Patriot Coal with End Mountaintop Removal in Appalachia

  On November 15, 2012, the Sierra Club announced that Patriot Coal Corporation will immediately begin to phase out large scale surface mining throughout Appalachia. Patriot is one of the largest mountaintop coal removal companies in Appalachia.  Patriot Coal filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 9, 2012.  A court order ...

Streams Begin to Degrade at Earliest Stages of Urban Development

  According to a recent study by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), sensitive species in streams can begin to disappear at the earliest stages of urban development.  The Department of Interior has long known that urban development affects stream quality and biodiversity, but the new study suggests the streams are ...

WHO Denies Any Ties with Food and Beverage Industries

  On November 19, 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) denounced claims by recent media articles stating WHO receives funding from the food and beverage industry.  The articles suggested that WHO receives funding from such industries that goes to research for non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer ...

World Bank Lends $7.1 Billion in 2012 to Mitigate Climate Change

  According to the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Climate Analytics, the world may become 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer by 2100 if current greenhouse gas emissions and future pledges remain the same.  In an effort to spur the development of green technologies in developing countries, ...

WTO Rules against Successful Canadian Clean Energy Program

  On November 19, 2012, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled against Ontario’s renewable energy incentives program, a program intended to lower carbon emissions and create more clean energy jobs.  The WTO ruled that the program, or “feed-in-tariff,” violated rules that make it unlawful for a nation or ...

Wind Energy Tax Credit May Expire by End of 2012

  On November 21, 2012, the Energy Information Agency (EIA) announced the wind energy production tax credit (PTC) may expire by the end of the year unless legislation extends the tax credits.  The PTC is one of the main contributing factors to wind energy growth within the United States in the last decade because it allows ...

United States and Mexico Sign Historic CO River Delta Agreement

  On November 20, 2012, United States and Mexican commissioners that control water crossing at the border signed an amendment to the 1944 treaty that controls water entering Mexico from the Colorado River.  The amendment, called Minute 319, will make water continually flow in the Colorado River channel between Baja California ...

United Nations Says Greenhouse Gas Reductions too Slow

  On November 21, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and European Climate Foundation released a report stating actions against climate change need to accelerate and grow faster than current trends if the world wants global temperatures to rise less than 2 degrees Celsius by 2100.  Current pledges by industrialized countries ...

Recent Animal Welfare Act and Horse Protection Act Violations

  The Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently announced that it took a considerable amount of actions against people who violated animal welfare regulations.  APHIS has attempted to make the violations transparent and has provided copies of court documents, official warnings ...

PA Approves $26.5 Million in Community Recreation Conservation Grants

  On November 20, 2012, Governor Tom Corbett in Pennsylvania approved $26.5 million for 198 projects in Pennsylvania.  The projects will improve communities, create new recreation, and aid in the conservation of natural resources.  Governor Corbett announced the funds at the Coleman Memorial Park in Lebanon.  ...

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