would have given "wilderness" status to about two million acres of land in nine states. (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ja3vNS7u_ovPaeUpzrEKqDzs5TjAD96RVMRO0

New York Times
Green-jobs guru Van Jones is now Obama's green-jobs advisor.
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/03/10/10greenwire-authoractivist-tapped-as-green-jobs-adviser-10055.html

The EPA proposed a rule requiring major point-source producers of greenhouse gases to report their annual emissions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/washington/11epa.html?_r=1&ref=science

On advancements in "noninvasive" methods for studying and tracking wild animals.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/science/10wild.html?ref=science

Milk, water, wind, wolves, light bulbs

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

"In a world with less and less room for conservation, the continuing challenge is not to seek single solutions, but rather to seek partnerships that promote conservation as a competitive form of land use."--N. Leader-Williams.


Once again, gray wolves were removed from the US Endangered species list in much of their range. (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-wolves7-2009mar07,0,853373.story

Drought, farming, water consumption and endangered-species protected collided in California. (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11819991

Congress reintroduced a bill that would ban "industries" (notably mountaintop-removal coal mining) from filling waterways with solid waste (Charleston Gazette)
http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/03/05/its-back-the-clean-water-protection-act/

The Indian government began a program to replace incandescent light bulbs with CFLs. (OneWorld US and Greenpeace International)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/oneworld/20090304/wl_oneworld/world3606721236138619

New York Times
Obama suspended Bush's eleventh-hour rule that federal industry agencies need not consult federal scientists about projects which could impact endangered species.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/science/earth/04species.html?ref=science

Successful opposition to a dam in Japan may signal a changing trend in politics there.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/world/asia/03dam.html?_r=1&ref=science

UK Guardian
Seabed-destructive fishing may get banned on deep-water reefs off of the southeastern US.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/mar/05/florida-reef-ecosystem-government-protection

Plans in western China to build reservoirs for, and wisely use, water from rapidly-melting glaciers.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/mar/02/china-glacier-reservoir-water

Bangor News
Recession-driven drops in demand are hurting Maine's organic dairy industry.
http://bangornews.com/detail/100620.html

Report-out from the Maine Fishermen's Forum. [I went to this last year, and everyone interested in fisheries or marine conservation should go at least once. It's an awesome event.]
http://bangornews.com/detail/101033.html

Another Washington County wind farm proposal was approved by the state, though not some [many, it seems] other people.
http://bangornews.com/detail/100847.html

Maine wildlife, plastic bags, more reversed rules

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

A spending bill under consideration by the House of Representatives includes sneaky reversals of two Bush-era restrictions on the Endangered Species Act. (Associated Press)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/24/AR2009022402863.html

The Supreme Court ruled that the EPA can use the Clean Air Act to regulate toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants, though that doesn't mean it will. (New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/washington/24mercury.html

The Interior Department suspended new oil-shale mining leases in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah (Bloomberg News)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/6280852.html

Critical habitat was designated for endangered Canada lynx, including nearly 10,000 square miles of northern Maine--an obstacle to development, but not logging. (Kennebec Journal)
http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/5990971.html

Bangor News
A fishermens' alliance, and Earthjustice, are suing the federal government for allowing herring trawls in areas closed to trawling for groundfish (cod, haddock etc.). They had petitioned in 2007 to end the practice, but got stalled.
http://bangornews.com/detail/100399.html

A bill was proposed in Augusta to tax shoppers for plastic bags. Lots of angry comments ensued.
http://bangornews.com/detail/100243.html

The Maine government is working on plans to reintroduce shad and river herring (among other fish) to the Penobscot River watershed.
http://bangornews.com/detail/100338.html

Poultry, pellets, paradoxes and power plants

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

I've been compelled to note that grist.org (where I find many of these articles) also features "Green Videos" by COA alumna Jen Prediger. I haven't watched these videos, so can't say more about them, but am glad to see a COAer involved with Grist.

A UN meeting produced the beginnings of an international treaty to reduce mercury pollution from many sources. (Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/feb/20/deal-end-mercury-pollution

Layoffs in Maine's forestry industry are impacting supplies of waste-wood pellet fuel.
http://bangornews.com/detail/99407.html

Residents of Portland, Maine, are now allowed to have backyard hen coops. (Portland Press Herald)
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=240265&ac=PHnws

New York Times
The EPA will "consider" whether to regulate CO2 emissions from coal-power plants, and may eventually regulate other sources too. The public comment period is now.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/science/earth/19epa.html?ref=science

On renewable energy developments in Alaska
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/business/18alaska.html?_r=3&ref=business

On invasive-species eradication efforts gone bad
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/17/science/17isla.html?_r=1&ref=science

Salamanders, pikas, many major projects

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

This year, I've relied heavily on grist.org as a daily-changing source of links to articles in many publications. I highly recommend it. Environmental-issue analysis and humor can also be found there.

A Bush plan to expand offshore oil drilling on much of the US coast was halted for review and revision by the Interior Department (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/10/MNB015R7TQ.DTL&tsp=1

A federal court reversed a ruling which would have been a legal obstacle to mountaintop-removal coal mining. (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hSJOr-NBI35YZsgfG0YNbfsQDF-gD96ARM302

Grist breakdown of the big stimulus bill's "green" components as of Thursday, after the Triple Demons of Compromise had worked their magic.
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2009/2/12/83439/6486

A New Jersey utility proposed a major solar-power project spread across the state. (New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/nyregion/10solar.html?_r=1&ref=science

Study: salamander declines in Mexico and Guatemala are attributed to climate change. (Reuters UK)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKTRE5187PD20090209?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

American pikas will be considered for placement on the US Endangered Species list due to habitat loss from climate change. (MSNBC)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29167918/

Economist
Several British NGOs hope to establish a huge marine reserve in the Chagos Islands, an Indian Ocean territory from which the locals were evicted forty years ago and would allegedly like to return.
http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13089462&fsrc=rss

Spain is working on an extensive new railroad system.
http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13061961

Eagles, rainforests, oil drilling, fishery changes etc.

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

The California government denied a proposal to expand oil drilling off Santa Barbara--one which certain environmental groups had favored as part of a deal with the oil company. [Politics. Sheesh.] (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-santa-barbara-oil30-2009jan30,0,4266773.story

The Interior Department halted a set of new oil and gas leases in Utah for review. (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iR6iksPv6MUmw4jraPWPGHWAuGsgD9654M983

Naturally-growing forests in abandoned tropical farmland have raised controversy over the importance of preserving "pristine" rainforest. (New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/science/earth/30forest.html?ref=science

Ten new amphibian species were "discovered" in Columbia. (Reuters)
http://news.aol.com/article/new-amphibian-species/327136

Bald eagles may be removed from Maine's state Endangered Species list (Bangor News)
http://bangornews.com/detail/98727.html

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council voted to open federal waters in the Gulf to aquaculture. (Press-Register, Alabama)
http://www.gulflive.com/press-register/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1233224169238650.xml&coll=3

They also recommended closing parts of the Gulf to longline fishing, to reduce sea-turtle bycatch. (Mississippi Press)
http://www.gulflive.com/news/mississippipress/news.ssf?/base/news/1233314130310190.xml&coll=5

Commercial fishing is banned from beginning in the melting seas off northern Alaska until scientists "determine" what its ecological and social impacts would be. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/05/AR2009020502565.html

Obama ordered the Energy Department to set efficiency standards for a variety of home appliances. [It's unclear how much or by when.] (Reuters UK)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN0536527620090205?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Sweden ended its ban on new nuclear power plants. (Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/feb/05/nuclear-sweden

Caterpillars, ecosystem services, beef tallow, CO2 standards

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

Obama ordered the EPA to "reconsider" allowing states to set their own vehicle efficiency-and-CO2-emissions standards, and the Transportation Department to raise car fuel-efficiency standards by 2011. [This Sunday article says he "will" but on Monday he did.] (New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/us/politics/26calif.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

The EPA suspended approval of a new coal-power plant in South Dakota (Bloomberg)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aZTtfqEwJpHQ&refer=home

After cutting short Maine's scalloping season last week, the government has responded to local outcy and reopened it in some areas (Bangor News).
http://bangornews.com/detail/98116.html

The USDA plans to establish an "Office of Ecosystem Services and Marketing," largely to reward farm and forestry operations for doing things deemed to provide not-previously-commodified "natural assets." (Environmental Protection magazine)
http://www.eponline.com/articles/70313/

US marine policy possibilities for the near future (Grist).
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2009/1/29/15292/0161

Calgary, Alberta is trying out diesel fuel mixed with local waste beef-tallow. Not everyone is pleased. (CBC)
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/01/29/beef-biofuel.html

Caterpillars called "army worms" are undergoing a disastrous [to humans] population boom in Liberia. Not much included on ecological reasons or consequences, but I thought it worth sharing. (Associated Press)
http://news.aol.com/article/caterpillar-infestation-in-liberia/317187