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Author |
Published |
Section |
Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like the Police
Mexican police conduct anti-logging raid in butterfly habitat |
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07 Dec 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 10:11 AM on 07 Dec 2007 Hundreds of Mexican police raided illegal sawmills near a monarch butterfly reserve yesterday in "the largest seizure of illegally logged wood in the country's history," according to the attorney general's office. Millions of butterflies travel some 2,500 miles each winter to spend the cold season in the Mexican forest, where illegal logging is r ... |
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| Topics: habitat protection, logging, Mexico, news, progress, wildlife (all these topics) |
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Energy In Da Hooouuuse!
House passes landmark energy bill; Senate up next |
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06 Dec 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 12:48 PM on 06 Dec 2007 Today, by a 235-181 vote mostly along party lines, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an energy bill that represents a decisive break with decades of energy policy focused on fossil fuels. The bill, shepherded through the House via the tenacious arm-twisting and ass-kicking of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), would: raise auto fuel-economy standards for the first time in over 30 year ... |
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| Topics: energy, legislation, Nancy Pelosi, news, politics, progress, US House of Representatives (all these topics) |
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It Looks Good on Paper
Xerox substantially reduces emissions, pledges to do more |
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03 Dec 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 11:13 AM on 03 Dec 2007 In 2002, Xerox Corp. pledged to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions 10 percent by 2012. With four years to go, the company has in fact reduced emissions by 18 percent, and has boosted its goal to 25 percent by 2012. Xerox says it saved $18 million last year through practices like increasing manufacturing efficiency and reducing employees' job-related driving. Seems like a plan worth ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, greenhouse-gas emissions, greenish companies, news, progress (all these topics) |
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Whole Lotta Leaf
U.N. hails success of billion-tree planting program |
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28 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 1:00 PM on 28 Nov 2007 Nature-lovin' nations around the world planted more than 1 billion trees during 2007, meeting a kinda arbitrary goal set by the U.N. last November. The effort, boosted by Ethiopia's planting of 700 million trees, "is a further sign of the breathtaking momentum witnessed this year on the challenge for this generation -- climate change," said Achim Steiner, head of the U.N. Environment ... |
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| Topics: news, progress, United Nations (all these topics) |
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Mountie Fair
Canada sets aside huge tracts of land for protection |
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26 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 4:53 PM on 26 Nov 2007 The Canadian government plans to set aside 25.5 million acres of northern boreal forest and tundra as protected land, off-limits from resource development. The total acreage (hectarage?) of the protected area is 11 times the size of Yellowstone National Park -- or, in Canadian, about twice the size of Nova Scotia and more than five times the size of Prince Edward Island. sources: Canadian Press, ... |
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| Topics: Canada, habitat protection, news, progress (all these topics) |
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They Tried to Make Me Go to a Reserve, I Said Bonobo
Congo nature preserve set up to protect bonobos |
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20 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 10:04 AM on 20 Nov 2007 A swath of Congo rainforest larger than the state of Massachusetts will be designated as a nature reserve in a collaborative effort between American and Congolese environmental groups and agencies. Advocates hope the reserve will be a significant step toward protecting the endangered bonobo, one of humans' closest ape relations. Bonobos, which live only in the Co ... |
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| Topics: Congo, news, progress, rainforests, wildlife (all these topics) |
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We Love It When This Happens!
Bush administration's fuel-economy regs for bigger vehicles smacked down |
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15 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 5:50 PM on 15 Nov 2007 A federal appeals court has rejected the Bush administration's fuel-economy regulations for 2008-2011 model light trucks and SUVs. In the scathing tone that the Bushies are becoming quite familiar with, the judges declared that the regulations did not consider the economic impact of vehicle emissions' contribution to climate change, and ordered the Transportati ... |
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| Topics: Big Auto, Department of Transportation, fuel efficiency, litigation, news, politics, progress (all these topics) |
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Progress in renewable energy infrastructure
Wind power installations set to soar 63 percent this year |
Joseph Romm |
09 Nov 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Some good energy news: US wind power installations are projected to jump 63 percent this year amid concern about global warming and rising fuel prices, an industry group said on Wednesday. The US wind industry is on track to complete a total of 4,000 megawatts worth of installations in 2007, or about enough to power 1 million average homes, according to the American Wind Energy Association [AWEA]. Tip o' the hat to state renewable energy standards and th ... |
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| Topics: wind power, energy, renewable energy, progress (all these topics) |
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The Maine Event
Maine rejects coal, embraces wind power |
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07 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 2:58 PM on 07 Nov 2007 Three cheers for the people of Maine (Mainites? Mainians? Mainists?): The community of Wiscasset rejected a zoning ordinance change that would have allowed a new coal gasification plant, while the state's Land Use Regulation Commission approved a 57 MW wind farm in Washington County. Give 'em all a lobster! sources: The Lincoln County News, Natural Resources Council of Maine From ... |
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| Topics: coal, energy, Maine, news, progress, wind power (all these topics) |
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The Yay of the Land
Oregon voters roll back destructive property-rights legislation |
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07 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 9:47 AM on 07 Nov 2007 Sheepish Oregon voters have approved Measure 49, which significantly scales back development rights under the state's Measure 37. When voters passed Measure 37 three years ago, it was the farthest-reaching legislation in the U.S. in terms of protecting individual property rights, requiring Oregon to compensate landowners for property-value changes brought on by state land-use dec ... |
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| Topics: legislation, news, Oregon, placemaking, progress (all these topics) |
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Action Pact
Public hits the streets to rally for global-warming action |
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05 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 8:49 AM on 05 Nov 2007 Speaking of people who make it difficult for us to maintain our well-earned cynicism, Saturday's Step It Up 2 climate rallies were, by all accounts, a grand success. Following up on the first Step It Up in April, the movement -- spearheaded by author Bill McKibben -- spurred some 1,000 rallies across the U.S. From gorilla-suited speakers in San Francisco to John Edwards keynoting in New Orlea ... |
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| Topics: climate, grassroots activism, news, progress (all these topics) |
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What Is This Feeling We're Feeling?
U.S. mayors hit Seattle to plot climate strategy and get a dose of hope |
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05 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 7:27 AM on 05 Nov 2007 More than 100 mayors from across the U.S. gathered in Seattle late last week to share lessons from their efforts to address climate change, producing the world's first climate conference that didn't lead to a spike in Prozac sales. Perhaps it was the uncharacteristic sunshine in the Emerald City, but mayors could barely contain their excitement about the v ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change mitigation, politics, progress, state politics (all these topics) |
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This Rocks!
U.S. House passes groundbreaking mining bill |
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01 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 3:28 PM on 01 Nov 2007 The U.S. House of Representatives has, in a fit of sanity, voted to make mining companies pay royalties on minerals they dig up on public land. By a vote of 244-166, the House approved the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act, which would reform a 135-year-old law that President Ulysses S. Grant signed to encourage development in the West. Unchanged since 1872, it allows mining companies to buy land for as ... |
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| Topics: legislation, mining, news, politics, progress, US House of Representatives (all these topics) |
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Life In Plastic, Not Fantastic
NYC considers crackdown on plastic bags |
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30 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 12:29 PM on 30 Oct 2007 New to the plastic bag-bannin' bandwagon: New York City. source: Reuters see also, in Grist: San Francisco, Bombay, Taiwan, Bangladesh ban plastic bags From the Archives Iraq, You Wrack. Largest Iraqi dam on verge of collapse, say U.S. officials. Suffer the Little Children. Pediatricians warn climate-change health effects worse for kids. Exx Appeal. U.S. Supreme Co ... |
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| Topics: green living, New York City, news, progress, shopping, waste (all these topics) |
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Let's hear it for the boys ... and girls
Annual Brower Youth Awards recognize young greenies |
Sarah van Schagen |
24 Oct 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Tonight, the annual Brower Youth Awards ceremony will recognize six youth who have made major environmental contributions in their communities and beyond. This year's winners include: Jon Warnow, 23, of Burlington, Vt., who helped coordinate the Step It Up campaign for a National Day of Climate Action earlier this year. Erica Fernandez, 16, who campaigned against a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline that would have been routed through low-in ... |
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| Topics: grassroots activism, politics, progress, brilliance (all these topics) |
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Iodide and Gone to Heaven
EPA delays approval of nasty pesticide |
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28 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 3:06 PM on 28 Sep 2007 Delightfully defying our dire predictions, the U.S. EPA will (again) delay approval of nasty pesticide methyl iodide, after 54 scientists wrote a letter expressing shock that the agency was even considering giving such a toxic chemical the thumbs-up for agricultural use. source: Associated Press From the Archives Dimmockery. British citizen sues government over distributi ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, news, progress, toxics, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Solar Power 2007
Increasingly popular solar power conference mirrors growth in the industry |
Adam Browning |
27 Sep 2007 |
Gristmill |
| The heart and soul of the world's solar industry is gathered this week in Long Beach for the annual SEPA/SEIA solar conference. Five years ago, this conference drew 200 people to a dingy hotel ballroom in Reno. This year, it's sold out the Long Beach Convention Center, and you can't get a hotel room for love or money within a 20-mile radius. It's like the Super Bowl is in town. Solar has come a long way -- and there's a lot of things to thank for what's brought t ... |
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| Topics: energy, innovation, progress, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics) |
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Renewable energy allies in strange places?
The benefits of using prizes to drive alternative fuel research |
Jason D Scorse |
25 Sep 2007 |
Gristmill |
| An article on the benefits of using economic prizes instead of subsidies as incentives for alternative fuel research appeared in Monday's edition of National Review Online, an extremely right-wing publication. Besides the fact that this is a good idea that economists have been increasingly talking about over the past few years, there are a couple additional take-away points: There are many people on the right who are sincerely interested in environmental progr ... |
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| Topics: energy, progress, scientific research (all these topics) |
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Cheers for Fears
A primer to help fight despair |
Elizabeth Sawin |
13 May 2002 |
Global Citizen |
| Just now despair lives close to the surface in many people I know, and leaks out at surprising times. Taking a walk with my neighbor Phil, a bottle of milk in his arms, my daughter on my back, I'm thinking how warm the spring day feels when he stops suddenly and speaks. Maple leaf sag. "We had a friend over this morning, an expert in landscaping. I mentioned that we were thinking of planting a sugar maple tree. H ... |
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| Topics: progress (all these topics) |
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