Friday, 10 Nov 2006

Did green issues help tip critical races toward the more eco-friendly candidate? Environmental leaders in D.C. say yes, pointing to victories for Montana's new senator-elect, Jon Tester (D), at left, as well as California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and California rep-to-be Jerry McNerney. Other election watchers aren't convinced that eco-issues mattered much. But, as Muckraker reports, most everyone agrees that the outlook for green-leaning bills is now brighter than it has been in a long, long time.

A Dingell Ate My Maybe

Congressional Democrats' energy priorities are a mixed bag

Not so fast with the celebrating. The soon-to-be head of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. John Dingell (D), has declared no interest in raising U.S. fuel-efficiency standards -- he's from Michigan, natch -- and he's a nuclear-power booster. The Dems' rise could also lead to more offshore drilling; while dethroned Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) had refused, as House Resources Committee chair, to accept a compromise bill from the Senate, drilling advocates hope the new regime will pass the bill. Still, there are bright spots: Dingell hopes to close a drilling-lease loophole that has put billions of federal royalty dollars in oil-company pockets. He'll also prioritize incentives for cars that run on biofuels, clean diesel, and electricity, and address the issue of storing radioactive waste. And in the Senate, Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) will take over the Environment and Public Works Committee from James Inhofe (R-Okla.), promising major policy shifts on global warming.

Bio Partisan

President Bush promotes energy independence, snuggles up to Democrats

Word is President Bush will unveil an "energy independence" initiative to support ethanol and other biofuels -- and to show the world that he's, you know, down with the progressive agenda. (Which would be a lot more convincing if major ethanol investors didn't include oil giants like BP and Royal Dutch Shell. But we digress.) Alan Hubbard, director of the National Economic Council and a Bush adviser, has seen the light: "I actually think from talking to Democrats they have the same concerns we do. They are concerned about energy, and recognize that we need to accelerate our efforts to cure our addiction to foreign oil." Nice of the Dems to come around. But as love of biofuels swells in the U.S., some are concerned that new corn-based ethanol processing plants will attract factory dairy farms -- which can use a distillery byproduct as cattle feed -- that will increase land, air, and water pollution. See, we don't need the Middle East! We can screw up the country just fine on our own.


When youth-activism group Global Inheritance distributed goodies to L.A. Metro riders, the scene was like a rerun of The Real World, says Eric Ritz, with folks of every flavor from hipster to blue-collar taking part. Many who had never taken the subway before even 'fessed up to enjoying it! And that's the kind of response that keeps Ritz motivated. As InterActivist this week, Ritz chats with readers about reaching the youth demographic, keeping them interested in the issues (not just the swag), and more.

In Toilets Is the Preservation of the World

U.N. study illuminates deadly global water and sanitation situation

Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice -- but it's more likely to be lack of access to clean water that does us in. A U.N. report says dirty water is the second-leading cause of death among children around the world, causing 1.8 million wee ones under 5 to perish each year, and says that 2.6 billion people have no access to proper sanitation. Some countries, including Pakistan, India, and Ethiopia, spend far more on their military than on ensuring clean water and sanitation for their citizens. And in sub-Saharan Africa, a sanitation crisis has slowed economic growth by 5 percent of gross domestic product per year. The report's authors recommend that developing countries set aside at least 1 percent of their GDP for sanitation and sewage, and say the G8 nations should increase their focus on water issues. All of which led to maybe the best New York Times headline ever: "Toilets Underused to Fight Disease, U.N. Study Finds." We've been saying that all along.