The Environmental Pages
Joshua Frank: Al Gore the Environmental Titan?
5/30/2006
There is no question that Al Gore has positioned himself to be the
environmental presidential candidate if he decides to run in 2008. It
is prudent, however, to examine his actual record on environmental
issues while in office. The evidence shows that Gore made many
compromises on highly critical issues. Somebody needs to sit him down
in front of a TV camera and ask him some hard questions about his past
behavior. Until that happens, Gore will have integrity problems that
will accompany him for the rest of his political life. Read the article.
Joshua Frank: The Trouble With Big Greens: Trapped Inside the
Beltway
4/14/2006
Why are the major players in the environmental movement ineffective?
Why have both Democratic and Republican administrations passed
environmentally irresponsible legislation upon which the big greens had
almost no influence? Frank believes it's because they have followed the
doctrine of lesser evil. Read
the column.
Global Temperature Change: Finally, the Pentagon
2/22/2004
According to The Observer (UK), a leaked study by the Pentagon has
predicted that climate change over the next 20 years could result in a
global catastrophe costing millions of lives in wars and natural
disasters. The report, which has been suppressed, predicts that Europe,
including Britain, will experience by 2020 a drop in average
temperature of 6°F. Its climate will become colder and drier
and
begin to resemble Siberia in weather patterns. more
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR):
U.S. Coverage of Global Warming Talks: Rare, Not Well-Done
11/22/2000
Among the 160 countries that are gathered at the Hague in the
Netherlands this week for negotiations to finalize the Kyoto climate
treaty, the U.S. is resisting any agreement that would require it to
actually take any action whatever to reduce its own greenhouse gas
emissions. That's not the story we are being told in the papers. Al
Gore, in the distant past, authored a book on the threats to the
environment, including greenhouse gases. Where are you now, Al? Read the Action Alert by FAIR.
Georgia-Pacific's "Grassroots" Political Movement
7/11/2000
The editor received a press release today authored by the Pulp
&
Paperworkers' Resource Council (PPRC) bitterly opposing the new EPA
clean water regulations. The PPRC describes itself as "a grassroots
organization representing over 400,000 forest-dependent mill workers
nationwide." Examination of the sender's email address, however,
reveals that "grassroots" doesn't always mean what we may think it
means in this world of mass communications and political manipulation..
Read the article and
the "grassroots" press release.
9/21/99
Dr. Hendrick discusses the various pollutants to which we are commonly
exposed and their effects upon adults and children, and makes some
recommendations with respect to both individual choice and public
policy.
World Wide Fund for Nature
Releases Living Planet Report 1999
The Living
Planet Report
is WWF's attempt to provide a quantitative answer to the question: how
fast is nature disappearing from the Earth? As a secondary ambition,
the report also describes how human pressures on the natural
environment are changing over time, and how these effects vary between
countries. The World Wide Fund For Nature is the world's largest and
most experienced independent conservation organization, with around 5
million supporters and a global network of 27 National Organizations, 5
Associates, and 21 Program Offices.
Environment: New Iceland
Scientists Report Clear Relationship Between Ozone Hole and Dangerous
Ultraviolet Radiation
9/10/99
This week's edition of Science
Magazine,
a peer-reviewed publication for the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, contained a paper by Richard McKenzie, Brian
Conner and Greg Bokeker, scientists at the New Zeeland National
Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, showing that long-term
decreases in summertime ozone over a portion of New Zeeland have led to
substantial and actually dangerous increases in ultraviolet radiation.
During last summer (which was our winter), the scientists reported that
the peak "sunburning UV radiation" was about 12% more than in the early
90s. Even larger increases were seen for the UV radiation that damages
the DNA of both animals and plants. Read the news report in SFGate.
The Mississippi
Sustainability Network
7/16/99
Read the quarterly newsletter,
which will be a regular feature of the Jackson Progressive.
National Research Council:
Environmental Accounting Needed
7/24/99
The National Research Council, one of the National Academies under the
Department of Commerce, has requested that Congress grant the Commerce
Department authority to develop and maintain economic accounts for the
environment, so as to give a more accurate picture of the economy. Read the entire release from the
NRC.