In The News

Myanmar Wildlife Pays the Price for Chinese Demand

March 3, 2008
A country with a repressive government and dire poverty can attract the wrong kind of tourists. Such tourists arrive in Myanmar, not to admire lush forests, open grasslands or wildlife, but rather take advantage of a black market for rare species. Mong La, along the Chinese border, has branched out from offering opium and prostitutes to marketing exotic species for visitors. Gangs offer rare...

Clinton and Obama Emphasize Economic Themes

John M. Broder February 18, 2008
Candidates for US president Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are neck in neck, battling to win the Democratic nomination. To attract votes, both have adopted a populist stance and make plenty of economic promises to workers. Many border on assistance, including programs to help homeowners facing foreclosure or workers pay for health care. Growing income disparity tempts voters and candidates to...

Insect Explosion “A Threat to Food Crops”

Steve Connor February 15, 2008
After studying a warming trend in the Earth’s fossil record from 55.8 million years ago, scientists with Pennsylvania State University predict rising carbon-dioxide levels and insect populations. An increase in carbon dioxide will decrease nutrients available in plants and thus lead to insects eating more leaves. Researchers have not pinpointed the cause behind the ancient warming period, but the...

Time to Move to a Second Generation of Biofuels

Christopher Flavin February 15, 2008
The indirect costs of growing biofuels outweigh any benefits, report two studies in the journal Science. A new political and economic response is required on biofuels, suggests Christopher Flavin, president of the Worldwatch Institute, in response. The US government now provides tax incentives to farmers for growing crops that can be turned into energy, which has increased prices of biofuel crops...

Biofuels Deemed a Greenhouse Threat

Elisabeth Rosenthal February 8, 2008
Studies suggest that, when all costs are considered, biofuels cause more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels, according to The New York Times. As the US and other nations search for energy alternatives to fossil fuels, special interests in must-win states for the presidential election have promoted biofuel products. Besides adding to greenhouse gas emissions, development of biofuels...

Scientists Identify “Tipping Points” of Climate Change

Steve Connor February 7, 2008
The globe’s weather is not a constant. Oceans store heat, forests absorb carbon dioxide and ice fields reflect light. Seemingly small changes in temperature, light or forest cover, increasingly caused by human activity, can contribute to permanent changes in global weather patterns. An international investigation reveals nine areas enduring visible and rapid changes that could irrevocably adjust...

The Climate May Be Right for a Warming Bill

February 6, 2008
The American public supports government action on climate change – but balks at any steps that will increase costs or change a comfortable way of life. This ambivalence has stalled legislation in US Congress. In the US, environmental legislation is often tied to other issues. For example, one bill with a chance of passage is America’s Climate Security Act. With the US is suffering an economic...