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Jun 30th 2012, 21:53

Along with a list of some of the most polluted beaches in the U.S., a recent Natural Resources Defense Council report also ranks America's best, "5-star" beaches. In "Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches," the NRDC explains that U.S. beaches had "the third-highest number of closing and advisory days in more than two decades" in 2011. Despite these findings, a dozen beaches maintained quality levels high enough to receive the NRDC's 5-star rating. These award winners, selected from "200 of the nation's popular beaches," received the designation for having low contamination levels and "strong testing and safety practices," according to a press release. Criteria for...

Jun 30th 2012, 21:53

Anakin, a kitten born with only two legs and no pelvis, puts a face on the cliche "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade" -- and it's an adorable face at that. Despite being born with disabilities, Anakin, or "Ani," is still happy and ready to play like a normal kitten. "Ani is a two legged cat, born without a...

Jun 30th 2012, 20:33

The pits ... bandicoot faeces found in sand, used in public playgrounds, from the central depot is likely to have caused the outbreak of salmonella cases on the northern beaches between 2007 and 2009. Photo: Rebecca Hallas THE mystery source of a salmonella outbreak that forced the closure of Sydney playgrounds and gave dozens of toddlers gastroenteritis may have been solved. Long-nosed bandicoots pooing in the sandpits may be the likely culprits, health investigators say....

Jun 30th 2012, 20:08

From Earth911's Mary Mazzoni: If you're planning a planet-friendly wedding this summer, you're likely pondering ways to cut costs, reduce waste and shrink the footprint of your special day. The last thing you want is to send your loved ones off with a mass-produced trinket that's destined for the landfill. But the idea of making 100 or more favors yourself can seem expensive, time consuming and, let's face it, pretty frustrating. Defy the odds and give your guests something sentimental and sustainable to remember your nuptials with surprisingly simple handmade favors that won't break the bank. From mini gardens to elegant edibles, here are seven handmade favors you just have to see. List and...

Jun 30th 2012, 18:57

Peter Hagglund is sick of old mattresses, bin bags overflowing with household rubbish and worse being illegally dumped near his home. The 50-year-old aircraft engineer wants to see culprits caught. The Waikowhai Reserve near his house in Hillsborough, Auckland, is a favourite spot for tippers. "The people who do this are lazy pigs," he said. "A lot of the stuff I find dumped in the bush is old household items like furniture and barbecues, which they...

Jun 30th 2012, 18:57

Chimpanzees at a sanctuary founded by famed primatologist Jane Goodall pulled a Texas graduate student into their fenced-off enclosure, dragging him nearly a half-mile and biting his ear and hands. Andrew F. Oberle was giving a lecture to a group of tourists at the Chimp Eden sanctuary on Thursday when two chimpanzees grabbed his feet and pulled him under a fence into their enclosure, said Jeffrey Wicks of the Netcare911 emergency services company. The 26-year-old anthropology student at the University of Texas at San Antonio suffered "multiple and severe bite wounds," Wicks said. He was in critical condition Friday after undergoing surgery at the Mediclinic hospital in Nelspruit, 180 miles...

Jun 30th 2012, 18:57

"So much for global warming." That's quite possibly one of the most common phrases I hear every time New Zealand has a cold snap. It's understandable people are confused by scientists telling us the world is heating up and to prepare for the worst, only to then be told August was the coldest on record. However, there is a huge difference between what is gradually happening over a century, and the...

Jun 30th 2012, 18:37

Tragedy hit a chimpanzee sanctuary in South Africa this week, when an American graduate student sustained injuries in a severe chimp attack that have left him in critical condition. Andrew Oberle was repeatedly bitten and dragged nearly half a mile by the animals. No others were injured, reported the Associated Press. In Texas, the death of a cattle herd has been tied to cyanide, or prussic acid, poisoning from "a common Bermuda grass hybrid found in grazing lands across Texas," explained AP. The grass, which was introduced in 1992, is known for its drought resistance. This was the first case of cattle cyanide deaths from the grass. In lighter animal news, check out this live webcam of...

Jun 30th 2012, 17:52

A huge and damaging derecho, or large wind storm, slammed the upper Midwest, Ohio Valley, and into the mid-Atlantic on Friday. Temperatures soared into the 100's ahead of the storm complex, sending huge amounts of energy into the atmosphere to fuel the powerful storms. The derecho got started early Friday in the Chicago area and raced southeastward through the afternoon at speeds of 65 mph while growing in size. Portions of Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina saw widespread damaging winds and hail reports. Some wind gusts were clocked between 70 and 90 mph, with the strongest recorded gust of 91 mph in Fort Wayne, Indiana. By late in the...

Jun 30th 2012, 16:36

Which countries are the worst emitters of carbon dioxide? Researchers continue to develop the best metrics for ranking polluting countries, and now, a new factor has come into play. In a new study, University of Michigan researchers accounted for both climate and GDP when looking at total emissions from each country. The addition of climate considerations led to surprising results, researchers Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle recently explained in American Scientist. Sivak, director of Sustainable Worldwide Transportation at the U-M Transportation Research Institute, said in a U-M Sustainability press release that as increased attention is focused on carbon dioxide emissions, there are...

Jun 30th 2012, 16:21

WASHINGTON -- Violent storms swept across the eastern U.S., killing at least five people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands on a day that temperatures across the area are expected to reach triple-digits. The Mid-Atlantic region had already been experiencing 100-degree temperatures before Friday evening's violent storms. Thousands are without power – and without air conditioning – as crews work to clear downed tree limbs and restore electricity. Falling trees were blamed for the deaths of two people in Virginia, two in New Jersey and another in Maryland. Widespread power outages were reported from Indiana to New Jersey, with the bulk of the service interruptions...

Jun 30th 2012, 14:37

Derechos (long-lived violent windstorms) defined as having to travel at least 240 miles with wind speeds of at least 58 mph, easily made that mark yesterday creating a swath of wind damage of nearly 800 miles long and 500 miles wide with peak winds speeds between 80 and 100 mph. The storm was birthed around the Chicagoland area Thursday morning with winds between 70 and 90 mph, but then really began to take shape in Indiana. The destrcuctive windstorm traveled through as many as 9 states (Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and New Jersey). The violent windstorm left at least three injured in Virginia, one injured both in Indiana and...

Jun 30th 2012, 12:54

Sometime in the 1930s, a British officer visiting Courtallam falls in Tamil Nadu spotted a troop of lion-tailed macaques (LTM) foraging on the rock face of the main falls, even as many pilgrims bathed below. This incident is cited to make the point that these highly endangered primates were not always as shy of humans as they are now. Sadly, there is no trace of them anywhere in the Courtallam ranges now. There are some troops in Kalakad sanctuary, about 60 km from Courtallam. It seems these primates have come one full circle thanks to the strict protection they have enjoyed in the last five decades. Recently, while at Iyerpadi estate near Valparai, right inside Anaimalai Tiger Reserve, we...

Jun 30th 2012, 09:42

Several environmental groups have asked the federal government to reconsider its recent approval of a natural gas pipeline project that would cut through environmentally sensitive land in Bergen and counties, including watershed areas around several reservoirs....

Jun 30th 2012, 08:23

POINT REYES – On clear days at low tide from his home above Drakes Estero, Kevin Lunny can make out the wooden racks of the Drakes Bay Oyster Co. farm. Lunny, who is also a cattle rancher and contractor, bought the business in 2005 despite some daunting conditions. The original tenants, Johnson's Oyster Farm, had left a legacy of public health violations and plastic debris polluting the bay and shoreline. Along with this vexing environmental cleanup, Lunny inherited another mess: The federal lease for his operation, which allows Lunny to harvest oysters within the pristine Point Reyes National Seashore, expires Nov. 30. With the backing of Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein – a...

Jun 30th 2012, 06:24

The mass-produced tomatoes we buy at the grocery store tend to taste more like cardboard than fruit. Now researchers have discovered one reason why: a genetic mutation, common in store-bought tomatoes, that reduces the amount of sugar and other tasty compounds in the fruit. For the last 70-odd years, tomato breeders have been selecting for fruits that are uniform in color. Consumers prefer those tomatoes over ones with splotches, and the uniformity makes it easier for producers to know when it's time to harvest. But the new study, published this week in Science, found that the mutation that leads to the uniform appearance of most store-bought tomatoes has an unintended consequence: It...

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Jun 30th 2012, 05:01

HCMC - The British American Tobacco-Vinataba Joint Venture Co. Ltd. on Thursday donated 206,000 seedlings...

Jun 30th 2012, 00:40

I went to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as a part of the NRDC Delegation to The Rio + 20 Earth Summit to give a talk about plastic pollution at the invitation of Voices of African Mothers. Before I left Los Angeles, my friend Lucy Walker, Director of the Academy Award Nominated Film Waste Land, connected me to the ebullient star of her documentary, Tiao Carlos dos Santos, who organized the garbage pickers at one of the largest dumps on the planet, Jardim Gramacho in Rio, and is now a global leader in the movement to reduce waste. Once I was in Rio, Leila Monroe of NRDC's Oceans Program found a local translator and most of the NRDC delegation joined us for a meeting at the dump with Tiao. We were...

Jun 29th 2012, 23:55

A so-called "leap second" will be added to clocks Saturday, June 30, 2012, scientists say. WASHINGTON -- Saturday night will stretch longer by a second. A leap second. International timekeepers are adding a second to the clock at midnight universal time Saturday, June 30, going into July 1. That's 8 p.m. EDT Saturday. Universal time will be 11:59:59 and then the unusual reading of 11:59:60 before it hits midnight. A combination of factors, including Earth slowing down a bit from the tidal pull of the moon, and an atomic clock that's a hair too fast, means that periodically timekeepers have to synchronize the official atomic clocks, said Daniel Gambis, head of the Earth Orientation Service in...

Jun 29th 2012, 23:55

NBC Television's popular show The Voice is employing a Moluccan cockatoo to accompany Cee Lo Green. As far as I'm concerned, this kind of animal exploitation doesn't fly. By showing a cockatoo perched on a celebrity's shoulder, NBC is giving viewers the mistaken impression that these animals make good pets -- or that they should be pets at all. Some viewers might even be inspired to "own" one too, thereby leading to increased trade in wild-caught Moluccan cockatoos in their country of origin and abroad. Owning a pet cockatoo is a huge problem. For better or for worse, the actions of celebrities have a major impact on trends... what to wear, who to wear, what to buy, and...

Jun 29th 2012, 23:55

Orchid see, orchid do. That's right. Despite their uncanny resemblance to some baboons, these are actually two distinct types of orchids: Dracula simia and Dracula anthracina. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOS According to the University of British Columbia's Botanical Garden and Centre For Plant Research, Dracula simia translates to "little dragon monkey." It was named in 1978 and grows between 3,280 and 6,560 feet above sea level in forests in southeast Ecuador. Its name comes in part from its cape and fang-like resemblance,...

Jun 29th 2012, 23:55

We're going to come out and thank BuzzFeed for this one, because we all need this right now. On a hot day like today, everyone could use a little something to cool them down. If you're like us, watching these two little white bears roll around in the snow might be the closest you get to actually finding some relief. Unfortunately, not all polar bears have it so easy. According to the World Wildlife Fund, "Climate change, which leads to the loss of Arctic sea ice, is the leading threat to polar bears," and some reports suggest...

Jun 29th 2012, 23:55

By: Douglas Main, OurAmazingPlanet Staff Writer Published: 06/29/2012 03:29 PM EDT on OurAmazingPlanet A study of Greenland's rocks may have turned up something unexpected: the oldest and largest meteorite crater ever found on Earth. Researchers think the crater was formed 3 billion years ago, making it the oldest ever found, said Danish researcher Adam Garde. The impact crater currently measures about 62 miles (100 kilometers) from one side to another. But before it eroded, it was likely more than 310 miles (500 km) wide, which would make it the biggest on Earth, Garde told OurAmazingPlanet. The team has calculated it was caused by a meteorite 19 miles (30 km) wide, which, if it hit Earth...

Jun 29th 2012, 23:54

Southern Co., the largest U.S. power company by market value, bought its second solar energy project in partnership with Turner Renewable Energy. The companies, which have been collaborating on renewable energy investments since January 2010, purchased the 20-megawatt Apex project in North Las...

Jun 29th 2012, 23:54

Ethanol futures rose to the highest level in 11 weeks in Chicago on optimism Europe's debt crisis may be alleviated after leaders eased repayment rules for Spanish banks. Prices capped the biggest monthly gain since October as leaders of the 17 euro countries...

Jun 29th 2012, 23:22

If someone asked you what the most basic need of the human race is, what would you answer? Chances are that you would say "survival." Your own and that of your nearest and dearest. So how do we achieve these universal goals of ensuring our own survival and, subsequently, the safe future of the human race? Well, first, to survive we have to eat. Second, we have to eat well, meaning food that is good for us and also produced in an environmentally sustainable way. It is actually quite simple -- we need to survive at the same time as we want a planet without an expiration date. However, the lifestyle adopted in much of the western world today is putting the future of the planet in limbo. The...

Jun 29th 2012, 22:34

In his 2009 documentary Capitalism: A Love Story, Michael Moore noted that while the content of President Jimmy Carter's July 1979 speech about our need to abandon fossil fuels for cleaner forms of energy was accurate, it was something that most Americans didn't want to hear at the time. Most Americans preferred to hear the convenient lie that we would always have plentiful oil at low prices, and voted for the candidate who embraced that vapid vision--Ronald Reagan. Moore argued in Capitalism: A Love Story that Reagan was, in essence, our first corporate president, hiding his devotion to the one percent behind his Hollywood smile. Certainly, his anti-environmental actions as president...

Jun 29th 2012, 22:09

Aerial spraying to control mosquitoes will be conducted Sunday and Monday nights over vast areas of Sacramento and Elk Grove, a result of a spike in West Nile virus detections in recent days. The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District will conduct the spraying using aircraft between the hours of 8 p.m. and...

Jun 29th 2012, 22:04

The National Interagency Fire Center reported on Friday that 52 large fires were burning over 900,000 acres in the United States, at least 39 of which are in the Western U.S. Some of the fires are so big that the smoke can be seen from space, and NASA on Thursday released footage taken from the International Space Station (ISS) showing a view of the fires from the orbiting spacecraft. According to NASA, smoke from fires in the Western U.S., including Colorado, can be seen in the four-minute video. VIDEO ABOVE Among these is, of course, the Waldo Canyon...

Jun 29th 2012, 22:04

PORTLAND, Maine -- Two high-definition cameras began streaming live video Wednesday of clown-like Atlantic puffins waddling, preening and nesting on a remote Maine island. The National Audubon Society and explore.org teamed up to stream video from Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge to anyone with an Internet connection. Located about 20 miles offshore, the island has the largest puffin colony in the U.S. The video marks the first time high-definition cameras have been used in North America to stream video of Atlantic puffins, said Steve Kress, director of Audubon's seabird restoration program. One camera shows puffins and other seabirds on the island's rocky ledges, flapping their wings...

Jun 29th 2012, 21:19

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Tulsa has approved a segment of TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone XL pipeline planned to run from Cushing to Texas. Ross Adkins, chief of public affairs for the Tulsa district, confirmed the decision Friday. If the overall project is approved by the president, the pipeline could eventually transport tar sands oil from western Canada to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast. TransCanada needs corps approval for its wetlands and water-crossing plans. The company awaits a similar decision from the corps' Fort Worth, Texas district. The Obama administration shelved the project earlier this year, explaining that officials needed more time to...

Jun 29th 2012, 21:19

Babylon Favela, Rio de Janeira, June 2012 The first person I met at the small organic farmers market just off the beach at Ipanema was the charismatic founder of the global Slow Food Movement, Italy's Carlos Petrini (U.N. Mega-Conferences like Rio DO bring people together from all over the world). The second introduced herself bluntly. "I am a multiplier," Regina Tchelly told me, explaining her role as the founder of Favela Organica, a favela-based organic catering business she spearheads. Regina is an explosive force in a green uniform of her own design. With less than $100 and her own salary as a full-time maid, Regina launched a business that now employs 20 people, caters for the likes of...

Jun 29th 2012, 21:15

A new flood protection plan approved Friday for California's Central Valley takes a firm stand against rules by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that could require all trees and shrubs to be stripped from levees in the region. The new Central Valley Flood Protection Plan will guide regional flood-safety improvements for the forseeable future and must be updated every five years. The plan calls for improvements in coming decades estimated to cost $17 billion. It will be funded initially by $5 billion in flood-control bonds...

Jun 29th 2012, 21:04

Tempsford, Bedfordshire: The chafer did not seem designed for climbing and swayed in the breeze close to the tip as if stuck for what to do next Garden chafer beetle, Phyllopertha horticola. Photograph: Klaus Reitmeier/Alamy...

Jun 29th 2012, 20:54

WASHINGTON -- J. Scott Gration, a former campaign adviser to President Barack Obama, has resigned his post as U.S. ambassador to Kenya, citing differences with his superiors. Gration said in...

Jun 29th 2012, 20:34

NextEra Energy Inc. is seeking permission to use photovoltaic panels at its 1,000-megawatt Blythe...

Jun 29th 2012, 20:27

"It all started with two seeds handed down to me -- Grandpa Ott's morning glory and the German pink tomato," remembers Diane Ott Whealy, who cofounded Seed Savers Exchange in 1975 as a way for a few passionate "mailbox friends" to swap seeds. Seed Savers has since blossomed into a 13,000-member...

Jun 29th 2012, 20:27

Woody Harrelson and Jessica Chastain have topped PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities 2012 Contest. Woody Harrelson and Jessica Chastain have topped PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities 2012 contest. The pair beat out more than 100 of Hollywood's hottest vegetarians, including Michelle Pfeiffer, Anne Hathaway, Ellen DeGeneres, Ben Stiller and Joaquin Phoenix. Between them, Harrelson and Chastain, the two hollywood stars have followed a meat-free diet for a total of 45 years. According to PETA, Chastain has been a vegetarian for 15 years and a vegan for five. The actress even had vegan "fried chicken" prepared for her on the set of "The Help." "I don't want to torture anything," Chastain...

Jun 29th 2012, 19:23

Abound Solar Inc., a failed U.S. solar manufacturer that borrowed $70 million guaranteed by the Obama administration, received financial support from investors with connections to both Democrats and Republicans. Pat Stryker, the billionaire heiress of a medical devices company, founded Bohemian Cos., one of six groups that invested $300 million into Abound. She is also a cash bundler for President Barack Obama, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The Loveland, Colorado-based company plans to file for bankruptcy next week. The solar company is also backed by Invus Public Equities Advisors LLC, which was co-founded by...

Jun 29th 2012, 19:18

From Mother Nature Network's Morieka Johnson: While Lulu has issues traveling by car, loud noises don't seem to bother my 8-year-old pooch. But Fourth of July festivities can be stressful for some cats and dogs. If your dog has trouble embracing the concept of bombs bursting in air, take measures now to help make the holiday a bit more tolerable. Certified dog behavior consultants Amber Burckhalter and Chris Redenbach offer a few training tips for calming anxious pets. List and captions courtesy of the Mother Nature Network Loading Slideshow Music Matters. Desensitize anxious dogs by introducing music or similar sounds. Redenbach has been introducing loud music to prepare her <a...

Jun 29th 2012, 18:57

During the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010, I walked along mucky beaches in Louisiana watching cleanup and rescue crews scrape down the sand and hunt for oil-soaked wildlife. The crews’ effectiveness was questioned at the time, but from a logistical standpoint the vast deployment seemed impressive. Now it turns out there were other wrinkles. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and BP, which had leased the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and led the organization of the cleanup, have announced a voluntary resolution of a government investigation into whether certain contractors discriminated against women in hiring for the cleanup. While the allegations were neither...

Jun 29th 2012, 18:36

A debate to get rid of an unpopular five-cent levy on plastic bags has resulted in a total ban from 2013 Toronto will eliminate its plastic bag fee on Sunday. Photograph: guardian.co.uk...

Jun 29th 2012, 18:08

[The Star] THE Water Services Trust Fund has disbursed Sh274 million this...

Jun 29th 2012, 18:08

[The Star] Kenya Wildlife Service director Julius Kipngetich has called on...

Jun 29th 2012, 18:02

Remediation of contaminated land at 225 Avenue will be completed within a year, a developer's witness said Tuesday at the Planning Board's special meeting. DALE MINCEY/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Bloomfield Planning Board testimony continues for the redevelopment project at 225 Belleville Ave....

Jun 29th 2012, 17:44

Prof Sir Mark Walport has been appointed to be the UK government's chief scientific advisor. He is seen as a "big-hitter" who knows his way around the Whitehall machine. He is earthy, forthright and a great communicator. His tenure as one of the most influential civil servants in Whitehall is likely to be eventful. Prof Walport is currently director of the Wellcome Trust, one of the largest funders of medical research in the world. He has a reputation for being tough. He has steered through controversial strategic changes at the trust that have won him many friends but also some enemies. Prof Walport has strong opinions on a variety of issues and is not shy to express them,...

Jun 29th 2012, 17:36

An investigation into the safety of carbon capture and storage has pumped four and a half tonnes of carbon dioxide into the sea Researchers simulated a leak by pumping carbon dioxide from gas containers based at the North Ledaig Caravan Park through a borehole to the release site around 10 metres below the seabed and 350 metres from the shore in Ardmucknish Bay. Photograph: David J Chilvers/Alamy...

Jun 29th 2012, 17:24

By Braden Reddall SALINAS, Calif., June 29 (Reuters) - Hydraulic fracturing has brought together greens and growers in California through a shared concern about the impact of the practice on water in a state where it is often in short supply. The strawberry industry lined up alongside environmentalists to voice their fears over fracking at a public hearing in Salinas at the Steinbeck Institute, named for a renowned author whose writing immortalized the region's agricultural history. Fracking, or pumping chemical-laced water and sand into a well to open cracks that release oil and gas, has generated a fierce U.S. debate, leading to bans in one state and several municipalities. Yet the...

Jun 29th 2012, 17:24

This OpEd, co-written with Jim Moriarity, was originally published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, June 21,2012 As more than a million tons of trash and debris from last year’s devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan float toward the West Coast, everyone’s worried about what it will mean for the region’s beaches and public health. How will we even clean up such a mess, and who will foot the bill? From Washington to California, as a region, we are all facing this challenge together. Ocean currents don’t care about state borders. The tsunami debris, along with sewage, runoff and everyday trash travel with the waves. The same is true for marine life. Fish and whales...

Jun 29th 2012, 17:08

[The Star] WATER supply to the provincial police headquarters in...