Statistically Speaking

1950s Vs. 2000s: The Drive to Supersize

erica — 2009-10-19T13:56:29Z

A lot has changed in the past 50 years, much for the better. Energy efficiency measures, for example, have meant less pollution and savings in electricity costs. But there is a but....

EPA’s Latest Coal Waste Installment: More Ponds. Less Worry?

erica — 2009-09-11T19:31:23Z

It seems the more the Environmental Protection Agency digs, the more coal ash waste ponds are found, but a coal group exec assures us that all is quiet. Ah, well, no worries then.

Views on Anthropogenic Climate Change Vary. Why?

erica — 2009-07-24T15:55:36Z

Obama Steers American Cars Into the 21st Century

erica — 2009-05-19T20:40:29Z

When it comes to fuel economy standards, it’s a rare sight to see the automobile industry and the environmental community together on the same platform. But that’s the view we got today when the president announced new fuel economy standards for America’s fleets.

Statistically Speaking: Diversity in Our Diet

erica — 2009-05-19T15:37:15Z

Because we’re rarely more than a short drive away from a drive-thru, Americans might not even be aware of the increasing trend toward monoculture in our managed ecosystems. (See related video.) It's a worrisome trend. Now here’s something else to nibble on: the loss of diversity in the plants we eat.

Statistically Speaking: Toxic Releases: How Much Do We Really Know?

wendy — 2009-03-31T16:33:57Z

Last week the U.S. EPA issued the Toxic Release Inventory for 2007 – a compilation of the toxic chemicals and compounds that industries released to our land, water, and air during 2007. Great. But does the TRI tell the whole toxic release story?

Statistically Speaking: How Much Exxon Valdez Oil Remains?

erica — 2009-08-27T14:16:39Z

Oil from the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill continues to threaten wildlife and fish in the Prince William Sound ecosystem (see our post from Wednesday). But how much oil is left?

Statistically Speaking: Pigs by the Numbers

erica — 2009-03-31T16:31:50Z

New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof has a great series on the link between our food, pigs in this case, and our health. What’s the connection and why?

Statistically Speaking - Coal Waste: What's It Good For?

erica — 2009-07-13T14:28:25Z

As we’ve seen from recent catastrophic spills at coal plants in Harriman, Tennessee, and Widows Creek, Alabama, it’s past time to take a closer look at how we dispose of coal waste.

Statistically Speaking: What Do Scientists Think About Climate Change?

erica — 2009-03-31T18:39:50Z

Ah, delving into the mind of a scientist. There's a heady task. The media talk of both consensus and scientific debate when it comes to climate change. So what do actual scientists really think? A new survey of 3,146 scientists attempts to answer this question and more.

Statistically Speaking – Inaugurals and the Environment

erica — 2009-03-16T16:14:26Z

Today President Barack Obama declared, "We will harness the sun and the winds and the soils to fuel our cars and run our factories.” Later, he spoke of "roll[ing] back the spectre of a warming planet.” To mark today's historic inauguration, we peek back at history to see whose inaugurals invoked the environment. It turns out, the environment is a bipartisan issue.

Statistically Speaking: Governor Palin’s Whales

erica — 2009-03-16T16:14:53Z

Guess who's back in the news? Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. This time, the reports do not center on her wardrobe, looks, or speeches, but rather on whales and the lawsuit she has slapped on the U.S. government.

Statistically Speaking: 2008’s Place in Warmest Years Sweepstakes

erica — 2009-03-16T16:25:17Z

With a little over a week to go in 2008, the World Meteorological Organization has released an estimate of the year’s average temperature. Now 2008 is officially …

Statistically Speaking: Real vs. Fake Christmas Trees

erica — 2009-03-16T16:27:00Z

In 1901, Theodore Roosevelt nixed a Christmas tree for the White House. "It's not good to cut down trees for mere decoration," he claimed. "We must set a good example for the people of America." Was President Roosevelt right? Should today's conservationists take a page out of his book and forgo the tree?!

Statistically Speaking: Detroit Does It Better in Europe

erica — 2009-03-16T16:30:46Z

So the Big Three automakers are in trouble and want some of our money to stay afloat. Before handing over any cash, we might want to look at how Detroit does when it has to.