Environment and Health
Bear This in Mind
On August 7, an experienced hiker was found dead and half eaten by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park. The offending bear was later euthanized. A week later, a black bear injured a man near Yosemite National Park. The man had left a bag of trash outside his...
The Drill Is Gone
When Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, the GOP’s battle cry from that race also prevailed. Remember “drill, baby, drill”? This country produced 3.2 billion barrels of oil last year, up 75 percent from 1.8 billion in 2008. The boom helps explain why, as...
The Clean Power Plan Enters the Ring
Coal, Oil, Gas: None Shall Pass
Retired professional photographer Rick Rappaport was standing in 6 inches of water on the overcrowded floating dock, watching the drama unfold before him. The Fennica, a massive Shell icebreaker ship, was inching down Oregon's Willamette River en route to Alaska. It...
Is O’Malley an Environmental Champion?
Commanding the backing of only 2 percent of Democrats in national polls, Martin O’Malley isn’t exactly a big contender in his quest to become the party's presidential nominee. But like the rest of the growing number of hopefuls, the former Maryland governor is...
A Driving Force
Back in 1898, New York City hosted a global environmental summit. Flummoxed, the assembled experts disbanded early without agreeing on workable solutions. What daunting crisis brought about this precursor of today's big UN climate conferences? Fast-growing cities were...
What’s the End Game?
I was researching a billionaire who made a fortune in the pomegranate business when I came across an old New Yorker article that opened a window into her life. Every minute of her day is booked in a life devoted to the constant quest for more money. It made me wonder:...
A Hidden Hand in Obesity
If you looked at me, you might not be able to tell that I'm obese. According to the measure of my Body Mass Index (BMI), I am. Slightly. I don't wear plus-sized clothing, I've only got one chin, and you wouldn't mind sitting next to me on an airplane. Most people who...
A Slick Maneuver
What a relief. In exchange for Iran taking steps to guarantee that it can’t build nuclear weapons, the sanctions that have choked off its access to world markets will end without a single shot. Instead of celebrating this diplomatic breakthrough, conservative...
A Heavy Question about the State of America’s Health
The media and even some experts continue to miss the boat on obesity. Consider this recent example. "Being overweight or obese increases the risk of a variety of chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” reported the Los Angeles...
