In September, conservationists applauded as the U.S. Congress passed the Sustainable Fisheries Act (S. 39), which amends and reauthorizes the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. (See "The World’s Fisheries: A State of Emergency," July/August and September/October 1996). The bill limits catch numbers in federal waters, and ties allowable fish harvests to levels which will maintain productivity.
The 300 gray wolves that roam the wilds of Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho won’t be leaving anytime soon, thanks to a decision by Denver’s 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. In January, the appeals court overturned a 1997 ruling that called for the removal of the wolves that had been introduced to Yellowstone and […]
Decimated by hunting, egg collectors, loss of habitat and lead poisoning, North America’s largest land bird, the California condor, was until recently on the brink of extinction.
Environmental Degradation and Civil War in the Gem Trade Gleaming gems shining from plush velvet cases in quiet jewelry stores make it easy to forget that some of these symbols of love and prosperity originated in distant lands, deep in the soil of conflict. Romancing the stone: Everyone agrees that gems, like these uncut diamonds, […]
These days there are plenty of eco-labels to choose from, but how do you know which ones to trust and which are just greenwashing?
The Long War With WTI As a registered nurse and mother, Terri Swearingen, 40, knows a little something about persistence. For the last two decades, she has been making thousands of calls and speeches, conducting health surveys, appealing to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials, pleading with the President, and making trouble for Waste Technologies Industries […]
When the great naturalist Aldo Leopold first set eyes on the Colorado River delta in 1922, he saw what he called “a milk and honey wilderness” full of “a hundred green lagoons.” Leopold would find that landscape utterly changed today. The mighty Colorado no longer flows this far south; as Sandra Postel, director of the […]
The basic premise of socially responsible investing is simple: If money makes the world go "round, greener, more humane investments can improve the way it spins. Yet before hailing a new era of green capitalism, it’s also important to understand some of its limitations.
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.
For years, solar technology has been a promising but expensive alternative. Now, a new federal program may finally get solar off the ground—and onto the roof.
