By Manirajan Ramasamy, Sharon Chen, and Yoga Rusmana; Editing by Stanley James 23 June 2013 (Bloomberg) – Malaysia declared a state of emergency in some areas after air pollution from illegal burning of forests and peat lands in Indonesia reached hazardous levels, while Singapore breathed easier as winds shifted direction. Prime Minister Najib Razak signed […]
By PAUL KRUGMAN16 June 2013 (The New York Times) – Last week the International Monetary Fund, whose normal role is that of stern disciplinarian to spendthrift governments, gave the United States some unusual advice. “Lighten up,” urged the fund. “Enjoy life! Seize the day!” O.K., fund officials didn’t use quite those words, but they came […]
By Paul McLeary31 May 2013 (Defense News) – In the latest installment of the defense industry and their Congressional representatives rallying to save DoD acquisition programs that directly affect their district/state/business, EADS North America and American Eurocopter held a rally on Thursday in Columbus, Mississippi to try and “save” the UH-72A Lakota helicopter program. In […]
By David Biello11 June 2013 (Scientific American) – Here’s the scam. A Chinese company manufactures hydrofluorocarbons, the refrigerant gases responsible for the ozone hole and climate change. The gases can efficiently be turned into cash, either by using them in products like refrigerators or air conditioners or, more lucratively, by destroying them. In the early […]
By David Hill 24 May 2013 (Guardian) – The local government in one of the remotest parts of the Peruvian Amazon has allegedly funded the illegal clearing of rainforest at the start of the proposed route for a controversial highway that would run through the country’s biggest national park. According to a report by Global […]
[cf. Shadow banking grows to $67 trillion industry, regulators say] By Robert Frank31 May 2013 (CNBC) – The wealthiest 1 percent now control 39 percent of the world’s wealth, and their share is likely to grow in the coming years, according to a new report. The world’s total private wealth grew 7.8 percent last year […]
By Gabriel Elsner 28 May 2013 (Checks and Balances Project) – Yesterday, Checks & Balances Project and 11 environmental, faith-based, and public interest organizations called on Secretary of State John Kerry and the State Department Deputy Inspector General Harold Geisel to investigate whether Environmental Resources Management (ERM) hid conflicts of interest which might have excluded […]
By Dana Nuccitelli 28 May 2013 (The Guardian) – The Skeptical Science survey finding 97% expert consensus on human-caused global warming has drawn an incredible amount of media attention. Hundreds of media stories documented our survey and results. Lead author John Cook and I participated in a number of interviews to discuss the paper, including […]
By Alex Altman22 May 2013 (TIME) – Many politicians complain about wasteful spending until they’re on the receiving end. Not Tom Coburn. Throughout his career, the Republican Senator from Oklahoma has consistently argued that disaster-relief funds must be offset by matching spending cuts, even when his home state is the one afflicted by tragedy. Coburn […]
By Jeff Montgomery 24 May 2013 (The News Journal) – In a symbolic blow to state climate change adaption efforts, the Delaware county with most at stake in future sea-level rise forecasts abruptly declined to take any stand on the issue Thursday as a state panel approved dozens of recommendations for dealing with the threat. […]
