Poisoning Frogs
Despite findings which link the pesticide atrazine to sexual mutations in frogs, EPA is considering a 3-4-fold increase for atrazine in drinking water.
Weird Science
The Mapimí Biosphere Reserve is a loosely defined 425,000-acre expanse of land in the center of Mexico’s Chihuahua Desert. It’s home to at least 300 vascular plants, 30 types of cacti and 249 vertebrate species, including mountain lions, bobcats and weasels. Much to the chagrin of Reserve scientists, however, it’s also a destination for hundreds of tourists with no interest at all in the natural environment.
Stranded in the Suburbs
At Connecticut’s Weston High School, in a small town where cars rule and pedestrians are in danger, the most important rite of passage is getting a driver’s license. "Having wheels" in Weston, as in many other suburban towns, means freedom from dependence on the dreaded soccer mom.Weston’s two-acre zoning, paired with a near-total absence of public transit, results in an inefficient series of residential cul-de-sacs with three-car family garages.
Ralph Nader
In 1992, when he ran an independent candidacy for the presidency, consumer advocate Ralph Nader nailed a democratic agenda known as The Concord Principles on the church door of American politics. Presidential campaigns, it said, "have become narrow, shallow, redundant and frantic parades and horse races which candidates, their monetary backers, and their handlers control unilaterally."
The Last Frontier
"The timber wars are happening all over again," said Bonnie Phillips of The Pilchuck Audubon Society in northwest Washington state. Two years after President Clinton offered embattled forest watchers an olive branch–the Northwest Forest Plan (supposedly assuring preservation of old-growth forests, while allowing a limited amount of logging)–peace has ended in the Pacific Northwest.
Caught in the Crossfire
The endangered African mountain gorillas are suffering in the aftermath of the Rwandan civil war. Ten gorillas have died within the last 18 months, and it was gunshots and spears–not natural causes–that led to their deaths.
Wild Profits
When Frank Lloyd Wright and his associates were designing the famed Johnson Wax building in Racine, Wisconsin, in the early 1930s, he abruptly halted work on the project to fix a problem. A dam had broken on a pond on his Spring Green, Wisconsin estate. The resulting view outside the window upset him so much that he couldn’t continue on the project until it was fixed. The aesthetic of the pond was necessary for him to be productive. So he bid that all his associates stop working on the Johnson drawings to fix the dam. Although the buildings he designed were ultimately to be virtually windowless, the final interior mimicked a forest with light coming down through a canopy of tree-like pillars.
Environmentally Sick
Environmentalists urging us to "Save the Whales" or "Save the Spotted Owl" may soon take up a new plea–"Save the Humans." After decades of decline, deaths from infectious diseases in the United States are on the rise, and many scientists are pointing their fingers at our poisoned planet.
Money Talks
Though our elected representatives profess to vote their consciences, guided by their constituents’ interests, other, unseen forces exert powerful pressure. No matter what the people want, when it costs $500,000 to run a successful campaign for the House of Representatives, and $20 million to win a presidential primary, cash contributors will have the upper hand.
Reforming Elections
Campaign finance reform is a tricky subject: What at first looks like an obvious choice–say, abolishing political action committees (PACs)–has hidden, sometimes dangerous implications. Add to that the ease with which politicians obscure the real issues, and you’ve got a recipe for confusion and the status quo. E talked to two grassroots leaders who have given serious thought to creating the political will for real — and lasting — reforms…