Saturday, January 28, 2006

Daily Grist Weekly Digest for 1-21-06

Wild to Be Born
You say you want a revolution? Go to Montana

It's a biiig country out there, full of all sorts of crookedy politicians and shady deals. But in Montana, the landscape is shifting -- in more ways than one. Renowned environmental writer Rick Bass explores his state's changing political climate and its impact on wilderness in today's Main Dish. And in a jubilant op-ed, former Montana Rep. Pat Williams celebrates the way his fellow Westerners are keeping pols from selling and developing their land.

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new in Main Dish: Wild to Be Born

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new in Soapbox: How the West Was Won ... Back


Keeping Up With the Bushes
Conservative Canadian politico vows to back out of Kyoto agreement

As Canada's federal election looms -- yes, Canada is having an election -- Conservative leader Ste

phen Harper is campaigning on virtually abandoning the Kyoto accord on climate change. Harper, who proclaimed in 2004 that the treaty would never become international law (oops), says victorious Conservatives would jettison mandatory targets and timelines for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions in favor of voluntary ones. The Canadian Climate Coalition accuses Harper of putting Canada "into the same camp as U.S. President George W. Bush." Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin is using the issue to hit back at Harper, exhorting Canadians to vote their values -- and most Canadians say they support Kyoto. The election, for those of you who haven't been following closely (ahem), is Jan. 23.

straight to the source: Winnipeg Free Press, 17 Jan 2006

straight to the source: Toronto Star, Canadian Press, Martin O'Hanlon, 17 Jan 2006

straight to the source: Toronto Star, Peter Gorrie, 14 Jan 2006




Here Today, Oregon Tomorrow
Feds say local recovery plan is enough to save Oregon's coastal coho

Oregon coastal coho salmon will not be returned to the federal threatened species list. The National Marine Fisheries Service says there's no need for federal protections, crediting improving fish numbers to the recovery plan developed by a coalition of local, state, and federal players, including the timber and agricultural industries. Coastal coho runs dropped to about 25,000 fish in 1997 -- from historic highs of about 1 million -- and currently hover around 100,000, according to Oregon wildlife officials. But salmon advocates, including some NMFS scientists, worry the stock's comeback may be due to recent weather patterns producing more food in the ocean, a variable that can change over time.

straight to the source: The Oregonian, Associated Press, Jeff Barnard, 17 Jan 2006


I Am Dyin', Hear Me Roar
Lion advocates support trophy hunting to help save big cats

When one contemplates saving an endangered species, one's thoughts naturally turn to ... shooting it. (Wait, yours don't?) So it is with the fast-shrinking lion population of southern and eastern Africa: A historic meeting of conservationists, regional government representatives, and safari hunters last week in South Africa concluded that legal trophy hunting might be just the ticket to preserving the iconic great cats in the wild. Trophy hunting, combined with other strategies like strong crackdowns on illegal lion kills, could help save lion habitat and finance conservation efforts. Lions have disappeared from about 80 percent of their historic range in Africa, thanks to habitat loss, disappearance of wild prey, and more human-lion conflicts -- all of which are likely to increase if Africa's human population continues to grow.

straight to the source: Independent Online, Reuters, Ed Stoddard, 16 Jan 2006

straight to the source: Terra Daily, Agence France-Presse, 16 Jan 2006


Dude, Where's My Crop?
USDA failing to keep track of gene-mod crop experiments

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has failed to adequately monitor thousands of acres of experimental biotechnology crops, according to, um, itself. A two-year internal investigation yielded a report released quietly -- that is to say, buried -- in the days before Christmas. In it, the department's inspector general said the USDA did not fully evaluate applications for genetically engineered plant trials, and then failed to ensure that the crops were destroyed after the trials. Apparently it didn't even know where some experimental crop fields were located. The report says poor monitoring increases the chances that GM plants "will inadvertently persist in the environment before they are deemed safe to grow without regulation," increasing the risk of biotech crops cross-pollinating with conventional crops -- a particular worry for organic farmers, who charge a premium price to guarantee consumers foods free of genetic freakiness.

straight to the source: The Kansas City Star, Associated Press, 13 Jan 2006



Swifter, Higher, Greener
How the Olympics are becoming a sustainable biz

It's a win-win. You might think of the Olympics in terms of heart-swelling, tear-jerking feats of prowess and grace, or a chance to feign interest in figure skating. But the Olympics are becoming something else: a model of sustainable business, with billions of dollars at stake. As organizers increasingly go for the green, our Full Disclosure columnists take a look at the trend, and, based on their own experience helping the lads and lasses planning London 2012, give us a taste of what's around the bend.

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new in Full Disclosure: Swifter, Higher, Greener

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We Know Kids Can Be Pests, But This Is Ridiculous
Home insecticides may double risk for acute childhood leukemia

French medical researchers have discovered yet another reason to practice nontoxic pest control around the home: It may reduce your kids' risk of acute leukemia. The team's study, published today in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, found that children in homes where mothers reported using insecticides while pregnant and after birth face a two-fold increase in risk for the fatal blood disease. The study particularly targets compounds -- like plant sprays, mosquito repellants, and lice-killing shampoos -- that contain a group of pesticides called carbamates. The link between pesticides and leukemia is still being hotly debated, but the doctors say their finding should encourage folks to take action now.

straight to the source: The Times, Sam Lister, 17 Jan 2006

straight to the source: BBC News, 17 Jan 2006




Plop, Plop, Biz, Biz
Dairy farmer earns bucks from herd's manure

Alert readers will note that we never pass up a chance to talk about cow poop. But cow poop that generates power? Pinch us! Minnesota dairy farmer Dennis Haubenschild uses an anaerobic digester to convert the methane-generating dookie of his 900-cow herd into electricity for a local utility, earning thousands of dollars a year while cutting his operation's greenhouse-gas emissions. (Heh, we said "emissions.") A carbon broker measures and verifies the reduction of almost 100 tons of carbon equivalent a week and sells it as greenhouse-gas credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange, North America's only voluntary, legally binding greenhouse-gas reduction and trading system. Operations like Haubenschild's provide the market a credit supply; it in turn helps him cover the cost of his doo-doo digester. Plus, 100 cows can dump enough in a day to replace a barrel of oil, says Haubenschild. Paraphrasing Huey Lewis: That's the power ... the power of poop.

straight to the source: Pioneer Press, Dennis Lien, 16 Jan 2006



Climb-It Science
Mountain-scaling climate scientist Lonnie Thompson chats with Grist

The iceman cometh. Photo: Courtesy Lonnie Thompson. Lonnie Thompson busts up the stereotype of climate researchers as geeks hunched over computers, endlessly crunching models. At the moment, this swashbuckling scientist -- who's spent more time above 18,000 feet than any other human being -- is climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to assess the state of its glaciers, his 50th major mountain-scaling, data-gathering expedition. Before jetting off for East Africa, Thompson talked with Amanda Griscom Little about the dangers of high-altitude research and the treasure trove of info to be found in layers of ice.

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new in Main Dish: Climb-It Science


The Sound of One Hand Tapping
Greenpeace joins lawsuit against Bush admin's secret wiretap program

On Tuesday, a diverse group of individuals and organizations filed suit against the National Security Agency, asking a federal court in Detroit to declare the agency's clandestine domestic eavesdropping program unconstitutional. The plaintiffs -- ranging from Greenpeace to stalwart Iraq war booster Christopher Hitchens -- have no proof that the NSA spied on them. But the ACLU, which is leading the suit, charges that simply knowing the program exists has had a "chilling effect" on their willingness to use international phone and data lines to communicate openly, violating their First Amendment and privacy rights. Greenpeace and the ACLU have felt the icy breath of the Bush administration before: The FBI has spied on both groups extensively in the past several years.

straight to the source: Salon.com, Michael Scherer, 18 Jan 2006

straight to the source: Detroit Free Press, David Ashenfelter and Niraj Warikoo, 18 Jan 2006

see also, in Grist: FBI's been monitoring green groups, using secret informants

see also, in Grist: FBI terrorism unit investigating doings of peaceful green groups


Johnson Left Hanging
Six former EPA chiefs tell Bush to cap and cut greenhouse gases

Six former heads of the U.S. EPA -- including five Republicans -- have blasted the Bush administration for failing to act on global warming. In an unprecedented united front, the ex-chiefs, gathered yesterday to commemorate the agency's 35th anniversary, agreed that debating the extent to which climate change is a human-caused phenomenon (a favorite Bushy pastime) is pointless. They want federally regulated carbon caps and cuts. Current EPA head Stephen Johnson defended Bush policies, but the panel wasn't biting. "This is not a sort of short-term cycle problem. This is a major disaster for the world," said Russell E. Train, EPA boss under Presidents Nixon and Ford. "To say we'll deal with it later and try to push it away is dishonest to the people, and self-destructive." Man, the commie pinkos are getting to everybody.

straight to the source: The Washington Post, Juliet Eilperin, 19 Jan 2006

straight to the source: The New York Times, Michael Janofsky, 19 Jan 2006


Dust Breathe
EPA seeks to rescind clean-air protections for rural areas

A new Bush administration proposal would strip significant clean-air protections from rural areas. The U.S. EPA would exempt these areas from meeting federal standards for coarse particulate matter -- essentially, windblown clouds of dust -- and end federal monitoring of particulate levels in those locales. The weakened regulations would have a particularly harsh impact on Western states, where conditions are drier, making blowing dust a greater concern. The EPA claims it's following the recommendations of its own scientific advisory commission, but some members of that group advised the agency to continue regulating dust in rural areas, and all of them said the feds should continue to monitor particulate levels. The mining industry has predictably praised the administration's proposal, but air-quality officials are condemning it as an unprecedented bad move. After a public comment period, the rules would become final later this year.

straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Janet Wilson, 18 Jan 2006

comment on the proposal: Tell the EPA what you think


Zoo Peeper
Jacko gets a pass on conditions at his private zoo

If there's one subject we like writing about more than cow poop, it's the narcissistic hijinks of our celebrity overlords. If they are 90 percent synthetic, all the better. Speaking of: Seems Michael Jackson has been cleared of charges of mistreating the menagerie of exotic animals he keeps at Neverland Ranch. PETA filed the complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture after hearing reports that the critters -- including elephants and orangutans -- were being plied with "Jesus juice" and snuggled ... no wait, wrong story. PETA charged that the animals were living in substandard conditions. But the USDA says the beasts and their environs were in good shape when an inspector visited last December. PETA doesn't buy it. "It's especially concerning when a celebrity keeps wild animals," says PETA spokesflack Lisa Wathne, "as that promotes the whole concept of wild animals as pets to the public."

straight to the source: Terra Daily, Agence France-Presse, 19 Jan 2006

straight to the source: E! Online, Julie Keller, 18 Jan 2006



The End is Nigeria
Oil pollution, corruption contribute to hostage-taking in Nigeria

In Nigeria, oil, corruption, pollution, and violence have produced a drama rich with 21st-century portent. Last week, militants in Nigeria's oil-rich delta region took four Western oil workers hostage. Their demands include more local control of Nigeria's massive oil wealth -- the proceeds of which typically end up in the pockets of crooked leaders -- and $1.5 billion from Royal Dutch Shell in compensation for pollution in the delta, like the big pipeline rupture last July that oozed contamination over farmers' fields and a fishing stream near the poor village of Iwhrekan. Villagers accuse Shell of sending thugs to ransack Iwhrekan after villagers chased off the company's chosen cleanup contractor -- charges the company denies. The Nigerian government and Shell reportedly want to pay the ransom and get back to business as usual. Nigeria is Africa's largest oil exporter, and is the fifth-largest supplier of America's imported oil.

straight to the source: BBC News, 20 Jan 2006

straight to the source: The Daily Telegraph, Mike Pflanz, 20 Jan 2006

straight to the source: The Christian Science Monitor, Abraham McLaughlin, 19 Jan 2006


Sonar, and Thanks for All the Fish
References to naval sonar cut from report on mass whale stranding

Sonar who? A federal government report on the stranding of 37 whales on North Carolina's Outer Banks last year conspicuously fails to mention the possible influence of naval sonar. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration investigator Teri Rowles says that although she initially suggested loud blasts of sound from active sonar might have factored into injuries to seven whales, she removed these mentions later on because sonar was just one of several possible causes. The Natural Resources Defense Council thinks it's a fishy redaction, as the Navy is currently holding public hearings on building an underwater sonar training range in the same area. The second draft of the report "seems a lot more like spin than science," says NRDC attorney Andrew Wetzler. The eco-advocacy group sued in federal court to get the investigator's first draft released.

straight to the source: The Washington Post, Marc Kaufman, 20 Jan 2006


Tailpipe Spin
NASCAR plans switch to unleaded racing fuel

Mechanics, crews, and NASCAR dads will be able to wheeze a little easier beginning in 2008 -- that's when the racing body plans to switch its cars and trucks from leaded to unleaded fuel. Though it's exempt from the Clean Air Act's unleaded requirement, NASCAR's nonetheless been looking for a high-performance alternative that lubricates the engine while getting the lead out. It says its new fuel does it without using MTBE, the health-hazardous fuel additive barred by some states. Clean Air Watch has been after NASCAR to clean up its exhaust; just this week, the group petitioned the U.S. EPA to monitor air quality for lead levels at NASCAR races. "2007 would be better, but 2008 is within inhaling distance," said CAW's Frank O'Donnell. Better yet: biofuels!

straight to the source: The New York Times, Viv Bernstein, 20 Jan 2006


What About Those Cahs in the Yahd?
Pioneering e-waste recycling law takes effect in Maine

Maine: It's not just lobstah anymore. This week, the Pine Tree State became the first in the nation to require manufacturers to cover the cost of recycling televisions and computer monitors. Similar to e-waste laws already in force in Japan and some European countries, Maine's new rule allows municipalities to bill the expenses of recycling dumped screens to manufacturers. The aim is to make it less costly for these localities to keep televisions and computer monitors -- which can contain about five pounds of lead each, as well as mercury, cadmium, and other toxic chemicals -- out of landfills. Maine's groundbreaking-for-the-U.S. move is inspiring about 15 other states to consider similar legislation.

straight to the source: Portland Press Herald, Tom Bell, 18 Jan 2006


A Whale of a Door Prize
Greenpeace dumps dead whale at Japanese embassy

Greenpeace, ever masters of artful subtlety, dumped a big ol' dead whale on the doorstep of the Japanese embassy in Berlin yesterday. Here we pause a moment to let you savor the mental image ... ahh. The whale dump was a protest against Japan's ongoing hunt for minke and fin whales in the Southern Ocean, allegedly in the name of research. Two Greenpeace ships have spent the past month there, where they've "dogged, delayed, and disrupted" Japan's whaling fleet, the group says. But today Greenpeace announced that the ships will be ending their mission and that the campaign's focus will turn to encouraging the public to boycott products from companies with ties to whaling. It's not just Greenpeace that objects to Japan's "research." Earlier this week, 17 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Britain, France, and Germany, voiced their opposition to the Willy killin'.

straight to the source: BBC News, 19 Jan 2006

straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Reuters, 19 Jan 2006

straight to the source: Terra Daily, Agence France-Presse, 20 Jan 2006

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