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.

January 19, 2012

Friday Finds: Meatless Mondays Go Mainstream

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

Ag industry takes beef with Americans eating less meat Americans are eating less meat, which means the U.S. obsession with double-bacon cheeseburgers and chicken-fried sandwiches may one day be a thing of the past, reports Grist. According to the USDA, beef, chicken and pork sales are all down, prompting the meat industry to accuse the …

January 13, 2012

Friday Finds: Congress Brakes on Transit Breaks

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

Transit riders run over by reduced tax breaks Thanks to a lack of action by Congress before the holidays, mass transit commuters will have to pay an additional $550 in taxes this year, reports the New York Times, while those who commute by car will benefit from an increase in pre-tax benefit for monthly parking. …

January 6, 2012

Friday Finds: The FDA’s Drug Addiction

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

FDA gives “okay” to continue drugging livestock Farmers can continue giving healthy cows, pigs and other livestock routine doses of penicillin and tetracyclines—two commonly used antibiotics—even though the practice threatens public health, reports Forbes. The Food and Drug Administration’s decision to no longer consider withdrawing approval of the common practice comes after years of meat and produce …

December 22, 2011

Friday Finds: Monsanto’s Ministry of Truth

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

Pesticide-resistant bugs eat Monsanto’s crops, lies & profits Monsanto is taking a page from George Orwell’s 1984 with the recent release of an EPA report that chides the biotech company for not adequately monitoring its pesticide-resistant crops, reports Mother Jones. According to the agency’s report, a pesky bug known as corn rootworm is rising up …

December 16, 2011

Friday Finds: Quench Your Chemical Thirst

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

American sodas spiked with flame retardants That mid-day caffeine boost you reach for every afternoon may contain a chemical that causes skin lesions, memory loss and nerve disorders, reports Environmental Health News. Sodas like Mountain Dew and Gatorade contain brominated vegetable oil (BVO), a synthetic chemical  that keeps a soda’s fruity flavors well-mixed inside the can …

December 9, 2011

Friday Finds: New Mexico’s Dairy Industry Steps In Cow Pie

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

New Mexico dairies forced to clean up their cow pies New Mexico recently passed some of the most progressive water regulations for dairy farm operations in the West, reports High Country News. Large dairy operations create huge waste problems—each cow produces about 145 pounds of solid and liquid waste per day—so when Texas transplant Jerry …

December 2, 2011

Friday Finds: Big Coal’s Big Sugar Daddies

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

Report finds allegedly “green” banks finance dirty coal A recent investigation by a group of non-governmental organizations found that a number of supposedly “green” banks fall into the top 20 institutions to finance coal-mining and coal-fired energy generation, reports the UK Guardian. Taking the first three places is JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup and Bank of …

December 1, 2011

Survivor: The Sea Turtle Edition

By Jessica A. Knoblauch  /  California Office, Florida Office & Mid-Pacific Office

It’s not every day that a wild animal gets a lucky break, but a few months back that’s exactly what happened to Karsten, a peaceful loggerhead sea turtle that was released off of Sombrero Beach in the Florida Keys after months of rehabilitation. Karsten was found back in May with a fishhook in his jaw …

November 27, 2011

Stormy Waters: National Geographic’s David Doubilet, Part II

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

This is the sixth in a series of Q and As on Earthjustice’s oceans work, which works to prevent habitat loss and overfishing, as well as to reduce the impacts of climate change on the ocean. David Doubilet, an acclaimed underwater photographer for National Geographic, talks about his experiences as an underwater photographer and provides tips …

November 25, 2011

Stormy Waters: National Geographic’s David Doubilet, Part I

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

This is the fifth in a series of Q and As on Earthjustice’s oceans work, which works to prevent habitat loss and overfishing, as well as reduce the impacts of climate change on the ocean. David Doubilet, an acclaimed underwater photographer for National Geographic, has spent decades photographing underwater images and has seen firsthand how …