Thursday, 25 May 2006

Nuke Skytalker

Bush pushes nuclear power at home and abroad

President Bush has embraced nuclear power with a vengeance (on us?). On a tour of a nucular ... er, nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania yesterday, Bush called for the construction of new nuke plants to help curb greenhouse-gas emissions. "Let's quit the debate about whether greenhouse gases are caused by mankind or by natural causes; let's just focus on technologies that deal with the issue," he said. Thanks to a new raft of nuke subsidies Bush signed into law last year, 16 companies have expressed interest in building new plants, though none has submitted a formal application. Exelon Corp.'s president has said his company has "no intention" of building a new nuke plant until there's a solution to the problem of where to put nuclear waste. What a fuddy-duddy! Also yesterday, Bush signed on to a treaty with the European Union, Russia, Japan, India, China, and South Korea to spend $5.9 billion attempting to build the world's first nuclear fusion reactor in France. Fusion technology has never succeeded, but like victory in Iraq, it's always been just around the corner.


You've seen the ads: the ones that promise great pay, a summer outdoors, and the satisfaction of "saving the environment." Many a college student leaps at the opportunity, says Brown University student activist Nathan Wyeth, only to spend the summer hitting up wealthy liberals for checks. What price do environmental groups pay for disenchanting the next generation and disengaging the public? Wyeth thinks it's incalculable, and says it's time for a change.

We've Been Cartwheeling to Work

Gas prices spur Americans to change behavior

Americans hit in the pocketbook by high gas prices are, shockingly, changing their consumptive behavior. A survey by Consumer Reports found that over a third of American drivers are pondering getting a more fuel-efficient vehicle in place of their current one; half of those are considering a hybrid, and fewer than 5 percent want a luxury sedan or large SUV. Lots of drivers are downsizing to two wheels: when gas prices spiked last year, motorcycle sales jumped 16 percent compared to the same period in 2004, and scooter sales leaped 65 percent. Bike sales rose 7 percent as fuel costs rose last year, and many bike-shop owners report more bikers are commuting instead of cycling just for recreation. Boat owners, meanwhile, are taking shorter trips, going slower, and reducing their number of outings altogether. "I hear people talking about doing a lot more buddy boating," says a spokesboater for the Boat Owners Association of the U.S. High gas prices fostering community! How nice.

A Twist of Organophosphate

EPA scientists say they're being pressured on pesticide studies

U.S. EPA managers and pesticide-industry officials have been pressuring agency scientists to skip steps in pesticide testing and allow continued use of some potentially harmful pesticides, says a letter sent to EPA chief Stephen Johnson by union leaders representing agency employees. The "integrity of the science upon which agency decisions are based has been compromised," the unions wrote, recommending that Johnson tighten restrictions on some pesticides until questions are settled. At issue are acceptable residue levels of 20 organophosphate and carbamate pesticides, used everywhere from flea collars to golf courses to farms. The EPA lacks a standard procedure for testing the toxicity of some pesticides to developing nervous systems, according to the EPA's Office of Inspector General; studies have indicated that certain pesticides can disrupt the development of nervous systems in young kids.

Fuel Me Once, Shame on You

GM promotion will cap gas at $1.99 a gallon for SUV buyers

In a promotion that begins today, General Motors promised to cap gasoline prices at $1.99 a gallon for a year for customers in California and Florida who purchase certain new full-size SUVs or midsize cars. That's right: if you buy a gas-guzzler from GM, they'll help pay for the gas. The refund amount for buyers will be based on estimated fuel use and the difference between $1.99 and the average state-wide price per gallon. Eligible SUVs in California include the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Hummer H2 and H3. One analyst estimates savings at about $1,000 per vehicle. "Consumers are uncertain about gas prices, and this gives them some certainty about what they're going to pay," says GM's market analyst, adding, "Please, please, for the love of God, buy big American cars! We're dying over here!" Or maybe that last bit was just implied.