Wednesday, 01 Jun 2005

And Craig said, let there be list. And there was Craigslist. And it was good. And it bringeth together many people in many lands. And lo, we're getting tired of this joke, but we all know Craig is a hip and powerful dude. So imagine if the foundation that bears his name decided to create a network for environmental nonprofits ... oh wait! It has! The catchily named Environmental Non-Profit Network is making a public debut today in San Francisco. Is it a revelation, or just another chapter in an increasingly collaborative national movement? Erica Gies investigates.

Bye Bye Nukie

Sweden starts shutting down nuke plants, despite some reservations

At midnight last night, technicians at Sweden's Barseback-2 nuclear reactor hit the off button (or something), shutting down the country's oldest nuclear power plant for good. Vattenfall, the state-owned company that operated the facility, will now funnel $1 billion toward building northern Europe's biggest wind farm. The country's 10 remaining nuke facilities will be shut down in a few years. Is this some green's fevered fantasy? Nope -- it's real, and it's more complicated than it sounds. In a 1980 referendum, Swedes voted to phase out nuclear power in favor of renewables like wind and solar. That sounds peachy and all, but surveys show that some 80 percent are having second thoughts. Why? Well, it starts with "global" and ends with "warming." Clean energy won't be able to immediately fill the gap -- 40 percent of the country's power now comes from nuclear -- and some Swedes are worried that they'll end up importing energy from coal and gas plants elsewhere in Europe, thus generating more greenhouse gases. Quite a conundrum, bork bork bork!


Tired of waiting for the Bush administration to get with the climate-change program, one reader asks how he can change his lifestyle to comply with the Kyoto Protocol himself. Advice guru Umbra Fisk digs the idea, which will involve some number crunching -- grab your abacus and play along.

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Build

Brownfield redevelopment increasingly popular in U.S. cities

Developers the U.S. over are lately enamored of "Cinderella" properties (aka brownfields). These formerly contaminated sites can transform into luxury real estate, thanks to the magic of fairy godmothers like, um, the federal government. Once upon a time, the abandoned toxic sites were shunned and only a brave few would attempt cleanup and redevelopment. But recently, federal funding and liability protection for site buyers has increased (along with the price of conventional uncontaminated sites). Also, six states last year passed legislation to ramp up incentives for brownfield redevelopment. Many developers are now eager to play the role of Prince Charming. "Ten years ago, if a [parcel] had an environmental problem, we didn't want to talk about it," says Gregory Rogerson, a New Jersey developer. "Today, we say, 'If it doesn't have an environmental problem, we don't want to talk about it.'" The last seven years have seen 121 U.S. cities redevelop over 1,187 brownfield sites on 10,882 acres, with more reportedly under construction.

Salarymen of the World: Untie!

Japan adopts "no-tie" look for summer to save energy

The paradigmatically propriety-conscious Japanese bureaucrat may be loosening up and dressing down, thanks to, well, orders from above. In an effort to conserve energy by reducing air-conditioner use, Japan's Environment Ministry today launched a campaign urging government workers to leave suit coats and ties at home. By keeping office temperatures at 82 degrees Fahrenheit rather than 77, the effort will help Japan reach its emission-reduction goals under the Kyoto Protocol. The Energy Conservation Center says it's possible the country could save 81 million gallons of oil in one summer, just by turning down the AC. Thus a new style of office attire dubbed "Cool Biz," which includes open-neck shirts, pants in pale colors, and shirts with extra buttons or snaps to keep collars upright without a tie (no sense in being slovenly, after all!). Ministry officials hope an upcoming fashion show and fashionista manual with tips on matching shoes to belts will convince wary employees that dressing cooler is, um, cool.