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And the Ban Played On

Japan fails in pro-whaling push, but still makes gains Four proposals widely viewed as steps toward a resumption of commercial whaling were defeated this weekend at the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission. Animal-rights activists, enviros, and other folks opposed to the needless killing of large, intelligent mammals expressed relief; pro-whaling Japan had come […]

The Supremes come clean II

In February, the Roberts Supreme Court heard two cases on the Clean Water Act. Today they ruled 5-4 to void the decisions against two Michigan landowners. The score? Developers 1, Environment 0.

I don't know the full details of the opinions or their repercussions yet. It looks like it wasn't a complete victory for the developers, but still bad news for protecting wetlands. Here's a link from the Community Rights Counsel on what's at stake in one of the cases. Update [2006-6-19 13:5:40 by Ana Unruh Cohen]: This Forbes story has more.

When auto-delete just isn’t enough

In this day and age, there's little you can't do online. Book a flight? Click. File your taxes? Click. Chat with Aunt Sally on the other side of the world? Click. Contact your representative? Not so fast.

Congress wants to add "logic puzzles" to its already difficult web forms in an effort to reduce the number of emails it gets from those troublesome voters. Apparently, sending an email like this one through an advocacy group doesn't qualify you as a constituent with a legitimate concern. You need to answer questions like "what's 5 minus 1?" to get your Congressman (most likely, your Congressman's staffer) to read your email.

Advocacy groups are not letting this slide. Oceana has joined with at least 30 other groups in a letter to Congress today stating among other things that this technology "raise[s] dangerous questions about the infringement of constituents' First Amendment rights." It's not yet clear whether we'll be sending this letter via snail mail.

Umbra on farmers’ markets and food stamps

Dear Umbra, Do organic grocers take food stamps? Do farmers’ markets? If not, what do ecologically/health-minded people on fixed incomes do? David Burch South Bend, Ind. Dearest David, Did you know that in many states food stamps are no longer stamps? Plastic cards similar to ATM cards have replaced the paper coupons. Electronic Benefit Transfer, […]

Back

I'm back. (You noticed I was gone, right?) I've just returned from a most relaxing long-weekend stint at the Once in a Blue Moon Farm, a little organic farm/orchard on Orcas Island. We went for a wedding, but a group of about eight of us decided to stretch it into a mini-vacation in the farm's guest house.

I'll spare you the poetic rhapsodizing about watching my older son ride a small horse, feed chickens, and get nuzzled by llamas. But it was nice. As a bona fide city boy, he doesn't get much exposure to Nature, but he took right to it. It reignited our little dream of buying a B&B in the country somewhere. Matter of fact, there was a nice one on sale on Orcas, for the low low price of $1.5 million. Ahem.

Anyway, if you're in the area, Orcas is a delight -- not too touristy, small-town homey, but kind of funky too. And Blue Moon gets Gristmill's Official Travel Recommendation.

Bonnaroo: Last words

Well, folks, my time here at Bonnaroo is coming to a close. Today, I got the chance to chat with head trash-picker-upper Anna of Clean Vibes, Atlanta-based band the Codetalkers, and a number of eco-booth staffers and everyman 'Roo goers. I also listened in as Bonnie Raitt chatted with Marc Ross of Rock the Earth about her work on social issues. She truly believes in using her music to inspire change -- and hopefully her hour-long interview on the Solar Stage will inspire 'Roo fans to make changes in their own personal lives.

I fly back to Seattle tomorrow, so this'll be my last night in a tent as well. For now, that is. I might be a convert, y'all! (Pardon the Southern ... this is Tennessee after all.)

Keep your eye out for a much more in-depth report from Bonnaroo later this week. 'Til then, rock on!

Bonnaroo: Lewis Black & Lyrics Born

More scoop from 'Roo: Funny man Lewis Black, laughin' it up at 'Roo's comedy tent, says he's on tour so much that he isn't in one place long enough to be harming any environment. Ha ha. But seriously, he's looking into biodiesel for his tour bus.

My interview with Lyrics Born went very well. Turns out he's very much into raising awareness about eco-issues. And he's psyched about 'Roo's eco-efforts because, he says, he knows how trashed a festival can get.

Bonnaroo: A breezy dispatch

Another dispatch from Bonnaroo: I've got scoop that Jon Gutwillig of The Disco Biscuits is a big supporter of wind power. He pays his energy company a few extra dollars per month for wind power because he knows it's a better deal in the long run, considering the true cost of our oil economy.

A cool technology, and fun-sounding to boot.

So, like, this is cool and stuff:

A water desalination system using carbon nanotube-based membranes could significantly reduce the cost of purifying water from the ocean. The technology could potentially provide a solution to water shortages both in the United States, where populations are expected to soar in areas with few freshwater sources, and worldwide, where a lack of clean water is a major cause of disease.

The new membranes, developed by researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), could reduce the cost of desalination by 75 percent, compared to reverse osmosis methods used today, the researchers say. The membranes, which sort molecules by size and with electrostatic forces, could also separate various gases, perhaps leading to economical ways to capture carbon dioxide emitted from power plants, to prevent it from entering the atmosphere.

Cleans up water, works against climate change. An amazing technology indeed. And will it come into widespread use anytime soon? My Magic 8 Ball (which always tilts toward skepticism) is skeptical.

The separation of economy and environment is a myth.

New head of the United Nations Environment Program Achim Steiner:

"Care for the environment is often portrayed as detrimental to economic growth," he told on his first day as head of the United Nations' top environment body.

"We hope to lay that myth to rest in the 21st century," he said by telephone from UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, setting out priorities for a four-year term.

Common sense ... I like it.