Our Stories

The Latest by David Lawlor

Development Writer

David Lawlor was a writer in the Development department. His environmental activism stems from an affinity for nature and the deep ecology philosophy espoused by the Norwegian philosopher, Arne Naess.

December 8, 2011

Video: Coal Export Threatens The Northwest

By David Lawlor  /  Northwest Office

Would you want to live next door to a coal export terminal? Wait, maybe that’s too vague of a question. Instead, let me ask you this… Would you want mile-long coal trains traveling through your community 24 hours a day, seven days a week? Would you want your children exposed to noxious coal dust as …

December 1, 2011

Aussie Energy Co. Buys Into U.S. Coal Mines

By David Lawlor  /  Northwest Office

“This is a good company from Australia who is well funded, well banked, and they have bought a mine in Montana and have every intention to ship it to Asia. It’s a great story.” – Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer Yes, governor, it’s a great story. It’s a story of air pollution, global warming and ruined …

September 21, 2011

Protecting Caribou, Migratory Birds From Tar Sands

By David Lawlor  /  International Program

Earthjustice petitions to compel analysis of threat to wildlife

September 21, 2011

House Committee: Air Pollution Rules!

By David Lawlor  /  Washington, D.C. Office

Try this the next time you go camping at your favorite state or national park: dump into your campsite’s fire pit a few tires, a little plastic, a dash of chemical solvents and some random industrial waste—then strike a match and let the inferno begin. Oh sure, you’ll be sending toxic pollutants into the air …

September 20, 2011

Swedish Oil Spill a Preview of the Alaskan Arctic?

By David Lawlor  /  Headquarters Office

Feels like an ominous harbinger for America's Arctic Ocean

September 16, 2011

Happy PARK(ing) Day!

By David Lawlor  /  California Office

Cars sure are important. I mean, we design our towns and cities—heck, our whole civilization—around their ubiquitous presence. We construct massive parking structures where cars live for temporary periods, have a whole dining subculture based on the automobile, and dot the sides of our city streets with parking spaces deemed so valuable as to demand …

August 30, 2011

Drilling in Russian Arctic Threatens Entire Ecosystem

By David Lawlor  /  Headquarters Office

Environmentalist author Chellis Glendinning’s 2002 work of nonfiction, Off the Map, is an indictment of maps and cartography. Glendinning asserts that maps have historically served as tools of conquest that define the territory which is to be exploited. With that in mind, Exxon’s announcement on Monday that the company inked a deal to drill for …

August 28, 2011

Report Sheds Light on Chemicals in Oil Dispersants

By David Lawlor

Pop quiz: nearly 2 million gallons of chemicals are about to be dumped into the ocean where they will mix with oil gushing from a blown out well. Do you:    A. Study beforehand the chemicals’ effects on marine life?    B. Study beforehand the chemicals’ effects on humans?    C. Study beforehand what will happen when the …

August 26, 2011

The Fight to Stop the Tar Sands Is Not Over

By David Lawlor  /  International Program

The U.S. Department of State today issued the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for the Keystone XL pipeline project, which would transport tar sands crude oil from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf Coast. Despite the fact that the Alberta tar sands represent the second largest pool of carbon in the world, despite the fact that …

August 25, 2011

California Ignores Its Own Scientists on Dangerous Pesticide

By David Lawlor  /  California Office

Internal documents reveal toxic secrets behind approval of methyl iodide