Thursday, 16 Dec 2004

Fruit Scootin' Boogie

What's with those wacky new fruits in the market?

A reader spotted an unusual fruit at her local market, allegedly a "golden kiwi," though larger than the kiwis she was familiar with, and fuzz-less. What, she asks Umbra, is this thing, and what nefarious corporate technological shenanigans are behind it? Umbra reassures that there are more fruits in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in her philosophy -- in Ask Umbra, today on the Grist Magazine website.

Hagelian Dialectic

Kyoto opponent Hagel may ally with Blair for new climate agreement

U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair's efforts to cajole the U.S. into doing something about climate change -- and shake off his rep as a Bush "poodle" -- may have found an ally in Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.). Hagel met with Blair this week in London at the PM's request to discuss the kinds of initiatives the countries could agree on. The senator, a prominent opponent of the Kyoto Protocol, said he wanted the U.S. to be seen as helping, not just hindering, efforts to combat climate change, adding, "At a time when America is often seen as a bully, and its standing is as low as it's been since World War II, we should find ways to be seen as a solution to problems." No details of the possible cross-Atlantic initiatives were offered, but Hagel said he expects to introduce legislation focusing on investment in clean-energy technology for export to developing nations and tax incentives for eco-friendly business practices -- rather than Kyoto-style regulatory or carbon-trading systems.

Holy Frijoles!

Burgeoning soybean market transforming South American environment

The global market for soybeans is exploding, largely driven by massive demand from China, and the resulting modern-day agricultural gold rush is transforming the landscape in South America. Farmers are chopping down rainforests, colonizing savannahs, damming rivers, and digging canals, all in an effort to get more land to raise the crop, which has lifted many of them out of poverty in an astonishingly short period of time. Argentinean acreage devoted to soybeans went from about 17 million in 1997 to more than 34 million today, Brazil from 32 million to 57 million. The boom in farming is driving down prices, meaning that American soybean farmers are relying more and more on federal subsidies ($1.6 billion this year) and may soon be driven from the market entirely. South American governments welcome the economic boost and largely look the other way as forests are cleared illegally.

We Know, We Know, You're Sick of Hearing About Tajikistan, but ...

Former Soviet republic littered with radioactive mine sites

The former Soviet republic of Tajikistan may be on the brink of environmental disaster as decades-old abandoned uranium mines lie open to the elements and some 55 million tons of nuclear waste contaminate the northern part of the country, left in the wake of Stalin's arms race with the U.S. Nuclear waste "is dispersed over dozens, if not hundreds, of kilometers around," estimates one official. A natural disaster could spread the contamination even farther. Thousands of Tajiks live near dangerous former mine sites, and cancer levels in the tainted north are 250 percent higher than in other regions of the country. Says Tajik environment councilor Djalil Buzurukov, "Those mines are a legacy of the past and a menace for our future."

Migrate Expectations

Climate change taking its toll on North American wildlife

Never mind polar bears and penguins -- turns out global warming is having its way with the feathered and furry throughout North America. A three-year study released yesterday by the Wildlife Society, a nonpartisan group of wildlife experts, suggests that climate change in North America is affecting migration routes, breeding habits, and blooming cycles of animals and plants across the continent. Add to that the destruction of wildlife habitat for development and you get what Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) calls "a deadly combination." The new study, the first comprehensive look at global warming's effects on North American wildlife, adds to the laundry list of evidence suggesting that climate shifts are having a major impact on ecosystems. "We are changing the environment and climate in which our wildlife live like never before," said wildlife ecologist Doug B. Inkley, who oversaw work on the report.