Thursday, 16 Nov 2000

Soul Train

Representatives of 11 major world religions pledged this week to work together to help combat climate change, deforestation, and other environmental ills. At a first-of-its-kind conference in Nepal organized by the World Wildlife Fund, leaders representing Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, and Muslims, among other religious groups, highlighted the environmental teachings of their faiths. One conference attendee, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians, has earned the nickname the Green Patriarch in part because he has declared that pollution is a sin. Pope John Paul II didn't make it to the gathering in Nepal, but he did urge last week that rigorous controls be imposed on biotechnology to avert possible "disaster for the health of man and the future of the earth."

Way Cool

The U.S. could significantly cut its emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the chief heat-trapping greenhouse gas, by making a few fairly simple and inexpensive changes to its energy policies, according to a study released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Energy. The study suggests that the U.S. could get three-quarters of the way to meeting its emissions-reduction targets under the Kyoto climate change treaty by taking steps such as establishing strict energy- and fuel-efficiency standards and launching a domestic emissions-trading system that would give companies a financial incentive to cut their CO2 emissions. The report will be presented today to negotiators from more than 160 countries gathered in The Hague, Netherlands, to hammer out the details for implementing the Kyoto Protocol. Some American politicians and business interests argue that the U.S. should not ratify the treaty because it would hurt the nation's economy, but the new DOE study suggests that cutting emissions would not have to be costly.

Stating the Case

States with strong records on protecting the environment also offer good job opportunities and climates for economic development, according to a new study by the Institute for Southern Studies. States getting high marks for both economic and environmental health include Vermont, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Colorado, Maryland, Maine, and Wisconsin. Many states in the South were ranked low by both measures, including Louisiana, which is 48th in economic performance and 50th on the environment, and Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee. The study suggests that environmental regulation, rather than stifling economic growth, may actually promote it. Chris Kromm, director of the institute and co-author of the report, said that "states seeking quick-fix, unsustainable development end up sacrificing both workers and the environment."

Go Ahead, Make My Bay

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is moving its headquarters to one of the greenest buildings in the U.S., a new facility constructed near Annapolis, Md., on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Built to fit the footprint of an inn and swimming pool that once occupied the site, the building is intended to minimize its impact on the land and the bay. It features reclaimed wood and metal, geothermal heat pumps, hi-tech sensors that control temperature systems, waterless composting toilets, solar panels, and natural ventilation, and it uses only one-third the energy and one-tenth the water of a conventional office building. All of the runoff on the roof is collected and recycled, while on the grounds, native grasses are being planted and oyster reefs are being restored.