Thursday, 09 Aug 2007

Hillary Clinton is the front-runner in Democratic polls, but is she the front-runner on environmental issues? She argues her case in an interview with Grist and Outside, the latest in a series of interviews with presidential candidates. Clinton explains her thinking about coal and nuclear energy, talks up her plan to tax oil companies and channel the money toward alternative energy, and tells us what she really thinks of Al Gore. And if all that isn't enough to satisfy your Hillary curiosity, we've got a fact sheet with video, audio, and oodles of info about her green platform and record.

Good News, Sad News

Six species discovered in Congo, four endangered gorillas shot

A research expedition to a remote forest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo found six new animal species -- a bat, a rat, two shrews, and two frogs -- and may have found new plant species as well. The trip, which ran from January to March and was led by the Wildlife Conservation Society, represented the first scientific access to the isolated, violence-prone area since 1960. "If we can find six new species in such a short period, it makes you wonder what else is out there," said Andrew Plumptre of WCS. Dreamy! But hold on to your feel-good hat: the country is also struggling with the aftermath of the bewildering late-July slaughter of four endangered mountain gorillas. Officials from the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization will venture to Virunga National Park next week to investigate and to encourage more protection. "If we can't stop these attacks," said Russell A. Mittermeier, head of Conservation International, "our closest living relatives will disappear from the planet."

Damn Environment, It's Always Getting in the Way

Partisan eco-impasse stalls budget vote in California

California's massive state budget is nearly six weeks overdue, and a partisan eco-impasse is a major factor. The state Assembly passed a spending plan in late July, but it's stalled out in the state Senate. The current sticking point: the 37-year-old California Environmental Quality Act, under which the state can sue cities, counties, and developers that don't fully consider the eco-impacts of new development projects -- impacts that, these days, include climate change. Republicans are seeking a ban on such suits for three years, saying voter-approved funding should go "into levees and not into lawsuits." Democrats are peeved. "I'm here today to remove any doubt or ambiguity about where I am and where my caucus is," said Senate President pro tem Don Perata at a press conference yesterday. "I will not bargain away California's environment to oil refiners or multistate developers." Just one more vote would pass the thing; Perata says no other legislation will be taken up until that happens.


What's more fun than cooking something with three little boys? Cooking something with three little boys that looks a lot like dragon slime. Roz Cummins gives a recipe and a report on her latest culinary experiment, a blueberry-zucchini bread that takes advantage of the season's bounty -- and tastes a whole lot better than its batter looks.

Word Gets Around

New bike, parking policies leave polluting vehicles in the dust

Now for some wheely good news (sorry, it had to be done): officials around the globe are moving forward on innovative eco-transportation schemes. Last week, the city council of Reykjavik, Iceland, enacted a rule that gives free parking to those who drive fuel-efficient vehicles. In Ontario, Canada, yesterday, officials said they will develop a rating system for eco-friendly cars and trucks, with an eye toward debuting a green license plate in 2008 for low-emitters; the tag could net owners perks like free parking and access to commuter lanes. In Paris (ah, Paris), the first three weeks of the free-bicycle Vélib program saw 10,000 bikes used a total of 1.2 million times -- an average of six times per day. While some vandalism has been reported, and a few overeager commuters have illegally secured bikes with their own locks, officials are pleased with the experiment. And others are taking notice: London Mayor Ken Livingstone has asked his city's transportation agency to develop a similar scheme.