DAILY GRIST/ WEEKLY COMPILATION 3-12-05
1.
HANDLE WITH CAIR
EPA issues air pollution rules for Eastern states
With the Clear Skies bill dead in committee, the Bush administration is going ahead with its plan to implement provisions of the bill as regulation. Yesterday saw the first step, as the U.S. EPA issued the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), which will substantially curtail emissions of soot-causing and smog-forming emissions, primarily generated by power plants, in 28 Eastern states and Washington, D.C. By the time the regulations are fully implemented in 2015, the EPA expects them to reduce sulfur-dioxide emissions by over 70 percent and nitrogen oxides by over 60 percent, which would mean preventing 17,000 premature deaths a year, millions of lost work and school days, and loads of hospital visits. The rule met with approval from both industry groups and enviros, though the former would prefer federal legislation and the latter would prefer larger cuts and tighter deadlines. EPA officials have calculated that the benefits of the rule, primarily in health-care savings, will outweigh the costs by some 25 to 1. Next week the agency is expected to take on mercury emissions -- expect that fight to be considerably bloodier.
straight to the source: The Washington Post, Rick Weiss, 11 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4535>
straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Edwin Chen, 11 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4536>
2.
OUR LIFE WITH THE DRILL KILL KULT
House bill would end U.S. offshore drilling bans
Legislation being drafted in the House Resources Committee would end 23-year-old bans on new offshore oil and gas drilling in the U.S. Still not formally introduced, the legislation, dubbed the State Enhanced Authority for Coastal and Offshore Resources Act, would expand state control over offshore drilling and up states' shares of royalties from drilling. Industry groups have been pressuring lawmakers to attach SEACOR to the stalled energy bill, up for consideration next month. A spokesflack for committee chair Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) insists the bill is "not ready for prime time" -- just yet. But in the meantime, proponents have been drumming up support in some cash-strapped states, paving the way for the bill's eventual rollout. Said Richard Charter of Environmental Defense, "We see SEACOR as part of a stealth strategy to undo all protections of U.S. coastlines for offshore drilling.''
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Jane Kay, 10 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4529>
3.
HERBICIDAL TENDENCIES
War-crimes suit against Agent Orange manufacturers dismissed
A potentially historic class-action lawsuit accusing manufacturers of the herbicide Agent Orange of committing war crimes isn't looking so historic after all -- it was dismissed yesterday by a federal judge in New York City. Dioxin-containing Agent Orange was sprayed extensively in Vietnam from 1962 to 1971 by U.S. forces to kill crops and reduce the opposition's cover. The plaintiffs in the case say the herbicide has been causing a panoply of health problems in Vietnam ever since, including cancer and birth defects. "We are disappointed," said Nguyen Trong Nhan of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange. "[The judge] has turned a blind eye before the obvious truth. It's a shame for him to put out that decision. We just want justice, nothing more." The group said it plans to appeal the decision.
straight to the source: The Mercury News, Associated Press, Tini Tran, 11 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4531>
straight to the source: The New York Times, William Glaberson, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4532>
4.
DE-FENCE, DE-FENCE
U.S. border fencing project may harm sensitive ecological area
A half-mile-wide canyon and estuary situated on the U.S.-Mexico border just 12 miles from San Diego, Calif., is the locus of a conflict between environmentalists and the feds. The ecologically sensitive marshland is part of a 3.5-mile gap in secondary fencing at the border, making it a sweet spot for illegal immigrants and, speculate Homeland Security officials, al Qaeda operatives. Federal officials plan to speed up efforts to add fencing by leveling mesas in the area to backfill the canyon, a move that conservation activists -- who have fought the project for years -- say could cause flooding, erosion, and habitat destruction. Pending immigration legislation, which includes provisions for finishing the project, would allow the feds to largely ignore environmental and labor laws to do so. It could also pave the way for other projects that circumvent environmental regulations in the name of national security, according to J. Robert Shull of the nonprofit OMB Watch. "It's completely unnecessary," he said. "It's mind-boggling."
straight to the source: The Washington Post, Kimberly Edds, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4530>
see also, in Grist: Borderline Insanity -- An INS project threatens Southern California lands -- by Deborah Knight
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4537>
5.
BETTER OFF DEADLOCKED
Senate committee deadlock means Clear Skies unlikely to pass this year
After a deadlocked 9-9 vote in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the Bush administration's long-sought Clear Skies legislation appears unlikely to pass -- at least this year. The fourth time was not the charm for committee chair James Inhofe (R-Okla.), who had scheduled and then delayed the vote three times previously as he twisted arms in search of a deal. Stung by the defeat, Inhofe, to the surprise of approximately no one, blamed the failure on "environmental extremists" and "far-left political fund-raising." The actual source of the defeat was a group of seven Democrats, along with independent James Jeffords (Vt.) and moderate Republican Lincoln Chafee (R.I.). They had been under intense pressure to bend, but after their request for additional information from the U.S. EPA last week was met with silence, they seemed resolved to stick together. The Bush administration is now expected to try to implement some of Clear Skies' provisions as regulatory rules, and possibly attach others as riders to the pending energy bill. The ultimate fate of Clear Skies itself is still up in the, um, air.
straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Mary Curtius and Tom Hamburger, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4518>
straight to the source: The New York Times, Michael Janofsky, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4519>
straight to the source: The Wall Street Journal, John J. Fialka, 10 Mar 2005 (access ain't free) <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4520>
6.
BLENDING THE RULES
House members fight EPA's blended sewage plan
Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) thinks the U.S. EPA's new sewage proposal stinks. The policy, currently in draft stage, would allow incompletely treated sewage to mix with fully treated wastewater before being released into rivers, lakes, and oceans -- a practice politely called "blending" -- during "wet-weather" events. Susan Boni reports on why Stupak and some 134 other House members want to flush this idea down the drain -- today on the Grist Magazine website.
today in Grist: Stupak calls sewage plan a raw deal -- by Susan Boni
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4522>
7.
THE IDIOTAROD
Republicans are after the Arctic Refuge again
Undeterred by consistent public opposition and bipartisan objections, a number of Republicans are once again attempting to get oil drillers into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Senate Budget Committee Chair Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) slipped ANWR into a budget resolution yesterday, which unlike standard legislation cannot be defeated by a filibuster. Overcoming a filibuster requires 60 votes, but the budget resolution requires only a 51-vote majority. Senate Energy Committee Chair Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) called this the "old-fashioned way," but Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) countered that it is in fact a "backdoor way," a perversion of the budget process. On the House side, Republicans left ANWR out of the budget but vowed to include it in energy legislation next month. And at the head of the pack was President Bush, who touted plans to open ANWR to drilling in a major speech yesterday. In a turn of phrase creative even by his standards, he said ANWR would produce "the same amount of new oil we could get from 41 states combined." Many of those states, of course, have no known oil reserves.
straight to the source: Anchorage Daily News, Richard Mauer, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4523>
straight to the source: Planet Ark, Reuters, Chris Baltimore, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4524>
straight to the source: The Washington Post, Justin Blum and Jim VandeHei, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4525>
straight to the source: The New York Times, David E. Sanger, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4526>
8.
JOEVANGELISM
Evangelical leaders rally to fight global warming
Following its adoption of an environmental platform in October, the National Association of Evangelicals, an umbrella group of 51 denominations, has scheduled two meetings in the Washington, D.C., area to focus on global warming. To be attended by influential religious leaders, scientists, politicians, and members of international aid agencies, the meetings will highlight the relationship between climate change and the ideals of Christian stewardship. The group may release a statement throwing its powerful political backing behind efforts to curb global warming, and discussions on the topic are expected to draw major political figures including Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) and members of the Bush administration. "Support from the evangelical and broader religious community can really move some people in Congress who feel some sense of moral responsibility but haven't quite settled on an exact policy response yet," Lieberman said. "This could be pivotal."
straight to the source: The New York Times, Laurie Goodstein, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4521>
9.
WE'LL DRINK TO THAT
Americans prefer their water clean, poll shows
"An overwhelming majority" -- some 86 percent -- of Americans believe clean, safe water is a national issue worthy of government spending, a new poll concludes. The two polling firms (one from each side of the partisan divide) conducting the opinion survey asked 900 adults a variety of questions related to hypothetical federal legislation creating a clean-water trust fund. The response favored the fund, with more than eight in 10 surveyed supporting the idea and some 71 percent picking clean-water programs over road construction and aviation projects as the most deserving of a trust fund. Two-thirds said they would rather the government spend more to guarantee clean water than cut taxes, and almost 80 percent would be more likely to vote for congressional representatives who supported the legislation. Says pollster Frank Luntz of the results, "Americans are sending their lawmakers a clear message."
straight to the source: Environment News Service, 07 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4510>
see also, in Grist: Frankly, They Do Give a Damn -- GOP pollster says voters want action on clean water -- in Muckraker
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4513>
10.
METALS GONE WILD
Mercury seriously mucking with wildlife, study finds
Mercury contamination of wildlife may be more prevalent than previously thought and influencing ecosystems in unexpected ways, suggests a study released yesterday. Researchers in the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada found higher-than-expected levels of mercury in the region's birds and other animals, supporting the hypothesis that mercury from power plants and incinerators may be getting into the forest food chain in much the same way it enters water bodies and aquatic ecosystems. Leaves and the moist forest floor act to transform the mercury that falls from the sky into its most toxic form -- methylmercury. Insects then easily accumulate the metal in their bodies, passing it up the food chain and around the ecosystem. "The impacts of mercury go well beyond what anyone would have envisioned yesterday," said Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project in Vermont, who played no role in the study. The research adds to the arsenal of environmental advocates who argue that the Bush administration needs a more aggressive plan for curbing mercury emissions.
straight to the source: The Boston Globe, Beth Daley, 08 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4506>
11.
THE PRICES' HEIGHT
Market notices that natural resources are shrinking fast
While some folks in political circles still like to pretend that natural resources are endless, global financial markets aren't, uh, buying it. Commodity prices recently hit a 24-year high, driven by worries that burgeoning global demand is rapidly outstripping supply. We'll try to spare you most of the numbers (masochists may click the link below), but suffice it to say: Copper and oil prices are near record highs. Countries that export loads of raw materials (Australia, Canada, South Africa, et al) are loving life as their currencies rise against the dollar. Continuing economic growth in the U.S. and China means that prices will probably continue to go up, and "[t]he only thing that will get us to move decisively lower is a global recession that would reduce demand,'' said Citigroup analyst Kyle Cooper. Analysts at Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. said oil prices will rise until 2008 and stay high thereafter, based on worries that global oil production is reaching its peak. Hmm ... seems like the Birkenstock crowd has been saying that for a while.
straight to the source: Bloomberg.com, 08 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4511>
12.
JUST LOOKING
Forest Service considers sustainability certification
In an attempt to stem criticism of its logging and forest-management practices from both timber companies and conservationists, the U.S. Forest Service is assessing a handful of forests to determine if they meet management requirements outlined by two very different sustainable forestry organizations, with an eye toward possible certification of national forests in the future. The Sustainable Forest Initiative, supported by the industry group American Forest and Paper Association, is, its critics argue, little more than a timber-industry rubber stamp. The other program, run by the Forest Stewardship Council, is more stringent -- for instance, it does not allow logging in old-growth forests or sensitive wildlife areas. For now, Forest Service officials say they're just looking at how their practices measure up before deciding whether to pursue certification. "Certification has become part of the global vocabulary," said Forest Service spokesperson Dan Jiron. "As an agency, we think, 'Why wouldn't we look at these things?'"
straight to the source: The Oregonian, Michael Milstein, 08 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4508>
see also, in Grist: Certifiably Insane? -- Industry wood-labeling program less green than it appears -- by Jeff Shaw
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4514>
13.
HALF A BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER
EPA proposes stronger protections on lead in drinking water
The U.S. EPA has proposed strengthening protections against lead in drinking water for the first time since 1991. The move comes in response to the recent brouhaha in the Washington, D.C., area, where residents were not informed of widespread lead contamination until years after it was discovered. The changes would require utilities to run stricter water tests, report the results of the tests to homeowners, and notify state and federal regulators in advance of any changes to water treatment. "We need to free people from worrying about lead in their drinking water," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles, whose name never ceases to delight us. The changes -- which must be approved by the Office of Management and Budget -- are already drawing fire from critics who say that they don't address the scale of the problem, and that the EPA does not adequately enforce rules even as they're now written.
straight to the source: The Washington Post, Carol D. Leonnig, 08 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4501>
14.
POLLUTER ACTUALLY PAYS
Illinois power plants will spend half a billion on pollution controls
A 1999 lawsuit against Illinois Power has ended in a proposed settlement of more than $520 million, most of which will go to installing new pollution controls. The suit charged that Illinois Power had violated the Clean Air Act by upgrading several plants without modifying pollution-reduction equipment, as required under the Clean Air Act's new-source review rules. The settlement, which will be finalized once the government receives public comment and makes a recommendation to the court, also includes $15 million for mitigation and other green projects and a $9 million civil penalty -- the largest the government has won in an emissions suit. The U.S. EPA estimates that the new pollution controls, which will be installed over a seven-year period, will more than halve the sulfur-dioxide and nitrogen-oxide emissions from five of the company's plants. Says Thomas L. Sansonetti, an assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, "The citizens of Illinois could not have asked for a better result."
straight to the source: The New York Times, Michael Janofsky, 08 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4498>
straight to the source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Bill Lambrecht, 07 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4499>
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press, 07 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4500>
15.
NOT JUST LIPPMAN SERVICE
Green investment expert Steve Lippman InterActivates
It irks Steve Lippman that many big green groups and foundations employ traditional money managers instead of eco-conscious ones, and as a result their financial clout ends up being used to fight against environmental shareholder resolutions. He invites them to join the world of socially responsible investing (SRI) and shareholder activism -- and he invites you to as well. Lippman, an analyst with leading SRI firm Trillium Asset Management, explains how his work has helped to bring about positive change at big-name companies like PepsiCo, Staples, and Citigroup -- in InterActivist, today on the Grist Magazine website. Send Lippman a question of your own by noon PST on Wednesday, March 9; we'll publish his responses to selected questions on Friday.
today in Grist: Steve Lippman, SRI analyst, answers Grist's questions -- in InterActivist <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4475>
16.
BERATE AND BARREL
Open-barrel trash burning becoming a hot issue for states
Not interested in paying the $1- or $2-per-bag fee for trash disposal? Just throw it all in a barrel in your backyard and burn it. That's what thousands of upstate New Yorkers -- and millions of rural Americans -- do, and it's making some environmental activists hot under the collar. But a bill to ban the practice has languished in the New York legislature for several years under fire (ahem) from state agricultural interests, which say that disposing of the waste any other way is cost prohibitive for farmers and rural residents. A number of states have banned backyard burning, and others -- including Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan -- are now at work on efforts to curb it. Trash burning releases cancer-causing dioxins into the atmosphere, along with arsenic, mercury, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide. The U.S. EPA estimates that 20 million burn barrels across the U.S. produce some 13 million pounds of pollutants every year, making backyard burning the No. 1 quantified source of dioxin emissions in the country.
straight to the source: The New York Times, Lisa W. Foderaro, 07 March 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4478>
straight to the source: Duluth News Tribune, 04 March 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4480>
HANDLE WITH CAIR
EPA issues air pollution rules for Eastern states
With the Clear Skies bill dead in committee, the Bush administration is going ahead with its plan to implement provisions of the bill as regulation. Yesterday saw the first step, as the U.S. EPA issued the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), which will substantially curtail emissions of soot-causing and smog-forming emissions, primarily generated by power plants, in 28 Eastern states and Washington, D.C. By the time the regulations are fully implemented in 2015, the EPA expects them to reduce sulfur-dioxide emissions by over 70 percent and nitrogen oxides by over 60 percent, which would mean preventing 17,000 premature deaths a year, millions of lost work and school days, and loads of hospital visits. The rule met with approval from both industry groups and enviros, though the former would prefer federal legislation and the latter would prefer larger cuts and tighter deadlines. EPA officials have calculated that the benefits of the rule, primarily in health-care savings, will outweigh the costs by some 25 to 1. Next week the agency is expected to take on mercury emissions -- expect that fight to be considerably bloodier.
straight to the source: The Washington Post, Rick Weiss, 11 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4535>
straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Edwin Chen, 11 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4536>
2.
OUR LIFE WITH THE DRILL KILL KULT
House bill would end U.S. offshore drilling bans
Legislation being drafted in the House Resources Committee would end 23-year-old bans on new offshore oil and gas drilling in the U.S. Still not formally introduced, the legislation, dubbed the State Enhanced Authority for Coastal and Offshore Resources Act, would expand state control over offshore drilling and up states' shares of royalties from drilling. Industry groups have been pressuring lawmakers to attach SEACOR to the stalled energy bill, up for consideration next month. A spokesflack for committee chair Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) insists the bill is "not ready for prime time" -- just yet. But in the meantime, proponents have been drumming up support in some cash-strapped states, paving the way for the bill's eventual rollout. Said Richard Charter of Environmental Defense, "We see SEACOR as part of a stealth strategy to undo all protections of U.S. coastlines for offshore drilling.''
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Jane Kay, 10 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4529>
3.
HERBICIDAL TENDENCIES
War-crimes suit against Agent Orange manufacturers dismissed
A potentially historic class-action lawsuit accusing manufacturers of the herbicide Agent Orange of committing war crimes isn't looking so historic after all -- it was dismissed yesterday by a federal judge in New York City. Dioxin-containing Agent Orange was sprayed extensively in Vietnam from 1962 to 1971 by U.S. forces to kill crops and reduce the opposition's cover. The plaintiffs in the case say the herbicide has been causing a panoply of health problems in Vietnam ever since, including cancer and birth defects. "We are disappointed," said Nguyen Trong Nhan of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange. "[The judge] has turned a blind eye before the obvious truth. It's a shame for him to put out that decision. We just want justice, nothing more." The group said it plans to appeal the decision.
straight to the source: The Mercury News, Associated Press, Tini Tran, 11 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4531>
straight to the source: The New York Times, William Glaberson, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4532>
4.
DE-FENCE, DE-FENCE
U.S. border fencing project may harm sensitive ecological area
A half-mile-wide canyon and estuary situated on the U.S.-Mexico border just 12 miles from San Diego, Calif., is the locus of a conflict between environmentalists and the feds. The ecologically sensitive marshland is part of a 3.5-mile gap in secondary fencing at the border, making it a sweet spot for illegal immigrants and, speculate Homeland Security officials, al Qaeda operatives. Federal officials plan to speed up efforts to add fencing by leveling mesas in the area to backfill the canyon, a move that conservation activists -- who have fought the project for years -- say could cause flooding, erosion, and habitat destruction. Pending immigration legislation, which includes provisions for finishing the project, would allow the feds to largely ignore environmental and labor laws to do so. It could also pave the way for other projects that circumvent environmental regulations in the name of national security, according to J. Robert Shull of the nonprofit OMB Watch. "It's completely unnecessary," he said. "It's mind-boggling."
straight to the source: The Washington Post, Kimberly Edds, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4530>
see also, in Grist: Borderline Insanity -- An INS project threatens Southern California lands -- by Deborah Knight
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4537>
5.
BETTER OFF DEADLOCKED
Senate committee deadlock means Clear Skies unlikely to pass this year
After a deadlocked 9-9 vote in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the Bush administration's long-sought Clear Skies legislation appears unlikely to pass -- at least this year. The fourth time was not the charm for committee chair James Inhofe (R-Okla.), who had scheduled and then delayed the vote three times previously as he twisted arms in search of a deal. Stung by the defeat, Inhofe, to the surprise of approximately no one, blamed the failure on "environmental extremists" and "far-left political fund-raising." The actual source of the defeat was a group of seven Democrats, along with independent James Jeffords (Vt.) and moderate Republican Lincoln Chafee (R.I.). They had been under intense pressure to bend, but after their request for additional information from the U.S. EPA last week was met with silence, they seemed resolved to stick together. The Bush administration is now expected to try to implement some of Clear Skies' provisions as regulatory rules, and possibly attach others as riders to the pending energy bill. The ultimate fate of Clear Skies itself is still up in the, um, air.
straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Mary Curtius and Tom Hamburger, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4518>
straight to the source: The New York Times, Michael Janofsky, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4519>
straight to the source: The Wall Street Journal, John J. Fialka, 10 Mar 2005 (access ain't free) <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4520>
6.
BLENDING THE RULES
House members fight EPA's blended sewage plan
Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) thinks the U.S. EPA's new sewage proposal stinks. The policy, currently in draft stage, would allow incompletely treated sewage to mix with fully treated wastewater before being released into rivers, lakes, and oceans -- a practice politely called "blending" -- during "wet-weather" events. Susan Boni reports on why Stupak and some 134 other House members want to flush this idea down the drain -- today on the Grist Magazine website.
today in Grist: Stupak calls sewage plan a raw deal -- by Susan Boni
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4522>
7.
THE IDIOTAROD
Republicans are after the Arctic Refuge again
Undeterred by consistent public opposition and bipartisan objections, a number of Republicans are once again attempting to get oil drillers into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Senate Budget Committee Chair Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) slipped ANWR into a budget resolution yesterday, which unlike standard legislation cannot be defeated by a filibuster. Overcoming a filibuster requires 60 votes, but the budget resolution requires only a 51-vote majority. Senate Energy Committee Chair Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) called this the "old-fashioned way," but Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) countered that it is in fact a "backdoor way," a perversion of the budget process. On the House side, Republicans left ANWR out of the budget but vowed to include it in energy legislation next month. And at the head of the pack was President Bush, who touted plans to open ANWR to drilling in a major speech yesterday. In a turn of phrase creative even by his standards, he said ANWR would produce "the same amount of new oil we could get from 41 states combined." Many of those states, of course, have no known oil reserves.
straight to the source: Anchorage Daily News, Richard Mauer, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4523>
straight to the source: Planet Ark, Reuters, Chris Baltimore, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4524>
straight to the source: The Washington Post, Justin Blum and Jim VandeHei, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4525>
straight to the source: The New York Times, David E. Sanger, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4526>
8.
JOEVANGELISM
Evangelical leaders rally to fight global warming
Following its adoption of an environmental platform in October, the National Association of Evangelicals, an umbrella group of 51 denominations, has scheduled two meetings in the Washington, D.C., area to focus on global warming. To be attended by influential religious leaders, scientists, politicians, and members of international aid agencies, the meetings will highlight the relationship between climate change and the ideals of Christian stewardship. The group may release a statement throwing its powerful political backing behind efforts to curb global warming, and discussions on the topic are expected to draw major political figures including Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) and members of the Bush administration. "Support from the evangelical and broader religious community can really move some people in Congress who feel some sense of moral responsibility but haven't quite settled on an exact policy response yet," Lieberman said. "This could be pivotal."
straight to the source: The New York Times, Laurie Goodstein, 10 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4521>
9.
WE'LL DRINK TO THAT
Americans prefer their water clean, poll shows
"An overwhelming majority" -- some 86 percent -- of Americans believe clean, safe water is a national issue worthy of government spending, a new poll concludes. The two polling firms (one from each side of the partisan divide) conducting the opinion survey asked 900 adults a variety of questions related to hypothetical federal legislation creating a clean-water trust fund. The response favored the fund, with more than eight in 10 surveyed supporting the idea and some 71 percent picking clean-water programs over road construction and aviation projects as the most deserving of a trust fund. Two-thirds said they would rather the government spend more to guarantee clean water than cut taxes, and almost 80 percent would be more likely to vote for congressional representatives who supported the legislation. Says pollster Frank Luntz of the results, "Americans are sending their lawmakers a clear message."
straight to the source: Environment News Service, 07 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4510>
see also, in Grist: Frankly, They Do Give a Damn -- GOP pollster says voters want action on clean water -- in Muckraker
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4513>
10.
METALS GONE WILD
Mercury seriously mucking with wildlife, study finds
Mercury contamination of wildlife may be more prevalent than previously thought and influencing ecosystems in unexpected ways, suggests a study released yesterday. Researchers in the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada found higher-than-expected levels of mercury in the region's birds and other animals, supporting the hypothesis that mercury from power plants and incinerators may be getting into the forest food chain in much the same way it enters water bodies and aquatic ecosystems. Leaves and the moist forest floor act to transform the mercury that falls from the sky into its most toxic form -- methylmercury. Insects then easily accumulate the metal in their bodies, passing it up the food chain and around the ecosystem. "The impacts of mercury go well beyond what anyone would have envisioned yesterday," said Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project in Vermont, who played no role in the study. The research adds to the arsenal of environmental advocates who argue that the Bush administration needs a more aggressive plan for curbing mercury emissions.
straight to the source: The Boston Globe, Beth Daley, 08 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4506>
11.
THE PRICES' HEIGHT
Market notices that natural resources are shrinking fast
While some folks in political circles still like to pretend that natural resources are endless, global financial markets aren't, uh, buying it. Commodity prices recently hit a 24-year high, driven by worries that burgeoning global demand is rapidly outstripping supply. We'll try to spare you most of the numbers (masochists may click the link below), but suffice it to say: Copper and oil prices are near record highs. Countries that export loads of raw materials (Australia, Canada, South Africa, et al) are loving life as their currencies rise against the dollar. Continuing economic growth in the U.S. and China means that prices will probably continue to go up, and "[t]he only thing that will get us to move decisively lower is a global recession that would reduce demand,'' said Citigroup analyst Kyle Cooper. Analysts at Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. said oil prices will rise until 2008 and stay high thereafter, based on worries that global oil production is reaching its peak. Hmm ... seems like the Birkenstock crowd has been saying that for a while.
straight to the source: Bloomberg.com, 08 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4511>
12.
JUST LOOKING
Forest Service considers sustainability certification
In an attempt to stem criticism of its logging and forest-management practices from both timber companies and conservationists, the U.S. Forest Service is assessing a handful of forests to determine if they meet management requirements outlined by two very different sustainable forestry organizations, with an eye toward possible certification of national forests in the future. The Sustainable Forest Initiative, supported by the industry group American Forest and Paper Association, is, its critics argue, little more than a timber-industry rubber stamp. The other program, run by the Forest Stewardship Council, is more stringent -- for instance, it does not allow logging in old-growth forests or sensitive wildlife areas. For now, Forest Service officials say they're just looking at how their practices measure up before deciding whether to pursue certification. "Certification has become part of the global vocabulary," said Forest Service spokesperson Dan Jiron. "As an agency, we think, 'Why wouldn't we look at these things?'"
straight to the source: The Oregonian, Michael Milstein, 08 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4508>
see also, in Grist: Certifiably Insane? -- Industry wood-labeling program less green than it appears -- by Jeff Shaw
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4514>
13.
HALF A BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER
EPA proposes stronger protections on lead in drinking water
The U.S. EPA has proposed strengthening protections against lead in drinking water for the first time since 1991. The move comes in response to the recent brouhaha in the Washington, D.C., area, where residents were not informed of widespread lead contamination until years after it was discovered. The changes would require utilities to run stricter water tests, report the results of the tests to homeowners, and notify state and federal regulators in advance of any changes to water treatment. "We need to free people from worrying about lead in their drinking water," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles, whose name never ceases to delight us. The changes -- which must be approved by the Office of Management and Budget -- are already drawing fire from critics who say that they don't address the scale of the problem, and that the EPA does not adequately enforce rules even as they're now written.
straight to the source: The Washington Post, Carol D. Leonnig, 08 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4501>
14.
POLLUTER ACTUALLY PAYS
Illinois power plants will spend half a billion on pollution controls
A 1999 lawsuit against Illinois Power has ended in a proposed settlement of more than $520 million, most of which will go to installing new pollution controls. The suit charged that Illinois Power had violated the Clean Air Act by upgrading several plants without modifying pollution-reduction equipment, as required under the Clean Air Act's new-source review rules. The settlement, which will be finalized once the government receives public comment and makes a recommendation to the court, also includes $15 million for mitigation and other green projects and a $9 million civil penalty -- the largest the government has won in an emissions suit. The U.S. EPA estimates that the new pollution controls, which will be installed over a seven-year period, will more than halve the sulfur-dioxide and nitrogen-oxide emissions from five of the company's plants. Says Thomas L. Sansonetti, an assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, "The citizens of Illinois could not have asked for a better result."
straight to the source: The New York Times, Michael Janofsky, 08 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4498>
straight to the source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Bill Lambrecht, 07 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4499>
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press, 07 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4500>
15.
NOT JUST LIPPMAN SERVICE
Green investment expert Steve Lippman InterActivates
It irks Steve Lippman that many big green groups and foundations employ traditional money managers instead of eco-conscious ones, and as a result their financial clout ends up being used to fight against environmental shareholder resolutions. He invites them to join the world of socially responsible investing (SRI) and shareholder activism -- and he invites you to as well. Lippman, an analyst with leading SRI firm Trillium Asset Management, explains how his work has helped to bring about positive change at big-name companies like PepsiCo, Staples, and Citigroup -- in InterActivist, today on the Grist Magazine website. Send Lippman a question of your own by noon PST on Wednesday, March 9; we'll publish his responses to selected questions on Friday.
today in Grist: Steve Lippman, SRI analyst, answers Grist's questions -- in InterActivist <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4475>
16.
BERATE AND BARREL
Open-barrel trash burning becoming a hot issue for states
Not interested in paying the $1- or $2-per-bag fee for trash disposal? Just throw it all in a barrel in your backyard and burn it. That's what thousands of upstate New Yorkers -- and millions of rural Americans -- do, and it's making some environmental activists hot under the collar. But a bill to ban the practice has languished in the New York legislature for several years under fire (ahem) from state agricultural interests, which say that disposing of the waste any other way is cost prohibitive for farmers and rural residents. A number of states have banned backyard burning, and others -- including Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan -- are now at work on efforts to curb it. Trash burning releases cancer-causing dioxins into the atmosphere, along with arsenic, mercury, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide. The U.S. EPA estimates that 20 million burn barrels across the U.S. produce some 13 million pounds of pollutants every year, making backyard burning the No. 1 quantified source of dioxin emissions in the country.
straight to the source: The New York Times, Lisa W. Foderaro, 07 March 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4478>
straight to the source: Duluth News Tribune, 04 March 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4480>
posted by T. Scott Brineman at 8:52 AM
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