April 13, 2006 CONTACT: SARAH NATHAN (617) 727-2543 BOSTON — Federal Magistrate Judge Robert Collings has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to release key documents relating to the regulation of mercury emissions from power plants, Attorney General Tom Reilly announced today. Power plants are the largest producers of mercury, which poses serious neurological risks,…
The Earth as a weapon in 21st Century of Wars
By Rahab S Hawa While scientists, governments and concerned groups worry about increased industrial emissions of greenhouse gases and its effects on the planet, the role of the military in climate change has been ignored. ‘When environmental crises occur, it is usually only the civilian economy that is called upon to rectify the balance, while…
The Economic Benefits of Renewable Energy Far Outweigh the Costs for Chile
Amanda Maxwell, Latin America Advocate, Washington, DC The future of renewable energy looks bright in Latin America. Almost every week news stories report on new renewable energy projects in countries throughout South and Central America. The Inter-American Development Bank reported earlier this year that the region’s electric potential from geothermal, wind, ocean, biomass and solar…
The Next Superstorm: Will Congress Protect Us?
Frances Beinecke, President of NRDC, New York City One year ago, Superstorm Sandy ripped through the Northeast with unprecedented force. I still remember the harried calls to loved ones, the anxious waiting to hear from friends in harm’s way, and the heartbreak for those who lost so much. More than 159 Americans died in the…
Architecture, public responsibility, and the art of listening
Kaid Benfield, Special Counsel for Urban Solutions, Washington, DC I’ve been mulling this one for a few days. I seem to know a lot of people who do a lot of complaining about the architecture profession, particularly its alleged preoccupation with making artistic statements rather than, the charge goes, serving people. I think it’s a…
South America’s glaciers: going the way of the dinosaurs?
Amanda Maxwell, Latin America Advocate, Washington, DC South America’s glaciers are critical reserves of fresh water that support human communities and wildlife in every country where they exist. Unfortunately, these frozen masses are disappearing at increasing rates, as industrial activities, climate change, and altered weather patterns are taking their toll. A few countries in the…
Empowering Schools with Solar Energy: NRDC’s First Crowd-Funded Campaign
Peter Lehner, Executive Director, New York City Around this time last year, the Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified School District in Fresno County, California, was able to reinstate the music program it had lost three years earlier. The district’s 2,300 kids got their music back, not because of a wildly successful candy sale, but because of a…