Friday, October 05, 2007

DAILY GRIST

TOP STORY

Ice Free or Die
Greenland's melting ice offers new mining opportunities, could fuel independence bid

Even while Greenland's melting ice is slowly destroying the viability of subsistence hunting, it offers new economic opportunities that could ultimately fund the island country's bid for independence from Denmark. Diamond hunters from North America have been coming to Greenland to search for the precious stones in rock uncovered by glacial retreat. Melting ice offers new opportunities for hydroelectric power. Gold found recently is already being mined. The government is in talks with aluminum giant Alcoa to build the world's second-largest smelter in the country. And oil companies are vying to drill off Greenland's expansive coastline. The country achieved a measure of independence with its successful push for self-governance in 1979, but Denmark still handles defense and foreign policy and sends much-needed funds. Yet if Greenland's mining rush could effectively displace those funds, the country's population of about 56,000 has a shot at full independence.
source: The Guardian


Seattle Readers, You're Invited!

What better way to celebrate the release of our first book than with a hometown party, complete with scrumptious organic food and drink? Join us on Wednesday, October 17 -- we promise it'll be lots of pun! Click here for more info and to buy tickets.
TODAY'S NEWS

What Can Brown Do for You?
California A.G. petitions feds to regulate shipping emissions

California Attorney General Jerry Brown joined with environmental groups yesterday to petition the Bush administration to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions from oceangoing vessels. Shipping accounts for up to 5 percent of global GHG emissions, and shipping emissions are expected to grow by about 75 percent in the next 20 years. Oceangoing vessels make 11,000 calls at California's ports each year, but often sail under foreign flags and traditionally fall under international jurisdiction. But the U.S. EPA, with the authority to regulate emissions, should intervene, says Brown: "Who comes into American ports is a matter for Americans to decide." Attempts by the United Nations to regulate shipping pollution have been hampered by nations that profit by registering ships. California Air Resources Board chairperson Mary Nichols notes, "Shipping is one of those areas where countries either find a way to cooperate, or historically, they go to war." Cooperation or war -- well, the choice is obvious, isn't it?


Give a Hoot, Don't Uproot
Interior Department urged to redo recovery plan for spotted owl

Was the Interior Department's recovery plan for the northern spotted owl watered down because of political pressure to favor logging interests? Six peer reviews of the plan (five of them funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) suggest yes. So do 113 scientists who sent a letter this week asking the Interior Department to rewrite its draft plan, which favored shooting spotted owl predators instead of conserving the bird's old-growth forest habitat. So do 23 congressional Democrats who sent a similar letter. What do you think? Let your voice be heard: comment on the plan before the deadline tomorrow.


Have You Herd?
China relocates Tibetan herders in interest of environment

China is ordering 100,000 Tibetans to give up their traditional nomadic life and settle in towns, saying their herding ways threaten the environment. Glaciers in the province where the herders live are an initial source for both the Yellow and Yangtze rivers; somehow we imagine that the impact on the rivers from overgrazing and erosion pales in comparison to the Chinese government's efforts to build gigantic industrial towns on the rivers' banks.


Incandescent Descent
China joins campaign to phase out incandescent bulbs

But here's a bit of positive China news, to help offset the Tibetan hatin': China makes 70 percent of the world's light bulbs, and has just agreed to participate in a campaign to globally phase out inefficient bulbs over the next decade. Yay! But you didn't hear it from us: China's participation in the Global Environment Facility's anti-incandescent campaign will be formally announced at the United Nations climate meeting in Bali, Indonesia, in December.


What's Up, Doc?
U.K. judge rules Inconvenient Truth partisan but still OK to show in schools

A judge has ruled on a British citizen's accusation that the U.K.'s distribution of An Inconvenient Truth to secondary schools amounts to political indoctrination. And the strange, strange verdict is: The documentary can be shown in schools -- as long as teachers follow guidelines to not promote Al Gore's "partisan political views" to impressionable schoolchildren. Because remember in the movie when Al Gore said, "Kids, climate change is bad so you should always vote Democrat ... uh, that is, Labour"? Yeah. Us neither.
GRIST COLUMNS AND FEATURES

Last Swim with Henry Dave
An autumn swim at Walden, a warm robe, and a piping hot bowl of soup

For Grist recipe maven Roz Cummins, nothing beats a cool autumn swim at Walden Pond, legendary site of Thoreau's musings and popular recreation spot today. But there's one thing she craves when she hops out of the water: a warm robe and hot soup. While she works on a system for making those dreams come true, she offers a recipe for sweet potato soup that'll have you feeling toasty, no matter what your fall adventures.


Step It Up 2 Do the Invite Thing
Congresspeople are saying "yes" to Step It Up 2 -- has yours RSVP'd?

A handful of U.S. senators and reps have signed up to speak about climate change at Step It Up rallies on Nov. 3, reports Bill McKibben. Have your members of Congress said yes? Sending them an invite is oh-so-easy. What are you waiting for?

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