NYT (3): Environment/Energy

The biggest storms are growing stronger; NYS seeks to double its energy from wind power; and "rooftop turbines" and other "personal" wind power.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, September 4, 2008

Scientists Reprogram Adult Cells’ Function

from William Altmiller
Posted by Michael Butler, Wednesday, September 3, 2008

NYT (2): Environment

Worrying about a "missing greenhouse gas" - nitrogen; and in looking at corporate and non-profit carbon footprints, an environmental coalition recommends reducing air travel and seeking carbon offsets.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Scientists Reprogram Adult Cells’ Function

from bill altmiller
Posted by Michael Butler, Sunday, August 31, 2008

NYT: Helping the Stars Take Back the Night

Working toward minimizing a form of pollution that is rarely mentioned: light.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, August 31, 2008

NYT (3): Environment/Energy

California continues to lead the way on curbing emissions; biomass power brings new, "green" wood-burning plants; and setting up an "off-the-grid" vacation home.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Friday, August 29, 2008

NYT (3): Environment/Energy

The Arctic loses more ice; tips on reducing your carbon footprint at home; and if you can't afford solar panels for your roof, try planting sedum.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, August 28, 2008

NYT (5): Energy/Environment

Led by NYS' Andrew Cuomo, 12 states sue the E.P.A. over greenhouse gas emissions from oil refineries; Bloomberg's "windmill" idea leads to another look at "air storage"; Entergy tries to weasel out of financial commitments if the Indian Point plants are forced to close; limiting ship speeds in whale areas; and truly living the "eco life."
Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, August 26, 2008

NYT (3): Environment/Energy

Little optimism at a conference on risks to Earth; wind power gets a (serious) second look; and a little good (if localized) news on the environmental front.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, August 24, 2008

NYT Op-Eds (4)

"Senator Barack Obama needs a first-rate, crackling-with-excitement populist message, which means a laser-like focus on the economy and jobs" (Herbert); "Earth to Barack: to Main Street America, nuance equals confusion. You don’t have to dumb it down, but you do have to sum it up" (Blow); "Officials should right a wrong that grows larger with each passing Olympics and reconcile with Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the athletes who made the supposed black-power salute in the 1968 Olympics" (Guest Op-Ed); "There is nothing we enjoy more than sealing our own doom in the most creative ways possible" (Collins; must-read for perfect combination of humor and concern)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Saturday, August 23, 2008

In Alaska, a choice between gold and copper, or fish; and more danger for the endangered polar bear.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Saturday, August 23, 2008

NYT: Irradiation of Spinach and Lettuce Is Approved

Supportable safety measure? Or potential danger?
Posted by Ian Alterman, Friday, August 22, 2008

NYT: Fish Tale Has DNA Hook: Students Find Bad Labels

That white tuna you're eating may be neither white nor tuna...
Posted by Ian Alterman, Friday, August 22, 2008

NYT Editorials (2)

On the heels of a historic compromise between the Navy and conversation groups re the former's use of sonar and its adverse effect on whales and dolphins, the Bush administration seeks to prevent future such compromises; and the NYPD, withholding documents re the RNC in violation of a federal court order, ties to halve its cake and eat it two.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, August 19, 2008

NYT (2): Environment

A proponent of "Frankenfoods" suggests that organic farming is not a realistic answer to feeding the planet; and the use of decommissioned navy vessels as artificial reefs has economic advantages, but environmental disadvantages.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, August 19, 2008

NYT Op-Eds (5)

"With the exception of John McCain’s imprisonment in Vietnam, every aspect of his profile in courage is inaccurate or defunct" (Rich); "The cheerleader in chief was in Beijing with bikini-clad beach volleyball players while the Re-Evil Empire was sending columns of tanks into its former republic" (Dowd); "Chinese officials explained that so long as protesters obtained approval in advance, demonstrations would be allowed. So I decided to test the system" (Kristof); "The fallout from naming suspects who haven’t been charged" (Hoyt); "Despite the hype, the era of personal medicine — where your treatment is tailored for your genes — remains frustratingly far away" (Judson)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, August 17, 2008

NYT (2): International News

"The autocratic regimes in Beijing and Moscow that seemed so surely bound for the ash heap in 1989 have reinvigorated themselves"; and France continues down the path of nuclear power for its energy needs.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, August 17, 2008

NYT (2): Environment

A rapid increase in ocean "dead zones"; and California moves ahead with solar power for direct energy.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Friday, August 15, 2008

NYT Book in Review: “Pharmakon”

"One pill makes you happy, and one pill makes you mad." The story of psychopharmacologist J.R. Wittenborn and the early use of psychotropics in research.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, August 14, 2008

NYT Op-Eds (4)

"John McCain has a perfect record on a renewable energy bill. He has missed all eight votes over the last year — which effectively counts as a no vote each time" (Friedman); "Hillary Clinton feels no guilt about encouraging her supporters to mess up Barack Obama’s big moment, thus undermining his odds of beating John McCain" (Dowd); "Announcing Barack Obama’s running mate by text message has little to do with proclaiming the selection and everything to do with getting out the vote on Election Day" (Guest Op-Ed); "Studying evolution means that when we encounter something in nature that is complicated or mysterious, we don’t have to shrug our shoulders in bewilderment" (Judson)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Wednesday, August 13, 2008

NYT Op-Eds (4)

"The contention that lifting restrictions on offshore oil drilling would somehow bring down the price of gasoline is bogus" (Herbert); "China’s rise is an example of how the ideal of a harmonious collective may turn out to be as attractive as the ideal of the American Dream" (Brooks); "This war is about making Georgia an example of the consequences post-Soviet countries will suffer for standing up to Moscow" (Guest Op-Ed); "Our biodefense program risks creating the very threat it is meant to fight" (Guest Op-Ed)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, August 12, 2008

NYT (4): Environment/Health

"'Geoengineering' might head off a planetary disaster. But at what cost? And who gets to make the decisions?"; a proponent of 'bioplanning'; dealing with health problems due to environmental causes; and the Bush administration seeks yet again to undermine mandatory environmental regulations.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Military’s Social Science Grants Raise Alarm

more from Bill Altmiller
Posted by Michael Butler, Monday, August 11, 2008

NYT Op-Eds (7)

"America needs to learn from Denmark, which responded to the 1973 Arab oil embargo in such a way that today it is energy independent" (Friedman); "The United States is overinvesting in military tools and underinvesting in diplomatic tools" (Kristof); "A roll-call vote for Hillary Clinton could allow her aggrieved loyalists the chance to channel their anger and could wind up being the path of less destruction for Barack Obama’s campaign" (Guest Op-Ed); "The Democratic Party’s platform committee has produced its 2008 edition. It is aimed at the faithful, under the assumption that only they will read it" (Guest Op-Ed); "Investigators must reveal the scientific methods they used to match the anthrax letters to Bruce Ivins" (Guest Op-Ed); "The most stunning admission John Edwards made was that he’s a narcissist" (Dowd); "Just because it’s in The Enquirer doesn’t make it untouchable" (Hoyt)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, August 10, 2008

NYT (2): National Politics

"What would a black president mean for black politics?" (Main Story, Magazine); and "During his seven and a half years in office, President Bush has declared 422 major disasters — severe storms, tornadoes, wildfires and floods — or more than one a week. That is 11 percent more than President Bill Clinton’s disaster declarations and 130 percent more than President Ronald Reagan during their full two terms in office...One explanation, though highly contentious, for why the country has been more disaster prone under Mr. Bush is global warming."
Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, August 10, 2008