The most important action that can be taken on behalf of environmental issues is the restoration of bipartisanship rather than we Republicans conceding the issue to the Democrats. The single most important action that can be taken to restore that bipartisanship would be electing Sen. John McCain president.
To environmental stalwarts, McCain might not appear to show leadership. But I am confident that if elected, he will pleasantly surprise you. McCain’s true style is to unite rather than divide. He would work with the Democratic controlled Congress on bipartisan environmental approaches rather than continue the current administration’s poor policies.
True, McCain is guilty of pandering in his promotion of off-shore drilling, and even more so in his promotion of expanding nuclear power. Building more centralized radioactive nuclear plants is a bad idea in this era of terrorism and nuclear ambitions of rogue nations such as Iran.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Are all products "made in China" equally bad for the environment?
Everyone is talking this week about the smog in Beijing, which got me wondering: Many of the things I buy, from my kids' toys to my washing machine, come from China. Am I responsible for the dirty air in Beijing?
The Lantern is on the scene at the Olympics, and he'll start with the good news: Compared with a year ago, the city's air does feel cleaner, and newly planted trees and shrubs line the streets. (It certainly helps a bit to shut down production in local factories and keep 1 million cars off the street.)
Beijing's air pollution has still been recorded at levels above World Health Organization standards, and as China's environmental challenges go, that's just a small part of the problem. Last year, the World Bank calculated that air pollution was responsible for at least 350,000 premature deaths in China each year—and that may be a low estimate. Over half the water in China's seven main rivers has been deemed unsafe for consumption (PDF), and its sources of clean water are at a major risk of running dry. Meanwhile, China has already overtaken the United States as the world's leading emitter of carbon dioxide, by some calculations, with its carbon footprint still growing rapidly.
The Lantern is on the scene at the Olympics, and he'll start with the good news: Compared with a year ago, the city's air does feel cleaner, and newly planted trees and shrubs line the streets. (It certainly helps a bit to shut down production in local factories and keep 1 million cars off the street.)
Beijing's air pollution has still been recorded at levels above World Health Organization standards, and as China's environmental challenges go, that's just a small part of the problem. Last year, the World Bank calculated that air pollution was responsible for at least 350,000 premature deaths in China each year—and that may be a low estimate. Over half the water in China's seven main rivers has been deemed unsafe for consumption (PDF), and its sources of clean water are at a major risk of running dry. Meanwhile, China has already overtaken the United States as the world's leading emitter of carbon dioxide, by some calculations, with its carbon footprint still growing rapidly.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Yao becomes UN environment campaigner
Chinese superstar Yao Ming on Saturday became the UN Environment Program's (UNEP) first ever Environmental Champion, tasked with raising awareness of climate change and energy efficiency.
Yao, China's flag bearer in Friday's Olympic opening ceremony, said he wanted do his part in protecting the world.
"As a sportsman, I believe sport has a major role to play in promoting environmental issues," the Houston Rockets center said in a statement.
"So I will work with young people across the world and try to inspire them to plant trees, use energy efficient light bulbs, harvest rain water and to become environmental champions in their own communities.
Yao, China's flag bearer in Friday's Olympic opening ceremony, said he wanted do his part in protecting the world.
"As a sportsman, I believe sport has a major role to play in promoting environmental issues," the Houston Rockets center said in a statement.
"So I will work with young people across the world and try to inspire them to plant trees, use energy efficient light bulbs, harvest rain water and to become environmental champions in their own communities.
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