Newsitem List

WASHINGTON— A report released on March 26 by the Government Accountability Office (see PDF) demonstrates that litigation brought by environmental groups is not the calamity-inducing threat to the National Forest system that House Republicans have repeatedly claimed for the past three years. The GAO’s analysis shows that from 2001 to 2010, fees awarded in 16 successful lawsuits brought because of violations of the Endangered Species Act amounted to $1.6 million. By contrast, the U.S. Departmen...

SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on March 24 announced a reversal of its policy requiring removal of all trees and shrubs from levees to obtain federal money for disaster assistance. A new interim policy allowing levee vegetation applies nationwide and the Corps has promised a rulemaking to make it permanent. The vegetation removal policy was challenged by conservation groups and opposed by many local flood districts, since vegetation on many levees provides important habi...

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— The California Public Utilities Commission on March 13 rejected (see PDF) a controversial power-line project proposed in Southern California and instead approved a scaled-down proposal to upgrade existing substations. The new substation and high-voltage power lines would have cut through habitat for endangered species and a rural greenbelt that separates the cities of Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley. Reduced energy demand (see graph) and fierce opposition from environment...

Among the specific threats identified by the report are new trade and investment deals such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) due to be adopted by twelve Pacific Rim states, and the Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA) between the US and the European Union. These agreements, notes report author Tanya Kerssen, threaten to override national laws—such as land-use guidelines and regulations on genetically modified organisms (GMOs)—that protect family farmers. Those who stand to benefit...

The TTIP, Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement, threatens the economics, health and food policies of countries beyond the EU and the US. The Investor-State Settlement mechanism gives corporations the same status as nation states. Sovereignty is sacrificed for profits of foreign investors. Philip Morris is suing Australia and Uruguay for lost profits because of health warnings on cigarette packages. A flood of lawsuits can be expected....

OLYMPIA, Wash.— The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced on March 8 that the state’s wolf population has grown to a minimum of 52 wolves, with 13 packs and five breeding pairs. The new estimate is up from 10 packs a year ago and represents a more-than fourfold increase from three packs at the end of 2010....

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Mar. 5, 2014—The White House released the federal budget for FY2015 yesterday that proposes to eliminate all funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) BEACH Act grant program that supports water-testing programs at beaches around the country....

Today, Sunday March 2, at approximately 10:05 AEDT, Sea Shepherd located the factory vessel of the Japanese whaling fleet, the Nisshin Maru, at 74°23’ S, 178°55’ W inside the Ross Sea Dependency, with a dead, protected Minke Whale onboard, and blood running from the side of the ship. Slabs of whale meat were also photographed on the deck, along with the severed head of a recently butchered whale....

Sacramento—The Los Angeles City Council has just voted to approve and ordinance to place a moratorium on fracking within Los Angeles’ city limits. The ordinance authored by Councilmember Paul Koretz and Mike Bonin passed unanimously....

As the battle over the Keystone XL pipeline intensifies in the United States, the Canadian province of British Columbia faces similar battles of its own. Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline, if approved, would transport diluted bitumen from the Alberta tar sands to the Pacific Coast....