HAMERSVILLE, Ohio — The first dollar Rick Doyle ever earned as a $3 million-a-year dealer of after-market motorcycle parts is tacked to the wall of a dusty barn in rural Ohio, where two custom-built bikes have been pushed to the corner, forgotten. There is nothing here now except a 10-year-old tractor. The biker calender above the desk still reads February 2006. Read full article > >

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Some after-market motorcycle parts don’t meet safety or environmental standards, experts say

The biggest environmental summit for a decade needs to deliver meaningful progress on global food security sustainable agriculture, say researchers.

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Nations need food security goals

A senior Environmental Protection Agency official resigned Sunday in an effort to end the furor over his remarks two years ago that the EPA should make examples of polluters the way Romans crucified people to quash rebellions. Read full article > >

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EPA official who compared enforcement to crucifixion resigns

A top Environmental Protection Agency official resigned Monday after comments that the agency should make examples of polluters the way Romans crucified people to quash rebellions caused a furor. In an internal memo to EPA employees, Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said Alfredo Juan “Al” Armendariz had “offered his resignation” as regional administrator for the agency’s South Central region. Read full article > >

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EPA official resigns after enforcement philosophy causes furor

Some environmental and consumer groups say that increased use of Dow Chemical’s herbicide, 2,4-D, could cause cancer, hormone disruption and other health problems.

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Dow Corn, Resistant to a Weed Killer, Runs Into Opposition

5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe. Seafood lovers are between a rockfish and a hard place: More than 80% of the world’s fisheries are being harvested at capacity or are in decline. In honor of Earth Day, April 22, what can consumers do to make sure their seafood choices aren’t further depleting the oceans? Chef Takao Iinuma brings a ray of light to the matter. Iiunuma is the executive chef at Genji Sushi, the purveyors of sushi and Japanese cuisine to Whole Foods Markets. Selecting Sustainable Fish Options for Earth Month: Takao Iinuma 1. Why is it so important to consume fish sustainably ? “Sushi is a culture, and learning to make sushi the traditional way has been passed down for generations. If we want to be able to continue the tradition of sushi culture for the next generations, we need to work to preserve the diversity of fish available.” 2. Which fish are most sustainable ? “It helps to remember these 4 'S' words to figure out if a fish is a good choice: small, shellfish, seasonal and silver. Small fish are lower on the food chain, so there are usually more of them. They also don’t live as long, so they replenish their own stocks more quickly. Shellfish, specifically mollusks like oysters and clams, actually filter water and make the environment cleaner, so farming them doesn’t have the environmental issues that many kinds of aquaculture have. In Japan, we traditionally celebrate seasonality and consume foods when they are at their peak. Not only does food that is in season taste better, but it naturally controls the supply because we are not taking something from the environment at the wrong time. A good way to eat seasonally is to eat locally since what is being caught in your area is what is in season where you live. Many silver fish are also small, such as sardines and anchovies, so they have two things in their favor. Mackerel (saba) , Pacific saury (Sanma), and Spanish mackerel (sawara) are examples of larger silver-skinned fish that are plentiful, healthy and delicious.” 3. What should every seafood lover know about responsible consumption? “The reason we have endangered fish populations is from relying too heavily on certain key fish . If we want to still be able to eat those fish in 50 years, we need to change that. Instead of ordering only salmon or tuna, try something new and local. Look at it as an opportunity to expand your tastes – you will get to enjoy more variety and help the planet at the same time.” 4. What are sustainability standards when it comes to fish? “There are so many factors that the experts consider when they determine the sustainability of a fish – where the fish lives (and the health of that environment), supply of wild stocks, how the fish was caught, etc. – that sometimes it seems like no fish is safe.  There are many fish species that we know very little about, so it is important to be careful and not to assume too much. The best bet is to buy your fish from a responsible source and ask questions . Also, look for a rating from a reputable foundation such as the Marine Stewardship Council or the Blue Ocean Institute .” 5. What are your favorite dishes that incorporate sustainable fish? “Sushi is a great way to enjoy many sustainable fish, especially silver-skinned fish like saba (mackerel), kohada (gizzard shad) and iwashi (sardine). Simple grilled fish is another great way to enjoy almost any fish, and you can easily adapt the menu to enjoy the best seasonal flavor.” Is there someone you'd like to see in the hot seat? Let us know in the comments below and if we agree, we'll do our best to chase 'em down.

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5@5 – Selecting sustainable fish for Earth Day

The Environmental Protection Agency will delay requirements for capturing air emissions from oil and gas wells until 2015, according to individuals who have been briefed on the regulations, though the agency will impose other limits in the interim. Read full article > >

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EPA will give oil companies more time to capture emissions from wells

In a study published last year in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers put five San Francisco families on a three-day diet of food that hadn’t been in contact with plastic. When they compared urine samples before and after the diet, the scientists were stunned to see what a difference a few days could make: The participants’ levels of bisphenol A (BPA), which is used to harden polycarbonate plastic, plunged — by two-thirds, on average — while those of the phthalate DEHP, which imparts flexibility to plastics, dropped by more than half. Read full article > >

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If the food’s in plastic, what’s in the food?

WILL NATURAL GAS HINDER the fight against global warming? America’s abundant supplies of unconventional gas have the potential to be a rich economic and environmental blessing. New extraction techniques — hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” — make the country’s vast reserves accessible at low cost. The fact that burning natural gas produces about half the carbon emissions as coal means the fuel could be an attractive, affordable alternative, giving lower-carbon energy options more time to become less expensive. Read full article > >

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Editorial Board: Can natural gas help stop global warming?

The Supreme Court in Chile has approved a plan to build a hydroelectric complex in the Patagonian wilderness, dismissing concerns by environmentalists.

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Chile court gives dam green light

The Environmental Protection Agency will issue the first limits on greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants as early as Tuesday, according to several people briefed on the proposal. The move could end the construction of conventional coal-fired facilities in the United States. Read full article > >

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EPA to impose first greenhouse gas limits on power plants

While government requirements for recycling remain limited, pressure from environmentally minded consumers and the cost advantages of reusing materials are bringing change.

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Companies Pick Up Used Packaging, and Recycling’s Cost

Environmental and health groups had sued to limit the widespread use of penicillin and tetracycline to promote animal growth, which is thought to pose risks to human health.

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F.D.A. Is Ordered to Restrict Use of Antibiotics in Livestock

CHICAGO — They have a reputation for being environmentally minded do-gooders. But an academic analysis of surveys spanning more than 40 years has found that today’s young Americans are less interested in the environment and in conserving resources — and often less civic-minded overall — than their elders were when they were young. Read full article > >

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Young Americans less interested in the environment than previous generations

CHICAGO — They have a reputation for being environmentally minded do-gooders. But an academic analysis of surveys spanning more than 40 years has found that today’s young Americans are less interested in the environment and in conserving resources — and often less civic-minded overall — than their elders were when they were young. Read full article > >

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Young Americans less interested in the environment than previous generations