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Plan for northern spotted owl’s recovery in question

The future of the infamous northern spotted owl in the Pacific Northwest may be in further jeopardy if some U.S. federal agencies carry out their plans to restructure its recovery. […]

Myanmar quickly being deforested for world timber trade, quick cash

Ever wonder what the military government of Myanmar is up to when it’s not quashing peaceful, pro-democracy protests? According to environmental groups, the regime has allegedly been profiting from large-scale […]

U.S. agrees to forgive $26 million debt in Costa Rica debt-for-nature swap

The U.S. federal government has agreed to a debt-for-nature swap with Costa Rica that will see $26 million of the Central American country’s debt owed to the U.S. go instead […]

The Mustache discovers Van Jones

Tom Friedman just introduced Van Jones to a large new audience. All he had to do to make it a great column was get out of the way and let […]

Seattle Grist Reader Party — go get your tickets!

Hey, lemme guess, you got busy with other stuff and forgot to buy your ticket to the Grist Seattle Reader Party, which is taking place (whaaat?) tomorrow. Go get ’em, […]

Report says EPA not doing enough to protect Mississippi River

The longest river in the United States has been abandoned by the very agency that should be protecting it, says a new report from the National Research Council. A 13-member […]

Nobel Prize award and Clinton highlight importance of climate science

This post is by ClimateProgress guest blogger Bill Becker, executive director of the Presidential Climate Action Project.

It has been a good month so far for climate science, and a bad month for climate cynics. It has been an especially bad month for those on the Irrational Right who, for whatever reason, cannot stand the thought that Al Gore has emerged so gloriously from the grave in which they thought they had buried him forever.

"So now 'Algore' will join Yasir Arafat among the list of noble Nobel peace laureates," Rush Limbaugh lamented. By awarding Gore the prize, Limbaugh said, the Nobel committee has "rendered themselves a pure, 100 percent joke."

A week earlier, Hillary Clinton issued her "Agenda to Reclaim Scientific Innovation." As president, Sen. Clinton says, she would ban political appointees from "unduly interfering with scientific conclusions and publications," tell agency heads to resist political pressure that threatens scientific integrity, and protect whistleblowers who tattle on ideologues who mess with science.

Thus, the Bush Administration suffered two loud and public slaps in the face for its suppression of science at a time when the world needs it like never before.

States considering “toxic toy” bans

Lawmakers in nine states are working on legislation that would ban toys and child-care products that contain phthalates, toxic chemicals used as plastic softeners. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is talking […]

Severe drought in U.S. Southeast leaves Atlanta water supply in question

A nasty drought in the U.S. Southeast that began in early 2006 has local politicians sweating and meteorologists and climatologists predicting more of the same. The situation is particularly notable […]

China will relocate millions more people for Three Gorges Dam project

China may force another 2 million to 4 million people out of their homes over the next 10 to 15 years to make room for the reservoir building up behind […]