Topic: U.S. Department of the Interior

Kamikaze pelicans baffling Calif. scientists

Scores of weak and disoriented California brown pelicans have been slamming into cars and boats, landing on highways and airport runways, and turning up dead in back yards and parking lots many miles from their normal coastal habitats.

USA

The Monitor's View: Obama's big oil decision

Bush opened the door to oil shale, a huge energy source. Will Obama close the door too soon?

USA

Obama criticizes Bush as he unveils Agriculture and Interior picks

Greens mixed on Obama's Interior, Agriculture picks

Barack Obama announced two more cabinet picks Wednesday – former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack for Agriculture secretary and Colorado Senator Ken Salazar for Interior secretary – drawing both praise and criticism from environmental groups.

Report finds endangered species decisions tainted by politics

A high-ranking Bush administration appointee in the Interior Department improperly interfered with nearly every decision on the protection of endangered species over five years, a report by the agency's inspector general has found.

Obama's green team

At a news conference in Chicago Monday, Barack Obama announced many of his energy and environment appointees, a team that many say signals a sharp break from Bush administration policies toward pollution, wildlife, clean energy, and climate change.

White House removes protections for endangered species

With just over a month remaining in office, the Bush administration loosened federal protection of plant and animal species threatened with extinction.

What's an 'energy czar,' anyway?

It's not official yet, but news reports say that President Clinton's former Environmental Protection Agency chief Carol Browner has been chosen by Barack Obama to serve as his administration's "energy czar." What exactly does an energy czar do?

Environmentalists send their wish list to Obama

Twenty-eight green groups compile 359 pages of suggestions, hoping for a green revival post-Bush.

USA

Bush’s parting moves on the environment

Last-minute rule changes would weaken environmental protections, critics say.

What's in the House offshore-drilling bill?

The House of Representatives approved a bill Tuesday night that would relax the federal ban on offshore drilling and try to expand renewable energy. Here's a breakdown.

Tapping honesty's spiritual power

A Christian Science perspective on daily life.

Palin, polar bears and the presidency

Polar bears spotted swimming in open seas

Government scientists patrolling the skies off Alaska's northwest coast say they observed nine polar bears swimming in open water, prompting some environmentalists to raise concerns about the species' survival in a warming world.

USA

Four offshore-drilling myths

There's a lot of misinformation out there about offshore drilling. I hope this post will help clear the air.

Are they really going to gut the Endangered Species Act?

The White House is proposing to let federal agencies decide for themselves whether construction projects could harm listed species.

USA

Environmental groups want Wyoming elk to starve

Five conservation groups have filed suit in federal court to stop the US Fish and Wildlife Service from feeding elk in Wyoming's National Elk Refuge during the winter.

In Montana, bison plan paused

Ranchers and conservationists are increasingly at odds, as Yellowstone herd numbers plunge.

USA

USA