From grist@gristmagazine.com Sun Oct 1 11:28:25 2000 Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2000 12:03:07 -0700 From: Grist MagazineReply-To: daily-grist-owner@egroups.com To: daily-grist@egroups.com Subject: DAILY GRIST, September 26, 2000 DAILY GRIST September 26, 2000 News summaries from GRIST MAGAZINE <http://www.gristmagazine.com> 1. TIME FOR A CZECH UP Thousands of Austrian environmental activists blocked border crossings between their country and the Czech Republic on Friday to protest a new Czech nuclear power plant just 40 miles from the Austrian border that is scheduled to start up soon. Austria, which decided to be nuke-free in 1978, is also threatening to try to block the Czech Republic's efforts to join the European Union if the Soviet-designed Temelin nuclear plant goes online. On Sept. 7, the European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution urging the Czech Republic to carry out additional environmental studies before activating the plant. Meanwhile, controversy is brewing in Taiwan as newly elected President Chen Shui-bian decides whether to call for a halt to construction of the country's fourth nuclear power plant, which is already one-third finished. Many Taiwanese object to the plant, noting that the country doesn't know what to do with the nuclear waste it already has. straight to the source: New York Times, Ladka Bauerova, 09.24.00 <http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/24/world/24NUKE.html> straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle/Examiner, Associated Press, Marcos Calo Medina, 09.26.00 <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2000/09/ 26/international0537EDT0474.DTL> 2. SWAMP THING The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly yesterday in favor of a $7.8 billion plan to restore the Florida Everglades over the next 30 to 40 years, the largest environmental restoration undertaking in history. The bill calls for a massive construction project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to restore the water flow through the 300-mile-long ecosystem -- which, ironically, has been devastated by decades of flood control efforts by none other than the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The measure has backing from the White House, enviros, agricultural interests, the sugar industry, and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R). The bill now heads to the House, where supporters hope they can get it through before this year's legislative session winds up on Oct. 6. straight to the source: Miami Herald, Frank Davies, 09.26.00 <http://www.herald.com/content/today/docs/089811.htm> straight to the source: Salt Lake Deseret News, Associated Press, H. Josef Hebert, 09.26.00 <http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,195016938,00.html> 3. POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK GOLD Explaining that he was tired of hearing Al Gore represent himself as a crusader against Big Oil "over and over and over again," GOP vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney said yesterday that Gore should either recuse himself from Clinton administration energy policies or divest the Gore family trust of its holdings in the Occidental Petroleum Corp. In particular, Cheney said Gore had a conflict of interest in June when he supported an extension of a tax exemption that would benefit Occidental. Enviros have also protested the veep's family ties to Occidental because the corporation plans to drill for oil on rainforest land in Colombia claimed by the indigenous U'wa tribe. A Gore spokeswoman responded yesterday that the family trust, which contains about $500,000 in Occidental stock, currently benefits the vice president's mother, not the vice president, and that Gore has no control over investments in the trust. Cheney himself has millions of dollars in stock options from Halliburton, an oil services company of which he was the CEO until tapped to run for vice president. He has said he will divest himself of Halliburton stock if elected. straight to the source: Washington Post, Lois Romano, 09.26.00 <http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16229-2000Sep25.html> straight to the source: USA Today, Martin Kasindorf, 09.26.00 <http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000926/2685001s.htm> do good: Take action and tell Gore to drop oil investment <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/dogood/politics.stm#gore> 4. CRUISE CONTROLS The U.S. Justice Department has joined Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles (D) and environmentalists in criticizing proposed cruise ship legislation sponsored by Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska), saying it would legalize the dumping at sea of toxic chemicals like the dry-cleaning solvent PERC. Department officials said the new legislation would make prosecutions difficult or impossible by contradicting older laws with more stringent language restricting dumping. The cruise ship measure is part of a larger Coast Guard bill that has already passed the Senate and House in slightly different forms and is expected to be the focus of a Senate-House conference committee soon. Meanwhile, following Alaska's lead, California Gov. Gray Davis (D) has signed legislation setting up a task force to study whether cruise ships are adequately complying with environmental laws. straight to the source: New York Times, Matthew L. Wald, 09.26.00 <http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/26/politics/26CRUI.html> straight to the source: Contra Costa Times, Mike Taugher, 09.24.00 <http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/california/stories/cruise_20000924.htm> read it only in Grist Magazine: A week in the life of a crusader against cruise ship pollution <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/week/schmidt072400.stm> 5. TACO HELL Kraft Foods announced a nationwide recall on Friday of Taco Bell-brand taco shells found to contain small amounts of a genetically modified corn variety not approved for human consumption because it may cause allergies. The corn, known as StarLink, has been approved as animal feed, but in an effort to reassure the public, the manufacturer of the corn, Aventis Corp., announced today that it will suspend sales of the variety unless the U.S. EPA approves its use in human food. The recall is likely to put pressure on the biotech industry and the government to more tightly regulate genetically modified crops. Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio) is sponsoring a bill that would require stricter safety testing and mandatory labeling. But some experts are saying that accurate labeling would be difficult, since it is hard to keep genetically modified crops from contaminating and being mixed with other crops. Meanwhile, enviros are criticizing a new preliminary report released by the U.S. EPA that claims genetically modified corn is unlikely to pose a serious threat to monarch butterflies, despite recent high-profile studies that have found pollen from the corn plants can kill monarch caterpillars. straight to the source: New York Times, Andrew Pollack, 09.23.00 <http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/23/business/23FOOD.html> straight to the source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Associated Press, Philip Brasher, 09.26.00 <http://www.stlnet.com/postnet/news/wires.nsf/National/DF96D6B02210F46 886256966004CDD1F?OpenDocument> straight to the source: New York Times, Andrew Pollack, 09.26.00 <http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/26/business/26FOOD.html> straight to the source: New York Times, Carol Kaesuk Yoon, 09.26.00 <http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/26/science/26CORN.html> do good: Take action and support the campaign to label genetically modified foods <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/dogood/food.stm> 6. MAKE A RUN FOR THE BORDER A U.S. law meant to keep heavily polluting cars in Mexico from entering California has yet to be enforced, even though it went into effect 17 months ago. U.S. Customs Service officials in the state admit they have not imposed any fines or denied entry to a single vehicle, saying they are waiting for direction from Washington on how to enforce the law. The law was meant to add strength to a California act that requires that cars driven by cross-border commuters meet the state's tough smog standards. Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.), the measure's sponsor in Congress, said he would pressure customs officials to pick up the enforcement pace, adding that "the grace period darn well should be over by now." straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Ken Ellingwood, 09.25.00 <http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environ/20000925/t000090920.html> ----------------------------------------------------------------- Also in GRIST MAGAZINE today: A new class of SUVs -- a cartoon by Suzy Becker <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/ha/ha092200.stm> Oot and aboot in British Columbia -- a day in the life of Amanda Gibbs, Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/week/gibbs092500.stm> Species on the brink of a nervous breakdown -- a record pace of extinction threatens American flora and fauna -- in our Books Unbound section <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/books/books091900.stm> ----------------------------------------------------------------- To subscribe to DAILY GRIST, click here <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/signup/subgist.asp> or send a blank email message to . To unsubscribe, click here <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/signup/ungrist.asp> or send a blank email message to . Gloom and doom with a sense of humor. Impossible, you say? Nah. Visit GRIST MAGAZINE, a beacon in the smog, at <http://www.gristmagazine.com>. GRIST MAGAZINE is a project of Earth Day Network, <http://www.earthday.net>. From grist@gristmagazine.com Sun Oct 1 11:52:31 2000 Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 12:03:56 -0700 From: Grist Magazine Reply-To: daily-grist-owner@egroups.com To: daily-grist@egroups.com Subject: DAILY GRIST, September 27, 2000 DAILY GRIST September 27, 2000 News summaries from GRIST MAGAZINE <http://www.gristmagazine.com> 1. CAPE CRUSADERS South Africa outlined a sweeping conservation plan yesterday to protect biodiversity and estuaries across 35,000 square miles of the Cape Floral Kingdom, a region in the southwestern part of the nation. The ambitious plan, which is being hailed by enviros, aims by 2020 to set up a network of terrestrial and marine conservation areas, including three "mega-reserves," while also integrating social and economic concerns. South African Environment Minister Valli Moosa: "We are making history as far as conservation is concerned. South Africa is increasingly being viewed by the rest of the world as a place where important conservation lessons can be learnt." Officials hope that the plan, developed by the South African government and the Global Environment Facility, will get some backing from international funding organizations like the World Bank. straight to the source: Cape Times, Melanie Gosling, 09.26.00 <http://www.iol.co.za/html/frame_news.php?click_id=143&art_id=ct200009 26204007904C12390&test=> 2. BEACHY KEEN Congress passed a bill yesterday to expand the testing of coastal waters for pathogens and encourage states to warn beach goers when water is contaminated, and President Clinton is expected to sign it into law. The bill would offer states about $150 million over five years as an incentive to establish beach monitoring and public notification programs. Currently, only 11 states have drawn praise from environmentalists for such programs, and enviros hope that number will now grow significantly. The bill's chief sponsor, Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.), is in a tight race for reelection and is pointing to the bill to burnish his green credentials. straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Richard Simon, 09.27.00 <http://www.latimes.com/print/asection/20000927/t000091698.html> 3. GOOD IDEAS IN SHORT SUPPLY Believing that Al Gore is vulnerable on the issue of high oil prices, George W. Bush is planning to unveil an energy policy on Friday. It will include steps to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and boost domestic supply, said Lawrence Lindsey, Bush's senior economic advisor. While Gore has proposed tax breaks and other incentives to encourage people and companies to buy fuel-efficient cars and energy-efficient technologies, Bush's plan won't rely much on conservation. "We're more for supply," Lindsey said. But he did point to one conservation idea -- charging higher prices for energy use during peak periods -- which he attributed to Kenneth Lay, the chief executive of Enron Corp. and one of Bush's "Pioneer" fundraisers. Meanwhile, two of Bush's and two of Gore's environmental advisors debated yesterday. Montana Gov. Marc Racicot (R) and Florida environmental official David Struhs said that Bush would bring with him "a new era of environmental protection" by giving states more control, while Katie McGinty, a former Clinton administration environmental official, and Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening (D) argued for a strong federal role in environmental protection and painted a grim picture of Bush's environmental record as governor of Texas. straight to the source: Washington Post, Glenn Kessler, 09.27.00 <http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23924-2000Sep26.html> straight to the source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Associated Press, H. Josef Hebert, 09.27.00 <http://www.stlnet.com/postnet/News/wires.nsf/Political/4AEBFDDB4BAAB6 3286256966007A7D25?OpenDocument> straight to the source: Miami Herald, Frank Davies, 09.27.00 <http://www.herald.com/content/today/news/florida/digdocs/003586.htm> 4. MTVP In an MTV town meeting yesterday in Ann Arbor, Mich., Al Gore said that after long deliberation he had sided with paper bags over plastic, more out of personal preference than solid scientific evidence that plastic was worse for the environment. On a more serious note, one student tempted to vote for Ralph Nader in the presidential race asked Gore to "assure me that a vote for Al Gore is a conscientious vote, not simply a vote for the lesser of two evils." Gore responded, "I want you to vote your heart, but I want to convince you," and pointed to his environmental stances, as well as his support for consumer protections, as reasons to support him. straight to the source: Washington Post, John F. Harris, 09.27.00 <http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23826-2000Sep26.html> straight to the source: New York Times, Kevin Sack, 09.27.00 <http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/27/politics/27GORE.html> read it only in Grist Magazine: Paper or plastic? Who cares -- a review in Books Unbound <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/books/brower043099.stm> 5. A NEW LEASE ON LIFE Washington, D.C.-based Conservation International is trying a new approach to saving natural areas in developing countries: leasing trees. CI is working on a deal to buy the logging rights for up to 25 years for 200,000 acres of pristine rainforest in southern Guyana in South America, planning to spend several million dollars to protect the land with what it calls a "conservation concession." Usually concessions, or development rights to land, are sold by cash-strapped governments to logging and mining companies, often at prices as cheap as a few dollars an acre. CI now intends to compete with these private companies to buy concessions, also offering to pay governments enough to compensate for any lost jobs or economic activities. CI may take this model to Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, and Peru. straight to the source: New York Times, Reed Abelson, 09.24.00 <http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/24/business/24WORL.html> ----------------------------------------------------------------- Also in GRIST MAGAZINE today: Pounding the pavement -- fun with stats -- in our Counter Culture column <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/counter/counter092600.stm> Never back down from a rumble -- a day in the life of Amanda Gibbs, Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/week/gibbs092600.stm> Get a free book and help out Grist! <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/signup/book_signup.asp> ----------------------------------------------------------------- To subscribe to DAILY GRIST, click here <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/signup/subgist.asp> or send a blank email message to . To unsubscribe, click here <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/signup/ungrist.asp> or send a blank email message to . Gloom and doom with a sense of humor. Impossible, you say? Nah. Visit GRIST MAGAZINE, a beacon in the smog, at <http://www.gristmagazine.com>. GRIST MAGAZINE is a project of Earth Day Network, <http://www.earthday.net>.