Category: News

  • Eastern cougar officially declared extinct

    The Eastern cougar, a likely subspecies of the mountain lion, was officially declared extinct today by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, ending 38 years on the Endangered Species List (ESA). The cougar, which once roamed the Eastern US, had not been confirmed since 1930s, although sightings have been consistently reported up to the present-day.

  • Costco Steps Up Sustainable Seafood Policy

    In a “stunning win for the oceans”, Costco recently stepped up its Sustainable Seafood policies. Improving on voluntary changes announced last August, Costco issued its Seafood and Sustainability report agreeing to stop selling 12 red-listed varieties of fish.

  • More drilling permits for Gulf in the works

    The door could now be open for a “significant” number of new offshore drilling permits, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said on Wednesday, as the administration comes under increased pressure to tackle surging world oil prices. The Interior department on Monday issued a permit for a deepwater well co-owned by Noble Energy Inc and BP, the…

  • NIH Begins Study of Oil Spill’s Impact on Residents

    [Feb. 28, 2011] The U.S. government launched what’s being billed as the largest study ever conducted of how an oil spill affects human health. The Gulf Long-Term Follow-Up Study will survey Gulf of Mexico residents who helped with the cleanup of last year’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill and follow them for at least 5 years.

  • EPA Postpones GHG Reporting Deadline

    On March 1, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced its plans to postpone the upcoming deadline for mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions, which is currently scheduled for the end of this month. EPA has not set a revised deadline, though the agency reported that it “is in the process of finalizing a…

  • Butanol as Gasoline Substitute from Bacteria

    Butanol may be used as a fuel in an internal combustion engine. Because its longer hydrocarbon chain causes it to be fairly non-polar, it is more similar to gasoline than it is to ethanol. Butanol has been demonstrated to work in vehicles designed for use with gasoline without modification. University of California, Berkeley, chemists have…

  • Humans vs animals – The hottest race of the year – New from BBC Earth

    Imagine a landscape in front of you as barren and endless as your eye can see. And then imagine that your task is to cross it, on foot, through eye stinging dust storms, unbearable heat and a body willing you to stop with every step. Welcome to the Sahara! Welcome to your “marathon of the…

  • World Bank proposes road to save Serengeti migration

    The World Bank has offered Tanzania an alternative to stop a major road project across the Serengeti national park that conservationists say threatens one of Africa’s biggest wildlife spectacles. Conservation groups say the government’s planned highway through the northern edge of the Serengeti would hinder the annual migration of some 2 million wildebeest. The World…

  • Brazilian Belo Monte Dam Halted on Judge’s Orders

    In another twist of the Belo Monte Dam saga, a Brazilian judge has ordered that work be suspended on the massive construction project. About one month ago, construction of the dam had been approved by the Brazilian environmental agency, IBAMA. The federal judge, Ronaldo Desterro, said that IBAMA had granted approval for the Belo Monte…

  • All Vehicles are Electric Vehicles – Here’s Why

    Critics are often quick to point out that car companies are somewhat disingenuous when they use the phrase “zero emissions vehicle” when promoting their all-electric offerings. The term “elsewhere emissions vehicle” has been suggested as a more accurate description, on the basis that many electric vehicles (EVs) get their juice from coal-fired power stations…