From grist@gristmagazine.com Sun May 16 16:34:00 2004
Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 13:59:08 -0700
From: Grist Magazine
To: daily-grist@lists.gristmagazine.com
Subject: DAILY GRIST, 14 May 2004
DAILY GRIST
14 May 2004
Environmental news from GRIST MAGAZINE
<http://www.gristmagazine.com>
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1.
CUCKOO FOR HAIKU
Grist's Haiku Hullabaloo Fundraiser Ends Soon -- Really, We Promise
In this critical election year, it's all too rare to hear candidates
focus on the environment, which is too damn bad. Our use of natural
resources and our relationship to the natural world are at the core
of issues ranging from war in the Middle East to domestic economics.
The environment ought to be the frame through which we see the
problems facing our country and the world. Grist puts the
environment front and center. We aim to serve as the one-stop source
of comprehensive environmental news and insight. But we need your
help to do it -- as a nonprofit, we rely on your tax-deductible gifts
to survive. Please help us take advantage of a $40,000 matching
grant -- it runs out on May 17, so hey, don't delay. And if you have
poetic inclinations, don't forget to send us your haiku!
give today: Open your wallet, shed your guilt
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/about/support.asp>
2.
ESCAPE NOTICE
Demand for Hybrids Exceeds Expectations
Demand for gas-electric hybrid vehicles has automakers scrambling to
keep up. Ford's new Escape hybrid SUV won't go on sale until August,
but already 30,000 people have expressed the desire to buy one via
Ford's website, whereas the company had planned to sell just 20,000 a
year. Meanwhile, waiting lists for Toyota's Prius are growing,
prompting the company's U.S. arm to request a substantial increase in
manufacturing from the Japanese factory that produces the hybrids.
Toyota's initial goal was to sell 34,000 this year; it now expects to
sell 50,000. Sales of the Prius last month were up 150 percent from
the same time last year. In other happy news, sales of large,
gas-guzzling SUVs -- including the Hummer, the Cadillac Escalade, and
the Ford Expedition -- are down anywhere from 17 to 33 percent from
this time last year. While many attribute these trends to high gas
prices, the eternal optimists here at Grist credit a blossoming
eco-consciousness among Americans. Our glass is half-full!
straight to the source: The San-Diego Union-Tribune, Jennifer
Davies, 12 May 2004
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2454>
straight to the source: USA Today, David Kiley and James R. Healey,
14 May 2004
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2455>
straight to the source: The News Tribune, Bloomberg News, Alan
Ohnsman, 14 May 2004
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2456>
3.
THE CAPITAL GANG
Readers Wrangle Over Capitalism, Bottled Water, and More
Stan Cox's article on eco-socialism brought out some learned
criticism from readers, including noted author Paul Hawken, whose
work Cox cites. Cox weighs in with a response and further argument
that capitalism is unsustainable. Tune in also for another take on
the bottled-water issue, yet another take on the Sierra Club board
election, and more, in Letters to the Editor -- today on the Grist
Magazine website.
today in Grist: Readers sound off on capitalism, natural and
otherwise -- in Letters to the Editor
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/letters/letters051404.asp?source=daily>
4.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?
Cow Poop Powers California Dairy
A well-fed dairy cow produces 120 pounds of poop a day -- some 43,000
pounds a year. What to do with all that doo? Dairy farmer Albert
Straus of Marin County, Calif., puts it in a big covered lagoon,
where it decomposes and generates tons of methane gas, which he
captures and uses to power his farm, his creamery, and his electric
car. In California, where 1,950 commercial dairies house some 2
million excreting bovines, the state energy commission recently
allocated $10 million in matching funds to encourage farmers to build
methane digesters, and a 2003 state law paved the way for utilities
to set up "net metering" for the farmers, which makes it possible for
them to reduce or erase their electric bills. Not only will Straus
save some $5,000 to $6,000 a month in energy costs, he is preventing
tons of methane (a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon
dioxide) from drifting into the atmosphere and organic pollutants
from contaminating water sources. Plus, he now has a built-in,
renewable source of jokes.
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Maria Alicia Guara,
14 May 2004
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2457>
5.
JANE'S ADDICTION
An Activist on Population and Women's Issues Gets Down to Brass Tacks
Jane Roberts -- a self-described "totally dedicated grassroot" --
started a nonprofit that has raised $2 million for the U.N.
Population Fund, in response to President Bush's refusal to release
money Congress had authorized for the organization. Readers were
intrigued by her success and wrote in to ask her about how she got
started, what she finds so troubling about Bush's policies on women's
issues, and why Ralph Nader is her environmental nightmare. Read her
answers in InterActivist -- today on the Grist Magazine website.
today in Grist: Family-planning advocate Jane Roberts answers
readers' questions -- in InterActivist
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/interactivist/roberts051404.asp?source=daily>
6.
X-MICE
Genetic Damage from Air Pollution May Be Heritable
Air pollution can cause genetic mutations, and those mutations can be
passed along to offspring, according to a new report in the journal
Science. A pair of Canadian researchers ran a study on two groups of
mice, both located downwind from two steel mills in air containing a
high concentration of airborne particulates, but one of the groups
had its air pass through high-efficiency air filters. Baby mice born
into the unprotected group inherited about twice as many mutations as
babies in the protected group. For now, the researchers do not know
if the particular mutations are related to any health problems, or
whether the findings extend to human beings, but the study certainly
raises further concern about soot, which has been related to a
variety of maladies. For his part, study author James Quinn says
that if he lived in an area with sooty air, "I would install a
filtration unit in my home or wear a mask when I went out."
straight to the source: Genome News Network, Kate Ruder, 13 May 2004
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2458>
straight to the source: Contra Costa Times, Associated Press, Laura
Neergaard, 14 May 2004
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2459>
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Also in GRIST MAGAZINE:
Syzygy whiz -- a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Bush's
much-praised new diesel rules -- in Muckraker
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/muck/muck051304.asp?source=daily>
She's the bee's knees -- Rashida Bee of Bhopal, India, fights against
the company that devastated her community -- by Michelle Nijhuis in
Main Dish
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/maindish/bee041904.asp?source=daily>
Cabbage patch kid -- one man taxes his way to a healthy relationship
with the earth -- in Out on a Limb
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/limb/limb101900.asp?source=daily>
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From grist@gristmagazine.com Sun May 16 16:36:34 2004
Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 13:25:36 -0700
From: Grist Magazine
To: daily-grist@lists.gristmagazine.com
Subject: DAILY GRIST, 13 May 2004
DAILY GRIST
13 May 2004
Environmental news from GRIST MAGAZINE
<http://www.gristmagazine.com>
Tax-deductible
gifts; karma-deductible
haikus. Can't beat that!
Donate to Grist and join the Haiku Hullabaloo:
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1.
SYZYGY WHIZ
A Look Behind Bush's New Diesel Regs
The Bush administration's new regulations governing emissions from
non-road diesel equipment -- bulldozers, tractors, and such -- are a
clear win for the environment and public health, likely to prevent
thousands of deaths and heart attacks a year. They've received a
chorus of praise from enviros and industry groups alike. So, what
gives? Has the Grinch's heart grown by three sizes? Was Bush
visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past? Turns out several economic
and political factors fell into perfect alignment -- something
unlikely to happen again in the future. Read about the unique
convergence that produced this rare happy eco-news -- in Muckraker,
today on the Grist Magazine website.
today in Grist: Stars align for laudable Bush policy making -- in Muckraker
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/muck/muck051304.asp?source=daily>
2.
DIM AND DIMMER
Earth Getting Dimmer; Air Pollution Is Prime Suspect
No, you're not just depressed: The earth actually is getting darker.
The amount of sunlight reaching the planet's surface, researchers
say, declined by as much as 10 percent between the late 1950s and
early 1990s. In some regions the drop was steeper, including the
U.S., Asia, and Europe. Hong Kong is 37 percent darker than it was
mid-20th century. The phenomenon has been independently noted at
several spots around the globe, but only now are scientists
overcoming their initial skepticism and gathering to discuss the
implications. U.S. and Canadian geologists will convene for a
conference on "global dimming" next week. While most researchers
blame the obvious culprit, air pollution -- sunlight bounces off smog
particles, and those particles also cause thicker, more opaque clouds
-- dimming has also been observed in places where the air is
relatively clean, such as Antarctica. We shudder to think what a
worldwide outbreak of Seasonal Affective Disorder might look like.
straight to the source: The New York Times, Kenneth Chang, 13 May 2004
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2450>
3.
THE THING OF SMALL CODS
Cod May Be Headed for Extinction, Says WWF
Worldwide cod stocks are declining rapidly and could be entirely
wiped out by 2020, says enviro group World Wildlife Fund. The global
cod catch has declined from 3.4 million tons in 1970 to 1 million
tons in 2000, a trend WWF blames on overfishing, illegal catches, and
oil exploration. Since the 1980s, cod stocks are down 90 percent in
U.S. waters and 75 percent in European waters. The largest stocks
left are in the Barents Sea, north of Norway and Russia, but they too
are in danger if those countries do not decrease their fishing quotas
and crack down on illegal fishing, says the group. Making matters
worse, Norway recently announced that it will open the sea to oil
exploration, and Russia said it will develop a new oil-shipping
export route through the waters.
straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Associated Press, 12 May 2004
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2452>
4.
FINED AND DANDY
Wal-Mart Fined $3.1 Million for Clean Water Act Violations
Wal-Mart has agreed to pay a $3.1 million fine for storm-water runoff
violations of the Clean Water Act, in a settlement with the U.S. EPA
and the Justice Department -- marking the second time it has paid
such a fine, after a $1 million penalty in 2001. The company was
charged with violations at 24 construction sites in nine states for
allegedly failing to request the proper permits, institute
runoff-control plans, or install controls to prevent discharge.
Storm-water runoff can carry toxic chemicals and sediment that kill
fish and destroy aquatic habitat. Wal-Mart pledged to institute
training programs for its contractors and improve storm-water
procedures at the 200 or so sites a year where it builds its
gargantuan stores. The $3.1 million -- the largest fine ever levied
against a company for such violations -- represents 0.001 percent of
the $256 billion in sales Wal-Mart reported for the last fiscal year,
and will no doubt teach the giant retailer a very important lesson.
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press,
Curt Anderson, 12 May 2004
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2449>
straight to the source: The New York Times, Michael Janofsky, 13 May 2004
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2453>
5.
DO GOOD
Take Action to Bring Down the Snake River Dams
Wild salmon are in serious decline in the Pacific Northwest. More
than $3.5 billion has been spent on failed salmon-recovery measures,
like trucking salmon around dams. Activists and many biologists say
that what we really need to do is leave the salmon in the waterways
and take the dams out -- specifically, four dams on the lower Snake
River in southeastern Washington state. Call on President Bush to
save this keystone species by knocking down salmon-damning dams.
do good: Take action and help save salmon
<http://www.care2.com/go/z/13786>
6.
AY CHARISMA!
Conservation Efforts Need to Look Beyond Charismatic Species
A new article in the journal Nature seeks to change the way
conservation efforts are conceived. Rather than focusing on single
"charismatic" species like tigers or gorillas, say researchers
Anthony Ives and Bradley Cardinale, conservation programs should
focus on whole ecosystems. They support their contention with an
analysis of the way biological communities respond to stress -- acid
rain, say, or habitat destruction. Weaker or less adaptable species
die out first, providing a short-term boost to their competitors
("compensation"). As the stress continues, however, compensation
decreases and ecosystems collapse. The fate of individual species,
and the point at which compensation ceases and collapse begins, are
too complex to predict, say the authors, and for that reason
preserving ecosystems must be the focus. We can no longer focus on
individual species, says Cardinale, "because we have no idea what
species may make the community resistant in the future; we would be
prudent to conserve as many as we can."
straight to the source: BBC News, Julianna Kettlewell, 13 May 2004
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2451>
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Also in GRIST MAGAZINE:
Put on a happy face -- National Park Service employees muzzled on
budget shortfalls and other problems -- in Muckraker
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/muck/muck051204.asp?source=daily>
Shell game -- Margie Eugene-Richard of Louisiana battled Shell on
behalf of her neighborhood -- by Michelle Nijhuis in Main Dish
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/maindish/richard042004.asp?source=daily>
Give peace parks a chance -- dispatches from the Hague Conference on
Environment, Security, and Sustainable Development -- by Geoffrey
Dabelko
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/dispatches/dabelko051204.asp?source=daily>
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