Tuesday, 18 Oct 2005

When it comes to greening business, there are two schools of thought: one praises every millimeter of change; the other says a millimeter is not enough, and pushes for a mile. Lately, Ford Motor Co. has been caught between the two, as some environmentalists welcome its pledges to build hybrids and cut carbon emissions, while others claim those promises are meaningless. Our Full Disclosure columnists ask Ford green guru Niel Golightly what he thinks of all the fuss.

Noah Man's Land

Major new study says severe weather is likely on the way

Winter as we know it in the northeast U.S. will vanish. Summers across the country will be hotter, particularly in the parched Southwest. Rain will be less frequent but more torrential when it happens. Loss of property will be "catastrophic," exotic diseases will spread, species will die off. Skippee doo! These apocalyptic scenarios are predicted for the end of the century by a major new study from researchers at Purdue University. The study, which assumes that carbon dioxide emissions will roughly double over the next 100 years, lines up with a similar study from the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado. Said Purdue climate scientist Noah S. Diffenbaugh, "I would be thrilled to be wrong." You aren't the only one, dude.

The Ballast's in Your Court

Enviro-backed Great Lakes bill stalls, industry-backed bill advances

Following this summer's massive Detroit News series on threats to the Great Lakes, a key protection measure is ... wait for it ... stalled in Congress. Officials from Great Lakes states and conservationists back the National Aquatic Invasive Species Act, which would force shippers to use stronger measures to kill invasive species in their ballast-water tanks by 2011. "It may be the most important bill in Congress to protect the Great Lakes from ecological collapse," says the National Wildlife Federation's Andy Buchsbaum. But it's languished for three years, while a shipping-industry-backed rival, which would give shippers more time to come up with ballast-water treatments, was voted out of the Senate Commerce Committee this year. The attorneys general of six Great Lakes states wrote to the committee in opposition to the bill, saying that it would not only eradicate EPA authority to regulate ballast water but preempt state laws as well. Witness the power of journalism! Sigh.

Does a Bear Chapeau in the Woods?

British military still using real Canadian bear fur in funny hats

Over the past 30 years, Britain's Ministry of Defense has gradually replaced animal furs in ceremonial uniforms -- e.g., leopard-skin hats for military drummers -- with synthetics. But so far nothing has beaten real Canadian bear pelts for those goofy tall hats worn by Britain's red-coated Royal Foot Guards. "Bear fur is technologically very challenging," says Col. Silas Suchanek, who procures clothing at the ministry, because it's actually three kinds of hair, each contributing to the hat's spiffy appearance and durable performance. PETA has been hounding the military to go cold turkey on bearskin -- even supplying it with two faux-fur samples. The ministry fashioned them into hats and goose-stepped them out for trial runs, but says they've proved unacceptable. Suchanek counsels patience, saying, "You can't just go equip 4,000 soldiers with plastic bear fur." But PETA remains irate. "The Ministry of Defense has nuclear submarines and satellite-guided missiles," says a member. "It's within their capabilities to find a synthetic bear fur."

Sweet and Blowdown

Wind-energy customers pay less than those buying fossil-fuel power

Customers of Xcel Energy in Colorado who purchase wind power got a pleasant announcement last week: Not only would they not be paying a premium for their clean energy -- they would be paying less than customers getting electricity from natural gas and coal-power sources. Xcel subsequently signed up as many new wind-energy customers in one day as they typically do in two months. Wind programs in Oklahoma and Texas are also becoming competitive with gas and coal, and wind turbine manufacturers say they're sold out until 2008. Many industry observers perceive a fundamental shift, largely driven by the changing economics of fossil-fuel-based power sources. "It's a pretty momentous occasion for those of us in the renewable energy business," says clean-energy wonk Dan Lieberman about the Colorado development.