Category: Environment
5 Reasons to rethink the future of dams
The United States must grapple with a legacy of 90,000 dams, many unsafe or unwanted. by Tara Lohan Wednesday, October 28, 2020 The tide has shifted on dams. Once a monument to our engineering prowess, there’s…
Six days before election, Trump finalizes plan for opening up largest national forest to logging and mining
‘One word for this: Vandalism‘ “Destructive development in the country’s largest national forest—such as extractive logging and expansive road building—will be catastrophic for generations to come,” warned Greenpeace. by Andrea Germanos, staff writer Wednesday, October 28…
‘Bankrolling Extinction’: Report shows big banks lent over $2.6 trillion to fund global biodiversity destruction in just one year, 2019
“Imagine a world in which projects can only raise capital when they have demonstrated that they will contribute meaningfully and positively to restoring the planet’s bounty and a safe climate for all. That’s the future this…
Rathke: Are single use plastics getting a bad rap?
New York City Once the breeze picks up between the canyons formed by New York City skyscrapers, the most common local bird that seems to be floating in the sky when you see something flutter…
Greenpeace warns of ‘Potential Damage to Human DNA’ at risk with Japan’s plan to dump radioactive Fukushima water into ocean
“The policy of the Japanese government to dump nuclear waste into the Pacific Ocean is not based on scientific or environmental protection principles and has no justification.” by Andrea Germanos, staff writer Friday, October 23 Greenpeace…
Study shows US switch to 100% renewables would save hundreds of billions each year
‘What the Future Can Look Like’ “Too often we are told doing the right thing for the environment requires sacrifice and costs more. But we can actually make a better economy and save people money and…
The Elders call for surge in global cooperation to combat ‘current disarray’ set off by Covid-19, climate crisis
“Covid-19 has placed unprecedented strain on the multilateral system and cruelly exposed its failings. A fresh approach is urgently needed in 2021 with an unrelenting focus on justice and equality.” by Julia Conley, staff writer Thursday,…
Rathke: Spewing Cancer Chemicals on Louisiana’s Death Alley
New Orleans A tip from a friend sent me to a seat on the back row of a lecture hall at the Tulane Law School to listen to a star-studded panel assembled on the topic…
Investing $2 trillion in US clean energy and infrastructure could create millions of ‘good jobs’
“We don’t have to choose between a strong economy or a healthy environment—we can have both,” says an EPI data analyst. by Jessica Corbett, staff writer Tuesday, October 20 Pursuing trade and industrial policies that boost…
Indigenous Women to Financial CEOs: Stop abetting ‘climate-wrecking’ tar sands sector or expect more resistance
“Join us putting the proverbial nail in the coffin of these dying unneeded industries.” — Joye Braun, Cheyenne River Sioux by Andrea Germanos, staff writer Tuesday, October 20 A group of Indigenous women and their allies…
Montana judge rules Trump’s illegal land manager’s decisions are invalid. ‘The Pendley Fire’
Illegal, unconfirmed acting official charade has consequences. Meteor staff Monday, October 19, 2020 Late last Friday, federal district judge Brian Morris ruled William Perry Pendley’s decisions as acting Bureau of Land Management director in Montana were…
Promise or peril? Importing hydropower to fuel clean energy transition
U.S. states hope to tap Canada’s network of large dams to meet low-carbon goals, but do better options exist closer to home? And what effects on the environment and indigenous peoples? by Tara Lohan — The…
Amid US sanctions, Venezuelan oil tanker at risk of spilling 1.3 million barrels and devastating Caribbean ecosystems
This is five times the Exxon Valdez spill off the coast of Alaska. “The Caribbean Sea would never be the same” should the oil spill, climate scientist Eric Holthaus tweeted. by Julia Conley, staff writer Monday,…
Oil giant refreezing rapidly melting permafrost to keep arctic drilling alive
The effort represented such “mindless idiocy” for many that 350.org ran a “help us out with this caption” contest in response. by Jon Queally, staff writer Monday, October 19 Reporting out Monday detailing how oil giant…
Critics say deregulatory rush shows even if defeated the Trump White House willing to ‘Scorch the earth before they go’
From bomb trains to biometrics to workers’ rights, the administration is pushing for last-minute rollbacks that could prove hard for its successor to overturn. by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Sunday, October 18 With President Donald Trump’s…
Exposure to man-made chemicals influences genes controlling aging, immune system and metabolism
Most genes in the human body can be disrupted by man-made chemicals. Göran Andersson/Getty Images by Alexander Suvorov, University of Massachusetts Amherst Sunday, October 18 Today humans are exposed to thousands of man-made chemicals. Yet the…
NOAA says September hottest on record
“We’ve broken the climate system. We are in a climate emergency.” by Kenny Stancil, staff writer Wednesday, October 14 As the climate crisis fuels devastating wildfires across the western United States and melts Arctic sea ice…
Barrett says she has no ‘firm views’ on climate crisis
‘We Don’t Need a Climate Denier on the Supreme Court’ “If you’re neutral on climate change, you’re complicit in the collapse of the planetary ecosystem upon which the survival of every living thing depends.” by Jake…
New study shows 50% coral decline on Great Barrier Reef
‘No Time to Lose’ “We expect this decline to continue,” predicted one of the study’s authors, who said that unless urgent climate action is taken, “the reef will be unrecognizable.” by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Wednesday,…
Harvard study finds elevated airborne radiation levels downwind of US fracking sites
“If you asked me to go and live downwind [of fracking sites], I would not go,” said the lead author of the new study. by Jake Johnson, staff writer Wednesday, October 14 A study released Tuesday…
IEA says solar now ‘cheapest electricity’ in human history
‘So What Are You Waiting For?’ Solar “is on track to set new records for deployment every year after 2022.” by Andrea Germanos, staff writer Tuesday, October 13 Solar is on track to be the “new…
Climate emergency activist Greta Thunberg endorses Biden in rare political tweet
“Damn! Just get organized and get everyone to vote #Biden” by Common Dreams staff Saturday, October 10 Climate emergency activist Greta Thunberg on Saturday endorsed Democrat Joe Biden, urging climate voters to make their voices heard…
Methane ruling seen as ominous sign with Barrett poised to join Supreme Court
The judge delivered a “puzzling and unsupported conclusion that the Bureau of Land Management can’t limit methane waste because that would reduce greenhouse gas pollution.” by Andrea Germanos, staff writer Friday, October 9 A federal court’s…
Inside the utility company lobbying blitz that will hike electric bills
Democrats who campaigned against Virginia’s largest public utility, Dominion Energy, swept into office. Then the company’s lobbying efforts kicked into high gear. Here’s how it fought against legislation meant to lower residents’ electric bills. by Patrick…
