Daily Grist Weekly Compilation 2-5-05
1.
BUSH STICKS JOHNSON IN THE EPA
President Bush announces nominee to head EPA
Today President Bush announced his new pick to lead the U.S. EPA: Steve Johnson, who's been the agency's temporary head since Mike Leavitt left six weeks ago to head the Department of Health and Human Services. If confirmed by the Senate, Johnson, a 24-year EPA veteran, will be the first professional scientist to hold the position. The choice of Johnson, a low-key, wonky agency vet whose work has focused on pesticides, may signal a new approach from the White House; Bush's previous EPA administrators, Christie Whitman and Mike Leavitt, were both significant players in the Republican Party (and one of them still is!). Johnson will preside over some tough battles, including a contentious one now under way about how to regulate mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, was fairly beside himself with enthusiasm, calling Johnson "the best we could expect as a nominee from the Bush administration."
straight to the source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Associated Press, Deb Riechmann, 04 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4470>
2.
A SHORT REVIEW OF ALMOST EVERYTHING
Bill Bryson's books offer environmental ethics with a light touch
Bill Bryson has made a name for himself as a best-selling travel writer, but readers of his books should beware: they may be unwittingly exposed to a potent environmental message. Throughout his wry commentaries on landscapes, cultures, history, and science, Bryson subtly weaves an environmental ethic, in one book poking fun at American overconsumption, in others lamenting the disappearance of odd species. Sarah van Schagen writes that Bryson's light touch might be just what enviros, currently obsessing over framing and communication, need -- in Books Unbound, today on the Grist Magazine website.
today in Grist: A walk through the works of Bill Bryson -- by Sarah van Schagen <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4474>
3.
YOU SAY TOMATO, I SAY HIDDEN COSTS OF TRANSPORT
Locally grown food greener than organic, British study says
Though organic farming is relatively easy on the environment, buying locally grown food, even the pesticide-sprayed variety, is usually more earth-friendly than buying organic, a new study contends. Published in the journal Food Policy, the study found that the transportation of food over long distances -- anywhere outside a 12-mile radius -- can cause more harm than the growing of food with non-organic methods. Researchers calculated the hidden costs of farming and food transport and found that the U.K. would save some $4 billion a year in environmental and traffic costs if all food consumed was locally grown, and an additional $2.1 billion a year if all food were grown organically. The study authors called on supermarkets to label items with the number of "food miles" they travel to get to the store. "The most political act we do on a daily basis is to eat, as our actions affect farms, landscapes, and food businesses," said study coauthor Jules Pretty of the University of Essex.
straight to the source: BBC News, 02 March 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4459>
straight to the source: The Independent, Steve Connor, 03 March 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4460>
4.
AAA FOR EFFORT
Legislation would force EPA to get realistic about fuel-efficiency stats
A bill debuting in Congress today would require the U.S. EPA to revamp its gas-mileage tests to more accurately reflect real-world driving conditions. Currently the EPA determines mileage ratings for vehicles by using 30-year-old tests that allow vehicle engines to get warm, never push the speed above 60 mph, never run the air conditioning, and never accelerate quickly. Enviro groups have long argued for reform of the tests, but now the bill has garnered the support of behemoth auto club AAA, which has conducted its own tests and found that the EPA is overestimating average gas mileage for several vehicle models, sometimes by almost 10 miles per gallon. The AAA's test, though not scientific, involves drivers around the country "getting groceries, getting stuck in traffic jams, driving the same way you would," says AAA spokesdude Mantill Williams. Now if only AAA would stop lobbying for more highways and fewer emissions standards ...
straight to the source: USA Today, James R. Healey, 02 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4462>
see also, in Grist: Sticker Shocking -- The EPA has been misoverestimating the fuel economy of cars sold in the U.S., says enviro group -- in Muckraker
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4463>
see also, in Grist: Road Warriors -- A travel club provides a greener alternative to AAA -- by Michelle Nijhuis
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=3604>
5.
THE CRADLE-TO-CRADLE WILL ROCK
Smart, eco-friendly design making inroads in the business community
The seminal 2002 book "Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things," by architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart, inspired a slogan for 21st century designers: "Pollution is a symbol of design failure." They proposed that every material used in manufacturing should be capable of either biodegrading harmlessly into the soil or returning with no loss of quality into the manufacturing process. More and more businesses are embracing the C2C concept, for economic as well as environmental reasons. Office design company Herman Miller Inc. hopes to have 50 percent of its products meet C2C specs by 2010. Carpet maker Shaw Industries now offers to pick up and recycle all of its carpet tiles, reducing both waste and money spent on new materials. Office furniture company Steelcase has released "Think," a 99 percent recyclable office chair. Going C2C is getting easier, too, as industry introduces new eco-friendly materials and economies of scale push the prices down. As that happens, more companies, says Shaw's Steven Bradfield, "will quietly adopt this as a basic business practice."
straight to the source: The Wall Street Journal, Rebecca Smith, 03 Mar 2005 (access ain't free) <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4458>
see also, in Grist: Better, By Design -- A review of Cradle to Cradle -- by Hal Clifford <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4466>
6.
A GREAT LEAP FORWARD, WITHOUT ALL THE FAMINE
China passes its first renewable-energy law
The Chinese legislature on Monday passed a bill aimed at increasing the country's use of renewable energy by mandating that power-grid operators get a portion of their electricity from local renewable sources and by providing financial inducements such as tax incentives, discounted loans, and a national development fund. When it takes effect in 2006, the law -- the first of its kind for China -- will be a big step toward fulfilling a pledge made at an international renewables conference last year to increase the country's renewable-energy production from under 1 percent of the total to about 10 percent by 2010. Said Beijing Greenpeacer Yu Jie, "China could and should be a world leader in renewable-energy development." Couldn't happen too soon. Fast-developing China is now second only to the U.S. in emissions of carbon dioxide (though, as the world's most populous country, it ranks far lower on a per capita basis).
straight to the source: Terra Daily, Agence France-Presse, 01 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4449>
straight to the source: China Daily, Hu Cong, 01 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4450>
7.
IT'S NOT WATCHING CARS GO IN CIRCLES THAT DOES IT
NASCAR race-cars spew lead
What's the connection between NASCAR racing, diminished mental capacity, and increased criminal behavior? If your answer was "lead," well, we commend your high-mindedness. Indeed, that is the answer: Though leaded gasoline was phased out in the U.S. decades ago, the racing industry (along with aviation) was exempted. Despite years of pleas from the U.S. EPA, NASCAR has not developed an alternative to leaded gas, which it says keeps engine valves lubricated. "We just have not been able to find a solution," said NASCAR spokesguy Ramsey Poston. Lead from auto exhaust can stay in the air for up to 10 days and travel many miles. Those in the most danger are children, for whom lead presents the threat of permanently diminished mental capacity. Low-level lead exposure has also been linked to criminal behavior. NASCAR is the fastest-growing "sport" in America, with some 3.5 million spectators a year attending races. (Look, we made it all the way through the blurb without saying "Bush" or "red state"! Oh, oops.)
straight to the source: Scripps Howard News Service, Joan Lowy, 28 Feb 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4452>
8.
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE BILL
U.S. bottle-recycling rates fall as bottled-water sales rise
Plastic bottle recycling rates in the U.S. have plunged, at least in part because of the boom in sales of bottled water -- from some 3.3 billion bottles in 1997 to 15 billion in 2002. So, what to do? Some environmental activists argue that one of the most effective tools for pushing up recycling rates is a deposit law whereby consumers pay 5 to 10 cents more per bottle for their beverages, with the money refunded upon the bottle's return to a recycling center. Currently, such laws are in place in 11 states, and consumers in those states recycle four out of five bottles, says Patricia Franklin of the Container Recycling Institute. (But only two of those states, California and Maine, now include plastic water bottles in their programs.) A national bottle bill has had varying levels of support in Congress in the past, but the powerful beverage industry largely opposes it, wary of legislation that would add to consumers' costs and, it argues, hurt sales.
straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Miguel Llanos, 02 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4451>
9.
SEX AND THE SINGLE FROG
High rate of frog hermaphroditism linked to pesticides
An examination of the sex organs of cricket frogs collected in Illinois between 1852 and 2001 is presumably its own reward. However, in this case it's also led researchers to a notable conclusion: Heavy use of chemicals such as DDT and PCBs may cause higher rates of hermaphroditism in frogs. In a study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, scientists noted that the number of cricket frogs born with both male and female sex organs was highest during the 1950s when the chemicals were used most heavily, before being outlawed in the U.S. In the 1960s, the once-abundant cricket frogs quickly dropped in number, presumably because the chemicals affected female hormone production, leading to an unhealthy male/female ratio and eventually a population crash. The research also suggested that atrazine, the most popular herbicide in use today, may be causing similar effects. Val Beasley, coauthor of the study, says it's hard to determine how serious the current problem is "because you can't collect where the intersex rate was high. There aren't any frogs left in those areas to collect."
straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Marla Cone, 02 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4454>
10.
AND YOU THOUGHT CLINTON LIKED HUMMERS
Feds using terrorism excuse to crack down on eco-activists
The U.S. government is using the Patriot Act to go after radical environmental activists -- and some unfortunate folks who just happen to look like them -- by branding them as "terrorists." Despite the fact that the Earth Liberation Front has caused no injuries during its acts of sabotage and arson over the years, the FBI told U.S. senators that the group and others like it are "a domestic terrorism investigative priority." One FBI agent says President Bush himself called to inquire about a 2003 incident in Southern California in which Hummers were torched or defaced at a dealership, acts for which ELF claimed responsibility. Thanks to the Patriot Act, groups or individuals deemed terrorists lose several constitutional protections and can be surveilled without a warrant. "It's a ludicrous extension of the word terrorist," says professor Steven Best of the University of Texas at El Paso, who has written about the animal-rights movement. "It drains it of any meaning."
straight to the source: The Guardian, Peter Huck, 02 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4455>
11.
THE CHUCK STOPS HERE
Nebraska Republican Chuck Hagel chats with Grist about climate change
In 1997, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) led the fight against American ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. So some folks may be surprised to hear that he's recently stepped up as a leading Republican voice on climate change. He's just introduced three bills designed to spur innovation in clean technology and thereby reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. He chats with Amanda Griscom Little about how what looks like a change of heart really isn't -- today on the Grist Magazine website.
today in Grist: An interview with Sen. Chuck Hagel -- in Main Dish
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4446>
12.
HE WASN'T KIDDING ABOUT BEING BACK
Schwarzenegger returns with new, revamped solar initiative
Yesterday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) joined state senators from both parties to introduce a new version of his solar plan. What David Hochschild of Vote Solar called "the most ambitious solar initiative ever proposed in the United States" would offer substantial rebates to homeowners who install solar panels, require big developers to offer solar as an option (10 percent of customers tend to opt for it if it's offered), and extend a program of solar-energy tax credits. Last year's "million solar roofs" initiative was defeated after developers objected to a provision mandating that a certain proportion of new homes be built with solar. That provision is gone from the new version, and observers say the two bills that would implement the plan have a good chance of passing. California -- already the third-largest solar market after Germany and Japan -- looks set to become what Hochschild calls "the Saudi Arabia of sunlight."
straight to the source: The Union-Tribune, Associated Press, Don Thompson, 28 Feb 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4444>
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, David R. Baker, 01 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4445>
13.
SUE IT, DON'T SPRAY IT
Landmark Agent Orange case goes to federal court
Did U.S. chemical companies commit war crimes by producing toxic dioxin-laced herbicide -- known as Agent Orange -- that the U.S. military used to douse more than 2 million Vietnamese and that still lingers on in their environment and food chain? That's the question at the heart of a landmark case that will be heard starting today in a U.S. federal court in New York City. The suit was filed last year against Monsanto, Dow Chemical, and a dozen other companies on behalf of millions of Vietnamese citizens who still live with a horrific array of illnesses and whose children suffer from crippling birth defects. They seek what could be billions for damages and environmental cleanup. The companies say they are indemnified since they were acting on government contracts, and the Justice Department filed a brief on the companies' behalf. The companies also claim that Agent Orange has never been conclusively linked to serious human health problems -- though they paid out $180 million to U.S. soldiers who had been exposed.
straight to the source: The Boston Globe, Matt Steinglass, 27 Feb 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4426>
straight to the source: The New York Times, William Glaberson, 28 Feb 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4427>
14.
THE CONGO LINE Congo Basin loggers work toward responsible forest management
Several logging companies in southeastern Cameroon have joined an initiative conservationists say could help save the rainforests of the Congo Basin, the second largest area of tropical rainforests in the world. The African logging firms are working toward independent certification as responsible foresters, restricting their work to certain areas and cutting down only select trees. They also limit the land cleared for access roads and leave areas to regenerate for 30 years after most of the mature trees have been felled. Some firms have also pledged to aid local communities and wildlife, an important move for an area that hosts half of Africa's wild animals and some 10,000 known plant species. The World Wildlife Fund has been involved in teaching loggers to use GPS satellite technology to keep track of trees to be cut and animals seen during their work. Many of the firms involved say pressure from Western buyers -- like British and Dutch governments -- played heavily in their decision to get certified.
straight to the source: Planet Ark, Reuters, Andrew Gray, 28 Feb 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4425>
BUSH STICKS JOHNSON IN THE EPA
President Bush announces nominee to head EPA
Today President Bush announced his new pick to lead the U.S. EPA: Steve Johnson, who's been the agency's temporary head since Mike Leavitt left six weeks ago to head the Department of Health and Human Services. If confirmed by the Senate, Johnson, a 24-year EPA veteran, will be the first professional scientist to hold the position. The choice of Johnson, a low-key, wonky agency vet whose work has focused on pesticides, may signal a new approach from the White House; Bush's previous EPA administrators, Christie Whitman and Mike Leavitt, were both significant players in the Republican Party (and one of them still is!). Johnson will preside over some tough battles, including a contentious one now under way about how to regulate mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, was fairly beside himself with enthusiasm, calling Johnson "the best we could expect as a nominee from the Bush administration."
straight to the source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Associated Press, Deb Riechmann, 04 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4470>
2.
A SHORT REVIEW OF ALMOST EVERYTHING
Bill Bryson's books offer environmental ethics with a light touch
Bill Bryson has made a name for himself as a best-selling travel writer, but readers of his books should beware: they may be unwittingly exposed to a potent environmental message. Throughout his wry commentaries on landscapes, cultures, history, and science, Bryson subtly weaves an environmental ethic, in one book poking fun at American overconsumption, in others lamenting the disappearance of odd species. Sarah van Schagen writes that Bryson's light touch might be just what enviros, currently obsessing over framing and communication, need -- in Books Unbound, today on the Grist Magazine website.
today in Grist: A walk through the works of Bill Bryson -- by Sarah van Schagen <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4474>
3.
YOU SAY TOMATO, I SAY HIDDEN COSTS OF TRANSPORT
Locally grown food greener than organic, British study says
Though organic farming is relatively easy on the environment, buying locally grown food, even the pesticide-sprayed variety, is usually more earth-friendly than buying organic, a new study contends. Published in the journal Food Policy, the study found that the transportation of food over long distances -- anywhere outside a 12-mile radius -- can cause more harm than the growing of food with non-organic methods. Researchers calculated the hidden costs of farming and food transport and found that the U.K. would save some $4 billion a year in environmental and traffic costs if all food consumed was locally grown, and an additional $2.1 billion a year if all food were grown organically. The study authors called on supermarkets to label items with the number of "food miles" they travel to get to the store. "The most political act we do on a daily basis is to eat, as our actions affect farms, landscapes, and food businesses," said study coauthor Jules Pretty of the University of Essex.
straight to the source: BBC News, 02 March 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4459>
straight to the source: The Independent, Steve Connor, 03 March 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4460>
4.
AAA FOR EFFORT
Legislation would force EPA to get realistic about fuel-efficiency stats
A bill debuting in Congress today would require the U.S. EPA to revamp its gas-mileage tests to more accurately reflect real-world driving conditions. Currently the EPA determines mileage ratings for vehicles by using 30-year-old tests that allow vehicle engines to get warm, never push the speed above 60 mph, never run the air conditioning, and never accelerate quickly. Enviro groups have long argued for reform of the tests, but now the bill has garnered the support of behemoth auto club AAA, which has conducted its own tests and found that the EPA is overestimating average gas mileage for several vehicle models, sometimes by almost 10 miles per gallon. The AAA's test, though not scientific, involves drivers around the country "getting groceries, getting stuck in traffic jams, driving the same way you would," says AAA spokesdude Mantill Williams. Now if only AAA would stop lobbying for more highways and fewer emissions standards ...
straight to the source: USA Today, James R. Healey, 02 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4462>
see also, in Grist: Sticker Shocking -- The EPA has been misoverestimating the fuel economy of cars sold in the U.S., says enviro group -- in Muckraker
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4463>
see also, in Grist: Road Warriors -- A travel club provides a greener alternative to AAA -- by Michelle Nijhuis
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=3604>
5.
THE CRADLE-TO-CRADLE WILL ROCK
Smart, eco-friendly design making inroads in the business community
The seminal 2002 book "Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things," by architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart, inspired a slogan for 21st century designers: "Pollution is a symbol of design failure." They proposed that every material used in manufacturing should be capable of either biodegrading harmlessly into the soil or returning with no loss of quality into the manufacturing process. More and more businesses are embracing the C2C concept, for economic as well as environmental reasons. Office design company Herman Miller Inc. hopes to have 50 percent of its products meet C2C specs by 2010. Carpet maker Shaw Industries now offers to pick up and recycle all of its carpet tiles, reducing both waste and money spent on new materials. Office furniture company Steelcase has released "Think," a 99 percent recyclable office chair. Going C2C is getting easier, too, as industry introduces new eco-friendly materials and economies of scale push the prices down. As that happens, more companies, says Shaw's Steven Bradfield, "will quietly adopt this as a basic business practice."
straight to the source: The Wall Street Journal, Rebecca Smith, 03 Mar 2005 (access ain't free) <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4458>
see also, in Grist: Better, By Design -- A review of Cradle to Cradle -- by Hal Clifford <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4466>
6.
A GREAT LEAP FORWARD, WITHOUT ALL THE FAMINE
China passes its first renewable-energy law
The Chinese legislature on Monday passed a bill aimed at increasing the country's use of renewable energy by mandating that power-grid operators get a portion of their electricity from local renewable sources and by providing financial inducements such as tax incentives, discounted loans, and a national development fund. When it takes effect in 2006, the law -- the first of its kind for China -- will be a big step toward fulfilling a pledge made at an international renewables conference last year to increase the country's renewable-energy production from under 1 percent of the total to about 10 percent by 2010. Said Beijing Greenpeacer Yu Jie, "China could and should be a world leader in renewable-energy development." Couldn't happen too soon. Fast-developing China is now second only to the U.S. in emissions of carbon dioxide (though, as the world's most populous country, it ranks far lower on a per capita basis).
straight to the source: Terra Daily, Agence France-Presse, 01 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4449>
straight to the source: China Daily, Hu Cong, 01 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4450>
7.
IT'S NOT WATCHING CARS GO IN CIRCLES THAT DOES IT
NASCAR race-cars spew lead
What's the connection between NASCAR racing, diminished mental capacity, and increased criminal behavior? If your answer was "lead," well, we commend your high-mindedness. Indeed, that is the answer: Though leaded gasoline was phased out in the U.S. decades ago, the racing industry (along with aviation) was exempted. Despite years of pleas from the U.S. EPA, NASCAR has not developed an alternative to leaded gas, which it says keeps engine valves lubricated. "We just have not been able to find a solution," said NASCAR spokesguy Ramsey Poston. Lead from auto exhaust can stay in the air for up to 10 days and travel many miles. Those in the most danger are children, for whom lead presents the threat of permanently diminished mental capacity. Low-level lead exposure has also been linked to criminal behavior. NASCAR is the fastest-growing "sport" in America, with some 3.5 million spectators a year attending races. (Look, we made it all the way through the blurb without saying "Bush" or "red state"! Oh, oops.)
straight to the source: Scripps Howard News Service, Joan Lowy, 28 Feb 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4452>
8.
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE BILL
U.S. bottle-recycling rates fall as bottled-water sales rise
Plastic bottle recycling rates in the U.S. have plunged, at least in part because of the boom in sales of bottled water -- from some 3.3 billion bottles in 1997 to 15 billion in 2002. So, what to do? Some environmental activists argue that one of the most effective tools for pushing up recycling rates is a deposit law whereby consumers pay 5 to 10 cents more per bottle for their beverages, with the money refunded upon the bottle's return to a recycling center. Currently, such laws are in place in 11 states, and consumers in those states recycle four out of five bottles, says Patricia Franklin of the Container Recycling Institute. (But only two of those states, California and Maine, now include plastic water bottles in their programs.) A national bottle bill has had varying levels of support in Congress in the past, but the powerful beverage industry largely opposes it, wary of legislation that would add to consumers' costs and, it argues, hurt sales.
straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Miguel Llanos, 02 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4451>
9.
SEX AND THE SINGLE FROG
High rate of frog hermaphroditism linked to pesticides
An examination of the sex organs of cricket frogs collected in Illinois between 1852 and 2001 is presumably its own reward. However, in this case it's also led researchers to a notable conclusion: Heavy use of chemicals such as DDT and PCBs may cause higher rates of hermaphroditism in frogs. In a study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, scientists noted that the number of cricket frogs born with both male and female sex organs was highest during the 1950s when the chemicals were used most heavily, before being outlawed in the U.S. In the 1960s, the once-abundant cricket frogs quickly dropped in number, presumably because the chemicals affected female hormone production, leading to an unhealthy male/female ratio and eventually a population crash. The research also suggested that atrazine, the most popular herbicide in use today, may be causing similar effects. Val Beasley, coauthor of the study, says it's hard to determine how serious the current problem is "because you can't collect where the intersex rate was high. There aren't any frogs left in those areas to collect."
straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Marla Cone, 02 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4454>
10.
AND YOU THOUGHT CLINTON LIKED HUMMERS
Feds using terrorism excuse to crack down on eco-activists
The U.S. government is using the Patriot Act to go after radical environmental activists -- and some unfortunate folks who just happen to look like them -- by branding them as "terrorists." Despite the fact that the Earth Liberation Front has caused no injuries during its acts of sabotage and arson over the years, the FBI told U.S. senators that the group and others like it are "a domestic terrorism investigative priority." One FBI agent says President Bush himself called to inquire about a 2003 incident in Southern California in which Hummers were torched or defaced at a dealership, acts for which ELF claimed responsibility. Thanks to the Patriot Act, groups or individuals deemed terrorists lose several constitutional protections and can be surveilled without a warrant. "It's a ludicrous extension of the word terrorist," says professor Steven Best of the University of Texas at El Paso, who has written about the animal-rights movement. "It drains it of any meaning."
straight to the source: The Guardian, Peter Huck, 02 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4455>
11.
THE CHUCK STOPS HERE
Nebraska Republican Chuck Hagel chats with Grist about climate change
In 1997, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) led the fight against American ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. So some folks may be surprised to hear that he's recently stepped up as a leading Republican voice on climate change. He's just introduced three bills designed to spur innovation in clean technology and thereby reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. He chats with Amanda Griscom Little about how what looks like a change of heart really isn't -- today on the Grist Magazine website.
today in Grist: An interview with Sen. Chuck Hagel -- in Main Dish
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4446>
12.
HE WASN'T KIDDING ABOUT BEING BACK
Schwarzenegger returns with new, revamped solar initiative
Yesterday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) joined state senators from both parties to introduce a new version of his solar plan. What David Hochschild of Vote Solar called "the most ambitious solar initiative ever proposed in the United States" would offer substantial rebates to homeowners who install solar panels, require big developers to offer solar as an option (10 percent of customers tend to opt for it if it's offered), and extend a program of solar-energy tax credits. Last year's "million solar roofs" initiative was defeated after developers objected to a provision mandating that a certain proportion of new homes be built with solar. That provision is gone from the new version, and observers say the two bills that would implement the plan have a good chance of passing. California -- already the third-largest solar market after Germany and Japan -- looks set to become what Hochschild calls "the Saudi Arabia of sunlight."
straight to the source: The Union-Tribune, Associated Press, Don Thompson, 28 Feb 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4444>
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, David R. Baker, 01 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4445>
13.
SUE IT, DON'T SPRAY IT
Landmark Agent Orange case goes to federal court
Did U.S. chemical companies commit war crimes by producing toxic dioxin-laced herbicide -- known as Agent Orange -- that the U.S. military used to douse more than 2 million Vietnamese and that still lingers on in their environment and food chain? That's the question at the heart of a landmark case that will be heard starting today in a U.S. federal court in New York City. The suit was filed last year against Monsanto, Dow Chemical, and a dozen other companies on behalf of millions of Vietnamese citizens who still live with a horrific array of illnesses and whose children suffer from crippling birth defects. They seek what could be billions for damages and environmental cleanup. The companies say they are indemnified since they were acting on government contracts, and the Justice Department filed a brief on the companies' behalf. The companies also claim that Agent Orange has never been conclusively linked to serious human health problems -- though they paid out $180 million to U.S. soldiers who had been exposed.
straight to the source: The Boston Globe, Matt Steinglass, 27 Feb 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4426>
straight to the source: The New York Times, William Glaberson, 28 Feb 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4427>
14.
THE CONGO LINE Congo Basin loggers work toward responsible forest management
Several logging companies in southeastern Cameroon have joined an initiative conservationists say could help save the rainforests of the Congo Basin, the second largest area of tropical rainforests in the world. The African logging firms are working toward independent certification as responsible foresters, restricting their work to certain areas and cutting down only select trees. They also limit the land cleared for access roads and leave areas to regenerate for 30 years after most of the mature trees have been felled. Some firms have also pledged to aid local communities and wildlife, an important move for an area that hosts half of Africa's wild animals and some 10,000 known plant species. The World Wildlife Fund has been involved in teaching loggers to use GPS satellite technology to keep track of trees to be cut and animals seen during their work. Many of the firms involved say pressure from Western buyers -- like British and Dutch governments -- played heavily in their decision to get certified.
straight to the source: Planet Ark, Reuters, Andrew Gray, 28 Feb 2005
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posted by T. Scott Brineman at 10:59 AM
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