From grist@gristmagazine.com Tue May 1 19:39:10 2001
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 12:34:35 -0700
From: Grist Magazine
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To: daily-grist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: DAILY GRIST, 20 Apr 2001
DAILY GRIST
20 Apr 2001
Environmental news from GRIST MAGAZINE
<http://www.gristmagazine.com>
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1.
I WANT TO RIDE MY BICYCLE
Taiwan President Chen Shui-ban biked to work today to mark Earth Day
on Sunday. Top officials from Taiwain's environment and
transportation agencies, among others, peddled with the president in
the morning drizzle in Taipei. Chen said, "After this, I hope I can
ride to work one day each month." Meanwhile, environment ministers
from six countries took a quick bike ride around the U.N. complex
yesterday in New York City to call attention to the benefits of
bicycles over cars. The ministers from Belgium, the Czech Republic,
Finland, Norway, South African, and Sweden road shiny red bikes a
total of 80 yards.
straight to the source: South Africa Independent, 20 Apr 2001
<http://www.iol.co.za/general/newsview.php?click_id=143&art_id=qw98774
3103546O561&set_id=1>
straight to the source: Planet Ark, Reuters, 20 Apr 2001
<http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=10579>
2.
ZED, YOU ARE THE WEAKEST LINK. GOODBYE.
Zed's hit show, "Global Warming Survivor," is threatened with cancellation by
the White House. Watch Zed, last of his species, blame the show's problems
on everything but himself in, "Earth Day, My Ass!"
catch it only in Grist Magazine: The comic adventures of Zed, last
of his species
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/zed/zed042001.stm>
catch it only in Grist Magazine: Check out the Zed music video!
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/zed/zed-fun.stm>
3.
ADDLED ABABA
Ethiopia said yesterday that about 3,000 tons of obsolete pesticides
stored at almost 1,000 sites around the country are contaminating the
environment and threatening public health. For example, at one
location in Addis Ababa, overturned metal drums leaking toxic waste
are just 500 yards from a grain silo. A strong smell of chemicals
pervades the site, where men without protective clothing are guarding
the drums. An expert with the U.N. Food and Agriculture
Organization, Alemayehu Wodageneh, said, "People are living in a
toilet of toxic waste." Ethiopian Deputy Agriculture Minister Belay
Ejigu is asking international donors and the chemical industry to
help fund a clean-up effort.
straight to the source: Planet Ark, Reuters, David Brough, 20 Apr 2001
<http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=10580>
4.
ARRESTING DEVELOPMENT
In a pre-Earth Day demonstration protesting President Bush's
environmental policies, 10 environmental activists were arrested
yesterday at U.S. EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C., after
chaining themselves to the building's entrance. Among those arrested
were John Passacantando, executive director of Greenpeace USA, and
Randy Hayes, president of the Rainforest Action Network.
Passacantando said in a statement, "We want this toxic Texan to know
that trashing 30 years of environmental gains, then making a few
token announcements for Earth Day is an unacceptable environmental
agenda."
straight to the source: Planet Ark, Reuters, Patrick Connole, 20 Apr 2001
<http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=10570>
5.
CHRISTIE TOAD WHITMAN
The Bush administration has put on its green hat leading up to Earth
Day. President Bush has said he would sign a treaty phrasing out a
series of nasty chemicals and not roll back a couple of environmental
rules approved by former President Clinton. U.S. EPA Administrator
Christie Todd Whitman has been making the rounds with reporters,
saying things like, "This administration has an extraordinarily good
environmental record." Bush allies seemed to understand that the
president needed a green sheen this week. Bill Kovacs of the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce said Bush's decisions "were not on issues that we
were fighting with Clinton on anyway." So far, the administration
has rejected or delayed about four times as many enviro measures as
it has approved.
straight to the source: Christian Science Monitor, Brad
Knickerbocker, 20 Apr 2001
<http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2001/04/20/p1s2.htm>
straight to the source: Seattle Times, Jodi Enda and Seth
Borenstein, 20 Apr 2001
<http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/134286931_enviro20.html>
straight to the source: Baltimore Sun, Heather Dewar, 20 Apr 2001
<http://www.sunspot.net/news/nationworld/bal-te.enviro20apr20.story?co
ll=bal%2Dhome%2Dheadlines>
6.
YOU CAN RHONE, BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE
Many rivers in Europe are in poor health and don't come close to
meeting the European Union's environmental standards, the World
Wildlife Fund said yesterday. The group found that 50 out of 69
river stretches in 16 countries were in trouble; the worst polluted
rivers included the Rhone and Seine in France, the Severn in Britain,
and the Danube in Austria. In some cases, rivers in Eastern Europe,
a region known for its pollution problems, were cleaner than those in
Western Europe. Dams, canals, waste-dumping, and runoff from farming
were among the causes of the problems. The environmental group said
that all European nations should adopt E.U. rules that call for
rivers, marshes, and lakes to be restored to their original state by
2015.
straight to the source: South Africa Independent, 20 Apr 2001
<http://www.iol.co.za/html/frame_news.php?click_id=143&art_id=qw987762
781949C451>
straight to the source: BBC News, Alex Kirby, 20 Apr 2001
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1285000/1285883.stm>
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Also in GRIST MAGAZINE today:
You say it's your Earth Day -- a cartoon by Suzy Becker
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/ha/ha041601.stm>
Springing a leak in Quebec City -- a day in the life of David Waskow,
Friends of the Earth
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/week/waskow041901.stm>
Here's the scoop -- Grist reader stops eating Starbucks ice cream! --
and other letters to the editor
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/letters/letters041701.stm>
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