Environmental News...to Use.
Ruling may have chilling effect on whistle-blowers. The sentence was buried deep within a recent Labor Department ruling, but the message was clear: Whistle-blowers, beware.
The sentence was in a footnote at the end of a ruling against a federal whistle-blower. It said the Labor Department recognized only the protections written into the clean air and solid waste-disposal acts, not laws governing clean water, drinking water, toxic substances and hazardous waste.- SacBee/McClatchy Newspapers.
Restaurants adding a dash of green. With lights burning 24/7, grease by the gallon and storm-drain-clogging to-go cups, the nation's restaurant industry hardly screams green. But the National Restaurant Association is preparing to change the industry's stripes. Dallas Morning News,
Better safe than sorry. The rapidly growing passion for locally grown produce from farmers is one sign of just how nervous Americans have become about the state of food on their plate. US News & World Report.
Healthy boost in interest food scares may help farmers markets. A string of high-profile food-borne illnesses nationwide may spur more interest in locally grown produce, especially food sold at farmers markets. One reason: Consumer confidence in supermarket food is at its lowest point since 1989. Rockford Register Star
Poisoned toothpaste in Panama is believed to be from China. Diethylene glycol, a poisonous ingredient in some antifreeze, has been found in 6,000 tubes of toothpaste in Panama, and customs officials there said yesterday that the product appeared to have originated in China. New York Times.
Manhattan-sized ice island will be weather balloon of climate change. A Manhattan-sized ice island off the northwest coast of Canada's Ellesmere Island could soon be on the move because of extraordinary conditions in the eastern Arctic, say ice experts. CanWest News
Has Exxon really seen the light on global warming? ExxonMobil continues to quietly pump millions of dollars into a network of organizations that deny or question global warming, according to a new report by the environmental advocacy group Greenpeace. ABC World News Tonight
Drought puts pressure on electricity. The water shortage across eastern Australia is now so acute it has begun to affect power supplies, and the country is at risk of electricity shortages next year. Melbourne Age
Cameron to make environment key issue. The environment has emerged as the key battleground between Tory leader David Cameron and Labour's Gordon Brown as they prepare to go head to head when Tony Blair finally steps down on June 27. London Daily Telegraph
Top secret, in plain view. Aerial images of a nuclear power plant in Perry, Ohio, are considered so sensitive that they are blurred on Google's popular satellite mapping service. But on Microsoft's online maps, users get a crystal-clear bird's-eye view of the facility San Francisco Chronicle
London not only city with lead in water. High lead levels that triggered health warnings to children and pregnant women in London have been found for years in Hamilton, but residents weren't warned. London Free Press
Storm season stirs up levee fears in New Orleans. Two years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, residents are worried that the city's levees and pumps are still not up to facing the summer storm season.National Public Radio.
Residents concerned about chemicals. Anchored in soil, the plastic tarps stretched over vast fields by strawberry farmers are supposed to capture pesticide emissions and make people feel safe. Ventura County Star
Hunting for the next pandemic. A new field of research that combines anthropology, epidemiology and the meta-genomic tools of shot-gun sequencing is hoping to head the next major pandemic off at the pass. Living On Earth.
Grant boosts healthy living. Kings County Public Health Director Perry Rickard says obesity is one of the largest health problems facing the county. Fresno Bee
Lower emissions can cut gas prices, study finds. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday released a University of California study showing that the state can cut gasoline prices and stimulate the economy by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the production of transportation fuels. Associated Press.
Schwarzenegger's 'moon shot' for environment. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger described California's push to make fuels more environmentally friendly as a way to reduce dependence on foreign oil and to provide drivers protection against rising fuel costs. Oakland Tribune
Drought in Aegean provinces leaves farmers waterless. Climate changes brought on by global warming have caused serious irrigation problems in Turkey’s Aegean region. Istanbul Today's Zaman
Middle East vulnerable to climate change. Climate change and energy security are among the greatest risks facing the Middle East, as a scarcity of natural resources disrupts the social fabric and Western states try to move away from hydrocarbons, the World Economic Forum said yesterday. Brunei Times
Scientists link world's big dams to methane and global warming. Brazilian scientists say they have found evidence that the planet's large dams emit nearly 115 million tons of methane every year, a figure that would put the water-control structures among the top contributors of human-caused greenhouse gases. Phoenix Arizona Republic
'Carbon footprint' making politicians rethink travel. Canadian politicians are in a stratosphere of their own when it comes to frequent flying. They zip across the skies weekly, from constituency to Parliament Hill and back. Canadian Press.
Global warming may kill off sunflower. The dire prediction is contained in a new report on global warming released by the National Wildlife Federation, which says the Kansas state flower could move north to other states in a few decades. Associated Press.
Flames score with environment. The Calgary Flames wear red uniforms, but some of them are also going green -- buying carbon offsets to cover air travel and hotels while they're on the road with the NHL. CanWest News
Beckett does part for 'green' movement. The Beckett Mill in Ohio, which produces Strathmore and other papers, has joined the international movement to make its products and services carbon-neutral by reducing climate impact. Cincinnati Enquirer
Bill may increase appliance efficiency. A key House committee is proposing dramatic increases in the energy efficiency of appliances, buildings and airports as it seeks to spread the pain of reducing greenhouse gases beyond just automakers. Detroit News
Fuel-efficient vehicles drive street smart event. A Model T puttered through Balboa Park yesterday to prove a point: Henry Ford's invention gets better gas mileage – about 22 miles per gallon – than many vehicles on the road today. San Diego Union-Tribune
Greeneville hosts a greener car. Honda went "green" in Greeneville on Friday when it brought several of its natural gas-powered vehicles to Norwich Public Utilities' filling station, where they topped off their tanks with the equivalent of $1.89 gasoline. New London Day
Loss lingers in New Orleans. Since the devastating hurricanes and floods that struck New Orleans almost two years ago life in the Big Easy has been anything but. Living On Earth.
Clinton takes campaign to Katrina-torn New Orleans. Hillary Rodham Clinton took her quest for the Democratic presidential nomination Friday to red-state Louisiana, touring Katrina-ravaged sections of New Orleans, offering a recovery agenda for the state. New York Newsday
Congress seeks truth on toxic Katrina trailers. This week, CBS News chief investigative reporter Armen Keteyian reported that 21 months after Hurricane Katrina, there is a public health crisis along the Gulf Coast. Children are getting sick after prolonged exposure to fumes from the toxic chemical formaldehyde used in construction of thousands of FEMA travel trailers. Philadelphia CBS 3 TV
Rose Garden charade. Confronted with the growing urgency of the climate change issue, President Bush stepped before the cameras in the Rose Garden the other day and said, essentially, nothing. New York Times.
Bush's Katrina response to energy conservation. President Bush has spent nearly six years ignoring the link between U.S. oil dependency and terrorist bank accounts and ignoring the evidence that auto emissions were contributing to global warming. Palm Beach Post