Recently the WTO ruled that the European Union (EU) had no scientific basis for imposing a moratorium on genetically modified crops. Policy expert Greg Conko of the Competitive Enterprise Institute strongly concurs. Comments Conko: "The WTO essentially said that no existing regulatory standard indicates the need for a ban on biotech products. In reaching this conclusion, the WTO was aware that the EU had conducted risk assessments on biotech products and found there to be zero or negligible risk compared with non-biotech food. The importance of the decision is that the WTO reaffirmed that if a country conducts a [...]

Some scientists say that manmade global warming is melting polar glaciers and causing sea levels to rise. But could much of the recent rise be a result of volcanic activity instead? Well as noted in Science News, this theory is now being investigated by oceanographers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Center in Tasmania. According to the story, after each of the 20th Century's major eruptions, sea levels fell sharply worldwide - such as with Mt. Pinatubo in 1993, where it dropped by five millimeters quickly and recovered at only about a half a millimeter per year. Since [...]

Clearing the forests of dead timber has proven effective in reducing the spread of catastrophic wildfire.  But can such fuel reduction also have other side benefits?  Well in Darby, Montana, the answer is "yes", as woodchips collected from massive piles of generated slash are being used to heat the nearby public school system.  According to the Ravalli Republic newspaper, the private firm contracted to do the clearing of dead debris in the Bitterroot National Forest is selling the wood chips it collects for around $10 a ton to the local school system through a program called "fuels for schools."  [...]

In the movie Armageddon, Bruce Willis sacrifices his life to stop a wayward asteroid about to smash into the Earth by drilling into the rock and nuking it. But now, two NASA scientists are suggesting a safer and much more plausible way to divert a dangerous asteroid. According to an article in Science News, the scientists would use the gravitational pull of a massive, unmanned spacecraft to pull the asteroid away from impacting the Earth. The craft would rely on nuclear propulsion to reach the asteroid, and within a year, the 20-ton space vehicle could supposedly drag a 200-meter [...]

Even though the wind and waves from this year's extreme hurricane season are long over, some are still whipping up quite a tempest over its alleged link to global warming. But according to an article by the National Center for Public Policy Research, this link continues to be swirling with hot air. For one, a comparison of hurricane severity with temperature trends finds that we had an above average number of hurricanes in the 1950's and 60's, when the Earth was actually cooling. When you also consider that the Western winds of warmer El Nino events wreck the symmetry [...]

Since the days of the Wild West, rights to be able to water your land or your cattle have been nearly as valuable as gold. Now, as increasing development continues to strain Western water resources, one craft Colorado businessman has come up with a novel idea for brokering water -- namely, by creating his own little government. According to the Denver Post, Robert Lembke has taken a one-acre patch of grass and thistle where there aren't even any water or sanitation lines, and is using it to meet the legal requirements of a special district so he can buy [...]

Recently, a number of clergy, theologians, and other policy experts gathered in Washington, D.C. to announce the formation of a new coalition on religion and environment called the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance, or ISA. One of the ISA's spokesmen is economist Dr. Kenneth Chilton, who is also a church elder in Lake Saint Louis, Missouri. Comments Chilton: "As an economics professor at Lindenwood University and director of its Institute for the Study of Economics and the Environment, I look forward to applying the overarching truth of the Scriptures to concerns for the environment. The Interfaith Stewardship Alliance provides an important [...]

When you think of James Bond and fancy technologies, you probably think of exploding cigarette packs, or pens that can take pictures, not solar or wind power units. But according to the Christian Science Monitor, none other than the CIA is now investing in small, solar and wind energy devices that could be a big help in dangerous spots. The Mobile Power Stations can generate up to 150 kilowatts of electricity – enough to power an emergency operations center, or small medical facility – without any fuel. And they are so rugged they can be parachuted out of airplanes, [...]

We know that illicit drugs can kill people, but have they also taken a toll on wildlife? Well the astonishing answer may be yes, as evidence recently uncovered suggests that the deaths of 33,000 salmon may have been caused by contamination from illicit drug manufacturing in Oregon. This according to World Net Daily, which reports that while environmentalists have pinned the salmon deaths on the release of water from the Klamath Basin, law enforcement officials acknowledge there are at least five, and maybe as many as 50, illicit drug labs that produce methamphetamine and grow marijuana, the production of [...]

The burning of coal to produce electricity has long been a subject of concern to environmentalists. But if a new project, called Futuregen, proves successful, many of these coal-critics may be changing their tune. This, according to the New York Times, which recently reported that the Department of Energy has announced plans to create an experimental coal power plant that could extract non-polluting hydrogen to generate electricity. Even better say experts, it could pump carbon dioxide deep into the earth to avoid a buildup of the gas in the atmosphere. And with the cost projected to be only 10 [...]

Should there be a tax on fattening foods? Well, while over 9 out of 10 Americans say no, it appears a growing number of consumer advocates and U.N. bureaucrats are suggesting just that. This, according to the group Consumer Freedom, which reported that at a recent meeting of the World Health Organization the idea of a snack tax was not only discussed, but met with hearty approval. Other unusual ideas bandied about included a minimum purchasing age for certain snacks, and some even suggested stocking fattening foods out of customers' reach - like next to cigarettes. All this talk [...]

Will Florida become the nation's first showcase of the hydrogen future? Well if Governor Jeb Bush has his way, the answer maybe "yes." This, according to an article in the Tallahassee Democrat, which recently reported how the governor took a spin in a hydrogen powered SUV to showcase his administration's commitment to creating a network of hydrogen refueling stations all across the Sunshine State. Indeed, following in the footsteps of his brother, Governor Bush believes the use of hydrogen fuel, which emits only water vapor, will help ease air pollution. And the costs could be made competitive with gasoline [...]

Does the media provide us an accurate picture of the global warming debate? Well not according to a new study by the Media Research Center, which examined news coverage of the issue and found a distinct bias. Comments Free Market Project spokesman Dan Gainor: "We found most network news-shows hardly even admit there's a scientific debate on global warming or the Kyoto Protocol. Collectively they only did so only 9% of the time. NBC was the worst of all five networks studied as it took a pro-Kyoto view in 30 of its stories and only presented opposition in 3%. [...]

Major news outlets recently highlighted a study which claimed that, by the year 2050, over one million species will be doomed from global warming. But according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, melting down the facts of this global warming study should deep freeze the hype. This is because, aside from the fact that global warming is yet unproven, the researchers relied upon a statistically insignificant number of species, less than .008 percent of those known, to draw their wild conclusions. Worse, most of the species they examined were from randomly selected regions, a quarter of which were simply a [...]

You've heard about refugees fleeing because of political persecution and war, but how about from damage to the environment? Well, believe it or not, there is growing concern about what are now being called environmental refugees - and this problem is starting to draw the attention of many social scientists. Of concern are nations like Haiti and Mexico, where many farmers are deciding to pack up and leave because their fertile land is being washed into the sea. Other places, such as Pakistan and Yemen, are witnessing their water tables drop dramatically, while even nations such as Iran and [...]