environment

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San Francisco Battles Odor of Low-Flow Toilets

It's going to start treating wastewater with lots of bleach

(Newser) - The good news is that San Francisco's embrace of low-flow toilets has cut annual water consumption by 20 million gallons. The bad news is the smell. Because the water doesn't have enough oomph to push waste out of sewer pipes, a not-so-pleasant odor wafts throughout the city at times, explains...

Climate Change: Sea Levels Threaten 180 US Cities by 2100
Rising Sea Could Sink Parts of 180 US Cities by 2100
study says
Feb 17, 2011 6:09 AM CST

Rising Sea Could Sink Parts of 180 US Cities by 2100

Miami, New Orleans among most endangered

(Newser) - By the end of the century, 180 coastal US cities could be partially submerged thanks to rising seas, finds a new study that looked at cities in the Lower 48 with populations of at least 50,000. The climbing sea poses a risk to, on average, 9% of the land...

Hundreds of Yellowstone's Bison May Be Slaughtered

And a $3.3M habitat-expansion program looks doomed

(Newser) - Yellowstone National Park's iconic bison herds are suffering their worst winter in several years, with almost 400 of the animals being held for possible slaughter—as an effort to expand their habitat seems poised to fail, the AP reports. Some 368 bison have been captured and placed in government corrals...

Vintners Will Genetically Engineer Wine Grapes

Pesticide bans will require pest-resistant plants

(Newser) - If you enjoy a nice glass of wine every now and again, take note: The species of grape that provides many of the most popular varieties of vino will probably need to be replaced or, at best, enhanced a little, the BBC reports. The EU—the source of 70% of...

Africa Rapidly Breaking in Two
 Africa Rapidly Breaking in Two 
Jan 21, 2011 9:55 AM CST

Africa Rapidly Breaking in Two

Quakes widen fissure at rarely-seen speed: scientists

(Newser) - Africa is gradually breaking apart—and in the past several months, the process has accelerated. Now, amid earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, it’s happening exceptionally quickly, reports Der Spiegel . Water is threatening to flood a fracture between Ethiopia and Mozambique, scientists say; while it will be millions of years before...

EPA Yanks Permit for Vast Mountaintop Mine

It uses Clean Water Act to kill West Virginia plan

(Newser) - Environmentalists won a big victory today in the debate over mountaintop mining: The EPA took the rare step of revoking a permit for a massive site in West Virginia, ruling that it would foul the water for residents in that region of Appalachia, reports the Charleston Gazette . Mountaintop mining involves...

Paper or Cloth? Italy Bans Plastic Bags

Country uses 20 billion a year

(Newser) - Italians use some 20 billion plastic bags yearly—or 300 per person. But that ends tomorrow: the country is banning the non-biodegradable bags in shops, the BBC reports. It’s “a key step forward in the fight against pollution and it makes us all more responsible in terms of...

California Approves Cap-and-Trade System

3 years in the making; first of its size in the nation

(Newser) - While climate legislation flounders in Congress, California is taking the lead: Air regulators there voted yesterday to cap industrial greenhouse gas emissions and instate the first carbon-trading program of its size in the US, the Los Angeles Times reports. “Most political people said we should do as little as...

How the States Rank on the Environment

Vermont, Maine, and Hawaii lead the way

(Newser) - Which states are the most environmentally friendly? 24/7 WallSt analyzes pollution levels, energy use, and environmental policies to rank them from 1 to 50:
  1. Vermont: Among its many "green" attributes, Vermont has the smallest carbon footprint in the country. It also releases the fewest carcinogenic toxins.

Arctic Melting May Bring New Beast: Polar-Grizzly

Mama grizzly, papa polar means threatened baby

(Newser) - Melting arctic sea ice isn’t just threatening polar bears’ lives—it’s threatening their gene pool. The loss of ice means more contact between polar bears and genetically-similar grizzlies, which means cross-breeding, scientists say. Hunters have shot at least two polar-grizzly crosses since 2006, the Independent reports. Other species...

Nations Near Deal to Save Tropical Forests

Developing nations would be paid to preserve land

(Newser) - Looks like the UN climate talks under way in Cancun could yield at least one tangible deal—an agreement to start saving the world's tropical forests. The concept is simple enough: Developing nations such as Brazil, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea would be paid to stop bulldozing their forests, reports...

Senate Dems Push to Pass 100 Bills in One Go

Reid seeks filibuster-proof measures for public lands, water

(Newser) - With time running out in the lame-duck session, Democrats are working hard to push through some 100 environmental bills, Politico reports. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is calling on party leaders to compile a list of public lands and water measures Republicans won’t kill with a filibuster. On the...

Top Polluters Got Waivers, Cash for Stimulus Projects
Top Polluters Got Waivers, Cash for Stimulus Projects
investigation
Nov 29, 2010 10:11 AM CST

Top Polluters Got Waivers, Cash for Stimulus Projects

BP, DuPont escape environmental rules

(Newser) - The White House has handed wads of stimulus cash to the biggest US polluters and given them "sweeping exemptions from the most basic form of environmental oversight," finds a Center for Public Integrity investigation. Coal burners like Westar Energy and chemical maker DuPont have been among the beneficiaries...

LA County Bans Plastic Bags
 LA County Bans Plastic Bags 
Nov 17, 2010 9:55 AM CST

LA County Bans Plastic Bags

And puts a surcharge on paper ones to boot

(Newser) - The LA County Board of Supervisors passed a ban on plastic grocery bags yesterday, and instituted a 10 cent surcharge for each paper bag used instead, in an effort to push customers toward more environmentally-friendly cloth and reusable plastic bags, the LA Times reports. The measure, which is even stricter...

Reusable Bags May Hurt Planet, Too

Studies find sacks have risky levels of lead

(Newser) - Now that you’ve made the transition from plastic bags to reusable ones, it turns out they, too, may be an environmental threat, reports the New York Times . Studies show some such bags contain may contain unsafe amounts of lead, which could eventually seep into groundwater if they're disposed of....

Toxin Plagues Brockovich Town, Again

Cancer-causing material spreads through wells

(Newser) - A toxic plume of chromium continues to trouble the California desert town that Erin Brockovich put on the map—and the pollution is getting worse, reports the AP . High levels of the material, which can cause cancer, have spread through wells near Hinkley. “Because of the widespread nature of...

Meet the First Car Made by a 3-D Printer

Urbee combines eco-friendliness with innovative look

(Newser) - Saving the planet just got a lot better-looking: The hybrid Urbee is the first-ever car made using 3-D printers. The firms Stratasys and Kor Ecologic created the vehicle, whose whole exterior is printed by additive manufacturing—printing layer on top of layer until, essentially, a car appears—a method that...

NYC Dims Lights for Migrating Birds

Feathered friends confused by the light, scientists believe

(Newser) - The city that never sleeps will be a little less bright through Nov. 1, as buildings hit the lights to protect migrating birds. An estimated 90,000 birds die each year by slamming into buildings in NYC alone; turning lights off can reduce that number by 83%, according to one...

Green Diva: Sheryl Crow Makes Promoters Work

Demands local produce, biodegradable cups, recycled TP

(Newser) - Everyone should do their part to help the environment, and Sheryl Crow is making sure that her tour is as green as possible—even if it kills her promoters. Crow's tour rider demands "biodegradable non-petroleum cups" and "disposable napkins made of 100% recycled fiber," the Smoking Gun...

Brazilian Business Accused of Mutilating Sharks for Fins
 Brazilian Business Accused 
 of Mutilating Sharks for Fins
Shark Week Bummer
Aug 3, 2010 11:11 AM CDT

Brazilian Business Accused of Mutilating Sharks for Fins

Shark fin soup is the hot ticket in Asia

(Newser) - Here’s a story sure to rain on your Shark Week parade: A Brazilian environmental advocacy group is suing a Brazilian seafood exporter, alleging that it has been capturing sharks, cutting off their fins, and throwing the severely wounded creatures back into the water. Removing a shark’s fin is...

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