: Biofuels are worse for the environment than fossil fuels. So says David Gutierrez, whose article on Oct. 11, 2007, in News Target, discusses a report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which says that “instead of a solution to the global ecological crisis induced by fossil fuels, biofuels offer a cure that is worse for the environment than fossil fuels.” The OECD urges a focus on continuing to reduce the use of fossil fuels through people walking, riding bicycles, carpooling, and keeping their vehicle’s engine tuned. Practices like these are much cheaper for the economy than subsidizing inefficient new energy sources. For more information, go to http://www.newstarget.
com/z022112.html and http://organicconsumers
.org/environment.cfm.

: In early 2007, Chinese environmental, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) joined together to launch a new “Green Choice Initiative.” The initiative targets China’s ever-growing consumer population and encourages “all individuals to consider a company’s environmental performance in guiding their daily purchasing decisions.” However, many of the brand-name companies pollute illegally. Therefore, by “scrutinizing the goods produced by these polluting companies, Chinese consumers can use their vast purchasing power to exert pressure on these companies, which will cause them to change their harmful environmental practices.” See “The Green Choice Initiative Has Been Launched,” Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, Beijing, June 2007, http://www.oecdobserver
.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/2238/China%92s_clean_choice__.html.
 

Business

: Occidental Petroleum operated in the Peruvian Amazon for more than 30 years. During this time, the company daily dumped approximately 850,000 barrels of toxic oil byproducts into the water systems that the Achuar Indians used for fishing, drinking, and bathing. According to Dashka Slater, a writer for the Sierra Club, Occidental, whose 2006 revenues topped $18 billion, claims that “it has no responsibility because it sold its Peruvian concession in 2000 to Pluspetrol, an Argentine company. Pluspetrol has taken responsibility for the damages it caused since 2000 and will clean up what its operations left behind. On the other hand, Occidental, who also violated Peruvian laws, international standards and the rights of the Achuar Indians, will claim no responsibility.” The investigating team report can be found at: http://www.earthrights.org/index2
.phpoption=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=435.

: Stronger, environmentally related requirements for export credits are a focus of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED). A new agreement of the OCED member countries requires governments to review export projects for their potential environmental impacts and to benchmark them against international standards. The agreement also calls for more public exposure of information that “will increase transparency for the most sensitive projects.” This new agreement will affect the number of export credits exporters receive. Governments provide export credits through their Export Credit Agency to support national exporters competing for overseas sales. For more information on export credits, go to www.oecd.org/ech/xcred.

: Recently, I was invited to participate in a discussion on the environment with a Sunday School class at the Episcopal Church of St. Jude and St. Simon in Lexington, South Carolina. I had never thought much about the church and ecology until the invitation from the Episcopalians. We had a lively discussion, and I was surprised at the knowledge of the attendees on the environment, and at the eagerness of the class participants to learn about environmental issues. One young boy in the class amazed me with his definition of “an environmentalist.” After conducting a search on the Episcopal Church, I found that the Church and its members focus on being Stewards of the Earth. One example is “The Episcopal Ecological Network” (EpEN), a nationwide network within the Episcopal Church USA. The EpEN includes all concerned Episcopalians who are helping the Church assume a leadership role in the worldwide environmental movement. Read more about the EpEN at http://eenonline.org/.

Dr. Phillip E. Barnes is Research Professor in the School of the Environment at the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at (803) 777-1373, or via e-mail at pbarnes@environ.sc.edu.