The latest in Reuters Group Plc

Wisconsin debates law to speed mining permits

2011-12-14T17:30:23Z

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - A state measure to speed up the regulatory process for iron mines was met on Wednesday with a mix of support for the jobs a planned northern Wisconsin mine could create and concerns about its potential impact.

An environmental group also questioned whether the mining bill...

Wisconsin debates law to allow iron ore strip mining

2011-12-14T08:00:23Z

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - A controversial plan to strip mine for iron ore in northern Wisconsin could proceed under a proposed state law designed to ease environmental rules.

The bill, which will be discussed in a public hearing in Milwaukee Wednesday, was introduced by majority Republicans<...

Amazon forest loss at lowest in 23 years: Brazil

2011-12-06T11:00:10Z

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon region fell to its lowest in 23 years in the year through July, the government said Monday, attributing the drop to its tougher stance against illegal logging.

Destruction of the Brazilian portion of the world's largest rain forest dro...

Nebraska lawmakers vote to reroute pipeline

2011-11-22T10:30:09Z

LINCOLN, Nebraska (Reuters) - Nebraska lawmakers on Tuesday voted unanimously to reroute a controversial proposed U.S.-to-Canada oil pipeline away from an ecologically-sensitive region in the state, and the governor quickly sig...

India's waste pickers brave landfills to live

2011-11-22T06:00:09Z

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Durga Mukherjee remembers the first time she climbed to the top of New Delhi's largest and oldest landfill, joining the dogs, cows and crows there to begin her life as a waste picker.

"I vomited so much," the 40-year-old mother of four recalled of the pungent smell.

"I got there and I thought 'God, why...

EPA seen delaying CO2 rules on oil refineries

2011-11-21T09:00:06Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, struggling with an ambitious agenda on clean air regulations, will likely delay proposing the country's first ever greenhouse gas limits on oil refineries, sources said.

The EPA had been required to propose the r...

Nebraska lawmakers vote to reroute oil pipeline

2011-11-16T10:30:19Z

LINCOLN, Neb (Reuters) - The Nebraska legislature on Wednesday voted 45-0 to advance a proposed law that would reroute the $7 billion TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline,...

Toilet maker flush with pride after biogas bike run

2011-11-11T09:00:13Z

TOKYO (Reuters) - Enter the Neo. Part motorcycle and part toilet, it runs on eco-friendly biogas produced from sewage -- and recently completed a journey of more than 1,000 km (600 miles) across Japan.

The three-wheeled vehicle, developed by Japanese toilet maker Toto, features a toilet for a sea...

Democrats ax bill to block US EPA clean air rule

2011-11-11T05:32:00Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democrats defeated a bill on Thursday that would have blocked federal environmental regulators from slashing power plant air pollution that blows downwind to other states and causes lung and heart problems.

The bill, s...

Australia passes landmark carbon tax laws

2011-11-07T18:00:10Z

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia's parliament passed laws that impose a price on carbon emissions on Tuesday in one of the biggest economic reforms in a decade, giving new impetus to December's global climate talks in South Africa.

...

Democrats block bill to delay clean air rules

2011-11-03T15:30:29Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats on Thursday blocked the first major bill in the Senate that would have delayed the Environmental Protection Agency's clean air rules.

The bill, which needed 60 votes to pass, got only 47 votes. TAIPEI (Reuters) - Catcher Technology, a casing supplier for Apple Inc, said a plant in China that was ordered closed due to complaints about pollution could fully reopen as early as next month.

It said in a statement that all improvement work...

EPA working on new wastewater rules for natgas

2011-10-20T14:00:18Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it will develop rules for disposing of wastewater produced from the country's booming shale gas industry after finding that pollutants were entering surface water due to inadequate waste treatment.

<...

California shark fin ban signed into law

2011-10-07T17:30:10Z

SACRAMENTO, Calif (Reuters) - Shark fin soup will disappear from the Golden State's menu in January 2013 under legislation signed into law on Friday by California Governor Jerry Brown.

Strongly supported by environmentalist...

U.S. EPA proposes changes to air pollution rule

2011-10-06T13:00:11Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it has proposed changes to a rule that aims to cut smog-forming chemicals from power plants in 27 states. The changes could result in slightly more pollution, but save the measure's health benefits.

The change...

House passes bill to block EPA clean air rules

2011-09-23T14:00:08Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives passed a bill on Friday to block regulations that force industry to reduce unhealthy air emissions, such as mercury from coal-fired power plants, but the White House has ...

Australian PM says to start talks on linking EU carbon trade

2011-09-04T19:30:05Z

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia and the European Union have agreed to start talks to link their carbon emissions trading schemes, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard<...

Ontario "mega-quarry" faces environmental review

2011-09-02T11:00:13Z

TORONTO (Reuters) - Ontario has ordered a full environmental review of a proposed "mega-quarry" backed by one of Boston's best-known hedge funds, a move that may threaten a project that has already raised local opposition.

The project, which would supply crushed limestone for Toronto's bo...

Obama to drop smog initiative

2011-09-02T10:30:10Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama unexpectedly asked the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday to withdraw a plan to limit smog pollution, handing a big win to business and Republicans ...

Obama asks EPA to withdraw draft ozone standard

2011-09-02T09:00:09Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama asked the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday to withdraw a plan that would tighten national air-quality standards.

Obama said the request was made a part o...

U.S. researchers find Roundup chemical in water, air

2011-08-31T13:30:10Z

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - Significant levels of the world's most-used herbicide have been detected in air and water samples from two U.S. farm states, government scientists said on Wednesday, in groundbreaking research on the active ingredient in Monsanto Co<...

EPA halts sales of DuPont's Imprelis herbicide

2011-08-11T11:00:12Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - DuPont was ordered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stop selling its Imprelis herbicide, following many complaints by customers that the treatment has killed thousands of trees.

The ...

EPA delays smog rule for fourth time

2011-07-26T13:30:17Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday it would again delay issuing a final limit on smog pollution opposed by manufacturers and many Republican lawmakers until the Obama administration...

U.S. regulators delay smog rule for fourth time

2011-07-26T12:00:45Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday it would again delay issuing a final limit on smog pollution opposed by manufacturers and many Republican lawmakers until the Obama administratio...

Parents' stress tied to pollution's effect on kids

2011-07-22T13:30:19Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children living in high-stress households are more vulnerable to lung damage from traffic pollution than children whose parents are less stressed out, according to the results of a new study.

"It makes sense," said Dr. Jane Clougherty from the University of Pittsburgh

Peru approves environmental study for Perenco pipeline

2011-07-22T10:30:11Z

LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's government on Friday green-lighted Anglo-French oil and gas producer Perenco's $359 million plan to build and operate a gas pipeline in the Maranon Basin, saying an environmental impact study had been approved.

The 207-km (128.6-mile) pipeline will be located in block 67 ...

India's "recycled" school teaches environmental lessons

2011-07-21T09:00:14Z

PUNE, India (Reuters Life!) - On a regular school day, four-year-old Kush Bhattacharya can leave his mathematics class to run barefoot on grass, hide from his friends in a cave made of cow dung and return to recite nursery rhymes in a red bus that doubles up as a classroom.

Kush is a student at the...

EPA announces initiative to restore urban waterways

2011-06-24T12:00:46Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Renewing urban waterways will be the focus of a new environmental initiative by the government, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday.

The multi-agency program will start with a seven-city pilot program to revitalize urban waterways in under-served commu...

Oslo backs Jakarta's forest plan, despite hurdles

2011-06-23T08:00:30Z

OSLO (Reuters) - Norway backed Indonesia's drive to slow deforestation on Thursday under a $1 billion deal with Oslo even though Jakarta said it faced a "maze" of reforms and lacks maps to pin down exact con...

U.S. extends comment time on power plant toxics rule

2011-06-21T11:00:20Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday it has extended the comment timeline by 30 days on a draft rule on reducing mercury emissions and other toxic pollution from power plants but left the target for finalization of the rule unchanged.

The ...

Oregon panel approves tough new clean water rules

2011-06-16T21:00:17Z

PORTLAND, Ore (Reuters) - Oregon's environmental regulators on Thursday approved new health-based water quality standards, touted as the toughest in the nation, for curtailing toxic pollutants in rivers and streams.

The rules, subject to approval by the BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A group of 72 businesses, including household names such as Coca-Cola and Google, joined forces on Wednesday in support of deeper European cuts to greenhouse gases.

...

"Ken" doll protesters arrested at Mattel headquarters

2011-06-07T13:30:15Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Greenpeace activists dressed as Ken dolls rappelled down the side of Mattel's headquarters on Tuesday to unfurl a banner saying Barbie packaging contributes to rainforest dest...

EPA worried about leaks on planned Keystone pipe

2011-06-07T09:00:09Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency raised new concerns to the State Department about TransCanada Corp's proposed Germany (Reuters) - Slowing deforestation and greater awareness of the value of standing trees may come too late to save the world's biggest rainforests, according to a global assessment of tropical forests published Tuesday.

Tropical forests are threatened by pressures to clear land to produce food and biofuels and to plant fa...

Congo to plant a million hectares of trees by 2020

2011-06-03T12:00:13Z

BRAZZAVILLE (Reuters) - The Republic of Congo will plant 1 million hectares of trees by 2020 to restore degraded forest and provide wood for paper and fuel, the president said on Friday.

President

Destruction of world's biggest rainforests down 25 percent: FAO

2011-06-01T16:30:20Z

BRAZZAVILLE (Reuters) - The rate of destruction of the world's three largest forests fell 25 percent this decade compared with the previous one, but remains alarmingly high in some countries, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization

Congo's poor need incentives to save giant forest

2011-05-31T13:30:15Z

GEMENA, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Reuters) - Simon Kasagana knows his meager livelihood depends on the forest, but like many others eking out a living in the vast Congo basin, he has little choice but to destroy it.

He used to be a nursing assistant, but the pay w...

Experts meet in Congo in bid to rescue world forests

2011-05-31T03:30:07Z

BRAZZAVILLE (Reuters) - Representatives from 35 countries will seek ways to protect the world's largest rainforests during a week-long meeting in Republic of Congo starting on Tuesday.

The outcome of the summit could play a role in the preservation of s...

U.N. calls for much more metals recycling

2011-05-26T06:00:21Z

LONDON (Reuters) - The world would not have to dig so much metal out of the ground if it strongly embraced recycling, which could be higher, the United Nations Environment Programme said on Thursday.

Smarter product designs and support for developing country waste management s...

Green group appeals Audi's Hungary expansion: report

2011-04-28T08:30:29Z

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - A Hungarian environmental group has appealed against the land use permit issued for German car maker Audi's 900 million euro ($1.34 billion) expansion of its plant in Hungary, news agency MTI reported on Thursday.

Audi, a unit of

Some mark Earth Day with mercury testing "snip-ins"

2011-04-22T16:30:08Z

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - When the Sierra Club's nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of mercury arrived on Friday, just in time for Earth Day, more than two dozen residents showed up to have their hair tested.<...

Earth Day organizers call for 'a billion acts of green'

2011-04-21T13:00:17Z

CHICAGO (Reuters Life!) - If the environmental movement has a high holiday, Earth Day is it.

The annual effort to raise public awareness about the environment and inspire actions to clean it up marks its 41st anniversary on Friday, coinciding with the Christian

2011-04-21T08:00:24Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - If the environmental movement has a high holiday, Earth Day is it.

The annual effort to raise public awareness about the environment and inspire actions to clean it up marks its 41st anniversary on Friday, coinciding with the Christian

California tosses out solar power plant lawsuit

2011-04-14T13:00:34Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California's supreme court refused to consider a lawsuit filed by an influential environmental group seeking to delay construction of a solar plant because it might harm rare plant and animal species.

The state supreme court said it would not review the

BP oil spill offers clues on air pollution: study

2011-03-10T13:30:09Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The BP oil spill that sent 4 million barrels of crude into the Gulf of Mexico last year also created air pollution, and studying this pollution gave scientists clues into how these contaminants get into the atmosphere.

BP's

India must balance environment and development needs: president

2011-02-20T22:30:04Z

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India must find ways to balance its environmental and developmental needs, President Pratibha Patil told parliament in a prepared address on Monday.

"My government has constituted a group of ministers to loo...

EPA investigates pollutants at St. Croix refinery

2011-02-15T14:30:53Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Tuesday it started a three-month study on air pollution from Hovensa's 500,000 barrel-per-day refinery in St. Croix, Reuters) - Looming U.S. rules that power utilities face on air pollution could create nearly 1.5 million jobs over the next five years, according to a report.

Engineering, construction and pipefitting are some of the professions that could see a rise in jobs as Thailand (Reuters Life!) - The days of R&R on Thailand's famous Pattaya beach could be numbered.

The eastern city, a magnet for foreign tourists seeking sun, sea, watersports and racy nightlife, is under siege by both man and the forces of nature. One of Asia's most popular beaches is being e...

Court rejects EPA delay on boiler emissions rule

2011-01-20T19:00:16Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it was disappointed with a federal court ruling giving the agency only 30 extra days to issue emission standards for boilers and solid waste and sewage sludge incinerators.

The EPA had sought one year ...

EPA sued over pesticides, endangered species

2011-01-20T16:00:09Z

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Environmental conservation groups sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday to force it to tighten regulation of pesticide use, arguing that the agency was not consulting wildlife off...

Bad air cuts visibility in Hong Kong, raising death rates

2011-01-19T14:31:04Z

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Visibility in Hong Kong has deteriorated so sharply over the last 50 years because of air pollution that variations in levels can even be used to predict mortality rates, health experts warned on Wednesday.

Visibility is now 12.6 km (7.8 miles) on an average day, well below that of cities such as Paris, Reuters) - Visibility in Hong Kong has deteriorated so sharply over the last 50 years because of air pollution that variations in levels can even be used to predict mortality rates, health experts warned Wednesday.

Visibility is now 12.6 km (7.8 miles) on an average day, well below that of cities such as Paris, SEOUL (Reuters Life!) - Kim Yong-sook is an idealist who longs for a greener lifestyle, which means walking more and wasting less. But she never dreamed that her credit card could help save the planet.

The 59-year-old stay-at-home mother is one of many set to take advantage of a new program in Reuters) - Republicans poised to take power in Congress are planning a rapid attack against a climate change initiative the Obama administration wants to launch on January 2, according to members of the Senate and ...

GE must do more to clean Hudson River: U.S. agency

2010-12-17T15:00:27Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday ordered General Electric Co to dredge deeper into the Hudson River...

GE must do more to clean Hudson River: EPA

2010-12-17T13:30:37Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday ordered General Electric Co to dredge deeper into the Hudson River ...

BHP submits environment study for Jansen potash mine

2010-12-17T08:00:47Z

TORONTO (Reuters) - BHP Billiton said on Friday it had submitted an environmental impact statement to the government of Saskatchewan for its Jansen potash project in the Western Canadian province.

If ...

EPA says saccharin not a threat after all

2010-12-14T15:00:21Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has dropped the artificial sweetener saccharin from its list of hazardous substances, the agency said on Tuesday.

The white crystalline powder used in diet drinks, chewin...

Sierra Club sues Exxon over Baytown refinery pollution

2010-12-14T07:30:18Z

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The Sierra Club and Environment Texas filed a federal lawsuit against Exxon Mobil Corp for five years of excess pollution at the nation's largest refinery, the Sierra Club said on Tuesday.

<...

EPA postpones smog rule until July

2010-12-08T15:30:58Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday it was again delaying its final rule on smog limits, with the rule now expected by the end of July 2011.

This is the third time the agency has delayed the smog standards, originally slated to be final...

Brazil: Amazon deforestation lowest rate on record

2010-12-01T10:00:20Z

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Deforestation in the Amazon forest fell to its lowest level on record, the Brazilian government said on Wednesday, marking what could be a watershed in the conservation of the world's largest rain forest.

The figures coincide with a United Nations glob...

EU says Italy may face fines over Naples rubbish

2010-11-26T09:30:28Z

ROME (Reuters) - Italy has failed to comply with a European court ruling on the chronic Naples garbage crisis and could face fines if it does not solve the problem, a top EU official said on Friday.

Thousands of tonnes of garbage st...

Exclusive: EPA to delay decision on E15 in 2001-06 cars

2010-11-19T10:00:27Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency will delay a decision that was expected in December on whether gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol is safe to use in vehicles built during the 2001 to 2006 model years, a source familiar with the matter told Reute...

Brazil opens fund to cut agriculture deforestation

2010-11-10T10:30:28Z

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil's state development bank BNDES on Wednesday said it opened a fund worth 1 billion reais ($588 million) that will finance projects to reduce deforestation associated ...

Paraguay hopes to shield tribe from outside world

2010-10-26T09:00:19Z

ASUNCION (Reuters) - Paraguay's government is in talks to buy privately owned land as it races to protect an isolated tribe from the advance of cattle ranching, which could force the Indians to abandon their forest home.

The nomadic Ayoreo Totobiegosode Indians, said to number between 30 and 50 people, have had no contact with outsiders since 2...

Water concerns grow over Canada-U.S. mega oil pipe

2010-10-20T12:00:14Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nebraskan officials are urging the State Department to ensure a proposed $7 billion pipeline that plans to send Canadian crude to refineries along the Gulf of Mexico would avoid a massive water reservoir that irrigates agriculture in the nation's breadbasket.

Brazil Amazon forest to be privately managed

2010-10-11T13:00:48Z

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil will auction large swaths of the Amazon forest to be managed by private timber companies and cooperatives to help reduce demand for illegal logging, a top official told Reuters on Monday.

After years of legal battles and political opposition, the government is reviving conc...

Indonesia probes illegal logging role in Papua floods

2010-10-11T03:30:40Z

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian officials and forestry experts are to investigate claims that illegal logging contributed to floods that have killed at least 145 people, the Forestry Ministry said on Monday.

This comes ahead of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono<...

Living under a flight path may be bad for the heart: study

2010-10-10T16:31:01Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Living with airplanes thundering over your head could put your heart at risk, according to a Swiss study.

After studying 4.6 million adults across Switzerland, researchers found that dying from a heart attack was more common among people with increased exposure to aircraft noise.

"The effect w...

Is living under a flight path bad for the heart?

2010-10-08T16:52:47Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Living with airplanes regularly thundering over your head could risk the healthy pumping of your heart, suggests a new Swiss study.

Based on 4.6 million adults across Switzerland, researchers found that dying from a heart attack was more common with increased exposure to aircraft noise.

"The ...

EPA pushing states to cleanup Chesapeake Bay: report

2010-09-24T21:00:11Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday threatened to go after five mid-Atlantic states with rules that could lead to higher sewer bills and stricter conditions on construction unless they cut pollution flowing into the

Environmental groups say Munich Olympic plans unsound

2010-09-13T11:15:23Z

BERLIN (Reuters) - An umbrella group of German conservation organizations Monday withdrew from a commission evaluating the Munich 2018 winter Olympics bid, saying the...

Record Hong Kong air pollution sparks protest

2010-09-08T06:40:24Z

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Roadside air pollution in Hong Kong hit record highs in the first six months of the year, hurting public health and economic competitiveness compared with Asian rivals, activists and lawmakers said on Tuesday.

The city's air quality hit "unhealthy" levels about 10 percent of the time between January and June, the highest level in fiv...

U.S. reiterates commitment to 2020 climate goal

2010-09-03T06:50:14Z

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States reiterated on Friday that it was committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 even though the Senate has failed to pass legislation.

"I am in no sense writing off legislation over time. And I'm quite sure the president isn't," U.S. climate envoy

U.S. test shows water problem near natgas drill site

2010-09-01T22:40:02Z

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - U.S. government officials urged residents of a Wyoming farming community near natural gas drilling sites not to use private well water for drinking or cooking because of chemical contamination.

"S...

Backers of electronics recycling seek unified laws

2010-08-20T13:45:19Z

LOS ANGELES/HOUSTON (Reuters) - Julayna Smith has a problem. Over the years, she has accumulated eight cell phones in trying to keep up with the latest models. Her boyfriend has also started a small Blackberry pile of his own.

"I don't know the first place to look to recycle a phone, I just have no idea where I would start," she said.

Smith, 22, of

U.S. farmers oppose EPA's proposed dust regulation

2010-10-22T10:17:30Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - American farmers have been ridiculing a proposal by U.S. regulators to reduce the amount of dust floating in rural air.

"If there's ever been rural America, that's what rural America is," said Nebraska hog farmer Danny Kluthe. "You kno...

Garbage islands threaten China's Three Gorges dam

2010-08-03T17:17:14Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - Thousands of tonnes of garbage washed down by recent torrential rain are threatening to jam the locks of China's massive Three Gorges Dam, and is in places so think people can stand on it, state media said on Monday.

Chen Lei, a senior official at ...

US EPA denies challenges to greenhouse gas rule

2010-08-03T17:16:53Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday denied 10 petitions challenging EPA's 2009 finding that climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health and the environment.

The EPA had received the petitions from states such as Texas

Pollution makes quarter of China water unusable: ministry

2010-07-26T06:45:17Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - Almost a quarter of China's surface water remains so polluted that it is unfit even for industrial use, while less than half of total supplies are drinkable, data from the environment watchdog showed on Monday.

Inspectors from China's Ministry of Environmental Protection tested water samples from the country's ...

Africa looks to vast forests for carbon credit

2010-07-16T06:15:15Z

BANCO, Ivory Coast (Reuters) - They inhabit a polluted part of Ivory Coast's main city with few jobs and a swelling population, but residents of Abidjan's slums have a rare respite: a stretch of pristine rainforest.

From their wooden shacks and unpainted concrete houses by motorways on the edge of Banco National Pa...

EPA proposes tougher air rules on power plants

2010-07-06T12:30:13Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Tuesday proposed rules to force coal-fired and other fossil fueled power plants in the eastern half of the country to cut emissions that cause smog.

The Environmental Protection Agency rules would cut sulfur dioxide ...

N.Korea says puts "great effort" into environment

2010-06-22T03:45:10Z

SEOUL (Reuters) - There are no private cars in North Korea and countless factory chimneys have not belched smoke in years, but state media said on Tuesday scientists were inventing new ways to cut air pollution and protect the environment.

The country "has directed a great effort" to research environmental protection, the ...

White House eyes veto if Senate curbs EPA climate power

2010-06-08T11:00:43Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House Tuesday threatened a presidential veto if the Senate passes a measure to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it had finalized a rule that would protect millions of people from smokestack emissions of sulfur dioxide, which can lead to asthma and other lung problems.

The rule, which was signed late Wednesday night, is designed to protect people...

EPA issues rules on big carbon polluters

2010-05-13T12:17:40Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ruled on Thursday that factories and power plants would be subject to greenhouse gas regulations, a major step that could push polluters and lawmakers to support the climate bill unveiled this week in the Senate.

The SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Outdoor products company North Face, a unit of VF Corp, will pay $207,500 to settle claims that shoes advertised to kill bacteria were never tested, the U.S. Environmental Protection...

Green Auction nets $2 million for environment

2010-04-22T21:30:13Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Art collectors, environmentalists and celebrities packed the salesroom at Christie's on Thursday, the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, and spent nearly $2 million at the Green Auction benefiting the environment.

A round of golf with former President Bill Clinto...

New York aims to regain recycling status

2010-04-22T14:30:15Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - New York could regain its status as a leader in recycling if new proposals to expand the city's green efforts are passed, experts said.

The city's once ambitious recycling plans have fallen behind because of economic belt-tightening, but new proposals that would extend recycling would put the city on track with other urban areas in the

U.S. leads bid to phase out whale hunting: report

2010-04-14T18:15:35Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is leading an effort that could result in an agreement in coming weeks to limit and ultimately end whale hunting by Japan, Norway and Iceland, FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Sporting goods maker Puma will launch eco-friendly packaging for its sneakers next year to reduce its carbon footprint, beating governments to the punch as it kisses old-fashion shoe boxes good-bye.

Puma said it would roll out the new packaging in the second half of next year and that by putting its shoes in cardboard frames wrapped in reusable s...

Traffic-related air pollution tied to stroke death

2010-04-06T06:45:10Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Traffic-related air pollution may be linked to a higher death rate among people who initially survived strokes, hint study findings from the United Kingdom.

Of 3320 men and women who lived in a specific south London region and had a first stroke between 1995 and 2005,...

Wikileaks Berkeley

2010-12-14T22:31:11Z

Beverly Dove holds a sign as she speaks during a city council meeting in Berkeley, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010. The council in this famously liberal city is considering a resolution Tuesday night bestowing hero status on Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier at the center of the