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East Meets Quest

China, in quest to be more efficient, could take a lesson from Japan China just kicked off a new $80 million venture to boost energy efficiency and slash pollution; it aims to quadruple its gross domestic product by 2020 while merely (!) doubling its energy consumption. For inspiration, China might look to its neighbor and […]

GM keeps digging

GM, which recently had its credit rating lowered to junk status, has a big plan to turn things around, and this being 2005, the plan involves massive lay-offs. It also involves even more investment in large trucks and SUVs. Good thinking, fellas.

Mike Millikin has the details.

Braungart in Seattle

Hey all you Seattle readers: Michael Braungart, co-author of the seminal Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, will be speaking at Seattle Center this Thursday. As you know, I'm an unabashed fanboy of his co-author William McDonough. I don't know as much about Braungart, but one can only assume he kicks equal ass.

Anyway, I'll be there, and I'll probably share some impressions with y'all. If you'd like to go, you can read about it here or buy tickets ($10) here.

International group attempts to tame China’s dustbowl.

A few days backed I asked readers to send me a copy of a (subscription-protected) New Scientist story that tantalizingly promised to cover "the biggest ecological project the world has ever seen."

Well, thanks to the magic of the worldwide internets, I now have a copy of the story (thanks Mike!).

Here's the deal: Every spring, winds kick up and start blowing dust off the plains of Inner Mongolia and northwestern China. This is a natural event -- been going on for millions of years -- but overgrazing and deforestation have dramatically increased the amount of dust and the damage it does:

Kelpie Wilson calls out the recent nuclear PR campaign.

We all know that Grist readers just can't get enough of the discussion about nuclear power. Kelpie Wilson dissertates on that very subject in an op-ed over at truthout.org. Among her many points, she notes that the nuclear industry has seized on the fact that when it comes to carbon emissions, nuclear is squeaky clean. She highlights the public-relations campaign being run by the industry to "rebrand" nuclear.

So how about it? Have those of us who have been reconsidering nuclear been conned? Swindled? Perhaps even taken in by a fly-by-night salesperson promising us seventy-six trombones?

TPMCafe RSS

Political junkies will be happy to learn that the recently launched TPMCafe now has a full menu of RSS feeds. Greens will be sad to note that it -- like so many mainstream political blogs -- is virtually devoid of environmental coverage.

A new way to mitigate congestion.

We've already heard about pay-as-you-drive insurance, but British Transport Secretary Alistair Darling announced today that he is considering a pay-as-you-go plan to ease congestion on some of England's most heavily traveled roadways to avoid "LA-style gridlock." The plan involves using satellites to track cars, which would have to be equipped with a "black box," and charging the driver per mile traveled. Charges would range from 2 pence to over 1.30 pounds per mile.

Greenpeace UK had their own take: make the system scaled so that gas-guzzlers pay more than gas-sippers. They also expressed dismay that the charge might be a replacement, not a supplement, to existing road and gas taxes.

The plan is far from being implemented, though. The Observer cites experts estimating the system won't be practical until 2014.

Personal privacy concerns are obviously relevant here. But I guess if you don't like the idea of the government knowing where you are, you can just stop driving.

Update [2005-6-9 23:25:53 by Andy Brett]:
There have been some more articles at BBC news:
Road Charge Plans to be Outlined
Road Charge Helps Rural Drivers

The topic will also be featured on this week's Talking Point; click here to send in comments and to watch the show after it airs on Sunday, June 12.

And the "you can just stop driving" line was intended to be a little more light-hearted than I think it comes across :)

Satellite images reveal humankind’s impact on earth.

A new photo atlas released by the United Nations Environment Program illustrates, in no uncertain terms, humanity's impact on the planet. We're talking 300-some pages of salacious satellite images documenting rampant deforestation, retreating glaciers, and massive urban sprawl (a la the images of Las Vegas, Nev., at left, in 1973 and 2000 respectively) in before-and-after photo spreads that put even the most trashy of gossip rags to shame. Sadly, however, I fear more people will see the aforementioned mags than this atlas. Plus, everyone knows before-and-after pics are always doctored. Nice try, U.N.

Views on global warming from across the pond.

Despite some pretty outlandish views from some of the correspondents, among them the idea that global warming is a result of the sun getting hotter, the BBC program (programme?) Talking Point had a pretty good rundown yesterday of oft-discussed topics in the global warming dialogue. The host is Robin Lustig, and his guest was Professor Martin Parry of the IPCC. Among the topics discussed:

Will individual actions stop climate change?

Between the Urban Environment Accords signed by over 60 mayors at the World Environment Day conference, Arnold Schwarzenegger's pledge to reduce California's GHG emissions, 158 other mayors pledging to reduce their cities' emissions, and carbon-neutral driving, gift-giving, and rocking becoming popular (well, maybe not popular), could it be that sub-national groups of people or even individuals are going to take a leading role in combating soaring emissions?

The answer, of course, is still up in the (hot) air. Obviously if everyone in the world made all of their actions carbon neutral, we'd be all set. But is it reasonable to assume that everyone who has the means (or the disposable income) to afford a climate neutral lifestyle will do so? A shift in climate that's a long way off may never be enough to get anybody "fired up," and many people may be deterred by the fact that even if they eliminate all their own carbon emissions, it won't even put a dent in the several gigatons the world emits.

Hope below the fold ...