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Vote for the most villainous eco-villain of 2007

Check out our nominations for the most reprehensible eco-villain of 2007, then vote at the bottom of this post. (And tell us who we missed.)

George W. Bush. You've heard of him, right?

Pete Domenici. Sen. Domenici, top Republican on the Senate Energy Committee, played a key role in neutering the just-signed energy bill, pushing successfully to remove a provision that would have required utilities to produce 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources -- even though Domenici's home state of New Mexico is well-positioned to profit from renewables. He also relentlessly shills for the nuclear industry.

Stephen Johnson. Bush's man at the EPA, Johnson just denied California's request for a waiver that would let the state regulate greenhouse gases from cars and trucks -- against the advice of the career professionals at the agency.

Julie MacDonald. This Bush appointee to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service abruptly resigned in May 2007, just as Congress was about to consider charges that she had altered scientific reports to minimize protection for numerous species under the Endangered Species Act (and had inappropriately released government documents). Ongoing review of her decisions continues to turn up trouble.

Robert Murray. He is owner of the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah, which collapsed in August, causing nine deaths -- and which had racked up hundreds of safety citations since January 2004. Murray insisted his mine was safe (all evidence to the contrary), whined about federal mine regulators, complained about proposed climate-change bills, bitched about the miners union, and moaned about how hard the whole collapse had been for him.

Harlan Watson. Before attending the December climate negotiations in Bali as chief U.S. negotiator, Watson told Reuters, "We don't believe targets and timetables are important, or a global cap-and-trade system." He also argued that the U.S. shouldn't be singled out for criticism for rejecting Kyoto, because Turkey rejected it too. No surprise, then, that the U.S. gummed up the climate talks and watered down the final deal.

Americans for Balanced Energy Choices. Once ABEC, now apparently "America's Power" (perhaps the patriotism didn't come across well enough), this coal front group is the leading wedge of a multimillion-dollar PR campaign aimed at buffing dirty energy's clean image among lawmakers. Last seen sponsoring presidential debates and sending Santas out to dispense coal-shaped chocolates (really).

UNGREEN. The nefarious United Nemeses aGainst Reliable Eco Experts Network kidnapped our beloved advice maven, Umbra Fisk -- forcing her to (horrors!) eat from Styrofoam containers, use energy-inefficient appliances, and live in a sprawling McMansion. Fortunately, with the help of our readers, she was released.

Grist staff Politics

The top green stories of 2007

Wow. That was something else. Green has gone from “dead” to ubiquitous in just a few short years, and it peaked with the crazy buzz of 2007, which kept us Gristies busy as bees — ironically without the actual bees (see No. 15). Here you’ll find our selection of the year’s top 15 stories, biased […]

Lisa Hymas Uncategorized

The depth of the Mississippi River’s influence, in numbers

Fifty-eight semi-truck trailer loads traveling over 9 feet of water. Photo: Sarah van Schagen 10 — states that border the Mississippi River 31 — states drained by the Mississippi River watershed 1 2 — Canadian provinces drained by the Mississippi River watershed 1 50 — cities that rely on the river for their water […]

Grist staff Cities

The riverfront in Memphis needs help — but what kind?

May God bless Memphis, the noblest city on the face of the earth. — Mark Twain To visit Memphis, Tenn., is to visit a place that is slowly waking from a decades-long stupor. The things that define this city in the popular imagination — the glamorous life of Elvis Presley, the shocking assassination of Martin […]

Katharine Wroth Cities

St. Louisans turn a working river into a river that works for them

“The fifth night we passed St. Louis, and it was like the whole world lit up.” — Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn As the sun rises over the city of St. Louis, an arch-shaped shadow moves eastward over the city’s bustling downtown and toward the Mississippi River, where it will leave its invisible […]

Sarah van Schagen Cities

Why “the end of cheap food” isn’t automatically a good thing

A decade ago, a barrel of oil fetched little more than $10. While the bargain-priced oil gushed, SUVs roared out of dealer lots and carbon emissions rose steadily. To a lot of people concerned about climate change, the time seemed ripe for a steep jump in oil prices. We’re in for some roughage. Photo: iStockphoto […]

Tom Philpott Climate & Energy

Tory leader David Cameron lauds “green coal”

British Conservative Party leader David Cameron said in a speech today that under a Tory government, Britain would be a world leader in “green coal” technology. Ahem: Coal. Is. Not. Green. That is all.

Grist staff Climate & Energy

An Iowa river town develops a real relationship with the Mississippi

“The care of rivers is not a question of rivers, but of the human heart.” — Tanaka Shozo Arriving in Dubuque, Iowa, is a bit disorienting. After passing acres and acres of the heartland’s flat soybean and cornfields, you suddenly come upon a small city (pop. 60,000) with a surprising landscape. Gazing east to west, […]

Grist staff Cities

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