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Smokey Loves Coal, Not Forests
The Forest Service finally admitted it. It took the agency two environmental assessment drafts and a draft and final environmental impact statement, but they admitted it. The agency finally admitted that it would be “environmentally preferred” to protect the wildest, most pristine part of the Sunset roadless area in western Colorado from bulldozing for road…
Read MoreUnplugged: Happy Motoring!
If you say the word “motor” to most people, they would probably think first of the motor in their car. Many people understandably take a great interest in the gasoline or diesel engine that gets them around. But while amateur mechanics across the country may spend their weekends fussing over these motors, I’ve yet to…
Read MoreQ&A: Frank James, M.D., Whatcom Docs
(Editor’s Note: This is the fifth blog post in an ongoing series about proposed coal export terminals in the Pacific Northwest.) Dr. Frank James is a member of Whatcom Docs, a group of medical doctors in Whatcom County, Wash., who are concerned about the health impacts of a proposed coal shipping terminal in Bellingham, Wash.…
Read MoreKayford Mountain, Prettiest Lady I've Ever Seen
This is the story of a man who fell in love with a mountain and his struggle to keep it and all mountains from being destroyed by coal mining.
Read MoreWinning The Debate On Fracking
Earthjustice attorney Deborah Goldberg came out victorious in a recent Intelligence Squared debate over whether the natural gas boom in America is doing more harm than good. Arguing against the super intensive development of natural gas, she targeted the reckless, breakneck speed at which the industry is progressing. She asked, “So, what characterizes a boom?"…
Read MoreWhat It Means To Be A Resource Colony
(Editor’s Note: This is the fourth blog post in an ongoing series about proposed coal export terminals in the Pacific Northwest. Upcoming blog posts will examine the potential impact coal export terminals could have on the region’s health and environment.) The television comedy program Portlandia likes to poke fun at the culture of the Pacific…
Read MoreThe Wild West Targets Wolves Again
The anti-wolf crowd in Wyoming has this irrational fear of wolves, and no amount of evidence can calm them. These are the folks who want to turn back the clock to the Wild West days where they could kill every wolf they see—and, unfortunately, the Interior Department is going to let them do just that…
Read MoreEarth’s Great Storyteller — Water
One of the biggest threats to water in Appalachia is mountaintop removal. Entire communities have had their water poisoned by runoff from mountaintop removal sites. Says Alexandra Cousteau: For this reason, I unequivocally extend my support to promoting the discussion on the dangers of mountaintop removal and raising awareness of its devastating impacts not only…
Read MoreTr-Ash Talk: A Dangerous Trojan Horse
Today, Sens. Hoeven (R-SD), Conrad (D-SD) and Baucus (D-MT) introduced a new coal ash bill, the “Coal Ash Recycling and Oversight Act” This is an amended version of the disastrous vehicle filed last October by Conrad and Hoeven. The improvements, however, are marginal, and most are nothing more than window dressing. The 43-page bill contains…
Read MoreUnplugged: Where’s EnergyGuide?
When the Government Accountability Office studied energy efficiency labeling in 2007, it found a surprising number of products on display in appliance stores were missing required labels. A year later, the Federal Trade Commission conducted a similar study. It likewise found that significant numbers of products were missing labels. In both cases, labels for many…
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