Wednesday, 19 Jul 2006

Picture Al Gore standing in an auditorium deep in America's heartland before a cheering crowd of Wal-Mart employees, comparing their current eco-campaign to the Allies' righteous struggle in World War II. This strange scene unfolded last week in Bentonville, Ark., and Muckraker was there to chronicle it. Gore's not the only high-profile enviro to get swept up in Wal-Mart's greening efforts: Former Sierra Club President Adam Werbach has reportedly signed on to consult with the giant retailer -- a move that Ruckus Society President John Sellers and former Greenpeace USA head Barbara Dudley, also writing today in Grist, argue is way off-base.

Nothing to Seep Here, Folks

BP shuts down wells on North Slope after whistleblowers report leaks

Oil giant BP is voluntarily shutting down 12 oil wells on Alaska's North Slope after employees alleged they were leaking. Whistleblowers told London's Financial Times that in some places, insulating material used to keep pipes from freezing -- usually crude oil or diesel -- had spilled onto the tundra. BP spokesflack Daren Beaudo said the company's daily monitoring had identified potential leaks in 57 wells, all but 12 of which had already been shut down, and insisted that the tundra had not been touched. "Even though we have no reason to believe that continued operation causes a danger to workers or the environment, we're going to reconfirm [the wells'] integrity," said Beaudo. The dirty dozen, which make up about 1/100 of North Slope oil production, will go back into service if cleared by inspection. Meanwhile, BP is facing a subpoena for a huge spill on the North Slope in March and a lawsuit alleging that it illegally manipulated the U.S. propane market.


When the time comes for a little mood music -- hellooo, Meatloaf! -- do you reach for your CD collection or your shiny new MP3 player? On the one hand, you have a pile of ultimately disposable objects that you play on a toxic-laden electronic device. On the other, you have ... a toxic-laden electronic device. What's an eco-conscious music lover to do? Advice maven Umbra Fisk sings the praises (and drawls the drawbacks) of each mode of music in today's column.

Polar Apposites

U.S.-Russia treaty will protect polar bears

A polar-bear-protecting treaty between the U.S. and Russia was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives this week. It would prohibit the possession, sale, and purchase of polar bears or parts thereof (ew!), and also set quotas on hunting by Native populations. Currently, Native Americans are allowed to hunt polar bears for subsistence; there is no permissible hunting in Russia, but illegal hunting is prevalent and polar-bear gall bladders are a hot commodity on the black market in Asia. An estimated 20,000 to 25,000 of the fuzzy white bears live in the Arctic, but the World Conservation Union predicts a 30 percent population decline over the next 45 years due to global warming, pollution, and overhunting. The House bill OK'ing the treaty also approves government spending of $2 million a year on polar-bear programs; it must now be reconciled with a similar Senate bill passed last month before the final version can be sent to President Bush.

Beach Oys

Beach contamination is costly; chlorinated pools may elevate asthma risk

As many as 1.5 million swimmers and surfers get sick every year from bacterial pollution at Southern California beaches, according to a new study by researchers at UCLA and Stanford. The chief cause of dirty ocean water is storm runoff laden with oil, pesticides, and human and animal waste; it can trigger stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. Local governments have resisted cleanup mandates due to cost; cleaning up runoff that flows into Santa Monica Bay during summer, for instance, would cost between $1.5 million and $3 million. But the new study indicates that beach cleanups could save $13 million to $28 million in annual health costs in Los Angeles County. "It's expensive to address urban runoff, but the costs of not addressing it are even higher," said Jonathan Bishop of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. Parents who elect to avoid beach contamination and take their kids to indoor pools won't find any better news there: a Belgian study suggests that children who swim in chlorinated indoor pools may have an increased risk of developing asthma. Excuse us, we have to go change out of our bikinis now.