Friday, 08 Jun 2007

A Jury Of Your Pyrrhus

G8 climate deal is failure or triumph, depending whom you ask

Welcome to another installment of "Days of Our G8 Lives." Yesterday, the G8 agreed to a climate deal it's been fine-tuning for weeks. It notably did not commit to German Chancellor Angela Merkel's goal of cutting greenhouse-gas emissions 50 percent by 2050, but it did say countries would "consider seriously" adopting such a goal. Thanks, George! The agreement also endorses Bush's plan to bring developing countries to the negotiating table, but confirms that the U.N. is the best place to work out future climate treaties. Many observers were outraged that the U.S. had once again purple-nurpled the world, but others tried to look on the bright side. "While Europe has been itching on the starting blocks for the past decade, Bush has been sulking in the changing room," said one European policy adviser. "At least he is now on the track." Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, chief climate adviser to Merkel, offered this take: "The United States is now on a bandwagon they cannot stop."


Are you worried that the oomph behind climate-change awareness is beginning to fade? Fear not, says Bill McKibben -- he has been to New Hampshire, and he has seen a generation of student activists all riled up about keeping the movement going. McKibben reports from a kickoff for Climate Summer, an energetic, enthusiastic scene that reminds him of history-making summers past -- and gives him real optimism for the future.

Sea Vous Plait

Study says Europe's seas in trouble from fishing, farming, other threats

In case you think Europe does everything right, a study shows that the continent's seas are in sea-rious trouble. More than 100 scientists in 15 countries surveyed the Baltic, Black, and Mediterranean seas and the North Atlantic, finding that fishing, farming, shipping, and development are all causing trouble. "In every sea, we found serious damage related to the accelerated pace of coastal development, the way we transport our goods, and the way we produce our food on land as well as the sea," said coordinator Laurence Mee. "Without a concerted effort to integrate protection of the sea into Europe's development plans, its biodiversity and resources will be lost." Two of the more sea-prising findings: increased wealth has led to meat-heavy diets, which has increased fertilizer use; and some areas have improved -- but only because industry has relocated to the developing world. Warns Mee: "If we don't address these problems then we really are shooting ourselves in the foot for future generations."


When is a soap not a soap? Susan Griffin-Black's bath and body care company, EO, has been accused of misrepresenting the common cleanser, but she's eager to set the record straight. As InterActivist this week, she fields reader questions about getting spread too thin, why her company can't be fully organic, and the one animal-derived ingredient she can't live without.

Find ITT on eBay

Ecuador offers to keep oil in the ground for compensation

Ecuador offered to play "Let's Make a Deal" this week, suggesting that it could afford to keep a pristine area from oil drilling if developed nations and green groups ponied up some cold, hard cash. "We are willing to do this sacrifice, but not for free," said President Rafael Correa, who suggested that $350 million annually for 10 years would suffice. "This is an insignificant figure compared to what is spent on the Iraq war," Correa added. Zing! The $350 million figure is about half what the country expects could be profited from developing Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini, Ecuador's biggest oilfield. The ITT is partially within the 2.5-million-acre Yasuni National Park, an area home to indigenous people and so biodiverse that -- fun fact! -- there are nearly as many species of trees in 2.5 acres as in the entire U.S. and Canada combined. But developing the ITT could feed approximately 12 days of global oil consumption. So it's a tough call.

Maybe Anne-Sophie Muttered

Tree used for violin bows gets U.N. protection, others slip through the cracks

A threatened tree species used in high-quality violin bows gained new protections yesterday -- and so did the violin bows. The U.N.'s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species added brazilwood to the list of nearly 40,000 species it regulates. Originally, the guidelines would have required violinists to carry permits when bringing their brazilwood bows through customs, but they got a last-minute reprieve; only travelers transporting raw wood will need permits. Whew. "We are inspired by the hope that [the species] will remain a feature of our landscape and continue to delight us in the hands of musicians across the world," said delegate Fernando Coimbra of Brazil, the only country where the tree grows in the wild. Three other species didn't fare so well: the Spanish cedar and two types of rosewood were denied protection under a plan that would have required timber to be licensed. Said delegates from South and Central America, where the trees are harvested: "Nothing to see here, folks."

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