Selecte Environmental Headlines: US Election Special

Sen Barack Obama Elected US 44th President

In the carefully choreographed 2008 US presidential election, Sen Barack Obama was elected as the 44th US President by a total of 338 Electoral votes [as of Wednesday Nov. 5, 12:00am EST] against his opponent, the former Vietnam “war criminal” pilot, Sen McCain, who had only scored 155 Electoral Votes. (Source)

Proposition 7 fails by a wide margin

Proposition 7, a California ballot measure calling for a large increase in the share of renewable power to 50% of electricity generation by 2025 appears to have failed by a wide margin. The measure proposed an annual 2 percent increase in the use of renewable sources for electricity generation reaching 50 percent by 2025. [Currently, only about 13 percent of California’s power comes from renewable sources.]

Opponents said that the measure would constrict the expansion of renewable power generation in California. (source)

Bhopal Water Pollution Case Reinstated

A lawsuit brought on behalf of people of Bhopal, India, contending that thousands of residents and workers were exposed to polluted drinking water after the 1984 Union Carbide factory in Bhopal exploded releasing toxic-gas, was reinstated by a U.S. appeals court.

Known as the world’s worst industrial disaster, the poorly maintained Union Carbide pesticide factory exploded on December 3, 1984 spewing deadly gas through streets of the central Indian town killing about 15,000 people and injuring at least 100,000. (Source)

Oh Canada!

A report by the Conference Board of Canada on the country’s environmental health placed Canada 15th among a total of 17 studied for environmental problems. The report identified Canada’s worst problems as

• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Excessive garbage production
• Extensive waste of fresh water.

Only Australia and the United States fared worse. Sweden topped the list. (Source)