America's Environmental Future Starts Now | Common Dreams

America's Environmental Future Starts Now | Common Dreams
"Drought-stricken farmers in Iowa get it. Homeowners from the Jersey Shore get it. Eroding Alaskan native communities get it. Flooded families in New Orleans get it. They will all be part of thousands of people here on Sunday who get it -- America's energy past is dead in the ground. Our energy future is in the air, with wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources. The Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring dirty tar sands oil from Canada through the U.S. for export, will lead only to further darkness."

Forward on Climate And Solidarity Rallies Sunday

Forward on Climate And Solidarity Rallies Sunday: I will be at “the largest climate rally in U.S. history” in Washington, DC Sunday (details here). I’ll be tweeting, and, later, CP will have some stories on it. I hope you can make it to the National Mall, February 17, Noon – 4:00 p.m.– but if you can’t,  there are a bunch of solidarity rallies (full [...]/p

The Planetary Crisis of Climate Change is Not Political... It's Physics | Common Dreams

The Planetary Crisis of Climate Change is Not Political... It's Physics | Common Dreams
"Let me be very clear. The issue that we are dealing with today is not political. It has nothing to do with Democrats, Republicans, Independents and all of the political squabbling we see here every day. It has everything to do with physics."

Climate Change Added to US Government “High Risk” List | Common Dreams

Climate Change Added to US Government “High Risk” List | Common Dreams
"For the first time, a U.S. government auditor has added climate change to a list of issues that pose the greatest financial risk to the government and country. It is also warning that Washington is markedly unprepared to deal with the scope of the problem."

Conservatives Aim To Roll Back Kansas Renewable Energy Standard

Conservatives Aim To Roll Back Kansas Renewable Energy Standard: By Matt Kasper Lawmakers in Kansas this week have started to hold hearings regarding the state’s existing renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS). Lawmakers in both the Senate and the House are aiming to roll back the states’ RPS. The Senate Utilities committee voted to pass Senate Bill 82 out of committee and on to the [...]/p

Four States Introduce Keystone XL Resolutions, Lifting Language from ALEC and TransCanada Itself

Four States Introduce Keystone XL Resolutions, Lifting Language from ALEC and TransCanada Itself
"Legislators in four states have introduced bills in recent weeks supporting the controversial TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline, with language that appears to have been lifted directly from a "model" American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) bill and from TransCanada's own public relations talking points."

Ohio Fracking CEO Pleads Not Guilty in Federal Toxic Waste-Dumping Case

Ohio Fracking CEO Pleads Not Guilty in Federal Toxic Waste-Dumping Case
"Ben Lupo, owner of D&L Energy and Hardrock Excavating, pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal felony charges under the Clean Water Act."

Scientists Confirm: Arctic Sea Ice 'Collapse' at Our Door | Common Dreams

Scientists Confirm: Arctic Sea Ice 'Collapse' at Our Door | Common Dreams
"The Arctic Sea is experiencing rapid ice loss at a pace so fast that the area will soon be ice-free in warmer months, scientists confirmed in a report this week—showing a collapse in total sea ice volume to one fifth of its level in 1980."

Habitat Loss and Changing Climate Driving Reptiles to Extinction | Common Dreams

Habitat Loss and Changing Climate Driving Reptiles to Extinction | Common Dreams
"Changing global environments and habitat destruction are driving reptile species to extinction, according to new report published Friday in the journal Biological Conservation."

Arctic Death Spiral Bombshell: CryoSat-2 Confirms Sea Ice Volume Has Collapsed

Arctic Death Spiral Bombshell: CryoSat-2 Confirms Sea Ice Volume Has Collapsed: The sharp drop in Arctic sea ice area has been matched by a harder-to-see, but equally sharp, drop in sea ice thickness. The combined result has been a collapse in total sea ice volume — to one fifth of its level in 1980. Arctic sea ice volume in 1000s of cubic kilometers (via Robinson) Back [...]/p

48 Arrested at Keystone Pipeline Protest as Sierra Club Lifts 120-Year Ban on Civil Disobedience | Alternet

48 Arrested at Keystone Pipeline Protest as Sierra Club Lifts 120-Year Ban on Civil Disobedience | Alternet
"The action came before a rally planned for Sunday on Washington’s National Mall, which organizers have dubbed "the largest climate rally in history"."

The Newly Proposed Carbon Tax Will Fight Global Warming, Protect Low-Income Americans And Reduce The Deficit

The Newly Proposed Carbon Tax Will Fight Global Warming, Protect Low-Income Americans And Reduce The Deficit: By Richard Caperton In the last two years, the biggest extreme weather events cost American families and businesses $188 billion. As we pump more and more greenhouse gas pollution into the atmosphere, these disasters are only going to become more common. We must do something now to take action. And, thanks to a bill that [...]/p

Scientists: US Must Act Now Against 'Dangers' of Toxic Plastics | Common Dreams

Scientists: US Must Act Now Against 'Dangers' of Toxic Plastics | Common Dreams
"Scientists are proposing to reclassify the most polluting of plastics as hazardous materials hopefully enabling governments to do something about the 140 million tons of plastic that litter our roadsides, waterways and shorelines each year."

Denis Hayes: Five Things The President Should Do To Tackle Climate Change

Denis Hayes: Five Things The President Should Do To Tackle Climate Change: To be remembered as a great president, Barack Obama has to address the greatest issue of his time By Denis Hayes, via Crosscut The stature awarded President Obama by future historians will be very largely determined by his response to one issue: climate disruption. The President’s recent speeches, and appointments like our own Sally Jewell (as [...]/p

How The Sequester’s R&D Cuts Will Hurt Science And Innovation

How The Sequester’s R&D Cuts Will Hurt Science And Innovation: After President Obama’s called to attain a “level of research and development not seen since the height of the Space Race” in the State of the Union, universities are renewing their cry for a deal to avoid the so-called “sequester” in order to preserve federal research and development (R&D) funds. ScienceWorksForU.S., a project of the [...]/p

Corporatizing Seeds of the Commons: Patents Enabling BigAg Control | Common Dreams

Corporatizing Seeds of the Commons: Patents Enabling BigAg Control | Common Dreams
"The paradigm shift that has transferred control of seeds from the commons to corporations has brought harmful consequences to farmers, seed diversity and the environment while making a few agricultural firms owners of the "irreplaceable element of all food," according to a report reased Tuesday"

Watch a City-Sized Glacier Collapse | Common Dreams

Watch a City-Sized Glacier Collapse | Common Dreams
"The makers of the movie Chasing Ice were able to capture on film the largest ice calving ever witnessed by humans (so far, but that might not last the way things are going with our planet's climate). It was theJakobshavn Glacier (aka Ilulissat Glacier) in Western Greenland. The apocalyptic event lasted for more than an hour and when things stabilized, the glacier had retreated a full mile across a calving face three miles wide."

February 13 News: Senators To Introduce Climate Legislation With A Carbon Tax

February 13 News: Senators To Introduce Climate Legislation With A Carbon Tax: Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) are expected to outline climate legislation on Thursday morning, which will include a tax on carbon emissions. [The Nation] Senators Bernie Sanders and Barbara Boxer will outline the legislation on Thursday morning. Details are scant, though it’s being billed as “major” and “comprehensive” legislation, and will have [...]/p

GOP ‘Savior’ Marco Rubio Mocks Climate Change

GOP ‘Savior’ Marco Rubio Mocks Climate Change: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) made an appearance on Fox and Friends Wednesday morning less than 12 hours after delivering the GOP rebuttal to President Obama’s State of the Union address. The Republican Party’s newest champion took the time to shoot down the realities of climate change and the kinds of regulations that he himself once [...]/p

Thawing Tundra Threat to Frozen Carbon - Truthdig

Thawing Tundra Threat to Frozen Carbon - Truthdig
"The first kiss of sunlight on the frozen soils of the Arctic could spell increasing trouble as the world warms."

New Report Urges Research Into Environmental Causes of Breast Cancer | Common Dreams

New Report Urges Research Into Environmental Causes of Breast Cancer | Common Dreams
"A federal report released Tuesday urges more research into the environmental causes of breast cancer, including the "cocktail of carcinogens and endocrine disruptors" people are exposed to every day."

State Of Denial: More Dirty Energy Policies Expected From Koch-Fueled Marco Rubio | Alternet

State Of Denial: More Dirty Energy Policies Expected From Koch-Fueled Marco Rubio | Alternet
"After the State of the Union, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), will deliver the Republican response, where he will likely repackage many of the same dirty energy policies that  lost spectacularly among voters in 2012."

US Environment Agency Releases First Climate Adaptation Plan | Common Dreams

US Environment Agency Releases First Climate Adaptation Plan | Common Dreams
"For the first time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has publicly released a draft plan on how the department’s programmes will adapt to global warming, in a move that could lay additional groundwork for important new emissions rulemaking the agency may announce in coming months."

Conservative Folly: How the Right's War on Renewable Energy Could Doom Red States | Alternet

Conservative Folly: How the Right's War on Renewable Energy Could Doom Red States | Alternet
"Right-wing groups are doing everyone a disservice by bashing renewables, but GOP strongholds may have the most to lose."

State Of Denial: More Dirty Energy Policies Expected From Koch-Fueled Marco Rubio

State Of Denial: More Dirty Energy Policies Expected From Koch-Fueled Marco Rubio: After the State of the Union, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), will deliver the Republican response, where he will likely repackage many of the same dirty energy policies that lost spectacularly among voters in 2012. Although Rubio was dubbed by TIME magazine a “new voice of the GOP,” the presidential hopeful sounds no different from the [...]/p

NY Fracking Scandal: Seven Groups Demand Conflict of Interest Investigation of Cuomo Administration | Alternet

NY Fracking Scandal: Seven Groups Demand Conflict of Interest Investigation of Cuomo Administration | Alternet
"Cuomo's chief-of-staff actually has a direct financial interest in fracking going forward in New York state."

Protesters Fight Nestle Bid to Tap into Scenic Columbia River Gorge Spring

Protesters Fight Nestle Bid to Tap into Scenic Columbia River Gorge Spring
"Nestle Waters North America won't be able to tap a spring in the city of Cascade Locks in Oregon's scenic Columbia River Gorge for at least another two or three years, but opponents remain vocal about concerns over the multinational company's proposal."

Time to Take Notice: How Renewable Energy Is Becoming Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels | Alternet

Time to Take Notice: How Renewable Energy Is Becoming Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels | Alternet
"This is why we need to throw everything we have at making renewable energies our primary way of powering America into the 21st century."

Docs Reveal World's Most Biodiverse National Park Targeted by Gas Company | Common Dreams

Docs Reveal World's Most Biodiverse National Park Targeted by Gas Company | Common Dreams
"Previously undisclosed documents obtained by The Guardian newspaper reveal that gas giant Pluspetrol maintains both a desire and a strategy for extraction operations inside Peru's Manú National Park, which conservationists say is one of the most biodiverse areas on the entire planet."

'Future of Food at Stake' as Indiana Farmer Takes Monsanto to Top Court | Common Dreams

'Future of Food at Stake' as Indiana Farmer Takes Monsanto to Top Court | Common Dreams
"75 year old Indiana soybean farmer, Vernon Hugh Bowman, is taking agriculture giant Monsanto to the supreme court over one of the most "systemic crisis" in modern farming: who controls the rights to the seeds planted in the ground."

National Journal Warns The Economic Price Of Climate Change Is Already Here, And Growing

National Journal Warns The Economic Price Of Climate Change Is Already Here, And Growing: National Journal’s Coral Davenport has written a wide-ranging new piece laying out the myriad ways climate change, driven by human carbon emissions, is threatening the American economy. The point is backed up by myriad scientific reports: The draft of the upcoming Fifth Assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change determined that, by more [...]/p

The Meat Industry Consumes Four Times The Amount Of Antibiotics As Sick Americans Do

The Meat Industry Consumes Four Times The Amount Of Antibiotics As Sick Americans Do: The meat industry uses a considerable amount of antibiotics to fight bacteria on its livestock farms — so much so that it actually far outpaces the amount of antibiotics used to treat sick people in the country. According to FDA data compiled by Pew Charitable Trusts, the livestock industry is consuming almost four-fifths of the [...]/p

Why Sterling College Divested from Fossil Fuels | Common Dreams

Why Sterling College Divested from Fossil Fuels | Common Dreams
"Colleges and universities across the United States have an obligation to speak out on the critical environmental and social issues facing our country. The calamitous effects of climate change are directly linked to the educational mission of Sterling College and its focus on ecology and sustainable agriculture."

Radioactive Eye Glasses …Silverware…Zippers…Hip Joints… Anyone? | Common Dreams

Radioactive Eye Glasses …Silverware…Zippers…Hip Joints… Anyone? | Common Dreams
"DOE, the steward of the sprawling—and massively contaminated—American nuclear weapons complex, wants to lift a ban on recycling imposed in 2000. That action came in response to an earlier proposal to sell radioactive metal from DOE facilities to scrap metal recyclers. Once the contaminated metal is mixed into the scrap supply, it could be turned into virtually anything made with metal.
The problem is, products contaminated with radiation give off alpha particles, beta particles, or gamma rays, depending on the radioactive element (radionuclide or radioisotope) present."

The Biggest No-Brainer for Congress: Pass the ACHE Act to Halt Mountaintop Removal Mining | Alternet

The Biggest No-Brainer for Congress: Pass the ACHE Act to Halt Mountaintop Removal Mining | Alternet
"It's time to place a moratorium on new mountaintop removal mining operations while the first comprehensive federal study of the health dangers is conducted."

Conneticut and Hawaii Take Up GMO Labeling Fight | Common Dreams

Conneticut and Hawaii Take Up GMO Labeling Fight | Common Dreams
"The fight to label genetically modified (gmo) foods is now on in Hawaii and Connecticut signaling that, despite big agriculture's defeat of California's Proposition 37 in November, proponents of seed and food sovereignty refuse to back down."

Bill McKibben: Ahead of Keystone XL Rally, Fossil Fuel Divestment Expands Across U.S. Campuses | Alternet

Bill McKibben: Ahead of Keystone XL Rally, Fossil Fuel Divestment Expands Across U.S. Campuses | Alternet
"McKibben talks about the growing movement to divest from fossil fuel companies and what pressuring Washington has achieved so far."

Study Finds 80% of All Antibiotics in US Used for Big-Ag | Common Dreams

Study Finds 80% of All Antibiotics in US Used for Big-Ag | Common Dreams
"In 2011, more antibiotics were sold for use in meat and poultry production than ever before—at least four-fifths of all antibiotics used in the US—according to a new report by Pew Charitable Trusts."

Will Congress Finally Deal With The Health Emergency of Mountaintop Removal? | Common Dreams

Will Congress Finally Deal With The Health Emergency of Mountaintop Removal? | Common Dreams
"With the daily silica-laced blizzard from five million pounds of toxic explosives in the background, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth and Rep. Louise Slaughter reintroduced the biggest no-brainer bill of the year for Congress -- the Appalachian Community Health Emergency Act."

Being American Is Bad for Your Health | Alternet

Being American Is Bad for Your Health | Alternet
"That stark sentence  appears in the January 2013 issue of the  Journal of the American Medical Association, and it comes from the authors of a landmark report -- "Shorter Lives, Poorer Health" -- on differences among high-income countries."

EU Bans Animal Testing in Cosmetics | Common Dreams

EU Bans Animal Testing in Cosmetics | Common Dreams
"Though a major victory for animals and animal-rights groups, the recent announcement that the European Union is banning the use of animals in cosmetic testing shines a light on the sparse regulation of the chemicals used by the cosmetic industry in the United States."

How Exxon Feels About Our Children

GOP Lawmaker Laments [GOP-Led] ‘Congress Is Not a Reliable Partner’ To Cleantech

GOP Lawmaker Laments [GOP-Led] ‘Congress Is Not a Reliable Partner’ To Cleantech:pby Stephen Lacey via GreenTechMedia It’s nearly impossible to get Congress to agree on anything. But at a clean energy policy forum today, two congressmen — one Republican and one Democrat — agreed on three things: renewable energy is necessary, government should help leverage private investment in the sector, and the upcoming congressional showdown over [...]/p

U.S. Farmers Face Fraught Future - Truthdig

U.S. Farmers Face Fraught Future - Truthdig
"Climate change may force American farmers to alter where they grow crops and to spend millions of dollars more tackling weeds, pests and diseases, a report says. It urges them to consider this as a risk they may have to manage."

Minnesota's Moose in 'Precipitous' Decline | Common Dreams

Minnesota's Moose in 'Precipitous' Decline | Common Dreams
"The moose population in Minnesota is in "precipitous" decline, the state's Department of Natural Resources announced on Wednesday, and adds evidence to a recent report documenting the catastrophe climate change has already brought to the nation's wildlife."

Wild Horses Sold to ‘Kill Buyer’ by BLM Contractor » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

Wild Horses Sold to ‘Kill Buyer’ by BLM Contractor » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
"The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been trying to convince the public that the BLM does not sell wild horses to slaughter, but the Wild Horse Freedom Federation has obtained proof that a BLM Long Term Holding contractor sold wild horses directly to kill buyer Joe Simon, who is well known for sending horses to slaughter, and who owns JS Ranch (“Farms”) in Perkins, Oklahoma."

Ed Rendell Intervened For Oil Company to Stop EPA Contamination Case Against Range Resources | Common Dreams

Ed Rendell Intervened For Oil Company to Stop EPA Contamination Case Against Range Resources | Common Dreams
"A breaking investigation by EnergyWire appears to connect the dots between shadowy lobbying efforts by shale gas fracking company Range Resources, and the Obama EPA's decision to shut down its high-profile lawsuit against Range for allegedly contaminating groundwater in Weatherford, TX."

Lake Michigan Water Level at All Time Low | Common Dreams

Lake Michigan Water Level at All Time Low | Common Dreams
"Ongoing drought and above average temperatures have pushed the water level in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, considered a single body of water, to an all time low, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced on Tuesday."

Memo To Media: ‘Climate Sensitivity’ Is NOT The Same As Projected Future Warming, World Faces 10°F Rise

Memo To Media: ‘Climate Sensitivity’ Is NOT The Same As Projected Future Warming, World Faces 10°F Rise: The major media continue to sow confusion on one of the central questions of our time: How much warming will we subject our children and countless future generations to? The answer to that question depends primarily on four factors: The so-called “equilibrium climate sensitivity” – the sensitivity of the climate to fast feedbacks like sea ice [...]/p

Oklahoma Woman Locks Her Neck to Keystone XL Construction Equipment | Common Dreams

Oklahoma Woman Locks Her Neck to Keystone XL Construction Equipment | Common Dreams
"Early this morning Norman, Oklahoma resident Elisabeth Leja locked her neck to equipment used in constructing the Keystone XL pipeline. Citing concerns for Oklahoma’s waterways, and their importance for the health of future generations, her actions have halted construction at the site on Highway 62, just North of the North Canadian River, for the day. The Gulf Coast segment is being actively constructed in Oklahoma and Texas, despite objections by impacted communities."

Damage From US Navy Ship to Pristine Reef Far Worse Than Estimated | Common Dreams

Damage From US Navy Ship to Pristine Reef Far Worse Than Estimated | Common Dreams
"With attempts to salvage a US Navy minesweeper stranded in a pristine coral reef in the Philippines not yet underway, reports indicate that the damage the grounding caused to the marine sanctuary is far worse than initially estimated."

The Baffling Response to Arctic Climate Change | Common Dreams

The Baffling Response to Arctic Climate Change | Common Dreams
"The Arctic may seem like a distant place, just as the most extreme consequences of our wasteful use of fossil fuels may appear to be in some distant future. Both are closer than most of us realize."

'Just the Beginning': US Drought Kills Hundreds of Thousands of Trees | Common Dreams

'Just the Beginning': US Drought Kills Hundreds of Thousands of Trees | Common Dreams
"The historic drought of 2012, which continues to ravage over half of the contiguous US, has a new legacy: the death of hundreds of thousands of trees across the Midwest."

Australia Lodges Complaint After Japan Whalers Confront Sea Shepherd Activists | Common Dreams

Australia Lodges Complaint After Japan Whalers Confront Sea Shepherd Activists | Common Dreams
"After discovering a support ship for a Japanese whaling fleet in pursuit of environmental activists Australian waters this week, the Australian government filed an official protest with Tokyo demanding the fleet leave its territorial waters in the Southern Ocean."

Manmade Carbon Pollution Has Already Put Us On Track For 69 Feet Of Sea Level Rise

Manmade Carbon Pollution Has Already Put Us On Track For 69 Feet Of Sea Level Rise: The bad news is that we’re all but certain to end up with a coastline at least this flooded (20 meters or 69 feet): The “good” news is that this might take 1000 to 2000 years (or longer), and the choices we make now can affect the rate of rise and whether we blow past [...]/p

Exposed: How Whole Foods and the Biggest Organic Foods Distributor Are Screwing Workers | Alternet

Exposed: How Whole Foods and the Biggest Organic Foods Distributor Are Screwing Workers | Alternet
"Whole Foods is under investigation for 45 violations of federal labor law."

Can a Small Community Throw a Monkey Wrench Into the Global Fracking Machine? | Alternet

Can a Small Community Throw a Monkey Wrench Into the Global Fracking Machine? | Alternet
"While New Yorkers anxiously await Governor Andrew Cuomo’s decision on whether to lift the state’s de facto moratorium on high-volume slick-water horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” Woodstock, the iconic counter-culture capital of the world, has become the first municipality to call for legislation to make fracking a Class C felony."