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Low-energy indoor composter

Thanks to frequent Gristmill commentor Mike Capone, I came across this very cool product on Treehugger: Naturemill Low-energy Indoor Composter. While I'll stick with my green cone, since I have a yard, this would have been awesome while living in an apartment building in New York City.

Unfortunately, there is a waiting list.

Nothing but flowers

Behold, I bring you sunny tidings: Thanks to all the freakish weather in California this winter, Death Valley is now a riot of color. Giddy botanists and park rangers -- relishing the sight of the 156-mile long stretch of desert bursting with wildflower blooms -- say it's a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Of course, the overdose of rain has had nastier effects on the state's other crops, including almonds and strawberries. Then there's the sad fate of mudslide victims, and the millions of dollars in damages to houses and roads.

But flowers. Are pretty. And we'll take what we can get.

More Marburger

I'd highly recommend this public presentation by and interview with White House science advisor John Marburger. Roger Pielke Jr.'s got some excerpts. Marburger's a bit of an enigma to me -- the interview is alternately thoughtful, thought-provoking, and maddening. Here's one excerpt:

Upcoming mercury policy

When the history of the Bush administration environmental record is written, there will be plenty of dark chapters. With the exception of its inaction on climate change, however, none will be so dark as its treatment of mercury.

We know that its handmaidens in Congress have distorted the science on mercury emissions. But there has also been a steady trickle of stories about its attempts to bias the policy-making process in favor of industry. In short: the Bushies favor a weak cap-and-trade program over the more traditional "maximum achievable control technology" approach. In endeavoring to justify this preference -- that is, to give it some justification other than "industry contributors favor it" -- they have done economic assessments that both the GAO and the EPA's own inspector general have found wanting.

Chris Mooney sums up the sordid episode. Go read it.

Let's be clear about what's happening. Later this week the Bush administration will announce a new cap-and-trade program to limit mercury emissions. That program will be based on economic analyses that have been publicly exposed as fraudulent. Power plants will save some money in the short-term; the economy as a whole will lose money in the long-term.

But more to the point: children will suffer unnecessarily.

So tell me -- I don't want to be "alarmist" -- what is the "reasonable" thing to say about this?

The argument

How did Dave Pollard get in my dome?

Acronym Soup

Oh yes, he’ll be back

Cali Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (whose name, bizarrely, I now know how to spell from memory) has his first challenger in the 2006 gubernatorial race.

This is so naive it's cute:

But some political observers say the question of whether Angelides, or any Democrat, can unseat Schwarzenegger in 2006 will turn on the events of the rest of this year.

Yes, if there's one thing the 2004 election showed, it's that "events" make or break a candidate!

First 2006 political prediction: Arnold is a lock.

Global Spillage

Pollution from around the globe taints U.S. air and water Even as battles rage in Washington, D.C., over controlling air pollution from domestic sources, dirty emissions from overseas are complicating the problem. Some 30 percent of the ozone in the U.S. may be drifting in from other countries, says NOAA scientist David Parrish. Dust from […]

Things to Do in Denver When You’re Ill

Newmont Mining fights off lawsuit over mercury pollution in Peru Continuing its energetic pursuit of the Worst Global Corporate Citizen Award, Denver-based Newmont Mining Corp. is headed into legal battle with Peruvian peasants suffering long-term health consequences from mercury contamination around one of the company’s gold mines. In June of 2000, a truck carrying canisters […]

Response to “Death”: Part I

We're going to try a little experiment here. Recently we received a response to "The Death of Environmentalism" from longtime green activist Ken Ward. We're going to publish it here in the blog, in sections -- one section a day, throughout the week.

In today's introduction, Ken agrees with The Reapers about the problems facing the green movement, but calls their proposed solution "foolishness." Your responses are welcome in comments.

Don't forget to read Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V.