Tuesday, 01 Jun 2004

We Will, We Will Block You

Conservative Groups Block International Sea Treaty

The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea -- a comprehensive international accord governing the use of oceans for shipping, fishing, mining, and naval operations -- has been signed by the U.S. and unanimously approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but it languishes in the Senate nonetheless, awaiting a final vote. Environmental groups have supported the treaty for years, saying it provides important tools to protect ocean ecosystems. A thwarted treaty supported by enviros is no big news -- but this treaty is also supported by oil and mining companies, as well as the Defense and State departments. So what's the holdup? A vocal coalition of far-right groups objects to the multinational agreement because ... well, because it's multinational. "All these U.N. treaties are invasions of our sovereignty," said Phyllis Schlafly of the conservative Eagle Forum. An aide to Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), the treaty's main Senate advocate, said the conservative objections were expected, but "what did surprise us is that the administration kowtowed to them so quickly."

Kerr-azy!

Northwest Forest War Veteran Andy Kerr InterActivates

Andy Kerr enjoyed -- or perhaps endured -- his 15 minutes of fame a dozen or so years ago when he worked with the Oregon Natural Resources Council to protect the northern spotted owl (yup, that spotted owl) against an onslaught of loggers and politicos. These days he doesn't get as many death threats, but he's still just as busy. Most of his time is spent directing the National Public Lands Grazing Campaign, which advocates federal buyout of grazing permits on public lands, though he also works with an alphabet stew of other green-leaning organizations in Oregon. He's still happy to stir up controversy with his opinions on everything from overpopulation to ignorant conservationists. He answers our questions in InterActivist -- today on the Grist Magazine website.

Truckin' A

New Trucking Company Touts Eco-Friendliness

A new California trucking company hopes to demonstrate that progressive policies can be profitable. Long Beach-based Allied Port Transporters is founded on a set of forward-thinking environmental and labor practices. It hopes to reduce air pollution by running a fleet of clean diesel trucks, and to ease traffic congestion by operating during off-peak hours. Instead of the traditional model of paying cargo fees to truckers operating as independent contractors, it will hire a fleet of drivers and offer them salaries and benefits, thus easing the pressure on drivers to cut corners on truck maintenance and make as many runs as possible in a day. (APT already has a huge waiting list of approved job applicants.) The company has received strong support from both labor and environmental groups. "We're hoping to raise the bar for the industry," said APT Vice President Anthony Traglia.

The Lease You Can Do

Most Oil and Gas Leases on Public Land Are Not Productive

Almost 75 percent of the 40 million acres of public land leased for oil and gas development in the U.S. are not producing any oil or gas, but the Bush administration is nonetheless pushing relentlessly to open more land for leasing. Peter Morton, a resource economist with the Wilderness Society, says it's "a land grab, pure and simple." Companies count their public-land holdings -- sometimes leased for only $2 or $3 a year per acre, in 10-year increments -- as assets, which can attract investment and boost their bottom line. Even more troubling, say enviros, is the fact that an ever-smaller group of companies controls an ever-larger amount of that land. Since 1997, six companies have exceeded the legal limit of 246,080 acres in public-land leases, but the Bureau of Land Management has neglected to enforce the limit. Since 1999, the top 25 holders of oil and gas leases on public land have given 86 percent of their $8.2 million in political contributions to the Republican Party.

Red Hot and Green

Renewable Energy and Green Technology Hot

The renewable-energy market is entering a new era, growing independently of fluctuations in fossil-fuel energy prices. While every story on renewable energy still must include this unfortunate disclaimer -- renewable energy provides only a small percentage of the energy consumed in the U.S. (an estimated 6.7 percent this year) and remains more expensive than fossil-fuel energy -- analysts are bullish on its future prospects. Production from renewables continues to rise and prices continue to fall, and investment in solar, wind, and geothermal technologies is growing. The latter trend is apparent in California, where the recently announced Green Wave program could funnel $1.5 billion from the state's two biggest pension funds into investments in clean technologies such as renewables, water-purification systems, and waste-recycling systems.