NEW ENVIRONMENT- MONITORING SATELLITE SHOWS ANARCTIC ICE SHELF BREAKUP MORE SEVERE THAN THOUGHT— "The Antarctic Penininsula has experienced exceptional atmospheric warming over the last decades, triggering the retreat and break-up of the ice shelves. The launch of Envisat occurred just in time to capture the disintegration of the Larsen B ice shelf. This 400 km wide ASAR image of 18 March 2002 (orbit 246) shows that the collapsed ice shelf has fractured into thousands of small icebergs, drifting eastwards into the Weddell Sea. This kind of breakup is quite different from the periodic calving processes taking place 1000 km further south which have led to the presence of the large drifting icebergs seen in the image source." FFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING 'CLEARLY VISIBLE'—"Although we are only at an early stage in the projected trends of global warming, ecological responses to recent climate change are already clearly visible source."

JANUARY WARMEST IN 123-YEAR GLOBAL RECORD BOOK—"The contiguous United States experienced record warmth during the November 2001 through January 2002 three-month period...The January global temperature was the warmest in the 123-year surface record source."  

BUSH IN CHINA VIEWS US-MADE  NATURAL GAS ENGINE WIDELY USED IN BEIJING—"The engine has been installed on more than 1,840 buses in the Chinese capital source." 

US NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH SAYS  4 - 7°F GLOBAL WARMING 90% LIKELY BY 2100—"There's a nine out of ten chance that global average temperatures will rise 3–9° Fahrenheit over the coming century, with a 4–7° increase most likely, according to a new probability analysis by scientists in the United States and Europe. As early as 2030 the planet is likely to heat up 1–2°, say the scientists. A 1° temperature rise was observed over the past century source."

EXEMPTION EXCHANGE NOW ON LINE—"This time saving, online system will enable participants in the sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) markets to record trades directly on the Internet instead of submitting paper forms to EPA for processing source." 

VENICE ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY—"Italy declared a state of environmental emergency in Venice, one of its most popular tourist destinations, and two other cities on Thursday, paving the way for urgent measures to tackle pollution source."

INTEL CHMN. & WIFE GIVE $260M FOR CONSERVATION—"Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is providing Conservation International with the largest gift ever given to a private conservation group, with a series of grants totaling up to $261 million over 10 years. With an alliance of conservation partners, CI aims to secure $1.5 billion in private investments over the next 10 years, and leverage another $4.5 billion from the public sector source." 

US GOVT. IN TWO VICTORIES AGAINST BIG NEW YORK POLLUTOS— (1) Re GE: "It is estimated that more than one million pounds of PCBs were discharged into the Hudson River from two General Electric (GE) capacitor manufacturing plants in Fort Edward and Hudson Falls, New York over a 30-year period ending in 1977...Women of child-bearing age and children under the age of 15 should not eat any fish caught below the Sherman Dam located just above Glens Falls, New York source." (2) Re ExxonMobil: "MOBIL admits liability for discharging hazardous wastes from 1991 to1993 into two large artificial ponds on the site without a permit and without the protections required by law. The government's investigation disclosed that MOBIL generated the benzene-contaminated wastes at its Port Mobil Terminal Facility. Benzene, a known human carcinogen, became a regulated hazardous waste under RCRA in 1990 source."

  "The issue is whether the environment is part of the economy or the economy is part of the environment source."

GREENPEACE UNVEILS MAJOR INVESTIGATION: EXXON/MOBIL CAUSED CLIMATE TREATY TO BE FATALLY FLAWED THEN US GOVERNMENT REFUSED TO SIGN IT BECAUSE IT WAS "FATALLY FLAWED"— "For more than a decade, ExxonMobil (or Esso in Europe) has been working consistently and systematically to derail any international action to tackle global warming. While ExxonMobil’s opposition to Kyoto is no secret, this briefing shows how it has made a concerted effort to turn its interests into government policy, steering the US away from international action, not only through direct lobbying but also through covert funding source." EXXON/MOBIL'S PROFITS MADE HISTORY AT $5.1 BILLION IN JUST THREE MONTHS & US BUDGET SURPLUS COULD TOTAL $5.6 TRILLION IN TEN YEARS—"Such surpluses are projected to rise in the future, approaching $889 billion in 2011 and accumulating to $5.6 trillion over the 2002-2011 period source." But corp. and country are powerless to spend a penny on their grandchildren's environment. Our Quick-Click Poll found only 50% thought the surplus should be spent on cleaning up the environment. See Wealth & Power: Assets or Addictions?    JUDICIALWATCH SUES US VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY RE SECRET ENERGY MEETINGS— "Judicial Watch is concerned that energy policy is being made in secret by individuals and interests with a financial and political stake in particular policies...the law requires that the American people be kept informed about these deliberations source." The lawsuit deals with, among other matters, "...the concurrent ownership of shares of stock in energy industry enterprises by key administration and White House officials and personnel source."DURING ELECTION CAMPAIGN US DEFENSE DEPT. AWARDED $7 Bil CONTRACT TO CORP. IN WHICH CHENEY IS STOCKHOLDER— Electronic Data Systems Corp. website says he's still on Board of Directors and still owns 5,743 shares in EDS source. His shares have risen more than 80% since the award of the contract source. EDS had sustained considerable losses prior to the award of the contract source, the largest ever awarded by the US. Cheney is former US Secretary of Defense. US WATCHDOG GROUP SAYS  BUSH & CHENEY ACCEPTED $10 MILLION FROM DONORS WHO DID NOT NAME THEIR EMPLOYER OR OCCUPATION—US election laws require that a donor's occupation and employer be fully disclosed source."