May 17, 2012

CDC Lowers 'Lead Poisoning' levels to 5 mcg/dL now considered hazards

The CDC has lowered by half the danger threshold for lead levels in children's blood, one of more than a dozen advisory committee recommendations that the agency has accepted in principle.

From now on, blood levels of lead exceeding 5 mcg/dL will identify children "living or staying for long periods in environments that expose them to lead hazards," according to a CDC statement released Wednesday.

And the CDC now flatly states that any level of lead in the blood is a potential health hazard.

Starting in 1991, the agency had set 10 mcg/dL as the "level of concern" for children's lead exposure. The lower value represents the 97.5th percentile of blood lead levels in children, which the Advisory Committee for Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention recommended as the reference value.

The CDC also accepted the panel's recommendation to stop using the term "level of concern" to indicate a specific threshold for action, insofar as it may imply that lower levels are safe.

Read more By John Gever, Senior Editor, MedPage Today
http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/EnvironmentalHealth/32737

May 16, 2012

Fighting a Billion dollar #renewable army.

The Defense Department wants to run the military on more renewables and less oil, but some members of Congress don’t think it’s worth one billion dollars. House Republicans complain that the Department of Defense is advancing a political agenda instead of a military one.

Please continue reading at:
http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=12-P13-00009&segmentID=2

@jimleape, EARTH is not enough, Soon we'll need 3 Earths to support our lifestyles #ECO #CHOICE #sustainable

If we all lived like the average person in America we would need four planets, the report spells out.
Dr Dan Barlow, head of policy at WWF Scotland, said: “We are continuing to consume resources faster than the planet can provide, with our current path demanding potentially double those the planet can sustain by 2030.

“Unless we act now, our economic security and livelihoods will be threatened as resources become more scarce and natural systems further degraded, dramatically pushing up the price of food, raw materials and other key commodities.”

...The report, compiled every two years, also highlights that wildlife populations around the world have declined by almost a third (30 per cent) in the past four decades, as they are put under pressure from human demand for resources.

Tropical species have suffered the most, seeing populations tumble by 60 per cent since 1970, according to the study, produced in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Global Footprint Network.

Jim Leape, director general of WWF International, said: “We are living as if we have an extra planet at our disposal.
“We are using 50 per cent more resources than the Earth can provide, and unless we change course that number will grow very fast – by 2030, even two planets will not be enough.”

Please read on at:
http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/environment/the-world-is-not-enough-soon-we-ll-need-three-planet-earths-1-2294500

#OSHA QuickTakes #Safety Newsletter for May

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Biochar Promises to Provide Carbon Negative Fuel and Better Soil

biochar, fixing carbon, soil amenity, bio-gas, climate change technology, Cool Planet, WREF

Could what’s in this little container keep our planet healthy? The simple reality is we need to find a way to put carbon back into the soil, and making something called ‘biochar’ is perhaps the best way to do that. While attending the World Renewable Energy Forum in Denver, it was hard not to be attracted to what could be the lowest tech solution to our carbon problem — simply stabilize it and put it back into the ground from where it came. Biochar is a valuable soil amenity and fuel source, so its potential is just being tapped. The net-carbon negative process is being taken very seriously as the best, and thus far, only proven way to store carbon for the long term in large quantities.

Read the rest of Biochar Promises to Provide Carbon Negative Fuel and Better Soil

WikiHouse: Get ready to design, "print" and construct your own home!

The WikiHouse construction system is based on the use of plywood fins that connect togethe...

Created by a group of young designers from London, WikiHouse is an open source construction solution that aims to make it possible for almost anyone, regardless of skill level, to freely download and build affordable housing. The WikiHouse construction system was on display during last month's Milan Design Week, where the creators themselves demonstrated how the technology can be applied. “We believe this could herald in a new industrial revolution,” co-founder Nick Ierodiaconou told Gizmag. “The factory of the future will be everywhere and the designer will be everyone.” .. Continue Reading WikiHouse: Get ready to design, "print" and construct your own home!

Dwarf plants could reduce demands for water, fertilizer, nutrients and pesticides

Burkhold Schulz examines sorghum treated with the fungicide propiconazole while untreated ...

Aside from arable land, most farm crops require significant amounts of water, fertilizer, nutrients and pesticides to grow. While specialized breeding is often used to help produce plants that require less of these inputs, Purdue University researcher Burkhard Schulz has found a way to create tiny versions of plants that suffer no reduction in yield through the addition of a cheap and widely available chemical. .. Continue Reading Dwarf plants could reduce demands for water, fertilizer, nutrients and pesticides

EPA announces standards for small particle pollution.

The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday announced regulations on PM2.5, or particulate matter of less than 2.5 micrometers, setting the standards at a maximum 35μg/m3 daily mean concentration and a maximum 15μg/m3 annual mean concentration.

Please continue reading at:

Whoops! There Is Way More Plastic In The Ocean Than We Thought

Media reports about marine pollution have tended to fixate on the idea of "great garbage patches"--huge floating islands of waste circulating in the gyres of the major oceans. Outlets have often spoken of patches "twice the size of Texas", giving the impression of trash blankets easily visible from planes or satellite.

The reality, say scientists, is something less tangible, though no less alarming. The trash--most of it plastic--may not be easy to see. But it is there, suspended in tiny pieces, on the surface, and below the waves. And new research indicates that the problem may even be worse than previously understood.

According to Giora Proskurowski, a project scientist at the University of Washington, what lies on the top of oceans is only a fraction of what lies beneath. On average, the next 100 feet below the waterline contains 2.5 times the plastic of what’s on the surface, he says. And, when winds are really churning up the water, there could be as much 27 times more plastic in the water column.

Please continue reading at:

May 15, 2012

Beyond #LEED: The challenge of creating living buildings, the environmentally friendly structures around

The Living Building Standard results in some of the most energy-efficient and environmentally friendly structures around. It’s also incredibly difficult to achieve. Is it truly changing the way we design buildings?

Please continue reading at:

If a kid can build a $3,000 electric car why don’t we have ANY affordable ones?

According to a Missouri local news station, Don Gibson, a high school senior, converted his 1994 Geo Metro into an electric car by pulling out the gas engine and replacing it with an electric forklift engine he bought on eBay for around $200. Don spent $3,000 total in his electric car but said that if he were to do it again, he could do it for $2000. … Doing the math here, that is equivalent to spending $0.016 or 1.5 cents per mile. Or as the article states, he is getting an equivalent of around 200 miles per gallon compared to a gas engine. (He had an unfair advantage—no government involvement or subsidies. The article blames “big oil” for blocking such, but at this cost, and small manufacturer could build them, if there was a demand. ~Bob.)


Please continue reading at:

http://immizen.com/2012/05/06/if-a-high-school-kid-can-build-one-why-dont-we-have-more-electric-cars/

REACH #chemical #safety review: Re-opening a can of worms?

Five years after its adoption, the European Commission is preparing to review the controversial REACH regulation, which for the first time required chemical manufacturers to justify that their products are safe for consumers before placing them on the market.

Please continue reading at:
http://www.euractiv.com/sustainability/reach-chemical-safety-review-opening-worms-linksdossier-512446

Bees are being killed: Beekeepers take first step to sue EPA over pesticides.

The battle of the bees and the deadly insecticides killing them en masse has taken a first step in a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency for negligence in not protecting the bees.

Please continue reading at:

Despite strong opposition from environmentalists, #Solar project in desert gets boost from California Legislature.

Despite strong opposition from environmentalists, the state Assembly on Thursday approved controversial legislation that allows a solar energy developer to bypass local agencies in seeking to build a large-scale power plant.

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Energy saving light bulbs 'contain cancer causing chemicals'?

Their report advises that the bulbs should not be left on for extended periods, particularly near someone’s head, as they emit poisonous materials when switched on.
Peter Braun, who carried out the tests at the Berlin's Alab Laboratory, said: “For such carcinogenic substances it is important they are kept as far away as possible from the human environment.”
The bulbs are already widely used in the UK following EU direction to phase out traditional incandescent lighting by the end of this year.
But the German scientists claimed that several carcinogenic chemicals and toxins were released when the environmentally-friendly compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) were switched on, including phenol, naphthalene and styrene.
Andreas Kirchner, of the Federation of German Engineers, said: “Electrical smog develops around these lamps.
Please continue reading at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8462626/Energy-saving-light-bulbs-contain-c...

Household chemicals' 'cocktail effect' raises cancer concerns for watchdog.

Europe's environmental watchdog, the European Environment Agency, has warned that products containing endocrine disrupting chemicals should be treated with caution until their true effects are better known.

Please continue reading at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/may/10/household-chemicals-cancer-concern-watchdog

International regulations are changing American #toxic chemical supply chains.

Arguments against chemical regulation have been top of mind recently; the odds seem to be stacked against large-scale reform of US legislation. But that doesn't mean US companies are off the hook when it comes to toxic chemicals.

Please continue reading at:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/amywestervelt/2012/05/10/how-international-regulations-are-changing-american-supply-chains/

May 14, 2012

Environmental, Health & Safety Manager #Job SE Wisconsin

JOB DESCRIPTION:
Responsible for managing Corporate EHS programs and training, ensuring regulatory compliance, and promoting best practices as well as the development and growth of a strong safety culture for all manufacturing facilities. EH&S Manager is responsible for implementing corporate policies, procedures, training programs, and initiatives. This position should foster a zero tolerance culture, ensuring environmental and safety compliance.

 RESPONSIBILITIES:
·Develops, implements and maintains site specific EH&S programs, policies and procedures as needed.
·Contribute to training / orientation of new employees.
·Develop and conduct EHS and DOT compliance training and OSHA compliance training.
·Maintains OSHA 300 logs.
·Timely incident reporting and documentation, and reporting unsafe conditions / activities
·Company EHS rep to regulatory agencies, insurance auditors & engineers, contractors and sales reps.
·Manage Chemical Safety Program including Hazardous Communication Program.
·Maintain MSDS’s.
·Develop / maintain safety committee structure.
·Supports facility construction, fire suppression, new machinery & equipment installs, equipment renovation for safety and environmental requirements.
·Manage Company Hearing Conservation program to comply with all testing requirements.
·Coordinate eye safety program.
·Develop and maintain Job Hazard Analysis.
·Manage emergency response program.
·Conduct inspections and compliance audits.

 
EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE:
·BS in Occupational Health and Safety and/or Environmental Management or related discipline with a minimum of 5 years practical field experience in a service or manufacturing environment

Please contact Kermit Kapp for more information
kermitk@keytechnicalsolutions.com

Trillion$ dumped into Carbon capture & storage (#CCS): A shiny new pipe dream.

Capturing the carbon dioxide from power stations is not hard. But it is expensive. A new project in Norway aims to make it cheaper.

...There was a rush of interest in CCS in the late 2000s, including $3 billion for it in America’s stimulus package of 2009. But many projects are now being cancelled. Either the developers have lost confidence in government commitments to support them or their costs have turned out higher than expected. Mongstad—a billion-dollar development owned jointly by the Norwegian government and three oil companies, Statoil, Shell and Sasol of South Africa—is a rare exception that has actually opened.

Hence the hoopla.

Please read more from source:

#Lead Poisoning in #Mining Practice Needs Necessary Medical #Care and #Safer Conditions

Nigerian Government Must Ensure Clean Up of Affected Area, Along With Necessary Medical Care and Safer Mining Practices

The Nigerian government must commit significant resources to respond to a lead poisoning epidemic in Zamfara State, which has sickened thousands of children since 2010, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and other delegates at an international conference on the epidemic said today.

Decision-makers from the Nigerian government and the ministers of mines, environment, and health were not present at the International Lead Poisoning Conference, held May 9–10 in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. No concrete action by the Nigerian federal government was announced.

“There has been plenty of talk, but now is the time for action,” said Ivan Gayton, MSF country representative in Nigeria. “MSF will consider this conference to be a success when all of the poisoned children are living in a safe environment and receiving treatment.”

Delegates at the conference endorsed an action plan calling for the Nigerian government’s commitment to resolve the crisis, which included three key pillars: medical care; environmental remediation; and safer mining. To succeed, the Nigerian government, in particular the ministries of mines, environment, and health at both the federal and state levels, must commit to significant resources and coordination efforts.

Please read o at:
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/press/release.cfm?id=6011


Promised funds of 850 million Naira ($5.4 million) for environmental remediation (the removal of contaminants) and safer mining in Zamfara have languished for months, while thousands of children continue to suffer from acute lead poisoning.

#Energy Department Announces Milestone in Fuel Cell Use

In support of President Obama's all-of-the-above energy strategy, the Energy Department today announced that more than one thousand fuel cells were deployed through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Over the last three years, nearly 1,200 fuel cells have been deployed in emergency backup power units and material handling equipment, such as forklift trucks.

"Funded with $9.7 million under the Recovery Act, more than 500 fuel cell powered lift trucks are now operational at end-user sites, along with fueling systems, data collection and analysis, and operator training to support them. Hydrogen fuel cells do not emit any harmful air pollutants and can be rapidly refueled, boosting productivity."

This investment is a part of the Department's commitment to U.S. leadership in innovative fuel cell technologies to give American businesses more options to cut energy costs and reduce petroleum use.
Full story at EERE News
 

#Microsoft seeks carbon neutrality? #sustainable #biz #dogood

The largest software company in the world is pledging to shrink its corporate carbon footprint – big time. Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington,with facilities in over 100 countries, is going carbon neutral, cutting greenhouse gases using a method most companies, and countries, have yet to consider: basically, a self–imposed tax.

Please continue reading at:

Orange County groundwaters $200 million toxic plume.

An eight-square-mile plume of toxic contamination moving slowly through northern Orange County groundwater could take decades to clean up -- with costs running as high as $200 million.

Please continue reading at:

Research adds to #BPA fear of #cancer. #toxic #health

New findings suggests a link between breast cancer risk and prenatal exposure to bisphenol A, or BPA, giving more ammunition to groups that want to ban the substance, which is found in baby bottles, food containers and numerous other consumer products.

Please continue reading at:

Peru's coffee growers turn carbon traders to save their farms from climate change.

Global warming threatens the future of Peru's poorest coffee farmers, but one brand thinks it has found an answer on the financial markets.

Please continue reading at:

EPA red lights palm oil as #biofuel

The Environmental Protection Agency says that palm oil based biofuel does not meet renewable fuel standards. Some say that palm oil fuel emits more greenhouse gas emissions than other vegetable oils, and that the creation of palm plantations leads to deforestation.

Please continue reading at:

Dwindling fish stocks leave China high and dry.

A severe decline in stocks has nearly paralyzed the fishing industry in east China, leaving many boats anchored at harbor during what should be the prime fishing season.

Please continue reading at:

Isotopes help clear up concerns about chloroform in groundwater.

When communities in Denmark pump groundwater for drinking water, officials monitor the levels of chemicals such as chloroform that might signal the presence of industrial contaminants. But not all chloroform travels with human-made pollution.

Please read more from source:

May 13, 2012

EPA Promotes #Safer #chemical Alternatives to persistent and highly #toxic

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the final report on alternatives to nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) through the Design for the Environment (DfE) Alternatives Assessment Program. NPEs are widely used surfactants with a range of industrial applications and are commonly found in consumer products, such as laundry detergents. When released into the environment, they can be persistent and highly toxic to aquatic organisms

Please read more from source:

Nicholas Carr - the Internet discourages attentive, contemplative thinking

Nicholas Carr Foresees Brains Optimized for Browsing
Nicholas Carr... the Internet discourages attentive, contemplative thinking - and if so, is the price worth paying, in any case, for all the speed and convenience it brings? Are you happy to swap your mind for an "outboard brain." 

EPA Updates Clean Air Act Requirements for Gas Stations to Reflect New Vehicle Technologies / Widesp

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that the systems used at gas station pumps to capture harmful gasoline vapors while refueling cars can be phased out. Modern vehicles are equipped to capture those emissions. This final rule is part of the Obama Administration’s initiative to ensure that regulations protect public health and the environment without being unnecessarily burdensome to American businesses

Please read more from source:

#energy #grid storage system that can buffer power fluctuating #solar power

Siemens has developed an energy-storage system that can act as a buffer in electrical power grids. The aim is to provide a buffer against short-term fluctuations in output from renewable energy sources. Such fluctuations can last for seconds or several minutes long. The modular designed Siestorage battery is based on lithium-ion rechargeable battery technology and fits into a normal shipping container. In its big layout it stores 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity. That's about the average daily power consumption of 50 households. The Italian power company Enel recently switched on the first Siestorage installation, which has a capacity of one megawatt. Enel is using the installation, which is connected to its primary distribution network, to study how voltage can be stabilized.

The electrical output of photovoltaic arrays doesn't only fluctuate with the seasons or between night and day. It's also affected by . For example, power production sags for a few seconds (or even minutes) if clouds drift over the modules. Consequently, the grid experiences brief drops in voltage.  deal with these fluctuations within milliseconds in the power grid itself. As a result, there's no need to adjust controls at power stations - a procedure that reduces efficiency and increases costs. 

During development, Siemens worked together with one of the world's largest manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries. Thanks to the system's modular design, its capacity can be expanded to two megawatt hours at an output of 8 megawatts. The complete solution with the inverter module and the controller that connect the system to the grid are from Siemens.

Please continue reading at:

May 12, 2012

The Rise of Chemophobia - #consumer fear of #chemicals

"American news outlets like The New York Times seem to thrive onchemophobia — consumer fear of the ambiguous concept of 'chemicals.' As a result, Pulitzer-prize winning science writer Deborah Blum has decided to call out New York Times journalist Nicholas Kirstof for his secondary crusade (she notes he is an admirable journalist in other realms) against chemicals. She's quick to point out the absurdity of fearing chemicals like Hydrogen which could be a puzzler considering its integral role played in life-giving water as well as life-destroying hydrogen cyanide. Another example is O2 versus O3. Blum calls upon journalists to be more specific, to avoid the use of vague terms like 'toxin' let alone 'chemical' and instead inform the public with lengthy chemical names like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) instead of omitting the actual culprit altogether. Kristof has, of course, resorted to calling makers of these specific compounds 'Big Chem' and Blum chastises his poorly researched reporting along with chemophobic lingo. Chemists of Slashdot, have you found reporting on 'chemicals' to be as poor as Blum alleges or is this no more erroneous than any scare tactic used to move newspapers and garner eyeballs?"
Please continue reading at:

May 11, 2012

Wall Street holds the public hostage to private finance infrastructure deals

Here is how the “infrastructure trust” works: the city pays for upgrades to its roads, rail or schools with dollars pooled by Emanuel’s friends from the banking and investment world. Meanwhile, the city retains “ownership” of the infrastructure, though this comes at the cost of having to ensure a revenue stream for the fund. Emanuel’s favorite example is his $225 million pet project to green-retrofit some of the city’s older buildings. The savings on energy usage stemming from the renovations are then extracted and used to pay off investors. Of course, the city could also sell municipal bonds to raise necessary funds, and then use the savings in energy costs to pay the loan back at a much lower cost to taxpayers. But then Emanuel’s friends (and campaign donors) would not be the richer for it.

Please read on at:
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2012/04/chicago-approves-its-infrastructure-bank-cities-across-country-watch-and-wait/1848/

Forget Retirement and Retirement Savings...reason it and the US hasn't gone bankrupt yet

Jeff Berwick You've been sold a bill of goods for the last four to six decades. You've been told that nation-states, democracy and socialism is good. You've been told our monetary system prevents instability. And, while the government and central banks put your unborn children or grandchildren into debt for life they've been telling you that there will be a socialist safety net to protect you and that the "American dream" includes retiring in your 50s or 60s to a wonderful life of golf and lying on the beach.

It even appeared to work for a short while thanks to demographics and the greatest advances in human history.

The baby boom caused by the nation-state (which created World War II) and central banking (which created the depression and funded World War II) was truly a boom creating a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make it appear as though some of these inane socialist theories could work.

A look at the number of workers per retiree in the US shows this plainly.

And, with the advent of the internet, productivity also increased massively in the 1990s and 2000s, further obscuring the collapse to come. And it is coming. In fact, it's already started. So, if you are basing your future retirement plans on what has happened in your living memory you better snap out of it.


SOCIALIST SECURITY – THE ULTIMATE PONZI SCHEME

A ponzie scheme is defined as "a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money or the money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from profit earned by the individual or organization running the operation". By this definition, the Socialist Security system in the US is a ponzi scheme.

The end of a ponzi scheme is always when net payments outstrip net income. This occurred in 2010 and there is no end in sight even under the US Government's own heavily massaged and always underguesstimated projections.

There is only one reason it and the US Government hasn't gone bankrupt yet. It's because they can still print dollars to cover all these deficits. But how much longer can that realistically last before hyperinflation sets in and the dollar becomes worthless? We can't see any way it goes more than five more years from here... and that's pushing it.

Please read more at:
http://lewrockwell.com/berwick/berwick46.1.html
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