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Public should think twice about biofuels

The annual forest and biodiversity clearing exercise in Indonesia is drawing to a close. Here's an article telling us that a thousand or so orangutans were burned to death this time around.

Every year, year after year, like a broken record or a slow motion horror movie, we sit around reading articles describing the extinction of the wild orangutan and other unique lifeforms. We human beings have just got to scratch that itch, that insatiable urge to increase one's wealth, position, rank, standing, station, prestige, fame, prominence, distinction, importance, renown, influence, eclat, celebrity, esteem, glory, status, whatever.

Early indication: Agribiz still rules the Hill

There's no denying the joy of seeing such confirmed villains as Pombo, Santorum, and Rumsfeld on ice. (It will be interesting to see which energy/military conglomerate beckons home the latter after his brave tour of duty.) But having delivered a decisive boot to the hindquarters of the GOP-controlled Congress, it's time to turn a critical eye on the new leadership.

What does it all mean for the future?

Reading the polls is a perilous business for an enviro in this country, because Americans who talk to pollsters say they rate protecting the environment highly, but frequently fail to back up that concern with their votes. According to a recent CBS/NY Times poll, nearly three-quarters of the country believes in global warming, and respondents told the pollsters that "environmental improvements must be made regardless of cost." But this year, when it came to voting, voters almost always put the planet at the bottom of their list of priorities. In many polls taken last month, the environment didn't make the list at all, and topped out at at a mere 2 percent, far below the percentages concerned about the war in Iraq, terrorism, Social Security, or even same-sex marriage.

But when it comes to puzzling out the motivations of the American voter, the polls still offer the best available clues ... and some of these clues look promising for enviros this year.

Check out the Environmental Action Tour

Professional climber, filmmaker, and funny-guy Timmy O'Neill is on the road this week hosting a "David Letterman meets David Brower" multimedia show he calls the Environmental Action Tour. Tonight, he'll be in Portland, Ore., at the Hollywood Theatre with special guest Kipchoge Spencer (of InterActivist and really-awesome-name fame).

E.A.T. will then head to San Fran and Asheville, N.C., next week. All the shows start at 7 p.m. and tickets are $8, with proceeds benefitting Patagonia's 1% for the Planet campaign.

O'Neill's motto? Putting the "mental" in environmental since 1969. Hmm ... should be an interesting show.

‘Antarctic sea ice is increasing’–Yes, but …

(Part of the How to Talk to a Global Warming Skeptic guide)

Objection: Sure, sea ice is shrinking in the Arctic, but it is growing in the Antarctic. Sounds like natural fluctuations that balance out in the end.

Answer: Overall, it is true that sea ice in the Antarctic is increasing.

Around the peninsula, where there is a lot of warming [PDF], the ice is retreating. This is the area of the recent and dramatic Larsen B and Ross ice shelf breakups.

But the rest of the continent has not shown any clear warming or cooling and sea ice has increased over the last decade or so.

This is not actually a big surprise.

Rain, mixed with tears

For those under the impression that the events of the past few days represent an exciting opportunity for new course for our country, even reason to hope again -- well, meet Rep. John Dingell, the new head of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. In an interview on Wednesday, he gave a preview of what we might expect:

Now Utah-kin

Salt Lake City requires LEED certification for city-funded buildings Salt Lake City, Utah, known for its salty lake and Mormons, may soon also be known for its green buildings. Developers funded by city money will be required to erect buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program, city council members decided unanimously on […]

A New Leaf

Billion-tree effort launches as new climate reports issued Ooh, we love reports. A new one from a team of European scientists says the Arctic and Antarctic are linked by powerful currents, creating a “climate seesaw” that connects the fates of the poles and could help scientists predict the effects of polar warming on climate. A […]

Still Giddy After All These Hours

All but one land-use proposition voted down, post-election high continues In the wake of this year’s election, greens are riding a buzz the likes of which no carnival-going six-year-old has ever felt. In an outcome deemed a blow to the property-rights movement, three of four “regulatory takings” propositions were defeated. The initiatives copied a successful […]

A revolutionary bread-making technique, and two new foodie blogs

"Edible Media" takes an occasional look at interesting or deplorable food journalism on the web.

This edition of Edible Media will round up several choice morsels.

Well bread

Mark Bittman, the great cookbook writer and author of the indispensable weekly column "The Minimalist" in the NYT, has a provocative one this week on breadmaking.

Bittman reports that Jim Lahey, owner of Manhattan's terrific Sullivan Street Bakery, has taught him a new method for making bread that delivers professional-quality bread with no kneading or special equipment necessary. The result sends Bittman on a decidedly non-minimalist rhetorical jag. The bread is "incredible, a fine-bakery quality, European-style boule that is produced more easily than by any other technique I've used, and will blow your mind."

There's even a sustainability angle: the technique "may yet change the industry. Mr. Lahey is experimenting with using it on a large scale, but although it requires far less electricity than conventional baking, it takes a lot of space and time."

I will be trying this at home; I'll report back.