Katrina Turning Big Easy Into Big Cesspool

In what some analysts are calling the worst environmental disaster in recent history, New Orleans remains underwater following the wrath of Hurricane Katrina last week. The Big Easy’s extensive man-made levee system–built to protect the city, which lies largely below sea level in a geological bowl–may be turning a bad situation worse by keeping the surging floodwaters in the city, where they can harbor the disease-bearing viruses and bacteria that thrive in stagnant water.

Are any book or magazine publishers using recycled paper these days?

Environmental groups have been advocating for changes in the paper choices of the publishing industry for years. For one, Greenpeace’s Book Campaign has been working to convince publishers to switch from non-recycled “virgin” paper to more green-friendly recycled varieties.

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Stormy Weather: Can We Link it to Global Warming?

There was some excellent reporting done by journalists caught in Hurricane Katrina. At the Mobile Register, Ben Raines was still at his desk, even though he could see dumpsters floating past his window, and his newspaper office had become "an island unto itself by a record storm surge approaching 13 feet." The AC, phones and electricity were out, but the Internet was on, allowing Raines to get his e-mails out. Meanwhile, among members of the Society of Environmental Journalists, an intense Category 3 debate raged about the relationship between global warming and the intensity of hurricanes.

Can Immigration Save the Cities?

Wausau, Wisconsin may seem like the furthest thing from a global mega-city, but the forces in play in this small city are echoes of the worldwide issues of population and immigration. Over the past decades Wausau has received a large influx of Hmong, a nomadic Laotian hill people who fought under the direction of CIA advisors during the Vietnam War era. After their communist enemies won control of Laos in that country’s civil war, the Hmong were largely abandoned by the international community, and many fled for fear of being killed in retribution of their pro-American efforts.

Yet Again, Feds Choose Development Over Species Protection

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced last week that it is cutting the amount of land set aside for California’s threatened tiger salamander by nearly half, citing as unacceptable the expense of keeping the 184,000 acres in question off limits to development.

NOAA Says U.S. Coral Reefs in Decline

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a report last week declaring that coral reef ecosystems are declining in American waters due to "a wide array of significant threats" including overfishing, climate change, marine diseases, land-based pollution, storms and grounded ships.

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L.A. Environmental: Hollywood’s Best and Worst “Green” Movies

Conservation activism may be dramatic, but it has rarely been mined for mainstream films. Green themes typically appear off-screen: think Charlize Theron and Joaquin Phoenix in People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) anti-fur campaigns. Still, a number of provocative environmental movies have slipped through the minefield of corporate censorship and escaped Los Angeles with their agendas intact. If you’re looking for a cheap night at home, a trip down memory lane, or discussion agit-prop for students and kids, then look for the following modern classics, all of which can be rented at a video store near you.

Light It Up

Did you know that burning candles can be harmful to your health? In 2001, the American Lung Association issued a warning that candles might cause poor indoor air quality, which can damage home interiors and aggravate respiratory illnesses. Many candle manufacturers and retailers don’t even disclose the hazardous compounds that often lurk in their products, from heavy metals to synthetic toxins.

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