ENN: Press Releases

Obama Issues Endangered Species Performance Review: Has Only Listed One Species in 10 Months

WASHINGTON- The Obama administration Friday issued its first review of species that are candidates for protection as endangered species, identifying a total of 249 species in need of protection. The review also describes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's progress in listing these species, showing that the administration has, to date, only listed one species - a Hawaiian plant reduced to a handful of individuals.

As Climate Negotiations Slow, Forests Won't Wait

New York - Experts warn that any international climate treaty or national climate legislation that fails to address forest and land use issues thoroughly and without delay will not be effective. To drive that point home, representatives of the nonprofit sustainability group the Rainforest Alliance will attend the Copenhagen climate treaty conference December 7-18.

Effective Green Building Policy- The City of Vancouver Case

Governments at the federal, provincial and municipal levels are increasingly adopting green building initiatives in an effort to meet several challenges, including the fluctuating cost of energy as well as the looming prospect of climate change.

Coal Company Destroys Last Intact Mountain in Coal River Valley

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.- A subsidiary of Massey Energy has begun mountaintop-removal coal-mining operations on Coal River Mountain in West Virginia, the only peak in Coal River Valley that hasn't been blasted away for mining. Blasting for the mine is taking place 200 yards from the Brushy Fork coal slurry impoundment, which holds 8 billion gallons of toxic coal sludge above the Coal River community.

Over 200 Leaders Expected at Annapolis Banquet Showcasing Maryland Environmental & Scientific Leadership

Baltimore, November 2, 2009. Over 200 leaders from Maryland government, business, and academia are expected to gather on the evening of December 3 at the Miller Senate Office Building in Annapolis to pay tribute to The Maryland-Asia Environmental Partnership's (MD-AEP) 2009 Environmental Leadership Series hosts. The evening program will showcase Battelle; Coca-Cola Enterprises; I.M. Systems Group; Spiralcat of Maryland; University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES); University of Maryland's ESSIC (Climate Change Center); and Zephyr Environmental Corporation.

Three Models of Social Change

"Can we change fast enough? When thinking about the enormous need for social change as we attempt to move the world economy onto a sustainable path, I find it useful to look at various models of change.," says Lester R. Brown, President of the Earth Policy Institute, in a recent release, "Three Models of Social Change" "Three stand out. One is the catastrophic event model, which I call the Pearl Harbor model, where a dramatic event fundamentally changes how we think and behave.

New Study: Harmful Bush Policy Cut Protections for Wolf, Trout, Mouse, Prairie Dog, Penguin

PORTLAND, Ore.- A new study published in the international journal Conservation Biology, and authored by the Center for Biological Diversity's endangered species director Noah Greenwald, found that a policy issued by the Bush administration in 2007 wrongfully limited protections under the Endangered Species Act for five species: the northern Rocky Mountains gray wolf, Colorado River cutthroat trout, Preble's meadow jumping mouse, Gunnison's prairie dog, and southern rockhopper penguin.

Is our economy fit for purpose in a low carbon world?
Can economic growth deliver us from the threat of catastrophic climate change, or is it the engine that’s driving us relentlessly towards it?

Speaking today at a high-level debate in central London to mark the publication of his controversial new book Prosperity without Growth, Tim Jackson argues that building a new economic model fit for a low carbon world is 'the most urgent task of our times'.

The 2009 Jane Goodall Institute Global Leadership Awards Celebration Receives Boost From Hollywood Crowd

Dr. Jane Goodall Honors Ed Begley, Jr., Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, and Actress/Animal Welfare Advocate Betty White, Among Others

Special Musical Performance by Ben Harper
Surprise Appearance by Craig Ferguson

Retail Companies are Stepping into the 'Green'

GLOBE Marketing V.P. Nancy Wright talks about the Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) Conference she attended in San Francisco and why she's excited about GLOBE 2010.

GLOBE-Net (October 28, 2009) - "Retail companies are stepping into the light," says GLOBE Marketing V.P. Nancy Wright, recounting her experience at the Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) Conference held in San Francisco last week.

Military Experts Call for Action on Climate Change to Avoid Security Threats

Washington, D.C., October 30, 2009 – Yesterday, a group of serving and retired military officers from around the globe called on governments to "work for an ambitious and equitable international agreement" at the Copenhagen climate negotiations in December.

Cocoa farming, tropical environments benefit from Kraft Foods’ remarkable extended commitment to Rainforest Alliance Certified program

Chocolate became a little sweeter today as international conservation organization the Rainforest Alliance announced that Kraft Foods has committed to use cocoa beans only from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms across its entire Cote d'Or and Marabou lines, equal to some 30,000 tons of beans by end of 2012.

Eco-Friendly Snow Thrower Is Alternative To Belching Snow Blowers
Sno Wovel Quietly Outperforms Snow Blowers Without Emissions, Noise, Strain

New Canaan, CT. Oct. 29, 2009 -- Structured Solutions II LLC announced the launch of their newly-designed�wheeled snow shovel this fall. The Sno Wovel™ is the only non-combustion alternative snow removal device performing equal to or better than a snow blower. The all new folding frame Sno Wovel™ debuts in a new category of hybrid tools, combining�safety for the user, protection of the environment and high-performance. No fuel, fumes and deafening noise to harm the environment or the operator - no electric cords to tangle with. The Sno Wovel is 2-3 times faster than shoveling and comes with a folding frame design for easy and portable storage.

USAID FUNDS GLOBAL DISEASE SURVEILLANCE INITIATIVE
Wildlife Trust Tapped to Implement Global Prediction and Surveillance in Emerging Disease Hotspots

NEW YORK - October 23, 2009 - Wildlife Trust, the conservation organization that empowers local conservation scientists worldwide to protect nature and safeguard ecosystems and human health, prepares for a key organizational role in the recently launched program from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) aimed at detecting and predicting diseases (zoonoses) that move between wildlife and people.

China Solar Energy Technology and Investment Congress
10th - 11th, December 2009, [Shangri-la Hotel]
Huhhot Inner Mongolia
The China Solar Energy Industry Needs Your Products and Services to Further Drive Down Costs Per Installed Watt!

China Solar Energy Technology and Investment Congress is hosted by the People's Municipal Government of Huhhot, which represents the capital of Inner Mongolia, China. Inner Mongolia is aiming at building the biggest solar power base and National New Energy Industry base in China with profound and advanced industrial chains.

China Advanced Green Building Summit 2009
10-11 December 2009 [Crowne Plaza Century Park] Shanghai
Does going green mean high costs? What is the future of China green building development?

Noppen's "China Advanced Green Building Summit 2009" focusing on "cost, energy and environmental solutions in building" will bring together the most renowned green building project developers, investors, bankers, customers, and technology solution providers to discover the best methods for green building construction. The low cost and financial benefit will be demonstrated through classical case studies from around the world, including China!

Lethal New Poison Could Exterminate Black-tailed Prairie Dogs, Kill Whooping Cranes and Golden Eagles

SAN FRANCISCO- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently considering whether to approve a poison, appropriately named Kaput-D, that would be used to exterminate black-tailed prairie dogs. Last week, the Center for Biological Diversity submitted comments explaining the numerous problems with Kaput-D, including how it could also kill non-target species like the extremely endangered black-footed ferret, whooping crane, and American burying beetle, as well as foxes, golden eagles, ferruginous hawks, mountain plovers, burrowing owls, and bald eagles.

This Holiday Season Save on the Stuff and Get Back to the Basics

New York – This holiday season, why not skip the scarves, socks and stocking stuffers and consider giving friends and loved ones the gift of a shared experience -- a performance of The Nutcracker Suite, a visit to a local museum or farm? Prepare a dinner using sustainable ingredients.

Forest Service Withdraws Five-Year Permit for Off-road "Enduro" Races

Georgetown, Calif.- The Eldorado National Forest has withdrawn its approval of a five-year special event permit for dirt bike "enduro" races in the Rock Creek Recreational Trails Area in response to an appeal by the Center for Sierra Nevada Conservation and the Center for Biological Diversity.

China Advanced Green Building Summit
10-11December 2009 [Crowne Plaza Century Park] Shanghai, China
Speakers Confirmed for China Advanced Green Building Summit to Highlight Costs and Financial Benefits

SHANGHAI, 26 October 2009 - Developers in China are hesitant to pursue green building with the beliefs that the market is not mature enough, the cost of green building is higher, and green building initiatives lack government support. These misconceptions are result of the lack of awareness that the costs involved with green building are not high and are driving downward and that the Chinese government is offering incentives for environmental solutions in building.

Rainforest Alliance Wins Travel & Leisure Global Vision Award

San Jose, Costa Rica -- The Rainforest Alliance received a 2009 Travel & Leisure Global Vision Award for upping the ante for sustainability standards in the tourism industry. Now in its fifth year, the prestigious awards recognize the most outstanding efforts of individuals and organizations working to preserve the world's natural and manmade treasures.

The Rising Tide of Environmental Refugees

"Our early twenty-first century civilization is being squeezed between advancing deserts and rising seas.," says Lester R. Brown, President of the Earth Policy Institute, in a recent release, http://www.earthpolicy.org/index.php?/book_bytes/2009/pb4ch02_ss7 "The Rising Tide of Environmental Refugees" "Measured by the biologically productive land area that can support human habitation, the earth is shrinking. Mounting population densities, once generated solely by population growth, are now also fueled by the relentless advance of deserts and may soon be affected by the projected rise in sea level.

Report Details 350 Species Threatened With Extinction by Global Warming

SAN FRANCISCO- In anticipation of this Saturday's Global Day of Climate Action, the Center for Biological Diversity today released an extensive inventory of species threatened by global warming. The interactive Web site "350 Reasons We Need to Get to 350: 350 Species Threatened by Global Warming" describes the growing risks posed by climate change to 350 imperiled species in every region of the United States and across the globe.

Protection Sought for 83 Coral Species as Coral Heads for Worldwide Extinction

SAN FRANCISCO- The Center for Biological Diversity Tuesday filed a formal petition seeking to protect 83 imperiled coral species under the Endangered Species Act.

These corals, all of which occur in U.S. waters ranging from Florida and Hawaii to U.S. territories in the Caribbean and Pacific, face a growing threat of extinction due to rising ocean temperatures caused by global warming and the related threat of ocean acidification.

Mitigation a Must for Ecosystem Restoration and Conservation

(Washington, DC) - The Environmental Law Institute and The Nature Conservancy have jointly released a white paper suggesting that a more comprehensive approach to environmental mitigation by Federal agencies will result in improved conservation and economic outcomes.