We Are Writing the Epilogue to the World We Knew | Common Dreams

We Are Writing the Epilogue to the World We Knew | Common Dreams
"The data continue to roll in, and they are telling us we are in the process of bringing an end to the world we evolved in, and creating a new, harsher world. We will be forced to devote more and more of our resources trying to adapt to this new world, and less on development."

5 National Parks That Could Be Threatened Under The Romney Energy Plan | Alternet

5 National Parks That Could Be Threatened Under The Romney Energy Plan | Alternet
"Mitt Romney recently released his  energy plan , which focuses extensively on turning energy development on federal public lands over to the states.  If states are determined to aggressively push fossil energy development, giving oversight of mining and drilling to them could put some of our special places at risk. "

Pledge to Resist Fracking: Writer-Biologist Sandra Steingraber Issues a Call for Action and a Warning to the Gas Industry | Alternet

Pledge to Resist Fracking: Writer-Biologist Sandra Steingraber Issues a Call for Action and a Warning to the Gas Industry | Alternet
"I choose to belong to a vision of an unfractured New York that turns its back on 19th century thinking and death-dealing fossil fuels and leads the world in the creation of a clean energy economy."

Rupert Murdoch's Foul Fukushima Flim-Flam | Common Dreams

Rupert Murdoch's Foul Fukushima Flim-Flam | Common Dreams
"And Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal has just painted a tragic new coat over the radioactive wasteland of atomic flim-flam.

Its "Panic at Fukushima" speaks volumes to a nuclear power industry now crumbling at the core.  It fits an historic pattern:
When yet another radioactive leak emits from the local nuke---no matter how serious---the official response is hard-wired to include the phrase "no danger to the public."
When serious structural cracks surface at reactors like Ohio's Davis-Besse or Crystal River, Florida,  safety concerns are invariably dismissed with well-funded contempt.
As with fatally flawed steam generators at California's San Onofre, if it can make an extra buck, the industry will run these reactors into the ground, safety-be-damned.  Protected by federal taxpayer insurance and the bankruptcy laws, they know even a catastrophic disaster need not trouble their bottom line.  
When earthquakes rattle reactors in Virginia and Ohio, or threaten others near New York City and Los Angeles, the public is "never in danger."  Likewise a generation of Japanese heard for decades that reactors at Fukushima and Kashiwazaki were "perfectly safe."
But, now that earthquakes have hammered them both, we know who pays."

Climate Change Likely To Increase Spread Of The Flu

Climate Change Likely To Increase Spread Of The Flu: The U.S. is going through the worst outbreak of West Nile virus in history, a problem likely to be exacerbated by climate change. Today, new research from the University of Michigan suggests that climate change is also likely to spread the flu: [C]limate change could upset the carefully choreographed interactions between ruddy turnstone shorebirds and [...]/p

Avista investment to help Matrix strike oil in algae | Business & Technology | The Seattle Times

Avista investment to help Matrix strike oil in algae | Business & Technology | The Seattle Times
"Seattle-based Matrix Genetics is spinning out of Targeted Growth and launching its business of developing biofuels made from algae."

Renewable Electricity Nearly Doubles Under Obama: ‘I Think They’re The Future. They’re Worth Fighting For’

Renewable Electricity Nearly Doubles Under Obama: ‘I Think They’re The Future. They’re Worth Fighting For’: Non-hydro renewable electricity generation has nearly doubled since President Obama took office, reaching 5.75 percent of net electricity, according to figures from the Energy Information Administration. In 2008, before Obama entered the White House, non-hydro resources like solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass represented just over 3 percent of generation. Today, they total nearly 6 percent. [...]/p

GOP Budget Cuts Would Devastate Hurricane And Weather Forecasting

GOP Budget Cuts Would Devastate Hurricane And Weather Forecasting:  It’s late August. The Republicans are having their national convention. A huge tropical storm is bearing down on the U.S. Gulf Coast. So what’s new? We have had major hurricanes bearing down on the United States during four of the past six Republican conventions: Andrew in 1992, Frances in 2004, Gustav in [...]/p

Our Hunger Games | Common Dreams

Our Hunger Games | Common Dreams
"Industrial chemical agriculture also causes hunger and malnutrition by robbing crops of nutrients. Industrially produced food is nutritionally empty but loaded with chemicals and toxins. Nutrition in food comes from the nutrients in the soil. Industrial agriculture, based on the NPK mentality of synthetic nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium-based fertilisers, lead to depletion of vital micro-nutrients and trace elements such as magnesium, zinc, calcium, iron."

Farmer Debunks Corporate Propaganda Against Proposed Law to Label Genetically Modified Food | Alternet

Farmer Debunks Corporate Propaganda Against Proposed Law to Label Genetically Modified Food | Alternet
"I’ve been a farmer for more than 40 years. While I no longer live or farm in California, I do co-manage 120 acres of farmland in Vermont, and I know that a GMO labeling law passed in California will have widespread implications for consumers and farmers in every state in the country. As a farmer who has experience in both conventional and organic farming, I’m compelled to address the anti-labeling campaign’s so-called “concerns” for farmers and consumers."

5 Weird -- and Terrifying -- Consequences of Climate Change You May Not Know About | Alternet

5 Weird -- and Terrifying -- Consequences of Climate Change You May Not Know About | Alternet
"When you think about the terrible effects of climate change, I bet you picture droughts, hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes, which makes sense — climate change is causing weather patterns to go absolutely crazy. But the crazy weather leads to other consequences that we often don’t think about when we hear the globe is warming up. Here is a list of 5 frightening effects from climate change this summer."

Looking for Kids' Books? Avoid This Propaganda

Looking for Kids' Books? Avoid This Propaganda
"Monsanto and its cohorts among the "Big 6" pesticide and GMO companies -- Monsanto, Dow Chemical, Bayer, Syngenta, Dupont, and BASF -- are fighting a battle with California voters on whether or not GMO foods should be labeled. In the meantime, the trade group CBI, whose membership consists solely of those six corporations, is busily educating children on the supposed benefits of GMOs."

#SavetheArctic: Greenpeace Activists Occupy Arctic Oil Drilling Platform | Common Dreams

#SavetheArctic: Greenpeace Activists Occupy Arctic Oil Drilling Platform | Common Dreams
"Six Greenpeace activists have occupied the Russian oil drilling platform Prirazlomnaya in the Arctic to protest the risky plans for drilling in the pristine ecosystem.

The group includes Greenpeace International Executive Director Kumi Naidoo, who tweeted during the action, "Melting Arctic ice is a warning, not a business opportunity"."

Romney's New Energy Plan Would Doom Humanity | Alternet

Romney's New Energy Plan Would Doom Humanity | Alternet
"Let's not mince words -- we're on thin ice. And it's getting rapidly thinner. We're breaking records faster than Usain Bolt but unfortunately we're running top speed toward the endgame. Our place in the record books is beside titles like "hottest" and "driest" and "most rapidly warming." This is thehottest year on record so far and today we learned that, "The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the fastest warming places on Earth at the moment." This comes from aninternational team of climate scientists and the findings are just the latest in a stack that don't bode well for a livable planet."

August 23 News: Former IPCC Chair Watson Says ’2C Target Is Largely Out Of The Window’

August 23 News: Former IPCC Chair Watson Says ’2C Target Is Largely Out Of The Window’: One of the Government’s most senior scientific advisors [and former IPCC chair] has said that efforts to stop a sharp rise in global temperatures were now unrealistic. [BBC News] Professor Sir Robert Watson said that the hope of restricting the average temperature rise to 2C was “out the window.” He said that the rise could [...]/p

GOP Rep Tipton Won’t Acknowledge Human-Caused Climate Change Because It Would ‘Divide America’

GOP Rep Tipton Won’t Acknowledge Human-Caused Climate Change Because It Would ‘Divide America’: FORT GARLAND, Colorado — Man-made climate change may be helping to devastate the western half of the country with droughts and wildfires, but acknowledging its existence is problematic because it would “divide America,” according to a leading Tea Party congressman. In an interview with ThinkProgress, Scott Tipton (R-CO) conceded that climate change exists, but argued [...]/p

Romney Energy Plan Would Let States and His Oil Donors Drill On Public Lands

Romney Energy Plan Would Let States and His Oil Donors Drill On Public Lands: By Jessica Goad Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney today released his energy plan with a speech in New Mexico.  One of the most controversial pieces of the plan would give states control over energy development on federal public lands, a policy that would likely allow energy companies more access to them, allow bypassing of federal [...]/p

Big Oil Buys Gusher: 5 Pro-Oil Planks In Romney Energy Plan

Big Oil Buys Gusher: 5 Pro-Oil Planks In Romney Energy Plan: After raising nearly $10 million in Texas oil money in two days, Mitt Romney announces an energy plan on the Texas-New Mexico border later today that includes billions of dollars in giveaways to industry contributors. Romney will call for extensive expansion of oil and gas drilling – including along the coasts of Virginia and the [...]/p

Soaring Number of West Nile Virus Cases Set to Increase with Climate Change | Common Dreams

Soaring Number of West Nile Virus Cases Set to Increase with Climate Change | Common Dreams
"The U.S. is on track to suffer its worst West Nile Virus epidemic in years, the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) stated Wednesday."

Arctic Ice Melting At Startlingly Rapid Rate | Common Dreams

Arctic Ice Melting At Startlingly Rapid Rate | Common Dreams
"The Arctic ice cap is melting at a startlingly rapid rate and may shrink to its smallest-ever level within weeks -- and then keep on melting."

Flashback: Todd Akin Is Also Deluded On Climate Science

Flashback: Todd Akin Is Also Deluded On Climate Science: As Lisa Hymas of Grist noted today, “Todd Akin is not only fundamentally deluded about the basic facts of women’s reproductive systems. He’s also fundamentally deluded about the basic facts of climate change.” We have been reporting on this delusion for a long time. Three years ago, we excerpted an amazingly ignorant floor address by Akin, a Missouri [...]/p

240 Million Americans to Lose Protections From Coal Pollution | Common Dreams

240 Million Americans to Lose Protections From Coal Pollution | Common Dreams
"Up to 240 million Americans will now lose protections against dangerous smog and soot pollution, following a decision by a US appeals court on Tuesday. In a 2-1 decision the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit overturned the Environmental Protection Agency's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, which would have reduced harmful emissions from coal-burning power plants and saved the lives of up to 34,000 people per year."

‘Sickening’ Treatment Of Animals Prompts USDA Shutdown Of Slaughterhouse

‘Sickening’ Treatment Of Animals Prompts USDA Shutdown Of Slaughterhouse: The USDA has closed the slaughterhouse at Central Valley Meat Corporation in Fresno, California after evidence surfaced showing inhumane and illegal treatment of animals on the killing floor. A video distributed by the animal advocacy group Compassion Over Killing depicted utterly horrific treatment of animals that — aside from the obvious problems with the casual [...]/p

Record Radiation Found in Fish off Fukushima | Common Dreams

Record Radiation Found in Fish off Fukushima | Common Dreams
"Fish recently caught off the shores of Fukushima have shown the highest level of radioactive caesium detected in fish and shellfish caught in Japan since the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster last year."

In The American West, The Hottest Year On Record Forces Us To See Things As They Are

In The American West, The Hottest Year On Record Forces Us To See Things As They Are: by David Gessner, via OnEarth It was a small moment during this hottest of summers. I had already driven through the crisped cornfields of the Midwest, witnessed a smoke cloud that seemed to cover the whole state of New Mexico, and toured miles of charred ridgeline above Fort Collins, Colorado. Meanwhile, back home in North [...]/p

Monsanto, DuPont Spend Millions to Defeat California Genetically Engineered Food Labeling Initiative

Monsanto, DuPont Spend Millions to Defeat California Genetically Engineered Food Labeling Initiative
"With biotech giant Monsanto leading the way, big agribusiness firms and food manufacturers have vastly outspent organic food and alternative health firms in an effort to defeat California's Proposition 37 ballot initiative that would require special labels on foods made with genetically engineered (GE) organisms."

Nuclear Cover-Up Threatens Great Lakes Region » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

Nuclear Cover-Up Threatens Great Lakes Region » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
"According to recent reports from the nuclear watchdog Beyond Nuclear and several Great Lakes environmental organizations, the NRC is up to its usual practices as an industry captured agency.  Collusion and flagrant cover-ups at the Davis Besse nuclear power plant on the shores of Lake Erie and at the Palisades nuclear plant on the shores of Lake Michigan have drawn the ire of Congressmen Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and Ed Markey of Massachusetts who have called on the NRC’s investigator general to investigate NRC region 3 practices and motivations of the NRC in allowing these plants to operate with grave safety concerns."

Illinois Nuke Plants Dumping Millions of Gallons of Near 100-Degree Water into Waterways | Common Dreams

Illinois Nuke Plants Dumping Millions of Gallons of Near 100-Degree Water into Waterways | Common Dreams
"The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is allowing power stations "to dump millions of gallons of hot water into Illinois waterways each day," a Chicago Tribune report released Monday shows."

Chevron: The Toxic Threat Next Door | Common Dreams

Chevron: The Toxic Threat Next Door | Common Dreams
"When the fire broke out at the Chevron oil refinery in Richmond, California last week, this is what families living nearby–including some of our own staff at Green For All–experienced: Their windows rattled and their houses shook. Some of them watched fiery explosions and plumes of dark smoke pour from the refinery. Others just heard the frightening wail of the city’s emergency sirens. They gathered up their children and pets, covered their mouths and noses, and scrambled to seal their doors and windows."

The Toxic 100: Top Corporate Air Polluters Identified

The Toxic 100: Top Corporate Air Polluters Identified
"Researchers at the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst today released the 4th Toxic 100 Air Polluters (toxic100.org), an updated list of the top corporate air polluters in the U.S."

Koch Brothers' Moonshine

Koch Brothers' Moonshine
"Question: If you mix a cocktail of "black liquor," biofuels, diesel and a generous splash of tax subsidies -- then have it shaken vigorously by a U.S. senator and served in a golden goblet by corporate lobbyists -- what do you call it? Answer: Koch Brothers Moonshine."

The Hidden Costs of Hamburgers | Alternet

The Hidden Costs of Hamburgers | Alternet
"Americans, on average, eat three hamburgers a week. That’s 156 burgers per person per year. Wowzers! Apparently, despite the growing popularity of vegetarian food (all those yummy tofu, bean and potato patties) and other meats such as pork and chicken, beef is still the reigning meat of choice in this country. But at what cost? When we buy a pound of ground beef at the supermarket, are we paying what it’s really worth?"

Fukushima’s Nuclear Casualties » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

Fukushima’s Nuclear Casualties » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
"It’s been nearly 18 months since the disastrous nuclear meltdown at Fukushima.  There have been many reports on the huge amounts of radioactivity escaping into the air and water, unusually high levels in air, water, and soil – along with atypically high levels of toxic chemicals in food – that actually “passed” government inspection and wasn’t banned like some other food.

Conspicuously absent are reports on effects of radiation exposure on the health of the Japanese people.  Have any health officials publicly announced post-March 2011 numbers on fetal deaths, infant deaths, premature births, birth defects, cancer, or other health conditions?  The answer so far is an emphatic “no"."

Big Ag Spends Big on Fight Against Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food | Common Dreams

Big Ag Spends Big on Fight Against Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food | Common Dreams
"Big names in corporate agriculture and biotechnology firms are spending big -- to the tune of $12 million -- in their fight to prevent Californians from knowing whether their food contains genetically engineered ingredients."

A Generational Stance on Behalf of the Arctic Ocean | Common Dreams

A Generational Stance on Behalf of the Arctic Ocean | Common Dreams
"We must resist and insist that President Obama and Secretary Salazar deny this drilling permit to Shell Oil on two points: The Department of Interior has refused to issue an environmental impact statement to access the risks, impacts, and potential damages that Shell Oil's drilling plan might have on the fragile and complex ocean environment and its inhabitants. Instead, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement has issued what is called a "Finding of No Significant Impact. This is a lie. 2) Shell Oil has not been able to produce a comprehensive strategy or plan of action, by their own admission, outlining their what they would do should an oil spill occur in Arctic waters."

The hottest month on record underscores the danger of Mitt Romney and the Republicans

The hottest month on record underscores the danger of Mitt Romney and the Republicans
"It's been an interesting couple of weeks for both the science and politics of climate change, with both the science and the politics again underscoring the necessity of reelecting President Obama and ensuring he has a Democratic Congress with which to work. The science culminated with the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reporting"

Meet Paul Ryan: Climate Denier, Conspiracy Theorist, Koch Acolyte

Meet Paul Ryan: Climate Denier, Conspiracy Theorist, Koch Acolyte:  Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Mitt Romney’s vice-presidential pick, is a virulent denier of climate science, with a voting record to match. A favorite of the Koch brothers, Ryan has accused scientists of engaging in conspiracy to “intentionally mislead the public on the issue of climate change.” [...]/p

New Groundwater Study Exposes Deep Folly of Fracking | Common Dreams

New Groundwater Study Exposes Deep Folly of Fracking | Common Dreams
"Nothing shows the dangerous connection between drought and fracking more than the study released by the journal Nature this week, which shows groundwater demand is exceeding supply, particularly in agricultural zones. Not only is the oil and gas industry turning our rural areas into sacrifice zones, it is also diverting water that is needed to grow food."

In Pueblo, Colorado, Obama blasts Romney over wind tax credit. GOP candidate replies with lie

In Pueblo, Colorado, Obama blasts Romney over wind tax credit. GOP candidate replies with lie
"Romney has been taking heat from some members of his own party for his adamant opposition to the production tax credit. It provides a boost to wind, solar and geothermal development by providing a 2.2-cent subsidy for every kilowatt-hour of electricity produced in the first 10 years of a company's operation. Although Romney continues to support billions of dollars of subsidies for oil companies, he says he wants to level the playing field and let the production tax credit expire at the end of 2012. If it does expire, Vestas says 1,600 of its 1,700 Colorado workers might have to be laid off."

Worldwide Demand for Water Outstrips Supply: Study | Common Dreams

Worldwide Demand for Water Outstrips Supply: Study | Common Dreams
"Almost one-quarter of the world’s population lives in regions where groundwater is being used up faster than it can be replenished, concludes a comprehensive global analysis of groundwater depletion, published this week in Nature."

July was hottest recorded month in U.S. history | Nation & World | The Seattle Times

July was hottest recorded month in U.S. history | Nation & World | The Seattle Times
"This probably comes as no surprise: Federal scientists say July was the hottest month ever recorded in the Lower 48 states, breaking a record set during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s."

NOAA: July Was Hottest Month Ever in US | Common Dreams

NOAA: July Was Hottest Month Ever in US | Common Dreams
"July was the hottest month on record in the continental United States, continuing the warmest January-to-July period since modern record-keeping began in 1895, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported Wednesday."

Fracking waste messes with Texas

Shell Gets Green Light to Harass Arctic Marine Mammals | Common Dreams

Shell Gets Green Light to Harass Arctic Marine Mammals | Common Dreams
"Shell now has the green light from the government to harass marine mammals and put them at risk of a major oil spill in the region."

Groups Challenge EPA to Regulate Use of Chemical Dispersants | Common Dreams

Groups Challenge EPA to Regulate Use of Chemical Dispersants | Common Dreams
"A coalition of conservation, wildlife and public health groups in the US have filed a citizen suit under the provisions of the Federal Clean Water Act today to compel the  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue a rule on the use of chemical dispersants used in the aftermath of oil spills."

The Devil Still Has Us Death Dancing at Fukushima | Common Dreams

The Devil Still Has Us Death Dancing at Fukushima | Common Dreams
"Our lives still hang by a Devil’s thread at Fukushima."

Romney Campaigns In Iowa, A State Where He’s Vowed To Cut Support For The Vital Wind Industry

Romney Campaigns In Iowa, A State Where He’s Vowed To Cut Support For The Vital Wind Industry: by Noreen Nielsen Mitt Romney takes his campaign to Iowa today, where he will stop at Acme Industries’ Pratt Boulevard shop to speak about small business and the economy. This event comes just a week after Romney officially endorsed letting the wind energy production tax credit (PTC) expire, a move that could kill over 37,000 [...]/p

2012 Has Already Set More Daily Heat Records Than All Of 2011, And More Are On The Way

2012 Has Already Set More Daily Heat Records Than All Of 2011, And More Are On The Way: The U.S. has already seen more daily heat records broken or tied than 2011 — and its only August. In 2011, 26,674 daily heat records were broken or tied. As of August 5th, there have already been 27,042 heat records set or matched. Many of those records were set during heat waves in March and [...]/p

Monsanto’s Quiet Coup: Will Congress Limit Scope and Time for GMO Reviews?

Monsanto’s Quiet Coup: Will Congress Limit Scope and Time for GMO Reviews?
"After a series of court defeats over the past few years, Monsanto and friends are trying to use Congress to make an end-run around the courts and current law. Lawsuits brought by opponents of genetically engineered (GE) crops resulted in the temporary removal of two products -- Roundup Ready Alfalfa and Roundup Ready Sugarbeets -- from the market. If the biotechnology industry and the legislators they support have their way, future GE crops will not suffer the same fate."

Fighting GMO Labeling in California is Food Lobby’s 'Highest Priority' | Common Dreams

Fighting GMO Labeling in California is Food Lobby’s 'Highest Priority' | Common Dreams
"In case you had any doubt that California’s Prop 37—which would require labeling of food containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs)—is a significant threat to industry, a top food lobby has now made it perfectly clear."

Western North America Faces 21st Century 'Mega-drought' | Alternet

Western North America Faces 21st Century 'Mega-drought' | Alternet
"Get ready for more long-term drought in the West that will likely be worse than experienced during 2000 to 2004, which was the most severe drought in 800 years."

The Great Impostors: In the Name of Saving Natural World, Governments Are Privatizing It | Common Dreams

The Great Impostors: In the Name of Saving Natural World, Governments Are Privatizing It | Common Dreams
"It diminishes us, it diminishes nature. By turning the natural world into a subsidiary of the corporate economy, it reasserts the biblical doctrine of dominion. It slices the biosphere into component commodities: already the government's task force is talking of "unbundling" ecosystem services, a term borrowed from previous privatisations. This might make financial sense; it makes no ecological sense. The more we learn about the natural world, the more we discover that its functions cannot be safely disaggregated."

Climate Change is Here — and Worse Than We Thought | Common Dreams

Climate Change is Here — and Worse Than We Thought | Common Dreams
"n a new analysis of the past six decades of global temperatures, which will be published Monday, my colleagues and I have revealed a stunning increase in the frequency of extremely hot summers, with deeply troubling ramifications for not only our future but also for our present."

Outcry as Walmart OK's Monsanto GM Corn | Common Dreams

Outcry as Walmart OK's Monsanto GM Corn | Common Dreams
"Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, has confirmed to the Chicago Tribune that despite protests from environment and food-safety advocates, it will not restrict sales of genetically modified corn in its stores."

Fifty Years From Now, The Oceans Will Look Nothing Like They Do Today

Why a Major Food Organization Is Teaming Up With Monsanto and Friends to Block Your Right to Know What's in Your Food | Alternet

Why a Major Food Organization Is Teaming Up With Monsanto and Friends to Block Your Right to Know What's in Your Food | Alternet
"Big Food companies like ConAgra, Smucker, Hormel, Kellogg, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo want to block consumer protection legislation."

‘Gasland’ Director Josh Fox: It’s Up to the People to Say ‘No’ to Fracking

Clean Energy Programs 'Under Siege' by Fossil Fuel Giants: Report | Common Dreams

Clean Energy Programs 'Under Siege' by Fossil Fuel Giants: Report | Common Dreams
"The US renewable energy market is "under siege" at federal and state levels by "powerful, free-spending" leaders of the fossil fuel industry, according to a new study by the Sierra Club."

US Farmers Markets Surge: USDA | Common Dreams

US Farmers Markets Surge: USDA | Common Dreams
"Urban farmers markets across the US have become increasingly popular over the past few years and are now surging and expanding at unseen levels, according the the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA will announce Friday that the number of direct-sales markets has increased 9.6 per cent over the past year."

Bill McKibben of 350.org: Even Industry-Funded Climate Change Deniers Can’t Ignore Planet’s Warming | Alternet

Bill McKibben of 350.org: Even Industry-Funded Climate Change Deniers Can’t Ignore Planet’s Warming | Alternet
"Hundreds of new U.S. counties were declared disaster areas on Wednesday amidst the country’s worst drought in decades."

GOP Governor Schools Romney On Wind: ‘Get Out Here In The Real World To Find Out What’s Really Going On’

GOP Governor Schools Romney On Wind: ‘Get Out Here In The Real World To Find Out What’s Really Going On’: Days after Mitt Romney’s campaign announced his opposition to extending the wind production tax credit, Romney campaigned in Colorado, a swing state that supported 4,000-5,000 wind jobs in 2011. He included one gratuitous mention of renewable energy in his speech that ranked energy as his top priority, saying “I like renewables.” How he plans to [...]/p

Scientists Tell Senate Panel: Climate Change Is Here and Disaster Costs Will Be Huge | Common Dreams

Scientists Tell Senate Panel: Climate Change Is Here and Disaster Costs Will Be Huge | Common Dreams
"Climate scientists who appeared Wednesday morning before a Senate committee hearing on climate change and extreme weather impacts had stark warnings for the lawmakers: climate change is here, climate change is man-made, and climate change is going to cost us big time."

Special Investigation: The Earthquakes and Toxic Waste of Ohio's Fracking Boom

Special Investigation: The Earthquakes and Toxic Waste of Ohio's Fracking Boom
"Fracking is facilitating an oil and gas boom in the Buckeye State, and Ohioans have reason to be shaken up about the issue. Between the spring of 2011 and early 2012, a fracking waste injection well known as Northstar 1 caused more than a dozen minor earthquakes near Youngstown, Ohio, including one 4.0 magnitude earthquake that was felt for miles."

Greenpeace Discovers Sensitive Coral at Shell's Arctic Drill Site | Common Dreams

Greenpeace Discovers Sensitive Coral at Shell's Arctic Drill Site | Common Dreams
"Exploration vessels deployed by Greenpeace have discovered several coral species thriving on the ocean floor right where Shell is set to begin drilling in the Chukchi Sea."

There Is More Than One Way to Grow a Tomato -- Biodynamic Farming Is Probably the Weirdest | Alternet

There Is More Than One Way to Grow a Tomato -- Biodynamic Farming Is Probably the Weirdest | Alternet
"Biodynamic farming produces wholesome, pesticide-free food and drinks -- but the methods are a little out of the ordinary."