What kind of energy will the world be using in 100 years?  Well it's hard to know exactly, but according to Australian free- lance writer Chris Prunty, there are plenty of areas ripe for innovation.  One is geothermal power, which uses the natural heat of the earth that at its center, is around 6,000 degrees Celsius, and hot enough to melt rock.  Another is wave energy that could harness the power of ocean waves by channeling them through a power station chamber and past a turbine.  And a third is tidal power that could build dams across certain river [...]

While American forests lose revenue and are often poorly managed, such is not the case in Canada where clearly defined property rights coupled with market economics are making a difference.  Comments Alison Berry of PERC, who authored a report examining the two systems: "The major difference between U.S. and Canadian public forest management is that in the United States, federal agencies bear full responsibility for most land management.  In Canada, private companies are often responsible for many aspects of forest management on public lands.  This is possible through long-term agreements between the government and the private sector, which can [...]

Does household dust contain chemicals that can endanger your health? Well as reported in the Wall Street Journal, a new study suggests this is true, as certain chemicals such as alkyphenols found in household cleaners, and other toxins deposited into frying pans and even shower curtains create dust which is said to be dangerous. But according to Dr. Elizabeth Whelan of the American Council on Science and Health, this study was never peer reviewed, and in fact was carried out by an advocacy group whose website indicates it has no scientists at all. When you also consider the report [...]

With the government owning up to 40 percent of land in America, some, like President Bush and Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado believe that more could be placed in private hands to help stimulate the economy and improve environmental management. Comments Congressman Tancredo: "The federal government currently owns more than 650 million acres of land, and not all federal land is useful to the government, or even to the communities in which it resides. I introduced a bill in Congress this year that would sell a mere 15% of our federal land holdings, with the proceeds going to Katrina [...]

You've heard about microwaving a frozen dinner or popcorn, but how about an airplane? Well believe it or not, just such a contraption was recently developed in Norway and promises both safety and environmental benefits. In actuality, it's not exactly a microwave per se, but a similar machine which utilizes infra-red heatwaves to melt ice build-up on planes. By simply outfitting two hangers at its Oslo airport, Norwegian officials estimate that all 8,000 planes that take off every winter could be serviced, and best of all, the process will eliminate seventy percent of the glycols presently used to de-ice [...]

Those critical of modern agricultural practices and supportive of the theory of global warming often point to Australia's Great Barrier reef as a canary in a coal mine to evidence the devastation wrought by man's activities. But according to prominent Australian scientist Dr. Peter Ridd of James Cook University, any threat caused by increases in sediment due to agriculture is trivial compared to what nature throws at it day in and day out. And because the reef is well-flushed with huge amounts of water in tides, there seems to be a natural means to cleanse out pollution. With new [...]

Recently newspapers around the world trumpeted the alarm that glaciers in Greenland were melting at a rapid pace because of global warming. But according to the website Junkscience.com, its these pronouncements that need to be thawed out. For example, a study in the journal Science reported just last fall that, after examining the Greenland ice sheet from 1992-2003 using sophisticated radar devices, some Norwegian scientists actually discovered the glaciers in the interior landmass were growing by 5.4 centimeters per year, not shrinking. With even the worse scenarios showing it would take at least a millennium to melt Greenland's ice [...]

Dog owners everywhere know about pooper scoopers. But could that doggie waste be used to cook your food and heat your home? Probably so, according to a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle, which reports that cities around the Bay area are looking into ways to produce electricity and natural gas from Fido's dropping. Usually, pet waste is either left out to dissolve untreated, or is eventually dumped in a landfill, where it mummifies, and currently takes up as much room as disposable diapers. But technologies are now available that use bacteria to get methane out of pet [...]

Recently the World Trade Organization ruled that a six-year European ban on genetically engineered crops violates international trade rules. This is a decision which many believe will prove beneficial both for the environment and the world's poor. Comments Gregory Conko of the Competitive Enterprise Institute: The World Trade Organization awarded a major victory to the United States in a dispute with the European Union over food biotechnology. The EU's own scientists say biotech foods are safe, but the WTO decision scolds EU politicians for refusing to even give them an up or down vote. The decision is a huge [...]

Scientists skeptical about catastrophic global warming have long argued that the Earth is merely recovering from a centuries- long cold spell, and that current warming has more to do with natural causes then man-made emissions. Now comes additional ammunition for this idea in the way of a scientific study that examined tree rings in the Alps mountains to reconstruct summer temperatures for the last millennium. The study found that indeed, the planet was considerably warm from about 950 to 1350 A.D., followed by an extended cold period that lasted until 1850. As evidence for these distinctive warm and cold [...]

The world's marketplace is filled with inexpensive T-shirts, and other products marked "Made in China," but one Chinese export that's causing increasing concern is that of environmental pollution. This according to the Internetwork for Sustainability, which reports that dirty water, choking air, and toxic factory effluents are causing major problems for China and its neighbors. Indeed, while pollution of the Yangtze river is almost legendary, an explosion at a Chinese chemical plant recently sent 100 tons of benzene compounds pouring down a tributary into Russia. With nearly half the world's population living in river basins which have their source [...]

Is mercury in fish becoming a serious health threat to American consumers?  Well according to the Sierra Club, the answer is "yes" as it claims emissions from coal powered plants are contaminating our lakes and fouling our fish.  But according to the Center for Science and Public Policy, very little mercury, less than 1 percent, is emitted from coal plants while the overwhelming amount comes from Mother Nature.  In addition, studies such as those conducted in the Sechelle Islands, where residents eat potentially dangerous fish in far greater quantities than here in the U.S., fail to show any detectable [...]

With environmental concerns about transportation centered on everything from air pollution to oil drilling, you would think states would want to encourage the use of bicycles wherever possible.  So it was more than a bit strange when a California legislator recently proposed the state slap a $7 fee on the purchase of two-wheelers.  The idea is to facilitate more bicycle recycling, but according to the Pacific Research Institute, old bicycles are not a disposal problem since they are quickly snapped up for their parts, or refurbished by local thrift stores.  If the $7 fee was added to the already [...]

Are foreign automakers more environmentally-conscious about fuel efficiency than their American counterparts?  Well many believe so, but if  recent trends are any indication, it appears it may be Japanese, not American, gas guzzlers that are making more traction with the general public.  This, according to the New York Times, which notes that while Japanese automakers are gaining much publicity about their hybrid vehicles, like the 55 mile per gallon prius, in actuality it's the sales of new Japanese SUV's and light trucks that are growing the fastest.  Indeed, Toyota's carbon emissions increased the most, by 72 percent, compared with [...]