Government officials, ranchers, and companies all volunteering to help protect endangered species sure sounds like a good idea. So it’s little surprise that just such a voluntary conservation agreement being announced in New Mexico recently was received with widespread support. According to Energy and Environment publishing, the agreement was adopted by the Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management, encouraging private landowners, energy companies, and ranchers to protect habitat for the endangered lesser prairie chicken and sand dune lizard. And the big incentive? How about that signatories who agree to take certain conservation measures won’t have to [...]

In a provocative new book called Red Hot Lies, New York Times best-selling author Christopher Horner details some of the political and scientific controversy surrounding the global warming issue. Available in bookstores, it is championed by global warming skeptics. Comments Horner: “The most expensive secret the public is not supposed to know is that President Bush leaves office with the planet cooler than when he entered -- a dangerous trend threatening the multi-billion dollar ‘global warming’ industry, and they are not taking it lightly. Red Hot Lies details the outrages committed in pursuit of this agenda, from scientists altering [...]

Hi, this is David Rothbard. And I’m Craig Rucker. On this, our 4,000th broadcast of Just the Facts, we want to extend a special thanks to all our listeners and radio station friends. When we started broadcasting back in 1993, issues like energy and the environment were getting just a glimmer of the attention they now command. With financial woes around the world, and increasing concern about how we will meet society’s most pressing needs, we will continue doing our best to give you the straight facts about these important issues. And we’ll do so with optimism, believing that [...]

If there’s anyplace that needs plentiful electricity, it would certainly be New York City. So it’s no surprise that the Big Apple is now working on a new source of power – namely in the tides of the East River that runs along Manhattan. According to the New York Times, a new energy company called Verdant Power has placed its first six turbines at the bottom of the river to further develop something known as hydrokinetic energy. The project has not been without its challenges, though, as the powerful tides of the river initially sheared off the tips of [...]

Can the free market be tapped to improve our environment? That is the contention of a fascinating new book called Greener Than Thou, which makes the case for a new brand of ecological stewardship known as “free-market environmentalism.” Comments co-author, Terry Anderson: “In Greener Than Thou, Laura Huggins and I sort out the difference between green rhetoric and real environmental progress. It is not enough to preach, sue, and lobby. The real test is to make environment quality an asset, especially one that is sustainable because it is profitable. With case studies from Alaskan halibut to Bolivian bees to [...]

Recently, the California Air Resources Board issued a report saying the state�s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will be a boon to consumers. The reason is that by requiring a higher fuel efficiency standard in cars, the board maintains consumers will save more at the pump. But according to an analysis of this study by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the board�s findings fail to take into account that as people pay less to fill up their vehicles, they tend to drive more miles. This is why despite a doubling in fuel efficiency since 1975, Americans are driving 150 [...]

Michigan Govenor Jennifer Granholm recently announced she was creating an energy department and naming an energy czar to pursue “alternative” energy and “create thousands of jobs.” But according to William Yeatman of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Governor’s priorities are misplaced: “Regulations that force green energy would boost business for politically favored alternative energy companies, such as manufacturers of solar panels. But at the same time, businesses that use large amounts of conventional energy would face decreased demand for their products and would therefore lose employees. In sum, a ‘progressive’ energy policy might create a net gain for Michigan’s [...]

Cleanly producing electricity, is nuclear power gaining acceptance among the environmentally conscious? Well if Finland is any indication, apparently so, as this Green-friendly country is now building Europe's first new nuclear plant in over 15 years. According to the Telegraph of London, Finland is adding a third reactor to it's Olkiluoto Island facility that when switched on around 2010, will boost Finland's share of nuclear-powered electricity to roughly one-third. Reducing dependance on Russian natural gas, and also reducing carbon dioxide emissions are two reasons for this nuclear path – and with public support for the plan now at 60 [...]

One of the most publicized faces of the alleged global warming crisis is that of the polar bear, which some say is going extinct because a loss of habitat. But according to a new report by the National Center for Policy Analysis, coastal stations in Greenland actually show a cooling trend, Russian stations also show none of the predicted warming, and temperatures at the summit of the Greenland Ice Sheet have decreased 4 degrees Fahrenheit per decade since measurements began in 1987. When you also consider that of the 20 known polar bear populations, only two are decreasing, while [...]

For over a decade, conservationists have feared that the last South American painted frog had croaked, quite literally. But despite being thought extinct, some scientists recently sighted the amphibian in the Boyaca region of Columbia, a discovery which has wildlife officials hopping with joy. The painted frog you see, like many of its fellow amphibians in South America, has fallen victim to a deadly natural, fungus called chytridiomycosis. Indeed, this fungus has already wreaked havoc by reducing many frog species in Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru by nearly half. With this rediscovery, however, no one can fault frog enthusiasts for [...]

President-elect Barak Obama was elected on a platform of change, and if a grassroots advocacy group has its way, we will all see just how far he’s willing to go. According to Environment and Energy Publishing’s Greenwire, a group called the White House Organic Farm Project has collected 5,000 signatures urging the Obamas to grow an organic garden and thus set an example for addressing the pressing issues of economy, war, foreign oil, and health care. Since the organizer of this campaign has himself cris-crossed the country in a bus with an organic farm on the roof, it would [...]

Legislative efforts to designate certain lands as National Heritage, or wilderness, areas, are underway on Capitol Hill. But according to a recent poll by the National Center for Public Policy Research, these initiatives are unpopular with the public, especially those in minority communities. Comments National Center spokesman, David Almasi: “According to our poll, 52% of African-Americans oppose legislation to create new National Heritage Areas while only 37% support it. This opposition probably reflects the fact that minorities are particularly vulnerable to home price increases and prices would likely rise following National Heritage Area designation. This finding should give pause [...]

First it was cloth diapers instead of disposables. Then the really eco-conscious started promoting washable cloths instead of toilet paper. And the latest rage? How about no-flush urinals?! Yes, according to McClatchy Newspapers, no-flush urinals are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. urinal market, having the support of no less than eco-champion Al Gore. But these waterless urinals, which rely on oil-filled drain traps, are proving to be “icky, sticky, and costly to maintain.” So it’s little wonder that major doubters now include the University of Washington and super-seller Wal-Mart, which both tested and then flushed the idea [...]