PBS NewsHour: Environment Archive | 2007

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ENVIRONMENT


	2007 DECEMBER Dec. 24, 2007 Greenland Residents Detect Sea Changes Residents of Greenland's west coast say they are feeling the effects of rising sea temperatures in the fishing and tourism industries. NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels reports on the research into whether the changes are climate change-related.

	Dec. 20, 2007 EPA Decision to Block State Emissions Plans Raises Policy Debate The Environmental Protection Agency denied new emissions proposals from California and 16 other states Wednesday that would set guidelines for automakers. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and a former EPA official debate who should regulate emissions.

	Dec. 20, 2007 EPA Decides Against Calif. Emissions Standards President Bush on Thursday defended the decision of EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson to block California from implementing its tailpipe emissions law.

	Dec. 20, 2007 Why is ethanol so widely acclaimed as a great idea? Paul Solman answers your questions on business and economic news on "The Business Desk."

	Dec. 19, 2007 Recommendation Nears for Listing Polar Bear as 'Threatened' One year ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took up a proposal to list the polar bear as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act -- a decision that enjoys public support but also stands to impact a range of players.

	Dec. 18, 2007 Biologists Struggle to Save the Spotted Owl Lee Hochberg reports on the battle between biologists and loggers over the northern Spotted Owl. The animal has been on the Endangered Species List for the past 17 years, but is not recovering as expected.

	Dec. 18, 2007 Energy Bill Puts Focus on Fuel Reform The House passed an energy bill Tuesday that sets more demanding fuel efficiency standards for automobiles and calls for increased production of renewable sources of fuel. The bill was passed by the Senate last week. Energy and climate experts assess the tenets and impact of the bill.

	Dec. 17, 2007 Bali Climate Conference Ends With Compromise The U.N. climate change conference ended in Bali Saturday with a last-minute deal that sets the terms of a "roadmap" for a new climate change treaty. The talks were described as emotional, with discontent directed toward U.S. objections to specific emissions caps. A U.S. negotiator and a climate analyst assess the talks.

	Dec. 14, 2007 Senate Passes Energy Bill Without Oil Tax Hikes The Senate passed a pared-down energy bill Thursday night that raises fuel economy standards for the first time in more than three decades and mandates a six-fold boost in ethanol use by 2022.

	Dec. 10, 2007 U.S., China Reject Emission Caps at Bali Summit Both the United States and China -- the world's biggest polluters -- have rejected the idea of including specific emissions limits in the final document that will come out of the talks at the United Nations climate change conference in Bali.

	Dec. 6, 2007 Despite Veto Threat, House Passes Energy Bill The U.S. House of Representatives ignored the White House's threat of a veto and approved an energy bill Thursday that would raise vehicle fuel economy standards for the first time since 1975 and mandate more renewable energy generation.



	NOVEMBER Nov. 30, 2007 Bali Talks to Set Stage for Further Climate Negotiations Nearly 20,000 policymakers, activists and journalists will gather on the island of Bali, Indonesia Monday to open talks aimed at crafting a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, the United Nations treaty on climate change.

	Nov. 22, 2007 Local Foods Have Impact Beyond Kitchen Table Amid increased promotion of organic foods and pushes to support local growers, an agricultural analyst and a New York City chef discuss the broader economic impact of buying local, in-season foods.

	Nov. 21, 2007 Calif. Oil Spill Cleanup Underway but Long-term Impacts Still Unclear Cleanup is making headway in the aftermath of an oil spill in the San Francisco Bay but questions remain as to the nature of the ship collision that caused the spill, and the long term environmental impacts. Spencer Michels looks at the causes and effects of the spill.

	Nov. 20, 2007 A Planet in Drought: Our Dwindling Water Supplies As classified by the National Weather Service, an "exceptional" drought now covers 26 percent of the South, with some experts saying Atlanta could run out of water by the New Year. Our guests addressed what is happening in Georgia and in other parts of the country as well as what other states are doing to solve the problem.

	Nov. 19, 2007 U.N. Panel Warns on Climate Change in Report The U.N. panel on climate change has issued a new report outlining troubling scenarios if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced. The report will be the basis for U.N. climate talks in December. Michael Oppenheimer, a member of the panel, details the report.

	Nov. 14, 2007 In '08 Election, Environment, Resources Top Concerns for Western Voters Rapid growth in some western states has caused strain on natural resources. Local experts explain how the issues of water, power and land use are playing a role in the 2008 presidential election.

	Nov. 14, 2007 Rapid Urban Growth Strains Nevada's Natural Resources Rapid growth in Las Vegas has caused tension between urban and rural areas about the strain on Nevada's natural resources. The battle over water and energy use has raised debate about the need for conservation and alternative sources of energy.

	Nov. 12, 2007 Criminal Investigation Opened into San Francisco Bay Oil Spill Federal investigators on Monday were considering whether to file charges against crew members of a ship that struck the Bay Bridge on Wednesday, spilling 58,000 gallons of fuel oil into the San Francisco Bay.

	Nov. 6, 2007 Candidates Strive to Address Voters' Climate Concerns Environmental issues such as climate change and energy use have been frequent topics on the 2008 presidential campaign trail with both GOP and Democratic hopefuls offering policy plans. Two analysts examine the candidates' differing proposals to address climate issues.

	Nov. 5, 2007 Environmental Issues Fuel California's Water Wars Southern California is coping with water shortages due to a judge's ruling limiting the amount of freshwater that can be pumped from the northern part of the state. Environmental advocates, concerned about the effect on wildlife, lead the battle over water.



	OCTOBER Oct. 31, 2007 Wildfire Wars: The Story of the California Fires Nearly 1,800 homes and some 490,000 acres have been destroyed by wildfires in Southern California over the past week. At least 10 people have lost their lives in the powerful blazes. NewsHour correspondent Jeffrey Kaye answered your questions on what it was like to experience the disaster first-hand.

	Oct. 25, 2007 Oil and Gas Giant BP to Pay Fines Totaling $373M London-based BP has agreed to pay a total of $373 million in fines for violating regulations tied to a fatal refinery explosion in 2005, operating leaking oil pipelines and engaging in a price-fixing scheme, the government announced Thursday.

	Oct. 24, 2007 Winds Ease, Allowing Californians to Tackle Damaging Fires The strong winds fueling a string of powerful wildfires in Southern California began to taper off Wednesday, but officials in San Diego said the damage there has already likely topped the $1 billion mark. A San Diego County official provides an update.

	Oct. 23, 2007 Competition Puts Energy-Efficient, Solar-Powered Homes on Display The U.S Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon brought teams from 20 universities to the National Mall to showcase their designs for a modern, solar-powered home. Interest in the event has grown amid new concerns over energy costs and climate change.

	Oct. 23, 2007 Over 500,000 Evacuated as Winds Feed California Fires Wildfires in Southern California became almost impossible for firefighters to control Tuesday, and officials said 1,300 homes and businesses have burned down. A San Diego official describes how residents are coping.

	Oct. 23, 2007 Slide Show: Solar Decathlon Homes Twenty college and university teams competed in the Department of Energy's third Solar Decathlon. Each team's challenge was to design and build a fully functioning energy-efficient solar-powered house on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

	Oct. 22, 2007 California Wildfires Prompt Evacuations, Emergency Measures Wildfires continued to ravage Southern California Monday, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes and businesses and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to declare emergencies in seven counties. Jeffrey Kaye of KCET-Los Angeles provides an update from the scene in Malibu.

	Oct. 12, 2007 U.N. Climate Panel Member Details Nobel-winning Work Former Vice President Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the Nobel Peace Prize Friday. Michael Oppenheimer, a member of the U.N. panel, discusses the honor and how the group's work has furthered the debate on climate change.

	Oct. 9, 2007 Ethanol Boom Aids Farmers, but Stirs Environmental Concerns The high cost of oil and a national push toward alternative fuels has pushed ethanol production and corn prices to skyrocket. In eastern Colorado, corn farmers and other stakeholders contemplate the future of ethanol, which some researchers fear may not be the ideal alternative to gasoline.

	Oct. 9, 2007 How Does Your Car Stack Up? Compare your vehicle's emissions and fuel costs to the closest comparable alternative fuel vehicles.

	Oct. 9, 2007 Venture Capitalists Look to Fuel Alternative Energy Revolution Betting on how America will wean itself off oil has become a business opportunity for entrepreneurs and financiers eager to stake a claim in the country's energy future.



	SEPTEMBER Sept. 27, 2007 Global Warming Summits Aim to Frame Climate Policy President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice opened a global warming conference Thursday, one of two key international meetings this week on greenhouse gases. Top negotiators examine how the U.S. and the world should tackle climate change policy.

	Sept. 19, 2007 Oil Refinery Expansions Face Opposition An oil refinery in Detroit wants to expand its capacity by 15 percent, but neighbors and environmentalists oppose the project. This report, funded in part by the Park Foundation, describes how the Michigan case is indicative of the situation nationwide.

	Sept. 18, 2007 Young Entrepreneurs Target Global Warming An increasing number of young people are concerned about global warming, according to recent studies, and some are working to fight it through business initiatives, such as credit cards that invest in renewable energy.

	Sept. 13, 2007 Norwegian Arctic Islands Hold Biodiversity Bank A vault in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, Norway, contains samples of the world's most important seeds, protecting the world's biodiversity in the event of a major disaster. Independent Television News reports on the project.

	Sept. 10, 2007 Companies Race for Gas in Arctic Norway's state-owned oil company, Statoil, recently opened Europe's first large-scale liquefied natural gas plant in Hammerfest, Norway. As global warming melts Arctic ice and makes reserves more accessible, companies are racing to the Arctic to stake their claims.

	Sept. 6, 2007 Virus May Be Cause of Disappearing Bees A virus from Australia may be the culprit in the mysterious deaths of tens of millions of honeybees in the past year, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science.



	AUGUST Aug. 23, 2007 Physicist Seeks Alternative Fuels Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Chu is leading the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's efforts to develop cleaner forms of energy, including new types of solar cells and new biofuels. He answered viewer questions about his research and the future of alternative fuels.

	Aug. 21, 2007 San Francisco Works to Curb Bottled Water Waste San Francisco government officials are banning the use of city money for bottled water, hoping to save financial and environmental resources. A NewsHour report, funded in part by the Park Foundation, explores the move.

	Aug. 1, 2007 Greenland Residents Detect Sea Changes Residents of Greenland's west coast say they are feeling the effects of rising sea temperatures in the fishing and tourism industries. NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels reports on the research into whether the changes are climate change-related.



	JULY July 31, 2007 Common Grassland Birds Disappearing in Midwest Some of the most common grassland birds in Illinois, including the meadowlark, are decreasing in numbers. Correspondent Elizabeth Brackett of WTTW-Chicago reports on efforts to restore and preserve their prairie habitat.

	July 27, 2007 Congress Passes New Farm Bill Congress passed a new farm bill which subsidizes crops like soybeans and other vegetable products. Two experts talk to the NewsHour about what the bill will mean for farmers and the American economy.

	July 16, 2007 Book Showcases Previously Unseen Sea Creatures French wildlife journalist Claire Nouvian has put together a book of newly discovered sea life called "The Deep." Her work demonstrates new techniques scientists are employing to discover and document these creatures.

	July 16, 2007 Biologist Studies Bioluminescence in Deep Ocean Biologist Edith Widder discusses studying and photographing the bioluminescent animals that live in the deep ocean.

	July 9, 2007 Wildfires Rage Across Parts of Western U.S. Recent droughts and temperature spikes have sparked fires in California, Utah and other western states. An expert discusses the dangerous weather conditions.

	July 6, 2007 Live Earth Concert To Serve as Call for Action Hundreds of music stars are expected to perform at the Live Earth concert over the weekend, which is set to draw attention to the world's environmental problems. A Rolling Stone editor discusses the cultural impact of the show.



	JUNE June 22, 2007 Senate Passes Energy Bill; Clinton Spoofs 'Sopranos' The Senate passed an energy bill Thursday, while Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., released an online video spoofing the "The Sopranos." Mark Shields and Rich Lowry discuss the week's political news.

	June 22, 2007 Schwarzenegger Discusses Reaching Across Party Lines As a Republican in a predominantly Democratic state, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has adjusted his approach to politics. In an interview, he talks the about compromises he has made and the ability of states to take the lead on national issues.

	June 22, 2007 Senate Passes Fuel Standards Increase, Ethanol Plan The Senate passed an energy bill Thursday night that would require automobile makers to increase fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by the year 2020. The NewsHour's Kwame Holman reports on the action on Capitol Hill.

	June 22, 2007 Polar Research on Earth Assists with Mars Study As scientists continue to explore the poles as part of the International Polar Year, hoping to better understand the Earth's most extreme environments, some researchers are looking for answers even farther off -- toward the north pole of Mars.

	June 21, 2007 Wildlife Thrives in Southern Sudan, Surveys Reveal The first aerial wildlife survey of southern Sudan in 25 years revealed that the herds of migrating gazelles, antelopes and other animals have managed to survive the country's decades of civil war. The Wildlife Conservation Society's Michael Fay discusses the survey.

	June 21, 2007 Oregon Global Warming Skeptic Finds Controversy Oregon state climatologist George Taylor does not believe that global warming is due to human activity. Now, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski wants him to stop using the state climatologist title. NewsHour correspondent Lee Hochberg reports from Oregon and Washington on the controversy.

	June 20, 2007 N.Y., L.A. Mayors Discuss Cities' Challenges, Successes New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa recently sat down together with the NewsHour. They discussed what they can accomplish in their cities that the federal government cannot.

	June 20, 2007 Senators Debate Increasing Fuel Standards for Vehicles A provision in the new Senate energy bill would increase fuel economy standards for cars and trucks by 2020. Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Kit Bond, R-Mo., debate the measure.

	June 13, 2007 Demand for Energy Fuels Rush for Uranium in Utah Uranium mining in Utah is gaining popularity, driven by efforts to find alternative energy sources to fossil fuels. The NewsHour reports on the growing uranium industry and its impact on the American fuel economy.

	June 8, 2007 Group of Eight Summit Yields Africa Aid, Little Else Eight industrialized nations concluded their summit Friday after reaching an agreement on aid to Africa, but failing to reach consensus on climate change or missile defense. Two experts detail the conference results.

	June 6, 2007 Differences over Climate Change Cloud G8 Summit Members of the Group of Eight industrialized nations met in Germany Wednesday for the start of a three-day summit at which a main topic will be climate change. A German journalist and American international policy advocate discuss the conference.



	MAY May 31, 2007 President Bush Urges Nations to Set Emissions Targets President Bush, in a counter-offer to European leaders, said Thursday that 15 nations with the world's largest economies should set common targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2008.

	May 30, 2007 Gore's New Book Criticizes Bush Administration, Election Process Former Vice President Al Gore speaks with Gwen Ifill about his new book, "The Assault on Reason," which criticizes the Bush administration and the diminishing role of logic in America, among other issues.

	May 30, 2007 California Seeks EPA Approval for Tougher Emissions Curbs The Environmental Protection Agency held a public hearing in Sacramento, Calif., on Wednesday to review California's bid to pass a law restricting car emissions beyond the federal level. California and EPA officials discuss the bid.

	May 24, 2007 Regulatory Questions Continue to Plague Cape Wind Project For six years, Cape Wind -- a proposed 130 turbine wind energy project in Nantucket Sound -- has polarized residents of Cape Cod and mobilized advocacy groups both for and against what would be the nation's first offshore wind energy project.

	May 17, 2007 New Antarctic Marine Species Surprise Scientists An international team of researchers has found more than 700 new species in the extreme depths of Antarctica's Weddell Sea, surprising scientists who had thought the region was largely devoid of life.

	May 10, 2007 Professor Touts Fossil Fuel Alternatives In the last installment of a series on climate change, a New York University physics professor who advocates carbon-free energy explains his perspective on wind power, solar fission and other technologies.

	May 4, 2007 U.N. Panel Outlines Plan to Reduce Global Warming The world needs to significantly change its use of energy resources and cut greenhouse gas emissions in order to stem rising global temperatures, according to a U.N. climate report issued Friday.

	May 2, 2007 Physicist Searches for Alternative Fuel Technologies Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Chu and his team of scientists received $500 million in February from energy company BP to develop clean biofuel technologies. As part of a series on climate change, the NewsHour profiles Chu's search for solutions to fuel problems.

	May 1, 2007 Energy Experts Debate Future Use of Coal In the fifth part of a series about how to deal with climate change, a coal industry advocate and the author of a book critical of the coal industry debate whether new coal technologies hold promise or peril.



	APRIL April 25, 2007 Author Says Redirect Resources Against Climate Change Danish author and statistician Bjorn Lomborg discusses his proposal to redirect resources from a general fight against carbon emissions to specific efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change in vulnerable areas.

	April 24, 2007 Thermal Inversion: Reading the Sky for Signs of Climate Change From the thinning Arctic sea ice to the softening permafrost and the northern migration of indigenous animals, scientists and Arctic dwellers are taking note of the gradual impacts of climate change.

	April 16, 2007 Global Warming Poses National Security Threat, Report Finds Global climate change could have an increasing effect on U.S. strategic interests and will likely pose "a serious threat to America's national security," a panel of retired generals and admirals said Monday.

	April 13, 2007 Author Promotes Lifestyle Changes in Global Warming Fight A writer and environmentalist explains how lifestyle changes can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help mitigate America's contribution to global warming as part of a NewsHour series on ways to deal with climate change.

	April 11, 2007 Carbon Tax Aims to Cut Greenhouse Gases The NewsHour's series of conversations about approaches to deal with global climate change continues with a discussion of carbon taxes -- levies that would aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by taxing activities that burn fossil fuels.

	April 10, 2007 Climate Change Experts Look to European Model for Curbing Emissions An international panel of scientists issued a report last week on the potential impacts of global warming. In the first part of a series on climate change, an advocate for an emissions cap-and-trade system used in Europe explains how it could work in the United States.

	April 6, 2007 Climate Change Will Hit Poor Hardest, U.N. Panel Says Changes to Earth's climate and ecosystems will hit the world's poor the hardest, according to a report released Friday by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Two of the report's lead authors, Michael Oppenheimer and Joel Smith, discuss the science and politics behind the findings.

	April 3, 2007 Honeybee Disappearance Puzzles Scientists Beekeepers and farmers around the country are worried this year as the honeybees used to pollinate crops have been vanishing from their hives, a phenomenon known as "colony collapse disorder."

	April 2, 2007 Supreme Court Says EPA Can Regulate Greenhouse Gases In a defeat for the Bush administration, the Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency can regulate carbon dioxide emissions from cars under the Clean Air Act.



	MARCH March 23, 2007 Environmental Activist Questions the Goals of Globalization In the fourth installment in a series of conversations about the impact of globalization, NewsHour economics correspondent Paul Solman interviews Vandana Shiva, an activist at the forefront of the fight against globalization for nearly three decades.

	March 21, 2007 Gore Urges Congress to Take Action on Climate Change Former Vice President Al Gore returned to Capitol Hill Wednesday to testify about global climate change. Gore told a congressional panel that global warming is "a true planetary emergency" and urged Congress to take action. The NewsHour presents excerpts of the hearing.

	March 2, 2007 Port Cities Work to Rid Air of Pollutants Air monitoring stations in communities adjacent to California ports record dangerous levels of nitrogen oxide as well as fine soot and sulfur oxides. The NewsHour reports on how port cities are working to combat the pollution.



	FEBRUARY Feb. 26, 2007 Buyers of Texas Power Company Agree to 'Think Green' Texas power company TXU agreed to a buyout by private equity firms in the largest-ever private buyout. The acquiring companies also committed to adopting more environmentally friendly policies. NewsHour reports on the buyout and the business of thinking green.

	Feb. 23, 2007 Polar Year Explores How Earth Systems Interact The icy Arctic at the top of the world and the penguin-inhabited Antarctica at the bottom help keep the planet cool and contain much of the Earth's fresh water locked up in ice sheets.

	Feb. 23, 2007 Slide Show: Dry Valley Organisms The dry valleys of Antarctica appear to be devoid of life, but digging in the ground reveals a startling discovery -- roundworms, which tell the tale of climate change.

	Feb. 23, 2007 Profiles in Science: Matthew Druckenmiller Matthew Druckenmiller's work in the Arctic involved measuring sea ice and talking to local residents about what they observed.

	Feb. 23, 2007 Profiles in Science: Cristina Millan Cristina Millan drilled into rock in Antarctica for 12-hour shifts to research climate change and even plate tectonics.

	Feb. 23, 2007 Profiles in Science: Liz Miller Liz Miller helped map Antarctica's terrain, laying the groundwork for future researchers.

	Feb. 23, 2007 Changes at Poles Drive Global Warming Global warming is causing temperatures to rise, and sea and land ice to shrink, in the Arctic and parts of Antarctica. These and other changes pose an obvious threat to the polar regions. But, climate scientists say, they also signal changes to come around the globe.

	Feb. 23, 2007 U.S. Government Looks to List Polar Bear as Threatened The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing the polar bear -- a species whose survival depends on the sea ice that is melting as the Earth's temperature rises -- as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act.

	Feb. 20, 2007 Competition Fosters Success of Organic Food Industry Whole Foods, which opened in 1978 as a single organic grocery store, has expanded to 200 stores and over $9 billion in yearly sales. NewsHour economics correspondent Paul Solman reports on the company's success, the growing competition and the organic food industry.

	Feb. 19, 2007 Electronic Waste Adds to Pollution in India Electronic waste, composed of heated and discarded metals from computer parts, is accumulating quickly as India's computer recycling industry rapidly expands. NewsHour reports on government regulation of computer recycling and the health threat posed by improper recycling of computer parts.

	Feb. 16, 2007 Earth 2100: The Effects of Greenhouse Gases Explore possible rises in temperature and sea level -- and those changes' effects around the globe -- in this interactive based on data from the 2001 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report.

	Feb. 2, 2007 U.N. Panel Says Humans 'Very Likely' Causing Global Warming The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a report Friday saying temperatures and sea levels will continue to rise for centuries even if greenhouse gas emissions stabilize. An expert and a report co-author discuss the findings.



	JANUARY Jan. 26, 2007 Guerilla Groups Attack Nigerian Oil Resources, Affecting World Market Oil pipelines in Nigeria, the fifth-largest provider of oil to the United States, have been the targets of guerilla groups recently, contributing to last year's gas price surges. Margaret Warner talks with author Sebastian Junger about the latest activity in the region.

	Jan. 24, 2007 President Bush Proposes New Energy Initiatives In his State of the Union address, President Bush called for new domestic initiatives aimed at decreasing gas consumption by expanding the role of alternative fuels. Three energy experts analyze the viability of the president's proposed energy reforms.

	Jan. 23, 2007 China's Economic Progress Comes with Environmental Costs China has achieved rapid economic growth over the past decade, but the rapid success has come at the expense of the environment. Independent Television News reports on pollution in China and the price of development.

	Jan. 22, 2007 Businesses Press President Bush, Congress on Climate Change The chief executives of 10 major organizations joined environmental watchdog groups Monday to urge President Bush and Congress to enact mandatory caps on carbon dioxide emissions, which most scientists believe contribute to global warming.