Monday, 06 Mar 2006

Lester Brown has tried to love nuclear power. Tried, and failed. Instead, the Earth Policy Institute president -- one of environmentalism's few remaining legends, and the author of the recently updated Plan B 2.0 -- is hot for wind power, and plug-in hybrids that would run on it. But what hope is there for change under an administration he calls "a public-relations operation with a hidden agenda"? He shared his thoughts on rapid, unpredictable social change -- and much more -- with David Roberts over omelets in a small Seattle cafe.

It's Hard Out Here for a Chinook

Fishing ban considered for Klamath chinook along West Coast

With chinook salmon runs in the Klamath River plummeting, federal regulators are considering an unprecedented ocean-fishing ban on chinook along 700 miles of coast, from northern Oregon to just south of Carmel, Calif. A combination of factors on the Klamath River, including warm, low-flowing water and runoff from farming and timber operations, created conditions that allowed a fish-parasite population to explode a few years ago, killing over 80 percent of returning juvenile chinook in spring 2002 and 2003, say scientists. The Pacific Fishery Management Council will consider options to help the salmon make a comeback during meetings this week in Seattle, with final policy recommendations expected in April. A fishing ban could influence the renewal of federal hydropower licenses for dams on the Klamath River, which are believed to be contributing to parasite-friendly conditions in the river.


As a community organizer, Tomasita González of the SouthWest Organizing Project empowers and -- what else? -- organizes her community in Albuquerque, N.M., to battle environmental and economic injustice. As this week's InterActivist, González shares her thoughts about challenging mainstream green groups, being called crazy, and fighting back against polluters. Send her a question of your own by noon PST on Wednesday; we'll publish her answers to selected questions on Friday.

Resmothering the Satellites

Bush admin shows no love for environmental satellites

In these troubled fiscal times, America has to make difficult budgetary choices. Of course the Bush tax cuts are off-limits. But what else could we do without? Here's a thought: how about the network of environmental satellites that gather data on weather and climate? Those seem like dead weight; "climate" is so 2004. Indeed, NASA's proposed 2007 budget requests only $2.2 billion for the beleaguered program that supports the orbiting sky-eyes -- against, say, $6.2 billion for running the space shuttle and International Space Station, or $4 billion for developing missions to the moon and Mars. NASA has delayed a new generation of weather satellites until 2010 or later. "The system of environmental satellites is at risk of collapse," says one expert federal adviser. In mid-February, NASA administrator Michael Griffin told the House Science Committee that the agency had to "set priorities" in the face of low funding. Mars, bitches!


Earth Day is fast approaching (April 22, for those hopelessly out of the loop). That has a college student at a conservative school wondering how he can best get the green message out to his not-so-crunchy peers. Advice maven Umbra Fisk has a few ideas. If you have your own, be sure to let us know in Gristmill.

Chew Magna Cum Laude

Village aims to be the greenest in England

An English town with the wholly delightful name of Chew Magna is in the running for greenest village of them all. With a population of 1,100, it's located in a wider community that's committed itself to achieving zero waste, recycling everything from mobiles (cell phones) to spectacles (glasses). But Chew Magna has gone many steps further: Their Go Zero campaign has produced a local-food guide and a carbon-offset fund. Local energy companies have donated free low-energy light bulbs to residents. Plans are in the works for villagers to be able to ride a biofueled bus to the airport for free. "The consensus was that people wanted to make decisions that would leave a legacy," says Denise Perrin, the Go Zero campaign's events coordinator. Bloody smashing! Tops! Right-o! Jolly good! We could go on.