Monday, 05 Dec 2005

March of Climes

Thousands march worldwide for action on global warming

On Saturday, 100,000-plus people in over 30 countries put feet to street and called for effective action to fight global warming -- marches timed to coincide with the midpoint of the climate summit in Montreal. Enviros at the summit delivered a 600,000-signature petition to the U.S. consulate demanding American action on climate change. But lead U.S. negotiator Harlan Watson is working overtime at the meeting to block meaningful discussion of what should come after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. According to a company memo obtained by Environmental Defense, Watson is ExxonMobil's handpicked man for the job. His downbeat influence is being slightly offset by the presence of many U.S. policymakers opposed to Bush administration intransigence. Among them is Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels (D), who has galvanized 190 fellow city leaders to commit to meet or beat the emissions reduction target the U.S. would be bound to if it ratified Kyoto.


You see them sprouting up more and more: rooftops covered with growing plants. We're not talking ferns in pots, here -- we're talking grasses and other hardy vegetation taking root right there on the roof. Today, a reader wonders whether she ought to shed her shingles and go green. In response, advice maven Umbra Fisk climbs up on her ladder to poke around the topic.

There's Nothing to Fear But Clear Itself

Bush administration gamed analysis of competing air-pollution plans

Now, we know you're going to find this hard to believe, but ... it seems the Bush administration has been less than truthful about its industry-friendly air-pollution proposal. In late October, the U.S. EPA released a report purporting to demonstrate that its "Clear Skies" legislation delivered the most bang for the least cost, compared to competing proposals from Sens. Thomas Carper (D-Del.) and James Jeffords (I-Vt.). But the independent, nonpartisan Congressional Research Service has determined that the numbers were massaged in favor of the Bush plan -- exaggerating the costs of controlling mercury and underestimating the economic benefits of fewer people getting sick or dying from air pollution. EPA says the CRS report "largely ignores and misinterprets our analysis." But the two senators feel vindicated. Says a Carper spokesflack, "The report clearly states that there's no reason to settle for the president's Clear Skies plan."


As president of EARTH University -- a college in Costa Rica that educates underprivileged Latin Americans in sustainable development -- José A. Zaglul has high hopes for his students. He wants to see them go on to become leaders and activists, bringing about positive change in their home communities. As InterActivist this week, Zaglul chats about training green pioneers, the inability of our environment to auto-correct, and his love for traditional Lebanese food.

Come Sale Away

NPS proposal would make corporate donors more visible in parks

Because a thank-you letter just won't cut it, the National Park Service has proposed putting brass nameplates, markers, or banners in national parks to honor donor corporations. "We are looking to find ways to appropriately recognize the time and dollars contributed" by companies, says an NPS spokesflack. Enviros worry that expanded recognition of corporate donations will not only obscure the lovely view, but lead to private interests having more say in NPS policy decisions. Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) have both raised concerns over the plan. "I always thought of national parks as a commercial-free zone," said Bingaman. Oh, that wacky Bingaman! The proposal could be approved by early next year.