Free Republic

Last week’s punishment/settlement between the Department of Justice andDuke Energy over bird deaths caused by itswindturbines gives evidence that the Obama administration needed a scapegoat, to defuse accusations that it applies a double-standard in enforcement of wildlife laws. The Friday before Thanksgiving both parties announced that Duke would pay $1 million for the deaths of more than 160 birds that are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The incidents occurred over the last four years at two Wyoming sites operated by the utility’s Duke Energy Renewables subsidiary. “This case represents the first criminal conviction under the Migratory Bird Treaty...

Nothing spoils a day at the beach like these two dreaded words: swim ban. Summer only officially started last week, and the Chicago Park District already has hoisted the red flag that renders beaches off limits for swimming 23 times. Trying to pinpoint the source of these bans often turns into an environmental whodunit. We know the weapon is E. coli, bacteria that are typically harmless but serve as a clue that fecal contamination — and the disease-causing microorganisms that go along with it — might be lurking nearby. When E. coli levels get too high, the "No Swimming" signs...