BOTTLED WATER, FULL OF CONTAMINANTS?

From the AFP:

Sweden's second city Gothenburg has decided to stop buying bottled water due to environmental concerns and will only provide civil servants with tap water, a city councillor said Thursday .

Tests on leading brands of bottled water turned up a variety of contaminants often found in tap water, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental advocacy group.
The findings challenge the popular impression — and marketing pitch — that bottled water is purer than tap water, the researchers say.

However, all the brands met federal health standards for drinking water. Two violated a California state standard, the study said.

An industry group branded the findings "alarmist." Joe Doss, president of the International Bottled Water Association, said the study is based on the faulty premise that a contaminant is a health concern "even if it does not exceed the established regulatory limit or no standard has been set."

The study's lab tests on 10 brands of bottled water detected 38 chemicals including bacteria, caffeine, the pain reliever acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents, plastic-making chemicals and the radioactive element strontium. Though some probably came from tap water that some companies use for their bottled water, other contaminants probably leached from plastic bottles, the researchers said.

"In some cases, it appears bottled water is no less polluted than tap water and, at 1,900 times the cost, consumers should expect better," said Jane Houlihan, an environmental engineer who co-authored the study.

The two-year study was done by the Washington-based Environmental Working Group, an organization founded by scientists that advocates stricter regulation. It found the contaminants in bottled water purchased in nine states and Washington, D.C.

Researchers tested one batch for each of 10 brands. Eight did not have contaminants high enough to warrant further testing. But two brands did, so more tests were done and those revealed chlorine byproducts above California's standard, the group reported. The researchers identified those two brands as Sam's Choice sold by Wal-Mart and Acadia of Giant Food supermarkets.

In the Wal-Mart and Giant Food bottled water, the highest concentration of chlorine byproducts, known as trihalomethanes, was over 35 parts per billion. California's limit is 10 parts per billion or less, and the industry's International Bottled Water Association makes 10 its voluntary guideline. The federal limit is 80.

Wal-Mart said its own studies did not turn up illegal levels of contaminants. Giant Food officials released a statement asserting that Acadia meets all regulatory standards. Acadia is sold in the mid-Atlantic states, so it isn't held to California's standard. In most places, bottled water must meet roughly the same federal standards as tap water.

The researchers also said the Wal-Mart brand was five times California's limit for one particular chlorine byproduct, bromodichloromethane. The environmental group wants Wal-Mart to label its bottles in California with a warning because the chlorine-based contaminants have been linked with cancer. It has filed a notice of intent to sue.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Shannon Frederick said the company was "puzzled" by the findings because testing by suppliers and another lab had detected no "reportable amounts" of such contaminants. She said Wal-Mart would investigate further but defended the quality of its bottled water.

The researchers recommend that people worried about water contaminants drink tap water with a carbon filter.

8 RULES FOR A SUCCESSFUL "STAYCATION"

#1 Change your routine
It won’t feel like much of a vacation if you do the same things. Shake up the routine! Be spontaneous and give yourself unscheduled time for fun. Do the unexpected. Your usual routine will be there waiting when you’re back to work!

#2 Unplug
Turn off the cell phone, take off the watch, put the blackberry in a drawer, stay away from e-mail and screen your telephone calls. Resist the temptation to check in with work. Pretend you are too far away for anyone to reach you. The biggest challenge of your staycation is to keep work at bay!

#3 Skip the chores
You’re going to feel really deprived if you spend your time cleaning out closets or doing other chores. Hire a cleaning service so you can spend the time lounging or having fun instead of cleaning. Take a vacation from the pets as well by sending them to a local kennel for a few days.

#4 Eat out
Dining out is part of any holiday. Visit your local farmer’s market and go on a gourmet hunt. Get online and read reviews of local restaurants and pick out some new cuisines to try. Invite some friends offer for dinner or invite them out to a restaurant and pick up the tab -- you can afford since you’re saving money staying at home.

#5 Spend some time with nature
Slow down. When was the last time you laid back and watched the clouds roll by? Take a hike, a canoe trip or swim in a lake. National Parks have nominal fees but offer some great places to explore. Plan an overnight camping trip. If you’re a foodie, visit a u-pick farm and pick up your favourite berries or fruits.

#6 Become a local tourist
Rediscover the things you love about your hometown. There’s sure to be some local attractions you’ve been meaning to visit for years. Get out to those concerts in the park or festivals you’ve been missing for years. Pick up a guidebook and discover what visitors enjoy in your town. As a local, you’ll be eligible for all those amazing discounts most cities offer.

#7 Pamper yourself
Be kind to yourself and don’t be afraid to splurge. Visit a day spa. Spend the entire afternoon lounging in one of those glorious robes while you get a massage, facial, pedicure and manicure. Check into a four-star hotel for an evening away and soak up the luxury. Since it’s close to home, you won’t have the hassle of luggage or finding your way in an unfamiliar city.

#8 Relax
Don’t over-schedule yourself. Leave time for downtime and let yourself do whatever you feel like. Read a book, take naps in your hammock, visit friends for afternoon coffee, sleep-in, spend the day in your pyjamas -- lose track of time. The idea is to feel like you’ve gotten a break without exhausting yourself.

(Source: Green Living Online)

STARBUCKS IS IN HOT WATER

Starbucks Corp. is hastily testing alternative ways to disinfect the spoons it uses to prepare drinks, after a British tabloid on Monday accused the coffee company of wasting 6.2 million gallons of water per day.

The Sun's investigation, titled "The great drain robbery," has generated disgust at Starbucks from environmentalists around the world. Besides wasting tons of water while some places suffer droughts, the practice also appears to contradict Starbucks' boasted commitment to environmental responsibility.

"The giant coffee chain has a policy of keeping a tap running non-stop at all its 10,000 outlets worldwide, wasting 23.4 million litres a day," The Sun reported. "That would provide enough daily water for the entire 2 million-strong population of drought-hit Namibia in Africa or fill an Olympic pool every 83 minutes."

(Starbucks actually had 16,548 stores as of its last quarterly income statement. The company would not confirm whether The Sun's water estimates were correct.)

Ironically, Starbucks owns Ethos Water, a bottled water brand that donates a portion of its revenue toward helping children have access to clean water and raising awareness of a worldwide water crisis.

The Sun article did not appear to consider in its calculations that Starbucks baristas also pour out coffee every 30 minutes to keep a fresh brew ready for customers. Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz once said, "We'll be pouring out more coffee than most people serve."

Seattle-based Starbucks does keep a tap running at all of its stores, a spokeswoman confirmed Thursday. But she defended the coffee chain's policy, saying that the running water into a "dipper well" is needed to kill bacteria and remove allergens.

Other food companies also use dipper wells to clean ice cream scoops and spoons used to serve foods such as mashed potatoes and coleslaw. Starbucks appears to have been using dipper wells for more than 10 years.

READ THIS

I want to share some shocking news with you. The National Marine Fisheries Service just revealed that populations of Alaska pollock, the largest food fishery in the world, have dropped 50 percent since last year. I am forwarding our press release below. Please help us prevent the collapse of our fisheries by making a generous gift today. Today is the final day of our challenge grant and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar. This is clear evidence that we need to act and we need to act now: please click here to donate. Our challenge grant has raised $64,190 towards our $75,000 goal. I thank all of you who have given so generously to protect our oceans, together we can make a difference. For the oceans, John Hocevar Oceans Campaigner ----- Original Message ----- From: "Greenpeace" <info@wdc.greenpeace.org> Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 9:59 AM Subject: [Media List] World's Largest Food Fishery in Danger of Collapse FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         October 9, 2008 World's Largest Food Fishery in Danger of Collapse   Dwindling Food Supply Puts Endangered Steller Sea Lions, Fishing Jobs in Jeopardy WASHINGTON -A new survey conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service reveals that populations of Alaska pollock, the world's largest food fishery, have dropped 50 percent since last year. Pollock is America's most ubiquitous seafood product, found in McDonald's fish sandwiches, frozen fish sticks, fish and chips, and imitation crabmeat. The assessment revealed that Bering Sea pollock stocks have declined to their lowest level on record-a startling development for a fishery NMFS' chief scientist recently called  "one of the most successfully managed species in the world" and that has earned a Marine Stewardship Council certification. In December, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council will set the new pollock catch limits for 2009. Scientists and conservationists have warned that unless the Council reduces fishing pressure on pollock, a vital forage species for fur seals, whales, and endangered Steller sea lions, the entire Bering Sea ecosystem could be in jeopardy of collapse. This would prove devastating for the state's commercial fishermen and traditional coastal communities that depend on a healthy ocean for their livelihoods. "Economic pressures to keep on fishing at such high levels have overwhelmed common sense," said Dr. Jeremy Jackson, Director of the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.  "With the huge uncertainties inherent in fisheries models, a far more precautionary, ecosystem-based approach is required. Otherwise, fisheries managers are gambling with the health of our oceans and coastal communities." Over the past several years, the pollock fishery has experienced poor juvenile survival rates and dwindling populations, forcing the council to reduce harvests in the past two fishing seasons. But experts say these actions have been inadequate, failing to prevent further declines. In order to restore the fishery's health, the allowable catch must be cut in half, fishing on spawning populations suspended, and marine reserves established to protect critical habitats. "We are on the cusp of one of the largest fishery collapses in history," said John Hocevar, Greenpeace Oceans Campaign Director.  "It may still be possible to prevent disaster, but the North Pacific Fishery Management Council must take swift and decisive action when they meet in December." For background on the pollock fishery, see our report at: www.greenpeace.org/usa/rethinking   Contact: John Hocevar, Greenpeace USA Oceans Campaign Director ----- End Message -----

702 H Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001 | (800) 326-0959

SEND AN URGENT GREEN-ENERGY MESSAGE TO CANDIDATES (DO IT NOW!)

 

Over the course of this campaign, we’ve heard a lot of talk about oil pipelines in Alaska, “drill, baby, drill,” and even an unfortunate embrace of so-called “clean coal” technology, though no form of coal is ever truly “clean.”    With less than one month to go before Election Day, we need to let our candidates know we’re demanding a comprehensive, modern, green energy policy that will put this country back on the right path in more ways than one. Right now, we can launch a new green energy plan for the US that is intentionally designed to meet five urgent needs at once. We can:  tackle the rising price of fuel, a hardship for many American families, transition the US away from its dependence on foreign oil, push back against the perils of climate change, and reverse rising unemployment rates, which reached a five-year high in September. create real investment into our economy that will counter the ongoing Wall Street meltdown, and its impact on Main Street. While Co-op America members have been making green-energy changes in their lives for many, many years, the time is NOW for a major system change.  We’re challenging each of you to come together with us and tell all presidential and congressional candidates that our country is ready for a clean energy infrastructure that makes it easier to live green.  All of our candidates need to be reminded that if we do this – if we implement a comprehensive green energy policy that calls for energy efficiency, cleaner cars, and renewable solar and wind power –  we’ll ALL reap the rewards of a cleaner environment, reinvigorated economy, and more secure future.  When you click through to take our action, you’ll be prompted for your ZIP code, which will bring up all congressional and presidential candidates running for office in your area.  Then you can add your own personal touch to our editable message, urging all of the candidates to endorse a greener energy platform.  Please take this urgent action today. Send your message to the candidates now » For background on Co-op America’s clean-energy recommendations, check our latest editorial, in which we debunk the myths that can discourage progress on green energy, and outline the components that any elected leader should have in her or his energy policy.  (Please post it widely online, send it to your local paper, and otherwise help us get the word out.)  Then, click through to our action page for more information on what should NOT be included in our energy policy (off-shore drilling, oil-and-gas subsidies, new coal plants, risky nuclear plants), before using our form to send your own message to Congress. Thanks for joining with us to keep this critical issue at the top of our leaders’ minds, as we push for action now, and under the new administration in 2009. Here's to all you do, Alisa Gravitz, Executive Director, Co-op America P.S.  Clean energy news:  The solar energy tax credits were extended for eight years as part of legislation signed into law on October 3.  You can now get 30% tax credits for solar installed on your home or business – without a cap on the amount of the credit.  Thanks to all of our members who joined with us in pushing for these tax credits!

Tell your presidential and congressional candidates to support a truly green energy policy. Act now. » DONATE to our Climate Action Program Help us expand our work to build a greener energy future for America. Donate today » Join Co-op America to keep informed about our work to build a green economy.  Receive a subscription to our Co-op America Quarterly, our green living newsletter Real Money, a copy of the National Green Pages™, and our Guide to Socially Responsible Investing. Your membership makes all of our work possible, and shows that more and more Americans are truly committed to a greener future. Join Now » Post our editorial, or submit it to your newspaper Co-op America's latest green-energy editorial explains our position on a truly green energy policy for America. We invite you to post it to your own Web site, link to us, or submit it to your local newspaper. (If you do any of the above, please let us know!) Read the editorial »

ALL-ELECTRIC SMART CAR IS UNVEILED

The Smart ED — the ED stands for electric drive — can cover about 90 miles without recharging, Daimler said, adding that limited production would start by the end of 2009. Click here to read more.

BUILDING SHOW: SMART HOMES, WATER OUT OF AIR

Watch this, and read this.

ARE YOU A TREE HUGGER?

Dear Chris, I'm writing to enlist your help right now to curb climate change and protect forests by sending a much-needed shockwave through the corporate-run magazine publishing industry—a backwards industry that refuses to use recycled paper! Support our work to save forests, today. Our goal is to convince one—just one—major magazine to shift to using recycled paper before year's end.   Who better to target than Condé Nast publications, printers of The New Yorker, Vogue and Vanity Fair—guilty of taking advantage of the public's growing environmental concerns by publishing 'green' issues—that aren't even on recycled paper. We are telling Condé Nast to put their money where their mouth is! Co-op America has made our voice heard loud and clear. Our PAPER project has helped to nearly double the number of magazines on recycled paper. With just 5% of magazines being printed on recycled paper and our planet's most sacred forests are being sacrificed, your support is needed more than ever. Donate today to help us get one major magazine to go recycled this year. For the forests ... for all the people, birds, and animals that depend on them ... for the crucial role forests play in protecting the climate, please give today. Please take a moment right now to say 'Save our forests! Please use recycled paper!' by donating to Co-op America Magazine PAPER project. It's great to be working with all of you, Alisa Gravitz Executive Director Co-op America

SEATTLE RECYCLING MORE COMMERCIAL FOOD WASTE

Click here to read more. 

BILL GATES INVESTS IN ALGAE FUEL

Bill Gates' investment firm is funding Sapphire Energy, a company that intends to make auto fuel from algae.

Sapphire Energy said Wednesday that a series B round will bring the total amount it has raised to more than $100 million. Investors include Gates' investment firm Cascade Investment, as well as Arch Venture Partners, Wellcome Trust, and Venrock.

The lowly algae is the renewable fuel industry's great green hope. Because algae is rich in oil and can grow in a wide range of conditions, many companies are betting that it can create fuels or other chemicals cheaper than existing feedstocks.

So far, no company has made cost-competitive fuel at large scale from algae. But a handful predict they will within three years.

San Diego-based Sapphire Energy said last year that it has successfully made its product, Green Crude, which yielded 91 octane gasoline from algae.

Its process can use algae to yield a range of fuels, including the chemical equivalents of gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel. It has a test facility in New Mexico.

The series B equity will help the company build out its operations with a target of producing 10,000 barrels per day of fuel from algae and help it operate at commercial scale within three to five years.

Sapphire Energy has not provided many details publicly about its technology except to say that it doesn't need fresh water to grow the algae and that it has assembled a team with expertise in cell biology, plant genomics, and algal production.

The stake in Sapphire Energy is not the first foray into alternative fuels for Gates' Cascade Investments. The firm invested in Pacific Ethanol, but later sold its shares as the company's stock price fell.

(Source)

CASTING CALL FOR YOUTUBE PEEPS: $25K FOR GREEN IDEAS

The X Prize Foundation, the same organization behind the $30 million Google Lunar X Prize to send private vehicles to the moon, said Tuesday that it has put together an eco challenge for YouTubers called "What's your crazy green idea?" Dream up a world-changing idea to stop global warming, post a two-minute YouTube video about it, and it could be worth $25,000.

The guidelines are to answer three questions: 

1. What is the worldwide problem that you are trying to solve?
2. What is the specific prize idea, with rules and judging criteria?
3. How will it benefit humanity?
   

Go here to learn more. 

HONDA INSIGHT: A HYBRID WITH A BUDGET PRICE

Honda (HMC) revealed the look and name Thursday of its new hybrid-only car to go on sale in the U.S. next spring. It is expected to be one of the cheapest cars in the next generation of gas-electric hybrids.

"They will crack the under-$20,000 barrier," predicts John O'Dell, senior editor of Edmund's Green Car Advisor. "It's a new generation of a more affordable hybrid."

It will be called the Insight, reviving the name of the first hybrid in the U.S., sold here by Honda from 1999 to 2006. A concept version of the new Insight, of which a photo was released Thursday, will be unveiled next month at the 2008 Paris International Auto Show.

Honda spokesman Sage Marie says the concept is "close" in appearance to the production model. It has a design that borrows heavily from the look of Honda's FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle.

While the Insight appears stylish and should post high gas mileage figures, Honda engineers appear to have stressed holding down the price, having squeezed extra cost out of a hybrid powertrain.

Honda's new hybrid comes as Toyota (TM) is about to unveil the next generation of its top-selling Prius hybrid, which currently has a base price of $22,000.

The most the original, two-seater Insight sold per year in the U.S. was 4,726 in 2001. It got 53 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving.

The new Insight is a five-door hatchback, larger than Honda's Fit but smaller than Civic. Up to 100,000 a year are headed for the U.S.

It "seems like the right car for the right time," says Bradley Berman, editor of HybridCars.com.

(Source)

GREEN LIVING WITH TECHNOLOGY

Here's a great page from CNET that provides all sorts of ideas and information about going green in the fast-paced world of technology.

Wired: Hyundai's been making so many announcements about electric vehicles and hybrids lately you'd think it was ZAP. The Korean automaker's promised to put a hybrid subcompact, a hybrid mid-size and a plug-in competitor to the Chevrolet Volt on the road within five years. There's even some speculation at least one of them could be stamped "Made in the USA."

Hyundai's going full-bore with its electric program, launching a partnership with Korean companies LG Chem, SK Energy and SB LiMotive to develop the batteries its cars will need if they're to start hitting the road by 2010 as promised. LG's got a solid background, having provided some of the batteries General Motors is considering for the Volt. The Japanese dominate battery tech these days, but Hyundai says the Koreans could catch up by 2013 -- at which point the company hopes to put a plug-in hybrid on the road. Korean automakers are spending nearly $1 billion on battery tech, and the government has kicked in $40 million.

We'll see the first of the Hyundais to use that technology in November.

John Krafcik, Hyundai's VP of product development, announced the new Sonata hybrid will make its debut at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November and could be on the road by 2010. It'll use a lithium-ion battery, making it the first partially-electric Sonata since Switched-On Bach.

Don't confuse the gas-electric mid-size Sonata with another hybrid Hyundai in the works -- a propane-electric hybrid based on the Avante (known here in the states as the Elantra) that promises 37.9 miles per gallon. The subcompact could be on the road as early as next year, but there's almost no chance we'll see it here even though its propane powertrain could make a billionaire out of Hank Hill.

Early signs suggest the Sonata hybrid will be made in America. Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor was coy when asked if the hybrid will be built in the same Alabama factory that cranks out the standard Sonata (pictured) and would only say Southerners build some mighty fine cars. "The workforce down there and the products they're building are awesome," Trainor told the Birmingham News. "The quality coming out of the plant is awesome. Certainly careful consideration will be given to those sorts of things when we're looking at where a vehicle like that will be built."

Hyundai's a rags-to-riches story better than any early-evening nominating convention speaker could offer. From the dowdy Excel to the overly tarted-up sedans of the early 2000s, Hyundai has matured into the ultimate "cocktail party car" -- comfortable yet unobtrusive, well-built but not overwrought. The incredible Genesis and stately Sonata prove the carmaker has truly arrived.

Producing what could be the first lithium-ion hybrid to hit the street would be a major coup for Hyundai and a boon for Korean battery manufacturer LG.

SAY GOODBYE TO THE FAT ASS, AND POWER THE BUILDING WHILE DOING IT

Among the more unusual features at the Green Microgym in Portland, OR, which opened Friday, is a four-person machine called Team Dynamo, which harnesses the collective power of exercisers as they pedal and turn hand cranks. Unlike with spin bikes, the added hand cranks are designed to provide rigorous upper-body workouts — as well as yield additional electricity.

In addition to the Team Dynamo, Boesel has re-engineered a small motor to capture the pedal power from a trio of spin bikes and generate electricity for the gym’s television and stereo system. A more sophisticated version, he said, could be scaled up for larger spaces.

The total output is small but not insignificant — initially, Boesel believes the Team Dynamo and his modified spin bikes could collectively generate about 1,000 watts per hour. But beyond the modest boost in member-generated power, Boesel also hopes to encourage patrons to reconsider how they can reduce their own electricity use while trimming their waistlines.

People power
As a personal trainer with a dream of opening a neighborhood gym, Boesel began thinking about how his idea might stand out from other health clubs. At first, he set his sights on more traditional measures like installing solar panels. But then he read an article in an entrepreneurial newsletter about how Hong Kong’s California Fitness gym had begun generating electricity from 13 spin bikes and elliptical machines as a pilot project.

“This Hong Kong gym showed that at the very least, it’s possible,” he said. “It doesn’t take a lot of extra money to do, so I said, ‘This is what I’m going to do,’ and I just started doing it.”

Portland’s Green Microgym is the first commercial test site for the Team Dynamo machine, made by Henry Works Research and Development. The El Paso, Texas-based company also makes a one-person Human Dynamo machine, which has begun popping up around the country. An early prototype even made its way to the U.S. Ski Team’s training facility in Park City, Utah.

President Mike Taggett, who has a background in alternative energy, has spent much of his time figuring out how much power an exercising person can generate over a sustained period of time, and how that electricity-generating process might be made more efficient. “Fifty percent is fairly basic,” he said, “but we could get to 60, 70, and maybe as much as 75 percent efficient.”

Taggett’s Human Dynamo, a single modified spin bike with a hand crank, can deliver a full-body workout while generating a net electrical output of about 50 watts per hour.

The more complicated Team Dynamo version, which Boesel has at his gym, consists of four machines bolted together with a common driveshaft that propels an electrical generator. On the low setting, Taggett said, four people could produce in excess of 150 watts per hour. On the high setting and with seasoned athletes, the system could yield maybe 400 watts per hour, while sprints could produce bursts of 700 to 900 watts.

For each Dynamo, about 70 percent of the power output comes from pedaling, with the rest supplied by turning the hand crank. During each exercise session, an LED display shows the wattage and calculates the average watt-hours every five minutes, with a final readout revealing the total watt-hour production by the individual or quartet.

At the moment, an “off grid” system directs the watts toward charging batteries that in turn power an inverter, creating 120 volts of alternating current. Eventually, both Taggett and Boesel would like to see a more efficient “grid tie” system wired directly into the gym’s electrical panel.

If a larger health club followed the same concept using several dozen exercise machines, Taggett said, the power could really start to add up. “It’s very conceivable that a gym could be primarily user-powered during the busy times,” he said.Brilliant! I love it.

Click here to read more.

BYE BYE ARCTIC ICE

A report released by the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado has revealed that the Arctic ice is at its second-lowest level in history, and is melting because of the impact of global warming.

The National Snow and Ice Data Center put out the report late last week, confirming that the Arctic sea ice is melting away.

It is at its second-lowest point in recorded history. The lowest-point in recorded history was in 2007. The report stated that “We could very well be in that quick slide downward in terms of passing a tipping point.”

That tipping point has to do with global warming, and is causing major problems for the Arctic sea ice, and endangered species such as the polar bear.

The level of Artic sea ice in 2008 is at 2.03 million square miles, compared to 1.59 million square miles in 2007.

(Source)

WATCH THIS: A SMART AND GREEN HOME

ENDANGERED SPECIES LAW IN TROUBLE, THANKS TO BUSH

The countdown to January has begun, and the Bush administration is starting to roll out a long, foul list of last-minute policy changes. If its proposal to gut the Endangered Species Act is any indication of what it has in mind, we all have cause to be frightened of the next several months.

The proposal, which does not require congressional approval, would allow federal agencies to decide for themselves whether or not that highway, dam or mine they want to build would adversely impact any endangered species - instead of turning the matter over to independent government scientists in the Fish & Wildlife Service, the way that they've done for 35 years.

And if you don't think that the Department of Transportation or the Office of Surface Mining or any other federal department is more interested in getting its own projects done than in the fate of a rare fish or snake or bird, well, how much would you like to pay for that bridge that is going to destroy them?

What adds the insult to this injury is the rationale this administration has offered for these changes. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne expressed the administration's concern that the Endangered Species Act in its current form might be acting as a "back door" for federal agencies to assess the impact of greenhouse-gas emissions on protected species and their habitats. He added that the agency needed to "focus" on where it could "do the most good."

Excuse us?

Federal agencies with the foresight to consider how greenhouse-gas emissions are affecting endangered species should be applauded and encouraged, not censored and shut down. Especially since so few of them have either the expertise or the inclination to consider the impact their projects have on endangered species - which is why those independent government science reviews came in handy.

According to Michael Bean, the director of wildlife conservation activities for the Environmental Defense Fund, tens of thousands of federal projects get scrutiny from the Fish & Wildlife Service every year. It's inconceivable that we'd receive the same level of oversight if we just left the job up to each agency. And that, of course, is the point - for years, the Bush administration has sought ways to undermine the review process for habitat and protected species. In its own way, this move is breathtakingly brilliant: It allows the Bush administration to gut a law without having to answer for it to Congress, or, it turns out, to the public.

Of course, the Bush administration got some help: It has since emerged that this regulation was written in the Department of the Interior's Solicitor's Office. That makes sense - the administration was more interested in the opinions of lawyers than those of scientists about the real-world impact that this proposal will have. Their lawyers had better have a good explanation as to why there will be no public hearings on this issue and why the Fish & Wildlife Service is no longer accepting e-mail from the public during this 30-day "public comment" period.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and the chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works committee, called the proposed changes illegal. If the Bush administration manages to ram this through, we urge her to make sure that reversing it is one of her top priorities as soon as a new administration takes office.

Unfortunately, we fear that Boxer - and the rest of Congress - will have a lot to clean up once January comes around. If this proposal is any indication of what the Bush administration has in mind for its last-minute list, the next several months are going to bring a lot of pain for the environment, for animals, and for humans, too.

The Fish and Wildlife Service claims that you can still make your voice heard by going to the Federal Rulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov.

(Source)

TWO LARGE SOLAR PLANTS PLANNED IN CA

The plants will cover 12.5 square miles of central California with solar panels, and in the middle of a sunny day will generate about 800 megawatts of power, roughly equal to the size of a large coal-burning power plant or a small nuclear plant. A megawatt is enough power to run a large Wal-Mart store.

The power will be sold to Pacific Gas & Electric, which is under a state mandate to get 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2010. The utility said that it expected the new plants, which will use photovoltaic technology to turn sunlight directly into electricity, to be competitive with other renewable energy sources, including wind turbines and solar thermal plants, which use the sun’s heat to boil water.

“These market-leading projects we have in California are something that can be extrapolated around the world,” Jennifer Zerwer, a spokeswoman for the utility, said. “It’s a milestone.”

Though the California installations will generate 800 megawatts at times when the sun is shining brightly, they will operate for fewer hours of the year than a coal or nuclear plant would and so will produce a third or less as much total electricity.

Click here for more.

AUSTIN, YOU ARE "WEIRD" AND I LOVE IT!

City of Austin officials want to cut down on waste at festivals such as South by Southwest and Austin City Limits.

City Council Members Lee Leffingwell and Mike Martinez are drafting an ordinance that would establish recycling and other "green" requirements to obtain city permits for events with 100 or more participants that request to use city facilities. Those who don't comply may be denied access to city facilities and requests for public street closures. The ordinance could affect marathons, rallies, film screenings -- like those held at Republic Square Park during the summer -- and other events.

"Use of a public venue for an event is a privilege, and there is a certain responsibility that goes with that privilege,"

Leffingwell says. "If [event organizers] comply with the [ordinance], they will be able to continue to exercise that privilege. And if they don't, they won't."

As part of the ordinance, expected to be reviewed by the council in late August or early September, the city may ban plastic water bottles, Styrofoam and paper items. It may offer complimentary or discounted rates for compostable material disposal.

Violators could be subject to civil penalties, and access to city facilities could be permanently revoked.

"When most people go to community events in a public venue, there is an awful lot of waste. The ordinance will provide both the carrot and the stick [for participants] to do a better job to manage waste, clean up after themselves and be good citizens. We want to both require and reward good behavior," Leffingwell says.

City staff say exact figures on how much waste is produced at public events are unavailable.

But "if you go out and observe roadways and see the number of paper cups, etc., you can see it's a lot," Leffingwell says. "You don't have to quantify it to know there is something that has to be done about it."

Through the ordinance, event organizers may be able to promote how "green" their events are via a rating system tagged to features like use of solar-powered lighting and biodegradable supplies.

The ordinance is among several aggressive city initiatives meant to push Austin as a municipal green leader. Last year, the city launched a zero-waste program aimed at reducing garbage sent to landfills by 20 percent per capita by 2012 and achieving zero waste -- an international standard set by the United Nations Environmental Accord -- by 2040.

Also last year, Mayor Will Wynn spearheaded the Austin Climate Protection Plan. It pledges to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from all city activities by 2020, dramatically increase renewable power, reduce coal burning at Austin Energy and implement the most energy-efficient building codes in the nation.

For its part, Austin Energy offers rebates for businesses that use alternative energy sources and reduce energy use. Austin Energy and the city's water utility are part of a group of stakeholders meeting with city staff to draft an ordinance.

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