Environment

Arnold's Hollywood Hummer

by Laura Miller — October 22, 2004 - 11:00pm

"A smiling Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wheeled a shiny new Hummer into a hydrogen fueling station at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday in what aides called a fulfillment of a campaign promise to convert one of his tank-sized gas guzzlers to run on the alternative fuel," the Los Angeles Times reports. "However, the entire made-for-media event, staged before about 300 dignitaries, hydrogen power advocates and journalists, had more than a hint of Hollywood make-believe.

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Los Angeles Times, October 23, 2004

Bottom Line Environmental Protection

by Laura Miller — October 3, 2004 - 11:00pm

The controversial head of an obscure agency in the White House is a "lightening rod" for criticism of Bush administration regulatory actions. John D. Graham runs the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and is "known as a stickler for the bottom line," the Seattle Times' Alex Fryer writes. "Through rigorous analysis, Graham wants to create 'smart' regulation that protects the environment at lower cost. But it is a process fraught with subjectivity.

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Seattle Times, October 4, 2004

EPA Gags Staff

by Laura Miller — September 21, 2004 - 11:00pm

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has directed staff to "refrain from answering" media calls in order to "prevent EPA management from being surprised by news coverage," according to an agency memo obtained by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

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Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, September 22, 2004

EPA: What's a Little Toxic Emission Among Friends?

by Diane Farsetta — September 21, 2004 - 11:00pm

"For the third time, environmental advocates have discovered passages in the Bush administration's proposal for regulating mercury pollution from power plants that mirror almost word for word portions of memos written by a law firm representing coal-fired power plants." The passages, in language from the Latham & Watkins firm, say the

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Washington Post, September 22, 2004

California Lobbyist's Pesky Pesticide Past

by Laura Miller — September 19, 2004 - 11:00pm

A former farm lobbyist will become California's top pesticide regulator, despite complaints from environmentalists. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Mary-Ann Warmerdam, who worked for the California Farm Bureau Federation from 1981 to 2001, to head the state's Department of Pesticide. Warmerdam currently is a lobbyist for Pacific Gas & Electric.

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Los Angeles Times, September 20, 2004

PR Firm Out of the Woods

by Diane Farsetta — September 19, 2004 - 11:00pm

Congressional investigators with the Government Accountability Office concluded that the U.S. Forest Service did not violate any laws by hiring the PR firm OneWorld Communications. The unusual $90,000 contract for the "Forests with a Future" campaign promoted new policies increasing logging in California's Sierra Nevada forests.

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PR Week (sub. req'd.), September 20, 2004

On the Green Stump, Down Under

by Diane Farsetta — September 16, 2004 - 11:00pm

The environment is "the sleeper issue of Australia's October 9 election," and Prime Minister John Howard, "once regarded as the nemesis of conservationists - [is] vigorously courting the green vote." Howard pledged Aus$2 billion for "the country's ailing river systems, prompting Labor leader Mark Latham to respond with a billion-dollar package of his own." At the same time, Howard's Deputy Prime Minister attacked the Green Party, saying th

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Agence France-Presse, September 17, 2004

I'm Responsible, if I Do Say So Myself

by Diane Farsetta — September 13, 2004 - 11:00pm

The environmental group Friends of the Earth will hold "a mock awards ceremony aimed at exposing the green spin and corporate social responsibility failings of UK companies." CSR is big business; a recent APCO Worldwide survey of more than 400 people in 10 countries found that "corporate social responsibility initiat

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Green Consumer Guide, September 14, 2004

Dusty Deception

by Laura Miller — September 11, 2004 - 11:00pm

"Up to 400,000 New Yorkers breathed in the most toxic polluting cloud ever recorded after the twin towers were brought down three years ago, but no proper effort has been made to find out how their health has been affected. [A] US government study provides the latest evidence of a systematic cover-up of the health toll from pollution after the 9/11 disaster, which doctors fear will cause more deaths than the attacks themselves," the Independent writes.

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The Independent, September 12, 2004

Greening ExxonMobil

by Laura Miller — September 7, 2004 - 11:00pm

"Weber Shandwick is handling the 'greening' of ExxonMobil Corp. by promoting an alliance forged between the energy giant and Earth 911, a government/private sector entity with the motto of 'making every day Earth Day,'" O'Dwyer's PR Daily writes. "The partnership aims to educate consumers about the importance of recycling used motor oil.

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O'Dwyer's PR Daily (sub. req'd.), September 8, 2004
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