Environment: June 2004 Archives

Friday, June 25, 2004
By Heather Kaplan, E/The Environmental Magazine

Three towering smokestacks rise from the fossil-fuel-fired Schiller Power Station in the quaint New England city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Built more than 50 years ago, Schiller is a striking example of a dirty, coal-burning power plant constructed during the mid-20th century.

An archaic plant exempted from Clean Air Act standards for major sources of pollution and known as one of the "dirty dozen" power plants in New England, Schiller is a facility that environmentalists loathe and traditional energy advocates say our nation cannot live without.

June 23, 2004

Source: www.oneworld.net

Sue Edwards reports on the challenges and opportunities facing Ethiopia as steps are taken to reverse the ecological and social damages that have locked the country in poverty.

Challenges
Ethiopia is a land-locked country in the ‘Horn of Africa’ to the northeast of Africa. Its topography is very diverse, encompassing mountains over 4000 m above sea level, high plateaus, deep gorges cut by rivers and arid lowlands including the Afar Depression 110 m below sea level.

Wednesday, June 23, 2004
An op/ed by David Suzuki

Scientists tell us that of all the issues facing humanity this century, the biggest challenge may be climate change. Over the next few decades, a warming planet could begin to have profound implications for our economy and our way of life. Yet this important issue is virtually nowhere to be found in Canada's election debates.

Wednesday, June 16, 2004
By Maggie Fox, Reuters

WASHINGTON — Climate change experts said Tuesday they are frustrated the U.S. government and the public are not taking the risk of global warming seriously.

They said even as sea levels rise and crop yields fall, officials argue over whether climate change is real and Americans continue to drive fuel-guzzling SUVs.

"There is going to be large change," said atmospheric scientist David Battisti of the University of Washington in Seattle. "The risks are very large."