Thursday, 10 May 2007

Tony, We Hardly Knew Ye

British Prime Minister Tony Blair to resign, climate legacy mixed

British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced his resignation today in a short speech whose message amounted to, "Sorry about blindly following Bush. Forgive me?" Blair leaves in late June after 10 years at 10 Downing Street, with Finance Minister Gordon Brown expected to replace him. While much of the insta-chatter over Blair's legacy is focused on Iraq and Ireland, climate change is in the mix. "Tony Blair has made a significant positive contribution to the global debate on climate change, but this has been undermined by his failure to tackle emissions at home," said Friends of the Earth U.K. head Tony Juniper, noting that U.K. emissions rose during Blair's tenure. "Blair's successor must make climate change a priority by putting emissions-reduction at the heart of every policy." Brown seems likely to try; climate change has been described as one of his cherished policies. Meantime, there's life in the ol' Blair yet: he'll be a major player at June's G8 summit, where climate will top the agenda.

Doin' What Comes Unnaturally

GM joins climate pact, Citigroup pledges $50 billion to fight warming

This week saw big businesses make big strides toward climate action -- or at least talking about climate action. The U.S. Climate Action Partnership doubled its ranks, adding 14 businesses and green groups including GM, Dow Chemical, PepsiCo, and Shell. Since forming in January, U.S. CAP has pushed for a cap-and-trade system to control emissions. GM, the first automaker to join the group, inspired the most headlines; some critics claimed greenwashing, while others offered cautious praise. "By joining U.S. CAP, General Motors is acknowledging that global warming is a serious and urgent problem," said Union of Concerned Scientists head Kevin Knobloch. "The key is whether GM will take the additional steps of building and selling vehicles that are significantly cleaner at the tailpipe." Also this week, Citigroup pledged $50 billion to cut its emissions and invest in clean energy. Activists hailed the news, but were quick to point out that the bank still funds dirty energy. Hey, one step at a time.


If you've spent any time reading Tom Philpott's work for Grist, you know he has feelings about industrial corn. And they're not the Hallmark-card kind of feelings. But all his maize wandering has left at least one reader corn-fused: is it OK for her to buy corn at her local farmers' market, or should this crop be banned from her life? He gives her an answer, taking a look at how the U.S. demonizes perfectly good food along the way.

I Don't Want a Pickle, I Just Want a Fuel-Efficient Vehicle

Senate committee OKs bill to raise fuel-economy standards

A Senate committee has approved legislation that would increase average vehicle fuel efficiency to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, with a 4 percent annual increase from 2021 to 2030. For nearly two decades, U.S. passenger cars have averaged 27.5 mpg, while light trucks and SUVs have measured even lower. Besides boosting those stats, the new bill would regulate large work trucks and tractor-trailers for the first time. Fuel-economy toughening has never had so much congressional support -- thanks, gas prices and climate change! -- but greens are wary, noting that the bill would let the Transportation Department lower standards if costs allegedly outweigh benefits. "When you look at all the loopholes in this [bill], it kind of looks like Swiss cheese," says the Union of Concerned Scientists' David Friedman, whom we may ask to join our Simile Department. Not surprisingly, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers has declared the shift "unattainable, unreasonable, and not technologically feasible."

Feed Your Head

Alice Waters leads 200-chef brigade to protect wild salmon

Led by celebri-chef Alice Waters, some 200 chefs in 33 states are calling on Congress to protect river habitats and deprioritize hydroelectric dams that cramp Northwest salmon's style. "Wild salmon is one of the unique, authentic heritage foods of the Pacific Northwest," reads a letter that the cooking coalition presented to legislators yesterday. "It represents perhaps our country's last great wild meal." The "Vote With Your Fork" campaign hopes to focus attention -- both public and congressional -- on the controversial dams that have gummed up the Northwest's Klamath and Snake rivers, and on Alaska's Bristol Bay, where a proposed humongous gold and copper mine threatens a plentiful fishery. Because when it comes to salmon, the nation's best chefs turn up their noses at antibiotic-ridden, pellet-eating, oft-parasite-infested farmed fish. Besides, as Waters says, "Eating wild salmon can connect you in a beautiful way to the sea." We couldn't have said it beautifuler.