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Reflections by moderate Republicans from environmental days of yore

I'm attending the kick-off event of Duke University's new Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, a science-policy shop within the extremely well-endowed Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences. The crowd is large and august, with moderate Republicans from a different age of US environmental politics taking center stage.

Russell Train, the second EPA administrator, told stories of exploiting Nixon's political interest in environmental issues (he wanted to neutralize a potential wedge issue if Muskie had been the 1972 nominee) to get some of the country's landmark legislation through. Bipartisanship was the name of the game then, a stark contrast to today. Video of Train's talk (as well as Jared Diamond's and Richard Osbourne's of Duke Energy) is available here.

A family sends firsthand accounts from the rally

In a massive grassroots campaign to save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, thousands of citizen lobbyists descended upon the U.S. Capitol yesterday to protest drilling plans and lobby Congress before a pivotal vote this fall. The Arctic Refuge Action Day events were coordinated by a number of major environmental groups, grassroots organizers, and volunteer "bus captains" who drove protestors from as far as Oregon and Alaska to Washington, D.C.

Grist was lucky enough to catch up with one such vanful: Brad and Alicia Black and their two tot-sized greens.

Brad and Alicia, both teachers, dropped everything to begin their journey from St. Louis, Mo., to D.C. 10 weeks ago. Piloting an Arctic Refuge Action logo-emblazoned van, they made pit stops throughout the Midwest to appear at zoos, bicycle races, farmers' markets, parades, concerts, and other public events to raise awareness about the upcoming rally and the issues at stake. They also maintained a blog -- along with the drivers of a rally van from the Northeast -- detailing their adventures throughout the trip.

Brad describes the range of people they spoke to on their trip across the country:

Do as I Say, Not as I Vote

Majority leave environmental concerns behind at the ballot box Most Americans want tough laws protecting air, land, and water — but only about 1 in 5 say environmental issues have been a major influence on how they vote. According to a new survey, these numbers hold up across party lines, with 74 percent of Republicans […]

Gulf Toast

Woods, wetlands, and marine ecosystems hit hard by storm, pollution The Gulf Coast’s estuaries, wetlands, and cypress swamps are hurting in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The storm damaged 25 national wildlife refuges, and recovery costs are expected to be at least $93 million — about a quarter of the federal refuge budget. In Mississippi’s […]

How Green Was My Rally

Protest on behalf of Arctic Refuge draws thousands to D.C. Thousands of Americans rallied in Washington, D.C., yesterday — some dressed like polar and grizzly bears — to demand that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be protected from oil drilling. Congressional Republicans, riding the wake of Hurricane Katrina’s disruptions to the nation’s oil supply and […]

Hybrid Anxiety

Ford plans to hybridize half its models by 2010 Reeling from recent profit declines and concerned about stiff competition from Japanese automakers, Ford Motor Co. today announced a big expansion of its hybrid strategy, including plans to offer gas-electric hybrid versions of half its models by 2010. Its current hybrid offerings are limited to SUVs […]

Ask Umbra on autumn leaves

With summer slinking away and fall breezing in, Grist advice maven Umbra Fisk offers eco-advice for dealing with autumn leaves.

Survey says …

The good news: A survey of 800 voters nationwide found that 79 percent favor "stronger national standards to protect our land, air, and water."

The bad news: Only 22 percent said environmental issues played a major role in their recent voting.

William K. Reilly, former EPA head and chair of the Duke University Nicholas Institute responsible for the poll, states the obvious: "There is a clear disconnect here."

It’s all geek to me

One of the fun jobs at the National Hurricane Center is naming storms. Ponder for a moment.

OK -- so each year, the center publishes an alphabetical list of 21 monikers for the impending Atlantic storm season. (Tricky letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z don't make the cut.) There have never been that many storms -- except once, in 1933 -- but this year there've already been 17, with two months to go. (And no, likely not because of climate change -- read this to find out more.)

So what happens if the names run out? Greek names! Yes, that's right, Hurricane Alpha could be coming soon to a neighborhood near you -- but not before Stan, Tammy, Vince, and Wilma. (For real.)

Took her out and tried to win her

As if they haven't suffered enough: Louisianans spent today dealing with both a potential repeat of the hurricane and a repeat visit from President Bush. The nearly-giddy-with-contrition President is keeping a careful eye on "what we pray is not a devastating storm."

Makes me tired just thinking about it.