Wednesday's Daily Brief

2009-04-22

The Daily Brief

Jeff Biggers: Earth Day Atonement: 10 Environmental Disasters to Remember

AP Photo/Jeff Gentner

Jeff Biggers: Extinction -- Three Species Per Hour: According to a UN report released in 2007, our planet is at risk of losing three species per hour. Ahmed Djoghlaf, the head of the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, declared: "We are indeed experiencing the greatest wave of extinctions since the disappearance of the dinosaurs. Extinction rates are rising by a factor of up to 1,000 above natural rates. Every hour, three species disappear. Every day, up to 150 species are lost. Every year, between 18,000 and 55,000 species become extinct." Everything in Its Path -- Mountaintop Removal: An estimated 800-1000 square miles of mountains and valleys have been eliminated from the American landscape since the launch of mountaintop removal strip mining operations in central Appalachia in 1970. Using explosives and heavy machinery, over 500 mountains in the oldest and one of the most diverse ranges on earth, have been clear cut, blown to bits and then toppled into valleys and streams with their waste since 1977. Mountaintop removal has not only destroyed the natural heritage; it has ripped out the roots of the Appalachian culture and depopulated the historic mountain communities in the process. It continues today as one of the most egregious human rights and environmental violations in the nation. Click here to read more.

Jim Carrey: The Judgment on Vaccines Is In???

Can we afford to ignore vaccines as a possible cause of rising numbers of children with Autism, when they are one of the fastest growing elements in our children's environment?

Bernard-Henri Lévy: Why We Remember

I call for another Conference, truly antiracist, truly faithful to the ideals of the United Nations. Let's forget about Durban II. Let's prepare for Geneva III.

Sean Penn: Smiles for Smirks

The criticisms of President Obama's warm greeting toward President Chavez of Venezuela have been the posturing of our nation's most bitter and humanly impotent voices.

Robert Creamer: Does Torture Work?

As a country, we need to emerge from this debate having placed the argument that "torture works" outside of the boundaries of acceptable political discourse once and for all.

Muhammad Yunus: It's Time to Put Affordable Health Care for the Poor Within Reach

Bangladesh has shown it is possible to make remarkable progress in health status no matter how poor and crowded a country is to start.

HuffPost News

• David Kellermann, Freddie Mac CFO, Said To Have Committed Suicide (SLIDESHOW)
• Senate Report: Harsh Tactics Used In Attempt to Establish Non-Existent Iraq-al Qaida Link
• Tiffany Montgomery, Philip Markoff's Lab Partner, Says Accused Craigslist Killer Was "Disturbed"
• Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse: Prosecutors Say Teenage Somali Pirate Was Brazen Ringleader Of Crew
• Bonuses To New York Times Execs Under Fire

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