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Birds of Paradise Lost in New Guinea?
Anyone who has seen the “Planet Earth” episode on jungles has witnessed the colorful plumes and remarkable displays of the Birds of Paradise. But when you’re hiking (read: struggling) through the dense growth of Papua New Guinea’s rainforest, one of the world’s largest at over 100,000 square miles and home to 38 of the 43…
Read MoreOMG, GMOs: Earthjustice's Paul Achitoff
Why are genetically engineered (GE) crops bad for the environment?
Read MoreTr-Ash Talk: Safe At Home With Coal Ash
Today we’re gearing up for a vote on H.R. 2273, which is Rep. David McKinley’s (R-WV) attempt to give coal companies a get-out-of-jail free card. Yesterday, House leaders in the Committee on Energy and Commerce discussed the nature of the legislation, which included much spirited back-and-forth dialogue. Among the highlights (and lowlights): After the author…
Read MoreSave the Babies: Stop Mountaintop Removal Mining
A major new scientific study shows significantly higher rates of birth defects in areas of heavy mountaintop removal mining, even after controlling for a range of other contributing factors. The study found that living near a mountaintop removal site poses a much greater risk to unborn babies than smoking during pregnancy. More than double the…
Read MoreGreening Your Playlist
Every lifestyle has its de facto soundtrack. Depressed suburban teens have emo music. Trust funders living beachside have a steady supply of Bob Marley to keep them chanting down Babylon. And old folks with office jobs have Paul Simon and the Gipsy Kings. What about environmentalists? Besides recordings of rain storms or whale songs, what…
Read MoreMonday Reads: The JFK Turtle Invasion Edition
Here at Monday Reads, we’ve followed the jellyfish typhoon invasion, gardening goat invasion, and wolverine invasion-of-one. Finally, we’ve reached the turtle invasion. A few weeks ago, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport awoke to find its Runway 4L under siege by waves of relentless reptiles. The Associated Press reported that the “slow-motion stampede” rather…
Read MoreUnplugged: A Push to Waste Energy
On Monday, the House of Representatives will consider legislation authored by Rep. Joe Barton to repeal federal energy efficiency standards for light bulbs, set to take effect next year. The standards have the support of environmental groups, consumer advocates, and lighting manufacturers and will save energy, reduce household electric bills and spur investment in advanced…
Read MoreFriday Finds: Environmental Bach Lash
Michelle Bachman drills down to solve the energy crisis As the Republican contenders for the 2012 election begin to emerge, a old theme among the crew is arising deep from within the ashes of the failed McCain-Palin 2008 presidential run: Drill, baby, drill. The most recent aspiring president, Michelle Bachman, recently said that energy can…
Read MoreA Desperately Needed Win for the Loggerheads
Federal judge orders the National Marine Fisheries Service to take another look at rules that govern the Gulf of Mexico fishery in loggerheads’ favored habitat
Read MoreWant a Side of Plastic With Your Fish?
Ever wonder where that bottle cap or cheap dime store action figure went when you casually tossed it away years ago? Well, there’s a good chance it ended up somewhere in the Pacific Garbage Patch, a soupy mixture of plastic and other debris swirling in the north Pacific Ocean. Trapped there, the plastic becomes food…
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