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Inside the Bush-Blair ‘working dinner’

While I don't know exactly what is being discussed when President Bush and Prime Minister Blair meet, sources indicate that the two items on Blair's agenda ahead of the G8 Summit are aid to Africa and climate change. Item one has taken the front seat at the moment, but it also seems to be nearing a resolution.

Blair has his work cut out for him on the second one though. Even the "working dinner" failed to bring the two any closer on the issue.

For all his inaction, I think Bush does realize that it would be good to reduce emissions, all other things being equal. And maybe he honestly believes the tradeoffs that may come with reducing emissions will be too great to justify taking action.

So what's a prime minister to do? If I might be so bold as to offer a one sentence suggestion on strategy (aside from drilling home the point that the choice is not the economy or the environment), it would be to engage Bush on his own terms.

Further instructions for Mr. Blair below the fold.

Using lilacs (and other plants) to study climate change

If you're still looking for ways that you can do your part to stop climate change but you've already cut all the carbon emissions you possibly can, check out the National Phenology Network. They use data collected from lilacs (and other plants) around the country to determine global patterns in climate, by recording when plants at different latitudes go thorugh different cycles of blooming. Send in your request for lilacs and then report when your plants go through different phenological events.

(Thanks to Tammy for the link!)

The ranking of most eco-friendly cities gives too much weight to good intentions.

Via Planetizen News, here's an interesting sustainability ranking for 25 US cities. Now, I haven't had time to look through the methods thoroughly. But my first impression is that it gives undue weight to intentions, and not enough to actual performance.

For example, Portland does exceptionally well in climate and energy policy, while New York City's rank on energy policy is only middling. But this only measures what cities say about energy, not what they actually do. In the real world, however, the climate doesn't care about good intentions. And in point of fact--at least where transportation emissions are concerned--Portland eats The Big Apple's dust. Gotham has by far the most energy efficient and climate-friendly transportation system in the U.S., largely because higher residential densities and a good mix of residences, jobs, and services let many New Yorkers get around on public transit or on foot. So even though Portland is doing a good job of talking the talk on energy efficiency, in New York City they're (literally) walking the walk.

That's not to say that Portland's energy policy is irrelevant, or that rankings like these aren't a useful exercise. Far from it.  Still, actions speak louder than words -- and any attempt to measure sustainability should look far more closely at what cities actually do than at what their leaders say.

Kenneth Deffeyes’ Beyond Oil forecasts a fast-approaching petroleum peak

Mark your calendar: annual world production of crude oil will reach its peak this coming Thanksgiving, Nov. 24. At least, that's the tongue-half-in-cheek prediction of Kenneth Deffeyes, who starts his latest book by suggesting that readers stop and give thanks for a century of plentiful supplies.

Is it appropriate for them to act as political advocates?

Over on Prometheus, Roger Pielke Jr. reports that "national science academies from Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States" have jointly signed a letter (PDF) sent to "world leaders, including those meeting at the Gleneagles G8 Summit in July 2005," advocating the following:

New diesel design inspired by tropical fish.

German carmaker DaimlerChrysler will today officially unveil a prototype of a new diesel vehicle that it says will meet more stringent pollution-control requirements and get higher mileage. The concept car uses lighter materials and an aerodynamic design that allows it to get about 70 miles to the gallon. Although the company has not yet decided whether it will mass-produce this prototype, the diesel technology will be incorporated into future models to help meet federal emissions standards that will come into force in 2007.

Interestingly, the inspiration for the design came from the boxfish, a variety of tropical fish, and the result (with its sleek lines and boxy rear) is strikingly similar. Maybe it's just me, but the boxfish doesn't look like it'd be particularly speedy. It does, however, make for a very cute car.

East Meets Quest

China, in quest to be more efficient, could take a lesson from Japan China just kicked off a new $80 million venture to boost energy efficiency and slash pollution; it aims to quadruple its gross domestic product by 2020 while merely (!) doubling its energy consumption. For inspiration, China might look to its neighbor and […]

Soda Jerks

American activist leads international anti-Coke movement via internet The next time you feel ground under the heel of global capitalism, take inspiration from Amit Srivastava. The “one-man NGO armed with just a laptop computer, a website, and a telephone calling card,” as The Wall Street Journal describes him, has become the lynchpin of an international […]

I Will Singh, Singh a New Song

To feed energy demand, India gets friendly with old adversaries India’s foreign policy, like that of most every major economic power, is increasingly driven by its need for oil. The globe’s fifth-largest consumer economy, India already imports 70 percent of its oil, and energy demand is expected to nearly double from 2002 levels by 2030. […]

GM keeps digging

GM, which recently had its credit rating lowered to junk status, has a big plan to turn things around, and this being 2005, the plan involves massive lay-offs. It also involves even more investment in large trucks and SUVs. Good thinking, fellas.

Mike Millikin has the details.