How can we stop ‘stop the coal rush,’ what’s to come of the Tennesee toxic sludge spill, and what exactly the sludge made of, anyway? ‘Hundreds of coal ash dumps’ are just as problematic as the one in Tennesee. When mistakes stop happening at nuclear power plants, I’ll let proponents get away with calling it ‘safe.’ Edward Abbey would be proud: in the rush to sell Utah public lands before Obama’s inauguration, the Bush administration inadvertently allowed an activist to fuck up an auction in Utah. Mark Rey, the former timber lobbyist who heads the U.S. Forest Service, is rushing to develop Forest Service land before he’s out of a job. The Interior Department is looking to increase logging in Oregon–despite objections from the governor, two federal agencies, and the imperiled spotted owl. CSM looks at the threats facing America’s old-growth forests. Californians will be a major force in shaping environmental policy in the years to come. Also, you can add the world’s eighth-largest economy to the list of groups suing over Bush’s effort to destroy the Endangered Species Act. Asia’s appetite for imported turtle cuisine is decimating Florida’s softshell populations. Captive breeding in fisheries preserves species but ‘plunders’ genetic diversity. Cutting toxic pollution is a two-fer in the fight against climate change. Exxon Mobil will pay over $6 million for hazardous pollution at its refineries. Destroying San Diego’s Friendship Park to construct a border wall will be one of George W. Bush’s final accomplishments. With a black man in America’s highest office, many wonder if the environmental justice movement will finally achieve some of its major goals. According to a new study, unpasteurized milk poses health risks without benefits. Eating less in middle age will keep you trim. Even ‘healthy’ cooking oil contributes to rainforest destruction. Teen girls smoking today will have larger waistlines tomorrow. Can’t we at least try to keep the spite out of public smoking concerns? L.A. may soon restrict outside smoking. Radiologists who see photos of patients are more likely to provide comprehensive health assessments.
Jan 08, 2009 | Categories: green pages | Tags: barack obama, biodiversity, cigarettes, civil disobedience, climate change, coal, coal ash, cooking oil, endangered species, environmental justice, environmental policy, environmental racism, exxon, friendship park, genetic diversity, george w. bush, logging, mark rey, nuclear power, old-growth forests, plum creek timber co., pollution, public lands, rainforests, raw milk, smoking, softshell turtles, spotted owl, teen smoking, tennesee toxic sludge, tim dechristopher, toxic sludge, unpasteurized milk | Leave A Comment »
The Economist looks at environmental problems that affect developed nations, while ‘too often people see…deforestation, wildlife exploitation, and loss of biodiversity as things that happen elsewhere’. Science Daily looks at the ecological impact of rapidly growing African cities. Where do I apply for a job at the fire lookout tower that is ‘making its way back’ to Palomar Mountain. 95% of Chino Hills State Park’s 14,100 acres were destroyed by wildfire. Rick Halsey seems to be a complete nut, but I don’t want to criticize someone who actually loves ‘backcountry California chaparral’. The spotted owl is disappearing. The NY Times looks at the 10-year ‘path to a pardon’ for Leslie Collier, who was convicted of poisoning a bald eagle. CSM discusses ways to overturn President Bush’s inevitable ‘midnight rules’; so far, he’s approved 61 last-minute environmental, security, social and commercial regulations, including one that makes it more difficult to regulate toxic substances in the workplace. Crooked Timber looks Bush’s other proposals, which include ‘an OSHA rule allows CEOs to kick a small child…a directive that encourages nuclear stations to seize playgrounds for waste processing; and an Interior Department Program that allows firefighter pilots to practice water drops with waste engine oil, sewage, or medical waste’. OSHA didn’t believe worker safety was ‘at risk’ after an explosion blew up fourteen workers at the construction site of a San Diego Hilton. New technology called ‘body swapping’ lets you ‘[stand] in someone else’s shoes, almost for real‘.
Dec 02, 2008 | Categories: green pages | Tags: africa, bald eagles, biodiversity, body swapping, chaparral, chino hills state park, deforestation, george w. bush, hilton, osha, palomar mountain, spotted owl, toxic substances, wildfires | Leave A Comment »
