Some 50 multinational corporations and 12 labor and watchdog groups signed a U.N.-sponsored "Global Compact" yesterday intended to promote labor, human rights, and environmental standards. The companies -- which include Royal Dutch/Shell, Nike, and DaimlerChrysler -- agreed to incorporate nine loosely worded principles into their missions and each year note progress toward meeting the principles on a U.N. website. The non-corporate partners in the compact, including the World Wildlife Fund and Amnesty International, will be able to respond to the companies claims on the same website. But Greenpeace and other enviro and human rights groups criticized the compact because it …

The European Union opened debate yesterday on more restrictions for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, a commonly used but controversial material. The EU has already banned some baby toys made with PVC because the chemicals used to soften the plastic may pose health problems for children. Now the EU is considering cracking down on PVC products such as pipes, window frames, packaging, and household appliances. Studies have found that PVC is difficult to recycle and can release harmful chemicals when buried or incinerated. Greenpeace is calling for a total ban on the substance. The European Commission, the EU's executive body, is …

Ford Motor Co. hopes to green its image today by announcing plans to increase the fuel economy of its SUV fleet by 25 percent, or about 5 miles per gallon, over the next five years. Ford now sells about 800,000 SUVs a year, and its 3.5-ton Excursion, the world's biggest SUV, averages just 12 mpg. The company hopes that better fuel economy will attract more customers and boost its sales numbers so it can avoid raising prices to pay for the improvements. Ford plans to increase efficiency by using lighter-weight materials and making more efficient engines and transmissions. While enviros …

Marking the first time the agencies have come together to help preserve a declining amphibian species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife yesterday announced a 10-year agreement to study and protect the beleaguered Oregon spotted frog. Historic populations of the red-bellied frog have declined 70 percent, and only one healthy population remains. Loss of habitat and the introduction of non-native species have contributed to the decline of the frog, which is a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act. In other Northwest species news, two environmental groups …

The long-running and bitter conflict over Southern California's overuse of water from the Colorado River may be nearing an end as officials from seven states today present a compromise deal to Interior Department officials. Under the plan, California would agree to put conservation measures in place and reduce its consumption of river water over the next 15 years. For years Californians have slurped up more than their legal share from the Colorado, and this issue has become more contentious as Arizona and Nevada, with their growing populations, have come closer to using their entire allotments. The Interior Department will now …

Ending 40 years of negotiations, President Clinton signed a bill yesterday that will have the federal government pay $101 million to acquire the Baca Ranch in northern New Mexico, a 95,000-acre site rich in wildlife. The area, which some call "the Yellowstone of the Southwest," contains the 14-mile-wide collapsed crater of an ancient volcano and provides habitat for one of the country's largest wild elk herds, as well as 17 threatened or endangered species. The land will now become the Valles Caldera National Preserve, with bipartisan backing from the state's congressional delegation. Cattle grazing and hunting will still be allowed …

For the first time, a Mexican factory yesterday was fined for violating a U.S. environmental law. Maquiladora Chambers de Mexico, a leather belt manufacturer south of the Arizona border, consented to pay a $3,164 penalty for improperly disposing of hazardous waste in the U.S. and agreed to train its personnel in waste disposal laws. Two Arizona companies, which illegally accepted and stored the hazardous waste from the Mexican company, are being fined almost $41,000. The U.S. EPA said the fine against the belt maker, though small, set an important precedent for battling pollution at the border.

Toxic pollution in the Great Lakes has reached such high levels that the International Joint Commission (IJC), a U.S.-Canada scientific advisory board, is warning people against eating fish from the lakes. Several states in the region routinely advise residents not to consume too much fish, but about 5 million people still fish in the Great Lakes ecosystem each year, and the area's commercial fishing industry brings in about $4 billion a year. In a report to be released next week, the IJC says eating contaminated fish can damage the neurological systems of children and developing fetuses, as well as cause …

Thanks to an EPA crackdown on the oil refining industry, two of the largest oil refiners in the U.S., BP Amoco and Koch Industries, have reached a breakthrough agreement with the government under which the companies will spend nearly $600 million to tackle air-pollution problems at 12 facilities around the nation. EPA Administrator Carol Browner praised the two companies for voluntarily entering into negotiations with the feds after the EPA began investigating oil refineries for possible air-pollution violations, and she warned that other refining companies should step forward for similar negotiations if they want to avoid court battles. The EPA …

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) surprised enviros yesterday by taking a tougher stance on protecting manatees than had been expected. He announced that the state won't approve any more boat slips unless counties have strong plans in place to protect the endangered sea animal, which Bush said is his favorite mammal. Ten years ago, under a different administration, the state ordered 13 coastal counties to develop detailed manatee protection plans, but only four of the counties have done so. Many of the 2,200 to 2,500 manatees remaining in Florida waters bear scars from boat propellers, and this year manatees have …