Tuesday, 11 Jul 2006

Aw, Shucks

Ethanol ain't all it's cracked up to be, new study says

A new study casts serious doubt on ethanol's status as a green wonder-fuel. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers lay out a series of grim findings about corn-based biofuel. Runoff from large-scale corn cultivation contaminates waterways with nitrogen, phosphorus, and pesticides. As a motor fuel, corn-based ethanol generates just 23 percent more energy than is required to make it. And finally, corny ethanol reduces greenhouse-gas emissions by a slim 12 percent over gasoline. The study found that soybean biodiesel outperforms the corny stuff, but that "neither can replace much petroleum without impacting food supplies." The best biofuel bet would be still-in-the-lab cellulosic ethanol made from switchgrass or other woody plants, but most researchers agree that even widespread cellulosic ethanol production would have nowhere near the output to replace gasoline. Researchers also said that people are just going to have to get used to driving less, and quit bitching and moaning about it. No, wait, that was us.

Range of Notion

Grass banks aim to protect prairies and help ranchers

Hoping to preserve both the prairie and the livelihoods of ranchers, green groups like The Nature Conservancy have created "grass banks" by buying up land and allowing ranchers to graze there for cheap. In exchange, ranchers agree to conserve habitat on their own land for ferrets, curlews, and other species. The New Mexico-based Quivira Coalition created the first grass bank in 1997; four or so others exist, and another five or six are in startup phases. So far, these programs have been lifesavers for endangered ranchers, but conservation benefits are not as clear. Critics say that grass banks encourage overgrazing, are cost ineffective, and are temporary: if the program ends, nothing keeps ranchers from dropping their conservation efforts. Says Stephanie Gripne, who studied grass banks as part of her doctoral program, "It's not a good strategy, but there aren't a lot of other strategies."


Sure, it can be depressing to think about the future, what with the whole "if we don't do something about climate change in the next 10 years we'll all be doomed" thing. But does it have to be that way? Or do we simply subscribe to the idea of an inescapable apocalypse because it's how we're trained to think? Karen Hurley suspects the latter, and says it's time to start imagining a rich, green, sustainable future.

Hap, Hap, Hooray!

Snowmobilers and enviros craft compromise plan for wilderness in California

A deal to set aside thousands of acres of wilderness near Yosemite National Park has been crafted by an odd alliance of snowmobilers, greens, and local officials. By agreeing to stay off 40,000 acres of public land, snowmobilers would receive unfettered winter access to 11,000 acres nearby. "I told people, 'If you're not unhappy with something here, then you didn't give up enough. ... But you should also feel like you got something that you couldn't get through any other means,'" said Mono County Supervisor Duane "Hap" Hazard (clever!), who led the negotiations. A bill that would put the plan into law, sponsored by Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), is backed by California's two Democratic senators and the Bush administration, and would provide a happy ending to a 20-year stalemate between conservationists and outdoor recreationists. The bill is expected to get a hearing in the House this month, but its progress will depend on Resources Committee Chair Richard Pombo (R-Calif.), who's being coy about his intentions -- his friendship with McKeon may yet cancel out his instinct for villainy.

Putting Green

Venerable golf group launches sustainability campaign

It's easy to vilify golfers -- really! try it! -- but we've gotta give them credit: some 2,000 golf courses in 100 countries have joined a campaign that urges them to use less water, plant drought-tolerant grasses, cut out pesticides, and replace sand with recycled glass. This campaign for sustainable golf is being driven by Britain's 250-year-old Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (the pretentiousness ... it burns!), which hopes to "improve golf's image as a polluter and abuser of vast tracts of countryside." There are 25,000 golf courses in the world; St. Andrews governs the ones outside of the U.S. and Mexico. Critics charge that golf courses use up to seven times as much pesticides per acre as farms, and can suck up as much water as a small town. No word yet on whether the St. Andrews campaign will sway the Global Anti-Golf Movement and Anarchist Golfing Association, which we swear we are not making up.

Now Will You Help Us Unpack?

Grist loves readers, readers love Grist. Mwahhh!

From our new office, we have a view of Seattle's two sports stadiums. And we'll tell you what: put together, they're still not big enough to contain our immense gratitude to those who donated during our recent fundraiser -- and to all of you for putting up with our "please give us money" emails. About 1,400 of you opened your wallets and hearts to Grist, helping us raise nearly $85,000. Thanks a million! (Or at least $85,000.) Besides the new digs, your donations are helping us move forward with plans for bigger, brighter content -- so keep an eye on us. Keep an eye out later this month, too, as we draw the winners of our fabulous fundraiser prizes. And hey, if you meant to give but didn't get around to it, it's never too late. Operators are standing by -- though they do occasionally sit for a spell.