Monday, 01 Nov 2004

The Fuller Monty

Kathryn Fuller, head of WWF, InterActivates

Kathryn Fuller is the U.S. president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund, one of the largest environmental organizations in the world, with offices in more than 100 countries. As someone charged with protecting threatened ecosystems around the globe, you might think she'd be daunted or depressed by the sizeable challenges that threaten to thwart WWF's success. But Fuller is upbeat and optimistic. Find out why, and read about her transformation from literature student to big-time activist, in InterActivist -- only on the Grist Magazine website. And send Fuller a question of your own by noon PST on Wednesday. (Also check out answers to readers' questions from last week's InterActivist, David Orr.)

Her Majesty's a Pretty Nice Girl -- and She Does Have a Lot to Say

Britain's Queen Elizabeth speaks out on global warming

In a rare public intervention into politics, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II met with Prime Minister Tony Blair and either -- depending which news reports you believe -- strongly expressed her concern about global warming, or smacked him upside the head for not pushing the U.S. to join Kyoto. While the queen regularly visits Downing Street to discuss politics, it is almost unheard of for the substance of those conversations to become public. It's a leak few believe could be accidental, particularly with the U.S. election fast approaching. The queen will also take the unusual step of opening a high-profile conference on climate change this week in Berlin. The queen's interest in global warming -- which allegedly emerged from her observations of the impact of climate shifts on her country estates -- is not entirely out of character. The royal family has long been a champion of environmental causes, and even Buckingham Palace has been retrofitted to be more energy efficient.

The Polar Excess

Comprehensive new study confirms that global warming is devastating Arctic

For the handful of people left in the world who don't yet believe it, a comprehensive new study should remove all doubt that the Arctic is being ravaged by global warming. The four-year study, commissioned by eight nations with Arctic territory (including the U.S.), was conducted by nearly 300 scientists as well as representatives from native communities in the region. It concluded that while global warming will have a few beneficial effects, like a longer growing season, the consequences will be overwhelmingly negative for wildlife and human communities. It also concludes pointedly that "human influences, resulting primarily from increased emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, have now become the dominant factor" in climate change. The report's official release has been pushed back to Nov. 9 -- some say due to political considerations regarding the U.S. election -- but large sections were provided to The New York Times last week.

I Had a Gas Station in Africa ...

Unleaded gas making inroads in African countries -- finally

Years after leaded gas was given the heave-ho in developed countries, a number of African nations are beginning the process of shifting to unleaded. Leaded gas -- or rather, the lead spewed into the air when it is combusted -- has been shown to lower IQs in children and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes in adults. The U.N. and the U.S. EPA, among others, are pushing for the elimination of leaded gas in developing countries, but the process is complicated by several social and economic factors. There is a widespread, but mistaken, belief in some parts of Africa that unleaded gas only works in newer model cars. And it would be pricey to convert many African oil refineries to produce unleaded gas. Still, thousands of lives stand to be saved -- particularly among the poor, who are hardest hit by lead pollution. After the U.S. finally banned lead in gas in 1995, the amount of lead in the air declined by an estimated 98 percent.

Thank Your Lucky Starbucks

Starbucks chief pushes for fair-trade, eco-friendly coffee

Starbucks has served as a convenient target for the anti-globalization crowd, especially given that you can't throw a brick in some neighborhoods without breaking a Starbucks window. But CEO Orin Smith is fighting back against the company's bad reputation. He recently announced that, by 2007, Starbucks would attempt to procure 60 percent of its coffee from farmers following a strict set of environmental and labor rules under the Coffee and Farmer Equity (CAFE) Practices Program. Smith also announced that when he retires next March, he will head a $1 billion fundraising effort for Conservation International, the enviro nonprofit with which Starbucks developed the CAFE program. "We are well past the time when we can continue to make excuses that we can't do anything about these things," Smith said. "It isn't somebody else's problem."