Monday, 24 Jul 2006

Come Fry With Me

Heat wave causing deaths, power outages

North America and Europe are suffering under a sweltering heat wave that's caused deaths, widespread irritability, and a powerful thirst. So far, some 21 deaths are reported in France, two in Spain, and at least 29 in the U.S. In southern England, they're facing what may be the worst drought in a century. On the upside, the U.K. bottled-water industry reports record high sales. Back on the downside, utility Consolidated Edison chose this felicitous moment to preside over a massive power outage in Queens, N.Y. Around 100,000 New Yorkers, normally so soft-spoken and courteous, are protesting loudly as some reach their seventh day without light, refrigeration, or AC. Heat-addled minds naturally turn to global warming, but remember, scientists won't allow you to say that the heat wave was caused by global warming. It's just consistent with global warming. We expect elderly residents stranded on the upper floors of Queens apartment buildings with non-functioning elevators will find the distinction fascinating, just fascinating.


After six years in denim design, Tierra Del Forte decided the "dark side" of the fashion industry -- overseas factories, pesticide-heavy cotton production, etc. -- was just not her style. So she founded Del Forte Denim, a line of premium organic denim for women. As InterActivist this week, Del Forte chats with Grist about the scary cocktail of chemicals involved in cotton-clothing production, the changing stereotype of environmentalists, why she admires Alicia Silverstone, and more. Send Del Forte your burningest questions by noon PDT on Wednesday; we'll publish her answers to selected questions on Friday.

NASA Lapso

NASA deletes planet-protecting phrasing from mission statement

The phrase "to understand and protect our home planet" was quietly deleted from NASA's mission statement in February; the agency's mission now is "to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research." NASA's 19,000 employees were neither consulted nor informed ahead of time of the deletion. The planet-protection phrase had been added to the mission statement in 2002; scientists say it shaped research priorities, and the deletion will reduce incentive for research on phenomena like -- oh, to pick one at random -- climate change. Agency spokesflack David Steitz said the change reflected President Bush's goal of flying people to the moon and Mars. The deleted phrase was oft-repeated last winter by top NASA climate scientist James Hansen, whose advocacy on the issue of global warming has famously drawn censorious pressure from political appointees; Steitz said Hansen's use of the phrase and its subsequent disappearance from the mission statement was "pure coincidence."


Today a couple from Nevada asks advice maven Umbra Fisk which countertop material has the least eco-impact. Umbra reviews the options -- concrete, butcher block, linoleum, tile, paper composite, and more -- then counters with the idea that material is not the biggest worry. It's what you do with it that matters most.

Who Pimped the Electric Car?

Silicon Valley startup unveils sexy electric car

As gas prices rise and vehicle emissions nudge the planet toward chaos, a Silicon Valley startup is hyping the electric Tesla Roadster -- which goes from 0 to 60 in four seconds, has a top speed of 135 miles per hour, and costs over $80,000 (built-in satellite navigation technology and iPod dock included). "Most electric cars were designed by and for people who fundamentally don't think we should drive," Tesla Motors CEO Martin Eberhard recently wrote on the company blog. "We at Tesla Motors love cars." Financed in part by big guns from Google, eBay, and PayPal, the two-seater Roadster can go up to 250 miles on its 240-horsepower electric motor before its lithium-ion batteries need recharging. The Roadster will be available in L.A. and San Francisco this year, and in Chicago, New York, and Miami by the end of next year. For those of us on more modest budgets, Tesla Motors hopes to launch a cheaper electric family sedan within three years.