Monday, 24 Sep 2001

Of Fuel Rods and Lightning Rods

Even before the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, government inspectors had found security to be inadequate at the U.S.'s 103 nuclear plants. From 1991 to 2000, nearly half of the 68 plants tested showed "a potential vulnerability" to terrorists. Now, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has reversed claims it made right after the attacks that the plants would be capable of withstanding the impact of commercial airplane crashes. Enviros are criticizing the NRC for continuing to back a self-policing security program by plant operators, rather than imposing a stricter security regime.

A Clean Sweep

Coastal cities in Southern California are latching on to a new, relatively cheap way to combat pollution running off their streets into the ocean -- the little-heralded street sweeper. Street sweepers of 20 years ago did little more than collect litter and big dirt particles. Sweepers are now equipped to vacuum up pesticides, fertilizers, animal droppings, automotive byproducts, and other yuckies that have made it to the street but not yet to the storm drain. Some cities are so excited by the solution that they want to double the number of times streets are swept. John Hoskinson of the enviro group Surfrider Foundation said the sweepers were "a positive step," but cities should also take steps to prevent the pollution from happening in the first place.

They Could Car Less

Seattle is finding sweet success with an experimental program that encourages couples to give up their extra vehicle. After a recent nine-week pilot program, six of 23 couples were thinking of selling their extra car, two were trying to sell it, and two had already sold it. The couples were paid $25 for the first three weeks of the program, during which they continued to use their extra car and keep a travel diary. They agreed not to use their extra car during the final six weeks, for which they were paid $85 a week, the national average cost of owning and operating a second car. The couples spent $21 a week to get around without the extra car.

Oh No! Cardoso

A collection of rural lawmakers in Brazil is pushing legislation that would double the amount of Amazon jungle that could be deforested. The government's current forestry code requires landowners in the Amazon to preserve 80 percent of their land. The new bill, which still must pass both chambers of the country's Congress, would change the policy to allow landowners to use at least 50 percent of their land for "productive purposes" after winning zoning approval. Among other nasty things, the bill would also reduce reforestation requirements and contribute to the spread of nonnative species. President Fernando Henrique Cardoso succeeded in defeating a similar bill last spring, but environmentalists are concerned that his government may be too weak to do so again.

Montezuma's Revenge

Mexico City, known the world 'round for its air pollution, will soon unveil a new 10-year plan to tackle the problem. The plan by the Metropolitan Environmental Commission will aim to reduce ozone and particulate levels in the air by taking such steps as retiring old trucks, limiting cargo circulation hours, using more natural gas in public transportation, and giving taxi drivers incentives to buy new cars. The city's environment secretary, Claudia Sheinbaum, said the government would also issue more pollution emergency alerts, which ban high-emissions cars from the road. Even though pollution levels in Mexico City have improved in recent years, Sheinbaum said that the city continued to exceed international standards for ozone nine out of 10 days.