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Choler ID

Climate change could lead to more disease outbreaks, researchers say It’s official: Climate change is at fault for everything but bad breath — and we give the bad breath thing about a month. The latest global malady that may be laid at the feet of greenhouse-gas-crazed weather is disease, specifically cholera, an infection that causes […]

Silicon Dally

Big demand for solar energy runs up against finite panel supply Global demand for photovoltaic panels is causing months-long delays and price hikes for would-be buyers in the U.S. American suppliers blame a weak dollar, shortages of raw materials, and swelling demand both at home and abroad. The worldwide solar-power market has grown about 40 […]

Phosphorous, easements, and ecosystem services

An article in the current issue of National Wildlife Magazine highlights the troubles of a lake that might not immediately come to mind as "A Lake in Distress" -- Lake Champlain. But a number of issues have led citizens and groups in the lake basin to take action. Just one example is the phosphorus runoff that lead to algal blooms in the lake.

The article brings together a number of recently discussed topics, including:

• land trusts and easements, which are being used not only to preserve the land but restore it,
• which of course helps to restore ecosystem services, in the form of retaining the phosphorous that would otherwise run off, and
• the effects of changing land use, namely, the rise in non-point source pollution and runoff.

Lee Raymond stepping down as head of most eco-unfriendly oil co.

Pollutocrat nonpareil Lee Raymond, CEO and chair of ExxonMobil, today announced his resignation, effective at the end of the year.

As chair and CEO of the world's largest publicly traded oil company -- and the most recalcitrant on climate issues -- he consistently appalled green observers with his steadfast denial of any need to curb greenhouse-gas emissions or work toward the goal of U.S. energy independence.

From a 2002 interview with Raymond:

Q: Isn't it time to join the scientific mainstream in countering the greenhouse effect?

A: The mainstream of some so-called environmentalists or politically correct Europeans isn't the mainstream of all scientists or the White House. The world has been a lot warmer than it is now and it didn't have anything to do with carbon dioxide.

We'll have a hard time replacing this most iconic of eco-villains. Even Bush admits that climate change is happening.

Chat with Simmons

The Washington Post is hosting a live chat with Matt Simmons, author of Twilight in the Desert.

It starts three minutes ago. Check it out.

New Asia-Pacific climate pact is long on PR, short on substance

Staunch U.S. allies, enviro activists, and just about everyone else was caught flat-footed last week when the U.S., Australia, and four Asian countries unveiled a new pact intended to help curb greenhouse-gas emissions. In the days since, some details about the surprise alliance have trickled out, but its mission and intended impact remain murky. Known […]

Is P&G’s Tide Coldwater just more greenwashing?

Everyone who listens to Umbra knows you should wash your clothes in cold water. Sounds like the folks over at Procter & Gamble might be listening.

I give you Tide Coldwater.

Here is the marketing spiel from the Tide website:

Tide Coldwater provides a deep clean in the care of cold water, making it the coolest way to clean. When used in a cold water wash, Tide Coldwater can:

• Remove even stubborn stains better than the leading competitive liquid detergent in warm water
• Save energy and money by lowering your heating bills
• Help colors stay brighter and whites stay whiter
• Provide a cool new scent experience

Though I missed it, my TV-watching buddy tells me that they specifically mentioned the eco-friendly aspects of Tide Coldwater in a commercial. So, do we applaud or boo?

Oh, and you gotta love how they're trying to appeal to those outdoorsy types with their two scents: "Glacier -- a classic floral scent linked with fruity, woody, and citrus elements" and "Fresh Scent -- a modern floral scent combined with fresh, crisp herbal notes."

Update [2005-8-4 13:53:46 by Chris Schults]: Ok, so I found the TV commercials online here. While they don't specifically mention any environmental benefits, they do promote the energy and money saving aspects of washing with cold water. And we all know that reducing energy consumption is good for the environment. Though, who knows what chemical nastiness is in this version of Tide.

Weigh in on NEPA

Task force takes aim at NEPA, freaks out environmentalists

Rep. Richard Pombo meets the press in April. Photo: U.S. House of Representatives. You have to want to get to Nacogdoches, a Texas town that’s not on the way to anywhere. This eastern outpost, nearly 150 miles from Houston, is the oldest town in the state, with enough lore to fill volumes. It’s the site […]

Hybrid Fidelity

Toyota plans 10 new hybrids, invites automakers to eco-summit Toyota is developing 10 new hybrid models and aims within the next few years to be selling 1 million of the gas-electric vehicles annually worldwide. That, says the company’s U.S. head, Jim Press, will mean about 600,000 new Toyota hybrids each year on American roads, including […]