Exxon Responsible for 5 Percent of All Historical CO2 Emissions Since its founding as the Standard Oil Trust in 1882, ExxonMobil and its predecessor companies have been responsible for between 4.7 and 5.3 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions. Ever. In the whole world. So claims a report, "Exxon's Climate Footprint," drawn from two studies commissioned by Friends of the Earth International. Exxon's historical emissions amount to about 22 billion tons -- three times the current annual global emissions total. The report also condemns the company for its long history of undermining climate change science and policy, particularly in lobbying …

Western Hunters and Anglers Oppose Energy Bill A group of outdoor enthusiasts descended on Washington, D.C., Wednesday to lobby against attempts by Republicans to revive the omnibus energy bill, defeated in the Senate last year. They object to provisions in the bill that would drastically increase oil and gas development on prime hunting and fishing land in Western states. Many of the Stetson-sporting hunters and anglers, organized by the nonprofit fish-preservation group Trout Unlimited, are lifelong Republicans. However, many share sentiments about the land expressed by Ryan Busse, a Kalispell, Mont., resident and self-described hard-core conservative: "Anybody who wants to …

Judge Imposes $4.5 Billion in Damages in Exxon Valdez Case A federal judge in Alaska on Wednesday imposed $4.5 billion in punitive damages on ExxonMobil Corp. for the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill in Prince William Sound. The judgment marks the third time the case has been through federal court; on two previous occasions, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals deemed the award excessive and sent it back for review. Exxon expects to appeal yet again. It's been almost 15 years since the tanker, piloted by a relapsed alcoholic who faced only misdemeanor charges, ran aground on a …

Folks who paid close attention to the speeches of New Hampshire primary victor John Kerry in recent weeks would have noticed an emphasis on MTBE -- a gasoline additive that makes fuel burn more efficiently and cleanly, but is suspected to be carcinogenic* and widely known to contaminate groundwater. To outsiders, this may have seemed like a strange environmental issue to spotlight -- why not focus on global warming, say, or species extinction? New Hampshire wants its rivers to flow MTBE-free. Photo: U.S. DOT. But MTBE is an issue with considerable political resonance -- not only inside the Beltway, where …

Agricultural Water Efficiency May Do More Harm Than Good Using water more efficiently in farming may ultimately increase long-term water shortages, warn some water experts. Although efficiency efforts -- such as lining irrigation ditches to prevent leaks and delivering water directly to roots rather than flooding fields -- are touted as a solution to problems ranging from food shortages to dry rivers to international water disputes, the notion that water is "saved" rests on the mistaken assumption that it is ever "wasted," argues Stephen Foster of the British Geological Survey. Water used inefficiently by farmers seeps down to replenish underground …

Government to Bury CO2 in Teapot Dome Oil Field The U.S. Department of Energy is planning to bury some 1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide a year underneath the Teapot Dome oil field in central Wyoming, in the largest carbon-sequestration test project ever undertaken. The process, which involves compressing CO2 into liquid form and injecting it into depleted oil reservoirs, is being touted by the Bush administration as one of the most effective ways to combat global warming. One goal of the test is to stimulate growth of the private CO2 sequestration industry; another is to calm worries of environmental …

Dear Umbra, While you were warning folks to plan ahead for a potential water-tank failure, I thought you should mention the natural gas heat-on-demand systems that they should use to replace their tanks. Last spring, when our 50-gallon tank decided to give our basement floor a thorough cleaning, we had to scramble to find an energy-efficient alternative. First, we had trouble finding a plumber who knew how to install the new energy-friendly heat-on-demand systems. Then, we ended up paying a premium price because it seems these systems are all the rage in new McMansion construction. The suppliers were having a …

Dear Umbra, When you suggested that someone may want wood heat because it "makes you feel like a country stud," you made an erroneous assumption -- that your audience is entirely urban. Here in Skamokawa, Wash., many a mile from the nearest natural gas line, the choices are essentially wood or electricity. In September, my family installed a Blaze King wood stove, which uses a catalytic converter to convert smoke to heat. Not only does the wood burn so completely that we have not yet had to clean out any ash, but when the stove is up to temperature, there …

Judge Rules Government Must Pay for Withheld Water In a case that could have substantial implications for enforcement of the Endangered Species Act, a federal judge ruled recently that the U.S. government must pay California irrigators some $14 million for water it withheld from them during an early 1990s drought in the state. The water was held back in order to maintain river and stream flows sufficient to protect two endangered fish species. The ruling builds on an earlier decision by the same judge that the withholding amounted to a property taking under the U.S. Constitution, which means the property …