Month: February 2000

Most of us spend our days listening to the hum of computers and the ring of a telephone. The sounds of nature usually fade into the background. But musician David Rothenberg believes people need to pay attention to natural sounds. So, he’s found a way to work them into his music. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly has the story:

Transcript

Most of us spend our days listening to the hum of computers and the ring of a telephone.
The sounds of nature usually fade into the background. But musician David Rothenberg believes

people need to pay attention to natural sounds. So, he’s found a way to work them into his music.
The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly has the story:

(sound of nature)

David Rothenberg is playing a recording of crows on his stereo. As he listens, he rummages through

a pile of wind instruments on a bookshelf. His home office in Cold Spring, New York doubles as a

music studio. Finally, he chooses a plastic u-shaped pipe.

(sound of music)

It’s a cellyafloyta, a Norwegian flute. Rothenberg cups one hand over a hole in the end and
blows into the top.

“In jazz, you’re often improvising upon chord changes, but you can also improvise according to

sound changes. There’s a certain living quality that you find in natural sounds and that’s why I’ve

been working on performances where natural sounds are played as an instrument.. .to make something

that really seems to live.”

(sound of song)

In a piece called Toothwalking, Rothenberg plays clarinet over the sound of walruses clacking their

teeth on rocks. A friend of his collected the sound on a trip to the Alaska Sea.

“I like the shape of what he put together. It really had a form. I love the vision of walruses
propelling themselves on their teeth. They sort of stick them on the rocks and pull themselves up

and bang the teeth against each other.”

Rothenberg has played with the sounds of screaming seals. He’s played with buzzing rainforests and

beluga whales. But he’s not interested in created your typical nature CD.

“You know, there’s a whole world of standard, calm pieces of music with loons or wolves and stuff

or the ocean just mixed in. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, but I think it’s just a
place to begin. To make music that really responds to those sounds is more difficult and will be

unfamiliar and less popular and hopefully, if it’s of any value, will teach you something new.”

Rothenberg’s daytime gig is at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He’s a professor who

lectures on philosophy and the environment. And while he enjoys teaching, he finds his music does

something his teaching can’t. It reaches people on a deeper level.

In the piece Antarctica melting, Rothenberg plays the flute over the crackling of a melting

iceberg.

“You hear the sound of global warming, you’ll remember it. You know, newspaper articles, there’s
many of them. Every week, there’s a new bit of terrible news released and people become numb to

that. People become numb to a lot of things but sound I think is something that people should open

up to and then we won’t be able to have this same kind of separation that enables us to destroy the

environment so much.”

Rothenberg doesn’t consider himself an activist. He just wants to help people to get back in touch

with the natural world. Author Evan Eisenberg says Rothenberg delivers a message that isn’t present

in most nature CDs.

“I think for him, nature is something much more ambiguous and not always so pretty and something

that’s constantly changing and can’t be pinned down so his music and engagement with natural sounds

reflects that.”

These days, Rothenberg is working on a new CD, called Before the War. It’ll be out this summer on

the Earthear label. He’s also performing live, improvising with natural sounds recorded by

colleagues in the field. Rothenberg says he’s not sure people will even like his music. But he

hopes it’ll convince them to start listening.

For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Karen Kelly in Cold Spring, New York.

For the first time ever, a major auto maker is launching a new division devoted exclusively to environmentally friendly vehicles. Ford believes the move establishes the company as a leader in environmental protection. But now the question remains: Can an auto maker make a profit selling these kinds of cars? Or do they really want to? The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Julie Halpert has more:

Transcript

For the first time ever, a major auto maker is launching a
new division devoted exclusively to environmentally friendly vehicles. Ford
believes the move establishes the company as a leader in environmental
protection. But now the question remains: can an automaker make a profit
selling these kinds of cars? Or do they really want to? The Great Lakes
Radio Consortium’s Julie Halpert has more:

Over the next year, expect to see a new type of transportation making
its way into communities across the country. Tiny electric cars that look like
oversized golf carts. And moped-sized electric bikes. They’re part of a new division at

the Ford Motor Company named Think. John Wallace runs the program.

“We felt that our customer base is becoming increasingly
environmentally sensitive and our company has a major strategy to become a
leader in environmental protection, so one of the things we looked at doing
was establishing a brand that was focused entirely on highly
environmentally responsible products and that’s what Think really is.”

There’s four products in the think line: two electric bikes and two
battery powered cars. The think neighbor goes 25 miles on a charge and is intended for

neighborhood trips. It will retail for about $6,000. The Think
City can go 55 miles on a charge and is designed for longer trips. It will cost
around $25,000. Wallace says that these cars should fill a niche market for
local travel.

“It’s really something that doesn’t exist. It’s a road
vehicle. It’s not a golf cart. It’s a different kind of vehicle that comes in a
variety of sizes and really offers the ability to have cost-effective
transportation with no impact to the environment.”

Those in the fuel efficiency business share Wallace’s enthusiasm. John
Decheeko is with the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.
He says Think could teach Ford some valuable lessons.

“Usually they sell products based on the basis of power,
size and luxury, a whole suite of other attributes. In a sense they need to
learn how to sell green and by putting it into the framework of a special
company, I think is a very sensible strategy to test that out and learn how to
do it effectively.”

(sound of highway)

The think isn’t commercially available yet, but there are a few similar models on the market. Here

in Saline, Michigan, Dan Sturgis is an independent automotive enfineer who worked on the Think

project.

Sturgis: “It’s not even to full speed. It gets, I mean, at 25 miles anhour when you’re very open,

it’s actually quite fun.”

Halpert: “The feel reminds
one of a go-cart ride, a little bumpy, but with a lot of pick-up.”

Sturgis: “You can tell it’s kind of quick. I always had fun driving these things.”

Sturgis is delighted that Ford is trying to market these. And he thinks
they’ll have far-reaching benefits.

“I think these vehicles are a step in the right direction in
that they look at more than just air quality. They look at our parking. They
look at congestion issues. They look at the cost of vehicles and the cost of
travel, so that’s the advantage of these vehicles, is the comprehensive approach.”

But some environmentalists are questioning Ford’s motives. Dan
Becker is with the Sierra Club. He says that Ford is best known for its sport
utility vehicles, and that those cars are some of the worst polluters. Becker
wonders why they’re unveiling products that aren’t practical.

“Why they’re doing something completely different that
the American people have never had any experience with raises the question
as to whether they’re serious in wanting to sell this or whether it’s just an
effort to greenscam and claim that they tried to make a green vehicle when
they are actually making something they don’t think will succeed.”

Becker says for these cars to succeed, Ford will need to aggressively
market them. And he’s doubtful that they’ll earmark enough funds.

But Ford’s John Wallace says the company does have a strong
marketing plan.

“It’s a lot more than just image. I’m trying to make a
business that is self-sustained, that is pleasing to customers, that is profitable
to the company, that can meet as many market needs as we can find, that can
have as much volume as we can generate.”

Wallace says that gaining public acceptance will be the biggest
challenge. He admits that while the Think mobiles aren’t for everyone, Ford
only intends to market them to people who drive short distances.
Wallace says this approach speaks to the strengths of the vehicles.

“The neighbor becomes a way of getting transportation
in a way that’s extremely friendly in a low speed environment. People call it
a front porch on wheels because it’s open. It’s pleasant. There’s no noise and
you can refill it just be plugging it into your garage.”

The Think neighbor car will be available this November, while the
Think City is due in late 2001. All of the Think products can be ordered on
the web.

For The Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Julie Halpert
in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Most environmental groups are quietly working behind the scenes in the presidential campaigns. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports one environmental group is not being quiet in the race between the Democrats.

Transcript

Most environmental groups are quietly working behind the scenes in the
presidential campaigns. One environmental group is not being quiet in the race between
the democrats. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports:

Conventional wisdom said there would be no challengers to Vice-President
Al Gore’s record on the environment. That all changed when the Friends of
the Earth political action committee endorsed former senator Bill
Bradley. Brent Blackwelder is the group’s president.

“His voting record on environmental issues was better than that of Vice-President
Gore’s when they were in the U.S. Congress and Bradley actually passed more environmental legislation.
He actually got results. The Vice-President was good on the rhetoric, but short on the legislation.”

Since the endorsement, Gore’s supporters have been scrambling to bolster
his reputation in the environmental community. However, during debates
and on the campaign trail – more often than not – It’s Bradley who brings
up environmental issues.

For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, this is Lester Graham.

Related Links

• The official Bill Bradley campaign site

The Democrats in the race for president agree on more issues than they disagree. Despite that Vice-President Al Gore was thought to have no challengers on one issue, the environment. But the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports the environment is an issue that former Senator Bill Bradley is also claiming.

Transcript

The democrats in the race for president agree on more issues than they
disagree. Despite that, Vice-President Al Gore was thought to have no
challengers on one issue, the environment. But the Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Lester Graham reports the environment is an issue that
former Senator Bill Bradley is also claiming:

During his career in Congress, Al Gore kept the environment at the center
of his agenda. He was the first member of congress to hold hearings on
global warming. In fact, during the 1992 campaign, then President Bush
called Gore the “ozone man,” painting Gore as an environmental extremist.
Few questioned Gore’s credentials as an environmentalist.

That’s why when an environmental group endorsed Bill Bradley, it sent
shockwaves throughout the Gore campaign. Brent Blackwelder is the
president of the Friends of the Earth political action committee. He says
the group endorsed Bradley because he has a superior environmental
record.

“His voting record on environmental issues was better than that of Vice-President
Gore’s when they were in the U.S. Congress and Bradley actually passed more environmental

legislation.
he actually got results. The Vice-President was good on the rhetoric, but short on the

legislation.”

Another group, the League of Conservation Voters, reports on its
Congressional environmental scorecard, Bradley’s lifetime voting
average was 84-percent. Gore’s average was 64-percent.

Bradley has been bolstered by the Friends of the Earth endorsement and
The League of Conservation Voters’ profile. On the campaign trail in New
Hampshire he’s not shied away from talking about the environment as one
of his top priorities.

“And then, of course, it’s to protect the natural world. So, that we can allow our

children to
have the same experience we’ve had in New Hampshire, in states across this country, the

chance to
experience something that’s bigger than you are and lasts longer than you do.”

Although Bradley has not made the environment the centerpiece of his
campaign… It’s been more prominent than expected by some political observers. Allan J.

Lichtman is a professor of history at American
University and author of the book Keys to the White House. Bradley has
staked his claim on the environment as an issue.

“And I think he feels with the support of insurgents like the Friends of the Earth, that

if
they are to get into a tussle over the environment, that there are vulnerabilities in the

Clinton-Gore record
that he could press and even in the debates we’ve seen on a couple of occasions Bill

Bradley has in fact
been the one to bring up at least issues related to the environment and Al Gore has not.”

Lichtman says while Bradley is taking advantage of his position, behind the
scenes, many of the players in the large environmental groups are quietly
backing Gore.

During Bradley’s entire eighteen years in the Senate, he sat on the Energy and
Natural Resources Committee. He says he fought for reforms in laws on
water, timber, grazing, and mining on public lands. Environmental groups
generally give his work a high rating, but complain that he only led on a
narrow band of issues.

On the campaign trail, Bradley talks about protecting the environment in
pragmatic terms. He says the time of adversarial relationships between
environmentalists and industrialists should be past.

“I think that the environmental movement has been critical in putting the issue before the
people and putting the pressure on. But, I think that the ultimate solution is doing

what’s in our own self-interest in the long-run, what’s in our corporate self-interest, if you’re

the head of a corporation, or in our
individual interest, and that is to preserve this environment. To clean up the pollution.”

Bradley supports free markets, but not to the detriment of the
environment.
He says there should be no global trade agreements that make it more
difficult to enforce domestic environmental protection. In fact, he
believes such agreements can be used to improve the global environment.

“I think that global warming’s a good example of something you can‘t deal with simply
domestically. You have to deal with it internationally.
and the forum of multi-lateral negotiations is the way to do that. And because there is a

world trade
organization, you have a better chance of dealing with that issue than you would if we

were simply a
country alone without real relationships through trade.”

Bradley’s record on the environment includes being among the first to
support superfund legislation. He’s fought for wilderness protection
and he’s worked to protect marine areas.

While Bradley has been more vocal about the environment on the
campaign trail, professor Allan Lichtman says the two democrats are not
that far apart.

“But the truth is there isn’t a fundamental difference between Bradley and Gore the way
there is a fundamental difference between either Bradley and Gore and George W. Bush on

the republican
side and so this may become much more of an issue when we get to the general election

unless it is John
McCain, who edges closer to the democrats on the environmental issues, but is not fully in

accord with the
democratic approach.”

Lichtman says because Bradley and Gore’s positions on the environment
are similar, it’s likely other issues will have a greater affect the outcome
of the democratic primary elections.

For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, this is Lester Graham.

Related Links

• The official Bill Bradley campaign site

In the Democratic race for the presidential nomination, the front-runner, Al Gore, is defending his record on the environment. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reportsmost political observers had thought Vice President Gore’s record on the environment was beyond challenge.

Transcript

In the democratic race for the presidential nomination, the front-runner,
Al Gore, is defending his record on the environment. Most political observers had
thought Vice-President gore’s record on the environment was beyond
challenge. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports:

With his best-seller Earth in the Balance, Al Gore literally wrote the book
on environmentalism in the 1990’s. However, some environmental groups
hold him responsible for not accomplishing more during his eight years in
the Clinton Administration. His defenders say Gore is a victim of history.
Robert f. Kennedy, Jr. has raised funds for the Gore campaign. He says Gore
has earned the environmentalists support over his opponent, Bill Bradley,
because Gore fought the republican’s contract with America in 1994. The
contract called for relaxing some environmental laws.

“Bill Bradley quit the senate. He went back to New Jersey, said ‘I’m going to make some
money.’ but, Al Gore stayed and he slugged it out toe-to-toe with Newt Gingrich.”

But some environmentalists say Gore’s record does not match his rhetoric
on the environment. They say Gore should have done more to support the
Kyoto treaty on global warming, done more to protect wilderness areas,
and more aggressively pursued polluters.

For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, this is Lester Graham.

Related Links

• The official Al Gore campaign site

The front-runner in the race for the Democratic party’s presidential nomination is getting some criticism in an area few thought possible: the environment. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports, some environmentalists feel Vice-President Al Gore’s positions on the issues are not always backed by his record in office.

Transcript

The front-runner in the race for the Democratic Party’s presidential
nomination is getting some criticism in an area few thought possible: the
environment. Some environmentalists feel Vice-President Al Gore’s positions on the issues
are not always backed by his record in office. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester

Graham reports:

With his 1992 best-seller Earth in the Balance, Al Gore wrote the book on
environmentalism in the 1990’s. His campaign website goes on at length
about his positions on environmental issues. But on the campaign trail and
during debates, Vice-President Gore keeps it simple.

“We have to pay attention to the quality of life with clean air and clean water, with

attention to
the environment, with smart growth, and preservation of open space. And I think that’s

critically
important.”

Instead of talking extensively about what’s seen as “his” issue, the
environment, Al Gore’s been spending more time on health care and
education.

“I’m actually a little surprised that Vice-President Gore has not been more assertive on

the environment.”

Allan J. Lichtman is a professor of history at American University and the
author of Keys to the White House.

“I think part of it may be that he is so wrapped up in the issue that he’d wind up giving

an
insider rap on this that would lose the average voter. I’ve seen environmentalists do that

and they can lose
you very quickly when they get into the intricacies of these regulatory acts. I also think

the Gore campaign
doesn’t believe that environment right now is high among the issues that are on the minds

of primary
voters.”

But some environmentalists say there’s another reason Al Gore is not
saying much about the environment. They feel the Clinton-Gore
Administration’s record on the environment is weak.

Last fall, the political action committee of an environmental group called
“Friends of the Earth” shook the Gore campaign by endorsing Bill Bradley.
Brent Blackwelder is the Friends of the Earth’s president. He says Gore’s
voting record in Congress is not as good as Bradley’s. Blackwelder adds
when Gore took on the mantle of “environmental spokesman” for the
Clinton-Gore administration, he also accepted the responsibility.

“And so, when we say the environmental enforcement record of the Clinton-Gore
Administration is atrocious, it’s not only Clinton, it’s Gore. I mean, forty-percent of

your manufacturers are in
significant violation of the Clean Air Act for the last couple of years in which

statistics are available.
Inspections under the Clean Water Act and the Coal Strip-Mining Act have been dropping

off.
enforcement staffs been cut back. This is not the record of someone that’s taking care of

the
environment.”

Other environmental groups have held off endorsing in the primary.
However, Allan Lichtman says many of them are in lock-step with Vice-
President Gore.
Still, the ‘Friends of the Earth’ Bradley endorsement had its effect.

“That certainly was a shot across the bow to Al Gore on the environmental issues and
perhaps a warning signal that maybe environmentalism is not a wedge issue between himself

and Bill
Bradley.”

Shortly after the Bradley endorsement, some of the country’s leading
environmentalists came to Gore’s defense. Among them was Robert F.
Kennedy, Jr. Kennedy is the president of the Water Keeper Alliance and an
attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council. He says Al Gore has earned the

environmental community’s backing over his opponent, Bill
Bradley. Kennedy says that’s because Gore fought the 1994 republican
‘Contract with America.’ Kennedy feels the contract sacrificed the
nation’s natural areas for profit.

“Bill Bradley quit the senate. He went back to New Jersey, said ‘I ‘m going to make some
money.’ but, Al Gore stayed and he slugged it out toe-to-toe with Newt Gingrich.”

On the campaign trail the Vice-President Gore blames the republicans for
blocking his issues. During a New Hampshire public radio call-in show, the Vice-President defended the Clinton Administration’s slow progress on
global warming.

“The Congress has refused to support the measures we’ve proposed. I personally went to Kyoto
in Japan to help negotiate the world treaty to combat global warming and the republican congress,
especially the Senate, has refused to support that. You know, the weather’s been pretty chaotic in the last
few years, consistent with predictions of the kind of impacts global warming will have. And most people
now feel that, yeah, there’s a connection. And we have to lead the world in addressing this problem.”

The Clinton-Gore Administration has been criticized for not developing a
program to meet emissions targets under the Kyoto Treaty. Nine
environmental groups sent a letter to the White House, expressing deep
disappointment. In time magazine one environmental leader said he didn’t
question the Vice-President’s commitment against global warming, but
quote: “so far, it’s all talk and no action,” end quote.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Says it’s possible the Clinton-Gore Administration
could have done more to help the environment, but he doesn’t doubt Gore’s
commitment.

“Well, you know, for Gore it’s the central issue… of his life, of his career, of his thinking.
To have a guy with those attitudes who come in on day one and understands those issues is going to put this
country at a huge advantage.”

While Gore is credited with helping to establish Superfund legislation,
raise awareness of the global warming theory, and giving the pro-
environment lobbyists access to the White House, his opponent, Bill
Bradley feels the Clinton-Gore record on the environment has
vulnerabilities.

For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, this is Lester Graham.

Related Links

• The official Al Gore campaign site