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ROME — The international community must make the “ecological commitment” a top priority, Pope Francis said in an interview published Sunday. “We have not awakened in the face of planetary wars and injustices, we have not listened to the cry of the poor, and of our gravely ill planet,” the pontiff told the Italian daily Il Mattino. “We thought we would always remain healthy in a sick world.” “Today a time of trial, a time of choice,” the pope declared. “The time to choose what matters and what doesn’t, to separate what is necessary from what is not. It is...

'(I)sn’t traditional burial disrespectful to God’s good, green earth?'DUBUQUE, Iowa (LifeSiteNews) – The Catholic Archbishop of Dubuque, Iowa, has written to urge the faithful to reject “traditional burial methods” in favor of liquifying a corpse in order to be less “offensive” to the earth and environment. Archbishop Michael Jackels made the argument in a letter dated October 20 entitled “Alternatives to traditional burial methods.” Making reference to the “two people” who die every second worldwide and the 2.5 million who die annually in the United States, Jackels declared that this “makes burial practices a significant environmental issue.” 'Liquify’ bodies to...

Bill Gates is now best known as a philanthropist, not the guy who started Microsoft or was the avatar for everyone's annoyance with Windows 95. He's also known for wanting to save us from ourselves. Now, apparently, he wants to save us from the sun. However, while you may have been paying attention to his efforts on vaccination and lockdowns, you may not have noticed that one of Gates' most controversial causes just got a go-ahead: A project that would help block out the sun. According to Reuters, a Harvard University project plans to test out a controversial theory that...

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil (Reuters) – Years after India broke into the hi-tech business with information technology and China by way of manufacturing, Brazil may find its entrance in an unusual place -- a cow's ear. The South American giant is preparing to use its first locally-designed microchip in cattle earrings, a device that could eventually help authorities crack down on destruction of the Amazon rain forest caused by roaming herds. Produced by state-funded firm Ceitec, the "Chip do Boi" or "Cow Chip" is part of home-grown innovation efforts that Brazil hopes will help it overcome challenges in its sprawling economy...

From "An Inconvenient Truth" to popularizing the Prius, Hollywood has helped lead the way on some environmental issues. One of the latest initiatives: Cool Change, Fox's company-wide program to reduce the network's impact on global warming. As part of that effort, the seventh season of "24" will take steps to reduce and offset the carbon emissions from the show's production, with the goal of having the season finale be entirely carbon-neutral. It may sound like a publicity stunt, but Fox spokesman Chris Anderson says the network isn't after bigger ratings. "We are publicizing '24's' commitment to climate change for two...

The U.S. Forest Service has asked a federal judge to lift a ruling that the agency has cited in suspending permits for nearly 1,500 activities on national forests around the country, including a ski resort, guided hunting and fishing trips, and national guard training. In support of a motion to stay the ruling by U.S. District Judge James K. Singleton for the Eastern District of California, Forest Service Associate Deputy Chief Gloria Manning wrote that the agency has identified 1,436 projects or activities on national forests around the country where permits were suspended due to the ruling. They include 115...

Do you enjoy eating oysters on a hot sunny afternoon? Make the most of it – it may not last forever. Research has shown that global warming increases the sensitivity of oysters to metal pollution, causing a deadly threat to populations in polluted areas. Dr. Gisela Lannig from the University of North Carolina, USA, will present her work on cadmium poisoning in eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) on Monday 11th July at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Main Meeting in Barcelona [session C2]. Oysters are cold-blooded organisms so their body temperature changes with environmental temperature. Lannig observed that cadmium levels...

Moscow - A Russian court ruled that an astrologer could proceed with a lawsuit against the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration for plans to bombard a comet whose destruction would "disrupt the natural balance of the universe", said Itar-Tass on Friday. Star-reader Marina Bai's case was thrown out of a lower court because Russia had no jurisdiction over Nasa. But, the ruling was overturned when her lawyer, Alexandra Molokhova, was able to show that the agency's office in the US embassy in Moscow did fall under Russian jurisdiction. Bai seeks a ruling that would restrict Nasa in its...

  Posted on Fri, Mar. 12, 2004 Corporate America can't ignore global warming, Gore says RACHEL KONRADAssociated Press   STANFORD, Calif. - Detroit automakers and other American companies must stop ignoring the mounting scientific evidence of global warming or else the United States will become an economic laggard and the environment will deteriorate beyond repair, former Vice President Al Gore told students at one of the nation's top business schools."The American auto companies have sat around, and instead of hiring more engineers to solve the problem they hired more lawyers to fight the requirement that they do the right...

Cornyn sees Texas jobs in Alaska refuge Oil plan also improves security, he says; Kirk camp favors alternatives 10/05/2002 By TODD J. GILLMAN / The Dallas Morning News WICHITA FALLS - Drilling for oil in the Alaskan wilderness would boost national security and create Texas jobs, GOP Senate nominee John Cornyn said on Friday, and he accused his rival of siding with "environmental extremists" and against President Bush on the issue. "There's one way that we can hopefully improve our national security, and that is by relying less and less on imported energy from troubled regions of the world...