Wednesday, December 05, 2007

DAILY GRIST

TOP STORY

No Continent Is an Island
Australia ratifies Kyoto Protocol

On his very first official day in office today, new Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd ratified the Kyoto Protocol, committing his country to deep emissions cuts and putting ever more peer pressure on the United States -- the only industrialized nation still holding out on Kyoto ratification. Full official ratification for Australia is still 90 days away since the U.N. has to do its bureaucratic waiting thing, but Australia has done its part to commit to emissions reductions under the treaty. "Australia's official declaration today that we will become a member of the Kyoto Protocol is a significant step forward in our country's efforts to fight climate change domestically and with the international community," Rudd said. Today is also the start of the U.N. climate conference in Bali, Indonesia, where the nations of the world hope to hammer out a successor to the Kyoto treaty which expires in 2012.


Kathy Saunders Loves Grist. Do You?

Kathy was the 100th person to donate to Grist in response to Thursday's appeal to free kidnapped advice columnist Umbra Fisk. Have you given yet?
TODAY'S NEWS

Good Car-ma
House Democrats agree to raise auto fuel economy to 35 mpg

Democratic leaders in the U.S. House reached a deal late Friday night to raise fuel-economy standards for cars and light trucks to an average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020 -- a 40 percent increase from today's standard of 27.5 mpg for cars and 22.2 mpg for SUVs and pickups. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who's been pushing for an increase, came to agreement with House Commerce Committee Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.), a longtime defender of automakers in his state. Dingell called the new standards "both aggressive and attainable." He made sure they included a provision that lets automakers continue getting credit toward mileage goals for selling flex-fuel cars that can run on a blend of gasoline and ethanol. The mileage measure is part of a larger energy bill that the House is expected to vote on and approve on Wednesday. The fuel-economy provision also has the support of key senators. Pelosi called the mileage compromise "an historic advancement in our efforts in the Congress to address our energy security and laying strong groundwork for climate legislation next year."


In Efficiency
U.S. could slash emissions at little cost through boosted efficiency, says report

The U.S. could significantly slash its greenhouse-gas emissions "at manageable costs to the economy," says a new study from consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Assuming no significant change in consumer lifestyle, researchers did an in-depth cost-benefit analysis of various options for reducing GHG emissions. Their conclusions: "clean coal" is expensive and unproven, increasing renewable energy sources would make a relatively modest contribution, and raising efficiency of buildings, appliances, and automobiles would be the easiest and, in the end, cheapest way to do the job. The key would be to incentivize manufacturers and builders to boost efficiency, says the study, as shortsighted consumers are swayed more by cheap upfront costs than by products that save them money down the line. Implementation of a relatively cheap, entirely doable plan to reduce GHG emissions "will require strong, coordinated, economy-wide action that begins in the near future," says the report. We'll get right on that.


A Beak Outlook
More than a quarter of U.S. bird species imperiled

It's not a good time to be a bird in the U.S. The Watch List 2007, published by the National Audubon Society and American Bird Conservancy, finds that 178 bird species in the continental U.S. and 39 in Hawaii are vulnerable to extinction. That's almost all of Hawaii's non-migratory native birds and more than a quarter of total U.S. bird species, including the Gunnison sage grouse, lesser prairie chicken, and masked booby, which makes us giggle. While 27 bird species are coming off the list this year, the total number of species on the list is up 11 percent from five years ago. The usual suspects are to blame: climate change, habitat loss, and a federal government that, says one report coauthor, "doesn't believe in the Endangered Species Act."


On a Rolls
Businesses urge policy for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions

More than 150 international companies have signed on to a petition begging diplomats meeting in Bali to come up with policy aimed at cutting global greenhouse-gas emissions at least in half by 2050. The companies -- Shell, Coca-Cola, Dupont, British Airways, Rolls Royce, and many, many, more -- "urge world leaders to seize this opportunity" with "strong, early action on climate change." The petition also stated that a push to reduce emissions would "create significant business opportunities" and a legally binding agreement "will provide business with the certainty it needs to scale up global investment in low-carbon technologies." Apparently these businesses -- comprising some 80 percent of the world's largest companies -- didn't get the environment vs. economy memo.


Read more news ...

Quote of the day

"We're probably further ahead in actually doing something about greenhouse gases than most other countries."

-- John Marburger III, chief science adviser to President Bush
Seattle, meet the bands and lend a hand!

Help green while you groove with CLIF Bar GreenNotes artists The John Butler Trio and Brett Dennen at a tree planting and special performance at Golden Gardens Park Saturday, December 8. Move to the music in the breeze while you plant native trees! Find out more by clicking here.
GRIST COLUMNS AND FEATURES

The Power of Eight
This Hanukkah, make time to reflect on climate and conservation

Hanukkah begins tomorrow, and Rabbis Arthur Waskow and Jeff Sultar have a few suggestions on how to translate your holiday celebration into environmental action. After all, it all started with a little bit of oil lasting a long, long time ... who knows what modern miracles we can bring about by lobbying our schools, utilities, and politicians to be smarter about energy conservation and climate change.


Give Grease a Chance
On cooking oil, again

Q. Dear Umbra,

You missed a fantastic opportunity to promote biodiesel use of the cooking oil. There are many people collecting frying oil from restaurants and the like, and perhaps the reader could find a person collecting as well. Check newspaper ads for persons collecting or check the restaurants in your neighborhood for who is collecting.

Thanks for the great articles.

Keith McCready
Waterloo, Iowa

Editor's Note: Oh, how Umbra would love to answer this issue -- but she's been kidnapped! Please donate to Grist by 11:59 p.m. Pacific on Dec. 11, 2007, to secure her safety. The sooner we see 2,000 gifts of any size, the sooner you'll get the great green advice you've come to know and love.
new in Grist: On cooking oil, again

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