Wednesday, 16 Mar 2005

Bummer

Senate votes in favor of drilling in Arctic Refuge

Oil companies are closing in on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In a crushing blow to those who have long fought to preserve the unspoiled Alaskan wildland, the Senate this afternoon voted 51-49 against an amendment by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) that would have stripped from a budget bill a provision clearing the way for oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Refuge. The vote doesn't mean drilling is a done deal -- there's still lots of wrangling to be done over the budget bill that contains the refuge provision -- but it means it's closer to happening than ever before.

Supply Chain of Fools

U.S. opposes international plan to curb illegal logging, memo reveals

The U.S. is working to undermine a British-led effort to curb illegal logging in threatened rainforests, according to a leaked U.S. State Department memo. Indonesian leaders recently declared that they don't have the capacity to control the criminal gangs that are plundering the nation's tropical forests, and they asked wealthy nations to cut the demand for cheap, illegally obtained timber. In response, British Prime Minister Tony Blair proposed an initiative whereby the governments of wealthy G8 countries would pledge to buy lumber only if it comes from properly managed forests. But the leaked memo reveals an unofficial U.S. strategy to work with Canada to prevent restrictions on lumber purchases and convince Russia and Japan to oppose the British initiative as well. Some enviro activists blame the U.S. timber industry and its opposition to timber-certification efforts. Said Faith Doherty of the U.K.'s Environmental Investigation Agency, "This is outrageous. U.S. business simply doesn't want any restrictions on its own practices."


We asked you, dear readers, to give us a pithy summary of what environmentalism stands for -- one that could be delivered during a short elevator ride -- and you answered our call with more than 150 suggestions. We've culled those into a 10-pitch poll, and we want you to vote on which pitch packs the most punch -- in Gristmill, today on the Grist Magazine website.

They've Been Workin' on the Railroad

Hybrid railcar goes into use in California

With U.S. imports on the rise, ports are under growing scrutiny from air-quality regulators. Part of that concern focuses on the rail system that chugs goods out of ports and away to various Wal-Marts around the country. Yesterday, as part of its attempts to address such concerns, Union Pacific Railroad put into use one of the first locomotives using diesel-electric hybrid technology. The $800,000 "switch engine" -- a railcar that hooks freight cars to locomotives -- is expected to emit 80 to 90 percent less smog-forming nitrous oxide and use 40 to 70 percent less diesel fuel than its purely diesel counterparts. Union Pacific will analyze the hybrid's performance and decide whether to order more (at least three other hybrid switch locomotives are being used in demonstration projects around the country). Officials of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which contains the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, hailed the move and urged rail companies to make faster progress in implementing hybrid technology.

The Polar Distress

Grizzly bears encroaching on polar bear habitat

Polar bears have been having a rough time of it lately, what with global warming melting their habitat and PCBs tainting their food sources. Now they've got a new problem to worry about: Grizzly bears have been spotted as far north as Canada's Melville Island, 600 miles inside the Arctic Circle. Scientists say the far-north grizzlies seem to be adapting well to life at higher latitudes -- living, eating, and behaving much like, well, polar bears -- which means the real polar bears have to compete with even more tenacity for the north's scarce resources. Researchers aren't sure if the evidence of grizzlies on Melville Island indicates the migration of just one or a handful of renegade bears, or if it signals the beginning of a larger northerly migration and the start of an ugly ursine grudge match.