04/18 - 04/23/2008 TO Enviro-news

Bill McKibben | Launching an International Grassroots Climate Campaign
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/041808EA.shtml
Bill McKibben writes for Grist.org about the launch of 350.org, an international grassroots campaign that attempts to reignite action on global warming.

Polar Bears May Have to Chill Ten Weeks
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/041808EB.shtml
For The Associated Press: "The Interior Department wants ten more weeks to decide whether polar bears should be listed as threatened or endangered, a delay that conservation groups condemned as tied to the transfer of offshore petroleum leases in the animal's habitat."

Merrill Lynch's Carbon Bet
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/041808EC.shtml
For Fortune, Marc Gunther reports, "The business of 'carbon farming' is growing fast - and Merrill Lynch is the latest big company to bet that it will become profitable."

Green Product Seals Are Gray Area
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/041908G.shtml
According to Ilana DeBare of the San Francisco Chronicle, "As Earth Day 2008 arrives on Tuesday, American consumers face a renewed outpouring of environmental marketing claims - boasts by companies that their products are everything from '100 percent natural' to 'recyclable,' 'eco-friendly,' 'sustainable,' 'biodegradable,' or just plain 'green.'"

The Nuclear Option
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042108G.shtml
Judith Lewis, of Mother Jones, gives a thorough analysis of the pros and cons of nuclear power from various points-of-view. She examines the historical consequences as well as the current arguments on the subject.

The Connection Between Inequalities and Ecology
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042108H.shtml
Le Monde's Herve Kempf attends a colloquium exploring the links between social position and exposure to environmental pollutants.

Bill Quigley | America's Role in Haiti's Hunger Riots
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042108R.shtml
Truthout contributor Bill Quigley reports: "Riots in Haiti over explosive rises in food costs have claimed the lives of six people. There have also been food riots worldwide in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivorie, Egypt, Guinea, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Senegal, Uzbekistan and Yemen."

Governors Unite to Cut Emissions
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/042108EA.shtml
Adrianne Appel of Inter Press Service reports: "US state governors say they are fed up with the George W. Bush administration's foot-dragging on climate change and will go ahead of - and around - the White House to reduce greenhouse gases."

Dalai Lama Calls for Environmental Responsibility
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/042108EB.shtml
According to The Associated Press, "The Dalai Lama said Sunday the need for environmental responsibility dovetails with Buddhist teachings on valuing human life, whether that is one person or the world's entire population."

Kelpie Wilson | Why More Food Is Not the Answer
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042208A.shtml
Writing for Truthout, Kelpie Wilson explains: "With food riots across the globe in the news, the immediate cause of food shortages is simply this: grain prices have doubled over the last year and poor people can no longer afford to buy enough food. There is no one single cause for the price rise; it is a combination of supply and demand."

Wallace J. Nichols | Jump the Chasm: Are You an EcoDaredevil?
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042208D.shtml
Wallace J. Nichols, writing for Truthout, conveys his inspiration to take immediate action in response to global warming: "Today, we face [a] serious crises - loss of biodiversity, a warming planet, collapsing fisheries, looming food and water shortages, and pollution in every corner of the globe. Scientists forecast a '2050 Scenario' in which Earth is hotter, dirtier and overcrowded with nine billion people who are left to wage wars for what little remains."

Christopher Kuttruff | Interview With Eco-Architect Mike Reynolds
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042208R.shtml
Truthout's Christopher Kuttruff reports: "For the past 35 years, Mike Reynolds has developed a unique and innovative approach to the field of architectural design. Firmly rejecting what he views as the waste and inefficiency of conventional power-grid-dependent homes, Reynolds has revolutionized many people's conception of sustainable housing by fusing an elegant aesthetic with a practical, environmentally conscious base."

How Many Earth Days Do We Have Left?
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042208T.shtml
Terrence McNally, AlterNet, says: "Of all the resources needed to build an economy that will sustain economic progress, none is more scarce than time. That is one of the key messages of 'Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization,' the newest book by Lester Brown."

Bill McKibben | The Greenback Effect
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/042208EA.shtml
According to Bill McKibben in Mother Jones, "Markets are impotent in fighting the greatest challenge our planet has ever faced because we've given them absolutely nothing to work with. They exist in childlike innocence about the crisis because carbon carries no required cost. And in fact almost everything that environmental campaigners are doing at the national and the international level is an effort to fix that problem - to feed information into markets so they can help slow the rise of carbon. That's right: If there are true believers (or at least true hopers) about markets right now, they tend to be green."

World's Land Surfaces Reach Record Temperature
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/042208EB.shtml
Randolph E. Schmid of The Associated Press reports: "Last month was the warmest March on record over land surfaces of the world and the second-warmest overall worldwide. For the United States, however, it was just an average March, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Thursday."

Peter Asmus | Don't Wait for "Leaders" to Act on Global Warming
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/042208EC.shtml
Writing for The Christian Science Monitor, Peter Asmus says, "The success of the environmental movement in calling attention to the dangers of global warming has led to an ironic outcome: It's become easier for the public to adopt a passive approach as we wait on world leaders to sign emissions treaties or huge corporations to 'go green.' This Earth Day, stop waiting! There are new ways for you to fight climate change in your own backyard."

Fertilizer Price Hikes Are Pinching Farmers
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/042108EC.shtml
The Associated Press's Jacob Adelman writes: "Along with soaring labor, water and fuel costs, increasing fertilizer costs have been draining farmers' savings and will probably lead to higher prices for fruits and vegetables to go with separate increases in meat, poultry and dairy products."

Oil Running Out as Prime Energy Source
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042108S.shtml
Deborah Zabarenko of Reuters writes: "Most people believe oil is running out and governments need to find another fuel, but Americans are alone in thinking their leaders are out of touch with reality on this issue, an international poll said on Sunday."