Newser Story Index from August, 2007
Welcome to the Newser Story Index. Here you find stories written by Newser writers and editors, assembled with supporting photos and videos from the files of the news story.
Spokesman Snow Set to Quit
CNN
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Aug 17, 2007 6:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
White House spokesman Tony Snow, who recently battled colon cancer, is ready to step down from his post, CNN is reporting. The move could come as early as next month. On a TV interview show yesterday, Snow said he might not be able to stay for the rest of the Bush presidency because of "financial reasons."
Princeton Wins College Rankings for 8th Year
Inside Higher Ed
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Aug 17, 2007 6:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Facing a barrage of criticism, the latest college rankings from U.S. News and World Report were released today, and Princeton is still No.1, followed by Harvard and Yale. The editors have tried to address complaints about the survey's bias toward schools that educate the well-to-do and the well-prepared. But dozens of college presidents are refusing...
10 Ways to Cut Medical Costs
MSNBC
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Aug 17, 2007 5:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Avoid financial injury by following these ten tips from MSNBC : Shop for tests. Different labs may vary widely in costs. Negotiate. Hospitals may waive or reduce a co-pay fee if the patient can prove that it's a hardship. Question the necessity of follow-up appointments, X-rays or MRIs.
Consumer Confidence Plummets
Reuters
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Aug 17, 2007 5:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Consumer confidence dropped dramatically in August, according to the latest index released by Reuters and the University of Michigan. The metric places consumer sentiment at 83.3, the lowest reading of the year, and well below the predicted 88.0. It may be a sign that chaos on Wall Street is affecting normal Americans, analysts say.
The CD Turns 25
Wired
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Aug 17, 2007 5:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The compact disc, which Wired calls an "obsolete form of optical media," has been spinning for 25 years today, according to a press release from Philips. The first disk, a recording of ABBA’s “The Visitors,” was produced in Hanover, Germany in 1982. A stunning 200 billion CDs have been produced since, and the technology...
Apartheid Officials Escape Jail Time in Murder Plot
BBC
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Aug 17, 2007 4:58 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After pleading guilty, five former security officials in South Africa received suspended jail sentences today for their involvement in a bizarre, apartheid-era murder plot. Onetime law and order minister Adriaan Volk and four others admitted they had tried to kill Frank Chikane, a priest and anti-apartheid activist, in 1989 by lining his underwear...
Fed's Cut Flips Markets Upwards
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 17, 2007 4:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Markets surged upwards today after the Fed cut its discount rate, thanks to a flurry of short-covering aided by today's options expiration. The Dow was up for the first time in over a week, jumping 233.30 to close at 13079.08. But many experts warn that the rally could be short-lived, arguing that even big gains are the product of the volatility an...
Rudy and Romney Spar Over Illegal Immigration
Washington Post
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Aug 17, 2007 4:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
GOP frontrunners Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney are trading heated barbs over immigration, each accusing the other of a weak stance on illegals. Through radio ads and campaign speeches, both candidates are looking to rally the conservative GOP base, the Washington Post reports—though neither man has solid conservative credentials on the issue.
Israelis Eye Building Islands
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
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Aug 17, 2007 4:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Israelis want to build artificial islands in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Tel Aviv, and put an international airport on one of them. It's been talked about, on and off, for more than a decade; the project has finally been deemed feasable by a planning committee. The panel’s chair said the island chain is needed to support Israeli’s...
Google Wants You To Map Businesses
Infocommerce
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Aug 17, 2007 3:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Google is hiring—and you don't even need to know html. The search giant wants locals to visit pizza joints, ice cream parlors, drugstores, and other businesses as part of a Herculean effort to build a commerce database. An army of freelancers will collect the data, snap a digital photo, and then send it to Google for $10 a pop, reports InfoCommerce.
Chinese Seek Fortune in Africa
International Herald Tribune
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Aug 17, 2007 3:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A growing number of poor Chinese are flocking to Africa, hoping to cash in on the destitute continent’s infinite growth potential. China is building factories in eastern Africa, and trade between the two burgeoning economies ballooned to $55 billion last year. The eastern entrepreneurs are diving into every sector of the African market—from...
Site Sells Shares in Boob Jobs
Yahoo
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Aug 17, 2007 2:51 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Web entrepreneur Jason Grunstra says his site is just a service connecting people with similar interests. The interest happens to be breasts, and the site connects those who like to look at them with those who'd like to have theirs enlarged. Women upload pictures of themselves, hoping to attract “benefactors” who will contribute to the...
New Flood Gates Protect the Few, Not the Many
New York Times
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Aug 17, 2007 2:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
New Orleans is still at severe risk from a serious flood, even though the Army Corps of Engineers has spent 2 years and $1 billion on the city's hurricane protection system. What's more, much of what's been done will benefit only wealthier neighborhoods. “We’re still with this damned patchwork quilt," says an engineering professor....
New Focus of Airport Safety: Your Smile
McClatchy Newspapers
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Aug 17, 2007 2:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Put on a brave face the next time you're at the airport; your expression might be under scrutiny. New security programs at more than a dozen airports are using undercover personnel who watch passengers' faces for indications of criminality. When trying to deceive others, a criminal still exhibits flashes of fear or scorn that officers are being trained...
Rudy's Foreign Policy Opus Riles Pundits
Washington Post
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Aug 17, 2007 1:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Bloggers are having a heyday parsing the rambling 17-page essay Rudy Giuliani has published in Foreign Affairs , laying out his big-picture foreign policy views. "Lengthy, pompous and ultimately very confused," writes Salon, and Slate is no kinder: "The breadth and depth of his cluelessness are vaster than even I had imagined."
8 Tips for Traveling Solo
Budget Travel
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Aug 17, 2007 1:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Traveling alone is a great way to find yourself—and meet other people when you get sick of that company. Budget Travel passes along advice from experienced soloers: You'll be carrying your own bags, so pack clothes that can do double duty. Leave your iPod at home—you'll meet more people. Stay in city centers. ...
Seagal Is Back, and This Time It's Personal
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 17, 2007 12:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Steven Seagal, the high-kicking, cartel-busting action star that dominated the "Under Siege" movies in the early 90s, is demanding an apology from the FBI for allegedly shattering his stardom, the LA Times reports. Seagal's career didn't prove that hard to kill—he has been headlining in low-rent straight-to-DVD films ever since rumors...
FBI Chief Refutes Gonzales
Washington Post
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Aug 17, 2007 12:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Newly released notes taken by the FBI director in 2004 contradict Alberto Gonzales' Senate testimony about the internal conflict over the warrantless wiretapping program. Robert Mueller's heavily redacted notes refer to hospitalized AG John Ashcroft as "feeble" and "barely articulate," the Washington Post reports—a far cry...
Vick Helped 'Execute' Dogs: Co-Defendants
CNN
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Aug 17, 2007 11:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Vick helped hang, drown and otherwise execute around eight dogs in connection with his dog-fighting enterprise—and supplied most of the money for the infamous Bad Newz Kennelz, say his two co-defendants. The three men killed the dogs that "did not perform well in 'testing' sessions'," according to court papers filed as Vick's...
Hotel Snubs Nobel Laureate
Guardian (UK)
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Aug 17, 2007 11:01 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Staff at Cancun's five-star Coral Beach Hotel had egg on their faces after trying to throw out a woman in indigenous Mayan garb, assuming she was a beggar or street vendor. Turned out the person they tried to hustle out of their lobby was Rigoberta Menchu—Nobel peace prizewinner, Unesco goodwill ambassador, Guatemalan presidential candidate and...
Markets Jump on Fed Move
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 17, 2007 10:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks rallied in early trading today after the Federal Reserve shaved a half-point off of one of its key interest rates, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow initially shot up more than 300 points; after settling some, it was up 150.46 by midmorning. European stocks were buoyed as well, with London's FTSE 100 jumping 2.1% after a disastrous...
Merv: Gay and Closeted to the End
Hollywood Reporter
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Aug 17, 2007 10:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Merv Griffin, the television producer who died last week of prostate cancer, has been outed as a closeted gay man by a Hollywood Reporter columnist who was a former colleague. Griffin was married for 18 years and had a son, but his homosexuality was widely known in Los Angeles circles, and in 1991 a former lover filed a $200 million palimony suit.
'Superbad' More Super Than Bad
Rotten Tomatoes
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Aug 17, 2007 9:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Superbad, the tale of two high school seniors' attempts to get laid in a single day and night, is an honest teen comedy in the mold of recent movies that are foul-mouthed and raunchy but actually kind of sweet, critics say. Says Carina Chocano of the LA Times, "for a film so deliriously smutty, 'Superbad' is supercute."
Biden's Boy Will Head to Iraq
Associated Press
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Aug 17, 2007 9:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Joe Biden's son will deploy to Iraq with his National Guard brigade in 2008. Capt. Beau Biden, who is the attorney general of Delaware, will not get any special treatment because of his senator (and presidential hopeful) dad, said a spokesman for the Guard. "He's a deployable asset just like any other soldier in that unit," he tells the...
Hurricane Dean Threatens Caribbean, Keeps Growing
Associated Press
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Aug 17, 2007 8:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hurricane Dean is ripping through the eastern Caribbean, strengthening as it goes. The Atlantic's first hurricane of the year is passing between St. Lucia and Martinique, where residents have boarded up windows and stocked up on supplies. Next on Dean's agenda: Jamaica, and possibly Texas.
Disgraced Ref Breaks Silence, Says He's Sorry
New York Daily News
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Aug 17, 2007 8:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Tim Donaghy spoke directly to the press yesterday for the first time since the scandal surrounding the ex-NBA ref broke, but with his sentence pending and reports of possible charges in other jurisdictions swirling, he wasn't able to say much. "I'm very sorry about what happened," the confessed felon told the Daily News.
Fed Shaves Half- Point Off Discount Rate
Associated Press
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Aug 17, 2007 8:14 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In a surprise move, the Fed cut its discount rate, which it charges on direct loans to banks, from 6.25% to 5.75% this morning. The central bank acted to calm fears about uncertainty in the global markets surrounding the worsening credit crunch and underlying subprime-loan crisis. The federal funds rate, which banks charge each other, was unchanged...
Mine Rescue Effort Called Off
Salt Lake Tribune
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Aug 17, 2007 8:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The search for the six men trapped in a collapsed Utah mine for the last 12 days has been halted indefinitely after a seismic "bump" at 6:39 PM yesterday caused a second cave-in, killing three rescuers, injuring six, and highlighting that the Crandall Canyon mine remains fraught with danger.
Edwards Linked to Katrina Foreclosures
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 17, 2007 7:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
John Edwards, who has railed against "shameful" subprime lenders on the campaign trail, has $16 million invested in a fund that has foreclosed on Katrina victims. A Wall Street Journal investigation has identified 34 New Orleans homeowners facing foreclosure suits from an arm of Fortress Investment Group, which Edwards worked for in 2005-6...
Identical Quads Born to Canadian Couple, in US
Calgary Herald
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Aug 17, 2007 6:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Canadan woman delivered four identical daughters in a Montana hospital last weekend, when there were no neonatal beds for them in the local hospital in Calgary—or any other Canadian hospital. The newborns, born by C-section at 31 1/2 weeks, ranged from 2 lbs., 6 oz. to 2 lbs., 15 oz. but were able to breathe on their own and are now doing...
European Markets Continue to Skid
Financial Times (UK)
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Aug 17, 2007 5:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Financial markets across Europe were off again in midmorning trading. In London, the FTSE opened slightly higher and then suffered new losses as UK traders continued to reel from yesterday's steep fall-off, the exchange's most calamitous one-day drop in years. At mid-morning the index was down 0.2% and markets in France and Germany experienced similar...
Two More GOP Seats Up for Grabs
Associated Press
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Aug 17, 2007 3:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Two more congressional seats are in play with the announcement by representatives in Ohio and Mississippi that they won't seek re-election. Rep. Deborah Pryce, who won her Ohio seat by just 1,062 of 220,000 cast, said she wants to spend more time with her family. Also stepping aside is Mississippi’s Chip Pickering.
Tigers Trounce Yanks, 8-5
MSNBC
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Aug 17, 2007 3:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Carlos Guillen's first-inning grand slam off Yankee hurler Mike Mussina set the pace for Detroit's 8-5 triumph in the Bronx last night. New York, unable to muster much offense outside of a Bobby Abreu homer in the third, continued its bullpen woes: reliever Ron Villon's meltdown in the seventh all but shattered the Bombers' shot at a comeback.
Whole Foods May Reap Wild Oats: Judge
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 17, 2007 3:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A federal judge refused to block Whole Foods' $565 million purchase of the company's organic supermarket rival, Wild Oats Markets, despite an effort by the Federal Trade Commission to prevent the merger. The merger could go through next week if there is no appeal, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Astronauts Will Skip Shuttle Fix
Associated Press
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Aug 17, 2007 2:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
NASA has decided against a risky spacewalk repair job on the gouged heat shield of the space shuttle Endeavour, AP reports. Engineers concluded that a gash in the tiled underside of the spacecraft will not be a hazard during re-entry. Attempting a repair could risk causing more damage and could be dangerous. An earlier attempt was aborted when an...
Dell to Rewrite Cooked Books
Reuters
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Aug 17, 2007 2:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Dell computer company will have to restate four years of financial data after an audit revealed that executives inflated numbers to meet quarterly goals, firm officials announced yesterday. The adjustments would lower the company's stated net income by as much as $150 million, Reuters reports. But analysts say the news is better than expected,...
Giambi Dodges Penalty for Steroid Use
Associated Press
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Aug 17, 2007 2:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig has decided not to suspend or otherwise punish Yankee first baseman Jason Giambi for his past steroid use. "It's over and done with. I'm thrilled," said Giambi. The slugger, who has confessed to using performance enhancers, earned the pardon through his cooperation with an ongoing probe into baseball...
Cards Trump Stumbling Brew Crew
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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Aug 17, 2007 2:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Brewers’ new shaved heads didn’t stop St. Louis from defeating them 8-0 last night behind stellar performances by starter Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina. The normally light-hitting Molina belted two homers, while Wainwright gave up only two hits and notched a season-high eight strikeouts, AP reports.
Peru Quake Toll Reaches 450
Associated Press
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Aug 17, 2007 1:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The death toll from a powerful earthquake that devastated a province in Peru has reached 450, but the numbers are expected to rise even higher as rescuers dig through rubble. At least 1,500 have been injured. Government doctors have called off a national strike to care for the wounded, and the UN, US and EU have rushed to Peru's aid.
Simple Technique Could Bypass Cardiac Arrest
Guardian (UK)
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Aug 17, 2007 1:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A simple technique temporarily restricting the arm's blood supply before heart bypass surgery significantly improves the chances of a full recovery—and could one day be used to prevent cardiac arrest, reports the Guardian . The technique uses cycles of arm compressions with cuffs to remotely restrict blood flow to the heart.
3 Rescue Workers Killed in Mine
New York Times
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Aug 17, 2007 12:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Three men have died and six were injured in another collapse at a Utah mine where the team was working to save six trapped miners, reports the New York Times . "It's a devastating blow to what was already a tragic situation," said the local mayor. The accident yesterday evening was caused by seismic shaking that has plagued the rescue operation.
No Bird Brains, Crows Reveal 'Human-Like' Reasoning
BBC
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Aug 17, 2007 12:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Crows on a South Pacific island showed human-like reasoning in solving a complex problem that required two tools, according to a study. The birds used a short twig to access a longer twig which could then be used to reach a treat. "What's most amazing is that most of them did this on the first trial," a researcher told the BBC.
Asian Traders Sweat New Dive
Bloomberg
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Aug 16, 2007 11:57 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Despite a late Wall Street rally yesterday, Asian stocks plummeted for the fourth day in a row—driven as much by panic as by any other factor. Toyota, Canon and Mitsubishi all slipped badly, along with the Morgan Stanley Capital International Asia-Pacific Index, which was off 1.8 percent, and Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average, which fell 2.5percent,...
Scientists Breach Einstein's Theory
Telegraph (UK)
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Aug 16, 2007 11:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Two German physicists claim to have sent microwave photons zooming past the speed of light , a feat Albert Einstein said would require an infinite—and impossible—amount of energy, reports the Daily Telegraph . "For the time being, this is the only violation of special relativity that I know of," said one of the scientists.
Pirates Prevail on Met Miscues
Associated Press
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Aug 16, 2007 11:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sloppy defense cost the Mets a loss in Pittsburgh last night. With two outs and the game tied in the eighth, New York's Freddy Sanchez erred on a routine grounder, and catcher Mike DiFelice bumbled a throw at the plate to hand the Pirates the lead. Pittsburgh scored two more runs against the disheartened Mets on their way to a 10-7 victory.
9 Injured in 2nd Mine Collapse
CNN
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Aug 16, 2007 9:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
At least nine rescuers at the Utah mine where six miners were trapped last week are injured after seismic activity may have caused another cave-in, CNN reports. Six or more ambulances and two helicopters rushed to the Crandall Canyon mine tonight to transport the wounded rescuers to the hospital.
Dads Move in on Baby Market
New York Times
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Aug 16, 2007 8:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As fathers continue to take a more active role in raising their children, the market for baby gear has become less mom-centric, the New York Times reports. And it's not all fishing vests with hidden diaper changing pads. Recent dad-born inventions include computerized baby timers and a nipple adapter that fits on water bottles.
Romney Has Major Stake in Sinking Fund
TheStreet
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Aug 16, 2007 7:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has a substantial investment in a teetering Goldman Sachs hedge fund that was propped up with a $3 billion cash infusion after it lost a third of its value. Romney, who won a symbolic victory in Iowa's GOP straw poll last weekend, is thought to have least $1M in the Global Equity Opportunities Fund, reports...
Quirk Is the New Kitsch (Sigh)
The Atlantic
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Aug 16, 2007 5:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Quirk is the “ruling sensibility” of today’s culture—random narrative, “mannered ingenuousness”—and it’s become exhausting, writes the Atlantic 's Michael Hirschorn. “This American Life” has been the standard-bearer, but the quirk it purveys hasn't held up well in expanding from radio to...
Actually, It Is Easy Being Green
LiveScience
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Aug 16, 2007 5:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
So you're not ready to give up your car for a bicycle to help the Earth. LiveScience suggests 10 baby steps to going green that won't even cramp your style. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. Purchase Energy Star-rated appliances, electronics, and lighting. Instead of plastic bags, shop with a reusable tote bag.
