Thursday, 18 Sep 2003

Sticker Shock and Awe

The True Dimensions of 87 Billion Bucks

Last night, President Bush officially sent Congress his request for $87 billion to fund a year's worth of ongoing involvement in Iraq. Eighty-seven billion bucks! That is, to put it mildly, a ton of money -- so much, in fact, that the number seems almost meaningless. But of course, it isn't; if that much funding were available for the environment, we could clean up every dirty power plant in the nation ... or keep the Superfund in the black for a quarter-century ... or provide clean drinking water for almost half of the 1.1 billion people worldwide who currently lack it. This month's Grist editorial takes a look at what we could do with $87 billion. Get The Gist, only on the Grist Magazine website.

Fish and Foul

PCB-Laced Salmon Pollute Alaskan Lakes

Pollution is turning up in some of Alaska's remotest and most pristine lakes, and the problem isn't secret shore-side industries -- it's salmon. According to research published in this week's edition of Nature, sockeye salmon pick up PCBs in the northern Pacific Ocean, then head to Alaska to spawn and die. Their decomposing bodies release pollutants, raising PCB concentrations in lake sediment by as much as seven times. The salmon themselves are not toxic enough to be dangerous when eaten, but given the enormous numbers of fish that concentrate in the small lakes, the cumulative effect could be harmful. "Maybe the message here is that when we release these chemicals into the environment, a lot of unexpected things can happen," said Jules Blais, a professor at the University of Ottawa and one of the authors of the study.

Taking Leaves of Our Senses

U.S. Cities Lose 20 Percent of Trees

Urban sprawl and highway construction have gobbled up greenery at a startling rate, leaving U.S. cities with 20 percent fewer trees than they had just 10 years ago, according to the environmental group American Forests. In a study released as part of the annual National Urban Forest conference, researchers used satellite images to look at the tree canopy in 448 urban areas. The loss was dramatic everywhere, but it was most acute in cities in the fast-growing Sunbelt. Atlanta, Ga., suffered the highest loss of trees, while Charlotte, N.C., and San Diego, Calif., were faring the best. Trees help preserve water, prevent flooding, cleanse the air of pollution, and reduce the need for air conditioning; their decreasing numbers are estimated to have cost the country $234 billion in environmental and health problems.

Durban Renewal

World Parks Congress Closes with Signing of Durban Accord

The 10-day World Parks Congress closed yesterday in Durban, South Africa, with the signing of the eponymous Durban Accord. The accord is not legally binding for its 154 signatories, but it is still considered a tool to "promote, guide, and influence positive action for protected areas around the globe," according to WPC Secretary-General David Sheppard. The agreement attempts to map a course toward preserving and increasing the world's protected areas in the face of a burgeoning population, political obstacles, climate change, and other challenges. It particularly seeks to increase protection of marine biodiversity, improve the situation of "paper parks" (declared protected areas that lack management or funding), and stem the encroachment of developers -- all while striking a balance with the needs of the world's most impoverished peoples.

Squeaky Green

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products Make Inroads into the Mainstream

It's hard to get excited about housecleaning, but Monica Nassif has found a way. In fact, as the president of two separate companies that manufacture eco-friendly cleaning products, Nassif was one of the most enthusiastic participants in the 19th annual Natural Products Expo East, held this month in Washington, D.C. Representatives from about 15 natural cleaning-product companies participated in the expo, displaying wares that were biodegradable, nontoxic, chlorine-free, petroleum-free, and generally good for the Earth. A record-breaking crowd of more than 20,000 turned out for the show, which was as good an indicator as any of how far eco-friendly products have made it into the mainstream. "Fifteen years ago, there were no ties, no jackets, a lot of ponytails, and a lot more people in the bathroom smoking pot," said Jeffrey Hollender, president and CEO of Seventh Generation, a leading natural household products brand.