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California Connected on organic and Wal-Mart

A nifty PBS show called California Connected recently did a special on organic food, focusing on Wal-Mart's decision to get into the organic-food market. It's unusually substantive and thoughtful (at least relative to cable tv fare). Check it out.

Importing coal

Here's a story you don't hear about much:

Efficiency vs. biomass smackdown

This post was written by Clark Williams-Derry, who's on vacation.

An interesting contrast.

The NW Current is reporting that, even with rising prices for fossil fuels, biomass electricity projects -- using, say, wood waste or sewage solids -- are having trouble penciling out. Between capital and fuel costs, it's still cheaper to generate electricity from fossil fuels than from biomass.

Meanwhile, energy-efficiency programs are wildly successful, oversubscribed -- and in Oregon, cost about 1.3 cents per kilowatt hour saved, which is a massive bargain. Says Energy Trust's executive director, Margie Harris:

Energy efficiency is the most cost-effective resource -- half the cost of new generation ... There's more to be acquired if it were the wish of the Oregon Legislature for us to go after it.

True 'nuff.

Discovery Channel on global warming

On Sunday at 9pm, the Discovery Channel will run a special called ''Global Warming: What You Need to Know." It will break the exciting news -- available to you for the first time! -- that the scientific community agrees that global warming is happening, quickly, and it's going to be bad.

Discovery stresses that this is a scientific thing. There's "no agenda." They're not one of those, you know, lefty groups who go on and on about this kind of thing.

That's how corrupted our national dialogue has become. A handful of nutbags can, through their extraordinary media access, politicize the issue for the entire country. Argh.

Anyway, the special is hosted by Tom Brokaw, who, according to the NYT, has become something of a green. Get this:

He's tried to alter some habits to save fossil fuels: changing light fixtures in his homes, for example. He owns a hybrid car, and so do both of his daughters.

"It's not affecting our lifestyle at all, not one whit," he said.

Oh, well ... whew! Wouldn't want to change our lifestyles just because the entire earth is frying.

EU bans anchovy fishing to rescue stocks

Ridiculously high quotas set by the French and Spanish governments have seriously depleted adult anchovy stocks. What would the world be like without anchovies? Fox's Futurama paints a stark portrait.

The minimum amount of anchovies for sustainable fishing is 28,000 tons, but anchovy stocks today hover around 19,000 tons. In response to the Association of Spanish Artisanal Fishermen and Oceana's pressure, the European Commission banned anchovy fishing in the Bay of Biscay until Dec. 31.

Futurama fans will appreciate the episode "A Fishful of Dollars." Fry finds himself a rich man, but blows all his money on the last known can of anchovies in existence. Skip ahead to seven and a half minutes to start the anchovy story line, and keep an eye out for a special appearance (sort of) by Oceana's board member Ted Danson.

Blake Mycoskie, founder of eco-friendly driving school, answers questions

Blake Mycoskie. What’s your job title? I’m cofounder and chair of Drivers Ed Direct. How does your work relate to the environment? Photo: Drivers Ed Direct. We teach kids to drive in hybrids, which makes them more comfortable with the technology and educates them about environmental responsibility. We believe this makes them more likely to […]

Umbra on CFL recycling

Dear Umbra, So what happens to compact fluorescent light bulbs in the hands of the “hazardous-waste people”? Is the mercury reclaimed and reused, or merely hidden “away” (wherever that is)? John GearLansing, Mich. Dearest John, Great question, because why should we add to the substantial mercury problem we already face? A few disillusioned readers have […]

The NAFTA super highway: Not the nationwide high-speed rail system one might have liked

Jerome Corsi is a loathsome toad, responsible for the Swift Boat smears and a number of other far-right hack jobs, but I nonetheless share his concern about this:

Quietly but systematically, the Bush Administration is advancing the plan to build a huge NAFTA Super Highway, four football-fields-wide, through the heart of the U.S. along Interstate 35, from the Mexican border at Laredo, Tex., to the Canadian border north of Duluth, Minn.

Among other charming features, the highway is deliberately intended to bypass any involvement from unions, either the Longshoreman's Union or the Teamsters Union. The U.S. DOT has earmarked $2.5 million to an NGO called the North America SuperCorridor Coalition Inc. to create "a 10-lane limited-access road (five lanes in each direction) plus passenger and freight rail lines running alongside pipelines laid for oil and natural gas."

I've often thought that if this country just had that one final highway, our problems would be solved for good.

(ht: reader Therise)

Outstripped

Demand for organics outpacing local supply With demand for organic food soaring in the U.S. and U.K., manufacturers of organic products are struggling to find adequate supplies of organic ingredients and are increasingly looking and buying abroad. While exporters like Australia welcome the trend, it creates a dilemma for many organic enthusiasts, who also tend […]

So Near, Yet Sonar

Deal lets Navy make limited use of sonar in exercises off Hawaii A temporary ban on Navy sonar use has been lifted, after the Navy agreed to take steps to protect whales in return for the dropping of a lawsuit by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The Navy is in the midst of the world’s […]