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On battling (plastic) bottled-up rage

My favorite surprise gift this past Christmas was an aluminum water bottle from my older brother, the family member I’d vote as “most likely to make fun of me for being an environmentalist.” After all, when I emailed the family my Christmas list with hopes of secondhand books and recycled running gear, he replied saying, […]

China unveils plan to fix polluted lakes

China has unveiled a plan to limit pollution in its lakes by 2010 and return lakes to their original, unpolluted state by 2030. Officials have specific plans to attain their goal: strictly regulate release of wastewater, close factories that heavily contribute to water pollution, improve sewage treatment, remove or limit fish farms, and ban highly […]

What qualities do we need in a president who will get things done?

This post is by ClimateProgress guest blogger Bill Becker, executive director of the Presidential Climate Action Project.

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Change -- a perennial theme in presidential campaigns -- has taken on a more serious meaning this election season. Of all the promises being put forward by the presidential candidates, change may be the most frequent.

"Change" usually is a word used by candidates who don't have much Washington experience, but want to package their inexperience as a virtue. But allegiance to "change" is far more important If we want to confront global warming, energy insecurity and peak oil over the next four to eight years -- not to mention Iraq, the deficit, health care costs, and several other messes the Bush administration is leaving to its successors -- change will be the name of the game. Big change, in fact.

There is wide acknowledgment that Americans need to come together to solve some of these problems. We need a uniter, not a divider, in the White House -- for real this time. We have enough common causes, certainly, around which we should rally. What we don't have is trust.

How will climate play in the general election?

This CQ article is disturbing for two reasons. One, it confirms my worst fears about a McCain candidacy: Today, McCain’s position would be relatively close to that of the Democratic nominee in a general election. Only on the most superficial level, but then, I guess that’s the level we play on during campaigns. … if […]

Credulous ‘former advisors’ notwithstanding, no, Bush is not going to help on climate legislation

This, from Greenwire (sub rqd), made me laugh: Would President Bush sign a global warming bill into law before leaving office one year from now? … Ken Mehlman, head of Bush’s 2004 re-election bid and former chairman of the Republican National Committee, told reporters Friday that he would urge the White House to support legislation […]

Tuna sushi in New York tests high for mercury

Tuna sushi in 20 Manhattan stores and restaurants contained high levels of mercury, according to testing commissioned by The New York Times. In five establishments, fish mercury levels were so high that the seafood could legally be removed from the market. According to a 2007 survey, New Yorkers’ blood mercury levels are three times the […]

Umbra on leather vs. pleather shoes

Hi Umbra, As a devoted vegetarian, I try to make it a point to avoid leather footwear. However, after too many hours of deep thought on the subject, I am now conflicted about the environmental ramifications of my choice to buy processed petroleum shoes, i.e., pleather. Leather is, after all, a natural material; pleather is […]

EPA documents confirm that staff supported California waiver

The U.S. EPA only turned over some documents related to its California waiver decision, but allowed Sen. Barbara Boxer’s aides to take notes on the rest. Excerpts of the unrelinquished material have been released — against the EPA’s wishes — confirming what was suspected: prior to the decision, EPA officials told agency Administrator Stephen Johnson […]

States and provinces lead on climate initiatives

"State and regional governments around the world ... are fast becoming an essential and effective part of the movement to combat climate change," says The Climate Group in a new report.

"Low Carbon Leader: States and Regions" (PDF) profiles 12 exemplars including California, which in 2006 enacted the first economy-wide cap on carbon emissions in the U.S., and Northeast states moving to implement the first U.S. carbon cap-and-trade system. The report notes that U.S. states, ranked individually among other nations, represent 34 of the world's 75 leading global warming pollution sources. California ranks 12th.

Subnational governments have critical roles to play in carbon pollution reduction, both directly and in terms of the influence they can bring to bear on national governments, The Climate Group notes.

Seed-savers and greens unite to challenge Monsanto’s latest cash cow

For years, candy makers and other industrial food manufacturers refused to use genetically modified sugar, fearing a consumer backlash. Photo: iStockphoto As a result, Monsanto’s Roundup Ready sugar beet — designed to withstand heavy application of Roundup, Monsanto’s herbicide — has been dead in the water. (Sugar beets, grown in the Midwest and Northwest, account […]