Friday, 23 Mar 2001

No Nukeskys!

Enviros claimed a victory yesterday as the Russian parliament postponed a vote on allowing imports of spent nuclear fuel into the country for reprocessing. Backers of the measure, including the Russian government and U.S. business interests, say the country would gain a huge revenue source, some $20 billion over the next decade, if it opened itself up to the 20,000 tons of spent fuel around the world. But opponents say corrupt officials would pocket most of the revenue and the country would be inviting an environmental disaster if it accepted the waste. Environmental groups last year gathered 2.5 million signatures in support of a referendum opposing the measure, but the country's Central Election Commission invalidated 600,000 signatures, denying the petition.

Getting Their Just Deserts

A U.S. federal judge approved an agreement on Tuesday between environmentalists and the federal government to expand protections for wildlife on more than 11 million acres of the California Desert Conservation Area. The agreement, which brings an end to a lawsuit filed by three environmental groups, requires the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to close roads in the western Mojave Desert, bar off-road access in canyons near Death Valley, and prohibit grazing on desert tortoise habitat. Daniel Patterson of the Center for Biological Diversity said the agreement was "what we've all been working for."

He May Not Be Capable of High-level Dialogue

In a letter to President Bush today, European Union leaders write that progress on the Kyoto treaty on climate change is crucial to strong U.S.-European relations and that the president must find the "political courage" to move forward with treaty negotiations. The letter, signed by Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson, whose country holds the E.U. presidency, and European Commission President Romano Prodi, asks Bush to agree to a high-level dialogue on Kyoto with the E.U. before the next round of international climate talks scheduled for July. The E.U. has grown increasingly concerned that Bush will try to kill the Kyoto deal. Last week, Bush broke a campaign promise and said he would not seek to limit power plants' emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas.

Dick Nukem

Vice President Dick Cheney said on Wednesday that the Bush administration may recommend that the U.S. expand its use of nuclear power because nuclear power plants don't emit many greenhouse gases. "If you want to do something about carbon dioxide emissions, then you ought to build nuclear power plants," Cheney said on MSNBC's "Hardball" program. (Wait, does this administration think CO2 emissions are a problem or not?) Cheney went on to criticize the Kyoto treaty on climate change as "seriously flawed" because it places the burden of reducing greenhouse gases on industrialized nations and doesn't put any emissions restrictions on developing countries like China and India.

The Tom Tom Club

Senate Democrats went on the attack yesterday, releasing an energy bill that focuses on conserving energy and boosting renewable fuels, rather than on drilling for more oil and natural gas. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said the U.S. "cannot drill our way out of this problem" and accused President Bush of using the country's energy problems to justify "an all-out assault on the environment." Like the GOP energy package introduced last month, the Democratic alternative would expand domestic energy production. But tax incentives to promote energy efficiency and wind and solar power lie at the heart of the Democratic bill, which also includes a provision to force the auto industry to develop more fuel-efficient light trucks and SUVs by 2008.

Maybe They Just Needed to Venti

As Starbucks executives joyously announced a stock split to shareholders during the company's annual meeting in Seattle on Tuesday, demonstrators gathered outside the meeting and stores in 100 other U.S. cities to denounce the company's use of genetically engineered ingredients in some products. The protesters, organized by the Organic Consumers Association, particularly object to the company's use of milk containing the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. Company officials said they were trying to find replacements for the products. They also noted that none of the ingredients in the company's coffees and teas is genetically engineered and that organic soy milk is available in its stores as a replacement for milk.