Monday, 02 Oct 2006

Bordering on Ridiculous

Border-fence plan could wreak havoc on environment

Congress approved a plan late last week to build a 700-mile-long, two-layer fence along the U.S.-Mexico border in an attempt to keep out illegal immigrants, eliciting an overwhelmingly negative reaction from environmentalists and, well, folks with a firm grasp on reality. "The fence is a knee-jerk reaction by Congress. No one really studied the economic impacts, the environmental impacts," says Eddie Aldrete of the Laredo, Texas-based International Bank of Commerce. The fence would disrupt the fragile desert ecosystem, as well as migration routes for scores of species, from snakes to jaguars, critics say. Others worry about private-property and water rights: "A wall is just going to stand between farmers and ranchers and others who need legitimate access to water," says Republican activist Mike Vickers. Still others find the plan insulting to Mexicans, who share a strong social bond with South Texans and significantly boost the economies of Texas border towns. Oh, and knowledgeable people don't think it will actually stem illegal immigration.


As a kid, Bern Johnson told his mother he loved free-flowing rivers and wanted to be a "dam buster" when he grew up. But later, he realized he could do more busting as an environmental attorney. He now heads the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide. As InterActivist this week, Johnson chats about fighting eco-injustices all over the world, seeing a colleague face the death penalty for his work, being John Malkovich, and more. Send Johnson a question by noon PDT on Wednesday; we'll publish his answers to selected questions on Friday.

Some States Get All the Luck

California wilderness bill passes Congress, Vermont wilderness bill doesn't

Just before adjourning for election season on Friday, Congress OK'd a bill to designate 273,000 acres in Northern California as wilderness, including a long stretch of stunning coastal land, and President Bush is expected to sign it into law. Conservationists and their congressional allies had been aiming to protect far more land, but the size of the proposed wilderness area was whittled down over five years of negotiations, and as part of the deal, 51,000 nearby acres were designated for use by off-road vehicles. Still, many enviros were happy to see the bill pushed through. "This is a bipartisan victory in partisan times," said wilderness campaigner Jon Owens. Not feeling so victorious were backers of legislation to designate new wilderness in Vermont's Green Mountain National Forest. The bill, compromised down from 48,000 to 42,000 acres just last week after Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas (R) expressed concerns, didn't make it to a floor vote in the House's closing session. Also not put to a final vote were an Oregon wilderness bill opposed by the Bush administration, an Idaho wilderness bill, and legislation to designate a national monument in New Mexico.


We live in a world of flushable toilet scrubbers and disposable mop heads and cell phones that go out of style more quickly than you can say "call me." So is it really helpful to focus on recycling? A worried reader asks the opinion of advice maven Umbra Fisk, and as the reader's name is Grist (really!), she can't resist the question.

Touched by an Angela

German Chancellor will focus on climate as she leads G8 and E.U.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel intends to make climate change top priority when her country takes the reins of both the European Union and the G8 at the beginning of next year. Enviros are likely to welcome the leadership of Merkel, a former environment minister, after Russia downplayed global warming during its 2006 G8 presidency. For one thing, Merkel is unafraid to call out U.S. slackerness; her goal, she says, is to "convert the big emitters" of carbon dioxide. (Hey, President Bush has been converted once -- why not again?) "China, India, and other countries are now much more aware of the risks" of climate change, says Merkel, but without the cooperation of "our American partners," efforts to curb greenhouse gases will surely fail. Will the U.S. -- which, need we remind you, is responsible for 25 percent of the world's GHGs and is the only G8 nation not to sign on to the Kyoto Protocol -- be convinced? "[W]e've certainly got our work cut out for us," Merkel said. Sounds like she could use a backrub.