Overload: The End of the Eastern Cougar, the Climate of Coffee, and More

The eastern cougar—aka the catamount, ghost cat, mountain cat, mountain lion, panther, or puma—has officially been declared extinct, a decision that will fluster and outrage many of my Vermont neighbors. (Though it's been 70 years from the last official spotting, the legend of the eastern cougar is alive and well in northern New England.)

The White House is toying—just toying—with the idea of tapping into the strategic oil reserves.

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Tomorrow, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Fred Upton, is hosting an informative hearing on “Climate Science and EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Regulations.” Sounds good, but Chris Mooney calls it a "science fight," and is like, "so now they call in the scientists?"

Buzzkill: Climate change will wreak havoc on coffee crops, and will make for a more pricey latte.

After 22 years, the Exxon Valdez case is back in court. It could cost ExxonMobil another $100 million.

Overload is a daily round-up of what we're reading at GOOD Environment HQ.

Photo (cc) by Bruce Taten on Flickr.