Monday, 18 Sep 2006

Nixon Goes to Reality

Rumors fly about possible new Bush climate policy

First there was the tantalizing hint that President Bush's thoughts on climate change have "evolved," and that a major new energy initiative would soon be announced. Then there was the Onion-esque claim that Bush would announce a goal of stabilizing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere at 450 parts per million by the year 2106 (wouldn't our great-grandkids be pleased?). Then Bush's top environmental adviser told us to "stay tuned." And finally, "administration insiders" confirmed that a flip-flop ... er, Nixon-goes-to-China moment was in the offing. If this flurry of rumors and leaks is to be believed, Bush will soon announce measures to combat global warming, perhaps in his 2007 State of the Union address. Iain Murray, one of the Competitive Enterprise Institute's resident climate skeptics, grumbled, "We are left with the unpleasant conclusion that the only motivation is political." On that, at least, we can all agree.

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Malaria?

World Health Organization endorses controlled use of DDT to fight malaria

Reversing a 30-year-old policy, the World Health Organization on Friday announced that the pesticide DDT, used indoors in moderation, is critical to fighting malaria, and argued that such use won't harm people or the environment. Applied to the inside walls of dwellings once or twice a year, DDT will join with medications and pesticide-treated bed nets in what officials hope will be an effective malaria-fighting trifecta, particularly in Africa. Widely sprayed on farm fields in the mid-20th century, DDT was banned in much of the world starting in the 1970s after it was found to enter the food chain, killing birds and wildlife and posing a cancer threat to humans. Environmental groups are conflicted about the WHO's announcement -- the Sierra Club voiced "reluctant" support, the Pesticide Action Network expressed concern but said it wouldn't try to block the move, and Beyond Pesticides said it was opposed. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) had no such reservations: "Finally ... we can put to rest the junk science and myths that have provided aid and comfort to the real enemy -- mosquitoes."


Compact fluorescents are widely touted as the cream of the crop when it comes to eco-friendly lighting. But, wonders a reader, aren't LEDs even more efficient and long-lasting? And if so, where can I get some? Advice maven Umbra Fisk sheds light on the subject.

Chagrin and Bear It

Melting sea ice makes polar bears starve, drown

Travel agents hawking trips to the Arctic have been boasting lately of an increased likelihood that tourists will see polar bears -- because starving bears are encroaching on human settlements to scavenge for food. Polar bears have traditionally used ice floes to hunt seals, their favored prey -- but Arctic ice, in case you hadn't heard, is melting. According to new research in the journal Arctic, the spring hunting season for polar bears has been reduced by nearly three weeks in some places, causing female bears to gain up to 175 pounds less than normal. Far from enjoying their slender physiques, the skinny bears are more susceptible to disease and have diminished reproductive capabilities, and their cubs are less likely to survive. In 1980, the average weight of an adult female polar bear in western Hudson Bay was 650 pounds; in 2004, it was 507 pounds. The Arctic study warns that the risk posed to polar bears by global warming is potentially irreversible. How's that for a Monday downer?


Business doesn't have to be business as usual, says Alisa Gravitz, head of Co-op America. The power of the marketplace can be used to solve environmental and social problems rather than create them. As our InterActivist this week, Gravitz chats with Grist about her work promoting fair-trade products, helping magazines switch to recycled paper, putting on Green Festivals that showcase eco-friendly commerce, and more. Send Gravitz a question by noon PDT on Wednesday; we'll publish her answers to selected questions on Friday.

A Beautiful Find

Scientists discover 52 new marine species near Indonesia

Eight new species of shrimp, 20 new species of coral, and 24 new species of fish, including two types of sharks, have been discovered off the coast of Indonesia. And these aren't your grandmother's marine species: Male wrasse fish get sexy for their harems by flashing bright yellow, blue, and purple; bottom-dwelling epaulette sharks mostly get around by "walking" on their fins; and the shrimp resemble praying mantises. Mark Erdmann of Conservation International calls the 6,950-square-mile Bird's Head Seascape "the epicenter of marine biodiversity on the planet"; researchers have counted 1,200 species of fish and 600 species of coral there, a greater concentration of species than is found at the Great Barrier Reef. Of course, the ecosystem is in danger, threatened by commercial fishing vessels, local fisherfolk who use dynamite and cyanide, and erosion from mining and logging. Only 11 percent of the area is currently protected, but Indonesia's Fisheries Ministry is hoping to increase the number of regional marine parks.