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Court Legalizes Pollution of America Water Supplies
A disappointing decision by the federal appeals court in Atlanta will legalize pollution in many American drinking water supplies, and we have the former Bush administration to thank for it. The case goes back to 2002, when we sued, on behalf of the Florida Wildlife Federation, to get the South Florida Water Management District to…
Read MoreFeds Release Chilling Climate Change Report
It’s as close as our own backyards, as far away as the Arctic. It’s affecting birds, boys, butterflies and bugs. Creeks are feeling it, and the oceans, too. It’s here, it’s now, and mostly it’s caused by humans. It’s global warming and we have to take immediate, powerful counter measures to prevent massive planet-wide consequences,…
Read MoreTongass Roads
America's special rainforest remains in a state of regulatory limbo
Read MoreDoublespeak in the Woods
Remember "Healthy Forests"? This was one of the euphonious program names hatched by Karl Rove or another of the Bush wordsmiths to mask a real purpose. There was also the Clear Skies Initiative, which actually aimed to weaken the Clean Air Act. Healthy Forests argued that the best way to control wildlfire and protect rural…
Read MoreBig Blue, Big Green?
Biking in to work the other day I heard an underwriting pitch from IBM, touting its new campaign, or slogan, or website, call it what you will, for "A Smarter Planet." Oh boy. Now we’re going to teach the planet new tricks, show it where evolution has fallen short. Don’t you guys get it? It’s…
Read MoreThey Used to Kill Dolphins
Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet Don Federico, a Panamanian fisherman who has spent more than 26 years at sea and has thousands of stories to share. He told us what it was like when he first began fishing: "We saw dolphins, whales, sharks and turtles everywhere. Out of ignorance, the fishing…
Read MoreChevron Drills Empty Op-Ed
The San Francisco Chronicle carried an extensive package of opinion this weekend (Sunday, June 7) on energy and global warming and the economy that’s worth a look-see. They led with the head of Chevron, possibly because he was outnumbered, out-argued, and out flanked by what followed. His piece (read it for yourselves) was empty, vapid,…
Read MoreIf You Breathe, Read This!
When the U.S. EPA proposed to cut mercury, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, hydrochloric acid and other toxic air pollutants from cement kilns, we cheered. When they announced plans to hold public hearings in Los Angeles, Dallas and Washington DC to hear from the public about why clean air is important, we got to work. If…
Read MoreLet's Fix It
Back in my early days at Earthjustice I got into an argument with a colleage that has stuck with me ever since. She (no names) observed that if we—the movement in general—conceded that restoration of damaged ecosystems is possible that we’ll never be able to protect forests, wetlands, parks and the like because developers could…
Read MoreTar Sands Create Pipeline To The Past
Canada’s vast boreal forest (named for Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind) covers more than a third of the country’s total landmass and is a larger ecosystem than the Amazon. In addition to providing habitat for a diverse range of species including moose, lynx, grizzly bears and over 3 billion birds, the peat…
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