Friday, 15 Sep 2006

Wigley Room

Spewing sulfur dioxide into atmosphere could slow warming, says research

On earth, sulfur dioxide contributes to acid rain and harms human hearts and lungs -- but if injected into the stratosphere, says new research in Science, it could shade the sun's rays and keep global warming at bay. Hey, if volcanoes can spew it, why can't we? "I'm not suggesting we don't reduce our dependence on fossil fuels for energy," says study author Tom Wigley. "But ... can we make it economically and technologically easier by doing something that's also technology, which may be cost-effective?" According to Wigley's computer models, volcanic-scale sulfur-spewing every one to four years could keep global temperatures close to constant for 40 to 50 years, even if carbon emissions continue to increase. The scheme would have plenty of barriers to overcome: For one, planes would be the most sensible carriers, but the magnitude of the release would require more than the current global commercial airline fleet. And for two, it's totally crazy.


It takes a village to build green, says Huston Eubank, director of the World Green Building Council. Integrated design -- involving architects, landscapers, regulatory folk, and everyone with a stake in the outcome -- is a central pillar of green building, he explains. Answering reader questions, Eubank chats about creating a global green-building rating system, finding a suitable -- and sustainably minded -- architect, and getting started in the green design field.

You Can't Always Nyet What You Want

Russia plans enormous sports complex near pristine national park

Hoping to strengthen its bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics, the Russian government has approved an $11.3 billion project to turn areas of Sochi National Park into a ginormous winter-sports complex. The park is home to 300 endemic plant species and a variety of endangered flora and fauna; over a quarter of its nearly 470,000 acres are earmarked for ski resorts, a high-speed rail system, a hydropower plant, and an Olympic Village. "The construction would cause significant damage to the area," says Mikhail Kreindlin of Greenpeace Russia, which is suing to stop the project. "The government is aware of all this but is under too much pressure from powerful real-estate developers and big corporations." In response to the lawsuit, the Sochi 2014 bid committee announced that it would "ensure that all our plans meet and comply with the highest environmental standards of the Olympics and ecological communities." Da, right.

San Joaquin Phoenix

Dead San Joaquin River will be revived

More than 60 miles of California's dead, sandy San Joaquin River may yet run with water and salmon again, as enviros and farmers have settled an 18-year legal battle over the river's fate. Based on a new 20-year, $250-to-$800 million restoration plan, agricultural water diversion from the river will be reduced by an average of 15 percent and the spring chinook salmon run, wiped out by a dam in 1942, will be revived. "The magnitude of this restoration effort … is virtually unprecedented in the American West," says Hal Candee of the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of 14 green groups that sued the Bureau of Reclamation in 1988. Water for agriculture may be recirculated, stored, or bought at a discount from the federal government; a representative for the 15,000 area farmers says growers are "optimistic that we can successfully implement the agreement."

Grasping at Straw

Alternative fabrics hit the action-sports market

Surf's up, dude -- and so is action-sports apparel makers' interest in alternative fabrics. (OK, that was a stretch.) Clothes made from organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and even recycled plastic bottles are hitting the action-sports apparel market. Sustainability will "definitely be the next big wave," says the oh-so-punny Don Brown of Sole Technology, parent company of Etnies. Not so active but still want to get gussied up in sustainable style? Scientists at the University of Nebraska plan to develop apparel from chicken feathers and rice straw. But you won't look like you just had a roll in the hay: the feather-based fabric will resemble wool, while the straw-based fabric will have the look and feel of linen or cotton. The researchers envision markets for feathers and straw in everything from carpets to automobiles to building materials. And you never know when tar-and-feathering might come back in vogue.