Thursday, 19 Jan 2006

Lonnie Thompson busts up the stereotype of climate researchers as geeks hunched over computers, endlessly crunching models. At the moment, this swashbuckling scientist -- who's spent more time above 18,000 feet than any other human being -- is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to assess the state of its glaciers, his 50th major mountain-scaling, data-gathering expedition. Before jetting off for East Africa, Thompson talked with Amanda Griscom Little about the dangers of high-altitude research and the treasure trove of info to be found in layers of ice.

The Sound of One Hand Tapping

Greenpeace joins lawsuit against Bush admin's secret wiretap program

On Tuesday, a diverse group of individuals and organizations filed suit against the National Security Agency, asking a federal court in Detroit to declare the agency's clandestine domestic eavesdropping program unconstitutional. The plaintiffs -- ranging from Greenpeace to stalwart Iraq war booster Christopher Hitchens -- have no proof that the NSA spied on them. But the ACLU, which is leading the suit, charges that simply knowing the program exists has had a "chilling effect" on their willingness to use international phone and data lines to communicate openly, violating their First Amendment and privacy rights. Greenpeace and the ACLU have felt the icy breath of the Bush administration before: The FBI has spied on both groups extensively in the past several years.

Johnson Left Hanging

Six former EPA chiefs tell Bush to cap and cut greenhouse gases

Six former heads of the U.S. EPA -- including five Republicans -- have blasted the Bush administration for failing to act on global warming. In an unprecedented united front, the ex-chiefs, gathered yesterday to commemorate the agency's 35th anniversary, agreed that debating the extent to which climate change is a human-caused phenomenon (a favorite Bushy pastime) is pointless. They want federally regulated carbon caps and cuts. Current EPA head Stephen Johnson defended Bush policies, but the panel wasn't biting. "This is not a sort of short-term cycle problem. This is a major disaster for the world," said Russell E. Train, EPA boss under Presidents Nixon and Ford. "To say we'll deal with it later and try to push it away is dishonest to the people, and self-destructive." Man, the commie pinkos are getting to everybody.

Dust Breathe

EPA seeks to rescind clean-air protections for rural areas

A new Bush administration proposal would strip significant clean-air protections from rural areas. The U.S. EPA would exempt these areas from meeting federal standards for coarse particulate matter -- essentially, windblown clouds of dust -- and end federal monitoring of particulate levels in those locales. The weakened regulations would have a particularly harsh impact on Western states, where conditions are drier, making blowing dust a greater concern. The EPA claims it's following the recommendations of its own scientific advisory commission, but some members of that group advised the agency to continue regulating dust in rural areas, and all of them said the feds should continue to monitor particulate levels. The mining industry has predictably praised the administration's proposal, but air-quality officials are condemning it as an unprecedented bad move. After a public comment period, the rules would become final later this year.

Zoo Peeper

Jacko gets a pass on conditions at his private zoo

If there's one subject we like writing about more than cow poop, it's the narcissistic hijinks of our celebrity overlords. If they are 90 percent synthetic, all the better. Speaking of: Seems Michael Jackson has been cleared of charges of mistreating the menagerie of exotic animals he keeps at Neverland Ranch. PETA filed the complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture after hearing reports that the critters -- including elephants and orangutans -- were being plied with "Jesus juice" and snuggled ... no wait, wrong story. PETA charged that the animals were living in substandard conditions. But the USDA says the beasts and their environs were in good shape when an inspector visited last December. PETA doesn't buy it. "It's especially concerning when a celebrity keeps wild animals," says PETA spokesflack Lisa Wathne, "as that promotes the whole concept of wild animals as pets to the public."