Thursday, 04 Nov 2004

Array of Hope II

More environmental leaders and thinkers on what's next

Our Array of Hope compilation of pithy post-election commentary continues today with insights from Jim Jeffords (independent senator from Vermont), Yvon Chouinard (founder of Patagonia), Laurie David (NRDC trustee and Hollywood celeb wrangler), John Passacantando (head of Greenpeace USA), Carl Pope (head of Sierra Club), Julia Butterfly Hill (tree-sitter and activist), and Richard Nelson (anthropologist and writer). They sound off on what's next for the environmental movement, encouraging enviros to keep volunteering, keep talking, and keep fighting. And we invite you to sound off too -- in the Gristmill.

Faster, Pussycat! Krill! Krill!

Food web unraveling in Antarctic, thanks to global warming

Krill, the shrimp-like crustaceans at the center of the Antarctic food chain, are rapidly disappearing, and scientists suspect global warming may be the culprit. In some key ocean regions, krill have declined by more than 80 percent in the last 25 years, according to a study in today's issue of the journal Science. Numerous Antarctic fauna rely on the thumb-sized critters for a large part of their diet, including whales, seals, penguins, squid, fish, and sea birds. Scientists trace the precipitous drop to a decline in sea ice -- young krill rely on the cracks on the underside of ice to shelter them and provide them algae to eat -- brought about by a rise in area temperatures of 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit over the last 50 years. And that, of course, many researchers attribute to global warming. They warn that a tipping point could be near. "What you would see then is a literal collapse of the food web," said Antarctic researcher William Fraser. "All the predators would suffer some pretty drastic declines."

Windbalkers

Wind farms ignite controversy in Scotland and California

A proposal to build the world's biggest on-shore wind farm on Scotland's rugged Isle of Lewis is triggering a pitched battle. Lewis Wind Power, a joint venture between British Energy and construction group AMEC, claims the project would create hundreds of jobs and generate enough electricity to meet the annual needs of 1.1 million people, as well as meet 6 percent of the U.K.'s renewable-energy targets. Opponents, including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, claim that the farm would damage an environmentally sensitive peat bog and harm wildlife. Meanwhile, in California, the Center for Biological Diversity is suing power companies responsible for the Altamont Pass wind turbines over what they claim are the deaths of thousands of eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, and other protected birds. They are asking that substantial raptor habitat be set aside by the companies. "We absolutely support wind power, but it is long past time for turbine owners to make a serious effort to stop the raptor slaughter at Altamont," said the center's Jeff Miller.

Mad Props, Yo

California approves measure to block citizen lawsuits against businesses

By a significant margin, California voters on Tuesday approved Proposition 64, which curtails the right of private citizens and public-interest groups to bring legal action against companies under the state's Unfair Business Competition Law -- a move that could hamper efforts to protect the state's environment. The statute has been used by private groups to go after companies that pollute and violate the law in other ways. Now, citizens will have to show that they've been financially harmed by a business's action in order to file suit. Supporters of 64 say that's a good thing, as they claim that so-called "shakedown suits" were hurting the economy. The proposition was opposed by environmental and consumer groups and the state attorney general, and supported by many large corporations, smaller businesses, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). Meanwhile, voters in California's Butte, San Luis Obispo, and Humboldt counties all rejected initiatives banning genetically modified crops, sharply undercutting the momentum of anti-GM forces in the state.

Scrap Happy

San Francisco food-composting program is a hit

In 1996, a company called Norcal Waste found that 19 percent of landfill matter in San Francisco consisted of discarded food scraps -- and it sensed a market opportunity. Now the city boasts a popular and growing composting program, with discarded food collected and processed into organically certified "Four Course Compost," sold to organic farms and vineyards. Sales of the compost have increased by 23 percent in each of the last two years, but perhaps more importantly, the program is a hit with the city's residents and restaurateurs. "It's increased the morale in the kitchens. People feel they're not throwing things out, they're doing something good for the environment while they're working," says Jonathan Cook, who supervises operations at eight restaurants. Restaurants also save substantially on garbage charges. The program may serve as a national model.