Guest guest Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 here..just suck it all in i'll be under the bed-----Forwarded Message----- Grist Magazine Jun 8, 2005 2:32 PM daily-grist Daily Grist, 08 Jun 2005 Wednesday, 08 Jun 2005 Get Me Rewrite!Bush official edited gov't climate-change reports to play up uncertaintyPhilip Cooney, a former top oil lobbyist now serving as chief of staff for President Bush's Council on Environmental Quality, edited scientific government reports on climate change to exaggerate the appearance of uncertainty and doubt, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. Cooney, a lawyer by trade, has no scientific training. Rick Piltz, a senior associate in the government office that coordinates climate research (and someone who does have scientific training), resigned in protest and is now represented by the nonprofit Government Accountability Project, which released draft reports with Cooney's handwritten edits. Meanwhile, separate documents from White House deliberations on climate policy (specifically Kyoto) from 2001 to 2004 reveal that ExxonMobil -- or rather, the Global Climate Coalition, a trade lobbying group it dominated -- was heavily involved in said deliberations. Exxon had previously denied lobbying on Kyoto. "[bush] rejected Kyoto in part based on input from [the Global Climate Coalition]," says one briefing note. Oops! straight to the source: The New York Times, Andrew C. Revkin, 08 Jun 2005 straight to the source: The Guardian, John Vidal, 08 Jun 2005 NEW IN GRIST String Theory Umbra on giving clotheslines a try Question: How best to celebrate in the northwestern U.S. when the soggy season finally ends? Answer: String up a clothesline, of course. A reader wants to take advantage of the summer sun to save a little energy, but isn't sure where to begin. Umbra gently guides him through the necessary cycles -- adding, of course, her own spin. new in Ask Umbra: String Theory sign up: Receive word by email when new Ask Umbra columns hit the scenePuh-lease AcademiesScience academies from 11 countries say global warming is, yes, realYesterday, national science academies from 11 nations cosigned a letter to the world's leaders, making an unprecedented joint statement: Global warming is almost certainly caused by human activity; it's the biggest risk we've ever faced as a species; please #$ & !*% do something about it. Signatories include science organizations from every member of the G8 group of industrialized nations, plus Brazil, China, and India, the three leading greenhouse-gas emitters in the developing world. The agitated scientists released the statement a month ahead of the G8's July summit, where summit leader U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair will push for a strong, unified statement on climate change. What's more, they spoke up on the very day that Blair was meeting with President Bush -- a tireless advocate of, uh, studying the problem more -- in Washington, D.C. Known for his indifference toward international opinion, Bush was no doubt relieved that at least the U.S. National Academy of Sciences never signs on to these things ... oh, wait, this time it did. straight to the source: The Independent, Steve Connor, 08 Jun 2005 Creating an Aquaculture of LifeBush admin proposes massive U.S. aquaculture expansionJust in time to celebrate World Oceans Day (happy WOD, by the way!), the Bush administration has unveiled a plan to open up 3.4 million square miles of U.S. coastal waters to aquaculture. Demand by hungry humans for seafood is expected to reach about 121 million tons in the next five years, even as wild ocean stocks decline; by 2030, most of that seafood will come from fish farms, the U.N. forecasts. The Bushies, smelling a market opportunity, hope to expand U.S. aquaculture from a $1 billion to a $5 billion industry and create about half a million jobs in the next two decades. The proposed legislation will now go to Congress. But some marine scientists and conservationists think it's fishy: The plan is notably lacking in specific safeguards against known aquaculture problems like pollution and escaped domestic fish breeding with wild fish. And it includes national marine sanctuaries -- "like putting industrial hog farms in national parks," says biologist Rebecca Goldberg. straight to the source: The Boston Globe, Associated Press, Randolph E. Schmid, 08 Jun 2005 straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Kenneth R. Weiss, 08 Jun 2005 straight to the source: The Christian Science Monitor, Peter N. Spotts, 08 Jun 2005 Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your HairSan Francisco named most sustainable city; Houston leastSan Francisco, Portland, Ore., Berkeley, Calif., and Seattle took the top four spots in a new ranking of 25 U.S. cities based on sustainability practices. Bay Area green group SustainLane created the list after scrutinizing the metropolises based on 12 criteria, including air quality, transportation, green building, and land use. Detroit was second to last and Houston the big loser -- "The city was built on oil and it shows," said the report. "Portland and San Francisco and other cities are really achieving things that are incredible," said SustainLane's Warren Karlenzig, pointing in particular to their efforts to expand use of renewable energy. Though Karlenzig says the group's efforts were aimed at "celebrat[ing] cities' successes" and providing a means by which city officials and citizens could compare their green efforts, some took the rankings a bit more seriously. Said No. 2-ranked Portland's mayor Tom Potter, "[L]et's throw down a green gauntlet." straight to the source: The Portland Tribune, Jennifer Anderson, 03 Jun 2005 straight to the source: SustainLane U.S. City Rankings new in Gristmill: Something smells rank NOW IN GRIST Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Woolsey?, by Amanda Griscom Little. An interview with James Woolsey, clean-energy advocate and former head of the CIA. Just a Viscous Rumor, by Jennifer Weeks. Kenneth Deffeyes' Beyond Oil forecasts a fast-approaching petroleum peak. Stubble Trouble, in Ask Umbra. What's the most eco-friendly shaving method? GRISTMILL BLOG Lungs no longer? Debunking the rainforest myth. Can you say "anthropogenic"? Bush dodges question about whether climate change is caused by humans. National science academies come out of the policy closet. Is it appropriate for them to act as political advocates? SUPPORT GRISTSupport nonprofit, independent environmental journalism.Donate to Grist. Want fresh environmental news and commentary delivered to your inbox?Choose from breaking news, advice on green living, and the latest political gossip, all free from Grist.Subscribe today.To change your email subscription to plain text, To , Grist Magazine: Environmental News and Commentary©2005. Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Gloom and doom with a sense of humor®.Grist Magazine, 811 First Avenue, Suite 466, Seattle, WA 98104 USAPhone 206.876.2020 | Fax 253.423.6487 | gristTo , Those who control the past, control the future; Those who control the future, control the present; Those who control the present, control the past.^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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