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March 10, 2008
Look, up in the sky: It's the green governor
Sacramento's not such a bad place: The summer heat and lousy air quality are balanced by the outdoor recreational opportunities and an unpretentious, small-town feel. But if you're a international movie star used to the bright lights of Hollywood and you somehow get yourself elected governor of California, surely you can't be expected to actually live there.
The first governor to fit that description, Ronald Reagan, had nothing against Sacramento per se, but Nancy found the historic governor's mansion near the Capitol a dump. The state built a new residence in the suburbs that became a white elephant after Jerry Brown decided he preferred a mattress on the floor of a studio apartment. Today we have Arnold Schwarzenegger, who at first toyed with the idea of buying a home and moving his family to Sacramento, then took up residence in a hotel penthouse across the street from his office. But he missed his kids in Brentwood, and he already had a private jet at his disposal, so of late he's been flying home at night and back in the morning. It's a three-hour round trip, not that extreme a commute in California today.
The governor pays for his jet-set commute from his own pocket -- more than half-a-million dollars a year. But wait? Isn't this the same Arnold Schwarzenegger who last year was featured on magazine covers as an environmental hero? The same one who flexed his muscles to lead California's fight against global warming? The one who must be aware of the vast amount of global-warming gases and air pollution his jet is spewing?
Yep, same guy. The Los Angeles Times' Evan Halper and Michael Rothfield broke the story last week:
The governor's Gulfstream jet does nearly as much damage to the environment in one hour as a small car does in a year, according to figures compiled by the Helium Report, an online publication for buyers of luxury items.Administration officials say Schwarzenegger is well aware of this and makes amends by purchasing pollution credits for the carbon dioxide his jet releases. The credits fund efforts worldwide to reduce greenhouse gases, such as projects that harness energy from wind, landfill gas and farm waste, although they don't eliminate the pollution from Schwarzenegger's plane.
Flying the Gulfstream and other jets the governor uses costs as much as $10,000 an hour. Some conservationists say Schwarzenegger is essentially attempting to buy a clean conscience with the carbon offsets, which cost about $43 an hour.
"He has been very bold on all these [environmental] initiatives, so it is sad to see him undercut that," said Denis Hayes, president of the Bullitt Foundation, a philanthropy that funds conservation efforts in Western states. "If you are going to be talking about an issue, you should be living the reality you are trying to embrace."
Don't get me started on pollution credits, but it's better than doing nothing. To be fair, Arnold shouldn't be singled out as the only climate hypocrite in government. Even the greenest members of Congress fly back to their home districts every weekend, and some members of the Legislature who live as far from Sacramento as the Bay Area drive back and forth every day, in state-supplied vehicles. As someone who lived in the Big Tomato for a few years, back when it was hard to find an espresso, I know about the lure of I-80 or Southwest Airlines on Friday afternoon. If you've got your own jet, why not every day?
Here's why not: This governor has gone out on a limb to promote himself as a global warming warrior. It's a laudable stance that has genuinely helped move America toward a greener politics. This latest flap is a rare PR slipup for a master of the game, but it could make some Californians – like, all of us who don't own a jet – think twice about how well his walk matches his talk.
August 10, 2007
Stewardship for all Creation
What will it take to get presidential candidates to commit to stopping human-caused global warming?
In a speech given at a ReEnergize Iowa rally this weekend, Jim Hansen called on presidential candidates to support a Declaration of Stewardship for the Earth and all Creation. Citing the success of public pressure and political leadership in solving the problem of ozone depletion, Hansen presented three points which such a declaration would cover: a moratorium on dirty coal, a gradually rising price on CO2 emissions, and increased energy efficiency and no-carbon energy sources.
"The bottom line," Hansen says, "is this:
"business-as-usual, if it continues for even another decade will be disastrous for the planet. We can have a stable climate, clean air, and an unpolluted ocean. And clean energies yield good jobs. It is up to the public to make sure that we get onto a path that stabilizes climate and allows all the creatures of Creation to continue to thrive on this planet.
It's interesting that a lot of the more detailed discussions that go on around global warming -- the pros and cons of biofuels, the question of "liquid coal," and the fact that plastics are made from petrochemicals -- are nowhere to be found in the declaration. Not being too picky about the details right now will allow candidates to support such a declaration without having to defend, again, their position on this or that specific issue (yeah, Obama, I'm talking to you). The point is to separate the wheat from the chaff: 'We need a way to smoke out who is serious, who will give priority to preserving creation for today’s and future generations, and who, on the contrary, is subservient to special interests."
We can hope that the Declaration gains momentum so that candidates will state a position, but a stated position doesn’t mean much in the end (see: status-quo Dems. Farm Bill, anyone? CAFE standards?). What we really need to do is hold politicians accountable.
In the meantime, you can see where many of the (Democratic) candidates stand on environmental issues in Grist's special Election '08 section.
July 28, 2007
Saturday Morning Multimedia: EWG on TreeHugger Radio
This week's edition of TreeHugger Radio featured an interview with EWG Analyst Kristan Markey, who discussed our report on sunscreen safety and efficacy. You can listen to the episode or go to TreeHugger for more information.
And, just for kicks, Billiam the Snowman and Congressman Kucinich on the CNN/Youtube Democratic Debate.
July 23, 2007
Green Goodbye
Cremation is a big environmental issue, as well as the choice of most Australians. While the process reduces us to ash, it also produces pollutants and carbon dioxide that goes directly into the atmosphere. According to estimates of the Australian government, one cremation produces up to 50 liters of carbon dioxide and it takes about 70 minutes.
An environmentally friendly alternative is being buried at an eco-cemetery that buries the body in a way that helps the environment. Advocates of green farewells argue that even though we have about 6.5 billion people on the planet, no attention is paid to how we dispose of their remains.
“Our last emission shouldn't be the biggest of our lives," says Roger Short, professor at Melbourne University. “"We need to think how we can lower our carbon footprint, and we could do an awful lot after death, if we left behind a tree."
To read more about this, check out this Brisbane Times article.
July 14, 2007
Saturday Morning Multimedia: H520 off the hook
This week, in what many would term an unfortunate setback, Vermont's House of Representatives was unable to override the Governor's veto on an energy bill that would have provided incentives for renewable energy and an increased tax on the Vermont Yankee nuclear energy company. We feel for you, Vermont.
For more on this topic, you can read this article -- or you could just watch this video, in which three guys from Vermont explain climate change and Bill H.520. Oh, did we mention it's a RAP VIDEO?!?
via Gristmill
July 5, 2007
Al Gore live webcast today
Have you been counting down the days to the Live Earth concerts? We've been pretty quiet on the subject here at Enviroblog, but not because we don't care -- we've just been too busy keeping you in the loop about sunscreen, corporate greenwashing, and which water bottles are safest. The Big Day is getting close, though, and we're starting to feel that Live Earth vibe.
Want to get into the spirit? Check out today's live webcast with Al Gore at MSN's Live Earth site -- Mr. Gore will be answering climate change questions submitted via email and MSN's SoapBox video application starting at 1:30pm. You can also sign the Live Earth pledge. Make the commitment and you may see your name on screen during the performances! Remember, all the concerts in the world won't make a bit of difference unless we change our carbon-emitting ways.
June 8, 2007
Which is the real Chevron?
Last weekend, on my 4-year-old's preschool campout, I was talking to another dad about the environmental commitment of the oil company he works for. They're putting millions of dollars into biofuels research, converting their vehicle fleet to hybrids or natural gas, and my friend is writing speeches for the CEO that proclaim the urgency of addressing global warming.
Today, in the San Francisco Chronicle, I read about an oil company that plans to increase production at its refinery to meet gasoline supply shortages that have helped push Bay Area pump prices to the highest in the country. Problem is, that will also increase the refinery's emissions – not just global warming gases but volatile organic compounds known to cause respiratory disease and cancer, as well as heavy metals and toxic chemicals that will be dumped into the bay. The community around the refinery, which has lived for decades with the impact of its pollution, flaring, and accidents, is demanding safeguards and considering special taxes to offset the health effects of the expansion.
So which company is going green and which is still mired in the muck of environmental evil?
Trick question. They're the same company: Chevron.
Continue reading "Which is the real Chevron?" »
May 31, 2007
NASA Head: What's all this fuss over global warming?
"First of all, I don't think it's within the power of human beings to assure that the climate does not change, as millions of years of history have shown. And second of all, I guess I would ask which human beings -- where and when -- are to be accorded the privilege of deciding that this particular climate that we have right here today, right now is the best climate for all other human beings. I think that's a rather arrogant position for people to take."
Who, you ask, was the author of those spoken words? No - it wasn’t Rush, or Bill or Stossel. Nor, was it Inhofe or Cheney or even Bush. The person who said this is none other than the head of NASA, Michael D. Griffin.
It sounds like the head of NASA – the federal government’s top agency in charge of studying the impacts of global warming – believes the policy of this country, and in fact the world regarding global warming should be ‘let’s roll the dice and see what happens. Besides, some people like it hot and others prefer it be cold’ – You can listen to Mr. Griffin’s full remarks during his interview on NPR.
April 18, 2007
Magazines go green
It seems like every magazine puts out a "Green Issue" these days. And while I love nothing more than to see increasing attention paid to the environmental movement, there is a wide disparity in the depth and quality of these new green issues, ranging from the extremes of celebrity worship (can't they think of anyone more interesting to interview than Arnold Schwarzenegger?) and green shopping mania to more thoughtful analyses of international policy and the "what you can do" sections.
Columbia Journalism Review offers A Guide Through the Jungle of Green Issues where you can get a more comprehensive playback of the most recent eco-issues to print. CJR calls out the Elle issue which featured EWG's body burden work.
April 16, 2007
Last Action Hero
Our governor, who was oiling his quads for the camera when Lois Gibbs was fighting a chemical catastrophe at Love Canal, is suddenly being hailed as an environmental hero.
He's the GOP’s Al Gore. He’s simultaneously on the covers of special green issues of Newsweek and Outside, with fawning articles and Q&As recounting how he gets policy tips from his cousin-in-law Bobby Kennedy Jr. and has one Hummer that runs on hydrogen, another on biodiesel. He’s a jet-setting green diplomat, signing global warming pacts with Canada and Britain. He’s the keynote speaker at prestigious international climate change conferences.
Fine. To a point.
Arnold Schwarzenegger does seem to understand that the planet is in trouble. As a green Republican, he is a welcome contrast to the know-nothing, do-less attitude of President Bush. His movie star persona is perfect for delivering lines like "Arnold to Detroit: Get off your butt.“
But when he says the problem with environmentalism is that it’s not hip or sexy – that the movement has been a failure because it’s based on guilt and sacrifice, not optimism and fun – I must respond with one of the more eloquent lines from his signature role as an android assassin:
Wrong.
Continue reading "Last Action Hero" »
April 5, 2007
Let's build a nuke in our back yard
You've heard of economically depressed towns lobbying to be the site of a new prison. But who wants a nuclear reactor in the neighborhood?
Fresno does, or at least a group of local investors called the Fresno Nuclear Energy Group LLC do. The group has signed an agreement in principle with a power plant developer to build a $4 billion, 1,600-megawatt nuclear plant in the San Joaquin Valley city best known as the Raisin Capital of the World (a title hotly disputed by nearby Selma, where the raisin-packing plants are).
Despite being the nation's top agricultural county (or perhaps because of it) Fresno suffers from high unemployment. So the Energy Group thinks a nuclear power plant would be a good source of jobs.
Reactor meltdowns? Radioactive waste? Multibillion-dollar construction cost overruns? Not a problem, according to the corporate propaganda campaign to reposition nuclear power as a safe, clean and cheap answer to global warming.
Continue reading "Let's build a nuke in our back yard" »
March 26, 2007
First Class to Nairobi and 2 tons of carbon credits, please
The London papers are nailing the British diplomat whose job it is to lobby other countries to reduce global warming gases – but whose frequent-flier lifestyle produces a staggering 22.3 tons of carbon pollution a year, 30 times more than the average Brit's. John Ashton has racked up more than 80,000 air miles in 10 months on the job, flying to Washington, Nairobi, Tokyo and beyond "to engage with major developed and developing countries to drive forward the international response to climate change." The government said the trips were necessary and that all emissions were offset "as part of the department's commitment to become carbon neutral."
The jet-set world of the international envoy, tycoon and celebrity has been invaded by an inconvenient truth: Air travel produces vast amounts of global warming gases – up to 5 percent of all CO2, and three times as damaging as ground-level emissions. So what's an eco-conscious member of the Beautiful People to do?
Continue reading "First Class to Nairobi and 2 tons of carbon credits, please" »
March 22, 2007
Katrina IMAX feature glosses over reality
I left the Smithsonian's IMAX Theater after seeing Hurricane on the Bayou wondering how the film's producers managed to make such a colorfully feel-good movie about the devastation of Katrina. The Washington Post's Philip Kennicott apparently had the same questions and went digging. Read what Philip found.
For those in a hurry, here's the gross oversimplification:
1. The film was partially funded by Chevron, Dow Chemical Co., and Dominion Exploration and Production, as well as a nonprofit group known for working to ease wetland regulations.
2. The nature of the IMAX lends itself better to beautiful hyper-realistic imagery and entertainment than education.
Rose-Colored Lens, by Philip Kennicott. Washington Post (22 Mar 07)
March 20, 2007
UCBP?
Last month, when BP (formerly British Petroleum) announced a $500 million partnership with UC Berkeley for biofuels research, the company was hailed as a leader in pushing the oil industry toward cleaner energy. University officials were jubilant over the deal, which would establish Cal – and the Bay Area, where venture capitalists are funding energy startups at a level unseen since the early Web days – as a world center of alternative-energy research and development.
But a few weeks on, not everyone is happy with the shotgun marriage between the nation's most prestigious public university and the world's third-largest oil company. Berkeley faculty and students are asking loudly and impolitely if the Energy Biosciences Institute will be a vehicle for independent research that produces technological and policy change, or for BP to to greenwash its well-earned image as a notorious global polluter.
On a campus known for '60s-style dissent, Berkeley students have staged teach-ins and demonstrations, including a direct action in which protesters in BP lab coats poured gallons of black, sticky "oil" – later found to be organic molasses – at the entrance to California Hall.
March 14, 2007
Quote of the day
There’s one Lord, but not just one issue. I am as much against abortion as Jim Dobson and the others, but I want that baby to live in a healthful environment, inside the womb as well as outside of the womb.
-Rev. Paul de Vries, president of the New York Divinity School
-from Evangelical Group Rebuffs Critics on Right, by Laurie Goodstein. NY Times. 14 Mar 2007
January 26, 2007
What we are up against
Here's a choice excerpt from yesterday's Washington Post:
"No you will not teach or show that propagandist Al Gore video to my child, blaming our nation -- the greatest nation ever to exist on this planet -- for global warming," Hardison wrote in an e-mail to the Federal Way School Board. The 43-year-old computer consultant is an evangelical Christian who says he believes that a warming planet is "one of the signs" of Jesus Christ's imminent return for Judgment Day.Gore Film Sparks Parents' Anger. Washington Post (25 Jan 07)His angry e-mail (along with complaints from a few other parents) stopped the film from being shown to Hardison's daughter.
January 19, 2007
Rock group looks after their mother
If you’re a major rock band playing 30 shows in four months, your carbon footprint can get pretty big. Barenaked Ladies knows this and has taken big steps to lessen their footprint.
Through collaboration with Reverb, an organization dedicated to greening musicians’ tours, BNL has been:
- operating its tour buses and trucks on biodiesel
- inviting local and national enviro groups to each show so that fans can learn about issues in their area and get engaged.
- recycling and using compostable materials backstage
- purchasing wind offsets from Native Energy to help neutralize the carbon emissions for the power consumed at each show. Also available at shows are are bumber stickers—the proceeds of which go to offsetting fans’ travel to and from the show.
January 17, 2007
Offset project leads to violence in Uganda
A report by the World Rainforest Movement details the violence villagers in eastern Uganda are subjected to just for trying to access their own land which is “protected” by armed park rangers guarding a carbon offset project for a Dutch company. Villagers have been beaten and shot at “in defense of” FACE Foundation’s project, the credits of which are sold to Amnesty International, the Body Shop, and others.
As Grist’s Julia Olmstead points out, this is another example of the questionable efficacy of offset projects and the misconception that we can neutralize our carbon emissions by throwing money at a third-party business.
I mean really, whether it's carbon offsets, biofuels, coal-to-liquid, whatever, how long will we continue to think that we can buy our way out of this mess? The cost of our refusal to make actual changes to our lifestyles is beyond our imagining.
January 12, 2007
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH to be adapted for young adults
Publishers Penguin and Rodale have announced today a joint effort to publish an adaptation of Al Gore’s book AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH: THE CRISIS OF GLOBAL WARMING for young readers.
Penguin Young Readers Group President had this to offer on the impetus for the project:
As I sat in a theater watching Vice President Gore deliver his message on film, it struck me that if we are to make an impact on the problem of global warming in the near future, we must find a way to bring the message to a younger audience; to the generation that has the opportunity to effect real change. These books are our attempt to do just that.Al Gore will be donating all of his profits from the young adult book to fight global warming.
Today's global warming editorials:
Al Gore documentary gets air time at Assembly, Kristen Wyatt (Baltimore Sun)
Begin global warming fight at home, Pat Murphy (Idaho Mountain Express)
U.S. is still in denial over global warming, Joel Connely (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
January 10, 2007
Plant a tree for your new PC
Dell has a new program to plant a tree for each computer it sells, saying it could offset CO2 emissions from the machines. I’m not sure who did the math on that, but the program is commendable nonetheless. More impressive is Dell’s free recycling of all computers, monitors, printers, and other gadgets without requiring the purchase of a newer model.
Apple lags on this account, only recycling machines that are replaced with a new Mac. Its poor environmental policies have given rise to a Greenpeace campaign to pressure the company to reduce their use of PVC and brominated fire retardants and step up their recycling efforts.
Dell’s tree planting program is unveiled on the heels of this year’s MacWorld expo, which has Macheads oogling over the new iPhone. The iPhone may be able to surf the web with the ease of a desktop computer, but can I recharge it while riding my bike to work like this new Motorola gadget?
And, as encouragement to you out there fighting the good fight and keeping companies on their toes, here's Michael Dell on the inspiration for his company's policies: “I am personally interested in the environment, but I have to give credit to our customers who have encouraged us in this direction.”
New York Times: Dell Says Plant a Tree, Help the Environment (10 Jan 2007)
Inconvenient Truth 2 with Cameron Diaz?
Al Gore’s Nashville-based Climate Project expects to train well over 1,000 volunteers to be effective messengers of climate change science through slideshow presentations. Al's use of the slideshow turned into a film you may have heard about. According to Gannett, a recent training included teachers, doctors, a meteorologist, ministers, Wal-Mart employees, architects, retirees, veterans, financiers and actress Cameron Diaz.
November 15, 2006
French proposal to tax non-Kyoto supporters
As the climate change talks in Nairobi stagger forward, the French have thrown a new proposal into an already sludgy mix. Instead of allowing the world’s worst polluters, the United States and China, to ignore the problems, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has proposed taxes on imports from countries that have not signed the Kyoto Protocol.
De Villepin suggests that European countries stand up with France to tax coal usage, industrial pollution and aircraft noise pollution by 10 percent. The International Energy Agency’s press release yesterday attributes 60% of the CO2 growth of over 1.2 billion tones between 2003 and 2004 to an increase in coal use. A tax like the one proposed by De Villepin targets not only countries that need to be a part of Kyoto to make it worthwhile, but also targets a major part of the climate change problem.
Continue reading "French proposal to tax non-Kyoto supporters" »
November 9, 2006
Climate change a hot topic in the pulpit
From a letter by Rev. Gerald Durley of Atlanta’s Providence Missionary Baptist Church after viewing the climate change documentary The Great Warming:
"The faith community consistently prides itself on being in the prevention and healing business. Therefore, if we are serious about what we teach and preach, our message must speak clearly and boldly to:There is so much which can and must be accomplished when we know what is happening to our environment, and its direct impact on each of our lives. No one person, group or organization can bring about complete awareness and comprehensive change alone. The faith community must become a far-reaching, consistent voice, from pulpits, to exhort the masses to understand, get involved, speak out, and be converted to “SAVE OUR WORLD… FROM US!!”"
- What we can do to reduce levels of energy consumption;
- Learn how to effectively join forces with those who are more knowledgeable about improving environmental conditions; and,
- Discuss in sermons, seminars, workshops, and lectures about health issues, weather conditions, economic concerns, and the negative impact of global warming which are all connected to how the environment is regarded.
Christian Science Monitor, New sermon from the evangelical pulpit: global warming
October 16, 2006
Senator laughed at for climate change skepticism
Check out this 40 second clip of Minnesota Senator Michele Bachmann calling climate change science into question as her audience laughs in her face.
[ via : deSmog & Grist ]