Thursday, 28 Jun 2007

Sure to Hit Fox News Soon

Mainstream media explores Bush administration eco-disregard

Searing indictment of the Bush administration's environmental policies -- it's not just for bloggers anymore! Last week, Rolling Stone published "The Secret Campaign of President Bush's Administration to Deny Global Warming," about -- well, you know. Not to be outdone, The Washington Post focused an installment of a series on Vice President Dick Cheney on the veep's involvement in various incidents of eco-dicking. Cheney's influence was indisputable in the relaxation of air-pollution regulations in 2003, says the Post, and in the 2001 deaths of tens of thousands of Oregon salmon when Klamath River water was diverted to irrigation. The paper says the veep also had a significant hand in the push to dispose of nuclear waste at Nevada's Yucca Mountain; the rewrite of President Clinton's roadless rule; and the lifting of a Clinton-era ban on snowmobiling in national parks. Indeed, Cheney's reported response to the Klamath River issue says it all: "What does the law say? Isn't there some way around it?"


Once the leader in U.S. wind-power generation, California is now taking a back seat to Texas. Oh, the shame! The indignity! What slowed the Golden State's breezy progress, and can it surmount the obstacles it now faces, ranging from property costs to military intervention? Kate Galbraith surveys the scene.

It Was Sunny in Seattle

Global weather is bad and likely to get worse

Within the last week, excessive heat -- think 113 degrees Fahrenheit -- has killed dozens of people in Greece, Romania, and Turkey. Storms killed some 150 people in India and about 220 people in Pakistan. Britain has been deluged by flooding. We like to think of these severe weather incidents as coincidental, but some crazies claim they're a wake-up call. Recent natural catastrophes "are indications of what might happen more frequently and more severely across the globe as a consequence of global warming," says Salvano Briceno, director of a U.N. agency that tries to convince governments to prioritize risk reduction from natural disasters. The U.N. urges measures such as early warning systems, construction of flood shelters, and protection for houses, hospitals, schools, and water, power, and transportation systems. "We cannot wait to be taken by surprise," says Briceno. "We know what is going to happen and we can prepare for it." Which just makes it even more depressing that we probably won't.


Like the ritual of firing up the grill, but not so keen on the part where you chew on charred animal flesh? We hear that. Roz Cummins serves up some suggestions for vegan and vegetarian alternatives to the usual BBQ fare. Bon appetit!

Turning Lemons Into Powerade

Waste Management announces $400 million methane-to-energy plan

Renewable energy got a boost this week: mega-hauler Waste Management said it will spend $400 million over five years to build 60 landfill-based facilities that will convert methane to electricity. The potent gas -- which results from the decomposition of organic yummies like trash and cow manure -- is the second-leading human-made contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide, and landfills account for 34 percent of methane emissions in the U.S. Waste Management already operates about 100 methane-energy facilities at its 281 North American landfills; in Saint-Sophie, Quebec, for instance, such an operation fills 75 percent of a local paper mill's energy needs. The new plants will bring WM's generating capacity to 700 megawatts, enough to power about 700,000 homes. By selling power to utilities or other users, the company stands to make a good, clean buck: Paul Pabor, WM's renewable-energy veep, said the project "represents incremental revenue." Which is better than a pile of cow shit.


As election season heats up, we've put together a list of 15 green-leaning politicians around the world whose actions we admire. From Canada to Kenya, these movers and shakers are showing that positive change is possible. That flickery feeling in your chest? It's called hope.