Monthly Archives: July 2008

Coral Reefs in Decline

By / Bio / Published: July 9, 2008

Rod FujitaRod Fujita, Ph.D., is a scientist in the Oceans program at Environmental Defense Fund.

Coral reef with sea urchins in Hawaii. Photo by Mila Zinkova.Coral reefs aren’t just pretty places for scuba divers (although they do bring in billions of tourist dollars). These rich ecosystems supply the inhabitants of coral reef countries with the fish that they depend on as their main source of protein. Coral reefs, like rainforests, are also treasure troves of biodiversity that may hold the keys to fighting diseases like cancer and arthritis. Human wellbeing is tightly bound to the health of coral reefs.

Unfortunately, coral reefs are in trouble, and climate change plays a major role.

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Posted in Oceans / Read 5 Responses

Leaked EPA Draft: Net $ Benefits from Lowered Emissions

By / Bio / Published: July 8, 2008

Nat KeohaneThis post is by Nat Keohane, Ph.D., director of economic policy and analysis at Environmental Defense Fund.

A few weeks ago, it came out that the White House is excising major portions of an EPA document on regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. The document – a draft Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – is EPA’s answer to a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that greenhouse gases fall squarely within the act’s definition of “pollutant”.

The 252-page draft document [PDF] was leaked. In it, EPA projects that controlling greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks would result in substantial net savings to Americans – as high as $2 trillion in net present value over the next few decades.

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Posted in Economics / Read 2 Responses

A Carbon Cap Would Revitalize Our Economy

By / Bio / Published: July 7, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense Fund.

Fareed Zakaria has a great editorial in today’s Washington Post. It describes how the U.S. economy would be revitalized by a carbon cap that spurs clean energy development. Here’s an excerpt:

Washington’s inaction also stands in contrast to intense activity in the private sector, fascinatingly described in Fred Krupp and Miriam Horn’s new book, “Earth: The Sequel.” Krupp heads the Environmental Defense Fund, but this is not a gloomy global warming tirade. It’s an optimistic account of the progress being made by American industry in renewable energy. The authors explore every new technology, from solar to wind to geothermal, and introduce the men and women who are inventing the future.

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Posted in Economics, Energy / Read 1 Response

We’re On Treasury & Risk‘s Top 100 List

By / Bio / Published: July 7, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense Fund.

The June 2008 issue of Treasury and Risk lists Gwen Ruta, vice president for Corporate Partnerships at Environmental Defense Fund, as one of the year’s 100 most influential people in finance, along with movers and shakers like Al Gore and Carl Icahn:

Gwen Ruta, Director of Corporate Partnerships, Environmental Defense Fund
Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts put the nonprofit group on the corporate map when it asked EDF to assess the environmental performance of its U.S. companies. It’s Ruta’s job to help business partners create best practices when it comes to protecting the earth.

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Posted in News / Comments are closed

Gas Prices Too High? Take the Bus!

By / Bio / Published: July 3, 2008

Andy DarrellThis post is by Andy Darrell, vice president for Living Cities at Environmental Defense Fund.

NJ Transit bus, photographed by Adam E. Moreira

The high cost of gas has pushed retail gas purchases down 2 to 3 percent. What are people doing instead? Taking public transportation!

The first quarter report from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) found that use of public transportation is skyrocketing in tandem with gas prices. Last year 10.3 billion trips were taken on U.S. public transportation — the highest in 50 years. Ridership on streetcars, trolleys, commuter rails, subways, and buses are all up. Even Amtrak ridership is soaring.

This shift presents an historic opportunity.

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Posted in News / Read 8 Responses

The Problem with the Pew Poll

By / Bio / Published: July 3, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense Fund.

According to a poll conducted in June by the Pew Research Center, soaring gas prices have caused a significant shift in American attitudes in just four months. American priorities, they say, have shifted strongly towards energy exploration and drilling, and away from conservation.

Is environmentalism dead, or is this result mainly due to how Pew framed the survey questions? I think the latter.

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Posted in News / Read 5 Responses