Groundbreaking climate report inspires predictable political responses
31 Oct 2006 at 12:10pm
World reaction to yesterday’s U.K. report linking climate change with possible economic ruin has been swift — and painfully predictable. While British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his likely successor Gordon Brown hailed the findings, Kyoto-resisters Australia and the U.S. offered more lukewarm responses. Australian Prime Minister John Howard warned …
Wangari Maathai’s autobiography reveals the roots of a courageous conservatio…
31 Oct 2006 at 12:10pm
After conservationist Wangari Maathai won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, she could have seized on the opportunity to travel the world talking about the urgent need for forest protection and regeneration. Instead, she’s chosen to keep her focus on planting trees in Kenya. Maathai’s dedication to greening her home …
Interior Department official disparages endangered-species recommendations
31 Oct 2006 at 12:10pm
If Julie MacDonald had a farm (e-i-e-i-o), all the animals would die. At least six times since 2004, MacDonald — deputy assistant secretary of the Interior Department — has rejected staff recommendations to protect susceptible flora and fauna under the Endangered Species Act, documents show. The Interior Department’s inspector general …
Federal agency says cost-cutting a factor in fatal BP refinery explosion
31 Oct 2006 at 12:10pm
Ooh, what a little belt-tightening can do: a new federal review says cost-cutting by BP contributed to the 2005 refinery explosion in Texas City, Texas, that killed 15 workers and injured 180 others. Carolyn Merritt, chair of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, says the corporation implemented a 25 percent cut …
“The Great Warming” tells the emotional side of the climate story
31 Oct 2006 at 12:10pm
If climate graphs don’t move you, how about babies, evangelical Christians, or a ’90s rock star? They all make an appearance in “The Great Warming”, a documentary debuting in U.S. theaters on Nov. 3. This latest bit of climate-change cinema reminds viewers that not only science, but also common sense …