Daily Roundup: November 10, 2009

One of Ours: A former Sierra Club leader, Mike McGinn, defeated Greg Nickels and T-Mobile exec Joe Mallahan to become Seattle’s new mayor. New York Times and Sierra Club

Miseased Marsupials: Koalas could be extinct in three decades, according to new research, unless more urgent conservation measures are emplaced. Their numbers may have been slashed by half since 2003, thanks to development, climate change, fires, malnutrition, and sexually transmitted diseases. BBC News and Treehugger

Lotta Leftovers: A new study found that Brits throw away 6.6 million tons -- $20 billion worth -- of consumable food and drink every year. If that amount wasn’t wasted, it would save at least 15 million tons of carbon emissions annually. Green Inc. (NYT)

A Cool Million: Today, the millionth Energy Star home was built. Homes with the label (initiated by the EPA in 1995) save residents money and reduce their energy use. ENN 
 
Messy Estuary: Yesterday, the federal government presented a strategy to restore Chesapeake Bay’s wildlife, which is affected by massive amounts of toxic runoff. The bay is the largest U.S. estuary. NPR

--Avital Binshtock