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Angrier By the Dozen
EPA sued by 12 states over relaxed toxic-chemical rule |
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29 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 6:07 AM on 29 Nov 2007 The U.S. EPA's moves to relax the nation's toxics reporting rule will not go unchallenged. Twelve states have announced they're suing the agency over rule changes to the Toxics Release Inventory that allow companies to file less-informative reports and escape reporting if they release less than 5,000 pounds of toxic chemicals, up from the previous threshold, set under President Reagan, o ... |
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| Topics: litigation, news, toxics, United States, US EPA (all these topics) |
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It's Really A Musing
USFWS to reconsider seven endangered-species rulings due to |
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28 Nov 2007 |
News |
| "improper influence" Posted at 8:17 AM on 28 Nov 2007 Seventeen imperiled species may have another shot at getting increased protections now that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service admitted that a political appointee who resigned last May "may have improperly influenced" decisions at the agency. The ex-official, Julie MacDonald, was accused of overriding scientists' recommendations in order to m ... |
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| Topics: endangered species, news, politics, United States, US Fish and Wildlife Service (all these topics) |
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The Beet Generation
Genetically modified sugar beets expected to be in widespread use in U.S. soon |
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28 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 8:06 AM on 28 Nov 2007 The U.S. sweetener industry may soon have a new sugar daddy as it gears up for the widespread rollout of genetically modified sugar beets. GM sugar beets have been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture since 2005, but resistance from end-users such as chocolatiers Hershey's and Mars had disrupted their widespread use. But now with that resistance largely o ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, food, GMOs, news, United States (all these topics) |
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The states of high gas prices
How oil-intense is your state's economy? |
Eric de Place |
21 Nov 2007 |
Gristmill |
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| Topics: economy, energy, oil, United States (all these topics) |
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Myths of manufacturing
It can happen here |
Jon Rynn |
20 Nov 2007 |
Gristmill |
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| Topics: economy, business, United States (all these topics) |
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Plying Chicken
USDA orders Tyson Foods to stop using antibiotic-free labels on poultry |
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20 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 6:24 AM on 20 Nov 2007 Tyson Foods will no longer be allowed to use its "raised without antibiotics" label that the U.S. Department of Agriculture originally approved in May, due to a mix-up at the agency and disagreement over whether a medication used in Tyson's chicken feed should be classified as an antibiotic. Tyson launched a $70 million ad campaign in June touting its fresh chicken a ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, business, Department of Agriculture, news, United States (all these topics) |
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Made for the USA?
On who is accountable for Chinese greenhouse-gas emissions |
Kit Stolz |
15 Nov 2007 |
Gristmill |
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| Topics: energy, China, United States, climate, greenhouse-gas emissions (all these topics) |
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The Consent of the Governors
Midwestern governors sign greenhouse-gas reduction pact |
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15 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 6:51 AM on 15 Nov 2007 The governors of six Midwestern states and the premier of Manitoba signed on to the Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord yesterday, the first such multistate program in the U.S. Midwest. For those of you keeping track at home, along with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in the Northeast and an agreement among West Coast governors, about 48 percent of the U.S. populat ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change mitigation, news, United States (all these topics) |
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This Is Your Too-Minute Warning
Target asks USDA to let it label meat treated with carbon monoxide |
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13 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 7:58 AM on 13 Nov 2007 Under pressure from Democrats in Congress, Target Corp. has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to let it attach warning labels to meat it sells that has been treated with carbon monoxide to make it appear fresher than it is. The proposed label reads: "CONSUMER NOTICE: Carbon monoxide has been used to preserve the color of this product. Do not rely on col ... |
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| Topics: business, food, news, United States (all these topics) |
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Pay It Backward
Court ruling may save oil companies billions in royalties |
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02 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 11:46 AM on 02 Nov 2007 A federal judge in Louisiana ruled this week that oil and gas companies who signed leases for deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico between 1996 and 2000 do not have to pay royalties to the federal government when the price of oil and gas go over a certain threshold. The oil company Kerr-McGee sued the U.S. Interior Department after the agency tried to collect royalties for some product ... |
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| Topics: Department of Interior, litigation, news, oil and gas drilling, United States (all these topics) |
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And It Came to Pass
America's Climate Security Act passes first legislative hurdle |
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02 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 6:28 AM on 02 Nov 2007 A climate bill that would require mandatory cuts to U.S. carbon emissions has passed its first legislative hurdle, successfully enduring a hearing of a congressional subcommittee. America's Climate Security Act made it through the Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection (or, as we say around the office, SubPSCSGWWP) on a 4-3 ... |
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| Topics: climate, legislation, news, United States (all these topics) |
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Watch Our Step
Step It Up climate rallies to be held around the country on Saturday |
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02 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 4:51 AM on 02 Nov 2007 Sixty-nine members of Congress and seven presidential candidates have committed to attend Step It Up rallies on Saturday and talk about their plans to fight climate change. Will you be there to hear what they have to say? Events are planned for dozens of communities all around the U.S. -- come on out and make your voice heard. find an event: Step It Up 2007 < Previous | Next ... |
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| Topics: Bill McKibben, climate, news, United States (all these topics) |
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The Fire This Time
Researchers quantify U.S. wildfire carbon emissions |
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01 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 10:47 AM on 01 Nov 2007 The estimations are in on the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from Southern California's recent wildfires. And the winner is ... somewhere between about 6 million tons and 8 million tons. Which sounds like a lot, but on average, wildfires in the United States each year spew some 300 million tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to about 5 percent of U.S. CO2 emissions from ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, California, news, United States (all these topics) |
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Finally, U.S. Agencies Handling Toy Recalls Get Some Teeth
U.S. recalls 440,000 more leaded toys, including novelty teeth |
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01 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 7:29 AM on 01 Nov 2007 If Halloween itself wasn't the fright-fest you'd hoped for, maybe the most recent round of leaded-toy recalls will do the trick. This week's list includes 1,500 Ribbit board games, 16,000 sets of Elite Operations action figures from Toys 'R' Us, 380,000 Galaxy Warriors figures, and 43,000 sets of novelty teeth. The teeth were found by indepen ... |
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| Topics: news, toxics, United States (all these topics) |
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Exx Appeal
U.S. Supreme Court to hear appeal of Exxon Valdez damage award |
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30 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 6:07 AM on 30 Oct 2007 The U.S. Supreme Court agreed this week to hear ExxonMobil's appeal of the $2.5 billion in damages it was ordered to pay for the disastrous 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. An Alaskan jury in 1994 originally ordered the company to pay $5 billion in damages, but the amount was cut in half by an appeals court last December. Now the $39.5-billion-a-year company is hoping the Supremes will further ... |
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| Topics: litigation, news, oil, United States (all these topics) |
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The Weight of Water
U.S. states face water shortages |
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29 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 3:15 PM on 29 Oct 2007 The catastrophic California wildfires got all the press, but it's worth paying attention to an equally intimidating but slower-moving threat: water shortages. From Georgia to Massachusetts, Florida to New York, the Great Lakes to the West, U.S. states are getting thirstier. In fact, the government predicts that at least 36 states will face challenges from inadequate water supplies within five years, thanks to ... |
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| Topics: news, United States, water conflicts, water crisis (all these topics) |
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Whole-y War
FTC files appeal of Whole Foods' Wild Oats buyout |
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25 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 10:27 AM on 25 Oct 2007 In an unusual move, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is pursuing an appeal of a district-court ruling that allowed natural-foods giant Whole Foods to acquire its former competitor Wild Oats in August. The $565 million deal has already been completed, but the agency hopes the long-shot appeal will reverse it. source: The Wall Street Journal see also, in Grist: Why the FTC is right to block Whole Foo ... |
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| Topics: business, food, news, United States (all these topics) |
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Dilutions of Grandeur
White House accused of watering down CDC testimony on climate change |
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24 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 10:35 AM on 24 Oct 2007 The White House is being accused anew this week of improperly interfering with the dissemination of information on climate change. Critics allege that officials at the White House Office of Management and Budget significantly edited the prepared testimony that CDC head Julie Gerberding gave to a congressional panel concerning the impacts of climate change on disease and pu ... |
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| Topics: climate, news, politics, United States, White House (all these topics) |
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Your Place, or Mine?
Mining-law reform bill could change rules for mines on public land |
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24 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 7:28 AM on 24 Oct 2007 Just 135 years after its enactment, environmentalists and fiscal conservatives may finally have a shot at reforming an antiquated U.S. law that lets mining companies dig up minerals and precious metals on public lands without paying royalties nor being responsible for post-dig cleanups. A bill to change the 1872 General Mining Law passed the House Natural Resources Committee ... |
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| Topics: legislation, mining, news, United States (all these topics) |
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Waive Goodbye
Chertoff waives environmental laws to continue border-fence construction |
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23 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 7:26 AM on 23 Oct 2007 Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff waived several environmental laws on Monday in order to continue construction of nearly seven miles of the sprawling fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. Work on the section that crosses the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area near Naco, Ariz., had been halted due to a ruling two weeks ago that the administration had spent ... |
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| Topics: Department of Homeland Security, Mexico, news, United States, wildlife (all these topics) |
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ACSA Question
Bipartisan cap-and-trade bill introduced to mixed reviews |
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19 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 7:07 AM on 19 Oct 2007 On Wednesday, Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.) introduced bipartisan climate legislation -- America's Climate Security Act -- at long last bridging the acrimonious divide between Republicans and, um, independents. Democrats have all but made it tripartisan -- Senate Environment Committee head Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) was gushing in her praise. Observers expect political ... |
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| Topics: climate change mitigation, legislation, news, United States (all these topics) |
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The House That Love Un-Built
Green un-building catching on in the U.S. |
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18 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 12:14 PM on 18 Oct 2007 What's the opposite of green building? Green un-building (aka, deconstruction)! And it's catching on in the United States in that if-you-have-the-time-and-money-and-inclination kind of way. About 245,000 houses are torn town in the U.S. each year and roughly 1,000 of them are carefully deconstructed with up to 85 percent of their parts going to other projects or getting recycled. The remains ... |
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| Topics: green building, green living, news, United States (all these topics) |
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Knock That Junk Off
New anti-junk-mail service stops unwanted catalogs for free |
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18 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 8:47 AM on 18 Oct 2007 A new service set up by the Natural Resources Defense Council, National Wildlife Federation, and the Ecology Center called Catalog Choice can put a stop to all those unwanted catalogs clogging your mailbox. Since its debut last week, some 20,000 people have signed up for the service, already halting over 50,000 unwanted catalogs. That's a small fraction of the 19 billion catalogs mai ... |
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| Topics: deforestation, green living, news, United States (all these topics) |
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Owl Be Seeing You
Plan for northern spotted owl's recovery in question |
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18 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 5:57 AM on 18 Oct 2007 The future of the infamous northern spotted owl in the Pacific Northwest may be in further jeopardy if some U.S. federal agencies carry out their plans to restructure its recovery. Perhaps most potentially destructive is the Bureau of Land Management's recently announced plan to essentially opt out of the Northwest Forest Plan -- a truce of sorts between loggers and environmentalists that has ... |
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| Topics: Bureau of Land Management, endangered species, news, United States, US EPA, US Fish and Wildlife Service (all these topics) |
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They're High, and Dry
Georgia lawmakers propose suspending endangered-species protections during drought |
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17 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 1:31 PM on 17 Oct 2007 Lawmakers in Georgia have introduced a bill in the U.S. Congress to suspend Endangered Species Act protections in times of extreme drought, arguing it would help average folks and businesses cope with the serious water woes now plaguing parts of the U.S. Southeast. Georgia's congressional delegation rallied around the proposal, calling it a "common sense ... |
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| Topics: endangered species, Georgia, news, politics, United States, water crisis (all these topics) |
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