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Whitman on the environment

Ex-EPA administrator (and N.J. governor) Christie Todd Whitman is somewhat of a mystery to progressives. She talks like a moderate, and even dares criticize the Bush junta, but she was complicit in the very hard right policies she now disavows -- and, conspicuously, didn't disavow them at the time. The question in the mind of many pundits is, "naive dupe or dishonest hack?" After reading Whitman's op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle today arguing that we need "a new debate on the environment," I'm leaning toward hack.

Well, at least she’s a feminist

Interior Secretary Gale Norton is reviled by many enviro activists for pushing energy development at the expense of environmental protection. But as Elizabeth R. Washburn argues in an op-ed in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, she's to be commended for "helping women break through the glass ceiling in a federal bureaucracy known for its good old boy leanings."

In her four years at the helm of the Interior Deparment, Norton has filled key management positions with women, including Lynn Scarlett, Rebecca Watson, Kathleen Clarke, Johnnie Burton, Fran Mainella, Sue Ellen Wooldridge, and Teresa Chambers (though things went a bit awry in Chambers' case). "This is the first time that such a large group of women has been assembled to make decisions that affect land, minerals, water and the general environment of the United States," writes Washburn.

That's impressive. But personally -- even as a progressive who cares about equal representation -- I'm far more interested in policy outcomes than in who's behind them. Give me a stale old white guy who cares about multilateralism and opposes "preemptive war" over Condoleezza Rice any day.

Show Al Gore your stuff

INdTV -- the new independent cable TV network being started by Al Gore and Joel Hyatt -- is seeking submissions. Are any Gristmill readers out there aspiring (and/or experienced) TV producers? Got a video camera? Think it might be nice to see some real environmental coverage on television for once? Send them something.

(Via Treehugger.)

Week in review

As always, Worldchanging's week in sustainable vehicles from Mike Millikin and week in sustainable business from Gil Friend are worth reading.

Umbra on effective activism

Dear Umbra, If an environmentalist has about six hours per week to devote to activism, what should the person do to make the biggest, most positive impact? Some people (like myself) think that climate protection is a key leverage point — but is it? If yes, why, and what is the best way activists can […]

Exeter

The big Exeter, U.K., conference on global warming ended last week. You can read a slightly hysterical wrap-up in The Independent and a slightly wonkier, link-filled wrap-up on Worldchanging.

Update [2005-2-7 20:53:35 by Dave Roberts]:Ah, how could I forget the Indispensible RealClimate?

NYT on DoE

Many of you have probably already seen this, but the New York Times covered the "Death of Environmentalism" controversy on Sunday. Grist's coverage and online "forum" were mentioned prominently in the story, appearing on the front page of the national edition.

No real point to this post, other than to preen a little. Don't hate us because we're beautiful.

If not dead, then illin’

Michael Milstein of the Portland Oregonian delves into the sickly state of the environmental movement, focusing in on the Beaver State. It's the Death of Environmentalism quandary distilled down to the state level -- and it's a bummer.

"The environmental community seems to be at a new low for the amount of influence it has," said Noah Greenwald, a biologist based in Portland for the Center for Biological Diversity.

Dancing ladies bring joy to wee island

No, not that kind of dancing lady. We're talking wind turbines.

In the ongoing saga of how they do it better in the U.K., the scrappy residents of Gigha, a tiny island in Scotland's Inner Hebrides, built themselves three turbines. They partnered with a company called Green Energy U.K., and a couple of weeks ago, this greenpower project saw its first green. Profits from the community enterprise, expected to reach the equivalent of $140,000 a year, will go toward housing and other improvements. The 98-foot-tall turbines, fondly known as "dancing ladies," can also provide two-thirds of the island's energy.

To give you an idea what kind of place Gigha is, check out how its 100-odd residents approved the turbine project: "The decision to go ahead on Gigha was made via a unanimous show of hands, by islanders, in the village hall."

It's not the first time these activist islanders have rallied 'round a cause. In 2002, when a private owner put the seven-mile-long chunk of land on the block, residents decided to buy it, with the help of grants and a million-pound loan. To pay back the loan (nearly $2 million), they held quiz nights, soup 'n' sandwich days, and rows around the island -- oh yeah, and sold a huge 19th-century mansion now open as a B&B. See the whole story, including drawings of the turbines by some of the island's 13 schoolchildren. Yeehaw, Gigha!

An interview with Michael Pollan

The always interesting TomDispatch is reprinting an interview with Michael Pollan, author of the widely hailed Botany of Desire. It's good reading.