Environment and Health
Against the Wind
Shortly before Congress left for its long summer vacation, Senator Barbara Mikulski tried to block a 150-megawatt wind farm. The Maryland Democrat's move would delay Pioneer Green Energy's construction of the project in her own state until an independent study from...
Playing Toxic Whack-a-Mole
Popular activities like hiking, camping, and backpacking come with all kinds of risks. You can get heat stroke or hypothermia, run out of water, fall off a cliff, and bump into cougars or grizzly bears. If you get close enough to an infected ground squirrel for one of...
Dr. Spoilsport’s CEO Treatment
Solar Power Gets Hot, Hot, Hot
With so many homeowners and businesses making greener energy choices, private utilities — along with big oil, gas, coal, and nuclear companies — see the writing on the wall. Unlike some other denizens of the fossil-fueled set, this gang isn't beating oil wells into...
Sunny Future
30 Years of Toxic Injustice for Bhopal Survivors
The night of the industrial disaster is forever seared into the memory of the people of Bhopal, India. Heavy clouds of methyl isocyanate — a deadly toxin — and other gases engulfed crowded shantytowns, the railway station, and surrounding settlements after a runaway...
Handing Down the Bhopal Verdict
The Darker Side of Sunblock
This time of year, sunblock is part of the daily routine for many Americans. Wake up, slather it on, and go outside. For those concerned about the chemicals we put on our bodies, sunblock represents a double-edged sword. On one hand: what kind of chemicals am I...
Crafting a Hobby Lobby Doc Fix
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has promised to take action that will counter the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision. Thanks to that ruling, big employers may deny birth control coverage to the female employees whose health insurance they must provide. In other...
Shortchanging Our National Treasures
Fabulous vacations don't come cheap. Hotels often run at least $100 a night, if not higher. Add in airfare, a rental car, and restaurant meals, and a family vacation becomes a privilege for those with the cash to afford them. What's a more affordable option? Heading...
