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Bush visit to Brazil coincides with rising food prices

Three articles appeared before me in the last half-hour: "The hard truth about ethanol," "Palm-oil frenzy taking toll" (both on the second page of the Sunday Seattle Times), and "Why grocery bills are getting bigger" from MSN Money.

From the first article:

Sting along

Oh, Sting. How I love thee and thy ageless, yoga-chiseled physique. And now that I'm older and grateful for any sane voice that rises above the usual blah-blah-blah media clamor, I also relish your tireless political activism. Sure, I haven't really liked any of your music since that weird but haunting '80s song about the Russians loving their children too ("Mr. Krushchev said we will bury you/I don't subscribe to that point of viiiiieeeeeeew" -- love it). But there must be some reason I perk up every time I see you and Trudi on the telly.

Mexican wrestler dons an eco-justice cape

I know nothing about Mexico's wrestling league -- except that it's the kind of alternate universe where a man in a cape and a silver mask can stand up for eco-justice and not get laughed out of the building. (God bless Mexico!)

It seems Hijo del Santo ("Son of the Saint"), of Lucha Libre fame, has declared that he is dedicating a good portion of his spandex-enhanced powers to fighting eco-crimes this year.

Seattle’s choice between a freeway and climate change

When a city has to choose between sustaining car culture and pursuing environmental goals, which wins?

That's the question facing Seattle in the next several days as residents return ballots in an all-mail election over how to replace a dangerous waterfront viaduct freeway. The city enjoys a relatively green reputation (even local Toyota TV commercials tell us so). And the mayor has gained a national reputation talking about the need to curb climate change.

Yet the ballot choice is between building a new, bigger viaduct freeway or a tunnel for up to six lanes of traffic. A cheaper package of improving transit and making city streets more efficient is a favorite of those who vote 'no' on both options.

Funny stuff

As the environment becomes a more potent political issue here in Canada, the denialists are coming out of the woodwork. Funny-man Linwood Barclay, in the Toronto Star, has a pair of columns this week about Al Gore's carbon-spewing ways and the importance of a second opinion, respectively.

Gore waits for the lights to change. Then, when he gets his walk signal, he proceeds across Park, strolling past dozens of idling cars and taxis and trucks that have been brought to a halt. How many tonnes of greenhouse gas were spilled into the atmosphere, just so Al Gore could cross the street?

But she owns an organic farm!

Britain's The Independent has got into the spirit of bashing celebrities for their ungreen antics ...

Liz Hurley's long-haul wedding has produced a carbon footprint so large that it would take the average British couple more than 10 years to contribute as much to heating up the planet as she and Arun Nayar have done in little over a week. It would take a typical Indian couple a massive 123 years.

According to an Oxford-based footprinting consultancy, Hurley's celebrations will result in the release of around 200 tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere. Carbon emissions really do mount when you charter Learjets. Only the bridal party flew by chartered jet from the Cotswalds to Mumbai -- everyone else had to go commercial. But there were seven Learjets to ferry important guests from Mumbai to Jodhpur. And then Elton John did fly his personal helicopter to Gloucestershire (sort of rhymes with Worcestershire). And the flowers and caterers were flown in too. It all adds up, I guess.

Texas renewable energy schemes

What is the most inefficient way to make electricity? Answer: power an a 15% efficient* internal combustion engine with a liquid fuel made primarily from industrial food crops to spin a generator. Someone in Houston has come up with a brilliant way to dispose of, consume, use up biodiesel. It is just a matter of time now before someone starts using biodiesel to save water by flushing toilets with it. From Renewable Energy Access:

*another screw up pointed out by commenters

Are we willing to accept global warming in exchange for cheap energy?

According to the Washington Post, Midwesterners are building a raft of new coal plants because they "see no alternative." That puts in fairly stark terms the way energy debates proceed here in the U.S. It goes like this: Rising demand is non-negotiable. Low prices are non-negotiable. Energy alternatives that accommodate sharply rising demand without raising […]

Thank you from the Grist staff

A big old shout out to the kind folks at Hewlett-Packard, who through their Employee Product Gift Matching Program have helped Grist secure a new color laser printer and two new computer monitors. Grist-lovin’ HP employees made donations to our cause, covering 25 percent of the cost, and HP backed them up on the rest. […]

Cypress forests going down

A one-day phone campaign is underway today to try to get big retailers to stop selling mulch made from cypress trees.

If you would like to make a difference today, drop into this website and dial one or all three of the toll free numbers shown there. I was a little hesitant, you know, talking to a real person and all that but it turned out to be a nice experience. So, have some balls and make some calls. The operators are polite and pleasant and I have a feeling this might actually make a difference.

For a more balanced view of the situation check out this video.