08 June 07 - 23:17Problems Without Borders

The May issue of Vanity Fair, which is their 2nd annual "Green Issue" included an unique article with Maps made by a joint project between University of Michigan and Sheffield (U. K.). The maps are drawn in proportion to what countries or regions of the world are responsible for positive or negative environmental actions. Interestingly, the US was very positive on three of the six maps and negative on the other three. The US is the best or one of the best (positive) in the world in the categories of plants at plant at risk, forest lost 1990-2000, and waste recycling. However, the US was the worse or one of the worse when it came to fuel imports, net imports of wood and paper, and the proportion of municipal waste.

Jim

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08 June 07 - 22:51Green Energy Conflicts with Paddlers

Did any of you see the May/June 2007 issue of Paddler Magazine? If you have not read it, but have access to the magazine, I strongly recommend you read the article as it documents a major dilemma of worthwhile competing goals. This is a very interesting story about the fight between kayakers and the local power authority who wanted encourage development of non-coal fire power plants and kayakers who fought a proposed project on their favorite Ashlu River in British Columbia. The project would not make the river as attractive and challenging to kayaking. Eventually the proposed non-dam project was approved and is now being constructed, but not without a long fight during which the process rules were changed after the kayakers thought they had won.

If you read this, which side do you generally agree with?