Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue) appears twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Here is the most recent previous Green Spotlight. More than 25,260 environmentally oriented stories have been rescued to appear in this series since 2006. Inclusion of a story in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
OUTSTANDING GREEN STORIES
Besame writes—Daily Bucket: Happy Trails: “Trails intrigue us. Why does this trail exist? Does it go someplace in particular, someplace special? How will I know unless I keep hiking? A fork in the trail makes me wish to divide myself and take both (screw Robert Frost). Today is National Trails Day in the U.S. so I found some trail photos in the DK Image Library from members and uploaded others to share in honor of paths that lead us into discovery. The first image (above), from Ojibwa, is a great example of the Pacific Northwest with moss-covered branches of tall robust trees and lush understory growth.”
James321 writes—A single tunnel through the Alps now has more high-speed rail track than the entire United States: “Right now, in the Greatest Country on Earth, the so-called ‘high-speed’ Acela service reaches its maximum operating speed of 150 mph for just 18 miles of its 452-mile journey from Boston to Washington, D.C. Well, now in the heart of Switzerland, modern high-speed trains will soon zoom through the Alps — yes, literally through the middle of them — at a speed of 155 mph for 35 miles. Of course, Europe has thousands of miles of high-speed track — facilitating train travel at almost 200 mph — but what makes the opening of Switzerland’s Gotthard Base Tunnel so funny, for an American at least, is that shortly the United States will even have less high-speed rail track than that which runs through the middle of giant mountains in Europe. In other words, we have less high-speed rail track than a single European tunnel. Yes, after 17 years and investing $12 billion, Switzerland — with its French, German and Italian neighbors — celebrated the opening of the world’s longest and deepest rail tunnel on Wednesday. (The Swiss have created a super-cool app to explore the tunnel, if you’re interested in taking a virtual journey.)”
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - good news: seastars are recovering: “We are seeing seastars again along the shores of the Salish Sea! Not in the same density as before the Seastar Wasting Syndrome (SSWS) epidemic killed upwards 90% of the seastars along the Pacific coastline two summers ago, but a definite recovery. I’ve been surveying my local shorelines since this started and what I’m seeing now at the start of summer 2016 is good news. Summer 2014 was a disaster, with thousands of dead and dissolving seastars, every site affected. Summer 2015 was a season with very few seastars, but those few were mostly healthy. I posted a report a year ago detailing my observations at that time (www.dailykos.com/...). This year so far I’ve seen about a third of the pre-SSWS population at two of my regular sites, and very few at two more sites. A few days ago I went out on a kayaking survey of two headlands, and being disappointed at finding none on one, I was delighted to see many seastars on the other: about half the pre-SSWS numbers. I can only observe from spring to fall since the rough water and high daytime tides makes it impossible during winter. The water was flat calm this day which helps seeing underwater where most seastars live.”
Progressive2016 writes—Feminist scientists name newly discovered praying mantis species after Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Jen Hayden writes—Scientists give newly identified praying mantis species a supremely awesome name: “Biologists have indentified a new species of praying mantis, one that has a unique neck plate area that reminded them of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her unique fashion choices. Sciencemag.org. A new species of praying mantis has been identified based on female genitals for the first time, a break from the traditional use of male genitalia for insect species classification. Insects with a hook-shaped penis might be classified as one species, whereas those with slightly curved genitalia might be classified as another. Male genitalia have long been preferred because of their seemingly wider—and more easily observed—variety of shapes and sizes. Ilomantis ginsburgae is a leaf-dwelling mantis from Madagascar, according to a new study in Insect Systematics & Evolution. It was named in honor of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a strong supporter of gender equality and a regular wearer of jabot collars, which resemble the neck plate of the insect. The scientists hope that this new identification will help make species classification easier by increasing the number of possible ways to differentiate bugs.”
Attack Gardener writes—The Daily Bucket - Bucket of Baby Birds: “This has been a banner year for birds at Chez Gardener. Most years, I can count the number of active nests on the fingers of one hand. This year, I needed them both! I’ve counted 8 this year and I’m certain there are at least 2 more that I haven’t found yet. This is on a property that is just over one acre. There has been quite a mix of bird species, too — bluebirds, tree swallows (2 nests), house finches, house sparrows, song sparrows and robins (2 nests). The cardinals have a nest somewhere in the pines that border one side of the property and the catbirds are setting up shop in the bush behind the pond for the second year. This little bucket is a showcase of this year’s nests and babies and gives some idea of the variety of places birds are willing to call home. If you have any pictures of bird nests in odd places, please add them in the comments! Enjoy! First, the house finches.”
OCEANS, WATER, DROUGHT
dariafan writes—Nestle: Company without a conscience bringing us headlong into water wars: “Full disclosure: I am an angry woman right now. I know that Nestlé recently bought rights to my water, the water of my home, the beautiful, but dry and drought-afflicted, Arizona desert. And I cannot for the life of me imagine what was going through the heads of the careless and short-sighted folks at the City of Phoenix Water Department when this was done. To try to find any substantial local news reporting regarding this is futile and the Phoenix Water Department is slow to answer questions. They claim that the specific amount of water Nestlé will take on an annual basis is confidential according to state law. There is no question this is arbitrary at best and utterly corrupt at worst, and they know it. [...] Nestlé Chairman Peter Brabeck is the man who will bring us headlong into the inevitable water wars of the future, and I guarantee he is not worried. He and his constituents at Nestlé view water as a commodity, a product, by which money and power can be attained. They target the poor and the powerless as well as corrupt government officials who can be relied on to sell their constituents’ lifeline for the right price.”
Dan Bacher writes—Senator Feinstein's Drought Legislation Threatens Delta Fisheries! ”Below is an urgent action alert and press release from John Beuttler and Dr. David Ostrach of the Allied Fishing Groups. I urge you to contact Senator Feinstein’s office to stop her drought legislation from destroying our Delta fisheries: The situation is critical. Should the bill pass as currently written, it will be open season on the non-native fish in the Delta and it tributaries. All of us need to engage our members of Congress asking for their opposition to the bills in the House and Senate. A very conservative estimate on the impact this legislation will have on sportfishing-related businesses is some $500 million annually. Letters and emails are needed asking for the amendments proposed by the Allied Fishing Groups to S.2533. Every letter and email counts!”
Dan Bacher writes—Delta Advocates Challenge Brown Administration's Case For Twin Tunnels: “The state and federal governments pleaded their case for Governor Jerry Brown’s controversial Delta Tunnels plan in testimony submitted to the State Water Resources Control Board on May 31 and in a media teleconference held on June 1, claiming that the planned new water diversion points won't endanger other water users. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) and Bureau of Reclamation submitted their testimony and evidence as required for upcoming public Water Board hearings regarding their request to add three new points of diversion on the Sacramento River for the ‘California WaterFix.’ That's the new name for the plan to build two tunnels under the Delta to export water to agribusiness interests on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California water agencies. In response, Restore the Delta, a coalition opposed to the project, described the testimony as ‘largely a rehash of unsubstantiated claims about the Delta Tunnels project that have not been proven, despite more than 40,000 pages of environmental review that the US Environmental Protection Agency has declared is still inadequate (a failing grade.)’”
CANDIDATES, STATE AND DC ECO-RELATED POLITICS
Mark Sumner writes—Rob Portman supports coal executives, not miners: “Ohio is at the center of a real war on coal miners, bringing in funds from the Koch brothers as well as a rogue’s gallery of mining CEOs. All of them are championing Ohio Senator Rob Portman over Democratic challenger and former governor, Ted Strickland. Information compiled by the Ohio Democratic Party shows that Portman, far from being supportive of miners, has been against them at every turn. It’s not the Republicans who are fighting for the miners. It’s Democrats. The Koch’s are pouring $2 million into ads attacking Strickland, and are providing a digital platform for the Portman campaign. Others have simply pushed their funds straight to Portman. Why are they so keen on keeping Portman in his Senate seat?”
racerx writes—78% of CA Dems oppose fracking. "Liberal media" blacks out call for NATIONWIDE FRACKING BAN: “Although voters tend to split along party lines on oil and energy issues, the poll found support for a fracking moratorium across California’s political spectrum. Fully 78 percent of Democrats back a moratorium, a position shared by 74 percent of independents and 51 percent of Republicans. Even 51% of REPUBLICANS support a moratorium. Our ‘leading’ Democratic candidate says each county must fight the oil and gas industry to keep their water and air from being polluted. It becomes very obvious why she chickened out on the California debate.”
Lefty Coaster writes—Donors buoy Bernie - his fight for a national platform plank calling for an end to Fracking: “Bernie Sanders said he has the financial support from his donors to fight on all the way to the convention. He also expressed optimism about the outcome of Tuesday’s primaries, but indicated no matter what happens in Tuesday’s primaries he wants to fight on to the convention for something he cares very deeply about. Putting an end to Fracking in the US. [...] Just days after two federal agencies seemed to clear the way for offshore fracking in the Pacific Ocean, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called on it to stop. ‘Make no mistake about it: This was a very, very bad decision by the federal government that will not be allowed to stand if I have anything to say about it,’ said Sanders. ‘And as president, I would have a lot to say about it.’”
News Corpse writes—John Kerry Rips Donald Trump's 'Unbelievable Contemptuous Ignorance' On Climate Change: “The Republican Party long ago committed itself to a position on climate change that is at odds with reality. The question is settled with 97 percent of the scientists who study the subject agreeing that climate change is occurring and that it is caused by human activities. But that hasn't stopped faith-based GOP politicians, with help from the Fox News propaganda machine, from rejecting the voluminous data validating the unprecedented scientific consensus. [...] Leading the brigade of science deniers is the Republican nominee for president, Donald Trump. In a widely ridiculed comment he called climate change a hoax that ‘was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.’ He advocates anti-environment policies such as eliminating regulations on energy exploration and production, opening up federal lands to oil drilling, and building the KeystoneXL pipeline. He promises to shut down the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which he thought was called the Department of Environmental (DEP?). And most recently he said that he would rip up the United Nations' historic Paris climate agreement that currently has 177 signatories.”
OhioDomer writes—State Legislative Democrats Need Attention, Too: An Ohio Case Study: “Progressives and pro-environment have extolled the virtue of President Obama’s [Clean Power Plan]. The Environmental Defense Fund has come out in support of the plan. Link. More businesses are coming around to support the plan. Link. Paul Krugman supports it, as do the leaders of the House Progressive Caucus. But, of course, the Republicans don’t agree. Twenty-nine states are suing the Obama Administration over the plan, including my home state, claiming that the plan violates the EPA’s administrative authority. Mitch McConnell has sent a letter to states telling them to stop their plans to implement the clean power plan. Major players in the energy sector, particularly the coal industry, have predictably set up strong opposition efforts to the plan, including joining in the lawsuit.”
Walter Einenkel writes—Environmental activists and attorneys general hit back at Republicans' witch hunt against science: “If you didn’t already know, Texas Rep. Lamar Smith is the Republican chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. He is a shining example of why you have to vote blue during elections. He has been leading a Oil and Gas Industry Republican-backed witch hunt against climate scientists for over a year now. With reality, facts and history are not on his or his Republican cronies’ sides, Smith approved a budget slashing around $300 million from NASA’s earth-science budget—last month. A couple of weeks ago, Rep. Smith and his best buddies wrote letters to 17 state attorneys general and eight climate change organizations accusing them of trying to stifle ExxonMobil’s First Amendment rights. It was balls-to-the-wall insane. This week, those attorneys general and environmental groups dug into their position and said we are not going to be bullied.”
InfiniteThoughts writes—Sen Sanders' energy plan is worse than pie in the sky: “We are in the home stretch of the primary and Sen Sanders is barnstorming California and his supporters are raising the issue of fracking and how that's the holy grail that separates Sen Sanders & the corrupt, elitist, etc etc of the world. Now is a good time to go back to some facts: 1. US generates 4 trillion KWH of electricity. 67% comes from fossil fuels & 20% comes from nuclear power. 13% comes from renewables - hydro at 6% being the largest of the renewables www.eia.gov/... 2. Transportation consumes 40.8% of energy utilized in electricity production (71:29 is the mix between electricity & transport). The revised equation becomes 76.5% fossil fuels, 14.2% nuclear, 9.23% renewables en.wikipedia.org/...; 3. Sen Sanders opposes fossil fuels & nuclear power. So, in effect - he wants to retire 87% of energy source used for electricity generation www.motherjones.com/...
berniesanders.com/... ”
BYPRODUCTS, TRASH, TOXIC & RADIOACTIVE WASTE
BWilson writes—How Many Flints Are There? “Think Flint, Mi. is an isolated case? Think again: At least 33 cities across 17 US states have used water testing “cheats” that potentially conceal dangerous levels of lead, a Guardian investigation launched in the wake of the toxic water crisis in Flint, Michigan, has found. Of these cities, 21 used the same water testing methods that prompted criminal charges against three government employees in Flint over their role in one of the worst public health disasters in US history.”
xaxnar writes—Andy Cuomo and Rick Snyder Have This in Common: Don't Drink the Water on Their Watch: “The story of Flint, Michigan has gotten national attention. A series of decisions coming out of Snyder’s ‘government on the cheap’ approach ended up poisoning the water of an entire city of over 100,000 people, with lead leaching from aging pipes. The problem was compounded by months of denial, even though city residents could see, taste, and smell something was seriously wrong. It took national attention for the state to begin dealing with the problem — and only after an outsider sounded the alarm. Snyder has been dodging responsibility ever since. Unlike Snyder, Cuomo’s actions didn’t create the water problem he’s dealing with — but his administration’s response to it has a lot in common with Snyder’s. Hoosick Falls, NY is a small community of around 3,500 people. Like many towns in upstate NY, it hit its peak around 1900. The central business district is on the National Register of Historic Places; the town website is headed by a picture of rolling rural Rensselaer County — but it’s a legacy of its industrial past and present that has come back to haunt it. PFOA is the culprit. It’s a byproduct of making Teflon and other plastic products and it can cause serious health problems.”
Hyde Park Johnny writes—Class Action Lawsuit: Philadelphia Lead Pipe Water Contamination and Cover-up: “In recent days there are more investigations and lawsuits about lead contamination of our drinking water. At Substance News there is on ongoing investigation of a cover-up of lead in drinking water in the Chicago Public Schools run by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The Guardian published a report today about the cover-up of manipulation of lead testing in 33 cities across 17 US states. Now there is a new class action lawsuit filed against the city of Philadelphia regarding lead poisoned drinking water June 2, 2016.”
ENERGY
Nuclear & Fossil Fuels
Mary Anne Hitt writes—As Coal Decline Continues, Let’s Find a New Path Forward: “A couple of weeks ago, I was honored to be a guest on the nationally syndicated Diane Rehm show on NPR.Our topic was ‘Competing Political Visions for America’s Coal Workers,’ and the lively discussion (which also included the head of the West Virginia Coal Association), focused on the uncertain future for a region long dependent on coal, as the industry declines. It’s a subject that hits close to home for me. I live in West Virginia: it’s my home, it’s in my heart and it’s the birthplace of my daughter, an 11th-generation West Virginian through my husband's side of the family. So I'm deeply committed to finding a path forward for the state and for the region. Coal mining is a proud tradition in our state and across Appalachia. Coal has powered this country for more than a century and our coal miners, their families and our region have sacrificed a great deal to ensure that America is an economic powerhouse and global leader. We owe them all a great debt for bringing us to where we are as a nation today. But the reality is, as the climate heats up and air and water pollution take their toll on public health, we are moving away from coal and ramping up clean energy. Now, make no mistake about it, we’re still mining and burning a massive amount of coal in this country, and we still have a lot more work to do.”
Emissions Controls & Carbon Pricing
Mark Sumner writes—Governor Jay Inslee proposes cap on carbon for Washington: “Sometimes the federal government leads, and sometimes it’s up to the states to point the way. Washington state regulators on Wednesday unveiled an updated plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions from large polluters, the latest attempt by Gov. Jay Inslee to push ahead with a binding cap on carbon emissions after struggling to win approval from legislators. … Inslee, who has called climate change ‘the single most important issue of our time,’ has gained national attention on environmental issues but so far has failed in his own state to pass ambitious carbon-reduction proposals, including a plan to charge polluters a fee for emissions. Frustrated by inaction in the Legislature, Inslee last year used his executive authority and directed state regulators to limit carbon pollution under the state's Clean Air Act. Washington isn’t the first state to propose such a limit. Eleven other states, including California, already have some form of carbon emission limits.”
Renewables, Efficiency & Conservation
Reskalla writes—Solar Panels pay for themselves in less than 5 years. Unless … ”You’re a church, in which case you don’t pay taxes and can’t take advantage of tax credits. You’re a non-profit, in which case see above. You’re a school or other public building, in which case also see above. You’re a landlord, in which case somebody else is paying the electric bills. You’re a business, in which case your electric bills are tax deductible. There are plenty of good solutions to this, and the point of this diary isn’t to point them all out, but rather to point out that these are stumbling blocks in the fight against climate change. How do we get these places to put up solar panels?”
Walter Einenkel writes—Science creates a 'bionic leaf' that generates fuel from sunlight: “Scientists are saying that they have bionically replicated the fuel-making process of a leaf. Chemist Daniel Nocera of Harvard University and his team joined forces with synthetic biologist Pamela Silver of Harvard Medical School and her team to craft a kind of living battery, which they call a bionic leaf for its melding of biology and technology. The device uses solar electricity from a photovoltaic panel to power the chemistry that splits water into oxygen and hydrogen, then adds pre-starved microbes to feed on the hydrogen and convert CO2 in the air into alcohol fuels. The team’s first artificial photosynthesis device appeared in 2015—pumping out 216 milligrams of alcohol fuel per liter of water—but the nickel-molybdenum-zinc catalyst that made its water-splitting chemistry possible had the unfortunate side effect of poisoning the microbes. The possibilities of real-world applications of such a technology are wide open.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Solar, Not Nuclear, Gets Too Cheap to Meter: “We have all heard the fossil fuel refrain that wind and solar are just too expensive for mainstream use, and can never be built up enough to supply cheap and reliable electricity. Many have also heard the comment-turned-slogan that nuclear power was going to be ‘too cheap to meter.’ Well, now we’re seeing a merging of both, as Bloomberg reports: ‘Chile Has So Much Solar Energy It’s Giving It Away for Free.’ Thanks to a gung-ho approach to solar, Chile’s central grid has quadrupled its solar power since 2013, resulting in a stretch of 113 days where spot prices were zero. Before getting too excited, read the full article, which explains that this is mainly because of Chile’s bifurcated power grid, in which the central and northern grids not being connected. The northern grid is where prices have reached zero, but that’s not where most of the demand for power comes from. So, in the north, where the Atacama Desert provides the perfect conditions for solar, there’s been so much energy produced that its driven down prices there. It's kept separate from the population centers in the south, however, due to “at least seven or eight points in the transmission lines that are collapsed and blocked,’ according to Energy Minister Maximo Pacheco.”
Pipelines & Other Oil and Gas Transport
ninkasi23 writes—Oil Train Cars Derail in Hood River, OR at Least 1 on Fire. UPDATE: Rachel Maddow segment added: “Wanted to get this out there for our OR/WA Kossacks: From OPB: Multiple oil train cars derailed Friday afternoon near Hood River, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation. Two cars are fully engulfed in flames, an ODOT spokesperson said. The Klickitat County Health Department issued an air quality advisory for White Salmon and Bingen, Wash., and the surrounding area. White Salmon and Bingen sit on the Washington side of the Columbia River, opposite Mosier. The smoke is reportedly blowing west so Portland could be affected.”
Wisper writes—WIN: Another Multi-Billion Dollar Pipeline STOPPED. First KXL, now NED: “Yesterday Houston-based company Kinder-Morgan, the largest energy infrastructure company in North America, formally asked the Federal Government to halt all work and review in approving their request to build the Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline (NED). The NED is was a $3.3B 200-mile pipeline from Pennsylvania to Wright, NY and then to Dracut, MA. It would have been a 30” high-pressure pipeline to connect Marcellus Shale gas to Maine’s already existing Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline. The M&NE Operators already filed a request to reverse their transmission direction to no longer ship energy into Maine, but rather pickup the output from NED and ship it out to export facilities in the Canadian Maritimes. Per Kinder-Morgan’s own statement, they have spent the last 2-years working to secure financing and committed utility buyers for this project and ‘did not receive the additional commitments it expected.’ And thus: ‘Given these market conditions, continuing to develop the project is not an acceptable use of shareholder funds. ‘”
ECO-ESSAYS & PROPOSALS
towanda gondwana writes—The Ring of Power and the Age of Oil: “Professor Tolkien was well-known for his irritation at those who called the Ring of Power a metaphor. ‘It's a ring, dammit,’ he might have said, ‘A bloody ring that grants the wearer power over everybody else. It's not nuclear weapons or communist propaganda. It's a ring, you idiots.’ As much as I respect his literary achievement and long to wander the hills of the Shire, I'm going to go there. Sort of. Yesterday I read an article on the havoc low oil prices are causing in the economies of oil export-dependent nations. (Here, and here are other related articles.) Today, I turned on the DVD player in front of the cross-trainer and watched the numerous ending scenes of LotR while working out. The thought struck me as the tower of Barad-Dur tumbled to the ground. Let's just call Oil a metaphor for the Ring of Power.”
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & GARDENING
kishik writes—Saturday Morning Garden Blogging: Flower Portraits: “The war on weeds begins, but amidst the overgrowth that I’m slowly moving forward on clearing and thinning, the clematis have been quietly blooming. Over the years, I’ve planted vines tucked here and there. Some planned well, others stuffed in the ground in haste because they’d been left in the pot too long and the growing season was not slowing down. So as I weed, coming across the blooms still surprise me. This one looks a bit battle-worn. Not sure what critter snipped off the fat buds, leaving only one to bloom this year - likely by one of the baby squirrels running crazily around the yard this spring. To correct the damage, simply take a profile photo!”
Walter Einenkel writes—Maryland becomes the first state to ban consumer use of neonicotinoid pesticides: “Over the past few years evidence has mounted showing that neonicotinoid pesticides have adverse effects on bees and other pollinators. Environmental activists have pushed for bans of the pesticides and a small victory has been achieved. A state ban on consumer use of neonicotinoid pesticides is slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2018, after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced that he will allow S.B. 198/H.B. 211 to become law without his signature. The legislation, which includes exceptions for certified applicators, farmers and veterinarians, makes Maryland the first state to adopt such a ban on consumer use, according to a coalition of environmental organizations operating as Smart on Pesticides Maryland.”
MISCELLANY
Pakalolo writes—Russia's toxic debris set to fall from the junkyard in the sky and splash into the pristine Arctic: “CBC News has reported that an international aviation authority has issued a warning that toxic debris from a Russian rocket launch is slated to fall Saturday into Baffin Bay. The Bay is located outside of Canada’s territorial waters. The rocket stage is expected to come down in what is called the North Water Polynya, an 85,000-square-kilometre area of Arctic sea that naturally remains ice free year round. The open water is a refuge for narwhal, beluga, walrus and bowhead whales. Its plankton-rich waters draw shoals of Arctic cod, providing food for an ecosystem that also supports seals, polar bears and millions of seabirds. The polynya — the largest in the Arctic — is hunted by Inuit from Canada and Greenland. It's also connected through ocean currents to Lancaster Sound, where the Canadian government is considering creation of a marine protected area. Byers said little is known about how hydrazine reacts in water, especially when it is cold and ice-choked. Nor is there any information on how much unused hydrazine the rocket stage is likely to hit the water with.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Forestry Corp Files RICO Suit Against Greenpeace: “Resolute Forest Products Inc has provided a perfect way to judge those who raise their voices in defense of ExxonMobil and others from RICO investigations on First Amendment grounds. By filing a civil RICO suit against Greenpeace, Resolute has provided a counter-example to the ExxonMobil RICO investigations, by trying to put a green group under the RICO spotlight on behalf of an industry’s concerns. According to Resolute, Greenpeace has used misleading statements about the company’s forestry practices as a way to fundraise. What will come of this lawsuit remains to be seen. Also remaining to be seen is whether or not the Wall Street Journal and others who have offered full-throated First Amendment defense of ExxonMobil et al. will be similarly vocal in their defense of Greenpeace. If their constitutional defense is one they truly believe in, then they will fight for Greenpeace’s Right to Free Speech. So far, JunkScience, run by Steve Milloy, has posted Resolute’s press release with a single sentence of commentary: ‘Greens are the racketeers.’”