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Feebird!

Continuing with the recent spate of attention to "feebates," Republican senator Gordon Smith from Oregon floated the feebate concept at a recent congressional hearing. Bully for him!

With gas prices as high as they are, and the security costs of ensuring North America's petroleum supplies (think, say, of the cost of America's military involvement in Iraq), feebates are an idea whose time has come. And Smith's support suggests that the idea may even have some bipartisan appeal.

The basic idea of feebates is to charge car buyers an extra fee when they buy a gas guzzler, and rebate that money to people who buy efficient vehicles. The amount of the fee or rebate depends on the miles-per-gallon rating of the vehicle, compared with the average for all new cars sold. (For more details, see here).

The beauty of feebates is that they create incentives for continuous improvements to vehicle efficiency. That is, no matter how efficient the average car or truck becomes, feebates will still help boost sales of the most efficient vehicles on the market.

Grist props

Columbia Journalism Review has a very flattering write-up of our late, lamented Poverty & the Environment series. Cool.

Scientists confirm existence of grizzly-polar bear hybrid

Weird:

A DNA test has confirmed what zoologists, big-game hunters and aboriginal trackers in the far northern reaches of Canada have imagined for years: the first documented case of a hybrid grizzly-polar bear in the wild.

That's right, folks, a polar bear and a grizzly bear have mated and produced offspring -- a bear mutt of sorts. As the polar bear's habitat disappears (thanks, global warming!) and the range for both bears continues to overlap, will we see more hybrids?

I certainly hope so! But only if I get to be on the naming committee. Check out these proposed monikers (emphasis mine):

[Big game hunter Jim] Martell told the newspaper he has dubbed the hybrid creature a "polargrizz." [Polar bear biologist Ian] Stirling said others in his office have been tossing around in jest possible names for the hybrid: a "pizzly" or a "grolar bear." One colleague said they ought to call it "nanulak," combining the Inuit names for polar bear -- "nanuk" -- and grizzly bear, which is "aklak."

Can we call it a "pizzly"? Pretty please?!

Econ 101 for progressives

My favorite economist, Dean Baker (I want his rookie card!), has just put out a free PDF of his latest book, The Conservative Nanny State. (PDF link here.)

I would urge everyone to read this book -- it's not all directly related to environmental causes, but some of it is. More broadly, there's an obvious moral: The system we live in is, to an enormous extent, determined by government policies. Understanding that, and understanding how the apparatus of the state is tilted towards the already-wealthy, is crucial to any progressive cause.

Some specific examples below the fold.

X-tinct Men

Pollutants cause tiny genetic mutations in humans You know when your brother called you a genetic mutant, and you said “am not,” and he said “are too”? Well, he was right. Sorry. According to new research, chemicals and pollutants like those found in exhaust fumes cause tiny DNA mutations which, while too small to cause […]

Monkey See, Monkey New

Scientists discover new genus of primate, and it’s already in trouble Scientists have discovered a new monkey in Africa, the first new genus of primate found in 83 years. Called kipunji by native villagers, scientists have classified the monkey under the genus Rungwecebus, after its habitat on Mount Rungwe in Tanzania. Kipunji live in groups […]

Mr. Plug-in Hybrid goes to Washington

On Thursday, May 18, the Big Three automakers have scheduled a trip to the White House to discuss their "needs" with President Bush.

CalCars wants to bring a 100-MPG plug-in hybrid to Washington to meet them.

I think that's a really good idea.

If you do too, join me in helping out.

Trailer: Who Killed the Electric Car?

Somebody's probably posted about this already, but if not: The trailer for Who Killed the Electric Car? is available here.

We've written previously about the movie here, here, here and here.

RealClimate on An Inconvenient Truth

Over at RealClimate, where actual scientists hang out, Eric Steig offers a brief review of An Inconvenient Truth, focusing mainly on the science. The verdict: Aside from a few small and largely inconsequential errors, the science is right on.

The folks in the lively comment section seem woefully, nay, tragically unaware of my interview with Gore, in which he answers many of their questions.

Hummer tax

The editors of The New Republic endorse what they call a “Hummer tax.” Wonks, in their pithiest mode, refer to the Hummer Tax as a “feebate” system. Under such a system, the government would either slap a tax or offer a rebate on newly purchased vehicles based on the vehicle’s fuel-efficiency rating. For instance, a […]