 Tiny Tata World's cheapest car makes its debut in India The world's cheapest car was unveiled in India yesterday by Tata Motors, which hopes that its new $2,500 subcompact will help make car ownership a reality for tens of millions of people in the developing world. The Tata Nano, dubbed the "People's Car," gets respectable gas mileage, about 50 miles per gallon, but its introduction was met by protests from environmentalists fearful that more-accessible autos will clog India's substandard road system, dirty the air, and worsen climate change. Currently in India, two-wheeled transportation is common, while only seven in every 1,000 people own a car. Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said of the cheap new Nano, "I am having nightmares." [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] |
2008 -- new year, same old eco-dilemmas. From breakfast to babies and commuting to consumption, Grist's got your every eco-worry covered with our practical green guide to your daily routine: Wake Up and Smell the Planet.
TODAY'S NEWS
| Making Change Big banks ranked on their climate commitment The world's banks are starting to recognize the threat of climate change, but could certainly do more, says a new report from Ceres, a coalition of investors and green groups pushing corporate sustainability. The group ranked 40 of the world's largest publicly traded banks on their green (the climate kind, not the money kind). Some results were encouraging -- 28 banks have calculated their greenhouse-gas emissions, 24 have set goals to reduce said emissions, and 29 are supporting alternative energy projects. But there is, of course, room for improvement: The median score on Ceres' ranking out of 100 was 42, with more than half of the banks scoring under 50. Topping the list with a score of 70 out of 100 was London-based HSBC, which has spent $90 million to improve its energy efficiency, employs a chief environmental officer, and has an environmental oversight committee on its board. The top U.S. banks were Citigroup, sixth with 59 points, and Bank of America, seventh with 56 out of 100. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: The Christian Science Monitor, Reuters see also, in Grist: Leading banks suggest regulation of carbon-offset market |
| Nuclear Skies Ahead Britain will push ahead with nuclear power As expected, Britain has announced that it will push forward with a new generation of nuclear-power plants, to supplement other low-emission energy sources as a means of fighting climate change. Nuclear operators say they can get stations running by 2017. Britain currently gets about 18 percent of its electricity from nuclear power; radioactive waste is stored at an "interim" aboveground facility, and the government has vague plans to build underground caverns as a permanent storage site. The country will not subsidize new nuclear-plant construction, but may streamline the planning process, identify possible sites, or offer tax advantages. The issue of nuclear power has divided Europe: France and Finland are also going ahead with new nuclear plants; Italy and Ireland are debating overturning their bans on the energy source; and Germany is sticking with its plan to phase out nuclear power. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: BBC News, The Guardian, The Independent, Associated Press, Reuters, Reuters |
 Save a Tree, Hug a Bush White House will save paper by putting federal budget online Instead of printing 3,000 copies of its 2,200-page budget, the White House has elected to put the gigantic tome online. "This step will save nearly 20 tons of paper, or roughly 480 trees," says White House Budget Director Jim Nussle, who estimates that bringing the budget presentation into the new millennium will save nearly a million dollars over the next five years. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), for one, is unimpressed. "Since when did the Bush White House get e-fiscal discipline?" he asks. "Let us hope that they send us a budget that is worth the paper it would have been printed on." Like, with lots of money allocated for forest preservation. Ha ha ha! [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] source: Associated Press in Gristmill: White House to go online with 2009 federal budget |
| Sub Woofer Iditarod sled dog race forced to change starting point The famous Iditarod sled dog race is undergoing permanent changes as organizers cope with urban sprawl and a warming climate. For the ceremonial start to the competition on Mar. 1, racers will travel 11 miles instead of the traditional 18 miles. The race itself will kick off Mar. 2 from Willow, Alaska, 30 miles north of the traditional starting town of Wasilla. Says Stan Hooley of the Iditarod Trail Committee, "A lot of development in the area makes [Wasilla] less desirable, and there have been less-than-winter conditions." And that's no way to race a sled, dawg. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] source: Associated Press in Gristmill: White House to go online with 2009 federal budget |
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GRIST COLUMNS AND FEATURES
 Focus, People, Focus Join the largest teach-in ever and help fight climate change On Jan. 31, more than 1,300 colleges, universities, high schools, middle schools, faith organizations, civic groups, and businesses will join together in the biggest national teach-in in U.S. history, Focus the Nation: Global-Warming Solutions for America. If you're not already on board, well, what are you waiting for? Eban Goodstein, director of Focus the Nation, explains how (and why) to get involved. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] new in Gristmill: Focus the Nation, save the planet -- now! |
Coming Monday: Advice columnist Umbra Fisk on green donations
Grist: Environmental News and Commentary
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