Friday, 25 May 2007

Use the Enforce, Kook

Environmental enforcement has declined under Bush, says new report

Well, knock us over with a feather: since the Bush administration began running the joint, industries committing environmental violations have been investigated less, penalized less, and sued less, says a new report from watchdog group Environmental Integrity Project. The Department of Justice has filed fewer than 16 lawsuits per year against polluters since Bush took office; the last three years under Clinton saw an annual average of 52 lawsuits. Between fiscal years 2002 and 2006, polluters shelled out $81 million per year in civil penalties; between 1996 and 2000, they ponied up $107 million annually. Criminal fines have dropped 38 percent under Bush, and the number of new criminal investigations has declined by 23 percent. Numbers shmumbers, says a Justice Department rep: "Any suggestion that the Justice Department is not enforcing the nation's laws is utterly false." EIP Executive Director Eric Schaeffer must humbly disagree: "I don't think it's because polluters have gotten nicer."

Goals Gone Wild

GE's green division makes money, makes plans

General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt gushed about his company's green successes at a second-anniversary celebration for the "ecomagination" unit yesterday, noting that it had sales of $12 billion last year, has back orders for $50 billion more, and will "blow away" the original goal of $20 billion by 2010. Hooray for innovation! We're ignoring the bad feelings about nuclear power and labor just for a second here so we can smile! It's Friday, for Pete's sake! In tandem with several other big-name partners, Immelt also revealed 11 new greener products and services, including the world's first diesel-electric hybrid locomotive and a global alliance with BP to develop 10 to 15 hydrogen power projects. Charles Zimmerman, vice president of Wal-Mart -- which will use GE's LED bulbs in refrigerated cases at over 500 of its stores -- spies an official tipping point: "People will look back 20 years from now and see what GE, BP, and Wal-Mart did at this point in time and will say, 'That's when it happened.'"


Nancy in Florida has been waiting 12 years for someone to settle her dispute with her "other," and, at long last, Ed Del Grande has come to her rescue. The professional comedian and TV star, known to those in the biz simply as Ed the Plumber, was inundated with questions as InterActivist this week. Today, he pipes up about international plumbing, the merits and drawbacks of composting toilets, and the common green advice that you shouldn't be following.

Not to Mention It's Wildly Inhumane

Critics say U.S.-Mexico border fence could threaten wildlife, cause flooding

The U.S. government is moving forward with plans to build 700 miles of fencing along the Mexican border, but opposition is swelling faster than the Rio Grande after a rainstorm. This week, the International Boundary and Water Commission said the fence could not only cause flooding but could, in effect, redraw the U.S.-Mexico border, which lies in the middle of the river. Oopsy! Farmers are concerned about the project's effects on irrigation, and local businesses fear it will offend Mexican investors and customers. And wildlife advocates worry about the damage it will cause to a 90,000-acre string of refuges, noting that it would block routes that ocelots and other animals use for drinking and mating. (Can't they just build a Hooters for that?) The whole thing, says Carter Smith of The Nature Conservancy, is "incongruous with a 30-plus-year investment by the federal government, the citizens, and the landowners of the Rio Grande Valley who have worked hard to protect their special land and waters."

Nice Berk If You Can Get It

Berkeley, Calif., goes all crazy with the green ideas

Six months ago, voters in Berkeley, Calif., overwhelmingly approved a measure to reduce the city's emissions 80 percent by 2050. Now proposals have been laid out to accomplish that goal, including requiring builders to use green materials, making landlords provide free bus passes to tenants, informing residents of the size of their carbon footprint, and helping sun-ergize every roof in the city. Berkeleyites' personal behavior will also be held to a high standard, with incentives provided for walking to work, buying local food, saving energy, and BYOB (bag, that is). Some concerns have risen that residents may have overestimated their own hippie-ness: folks who will gladly welcome a car-share vehicle on every block may balk at being required to upgrade appliances and install more-efficient insulation at their own expense. But Mayor Tom Bates isn't concerned: "People are willing to make these lifestyle changes, and the cumulative effort will add up. It's not rocket science. We can do this."

These Are the Times That Try Pens' Souls

Daily Grist takes a break for Memorial Day

Whether your Memorial Day holiday involves firing up the grill with friends or quietly reflecting on our soldiers' sacrifices, we tip our cap to you. As for us, we'll be doing a little of both, in a manner befitting our ... eh, who are we kidding, we finally have time to catch up on all the American Idol we TiVoed. See you Tuesday!