"Coal is my worst nightmare." -- Dr. Steven Chu, Obama's nominee for secretary of the Department of Energy. Read about Chu's alternative energy ideas.

BREAKING NEWS...Earthjustice is suing to stop last-minute attempts by the Bush administration to hand over Western lands for destructive oil and gas extraction.

U.S. Waterways in Hands of Supreme CourtThe fate of U.S. rivers, lakes and streams -- and years of Earthjustice legal efforts -- hang in the balance next month when the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether mining wastes can be dumped in an Alaska lake. This is one of the most critical issues linked to the Bush administration.

Tiny Fish Protected from PumpsClimaxing years of Earthjustice work, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week issued a biological opinion that will force operators of state and federal water projects in California to protect the nearly extinct delta smelt. Attorney Michael Sherwood calls the plan, "Good for the smelt, good for salmon, and good for people who depend upon clean water and a healthy Delta."

Bush's Midnight MadnessEarthjustice is challenging a barrage of last-minute attacks by the Bush administration on our nation's environmental laws, lands and species, reports Earthjustice President Trip Van Noppen.

40 MPH NightmareTom Turner tees off on a mass transit nightmare with twin blades that slice at high speed through waters teeming with whales and turtles.

Greening Your GadgetsSip by sip, electronic devices are stealing the earth's resources -- but we've got ways to keep your conscience clean and your gadgets green.

Florida Joins CaliforniaFlorida is poised to join California as having the nation's toughest car emissions standards, says David Guest.

On the Obama WatchTwo high-level appointees made by President-elect Barack Obama drew words of advice and praise from Earthjustice President Trip Van Noppen.
He called for the new Secretary of Energy to make energy efficiency a high priority. Van Noppen also applauded the choice for this country's first ever climate and energy czar.

Final Postcard from PoznanAt the just-concluded U.N. climate negotiations in Poznan, Poland, Earthjustice attorneys Martin Wagner and Erika Rosenthal advocated for rapid action to reduce emissions of black carbon, now considered one of the most effective strategies to slow near-term global and Arctic warming. Read their report on this concept and all of the reports they produced in their blog, "Postcard From Poznan."

Court to Shell: Not So FastThe Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has told the Bush administration it must reexamine its approval of Shell Oil drilling plans in the Beaufort Sea and properly assess the impacts of exploratory drilling on migrating bowhead whales. Agreeing with an Earthjustice challenge, the court said noise impacts in particular must be meaningfully evaluated.

Stopping the ESA AttackEarthjustice has sued in federal court to strike down Bush administration changes to endangered species rules that will allow federal agencies to skip project oversight by wildlife experts, potentially jeopardizing hundreds of already-imperiled species and their habitat. Despite hundreds of thousands of comments opposing the rule change, including many from Earthjustice attorneys and members, on Dec. 11, 2008, Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced the administration's intention to go forward with last-minute changes that will excuse compliance with the Endangered Species Act for many projects. The changes are a parting gift to the oil and gas, mining, and building industries.

Officer Rejects Kansas Coal AppealThe secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment acted properly last year when he rejected a construction permit for the massive Sunflower coal-fired power plant expansion in western Kansas, a state hearing officer has concluded. The ruling clears the way for the state supreme court to take up the matter.

An Act of WillYou often hear it said that the public, by a massive majority, supports environmental protection -- until it comes to money. If saving a creature, for example, is going to cost a lot of money, conventional wisdom says to forget it. What you don't often hear about is people who are avid and generous environmental supporters and keep quiet about it. Such a man was Milton Field. A few years ago, while she still worked for Earthjustice, Alison Levine wrote his story.