Wednesday, 13 Dec 2006

We'll Be In the Fallout Shelter

Regional nuclear war could create catastrophic global cooling, say scientists

Not fully convinced that a nuclear war would suck? Perhaps this will do the trick: Scientists are reviving the "nuclear winter" fears of the 1980s, portending that even a small, regional nuke kerfuffle could trigger a devastating global cooling. Advanced computer models show that thick clouds from urban firestorms could rise into the upper atmosphere and block the sun's rays for about a decade, destroying crops and killing tens of millions of people. Oh, and the ozone layer would experience significant shrinkage, too. In short, says researcher Richard Turco, "all hell would break loose." About 40 countries have enough plutonium or uranium on hand to construct a decent nuclear arsenal -- not that they would, right? "Nuclear weapons are the most dangerous potential environmental danger to the planet," says researcher Alan Robock, dangerously. "They're much more dangerous than global warming." But nucular energy is a whole different kettle of ... catastrophe. Wake us when it's over.


The boom in corn-based ethanol seems like good news for farmers, who suddenly face growing demand for their crop. But is there enough corn to go around? And will surging demand mean surging prices for consumers? Tom Philpott addresses the food vs. fuel debate in today's Victual Reality column, and Yolanda Crous talks to a farmer in Missouri who's an ethanol co-op board member. Also, as a wee digestif, we bring you a rundown of celebrity biofuels hitting the shelves soon. (OK, we completely made them up. What can we say -- two weeks of biofuels coverage would leave you a little punchy too.)

Terminal Killness

City officials' reluctance may halt LNG terminal in Long Beach, Calif.

The debate over a $700 million liquefied-natural-gas terminal in Long Beach, Calif., may be coming to an end. City officials have long been squeamish about the proposed facility due to its proximity to the urban center. "It's a risk for accident and terrorist attack, and it's not a good business deal for the city," says Mayor Bob Foster. "Putting an LNG terminal in the port is like putting a giant kick-me sign on the back of our city." Harbor officials, overworked and tired of waiting for City Hall to make up its mind, may halt an environmental impact report, which would effectively shut down the process. But Sound Energy Solutions -- the Mitsubishi-ConocoPhillips venture behind the proposal -- is still trying to woo the public. At a recent forum in a church basement, SES safety manager Peter Micciche went so far as to toss a lit cigarette into a small container of the fuel, saying, "LNG has never and cannot explode." Even if it's targeted by smoking terrorists? We feel unconvinced.

Situation Normal, All Ducked Up

Feds won't make livestock-identification plan mandatory

Surprising exactly no one, a federal plan to track all U.S. livestock with ID tags remains controversial with farmers. Surprising some, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has given up on making it mandatory. Intended to trace disease and to combat -- wait for it -- agroterrorism, the National Animal Identification System is "admittedly a very emotional issue," says USDA undersecretary Bruce Knight, who has traveled the country to meet with skeptics. Since its rollout last year, NAIS has registered nearly a quarter of the nation's roughly 1.4 million farming "premises"; the next step for farms is to buy electronic tags for their animals at $2 to $3 a pop. Concerns range from religious (think tech-wary Amish) to economic to general mistrust of The Man: "The only reason for [NAIS] is to serve the economic interests of large meatpackers and people who are going to sell the technology," said Mary-Louise Zanoni, a small-farm advocate in New York. Said the agroterrorists: Mwah-ha-ha-ha.


If there's one thing more wasted on the young than youth, it's heaps of presents. Anyone who's seen a kid spend hours banging a wooden spoon on a saucepan knows that no shiny plastic gadgets are required to spread joy throughout child-land. So why not get creative for the holidays, instead of rushing out to Ploys R Us? Advice maven Umbra Fisk has a few eco-rific ideas for shopping outside the box this season. And yes, they go beyond The Lorax.