ECO-NEWS, WEEK SIX
Poll: Americans' belief in human-induced climate change is at a three-year low. [I'm not sure which disturbs me more, this news or Senator Boxer's assertion that "science always wins the day."] (Associated Press)
The public comment period began for a very controversial plan to "regulate" [or not regulate, says Earthjustice] natural-gas drilling in upstate New York's Marcellus Shale. (CNN)
A roundup of worldwide events from yesterday's Day of Climate Action. (Grist)
A "red tide" of toxic algae killed fish and inconvenienced people around Texas's South Padre Island. (Brownsville Herald)
This year, two Michigan colleges began buying produce from local farms. (Michigan Land Use Institute; article is from August)
Bangor News
Rockweed harvesting vs. conservation continues to provoke disputes around Cobscook Bay. [Note to author: rockweed isn't a plant]
A national NGO ranked Maine tenth in the nation for energy efficiency, noting major improvements here this year.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Frog love, downed dams, sustainable seafood and more
ECO-NEWS, WEEK FIVE
A new California law requires standard-setting and labeling for "sustainable" seafood. (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Offshore wind power will soon be tested in the Gulf of Maine (Fishermen's Voice)
In urban Australia, human noise is affecting frog courtship and demonstrating that natural selection does indeed work. (NPR)
New York Times
Methane leaks from oil and gas pipes/wells: a notable contributor to climate change and a target in reducing it.
A defender of sustainable "commons" won a Nobel prize in economic sciences. [The prize committee' s linked statement is worth reading if you're interested]
Earthjustice
A major dam was removed from Oregon's Rogue River two weeks ago, following a long legal fight.
Earthjustice sued large manufacturers of cleaning products, trying to make them publicly reveal their products' ingredients.
A new California law requires standard-setting and labeling for "sustainable" seafood. (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Offshore wind power will soon be tested in the Gulf of Maine (Fishermen's Voice)
In urban Australia, human noise is affecting frog courtship and demonstrating that natural selection does indeed work. (NPR)
New York Times
Methane leaks from oil and gas pipes/wells: a notable contributor to climate change and a target in reducing it.
A defender of sustainable "commons" won a Nobel prize in economic sciences. [The prize committee' s linked statement is worth reading if you're interested]
Earthjustice
A major dam was removed from Oregon's Rogue River two weeks ago, following a long legal fight.
Earthjustice sued large manufacturers of cleaning products, trying to make them publicly reveal their products' ingredients.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Change is in the seas
ECO-NEWS, WEEK FOUR
The U.S. Navy plans to conduct sonar training near a Florida calving ground for endangered North Atlantic right whales. (Miami Herald)
The USDA announced plans to fight the Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone" by reducing agricultural nutrient runoff in the Midwest [good luck]. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
UN climate talks in Bangkok don't seem to have yielded much. (Grist/Agence France-Presse)
A Native American community was forced to leave their eroding home in coastal Louisiana. (Lafayette Advertiser)
Are overfished sea urchins recovering in Downeast Maine? (Bangor News)
The U.S. Navy plans to conduct sonar training near a Florida calving ground for endangered North Atlantic right whales. (Miami Herald)
The USDA announced plans to fight the Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone" by reducing agricultural nutrient runoff in the Midwest [good luck]. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
UN climate talks in Bangkok don't seem to have yielded much. (Grist/Agence France-Presse)
A Native American community was forced to leave their eroding home in coastal Louisiana. (Lafayette Advertiser)
Are overfished sea urchins recovering in Downeast Maine? (Bangor News)
Monday, October 5, 2009
Sharks and the Senate
ECO-NEWS, WEEK 3
Palau's government banned commercial shark fishing there, although enforcement is lousy. (New York Times)
Grist
The U.S. Senate released their first version of the current big climate bill-in-process. Newspapers responded; here's an article directory.
A "weekly roundup" of other climate news. [Thank you, Duke U!]
COA' s food systems conference was awesome. :-)
Palau's government banned commercial shark fishing there, although enforcement is lousy. (New York Times)
Grist
The U.S. Senate released their first version of the current big climate bill-in-process. Newspapers responded; here's an article directory.
A "weekly roundup" of other climate news. [Thank you, Duke U!]
COA' s food systems conference was awesome. :-)
Monday, September 28, 2009
Beets, grizzlies, Plum Creek, and big polluters
The UN held a vaguely-productive climate summit in New York. (UK Telegraph)
Ditto the G20, discussing energy sources in Pittsburgh (Los Angeles Times)
The US Senate declined to consider a proposal preventing the EPA from using the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions... (Miami Herald)
... which it apparently won't do anyway (Ledger-Enquirer)
Maine regulators approved Plum Creek Timber Comany's big development/"preservation" plan for the Moosehead Lake region, after four years of debates, hearings and assorted commotion [which continues here with loads o' reader comments]
New York Times
Roundup Ready (GM) sugar beets might become illegal to grow in the US, following a federal court ruling.
Another court ruling: a certain bunch of states and land trusts may proceed with plans to sue certain energy companies for producing greenhouse gas emissions.
The EPA will soon[ish] require "industrial sites and suppliers of petroleum" to report their greenhouse gas emissions, though some already do.
Yellowstone's grizzly bears were returned to Threatened status on the Endangered Species List
A major ecologist died, one who helped establish the influential notion that carnivores control herbivore populations.
Ditto the G20, discussing energy sources in Pittsburgh (Los Angeles Times)
The US Senate declined to consider a proposal preventing the EPA from using the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions... (Miami Herald)
... which it apparently won't do anyway (Ledger-Enquirer)
Maine regulators approved Plum Creek Timber Comany's big development/"preservation" plan for the Moosehead Lake region, after four years of debates, hearings and assorted commotion [which continues here with loads o' reader comments]
New York Times
Roundup Ready (GM) sugar beets might become illegal to grow in the US, following a federal court ruling.
Another court ruling: a certain bunch of states and land trusts may proceed with plans to sue certain energy companies for producing greenhouse gas emissions.
The EPA will soon[ish] require "industrial sites and suppliers of petroleum" to report their greenhouse gas emissions, though some already do.
Yellowstone's grizzly bears were returned to Threatened status on the Endangered Species List
A major ecologist died, one who helped establish the influential notion that carnivores control herbivore populations.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Eco-news: wolf hunts, mountaintop removal, new pollution regulations, and more
ECO-NEWS, WEEK 1
Eco-news is my community service projects, a weekly collection of links to environmental news and analysis sent to messageboard. Major sources include Grist, the New York Times, Bangor News, and articles e-mailed to me by NGOs such as Earthjustice and the Gulf Restoration Network. Comments and constructive criticism are welcome.
Disclaimers: (appearing only this week)
~Inclusion of an article here does not imply that I support (or oppose). Any action or viewpoint described within. [Bracketed] comments are my own opinions.
~Some sources are (unusually) biased. I aim for thorough, well-rounded coverage of each story, but arm tendinitis has greatly reduced my web-surfing ability. For most stories, a Google News search will yield a range of perspectives, should you be interested in exploring further.
And now, the news . . .
New York adopted a program to help people weatherize their homes for energy efficiency, with semi--bipartisan support. (Solve Climate)
The US government proposed rules to limit vehicles' carbon dioxide emissions (effective 2012) and increase their fuel economy. ( New York Times)
Earthjustice lost their latest legal battle against recently-reinstated gray wolf hunts in Idaho and Montana. (Los Angeles Times)
Grist
The EPA denied all permits under consideration for mountaintop-removal coal mining, until they can be shown to [appear to] obey the Clean Water Act.
They also announced plans to change regulations on toxic water released from coal-fired power plants.
Earthjustice (from summer)
Salmon-restoration advocates and "large agricultural interests" continue their water wars in central California.
After being sued for not doing so, the EPA agreed to set limits on algae-growing nutrient discharges into Florida's waters.
Eco-news is my community service projects, a weekly collection of links to environmental news and analysis sent to messageboard. Major sources include Grist, the New York Times, Bangor News, and articles e-mailed to me by NGOs such as Earthjustice and the Gulf Restoration Network. Comments and constructive criticism are welcome.
Disclaimers: (appearing only this week)
~Inclusion of an article here does not imply that I support (or oppose). Any action or viewpoint described within. [Bracketed] comments are my own opinions.
~Some sources are (unusually) biased. I aim for thorough, well-rounded coverage of each story, but arm tendinitis has greatly reduced my web-surfing ability. For most stories, a Google News search will yield a range of perspectives, should you be interested in exploring further.
And now, the news . . .
New York adopted a program to help people weatherize their homes for energy efficiency, with semi--bipartisan support. (Solve Climate)
The US government proposed rules to limit vehicles' carbon dioxide emissions (effective 2012) and increase their fuel economy. ( New York Times)
Earthjustice lost their latest legal battle against recently-reinstated gray wolf hunts in Idaho and Montana. (Los Angeles Times)
Grist
The EPA denied all permits under consideration for mountaintop-removal coal mining, until they can be shown to [appear to] obey the Clean Water Act.
They also announced plans to change regulations on toxic water released from coal-fired power plants.
Earthjustice (from summer)
Salmon-restoration advocates and "large agricultural interests" continue their water wars in central California.
After being sued for not doing so, the EPA agreed to set limits on algae-growing nutrient discharges into Florida's waters.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Birds, do-gooders, stingrays and the "roadless rule"
brought to you by Sasha Paris
College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.
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)
"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
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