Wednesday, 10 May 2006

If you've been reading the uncollected works of advice maven Umbra Fisk recently, you probably noticed that the month of April was devoted to the ins and outs of climate change. Specifically, "climate change 'til we're all deranged." Today, a reader asks how to move beyond those ins and outs and take action. Umbra, as usual, drives her point home.

Wake Up and Smell the Carbon

Al Gore launches new climate campaign

Launched with profits from Al Gore's new movie and book, a new group called Alliance for Climate Protection plans to spend big bucks on advertising and grassroots organizing in an attempt to impart the dangers of climate chaos to the American public. Focusing particularly on conservatives and labor groups -- hoping that public demand will induce more eco-friendly legislation -- the group aims to "get the facts in front of the public more effectively than we have," says Lee M. Thomas, a member of the alliance's bipartisan board. Thomas, who headed the U.S. EPA during the Reagan administration, says the effort will resemble a political campaign. Paramount Classics, which is releasing Gore's upcoming movie An Inconvenient Truth, will donate $500,000 and a portion of the movie's proceeds; Gore's also contributing the advance from his upcoming book, rumored to be around $250,000. Fred L. Smith, president of a free-market lobbying group, sneers that enviros are "panicking" because "they are convinced that no one is listening." What's that, Fred? We weren't really listening.

Countries May Have Shifted During Flight

China builds new airports; still not as pollutey as U.S.

China plans to build 48 new airports in the next five years, spending $17.5 billion on construction and continuing expansion of existing hubs. The country is already the premier buyer of Boeing and Airbus planes, and has vowed to buy 100 planes every year until 2010. (For perspective: China's new hubs will bring its total to 190 airports, serving a population of 1.3 billion people -- a far cry from the U.S., where more than 10,000 airports serve less than a quarter that many people.) Expansion of the energy-sucking, pollution-spewing, ozone-depleting aviation industry is unlikely to help China bring down its greenhouse-gas emissions, which increased 33 percent from 1992 to 2002, according to a new World Bank report. Another fast-growing developing country, India, increased emissions by 57 percent in the same time period. (For perspective: the U.S. far out-emits both China and India, contributing a quarter of total global emissions. Sweet, sweet perspective.)

Make Salmon Happy, Make Just One Salmon Happy

Columbia River salmon finally running, but counts are low

Three weeks later than normal, Columbia River salmon are finally running. Well, swimming. Whatever. The fish left the Pacific Ocean at their usual time to enter the Columbia, which runs on the border of Oregon and Washington. Then they mysteriously decided to hang out in the 40 miles between Portland, Ore., and the fish ladder at Bonneville Dam, where wildlife managers count the population -- the second year in a row they've been late. This year's count is 35,796 salmon, and officials say it's unlikely to reach the preseason estimate of 88,000. Fishing season was suspended in mid-April and may not reopen if the fish count is too low. "We watch (the fish count) daily -- minute to minute," says sportfishing exec Liz Hamilton. "We're really concerned about the fish." Aren't we all.

What's Mine Is Mine

Bolivia threatens to nationalize its mining industry

Following up on last week's nationalization of its natural-gas industry, Bolivia (that's in South America, in case you don't remember seventh grade) now intends to exert greater state control over its mineral resources as well. President Evo Morales is vowing to nationalize the mining industry, though Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera has said otherwise. Either way, dirt-poor Bolivia intends to raise taxes and royalties on foreign investment. Morales warned that if foreign partners "don't respect these laws, we'll make them respect them with political force." Ominous. The announcement may dampen interest in a deposit of an estimated 44 billion tons of iron ore, being auctioned by Bolivia with the condition that extraction be fueled by natural gas. One gold-mining mogul responded to Morales' announcement by suggesting that Pakistan -- yes, Pakistan -- is suddenly a more attractive option for investment, despite al-Qaeda presence in the country. Ouch.

We Came, We Saw, We Concord

New Hampshire latest state to reduce mercury emissions

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch is joining the ranks of state leaders taking mercury matters into their own hands. Yesterday, Lynch signed into law a bill that will cut mercury emissions from its power plant by at least 80 percent by 2013. One power plant! New Hampshire is so cute. Most of the lakes and rivers in the state are polluted by mercury, at levels among the highest in the nation. Disgruntled enviros (is there any other kind?) pushed for legislation to reduce emissions 90 percent by 2011, pointing out that Massachusetts is mandating an 85 percent reduction, and Connecticut 90 percent, both by 2009. They're also not happy that the New Hampshire plant can bank mercury reductions over 80 percent as credits to offset sulfur dioxide emissions. Mercury, if you didn't grok the last 405,283 times we wrote about it, causes brain damage and is especially dangerous to pregnant women and children.