Tuesday, 14 Aug 2007

Shrinky-Dinky Do

Great Lakes, Arctic sea ice shrinking to record lows

It could be a summer of record lows in two of the world's iconic places: the Great Lakes and the Arctic seas. Water levels in Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior are well below normal, and Superior could soon hit a record low set in 1926. The U.S. and Canada have undertaken a five-year study that could shed sloooow light on the situation, which has been blamed on climate change, rainfall patterns, and human activities like dredging. "I think we found that all of those contributed to some degree," said Robert Nairn, principal of an engineering firm that has studied the issue. "The big question that remains is how much is each contributing." In the Arctic, measurements made last week by the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center found sea ice extent nearly 30 percent below the long-term average. With a month of melting season left, scientists say, a new record will likely be set. Says Mark Serreze of NSIDC, "We cannot explain everything that we have seen just through natural processes."

Putting the Yeehaw in Hubris

U.S. federal agencies, World Bank help developing countries emit more

President Bush has made clear his feelings on global-warming mitigation: "We all can make major strides, and yet there won't be a reduction until China and India are participants." So it seems a wee bit hypocritical that the United States is actually contributing to global-warming emissions in China, India, and other developing countries. Since 1995, two federally controlled agencies -- the U.S. Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corp. -- have spent $21 billion in loans and loan guarantees for fossil-fuel projects in more than 40 countries. The U.S. is also the largest shareholder in and a heavy influence on the World Bank, another contributor to CO2-spewing international projects; newly released documents show that the U.S. has pushed the bank to exclude climate concerns from investment calculations. As a result of such political pressure, the bank doesn't currently measure the impacts of fossil-fuel projects it supports -- and doesn't expect to for another two years.


Not every eco-leaning activist can move a crowd. It takes a certain type of energy -- and it also helps to have upbeat, rootsy music on your side. Australian guitarist John Butler and his eponymous trio work environmental and humanitarian themes into their website, lyrics, CD materials, and performances, including an appearance at Live Earth last month. Today, Butler talks with Sarah van Schagen about greening his tour, opening doors for old ladies, and dealing with the dickheads of the world.

In Tents

Climate camp kicks off at London's Heathrow Airport

The controversial Climate Camp at London's Heathrow Airport kicks off today, with as many as 2,000 people expected to attend at its height. The weeklong protest is aimed at airport officials' plans to build a new runway, and at the role of aviation in climate change. "Aviation emissions aren't even part of our climate budget ... and for that reason the government has just given the aviation industry a green light to expand when the rest of us are being told we have to reduce our emissions," said one Greenpeace campaigner. Organizers are planning trainings, debates, and direct actions. With rumors spreading that the protesters plan to unleash bomb hoaxes, anxious airport officials and as many as 1,800 police are on guard. But the campers -- who surmounted an injunction leveled against them earlier this month -- say their aims are peaceful. "This isn't just about people's freedom to fly," said one, "this is about people's freedom to live on a planet that has a future."

It Only Hertz a Little

Rental and car-share companies get hip to hybrids

Fueled by consumers' green interests, rental, car-service, and car-sharing companies are increasingly turning to hybrids. (Hear the collective sigh of relief from guilt-prone enviros who cringe with every tap on the rental accelerator.) Big renters Enterprise, Hertz, and Avis have all recently added several thousand Toyota Priuses and other hybrids to their fleets, and smallish company EV Rental Cars, based mainly in California, is all-hybrid. Upscale car-service companies such as L.A.-based Evo Limo and New York-based OZOcar also give low-emission rides around town. Car-sharers like Flexcar -- which has a 30 percent hybrid fleet -- and Zipcar are also getting hip to the hoopla. The downside: unless you're tooling around in a big West Coast or Northeast city -- particularly the usual suspects Seattle, San Francisco, L.A., Boston, New York, or D.C. -- you're less likely to have the hybrid option. In addition, hybrids sometimes cost more to rent. Because saving the planet don't come cheap.