Veep Impact
Joe Biden and Bill Clinton say Obama's the man to solve the energy crisis
Posted at 10:07 PM on 27 Aug 2008
In his convention speech on Wednesday night, Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden said an Obama administration will make "alternative energy a national priority ... creating 5 million new jobs, and finally breaking us from the grip of foreign oil." Biden accused John McCain of being wrong on everything "from Amtrak to veterans," and said, "John voted again and again against renewable energy -- wind, solar, biofuels. That's not change, that's more of the same." In an earlier speech, Bill Clinton said Obama will find "economically beneficial ways to fight global warming ... and when Barack Obama unleashes them, America will save lives, create new jobs." Clinton also tossed in a little climate humor, noting that the tight race between Obama and Hillary Clinton earlier this year "created so much heat, it increased global warming." In other convention fun, we've got photos of the "clean coal" and wind-power displays around Denver. And be sure to check out the rest of Grist's convention coverage.
new in Muckraker: On Joe Biden's speech
new in Muckraker: On Bill Clinton's speech
new in Muckraker: On Joe Biden's speech
new in Muckraker: On Bill Clinton's speech
Oil Me Once
Santa Barbara County officials give thumbs-up to offshore drilling
Posted at 4:18 PM on 27 Aug 2008
Santa Barbara County supervisors on Tuesday voted 3 to 2 in favor of allowing offshore drilling along their coastline -- a move that has no practical impacts, but is rich with symbolism. The southern California county was hit with a devastating 3-million-gallon crude oil spill from an offshore platform in 1969; it coated beaches, killed wildlife, and helped to kick-start the modern environmental movement. While the vote will do nothing to change congressional and state policy, it shows how attitudes are changing in the face of high gas prices. Fifty-one percent of Californians now say they approve of offshore drilling, up from 41 percent last year, according to polling conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) supports Congress' moratorium on offshore drilling, but the three supervisors who voted in favor of drilling are urging "The Governator" to reconsider, arguing that new technologies make offshore drilling much safer. Opponents say the supervisors are getting their info from faulty studies and point out that new offshore drilling won't actually lower gas prices anytime soon.
sources: The New York Times, Reuters, Associated Press
sources: The New York Times, Reuters, Associated Press
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In Brief
Snippets from the news
Posted at 9:49 AM on 27 Aug 2008
• Summer Arctic sea-ice drops to second lowest level on record.
• China's carbon emissions from power plants to increase by a third this year, report says.
• Japan publishes "research" on 4,500 whales it's killed.
• German study finds going veg can cut carbon emissions.
• Massive flooding in India incites food riots.
• Federal appeals court says U.S. government must repay oil companies for their leases off California coast.
• Japanese companies start work on solar-powered ship.
• Wind turbines may mess with bats.
• China's carbon emissions from power plants to increase by a third this year, report says.
• Japan publishes "research" on 4,500 whales it's killed.
• German study finds going veg can cut carbon emissions.
• Massive flooding in India incites food riots.
• Federal appeals court says U.S. government must repay oil companies for their leases off California coast.
• Japanese companies start work on solar-powered ship.
• Wind turbines may mess with bats.
Revolution by 'Natural' Selection
Consumers express renewed interest in natural-gas vehicles
Posted at 5:52 AM on 27 Aug 2008
High oil prices, increased domestic natural-gas production, and a well-publicized push from a former oil man have all boosted interest in natural-gas vehicles in the United States lately. This spring, the natural-gas equivalent of a gallon of gasoline was selling for about $1.50 less than gasoline on average nationwide. And in some places like Utah, where vertical integration of natural-gas utilities keeps prices unusually low, the difference is even larger. Energy independence enthusiasts in and out of Congress are (naturally) gassed about the possibilities. Right now, the U.S. only imports some 2 percent of its natural-gas supply and new drilling techniques that extract natural gas from shale deposits have analysts predicting a sustained boom in domestic production for years to come. However, a dearth of natural-gas pumps at gas stations is a major hurdle to increased use of the cleaner cars; less than 1 percent of U.S. gas stations carry natural-gas pumps for vehicles. Another infrastructure problem is the lack of commercially available natural-gas vehicles. Honda's Civic GX is the only model currently available, though GM has said it might also get into the biz.
sources: The Washington Post, The Salt Lake Tribune, The New York Times
sources: The Washington Post, The Salt Lake Tribune, The New York Times
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You're Not Fueling Anyone
Ending fossil-fuel subsidies would help climate and economy, U.N. says
Posted at 4:21 AM on 27 Aug 2008
Ending fossil-fuel subsidies around the world could slash greenhouse-gas emissions by up to 6 percent and help the economy at the same time, according to a new United Nations report [PDF]. Globally, governments spend some $300 billion on fuel subsidies that encourage consumption, delay transition to cleaner energy sources, and mainly benefit the already-rich even though most of the programs are intended to help the poor with fuel costs. "In the final analysis, many fossil-fuel subsidies are introduced for political reasons but are simply propping up and perpetuating inefficiencies in the global economy," said U.N. Environment Program director Achim Steiner. "Governments should urgently review their energy subsidies and begin phasing out the harmful ones." Instead of subsidizing dirty energy, the report recommends employing more direct programs to help the poor as well as enacting tax breaks and other financial incentives to promote cleaner energy sources. Russia is the largest fuel-subsidy spender, throwing down some $40 billion a year mainly to subsidize natural gas; Iran is in second place, spending about $37 billion a year on fuel subsidies.
sources: Reuters, Associated Press
sources: Reuters, Associated Press
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Party Animals
Clinton, Warner, and Schweitzer cite energy as they stump for Obama and bash McCain
Posted at 9:49 PM on 26 Aug 2008
In a rousing speech endorsing Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night, Hillary Clinton said her erstwhile rival would "transform our energy agenda by creating millions of green jobs and building a new, clean energy future." Virginia Senate candidate Mark Warner also addressed energy and climate (as he told Grist he would): "If we actually got ourselves off foreign oil, we can make our country safer," he said in his keynote address. "We'll start to solve global warming, and with the right policies, within 24 months, we'll be building 100-mile-per-gallon plug-in hybrid vehicles right here, with American technology and with American workers." And Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer bashed John McCain's record on energy: "At a time when American families are struggling to keep their gas tanks full, john McCain voted 25 times against renewable energy, biofuels, solar energy ... wind energy." Read more Grist coverage of the Democratic National Convention.
But What Will They Use for Sleds?
Colleges forgo cafeteria trays to save water and energy
Posted at 4:07 PM on 26 Aug 2008
sources: Associated Press, Time
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America's Next Top Priority?
Obama would make cap-and-trade program a top economic priority
Posted at 2:37 PM on 26 Aug 2008
Photo: barackobama.com
sources: The Wall Street Journal
see also, in Gristmill: A look at Obama's economic thinking
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These Refiners Could Be Finer
States sue EPA over greenhouse-gas emissions from refineries
Posted at 1:35 PM on 26 Aug 2008
Twelve states, the city of New York, and the District of Columbia are suing the U.S. EPA for not regulating greenhouse-gas emissions from oil refineries. The suit accuses the agency of violating the Clean Air Act by refusing to issue standards for controlling carbon dioxide emissions from new or updated refinery equipment. In essence, the suit is an attempt to force the Bush administration to address climate change. The Supreme Court ruled last year that the EPA has the power to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, but it has yet to do so. "The EPA's s refusal to control pollution from oil refineries is the latest example of the Bush administration's do-nothing policy on global warming," said New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who's leading the suit.
sources: The Wall Street Journal, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
sources: The Wall Street Journal, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Whatever Slows Your Boat
Bush admin proposes scaling back speed-limit zone meant to protect right whales
Posted at 6:33 AM on 26 Aug 2008
On the same day that President Bush moved toward creation of marine sanctuaries in the Pacific, his administration proposed cutting by 10 nautical miles a speed-limit zone in the Atlantic meant to protect critically endangered right whales. The proposal would cut the area covered by the speed zones to 20 nautical miles offshore from the original 30; ship collisions are the most common cause of death for the 300 or so North Atlantic right whales that comprise the world's entire remaining population. The speed zones would be the first to take effect on behalf of wildlife on the East Coast and would be in force each year during the whale's annual migration, requiring ships to slow to 10 knots. Environmentalists and wildlife advocates have decried the weakened proposal, arguing that the right whale is so extremely endangered that any dip in protections could push them into extinction. The shipping industry has strongly opposed speed zones of any size, arguing that time is money in the shipping industry. A speed-limit zone on behalf of right whales was first proposed in 2006.
sources: The Washington Post, The New York Times, Associated Press
sources: The Washington Post, The New York Times, Associated Press
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Send in the Marines!
President Bush exploring creation of massive marine sanctuaries in Pacific
Posted at 4:56 AM on 26 Aug 2008
On Monday, President Bush took the first step toward protecting three unique marine areas in the Pacific Ocean that are under U.S. jurisdiction, including waters around the Mariana Islands, Rose Atoll in American Samoa, and other coral reefs and atolls in the central Pacific. If all of the proposed areas are eventually protected, it would add 891,000 square miles of marine sanctuaries and/or national monuments to U.S. waters. Bush has not yet indicated what type of protection the areas will receive, if any, but he directed his cabinet on Monday to look closely at the three areas and explore the implications of such designations. Even if the areas eventually receive special status, commercial fishing, oil and gas drilling, or deep-sea mining could still occur in the protected areas unless they are specifically prohibited by Bush; environmental and conservation groups are lobbying hard for such prohibitions. One of the areas under consideration for protection is the deepest spot in the world's oceans, the Mariana Trench, which reaches a depth of some 36,000 feet.
sources: Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Reuters
see also, in Grist: Bush creates world's largest marine protected area
sources: Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Reuters
see also, in Grist: Bush creates world's largest marine protected area
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Polar Party
Polar bears in open water prompt more worries about climate change
Posted at 2:48 PM on 25 Aug 2008
sources: The New York Times, Associated Press
Link and Discuss (18 Comments)
Just What a Border Line Needs: A Borderline Fence
Border-fence design exacerbated flooding along U.S.-Mexico border
Posted at 6:33 AM on 25 Aug 2008
The hastily built new fence along the U.S.-Mexico border has apparently exacerbated flooding in parts of Arizona and Mexico due to poor fence design. Environmentalists and others had warned the Department of Homeland Security that rushing border-fence construction could cause eco-troubles, but Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff nonetheless waived applicable environmental laws last year in order to speed the fence's construction. On July 12, a flash flood at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and surrounding areas was made worse by water redirected from debris-laden mesh fences that backed up natural water flows and caused substantial erosion to some of the fence's foundation. Earlier this month, a report by Organ Pipe monument's staff found that the fence didn't meet Army Corps of Engineers hydrologic standards, but environmentalists said that the poor design was self-evident even before the report. "It doesn't take an expert hydrologist to anticipate the potential for these walls to become like dams," said Matt Clark of Defenders of Wildlife.
source: Associated Press
see also, in Grist: Why environmental groups have been slow to fight the border wall
source: Associated Press
see also, in Grist: Why environmental groups have been slow to fight the border wall
Link and Discuss (9 Comments)
Was It All Just a Game to You?
Beijing officials consider extending some clean-air measures beyond Olympics
Posted at 4:59 AM on 25 Aug 2008
Beijing's emergency measures to clear its famously polluted air during the Olympic Games have been largely successful, with the city reportedly experiencing the cleanest summer air it's had for over a decade. But now that the Olympics are over, full-time city residents have been pointing out how pleasant breathable air has been and how nice it would be to have it all the time. In response, Chinese officials, who are still under the international spotlight until the close of this month's Paralympic Games, hinted to the media recently that some clean-air measures may stay in place beyond the games' end. Officials have said that plans to reduce construction-site dust will be sped up, some of the city's most-polluting vehicles could be subject to more regulation, and that heavily polluting companies may be required to address their pollution problems in order to resume post-games operations. However, one of the most successful (and popular) measures to curb the city's pollution will not be continued after the games -- the restriction keeping half of the city's cars from operating each day.
sources: China Daily, The Financial Times, Reuters
sources: China Daily, The Financial Times, Reuters
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In Brief
Snippets from the news
Posted at 2:44 PM on 22 Aug 2008
• Fracture in Greenland glacier concerns scientists.
• U.S. Open talks up greenness.
• Can veggie oil clean up toxic groundwater?
• Ethanol losing its golden reputation.
• Is plastic sickening lobsters?
• U.S. Open talks up greenness.
• Can veggie oil clean up toxic groundwater?
• Ethanol losing its golden reputation.
• Is plastic sickening lobsters?
On the Brink of Disaster
Report identifies areas where natural disasters could hit hardest
Posted at 1:51 PM on 22 Aug 2008
Natural disasters made more severe by climate change will hit especially hard in regions with shaky political, economic, and security situations, says a new report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and relief agency CARE International. Vulnerable areas include central Africa, the Horn of Africa, and the Sahel; Afghanistan, the Caspian region, India, Iran, and Pakistan; and Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, and Myanmar. "The likelihood of floods, violent storms, and droughts resulting in disasters is determined by a number of factors, including timely access to proper equipment, information, and the capacity to exert political influence," says CARE's Dr. Charles Ehrhart. More frequent and intense extreme-weather events, he notes, "will not necessarily cause a corresponding rise in disasters if world leaders act now." The report recommends that humanitarian groups help strengthen local disaster preparedness and response capacity and focus beyond short-term aid.
sources: Reuters, CARE International
straight to the report: Humanitarian Implications of Climate Change: Mapping Emerging Trends and Risk Hotspots [PDF]
sources: Reuters, CARE International
straight to the report: Humanitarian Implications of Climate Change: Mapping Emerging Trends and Risk Hotspots [PDF]
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Ghana But Not Forgotten
Nations gather in Ghana to talk shop on next climate-change accord
Posted at 12:12 PM on 22 Aug 2008
Some 1,600 delegates from 160 nations are moving forward on negotiations for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol as they gather this week in Accra, Ghana. The meeting is the third in a series of eight that will culminate in the adoption of a new global climate-change accord in Dec. 2009. "The negotiations need to speed up and become more concrete if governments are to meet the deadline they set for themselves," United Nations Climate Change Secretariat Yvo de Boer warned at the beginning of the meeting. And it seems progress is being made, as delegates express a general good feeling toward having developing countries set greenhouse-gas reduction targets for specific industries, while holding developed countries to national targets. The issue is complex and many details remain to be hashed out, but "people are now talking about the same idea in the same language," says one observer. Specific greenhouse-gas reduction targets for developed countries will be discussed at a December meeting in Poland.
sources: Associated Press, Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse
sources: Associated Press, Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse
Taste Makes Waste
We waste a lot of food and a lot of water, says report
Posted at 10:18 AM on 22 Aug 2008
sources: Reuters, Agence France-Presse, The New York Times, Voice of America, BusinessWeek
straight to the report: Saving Water: From Field to Fork -- Curbing Losses and Wastage in the Food Chain [PDF]
Link and Discuss (6 Comments)
The Colorado Barrier
McCain stirs up tizzy in West with Colorado River comment
Posted at 8:01 AM on 22 Aug 2008
sources: The Denver Post, The Salt Lake Tribune, The Gazette, The Daily Sentinel, The Pueblo Chieftain
see also, in Gristmill: McCain suggests renegotiating Colorado River compact to benefit Ariz., Nev., and Calif.
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He Ain't Heavy, He's My Rubber
California to phase out lead weights on tires by end of 2009
Posted at 4:07 PM on 21 Aug 2008
Lead weights used to balance vehicle wheels will be phased out in California by the end of 2009, in accordance with a court settlement approved Wednesday. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by the Center for Environmental Health in May against Chrysler and the three biggest U.S. makers of lead wheel weights. The group says 500,000 pounds of lead is released annually into California's environment from the weights after they fall off cars, get ground down, and make their way into groundwater and drinking supplies. "Wheel weights have been identified as the largest new route of lead releases into the environment," said Center Director Michael Green. "By moving the industry away from leaded wheel weights, we are helping to keep the lead out of our kids' drinking water." While lead's a cheap and heavy metal, its health risks are many; steel or zinc alloy will be used as a substitute. Enviro groups hope other states will follow suit. The European Union banned lead wheel weights in 2005.
source: Los Angeles Times
source: Los Angeles Times
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