 GMOh No! Plantings of genetically modified crops are up, spurring an influx of superweeds Global acreage of genetically modified crops jumped 12 percent in 2007, according to a report from the pro-GMO International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications. Farmers planted an additional 30 million acres of GM crops in 2007, an area nearly the size of Iowa. Overall, GM crops cover 282.4 million acres around the globe, ISAAA claims -- up from zero as recently as 1994. One consequence of this upsurge? An invasion of superweeds, as Tom Philpott explains. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] new in Gristmill: Attack of the superweeds |
Compare and Contrast the Candidates. How green is your candidate? Take a look at Grist's in-depth coverage of the presidential candidates' green stances, including exclusive interviews and fact sheets on their energy and climate platforms.
TODAY'S NEWS
 The Velorution Will Be Incentivized Wisconsin college gives away bikes to students who pledge not to drive Ripon College, a private liberal-arts school in Wisconsin, has launched a program to give new bikes to first-year students who pledge not to bring their cars to campus for the year. Prompted by concerns that the school might have to expand parking lots into green space if the growing student population keeps driving to (and parking at) school, Ripon decided to take the unconventional approach instead. The school hopes a few hundred of this year's new students will agree to the deal, especially those who were originally planning on driving. Administrators have high hopes. "We're trying to change the culture," said Ripon President David Joyce. "I figure it's easier to bribe people than to punish them." Students who take the bribe will get a free Trek 820 mountain bike, complete with lock and helmet. Students, you will be tested on this. (Psst, this is the test! Don't fail it.) [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] |
| 'Hyde and Shriek CDC confirms FEMA trailers tainted with formaldehyde; residents urged to move The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has confirmed that the trailers used to house Gulf Coast hurricane victims are tainted with high levels of formaldehyde. The Federal Emergency Management Agency urged residents of over 35,000 of the trailers to move out as soon as possible, especially families with kids, elderly folks, and those with chronic illnesses. Formaldehyde contamination of the trailers had been suspected for quite a while, but was just recently confirmed by the CDC. There is no federal standard for formaldehyde in homes, but the levels found in more than 500 trailers tested were four times the average amount usually found in new homes and in some cases was 40 times more. Formaldehyde is a suspected carcinogen and has been known to cause respiratory problems. So it's difficult to know who's worse off, the trailer residents who have been living and breathing in their tainted trailers, or the residents who had been holding their breath waiting for FEMA to act. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: The Washington Post, Associated Press |
| Soldiering On Prince Charles, Richard Branson compare climate crisis to war Prince Charles warned in a speech to the European Parliament on Thursday that if a "courageous and revolutionary" approach to tackling climate change is not undertaken, "the result will be catastrophe for all of us but with the poorest in our world hit hardest of all. In this sense it is surely comparable to war." Also this week, Virgin Group big gun Richard Branson suggested at a United Nations conference that an "environmental war room" be set up to combine "entrepreneurial muscle, the best possible data, and the power to mobilize resources and influence policy." OK, so we're at war with the climate; the question is, who's winning? [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: The Guardian, The Press Association |
| Strike While the Iron Is ... Whoops, Too Late Plan to combat warming by seeding ocean with iron runs out of funds Planktos, the company that proposed fending off global warming by seeding the ocean with iron dust, has failed to get enough funding to go forward with planned tests. Under the Planktos business plan, iron fertilization would encourage phytoplankton blooms, which would suck up extra CO2, allowing the company to sell carbon offsets. The plan has been criticized as idiotic by a wide range of groups, including the U.S. EPA. But now the plan's been put on hold. According to the Planktos website, "A highly effective disinformation campaign waged by anti-offset crusaders has provoked widespread opposition to plankton restoration in the environmental world." We can just see 'em, shaking their iron fists. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: The New York Times, Planktos, Greenwire (access ain't free) |
| Ask Not What the Climate Can Do for You, But What It Can Do for Your Portfolio Investors meet at U.N. to discuss how to stay wealthy amid climate change Nearly 500 corporate leaders and institutional investors representing $20 trillion in capital met at the United Nations Thursday to discuss the risks and opportunities presented by climate change. The gathering called itself the largest ever meeting of investment types specifically convened to discuss climate change. Attendees mused about how they could continue to make money in a climate-changed future, set a price for carbon that wouldn't hurt them financially, pressure the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to endorse disclosing climate-related risks, and prompt the United States to adopt legislation slashing its greenhouse-gas emissions by up to 90 percent from 1990 levels by 2050. "This action plan reflects the many investment opportunities that exist today to dent global warming pollution, build profits, and benefit the global economy," said Mindy Lubber of investment group Ceres. "Leveraging the vast energy-efficiency opportunities at home and abroad holds especially great promise for investors." Attendees pledged to invest $10 billion over the next two years on green tech and to pressure companies to divulge their climate risks. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: Reuters, Associated Press, The Guardian, Xinhua |
Read more news ...
Tip #4 from Grist's new green-living guide, Wake Up and Smell the Planet
Q. Is shaving misbehaving?
A. Disdain disposable razors, and you should be OK. Click here for more green-living tips, or buy the book!
Q. Is shaving misbehaving?
A. Disdain disposable razors, and you should be OK. Click here for more green-living tips, or buy the book!
GRIST COLUMNS AND FEATURES
 The Wonder Down Under Aussie musician Xavier Rudd chats about coming to America and greening his tour When Australian musician Xavier Rudd was 10 years old, he realized he could reuse an old vacuum-cleaner hose as a didgeridoo. Which thrills us for two reasons: his career is rooted in green values, and he gave us an excuse to say didgeridoo! Sarah van Schagen sat down with the bluesy roots musician to find out how he's lightening the impacts of his tour, what he thinks of the U.S., and what getting sweaty has to do with getting green. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] |
| We're Removing Ourselves From Office Grist takes Presidents' Day off, considers declaring polluters "enemy combatants" We don't mean to brag, but the Grist staff has been pretty cozy with a long line of presidents in the United States -- the president of the local co-op's board of directors and presidents of scads of environmental groups, for example. But try to keep your jealousy in check. Monday is Presidents' Day and you can spend that time schmoozing with your own local prez, celebrating the tenures of various U.S. presidents, or reading up on the relative greenness of the presidential hopefuls. But whatever you do, we're not coming to work. See you on Tuesday! |
Coming Tuesday: Tips on how to green your refrigerator
Looking for a job where you don't have to check your values at the door? Find the perfect green-leaning job opportunity on Grist's new job board. Or if you're a company with a conscience, post your jobs here.
Grist: Environmental News and Commentary
©2008. Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Gloom and doom with a sense of humor®.
No comments:
Post a Comment