The Wilderness Society Blog

Deadline approaching for Gloria Barron Scholarship

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:59:27 +0000

The deadline for the Gloria Barron Wilderness Society Scholarship - March 31, 2010 - is fast approaching.

This $10,000 scholarship is awarded to a graduate student for the coming academic year to support research and preparation of a paper on an aspect of wilderness.

California’s Big Sur: More Protections Are on the Way

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:55:46 +0000

If Highway 1 in California is considered one of the world’s most scenic drives, then the section through Big Sur and the Santa Lucia Mountains offers some of its most memorable vistas.

The Big Sur Coast — home to sheer cliffs that drop hundreds of feet to the pounding surf below, majestic Santa Lucia Firs, rushing pristine rivers, and quiet spiritual retreats — may soon gain more protection with legislation by Rep. Sam Farr (D-Carmel).

Climate change: How do we know what to believe?

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:44:27 +0000

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s perennial novel, “The Great Gatsby,” socialite Tom Buchannan muses about fickle weather in between sips of gin on hot summer afternoon:

“I read somewhere that the sun is getting hotter every year…It seems that pretty soon the earth is going to fall into the sun — or wait a minute — it’s just the opposite. The sun’s getting colder every year.”

Roadless areas are for the birds

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:05:23 +0000

A few years ago, The Wilderness Society and the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit to stop logging in an inventoried roadless area in the White Mountain National Forest. The legal action caused quite a stir in New Hampshire conservation circles. A number of organizations even filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting the Forest Service plan to log in the Wild River roadless area.

I was a bit surprised that “conservation” groups would go out of their way to support logging.

Calling all Clean Energy Patriots!

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:31:05 +0000

It’s time to declare our independence from Big Oil. Earth Day is the time to do it.

Earth Day turns 40 this year, and it's never been more important to ensure this enduring legacy is a day of action.

GAO report gets at the truth about wildfires

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:13:10 +0000

The arm of the government responsible for minding the store – the GAO – recently released a report that debunks myths about wildfires. All that talk about how environmental lawsuits are holding up fire prevention projects turns out to be nonsense.

A Watershed Moment in Forest Planning

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:53:14 +0000

We all live in a watershed, no matter how urban or rural the city. For instance, I live in Golden, Colorado, a small community founded more than 150 years ago along the banks of Clear Creek at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.

Cornell University Outlines Environmental and Economic Concerns With Hydraulic Fracturing

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:06:59 +0000

Last month, researchers from Cornell University held a Congressional briefing and released a set of materials that helped shed new light on the potential risks of drilling for natural gas and hydraulic fracturing.