Thursday, 01 Dec 2005

Is CAFE kaput? A number of enviros and conservation-minded politicians in D.C. seem to be backing away from corporate average fuel economy standards. They've spent decades fighting for a hefty boost to these gas-mileage requirements for new vehicles, to no avail -- and they know they're not likely to succeed under the current Congress and administration. But if CAFE is dead, as some advocates say, what does that mean for the campaign to reduce U.S. oil consumption? Muckraker surveys the scene and looks at different strategies for achieving the same aim.

A Current Despair

Waning of Atlantic currents could chill Europe

Remember that movie The Day After Tomorrow? With the shifting ocean currents that cause sudden, catastrophic climate changes? Crazy stuff! Michael Moore territory! Well ... funny story. Turns out the Atlantic Ocean currents that move warm tropical waters northward and cooler waters south have in fact slowed dramatically -- by about 30 percent in the past 50 years, according to a new study in the journal Nature. The likely culprit? Disruption in the salinity and density of Atlantic waters brought about by increased "freshening" with more rain and melting glaciers, thanks to global warming. This could be bad news for northwestern Europe, which depends on that hit of tropical heat for its mild climate. A total shutdown of the Atlantic current system -- still deemed unlikely so far -- could cool the region by several degrees over 10 to 20 years. Hello, ice age! Researchers say a lot more study is needed, but most seem alarmed by the findings. And alarmed researchers make us nervous.


Pesticides have infiltrated our lives in ways we rarely think about. Ever since World War II-era manufacturers realized the wonders of synthetics, we've relied on chemicals to make our apples spotless, our lawns green, and our homes critter-free. But what are the risks of living with these toxins? Today, two women share the results of their investigations into that very question. In a collection of striking photos, Laurie Tümer exposes the ways that pesticides get around. And in an essay that's both personal and analytical, Audrey Schulman describes how pesticide manufacturers get to police their own products -- and how her young sons may be paying the price.

Deconstructing Hurricane

Intense 2005 hurricane season may be harbinger of things to come

This year's Atlantic hurricane season officially ended yesterday (at which point we emerged from basement bunker, blinking), having racked up a record-breaking 26 named storms. Thirteen of these became hurricanes, and three reached Category 5 strength, including Katrina. And over half the past two seasons' storms have made landfall, compared to an average of 9 percent from 1995 to 2003. "It was incredibly out of the ordinary," said federal hurricane specialist Jack Beven. Some researchers say we may see more such destructive storms in years to come, thanks in part to warmer sea-surface temperatures in the tropics. A natural-cycle variation or global warming? Most experts are unwilling to come down on one side or the other. "This season was such an extreme event that it's a little difficult to believe it could repeat itself on a regular basis," said Beven. "But it's too early to tell what the next season will bring."

Character Building

Sierra Club celebrates eco-friendly building projects in new report

The Sierra Club has often gone to court to stop bad development schemes, but now the venerable green group is trying the carrot instead of the stick. The group has released its first "Guide to America's Best New Development Projects," which gives kudos to builders putting up environmentally sound mixed-use projects around the country. Most of the developments singled out for praise, like the Pearl District in Portland, Ore., have been built on the sites of old or abandoned stores, factories, or other properties instead of undeveloped land. The Sierra Club is "recognizing that you can't just be against things all the time," says Eric Olson, who directs the group's Healthy Communities Campaign. "You have to be for things." Some developers welcome the club's effort: "I think someone at the Sierra Club has taken a reality pill, and I'm glad," says San Francisco-area building industry spokesflack Keith Woods.