Wednesday, 14 Feb 2007

Here at Grist, we know it can be hard to find just the right Valentine's card -- something that shows your loved one how much you care without striking a tone that's completely off the mark. That's why we're sharing a few green-minded greetings we created for our special sweeties this year. (Warning: satire ahead.) You can even send 'em to your friends and neighbors, electronic-like! It's our little love morsel for you. Happy Valentine's Day!


You've probably seen the story that ripped through newspapers, cable news shows, and blogs: a right-wing think tank was busted offering to pay scientists $10,000 to undermine the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Turns out there's almost nothing to it, though. It's a story that relies almost entirely on dark insinuation, and survives by tapping the extraordinary public suspicion toward the conservative movement on the subject of global warming. Will those involved learn and grow from the experience? Probably not, but David Roberts and Andrew Dessler attempt to tease out a few take-home lessons anyway.

Bed Bath & Behind

Ceres publishes list of top 10 industry laggards on climate change

Which companies will be caught with their pants down when greenhouse-gas regulations hit? Environmental investment group Ceres has released a list of 10 U.S. corporations that shareholders say have failed to adequately plan for the climate-changed future. The list includes Wells Fargo, urged to reduce emissions from financial clients, and big-box retailer Bed Bath & Beyond, for being "unresponsive" to requests that it publicize its green goals. Listed for not investing in alternative-energy technologies were, unsurprisingly, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Massey Energy, and TXU Corp. The Ceres report coincided with investors both hither and yon filing shareholder resolutions on global-warming issues -- 42 were filed this year, compared to just 25 in 2004. The industry laggards "may be compromising their long-term competitiveness and shareholder value," says Ceres President Mindy Lubber. "We want all companies to understand the business impacts of climate change -- and plan for it accordingly."


A couple of weeks ago, advice maven Umbra Fisk happened to mention in a column about insulation that she was under the weather. Immediately, a flood of wishes for good health poured in. Today, Umbra takes a break from dispensing advice to offer thanks for those "get well soon" notes and for all the fan mail she receives -- and to think about how such positive energy could help the environmental movement achieve its goals. Salud!

Who Speaks for the Eggman?

U.S. green groups sue feds over polar bear, walrus protection

Two green groups have sued the feds for failing to protect polar bears and walruses (walri?) from the nasty combo of oil drilling and global warming. Pacific Environment and the Center for Biological Diversity say the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service didn't consider the effects of warming when it issued rules on industrial "incidental takings" of the animals in Alaska's Beaufort Sea area. Does "taking" mean bringing a cub home to the missus? No, it means killing or harassment -- even driving by a den could count if the bear emerges to check you out. Between 1994 and 2000, oil and gas operations reported a total of 66 polar-bear harassment cases; in 2004 alone, they reported 36. Such activities, the plaintiffs say, can disrupt life cycles. And with thinning sea ice causing its own disruption, the stakes are raised. "The government is well aware that global warming ... is transforming the entire Arctic ecosystem," says CBD's Kassie Siegel, "yet these regulations fail to take this into account."

Tune in Tomorrow

Leaders around the world leap into the climate-promise arena

Today we bring you another edition of Leaders Making Big Climate Promises! In New Zealand, Prime Minister Helen Clark announced a goal to make her country the world's first carbon-neutral nation. Zowie! British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell says he'll set up a climate team to cut vehicle and coal-plant emissions and push B.C.ers to conserve. Zoinks! In the U.S., New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) signed an executive order calling for an 80 percent cut in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050, noting the "absence of leadership on the federal level." Ahem! And a high-profile meeting in the U.S. Senate finds bigwigs John McCain, Barbara Boxer, and others meeting with lawmakers from Europe and Asia to discuss the world's approach to climate change. Kapow! Organized by the U.K.-based GLOBE (Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment), the forum is backed by Prime Minister Tony Blair. President Bush, busy looking for a corner of the Oval Office to weep in, could not be reached for comment.