tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-123590582011-04-22T00:27:03.587-04:00BAD AIR. BAD WATER. BAD POLITICS. BAD BUSINESS. BAD ETHICS. BAD ATTITUDE.leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.comBlogger711100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-77148331362972260992007-09-05T14:24:00.000-04:002007-09-05T14:25:01.980-04:00

Oh, this tired old thing? Hmph.

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1159306007746853742006-09-26T17:17:00.000-04:002006-09-26T17:28:05.236-04:00

Amidst news of more circumstantial evidence of the continued existence of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker is conclusive proof of the continued idiocy of humanity as residents of a coastal North Carolina town rush to destroy the habitat of the red cockaded woodpecker in a frantic effort to avoid becoming designated as home to the endangered species. It makes a certain sense, "If you raze it, they

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1152554246486577742006-07-10T13:32:00.000-04:002006-07-10T13:57:26.516-04:00

Image from CDC website on emerging infectious diseaseAlso via boingboing today, news regarding a fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) that is killing frogs and other amphibians around the world. The fungus causes severe skin infections in every amphibian species it attacks, and the high mortality rate may lead to extinction for many species. Of course, the more mundane threats to amphibian

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1152552717604351692006-07-10T13:27:00.000-04:002006-07-10T13:31:57.616-04:00

Reported on boingboing today:In Wisconsin, the mayflies are so thick that they are actually showing up on local weather radar as a rainstorm.

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1146185957261490072006-04-27T20:37:00.000-04:002006-04-27T20:59:17.273-04:00

Hey everybody, Tennessee Senator Bill Frist (R, natch) is offering you a "bold package that will give consumers some relief"! (His words, not mine.) Move over Bob Dole, there's a new man in town. Hot on the heels of Bush's equally brilliant announcement that he would like to waive Clean Air provisions with regard to gasoline fuel additives in an effort to reduce soaring gas prices, Senate

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1145456474403290062006-04-19T10:09:00.000-04:002006-04-19T10:21:14.413-04:00

It was revealed this past Monday (4/17) that the United States produced more greenhouse gases in 2004 than at any time in history. How much of an increase is that? +110 million tons of CO2-- now that's impressive! But not as impressive as the total output of 6,300 million tons. What percentage of the world's total do we emit? Oh, about a quarter. 25%-- burn, baby, burn! Disco inferno!

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1143852600702891872006-03-31T19:27:00.000-05:002006-03-31T19:52:56.676-05:00

Add this to the steadily accumulating pile of concrete evidence that the Bush Administration consists almost entirely of scholars of Doublespeak.Outgoing Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton has proudly announced -- without a hint of irony -- that there has been a massive gain in US wetlands between 1998 and 2004. At first glance, that's excellent news. Unfortunately, most will stop at the first

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1136511305904086732006-01-05T20:28:00.000-05:002006-03-31T19:54:24.056-05:00

"We expect the sale of We to be on the same level of demand as a priceless art object," he said.Read more about the two-headed, one-stomached albino rat snake here.

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1136303890347620372006-01-03T10:52:00.000-05:002006-01-03T10:58:10.366-05:00

"It seems that liberals and godless tax-raisers are trying to make me look bad by using such things as 'facts' and 'scientific data.'"Will Ferrell does a hilarious send-up of Bush on global warming at TransBuddha.com. Watch it here."We just need to get nature to cooperate with us. We don't need to listen to nature, nature needs to listen to us."

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1135268094199150392005-12-22T11:11:00.000-05:002006-03-31T20:00:04.463-05:00

Clarence Olberding, 57, wasn't just telling a fisherman's fib when he called over another angler to look at the two-mouthed trout. It weighed in at about a pound.The second mouth didn't appear to be functional, Olberding said. He has plans for the fish, which don't included mounting."I'm going to smoke it up and eat it," he said.The above quote was from an AP report -- unfortunately, the original

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1131664186700486332005-11-10T17:35:00.000-05:002005-11-10T18:09:46.716-05:00

Common sense-- and perhaps true "conservatives"-- won out in Congress today (following section excerpted from Yahoo! News report):Conservation-minded lawmakers cheered a US House of Representatives decision to scrap a plan allowing oil drilling in Alaska's environmentally-sensitive Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).Negotiators wrangling over a House budget bill late Wednesday removed a

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1131662027041535182005-11-10T17:29:00.000-05:002005-11-10T17:33:47.083-05:00

Fresh from Japan and just in time for winter, it's another way to keep global warming close to your chest. For the woman who wants to stay both warm and environmentally conscious this winter -- and isn't bothered by extra bulk under her shirt -- a lingerie maker unveiled a thick bra that can be heated in a microwave.Triumph International modeled the bra in Japan which has launched a "Warm Biz"

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1131573496161660962005-11-09T16:53:00.000-05:002005-11-09T16:58:16.180-05:00

From today's AP wire:The Army Corps of Engineers and the state of Louisiana lack an overall plan for restoring coastal wetlands, a National Academy of Sciences panel said Wednesday."Federal, state and local officials, with the public's involvement, need to take a broader look," said Robert Dean, a University of Florida engineering professor in Gainesville who chaired a panel on the restoration

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1130433052153092562005-10-27T13:04:00.000-04:002005-10-27T13:10:52.180-04:00

Really not holding my breath now that this internal Wal-Mart memo has been leaked. Wal-Mart, champions of externalizing costs: we bring you low prices for cheap goods on the backs of a global workforce desperate to keep its collective head above water. I realize that arguments from analogy are generally quite weak, but to publicly announce that your company is focusing efforts on treating

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1130277009971101872005-10-25T17:38:00.000-04:002005-10-25T17:50:09.986-04:00

While deflecting the responsibility for paying its employees a living wage to Congress (where WM will probably spend lots of cash lobbying against it), Wal-Mart has announced its intent to be a "good steward for the environment." This sounds a lot like Bush's phrasing during the Presidential debates last fall. It also smacks of conservative Christian Bible talk (see example). Stewards manage

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1129910991856638632005-10-21T12:08:00.000-04:002005-10-21T12:09:51.863-04:00

Geez, what happened to my blog? Guess it's about time to do a little soapboxing.

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1125603674527176032005-09-01T14:52:00.000-04:002005-09-01T15:41:14.540-04:00

No, not the FFC film starring Gene Hackman. The Katrina Conversation.Yesterday I wondered what would happen to the Katrina Conversation. Here's where it's going today:Sidney Blumenthal points a finger at the Bush Administration in the German press (Spiegel online) and at Salon.com for cutting funding to New Orleans flood control funding and encouraging development of wetlands. According to

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1125524659186118982005-08-31T16:38:00.000-04:002005-08-31T17:44:19.203-04:00

I'm taking an environmental sociology course this semester, and it seems that it will be quite interesting. I'm set to learn a lot from the instructor and the subject matter as well as from my classmates, who so far seem to be an incredibly well-informed, well-traveled, and reasonable bunch of folks.Today's class was something of a free-for-all, and discussion was wide-ranging, but there was one

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1125004207934846492005-08-25T15:53:00.000-04:002005-08-25T17:10:07.953-04:00

Just another example of the intersection of class (and inevitably race & gender) issues with environmental issues:A recent study by researchers at the University of California-Davis reported that U.S. shoppers who consistently choose healthy foods spend nearly 20 percent more on groceries. The study also said the higher price of these healthier choices can consume 35 to 40 percent of a low-income

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1122995527529542852005-08-02T11:05:00.000-04:002005-08-02T11:12:07.536-04:00

Associate Professor Mark DeKay and Lecturer Ted Shelton of the University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design have been chosen by The American Institute of Architects as one of three grant-winning teams for ecological literacy in architecture education. Read More

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1122410048421724282005-07-26T15:47:00.000-04:002005-07-26T16:35:23.966-04:00

Scooping the poop in the Tuesday raw sewage roundup:Two employees at the Mt. Pleasant (Middle Tennessee) wastewater plant have been indicted for falsifying records regarding wastewater testing. They had been following "incorrect procedure" regarding reporting the amount of fecal coliform in the water, and were not in compliance with environmental standards. This isn't the first time they've

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1122398672584903312005-07-26T12:52:00.000-04:002005-07-26T13:24:32.593-04:00

It's damn hot outside -- heat index is hovering around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, humidity is near 60% (actually kind of low for East TN). And no doubt someone somewhere has attributed the current heatwave to climate change. It's unseasonably hot, so isn't that evidence of global warming? Not necessarily. Nor would a cold day in July signal that global warming is a myth. Claims like these make a

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1122065807496151002005-07-22T16:32:00.000-04:002005-07-22T17:10:37.396-04:00

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has information on how to give Sen. Lamar Alexander comments r.e. his reluctance to embrace the windmill: linkLearn about the National Energy Bill at SACE: linkThere's a Global Warming / Climate Change Bill in the works in North Carolina: linkAn Act to establish the Legislative commission on global climate change and to direct the commission to study issues

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1121882454460258302005-07-20T13:50:00.000-04:002005-07-20T14:00:54.466-04:00

The venerable South Knox Bubba blog, forums, and Rocky Top Brigade hosting have been pulled suddenly and without advance warning by the man himself, SKB, for reasons still unknown. This was the hub of a virtual community unlike others, considering its local focus as well as the level of interaction among members in both virtual and "meat" space. While it does little to no good to speculate

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1121356055316907592005-07-14T11:38:00.000-04:002005-07-14T11:47:35.320-04:00

Add this to my rapidly growing list of leaf-blower related frustrations:There is a guy, outside my apartment, right now, in the rain, wielding a freaking gas-powered leaf blower (I guess the electric kind don't work well in the rain). He's blowing soggy grass clippings against the curb. It's not enough that they're already caught up in the little river of rainwater that's heading downhill

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1121268169943561042005-07-13T10:56:00.000-04:002005-07-13T11:22:49.950-04:00

The next target for development in Knoxville is the South Knoxville riverfront. Mind you, this is not pristine land by any stretch of the imagination -- Holston Gases is there, and has been for quite some time, Marathon Ashland houses asphalt storage tanks on the riverfront, there's an abandoned glove factory, as well as some residential areas (most of which are populated by persons of modest

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1121263098250834992005-07-13T09:15:00.000-04:002005-07-13T09:58:18.256-04:00

In my last post, I briefly mentioned the Greening Earth Society. Brief recap: GES sez more CO2 = more green plants = good, bountiful harvest that's better for humanity! In a nutshell (pun intended), keep the greenhouse gases pumping, it's good for the earth. Not incidentally, the GES was founded by the Western Fuels Association, and it lobbies for the (fossil fuel) power industry. I don't think

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1120856052858987232005-07-08T16:01:00.000-04:002005-07-08T16:54:12.863-04:00

Despite a recent "Sense of the Senate Resolution" acknowledging a causal link between human activity (increased greenhouse gases) and global warming (i.e. "climate change"), and despite finally publicly acknowledging the reality of said warming, the US still refuses to formally agree to pass legislation or enforce regulations requiring businesses and citizens to conserve energy and reduce

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1119638657841208472005-06-24T14:38:00.000-04:002005-06-24T14:44:17.846-04:00

Today is an ozone action day in Knoxville. The air quality forecast anticipates levels of ozone and particulant matter that will be unhealthy for sensitive groups (those with chronic heart and lung diseases in particular). University of Tennessee seems to be blissfully unaware of this, as evidenced by the number of lawnmowers and weed-whackers currently in operation around campus. I can hear

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1118962198214794852005-06-16T18:42:00.000-04:002005-06-16T18:49:58.223-04:00

Today's edition of the blog of the well-traveled South Knox Bubba features a very well-phrased post regarding TVA & the new scrubbers at Bull Run. The technology in question will reduce sulfur dioxide emissions from the Bull Run plant by 90%. However, this represents (according to Bubba-math) a 7.5% reduction in overall SO2 emissions from TVA plants. This figure matches TVA's proposed 7.5%

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1118864904934528412005-06-15T15:16:00.000-04:002005-06-15T15:48:24.940-04:00

Lately, the separation of Church and State has come under fire from a number of sources both within ("faith-based initiatives") and without (Dobson, anyone?) the current Administration. It seems that having 200+ years of no official state-sanctioned government has created a climate in which people are failing to see the harm of combining government and theology. Combine that with the religious

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1118071513711362192005-06-06T11:17:00.000-04:002005-06-06T11:25:13.716-04:00

Mayors from around the world on Sunday signed an international treaty calling for increased use of public transportation and drastic cuts to the amount of trash sent to landfills.These are, of course, nonbinding; let's hope there's some sincere intention on the part of the signatories and not just political posturing.On the local front, Knoxville's Greenway initiative suggests that there's

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1117990613453920592005-06-05T12:52:00.000-04:002005-06-05T12:56:53.460-04:00

Development or conservation? TVA, Nickajack, John Thornton, and the story of one of the most interesting business proposals of the year.[Link is to article at KnoxNews.com, minimal registration required]

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1117989936344726682005-06-05T12:13:00.000-04:002005-06-05T12:45:36.346-04:00

Yet another situation guaranteed to add more fuel to the ecology vs economy debate in rural middle Tennessee:Development of a proposed limestone mine has been put on hold while the fate of a threatened species hangs in the balance. The painted snake coiled forest snail has been on the threatened species list since 1978, and has not been found elsewhere in the world. Of course, folks are painting

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1117986855821337872005-06-05T11:40:00.000-04:002005-06-05T11:54:15.826-04:00

June 5, 1972, marked the opening of the Stockholm Conference of the Human Environment. Every year since, June 5 has been recognized as World Environment Day.CNN and BBCNews both feature stories on the changes in the environment since that first World Environment Day 33 years ago. Now we have the benefit (or the added perspective) of having had satellites with cameras up in our orbit for three

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1117151206709772002005-05-26T19:39:00.000-04:002005-05-26T19:48:01.110-04:00

I can't take credit for this one -- OK. Say we take some big ball bearings, grease 'em up, and put the crossbar of that giant 110-foot cross (see below post) on permanent rotation. Presto! The Christians get their symbol (well, at certain points in the rotation anyway), AND we environmentalists get a viable, renewable energy source. How ecumenical. Now if only we can keep Don Christ-hote and

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1117140755779796682005-05-26T16:37:00.000-04:002005-05-26T16:52:35.783-04:00

According to a post today on the SK Bubba Blab, the Knoxville News Sentinel ran an article today by Greg Johnson in which Mr. Johnson laments the possible woes associated with the generation of wind energy:". . .windmills sucking more energy from our already sluggish air could very well cause East Tennessee's poor-quality air to stall in the EPA nonattainment zone until the next millenium."WHA?!?

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1116882384558565232005-05-23T16:52:00.000-04:002005-05-23T17:06:24.563-04:00

The blogging has been on hiatus for a few days. It's been so nice to be away from the computer-umbilical!South Knox Bubba has a nice feature on the newly christened Mead's Quarry trails at Ijams Nature Center. You can also read about it at the Ijams website. I skulked around there a bit prior to the official opening, and it's a great example of environmental reclamation. I hope they haven't

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1116357902508800572005-05-17T15:11:00.000-04:002005-05-17T15:27:09.113-04:00

From this morning's AP wire:BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- The hardy, invasive kudzu vine, introduced to this country decades ago to control soil erosion, could have what it takes to curb binge drinking, new research suggests.Kudzu, an ever-expanding plant considered a pest in much of the South, appears to contain a compound that can be effective in reducing alcohol intake among humans.In fact,

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1116343728045452362005-05-17T11:00:00.000-04:002006-03-31T20:36:58.136-05:00

Spent yesterday hunched over on a wooded hillside pulling up English Ivy with a few other philosophy grad students and the owner of the property, a new faculty member. The land is beautiful, situated on a ridge in South Knox near the river, and absolutely covered with this invasive species. As we yanked, pulled, and rolled ivy from the bases of trees and rocks, an amazing topography began to

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1116340938925719002005-05-17T09:34:00.000-04:002005-05-17T10:42:18.936-04:00

Katherine sent me an article on the Happy Cow Creamery in Pelzer, South Carolina. I'll bet you had no idea that happier cows produce healthier milk & cheese! "Wait," you're probably saying -- "You mean that if we treat people, creatures, even things well, they'll treat us well in return?"When I read about the success of small farms like Tom Trantham's, I wonder whether the use of "modern farming

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1115911254312740452005-05-12T11:12:00.000-04:002005-05-12T11:21:49.883-04:00

eCycle as in recycled computers, that is.This Saturday, May 14, you can drop off old computers, parts, peripherals, TVs and a few other electronic items for recycling at two Knoxville locations: Farragut High School (11237 Kingston Pike) Comcast Communications (5720 Asheville Highway) Locations will be accepting "donations" from 9am - 3pm. There's a small fee for some items that require more

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1115910584380655432005-05-12T11:01:00.000-04:002005-05-12T11:09:44.400-04:00

Went to IC King park last night to ride the bike trail. Got a bit muddy.East Tennessee Mountain Bike RidesRode in to campus today on the little mean purple & green machine. Got a bit sweaty.City of Knoxville -- GreenwaysPropel thyself!

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1115400541151503622005-05-06T13:22:00.000-04:002005-05-06T13:29:01.173-04:00

My dear friend Susan forwarded me an invitation to visit the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) Action Fund blog. The blog features "guest bloggers"-- currently, environmental litigator Mitchell Bernard is the man behind the posts. Good stuff! Here's an excerpt from his latest post on "Biostitutes":A scientist friend of mine taught me a new word: biostitute. A biostitute is a cross between

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1115393626126606192005-05-06T11:24:00.000-04:002005-05-06T11:34:59.830-04:00

More potential bad news from DC that will no doubt have impact on the Southern Appalachian region, particularly with regard to coal mining and other sorts of "energy exploration" -- the energy bill passed by the House last month contained a few new provisions tacked on by California Rep. Richard Pombo (R) that would allow energy companies to get around NEPA (1969 National Environmental Policy Act

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1115314935633681122005-05-05T13:34:00.000-04:002005-05-05T13:42:15.656-04:00

Heritage Forests Campaign has more information on Bush's "No Tree Left Behind" Act at http://www.ourforests.org.Tennessee has, um, i mean HAD, 85,000 acress of roadless land in its national forests. This, of course, is only a fraction of Alaska's 14,779,000, Idaho's 9,322,000, Montana's 6,397,000 . . . you get the picture.Nevertheless, this promises to have a big impact on the Southern

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1115313832734169592005-05-05T13:18:00.000-04:002005-05-05T13:23:52.760-04:00

from yahoo news:"New Rule Opens National Forest to Roads" WASHINGTON - The Bush administration, in one of its biggest decisions on environmental issues, moved Thursday to open up nearly a third of all remote national forest lands to road building, logging and other commercial ventures. The 58.5 million acres involved, mainly in Alaska and in western states, had been put off limits to

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1115230962618732862005-05-04T14:10:00.000-04:002005-05-04T14:22:42.653-04:00

If you enjoy sucking down the salty goodness of oysters, you may want to make sure they weren't harvested in St. Louis Bay, Mississippi-- unless you're the sort of individual who also enjoys sucking down toxic cocktails composed of dioxin, arsenic, and chromium. Personally, I prefer beer and oysters that weren't harvested downstream from a DuPont plant. But maybe you're a Taco Bell kind of guy.

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1115216742844285272005-05-04T09:57:00.000-04:002005-05-04T10:25:42.916-04:00

Here's an article from The Week Magazine on "Why green has gone out of fashion." Reference is made to last year's proclamation by Michael Schellenberger and Ted Nordhaus that environmentalism is dead. This announcement raised more than a few eyebrows, particularly among those who work tirelessly to ensure that environmentalism remains a force to be reckoned with, particularly in policymaking

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1115127785159690122005-05-03T09:35:00.000-04:002005-05-03T09:43:05.160-04:00

See what South Knox Bubba has to say this morning on the subject of "Polluters and Politics" and the current situation in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Back to work.

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1115060699336026522005-05-02T14:41:00.000-04:002005-05-02T15:04:59.336-04:00

It's finals week and the blogging is sparse. Must write papers. Must proctor exams. Must grade exams.In the meantime, here's an article on the reintroduction of the CLEAR ACT (by Sen. Orrin Hatch). Actually, it's a blog post from Green Car Congress. I'll have to remember to add it to the holy blogroll later. Note to self, and all that rot.Is this the third time this bill has been introduced

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114798615553573382005-04-29T14:07:00.000-04:002005-04-29T14:19:48.263-04:00

How did Knox County fare in the American Lung Association's 2005 State of the Air Report? Straight Fs. Aren't we on "academic probation" as it is? We made the Top 25 Most Ozone Polluted Cities list as well-- #15 (Knoxville-Sevierville-LaFollette). And Sevier County is ranked 25th among counties with the worst ozone air pollution.

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114797902749761472005-04-29T14:01:00.000-04:002005-04-29T14:23:39.076-04:00

file under "another victory for homeland security":Environmental advocate Willie Fontenot was forced to resign after taking environmental studies graduate students on a tour of the neighborhood surrounding an Exxon-Mobil refinery in Baton Rouge. Seems that the students were taking pictures of the refinery and aroused the ire of the on-site rent-a-cops, who threatened to report them to the DHS.

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114724865047444012005-04-28T17:18:00.000-04:002005-05-04T16:26:17.813-04:00

File under Knoxvilliana:Even as I type, FOX is airing the famed "Bart goes on a roadtrip to Knoxville" episode of the Simpsons, wherein Nelson knocks over the Sunsphere (um, wigsphere) with a rock, thereby unseating 16,000 boxes of unsold wigs and simultaneously placing Knoxville and its golden urban orb squarely on the pop culture map.Oh, and speaking of mapping, Knoxville also gains notoriety

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114712817932814412005-04-28T14:03:00.000-04:002005-04-28T14:26:57.933-04:00

Straight from the "First Amendment Ghetto" to your computer, a report from the Canary Coalition on the protest of Bush's Earth Day visit to Cades Cove. By now you know that Bush was a no-show. At least the Park Service succeeded in quelling the violent urges of the eco-terrorists and their big inflatable power plant. Another victory for Homeland Security, peace, justice, democracy, and the

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114709505098303342005-04-28T12:50:00.000-04:002005-04-28T13:33:19.156-04:00

The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, thought for 60 years to be extinct, has recently been sighted ("rediscovered") in the bottomland forests of Arkansas. After a year of gathering evidence to confirm initial sightings, an official confirmation of the re-emergence of the species was published today in Science Magazine.The IBW is a classic example of the negative impact that human devastation of natural

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114636067065312422005-04-27T16:40:00.000-04:002005-04-27T17:07:47.066-04:00

I teach business ethics to undergraduates.Stop laughing. I'm trying to maintain some sort of idealism here. Seriously, quit it.Anyway, each semester, we discuss the case of "Texaco and the Ecuadorean Amazon." We do this in the context of the question, "Does business have an obligation to be socially responsible?" The classic position on this question, as articulated by Milton Friedman (or as my

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114634183708043842005-04-27T15:53:00.000-04:002005-04-27T17:25:38.006-04:00

Hatred of leaf blowers is going to be a theme of this site, I can feel it. Walking back from class I had to pass through the event horizon of one of those damnable machines. It's not enough to have to contend with the noise pollution emanating from the crunky trunk of the slammed Olds with the stop-n-gos ("look how we sailin', 26 inches . . ."). Really, that just makes me nostalgic for the old

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114625894493084902005-04-27T13:39:00.000-04:002005-04-28T17:13:58.036-04:00

This spring at University of Tennessee has been a semester with a theme: the Environmental Semester. The semester was a success, with the university hosting an array of exciting (and high profile) speakers and staging a variety of events, many of which were well-attended and discussion/thought provoking. Here's a short list of environmentally-themed happenings around campus this semester: Agnes

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114464324200857302005-04-25T17:18:00.000-04:002005-04-25T17:25:24.200-04:00

. . . is being held May 2-4 in Orlando, Florida. You can read about the agenda and view a list of participants in the Southeast Green Power Network at the conference website. More detailed information regarding the conference can be found at the Knoxville-based Southern Alliance for Clean Energy's website.

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114463743980489582005-04-25T17:06:00.000-04:002005-04-25T17:15:43.983-04:00

This workshop (sponsored by the Southeast Alternative Fuels Task Force) will take place in Gatlinburg, TN, June 6-7, 2005, and . . .. . . is the 2nd in a series of workshops that the SEAFTF is putting together to advance alternative fuels use across the southeast, primarily the four states of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.The first regional biofuels workshop was held in

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114460643518907732005-04-25T16:18:00.000-04:002005-04-25T16:24:03.520-04:00

From MIT's TechnologyReview.com website comes this sure-to-be-controversial article by Stewart Brand, in which he claims that:Over the next ten years, I predict, the mainstream of the environmental movement will reverse its opinion and activism in four major areas: population growth, urbani­zation, genetically engineered organisms, and nuclear power.Brand was the founder of the Whole Earth

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114448807302969692005-04-25T13:00:00.000-04:002005-04-25T13:06:47.303-04:00

In an announcement last Friday (Earth Day), Governor Bredesen announcedthat Tennessee State Parks will purchase green power for every park where green power is available, making Tennessee one of the first state parks systems in the nation to utilize green power.Read more about this announcement on the TDEC (Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation) website. If

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114448250395551762005-04-25T12:48:00.000-04:002005-04-25T12:57:30.396-04:00

Roan Creek in Johnson County, TN, has recently been declared among the top 5 most endangered US rivers due to a proposed factory farm in the Mountain City area. Waste from the cattle on the farm (estimated to be around 12 million gallons annually) would be stored in holding lagoons along a Roan Creek tributary. That's a lot of bullpuckey, Ethel. The lagoons and their location present a host of

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114358099859857502005-04-24T11:47:00.000-04:002005-04-24T11:54:59.860-04:00

The park service has two digital cameras mounted in GSMNP-- one at Look Rock, the other at Purchase Knob. You can check out the view and check temperature and ozone levels. It snowed on Purchase Knob last night!

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114357650371196002005-04-24T11:25:00.000-04:002005-04-24T11:47:30.373-04:00

"With President Bush set to spend Earth Day in Cades Cove on Friday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is putting the finishing touches on a rule to eliminate haze in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and other public lands over the next six decades.The EPA has less than two months to complete the agency's haze rule, which will require states to reduce haze-causing pollutants at

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114305276157631692005-04-23T20:31:00.000-04:002005-04-24T11:22:02.570-04:00

Would it be possible to eat our way out of a species invasion? Kudzu, for instance. The Asian vine has taken over to such an extent that it's hard to think about a Southern landscape without imagining telephone poles, old barns, hillsides, trees, slow-moving cows covered in the thick, rich, green drapery of kudzu.Here's a list of kudzu-related sites, including some with recipes. I've never eaten

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114205010276245422005-04-22T16:58:00.000-04:002005-04-22T17:23:30.276-04:00

. . . I certainly wouldn't be here. My family's from Eastern Kentucky, and several of them have worked in some capacity or other for the coal industry. No doubt this employment led to familial economic conditions such that my existence and that of other of my family members could be a possibility. In current ethical theory, some of the most persistent questions center around our duties to

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114193459426854972005-04-22T14:08:00.000-04:002005-04-22T14:10:59.426-04:00

The Knoxville News Sentinel and WBIR-TV have combined forces to produce a website on Knoxville's bad air.

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114193295683502322005-04-22T13:48:00.000-04:002005-04-22T14:08:15.683-04:00

The President was scheduled to give an Earth Day address from Cades Cove in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. [The irony of this has been duly noted by several folk already] He would have been the second sitting US President to visit the park since its establishment in 1934. The park was named in 2002 as the most polluted national park in the country.As fate would have it, however, Ma

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359058.post-1114187813692672692005-04-22T12:20:00.000-04:002005-04-22T16:58:13.976-04:00

greetings.I'm a PhD student in Philosophy at the University of Tennessee, studying environmental ethics. I plan to use this space to catalogue news and information pertaining to the state of the local and regional environment (East Tennessee and surrounding areas). There will likely be some philosophical rambling interspersed as well. Several counties in East Tennessee are currently on the

leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07656120982456976384noreply@blogger.com0