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Situation Normal All Canucked Up

Air pollution on the rise in Canada Canada’s self-image as North America’s most enlightened steward of the environment has taken a blow with the release of a new report from the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Studying the period from 1998 to 2002, the report concludes that air pollution rose by 8 percent in […]

BushGreenWatch says it’s a win, but the argument is weak.

Today in BushGreenWatch, Doug Kendall of the Community Rights Council -- which, along with Earthjustice, has been fighting a campaign to highlight the environmental stakes of the judicial battles -- argues that the nuclear-option deal "may help the environment."

Or at least that's the headline. I don't see much in his essay that backs up his position. Maybe he's putting an optimistic spin on things because his organization's taken a high-profile position on it, but still, it's a pretty meager argument.

The "landmark victory," he claims, is that Dems can still, if they choose, filibuster the appointment of William Myers III, who is indeed bad news. We let three loony, anti-environment judges onto the bench, but retain the option to block one, and this is a "landmark victory"?

This is even weaker:

... the deal takes the nuclear option off the table, stating "In light of the spirit and continuing commitments made in this agreement, we commit to oppose the rules changes in the 109th Congress." 

No. It doesn't take the option "off the table." It says the Republicans won't use it as long as Dems reserve their filibusters for "extraordinary circumstances." But Dems have approved almost all of Bush's judges -- if the five remaining fruitloops don't constitute extraordinary circumstances, I don't see what ever will.

In the end, what you think about the deal rests on what you think would have happened if R's had pulled the trigger, Dems had ground Senate business to a halt, and the whole thing had gone before the court of public opinion. I think the Dems could have won that battle, with some canny messaging. Maybe not. But the deal just postpones the fight and weakens the Dems' position. Come Supreme Court appointment time, the fight will happen anyway.

(Owen was just confirmed.)

The Secret of Nimrods

Monsanto’s confidential research finds that GM foods mess up rats Rats fed with genetically modified (GM) corn exhibited health problems including shrunken kidneys and blood changes that could indicate immune-system damage or tumors. However, no one knows all the details, since the folks who did the research are the same folks selling the corn — […]

Umbra on unclogging without chemicals

Dear Umbra, How does one unclog a clogged bathtub drain without pouring toxic chemicals directly into the waste stream? Allie CatBoiling Springs, Penn. Dearest Allie Cat, I don’t believe that’s your real name. But yours is a noble question. Let’s get motivated by reviewing a Drano material safety data sheet [PDF], where we find that […]

An interview with doomsaying author James Howard Kunstler

James Howard Kunstler.“Check all of your assumptions at the door,” James Howard Kunstler advises reporters before he commences an interview. “Don’t assume that anything you think about the way we live today is going to be the same 10, five, even three years from now.” The author of the new book The Long Emergency: Surviving […]

Wind farms: hot or not?

Treehugger has an excellent photo contest running. They want to see both the ugliest and the most attractive ... wind farms. Go check 'em out!

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runoff

Cities start getting creative in cleaning up runoff Catalyzed by legal action from enviro groups, the U.S. EPA has started cracking down on an oft-overlooked cause of befouled waterways: polluted runoff. On its journey through urban and suburban streets, rainwater picks up and carries motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides, and other nasties, eventually dumping them in […]

Highway Just Met a Girl Named Maria

Provision in highway bill would require gas-mileage reality check The U.S. EPA would have to use more realistic conditions when testing new vehicle models for gas-mileage figures under an amendment offered by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), backed by green and consumer groups, and successfully attached to the Senate highway bill. Currently, the agency’s methods include […]

A Bank Slate

Big banks play growing role in curbing eco-destruction Increasingly, green groups are both protesting against and partnering with major financial institutions that have the power to back — or not — environmentally destructive projects. “The private financial sector more than any other has the ability to begin the ecological U-turn modern society so desperately needs,” […]

You’re Turning Into a Real Ditch

Panama Canal threatened by denuded forest watershed Here’s how the Panama Canal works: Torrential downpours batter the country’s forests during rainy season; the water is absorbed into the watershed and feeds steadily into massive, human-made Gatun Lake; the lake then feeds water into the canal. The shipping route thus provided is responsible for some 40 […]