Wednesday, 15 Nov 2006

Rank and Vile

U.S. ranks low on climate-change list topped by European countries

Two groups have ranked the climate-change successes of the 56 countries responsible for 90 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, and concluded that they all suck. "We don't have any winners, we only have countries that are better compared to others," says Matthias Duwe of the Climate Action Network. "We don't have big shining stars." Among the least shiny was the United States, which ranked fourth from the bottom, just above China, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. China's third-to-suckiest rating was a prodigious drop; on last year's list, it ranked 29th. The top three spots this year went to Sweden (which uses renewables for about one-quarter of its energy consumption), Britain, and Denmark. CAN's co-ranker, Germanwatch -- which apparently watches more than just Germans -- made the calculations based on emissions levels in the past year, emissions trends over the past five years, and climate policy. Causing the U.S. to scratch its head and ask, "Climate policy? What's that?"


Just because Democrats are taking the reins of Congress doesn't mean that U.S. agricultural policies will suddenly shift. Many of last week's winners are fans of big-ag policies that are -- how to put this? -- trashing land and livelihoods around the country. Tom Philpott investigates the food politics of the new regime, and describes what's in store for 2007, when Congress will hammer out a new five-year Farm Bill.

Coffee, Tea, or Big Three?

Detroit CEOs meet with President Bush, discuss energy concerns

Since lunch with Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) didn't kill him, President Bush cozied up to another foe: the Big Three automakers. Yesterday, Bush met with the CEOs of Ford, GM, and the Chrysler Group, a trio he ruffled earlier this year by saying they'd improve financially if they made "relevant" products. Eager to show their relevance, the three pledged that, with Washington's help, they could make half their annual vehicle production biofuels-ready by 2012. The meeting -- attended by a startling number of bigwigs, including Vice President Dick Cheney and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson -- also addressed fuel efficiency, health-care costs, and trade concerns (yeah, Japan, they're talkin' to you). It was also to be a PR blitz, with at least two hybrids on display at the White House. But construction and attendees' cars apparently blocked the route to waiting cameras, leaving the hybrids unadmired -- and leaving us truly inspired about the industry's ability to surmount any obstacle.


Today a reader from Texas asks advice maven Umbra Fisk if she should replace all her synthetic clothing with organic styles, per the advice of a well-meaning friend. Umbra weighs in on whether wardrobes make an impact -- and doesn't keep her feelings about environmentally righteous busybodies in the closet.

Dropping Pounds From Their Waste

U.K. shoppers encouraged to bully manufacturers that create excess waste

Offering hope to scofflaws everywhere, U.K. Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw says British shoppers should leave "unnecessary and excessive" packaging at store checkouts and tattle on package-happy manufacturers. The government-sanctioned shop and skedaddle plan sounds delightfully naughty -- particularly since manufacturers found guilty of overpackaging single items can be fined up to $9,500. Packaging waste in Britain increased 12 percent between 1999 and 2005, and one-sixth of the 5 million tons of rubbish generated by Brits every year comes from supermarket packaging. The country's top 13 grocery retailers pledged last year to reduce waste by over 175,000 tons by 2008, but so far have eliminated only 38,000 tons. "Until the supermarkets demonstrate clearly that they are willing to lead by example, we cannot expect consumers to get fully engaged with reducing their own waste," Bradshaw said. We're so glad Spotted Dick comes in those tiny cans.

Dirty Movies

Hollywood spews excess pollution along with its blockbusters

Hollywood is facing an inconvenient truth: it's a dirty industry. A UCLA report says TV and film productions pollute more than four other local industries, including aerospace and semiconductor manufacturing (but likely less than oil refineries, so that's a comfort). Set construction, special effects, and other excesses emit 140,000 tons of ozone and particulate pollution a year, adding to L.A.'s notorious smog. While the report singles out a few films -- including The Day After Tomorrow, which offset its carbon emissions, and two of The Matrix movies, which recycled 97 percent of their set materials -- it says Tinseltown's "structure and culture hamper the pace of improvements." Reps for the industry, which employs 252,000 in the L.A. area, were quick to defend their eco-cred, but not everyone is buying it. "They're not green at all except when they're forced to be," said Ted Reiff of ReUse People of America, which dismantled the Matrix sets. He'll never work in that town again.