Strange stuff and controversial politics

brought to you by Sasha Paris

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.

Human Ecology in Action.

Obama announced new vehicle fuel-efficiency requirements, to be implemented by 2016 (New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/business/energy-environment/20emit.html?_r=1&hp

...although they may not be as effective as some would hope for. (Grist)
http://www.grist.org/article/fuel-economy-in-context/

[Google yielded thousands of articles on this announcement, many distinctly biased in one way or another. Browse 'em if you're interested]

Congress passed a measure allowing loaded guns in national parks, tucked into a very different bill (Associated Press)
http://news.aol.com/main/politics/article/guns-in-national-parks/479231

Update on the big climate bill du jour (Grist)
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-22-house-panel-oks-climate-bill

Obama put the federal government in charge of formerly-state-led efforts to reduce pollution into Chesapeake Bay. (Washington Times)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/13/obama-federalizes-cleanup-of-chesapeake-bay/

Obama nominated an environmentally-controversial someone to head the Forest Service. (New West)
http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/obamas_stuns_with_forest_service_nominee/C37/L37/

The EPA began to clean PCBs from New York's Hudson River--toxins which will be landfilled atop a major Texas aquifer (Facing South).
http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/05/dumping-in-dixie-toxic-waste-from-ny-river-cleanup-headed-to-texas.html

The Mid America CropLife association apparently wrote to Michelle Obama, distressed that her "White House garden" would be organic. (La Vida Locavore) [I can hardly believe this, but it's too ridiculous not to share]
http://www.lavidalocavore.org/showDiary.do;jsessionid=E6383A70290E038C84B643E47A2B36BE?diaryId=1309

Earthjustice
A six-month suspension of Gulf of Mexico "bottom longline" fishing took effect, ordered last month after federal managers were sued for letting it kill endangered sea turtles. [I imagine some people are miffed]
http://www.earthjustice.org/news/press/2009/emergency-action-taken-for-threatened-and-endangered-sea-turtles.html

Also last month, Bush's weakening of the Endangered Species Act was formally revoked.
http://www.earthjustice.org/news/press/2009/obama-admin-restores-scientific-consultations-to-endangered-species-act.html

Bananas, green labeling, progress and stalled progress

brought to you by Sasha Paris

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.

Human Ecology in Action.

A bill introduced in the Senate aims to shift transportation, via federal spending, from cars toward public transit (Washington Post).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/13/AR2009051303687.html

The EPA newly reviewed permits for mountaintop-removal coal mining--and has approved most of them. (West Virginia News)
http://www.wvmetronews.com/index.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=30478

Six Indo-Pacific nations adopted a "plan" to protect their Coral Triangle (Business World Online)
http://www.bworldonline.com/BW051609/content.php?id=073

....and other news from the World Oceans Conference (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iSUN0r9EnsgSkdGCaJmUnLQ0QLHAD986MLH00

New York Times
Several massive food producers (e.g. Frito-Lay) are trying to market their products as "local." [*hits head against wall*]
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/dining/13local.html?_r=1

Groundwater use may become regulated in California--a fiercely-resisted notion.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/science/earth/14aquifer.html?_r=1

A hazard of increasingly-popular urban gardening: lead-laced soil.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/garden/14lead.html

BBC News
A British scientist invented "briquettes" of banana waste, which he hopes could help replace wood as cooking fuel in parts of Africa.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8044092.stm

International whaling "peace talks" have stalled over the prospect of Japan's resuming openly-commercial killing.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8042713.stm

Bangor News
Maine's governor proposed consolidating four state natural-resource agencies, earning loud support and opposition for the management implications.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/105818.html

Should Maine lobsters get certified as "sustainable"? Even within the industry, that's a controversial question.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/105920.html

Obama angers enviros many times

brought to you by Sasha Paris

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.

Human Ecology in Action.

Ambitious plans were adopted to "green" Vancouver (Canada Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090505.wbcgreen05art0034/BNStory/National/home

...and slash Berkeley's greenhouse gas emissions (San Fransisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/06/BAMM17G0VB.DTL

Associated Press
Gray wolves in parts of the Rockies and Great Lakes regions were officially removed--again--from the Endangered Species List.
http://news.aol.com/article/gray-wolves-off-endangered-list/460212

Kansas' governer left for a federal position, and her replacement approved one of the long-vetoed coal power plants.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/05/05/ap6378113.html

The USDA proposed new cow-grazing requirements for organic milk
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/11/19/us_revises_rules_on_cow_grazing_for_organic_dairies/

Grist
The Obama admin upheld a Bush-era rule preventing use of the Endangered Species Act to regulate activities that harm Threatened polar bears outside their range (i.e. greenhouse-gas emitters)
http://www.grist.org/article/index/2009-05-08-polar-bear-climate-salazar/PALL/

The EPA proposed two (highly criticized) models for measuring the net greenhouse-gas emissions of biofuels, land use included.
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-05-epa-ethanol-biofuel/

New York Times
The BLM (may have) authorized new uranium mining permits near the Grand Caynon, on lands previously off-limits to said mining.
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/05/06/06greenwire-blm-authorizes-grand-canyon-uranium-exploratio-10572.html

The Obama admin had been urged to amend the ozone-depleter-related Montreal Treaty to include immediate phase out of potently 'climate-warming' hydroflourocarbons. They decided not to.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/04/obama-not-seeking-climate-action-under-ozone-treaty/

Obama announced a bunch of new federal efforts to support production of corn ethanol and other biofuels.
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/white-house-steps-up-support-for-biofuels/

Poisoned waters near and far

brought to you by Sasha Paris

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.

Human Ecology in Action.

The Obama administration moved to reverse a late-term Bush rule making it easier for the waste from mountaintop-removal coal mining to be dumped in streams (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5giHtT8Pyma73d73FFOJx-evlk65QD97R0FDG4

The EPA began crafting restrictions on waterborne toxins discharged from power plants--toxins which had been airborne until the plants were required to "scrub" them from their smoke. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/02/AR2009050200703.html

Grist
Indiana's proposed "renewable" energy bill--including "clean coal" and nuclear power--failed.
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-30-no-renewable-nukes-and-coal/

On water pollution caused by natural-gas drilling [which is planned for my home region in the Finger Lakes--eek!!]
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-26-propublica-gas-drilling-water/

Bangor News
A serious illness outbreak in Sangerville, Maine, was (inconclusively) linked to a nearby dump of assorted nasty substances.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/105073.html

Maine's limited and recently reopened salmon sport-fishing season was canceled under pressure from federal managers.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/104899.html

The public comment period opened for a plan to restore anadromous fish in the Penobscot River
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/105038.html