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Will Salazar Save the Roan Plateau?
After cancelling oil and gas leases in Utah last week, Interior Sec. Ken Salazar is strongly hinting that he might do the same with a crown jewel of Colorado — the Roan Plateau. The Roan is a rippling expanse of natural riches that rises dramatically 3,000 feet above a plain in the state’s northwest quadrant.…
Read MoreA Threat to National Security?
I never know whether to dignify irrational wing-nut attacks on environmentalists in general and specific organizations in particular by mentioning them in print, but the latest is so over the top that I can’t resist. Something called the Capital Research Center recently published a screed titled, "EarthJustice [sic] Legal Defense Fund [sic]: How Environmentalism Weakens…
Read MoreObama Unleashes – the Boot
Obama has quickly switched from the bump to the boot. All week he’s been kicking over Bush-era dominoes, and today’s was a whopper. The Environmental Protection Agency is starting to review its 2007 refusal to let California regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. The review affects 16 other states that also want to control emissions.…
Read MoreWhen the Cows Come Home, You Won't Want to Be There
A study in this month’s "American Journal of Agricultural Economics" shows a significant correlation between rising numbers of factory farm animals and increased infant mortality. The study found that an increase of 100 million pounds of farm animal flesh meant 123 more infant deaths for every 100,000 babies born. That means our shift in the…
Read MoreEnd to a Poisonous Alliance
A bunch of utility operators are still trying to convince the U.S. Supreme Court to let them pour poisonous mercury into the air – but after today, they are standing alone. The Obama administration said it is withdrawing its support, and in fact, wants the court to drop the case. Label this a victory for…
Read MoreEnergy Efficiency Signed Into Life
With a stroke of his pen today, President Obama endorsed a keystone element in Earthjustice’s national push for energy efficiency. Obama signed a presidential memorandum calling upon the Department of Energy to adopt energy efficiency standards for dozens of common household appliances. This marks a huge step towards the energy savings and independence he promised…
Read MoreSalazar Turns the Tide in Utah
In those cold days of last December — as Bush feverishly tried to finish crippling the nation’s environmental protections — the new day promised by Obama seemed only a flicker at the end of an 8-year tunnel. After today’s news out of Utah, that flicker is looking more like a flare. Interior Sec. Ken Salazar…
Read MoreBoy Scouts New Merit Badge … for Clearcutting?
When one hears the phrase "Boy Scout," one picture that comes to mind is a bunch of youngsters out in the woods, around a campfire, enjoying marshmallows as well as nature. One might assume that on top of "trustworthy," "obedient," and "brave," Boy Scouts might also put protection of the Great Outdoors among their values.…
Read MoreDelight and Dismay over Coal
Contradictory actions by the coal industry this week illustrate how treacherous the road is to a clean energy future for America. On Tuesday, to our delight, developers of the proposed Highwood coal-fired power plant in Montana surrendered and announced that they would instead build natural gas and wind-powered generating plants. The credit for this should…
Read More"Long Live Mineral King…"
After writing a blog item about the storied Mineral King valley, I crafted an essay about it for the High Country News. The news is that it is about to be declared America’s newest wilderness. Here’s how I started the HCN article: "A half-million abandoned mines litter the American West, many dribbling poisons into rivers…
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