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DECEMBER 18, 2000 VOL. 156 NO. 24
Environment
ALSO
The Best (and Worst) of 2000: Year in Review
When we look back, we'll remember Tiger Woods, Harry Potter and Sydney's Olympic gala
THE
BEST
1. GASOLINE GRIDLOCK Yes, the high price and tight supply of petrol
brought misery to millions of drivers, like these poor souls in Manchester,
England. But what's bad for car owners is good for nature. Like the 1970s
oil shocks, this year's turmoil will spur production—and sales—of
cars that use less gasoline. That will mean a cleaner planet and better
odds against global warming.
2. GREEN GAMES Sydney's Olympic organizers set out to make their
Games the greenest ever—by utilizing solar power, mass transportation
and recycling. Hard-to-please conservationists complained that officials
themselves still buzzed around in gasoline-powered cars, among other sins,
but Sydney deserves some credit for shining the Olympic torch on the environmental
cause.
3. GUARDIAN-IN-CHIEF This year alone U.S. President Bill Clinton
protected the wilderness by establishing or expanding 10 national monuments,
decreeing that no roads would be built in 23.5 million hectares of public
forest and setting up the largest U.S. nature preserve, an underwater
paradise off Hawaii. If George Bush wins the election, he could reverse
some of these actions, but with a weak mandate, he may not dare to do
so.
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ALSO IN TIME
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