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Author Archives for Dave Loos

Wonked Out Friday


EnviroWonk continues to serve up daily doses of political snarkiness. Here’s what they’ve been up to over the past week:

  • What happens when Richard Branson invites a few fellow billionaires to his private island to discuss climate change? This happens.
  • The European Union might reduce taxes on environmentally-friendly products, which means the sales tax on your new energy-efficient dishwasher in Sweden could drop from 85 to 75 percent.
  • In other news from across the Atlantic, the EU is preparing its military for a different kind of foe: Climate change.
  • There’s a new iceberg off the coast of Antarctica. It’s three times the size of Liechtenstein.
  • And that berg is going to look like an ice cube if, as some scientists expect, the Wilkins Ice Sheet collapses. We put things in context with a Top 10 List.
  • Finally, after years of getting rejected at ANWR, the Fish and Wildlife Department may have a nice consolation prize for the oil industry.

Wonked Out Friday


Between St. Patrick’s Day and the first rounds of March Madness, today marks the end of what must be the least productive workweek of the year, and that includes weeks with official holidays. What we’re saying is, why not waste a few more minutes and check out EnviroWonk, the new green-politics blog under the constantly-expanding EcoGeek umbrella.

It’s been a busy week:

  • Last Friday, we wrote an open letter to President Bush in which we suggested he not engage in illegal interference of EPA deliberations on new ozone standards.
  • On Monday, Rob Howard explained how the Bush administration calculates greenhouse gas emissions a bit differently than the rest of the world.
  • There was even a bit of good EPA news, as the agency managed to slip tough new diesel engine regulations past the powers that be.
  • Someday you’ll tell your grandkids about ice, and they won’t believe you.
  • Finally, NOAA has a plan to save the salmon out West … it involves killing sea lions.

So you no longer have an excuse not to bookmark EnviroWonk … stop on by for a daily dose of political snark and informed analysis.