Radioactive tuna from Fukushima? Scientists eat it up

Marine biologist Dan Madigan stood on a dock in San Diego and considered some freshly caught Pacific bluefin tuna. The fish had managed to swim 5,000 miles from their spawning grounds near Japan to California's shores, only to end up the catch of local fishermen.  http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-fukushima-radiation-20130225,0,3785100.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Eryn Brown

Report: CDC not properly securing bioterror agents

Laboratories at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been repeatedly cited in private government audits for failing to properly secure potential bioterror agents such as anthrax and plague and not training employees who work with them, according to “restricted” government watchdog reports obtained by USA Today.

“These weaknesses could have compromised (the CDC’s) ability to safeguard select agents from accidental or intentional loss and to ensure the safety of individuals,” according to a 2010 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general. http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/20130225report-cdc-not-properly-securing-bioterror-agents.html

Article courtesy of AZCentral.com by Alison Young /USA Today

Cuomo Seeking Home Buyouts in Flood Zones

ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is proposing to spend as much as $400 million to purchase homes wrecked by Hurricane Sandy, have them demolished and then preserve the flood-prone land permanently, as undeveloped coastline.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/nyregion/cuomo-seeking-home-buyouts-in-flood-zones.html?_r=3&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1361370143-PLi5ctogCefM9dPOP+cSPA

Article courtesy of Smart Growth Online by Thomas Kaplan New York Times

 

Increasing Parking Space may Decrease Downtown Businesses, People

New research results from the University of Connecticut suggest that increasing car parking space in cities may lead to more cars, less people, and less economic development. In cities that significantly increased parking, the number of people and jobs dropped by as much as 15 percent and the median family incomes fell by 20 to 30 percent. However, in cities that limited parking, the number of people and jobs climbed upward, as did incomes. Less parking has meant more space for shops, restaurants, and jobs, according to the research study authors. http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/02/cars-and-robust-cities-are-fundamentally-incompatible/4651/

Article courtesy of Smart Growth Online by chris McCahill and Norman Garrick

 

In-state oil fields don't all met standard

Environmentalists often call oil from Canada's tar sands the dirtiest fuel on Earth, because the complex process of extracting it spews huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the air.

But by that standard, some of the crude oil pumped in California is just as dirty. In a few cases, it's even worse.

Several California oil fields produce just as much carbon dioxide per barrel of oil as the tar sands do, state data show. A handful of fields yield even more.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/In-state-oil-fields-don-t-all-meet-standard-4267131.php#ixzz2Kz78CKjM

Article courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle by David R. Baker

Boxer's push is a twist on carbon tax

Washington -- Sen. Barbara Boxer plans Thursday to co-sponsor a radical plan to control carbon dioxide emissions modeled on Alaska's rebates of oil royalties to residents.

The California Democrat is a marquee draw for an otherwise obscure bill by Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont liberal and independent. Called "fee and dividend," the legislation is an unusual variant on a carbon tax. It would impose a fee on carbon emissions at their source, such as coal mines, raising the price of fossil fuel

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Boxer-s-push-is-a-twist-on-carbon-tax-4277210.php#ixzz2Kz5ywmYf

Article courtesy of The San Francisco Chronicle by Carolyn Lochhead

Obama vows action on greenhouse gases

An emboldened second-term President Obama made it clear Tuesday that if lawmakers don't tackle climate change, he will do an end run around Congress and use his executive powers to curb greenhouse gas emissions, which are linked to global warming.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Obama-vows-action-on-greenhouse-gases-4273678.php#ixzz2Kz1OFB3T

Article courtesy of The San Francisco Chronicle by Jennifer a. Dlouhy