Archive

The Hot Hybrids

The hybrid vehicle market the pundits predicted would never get off the ground instead grew 960 percent from 2000 to 2005. More than 80,000 hybrids were registered in 2004, an 80 percent jump from 2003. How big can the hybrid market get? J.D. Power and Associates sees sales of 535,000 by 2010. Toyota executives anticipate selling a million a year.The hybrid vehicle market the pundits predicted would never get off the ground instead grew 960 percent from 2000 to 2005. More than 80,000 hybrids were registered in 2004, an 80 percent jump from 2003. How big can the hybrid market get? J.D. Power and Associates sees sales of 535,000 by 2010. Toyota executives anticipate selling a million a year.

Going, Going, Gone: The World’s Coral Reefs Face Massive Die-Off

In a report released last week, the World Conservation Union announced that without intervention, half of the world’s coral reefs would be gone by 2045. "Twenty percent of the Earth’s coral reefs, arguably the richest of all marine ecosystems, have been effectively destroyed today," said Carl Gustaf Lundin, who runs the marine environment program for the Swiss-based nonprofit that published the report.

Wal-Mart Announces Long-Awaited Environmental Turnaround

The CEO of Wal-Mart–that king of the big box retailers long condemned by environmentalists for irresponsible development, violations of clean water laws and other crimes against nature–announced last week that his company is embarking on a new $500 million-a-year initiative to green its operations.

Fuel Cells and Water Use

Dear EarthTalk: Regarding all the hype about fuel-cell powered vehicles that will run on hydrogen produced from water: Where is all this water going to come from? It’s my understanding that there is a severe water shortage, or potentially so, worldwide.

Dear EarthTalk: Which pet foods are the healthiest and most Earth friendly? Can I feed my dogs and cats vegetarian?

Joltin Joe

I always found it amusing that New York Yankee slugger Joe DiMaggio—"Joltin" Joe," as the sportscasters dubbed him—went on after retirement to stump for kitchen coffee makers. But one thing Mr. Coffee never jolted us with were the real facts about America’s favorite hot beverage.

Fishing for Answers

Thank you for the outstanding coverage of the problems facing the world’s oceans ("Ocean Rescue," cover story, July/August 2005). As the articles point out, two blue-ribbon commissions have separately come to the same conclusion: our oceans are in trouble and the time for action is now. However, your discussion of one solution—individual fishing quotas—left out an issue in which citizens can play a crucial role.

The Biodiesel Band Bus

Veggie "biodiesel" buses are cool with touring bands these days, and sometimes the music also includes a lecture on the benefits of this low-emission fuel. Top players with biodiesel bus conversions include Neil Young, Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson.

Bluewater Network: A Mission to Curb Emissions

Driven by the disastrous effect two-stroke engines were having on the environment, the Bluewater Network was created in 1996 as a project of the Earth Island Institute. Bluewater Network, now part of Friends of the Earth, focuses on the negative effects of transportation on air and water quality.

Musseling In

In a rare show of mussel power, scuba-diving scientists on the Allegheny River are moving thousands of endangered bivalves to make way for bridge reconstruction in Forest County, Pennsylvania. But increased housing construction on the shores of the "wild and scenic" waterway is causing environmentalists new concerns.

Harnessing the Waves

The notion that ocean tides can be harnessed to create pollution-free electricity is making a crucial jump from drawing board to reality. State and federal regulators have approved a plan to install six underwater turbines in New York City. It’s the first grid-connected, multi-turbine source of tidal energy in the world.

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