EPA easing air quality rule for power plants: report

The EPA plans to propose as early as this week allowing certain states and companies to emit more pollutants than it previously permitted, the report said. An agency spokesman was not immediately available for comment. The agency’s Cross-State Air Pollution final rule issued in July calls, in part, for much stricter limits on emissions of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide, or SO2, from coal and natural gas-fired power plants beginning in January. Read More  Read More

No Justice for Animals

This past year, the big American agribusiness tried a novel new way to prevent the nation from seeing the truth about its factory farms – four states introduced bills that would’ve made all undercover filming of animals inside them illegal. All four attempts failed. Now, Finland has brought its own Kafkaesque twist to such efforts. In December 2009, Finnish media outlets stunned the nation by publishing disturbing video and photographs from inside 30 pig factory... Read More

2011 Walk for Farm Animals Aims to Raise $1 Million for Abused and Neglected Farm Animals

Source: Farm Sanctuary This fall, thousands of people in more than 35 cities across North America will gather for the 2011 Walk for Farm Animals, a series of fun, community-focused events that promote kindness to animals and raise vital funds to support the lifesaving work of Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization. For more information on the Walk and how to register, please visit walkforfarmanimals.org. Read More  Read More

Himalaya glaciers shrinking on global warming, some may disappear

Source: Tan Ee Lyn, Reuters Three Himalaya glaciers have been shrinking over the last 40 years due to global warming and two of them, located in humid regions and on lower altitudes in central and east Nepal, may disappear in time to come, researchers in Japan said on Tuesday. Using global positioning system and simulation models, they found that the shrinkage of two of the glaciers — Yala in central and AX010 in eastern Nepal — had accelerated in the past 10 years... Read More

More polar bear cubs die as Arctic ice melts

Source: Deborah Zabarenko, MNN Polar bear cubs forced to swim long distances with their mothers as their icy Arctic habitat melts appear to have a higher mortality rate than cubs that didn’t have to swim as far, a new study reports. Polar bears hunt, feed and give birth on ice or on land, and are not naturally aquatic creatures. Previous reports have noted individual animals swimming hundreds of miles to reach ice platforms or land, but this is one of the first to show... Read More

President Obama Announces Historic 54.5 mpg Fuel Efficiency Standard

Source: EPA President Obama today announced a historic agreement with thirteen major automakers to pursue the next phase in the Administration’s national vehicle program, increasing fuel economy to 54.5 miles per gallon for cars and light-duty trucks by Model Year 2025. The President was joined by Ford, GM, Chrysler, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar/Land Rover, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota and Volvo Read More  Read More

Mob Wipes Out Elephants, Tigers & Rhinos

Source: Wynne Parry, LiveScience Some of the world’s most charismatic and beloved species, including rhinos, tigers and elephants, are threatened by organized crime, which thwarts law enforcement to feed the illegal market for wildlife parts, according to a conservationist. Criminals have managed to prey upon wildlife and transport their black-market goods using sophisticated methods, such as hiding them in special compartments in shipping containers, and rapidly changing... Read More

‘Green’ image seen as key to future business success

Source: Euractiv As fears over climate change mount and Western consumption patterns continue to put a strain on the world’s resources, environmentally-conscious citizens are attracted to companies that share their concerns about environmental degradation. “Consumers are definitely looking for companies who do the right things. Products are no longer enough,” said Tim Mobsby, vice-president for European marketing at Kellogg’s. Read More  Read More

Ivory burned to make point about elephant killings

Source: MSNBC Record prices for ivory are fueling a sharp increase in poachers killing elephants, even those in protected areas, conservation groups warned Wednesday — the same day that Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki burned five tons of confiscated ivory to highlight the problem. “We wish to firmly demonstrate to the world our determination to eliminate all forms of illegal trade in ivory,” Kibaki told the crowd, before lighting the 335 tusks. “Poachers and illegal... Read More

Fukushima cleanup going well, according to UN atomic watchdog

Source: ENN Cleanup work at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant is proceeding smoothly and the prospects are good for bringing it under control, the head of the U.N. atomic watchdog said Monday after a visit to the crisis-hit plant. Japan said last week that it was on track with efforts to take control of the Fukushima nuclear plant, more than four months after it was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami that triggered meltdowns and radiation leaks, but cautioned that... Read More