So guess what Rudy put forth as his alternative plan: more emphasis on nuclear energy, ethanol, and hybrid vehicles. To which I say: Good, good and good. Super ideas all. But how does that constitute an alternative? Hasn´t President Bush been saying the same things for, how long has it been, a year or more now? Maybe Rudy is implying that if we give him a shot in the Oval Office he´ll put less effort into saying those things and more into doing them.

Here Come De Judges
The Supreme Court is preparing to hear a case, possibly as early as this week, that could greatly affect the EPA´s current hands-off regulatory stance regarding emissions of greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming.

It´s a complex case (Duh; when was the last Supreme Court case that wasn´t?), but the Washington Post performs yeoman´s service decoding the legalese and explaining the case in layman´s terms. Relatively speaking, of course.

But They´ll Settle For Shocked Stares & Pity
"Nude Cyclists Want Respect From Motorists" -- Headline, Yahoo News, June 11

Her Latest Splash: Come Down Out Of That Tree, You Wacky Mermaid You
"Daryl Hannah Evicted From Tree On Urban Farm" -- Headline, Los Angeles Times, June 14

On Assignment: You´ll see a different face in this space next Tuesday and Thursday. A pair of columns by Waste News Editor Allan Gerlat will appear here. I´ll be on hiatus. Not the restful kind, though. I´ve been drafted by our sister publication Plastics News to help edit a series of show dailies to be distributed at NPE 2006, the International Plastics Showcase in Chicago next week. I´ll be back in my regular slot here week after next. See you then.

Pete Fehrenbach is assistant managing editor of Waste News. Past installments of this column are collected in the Inbox archive.