Coast Guard Responding to Oil Rig Explosion South of Vermilion Bay

VERMILION BAY —

ABC26 News has confirmed that the Coast Guard is responding to an oil rig explosion south of Vermilion Bay.

The U.S. Coast Guard office in Port Arthur, Texas, tells ABC26 News that an explosion was reported on the Vermillion 380 rig, operated by Mariner Energy, at about 9:30 Thursday morning by a commercial helicopter company.

The Coast Guard said initial reports indicated all 13 crew members from the rig were in the water. There were no deaths, but one of the workers was injured, and all workers are being taken to Terrebonne General Medical Center in Houma for medical examinations.

Read more:  http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/wgno-news-rig-explosion,0,7240612.story

Article courtesy of the Los Angeles Times from WGNO-TV, New Orleans

China coal trucks stuck in 120 km traffic jam

BEIJING | Thu Sep 2, 2010 1:22am EDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - More than 10,000 trucks mainly carrying coal are stuck in a 120 km (75 mile) traffic jam in the northeastern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia, in the latest dramatic snarl-up on the country's roads.

Read More:  http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6810UC20100902

Article courtesy of Reuters Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Chris Lewis and Sanjeev Migiani

 

No Impact Week: Food

No Impact Man, a.k.a. Colin Beavan, took a yearlong vow to live a zero-waste lifestyle in New York City. The experiment inspired a blog, a book, a film -- and others to embrace green habits. This week's tips will help you try a one-week carbon cleanse. Sign up here to share the results of your own No Impact Project.

Tip #3: Eat Locally and Seasonally

By making just a few dietary changes, you can lower your carbon "foodprint." Avoid packaged, processed foods and opt instead for locally grown, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Raising livestock for food is responsible for more emissions than all modes of transportation combined, so try substituting vegetarian or vegan dishes when you might otherwise have eaten meat.

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

 

Green Top 10

Top Ten Ways to Join the Network Effect We call it “The Network Effect” - the power of our employees, customers, suppliers and technology coming together to make an extraordinary impact on the environment. Each individual action, no matter how small, can have a big impact when we all join in. Counting down, here is our Top 10 list of things you can do, at home or at work to Join the Network Effect. 10. Insulate, insulate, insulate – You’ll bring down your heating and cooling bills while saving energy. Look for gaps between your doors and floors, and caulk around your windows to seal them up. 9. Unplug your appliances – Hair dryers, laptops, toasters… Did you know that even when these appliances are off, they still draw power? These are just a few of the “electricity vampires” lurking around your home and office. 8. Carry a flash drive – Want to back up your files? No need to print them or copy them to disks. Just load them onto a data stick and you’re good to go. 7. Carry a water bottle – Brand-name bottled water is expensive and wastes plastic. You can also invest in a water filter (as a pitcher or an attachment to your faucet). It tastes just as good, is just as clean, and pays for itself. 6. Recycle – At work use recycling bins for aluminum cans and plastic. Put paper in blue recycling receptacles. At home got batteries, electronics, paint, or other household items? Find the nearest drop-off point at 1800Recycling.com. 5. Reduce idling – Don’t idle for more than 10 seconds (30 seconds to warm up). Idling a vehicle for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel than is required to restart the engine. 4. Power down – At home, your laptops need rest as much as you do. At work, put your PC in sleep mode and be sure to turn off non-essential PCs and peripherals when you go home. 3. Sign up for paperless billing - Join the folks who have already signed up. You can add to the 69,000 trees that have already been saved through our paperless billing program. While you're at it, consider switching to online banking for all your bills, which lets you access your accounts 24/7. 2. Turn out the lights when you leave – This is an easy habit to get in to at home and the office. Here’s an easy trick for remembering: when you shut the door, shut the lights. 1. Join the Verizon Green Team – Learn more about Verizon’s Green Initiatives and find ways to volunteer for green. Click here for more details and to sign up! There’s no fancy equipment; most of these are free, and the savings add up, for you and for the planet. Article courtesy of VZ Today

FW: San Francisco's Transbay Transit Center Project Epitomizes Smart Growth

With initial funding from the 2009 Recovery Act, redevelopment of San Francisco’s 71-year-old Transbay Transit Terminal into a mixed-use multimodal Transbay Transit Center is now underway. ''This project is the ultimate manifestation of smart growth,'' said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom at the recent groundbreaking event. The first phase of the project is slated for completion by 2017. The $4.2 billion transit center will include two underground levels – a shopping concourse, and both Caltrain commuter tracks and the future high-speed line below – and two higher levels, a bus connection platform, and a 5.4-acre rooftop park. Flanked by a first-phase 100-floor residential tower, and many other skyscrapers planned for the whole new neighborhood later, the center will link services of 11 transit agencies, serve up to 45 million people a year, and cut the area’s annual carbon dioxide emissions by some 36,000 tons.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7756

FW: If Cities Focus on Walkable Communities, Economic Development Will Follow

With a third of metro area populations eager for pedestrian-friendly settings, a key path out of the recession leads through urban infill and walkable mixed-use redevelopment of car-dependent suburban malls and strips. Meeting that pent-up market demand will take a generation, said Christopher Leinberger with the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program. Speaking at the fifth annual Louisiana Smart Growth Summit, Leinberger advised cities to combine transportation and affordable housing strategies to ensure the viability of walkable neighborhoods. ''Plan for your walkable future. Economic development will follow," he said.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7768

Article courtesy of Smart Growth News

FW: New York City Plans Major Street Improvements to Reduce Pedestrian Fatalities

New York City is planning to redesign more than 60 miles of streets for pedestrian safety next year. ''It's unprecedented re-engineering of our streets,'' said Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, to make them ''safer and better to walk around on.'' The plan involves installation of countdown pedestrian signals at 1,500 intersections, overhaul of 20 intersections on key two-way streets, and several safety programs, including a 20-mph neighborhood zone test.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7766