DAILY GRIST WEEKLY COMPILATION
1.
EMISSION CREEP
Critics question World Bank's role as carbon trader, fossil-fuel funder
Since its founding 60 years ago, the World Bank has shifted its focus from rebuilding war-torn Europe to aiding developing countries. Now the organization is brokering deals in the fledgling carbon-trading market, some of which could harm the very people it's supposed to help. At the same time, the bank continues to fund fossil-fuel extraction projects that create the emissions carbon trading is intended to fight. Of course, more carbon emissions mean more carbon-market profits ... Daphne Wysham takes a look at the troublesome cycle -- in Soapbox, today on the Grist Magazine website.
today in Grist: A look at the World Bank's questionable carbon-trading practices -- by Daphne Wysham
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4640>
2.
FUNNY, BUT NOT BAJA FUNNY
Gray whales in Baja sanctuary threatened by development
Five years ago, conservationists in Baja Mexico won a difficult battle to prevent a salt production plant from setting up shop near the San Ignacio Lagoon, a winter refuge for migrating California gray whales. But the Mexican government's shift toward industrialization has some local residents gearing up for an even more challenging fight. New regulations allowing rural ejidos, or communal lands, to be sold means poor rural communities may have to choose between enticing offers from private developers and protection of the lagoon -- and the several hundred gray whale mother-calf pairs that visit every year. To aid the process, local enviro groups are organizing coalitions to purchase conservation easements on some of the million acres draining into the lagoon. "We don't want a Disneyland here," says Raul Lopez, a coordinator for one ecotourism organization in the area. "We don't want big resorts or industrial plants. We want to use the land in a smart way so we can create a sustainable way to live."
straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Kenneth R. Weiss, 23 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4635>
3.
HE SHOOTS HORSES, DOESN'T HE?
Trophy-hunting enthusiast appointed to head Fish and Wildlife Service
Nothing gives one an appreciation for the challenges facing endangered species like, uh, hunting and killing said species. With that verity in mind, the Bush administration has appointed Matthew Hogan as interim head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Director Steve Williams resigned earlier this month). Among his accomplishments, Hogan used to be the chief lobbyist for Safari Club International, a trophy-hunting group that holds competitions wherein its members roam five continents, shooting at a variety of exotic and sometimes endangered species. The generally wealthy members of SCI on occasion take shortcuts, shooting captive animals or animals that have drifted to the peripheries of national parks. No, we don't make this stuff up.
straight to the source: The NewStandard, Jessica Azulay, 20 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4637>
straight to the source: Humane Society press release, 18 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4638>
4.
MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING TO THIS "POLITE" BUSINESS
Auto industry agrees to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in Canada
After years of halting negotiations, the auto industry has reached a deal with the Canadian government to voluntarily reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions by some 5.8 million tons by 2010. Canadian Environment Minister Stephane Dion had previously threatened to impose strict fuel-economy standards if the automakers didn't agree to voluntary cuts. According to government sources, the automakers insisted the deal be made in terms of total emission reductions rather than fuel economy (though the end result will be the same); they feared that explicitly agreeing to fuel-economy standards would imperil their pending lawsuit against California, which recently imposed strict standards. Enviros expressed the only sort of optimism of which they are capable -- that is, guarded -- saying that the need to make fuel-efficient vehicles for Europe, California, and now Canada might finally push automakers to just make their entire fleets more efficient. While government officials touted the happy, shiny, voluntary compromisiness of it all, the Sierra Club's Dan Becker was more blunt: "The Canadian government has managed to bludgeon the auto industry into submission."
straight to the source: The Globe and Mail, Steven Chase and Greg Keenan, 23 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4629>
straight to the source: The New York Times, Ian Austen, 24 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4630>
5.
HEARTH WARMING
Biofuel catching on in the home-heating arena
Using biofuel -- a mix of vegetable oil and diesel -- to power vehicles is already popular in certain highly vocal circles, but using biofuel to heat homes is just starting to catch on. A recent surge has taken place largely in the U.S. Northeast, where there remains a large concentration of houses that use heating oil. Proponents tout the fact that biofuel produces far less soot and thus requires less furnace cleaning, which we're told is a nasty business. They are also motivated by a desire to support energy independence and the domestic economy. "About 20 out of every 100 gallons of bioheat goes to American farmers and producers instead of unstable foreign countries," says biofuel user Charles Kleekamp. Though it currently costs roughly 10 to 20 cents more per gallon than regular heating fuel, mainly because of the paucity of manufacturing facilities (Northeast biofuel is transported all the way from Florida), enthusiasts hope that rising demand will drive down prices. Already a biodiesel production facility is in the works for Providence, R.I., for next year.
straight to the source: The Boston Globe, Jaci Conry, 24 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4628>
6.
BEHIND ENEMY LIVESTOCK
Ranchers, greens unite to fight oil and gas wells in West
Ranchers and environmentalists have traditionally gone together like chocolate and, uh, people who really hate chocolate. But of late, they have been overlooking past tussles to fight a common enemy: increasingly ubiquitous oil and gas drilling in the Western U.S. The ranchers say the drilling process often sickens or kills livestock, which are hit by drilling trucks or drink pooled antifreeze or other chemicals from contaminated disposal pits. Greens have been led on guided tours of affected ranches to document contamination. A coalition opposing drilling in New Mexico's San Juan Basin plans to negotiate with drillers to clean up old messes in the area instead of taking the matter to court, an approach favored by area ranchers. "After all the smoke and mirrors go away, ranchers and environmentalists have a common agenda -- and it is protection of the land," said Mark Gordon, a Buffalo, Wyo., rancher.
straight to the source: The Wall Street Journal, Jim Carlton, 23 Mar 2005 (access ain't free) <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4624>
7.
NOT JUST ANOTHER PRETTY SPACE
The dark tale of a park ranger's experiences in a condemned canyon
Park ranger Jordan Fisher Smith spent 14 years patrolling California's American River canyon, an area slated to be flooded by a dam project. But with dam construction delayed by decades, the once-pocked canyon began regenerating and attracting wildlife like mountain lions and black bears. And the "condemned landscape" drew wild people too -- squatters, fugitives from the law, even murderers. In an interview with Aaron Dalton, Smith explains how he came to love this land and why he chose to chronicle that love in his new book "Nature Noir" -- today on the Grist Magazine website.
today in Grist: A look at the darker side of nature -- by Aaron Dalton
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4623>
8.
THE SOUND OF ONE HULL SPLITTING
Sixteen years after Exxon Valdez, tankers still not safe
This week, to mark the 16th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez disaster that spilled 11 million gallons of oil in Alaska's Prince William Sound, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer is running a special series on the environmentally precarious state of modern oil-tanker transport. Some key findings of its investigation: Post-Valdez initiatives intended to reduce crew hours, require more tug escorts for tankers, and crack down on alcohol use are all regularly dodged. Many West Coast officials have been lobbying to loosen tug-escort rules meant to help shepherd tankers safely to port. Also, even 16 years later, Exxon still hasn't double-hulled any of its Alaskan tankers. And even modern double-hulled tankers, such as those now used by ConocoPhillips to transport nearly 38 million gallons of oil at a time, are still vulnerable to spills thanks to human fallibility. More sobering, perhaps, is the fact that experts estimate it only takes some 1 million gallons of spilled oil to cripple wildlife and commerce in sensitive waterways for months or years. Sigh.
straight to the source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Eric Nalder, 22 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4621>
see also, in Grist: Riki-Tikki-Savvy -- Riki Ott, author of a book on the Exxon Valdez spill, answers Grist's questions -- in InterActivist
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4538>
9.
DUST, BUT VERIFY
New study finds toxic chemicals in household dust
Samples of household dust from 70 residences in seven U.S. states were found to contain a toxic cocktail of industrial chemicals -- all of which have been shown to harm animals, all of which are legal and commonly used. The study, conducted by consumer-advocate group Clean Production Action, tested the dust for 44 chemicals and found 35 of them. The most common, and most controversial, are phthalates: plasticizers used to soften the vinyl in carpet, furniture fabric, shower curtains, and plenty else. Phthalates mess with the reproductive systems of animals, but have not been tested extensively for human health effects -- mainly because lax U.S. regulations don't require such testing. Industry groups hastened to say that just because these chemicals are everywhere doesn't mean they're harming the, uh, guinea pigs using them. But, asks CPA director Beverley Thorpe, "why should we take chances on chemicals we know are inherently hazardous when safe chemicals exist, and progressive companies are putting in place safe chemical policies?"
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Jane Kay, 23 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4620>
10.
PANTHER IN THE DARK
FWS admits using bad data to determine panther habitat
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has admitted to using shoddy science and thrice violating federal law while designating habitat for the endangered Florida panther, thereby allowing giant development projects to proceed within the species' range. Turns out, the core of the disputed science was a scheduling conflict -- with the panthers. In determining the cats' habitat requirements, the agency depended too heavily on panther range data gathered during late mornings. But panthers are most active at dusk and dawn, not midmorning. As a result, the data "did not represent a complete and accurate picture of Florida panther habitat needs," said FWS top science adviser Dan Ashe, a member of a panel that reviewed the issue. The service now plans to withdraw and reissue some documents related to the panther's range and designate habitat differently, but activists fear that 30-some giant development projects may still proceed as planned, within the cats' stomping grounds. Andrew Eller, the FWS biologist who filed a whistleblower complaint about the flawed data, was fired back in November.
straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Associated Press, 21 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4616>
11.
THE STRIFE AQUATIC
Concerns about sea critters grow as ocean noise levels increase
As the world's shipping traffic more than sextupled between 1948 and 1998, scientists say the oceans' noise levels have increased by some 15 decibels -- and as the impact of decibels is calculated exponentially, that's nothing to sneeze at. Researchers worry about the possible threat to many marine organisms that depend on their sense of hearing to survive. Scientists have speculated for years about the relationship between marine mammal beachings -- such as the recent dolphin strandings on Florida's Key West -- and military sonar blasts. Some researchers believe the "acoustic smog" may also affect the animals' ability to feed, breed, communicate with each other, and navigate the waters. Joel Reynolds, Marine Mammal Program director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, argues for regulating ocean noise: "We have to treat it like any other form of pollution."
straight to the source: The Standard-Times, Associated Press, Jay Lindsay, 20 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4608>
straight to the source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Debera Carlton Harrell, 18 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4607>
12.
JUST ONE DAY OUT OF LIFE, IT WOULD BE SO NICE
World Water Day celebrated by U.N., few others
In case you haven't heard -- and you haven't -- today is World Water Day, an annual holiday aimed at drawing attention to alarming stats about global water needs, encouraging world leaders to take action, and otherwise passing by unnoticed. But today isn't just any old World Water Day; it's also the kick-off for the United Nations-backed International Decade for Water, during which the organization will focus on fulfilling its Millennium Goals, which include aiding the estimated 2.4 billion people worldwide who have no access to sanitary sewage systems and the 1.1 billion who lack safe drinking water -- numbers the U.N. hopes to cut in half by 2015. Although the goals were set out in 2000, little has been done thus far to achieve them. They were just waiting for the right holiday.
straight to the source: Terra Daily, Agence France-Presse, 22 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4611>
13.
VIRTUALLY REALITY
Automakers launch ad campaign claiming cars are squeaky clean
Fed up with negative publicity, automakers are making their vehicles virtually emission-free. Oh, wait, did we say "making"? We meant "calling." The "virtually emission-free" claim is at the heart of a new print ad campaign targeted at federal legislators by a coalition of automakers including Ford, Toyota, and General Motors. There's a grain of truth behind the campaign: Some car models generate roughly 99 percent fewer smog-forming emissions than their counterparts in the pre-regulation 1960s. But critics, including the Union of Concerned Scientists, point out several problems. For one, most automakers have acknowledged that smog remains a serious public-health problem that requires further efforts on their part. For another, the campaign disregards emissions not classified as pollutants by the U.S. EPA -- in other words, carbon dioxide. But again, automakers themselves have acknowledged that greenhouse gases like CO2 are causing climate change and need to be cut. The UCS has mounted a counter-campaign that it says has generated 20,000 complaints to the Federal Trade Commission about the coalition's claims.
straight to the source: The New York Times, Danny Hakim, 22 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4612>
do good: Join the UCS campaign to stop automakers' "emission-free" deception <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4614>
14.
O BROTHER, WHERE WAL-MART THOU?
Environmental lawsuits stymie Wal-Mart's attempts to colonize California
Retail Brobdingnagian and perpetual defendant Wal-Mart, having carpeted much of the U.S. in Supercenters, has its sights set on one of its last potential growth markets in the country: California. But the Golden State has proved a stormy climate for the hungry giant; dozens of lawsuits have been filed against cities across the state, charging that Supercenters violate the comparatively strict California Environmental Quality Act, signed in 1970 by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan. The suits claim that the cities, in approving the ginormous stores, underestimate traffic congestion, air pollution, and -- in a novel accusation recently backed by a state appeals court -- decay caused by the closing of other, smaller stores. Many of the suits are filed by citizen groups whose membership and sources of funding are secret. Wal-Mart says the groups are fronts for unions like the United Food and Commercial Workers, who fear that the company's entry into the market will push down wages and labor standards and drive other employers out of business.
straight to the source: North County Times, Associated Press, Jim Wasserman, 19 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4597>
15.
TAMAYO-PACED
Honduras forest activists slow deforestation
In central Honduras, where deforestation is widespread, poor farmers and rural residents under the leadership of Roman Catholic priest Andres Tamayo have had a string of successes in their struggle to save the pine forests that sustain them (or used to). The activists say Honduras' forests have been poorly managed for decades, resulting in topsoil erosion, water shortages, and declining wildlife. Last year, the farmers-turned-activists managed a dozen times to shut down all logging operations in Olancho, a popular timber province. Tamayo has called for a logging moratorium in the rest of the country as well until the forests can be managed more sustainably and all lumber can be milled in the community where it was cut. But environmental activism is a dangerous pursuit in Honduras. Powerful logging interests, as well as the government, strongly oppose the movement, and illegal logging gangs have intimidated villagers and made attempts on Tamayo's life.
straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Chris Kraul, 21 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4595>
16.
TOO CRUNCHY FOR MY SHIRT, SO CRUNCHY IT HURTS
New York fashion show highlights eco-friendly garb
Green may soon be the new black, some fashionistas say. Case in point: the FutureFashion runway show last month during New York's Fashion Week. Everything worn in the show -- including clothes by high-profile designers Oscar de la Renta and Proenza Schouler -- was made with eco-friendly fibers such as bamboo, corn, and organic cotton. Some clothing execs are hoping eco-apparel will go the way of organic food and beauty products, which have become a $15 billion mainstream industry. Production of clothing fibers can be highly damaging to the environment, with cotton being one of the worst. According to the nonprofit Sustainable Cotton Project, the making of a simple T-shirt may involve the use of a third of a pound of agricultural chemicals as well as other nasties like ammonia and formaldehyde. That's inspiring many vendors -- including Whole Foods, Nike, and even Sam's Club -- to start selling organic cotton. Says eco-designer Marci Zaroff, "We're taking the market from hippie to hip."
straight to the source: The New York Times, Amy Cortese, 20 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4596>
EMISSION CREEP
Critics question World Bank's role as carbon trader, fossil-fuel funder
Since its founding 60 years ago, the World Bank has shifted its focus from rebuilding war-torn Europe to aiding developing countries. Now the organization is brokering deals in the fledgling carbon-trading market, some of which could harm the very people it's supposed to help. At the same time, the bank continues to fund fossil-fuel extraction projects that create the emissions carbon trading is intended to fight. Of course, more carbon emissions mean more carbon-market profits ... Daphne Wysham takes a look at the troublesome cycle -- in Soapbox, today on the Grist Magazine website.
today in Grist: A look at the World Bank's questionable carbon-trading practices -- by Daphne Wysham
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4640>
2.
FUNNY, BUT NOT BAJA FUNNY
Gray whales in Baja sanctuary threatened by development
Five years ago, conservationists in Baja Mexico won a difficult battle to prevent a salt production plant from setting up shop near the San Ignacio Lagoon, a winter refuge for migrating California gray whales. But the Mexican government's shift toward industrialization has some local residents gearing up for an even more challenging fight. New regulations allowing rural ejidos, or communal lands, to be sold means poor rural communities may have to choose between enticing offers from private developers and protection of the lagoon -- and the several hundred gray whale mother-calf pairs that visit every year. To aid the process, local enviro groups are organizing coalitions to purchase conservation easements on some of the million acres draining into the lagoon. "We don't want a Disneyland here," says Raul Lopez, a coordinator for one ecotourism organization in the area. "We don't want big resorts or industrial plants. We want to use the land in a smart way so we can create a sustainable way to live."
straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Kenneth R. Weiss, 23 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4635>
3.
HE SHOOTS HORSES, DOESN'T HE?
Trophy-hunting enthusiast appointed to head Fish and Wildlife Service
Nothing gives one an appreciation for the challenges facing endangered species like, uh, hunting and killing said species. With that verity in mind, the Bush administration has appointed Matthew Hogan as interim head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Director Steve Williams resigned earlier this month). Among his accomplishments, Hogan used to be the chief lobbyist for Safari Club International, a trophy-hunting group that holds competitions wherein its members roam five continents, shooting at a variety of exotic and sometimes endangered species. The generally wealthy members of SCI on occasion take shortcuts, shooting captive animals or animals that have drifted to the peripheries of national parks. No, we don't make this stuff up.
straight to the source: The NewStandard, Jessica Azulay, 20 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4637>
straight to the source: Humane Society press release, 18 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4638>
4.
MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING TO THIS "POLITE" BUSINESS
Auto industry agrees to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in Canada
After years of halting negotiations, the auto industry has reached a deal with the Canadian government to voluntarily reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions by some 5.8 million tons by 2010. Canadian Environment Minister Stephane Dion had previously threatened to impose strict fuel-economy standards if the automakers didn't agree to voluntary cuts. According to government sources, the automakers insisted the deal be made in terms of total emission reductions rather than fuel economy (though the end result will be the same); they feared that explicitly agreeing to fuel-economy standards would imperil their pending lawsuit against California, which recently imposed strict standards. Enviros expressed the only sort of optimism of which they are capable -- that is, guarded -- saying that the need to make fuel-efficient vehicles for Europe, California, and now Canada might finally push automakers to just make their entire fleets more efficient. While government officials touted the happy, shiny, voluntary compromisiness of it all, the Sierra Club's Dan Becker was more blunt: "The Canadian government has managed to bludgeon the auto industry into submission."
straight to the source: The Globe and Mail, Steven Chase and Greg Keenan, 23 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4629>
straight to the source: The New York Times, Ian Austen, 24 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4630>
5.
HEARTH WARMING
Biofuel catching on in the home-heating arena
Using biofuel -- a mix of vegetable oil and diesel -- to power vehicles is already popular in certain highly vocal circles, but using biofuel to heat homes is just starting to catch on. A recent surge has taken place largely in the U.S. Northeast, where there remains a large concentration of houses that use heating oil. Proponents tout the fact that biofuel produces far less soot and thus requires less furnace cleaning, which we're told is a nasty business. They are also motivated by a desire to support energy independence and the domestic economy. "About 20 out of every 100 gallons of bioheat goes to American farmers and producers instead of unstable foreign countries," says biofuel user Charles Kleekamp. Though it currently costs roughly 10 to 20 cents more per gallon than regular heating fuel, mainly because of the paucity of manufacturing facilities (Northeast biofuel is transported all the way from Florida), enthusiasts hope that rising demand will drive down prices. Already a biodiesel production facility is in the works for Providence, R.I., for next year.
straight to the source: The Boston Globe, Jaci Conry, 24 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4628>
6.
BEHIND ENEMY LIVESTOCK
Ranchers, greens unite to fight oil and gas wells in West
Ranchers and environmentalists have traditionally gone together like chocolate and, uh, people who really hate chocolate. But of late, they have been overlooking past tussles to fight a common enemy: increasingly ubiquitous oil and gas drilling in the Western U.S. The ranchers say the drilling process often sickens or kills livestock, which are hit by drilling trucks or drink pooled antifreeze or other chemicals from contaminated disposal pits. Greens have been led on guided tours of affected ranches to document contamination. A coalition opposing drilling in New Mexico's San Juan Basin plans to negotiate with drillers to clean up old messes in the area instead of taking the matter to court, an approach favored by area ranchers. "After all the smoke and mirrors go away, ranchers and environmentalists have a common agenda -- and it is protection of the land," said Mark Gordon, a Buffalo, Wyo., rancher.
straight to the source: The Wall Street Journal, Jim Carlton, 23 Mar 2005 (access ain't free) <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4624>
7.
NOT JUST ANOTHER PRETTY SPACE
The dark tale of a park ranger's experiences in a condemned canyon
Park ranger Jordan Fisher Smith spent 14 years patrolling California's American River canyon, an area slated to be flooded by a dam project. But with dam construction delayed by decades, the once-pocked canyon began regenerating and attracting wildlife like mountain lions and black bears. And the "condemned landscape" drew wild people too -- squatters, fugitives from the law, even murderers. In an interview with Aaron Dalton, Smith explains how he came to love this land and why he chose to chronicle that love in his new book "Nature Noir" -- today on the Grist Magazine website.
today in Grist: A look at the darker side of nature -- by Aaron Dalton
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4623>
8.
THE SOUND OF ONE HULL SPLITTING
Sixteen years after Exxon Valdez, tankers still not safe
This week, to mark the 16th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez disaster that spilled 11 million gallons of oil in Alaska's Prince William Sound, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer is running a special series on the environmentally precarious state of modern oil-tanker transport. Some key findings of its investigation: Post-Valdez initiatives intended to reduce crew hours, require more tug escorts for tankers, and crack down on alcohol use are all regularly dodged. Many West Coast officials have been lobbying to loosen tug-escort rules meant to help shepherd tankers safely to port. Also, even 16 years later, Exxon still hasn't double-hulled any of its Alaskan tankers. And even modern double-hulled tankers, such as those now used by ConocoPhillips to transport nearly 38 million gallons of oil at a time, are still vulnerable to spills thanks to human fallibility. More sobering, perhaps, is the fact that experts estimate it only takes some 1 million gallons of spilled oil to cripple wildlife and commerce in sensitive waterways for months or years. Sigh.
straight to the source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Eric Nalder, 22 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4621>
see also, in Grist: Riki-Tikki-Savvy -- Riki Ott, author of a book on the Exxon Valdez spill, answers Grist's questions -- in InterActivist
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4538>
9.
DUST, BUT VERIFY
New study finds toxic chemicals in household dust
Samples of household dust from 70 residences in seven U.S. states were found to contain a toxic cocktail of industrial chemicals -- all of which have been shown to harm animals, all of which are legal and commonly used. The study, conducted by consumer-advocate group Clean Production Action, tested the dust for 44 chemicals and found 35 of them. The most common, and most controversial, are phthalates: plasticizers used to soften the vinyl in carpet, furniture fabric, shower curtains, and plenty else. Phthalates mess with the reproductive systems of animals, but have not been tested extensively for human health effects -- mainly because lax U.S. regulations don't require such testing. Industry groups hastened to say that just because these chemicals are everywhere doesn't mean they're harming the, uh, guinea pigs using them. But, asks CPA director Beverley Thorpe, "why should we take chances on chemicals we know are inherently hazardous when safe chemicals exist, and progressive companies are putting in place safe chemical policies?"
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Jane Kay, 23 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4620>
10.
PANTHER IN THE DARK
FWS admits using bad data to determine panther habitat
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has admitted to using shoddy science and thrice violating federal law while designating habitat for the endangered Florida panther, thereby allowing giant development projects to proceed within the species' range. Turns out, the core of the disputed science was a scheduling conflict -- with the panthers. In determining the cats' habitat requirements, the agency depended too heavily on panther range data gathered during late mornings. But panthers are most active at dusk and dawn, not midmorning. As a result, the data "did not represent a complete and accurate picture of Florida panther habitat needs," said FWS top science adviser Dan Ashe, a member of a panel that reviewed the issue. The service now plans to withdraw and reissue some documents related to the panther's range and designate habitat differently, but activists fear that 30-some giant development projects may still proceed as planned, within the cats' stomping grounds. Andrew Eller, the FWS biologist who filed a whistleblower complaint about the flawed data, was fired back in November.
straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Associated Press, 21 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4616>
11.
THE STRIFE AQUATIC
Concerns about sea critters grow as ocean noise levels increase
As the world's shipping traffic more than sextupled between 1948 and 1998, scientists say the oceans' noise levels have increased by some 15 decibels -- and as the impact of decibels is calculated exponentially, that's nothing to sneeze at. Researchers worry about the possible threat to many marine organisms that depend on their sense of hearing to survive. Scientists have speculated for years about the relationship between marine mammal beachings -- such as the recent dolphin strandings on Florida's Key West -- and military sonar blasts. Some researchers believe the "acoustic smog" may also affect the animals' ability to feed, breed, communicate with each other, and navigate the waters. Joel Reynolds, Marine Mammal Program director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, argues for regulating ocean noise: "We have to treat it like any other form of pollution."
straight to the source: The Standard-Times, Associated Press, Jay Lindsay, 20 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4608>
straight to the source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Debera Carlton Harrell, 18 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4607>
12.
JUST ONE DAY OUT OF LIFE, IT WOULD BE SO NICE
World Water Day celebrated by U.N., few others
In case you haven't heard -- and you haven't -- today is World Water Day, an annual holiday aimed at drawing attention to alarming stats about global water needs, encouraging world leaders to take action, and otherwise passing by unnoticed. But today isn't just any old World Water Day; it's also the kick-off for the United Nations-backed International Decade for Water, during which the organization will focus on fulfilling its Millennium Goals, which include aiding the estimated 2.4 billion people worldwide who have no access to sanitary sewage systems and the 1.1 billion who lack safe drinking water -- numbers the U.N. hopes to cut in half by 2015. Although the goals were set out in 2000, little has been done thus far to achieve them. They were just waiting for the right holiday.
straight to the source: Terra Daily, Agence France-Presse, 22 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4611>
13.
VIRTUALLY REALITY
Automakers launch ad campaign claiming cars are squeaky clean
Fed up with negative publicity, automakers are making their vehicles virtually emission-free. Oh, wait, did we say "making"? We meant "calling." The "virtually emission-free" claim is at the heart of a new print ad campaign targeted at federal legislators by a coalition of automakers including Ford, Toyota, and General Motors. There's a grain of truth behind the campaign: Some car models generate roughly 99 percent fewer smog-forming emissions than their counterparts in the pre-regulation 1960s. But critics, including the Union of Concerned Scientists, point out several problems. For one, most automakers have acknowledged that smog remains a serious public-health problem that requires further efforts on their part. For another, the campaign disregards emissions not classified as pollutants by the U.S. EPA -- in other words, carbon dioxide. But again, automakers themselves have acknowledged that greenhouse gases like CO2 are causing climate change and need to be cut. The UCS has mounted a counter-campaign that it says has generated 20,000 complaints to the Federal Trade Commission about the coalition's claims.
straight to the source: The New York Times, Danny Hakim, 22 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4612>
do good: Join the UCS campaign to stop automakers' "emission-free" deception <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4614>
14.
O BROTHER, WHERE WAL-MART THOU?
Environmental lawsuits stymie Wal-Mart's attempts to colonize California
Retail Brobdingnagian and perpetual defendant Wal-Mart, having carpeted much of the U.S. in Supercenters, has its sights set on one of its last potential growth markets in the country: California. But the Golden State has proved a stormy climate for the hungry giant; dozens of lawsuits have been filed against cities across the state, charging that Supercenters violate the comparatively strict California Environmental Quality Act, signed in 1970 by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan. The suits claim that the cities, in approving the ginormous stores, underestimate traffic congestion, air pollution, and -- in a novel accusation recently backed by a state appeals court -- decay caused by the closing of other, smaller stores. Many of the suits are filed by citizen groups whose membership and sources of funding are secret. Wal-Mart says the groups are fronts for unions like the United Food and Commercial Workers, who fear that the company's entry into the market will push down wages and labor standards and drive other employers out of business.
straight to the source: North County Times, Associated Press, Jim Wasserman, 19 Mar 2005 <http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4597>
15.
TAMAYO-PACED
Honduras forest activists slow deforestation
In central Honduras, where deforestation is widespread, poor farmers and rural residents under the leadership of Roman Catholic priest Andres Tamayo have had a string of successes in their struggle to save the pine forests that sustain them (or used to). The activists say Honduras' forests have been poorly managed for decades, resulting in topsoil erosion, water shortages, and declining wildlife. Last year, the farmers-turned-activists managed a dozen times to shut down all logging operations in Olancho, a popular timber province. Tamayo has called for a logging moratorium in the rest of the country as well until the forests can be managed more sustainably and all lumber can be milled in the community where it was cut. But environmental activism is a dangerous pursuit in Honduras. Powerful logging interests, as well as the government, strongly oppose the movement, and illegal logging gangs have intimidated villagers and made attempts on Tamayo's life.
straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Chris Kraul, 21 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4595>
16.
TOO CRUNCHY FOR MY SHIRT, SO CRUNCHY IT HURTS
New York fashion show highlights eco-friendly garb
Green may soon be the new black, some fashionistas say. Case in point: the FutureFashion runway show last month during New York's Fashion Week. Everything worn in the show -- including clothes by high-profile designers Oscar de la Renta and Proenza Schouler -- was made with eco-friendly fibers such as bamboo, corn, and organic cotton. Some clothing execs are hoping eco-apparel will go the way of organic food and beauty products, which have become a $15 billion mainstream industry. Production of clothing fibers can be highly damaging to the environment, with cotton being one of the worst. According to the nonprofit Sustainable Cotton Project, the making of a simple T-shirt may involve the use of a third of a pound of agricultural chemicals as well as other nasties like ammonia and formaldehyde. That's inspiring many vendors -- including Whole Foods, Nike, and even Sam's Club -- to start selling organic cotton. Says eco-designer Marci Zaroff, "We're taking the market from hippie to hip."
straight to the source: The New York Times, Amy Cortese, 20 Mar 2005
<http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4596>
posted by T. Scott Brineman at 1:41 PM
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