Caltrans Oblivious to Public-safety Concerns, Rare Ecological Values, Critical Salmon Habitat Along Scenic Smith River Canyon CRESCENT CITY, Calif.–(ENEWSPF)–September 24, 2013.  Conservation groups filed a federal lawsuit yesterday challenging a California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) highway-widening project that threatens endangered salmon runs, ancient redwoods and public safety along the wild[Read More…]

Toads in Southern Rockies, Utah, Nevada, Idaho Suffering From Disease, Habitat Destruction DENVER–(ENEWSPF)–September 24, 2013.  The Center for Biological Diversity reached a settlement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service late Monday giving the agency four years to consider Endangered Species Act protection for boreal toads in the southern Rocky[Read More…]

Mountain-dwelling Bicknell’s Thrush Imperiled by Climate Change RICHMOND, Vt.–(ENEWSPF)–September 24, 2013.  The Center for Biological Diversity reached a settlement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service late Monday giving the agency four years to consider whether to protect the Bicknell’s thrush under the Endangered Species Act. The thrush nests only[Read More…]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— In a settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service committed late Monday to making Endangered Species Act findings on whether protections are warranted for the MacGillivray’s seaside sparrow and the Florida Keys mole skink, in 2018 and 2017 respectively. Both species[Read More…]

ANN ARBOR–(ENEWSPF)–September 24, 2013.  Policymakers need to rethink the idea of promoting biofuels to protect the climate because the methods used to justify such policies are inherently flawed, according to a University of Michigan energy researcher. In a new paper published online in the journal Climatic Change, John DeCicco takes[Read More…]

Scientists publish first analysis of post spill sediment ecosystem impacts surrounding well head Retrieving Sample Cylinders into Gulf – Multicorer sampling operation aboard the RV Gyre. High resolution (Credit – with permission from: Texas A&M-University Corpus Christi, Sandra Arismendez.) Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–September 24, 2013.  The deep­sea soft­ sediment ecosystem in the[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–September 24, 2013.  Last month a new report co-released by Beyond Pesticides, Friends of the Earth, and other allies revealed that the neonicotinoids (neonics), the pesticides implicated in global bee die-offs, may be lurking in our own gardens. The study showed that more than half of the “bee-friendly” plants[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–September 24, 2013.  As part of its ongoing efforts to promote the design and use of safer chemicals, today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a draft report on alternatives to a flame retardant chemical, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), which has persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic characteristics. The findings in the[Read More…]

Rare Forest Carnivore Threatened by Trapping, Habitat Loss MISSOULA, Mont.–(ENEWSPF)–September 23, 2013.  A coalition of conservation groups filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today seeking Endangered Species Act protection for the Northern Rockies fisher, a secretive carnivore that lives in old-growth forests along the border of[Read More…]

Minnesota Beyond Coal Campaign marks final push for public comment deadline to urge retirement of Sherco, the state’s largest polluter MINNEAPOLIS, MN—(ENEWSPF)—September 23, 2013. Today outside Xcel Energy’s Minneapolis headquarters and outside an Xcel Energy office in St. Cloud, the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign held press events announcing a[Read More…]