TOP STORY
Super Troopers Troop On
The green take on Super-Duper Tuesday
Coming out of Super Tuesday's primaries and caucuses in 22 states, the Republicans are looking ever more likely to nominate their most eco-conscious candidate, John McCain, who was the big GOP winner of the day. But green issues don't seem to have played much, if any, role in Republican voting, and McCain didn't reference anything environmental in his speech to supporters at the end of the night. In contrast, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama -- who are still running oh so close -- both made impassioned calls for environmental action in their speeches on Tuesday. "I see an America where we stand up to the oil companies and the oil-producing countries, where we launch a clean energy revolution and finally confront the climate crisis," said Clinton, who also praised "businesses who are training people for green-collar jobs" and "the auto companies and the auto workers who want higher gas mileage cars so we can compete with the rest of the world." Said Obama, "[W]e will harness the ingenuity of farmers and scientists and entrepreneurs to free this nation from the tyranny of oil once and for all and we will invest in solar and wind and biodiesel, clean energy, green energy that can fuel economic development for generations to come." And the race goes on ...
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Tip #5 from Grist's new green-living guide, Wake Up and Smell the Planet
Q. Valentine's Day is coming up, which sex toys are safest?
A. Playthings that are free of phthalates and PVC. Click here for more green-living tips, or buy the book!
TODAY'S NEWS
Missing in Auction
Chukchi Sea oil lease auction goes ahead, polar-bear concerns ignored
The U.S. Interior Department is auctioning off oil and gas leases on Wednesday to drill in Alaska's Chukchi Sea, despite opposition from environmentalists and some Democrats in Congress concerned about the impact on polar bears. The Chukchi Sea, off Alaska's northern coast, is prime polar-bear habitat and advocates worry that already-stressed bear populations will fare even worse in the event of a spill or other exploration-related disruption. A decision on whether to list the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act was expected weeks ago, but has been stalled. The agency responsible for the ESA listing decision and the agency in charge of offshore oil leases are both part of the Interior Department. Critics of the Chukchi leases have accused the Bush administration of deliberately halting the ESA listing decision until after the oil-lease auction. The Interior Department suggests it just wants to be thorough. Efforts to stop the lease sale have been ineffective so far, though bear advocates sued to force the agency to reassess the effects of oil and gas leasing in the Chukchi Sea.
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Unhappy Campers
Fewer folks are regularly getting out in nature, says study
Kids -- and adults -- these days are "videophiliacs" who prefer their nature through the TV screen rather than personally experienced, says a new study. It estimates that Americans' participation in outdoor recreation has dropped as much as 25 percent over the past 20 years. Researchers looked at four metrics: visitation to public lands, number of fishing and hunting licenses issued, time spent camping, and time spent backpacking and hiking. Only day hiking has increased since the mid-1980s, and just slightly. "We were surprised by the results, and in some sense, quite frightened," says Patricia Zaradic, coauthor of the research, which was funded by The Nature Conservancy and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The trend bodes ill for human health, and ain't good news for the planet either. Warns coauthor Oliver Pergams, "We don't see how future generations, with less exploration of nature, will be as interested in conservation as past generations." On the bright side, that means fewer people to fight with over the last campsite.
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The Check's in the Gale
Wind-power technicians are in high demand
As the wind industry experiences a big boom, trained technicians are in high demand. Wind techs must have smarts in mechanics, hydraulics, computers, and meteorology -- and, of course, not be afraid of heights. The relatively new industry's longest-running independent training programs aren't even five years old, and the industry is hustling to support training programs at community and technical colleges. "It's a career that has a good future in it and it'll help the environment because it doesn't pollute," says one Kansas wind-energy student. "I figured there'd be a lot of job opportunities when I graduated." That seems highly likely: some 800 techs are needed to serve the turbines expected to be erected in 2008 alone. The industry offers entry-level wages of up to $25 an hour. Looks like Van Jones and his green-collar jobs movement are on to something.
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Fast Company
Church of England urges carbon fast for Lent
Planning to give up alcohol or chocolate for Lent? Two Church of England bishops are urging churchgoers to instead take part in a carbon fast.
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Read more news ...
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GRIST COLUMNS AND FEATURES
Sell Abrasions
On green-company buyouts
Q. Dear Umbra,
So glad you were ransomed. I'm worried that the gentle-on-the-environment start-ups are taking the money and running. First our favorite toothpaste, Tom's of Maine, sold out to Colgate (I think) and now Burt's Bees has become a product line acquired by a bleach company. Where do we turn for sparkling teeth and rosy cheeks?
Irene
Eatonville, Wash.
A. Dearest Irene,
May I split a few awapuhi-softened hairs with you? Neither Tom's nor Burt's Bees can be characterized as a start-up. Both businesses are well established and worth millions ...
Read the rest of Umbra's answer.
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Coming Thursday: Victual Reality on the passing of Nixon-era Agriculture Secretary Earl "Rusty" Butz
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