Tuesday, 11 Oct 2005

U.S. EPA chief Stephen Johnson got the nation's attention last month when he warned that the floodwaters in New Orleans were too toxic to touch. But at the time, the contamination there was lower than in some U.S. rivers and lakes that serve as drinking-water sources and playgrounds for millions of people. Was the Gulf Coast threat exaggerated, or should we be worrying more about water everywhere else? Osha Gray Davidson investigates.

Tar Nation

Canada's oil sands boom for business, bust for environment

We have seen our energy future, and it's very, very dirty. By some estimates, the oil sands of northern Alberta, Canada, contain 175 billion barrels of crude, reserves second only to Saudi Arabia's. Problem is, getting usable oil out of the tarry, sticky sand requires clearing vast swaths of forest, burning tons of natural gas, polluting millions of gallons of water, and spewing untold amounts of greenhouse gases. It is, says environmental policy analyst Dan Woynillowicz, "a form of oil extraction where the intensity of environmental impacts is at an order of magnitude greater than any other form of oil extraction we have seen on the planet." Until recently, the high cost of extracting oil from tar sands made the undertaking a financial loser, but rising oil prices have this fledgling industry booming. Resistance is futile, says Canada's environment minister, Stéphane Dion: "There is no environmental minister on earth who can stop the oil from coming out of the sand, because the money is too big."


Seeds are at the core of almost everything humans eat -- that's why the tightening grip of seed-selling corporations is so worrisome. The world's 10 largest seed-hawkers now control about half the global market, and its top three are among the world's largest pesticide purveyors and are heavy into genetic modification. What does this mean for the sustainability-inclined farmer now pushed to do business with the behemoths? And what does GM giant Monsanto's purchase of a key fruit-and-veg-seed distributor signal about the future of the supermarket produce aisle? Tom Philpott, our new ag-expert blogger, digs in and serves up answers.

Beswitched

Jeb Bush's switcheroo on drilling causes rift in Florida delegation

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) is backing a bill in the House of Representatives that would open some new federal waters, including the eastern Gulf of Mexico, to oil rigs -- and in so doing, he's fractured the state's long-standing bipartisan political consensus against offshore drilling. Jeb's flip-flop, after years of advocating for a stronger drilling ban in order to protect his state's tourist-friendly beaches, is said to have thrown Florida's 27-member congressional delegation into disarray. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.), would permit oil and gas drilling 125 miles from state waters, whereas now drilling is prohibited 200 miles out. Closer than 125 miles, individual states would be able to decide whether to keep the coastal drilling moratorium after it expires in 2012; if they allowed drilling, they would get 50 percent of revenues paid to the feds. Pombo will likely try to attach his legislation to a federal budget bill. Florida's two senators, Mel Martinez (R) and Bill Nelson (D), are staunchly opposed to the bill.

Bye, Local

Organic farmers in U.S. losing business to foreign growers

Organic is seen as a niche that helps smaller American farmers endure, but a sizeable chunk of the organic foods sold in the U.S. are being sourced from overseas suppliers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that as much as $1.5 billion of organic food was imported in 2002, while perhaps $125 million worth was exported. Some food producers say they shop abroad for organics because the domestic supply is inadequate, but also because imports can be a lot cheaper. The U.S. currently offers few subsidies or financial incentives to farmers to go organic, and since chemical-free foods typically take more labor to produce, high costs keep many farmers out of the organic market altogether. Some domestic organic growers argue that consumers expect certified organic food to be homegrown, and that certifying overseas producers doesn't help the local environment. Says Wende Elliot, founder of an organic livestock cooperative, "It's great to clean up China and Argentina, but that doesn't help our local drinking water situation in Iowa."