Wednesday, 30 Oct 2002

Solar Village People

Earlier this month, 14 architecture teams from universities nationwide participated in the Solar Decathlon, a U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored competition to build the ultimate solar home of the future -- one that produces enough juice to power a modern, energy-intensive lifestyle. The spirit of revolution was in the air on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where a temporary solar village sprung up beneath the Capitol's giant dome. It was not just a gimmicky competition, but a harbinger of a growing trend in sustainable architecture, an indication that architecture and the environment are becoming inextricably linked. Amanda Griscom introduces you to the new generation of alt-architects in this month's Powers That Be, the alternative energy column, only on the Grist Magazine website.

Delhi Pickle

India, the nation that is hosting the eighth in a series of U.N. meetings on climate change, is using the occasion to chastise industrialized nations for pressuring poor countries to cut greenhouse emissions. Speaking at the meeting in Delhi, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee argued that emissions-reduction programs would undermine efforts by India and other developing nations to strengthen their economies and lift their populations out of poverty. "Climate change mitigation will bring additional strain to the already fragile economies of the developing countries," he said, adding that India's per capita greenhouse gas emissions are a sliver of the world average. A sign held by a protestor at the event noted: "1996 emissions of one U.S. citizen equal 19 Indians, 49 Sri Lankans, 107 Bangladeshis, 134 Bhutanese, 269 Nepalese." In the Delhi Declaration, which will summarize the 10-day meeting, the Indian government wants to stress that developing countries will be hit hardest by drought, flooding, and other consequences of climate change.

Not With a Bang but a Whimper

The Bush administration's plan to open federal lands in the western U.S. to oil and gas drilling would produce a measly amount of energy and a massive amount of environmental destruction, according to a Wilderness Society report released yesterday. The proposed drilling areas, which are scattered throughout millions of acres in six Rocky Mountain states and include some currently protected lands, would produce enough natural gas to meet the total U.S. demand for about 11 weeks and enough oil for about three weeks, according to the 31-page report. The report says the feds have not accurately assessed whether it would be cost-effective for energy companies to develop the areas. The report was released in advance of a federal study, due out next month, that many fear will promote the Bush administration's fast-track development of energy resources.

Half-baked Alaska

Anti-environmentalism in Alaska is at a fever pitch, and it's affecting the shape of nearly every political campaign in the final weeks before voters go to the polls. Incumbent state Rep. Harry Crawford (D), for example, has gone out of his way to try to convince his constituency that he's pro-development, not eco-friendly. "I believe I've had to explain it 100 times at the door," said the first-term Democrat, who insists that he's pushed hard to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil development. Crawford is one of many Alaskan Dems -- gubernatorial candidate Fran Ulmer among them -- who have been slammed for having environmentalists' support. Tom Atkinson, executive director of Alaska Conservation Voters, says he has never seen so much anti-green election talk in his 31 years in Alaska. Much of the talk stems from concerns about the state's gloomy economic future, which is largely influenced by federal spending and oil activity. "People of course say they love the environment," said Stephen Haycox, a professor of history at the University of Alaska Anchorage. "But very few people come here for the environment. They come here for a job."

Taps

Contaminants found in the tap water in California's largest cities could pose risks to children, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems, according to a new study from the Natural Resources Defense Council. The findings in the report, "What's on Tap," were the result of a review of tap-water data from 19 cities in the U.S., but so far only the California results have been released; Los Angeles and San Francisco were among the municipalities whose water supplies were found to be tainted by deteriorating pipes and pollution from farm and industrial sources. The study also noted the presence of arsenic and the chemical perchlorate in the drinking water of Los Angeles and San Diego, respectively, although both levels were within federal limits. Fresno's water gave even more cause for concern, with traces of nitrates, pesticides, and industrial chemicals. The release of the report coincides with an upcoming California ballot measure that would authorize water-treatment funds.