Our Stories

The Latest by Jessica A. Knoblauch

Senior Staff Writer

Jessica is a former award-winning journalist. She enjoys wild places and dispensing justice, so she considers her job here to be a pretty amazing fit.

March 30, 2012

Friday Finds: It’s (Almost) End of the World As We Know It

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

Climate scientists warn that Earth’s tipping points are at the tipping point Recently, climate scientists announced that this is the last decade to cut carbon emissions significantly or there’s no going back on global warming, reports Reuters. And they’re not just talking about freak heat waves and threats to Cherry Blossom festivals. Though estimates differ, …

March 22, 2012

Friday Finds: The Clean Air Diet

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

Forget Fritos: Air pollution may be making people fat Sure, it’s got nothing on the much-hyped “Paleo Diet,” but a new theory that air pollution may be making us fat could provide one more bullet in the never-ending arsenal of dieting ticks and trips that people can use to lose weight. According to Discovery News, just …

March 15, 2012

Friday Finds: Death by a Thousand Doses

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

Low chemical doses may have big health effects A recent finding that tiny doses of certain hormone-altering chemicals can lead to harmful health effects could lead to a paradigm shift in the way that regulators evaluate a chemical’s harmfulness, reports Environmental Health News. Traditionally, toxicologists and regulators have evaluated the toxicity of a chemical by …

March 9, 2012

Friday Finds: Return Of The Pink Slime Meat!

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

U.S. schools buying McDonald’s pink slime rejects It’s baaaaack. Last month, burger enthusiasts rejoiced after McDonald’s announced that it would no longer be using ammonium hydroxide, an anti-microbrial agent that, when used on inedible scrap meat turns into a pink slime, as the basis for their burgers. But they may have sighed in relief a …

March 2, 2012

Friday Finds: Lorax Speaks for the SUVs

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

The Lorax peddles SUVs to elementary kids The main character from Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax,” a book that has long been considered a timeless screed on the environmental perils of overconsumption, is now being used to hawk gas-guzzling SUVs to school children, reports the Washington Post. In the book, the Lorax speaks for the trees …

February 24, 2012

Friday Finds: War on Terra

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

Big business attack ads create fear conditions for environmental scientists.

February 17, 2012

Friday Finds: Colleges Pull All-Nighter On Bottle Ban

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

College students crush plastic water bottles, industry wines As banning bottled water becomes the cause du jour amongst college students, the bottled water industry is crying over spilled water, reports NPR. Everywhere from San Francisco to national parks like the Grand Canyon, cities and community members are considering banning plastic water bottles, which contribute to landfill …

February 10, 2012

Friday Finds: McDonalds’ Pink Slime Problem

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

McDonald’s takes pink slime goop out of burgers It’s official: The next time you have a Big Mac craving, you no longer have to worry about your burger being loaded with pink goo, reports MSNBC. Recently, McDonald’s announced that it is no longer using ammonium hydroxide, an anti-microbrial agent that, when used on inedible scrap …

February 3, 2012

Friday Finds: Snakes in the ‘Glades

By Jessica A. Knoblauch  /  Florida Office

Pythons and anacondas put the squeeze on the Everglades Forget snakes on a plane. Snakes like pythons and anacondas are taking over the Florida Everglades and eating everything—including rabbits, raccoons and even deer—in sight, reports the Washington Post. Thanks to reckless owners releasing pets they no longer want, invasive snakes are slowly climbing their way …

January 27, 2012

Friday Finds: All the Climate Scientists’ Men

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

Conspiracy theorists descend on Florida climate change plan Plans to prepare for rising sea levels and other climate change affects in south Florida are being attacked by conspiracy theorists who believe climate change is a hoax perpetuated by a group of “progressive elites” who want to raise taxes, reports the Sun Sentinel. Though the majority …