Wednesday, 06 Dec 2006

Today, our biofuels series gets to the root of the ethanol question. No, wait! Keep reading! Did you know that today's promising alternative fuel gained strength in backroom dealings in the disco-laden '70s? Did you know ethanol's success is related to how much Coke you drink? Did you know your whole life is a puppet show run by corporate schmucks? You will after you read today's feature on Archer Daniels Midland, and the accompanying guide to what E85 is and where to find it. Seriously, give it a read. Goes well with a glass of Coke.

Lunguna Beach

Study says California diesel responsible for 1,100 premature deaths

Overpopulation plaguing your state? Follow California's lead and kill 'em off! A Union of Concerned Scientists study says diesel emissions from old construction equipment contributed to 1,100 premature deaths and half a million sick days in California in 2005, costing an estimated $9.1 billion. "Construction equipment being used to build our hospitals shouldn't fill them up," says UCS author Don Anair. Unless, of course, it's some sort of state-sanctioned plan. A second study published in Cardiology says people with clogged arteries face a higher risk of heart attack after a day or two of exposure to diesel pollution. Currently, California emissions standards apply to about 30 percent of building equipment; on Monday, the state's Air Resources Board issued draft rules that would require older construction, industrial, and mining equipment to be replaced or retrofit between 2009 and 2020. By which time, the old machines will no doubt have brought population numbers down to a manageable level.

We Mine the World

Nuclear-hungry nations eye Africa's uranium deposits

In the 1980s, western nations tried to help Africa by assembling celebs to croon about its woes. Today we see how silly that is, so we're back to extracting resources instead. It's so much more direct, and with energy consumption rising, it will help for a long time! As whispers of a nuclear renaissance grow into a dull roar, for instance, uranium-rich areas are bracing for a boom. Namibia's Roessing Uranium Mine, which opened in 1976 but fell on hard times, is back in full swing. The two-mile-long, nearly-one-mile-wide, over-1,000-foot-deep mine, owned in part by Iran, recently made its first delivery to China. A second mine will open nearby soon, and three others are in the works, pleasing local leaders. But concerned observers aren't convinced. "They cannot tell us that they are safer than before," says Bertchen Kohrs of Earthlife Namibia. "Who says that some day we won't have to take back the nuclear waste here in Namibia?" Oh, Bertchen, relax. Angelina would never let that happen.


Ooo-ee, are we deep in the biofuels now! Even advice maven Umbra Fisk is taking on the topic, as she fields a query from a reader in Florida about whether corn ethanol can really get the green-fuel job done. Like a gas pedal under a heavy foot, her answer might leave you floored. (So sue us -- our supply of driving metaphors is running dry.)

Folks, We're Encountering Some Turbulence

E.U. and U.S. at odds over emissions cap for intercontinental flights

In two weeks, E.U. environment commissioner Stavros Dimas will unveil draft rules for capping airline emissions, and we'll give you one guess who's blocking the runway. At issue is whether to regulate intercontinental flights that use European airports for takeoff or landing, or to just regulate domestic flights; E.U. states want the broader cap, but the U.S. -- fearing increased fares and any chance to look good globally -- says non. "We think this will violate trade rules," said James Connaughton, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "The aviation sector has already made dramatic progress in becoming more fuel efficient because they have to. It costs a lot of money to fly people around." Miffed Europeans say that's bunk. "The U.S. does not have a legal point," says Jos Dings, director of the European Federation for Transport and Environment, who says including intercontinental flights would nearly quadruple the amount of carbon covered by the rules. Nuts, anyone?