It's Important to Conserve Water

Water is a precious resource and even though it flows readily whenever we turn on a faucet, it’s important to conserve.  Water is vital to the environment and conserving water helps our critical ecosystems, and saves us money too. We don’t have to make major lifestyle changes to conserve water.  Listen to Marla Carter, education coordinator for the City of Everett Public Works.  To fine out more go to www.ci.everett.wa.us then type in public works or call 4255-257-8875 For more visit  http://livingsustainablyinsnohomishcounty.blogspot.com

 

Article courtesy of Living Sustainable in Snohomish County

NOAA botched decision to move Seattle fleet to Oregon, audit finds

Before deciding to move its research fleet from Seattle to Newport, Ore., the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) failed to adequately consider the possibly cheaper option of existing federal facilities in Seattle, a federal auditor's report says.

The report also takes NOAA to task for failing to analyze the total, long-term cost of moving the ships to Newport, which lacks major maritime facilities and is more than 200 miles from the Seattle-based researchers who commonly use the vessels.

read more  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012239196_noaa30m.html

Article courtesy of The Seattle Times by Sandi Doughton

 

Report details efforts to prevent isotope from reaching Vt. water supplies

VERNON, Vt. — After pumping out 130,000 gallons of contaminated groundwater, removing 240 cubic feet of tainted soil, and spending about $10 million responding to a leak of radioactive tritium, Vermont Yankee officials said yesterday it will be at least three months before the cleanup is complete.

But they say that there is no evidence the isotope made it into drinking water supplies and that samples of water from the neighboring Connecticut River continue to show no detectable tritium levels. Continue story

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2010/06/23/report_details_efforts_to_prevent_isotope_from_reaching_vt_water_supplies/

Article courtesy of Associated Press by John Curran

Climate change panel taps experts in more fields

GENEVA — The UN science body on climate change, accused of ignoring its critics and allowing glaring errors to creep into its work, announced yesterday that a broader range of experts will write its next report on global warming.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change includes more women and scientists from developing countries, as well as authors with a wider range of backgrounds than previously — partly in response to recent criticism that earlier groups refused to address dissenting views.  Read more http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2010/06/24/climate_change_panel_taps_experts_in_more_fields/

Article courtesy of  Associated Press by Frank Jordans

 

 

 

BP reattaches dislodged containment cap

A temporary setback causes more leakage

BP’s effort to contain the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico suffered another setback yesterday when a discharge of liquid and gases forced the company to remove the containment cap that for three weeks had been able to capture much of the oil gushing from its damaged well.

Admiral Thad W. Allen of the Coast Guard, at a briefing in Washington, said a remote-controlled submersible operating a mile beneath the surface had most likely bumped a vent and compromised the system. Live video from the sea floor showed oil and gas coursing from the well unrestricted.

By evening, the cap appeared to be back on, nestled in place on the eighth try after about 90 minutes of effort. Live video showed remote-controlled submersibles frequently moving hoses out of the way so that the cap could be lowered over the spewing oil.

 Read more  http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2010/06/24/bp_reattaches_dislodged_containment_cap/

Courtesy of The Boston Globe by Liz Robbins New York Times

 

Green Teen Week: Tune Your Tech

Most teens love having the latest gizmos, so if it's absolutely necessary to buy a new iPod, camera, or cell phone, consider environmentally preferable options and products that contain fewer toxic elements, are energy-efficient, or use recycled materials to encourage manufacturers to design green. As for the stuff you're replacing, be sure to donate or recycle it. Used computers that still work can be given to families or schools that couldn't otherwise afford them, which would also prevent more e-waste from heading to the landfill. 

Article courtesy of The Green Life (green.life@sierraclub.org)

New York Awarded National Smart Growth and Drinking Water Protection Grant

Governor David A. Paterson has announced that New York State was chosen as one of only two states for a Smart Growth technical assistance grant to promote sustainable land use and water quality protection. The Smart Growth Leadership Institute chose New York and Missouri for this year's initiative, entitled ''Aligning State Land Use and Water Quality Protection Programs.'' The program is funded by EPA.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7681

MassDOT Will Promote Smart Growth and Complete Streets to Reduce Carbon Footprint

Building upon the state's Global Warming Solutions Act, the Project Development and Design Guide, and similar legislative measures, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) launched a comprehensive GreenDOT "environmental responsibility and sustainability initiative'' to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote walking, biking and transit, and support smart growth.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7687

ULI: Law Has Much Potential to Increase Livability in California's Urban Areas

In SB 375 Impact Analysis Report, the Urban Institute examines the potential effects of a new law on the economic future of California and the quality of life for its residents. SB 375 requires metropolitan planning organizations to create and implement land use plans that use compact, coordinated, and efficient development patterns to reduce auto dependency. The report concludes that the law, if implemented wisely, could help the state’s urban regions become more economically and environmentally sustainable.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7684

Smart Growth Sharpens Focus on Multi-Use Urban Parks

As the smart growth movement matures and applies the economic, social and environmental lessons of development patterns since the 1950s, it makes the significance of public parks and green spaces increasingly clear, according to National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Chief of Public Policy Richard J. Dolesh. John Frece, Director of EPA's Office of Smart Growth, agrees. ''EPA has always considered the creation of high-quality parks as essential to creation of livable, sustainable communities,'' said Frece, pointing out that a park provides ''an essential oasis in a busy, dense, urban environment'' and ''true environmental benefits that are beyond natural beauty.'' With EPA, HUD and DOT working through their Partnership for Sustainable Communities since June 2009 ''to inspire communities to do a better job'' in planning for sustainability goals, Frece said, ''It is logical that parks be an integral part of the next steps to achieve these goals.'' www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7675

Article courtesy of Smart Growth

On the trail of deep-sea oil

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. — The deep-sea photos on Vernon Asper’s laptop don’t look like much to the untrained eye: black squares with flecks of white and orange. But, he says, pressing a fingertip beneath one barely-there dot, that sure looks like oil to him.

Asper, a professor of marine science at the University of Southern Mississippi, will know more once he finishes analyzing data being collected by a deep-diving vessel built by iRobot Corp. in Bedford. The torpedo-shaped vessel, Seaglider 515, and several other seafaring robots are sliding through the Gulf of Mexico, assessing the oil in the water after a rig explosion off the Louisiana coast created a gusher that has turned into the nation’s worst environmental disaster.

Scientists will use the information gathered by the underwater gliders to map the oil swirling hundreds and thousands of feet beneath the ocean’s surface, and that will help them figure out how the oil is moving and where it might appear next. The information, collected with onboard sensors, is critical so cleanup crews can buffer the coast and know where to look for harmed wildlife. Government officials and researchers estimate that as much as 40,000 barrels of oil a day may have been leaking from the blown-out well drilled for BP, making it much bigger than the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989.

Continue http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2010/06/15/on_the_trail_of_deep_sea_oil/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe By Erin Ailworth

 

 

Dump the Pump Day June 17 2010

Join Ventura County Transportation Commission and VISTA bus for the fifth annual Dump the Pump Day!

On Thursday, June 17, 2010, VISTA bus' fixed-service will be FREE.  Particpants who carpool, vanpool, ride the bus, walk, or bike on Dump the Pump Day will also have a chance to enter VCTC and VISTA bus' random drawing to win one of five prizes including an Apple iPod Touch.

We encourage you to spread the word to your employees.  Below you will find links to Dump the Pump Day pledge form and flyer.

For more information, visit  www.goventura.org or call (800) 438-1112. 

Westchester Knows HIV Testing Event

    `                                                                WESTCHESTER KNOWS KICK-OFF EVENT

                                                            Free HIV testing on June 21 in downtown White Plains

Did you know?

·  The CDC estimates that 1 in 5 people with HIV do not know they are infected.

·  In New York State, outside of NYC, Westchester County has the most people

     living with HIV and AIDS.

·  Due to delayed HIV testing, close to 40% of Westchester County residents newly

    diagnosed with HIV are also being diagnosed with AIDS within one year.

 

That’s why it’s so important that adults 18 and over get tested for HIV when they seek routine medical care and that all health care partners assist in this endeavor. The new Westchester Knows task force will launch a three year campaign to increase HIV testing at its partnering locations.  The kick-off event will take place on Monday, June 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the corner of Mamaroneck Avenue & Main Street in downtown White Plains.  Individuals living with HIV will speak from personal experience about how a simple HIV test changed their lives and free rapid HIV testing will be offered to the public.  Visit www.westchestergov.com/health for more details.

             

 

Driving green

Buying green is just the first step in reducing the environmental impacts of automobile use. Your choice of vehicle is most important, but how you drive and how well you maintain your car, van, or light truck will also make a difference.

• Avoid "jack rabbit" starts and aggressive driving. Flooring the gas pedal not only wastes gas, it leads to drastically higher pollution rates. One second of high-powered driving can produce nearly the same volume of carbon monoxide emissions as a half hour of normal driving.
• Think ahead. Try to anticipate stops and let your vehicle coast down as much as possible. Avoid the increased pollution, wasted gas, and wear on your brakes created by accelerating hard and braking hard.
• Follow the speed limit! Driving 75 mph instead of 65 mph will lower your fuel economy by about 10 percent, and can dramatically increase tailpipe pollution in many vehicles.
• When possible, plan your trips to avoid rush hour. Stop-and-go driving burns gas and increases emissions of smog-forming pollutants.
• Combine trips. Warmed-up engines and catalysts generate much less air pollution, so combining several short trips into one can make a big difference.
• Take a load off. Carrying around an extra 100 pounds reduces fuel economy by about 1 percent. Take a few moments to unload your cargo area.
• If your vehicle has it, use overdrive gear at cruising speeds. When driving a manual transmission, shift up as soon as possible. Running in a higher gear decreases the rpm and will decrease fuel use and engine wear.
• Try using the vents and opening windows to cool off before you turn on the air conditioner. Air conditioner use increases fuel consumption, increases NOx emissions in some vehicles, and involves environmentally damaging fluids.
• Unlike many older cars and trucks, modern vehicles don't need to warm up and they have automatic chokes, so you don't need to step on the gas pedal before starting the engine.

Article courtesy of Greenercars.org

 

Troops suffer long-term brain impacts from shock waves, Seattle study finds

Seattle researchers, with the aid of sophisticated scanning technology, have found long-term changes in brain functions of Iraq veterans exposed to blast shock waves.

The findings have been published online in the journal NeuroImage, amid a contentious debate among doctors about the causes of memory loss, mood swings, insomnia and other symptoms that afflict some troops shaken up in bomb blasts or other explosions.

Some researchers believe that the brain quickly heals from mild brain trauma and that lingering symptoms result from other problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder. But this study suggests these veterans suffer significant neurological damage.

"This is evidence of persistent alterations of the brain of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with repetitive blast exposure," said Elaine Peskind, a Veterans Affairs Puget Health Sound Health System psychiatrist who led a team of 11 VA and University of Washington researchers. "These changes are real and long lasting."

Peskind says the results of the brain imaging also raise concerns that some blast-exposed veterans, in their mid-to-later years, will suffer from higher rates of Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia that afflict some professional boxers and football players.

Co-author Donna Cross, of the University of Washington, who worked on the imaging with Eric Petrie and Satoshi Minoshima, recently received an award for the research from the Society of Nuclear Medicine.

Different results

The study is at odds with published findings of Charles Hoge, an influential researcher in military medicine who is convinced that thousands of U.S. military personnel have been misdiagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury.

Hoge, who works in the office of the Army's Surgeon General, says these men and women are more likely to suffer from depression or post-traumatic stress disorder that is largely unrelated to exposure to concussive blasts.

Many of these blasts result from roadside bombs that have been a weapon of choice for insurgents in both Iraq and Afghanistan. These blasts send shock waves that penetrate the skull.  more http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2012110352_brain14m.html

Article courtesy of The Seattle Times by Hal Berntan

Climate change concerns warm up

The number of Americans who believe that global warming is happening – and are concerned about it – are on the rise, according to a new national survey by researchers at Yale and George Mason Universities.

Since January, public belief that global warming is happening rose four points, to 61 percent, while belief that it is caused mostly by human activities rose three points, to 50 percent. The number of Americans who worry about global warming rose three points, to 53 percent. And the number of Americans who said that the issue is personally important to them rose five points, to 63 percent.

“The stabilization and slight rebound in public opinion is occurring amid signs the economy is starting to recover, along with consumer confidence, and as memories of unusual snowstorms and scientific scandals recede,” said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. “The BP oil disaster is also reminding the public of the dark side of dependence on fossil fuels, which may be increasing support for clean energy policies.”

Earlier this year, polls showed public confidence in global warming science was eroding. See here:

The poll also shows that Americans who said President Obama and Congress should make developing sources of clean energy a high priority increased 11 points, to 71 percent, while those who said that global warming should be a high priority rose six points, to 44 percent. In a seven-point increase since January, 69 percent of Americans said that the United States should make a large or medium effort to reduce global warming even if it incurs large or moderate economic costs.

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe -Green Blog-by Beth Daley

Gore cites savings from action on climate

MANILA — Poorer countries that have borne the brunt of climate change’s effects will save, not lose, money by putting in place ways to rescue the environment, Al Gore said yesterday.

The former US vice president spoke to a forum in Manila in one of his first public engagements since he and his wife, Tipper, announced they had separated after 40 years of marriage. He would not answer audience questions about it, and reporters did not have an opportunity for interviews.

In the lecture focused on Asia, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate blamed global warming for droughts and frequent, more destructive typhoons, including those that have left millions homeless in India, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam over the last several years.

“When there are lots of them, much more frequently and they are bigger on average, how can we connect those dots?’’ he asked. “How long will it take us as a civilization to connect those dots in a way that causes us to demand that our political leaders and political systems react?’’

Gore said proposals to store carbon dioxide in the ground are expensive, and the best way to trap it is in plants. He added that China is a leader in this area, planting more trees than any other country.

Article courtesy of The Associated Press/ The Boston Globe

 

Greener Transportation for Massachusetts

Significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions is challenging for any state agency, but for the one in charge of creating and maintaining the infrastructure for driving, it’s bound to be even harder.

But now, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation has promised – and is legally obligated – to reduce emissions over two million tons by 2020. Read that another way: If left unchecked, 2020 transportation emissions would increase by some 19 percent over 1990 levels. The newly announced targets, called GreenDOT, would lower emissions 7.3 percent below 1990 levels, or almost 30 percent below the unchecked prediction.

The agency is also redoubling efforts to encourage more walking, biking and public transportation riding and smart growth development.

“In the coming years, we will see the results in smarter growth, cleaner vehicles, and jobs devoted to building a lower carbon transportation system,’’ said Gov. Deval Patrick.

The agency will get the greenhouse gas reductions in part by balancing highway system expansion projects with those that reduce emissions. Examples? More public transportation projects, street design that includes lanes for bicycles and more efficient fleet vehicles.

GreenDOT was designed as an adjunct to several existing state laws and policies such as the 2009 Transportation Reform Law that created the agency; the Global Warming Solutions Act and MassDOT’s Complete Streets design approach that calls for appropriate accommodation for all types of transportation users.

“GreenDOT helps realize the Governor’s vision for transportation reform by refocusing our transportation system on combating climate change by investing in healthier transportation options and building communities that support all transportation users,’’ said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Jeffrey B. Mullan.

Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles said the GreenDOT effort will help create and maintain green jobs. Already, he said the state is home to companies that work in the arena, such as A123Systems, which manufactures batteries for hybrid buses, and ZipCar, the car sharing service.

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe-The Green Blog-Posted by Beth Daley

The mile-plus Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway of parks, gardens and plazas through downtown Boston’s most diverse neighborhoods is likely to receive more green canopy. Originally, three double ramps into and from the I-93 tunnel were to be covered by platforms holding ultramodern structures. However, due to high costs for those structures, the Greenway may instead retain its expansive city and waterfront vistas.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7668

 

Article courtesy of Smart Growth Network State by STate and International News Headlines

California-Save the Bay to Redwood City Council: ''Salt Ponds Are Not Land to Be Paved"

In a continuing dispute over a 12,000-home Saltworks project, proposed by agribusiness giant Cargill and DMB Associates for 1,436 San Francisco Bay salt-pond acres in Redwood City, the proponents and critics repeated their housing-near-jobs versus restore-the-wetlands arguments at a neighborhood meeting. With nearby cities of Belmont, Atherton and Menlo Park opposing the project in formal resolutions, reports the San Mateo Daily Journal, DMB Government Affairs Director Michael Henderson insisted that San Mateo County needs the housing to accommodate the area workforce and to reduce inbound commuting and its environmental side effects.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7659

 

Article courtesy of Smart Growth Network State by State and International News Headlines

The First Green Cell Phone

In this day and age many companies are starting to release eco friendly versions of their products in hopes of promoting environmental health. These products are either labeled organic (food and produce) or green (clothes, electronics, furniture, etc). They are made of recycled materials. Surprisingly there are green cell phones on the market available. There are only a few green phones though but they will surely enough become more popular. The latest green phone is the Reclaim SPH-M560 from Samsung. Purchasing this phone has many benefits. On top of being made of out recycled parts it is also very affordable and has many great features. Anyone looking for a new eco friendly multimedia phone should look no further

 

Artcle courtesy of The Green Earth Article Directory

Brownley pushes for statewide plastic bag ban

Santa Monica PIER — Free plastic bags could soon vanish from checkout stands across California under a bill proposed by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) that is set for a crucial vote in Sacramento this week.

Brownley's proposal would bar grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies in California from giving customers free, single-use plastic bags. Stores could still use paper bags made out of 40 percent recycled paper but would be required to charge customers at least 5 cents for each bag.

Read more-  http://www.smdp.com/Articles-c-2010-06-02-69726.113116_Brownley_pushes_for_statewide_plastic_bag_ban.html

 

Article courtesy of the Santa Monica Daily Press By NIck Taborek

Recycle That Cork

I've always felt a twinge of guilt when throwing out wine corks, feeling that I should be saving them and making trivets, cork boards, or some other crafty project. I don't have to feel guilty anymore; Whole Foods has recently rolled out a cork recycling program in all of their stores nation-wide. 

Whole Foods has teamed up with Cork ReHarvest to collect the corks. Cork ReHarvest is a two-year-old company whose mission is to recycle corks, educate the public about Mediterranean cork forests and the families that work on them, and protect the sustainability of these forests. The corks that are collected in the New England area will be used to create a vast number of products, including floors, coasters, yoga blocks, and bags (yes, cork bags!)- thus reducing the demand on the cork forests.

Learn more about the program and its environmental impacts from the Whole Foods Blog.
 

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe- Posted by Dara Olmsted, The Green Blog

Spill may cut into N.E. bluefin catch

Oil could harm spawning sites

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. — The fate of one of New England’s most prized fish may be unfolding more than a thousand miles away in the Gulf of Mexico.

Bluefin tuna — so desired by sushi devotees that a single giant fish fetches thousands of dollars — are believed to spawn off the United States only in the Gulf and mostly during April and May. This year, both coincided with the worst oil spill in the nation’s history.

As oil gushes up from the seabed and spreads, scientists are studying whether bluefin larvae the size of a pencil tip will survive the leak. The answer could have important consequences for New England, where many of the tuna migrate each year and where bluefin fishing season opened yesterday.

“I suspect the larvae and eggs won’t be able to escape if they [encounter] oil,’’ said Jim Franks, senior scientist at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. To read more  http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2010/06/02/gulf_oil_spill_may_harm_new_englands_bluefin_catch/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe by Beth Daley-Globe Staff

Summerize Your Home: Keep it Cool

Here comes the sun! Solstice is mere weeks away, so to help you make the living easy – and green – this week’s tips are about how to prepare your home for summer.

Without A/C, that is. How? First, seal and caulk to prevent heat from seeping in through leaky doors and windows. (If you weatherized for winter, you’re set.) Then, move the air as much as possible. You can do this with a ceiling fan (make sure it’s rotating counterclockwise), by carrying a personal fan, or, if there’s even a slight breeze outside, cracking the windows on the house’s windward side just a tad, and on the other side of your home, opening the windows wider; this should create a stronger draft. 

If you simply must turn on the air conditioner, make sure your unit’s filter is clean and get the refrigerant level checked – if it’s low, you may be wasting 20% of the system’s energy.

 

Article courtesy of The Green LIfe (green.life@sierraclub.org)

Disastrous effects of spill may be hidden in Gulf depths

Researchers see massive oil plumes; Fear impact on spawning season

NEW ORLEANS — Independent scientists and government officials say there is a disaster we can’t see in the Gulf of Mexico’s depths: the potential ruin of a world inhabited by enormous sperm whales and invisible plankton.

Researchers have said they have found at least two massive underwater plumes of what appear to be oil, each hundreds of feet deep and stretching for miles. Yet the chief executive of BP PLC — which has for weeks downplayed several factors, including the amount of oil spewing into the gulf — said there is “no evidence’’ that huge amounts of oil are suspended undersea.

Tony Hayward, BP chief executive, said the oil naturally gravitates to the surface — and any oil below was just making its way up. Researchers, however, say the disaster in waters where light doesn’t shine through could ripple across the food chain.

read more:  http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2010/06/01/disastrous_effects_of_spill_may_be_hidden_in_gulf_depths/

Article of The Boston Globe-Green Blog-By Matthew  Brown -Associated Press

Green Your Laundry: Ditch Your Dry Cleaner

Whether you lug a bag to the laundromat or roll a basket into the garage, you've got to clean your clothes. But doing laundry consumes a lot of energy and water, so this week we're providing tips for an eco-friendlier wash and dry.

Tip : Eco-Friendly Options

Rather than taking your suits to be doused in a chemical that's linked to cancer and air pollution, head to your local eco-friendly dry cleaner. (They do exist – here's a list!) Or try wet cleaning, which uses water and detergent but still presses your garments so they look polished enough for the office. If possible, avoid buying clothes labeled "dry clean only," and remember that dry cleaning isn't always necessary even if the care instructions say it is. Hand washing in cool water or in your washing machine on the delicate cycle is often a suitable alternative.

Article courtesy of The Green Life (green.life@sierraclub.org)