DAILY GRIST / EARTH WEEK COMPILATION
1.
Souuuueeeee!
House passes pork-laden energy bill
The House of Representatives approved broad energy legislation yesterday by a vote of 249 to 183. The 1,000-plus-page bill contains some $12 billion in tax breaks and subsidies for energy companies, less than 5 percent of which go to clean energy or energy conservation. It contains a provision that would funnel $2 billion to deep-water oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. It would open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. It would allow "downwind" states to delay meeting air-quality standards until "upwind" states have met them. And it would protect from liability lawsuits the makers of MTBE, a fuel additive that has contaminated some 1,800 community water systems in 29 states, with projected clean-up costs of $29 billion. All of these measures, say critics, pad the pocketbooks of large political contributors but do next to nothing to solve the country's long-term energy problems or current high gas prices. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Joe Barton (R-Texas) was philosophical: "well, isn't something better than nothing?" The bill's fate in the Senate is uncertain, but a supportive Bush administration is optimistic.
straight to the source: The New York Times, Carl Hulse, 21 Apr 2005
straight to the source: The Washington Post, Justin Blum, 22 Apr 2005
straight to the source: USA Today, Associated Press, 21 Apr 2005
2.
You've Come a Long Way, Maybe
Stats on how far we've come (or haven't) since the first Earth Day
Since the first Earth Day 35 years ago, we've come a long way. How far? Well, we thought you'd ask, so we quantified it. OK, not exactly. But we did compile a bunch of engaging stats on various aspects of the environment from 1970 until now. Many things are better. Others, not so much.
new in Counter Culture: You've Come a Long Way, Maybe
3.
Oh, Right, I Knew We Were Forgetting Something!
Bush climate-change research won't research climate-change effects
According to the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, the "more research" President Bush is always touting as his response to climate change is overlooking an area some might consider important -- namely, what effects global warming might have on people and the environment (oh, that!). In fact, the GAO report to be released today says that none of the 21 studies of climate change the administration plans to publish by 2007 will include assessments of its possible effects on agriculture, water, energy, or biological diversity (oh, those!). This is in violation of the 1990 Global Change Research Act, which requires the federal government to produce a report on the consequences of climate change every four years. Critics say the research program was deliberately jiggered to prevent it from generating alarming findings that might increase political pressure for action. But without accurate information, said the GAO, "it may be difficult for the Congress and others to use this information effectively as the basis for making decisions on climate policy." You think?
straight to the source: The New York Times, Andrew C. Revkin, 22 Apr 2005
4.
Ice Hassles
Antarctic glaciers rapidly melting
Wanna travel to Antarctica, but worried about all that ice? Worry no more. On the Antarctic Peninsula, a 1,200-mile-long mountain chain 600 miles south of Argentina, about 212 of the 244 glaciers are retreating, fast. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the British Antarctic Survey studied photos and satellite data from the 1940s to 2001, concluding in the journal Science that, as temps have risen more than 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit on the peninsula since the 1950s, the glaciers that wrap the mountains there have been retreating at an average rate of about 164 feet a year. "Fifty years ago most glaciers were slowly growing in length," said BAS's Alison Cook, "but the pattern is now reversed and they're shrinking." So now the research team is worried about another problem if the glacial retreat continues apace: If bare rock is uncovered, it could attract invasive species to the continent. Happy Earth Day!
straight to the source: Nature, Michael Hopkin, 21 Apr 2005
straight to the source: New Scientist, Fred Pearce, 21 Apr 2005
straight to the source: The Washington Post, Bloomberg News Service, 22 Apr 2005
5.
Is That a Fat Lady We Hear Singing?
The era of cheap oil is coming to an end soon; duck!
Cheap oil is running out. A report from the U.S. Energy Department's Office of Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves puts the problem in stark terms: "The disparity between increasing production and declining discoveries can only have one outcome: a practical supply limit will be reached and future supply to meet conventional oil demand will not be available." The exact moment when world oil production maxes out and begins its inexorable decline -- known as "peak oil" -- is the subject of wide disagreement. However, an emerging consensus places it some time between, um, last year and 2020. Problem is, most of the world's big governments aren't doing much of any prep to cushion the blow. Couple a production peak with rapidly rising demand from developing powerhouses like China and you've got a recipe for what analyst Colin Campbell calls "the decline of oil and all that depends on it." Take a look around -- that's your lifestyle.
straight to the source: The Guardian, John Vidal, 21 Apr 2005
6.
Dearth Day
Earth Day goings-on don't measure up to dark drama on Capitol Hill
As environmental defeats cascade down from Capitol Hill -- the pork-laden energy bill making its way through the House being just the latest -- Earth Day 2005 would seem like the perfect occasion for a revolt, not a celebration. But despite dogged digging, Muckraker uncovered no news of big, feisty protests. Most Earth Day activities this year seem to be light and local -- and a weak counterbalance to the planet-destroying forces running amok
.
new in Muckraker: Dearth Day
sign up: Receive word by email each time a new Muckraker column hits the scene
7.
Go, Go, Gadgets
Green gadgets and a hydrogen-powered rock band are getting noticed
In the past 35 years, there's been no shortage of inventive inventions aimed at reducing eco-footprints; we've come a long way from the old brick-in-the-toilet trick. Today's new refrigerators use about a third of the power as ones sold 30 years ago, and the U.S. government has plans to boost fridge efficiency an additional 30 percent by 2011. Tank-less water heaters offer steamy scrubs while consuming less energy. But being green isn't always about saving green. Organic furniture store owner Fred Shapiro says some 70 percent of his customer base consists of "cultural creatives" -- style-savvy consumers who are willing to spend more for eco-friendly options that also look good. Green options also sound good, say members of Rhode Island-based band Protium, who are claiming the mantle of the first hydrogen-powered rock band. The six-member group will be rocking three fuel-cell generators to power their guitars and amps during an Earth Day concert.
straight to the source: The Christian Science Monitor, Mark Clayton, 21 Apr 2005
straight to the source: Boston Herald, Jill Radsken, 21 Apr 2005
8.
Mine Sweeper
Former journalist rewarded for fight against Romanian gold mine
Stephanie Roth hadn't intended to make the leap from journalist to activist, but in witnessing widespread environmental problems she was inspired to help communities fight the forces of irresponsible development and degradation. She's made her biggest mark in Rosia Montana, Romania, where she now lives. In this ancient town, she has helped to organize large public protests against plans for a major gold-mining project that threatens homes, centuries-old churches, and the region's best water source. She shares her story with Grist this Earth Week as part of a series on Goldman Environmental Prize winners.
new in Main Dish: Mine Sweeper
9.
Rock the Bloat
Some conservatives getting uncomfortable with energy-bill pork
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, being a conservative meant favoring free markets and smaller, less intrusive federal government. A shrinking number of conservatives still cling to the old ways, and they are disturbed by the energy bill making its way through the House. Though Republican leaders promised to trim the bill down from the bloated version that was defeated in past years, a new analysis by the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense shows that lawmakers have added $35 billion to the bill's costs in the last three weeks, making for a total of $88.9 billion in subsidies for the oil, gas, nuclear, coal, and other industries over the next 10 years. Some question why oil and gas companies need subsidies at a time of historically high energy prices. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) has offered an amendment that would strip the bill of what he calls "corporate welfare," saying, "When government decides what is a viable investment instead of the marketplace, you distort the market."
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Zachary Coile, 20 Apr 2005
10.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Iran using oil, natural gas resources to find fast friends
Much in the way the kid with the backyard swimming pool and the trampoline always manages to rustle up friends, Iran is turning to its oil and gas reserves to leverage alliances with influential Eastern nations -- and rather urgently, as it faces the threat of sanctions from the U.S. and Europe over its nuclear program. With oil prices rising and anxiety over oil supplies in fast-growing nations rising alongside, Iran's holdings -- 10 percent of the world's oil and the second-largest gas reserves -- give it increasing leverage. In addition to giving Japan better access to its oil last year, Iran has reached out to both China and India, two of the market's boomingest consumers, signing long-term supply deals. In an effort to lure its arch rival to the pool party, Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, a senior adviser to Iran's oil ministries, offers this: "Security of supplies is our bread and butter. If the United States is looking for security of supplies, Iran is an inevitable partner."
straight to the source: The New York Times, Jad Mouawad, 19 Apr 2005
11.
EIA, EIA ... Oh
Greenhouse-gas limits affordable, study says; "Told ya so," E.U. replies
A new study by the Energy Information Administration, an independent arm of the U.S. Energy Department, reveals that mandatory limits on greenhouse-gas emissions would not significantly affect the country's economic growth through 2025. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, the report contradicts the principal argument the Bush administration has used against imposing such limits. European Union representatives, meeting with senior officials in Washington this week, took the opportunity to say "nyah nyah" and "we told you so." The EIA estimated that placing caps on carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases in order to reduce emissions 7 percent from currently forecast 2025 levels would reduce the nation's gross domestic product by only one-tenth of 1 percent. To which a White House spokesflack replied, "Any reduction in U.S. GDP is serious, and would impact not only American businesses, but American families." Unlike, say, global warming.
straight to the source: The Mercury News, Associated Press, John Heilprin, 15 Apr 2005
straight to the source: Financial Times, Fiona Harvey, 19 Apr 2005
12.
The Best "Science" Money Can Buy
ExxonMobil plows millions into funding for 40 climate-skeptic groups
In 1998, the American Petroleum Institute outlined a strategy to sow the seeds of doubt about global-warming science "with Congress, the media, and other key audiences." "Victory will be achieved," read an API memo, "when ... recognition of uncertainty becomes part of the 'conventional wisdom.'" Since then, ExxonMobil -- one of API's leading members -- has been working valiantly in pursuit of that strategy, even as other oil, energy, and car companies bow out in the face of overwhelming scientific consensus or public pressure. From 2000 to 2003, Exxon funneled more than $8 million into a network of think tanks, quasi-journalistic media outlets, and civic and religious groups, to great effect. While peer-reviewed scientific journals contain virtually nothing that challenges the consensus on anthropogenic global warming, a flood of "reports," press releases, and op-ed columns has succeeded in creating the illusion of scientific controversy, seized on by sympathetic lawmakers like Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), who calls global warming a "hoax" and -- whaddya know! -- also receives buckets of money from Exxon.
straight to the source: Mother Jones, Chris Mooney, May/Jun 2005
13.
A Matter of Great Export
Arctic Refuge oil could be sent overseas
A portentous U.S. commitment, sold with slogans about freedom and national security, that turns out to be all about the oil industry. No, not that one. We're talking about drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Drilling proponents cite the fact that the U.S. imports most of the oil it uses, thus leaving it dependent on some rather grumpy countries. Drilling in the refuge, they say, would ramp up domestic oil supply, Make America Safe, and Set America Free. Except, ahem, note the fine print: Turns out the oil sucked out from beneath the caribou may be exported out of the country. The 51-49 Senate vote that authorized the drilling carried no provision banning export, though the House energy bill might. In terms of the overall U.S. economy, particularly the oil industry, it doesn't much matter, as oil is a fungible commodity. But in terms of the much-ballyhooed national-security benefits, says Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), "the best solution is to get off of dependence on fossil fuels in general."
straight to the source: The Seattle Times, Warren Cornwall, 19 Apr 2005
14.
Ubiquity Is the Mother of Reinvention
Labeling and certification move beyond organic in U.S.
With the U.S. organics industry going mainstream, a coterie of anti-The-Man farmers are getting out, eschewing federally regulated "organic" certification and creating terms and systems of their own to address eco-friendly agricultural practices not covered by the federal regs. The Food Alliance has created a certification process that focuses on fair treatment of farm workers and preservation of wildlife habitat, while Demeter USA certifies farms as "biodynamic," meaning they function as intact ecosystems. Other labels like "local," "sustainable," and "beyond organic" are also spreading, though they aren't overseen by particular groups. California farmers Kristie and Rick Knoll have taken the naming game to a whole new level, inventing their own word for their unique farming practices: "tairwa," which translates loosely to "the essence of the land." Says Rick of their distaste for the "O" word: "We're trying to invent it all over again."
straight to the source: The Wall Street Journal, Katy McLaughlin, 19 Apr 2005 (access ain't free)
also in Grist: Label Dancing -- Eco-label watchdog Urvashi Rangan answers Grist's questions
15.
Here's a Solution. Now What Was Your Problem Again?
Bush administration pushes energy bill as solution to high gas prices
American citizens -- or "consumers," as they're known these days -- are irritated about high gas prices, and many of them blame President Bush, whose popularity has hit new lows. Of course, presidents are hardly responsible for short-term swings in commodity prices. Nevertheless, Bush is rising to his fake responsibility with a fake solution. On Saturday, in his weekly radio address, he expressed sympathy about gas prices and said the solution is for Congress to pass his energy bill, which would, in fact, do nothing to affect short-term gas prices. Most analysts say the best way to reduce gas prices is to reduce demand by raising the fuel efficiency of America's vehicles. But the House blocked an effort to do that last week. Instead, the energy bill contains massive subsidies and tax breaks for the coal, oil, and natural-gas industries, legal protections for manufacturers of groundwater-polluting fuel additive MTBE, and less than $500 million in tax incentives for renewable energy and fuel-efficiency efforts. A cure for whatever ails ya!
straight to the source: The New York Times, Richard W. Stevenson, 17 Apr 2005
straight to the source: Planet Ark, Reuters, 18 Apr 2005
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press, Deb Riechmann, 16 Apr 2005
16.
And By "Miscellaneous" We Mean "Nefarious"
Substantial changes to Clean Air Act slipped into energy bill
Buried deep in the energy bill, filed under "Miscellaneous," is a tiny bit of text that could affect the Clean Air Act in a big way. The provision, authored by Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, would allow "downwind" states like New York and other Northeastern states to postpone fulfillment of clean-air standards until offending "upwinders" clean up their act. If the energy bill becomes law, this provision would represent one of the most significant changes to the Clean Air Act in 15 years, and opponents say it could also undermine the Clean Air Interstate Rule, which sets power-plant emission limits for Eastern states. The U.S. EPA has not yet taken a position on the provision, but agency spokesperson John Millett showed a talent for pithy understatement when he said, "Some people think it's a good idea. Most don't."
straight to the source: The New York Times, Michael Janofsky, 16 Apr 2005
17.
Rice-A-Phony
China, Europe experiencing illegal GM crop introductions
Two delicious scandals are brewing over the illegal introduction of genetically modified crops -- rice in China and corn in Europe -- onto the open market. In China, Greenpeacers sounded the GM alarm after buying bags of an "anti-pest" variety of rice, sending them to biotech labs, and finding that some of the grains were genetically altered and thus illegal for sale in the country. Greenpeace has accused a group of "rogue scientists" of selling experimental varieties of GM rice in the province of Hubei. Meanwhile, British ports have begun refusing all imports of U.S. corn following an allegation that American farmers have been illegally exporting GM corn as animal feed to Europe for the past four years. The port-blocking move was prompted by the European Commission, which forced action on the issue after officials on both sides of the Atlantic tried to keep the scandal hush-hush.
straight to the source: The New York Times, David Barboza, 16 Apr 2005
straight to the source: The Independent, Geoffrey Lean, 17 Apr 2005
Souuuueeeee!
House passes pork-laden energy bill
The House of Representatives approved broad energy legislation yesterday by a vote of 249 to 183. The 1,000-plus-page bill contains some $12 billion in tax breaks and subsidies for energy companies, less than 5 percent of which go to clean energy or energy conservation. It contains a provision that would funnel $2 billion to deep-water oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. It would open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. It would allow "downwind" states to delay meeting air-quality standards until "upwind" states have met them. And it would protect from liability lawsuits the makers of MTBE, a fuel additive that has contaminated some 1,800 community water systems in 29 states, with projected clean-up costs of $29 billion. All of these measures, say critics, pad the pocketbooks of large political contributors but do next to nothing to solve the country's long-term energy problems or current high gas prices. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Joe Barton (R-Texas) was philosophical: "well, isn't something better than nothing?" The bill's fate in the Senate is uncertain, but a supportive Bush administration is optimistic.
straight to the source: The New York Times, Carl Hulse, 21 Apr 2005
straight to the source: The Washington Post, Justin Blum, 22 Apr 2005
straight to the source: USA Today, Associated Press, 21 Apr 2005
2.
You've Come a Long Way, Maybe
Stats on how far we've come (or haven't) since the first Earth Day
Since the first Earth Day 35 years ago, we've come a long way. How far? Well, we thought you'd ask, so we quantified it. OK, not exactly. But we did compile a bunch of engaging stats on various aspects of the environment from 1970 until now. Many things are better. Others, not so much.
new in Counter Culture: You've Come a Long Way, Maybe
3.
Oh, Right, I Knew We Were Forgetting Something!
Bush climate-change research won't research climate-change effects
According to the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, the "more research" President Bush is always touting as his response to climate change is overlooking an area some might consider important -- namely, what effects global warming might have on people and the environment (oh, that!). In fact, the GAO report to be released today says that none of the 21 studies of climate change the administration plans to publish by 2007 will include assessments of its possible effects on agriculture, water, energy, or biological diversity (oh, those!). This is in violation of the 1990 Global Change Research Act, which requires the federal government to produce a report on the consequences of climate change every four years. Critics say the research program was deliberately jiggered to prevent it from generating alarming findings that might increase political pressure for action. But without accurate information, said the GAO, "it may be difficult for the Congress and others to use this information effectively as the basis for making decisions on climate policy." You think?
straight to the source: The New York Times, Andrew C. Revkin, 22 Apr 2005
4.
Ice Hassles
Antarctic glaciers rapidly melting
Wanna travel to Antarctica, but worried about all that ice? Worry no more. On the Antarctic Peninsula, a 1,200-mile-long mountain chain 600 miles south of Argentina, about 212 of the 244 glaciers are retreating, fast. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the British Antarctic Survey studied photos and satellite data from the 1940s to 2001, concluding in the journal Science that, as temps have risen more than 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit on the peninsula since the 1950s, the glaciers that wrap the mountains there have been retreating at an average rate of about 164 feet a year. "Fifty years ago most glaciers were slowly growing in length," said BAS's Alison Cook, "but the pattern is now reversed and they're shrinking." So now the research team is worried about another problem if the glacial retreat continues apace: If bare rock is uncovered, it could attract invasive species to the continent. Happy Earth Day!
straight to the source: Nature, Michael Hopkin, 21 Apr 2005
straight to the source: New Scientist, Fred Pearce, 21 Apr 2005
straight to the source: The Washington Post, Bloomberg News Service, 22 Apr 2005
5.
Is That a Fat Lady We Hear Singing?
The era of cheap oil is coming to an end soon; duck!
Cheap oil is running out. A report from the U.S. Energy Department's Office of Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves puts the problem in stark terms: "The disparity between increasing production and declining discoveries can only have one outcome: a practical supply limit will be reached and future supply to meet conventional oil demand will not be available." The exact moment when world oil production maxes out and begins its inexorable decline -- known as "peak oil" -- is the subject of wide disagreement. However, an emerging consensus places it some time between, um, last year and 2020. Problem is, most of the world's big governments aren't doing much of any prep to cushion the blow. Couple a production peak with rapidly rising demand from developing powerhouses like China and you've got a recipe for what analyst Colin Campbell calls "the decline of oil and all that depends on it." Take a look around -- that's your lifestyle.
straight to the source: The Guardian, John Vidal, 21 Apr 2005
6.
Dearth Day
Earth Day goings-on don't measure up to dark drama on Capitol Hill
As environmental defeats cascade down from Capitol Hill -- the pork-laden energy bill making its way through the House being just the latest -- Earth Day 2005 would seem like the perfect occasion for a revolt, not a celebration. But despite dogged digging, Muckraker uncovered no news of big, feisty protests. Most Earth Day activities this year seem to be light and local -- and a weak counterbalance to the planet-destroying forces running amok
.
new in Muckraker: Dearth Day
sign up: Receive word by email each time a new Muckraker column hits the scene
7.
Go, Go, Gadgets
Green gadgets and a hydrogen-powered rock band are getting noticed
In the past 35 years, there's been no shortage of inventive inventions aimed at reducing eco-footprints; we've come a long way from the old brick-in-the-toilet trick. Today's new refrigerators use about a third of the power as ones sold 30 years ago, and the U.S. government has plans to boost fridge efficiency an additional 30 percent by 2011. Tank-less water heaters offer steamy scrubs while consuming less energy. But being green isn't always about saving green. Organic furniture store owner Fred Shapiro says some 70 percent of his customer base consists of "cultural creatives" -- style-savvy consumers who are willing to spend more for eco-friendly options that also look good. Green options also sound good, say members of Rhode Island-based band Protium, who are claiming the mantle of the first hydrogen-powered rock band. The six-member group will be rocking three fuel-cell generators to power their guitars and amps during an Earth Day concert.
straight to the source: The Christian Science Monitor, Mark Clayton, 21 Apr 2005
straight to the source: Boston Herald, Jill Radsken, 21 Apr 2005
8.
Mine Sweeper
Former journalist rewarded for fight against Romanian gold mine
Stephanie Roth hadn't intended to make the leap from journalist to activist, but in witnessing widespread environmental problems she was inspired to help communities fight the forces of irresponsible development and degradation. She's made her biggest mark in Rosia Montana, Romania, where she now lives. In this ancient town, she has helped to organize large public protests against plans for a major gold-mining project that threatens homes, centuries-old churches, and the region's best water source. She shares her story with Grist this Earth Week as part of a series on Goldman Environmental Prize winners.
new in Main Dish: Mine Sweeper
9.
Rock the Bloat
Some conservatives getting uncomfortable with energy-bill pork
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, being a conservative meant favoring free markets and smaller, less intrusive federal government. A shrinking number of conservatives still cling to the old ways, and they are disturbed by the energy bill making its way through the House. Though Republican leaders promised to trim the bill down from the bloated version that was defeated in past years, a new analysis by the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense shows that lawmakers have added $35 billion to the bill's costs in the last three weeks, making for a total of $88.9 billion in subsidies for the oil, gas, nuclear, coal, and other industries over the next 10 years. Some question why oil and gas companies need subsidies at a time of historically high energy prices. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) has offered an amendment that would strip the bill of what he calls "corporate welfare," saying, "When government decides what is a viable investment instead of the marketplace, you distort the market."
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Zachary Coile, 20 Apr 2005
10.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Iran using oil, natural gas resources to find fast friends
Much in the way the kid with the backyard swimming pool and the trampoline always manages to rustle up friends, Iran is turning to its oil and gas reserves to leverage alliances with influential Eastern nations -- and rather urgently, as it faces the threat of sanctions from the U.S. and Europe over its nuclear program. With oil prices rising and anxiety over oil supplies in fast-growing nations rising alongside, Iran's holdings -- 10 percent of the world's oil and the second-largest gas reserves -- give it increasing leverage. In addition to giving Japan better access to its oil last year, Iran has reached out to both China and India, two of the market's boomingest consumers, signing long-term supply deals. In an effort to lure its arch rival to the pool party, Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, a senior adviser to Iran's oil ministries, offers this: "Security of supplies is our bread and butter. If the United States is looking for security of supplies, Iran is an inevitable partner."
straight to the source: The New York Times, Jad Mouawad, 19 Apr 2005
11.
EIA, EIA ... Oh
Greenhouse-gas limits affordable, study says; "Told ya so," E.U. replies
A new study by the Energy Information Administration, an independent arm of the U.S. Energy Department, reveals that mandatory limits on greenhouse-gas emissions would not significantly affect the country's economic growth through 2025. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, the report contradicts the principal argument the Bush administration has used against imposing such limits. European Union representatives, meeting with senior officials in Washington this week, took the opportunity to say "nyah nyah" and "we told you so." The EIA estimated that placing caps on carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases in order to reduce emissions 7 percent from currently forecast 2025 levels would reduce the nation's gross domestic product by only one-tenth of 1 percent. To which a White House spokesflack replied, "Any reduction in U.S. GDP is serious, and would impact not only American businesses, but American families." Unlike, say, global warming.
straight to the source: The Mercury News, Associated Press, John Heilprin, 15 Apr 2005
straight to the source: Financial Times, Fiona Harvey, 19 Apr 2005
12.
The Best "Science" Money Can Buy
ExxonMobil plows millions into funding for 40 climate-skeptic groups
In 1998, the American Petroleum Institute outlined a strategy to sow the seeds of doubt about global-warming science "with Congress, the media, and other key audiences." "Victory will be achieved," read an API memo, "when ... recognition of uncertainty becomes part of the 'conventional wisdom.'" Since then, ExxonMobil -- one of API's leading members -- has been working valiantly in pursuit of that strategy, even as other oil, energy, and car companies bow out in the face of overwhelming scientific consensus or public pressure. From 2000 to 2003, Exxon funneled more than $8 million into a network of think tanks, quasi-journalistic media outlets, and civic and religious groups, to great effect. While peer-reviewed scientific journals contain virtually nothing that challenges the consensus on anthropogenic global warming, a flood of "reports," press releases, and op-ed columns has succeeded in creating the illusion of scientific controversy, seized on by sympathetic lawmakers like Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), who calls global warming a "hoax" and -- whaddya know! -- also receives buckets of money from Exxon.
straight to the source: Mother Jones, Chris Mooney, May/Jun 2005
13.
A Matter of Great Export
Arctic Refuge oil could be sent overseas
A portentous U.S. commitment, sold with slogans about freedom and national security, that turns out to be all about the oil industry. No, not that one. We're talking about drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Drilling proponents cite the fact that the U.S. imports most of the oil it uses, thus leaving it dependent on some rather grumpy countries. Drilling in the refuge, they say, would ramp up domestic oil supply, Make America Safe, and Set America Free. Except, ahem, note the fine print: Turns out the oil sucked out from beneath the caribou may be exported out of the country. The 51-49 Senate vote that authorized the drilling carried no provision banning export, though the House energy bill might. In terms of the overall U.S. economy, particularly the oil industry, it doesn't much matter, as oil is a fungible commodity. But in terms of the much-ballyhooed national-security benefits, says Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), "the best solution is to get off of dependence on fossil fuels in general."
straight to the source: The Seattle Times, Warren Cornwall, 19 Apr 2005
14.
Ubiquity Is the Mother of Reinvention
Labeling and certification move beyond organic in U.S.
With the U.S. organics industry going mainstream, a coterie of anti-The-Man farmers are getting out, eschewing federally regulated "organic" certification and creating terms and systems of their own to address eco-friendly agricultural practices not covered by the federal regs. The Food Alliance has created a certification process that focuses on fair treatment of farm workers and preservation of wildlife habitat, while Demeter USA certifies farms as "biodynamic," meaning they function as intact ecosystems. Other labels like "local," "sustainable," and "beyond organic" are also spreading, though they aren't overseen by particular groups. California farmers Kristie and Rick Knoll have taken the naming game to a whole new level, inventing their own word for their unique farming practices: "tairwa," which translates loosely to "the essence of the land." Says Rick of their distaste for the "O" word: "We're trying to invent it all over again."
straight to the source: The Wall Street Journal, Katy McLaughlin, 19 Apr 2005 (access ain't free)
also in Grist: Label Dancing -- Eco-label watchdog Urvashi Rangan answers Grist's questions
15.
Here's a Solution. Now What Was Your Problem Again?
Bush administration pushes energy bill as solution to high gas prices
American citizens -- or "consumers," as they're known these days -- are irritated about high gas prices, and many of them blame President Bush, whose popularity has hit new lows. Of course, presidents are hardly responsible for short-term swings in commodity prices. Nevertheless, Bush is rising to his fake responsibility with a fake solution. On Saturday, in his weekly radio address, he expressed sympathy about gas prices and said the solution is for Congress to pass his energy bill, which would, in fact, do nothing to affect short-term gas prices. Most analysts say the best way to reduce gas prices is to reduce demand by raising the fuel efficiency of America's vehicles. But the House blocked an effort to do that last week. Instead, the energy bill contains massive subsidies and tax breaks for the coal, oil, and natural-gas industries, legal protections for manufacturers of groundwater-polluting fuel additive MTBE, and less than $500 million in tax incentives for renewable energy and fuel-efficiency efforts. A cure for whatever ails ya!
straight to the source: The New York Times, Richard W. Stevenson, 17 Apr 2005
straight to the source: Planet Ark, Reuters, 18 Apr 2005
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press, Deb Riechmann, 16 Apr 2005
16.
And By "Miscellaneous" We Mean "Nefarious"
Substantial changes to Clean Air Act slipped into energy bill
Buried deep in the energy bill, filed under "Miscellaneous," is a tiny bit of text that could affect the Clean Air Act in a big way. The provision, authored by Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, would allow "downwind" states like New York and other Northeastern states to postpone fulfillment of clean-air standards until offending "upwinders" clean up their act. If the energy bill becomes law, this provision would represent one of the most significant changes to the Clean Air Act in 15 years, and opponents say it could also undermine the Clean Air Interstate Rule, which sets power-plant emission limits for Eastern states. The U.S. EPA has not yet taken a position on the provision, but agency spokesperson John Millett showed a talent for pithy understatement when he said, "Some people think it's a good idea. Most don't."
straight to the source: The New York Times, Michael Janofsky, 16 Apr 2005
17.
Rice-A-Phony
China, Europe experiencing illegal GM crop introductions
Two delicious scandals are brewing over the illegal introduction of genetically modified crops -- rice in China and corn in Europe -- onto the open market. In China, Greenpeacers sounded the GM alarm after buying bags of an "anti-pest" variety of rice, sending them to biotech labs, and finding that some of the grains were genetically altered and thus illegal for sale in the country. Greenpeace has accused a group of "rogue scientists" of selling experimental varieties of GM rice in the province of Hubei. Meanwhile, British ports have begun refusing all imports of U.S. corn following an allegation that American farmers have been illegally exporting GM corn as animal feed to Europe for the past four years. The port-blocking move was prompted by the European Commission, which forced action on the issue after officials on both sides of the Atlantic tried to keep the scandal hush-hush.
straight to the source: The New York Times, David Barboza, 16 Apr 2005
straight to the source: The Independent, Geoffrey Lean, 17 Apr 2005
posted by T. Scott Brineman at 11:13 AM
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