>> Illustrating a common problem with offsets: Polluters want to buy cheap offsets instead of actually polluting less, claiming the end result’s equal. Environmental justice groups disagree:

Public health groups want to force companies to spend their money close to home by retrofitting their facilities. In addition to slowing global warming, greenhouse gas cleanup would reduce the particulates and toxic gases that cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

But companies want to avoid some cleanup expenses through “offsets” — paying for cheaper projects to reduce greenhouse gases elsewhere in California or in other states and countries.

>> Illustrating the potential benefits of offsets:  Logging of redwood’s been limited in California’s Van Eck forest. “The conservation foundation that oversees the forest then calculated that carbon bonus and sold it for $2 million to individuals and companies trying to offset some 185,000 metric tons of their greenhouse gas emissions.”

>> New water conservation rules begin today for L.A. Water your lawn on Mon. and Thurs. only, and use 15% less water to avoid fines and rate hikes. If you’re waterwise but your neighbor’s not, you can tattle by contacting L.A. DWP at 800.DIAL.DWP or waterconservationteam@ladwp.com. Earlier: L.A.’s water rates are likely to go up, or how to get free water.

>> I’ll be sticking to organic, fair trade sugar over domestic: 90% of  the U.S.’ sugarbeet crop is now genetically modified. The Roundup Ready seed come from Monsanto, of course. Earlier: Food Fray — Everything you wanted to know about GM food.

>> So you know, Monsanto spent $2 million lobbying the first quarter of 2009. Writes Tom Philpott at Grist: “Monsanto dominates the global market for GMO seeds like Microsoft dominates the operating-system software market.  You don’t skirt around antitrust enforcement like that without having good friends in Washinton.”

Photo by driawolf

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