 Rice Versa An interview with Andrew Rice, the Democrat challenging GOP Sen. James Inhofe No national politician has done more to antagonize the environmental community than James Inhofe, Republican senator from Oklahoma. Despite the ire he's generated among greens, Inhofe has long been thought to be politically bulletproof, as a rock-ribbed conservative from a highly conservative state. In 2008, however, for the first time in over a decade, he'll face a challenger that some observers think may actually have a shot, if only a small one. Andrew Rice, a Democratic state senator from Oklahoma City, is young (34), charismatic, popular in his district, and genuinely progressive. I caught Rice by phone at home, where he was tending to his under-the-weather 6-month-old son. [ 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
| Vex and the Single Hull South Korea to outlaw single-hulled oil tankers in 2011 South Korea has announced that it will outlaw single-hulled oil tankers in its waters by January 2011, four years earlier than its original goal, due to the country's largest oil spill in December. The December spill dumped about 2.7 million gallons of oil some five miles off the country's coast when a barge struck a massive single-hulled tanker, puncturing it in three places. As of this month, South Korea estimated that some 43 percent of its imported crude oil is brought via single-hulled tanker. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: Reuters, Agence France-Presse |
| CO2 Fast Too Furious Carbon dioxide pollution linked to deaths, says study For every 1 degree Celsius of anthropogenic global warming, some 21,000 people worldwide could die, including more than 1,000 in the U.S., says a new study in Geophysical Research Letters. According to computer modeling by researcher Mark Jacobson, increased air pollution due to rising carbon dioxide levels will lead to more fatalities. "This is a cause and effect relationship, not just a correlation," says Jacobson. Cities that already experience high air pollution will have the highest mortality rates. California, which has six of the 10 smoggiest cities in the U.S., "bears the brunt of climate change in terms of air pollution health problems," says Jacobson. You hear that, EPA? [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] |
| Enemy of the Stat California stats say state emissions-reduction plan far more effective than federal law When the U.S. EPA denied California the right to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions from vehicles, the agency reasoned that the just-passed energy bill's boost to national fuel-economy standards would be stronger emissions-reduction policy than the state's plan. California, which has sued, would beg to differ, and has released statistics refuting the EPA's claim. For example: The new federal law will cut greenhouse-gas emissions in California by 8 million tons by 2016; if California's plan were allowed to go forward, emissions would be reduced by 17 million tons in the same time period, according to the stats. If 12 other states adopted California's law (as 12 other states have said they would do), greenhouse-gas emission reduction from those states would be 59 million tons by 2020. Under the federal law, the reduction would be only 37 million tons by 2020. The EPA will at some point release its own stats, which are likely to reach somewhat different conclusions. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] source: The Christian Science Monitor |
| I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl Super Bowl to plant trees and make other greenish efforts The National Football League has announced that it will plant trees and take other measures to offset some of the environmental impacts of the most hyped sporting event of the year. This year's Super Bowl will be held in Phoenix, Ariz., on Feb. 3. As part of the greening effort, the organizers have said they're planting 9,000 trees in the state, though only 3,500 of them are actually expected to survive. The Super Bowl stadium and the adjacent NFL theme park will be powered with clean energy on the big day and an expected 65,000 pounds of leftover food from bowl-affiliated events during the week will be donated to area food banks, shelters, and soup kitchens. Not offset, however, are any of the emissions of anyone flying to the event, energy used by the media center and hotels, and energy from probably 98 percent of the country's plasma televisions that will be tuned in to the game. "We're trying to determine where the line is drawn between the organization managing the event and the individual when it comes to offsetting their emissions," said Jack Groh, director of the NFL Environmental Program. "We're trying to figure out at what point does this become someone else's responsibility?" [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: The Arizona Republic, Associated Press |
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GRIST COLUMNS AND FEATURES
 Do They Suck? Umbra on Camelbaks Q. Dear Umbra, Recently, I've started to try to avoid plastics (especially plastic water bottles). For Christmas, my brother gave me a Camelbak-type water bottle. How safe is this? I assume it's as bad as most plastic water bottles. Timothy Kearney Issaquah, Wash. A. Dearest Timothy, Gifting quandary alert. Not all plastic water bottles are equal ... Read the rest of Umbra's answer. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] new in Grist: Umbra on Camelbaks |
Coming Tuesday: Putting eco-moisturizers to the test
Grist: Environmental News and Commentary
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