Friday, 28 May 2004

Stop, Look, Lisbon

Enviro Groups Kick Off Sustainable-Community Plans in Lisbon

A coalition of enviro groups is planning an ambitious project to build small, sustainable communities in cities around the globe, starting in Lisbon, Portugal. The World Wildlife Fund and U.K. development group BioRegional hope the communities will demonstrate that sustainable development is possible with today's resources. The project will include five communities, each housing around 5,000 people, including residential, work, and leisure facilities -- the first, to be built near Lisbon, is set to cost about $1.2 billion and cover roughly 13,000 acres. All energy in the settlements will come from renewable energy sources; rainwater collection and wastewater recycling will cut water consumption; 50 percent of food will come from within a 30-mile radius; and 90 percent of organic waste will be composted. Other projects are planned for the U.S., China, South Africa, and Australia. "There'll be centers for learning in each of them, and while we're not the entire answer, these will be living, working communities," said Jennie Organ of BioRegional. "We hope the ideas can be taken further forward."

Massive a Tax

Readers Sound Off on Gas Taxing, Cow Poo, and More

Should the U.S. treat rising gas prices as a blessing in disguise, and raise them further with a gas tax? Readers are divided. On the one hand, it would be nice to discourage driving, sprawl, and oil dependence. On the other hand, while most folks who buy big SUVs can afford to pay more at the pump, a gas tax could be a big burden for low-income workers. Also, Grist fans share thoughts on organic standards, an inspiring Afro-Colombian activist, and Bush administration logic. Plus, two readers have some novel ideas about cow poop -- and really, who doesn't? Check out the opinion flurry in Letters to the Editor -- today on the Grist Magazine website.

Green All That You Can Green

Army Reverses Course on Environmental Cutbacks

It's enough to raise the cynic's eyebrow: After the press uncovered and publicized an email memo ordering U.S. Army garrison commanders around the world to cut back on environmental programs at their bases to save money, the Army announced yesterday that -- whaddya know? -- it had found the money to sustain the programs after all. "All those things we said in the [memo] concerning environment are off the table," said the Army's Phil Sakowitz. Army spokesfolks denied that bad press influenced their decision. In an unrelated attempt to demonstrate its green credentials, the Army yesterday conducted a show-and-tell at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, showcasing the energy-efficient vehicles it has in production, including hybrid tankers, electric transports, and fuel-cell-powered all-terrain vehicles.

Winnebago-go-go

Green RVs Are Not an Oxymoron

When you see a school-bus-sized RV trundling down the road, "eco-friendly" is not the first thought that comes to mind. Surely these beasts are guzzling gas and trailing pollution? Not necessarily so, says a small and growing group of enviros. Even without modifications, an RV dweller uses less energy that an average house dweller, since there is less space to heat or cool (and RVs often travel with the seasons to kinder temperatures), the owner is more directly in touch with the waste cycle (we'll leave it at that), and the vehicles are often parked for months at a time. Some folks, however, are making RVs even greener, retrofitting them to run on vegetable oil, adding insulation, replacing interior fixtures and decorations with eco-friendly alternatives, using composting toilets and solar panels, and generally creating mobile renewable-energy showcases. With the right modifications, say enthusiasts, RV dwellers can enjoy all the amenities of modern living with a vastly smaller ecological -- not to mention financial -- footprint. And as a bonus, they get to travel whenever the urge strikes.

Do Good

Call for a Presidential Debate on the Environment

Democratic presidential contender John Kerry has challenged President Bush to a debate on the environment, one of a series of proposed debates on the issues that matter to Americans most. Bush has yet to respond. If you'd like to see the two candidates publicly defend their environmental records and lay out their plans for a greener future, call on Bush to accept Kerry's challenge.

Stock Gains

Bush Salmon Decision Irritates Both Enviros and Property-Rights Backers

There's a flurry of news today about salmon, which are getting more press of late than the Olsen twins. On the left coast, federal officials announced today that not only will all wild West Coast salmon species retain their protected status under the Endangered Species Act, but that status will be extended to another Columbia River stock. At the same time, they argued that hatchery salmon can play an important role in restoring salmon stocks, a point that many biologists vehemently dispute. The announcement -- which capped a month of backpedaling after an early draft of the policy was leaked and set off a firestorm of criticism -- failed to satisfy either property-rights advocates, who want several species de-listed, or enviros, who believe that hatchery salmon harm wild stocks more than they help. On the right coast, the U.S. EPA announced yesterday that salmon raised in federal hatcheries on the East Coast contain levels of dioxin and other pollutants high enough that anglers should eat no more than half a serving per month.