TOP STORY
The Roads to Know Where?
California sues Forest Service over road building, drilling plans
California sued the U.S. Forest Service this week, claiming that it violated federal environmental laws and ignored state policies prohibiting road building in roadless areas of national forests. At stake are over 500,000 acres in four national forests in the state that the Bush administration plans to open up to road building, as well as 52,000 acres slated for oil drilling. The state is seeking an injunction to halt the plan. "Today in the face of threats, we are forced to once again stand up for California's forests," said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). "Despite repeated attempts to ensure that the United States Forest Service honor its written assurances that California's roadless areas would be protected they have failed to do so."
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sources: Associated Press, Los Angeles Times
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TODAY'S NEWS
Black Is the New Green
NYC unveils new stepped-up emission standards for 'black taxis'
New York City has unveiled new emission standards for its fleet of 10,000 "black taxis" (aka, limos and town cars) that service mostly corporate clients. The plan effectively mandates shifting to hybrid vehicles by 2009 to meet the increased standards of 25 miles per gallon in 2009, and 30 mpg by 2010. The fleet now averages between 12 and 15 mpg. NYC's new "black taxi" standards are similar to the rule for other taxicabs announced last year that also requires a shift to hybrids by the end of 2009.
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sources: The New York Times, Reuters
see also, in Grist: Meet the world's first hybrid-cab driver
Mate? ... Check
Ralph Nader chooses running mate
Ralph Nader has chosen former San Francisco City Supervisor Matt Gonzalez as a running mate for his 2008 presidential bid. Gonzalez was elected as a San Francisco supervisor in 2000 -- the first Green Party candidate to hold the job. In 2003, Gonzalez narrowly lost a bid for San Francisco mayor to Gavin Newsom, the current SF mayor. Gonzalez, at 42-years-old, provides a relatively youthful infusion to the Nader ticket; Nader turned 74 this week. "I have no illusions," Gonzalez said at a press conference. "I've never entered a contest without some sense the contest can be won."
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sources: San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, Associated Press
see also: Gonzalez's mayoral election environmental platform
Ducking Donald
U.S. forest official will not be jailed over fish-killing flame retardant
The U.S. Forest Service turned in a court-ordered environmental analysis of a fish-killing flame retardant 2 1/2 years late, and only after the agency's top official was threatened with incarceration for contempt of court. But the USFS did ultimately conduct the environmental review of ammonium phosphate -- which was dropped on an Oregon fire in 2002 and subsequently killed 20,000 fish -- so U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy elected Wednesday not to send Agriculture Undersecretary and USFS overseer Mark Rey to the slammer. Nonetheless, said Molloy, the agency's lack of action was "shameful," "unreasonable," and showed a "systematic disregard of the rule of law." Ah, just another day in the Bush administration.
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sources: Missoulian, Associated Press
Waste Not, Want Waste Not
U.S. may import 20,000 tons of nuclear waste
Know how the U.S. hasn't even figured out a long-term solution for its own nuclear waste? Perhaps importing 20,000 tons of radioactive material from Italy might not be the best idea. Not to mention that we don't want to do the Italians any favors until they decriminalize crotch-grabbing.
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The End of Casual Sacks
British PM prods retailers to reduce plastic-bag use, threatens fee
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to propose rules within the next year aimed at reducing the ubiquity of single-use plastic bags in the United Kingdom. About 13 billion plastic bags are given out free to U.K. shoppers every year and many are only used once before getting thrown out; plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade. Brown has called on supermarkets and other retailers to take voluntary measures like charging a 5-pence fee for each plastic bag or moving away from single-use plastic bags altogether. The prime minister hinted that if retailers' voluntary measures don't result in large enough reductions, plastic-bag-reduction programs of one kind or another could become mandatory.
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sources: The Guardian, The Times
Tip #7 from Grist's new green-living guide, Wake Up and Smell the Planet
Q. OK, for real: paper or plastic?
A. Trick question -- bring your own bag! Click here for more green-living tips, or buy the book!
GRIST COLUMNS AND FEATURES
An interview with green designer and TV personality John Bruce
John Bruce is living in a material world, but he's no cone-chested pop star -- he's a green designer. As a regular on TV's While You Were Out and the more recent Ecozone Project, he's bringing green notions into millions of homes around the world. What are his favorite eco-materials, what does he think about celebrity "hypocrites," and what project will he turn to next? He sat down with Sarah van Schagen to discuss all that and more.
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new in Grist: An interview with green designer and TV personality John Bruce
Coming Monday: Advice columnist Umbra Fisk on pearl production
Grist: Environmental News and Commentary
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1 comment:
For all those interested in getting a better handle on Forest Service roadless areas. Take a look at Roadlessland.org. Roadlessland is a non-commercial site created to help people understand and explore our country's roadless areas. The site has maps, photos, printable topos, directions and comments.
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