The Foreign Service Journal, February 2008

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 8 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 11 Patricia Kushlis, are less optimistic. Acknowledging that Hughes “restor- ed portions of core PD functions, like media reaction or rapid response units, which had been allowed to lay fallow since the demise of USIA in 1999,” Kushlis argues that the fundamental structural changes “that could and should have happened” were not made ( http://whirledview. typepad.com/whirledview/public _diplomacy/index.html ). Whatever she did accomplish, Hughes was not able to turn around the polls, which show a continuing decline in the U.S. image abroad, particularly among Muslim countries. But as Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center, which cond- ucts many of these polls, told the International Herald Tribune , “This may not be a measure of her lack of competence, but how little public diplomacy can do when the issue, in the end, is big events.” U.S. Environment Policy in States’ Hands California Governor Arnold Sch- warzenegger, with the support of 16 other Republican- and Democrat-led states, is suing the Bush admini- stration in the latest move in a long battle to speed up efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The State Department didn’t for- see this standoff but may yet prove to have correctly anticipated the out- come. Its Fourth U.S. Climate Action Report, issued in July 2007 after White House clearance, notes that U.S. states are “taking a variety of steps that contribute to the [admin- istration’s] overall GHG intensity re- duction goal” ( www.state.gov/g/ oes/rls/rpts/car/ ). Included is Cali- fornia’s new law. The dispute began with Californ- ia’s adoption of tough, new limits on toxic emissions from motor vehicles. The state’s February 2006 request that the U.S. Environmental Pro- tection Agency authorize the new law (under the Clean Air Act, the EPA is charged with regulating all emissions) was stalled. On Dec. 19, 2007, EPA Admini- strator Stephen Johnson finally de- nied the request, arguing that the ad- ministration’s recently passed energy bill offers “a clear national solution — not a confusing patchwork of state rules — to reduce America’s climate footprint from vehicles.” But, according to the Environment News Service, though the Energy Independence and Security Act man- dates a fuel economy standard of 35 miles per gallon by 2020, it does not regulate greenhouse gas emissions at all ( www.ensnewswire.com/ens/ dec2007/2007-12-19-04.asp ). Under the California Clean Cars Program mandatory fuel economy would begin a decade earlier, in 2009, and greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 30 percent by 2016. This edition of Cybernotes was compiled by Senior Editor Susan B. Maitra. Site of the Month Environment News Service: www.ens-newswire.com The Environment News Service, which describes itself as “the original, daily, international wire service of the environment,” was founded in 1990 by Editor-in-Chief Sunny Lewis and Managing Editor Jim Crabtree. The service is independently owned and operated, and subscription is free. With editorial offices in Washington, D.C., and Honolulu, Hawaii, and more than 100,000 subscribers among the media, corporations, government agencies, universities and citizen groups, the mission of ENS is to present environmental news in a fair and balanced manner. Contributors around the world cover issues and events on a daily basis, such as legislation, conferences, lawsuits, political campaigns, international agreements, science and technology and economics concerning every aspect of the environment. ENS has been first with many stories over the years. Its correspondents were the first to report on the environmental consequences of the Persian Gulf War and conflicts in Croatia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. An ENS reporter was first into the secret Soviet nuclear site at Alma Ata. Many news sources in the U.S. and around the world contact the ENS newsroom in advance of public announcements and work closely with the service on breaking developments. The Web site contains an archive of stories organized by year and month. C Y B E R N O T E S 50 Years Ago... If we take a worm’s-eye view of the world conflict, and cut foreign aid, hamstring reciprocal trade and emasculate our information program, the billions we spend for missiles and submarines and aircraft will be going right down a rat hole. — Then-Vice President Richard Nixon, speaking on Dec. 6, 1957, in favor of a sound public relations policy to the Congress of American Industry, FSJ , February 1958.