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Unorthodox strategy results in key victory for marine mammals

Yes, folks, it's true. The House demonstrated Monday that they will -- on occasion -- vote "yes" on conservation issues, when Rep. Richard Pombo put forward and the House passed a new version of the Marine Mammal Protection Act that left the Dolphin Deadline intact.

This was truly an amazing victory, and I'm not just saying this because my organization, Oceana, led the work that pulled this off. We took on those who wanted to kill the deadline -- the key timeline for government to ensure that commercial fishing operations minimize the catch of dolphins and other marine mammals in their activities -- and won. The amazing part is how we did it -- by going to Republicans and proving that supporting legislation that "kills Flipper" is not good politics for Republicans or Democrats.

How Much Wood Would a Woodpecker Peck If a Woodpecker Existed?

Judge halts irrigation project that could harm ivory-billed’s habitat A federal judge has temporarily halted a $319 million Army Corps of Engineers irrigation project in Arkansas, pending further study of potential impact to the habitat of the ivory-billed woodpecker — which may or may not be extinct. The last confirmed sighting of the bird in […]

Ya Sure, You Hetcha

New report feeds controversy over California’s Hetch Hetchy dam Activists have pushed for over 20 years to restore Yosemite National Park’s Hetch Hetchy Valley to its natural state by knocking down a now 82-year-old dam and draining a 117-billion-gallon reservoir. This week, a California state report indicated that the project is technically feasible — although […]

Can we really buy the change we want to see in the world?

Dumb me. I went to the Zappa Plays Zappa concert last month. Great show, with Dweezil faithfully channeling his dad Frank. But I felt kind of dorky lugging my bicycle helmet around the theater.

You see, I had made the 10-mile round trip between lower Manhattan, where I live, and the Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side, by bicycle. Burning a gallon of gas to go 20 miles makes 20 pounds of CO2, so I figure that by biking instead of taking a taxi I prevented 10 pounds of climate-altering greenhouse gases from going into the atmosphere. That may not be much, but it's something.

But now I'm told that for 6 cents I could have been just as "climate-neutral" as I was by pedaling ten rather sweaty miles. Just a nickel and a penny could have purchased enough wind-generated electricity to keep the coal-fired power grid from burning a few lumps of bituminous and releasing 10 pounds of CO2 -- the same climate-altering amount the cab ride would have made.

Says who? The very popular, and now supposedly climate-conscious, Dave Matthews Band.

Others … not so much, says new poll

A recent Pew Center poll done just as An Inconvenient Truth was opening nationally finds, not surprisingly, that Americans don't care about global warming. Or do they?

41 percent say global warming is a very serious problem, 33 percent see it as somewhat serious, and roughly a quarter (24 percent) think it is either not too serious or not a problem at all.

That puts global warming 19th among 20 issues ranked. However, a very strong partisan pattern emerges here: although it's dead last among Republicans, it ranks 14th for both Democrats and independents, above such "hot button" issues as government surveillance, flag burning, abortion, the inheritance tax, and gay marriage, and about the same as the budget deficit and immigration.

So maybe it’s just my sweet tooth …

But when I read this story (albeit a week late), I totally thought to myself "Clothes made from sugar? Sweet!"

See, I saw this:

The one-of-a-kind outfits created by big name designers Oscar de la Renta, Stephen Burrows, Elisa Jimenez, and others included a strapless beige ball gown, a cream baby-doll dress with ribbon and sheer overlay, and a pink and yellow taffeta skirt with a silver recycled polyester bustier.

And then I sort of skipped down here:

Other items on display at the fashion show included a men's transparent dress shirt, a hooded pink floral fleece sweater, a blue blazer, and a strapless black dress.

And then I read the part about fermented corn sugar ... blah, blah ... polymer ... blah, blah ... "versatile fiber that can be made to have the appearance of silk, polyester, leather, or elastic" ... blah, blah ... So, what you're telling me is these models are not covered in sugar like designer Peep action-figures? Blah.

But seriously, I guess it's a good sign that an alternative to silk and leather and other destructive fashion materials is being given some attention. Though I would rethink those transparent men's dress shirts.

Lance is out, green is in

Yes, I am aware that Lance Armstrong is no longer riding in the Tour de France. Yes, I am aware that he is, in fact, retired. (And yes, I am aware and inconsolable that he and Sheryl Crow broke up.) But celebrity appeal draws readers. And if you’re reading this, then it worked! Yes! Today’s […]

Wow

I'm on vacation, so I'll keep this short, but wow. I mean ... wow. It's difficult to fathom how out to sea the conservative movement is on this issue.

Environmentalism makes the H-list

OK, I have a Hotmail account (is that too 2002 of me?), and I check it once a day. There's always a little story off to the left, something really thoughtful like "27 Ways to Pad Your Resume" or "Is He Cheating with Your Ex?" But today, the teaser is "Hot on Hotmail: Why environmentalism is so hot in the U.S." Granted, it just links to this not-so-hot Newsweek story. But still. We're, uh, officially hot.

Making the Trade

Britain looks into carbon trading system for individuals British Environment Secretary David Miliband has endorsed the idea of a carbon trading system for individuals, requiring people to limit personal emissions and allowing energy-savers to sell back unused carbon allowances for a profit. “Imagine a country where carbon becomes a new currency,” Miliband said. Each citizen […]