Friday, 29 Jun 2001

Lake Mess Again

To get an idea of how vulnerable Republicans are right now on the issue of energy production, check out what's happening in the Great Lakes region, writes Keith Schneider in Grist. Michigan Gov. John Engler (R) wants to increase oil and gas drilling beneath the Great Lakes. But his plan is fracturing the Republican Party's right wing, and some of his staunchest allies -- even those with horrible environmental records -- are instead calling for a ban on drilling. Yesterday, in a rebuke of Engler's plan and President Bush's energy policy, 70 Republicans in the U.S. House joined with nearly every Democrat to vote in support of such a ban. Read more on the Grist Magazine website.

Boston Tree Party

It seems that money from environmental groups may not be good enough for the Boston Globe advertising department. Todd Paglia of Forest Ethics has been in a tizzy of late because the Globe refused to run an ad by the group that criticized Massachusetts-based Staples for selling paper products that come mostly from clearcut forests. To make the situation worse, the Globe ombudsman wrote a column on the matter that ripped into Forest Ethics, without even bothering to call Paglia for his perspective. What gives? Read more on the Grist Magazine website.

On the Waterfront

In a win for property-rights advocates, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 yesterday that governments can be required to compensate property owners for interfering with their ability to develop their land. The court said that new owners can sue for compensation if their development plans are denied, even if long-standing rules forbid development. However, the decision wasn't a hundred-percent victory for property owners because the court refused to award the Rhode Island property owner who brought the suit the $3.1 million he sought from the state. The justices said the owner hadn't demonstrated that he had been deprived of all economic use of his waterfront property.

A Real Turn-off

A month after he said "conservation does not mean doing without," U.S. President Bush said he would cut electricity use at the White House, ordering employees to turn off lights when leaving their offices and switch off computers when they would be gone for two days or more. With these and other steps, the complex of White House buildings is expected to cut energy use by 10 to 12 percent. The president also proposed to restore $300 million in funding for Clinton-era research programs on energy conservation -- money that he struck from the budget earlier this year. Speaking to Energy Department employees yesterday, Bush jokingly urged them to stop their applause, "Okay -- conserve your energy." In turn, Democrats, and even the national press, have had a hard time not poking fun at Bush for his seeming about-face on the issue of conservation.

Catching Air

Passengers flying out of Lutin Airport in London are being asked to pay a voluntary fee of up to four bucks to offset the environmental impact of their flights. Mark McClennan, the airport's top environmental official, said money from the passengers would be used to plant trees to absorb carbon dioxide emissions. But Jeff Gazzard of the Aviation Environment Federation was dubious that the program would do much good for the environment.

Take It Off. Take It All Off.

Writing about the undoing of Mutha Earth is a barrel of laughs, but even Grist staffers sometimes need a break. We'll be taking a vacation during the first two weeks of July. We know you'll miss your daily fix of green news, but fret not -- we'll be back at work in mid-July, in better humor than ever.