msnbc.com: Environment

NYT: China report shows more water pollution

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 19:19:16 GMT

NYT: The world's most populous country reveals that water pollution in 2007 was more than twice as severe as had been reported in the past.

China - Water pollution - Environment - Pollution - New York Times

Loan guarantees recharge nuclear debate

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 11:23:23 GMT

President Obama’s push to triple federal loan guarantees for new nuclear power plants has recharged the debate over the viability of nuclear energy. Msnbc.com's Mike Stuckey reports.

Nuclear energy - Barack Obama - Nuclear - Energy - Power station

Anti-whalers, Japanese fleet fire water cannons

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 11:55:00 GMT

Activists vowing to stop the killing of whales exchanged water-cannon fire with a Japanese whaling fleet they are tailing in the Antarctic Ocean, as sea confrontations that have led to collisions and a sunken vessel continue.

Whaling - Southern Ocean - Whaling in Japan - Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - Japan

US to commit $78.5M to try to halt Asian carp

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 23:58:12 GMT

Navigational locks and gates in Chicago-area waterways crucial for shipping may be opened less frequently than usual under a $78.5 million campaign to prevent Asian carp from overrunning the Great Lakes, federal officials said Monday.

Great Lakes - Asian carps - Fish - Fishing industry - Presidency of Barack Obama

Whaler, activist ship collide off Antarctica

Sat, 6 Feb 2010 12:36:50 GMT

The anti-whaling ship the Bob Barker and a Japanese harpoon boat collided in the icy waters off Antarctica — the second major clash this year.

Antarctica - Polar Regions - Whaler - Antarctic - Bob Barker

Court battle over household cleaners

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 21:56:01 GMT

Environmentalists ask a court to use a 1971 New York state law to force manufacturers to reveal just what makes up such household staples as Ajax, Ivory soap and Tide.

New York - United States - Law - Business and Economy - Tide

Declined: Pika won't be protected species

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 23:09:23 GMT

Federal officials decide not to provide endangered species protections to the American pika, a tiny, mountain-dwelling animal thought to be struggling because of climate change.

Climate change - Endangered species - United States - Environment - Animal

Video: Greening an urban jungle in N.Y.

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 19:08:21 GMT

Transforming her South Bronx neighborhood from urban wasteland into an urban oasis, environmental activist Majora Carter has become an unstoppable force in the green movement. NBC's Anne Thompson reports. (Nightly News)

NBC - NBC Nightly News - Majora Carter - Environmentalism - Arts

Video: Majora Carter: 'We have to dream bigger'

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 19:16:04 GMT

Long before going green was chic, Majora Carter recognized an urgent need in communities that were hard-pressed to find even a park. Carter talks to NBC's Anne Thompson about her ongoing efforts to bring environmental justice to inner cities. (Nightly News)

Majora Carter - NBC - NBC Nightly News - Environment - United States

EU: Hackers broke into cap-and-trade system

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 17:17:49 GMT

The European Commission said Thursday that hackers used a spoof European Union Web site to try and steal information that would allow them to profit from the EU's cap-and-trade program.

European Union - European Commission - Government - Multilateral - Greece

Obama unveils coal, biofuel plans

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 20:41:16 GMT

Hoping to earn support from coal and farm states for an energy and climate bill, President Obama creates a task force to push for cleaner coal and unveils a plan to help finance biofuels.

Coal - Renewable energy - Energy - Technology - Fossil fuel

G-7 ministers are pawns in warming Arctic

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 21:08:42 GMT

Canada is hosting this week's Group of 7 economic meeting in a small town in the Arctic, in part to emphasize its claims to areas being warmed up and opened up.

Northern Canada - Arctic - Polar Regions - Science and Environment - United States

China doubles wind power in a year

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 18:04:50 GMT

China doubled the amount of energy generated from windmills last year, a report from the global wind industry said Wednesday.

China - Wind power - Energy - Wind - Business

Warming melts winter fun, Colo. warns

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 17:54:40 GMT

Colorado's $2 billion winter sports industry and millions of acres of forests are threatened by warming temperatures in the state, business and conservation leaders say.

Colorado - Acre - Sport - Environment - United States

Penn St. proceeding with scientist e-mail scrutiny

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 00:21:04 GMT

A Penn State University internal inquiry dismissed three allegations of research improprieties against a leading climate scientist but recommended further investigation into one allegation regarding leaked e-mails about global warming.

Pennsylvania State University - Global warming - Research - Climate change - Penn State University

Tap water fears as gas drilling expands

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 23:53:40 GMT

A drilling technique unlocking lots of natural gas in the U.S. also yields a troubling byproduct: powerfully briny wastewater that can kill fish and give tap water a foul taste.

Natural gas - United States - Business - Tap water - Energy

Oil, trucking biz sue California over fuel rule

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 03:10:00 GMT

The petroleum and trucking industries Tuesday sued to block California's first-in-the-nation mandate for cleaner, low-carbon fuels.

Petroleum - Business - Low-carbon economy - Energy - Oil and Gas

Ted Turner to get Yellowstone bison

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 23:45:15 GMT

Billionaire Ted Turner is getting 88 bison from Yellowstone National Park through a faltering Montana program that was intended to put the animals on public or tribal lands.

Yellowstone National Park - Montana - Ted Turner - United States - Wyoming

Hotter sands overcook sea turtle eggs

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 20:57:08 GMT

For the world's largest population of sea turtles, beach sand made hotter by climate change poses the greatest threat to their breeding success, a study finds.

Sea turtle - Turtle - Climate change - Animal - Population

Oops! 180 villas built in protected forest

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 18:12:15 GMT

Indonesian officials say they are investigating how 180 luxury villas came to be built in a protected national forest.

Travel and Tourism - Vacation Rentals - Lodging - United States - Bali

Leaks put spotlight on aging nuclear plants

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 21:01:45 GMT

Potentially dangerous levels of radioactive tritium — which can cause cancer — were found in groundwater at a Vermont nuclear power plant.

Nuclear power - Tritium - Nuclear - Business - Environment

EarthTalk Q&A: food waste, trout trouble

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 22:23:46 GMT

Read answers to readers’ questions about environmental topics.

Interior chief tours proposed Mass. wind farm site

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 01:43:00 GMT

The secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, who is weighing the fate of a controversial wind farm proposed off Cape Cod, said Tuesday that killing the pioneering project wouldn't hurt the country's developing offshore wind industry.

United States - Wind farm - Wind power - Renewable - Business

Albatross chick deaths heading for court

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 19:00:26 GMT

Citing a study that lead-based paint kills up to 10,000 albatross chicks each year on an atoll near Hawaii, an environmental group says it will sue the U.S. to clean up the mess.

Hawaii - United States - Lead paint - Environmental movement - Environment

Wine, salmon clash in Northern California

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 17:01:15 GMT

Grape growers in California's Sonoma County wine region are stomping mad at a new plan to limit the amount of water vineyards can pump from local rivers and streams.

California Cellars - Sonoma County wine - Northern Vineyards Winery - California - United States

Water-saving sink touted for Muslim prayers

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 16:48:20 GMT

A Malaysian company has invented a machine it says will help Muslims purify themselves before prayers without excessively wasting water.

Salah - Muslim - Islam - Religion and Spirituality - Malaysia

UN says nations' greenhouse gas pledges too little

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 23:22:11 GMT

Goals on reducing greenhouse gases announced by major industrialized nations are a step forward but not enough to forestall the disastrous effects of climate change by midcentury, U.N. officials said Monday.

Climate change - Greenhouse gas - Effects of global warming - Environment - Global warming

Review: Chevy Volt is electrifying drive

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 14:19:13 GMT

By November, GM will be ready to switch to high gear and begin mass production of the much-awaited Chevy Volt for retail sale to regular consumers

ChevroletVolt - ChevyVolt - General Motors - Electric car - Arts

Axed elm to be studied for climate clues

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:30:37 GMT

Herbie, the giant American elm tree, is giving his trunk over to science.

United States - Elm - Arts - New England - Herbie

Obama's new climate card: nuclear power

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:56:43 GMT

President Barack Obama is endorsing nuclear energy like never before, trying to win over Republicans and moderate Democrats on climate and energy legislation.

Barack Obama - President of the United States - Republican - United States - Politics

Bin Laden blames U.S. for climate change

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:35:45 GMT

Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden has called for the world to boycott American goods and the U.S. dollar, blaming the United States and other industrialized countries for global warming, according to a new audiotape.

Osama bin Laden - United States - Al-Qaeda - Global warming - Terrorism

Gov't told to cut own greenhouse gases 28 percent

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:18:43 GMT

Saying he wants to lead by example on global warming, President Barack Obama on Friday directed the federal government to reduce its emissions of heat-trapping gases by 28 percent in the next decade — a goal that exceeds targets for the country as a whole.

Barack Obama - Greenhouse gas - Global warming - Federal government of the United States - Climate change

Environmental group says office raided over Baikal

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:42:01 GMT

Police in Russia's Far East have raided the office of an environmental group that criticized the reopening of a paper mill on the shores of the world's largest freshwater lake.

Russia - Lake Baikal - Far East - Environment - Lake

13 nations agree plan to save wild tigers

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:37:08 GMT

A dozen Asian nations and Russia vowed Friday to work to double the number of wild tigers by 2022, crack down on poaching that has devastated the big cats.

Big cat - Poaching - Tiger - Conservation - Environment

White roofs do cool temps, study finds

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:32:51 GMT

Painting the rooftops of buildings white has real potential in cooling cities and helping mitigate warming, according to the first computer modeling study to test the concept.

Computer simulation - Environment - Global warming - Opposing Views - Physics