ApocaDocuments (42) gathered this week:
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Sun, Aug 17, 2008
from University of California - Berkeley via ScienceDaily:
Dying Frogs Sign Of A Biodiversity Crisis
"Devastating declines of amphibian species around the world are a sign of a biodiversity disaster larger than just frogs, salamanders and their ilk, according to researchers from the University of California, Berkeley... researchers argue that substantial die-offs of amphibians and other plant and animal species add up to a new mass extinction facing the planet." ...
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Clearly, we're all going to croak.
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Sun, Aug 17, 2008
from Indianapolis Star:
Green burials cost less and are earth-friendly
"...Though burials come in many shades, the greenest involve cemeteries that look less like golf courses and more like nature preserves, caskets made of cardboard and bodies that aren't juiced up with embalming fluids -- all at a fraction of the cost of a traditional burial... Not confined to the tree huggers of the Pacific Northwest, green cemeteries have opened in places such as the South Carolina foothills and northeastern Ohio." ...
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And if we are buried this way we get to go to green heaven!
ApocaDoc
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Sun, Aug 17, 2008
from London Observer:
Democrats waver over offshore drilling ban
"Under fire from Republicans, top Democratic politicians in the United States are considering lifting a ban on new offshore oil drilling... Democrats have hitherto said new drilling would do little to relieve consumer pain at the pump, accusing Republicans of misleading the public and being a pawn of big oil companies. Yet signs are emerging that they are easing their opposition to the comprehensive ban." ...
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Apparently, it's so much fun to be a pawn of big oil companies -- now the Democrats want to join!
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Sun, Aug 17, 2008
from South Florida Sun Sentinel:
Health questions linger after state study on Fort Lauderdale trash incinerator
"Fort Lauderdale - A state study that found few links between toxic ashes from the Wingate trash incinerator and health problems in nearby neighborhoods downplayed important data, according to several health experts who worked on the survey.
One expert, University of Alabama at Birmingham epidemiologist Jeffrey Roseman, helped design the study and said state officials dismissed high rates of reported anemia, asthma and cancers in the northwestern Fort Lauderdale community around Wingate." ...
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Is it so wrong to want to focus on the positive?
ApocaDoc
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Sun, Aug 17, 2008
from Kansas City Star:
In the face of environmental disaster, more Chinese are going green
"While Olympic visitors from around the world get a firsthand glimpse this month at China's pollution problems, a homegrown movement is racing to ward off what many here predict could be epic environmental meltdown.
Hundreds of millions of Chinese are taking the first steps to turn the tide, fueled by growing unhappiness with the plunging quality of life caused by out-of-control environmental degradation." ...
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They'll turn the tide, that is, if they can draw enough breath to do so!
ApocaDoc
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Sat, Aug 16, 2008
from Reuters:
Acid ocean imperils more than shells
SYDNEY -- Rising ocean acidity could reduce fertilization of marine invertebrates and might eventually wipe out colonies of sea urchins, lobsters, mussels and oysters, according to a study.
Scientists knew that ocean acidification was eating away at the shells of marine animals, but the new study has found that rising acidity hindered marine sperm from swimming to and fertilizing eggs in the ocean. ...
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I'd say the sperm doesn't want it bad enough!
ApocaDoc
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Sat, Aug 16, 2008
from London Independent:
Fattest children to be taken away from their parents
"Dangerously overweight children will have to be taken from their parents and put into care because of Britain's worsening "obesity epidemic", council leaders have warned.
One million children will be clinically obese within four years on current trends, storing up future problems from heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure and diabetes.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents 400 councils in England and Wales, predicted social services teams would have to take drastic action to improve the health of seriously overweight children." ...
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Seriously, can you imagine how difficult it's going to be to take these children from their homes?
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Sat, Aug 16, 2008
from Austin American-Statesman:
Armstrong tops list of city's largest water users
"Every minute, about five gallons of water passed through the sinks, sprinklers, fountain and pool at Lance Armstrong's house in June, making the retired professional cyclist Austin's biggest water-using individual that month.
A total of 222,900 gallons of water was used at Armstrong's home, according to the most recent city records available. That's about what 26 average Austin households use in a month." ...
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Maybe we can shame people into conserving!
ApocaDoc
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Sat, Aug 16, 2008
from Associated Press:
Worrying invasive snail found in Lake Michigan
"CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Scientists worry that a rapidly reproducing, tiny invasive snail recently found in Lake Michigan could hurt the lake's ecosystem. The New Zealand mud snail joins a long and growing list of nonnative species moving into the Great Lakes, threatening to disrupt the food chain and change the local environment." ...
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You'd think the old invasive species would try keep any new invasive species from entering the ecosystem.
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Sat, Aug 16, 2008
from Globe and Mail (Canada):
As the ice melts, control ebbs in the Arctic
The Northwest Passage may be ice-free this summer, for only the second time in recorded history. The Canadian Arctic is being fundamentally transformed.
As the ice diminishes, new actors and interests will arrive. Who is coming? What will they do? What does it mean for Canada? Many people expect international shippers to take advantage of the shorter distances between Europe and Asia to carry goods through an increasingly ice-free Passage. Most shipping experts, however, think that will happen only in the medium term. Before the larger companies commit themselves to Arctic voyages, they will need longer, and much more certain, times of open water.
The increased use of the Arctic for other economic activities is much more likely. In particular, the huge oil and gas resources in and around the Northwest Passage may be best brought to market by ship rather than by pipeline.... Our Coast Guard's icebreaking fleet is small and aging; our search-and-rescue capability is based in the south; our navy has a very limited ability to go north; we require industry to provide for their own rescue capability; and we maintain almost no oil-spill response equipment in the North.
In short, we are not prepared for any shipping, let alone for large tanker traffic. ...
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Hmm. So an open Northwest Passage isn't all good?
ApocaDoc
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Fri, Aug 15, 2008
from The Nation (Nairobi) via AllAfrica:
Africa: Unable to Put Beef And Fish On the Table, Continent Courts Animal-Spread Diseases
Last year's outbreaks of the deadly Marburg and Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever viruses in southwestern Uganda and in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo's province of Kasai Occidental and the sporadic outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) across the continent once again bring to light the threat zoonotic diseases pose to sub-Saharan Africa in particular and the world generally.... Along with population increase comes the need for more arable and grazing land and the exploration of new forest, swamp and cave habitats. This raises the likelihood of exposure to 'new' infectious agents in those environments, and could result in the emergence of new disease pathogens. As population grows there is also an increase in the demand for food. In sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere, people are more and more turning to wild animals for food. This high demand for bush meat in the countries of the Congo Basin is helping to fuel the increase in outbreaks of such illnesses as Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever. ...
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Bushmeat: it's what's for dinner.
ApocaDoc
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Fri, Aug 15, 2008
from NaturalNews:
Fragrances in Common Household Products Contain Many Toxins
According to a study that was posted on the Environmental Impact Assessment Review and reported by CBS, there are many different kinds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in laundry detergents, air fresheners (in solid, spray and oil form), dryer sheets, and fabric softener. VOCs are small substances that evaporate into the air.... She was able to identify some of the VOCs, discovering that 10 of those that she found were considered toxic under the U.S. federal law. Furthermore, three out of ten of the VOCs were considered air pollutants: acetaldehyde, chloromethane, and 1,4 dioxane.
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But I like Mountain Fresh Scent, Floral Bouquet, Blueberry Mist, and Fatal Attractor.
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Fri, Aug 15, 2008
from Telegraph.co.uk:
National Trust cuts plastic bags by 95 per cent with 5p charge
Its clampdown on the "plastic poison", blamed for harming wildlife and blighting the environment, follows similar successes at High Street stores and supermarkets across the country.... Thousands of customers have opted to either recycle old bags or invest in hessian and canvas, and the Government has warned of a mandatory charge for those retailers who do not get onboard the anti-waste bandwagon.
The National Trust as part of a wider campaign to become more environmentally-friendly. ...
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100 days, 95 percent reduction.
But what will we carry around to pick up dog poo?
ApocaDoc
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Want more context?
Try reading our book FREE online:
Humoring the Horror of the Converging Emergencies!
More fun than a barrel of jellyfish!
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Fri, Aug 15, 2008
from Reuters:
High gas prices cut driving for 8th month: government
Americans scaled back their driving during June by almost 5 percent in response to soaring fuel costs, the government said on Wednesday -- a day after announcing the biggest six-month drop in U.S. petroleum demand in 26 years...."Changes in consumer behavior have essentially erased five years of growth in gasoline demand," the American Petroleum Institute said on Wednesday in a separate report that showed gasoline use during the first seven months of 2008 fell by 2.1 percent to the lowest level for the period in five years. ...
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The race between carbon dioxide levels and peak oil prices may be just a smidge closer. Wonder who will lose?
ApocaDoc
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Fri, Aug 15, 2008
from Virginia Institute of Marine Science, via ScienceDaily:
Study Shows Continued Spread Of 'Dead Zones'; Lack Of Oxygen Now A Key Stressor On Marine Ecosystems
A global study led by Professor Robert Diaz of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, shows that the number of "dead zones" -- areas of seafloor with too little oxygen for most marine life -- has increased by a third between 1995 and 2007.... The study, which appears in the August 15 issue of the journal Science, tallies 405 dead zones in coastal waters worldwide, affecting an area of 95,000 square miles, about the size of New Zealand. The largest dead zone in the U.S., at the mouth of the Mississippi, covers more than 8,500 square miles, roughly the size of New Jersey. ...
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Those dead zones are growing
like they're alive!
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Fri, Aug 15, 2008
from UC Irvine, via ScienceDaily:
Climate Change Caused Widespread Tree Death In California Mountain Range, Study Confirms
Warmer temperatures and longer dry spells have killed thousands of trees and shrubs in a Southern California mountain range, pushing the plants' habitat an average of 213 feet up the mountain over the past 30 years, a UC Irvine study has determined. White fir and Jeffrey pine trees died at the lower altitudes of their growth range in the Santa Rosa Mountains, from 6,400 feet to as high as 7,200 feet in elevation, while California lilacs died between 4,000-4,800 feet. Almost all of the studied plants crept up the mountain a similar distance, countering the belief that slower-growing trees would move slower than faster-growing grasses and wildflowers. ...
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Said the Jeffrey pine to the white fir:
"We're movin' up!
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Thu, Aug 14, 2008
from CSRwire:
First Ever National Initiative to Establish Sustainable Agriculture Standard (SCS-001) Enters Next Important Phase
Sustainability is widely understood to encompass environmental, social, and economic parameters, dating back to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992. For agricultural products, safety and quality parameters are also a key part of the sustainability discussion. SCS-001, the draft standard that will serve as the starting point for discussions, also addresses the impacts of product packaging, the responsibilities of the supply chain, and agricultural practices that can minimize greenhouse gases. ...
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Where standards go, practice follows.
It's a start.
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Thu, Aug 14, 2008
from Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal (WI):
State studies hunt of formerly endangered wolves
Wisconsin officials are laying the groundwork for the first public hunting of wolves in more than 50 years.... Last winter's population estimate was 537 to 564 wolves, more than the recovery goal of 350, according to Adrian Wydeven of the DNR. The population was about the same during the winter of 2007, he said.
By comparison, wolves totaled less than 250 in 2000.... A wolf season would require approval from the Natural Resources Board, which sets policy for the DNR, and from the Legislature. But the measure would likely prompt a lawsuit from wolf advocates. ...
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About 550 wolves, in the entire state.
Sounds like overpopulation to me!
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Thu, Aug 14, 2008
from KOMO TV news (WA):
Three pesticides singled out in report as threat to salmon
"Overwhelming evidence" suggests the pesticides are interfering with the ability of salmon to swim, find food, reproduce and escape bigger fish trying to eat them, says the evaluation issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service.... Chloripyrifos. Also known by trade names that include Dursban and Lorsban, it is used on more than three dozen crops, including asparagus, alfalfa, cherries, broccoli, onions, pears and peaches, as well as for industrial uses and to control mosquitoes and fire ants.
Diazinon. Also known as Knox Out, Spectracide and other brand names, diazinon is used on about 50 crops, including almonds, apples, blueberries, carrots, grapes, spinach and strawberries.
Malathion is used on more than 100 crops, including avocados, cauliflower, corn, mangoes, rice, sweet potatoes and watermelon. For homes, it is registered for use on lawns, flowering plants, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, shrubs and other trees.
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The three horseman embedded
in salmon lore:
Chloripyrifos, Diazinon, and Malathion.
ApocaDoc
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Thu, Aug 14, 2008
from Foster:
Victory gardens popular again
In the days of my childhood, during World War II, Victory Gardens were the height of popularity and patriotism. Now Americans' thinking has come full circle, and I see and hear the term "victory garden" frequently.
Victory gardens, where Americans raised their own fruit and vegetables, often the first time for many, were commonplace during those war years. Some also planted flowers for cheer in an uncertain world of black-outs and food shortages and rationing.... Today, with gas and food, not necessarily rationed, but definitely at higher prices, more people have been thinking about raising and preserving their own food this summer. The term of 65 years ago came to someone's mind, so they're referred to these as Victory Gardens again, when people, who have never done so or rarely, begin planting gardens. ...
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This would be a victory really worth celebrating.
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Thu, Aug 14, 2008
from Telegraph-Journal (Canada):
Lake Utopia's toxic algal bloom
The blue-green algae, he said, is caused by increased nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, which come from a variety of sources. Fox said the increase could be an accumulation of many factors, including the flow from a canal that flows from the man-made headpond created by a power dam, automatic dishwater soap flowing into the water, the Cooke Aquaculture hatchery located on the lake, fertilizers people are using to grow grass on their lawns, leaky sewage systems and recreational boating.... Cleary advised that drinking the water could result in a "pretty nasty effect" of nausea and diarrhea and possibly death... The doctor explained that while humans probably wouldn't choose to swim in the scummy areas of the water or swallow it, animals don't know any better and should not be permitted to swim in the lake. ...
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Ouch. We can no longer drink from
the waters of Utopia.
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Thu, Aug 14, 2008
from Sacramento News and Reviews:
The chemistry of beauty
You know those 12 products women use daily? That adds up to some 168 chemical ingredients, and men's habits total about 85 ingredients. I deposit about 110 chemicals into my body every day.... [C]hronic illness and disease in the United States is on the rise, affecting almost one-half of the population, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the use of synthetic chemicals post-World War II increased, so did infertility, birth defects in males, testicular cancer and learning disabilities. Breast cancer used to be relegated to post-menopausal women. Now young women in their 20s are afflicted.... This industry is the least regulated under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. ...
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But heck, at least we'll leave
a beautiful corpse!
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Wed, Aug 13, 2008
from Guardian (UK):
UK Honeybee deaths reaching crisis point
Britain's honeybees have suffered catastrophic losses this year, according to a survey of the nation's beekeepers, contributing to a shortage of honey and putting at risk the pollination of fruits and vegetables.
The survey by the British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA) revealed that nearly one in three of the UK's 240,000 honeybee hives did not survive this winter and spring.
The losses are higher than the one in five colonies reported dead earlier this year by the government after 10 percent of hives had been inspected.
The BBKA president, Tim Lovett, said he was very concerned about the findings: "Average winter bee losses due to poor weather and disease vary from between 5 percent and 10 percent, so a 30 percent loss is deeply worrying. This spells serious trouble for pollination services and honey producers." ...
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I think that honey jar is 2/3 full!
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Wed, Aug 13, 2008
from Associated Press:
Venomous lionfish prowls fragile Caribbean waters
"SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A maroon-striped marauder with venomous spikes is rapidly multiplying in the Caribbean's warm waters, swallowing native species, stinging divers and generally wreaking havoc on an ecologically delicate region. The red lionfish, a tropical native of the Indian and Pacific oceans that probably escaped from a Florida fish tank, is showing up everywhere -- from the coasts of Cuba and Hispaniola to Little Cayman's pristine Bloody Bay Wall, one of the region's prime destinations for divers. Wherever it appears, the adaptable predator corners fish and crustaceans up to half its size with its billowy fins and sucks them down in one violent gulp." ...
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Aw jeez. That's so gross! Can't he at least take his time and enjoy his meals?
ApocaDoc
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Wed, Aug 13, 2008
from Scientific American:
Population Bomb Author's Fix For Next Extinction: Educate Women
"It's an uncomfortable thought: Human activity causing the extinction of thousands of species, and the only way to slow or prevent that phenomenon is to have smaller families ... according to Stanford University scientists Paul Ehrlich and Robert Pringle... Ehrlich and Pringle call for educating women, which has slowed or stopped population growth in the developed countries of Europe. "Education and employment -- for women especially -- along with access to contraception and safe abortions are the most important components," they write." ...
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Well, we know how trying to educate men has worked out!
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Wed, Aug 13, 2008
from Blue Ridge Times-News:
Files Show Governor Intervened With Court regarding DuPont Judgment
When Gov. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia filed a friend-of-the-court brief in June arguing that the State Supreme Court should review a $382 million judgment against the DuPont Company, he said he was not taking sides, but acting in the interest of due process. Documents from the governor's office, however, show that Mr. Manchin had consulted with the company before filing the brief, and DuPont officials say the governor even asked them to provide him with a draft brief.
The case involves thousands of residents in and around Spelter, W.Va., where DuPont operated a zinc-smelting plant. Last October, a jury in Harrison County ruled that DuPont deliberately endangered those residents by dumping toxic arsenic, cadmium and lead at the plant... The revelations of Mr. Manchin's involvement in the DuPont case come against a backdrop of larger concerns raised recently about the independence of the state's legal system. In the last year, two Supreme Court justices have come under scrutiny for ties to company executives that had cases pending before the court. ...
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Corruption, graft, corporate favoritism:
It ain't just India.
ApocaDoc
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You're still reading! Good for you!
You really should read our short, funny, frightening book FREE online (or buy a print copy):
Humoring the Horror of the Converging Emergencies!
We've been quipping this stuff for more than 30 months! Every day!
Which might explain why we don't get invited to parties anymore.
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Wed, Aug 13, 2008
from IndiaInteracts:
Powerful Friends of Posco and Sterlite
In today's world, where the real wealthy are the corporate tycoons, it is hardly surprising that they are using their wealth not just to win friends but also to buy loyalty.
The brazen manner in which the Posco and the Vedanta (Sterlite) have bought the friendship of Naveen Patnaik administration in Orissa and the Manmohan Singh government at the Centre is a testimony to the bourgeoning influence of the money power.... And what has the plant done to the people? Although the refinery is not yet in full operation, it is already damaging local life.
Filmmaker S.Josson spoke to the people of the area in March 2008. Sample one quote: Mukta a woman living in the vicinity of the refinery says: "The water has become bad. When we bathe the skin itches. When we drink we get sores in our mouth. Our hair is falling rapidly. The air quality has also become terrible. It is difficult to breathe. We get sores in our throat. The body itches at night. Our cattle are dying"... And this is how Naveen Patnaik and Manmohan Singh are bringing the experience of modern living for the tribal people of Orissa.
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That's the itch of modernity! Scratch it!
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Wed, Aug 13, 2008
from The Daily Mirror (UK):
Tuna company John West blamed for death of sharks in nets
Britain's best-selling brand of tinned tuna is responsible for killing thousands of rare sharks and turtles every year, a new report claims.... Tuna stocks have dwindled so much due to over-fishing in recent years that the industry is already on the brink of collapse.
A John West spokesman said last night: "We take our responsibility to the marine environment extremely seriously. Our selection procedure in appointing suppliers is very rigorous." ...
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May the industry collapse
before those species do.
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Tue, Aug 12, 2008
from Thaindian (Thailand):
Wild elephant seals to track changes in temperature of Antarctic seas
A team of scientists has glued electronic sensors to the heads of 58 wild elephant seals to track changes in the temperature of the Antarctic seas.
Mounting evidence that the Southern Ocean is warming more rapidly than expected has fuelled interest in temperature dynamics and sea-ice formation rates near the South Pole.
But thick sea ice cover makes it virtually impossible to collect data by conventional methods such as buoyant floats and research ships.
Now [a research team] from Paris got round the problem by gluing electronic sensors to the heads of 58 wild elephant seals. ...
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"My hat? It came direct from Paris. All the chic cows are wearing them."
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Tue, Aug 12, 2008
from National Center for Atmospheric Research, via EurekAlert:
Antarctic Climate: Short-Term Spikes, Long-Term Warming Linked to Tropical Pacific
Dramatic year-to-year temperature swings and a century-long warming trend across West Antarctica are linked to conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean, according to a new analysis of ice cores conducted by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Washington (UW). The findings show the connection of the world's coldest continent to global warming, as well as to periodic events such as El Niņo. ...
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It makes you almost think that everything is connected to everything else -- like a system. Quelle surprise!
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Tue, Aug 12, 2008
from PittsburghLive via Bloomberg News:
World Bank, promising to go green, lends to massive coal-fired power plant
"Once the new Tata Ultra Mega power plant in western India is fired up in 2012 and fully operational, it will become one of the world's 50 largest greenhouse-gas emitters. And the World Bank is helping make it possible.
A year after World Bank President Robert Zoellick pledged to "significantly step up our assistance" in fighting climate change, the development institution is increasing its financing of fossil-fuel projects around the globe." ...
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Just one more coal-fired power plant, please ... just ONE more...?
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Tue, Aug 12, 2008
from Washington Post:
Endangered Species Act Changes Give Agencies More Say
"The Bush administration yesterday proposed a regulatory overhaul of the Endangered Species Act to allow federal agencies to decide whether protected species would be imperiled by agency projects, eliminating the independent scientific reviews that have been required for more than three decades." ...
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Scientists... nothing but a bunch of worrywarts!
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Tue, Aug 12, 2008
from Guardian (UK):
Humpback whales make a comeback
Humpback whales are making a comeback more than 40 years after a ban on commercial hunting was brought in to save them from extinction.
Marine biologists estimate that the number of humpbacks worldwide may have grown to more than 40,000 adults and about 15,000 juveniles, following the ban that began in the 1960s. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has revised its classification of the whales as "vulnerable" to "of least concern" on its latest annual list of endangered animals.
The southern right whale population has also begun to recover -- the number of these is believed to have doubled from 7,500 in 1997.
Randall Reeves of the IUCN said: "This is a great conservation success and shows what needs to be done to ensure these ocean giants survive." ...
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The response from the Japanese 'scientific whalers': "We reserve the right to murder several hundred Humpbacks a year, to study how they are recovering."
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Tue, Aug 12, 2008
from PNAS, via ScienceDaily:
New Report Details Historic Mass Extinction Of Amphibians; Humans Worsen Spread Of Deadly Emerging Infectious Disease
Amphibians, reigning survivors of past mass extinctions, are sending a clear, unequivocal signal that something is wrong, as their extinction rates rise to unprecedented levels, according to a paper published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Humans are exacerbating two key natural threats -- climate change and a deadly disease that is jumping from one species to another.... "An ancient organism, which has survived past extinctions, is telling us that something is wrong right now" Vredenburg said. "We -- humans -- may be doing fine right now, but they are doing poorly. The question, really, is whether we'll listen before it's too late." ...
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Amphibians? What are they doing in my mine? And why is that canary lying down on the job?
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Tue, Aug 12, 2008
from Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, via EurekAlert:
'Anti-noise' silences wind turbines
IWU researchers have developed an active damping system for wind turbines.... "These systems react autonomously to any change in frequency and damp the noise -- regardless of how fast the wind generator is turning," says Illgen. The key components of this system are piezo actuators. These devices convert electric current into mechanical motion and generate "negative vibrations," or a kind of anti-noise that precisely counteracts the vibrations of the wind turbine and cancels them out. ...
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Sweet! Now we can get energy and still hear the whisper of the wind.
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Tue, Aug 12, 2008
from PNAS, via ScienceDaily:
Humans Implicated In Prehistoric Animal Extinctions With New Evidence
The new study provides the first evidence that Tasmania's giant kangaroos and marsupial 'rhinos' and 'leopards' were still roaming the island when humans first arrived [43,000 years ago]. The findings suggest that the mass extinction of Tasmania's large prehistoric animals was the result of human hunting, and not climate change as previously believed. ...
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Apocaiku:
We hunt the living.
As before, so before us:
consumers we stay.
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Mon, Aug 11, 2008
from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:
It's time to declare mussel extinct, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says
The turgid-blossom pearly mussel -- a shiny yellow-green mollusk less than 1. 6 inches in length -- has been on the endangered species list since 1976....
"One of the things that we say as biologists is that these are kind of like canaries in a coal mine," Christian said. "They are an indicator that environmental conditions aren't good, and that may be an indicator of water quality." ...
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Yet another bivalve in a coal mine.
That mine's getting full of canaries.
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Mon, Aug 11, 2008
from Inter Press Service News Agency:
West Africa: Overfishing Linked to Food Crisis, Migration
According to a recent report by the nongovernmental organisation ActionAid, West African seas are being devastated by legal and illegal overfishing, while local fishing industries decline. Moreover, the economic partnership agreements in their currently proposed form only exacerbate this problem.
The overfishing of West African coastal waters, often by large European trawlers and sometimes by "fishing pirates" who trawl without any authorisation, has largely depleted local fish stocks.
This has a direct impact on the rising rate of unemployment and on the ever-increasing flow of West Africans who embark on perilous journeys to Europe, in search of a better life. ...
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No more picturesque fishermen?
There goes the tourist trade.
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Mon, Aug 11, 2008
from AP, via the Munster Times (Indiana):
Researchers study mercury in the Great Salt Lake
[F]or reasons scientists cannot explain, [the Great Salt Lake] is heavily laden with toxic mercury.... Three years ago, in an alarming finding, U.S. Geological Survey tests showed the lake had some of the highest mercury readings ever recorded in a body of water in the United States.... Each year, more than 9 million birds stop by, many on their annual treks between Canada or South America and parts between, making the Great Salt Lake "sort of the Delta airplane hub of the West in terms of migration," Aldrich said.
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Guess that Great Salt Lake Waterpark is out, then.
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Mon, Aug 11, 2008
from Society of Chemical Industry:
Organic Food Has No More Nutritional Value Than Food Grown With Pesticides, Study Shows
New research in the latest issue of the Society of Chemical Industry's (SCI) Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture shows there is no evidence to support the argument that organic food is better than food grown with the use of pesticides and chemicals. Many people pay more than a third more for organic food in the belief that it has more nutritional content than food grown with pesticides and chemicals.... "[T]he study does not support the belief that organically grown foodstuffs generally contain more major and trace elements than conventionally grown foodstuffs." ...
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Actually, it's what I'm not ingesting -- or seeing as runoff and bykill -- that I pay more for:
those pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
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Mon, Aug 11, 2008
from Media Newswire:
Landmark Ruling Requires Aggressive Action to Protect Puget Sound from Stormwater
In a landmark decision, the Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board today issued a ruling requiring that cities and counties around Puget Sound take more aggressive steps to reduce stormwater runoff. The board struck down provisions in two regionwide permits as inadequate, and concluded that greater use of "low impact development" techniques is required to meet the governing legal standards. The permits are issued by the state Department of Ecology, which must now reissue them.
"This is a great day for Puget Sound," said Kathy Fletcher, Executive Director of People for Puget Sound. "This ruling gets us one big step closer to the Puget Sound Partnership's goal of recovering Puget Sound by 2020." ...
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Yes, let's do stop pummeling our world with "high impact" punches. It's reeling, and we have a lot of rounds to go.
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Mon, Aug 11, 2008
from Times Online (UK):
Recyclers are cashing in on the fortune in your bin
... Many are locked into 20 to 30-year contracts with recycling companies and are unable to cash in on the higher cost of plastic and copper.
As the cost of commodities rises it increasingly makes sense for manufacturers to retrieve materials from rubbish instead of buying them new. Town hall leaders have told The Times that the sector is missing out on millions of pounds that would come from trading commodities themselves or negotiating better contracts. They said that such profits could go to improving local services and even cutting bills... Westminster council, which has a seven-year contract to share profits as prices rise, believes that town halls are sitting on a fortune. "Where there's muck there's brass," Mark Banks, Westminster's waste strategy manager, said. Any profit made will be ploughed back into services or to lower council tax rises, he said. ...
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Glad that recycling is becoming profitable. Can't wait for the "windfall recycling profiteering" legislation.
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