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California’s per capita GHG emissions are falling

According to this, California's total greenhouse gas emissions rose by about 14 percent from 1990 through 2004.

OK, so that's not exactly good news.

But it's not the worst news in the world either, really. Over the same period, California's population grew by about 20 percent; so, running the numbers, it looks as if per person emissions fell by about, oh, 5 percent. That is, at the same time California's cars and homes got bigger and its economy boomed, the state managed a 5 percent reduction in per-capita GHG emissions.

Stories of how Measure 37 has affected Oregon landowners

For two days now, I've been blathering on about the unholy "property rights" ballot measures in 2006 -- see here and here. But if you really want to understand the potential impacts of these takings initiatives, there's one real-world example: Oregon.

For two years, Oregon has been the only state in the nation with a pay-or-waive law on the books: Measure 37. The results clearly illustrate the dangers facing other Western states. So as a way to warn other places of what can happen, Sightline Institute (where I work) recently compiled a batch of real-life stories from neighbors and communities in Oregon.

You can read the full stories, along with some additional context, in our report, Property Wrongs (PDF). If you don't have time for that, here's the bite-sized version:

The truth about ethanol

Harvard environmental science professor Michael B. McElroy takes a sober look at ethanol:

The balance in terms of emission of greenhouse gases is close to a wash for the United States: the reduction in net emissions of carbon dioxide obtained by using corn rather than petroleum as a "feedstock" for motor fuel is largely offset by additional emissions of the several hundredfold more potent greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide, formed as a byproduct of the nitrogen fertilizer used to grow the corn.

I don't know anything about McElroy's potential biases, but he certainly comes off as a serious-minded critic rather than a hit man. So if you're interested in a hype-free view of ethanol production in the U.S., this seems like a good place to start.

Car-maker planning to expand the family

The Prius may soon be more than just one oh-so-stereotyped hybrid motor vehicle. Toyota's talking about starting a family of the cars, and in this case I'd have to support wanton reproduction.

The automaker announced this week that they are considering creating a line of the gasoline-electric cars. It could include a wagon and a smaller, Smart-Car-esque inner-city model.

From Garner to Gizmos

Give ’em the boot, Syd Ben Affleck and his adorable much-better half (alias Bennifer 2.0) will garner attention this weekend campaigning together for Defenders of Wildlife as the group seeks to unseat eco-hata Dick Pombo. Wake us when it’s over. Photo: Avik Gilboa / WireImage.com Insane in the Maine-brain Exhibiting wicked cunnin’ judgment, the manager […]

Open and Shut Up Case

Agencies investigate claims of muzzling by Bush administration Has the Bush administration tried to suppress climate-change research? We’d tell you, but there’s a guy in a trench coat watching us type. Maybe inspectors general at NASA and the Commerce Department will have better luck as they investigate claims that climate scientists were muzzled by political […]

Standing on Protocol

U.S. requests exemption from ban on ozone-depleting pesticide, again At a meeting in New Delhi this week, thumb firmly attached to nose, the U.S. is seeking to convince fellow signers of an international ozone-layer treaty that it should be allowed to continue to use and produce a pesticide it had agreed to ban by 2005. […]

Teach a Man to Fish, and … Oh, Never Mind

Populations of edible marine species may collapse entirely by mid-century, says study Thank god it’s Friday, but thank god even more it’s not 2048, when all edible ocean life may be sunk. According to a study in Science, 29 percent of commercially edible fish and shellfish populations have collapsed already, thanks to overfishing, development, pollution, […]

A melange of tasty treats

The week's almost over, and you know what that means: time to clear out the Firefox tabs.

Thanks, Al Gore!

According to a recent MIT survey, Americans now rank climate change as the country's most pressing environmental problem--a dramatic shift from three years ago, when they ranked climate change sixth out of 10 environmental concerns.

Almost three-quarters of the respondents felt the government should do more to deal with global warming, and individuals were willing to spend their own money to help.

In other news, stay tuned for a global collapse of all species currently fished, possibly by mid-century.

The Great Warming aims to (re-)build bridges

Imagine a documentary featuring wild storms and dire predictions about pollution and rising seas. Sound familiar? Now add insight from Peruvian fishermen and Louisiana historians, mix in middle-school students, inventors, and religious leaders ... and invite a global-warming skeptic to the movie.

The film, hosted by Alanis Morissette and Keanu Reeves, is called The Great Warming, and even before its Nov. 3 launch, it has helped spawn an alliance between Democrats and evangelicals trying to shake the administration out of its inertia on climate change. It is also the anchor for a broad, pro-active coalition ranging from Friends of the Earth to Union of Concerned Scientists to Churches of Christ.

Theater giant Regal Cinemas is releasing the film in its top 50 markets this weekend, making the launch three times larger than for any other film of its kind, and highlighting the growing currency of the climate change issues in the mainstream.