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Chemical plant security

To turn our attention to the kind of terrorism that could actually hurt people: The failure of "strong on terrorism" Republicans to do anything to protect chemical plants and facilities -- some of the most vulnerable and dangerous targets for terrorists -- is a scandal that has gotten nothing like the press it deserves. It would be difficult to find a case where Republican "strength" more cravenly crumbled before the demands of a (heavily contributing) industry. There's no defense for it; nobody even tries to defend it. They just don't talk about it.

An explosion at a chemical plant would be a human and ecological disaster that would dwarf 9/11. (It would even dwarf a whole dealer lot full of graffiti'd SUVs!) And it's just a matter of time.

Anyway, the latest and greatest on this is Jonathan Chait's latest column in the L.A. Times. Read it and weep.

See also this NYT editorial, Carl Pope here and here, Greenpeace here, and from a couple years back, John B. Judis in The New Republic.

‘Eco-terrorism’: A subtle chill

A few bits and pieces on the "eco-terrorism" front:

This L.A. Times piece makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside:

Plug-in hybrids go viral

I'm not a big fan of flash animation. I am, however, a huge fan of plug-in hybrids. Love trumps hate in this instance, so I urge you to check out Calcar.org's efforts to spread the word on the benefits of plug-in hybrids with this piece of viral marketing.

If you make it to the end of the animation, there's a chance to sign a petition to automakers urging them to manufacture plug-ins.

Make your own Chevy Tahoe commercial

Check this out: Chevrolet has a site up where you can design your own commercial for the Chevy Tahoe. As Kevin Drum says, this one is probably not long for this world, so watch it while you can.

Here's my commercial:

Hey, 2,325 U.S. kids have died, 16,653 have been injured, and up to $2 trillion will be spent to keep our oil supply safe. If you support the troops you'll get out there and use some of it! Chevy Tahoe: Don't let all that blood go to waste.^™

Two leaders — one mainstream, one radical — debate over green movement

When Eric Mann first encountered environmentalists, he saw them as a bunch of "arrogant, racist airheads." When Frances Beinecke first encountered environmentalists, she felt she'd found her cause. Now, both are tireless proponents of environmental sanity, but they work in very different ways. Mann is director of the L.A.-based Labor/Community Strategy Center, where he fights for environmental justice, immigrant and labor rights, and economic equity. Beinecke is president of Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the nation's biggest green groups. We got the two of them talking about poverty, the environment, and building a stronger movement; find out what they had to say.

Two eco-leaders — one mainstream, one radical — debate the movement’s past and future

Eric Mann. When Eric Mann first encountered environmentalists, he saw them as a bunch of “arrogant, racist airheads.” When Frances Beinecke first encountered environmentalists, she felt she’d found her cause. Frances Beinecke. Nearly four decades later, both are tireless proponents of environmental sanity, but they work in very different ways. Mann is director of the […]

In the world’s slums, the worst of poverty and environmental degradation collide

This article was originally published in OrionOnline. Precarious dwellings in North Sulawasi, Indonesia. Photos: iStockphoto. A villa miseria outside Buenos Aires, Argentina, may have the worst feng shui in the world: it is built in a flood zone over a former lake, a toxic dump, and a cemetery. Then there’s the barrio perched precariously on […]

Umbra on organic pesticides

Dear Umbra, Recently, an article in my newspaper stated that federal and state guidelines allow the spraying of “organic pesticides” on organic crops. I thought organic crops were pesticide-free. I am very disappointed to find out that there are sanctioned “organic pesticides” which, with probably little to no independently researched information, may or may not […]

How environmentalists lost the battle over TCE

An article in the LA Times today reveals how the U.S. EPA has been completely emasculated in recent years. It focuses on TCE, an industrial chemical found in the nation's water supply. After four years of study, the EPA concluded that TCE was as much as forty times more likely to cause cancer as previously believed. That was in 2001.

Concerned about a potential $1.5 billion in cleanup cost, the Pentagon handled things their way: they launched a pre-emptive strike against the EPA, wielding political power and deploying bureaucratic red tape in a campaign of Shock and Audit:

Oiling for a Flight

The top 10 best places to live during an oil crisis Pack yer bags, kids — there’s an oil crisis coming and we’re moving to the Big Apple! Eco-website SustainLane has come up with a list of the 10 U.S. cities best able to weather an oil crisis, and New Yawk is number one. The […]