Monday, 13 Aug 2007

Oopsy Daisy

Alaskan study says 2 million gallons of oil, seawater spilled over 10 years

Did you hear about the 2-million-gallon spill in the Alaskan tundra? No, you didn't, because it happened slowly, from different sources, over the course of 10 years. A study by the state's Department of Environmental Conservation says spills on the North Slope between 1995 and 2005 included a 994,400-gallon splash of seawater, which can kill tundra plants; during the same time, 349,274 gallons of seawater-oil-gas slop and 103,397 gallons of crude oil also found their way onto the fragile landscape. In all, operators reported 4,481 spills. Whoops! Some officials and scientists say the long-term effect of such errors -- 89 percent of which involved 99 gallons or less -- is minimal. "Based on spills reported, we haven't really noted any lasting impacts to wildlife per se," said Leslie Pearson of the DEC. But others are worried. Says Pamela Miller of the Northern Alaska Environmental Center, "What's important is that many of the spills may be small, but they're chronic and they're continuing to happen."


When it comes to eco-fashion, who's tops in the industry? We survey the sartorial scene today, measuring the practices of designers around the globe. From organic jeans to cruelty-free shoes, these visionaries are pumping out products that could change the world -- or at least your wardrobe. Meet them today, and get a peek at fashion shows from São Paulo to London that are putting green couture front and center.

Geez, All We Got Was Karl Rove's Resignation

Governments ruffled by climate kerfuffles in England, Australia

A couple of government climate kerfuffles have broken out: In Britain, a leaked briefing paper says the country won't meet a European Union target of 20 percent renewable energy by 2020, and suggests lobbying other nations for a more flexible interpretation of the goal or using "statistical interpretations" to shine things up. Written for government ministers by what is now the Department for Business, Enterprise, and Regulatory Reform, the memo says the best Britain can hope for is 9 percent by 2020, and even that would be a challenge. Officials and activists are shocked at the stance, which Rajiv Bhatia of renewable-energy distributor Alternergy calls a "betrayal of the highest order." Meanwhile, in Australia, four members of parliament caused a furor by writing a dissenting chapter to a cross-party report on climate change, saying the science is unsettled. Public outcry forced Prime Minister John Howard, a fellow Liberal and climate hesitator himself, to disavow their comments.


So you've realized the impacts of conventional meat production, but you can't quite give up the pleasures of the flesh? Advice maven Umbra Fisk weighs in on buying meat directly from the producer, finding out where restaurants source their meat, and other tips for the conscientious carnivores among us.

Underwater Update

Tidal turbines in New York's East River halted temporarily for repairs

The company experimenting with underwater electricity turbines in New York's East River has found that the river's currents are powerful. Too powerful, if you want to get picky about it: the river sheared off several blades on the 20-foot-tall turbines, and has stressed the bolts on the replacement blades as well. In fact, Virginia-based Verdant Power has shut down the six turbines temporarily, for repairs and a bit of tweaking. "The only way for us to learn is to get the turbines into the water and start breaking them," says Verdant founder Trey Taylor. Adds Mollie Gardner, a geologist with the company, "the good thing is that there's more power in the East River than we thought." The other good news is that studies so far have shown that fish caught on sonar are smart enough to swim around the blades. Eventually, Verdant plans to install up to 300 turbines in the river, which could power 8,000 homes; meanwhile, a competitor has gotten a federal permit to try out the East River as well.