Tuesday, 15 Jun 2004

Energy Kabuki

House Republicans Repass Energy Bills as Political Stunt

The Republican leadership in the House is gearing up to pass an energy bill that's almost exactly the same as one passed by the chamber last fall and twice foiled in the Senate by filibusters. Oh, and they intend to push through other bills that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, circumvent environmental-justice protections, and more -- though none of the measures are expected to make it to President Bush's desk. Why, you ask? Get the scoop on this sound and fury signifying nothing in Muckraker -- today on the Grist Magazine website.

This Is the Place ... for Off-Roading!

Supreme Court Restricts Enviro Groups' Ability to Sue Government

In a unanimous decision handed down yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an effort by enviro groups to force the federal Bureau of Land Management to more aggressively protect 2 million acres of "wilderness study areas" in Utah from damage by off-road vehicles. The decision, written by enviro bugbear Antonin Scalia, acknowledged the damage done by such vehicles but says Congress never envisioned "pervasive oversight by federal courts over the manner and pace of agency compliance." The plaintiffs -- backed by friend-of-the-court briefs from officials from 14 states and former federal environmental officials from the Nixon, Carter, and first Bush administrations -- argued that broadly worded legal protections for wilderness will have no teeth without the threat of legal action by private groups. Off-road vehicle groups and officials from the Interior Department hailed the decision, which is expected to have broad implications for public-land protection.

Do You Have a Reservation?

Researchers Say Marine Reserves Cheaper Than Fishery Subsidies

A vast, worldwide network of protected marine reserves would cost less than governments are currently spending to subsidize commercial fisheries, reports a group of researchers from the World Wildlife Fund in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Marine reserves encompassing 30 percent of the world's oceans would cost between $12 billion and $14 billion a year to run, and would generate more than a million jobs, increase the global fish catch, and provide "ecosystem services" (e.g., protecting shores from erosion) worth some $700 billion a year. Lead author Andrew Balmford acknowledged that such a network of reserves would require "international effort on an unprecedented scale" to overcome such hurdles as determining who would pay for the effort and how benefits would be distributed equally among the world's peoples.

Letter My People Go

Readers Sound Off on Ronald Reagan, Animal Testing, and More

A potpourri of feedback from readers includes thoughts on the political naivete of people who want to boost the gas tax, the possibility that "testing" personal-care products might mean cruelty to animals, and Ronald Reagan's legacy. For a dose of our readers' characteristic erudition and passion, check out Letters to the Editor -- only on the Grist Magazine website.

Flood, Sweat, and Tears

Flood Threat to Double Worldwide

The number of people threatened by floods is set to double from 1 billion to 2 billion within a few generations if substantial preventative measures are not taken, according to a new report by researchers at Tokyo-based United Nations University. The report -- released to coincide with the opening of the UNU Institute for Environment and Human Security in Germany -- blames the growing threat on human activity. Global warming has led to rising sea levels, deforestation has removed many of the earth's natural flood breaks, and population growth has pushed more and more people onto fertile flood plains and into danger. As with so many forms of nastiness, floods affect the poor in developing countries disproportionately -- in this case, people in Asia and small island states. Janos Bogardi, founding director of UNU-EHS, called for a shift "from reaction and charity to anticipation and pre-emption."