Daily Briefing: Fri.

Fri, Jan 08 2010 at 11:27 AM EST

POLLAN-NATION: Since the runaway success of 2006’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, U.C. Berkeley journalism professor and New York Times Magazine Contributing Editor Michael Pollan has become the country’s top foodie intellectual. After years of exploring how industrialization and corporatization of food production in the U.S. damages our health, Pollan is shifting his focus to helping consumers improve their eating habits. His new book Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual is a breezy, funny pocket-sized guide of 64 principles of healthier eating. The book is organized around the three phrases ‘Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants,” which appeared on the cover of his 2008 book In Defense of Food. Food Rules , which Pollan is heavily promoting on talk shows this week, urges readers to seek out natural foods, in moderate portions, and prioritize plants over animal products. Pollan tells the New York Times the book was compiled with the help of online readers who contributed snappy, easy-to-remember phrases. He explained to New York Times health columnist Tara Parker-Pope that he doesn’t expect people follow each rule, but instead hopes readers find enough rules they remember and like to nudge them in a healthier direction. (Source: New York Times)

'ADY GIL' SLEEPS WITH THE FISHES: The high-speed, carbon-fiber ship used by anti-whale hunting activists to confront Japan’s commercial whaling fleets sunk to the bottom of the ocean today, two-days after it collided with ship accompanying a Japanese whaling fleet. The ‘Ady Gil’ sank as companion craft in the anti-whaling fleet were attempting to tow it to harbor in Antarctica. Dramatic video footage of Wednesday’s collision shows a Japanese vessel slicing the bow off the ‘Ady Gil’. The anti-whaling fleet, known as Sea Shepherd Conservation Group, says the Japanese craft targeted the ‘Ady Gil’ after scouting it from the air. Japanese officials accuse the anti-whaling fleet of being the aggressors, and say the group was armed with giant arrows. ‘Ady Gil’ is the name of the Hollywood executive who helps finance the anti-whaling group’s activities. The ship holds the record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe. For more, including video footage, see MNN’s article about the collision. (Sources: Agence France Press, The Australian)

GREEN PIECES: Coinciding with the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, Greenpeace has updated its “Guide To Green Electronics.” Nokia and Sony Ericson have, far and away, the highest scores, with Greenpeace praising both firms for their efforts to reduce the amount of hazardous materials in their products. Of U.S.-based gadget makers, Apple and Motorola rank highest, with Apple earning praise for recycling and reducing toxicity. The lowest scoring U.S. company? Microsoft. Though primarily thought of as a software maker, Microsoft’s gadget-making operations (X-Box, Zune, etc.) are more toxic than average, according to Greenpeace. The company also loses points on the list for failing to support new regulations restricting chemicals in electronics. (Source: Greenpeace)

AIR APPARENT: The Obama administration announced that it is tightening air quality standards enacted by the Bush administration less than two years ago. The EPA is proposing to limit ground level ozone to 0.060 to 0.070 parts per million from the current standard of 0.075. Stricter air quality standards will cost utilities and industry billions, but the EPA believes that will be offset by lower health care costs and by preventing as many as 12,000 annual premature deaths caused by heart and lung disease. The EPA will take public comments on the proposal for 60 days, then issue a final ruling in August. Public reaction so far has been predictable. Energy industry representatives say the proposal is burdensome and expensive while offering no proven benefits. Environmental advocates say it will improve air quality, and spur technical advances in pollution controls. (Source: New York Times)

MOUNTAIN DON’T: From the “obvious if you think about it” department comes a report published in Science yesterday explaining why mountaintop removal mining irreversibly devastates not only the targeted mountain, but vast areas of the surrounding landscape. Mountaintop removal, widespread in Appalachian coal mining, works thusly: Forests atop mountains are clear-cut. Explosives are then used to obliterate the mountain from the top-down. Earth-moving equipment drives into the opened mountain and removes the coal (or whatever is being mined). The leftover rocks and dirt are shoved off to surrounding valleys, burying some streams, and turning others into pollution highways funneling toxic mining runoff to downstream communities. Not surprisingly, those living in Appalachia have higher-than-average mortality, lung cancer, heart, lung and kidney disease. The peer-reviewed study, which includes members of the National Academy of Sciences, calls for a ban on mountaintop removal. (Source: Science Daily, The Guardian)

— Today's 'Daily Briefing' column was reported by Andisheh Nouraee. Russell McLendon is on vacation.

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Photos:

Michael Pollan: Zuma Press

Ady Gil drowning: ZUMA Press

Microsoft at Consumer Electronics Show: Getty Images

Obama: ZUMA Press

Mountaintop removal: Jeff Gentner/AP