Grist
AND TO SPRAWL A GOOD NIGHT
Urban sprawl imperils species, report says
If you needed one more reason to hate urban sprawl, we're happy to help: It's imperiling species left and right. According to a report by the National Wildlife Federation, Smart Growth America, and NatureServe, the next 25 years will see more than 22,000 acres of habitat lost to development in 35 of the sprawlingest metropolitan areas in the U.S. This comes as bad news to the 553 species the groups identified as unique to those areas. "The bottom line is that these species are at risk of extinction due to habitat destruction," said John Kostyack, an NWF lawyer and one of the report's authors. "And in these metro areas, the leading cause of habitat destruction is sprawl -- development of homes and office buildings and roads in outlying forests and farm fields." To ease the imperilment, the groups recommend preserving open spaces, giving incentives to build in already-developed areas, and encouraging developers to construct more high-density projects.
straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Associated Press, 11 Jan 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4001>
PLEASE PASS THE HEMP, BILLY
DEA drops resistance to hemp food products Hemp may be the new soy.
Recently, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency quietly ended its attempts to ban hemp oil and sterilized industrial hemp seed in food products. (Yes, these products are taken from the Cannabis plant, but no, they won't even get your little brother high.) "It's a victory [for the hemp industry]," says food studies professor Ellen J. Fried, "except for the fact that you can't grow it in the United States. ... But hemp's there. It's in Trader Joe's. It's in Whole Foods." That's right, hemp enthusiasts: When you really, really need a snack (we're not implying anything), you can reach for a growing variety of hemp food products including energy bars, pretzels, waffles, bread, salad dressing, coffee, and beer. The hemp food industry touts the crop's low impact on the environment and its nutritive value -- it's a great source of essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, and protein, backers say. But no major food producers have gotten into the game yet, so don't expect to see Honey Bunches of Hemp cereal any time soon.
straight to the source: The News Tribune, Ed Murietta, 12 Jan 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4008>
HOWL'S ABOUT THAT?
Enviros celebrate 10th anniversary of wolf release
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park, an area from which they were eradicated by the 1920s. The transplant experiment, meant to help restore wolf populations protected under the Endangered Species Act, stirred strong feelings, both positive and negative, in 1995, and much of that controversy lives on today. While ranchers say their livestock suffers -- the wolves killed 278 cattle and some 800 sheep in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho from 1995 to 2003 -- biologists and wildlife activists say the reintroduction has benefited whole ecosystems. The 900-some wolves now thriving in the area may have helped bolster other populations, including aspen and cottonwood trees, beavers, and possibly songbirds and red foxes. The wolves' success story is an important one, say enviros like Mike Phillips of the Turner Endangered Species Fund: "In many ways it has stimulated a dialogue that's good for the country and the Western United States."
straight to the source: Billings Gazette, Mike Stark, 12 Jan 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4002>
straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Associated Press, 10 Jan 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4003>
straight to the source: The Seattle Times, Warren Cornwall, 12 Jan 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4004>
Urban sprawl imperils species, report says
If you needed one more reason to hate urban sprawl, we're happy to help: It's imperiling species left and right. According to a report by the National Wildlife Federation, Smart Growth America, and NatureServe, the next 25 years will see more than 22,000 acres of habitat lost to development in 35 of the sprawlingest metropolitan areas in the U.S. This comes as bad news to the 553 species the groups identified as unique to those areas. "The bottom line is that these species are at risk of extinction due to habitat destruction," said John Kostyack, an NWF lawyer and one of the report's authors. "And in these metro areas, the leading cause of habitat destruction is sprawl -- development of homes and office buildings and roads in outlying forests and farm fields." To ease the imperilment, the groups recommend preserving open spaces, giving incentives to build in already-developed areas, and encouraging developers to construct more high-density projects.
straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Associated Press, 11 Jan 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4001>
PLEASE PASS THE HEMP, BILLY
DEA drops resistance to hemp food products Hemp may be the new soy.
Recently, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency quietly ended its attempts to ban hemp oil and sterilized industrial hemp seed in food products. (Yes, these products are taken from the Cannabis plant, but no, they won't even get your little brother high.) "It's a victory [for the hemp industry]," says food studies professor Ellen J. Fried, "except for the fact that you can't grow it in the United States. ... But hemp's there. It's in Trader Joe's. It's in Whole Foods." That's right, hemp enthusiasts: When you really, really need a snack (we're not implying anything), you can reach for a growing variety of hemp food products including energy bars, pretzels, waffles, bread, salad dressing, coffee, and beer. The hemp food industry touts the crop's low impact on the environment and its nutritive value -- it's a great source of essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, and protein, backers say. But no major food producers have gotten into the game yet, so don't expect to see Honey Bunches of Hemp cereal any time soon.
straight to the source: The News Tribune, Ed Murietta, 12 Jan 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4008>
HOWL'S ABOUT THAT?
Enviros celebrate 10th anniversary of wolf release
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park, an area from which they were eradicated by the 1920s. The transplant experiment, meant to help restore wolf populations protected under the Endangered Species Act, stirred strong feelings, both positive and negative, in 1995, and much of that controversy lives on today. While ranchers say their livestock suffers -- the wolves killed 278 cattle and some 800 sheep in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho from 1995 to 2003 -- biologists and wildlife activists say the reintroduction has benefited whole ecosystems. The 900-some wolves now thriving in the area may have helped bolster other populations, including aspen and cottonwood trees, beavers, and possibly songbirds and red foxes. The wolves' success story is an important one, say enviros like Mike Phillips of the Turner Endangered Species Fund: "In many ways it has stimulated a dialogue that's good for the country and the Western United States."
straight to the source: Billings Gazette, Mike Stark, 12 Jan 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4002>
straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Associated Press, 10 Jan 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4003>
straight to the source: The Seattle Times, Warren Cornwall, 12 Jan 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4004>
posted by T. Scott Brineman at 9:56 AM
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