Schwarzenegger admin will consider undamming Hetch Hetchy To the surprise of, well, just about everybody, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) resources secretary announced yesterday that he will pull together a thorough assessment of a project once considered entirely fanciful: tearing down O'Shaughnessy Dam and restoring Yosemite National Park's Hetch Hetchy Valley. As attractive as the idea sounds to nature lovers -- Hetch Hetchy is considered the equal of neighboring Yosemite Valley and could potentially divert some of the tourist hordes currently trampling it -- the project faces an uphill battle. Why? Well, the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir provides drinking water to …

Schwarzenegger blusters on about building a Hydrogen Highway in "the great state of California," but little ol' D.C. has beat him to the punch on one key front. This week, the District of Columbia became host to the first hydrogen-dispensing pump at a public gas station in North America. Green-leaning folks may or may not think the hydrogen revolution is an admirable or even attainable goal, but it seems to be inching forward nonetheless.  Or, considering the fact that the new Shell-owned pump will be servicing a mere six demonstration minivans owned by GM, millimetering forward? D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams …

Global warming may open Northwest Passage to shipping Global warming may melt arctic ice enough to make the legendary Northwest Passage a viable trade route, trimming almost 40 percent (roughly two weeks) off the current Asia-to-Europe route, which involves a large detour down through either the Suez or Panama canals. Some view this as a bright spot in the otherwise grim report released this week on the impact of global warming on the Arctic. Enviros aren't so sure. The route would inevitably involve large oil tankers navigating narrow channels filled with ice. "The question is not whether an accident is …

Himalayan glaciers melting; catastrophe in the wings Researchers are raising alarms about the rapid rate of melting in Himalayan glaciers, the lack of current scientific data and monitoring thereof, and the possibility of resulting catastrophic floods in the short term and water shortages in the long term. Some 2,300 of the Nepalese Himalayas' 3,300 glaciers contain glacial lakes, and many of those lakes are swelling behind dams of ice. No major studies of the problem have been done since the 1990s, so researchers are uncertain how close the lakes are to bursting forth in floods that could wipe out entire …

Spain makes solar panels on new homes mandatory Hoping to catch up to solar powerhouse Germany, sunny Spain has announced that as of next year, solar panels will become mandatory on new and renovated buildings. The government is shooting for a tenfold increase in the total square footage of solar panels by 2010. Domestic solar usage is low in Spain, though the country is a leading manufacturer of solar panels. With oil above $50 a barrel, the government claims that solar power could save each household more than $100 a year just on water heating costs. The initiative could also …

Study finds effects of global warming across America Despite alarming studies about the consequences of climate change across the globe -- the latest, just last week, documents massive changes in Arctic geography and wildlife -- U.S. citizens remain curiously unconcerned about the issue. Perhaps a new report from the Pew Center for Global Climate Change will break through the apathy: It documents effects of global warming in the U.S., "all the way from Florida to Alaska and from the East Coast to the West Coast," said study coauthor Camille Parmesan. Many southern species of butterfly have disappeared; red fox ranges …

A day after winning the presidential election last week, George W. Bush made this now-legendary -- and, to some, menacing -- statement: "I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it." Without dwelling on the notion that conservatives are supposed to protect and grow capital, not fritter it away, environmentalists are wondering just where and how President Bush is going to spend his political booty in the natural-resource realm. Leavitt: A man with a plan -- or at least a clear agenda. In much the same way he spent his more limited allowance in …

Massive forest fires may be caused by global warming The massive forest fires that have ravaged the American West in recent years may be caused by global warming, according to a new study in the journal Nature. The Bush administration has argued that the fires are unnatural, caused by overgrown forest ground cover, and more logging, er, "thinning" is needed to prevent them -- thus the Healthy Forests initiative passed last year. But according to the study, such arguments assume that the "Little Ice Age" from around 1350 to the early 20th century, which was characterized by cool, wet conditions, …

Lake Powell is drying up; Glen Canyon is coming back Lake Powell is dropping by a foot every four days, thanks to ongoing drought in the West -- and many enviros couldn't be happier about it. Veteran conservation leader David Brower called the completion of Glen Canyon dam in 1963, and the subsequent drowning of the canyon and its many side canyons to create Lake Powell, the greatest disappointment of his life. Since then, many activists have been arguing, futilely, for the draining of the lake. But what activism hasn't been able to accomplish, Mother Nature is. Since 1999, Lake …

Bush admin opposes recommendations in Arctic climate-change report Last week, details emerged about a comprehensive study on the accelerated and destructive effects of global warming on the Arctic, involving more than 300 scientists from eight nations and six indigenous tribes. Now some members of an eight-nation negotiating team are accusing the U.S. of working to water down recommendations based on the study. U.S. State Department officials have argued that the study doesn't contain enough evidence to warrant specific policy proposals, something several negotiators dispute. Specifically, the Bush administration has fought against a seemingly anodyne passage urging member countries to adopt …