Jan 14 Scientists Grow Rat Heart from Transplanted Cells By PBS News Hour Researchers grew beating rat hearts in a lab using heart cells from newborn rats grafted to the scaffolding of hearts from dead rats, according to a study released Sunday. Continue reading
Jan 11 Switchgrass Yields Energy-efficient, Clean Fuel, Study Finds By PBS News Hour Switchgrass, a prairie grass grown on marginal farmland and processed into ethanol, can produce five times more energy than it takes to grow the crop, according to a new study. Continue reading
Jan 10 Do you have any information on white collar jobs such as computer programmers being outsourced? This installment’s “guest vetter” is Martin Neil Baily, now with the Brookings Institution. He was chairman of President Bill Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisors and is a certified VKP (very knowledgeable person). If you… Continue reading
Jan 09 Agency Delays Decision on Polar Bear Listing By PBS News Hour The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service postponed a recommendation originally due Wednesday on listing the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act due to changes in its habitat from global warming. Continue reading
Dec 20 Watch 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. Continue watching
Dec 20 EPA Decides Against Calif. Emissions Standards By PBS News Hour President Bush on Thursday defended the decision of EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson to block California from implementing its tailpipe emissions law. Continue reading
Dec 20 My understanding is that it takes .75 gallons of fuel to make one gallon of ethanol. If this is true, why is this fuel source so widely acclaimed as a great idea? Question/Comment: There are two issues I’d like to see you tackle that I have not seen anyone in the media deal with. The first has to do with the sensibility of ethanol as a renewable fuel source. My understanding is… Continue reading
Dec 19 Recommendation Nears for Listing Polar Bear as ‘Threatened’ By PBS News Hour 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… Continue reading
Dec 18 Watch 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. Continue watching
Dec 18 Watch 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… Continue watching