Environment: Top Stories

Last week our featured topic was the Environment. The Obama administration's new policies on carbon emissions, energy efficiency, climate change and other issues have begun to take shape in his first 100 days in office. We sought out last week's top journalism on how the administration's plans will reconcile the demands of industry, government and concerned citizens.

Our top news story, ‘California takes on King Corn,' covered an ongoing debate in California over the production of corn ethanol as a means to combat global warming. California regulators, the Daily Climate reported, may soon rule that corn ethanol is not an environmentally-friendly alternative to petroleum when net carbon emissions are considered. Ethanol advocates responded that the industry would be devastated by a loss of investments. The story drew high marks for depth and fairness from several reviewers, including Cristen Drummond, who said it "truly allows the reader to make a decision without bias."

The New Yorker's 'In the Air' was our top opinion. Elizabeth Kolbert, the magazine's environmental pundit, wrote that Earth Day has "lost its edge" since its inception in 1970. A role reversal has occurred over the years, she said, in which the American public is no longer the driving force behind environmental legislation. The story struck a chord with NewsTrust community editor Marsha Iverson, who remarked on her own experience witnessing public attitudes about the environment change. She said:

"As someone who remembers the first Earth Day well, I can also compare changes in social trends, information sources, and dramatic differences in the pace of life and the ways we communicate. We have infinite sources of information and ways to spread the word, but most uses seem to be about ourselves and our fleeting thoughts than about important issues with long-term consequences."

Here's a list of our top news and opinion on the Environment:

News

California takes on King Corn
The Daily Climate
Next generation of biofuels
Scientific American
Why isn't the brain green?
New York Times
Plastic. Fantastic?
Mother Jones
Radical ways to cool the planet
Newsweek

Opinion

In the Air
New Yorker
Why our obsession with climate change may end up destroying biodiversity
Slate

Environment: Top rated stories (full list)
Environment: Most recent stories (full list)

Connect with Facebook
Last week, we launched Facebook Connect, and your response has been wonderful. Nearly a hundred people have signed up or logged in through Facebook so far, with more coming every day. Give it a try!

If you're a Facebook member, you can now sign up or log in to NewsTrust with Facebook and share your reviews with your friends. Also, please show your support for NewsTrust and become a fan on our Facebook page, where you can meet other members. Read all about this on the NewsTrust Blog.

This Week: Obama's First 100 Days
Our featured topic this week is Obama's First 100 Days, in partnership with Pulitzer prize winner PolitiFact and the University of Nevada at Reno. From Monday, April 27, through Friday, May 1, our communities will join forces to find good journalism on the Obama Administration's first 100 days in office. How have the news media covered President Obama's performance so far? Which promises do they think he's delivered on? Which has he neglected? Has the press found statements from the Obama administration to be true or false? Can you help us pick the best coverage of this important topic? Please review our recommended stories on our Obama Administration topic page.

-- Derek Hawkins, with Fabrice Florin and Kaizar Campwala