| Whale Played Aussies release gruesome footage of Japanese whale hunt There's a new twist in the twisty tale of Japan's whale hunt: The Australian government last week released gut-wrenching footage of what they say is a mother and baby minke whale being harpooned and hauled aboard a Japanese ship. An unamused official at Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research denied that the large and small whales were a mother and calf, and warned that the Australian photographs and subsequent media coverage "have created a dangerous emotional propaganda that could cause serious damage to the relationship between our two countries." The bright side, according to Aussie Environment Minister Peter Garrett: "Images like this ... have been very powerful forces in building up global and world opinion on [the whaling issue]." [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse see for yourself: Pictures and video of the whale hunt |
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TODAY'S NEWS
| You, Pelican, Thank Us Later Brown pelicans to be removed from endangered species list The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it will remove brown pelicans from the endangered species list within a year. Brown pelicans have been listed as endangered since 1970, even before the Endangered Species Act was born, due to the effects of the ultra-toxic pesticide DDT that thinned their eggshells, causing rapid population decline. But since the ban on DDT in the United States in 1972, the bird has gradually rebounded. "We are always nervous about these things because we like to have a crutch to sit on. Oil spills, overfishing, any of these things could be a threat to pelicans in the future," said Greg Butcher of the National Audubon Society. "But it makes total sense to recognize the gains we have made since the ban of DDT." Eagles in the Lower 48 states were delisted last year for similar reasons. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: Los Angeles Times, The Union-Tribune, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [PDF] |
| Power Walk Knee-brace gadget harvests energy from walking Frustrated by your iPod batteries dying while you're on the treadmill? Keep an eye out for a new knee brace designed to harvest energy from a walker's stride. From only one minute of movement, the device described in the journal Science can generate enough energy to power a cell phone for half an hour. A lightweight version of the brace could be available within 18 months and "promises to have significant medical, military, and consumer applications," says lead researcher Max Donelan. "It allows a soldier to get back home safely. It benefits stroke victims, amputees, and others who rely on power-assisted medical devices for mobility." And, of course, it could assuage your iPod woes, if you shake a leg. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: BBC News, The New York Times, The Telegraph, ScienceNOW |
| Georgia Breach Georgia governor eases water-use restrictions Despite an ongoing drought, and despite a recent court ruling that removes Atlanta's right to much of a heavily relied-upon water source, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue is lifting a near-total ban on garden watering and swimming-pool filling in the state. "Swim, kids, swim," said Perdue, who didn't announce a start date for the eased restrictions. City and county governments, which are mandated by the state to reduce water use by 10 percent, can still choose to enforce stricter regulations. "We're saying we're serious about conservation. On the other hand, we're saying we're going to let this [sector] use more water over the summer," says a confused commissioner in Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management. "I'm concerned about mixed messages here." Perdue disagrees. "I think Georgians have done their part," he says, adding, "I'm trusting people to do the right thing." Brave man. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] |
| When You "Assemble" You Make an Ass Out of 'Em and ... Oh, Never Mind U.N. General Assembly holds climate gathering in New York The United Nations General Assembly convened a two-day climate conference, starting today, at U.N. headquarters in New York City that it hopes will keep up and/or spur momentum in the lead up to a meaningful post-Kyoto climate agreement by 2009. The event is being billed as a "thematic debate" and has attracted celebrities including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, billionaire biofuels proponent Richard Branson, and green-leaning actress Daryl Hannah. Representatives from nearly 100 nations have signed up to speak, but since nothing is going to be negotiated, it's unclear what the United States' role at the conference will be. After all, what do obstructionists do when there's nothing to obstruct? [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] |
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Tip #5 from Grist's new green-living guide, Wake Up and Smell the Planet
Q. Valentine's Day is coming up, which sex toys are safest?
A. Playthings that are free of phthalates and PVC. Click here for more green-living tips, or buy the book!
Q. Valentine's Day is coming up, which sex toys are safest?
A. Playthings that are free of phthalates and PVC. Click here for more green-living tips, or buy the book!
GRIST COLUMNS AND FEATURES
 Chin Up Umbra on staying positive Q. Dear Umbra, I am a new but faithful reader of your excellent column. I've learned a lot, but one thing I've noticed is that there never seems to be an up side to the answers. Now, this may be just because the reality sucks so much, but it depresses the hell out of me and makes me feel hopeless about ever making a difference. Even your reply to vinyl record guy left me feeling glum, as you told him to enjoy his records but that their disposal (which will happen eventually) will have dire consequences for the earth. How do you keep positive when the news seems so bad all the time? Do you have any advice for me? I eagerly await your reply! Ann Wroth Arlington, Va. A. Dearest Ann and Dearest Readers All, Happy Valentine's Week. I love you. Many kisses. Mwah mwah mwah. Chocolate all around. You haven't sent too many romance-related questions of late, so I'm using Ann's note to send the love ... Read the rest of Umbra's answer. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] new in Grist: On staying positive |
Coming Tuesday: The word on the best organic chocolate bars -- just in time for Valentine's Day
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