Thursday, 20 Jul 2006

That Extincts

Scientists, worried about mass extinction, call for international biodiversity panel

The planet faces a "major biodiversity crisis" that could lead to mass extinction of species, warn 19 of the world's leading biodiversity specialists in Nature. Stating that "biodiversity is still consistently undervalued and given inadequate weight in both private and public decisions," the specialists urge the creation of an Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity to offer advice on government policies. Human-caused habitat destruction and climate change are causing species to die out 100 to 1,000 times faster than the natural rate; nearly a quarter of mammals, a third of amphibians, and 12 percent of birds are in danger of extinction, and climate change alone could push a further 15 to 37 percent of species to near-extinction in the next 50 years. "Because biodiversity loss is essentially irreversible, it poses serious threats to sustainable development and the quality of life of future generations," the specialists say. And that's a pretty good reason to stop it.


In some ways, Christine Gardner lives a normal life -- she's a mom, a writer, and, after all, she lives in Normal, Ill. But for July she's doing something decidedly out of the norm -- going car-free in a suburb without amenities right around the corner. Halfway through the month, she reports on bus adventures with toddlers, declares that it's possible to hand-tote an economy pack of diapers, and reflects on how cars are ruining community.

Making the Trade

Britain looks into carbon trading system for individuals

British Environment Secretary David Miliband has endorsed the idea of a carbon trading system for individuals, requiring people to limit personal emissions and allowing energy-savers to sell back unused carbon allowances for a profit. "Imagine a country where carbon becomes a new currency," Miliband said. Each citizen would carry a bank card with "carbon points," which would be deducted for purchases of electricity, gasoline, and air travel. The overall points distributed would decrease each year as the U.K. aims to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. The system is unlikely to happen in the short term, and Miliband admits that it's "easy to dismiss the idea as too complex administratively, too utopian, or too much of a burden for citizens." But individuals account for 44 percent of Britain's emissions, and Miliband believes a CO2 trading system could be fair and effective.


As green building gains steam, at least one institution in Washington, D.C., is invested in its success. No, not the White House. We're talking about the National Building Museum. You didn't even know such a thing existed, did you? Well, it does, and it's currently showing a groundbreaking exhibit on green architecture and design that will begin touring nationally next year. Ethan Goffman wanders through the displays and gleans wisdom from the curators.

Plugs and Kisses

Toyota considering plug-in hybrids and flex-fuel vehicles for U.S.

Toyota plans to develop a plug-in hybrid vehicle, the company announced this week. Rechargeable via any typical electrical outlet, a plug-in would be able to "travel greater distances without using its gas engine, ... conserve more oil, and slice smog and greenhouse gases to nearly imperceptible levels," said Jim Press, president of Toyota's North American subsidiary. The technology is far from ready, and the automaker has no timeline for offering the cars for sale, but hey -- we'll give it points for pressing forward with the R&D while other companies dawdle. Toyota is also taking a serious look at bringing flex-fuel cars capable of running on an E85 ethanol blend to the U.S. market, putting pressure on America's beleaguered Big Three automakers, who recently announced that they will double production of flex-fuel vehicles. Toyota already produces E85-capable vehicles in Brazil. Toyota, which dominates the regular hybrid market, also plans to introduce hybrid versions of all its current vehicle models.