Tuesday, 04 Jan 2005

Batting a Thousand

Bats dying in worrying numbers at Appalachian wind farms

Unexpectedly high numbers of bat deaths at wind farms in West Virginia and Pennsylvania have caught scientists by surprise and made conservationists anxious. Whether the spinning turbines entice the bats or confuse their sonar navigation is unclear, but researchers say an estimated 1,500 to 4,000 bats may have perished in the blades of 44 turbines at one farm in West Virginia in 2004. And with some 700 new turbines proposed for the region this year, bat lovers are especially worried. "Take the most conservative estimates of mortality and multiply them out by the number of turbines planned and you get very large, probably unsustainable kill rates," says Merlin D. Tuttle of Bat Conservation International. "One year from now we could have a gigantic problem." (Not to mention a gigantic mess.) Lest you scoff at the demise of these spooky winged mammals, keep in mind that bats eat mosquitoes and other insects that damage crops and spread disease. Researchers and the wind industry hope to find ways to make turbines less of a threat to bats as well as birds.

Darling Nikki

EPA inspector general making enemies on Capitol Hill

Nikki Tinsley, the inspector general of the U.S. EPA, is ruffling feathers in Washington, D.C., these days. A registered independent appointed by President Clinton in 1999, she has developed a reputation for integrity, professionalism, and steely resolve. She views her job not simply as monitoring for fraud and waste, but ensuring that the EPA is doing its work effectively. Several reports critical of the agency's work -- its lagging clean-air litigation, its lack of progress on reducing smog in major cities, etc. -- were released by her office last year, some at the height of the election season. Some powerful Republicans have taken a dislike to her and accuse her of partisanship. One GOP staffer said the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee might open an investigation into her alleged bias. But Tinsley isn't likely to get out of anyone's hair soon; IG appointments are not term-limited, and administrations rarely act to remove IGs from office.

Traders to the Cause

E.U. launches mandatory carbon-trading market

With the new year began a "new era for European business," according to Peter Koster, head of the fledgling European Climate Exchange, the world's first mandatory market for carbon emissions trading. Under the Kyoto Protocol, ratified in October and set to go into force in February, the European Union agreed to reduce its carbon emissions by 8 percent from 1990 levels by 2012. The 25-country union began the first phase of its plan to achieve the reductions on Saturday, setting new limits, to be finalized in February, for some 12,000 of its industrial plants in carbon-intensive industries such as power generation, steel, cement, and paper pulp. Companies that exceed their allotted emissions must either pay a fine or buy pollution credits on the open market from less-polluting companies to stay in compliance. While some companies complain the new targets will be difficult to meet, regulators say the initial limits are quite lenient. Peter Zapfel, a climate specialist at the European Commission, insists that "the psychological hurdles for companies are much higher than the real ones."

Hunted Like the Wolf

Wolf population controls shifted to states, landowners

Wolves in Idaho and Montana will soon be easier to kill, thanks to new regulations requiring them to run more slowly through livestock areas. Ah, we kid. In fact, new federal rules will give landowners in the two states the OK to fire on wolves they reasonably believe are threatening livestock, though they will have to show evidence of a possible attack. The rules, expected to take effect in about a month, are part of an effort to give ranchers and state officials more direct control over the wolves, whose recovering numbers may soon lead to the rescinding of their threatened status under the Endangered Species Act. Officials estimate that under the new regs about 10 percent of the wolf population will be legally taken out by humans each year. Enviros like Nina Fascione of Defenders of Wildlife worry that the changes will have a much bigger impact: "The new rule potentially jeopardizes wolf recovery efforts just as they were beginning to show some success."

Adieu, Adieu, to You and You and ... No, Not You, Missouri

United States of Grist fund-raiser draws to a semi-triumphant close

Our United States of Grist fund-raiser is over. The great news is, we met -- nay, exceeded! -- our goal of $50,000, coming in with an impressive (to us) $56,276. Many thanks to everyone who donated. We're going to earn it -- wait 'til you hear the puns we've been cooking! As for uniting the country, well, we came close: every single state sent donations, 38 states went green, and all the rest were within five donations. Apparently some areas of the South and industrial Midwest have issues with us. Is it something we said? On the other hand, the big giver -- and the winner of our special prize -- is our home state of Washington. Thanks, Evergreen State! Washingtonians, be sure to check out your very special tribute page on our website. Effusive gratitude to all who donated -- we couldn't do what we do without you!