Free Republic

Jumping Mouse Loses Federal Protection Sat Jan 29,12:44 AM ET By JOHN HEILPRIN, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - The Preble's meadow jumping mouse, once seen as a costly impediment to development, is now viewed by the government as a critter that never really existed — and is no longer in need of federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. AP Photo The Interior Department said Friday that new DNA research shows the 9-inch mouse, which can launch itself a foot and a half into the air and switch direction in mid-flight, is probably identical to another variety of mouse common...

"I would promote wind for power, not damming more rivers," says actor Ed Begley, Jr. It’s low-cost, renewable, inexhaustible, eco-friendly and emits no greenhouse gases. If banks and energy companies financed wind energy projects, they’d help protect wildlife and habitats, "instead of hurting the Earth for oil," intones the Rainforest Action Network. If America devoted a mere 1 percent of its land area to wind turbine farms, it could generate 20 percent of its electricity from wind, asserts the American Wind Energy Association. And if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Sadly, equine mirages don’t make sound energy policy. They...

The seasonal hole in the Arctic ozone layer could be the worst ever this year if the current cold conditions persist, scientists are warning. Temperatures in the Arctic ozone layer are now the coldest for 50 years and have been consistently low for two months. The ozone layer blankets the Earth at an altitude between 15 to 30 kilometres. It is part of a zone called the stratosphere, and absorbs ultraviolet light. European Union scientists said on Friday that if the exceptionally cold temperatures continue, and the persistent polar clouds - which alter the chemistry of the ozone layer -...

(CNSNews.com) - With the world's attention focused on the earthquake/tsunami that has claimed tens of thousands of lives in at least ten countries that surround the Indian Ocean, media organizations like Reuters are pinning part of the blame for the catastrophe on "global warming." "A creeping rise in sea levels tied to global warming, pollution and damage to coral reefs may make coastlines even more vulnerable to disasters like tsunamis or storms in [the] future," wrote Alister Doyle, an environmental correspondent for Reuters, who attributed the opening paragraph of the story to "experts." However, Doyle's story did not contain...

Even though it's Ferrari red, zooms from zero to 60 in four seconds, and has a sensuous black leather dash with the same Motech data display found in Grand Prix race cars, this is not your typical little red sports car. At stoplights, adjacent drivers often ask Rick Woodbury for a card and where they can buy his car. For starters, it's smaller. Or rather, smallest. At 39 inches wide and 8 feet 5 inches long, it's skinnier than some motorcycles and shorter than many a living-room couch. It runs on batteries, not gas. And, if the thing ever makes...

Are you destroying the rainforest on your BBQ this weekend? Aug 28 Summer barbecues are contributing to the destruction of the Indonesian and Amazonian rainforests, Friends of the Earth said today, in a new briefing highlighting the damage caused by illegal logging and intensive production of soy and palm oil [1]. Chicken, beef burgers, veggie burgers, bread, crisps and prawns are all contributing to rainforest destruction - and yet UK consumers remain oblivious to the trail of destruction these every day goods leave in their wake. Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to impose tougher social and...

You know things are getting bad when a conference sponsored by seemingly mainstream groups like the Ocean Conservancy and the Pew Charitable Trusts includes a panel on "direct action" featuring the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's "Captain" Paul Watson. An open promoter of violence, Watson declares there's "nothing wrong with being a terrorist, as long as you win." Yesterday he told the self-described "seaweed rebels" at the conference on ocean health: "We can no longer afford to eat any seafood." After announcing that Sea Shepherd is "proudly a pirate organization," Watson insisted: ... we have got to cease and desist and...

Greenpeace sends "inspectors" to US embassy in Oslo OSLO (AFP) Feb 12, 2003 International environmental group Greenpeace on Wednesday sent "inspectors" to the US embassy in Oslo to "carry out weapons inspections", it said. "The inspection is taking place because of the United States' incompetence when it comes to respecting United Nations treaties on reducing the number of weapons of mass destruction," Greenpeace said in a statement. "The inspectors are asking the embassy to show a real spirit of cooperation," it said. Joined by telephone by AFP, one of the initiators of the action, Carl Johansen, later said the embassy...

NEW YORK -- With people crowding the sidewalks and music from clubs and cars in the air, it was the kind of summer night in Greenwich Village when energy seems to emanate from the pavement. Joseph Edmonds, in a dark baseball cap and a white polo shirt, might have been looking for the right nightclub. Instead, he was looking down the lines of parked cars. Halfway down the block from a busy corner, he spotted one that towered above the others, its shiny gray paint reflecting light from the streetlamp overhead. "I'm going to get that Excursion down there," he...

MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- Work on a bridge will be delayed because it is not allowed during turtle mating season. County officials planned to replace the Cherry Hill Bridge in the fall, but state law prevents them from disturbing the area during mating season. They have not decided when the work will begin at the Montgomery Township site. While it was not immediately known what species was found in the area, environmentalists say they likely are wood turtles, which are protected by the state. They say the work could stir up silt, which could kill the turtles. Copyright ©...