Uncategorized

World Wanes

The World Summit on Sustainable Development opened today in Johannesburg, South Africa, with more than 40,000 delegates gathering to discuss issues such as water, energy, health, agriculture, and biodiversity. South […]

Euphrates Cats

The waters of the Euphrates River gave birth to civilization and are just as valuable today — but they are also in short supply, as people in Syria, Turkey, and […]

Money Doesn’t Grow on Tree Cutting

Money talks. At least, that’s the hope of environmentalists in Texas, who are appealing to taxpayers’ economic self-interest in an effort to stop commercial logging in the state’s four national […]

Up a Tree

When Julia Butterfly Hill did it, it was a novelty. Now, it seems, it’s becoming a trend: young people taking to the trees to fend off logging companies. From Santa […]

And other words from readers

  Re: Coolant Dear Editor: I am a big fan of Ask Umbra. I used to do a column like this for USA Today, and yours is much more interesting […]

Tumucumaque and Stomachache

There’s good news and bad news from the Amazon. Good news first: The Brazilian government has announced the creation of the world’s largest tropical forest reserve — the 9,562,770-acre Tumucumaque […]

Chinese Checkmate

In a move that could further isolate the United States on environmental issues, China announced yesterday that its State Council is on the verge of approving the Kyoto Protocol on […]

Hitting the Sack

In Ireland, the question “paper or plastic?” has become all but obsolete after the introduction last March of a tax on supermarket bags. Irish Environment Minister Martin Cullen announced this […]

Fin-ished

By virtue of its name, the whale shark summons a ferocious mental image, something along the lines of Moby Dick meets Jaws. But in reality, the creature is a gentle, […]

Corn Bawl

In a slap in the face to the bioengineering industry, the government of Zambia has rejected thousands of tons of genetically modified corn offered as food aid to the starving […]