Archive for June, 2007

France to push for climate change deal in 2008

Friday, June 29th, 2007

“France will use its term as president of the European Union next year to lead the push for a new treaty on climate change, Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo said on Friday. President Nicolas Sarkozy was determined that the French presidency would be ‘exemplary and decisive’ on climate change issues, Borloo told a news conference to […]

KY: Logging plan halted

Friday, June 29th, 2007

“The U.S. Forest Service said Thursday it was ending a plan to sell timber in a Kentucky national forest and would consider environmental groups’ objections if the project is taken up in the future. Besides logging, the plan would have allowed building or refurbishing more than 20 miles of roads in part of the Daniel […]

FDA bans seafood from China

Friday, June 29th, 2007

“Federal authorities on Thursday slapped a highly unusual hold on shrimp and certain fish from China after tests showed contamination from potentially harmful drugs. The Food and Drug Administration said it would block all Chinese shipments of farm-raised shrimp, catfish, eel and two other kinds of fish until importers can produce independent test results showing […]

Mars rover to make risky crater descent

Friday, June 29th, 2007

“NASA’s aging but durable Mars rover Opportunity will make what could be a trip of no return into a deep impact crater as it tries to peer further back than ever into the Red Planet’s geologic history. The descent into Victoria Crater received the go-ahead because the potential scientific returns are worth the risk that […]

Energy truths

Friday, June 29th, 2007

“Most Americans are conflicted and inconsistent regarding their energy preferences and priorities. They tell pollsters they want to stop global warming and reduce dependence on foreign oil. Yet they squeal bitterly when energy costs rise, balk at views spoiled by wind farms, are leery of nuclear power (the only alternative that can really make a […]

The origins of beliefs

Friday, June 29th, 2007

“There is considerable evidence from other research that secure property rights yield improved environmental quality, more efficient resource allocation, and higher wealth. Despite this, many people around the world remain suspicious of market systems and the private property rights essential to their functioning. Such attitudes arguably block the spread of markets, leaving millions of individuals […]

Is fluoride in the water beneficial for dental health?

Friday, June 29th, 2007

“Communities began adding fluoride to water supplies in the early 1940s after decades of studies into why some Colorado residents were exhibiting a discoloration or ‘mottling’ of the teeth but at the same time very low rates of actual decay. The culprit turned out to be high concentrations of a naturally-occurring fluoride that was running […]

Rachel Carson’s birthday bashing

Friday, June 29th, 2007

“Rachel Carson has been shouldering a lot of blows lately, especially for a woman who has been dead more than 40 years. Last month marked the 100th birthday of the woman whose 1962 book, ‘Silent Spring,’ is credited with launching the modern environmental movement. While environmentalists paused to celebrate Carson’s legacy, those politically opposed to […]

The CAFE paradox

Friday, June 29th, 2007

“Perhaps the greatest misconception in today’s energy debate is the idea that increasing efficiency will cut down our consumption. On the contrary, we should expect that if our cars and trucks become more efficient, we actually will consume more gasoline, not less. Increasing a vehicle’s mileage doesn’t just mean getting more miles per gallon, it […]

Diabetes hype flatlines

Thursday, June 28th, 2007

“Type 2 Diabetes is the disease most often publicly associated with obesity. Food cops use the health care costs and death toll from this condition to inflate statistics for their alarmist ‘no food for you’ campaigns. For years, anti-food-industry activists have claimed rising rates of obesity will fuel Type 2 Diabetes, producing the first generation […]