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Commercial fishermen face off with ocean conservation group

Like characters in an adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, the research crew aboard Oceana's research catamaran, the Ranger, found themselves in peril amidst the clutches of a seven-ship band of angry fishermen wielding hooks.

The Ranger, at sea now for two weeks photographing the use of illegal driftnets in international waters off of France, was sailing peacefully when seven ships surrounded it, demanding cameras and other incriminating evidence. The angry commercial fishermen immobilized the Ranger's propellers with rope, and hurled fish (and four-letter words) at the crew.

From Singin’ to Smokin’

Quit playing games (with his dolphins) Show him the meaning of being a U.N. special ambassador: former boy-bander Nick Carter will soon begin work on a campaign to save wild dolphins. This from a guy who couldn’t even save the Backstreet Boys — but wait’ll you hear his latest project, The Charismatic Megafauna. Photos: iStockphoto […]

A rejoinder to Environmental Defense

Can any of Environmental Defense's three main points stand up to scrutiny?

ED: A carbon tax can be gamed as easily as a carbon trading scheme.

CTC: A carbon tax may be subject to gaming, but cap-and-trade positively invites it. USCAP concedes that some allowances will be given out (not auctioned) at the outset, which means protracted, high-stakes negotiations ("a giant food fight," a leading utility executive called it) over free allowances that will be worth billions. How will these be allocated? What baseline year? Watch earth burn as the polluters jockey for the baseline giving them the most allowances! With a carbon tax, by contrast, any tax preferences or exemptions will at least be visible and locked in, and thus potentially removable. This difference is part of why former Commerce Undersecretary Robert Shapiro wrote recently that carbon taxes, compared to cap-and-trade, "are much less vulnerable to evasion and market manipulation, providing a more stable and transparent system for consumers and industry alike."

These Are the Times That Try Pens’ Souls

Daily Grist takes a break for Memorial Day Whether your Memorial Day holiday involves firing up the grill with friends or quietly reflecting on our soldiers’ sacrifices, we tip our cap to you. As for us, we’ll be doing a little of both, in a manner befitting our … eh, who are we kidding, we […]

Nice Berk If You Can Get It

Berkeley, Calif., goes all crazy with the green ideas Six months ago, voters in Berkeley, Calif., overwhelmingly approved a measure to reduce the city’s emissions 80 percent by 2050. Now proposals have been laid out to accomplish that goal, including requiring builders to use green materials, making landlords provide free bus passes to tenants, informing […]

Not to Mention It’s Wildly Inhumane

Critics say U.S.-Mexico border fence could threaten wildlife, cause flooding The U.S. government is moving forward with plans to build 700 miles of fencing along the Mexican border, but opposition is swelling faster than the Rio Grande after a rainstorm. This week, the International Boundary and Water Commission said the fence could not only cause […]

Goals Gone Wild

GE’s green division makes money, makes plans General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt gushed about his company’s green successes at a second-anniversary celebration for the “ecomagination” unit yesterday, noting that it had sales of $12 billion last year, has back orders for $50 billion more, and will “blow away” the original goal of $20 billion by […]

Use the Enforce, Kook

Environmental enforcement has declined under Bush, says new report Well, knock us over with a feather: since the Bush administration began running the joint, industries committing environmental violations have been investigated less, penalized less, and sued less, says a new report from watchdog group Environmental Integrity Project. The Department of Justice has filed fewer than […]

A guest essay

The following is a guest essay from Roger S. Gottlieb, Professor of philosophy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. His books include A Greener Faith: Religious Environmentalism and our Planet’s Future and This Sacred Earth: Religion, Nature, Environment. —– If you’re not depressed, a friend of mine has been saying, it’s only because you haven’t been reading […]

BP pulls out of its one actual carbon sequestration project

Everyone seems to agree that carbon sequestration is going to save us from global warming. That’s why the Scottish government announced it would have a competition, awarding the creation of an actual carbon sequestration facility with a big fat financial reward. BP spent $50 million just preparing to build such a facility. But then the […]