Four years, two failed conference attempts, and one filibuster after the Republican leadership first introduced the Bush-backed energy bill into Congress, the controversial legislation is being signed into law today by the president, yielding a major victory for the White House -- and exposing Democrats' continued inability to rally around a unified vision and stay on message. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid voted against the energy bill, but failed to sway many of his Democratic colleagues. When House and Senate negotiators met to hammer out a compromise version of the bill in conference committee last month, it was predictably stripped …

Exxon Valdez: No, your other left! Photo: NOAA. Lee, we barely knew ye. Oh, wait, yes we did. "You either retire or die and I'd just as soon not die," you said recently, and then yesterday announced your imminent exit as chair and CEO of ExxonMobil after more than 40 years with the oil behemoth. We'd just as soon not die either, Mr. Raymond, but anticipate we all will, so on the occasion of your retirement we offer this modest encomium to your many accomplishments. What impresses above all is your consistency. You joined Exxon in 1963, and no matter …

On several occasions I have written about television shows and movies. In doing so, I've tried (albeit unsuccessfully) to start a discussion about the impact they have on audiences when they address environmental issues and/or feature eco-friendly products (hybrids, windmills, etc). Recently, I issued a call asking (and paraphrasing Bill McKibben): "Where are the movies? The TV shows? The comics? The bleeping video games?" I believe exposure to such content will help introduce enviro concepts to consumers of pop culture, create awareness (you mean windmills aren't only a Dutch thing?), educate (hey, I didn't realize you could fit two dead …

Climate change could lead to more disease outbreaks, researchers say It's official: Climate change is at fault for everything but bad breath -- and we give the bad breath thing about a month. The latest global malady that may be laid at the feet of greenhouse-gas-crazed weather is disease, specifically cholera, an infection that causes severe diarrhea, often resulting in dehydration, which leads to tens of thousands of deaths a year in the developing world. A new study in the journal Nature analyzes almost 40 years of records in Bangladesh and finds that outbreaks of cholera correspond tightly to periods …

Big demand for solar energy runs up against finite panel supply Global demand for photovoltaic panels is causing months-long delays and price hikes for would-be buyers in the U.S. American suppliers blame a weak dollar, shortages of raw materials, and swelling demand both at home and abroad. The worldwide solar-power market has grown about 40 percent annually in the last five years -- driven largely by Germany, where an incentive program allows businesses and individuals to sell excess solar-generated electricity back to utilities at a premium rate. Germany consumes 39 percent of the available solar-panel supply, followed by Japan at …

Staunch U.S. allies, enviro activists, and just about everyone else was caught flat-footed last week when the U.S., Australia, and four Asian countries unveiled a new pact intended to help curb greenhouse-gas emissions. In the days since, some details about the surprise alliance have trickled out, but its mission and intended impact remain murky. Known as the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, the six-nation agreement was developed via clandestine negotiations orchestrated by the Bush administration over recent months with China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Australia -- nations that together produce nearly 50 percent of the world's greenhouse-gas …

Chevron may have paid agents of Nigerian military to attack villagers On Jan. 3, 1999, a number of residents of Opia, Nigeria, visited a Chevron oil rig to demand compensation for fishing gear destroyed by the oil company's operations. On Jan. 4, Nigerian military personnel attacked and burned the villages of Opia and Ikenyan, leaving four villagers dead and at least 70 more missing and presumed dead. Now, in a lawsuit filed on behalf of the victims in U.S. federal court, lawyers have produced a Chevron receipt for the equivalent of $165, paid to a Nigerian navy captain within days …

Montana and mining companies to fund massive river cleanup, restoration An historic financial settlement between the state of Montana and two mining firms has opened the door to a project of ecological scope virtually unprecedented in the U.S.: the removal of Montana's Milltown dam, located at the confluence of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot rivers, and the restoration of those rivers to their natural, free-flowing states. The $100 million deal resulted from three years of closed-door negotiations; the consent decree will now be available for public comment. Work could begin this fall and be completed by late 2009. Tons of …

Dear Umbra, Grist keeps mentioning that the U.S. government gives large subsidies to oil companies, but doesn't go further into what these subsidies are. I can't make a good argument against the government's subsidizing Big Oil if I don't know more about it: Are the subsidies tax breaks, and if so, for what? Are the tax breaks larger than for most other large companies? How biased is our treatment of Big Oil? ChristineHillsboro, Ore. Dearest Christine, Just as an aside, I'm not sure such a being as Wee Oil exists. Can we get you anything? The word subsidy finds its …

Chinese oil firm withdraws takeover bid for Unocal State-owned Chinese oil company CNOOC has announced the withdrawal of its $18.5 billion offer for Unocal, clearing the way for rival bidder Chevron Corp. -- which, we rush to assure you, is safely 'merican owned -- to purchase America's ninth-largest producer of oil. CNOOC, China's largest offshore oil and natural gas company, stated it was departing the field due to intense political opposition to the purchase in Washington, D.C. China and the U.S. are the world's two top consumers of oil, and CNOOC's desire for Unocal was perceived as an attempt to …