| EPA: Nay U.S. EPA won't let California enact vehicle greenhouse-gas limits The U.S. EPA yesterday denied California the waiver it needed to enact a state law requiring a 30 percent reduction in vehicle greenhouse-gas emissions by 2016. Said EPA chief Stephen Johnson, "The Bush administration is moving forward with a clear national solution -- not a confusing patchwork of state rules -- to reduce America's climate footprint from vehicles." But that decision was at odds with the unanimous recommendation of EPA's legal and technical teams. The agency had delayed so long on making the decision that California sued to get 'em to hurry up, obviously hoping for a different outcome. Sixteen other states would have adopted California's regulations had the EPA OK'd the waiver; they still may get the chance, as California Attorney General Jerry Brown is none too pleased with the decision. "There is absolutely no legal justification for the Bush administration to deny this request," he says. "Gov. Schwarzenegger and I are preparing to sue at the earliest possible moment." It's a suit that even EPA's lawyers think the agency will lose. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] source: Associated Press, The Washington Post, Office of the Attorney General see also, in Gristmill: Analysis of the EPA's decision to deny California's waiver see also, in Gristmill: The Bush administration's hypocrisy on federalism |
Spike the holiday punch with a splash of green spirit! Throw Grist's everyday eco-tips into the mix this season with our new book, Wake Up and Smell the Planet. Take a swig today!
TODAY'S NEWS
| Fire in Florida Explosion at Florida chemical plant leads to deaths, injuries; cause unknown An explosion at a chemical plant that manufactures fuel additives and solvents has rocked the Jacksonville, Fla., area, forcing evacuations and causing an estimated three deaths. The blast at T2 Labs -- described by those at the scene as a "hellish inferno" and "a great ball of fire in the air" -- also knocked out two of three generating units at an electric utility across the street, and left workers "shaken to the core," said a local reporter. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] |
| The Thin Lead Line U.S. House passes toy safety bill with tightened lead standards The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill yesterday aimed at improving the safety of toys sold in the country. The bill lowers the allowable lead level in children's toys, mandates independent testing, increases the budget of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and raises the cap on potential civil penalties for manufacturers from $1.25 million to $10 million. The popularity of the House bill was due in large part to its relative ease on industry. A tougher, and therefore more controversial, bill in the Senate is scheduled for debate sometime after the holiday recess. The current draft of the Senate bill would do many of the same things the House-passed version does, but would also allow state attorneys general to sue to enforce federal product-safety laws, protect employees who report safety law violations, increase the civil penalty cap to $100 million, and give industry less time to comply with the lower lead standards. Expect dilutions aplenty when Congress resumes debate in the new year. Meanwhile, presidential candidate Barack Obama went even further yesterday by calling for a ban on the import of all toys from China. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] |
| Porsche de Crossy European automakers in a snit over proposed E.U. emissions cuts A European Union proposal to reduce average new-car CO2 emissions 20 percent by 2012 -- and to fine automakers that don't meet the target -- has revved up observers on all sides. German Chancellor Angela Merkel -- a climate Cassandra whose country is home to industry giants including Porsche, BMW, and DaimlerChrysler -- took a public swipe at the unfairness of the plan; conservationists said it didn't go far enough; and Peugeot called it "anti-ecological, anti-social, anti-economical, and anti-competitive in relation to non-European Union carmakers." Man, we thought American automakers were melodramatic. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: Agence France-Presse, The Guardian, BBC News |
 As Tom Goes Bye Tom Tancredo dropping out of presidential race; dozens of Republicans mourn Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo is expected to drop out of the race today, after months of trailing at the back of the pack in polls of GOP voters. Wondering what might have been? Check out Grist's exclusive interview with Tancredo about his environmental views. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: Associated Press, The Denver Post in Grist: An interview with Tancredo, A fact sheet on Tancredo |
| Up Close to "Person," Al Al Gore named first runner-up for Time magazine's Person of the Year In what's expected to be his final award of a very busy year, Al Gore was named first runner-up for Time magazine's Person of the Year. The top honors went to Russian President Vladimir Putin, while the second runner-up was Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: Time, Time, Time, Agence France-Presse |
| Ogle Cranky Academics Instead Top British scientist tells women to stop drooling over gas-guzzling males Hey ladies, here's a new way to help fight climate change: Stop lusting after men who waste resources. Specifically, says top U.K. scientist David King, "stop admiring young men in Ferraris." King's comments were immediately pounced upon -- not by feminists, but by Ferrari owners, who protested that their sports cars spew less pollution than four-wheel-drive vehicles. Also, they are not compensating for anything, and never have been. Thanks for asking. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: Wired, The Telegraph |
Read more news ...
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Earn money for Grist with the click of a button! But hurry -- the deadline is Dec. 31. If you get your phone service or credit card from Working Assets (which recently adopted the name Credo), you can go to the company's voting page and assign maximum points to Grist (we're in the Education & Freedom of Expression section). The percentage of votes we get determines the chunk of change we get at the end of the year, so we need your support. To help us track our progress, please send a note to tstout@grist.org after you've voted. Smooches in advance!
GRIST COLUMNS AND FEATURES
 Mississippi Keen Grist explores how America's River has gone from trashed to treasured Casinos, barges, herons, steamboats, and fancy ladies: Grist's Sarah van Schagen and Katharine Wroth found all that and more when they ventured to three Mississippi River cities to see how they're reinventing their relationships to the legendary waterway. Meet the movers and shakers of Dubuque, St. Louis, and Memphis; see how eight other communities are rediscovering the river; learn astonishing facts to impress your friends; and find out how to get to the top of the Gateway Arch. Huck Finn never had it so good. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] |
 Lessons From the Oil Patch Why "the end of cheap food" isn't automatically a good thing For the last few decades, food prices have been falling steadily, but this year a funny thing happened on the way to the checkout counter: they're suddenly on the rise. Could the end of cheap food make us all think harder about what we eat and where it comes from? Or will our addiction to Coke and cheeseburgers, like our addiction to oil, remain steadfast no matter the costs? Tom Philpott compares cheap food and cheap oil, and says the U.S. ought to lead the supermarket stampede. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] |
Coming Friday: The top green stories of 2007
Compare and Contrast the Candidates
Wondering where the 2008 presidential contenders stand on environmental issues? Who supports fuel-economy standards? Who would ban nuclear energy? Who's got a plan to push renewable power? Grist and AlternativeEnergy.com have the answers. Check out our nifty side-by-side chart comparing the candidates' positions on key green issues.
Grist: Environmental News and Commentary
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