2006 had its share of environmental Backwards Day moments -- some came from nature, some from Washington, and some from ordinary Americans who, for the first time since the era of acid rain and Three Mile Island, seemed to awaken into something resembling a national consciousness about our planet. Here's a list of highlights:
Michael Crichton Wins "Excellence In Journalism" Award. That's right -- Crichton's anti-enviro fantasy thriller State Of Fear won him the highly coveted award for journalistic excellence from ... the Society Of Petroleum Geologists. I only include this because I'm bitter I lost the award with my "Interview With Jesus And Uncle Sam About Why It's Our Spiritual And Patriotic Duty To Use Lots Of Petroleum."
Federal Funding For Climate Research Increased To Stall Climate Action. Until only a few months ago, President Bush's stand on global warming was that we need "more research." In May, federal climate scientists spoke to the Washington Post about being pressured by the Bush administration to clam up on certain sensitive topics -- like ones with the words "global" and "warming" appearing too close together. Just to be certain, the feds went in and purged key words from their findings.
Create Your Own Chevy Attack Ad. When Chevy offered net surfers the opportunity to edit their own Chevy Tahoe ads online, enviros grabbed the opportunity to match slick, soaring shots of SUVs rolling over mountainous terrain with titles like "Gas Guzzler!" They got so popular, our own David Roberts was interviewed on NPR's "All Things Considered" about the phenomenon.
America Outsourcing Its Pollution To China. After decades of relying on China to produce all our plastic whatsits, the smog those whatsit factories generate has followed its progeny across the Pacific to show up in Seattle and Los Angeles.
Hunting Licenses Sold To Protect Wildlife. China announced that hunting licenses for several rare species would be sold to raise money for wildlife conservation. For the lucky ones, I suppose. But if that sounds strange, guess what? We do it here, too.
Christian Coalition Calls Out Bush On Global Warming. The true irony is that there was ever a division in the public mind between Christian values and conservation. In April, 86 evangelical leaders signed a letter hoping to remedy that. It criticized Bush for his inaction on global warming and gave rise to a new green movement among Christians in which church groups recycle and plant trees.
Kennedys Come Out Against Cape Wind Project. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., shortly after appearing on the cover of Vanity Fair as a green hero, spoke out against the Cape Wind project that would have lit up all of Nantucket Sound with enviro-friendly wind power. Coincidentally, it would have also placed several large windmills right in view from his family's Hyannis Port beachhouse.
Utility Companies Ask Congress For Emission Caps. The frustrating inertia of the 109th Congress reached such a pitch in 2006 that in April several utility companies actually asked the Senate to introduce greenhouse-gas emissions caps, seeing the handwriting on the wall. The Senate declined. Better luck with the 110th.
Al Gore Turns A Documentary Of A Slide Show Into A Hit Film With His Charisma. In 2000, Al Gore (sort of) lost an election due largely to his incredibly wooden stage presence. Well, his stage presence must have wished upon a star and been visited by a blue fairy, because in the film An Inconvenient Truth Gore stands on a stage and jokes, regales, and ribs, turning an in-depth discussion of climate change into a movie 10 times more entertaining than The Day After Tomorrow.
Eskimos Buying Air Conditioners. Really. An article in Reuters on lifestyle-related economic opportunities reported that air-conditioning business in far north Inuit villages is booming.
A sobering sign that with all the progress we've made in 2006, we still have a long road ahead. Happy holidays, and here's to a non-ironic 2007 ...
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