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No Word on the Mansions
Governors abandon gas-guzzling SUVs as they ask others to use less fuel |
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12 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| No Word on the Mansions Governors abandon gas-guzzling SUVs as they ask others to use less fuel As post-hurricane gas prices in the U.S. hover around $3 a gallon, several governors have dumped their state-funded, gas-hogging SUVs for more energy-conscious vehicles. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) will be sidelining his Lincoln Navigator for a Ford Escape hybrid, and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) ... |
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| Topics: Bill Richardson, green living, news, placemaking, politics (all these topics) |
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Beyond a Reasonable Drought
Massive Amazon drought may be linked to warm Atlantic waters |
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12 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Beyond a Reasonable Drought Massive Amazon drought may be linked to warm Atlantic waters With the Amazon rainforest suffering its worst drought in a half-century, Brazil has declared a state of emergency in the hardest-hit area. Some scientists speculate that warmer North Atlantic waters -- the same factor driving the intense Atlantic hurricane season -- are causing more air to rise, and that the rising air is offset b ... |
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| Topics: Amazon, Brazil, deforestation, news (all these topics) |
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Bye, Local
Organic farmers in U.S. losing business to foreign growers |
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11 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Bye, Local Organic farmers in U.S. losing business to foreign growers Organic is seen as a niche that helps smaller American farmers endure, but a sizeable chunk of the organic foods sold in the U.S. are being sourced from overseas suppliers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that as much as $1.5 billion of organic food was imported in 2002, while perhaps $125 million worth was exported. Some food produ ... |
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| Topics: food and agriculture, globalization, news (all these topics) |
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Beswitched
Jeb Bush's switcheroo on drilling causes rift in Florida delegation |
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11 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Beswitched Jeb Bush's switcheroo on drilling causes rift in Florida delegation Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) is backing a bill in the House of Representatives that would open some new federal waters, including the eastern Gulf of Mexico, to oil rigs -- and in so doing, he's fractured the state's long-standing bipartisan political consensus against offshore drilling. Jeb's flip-flop, after years of advocat ... |
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| Topics: Florida, mining and drilling, news, oceans, politics (all these topics) |
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Tar Nation
Canada's oil sands boom for business, bust for environment |
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11 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Tar Nation Canada's oil sands boom for business, bust for environment We have seen our energy future, and it's very, very dirty. By some estimates, the oil sands of northern Alberta, Canada, contain 175 billion barrels of crude, reserves second only to Saudi Arabia's. Problem is, getting usable oil out of the tarry, sticky sand requires clearing vast swaths of forest, burning tons of natural gas, polluting millions o ... |
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| Topics: Canada, energy, news, oil, oil sands (all these topics) |
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System of a Drown
The long history of political bungling that sank New Orleans |
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10 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| System of a Drown The long history of political bungling that sank New Orleans In "The Slow Drowning of New Orleans," The Washington Post's Michael Grunwald and Susan B. Glasser trace the centuries-long history of shortsighted greed and political expediency that left the Crescent City vulnerable to disaster. In recent decades, Louisiana has received more Army Corps of Engineers funding than any ... |
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| Topics: Army Corps of Engineers, Louisiana, news, wetlands (all these topics) |
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Who Needs Solar Roofs?
Schwarzenegger signs many green bills into law, vetoes a few |
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10 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Who Needs Solar Roofs? Schwarzenegger signs many green bills into law, vetoes a few California reaped a green bonanza last week, as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed more than 30 wide-ranging environmental bills into law. One with potential for nationwide impact will mandate that all new cars for sale in California be stickered with information on how many tons of greenhouse g ... |
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| Topics: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California, environmental planning, news, politics (all these topics) |
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The Melting Plot
Thawing Arctic opens new competition for northern territory, resources |
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10 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| The Melting Plot Thawing Arctic opens new competition for northern territory, resources The melting of the Arctic ice cap is bad news for polar bears, seals, some Arctic natives, and, oh yeah, possibly much of humankind -- but great news for a few countries and companies looking to score bucks. The high stakes include lucrative new summer shipping lanes, easier access to an estimated one-quarter of the wo ... |
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| Topics: Arctic, business, Canada, Denmark, news, Russia (all these topics) |
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Watts On, Watts Off
Japanese manufacturing leads the world in energy efficiency |
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07 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Watts On, Watts Off Japanese manufacturing leads the world in energy efficiency When oil supplies contract, oil-dependent economies suffer -- and Japan prospers. Investors are bullish on Japan's manufacturing sector, which has been investing in energy efficiency since the oil crisis of the early 1970s. Faced then with few domestic energy sources and near total dependence on foreign oil, the nation's industrial ... |
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| Topics: energy, Japan, news, oil, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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The Mold Song and Dance
EPA failing to inform or protect folks returning to post-Katrina mess |
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07 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| The Mold Song and Dance EPA failing to inform or protect folks returning to post-Katrina mess The U.S. EPA has the authority to assess and manage environmental disasters, but activists and even some EPA staffers allege that so far agency testing of water, air, and soil in the Gulf Coast has been insufficient, and its health warnings too weak, to adequately protect returning residents. EPA should be more actively preventing ... |
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| Topics: Louisiana, news, toxics, US EPA (all these topics) |
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A Refine and Pleasant Misery
House energy legislation would undermine parts of Clean Air Act |
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07 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| A Refine and Pleasant Misery House energy legislation would undermine parts of Clean Air Act You just can't keep a bad bill down. Provisions cut from the energy bill that was passed this summer have lurched back to life; they now stumble forward under the banner of the Gasoline for America's Security (GAS) Act, due for a House vote today. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), the legislation's sponsor, says the act will help cu ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, energy, news, politics (all these topics) |
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Rock, Hudson
GE finally agrees to clean up PCBs in Hudson River |
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07 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Rock, Hudson GE finally agrees to clean up PCBs in Hudson River Are we ecomagining things? General Electric Co. has finally agreed to dredge the PCBs it long ago dumped in the upper Hudson River of New York state, nearly 30 years after the contamination was discovered. With 43 miles of tainted river bottom to tend and total costs estimated at $700 million, it will be one of the ... |
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| Topics: commercial and industry organizations, Hudson River, New York, news, toxics (all these topics) |
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So a Priest Walks Into an Environmental Protest ...
Brazilian priest on hunger strike to stop water-diversion scheme |
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06 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| So a Priest Walks Into an Environmental Protest ... Brazilian priest on hunger strike to stop water-diversion scheme Roman Catholic bishop Luiz Flavio Cappio has been fasting for 10 days in a modest chapel 600 feet from Brazil's Sao Francisco River, aiming to halt a massive water-diversion project. The $1.8 billion government plan involves building hundreds of miles of canals and other infra ... |
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| Topics: Brazil, environmental justice, news, politics, water conflicts (all these topics) |
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We Mar the World
World Bank study says pollution, climate change hurt millions |
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06 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| We Mar the World World Bank study says pollution, climate change hurt millions The World Bank is not the first institution that comes to mind when you're looking for hard-hitting environmental analysis. But a new report from the powerful development agency asserts that while alcohol, tobacco, and unsafe sex are still the most common threats to human health in developing nations, millions of deaths and a full ... |
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| Topics: climate, news, pollution and waste, World Bank (all these topics) |
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Hall and Votes
Choice to head FWS has iffy record on endangered species |
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06 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Hall and Votes Choice to head FWS has iffy record on endangered species Dale Hall, a 27-year veteran of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will probably be confirmed today as the agency's director by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. A full Senate vote on the confirmation is expected soon. Hall's tenure at FWS seems notable mainly for his unwillingness to strongly support protections for endan ... |
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| Topics: news, politics, US Fish and Wildlife Service (all these topics) |
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The Sound and the ... Eh
Fisheries Service offers mild plan to preserve Puget Sound orcas |
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05 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| The Sound and the ... Eh Fisheries Service offers mild plan to preserve Puget Sound orcas The much-beloved and much-beleaguered orcas of Puget Sound in Washington state are the focus of a tepid new National Marine Fisheries Service conservation plan. It emphasizes cleaning up the sound, preventing oil spills, and trying to boost the salmon population -- pretty much what the government ... |
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| Topics: fishing, National Marine Fisheries Service, news, oceans, Washington (all these topics) |
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Stan in the Place Where You Live
Mexico and Central America reel under latest gulf hurricane |
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05 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Stan in the Place Where You Live Mexico and Central America reel under latest gulf hurricane The name "Stan" does not typically inspire fear (even if it's better than "Stanley"), but a hurricane with that moniker has been wreaking havoc down south. In what is sure to be another blow to North America's hobbled energy supply, all three of Mexico's crude-oil loading ports on the Gulf of Mexico ... |
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| Topics: Central America, energy, Mexico, news, oil (all these topics) |
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Sport Futility Vehicles
SUV sales take a dive as gas prices ascend |
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05 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Sport Futility Vehicles SUV sales take a dive as gas prices ascend It seems America is suffering from some shrinkage. SUV sales plummeted in September, compared to the same period last year. Ford Motor Co. reported a 55 percent-plus freefall in sales of mega-SUVs like the Expedition and Lincoln Navigator; sales of its F-series pickup trucks also dove about 30 percent. Other major automakers had similar reports, while sales of J ... |
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| Topics: business, news, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Porcine of the Times
Bush administration launches cartoon conservation campaign |
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04 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Porcine of the Times Bush administration launches cartoon conservation campaign With gas prices already skyrocketing and home heating costs expected to follow, the Bush administration yesterday unveiled a long-term clean-energy and conservation program. Oh, wait, did we say "long-term clean-energy and conservation program"? What we meant was "cartoon character." Yes, yesterday the Departmen ... |
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| Topics: Department of Energy, energy, news, politics (all these topics) |
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We'll Always Have Parish
Louisiana faces massive trash and toxics cleanups |
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04 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| We'll Always Have Parish Louisiana faces massive trash and toxics cleanups New Orleans' ecological recovery is likely to be both complex and lengthy. State environmental officials say Hurricane Katrina left around 22 million tons of debris in southeast Louisiana, 12 million of it in Orleans Parish. The ginormous load of trash ranges from organics like downed trees and rotting food to about 6 ... |
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| Topics: land degradation, Louisiana, news, pollution and waste, toxics (all these topics) |
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The Drill of the Chase
Offshore and Arctic Refuge drilling out of House bill -- for now |
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04 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| The Drill of the Chase Offshore and Arctic Refuge drilling out of House bill -- for now House Republican efforts to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and U.S. coastal waters to oil drilling are dead for now, but are likely to return, zombie-like, from the grave. Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) had offered legislation, intended as part of a larger House energy package, that would have allowed indiv ... |
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| Topics: Arctic, mining and drilling, news, oceans, politics (all these topics) |
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We Like Bike
Gas prices push U.S. bike sales to near-historic peak |
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03 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| We Like Bike Gas prices push U.S. bike sales to near-historic peak Glory be: More bicycles than cars have been sold in the U.S. in the past 12 months. That's about 19 million bicycles -- nearing the 20 million sales peak during the early 1970s oil embargo -- and roughly $5 billion to $6 billion in business, according to the trade organization Bikes Belong. Though concern for the environment may factor into the two-wheeler surge, one bike- ... |
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| Topics: news, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Win, Lose, or Crawfish
New Orleans-area fish, shrimp, crab are OK to eat; oysters, not so much |
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03 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Win, Lose, or Crawfish New Orleans-area fish, shrimp, crab are OK to eat; oysters, not so much Though few folks are there to eat it, much of the seafood from Lake Pontchartrain next to New Orleans seems safe for consumption, say state environmental officials. About 80 percent of the city's sewage-tainted floodwaters have been pumped into the lake, but so far no significant chem ... |
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| Topics: Louisiana, marine life, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, news (all these topics) |
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America's Coast Wanted
House bill would open coasts, other areas to drilling |
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03 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| America's Coast Wanted House bill would open coasts, other areas to drilling Recent hurricane-related disruptions to Gulf Coast oil infrastructure may get the oil industry something it's been after for years: a chance to drill off the U.S. coasts. Legislation sponsored by Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) and approved last week by the House Resources Committee he chairs would permit individual states to opt out of ... |
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| Topics: mining and drilling, news, oceans, politics (all these topics) |
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Don't It Make My Brown Eggs Blue
U.S. bans imports of beluga caviar to help conserve sturgeon |
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30 Sep 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Don't It Make My Brown Eggs Blue U.S. bans imports of beluga caviar to help conserve sturgeon The U.S. -- destination for 60 percent of the world's beluga-sturgeon caviar -- yesterday announced a ban on beluga imports from the Caspian Sea, where sturgeon stocks have plunged by about 90 percent in the past two decades, a casualty of pollution and unlawful harvests. Legal caviar trade is worth about $100 millio ... |
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| Topics: Caspian Sea, marine life, news, United States (all these topics) |
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