Aug 13, 2006
Pledged to take action on palm oil
UK supermarket Morrisons has announced that it is to take part in international efforts to combat the issues surrounding palm oil procurement, following a widespread campaign. The development means that each of the UK’s major supermarkets have now pledged to take action on palm oil, through the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. "Palm oil production in South East Asia not only threatens the survival of the orang-utan, it is also affecting millions of people who depend on the rainforest for their way of life." » original news
Could the Grass Be Greener?
Lawn turf is America's biggest crop--and a mixed bag for the environment
Americans pour as much as 238 gallons of water per person, per day onto lawns during the growing season. But lush lawns also turn out to be a "sink" for carbon dioxide, pulling the greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere as they grow. The effect is more pronounced when grass clippings are left to decompose in place, boosting growth by providing nitrogen--though offset by the 800 million gallons of gas burned in lawnmowers every year. All told, says Milesi, "the 2 percent of the U.S. land surface that is covered in lawns could account for about 5 percent of the . . . carbon dioxide" absorbed by all plants.
Overkill? Still, that positive effect isn't likely to change environmentalists' minds about the danger posed by so many perfect lawns. Farmers and golf course managers have an economic incentive to conserve resources like water, fertilizers, and pesticides, Milesi notes. "But for the single homeowner," she says, "lawn care is usually not a big part of the budget, so there's a temptation to always do a little more." Outdoor watering accounts for more than half of municipal water use in most areas, and homeowners often apply fertilizers and pesticides to their lawns at many times the recommended levels.
In arid regions, there are usually strict regulations on lawn watering. Fertilizers, which can seep into waterways, have been blamed for excess growth of algae and aquatic plants in lakes and coastal areas. And, citing the potential danger to human health and wildlife, a consortium of environmental groups is pushing large retailers to carry less harmful alternatives to the tens of millions of pounds of insecticides and weedkillers used on private lawns every year.
Full read here
Americans pour as much as 238 gallons of water per person, per day onto lawns during the growing season. But lush lawns also turn out to be a "sink" for carbon dioxide, pulling the greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere as they grow. The effect is more pronounced when grass clippings are left to decompose in place, boosting growth by providing nitrogen--though offset by the 800 million gallons of gas burned in lawnmowers every year. All told, says Milesi, "the 2 percent of the U.S. land surface that is covered in lawns could account for about 5 percent of the . . . carbon dioxide" absorbed by all plants.
Overkill? Still, that positive effect isn't likely to change environmentalists' minds about the danger posed by so many perfect lawns. Farmers and golf course managers have an economic incentive to conserve resources like water, fertilizers, and pesticides, Milesi notes. "But for the single homeowner," she says, "lawn care is usually not a big part of the budget, so there's a temptation to always do a little more." Outdoor watering accounts for more than half of municipal water use in most areas, and homeowners often apply fertilizers and pesticides to their lawns at many times the recommended levels.
In arid regions, there are usually strict regulations on lawn watering. Fertilizers, which can seep into waterways, have been blamed for excess growth of algae and aquatic plants in lakes and coastal areas. And, citing the potential danger to human health and wildlife, a consortium of environmental groups is pushing large retailers to carry less harmful alternatives to the tens of millions of pounds of insecticides and weedkillers used on private lawns every year.
Full read here
Aug 12, 2006
Scientists eye energy-producing windmills in lake
"large wind turbines in Lake Michigan within five years"
Because wind travels faster over water than land, the eastern half of Lake Michigan is considered an ideal place to build turbines that would generate electricity. Winds over the lake have the potential to reduce vast amounts of electricity, possibly as much as the entire state currently uses, said John Sarver, technical assistance supervisor for the state of Michigan's Energy Office.
Because wind travels faster over water than land, the eastern half of Lake Michigan is considered an ideal place to build turbines that would generate electricity. Winds over the lake have the potential to reduce vast amounts of electricity, possibly as much as the entire state currently uses, said John Sarver, technical assistance supervisor for the state of Michigan's Energy Office.
EOD's August 22 Does Iran have something in store?
There is a radical difference between the Islamic Republic of Iran and other governments with nuclear weapons.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110008768
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110008768
ScienceDaily: Childhood Obesity Caused By 'Toxic Environment' Of Western Diets, Study Says
A UCSF researcher has determined that a key reason for the epidemic of pediatric obesity, now the most commonly diagnosed childhood ailment, is that high-calorie, low-fiber Western diets promote hormonal imbalances that encourage children to overeat.
In a comprehensive review of obesity research published in the August edition of the journal Nature Clinical Practice Endocrinology & Metabolism, Robert Lustig, MD, professor of clinical pediatrics at UCSF Children's Hospital, says that food manufacturing practices have created a "toxic environment" that dooms children to being overweight.
"It will take acknowledgement of the concepts of biological susceptibility and societal accountability and de-emphasis of the concept of personal responsibility to make a difference in the lives of children," Lustig says.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the number of children who are overweight in the United States has doubled during the past three decades. Currently one child in five is overweight. The increase is true for children and adolescents of all age groups and races and for boys and girls.
Diseases that once were only seen in adults, like type 2 diabetes, now are occurring in increasing numbers in children, according to Lustig. Overweight children tend to become overweight adults, which also puts them at greater risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Children who are obese also are socially ostracized and teased, putting them at risk for depression and other psychiatric conditions, he adds.
"Our current Western food environment has become highly 'insulinogenic,'" Lustig says, "as demonstrated by its increased energy density, high-fat content, high glycemic index, increased fructose composition, decreased fiber, and decreased dairy content."
"In particular, fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin," he adds.
Lustig says that it has long been known that the hormone insulin acts on the brain to encourage eating through two separate mechanisms. First, it blocks the signals that travel from the body's fat stores to the brain by suppressing the effectiveness of the hormone leptin, resulting in increased food intake and decreased activity. Second, insulin promotes the signal that seeks the reward of eating carried by the chemical dopamine, which makes a person want to eat to get the pleasurable dopamine "rush."
Calorie intake and expenditure normally are regulated by leptin, Lustig says. When leptin is functioning properly it "increases physical activity, decreases appetite, and increases feelings of well-being." Conversely, when leptin is suppressed, feelings of well-being and activity decrease and appetite increases -- a state called "leptin resistance."
Changes in food processing during the past 30 years, particularly the addition of sugar to a wide variety of foods that once never included sugar and the removal of fiber, both of which promote insulin production, have created an environment in which our foods are essentially addictive, he adds.
Lustig also notes that children cannot be blamed or expected to take personal responsibility for their dietary behavior in an environment when the foods they are offered -- especially cheaply prepared "fast foods" that are full of sugar and devoid of fiber -- are toxic.
"The concept of personal responsibility is not tenable in children. No child chooses to be obese," he says. "Furthermore, young children are not responsible for food choices at home or at school, and it can hardly be said that preschool children, in whom obesity is rampant, are in a position to accept personal responsibility."
"If we don't fix this, our children will continue to lose," he emphasizes.
In a comprehensive review of obesity research published in the August edition of the journal Nature Clinical Practice Endocrinology & Metabolism, Robert Lustig, MD, professor of clinical pediatrics at UCSF Children's Hospital, says that food manufacturing practices have created a "toxic environment" that dooms children to being overweight.
"It will take acknowledgement of the concepts of biological susceptibility and societal accountability and de-emphasis of the concept of personal responsibility to make a difference in the lives of children," Lustig says.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the number of children who are overweight in the United States has doubled during the past three decades. Currently one child in five is overweight. The increase is true for children and adolescents of all age groups and races and for boys and girls.
Diseases that once were only seen in adults, like type 2 diabetes, now are occurring in increasing numbers in children, according to Lustig. Overweight children tend to become overweight adults, which also puts them at greater risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Children who are obese also are socially ostracized and teased, putting them at risk for depression and other psychiatric conditions, he adds.
"Our current Western food environment has become highly 'insulinogenic,'" Lustig says, "as demonstrated by its increased energy density, high-fat content, high glycemic index, increased fructose composition, decreased fiber, and decreased dairy content."
"In particular, fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin," he adds.
Lustig says that it has long been known that the hormone insulin acts on the brain to encourage eating through two separate mechanisms. First, it blocks the signals that travel from the body's fat stores to the brain by suppressing the effectiveness of the hormone leptin, resulting in increased food intake and decreased activity. Second, insulin promotes the signal that seeks the reward of eating carried by the chemical dopamine, which makes a person want to eat to get the pleasurable dopamine "rush."
Calorie intake and expenditure normally are regulated by leptin, Lustig says. When leptin is functioning properly it "increases physical activity, decreases appetite, and increases feelings of well-being." Conversely, when leptin is suppressed, feelings of well-being and activity decrease and appetite increases -- a state called "leptin resistance."
Changes in food processing during the past 30 years, particularly the addition of sugar to a wide variety of foods that once never included sugar and the removal of fiber, both of which promote insulin production, have created an environment in which our foods are essentially addictive, he adds.
Lustig also notes that children cannot be blamed or expected to take personal responsibility for their dietary behavior in an environment when the foods they are offered -- especially cheaply prepared "fast foods" that are full of sugar and devoid of fiber -- are toxic.
"The concept of personal responsibility is not tenable in children. No child chooses to be obese," he says. "Furthermore, young children are not responsible for food choices at home or at school, and it can hardly be said that preschool children, in whom obesity is rampant, are in a position to accept personal responsibility."
"If we don't fix this, our children will continue to lose," he emphasizes.
Aug 11, 2006
Carbon CO2 scrubbing & Injection Science To Save Climate
According to Mark Wendman of the UK-based Inquirer a Canadian firm has licensed production rights to an enzyme that scrubs carbon dioxide from smokestacks and other concentrated sources. The byproducts from the CO2 scrubbing process are carbonate and hydrogen gas, which in itself could serve as a fuel source. The technology was developed from an enzyme that enables animals to remove carbon dioxide from their blood during the process of respiration.
Researchers say that carbon dioxide capturing technologies will be a key component in mitigating climate change. Yesterday, scientists at MIT released a paper suggesting that carbon dioxide injection strategies could store large amounts of the gas in deep-sea sediments.
PDF from CO2 Solution, the firm that is developing the technology in partnership with a team from the University of Laval in Quebec City.
Researchers say that carbon dioxide capturing technologies will be a key component in mitigating climate change. Yesterday, scientists at MIT released a paper suggesting that carbon dioxide injection strategies could store large amounts of the gas in deep-sea sediments.
PDF from CO2 Solution, the firm that is developing the technology in partnership with a team from the University of Laval in Quebec City.
EPA to Cut Air Toxics Emissions from Degreasers
EPA is proposing options to reduce air toxics emissions by up to 70 percent from halogenated solvent cleaning operations. Halogenated solvents, also known as degreasers, are used to remove soils such as grease, oils, waxes, carbon deposits and tars from metal, plastic, fiberglass and other surfaces.
The proposal includes two options, both of which would result in increased health protection for the public and cost savings for the industry. The proposals would impose an annual cap on emissions of the solvents methylene chloride, perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene. The caps would provide affected facilities with the flexibility to reduce their emissions using any traditional methods available. Most degreasing operations already emit less than either proposed caps. The proposal would focus on facilities posing the highest risks by requiring them to reduce emissions and meet the cap.
EPA issued a national rule to limit emissions of air toxics from degreasing operations in 1994. This rule is one of 96 rules called maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards that require 174 industry sectors to eliminate 1.7 million tons of 187 air toxics. Congress listed these toxic air pollutants in the Clean Air Act. There are nearly 1,900 degreasing operations in the United States. EPA estimates that the 1994 standards prevent nationwide emissions of air toxics by 85,300 tons per year.
The proposal addresses the residual risk and the eight-year technology review provisions in the Clean Air Act. These provisions direct EPA to review existing control technology standards. EPA is to tighten those standards if needed to protect health or because of improvements in emissions reduction methods.
EPA will accept public comment on its proposal for 45 days following publication of the proposed action in the Federal Register.
More information about the proposal and for how to comment:
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t3/fact_sheets/degreasproposalfs2006.html
The proposal includes two options, both of which would result in increased health protection for the public and cost savings for the industry. The proposals would impose an annual cap on emissions of the solvents methylene chloride, perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene. The caps would provide affected facilities with the flexibility to reduce their emissions using any traditional methods available. Most degreasing operations already emit less than either proposed caps. The proposal would focus on facilities posing the highest risks by requiring them to reduce emissions and meet the cap.
EPA issued a national rule to limit emissions of air toxics from degreasing operations in 1994. This rule is one of 96 rules called maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards that require 174 industry sectors to eliminate 1.7 million tons of 187 air toxics. Congress listed these toxic air pollutants in the Clean Air Act. There are nearly 1,900 degreasing operations in the United States. EPA estimates that the 1994 standards prevent nationwide emissions of air toxics by 85,300 tons per year.
The proposal addresses the residual risk and the eight-year technology review provisions in the Clean Air Act. These provisions direct EPA to review existing control technology standards. EPA is to tighten those standards if needed to protect health or because of improvements in emissions reduction methods.
EPA will accept public comment on its proposal for 45 days following publication of the proposed action in the Federal Register.
More information about the proposal and for how to comment:
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t3/fact_sheets/degreasproposalfs2006.html
Off grid Home Energy Management
The GridPoint Connect appliance intelligently integrates renewable energy systems and provides clean, silent backup power. Connect acts as an intelligent connection between solar panels, a home’s electrical system and the electricity grid. It automatically protects against power outages while reducing energy costs. Features include plug-and-play installation, advanced fully recyclable batteries and an Intel® Pentium®-based computer
More Information
GridPoint
E-mail: sharon@gridpoint.com
Website: www.gridpoint.com
GridPoint
E-mail: sharon@gridpoint.com
Website: www.gridpoint.com
Daily Show Ridicules Eod of Days
Daily Show Ridicules Cable News for Armageddon Hysteria
With all the doom of global morning & middle east John can always lighten it up.