Tuesday, 13 Sep 2005

Did you hear the one about the elephant with the 500-pound trunk? In the forests of Myanmar, it isn't a joke. For generations, elephants have been an integral part of the Southeast Asian country's timber industry, hauling massive logs out of the woods, and the tradition continues today. Filmmaker Jennifer Hile visited the politically isolated and oppressed nation to find out what keeps "elephant logging" going, and what it means for the pachyderms that do the heavy lifting.

Price Guys Finish First

Toyota plans to cut price of its hybrids

Aching for a Toyota Prius hybrid, but wilting at the thought of shelling out $3,500 or more over the price of a conventional car? Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe is thinking of you: He's directed the company's engineering chief to halve the price difference between a hybrid and its gasoline-only equivalent. Speaking at a briefing on Monday, Watanabe didn't commit to a timeline, but made it clear that the price slice is a company priority. Since Toyota is a leader in the hybrid market, the move may force other manufacturers to follow suit if they want to remain competitive. One industry analyst says cutting the hybrid premium might double Prius demand -- already surging thanks to recent spikes in gas prices and a rising green consciousness.


If you've ever read Edward Abbey's eco-caper novel The Monkey Wrench Gang, you already know Doug Peacock: he inspired the notorious character Hayduke. But Peacock, an author in his own right, says living life in the shadow of a fictional hero ain't easy. In a new memoir, Walking It Off, Peacock muses on life with Ed, life after Ed, and, well, life. Tim Sprinkle talks with him about what it all means.

Continental Wreck-Fest

Europeans adapting to the realities of a disrupted climate

While Americans quibble ignorantly over whether climate change is really happening, Europeans are already adapting to it. Swedish foresters are being told to plant trees that will thrive in warmer temperatures. Planners of a new subway system in Copenhagen, Denmark, raised all structures to accommodate an anticipated 1.5-foot rise in sea level over the next century. New docks in Hamburg, Germany, and Rotterdam, Netherlands, are also being built with rising oceans in mind. Austrian ski resorts short on snow are planning hiking trails and golf courses. Jacqueline McGlade, executive director of the European Environment Agency, says Europe's Arctic and southernmost reaches are especially vulnerable to global warming. Changing conditions may turn people from those regions into climate refugees, forced to move toward the continent's center. "Our resilience is quite low in the face of climate change," she says.

Hog Heaven

Indiana burg to become "BioTown"

The small farming community of Reynolds, Ind., is gearing up to take advantage of its ripest renewable resource: vast amounts of stinky hog poop. Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) and the Indiana Department of Agriculture have designated the one-traffic-light burg as the world's first "BioTown." The plan is for its homes and businesses to run on electricity generated by the burning of methane released from hog waste. "The goal is to create a new use for the manure that's surrounding the town -- as a biofuel," says Deborah Abbott of the state Ag Department. Methane from the town sewer may eventually be tapped as well. Officials also want to get all the vehicles in town running on fuel with a high percentage of corn-derived ethanol or soy-derived biodiesel. "We're very excited," said Charlie Van Voorst, president of the Reynolds Town Board. "They're advertising us as a showcase for the world."