Tuesday, 22 Nov 2005

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) last week introduced innovative legislation that would give beleaguered U.S. automakers a hand with their huge legacy health-care costs if they agreed to boost production of efficient cars. And that's just one of the forward-looking energy-related measures introduced in Congress last week, by legislators on both sides of the aisle. Muckraker gives a rundown.

Is There a Procter in the House?

Experts say true eco-transformation of big business is under way

Big business is going green ... hey, where you going? No, we mean it this time! Old-guard financial-services firm Goldman Sachs Group just announced new policies to promote forest and climate protection, and intends to invest $1 billion in alternative-energy projects. Procter & Gamble, seeking to trim oil costs, is subbing vegetable oil for petroleum products in Tide detergent and Head & Shoulders shampoos. General Electric's "ecomagination" products reaped $10 billion in sales in 2004. Many major corporations now have sizable green divisions. Meanwhile, some smaller green-leaning businesses say they're getting warmer welcomes when seeking financing, as investors look to put resources into clean power and eco-friendly technology. "The environmental industry is about to take off, as more investors realize that they can reap returns from cleaner technologies," says Dan Bakal of Ceres, a coalition of investors and eco-advocates. But, um, could they please hurry up?


This year, turn your Black Friday green. Don't head to the nearest mega-mall on the day after Thanksgiving to tussle with the mobs and buy plastic doodads made in smoke-belching factories. Instead, sit back, relax, and let Grist's holiday buying guide lead you to greener shopping pastures. Sarah van Schagen and Sarah Kraybill put their heads (and names!) together to come up with eco-friendly gift ideas for everyone on your list, many of which you can purchase from the comfort of your own laptop.

At Least He Can Pronounce "Nuclear"

Blair softens on mandatory emissions targets and warms to nuclear power

British Prime Minister Tony Blair's shifting approach to climate change has environmentalists in a stormy mood. Earlier this fall, he hinted publicly that he was cooling his support for extending the Kyoto Protocol's mandatory greenhouse-gas reduction targets beyond the treaty's conclusion in 2012. Now his environment secretary, Margaret Beckett, says she too is willing to accept voluntary targets post-Kyoto. Her statement comes just ahead of next week's climate-change summit in Montreal, and enviros worry it could undermine negotiations there. "Voluntary targets are not worth the paper they are written on," said Stephen Tindale of Greenpeace U.K. Blair is reportedly also backing accelerated plans to build new nuke plants in Britain within 10 years, much sooner than expected, saying they're needed to replace energy generation from oil and coal while reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Many green activists say that's bollocks and point to nuclear power's high cost, dodgy safety record, and production of dangerous waste.


You wouldn't know it from watching Queen Latifah's cheery new ads, but Wal-Mart is awash in bitter controversy these days -- even more than usual. A new documentary bashing the giganto discount chain is barnstorming the nation and getting people all riled up about the corporation's alleged sins against people and the planet. And even Wal-Mart's recent announcement of some specific and ambitious environmental goals isn't appeasing all green critics. Today, Liza Featherstone checks in with environmental and labor activists for their reactions to the company's new initiatives, and Ken Eisen takes a look at the anti-Wal-Mart blockbuster.

Chelsea Glintin'

Green amenities catching on in new housing complexes

In Chelsea, Mass., new condos in the Forbes Park development come with access to a fleet of DaimlerChrysler Smart cars -- two-seater mini-mobiles that get great mileage. Every unit at Buzz, a Dallas loft project, will include an eGo electric moped. They're more useful than the traditional new-home amenities, believes developer Zad Roumaya: "You can't drive your swimming pool to the market." Although such eco-sensitive features are included in only a small percentage of the total new-home market, industry insiders say green ideas are going mainstream, fueled by buyer demand, rising energy costs, and government tax credits for energy efficiency. And folks who opt in aren't just getting a cute li'l moped or a yard full of eco-appropriate flora. "You're buying your way into a community that thinks similarly," says a prospective buyer at Forbes Park, "and that's appealing as well."

Good Bite, and Good Luck

Grist taking a little Thanksgiving break

We Gristers are taking a few days off to stuff ourselves silly and give thanks for our many devoted readers. Happy Thanksgiving! See you on Monday.