Carly Kruse

April 12, 2007

Schwarzenegger: moving environmentalism from "sketchy" to "sexy"

In his recent speech at Georgetown University, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke about environmentalism's increased popularity. Schwarzenegger emphasized how the environmental movement's shift from guilt tactics to "positive force[s] in people's lives" will enable the movement to succeed. He warned other politicians they could "drift out to sea" if they do not attempt to curb greenhouse gas emissions in their states.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keynote Address at the Newsweek Global Environmental Leadership Conference at Georgetown University (Apr. 11, 2007), available at http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/speech/5864/.

Michael Doyle, Governor Chides Automakers to Clean up Emissions, Sacramento Bee, Apr. 12, 2007, available at http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/153744.html.

MSNBC News Services, Schwarzenegger Makes Bet on Environment, MSNBC, Apr. 11, 2007, available at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18061296/.

Northeastern states pressure federal government to implement airborne mercury standards

Northeastern states are lowering their mercury limits in water in an attempt to force the federal government to create national mercury standards. These states are lowering their total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) of mercury in response to out-of-state sources of mercury contaminating water bodies in the Northeast. Out-of-state sources include mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants in the Midwest. By lowering their TMDLs of mercury, Northeastern states will not be able to meet federal clean water standards, thus, hopefully triggering a federal reaction to impose stricter regulation on Midwest powerplants.

Press Release, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, New York and New England States Develop Plan to Reduce Mercury Deposition and Impacts in Fish (April 11, 2007), available at http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/press/pressrel/2007/200733.html

Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection et al., Draft Northeast Regional Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load (2007), http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dow/merctmdl.pdf

Anthony DePalma, States Seek Tightening of Standards for Mercury, N.Y. Times, Apr. 12, 2007, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/nyregion/12mercury.html?n=Top%2fNews%2fScience%2fTopics%2fEnvironment

Large U.S. sushi supplier partners with Japanese whale-meat trader

True World Foods, Inc., one of the U.S.'s largest sushi seafood suppliers, recently partnered with the Japanese company Kyokuyo Co., Ltd. to sell Polar Seas brand frozen sushi. However, Kyokuyo continues to sell canned and fresh whale meat from whales caught in the Southern Ocean sanctuary under the Polar Seas brand name. Environmental groups are pressuring True World Foods to convince Kyokuyo to stop selling its whale products.

Environmental Investigation Agency, Raw Deal: Kyokuyo, True World Foods, and Japan's Whale Hunts (Apr. 2007), available at http://www.eia-global.org/rawdealreport.pdf.

Environment News Service, Whale Conservationists Squeeze Sushi Sales Partnership, Apr. 11, 2007, http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/apr2007/2007-04-11-01.asp.

True World Foods, http://www.trueworldfoods.com/ (last visited Apr. 12, 2007).

FWS study suggests manatees no longer qualify as "endangered"

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is considering reclassifying the West Indian Manatees, currently listed as "endangered", as "threatened." Although a record number of these manatees died last year, a recent FWS five-year study suggests that manatee populations are stable. More administrative processes are required to officially reduce the manatee's status.

Press Release, Southeast Region, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Service Announces Availability of the West Indian Manatee Five-year Review and its Staff Recommendation to Reclassify the Species (Apr. 9, 2007), available at http://www.fws.gov/southeast/news/2007/r07-057.html.

Environment News Service, Manatee Protections to be Cut Despite Record Death Toll, Apr. 9, 2007, available at http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/apr2007/2007-04-09-09.asp#anchor2.

Trees may not help mitigate climate change

Replanting in snowy climates may not help to offset global warming, a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory study suggests. New trees in middle or high latitudes may increase the albedo effect without "promot[ing] connective clouds" that enable tropical rainforests to slow global warming. However, the study does not advocate deforestation outside of tropical climates to remedy global warming.

Press Release, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Trees to Offset Carbon Footprint? (Apr. 10. 2007), available at http://www.llnl.gov/pao/news/news_releases/2007/NR-07-04-03.html.

Snowy Forests "Increase Warming," BBC News, Apr. 10, 2007, available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6540119.stm.