greenlight - Citizen Journalism onEarth

Editor's Picks |  Read All Community Posts

What's Happening: Another Mountaintop Removal Mine Approved, Bottled Water Boom Tapped Out, and more

TOP STORY

Obama EPA Approves Another Mountaintop Removal Mine

"The Obama administration late last week quietly approved one of six major mountaintop removal permits that were said to be undergoing close scrutiny by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Without announcing the move publicly, EPA gave the nod for the federal Army Corps of Engineers to issue a Clean Water Act permit for CONSOL Energy Inc.'s Peg Fork Surface Mine near Chattaroy in Mingo County." [The Charleston Gazette]
 

AUDIO

Recent Hurricanes Not Matched Since Middle Ages

"The past decade has been the most intense period of hurricane activity since the medieval ages. The new study, using data from the earth and oceans, found that conditions were ideal for hurricanes about 1,000 years ago."  [All Things Considered - NPR]

RECOMMENDED READING

How Green Is Rail Travel

"According to a [new study], some train systems should be seen as nearly on a par with travel in large aircraft in terms of greenhouse gases emitted for each mile a passenger travels. Both air and train also produce fewer emissions for each mile of passenger travel than cars or buses (although, of course, planes generally go much farther than trains, buses or cars, so their overall emissions will be higher)." [Green, Inc. - New York Times]

Montreal Exports its Bike-Sharing Program

"From the beginning, Montreal officials had ambitions for the new Bixi bicycle-sharing system that went beyond the borders of that Canadian city. On Wednesday, Gérald Tremblay, the Montreal’s mayor, announced that the Bixi system will be implemented in Boston and London. It is not clear at this point if the roll-out in Boston — where local officials are mounting a push for more bike lanes as well — will be on the same scale as Montreal’s system, with hundreds of parking stations and thousands of bicycles." [Green, Inc.- New York Times]

Bottled Water Boom Appears Tapped Out

"[S]ales of bottled water have fallen for the first time in at least five years, assailed by wrathful environmentalists and budget-conscious consumers, who have discovered that tap water is practically free. Even Nestle, the country's largest seller of bottled water, is beginning to feel a bit parched. On Wednesday, it reported that profits for the first half of the year dropped 2.7 percent, its first decline in six years." [Washington Post]

 

 

Comments

  • Julie Burke wrote on August 17, 2009, 11:40AM : Flag this comment as inappropriate Flag this comment as inappropriate

    I am so happy people are made aware of whats going on, this planet is all we have, none other at this writing, I do not understand how people can get away with all the destruction, that are allowed to continue by our leaders...It turns & breaks my heart, we are destroying this planet, our animals in the ocean, on land, & in the air, we all take responsibility & must let these people know we will not tolerate this destruction...I want my Grandchildren & Great Grandchildren to see all the beauty that this only one planet, see & preserve all...But it is not only America, We must get all of the world to be aware & stop the destruction...

Comment on this post
OnEarth is a quarterly magazine of thought and opinion on the environment. OnEarth and the Greenlight blog are open to diverse points of view; the opinions expressed by contributors, online commenters, and the editors are their own and not necessarily those of NRDC.


Subscribe to Magazine | Site Map | About OnEarth | All Authors | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Media Kit | Contact the Editors | NRDC Home

NRDC