Schwarzenegger can not catch a break

QUOTE: Schwarzenegger has become the GOP's Al Gore but the trouble is that his "environmentalism" isn't about curbing our reckless consumption; it's about having more cool choices -- if you can afford them.

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger does seem to understand that the planet is in trouble. As a green Republican, he is a welcome contrast to the know-nothing, do-less attitude of President Bush. His movie star persona is perfect for delivering lines like "Arnold to Detroit: Get off your butt."

But when he says the problem with environmentalism is that it's not hip or sexy -- that the movement has been a failure because it's based on guilt and sacrifice, not optimism and fun -- I must respond with one of the more eloquent lines from his signature role as an android assassin: Wrong

 

Read more from: Schwarzenegger: The Fake Environmental Hero

 

 

FREE Compact Florescent Lights (CFLs) Energy Savings Calculator

At less than $3 each. I am sold on buying CFLs instead of incandescent bulbs, at least until LEDs become commercially available at cost effective prices.
Calculate the savings for yourself here

 

 

Does Anyone "REALLY" Care About Global Warming?

From Article:
" If man is contributing to global warming, switching over will help to minimize the impact we have. If we are not contributing, switching over will help us adapt to the changes that are going to occur. And in either case, switching over will help us all become financially independent of the energy behemoths that run our lives now and will help mitigate the ecological effects that burning coal, oil and radioactive materials have on this planet, the only planet we know of that supports life."

 

Read full here

 

 

We may not agree on the problem, but the solution...

Governments in the U.S. Prepare for Peak Oil

A recent U.S. Government Accountability Office report says that since most studies suggest decline of oil within around three decades, the U.S. government must prepare the country for that eventuality.

Here are links to this and other reports, plus articles that interpret them.

We will ride the Disneyland biodiesel railroad next week!

VIA boingboing.com: Disneyland has switched the old time locomotives that pull the Disneyland Railroad to biodiesel:

For Disneyland, the switch to biodiesel saves as much as 150,000 gallons of diesel fuel each year, while potentially reducing carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80 percent, Disneyland Resort spokesman Bob Tucker said Monday.

"The decision, once we knew the trains would perform well, was an easy one," said Frank Dela Vara, technical director for Disneyland's Environmental Affairs. 
 (via The Disney Blog) http://www.thedisneyblog.com/

 

China Top CO2 Emitter in 2007 or '08 - IEA

"Either this year or next year," China will overtake the United States as the world's biggest emitter of heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) , the chief economist at the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, said on Wednesday.

 

Latest data show China is building a coal-fired power plant every four days, British foreign ministry official John Ashton said this week.

 

China is having to try and balance 10 percent annual economic growth with environmental and energy suppply issues.

 

The rapid growth in Chinese emissions puts in perspective western efforts to fight climate change, Birol said.

 

"What we do in Europe may be with good intentions, may be very ethical... but if you put it in terms of numbers it's meaning is very limited."

READ FULL FROM REUTERS NEWS SERVICE

The Great (Lakes) Disappearing Act

Water levels in the Great Lakes have been projected to drop, possibly falling five feet. Notoriously cold winters in Michigan are expected to warm by 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and summers by 13 degrees. It sounds nice to trade in your cup of hot chocolate for a fudgesicle, but there are many downsides.

Recreational use of the lakes are going to take a huge slam. Populations of cold-water fish (like trout) will be impacted by the warming waters, which means weekend fishing trips and the fishing industry will feel the hurt (as a sport, estimated to be worth $4.5 billion).

If water drops by five feet, approximately 100 feet of shore will be added to the beaches. As a newspaper in Michigan points out, the new water levels will skyrocket real estate along the lakes but make navigation difficult for boats. Shipments through the lakes can be expected to be reduced by 23 percent, which would certainly hand a financial blow to the region and businesses.

Meanwhile, policy continues to delay serious action, supposedly to preserve the American way of life. When will we fully recognize that our way of life will change dramatically if we do not act?

Read full by Joe at Climate Progress

Kids Allergies On The Rise Around the Globe

From treehugger (Via::CNN)

"We're all aware that people with allergies to nuts must be particularly careful around them because they can prove to trigger a fatal reaction. In fact, the kids in my school have a designated "Peanut Free" table just to keep them from any possible danger. But did you know that the number of young children with peanut allergies literally doubled between 1997 and 2002, according to a survey conducted in 2003? In fact, there are about 2.2 million U.S. school-age children who have food allergies, and roughly 1 out of 17 children under the age of 3 has a food allergy as well according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. And it's not just in the U.S. either, as children's allergies across the board from asthma and allergic skin diseases to hay fever and allergies to eggs, wheat and dairy products have increased worldwide according to a survey released in August 2006 that looked at more than 700,000 children in 56 countries since 1991. Now that's comprehensive! And while the reasons for the troubling increase are unclear for the moment, there are a number of ideas about the ways in which humans are impacting our environment that could be to blame..."

One points to the fact that the life in the First World has become so incredibly clean and antiseptic that kids immune systems aren't being challenged sufficiently to develop resistance, while another points out that the antibiotics so frequently used to combat childhood infections may be to blame by hindering the development of the friendly bacteria found in the intestinal tract that aid the immune system in warding off allergens. Another idea points to an increase in environmental pollutants, changes in diet, and food-processing techniques that could also be playing a role; while yet another reason could be simply that doctors are diagnosing more allergies now than in previous generations. Whatever the true cause is we're not likely to find out in a hurry, but the overriding truth is that of the reasons given above, the only one that does not have some connection to the way in which humans are impacting our environment in some way is the last… And that may be food for thought as we make decisions that have implications for our own children, and for those around the world.

 

 

 

Ethanol Vehicles Pose Significant Risk To Health, New Study Finds

This was news back on 1998 (EPA) and earlier... where did it go? and why is it back ;-)

Ethanol is widely touted as an eco-friendly, clean-burning fuel. But if every vehicle in the United States ran on fuel made primarily from ethanol instead of pure gasoline, the number of respiratory-related deaths and hospitalizations likely would increase, according to a new study by a Stanford University atmospheric scientist.

Corn: Do We Feed It Or Do We Burn It?

Summary:
While the future of the Cornbelt may be ethanol, the future will also be focused on innovations with livestock feed rations resulting from the availability of distillers' grains. They may make 10% of the ratio less expensive, but the other 90% may be more expensive. At the same time, livestock producers will have to become more adept at balancing rations to adjust for different qualities of the distillers' grains... read more here

Synthetic Fragrances carry in Human Milk

Jessica L. Reiner, Chung M. Wong, Kathleen F. Arcaro, and Kurunthachalam Kannan (Article) DOI: Linked Here

Effects of Ethanol (E85) versus Gasoline Vehicles on Cancer and Mortality in the United States

 Wed, 18 Apr 2007 (Article) DOI: Linked here

Cellulosic ethanol: the hopeless fuel of the future -- gristmill.org

Another day, another story about cellulosic ethanol pointing out that, like the Star Wars missile system, it's a technology capable of sucking up endless tax dollars without ever producing anything that delivers in the real world. From the www.gristmill.org

 

Environmental News Bits (From Laura B.)

Chemical Industry Expands Work with EPA in Solving Environmental Problems
The American Chemistry Council (ACC), which represents 130 companies accounting for approximately 85 percent of U.S. chemical production by volume, has agreed to work with EPA in the Sector Strategies Program. ACC joins the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association (SOCMA), a participant in the program since 1998. Together, ACC and SOCMA represent the majority of chemical production in the United States.

The chemical industry is an essential contributor to the U.S. economy, with about $555 billion in annual revenues. There are approximately 13,500 chemical manufacturing facilities in the United States, owned by more than 9,000 companies. The sector is one of the nation's largest exporters, accounting for 10 cents of every U.S. export dollar.

 

Chemical Manufacturing Sector Strategies Program http://www.epa.gov/sectors/chemical/index.html

 

Degreasers to Cut Air Toxics Emissions
Approximately 50 of the largest degreasing facilities will reduce air toxics emissions under tighter EPA standards that will prevent an additional 1,700 tons of solvent emissions and save the industry more than $1 million per year. Degreasers, also known as the halogenated solvent cleaning industry, use solvents to remove soils such as grease, oils, waxes, carbon deposits and tars from metal, plastic, fiberglass and other surfaces.

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. A copy of the final rule http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t3pfpr.html

 

Small Engine Rule to Bring Big Emissions Cuts
EPA continues to mow down harmful emissions from the non-road sector with a new proposal that sets strict standards for most lawn and garden equipment and small recreational watercraft. (more…)

Americans Report Increased Environmental Consciousness and Expectation That Companies Will Take Action
The 2007 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey released today finds one-third of Americans (32%) report heightened interest in the environment compared to a year ago. In addition, they are overwhelmingly looking to companies to act: 93% of Americans believe companies have a responsibility to help preserve the environment. http://www.csrwire.com/PressRelease.php?id=8183

 

An Inconvenient Tooth: Food Is Major Contributor to Climate Change
Global warming activists have a new ally in their fight to save the planet—lunch. It turns out that food (and all the energy it takes to make it) is one of the largest human activities contributing to global warming. The average American creates 2.8 tons of CO2 emissions each year by eating—even more than the 2.2 tons each person generates by driving, according to recent research (Echel and Martin, 2006). Beginning on Earth Day, 2007, Bon Appétit Management Company—the nation's pioneer in "greening" food service, is launching a national campaign to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions and help their guests do the same. http://www.csrwire.com/PressRelease.php?id=8169

 

 

Read more Environmental News Bits - By Laura B. (Thanks!)
http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb

Oakland is No. 1 user of renewable energy

Business Times: Oakland topped a list of U.S. cities using renewable energy, with 17 percent of its power coming from solar, wind and geothermal sources. Oakland beat out cross-bay rival San Francisco, which tied with Sacramento and San Jose for second place in the survey by SustainLane, which was released on Monday. Those three cities each get 12 percent of their power from renewable sources. San Francisco-based SustainLane surveyed the 50 largest cities in the United States for this ..

Link  VIA-(EcologicalInternet.org)

Your wood flooring is destroying endangered habitat

Shoppers are unwittingly playing a part in the destruction of one of the world's last great wildlife habitats by buying flooring made of endangered wood from "paradise forests". Just as demand for mahogany is disfiguring the Amazon, demand for the golden wood merbau is doing immense damage to the forests of New Guinea, described as the place on earth that best resembles "the Garden of Eden". Dozens of new creatures such as a new species of ..Read more VIA EcologicalInternet.org

Going native with plants: A new-old direction for water conservation

Christian Science Monitor: Native plants are emerging as the new heroes in a growing struggle to deal with climate change. In communities that consistently have too little water, drought-tolerant mesquite trees, buffalo grass, and colorful Texas red sage provide attractive landscaping that doesn't require watering. Native plants also come to the rescue in areas with the opposite problem – storms that dump heavy rainfall and overwhelm the infrastructure for dealing with storm water. There, plants such as marsh ...

Link (VIA - EcologicalInternet.org)

Ethanol May Cause More Smog related Deaths

Associated Press: Switching from gasoline to ethanol -- touted as a green alternative at the pump -- may create dirtier air, causing slightly more smog-related deaths, a new study says. Nearly 200 more people would die yearly from respiratory problems if all vehicles in the United States ran on a mostly ethanol fuel blend by 2020, the research concludes. Of course, the study author acknowledges that such a quick and monumental shift to plant-based fuels is next to impossible. Each year, about ... * Link (from EcologicalInternet.org)

Tropical rain forests are being cut down and burned to make way for biofuels

Reuters: Tropical rain forest is being cut down and burned to make way for soy and palm plantations destined to provide plant-based diesel for Europe's fuel tanks, environmentalists said on Wednesday. They cited cases of deforestation in Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia to make way for energy crops, and urged governments there to act. "In Brazil...one of the most affected areas is the state of Mato Grosso, where vast areas have disappeared to make room for soy crops destined for ...    * Link

Green Festival in Chicago

When: April 21 - 22, 2007
Where: McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive in Chicago
The Chicago green festival features more than 200 visionary speakers and 400 green businesses. The event also includes how-to workshops, green films, yoga and movement classes, green career sessions, organic beer and wine, delicious organic cuisine and live music. Tickets are $10 for general admission or $19 for a Membership Fastpass which includes an organic t-shirt, weekend admission for two adults and other benefits. There are discounts for bike riders, public transit users, seniors and students. For more information, please visit www.greenfestivals.org/content/view/729/388/

 

Link via:  (www.glrppr.org) update, April 13, 2007

Chemists design world's lowest-density crystals for use in clean energy

Chemists at UCLA have designed new organic structures for the storage of voluminous amounts of gases for use in alternative energy technologies http://www.physorg.com/news95617436.html

Environmental Tip of the Week is from EPA.

On April 22, 1970, 20 million people across America celebrated the first Earth Day. It was a time when cities were buried under their own smog and polluted rivers caught fire. Now Earth Day is celebrated annually around the globe. Through the combined efforts of the U.S. government, grassroots organizations, and citizens like you, what started as a day of national environmental recognition has evolved into a world-wide campaign to protect our global environment. Learn more about Earth Day at http://www.epa.gov/earthday.

 

VIA- www.eponline.com

           

 

 

60 MPG Passat is one of the cleanest internal combustion vehicles in the world.

Another highlight in the area of environmentally-friendly technologies is the Touran EcoFuel (80 kW / 109 PS) that is also being presented in China for the first time. The use of natural gas as fuel reduces practically all harmful exhaust components. Besides 20 percent lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, about 80 percent less carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NOX) is produced, and emissions of methane-containing hydrocarbons (HC) are about 70 percent lower.

Read on at: autobloggreen.com

3M chemical is found in Lake Calhoun

A former 3M chemical that has contaminated drinking water and fish in the east metro area has now shown up in the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes, prompting a fish consumption advisory and a wider investigation of how far the pollutant has spread.

 

Scientists found PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) ...The average concentrations in bluegill fillets was about 320 parts per billion. PFOS accumulates in blood, and it does not break down in the environment.

Matt Simcik, associate professor of environmental health at the University of Minnesota, said he was surprised to learn that PFOS levels in fish are so high, and that bluegills seem to accumulate it more than other species. "These chemicals keep throwing us for a loop every time we think we've got them understood," he said. "From an environmental chemistry standpoint, they hold a lot of mystery."

Read more from star tribune

 

EPA Publishes National U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryreport.html

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the national greenhouse gas inventory, which finds that overall emissions during 2005 increased by less than one percent from the previous year. The report, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2005, was published after gathering comments from a broad range of stakeholders across the country.

"The Bush Administration's unparalleled financial, international and domestic commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions is delivering real results," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "As America's economy continues to grow, our aggressive yet practical strategy is putting us on track to reach President Bush's goal to reduce our nation's greenhouse gas intensity 18 percent by 2012."

Total emissions of the six main greenhouse gases in 2005 were equivalent to 7,260 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. The report indicates that overall emissions have grown by 16 percent from 1990 to 2005, while the U.S. economy has grown by 55 percent over the same period.

 

From Laura B. (Thanks :-) 

If we don't get it together, our last supper could be Al Gore's frog soup.

I think our human egos like to think that we caused global warming because it also helps us believe we can fix it. If only it was that simple. 

 

The best "carbon neutral" plans MAY be steps in the right direction, but they are only Band-Aids applied to a much larger problem. If the Earth continues to warm, humankind will have to adapt, or die.  The chances of the worldwide coordinated effort to collectively fight global warming seems extremely unlikely given our current propensity for war, hoarding resources and the mounting demand for a dwindling supply of essential resources like water and food. Instead of fighting over the last remaining drops of oil, we ought to be putting our resources and greatest minds to the task.  I am confident there are many high-tech answers to some of the problems we face, but low-tech also holds much promise.

 

Whether we agree on who or what is causing it, the fight to slow global warming must take place at the lowest common denominator - us. I don't think we have a chance to fix it, but we could slow the process down long enough to see if we can adapt quickly enough to survive as a species in a hotter world. The alternative is extinction... Read more from Juan Espinosa,  http://www.chieftaincom/metro/1176533784/6

We Can't Go On Feeding - And Breeding - Like This

Overshoot is when a species reproduces to a number that its environment can't sustain.
In 1944, for example, 29 reindeer were introduced onto St. Matthew Island in the Bering Sea. With few competitors, no predators and plenty to eat, the herd increased to about 6,000 by the summer of 1963, consuming almost all available food. That winter most of them died. The surviving population in 1966 numbered 42.

 

The human population is now 6.5 billion. Given Earth's limits, there already are too many of us for the long run. But the day of reckoning is many years away, and it is notoriously difficult for political leaders to seek moderate sacrifice today to prevent terrible sacrifice tomorrow when there is too little general recognition of the trouble ahead.

...this can't last. The aquifers, oil and natural gas that made possible a fourfold population increase are finite. Over the coming decades, petroleum will become harder and harder to find, extract and put to use, until eventually it becomes unavailable for agriculture in any significant amount. Meanwhile, another 2 billion people are predicted worldwide by 2050.

Is the situation really this dire? In our dependence on the environment for food and water, we most certainly are subject to those constraints. Without a solution, we will die just as surely as the St. Matthew reindeer.

It's hard to be optimistic. There is probably no real solution to this problem, only halfway measures to lessen the eventual impact. And whatever we do to support population growth will only make overshoot worse in the end. Read full from David Bacon here

"National Security Consequences of Oil Dependency," startlingly frank about the futility of seeking energy independence.

"hypercars," "the reduction could be stunning." For example, a PHEV with next-generation lithium batteries, constructed with carbon fiber, charged overnight from the grid (preferably from domestically generated renewable energy), and running on E-85 cellulosic ethanol or biodiesel, could squeeze 1,000 mpg from the petroleum it uses.

Stunning indeed! Read more from "Fighting Terror with Hypercars"

WI Governor Plans Regional Global Warming Summit

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle (D) has been elected to serve as chair of the Midwestern Governors Association. He plans to hold a summit of Midwest governors in his state this fall to discuss regional efforts to achieve energy independence and fight global warming.

Unlike the northeast states and the western states that are formally agreed to collaborate on cutting global warming pollution, the Midwest has yet to go so far. But with its abundant renewable energy sources like wind, biomass, and biofuels, it is poised to join other states in moving toward a cleaner, more secure energy future.

At the signing, Governor Doyle announced: "With our vast agricultural and forestry resources, our strong research institutions, and our strong manufacturing base, I want the Midwest to become the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy with Wisconsin at the forefront. "

 

Read more from Maria Surma Manka

 

 

Related Story Links: American Wind Energy Association, Wisconsin State Journal

MI Families given choice of 'heat or eat': DHS

LANSING - The Department of Human Services (DHS) today announced that it is out of funds for energy crisis assistance for fiscal year 2007.

Individuals receiving home heating credits will continue to receive assistance through September, but new applications for energy crisis assistance will be denied due to lack of funds.  About $1.9 million goes to Michigan families each week. Energy programs help families by providing home heating credits to low-income households to pay energy bills and crisis assistance to prevent shutoffs or make emergency repairs. Reduced federal funding will further limit energy assistance for Michigan families.

"For many Michigan families, it is a choice of whether to heat or to eat," DHS Director Marianne Udow said. "I can only add my voice to the many Michigan leaders, including Gov. Granholm, who urged the president to release emergency LIHEAP funds."

My next NEW car could cost as low as $2,500

Disposable living will soon be including cars...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18097600/

---

Haase comments: How could we possibly have any future hope for daily exercise or reducing cars on the road when we'll make them as cheap as flat screen T.V.'s?

Report blames coal-fired plants for carbon dioxide increases

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- A report released Thursday by an Illinois environmental group blames coal-fired power plants for nearly half the country's increase in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels between 2000 and 2004.

 

Carbon dioxide emissions increased 22 percent in Illinois and 18 percent across the country during that time, according to the report from Environment Illinois and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

 

Read more here

Why cellulosic ethanol, biofuels are unsustainable and a threat to America

Peak Soil:  There are many serious problems with biofuels, especially on a massive scale, and it appears from this report that they cannot be surmounted. So let the truth of Alice Friedemann's meticulous and incisive diligence wash over you and rid you of any confusion or false hopes. The absurdity and destructiveness of large scale biofuels are a chance for people to eventually even reject the internal combustion engine and energy waste in general. One can also hazard from this report that bioplastics, as well, cannot make it in a big way.

YIKES - Will The Supply Meet The Demand For US Wheat?

The 2006 crop, reduced by fewer acres and fewer rains, will not contribute much to the total supply, should the 2007 crop also be reduced from the weather. However the acres devoted to the 2007 crop will be 60.3 million, up 3.0 million or 5% from 2006, according to the USDA's March 30 acreage and planting intentions report:
1) 2007 winter wheat is forecast at 44.5 million acres, 10% above last year.
2) Growers intend to plant 13.8 million acres this year of spring wheat, down 7% from 2006.
3) Area seeded to durum wheat is expected to total 2.0 million acres, up 6% from 2006. Durum planted area in 2006 was the lowest since 1961.
4) Soft white wheat planted area is expected to be 3.8 million acres for 2007, up from 3.7 million acres in 2006. Hard white wheat planted area is expected to be 0.7 million acres for 2007, up from 0.6 million acres in 2006.

 

Read on here

Are mobile phones wiping out our bees?

Scientists claim radiation from handsets may be to blame for mysterious "colony collapse" of bees Now a limited study at Landau University has found that bees refuse to  return to their hives when mobile phones are placed nearby. Dr Jochen Kuhn, who carried it out, said this could provide a "hint" to a possible cause.  » original news (VIA-Hugg's)