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Coming in From the Coal Kansas denies permit for coal-fired power plant due to concern over CO2 emissions The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Thursday became the first government agency in the United States to reject a permit for construction of a coal-fired power plant based on its carbon dioxide emissions, saying such emissions could harm human health and the environment. The final decision rested with secretary of the KDHE, Roderick Bremby, who said, "I believe it would be irresponsible to ignore emerging information about the contribution of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to climate change and the potential harm to our environment and health if we do nothing." Sunflower Electric Power wanted to build two 700-megawatt generating units that together would have emitted some 11 million tons of carbon dioxide a year. Opponents hope instead for a mix of wind power and natural-gas power plants. And while the Kansas slapdown is an important first, at least 16 other coal plants across the U.S. have been denied for other reasons, including investor uncertainty about future U.S. climate legislation as well as higher construction and labor costs. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: The Washington Post, The Kansas City Star, Reuters, Associated Press

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TODAY'S NEWS

ACSA Question Bipartisan cap-and-trade bill introduced to mixed reviews On Wednesday, Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.) introduced bipartisan climate legislation -- America's Climate Security Act -- at long last bridging the acrimonious divide between Republicans and, um, independents. Democrats have all but made it tripartisan -- Senate Environment Committee head Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) was gushing in her praise. Observers expect political support to coalesce around the bill, with senators like Boxer and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) working to beef it up and coal-state senators working to dilute it. Environmental groups were divided. Corporate-cozy Environmental Defense sang the bill's praises, but other groups noted that although the bill's gotten stronger since a draft was released in August, it still has significant flaws. The legislation would create a carbon cap-and-trade system covering 75 percent of the economy (greens want more), aiming for reductions 70 percent below 2005 levels by 2050 (greens want more). Only 24 percent of the pollution permits are auctioned to polluters rather than given away for free (greens want more). And so on. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] source: Hill Heat see also, in Gristmill: Bad news abounds for Big Coal

Taking 'Cides Fight over disclosure of pesticide ingredients heats up in California In California, a battle is raging over a pesticide that critics say is sickening hundreds of residents as it's being sprayed over large swaths of Monterey County to battle a crop-destroying moth. Residents who became ill after the first application of the pesticide want to know what's in it that could cause asthma-like symptoms, rashes, stomach pains, and burning eyes. But regulators have kept quiet about what's in the mix -- dubbed CheckMate by its manufacturer -- due to laws protecting pesticide ingredients as trade secrets. A district judge ordered a temporary halt to the spraying last week due to concern for public health, and the judge may eventually break new legal ground in the U.S. by ruling whether trade secrets trump the public's right to know. Meanwhile, agricultural interests are sweating; officials have said that if the invasive moth reigns unchecked, it could damage some 250 species of plants and destroy $2.6 billion worth of crops. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: Associated Press, Los Angeles Times

Lighting the Way Ann Arbor, Mich., declares itself first U.S. city to use LEDs in all its streetlights Ann Arbor, Mich., home to the main campus of the University of Michigan, announced that it intends to become the first U.S. city to convert all of its downtown streetlights to LEDs (light-emitting diodes). The energy-saving lights use half the energy of conventional lights and are expected to last five times as long. In two years, when the city of 113,000 completes the conversion of all 1,046 streetlights, it will cut CO2 emissions by about 2,425 tons a year. Ann Arbor has already converted all of its traffic lights to LEDs. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: The Ann Arbor News, City of Ann Arbor press release [PDF]

The House That Love Un-Built Green un-building catching on in the U.S. What's the opposite of green building? Green un-building (aka, deconstruction)! And it's catching on in the United States in that if-you-have-the-time-and-money-and-inclination kind of way. About 245,000 houses are torn town in the U.S. each year and roughly 1,000 of them are carefully deconstructed with up to 85 percent of their parts going to other projects or getting recycled. The remains from demolished and deconstructed houses as well as other buildings are enough to fuel the 1,000 or so stores in the country in the architectural-product reuse business, including Habitat for Humanity ReStores. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] source: The New York Times

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GRIST COLUMNS AND FEATURES

Sow There Sun sets on Grist food and farming series Like a carefully tended crop, our food and farming series has come to fruition. Today we pluck it, munch on its flesh, and spit out the seeds. [Note to copy editor: Tortured Metaphor/Simile Machine is acting up again. Please fix.] For our final offerings, Diane Hatz of Sustainable Table answers reader questions on yummy topics like coffee, pie, and the farm bill, while Grist's Tom Philpott reflects on how Iowa is like California, and how local-food movements are growing in some pretty unexpected places -- maybe even your neck of the woods. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] new in Grist: Sustainable Table's Diane Hatz answers reader questions new in Grist: And Meals to Go Before We Sleep see also, in Grist: An index to the food and farming series

Coming Monday: Umbra Fisk on eco-friendly Halloween goodies

Forward to a friend | View in browser | Search Grist | Sent to tsb713@hotmail.com (change / unsubscribe) TOP STORY Coming in From the Coal Kansas denies permit for coal-fired power plant due to concern over CO2 emissions The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Thursday became the first government agency in the United States to reject a permit for construction of a coal-fired power plant based on its carbon dioxide emissions, saying such emissions could harm human health and the environment. The final decision rested with secretary of the KDHE, Roderick Bremby, who said, "I believe it would be irresponsible to ignore emerging information about the contribution of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to climate change and the potential harm to our environment and health if we do nothing." Sunflower Electric Power wanted to build two 700-megawatt generating units that together would have emitted some 11 million tons of carbon dioxide a year. Opponents hope instead for a mix of wind power and natural-gas power plants. And while the Kansas slapdown is an important first, at least 16 other coal plants across the U.S. have been denied for other reasons, including investor uncertainty about future U.S. climate legislation as well as higher construction and labor costs. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: The Washington Post, The Kansas City Star, Reuters, Associated Press TODAY'S NEWS ACSA Question Bipartisan cap-and-trade bill introduced to mixed reviews On Wednesday, Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.) introduced bipartisan climate legislation -- America's Climate Security Act -- at long last bridging the acrimonious divide between Republicans and, um, independents. Democrats have all but made it tripartisan -- Senate Environment Committee head Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) was gushing in her praise. Observers expect political support to coalesce around the bill, with senators like Boxer and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) working to beef it up and coal-state senators working to dilute it. Environmental groups were divided. Corporate-cozy Environmental Defense sang the bill's praises, but other groups noted that although the bill's gotten stronger since a draft was released in August, it still has significant flaws. The legislation would create a carbon cap-and-trade system covering 75 percent of the economy (greens want more), aiming for reductions 70 percent below 2005 levels by 2050 (greens want more). Only 24 percent of the pollution permits are auctioned to polluters rather than given away for free (greens want more). And so on. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] source: Hill Heat see also, in Gristmill: Bad news abounds for Big Coal Taking 'Cides Fight over disclosure of pesticide ingredients heats up in California In California, a battle is raging over a pesticide that critics say is sickening hundreds of residents as it's being sprayed over large swaths of Monterey County to battle a crop-destroying moth. Residents who became ill after the first application of the pesticide want to know what's in it that could cause asthma-like symptoms, rashes, stomach pains, and burning eyes. But regulators have kept quiet about what's in the mix -- dubbed CheckMate by its manufacturer -- due to laws protecting pesticide ingredients as trade secrets. A district judge ordered a temporary halt to the spraying last week due to concern for public health, and the judge may eventually break new legal ground in the U.S. by ruling whether trade secrets trump the public's right to know. Meanwhile, agricultural interests are sweating; officials have said that if the invasive moth reigns unchecked, it could damage some 250 species of plants and destroy $2.6 billion worth of crops. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: Associated Press, Los Angeles Times Lighting the Way Ann Arbor, Mich., declares itself first U.S. city to use LEDs in all its streetlights Ann Arbor, Mich., home to the main campus of the University of Michigan, announced that it intends to become the first U.S. city to convert all of its downtown streetlights to LEDs (light-emitting diodes). The energy-saving lights use half the energy of conventional lights and are expected to last five times as long. In two years, when the city of 113,000 completes the conversion of all 1,046 streetlights, it will cut CO2 emissions by about 2,425 tons a year. Ann Arbor has already converted all of its traffic lights to LEDs. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: The Ann Arbor News, City of Ann Arbor press release [PDF] The House That Love Un-Built Green un-building catching on in the U.S. What's the opposite of green building? Green un-building (aka, deconstruction)! And it's catching on in the United States in that if-you-have-the-time-and-money-and-inclination kind of way. About 245,000 houses are torn town in the U.S. each year and roughly 1,000 of them are carefully deconstructed with up to 85 percent of their parts going to other projects or getting recycled. The remains from demolished and deconstructed houses as well as other buildings are enough to fuel the 1,000 or so stores in the country in the architectural-product reuse business, including Habitat for Humanity ReStores. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] source: The New York Times Read more news ... GRIST COLUMNS AND FEATURES Sow There Sun sets on Grist food and farming series Like a carefully tended crop, our food and farming series has come to fruition. Today we pluck it, munch on its flesh, and spit out the seeds. [Note to copy editor: Tortured Metaphor/Simile Machine is acting up again. Please fix.] For our final offerings, Diane Hatz of Sustainable Table answers reader questions on yummy topics like coffee, pie, and the farm bill, while Grist's Tom Philpott reflects on how Iowa is like California, and how local-food movements are growing in some pretty unexpected places -- maybe even your neck of the woods. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] new in Grist: Sustainable Table's Diane Hatz answers reader questions new in Grist: And Meals to Go Before We Sleep see also, in Grist: An index to the food and farming series Coming Monday: Umbra Fisk on eco-friendly Halloween goodies THE GRIST LIST From Playboy to Pilsner. Robert Redford reveals his dirty habit in Playboy, and recycled beer bottles become quite a spectacle. (Sign up to get The Grist List each week by email.) OPINION & ANALYSIS Local food for all. Community food projects empowering low-income residents. by Steph Larsen Clean water jacked. While industrial agriculture fouls the Mississippi, the EPA cowers in the corner. by Tom Philpott A green civil war? Environmental Defense has abandoned other green groups on Lieberman's bill; how should they respond? by Glenn Hurowitz Global warming divides the GOP presidential field. Rudy Giuliani's stance on climate and energy. by Joseph Romm Eavesdropper: Top 10 things seen and heard on the green fashion scene. Gossip, cool events, and personal vignettes I've come across during my travels. by Summer Rayne Oakes Subscribe to Grist newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter, or several at once. Update your email address, zip code, and other information. Get help with your subscription questions, learn how to keep Grist out of your spam folder, and more. SUPPORT GRIST Support nonprofit, independent environmental journalism. Donate to Grist. Grist: Environmental News and Commentary ©2007. Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Gloom and doom with a sense of humor®.