Thawing Permafrost will Likely Accelerate Global Warming

  On November 27, 2012, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warned that thawing permafrost will likely increase the effects of global warming in the coming years.  During discussions at Doha, UNEP issued a new report that permafrost in the northern hemisphere contains about 1,700 gigatonnes of carbon.  1,700 Gt is twice ...

Study Says US will Not Meet Carbon Cutting Pledge

  Countries from all over the world are currently meeting in Doha, the capital city of oil-rich Qatar, to develop a treaty to reduce the progression of global warming.  The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has already indicted drastic and immediate changes are needed in developed and developing ...

Annual List of Endangered Species Candidates Published

  On November 20, 2012, the US Fish & Wildlife Service published its annual appraisal of plants and animals for consideration under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  Since the last review in October of 2011, three species were removed from the status of candidate, two were added, and 9 have changed as far as priority ...

New Study Raises Concern over Illegal Python Skins

  A new report, called Trade in South-East Asian Python Skins, was published by the International Trade Centre (ITC) with cooperation from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and TRAFFIC—a program maintained by the IUCN and World Wide Fund (WWF).  The new report was published on November 27, 2012 ...

Freedom of Information Act Lawsuit Filed Against TVA

  On November 28, 2012, the Sierra Club announced it was filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).  The lawsuit states that the TVA failed to operate with transparency while it was taking public comments about a $1 billion project to continue the Gallatin coal plant.  The ...

BP Ordered to Suspend New Contracts with Government

  On November 28, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) temporarily suspended BP Exploration and Production Inc, BP PLC and all affiliate companies from entering into new contracts with the federal government.  The EPA has decided to take such action because it states BP lacked business integrity and showed poor ...

Research Intensifies Link between High Fructose Corn Syrup and Diabetes

  On November 28, 2012, the University of Oxford and the University of Southern California released a report that further highlighted the link between consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and type 2 diabetes.  Countries that use HFCS in their food supplies have a 20-percent higher diabetes rates than countries that ...

China is the Top Buyer and Exporter of Illegal Timber

  On November 29, 2012, the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) released a new report, titled Appetite for Destruction: China’s Trade in Illegal Timber.  The report reveals China is the largest importer, exporter, and consumer of illegal timber in the world, all the while emphasizing how policies in ...

Appeal Filed After Courts Decision on Blair Mountain Site

  On November 29, 2012, a group of historic preservation, labor history, and environmental protection organizations decided to file an appeal in order to protect the Blair Mountain Battlefield and restore the historic site with the National Register of Historic Places.  Blair Mountain was home to one of the most historic ...

Toxic Flame Retardants Still in Many U.S. Couches

  According to a recent study led by Duke University, many couches in the United States still contain carcinogenic materials.  One of the most common carcinogenic materials still found in couch foam is a chlorinated flame retardant called “Tris.” Heath Stapleton, an associate professor of environmental chemistry ...

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