And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
NATIVES, ENVIROS, MACMILLAN BLOEDEL SIGN CLAYOQUOT TRUCE
TOFINO, British Columbia, Canada, June 17, 1999 (ENS) - Natives,
environmentalists and forestry giant MacMillan Bloedel signed an agreement
late Wednesday likely to end 20 years of protests over the huge original
growth trees of Vancouver Island's Clayoquot Sound. Copyright Environment
News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun99/1999L-06-17-03.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EXPERTS URGE CAUTIOUS APPROACH TO
BIOTECHNOLOGY
By Catherine Lazaroff WASHINGTON, DC, June 17, 1999 (ENS) - While public
opinion about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the U.S. and Europe
appears to differ radically, experts from both sides of the Atlantic agree
that scientific advances in biotechnology are rapidly outpacing the laws
meant to regulate the business. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS)
1999 For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun99/1999L-06-17-05.html
!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE
AMERISCAN: JUNE 17, 1999
Study Confirms Risks From PVC Medical Supplies
Four Million Gallons of Sewage Spilled in Van Nuys, California
EPA Lab First To Go Green Under White House Order
Farm Raised Salmon Escape Washington Pen
Audubon Slams North Dakota's Garrison Diversion
Effectiveness of U.S./Mexico Environmental Education Scrutinized
Eco-Problems Plague U.S. Virgin Islands
Chicago Students Win Big With Ethanol Engine
Native American Environmental Festival in Michigan
Wounded Tomato Plants Scream, "Help, an Armyworm!"
Raging Grannies of Two Nations Unite to Save Old Trees
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics
visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun99/1999L-06-17-09.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
STUDY CONFIRMS RISKS FROM PVC MEDICAL SUPPLIES
A comprehensive study released Tuesday confirms the health risks of medical
supplies made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The Lowell report,
commissioned by Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) and released by the
University of Massachusetts’ Lowell Center for Sustainable Production,
evaluated more than 100 studies of di-ethylhexyl phthalates (DEHP), a
softener used add flexibility to PVC products like IV bags. The researchers
said patients are exposed to substantial levels of DEHP, a chemical with
toxic effects on laboratory animals. Because few studies have examined the
effects of DEHP on humans, the researchers said risk estimates and safe
exposure levels cannot yet be established. HCWH called on the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) to require that all PVC based medical supplies include
warning labels about possible health risks from DEHP. Pregnant women and
other high risk populations should receive additional warnings, and the FDA
should work to develop PVC free alternatives, the group said. "Current FDA
regulations make no sense," said Charlotte Brody, co-coordinator of HCWH.
"Why should plastic food containers be regulated more strictly than plastic
medical products? And why should the FDA warn cancer patients of DEHP
leaching with certain medications, but not infants or hemophiliacs, who may
be even more exposed?" On June 22, a report on PVC and DEHP risks will be
released by the American Council on Science and Health, a panel that
includes former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. HCWH has expressed
concerns over the composition of the panel, saying that many members have
connections with industry that may create a conflict of interest.
* * *
FOUR MILLION GALLONS OF SEWAGE SPILLED IN VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA
Four million gallons of raw sewage spilled into a park and wildlife area in
Van Nuys, California early this morning as the Donald C. Tillman Water
Reclamation Plant was testing its Y2K contingency Plan. Dan Balster, chief
operator, said the plant was getting ready to test its backup generator in
case power was shut off due to computer failure at midnight January 1,
2000. The power grid to the plant was shut off at midnight June 17 and the
plant's computer created a glitch that closed a gate. "Flow built up in
sewer line coming into the plant and come out a utility hole in the street.
Out here in the Valley it's a flood plain. We probably spilled four million
gallons into a wildlife area and a small portion of Woodley Park in Van
Nuys," Balster said. Vacuum trucks were out by 1:30 am to remove the waste
although "a lot sank into the ground." High pressure hoses and street
cleaners scoured a contaminated block and a half of city street that runs
beside a golf course. It was all cleaned up by 10 this morning, but part of
Woodley Park closed until Monday on a precautionary basis. No heavy metals
were part of the contaminating flow, Balster said.
* * *
EPA LAB FIRST TO GO GREEN UNDER WHITE HOUSE ORDER
A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) laboratory in California will
begin buying its energy from renewable sources, making the EPA the first
U.S. agency to use 100 percent green sources for one of its facilities.
Under a three year deal, the lab will purchase electricity generated from
renewable sources from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD).
SMUD generates 60 percent of its renewable energy offerings from geothermal
sources, and the remaining 40 percent from landfill methane gas. The EPA’s
deal with SMUD will keep millions of pounds of carbon dioxide emissions out
of the air, or the equivalent of reducing driving by more than two million
passenger miles a year, according to SMUD board president Linda Davis. SMUD
hopes the contract will boost interest in their "Greenergy" program, which
offers customers renewable power at premium prices. Since 1997, SMUD has
only signed 6,000 residential customers into the program, well below
original projections. The deal coincides with a recent order by President
Bill Clinton that all federal agencies increase their use of renewable
power in an effort to help cut overall U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 30
percent by 2010.
* * *
FARM RAISED SALMON ESCAPE WASHINGTON PEN
About 100,000 farm raised Atlantic salmon escaped from a commercial fish
farm in Washington state on Sunday and are swimming free in the Pacific
waters of Puget Sound. The pens that held the fish collapsed under extreme
tides, according to owners Northwest Seafarms. The fish were released into
powerful currents that quickly scattered the schools of fish.
Environmentalists and fisheries officials fear the non-native fish will
introduce disease to endangered native Puget Sound salmon. The Atlantic
fish could even interbreed with their Pacific cousins, and officials will
be on the lookout at Puget Sound spawning areas later this year for signs
that the escapees are breeding. Local sports fishers have been asked to
help contain the fish and have hooked thousands of the escaped fish. Some
areas near the fish farm remain closed to fishing as officials fear
endangered Puget Sound salmon might be hooked accidentally. This is the
second massive escape in two years from the farm in Bainbridge Island. In
1997, an estimated 300,000 Atlantic salmon escaped from the Bainbridge net
pens, then owned by Global Aquaculture.
* * *
AUDUBON SLAMS NORTH DAKOTA'S GARRISON DIVERSION
The National Audubon Society took out a half page ad this week in the
"Fargo Forum," a North Dakota paper, to counter the paper’s editorials
against Audubon opposition to a giant water diversion project - the
Garrison Diversion. The project would divert Missouri River water across
North Dakota to irrigate areas in the eastern part of the state. State
lawmakers have rallied bipartisan support for the plan by tacking on
special interest projects including a $40 million bridge, a $25 million
grant program for environmentalists and $200 million in payments to Native
American tribes. Audubon says the diversion and subsequent irrigation would
destroy thousands of acres of wetlands crucial to migratory waterfowl, and
supports alternatives the group says would be cheaper and more
environmentally sound. After state voters rejected a ballot initiative in
1992 asking for a tax increase to pay for the project, supporters of the
project introduced a Senate bill, the Dakota Water Resources Act of 1999,
to provide federal funds for the Garrison Diversion. During testimony
before the Senate Subcommittee on Energy and Natural Resources May 25,
Audubon's Daniel Beard handed out the second in a series of the society's
negative reports on the Garrison project which was reprinted in this week’s ad.
* * *
EFFECTIVENESS OF U.S./MEXICO ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION SCRUTINIZED
Several meetings on the effectiveness of efforts to provide environmental
information to communities along the U.S./Mexico border have been scheduled
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 1993, the binational,
multi-agency Border XXI program was formed to protect and improve the
environment and environmental health while fostering sustainable
development. An Environmental Information Resources Workgroup was created
to provide the information people need to make informed decisions about the
health and safety of their families and neighborhoods. Seven meetings in
New Mexico and Texas between June 21 and June 25 are designed to provide
community feedback to the workgroup on their environmental information
activities. The workgroup's educational programs include: Border Ecoweb, an
Internet listing of environmental information sources, groups and
individuals along the border; Environmental Indicators Report, measuring
environmental conditions in the border area; Border XXI Internet Web site;
and Environmental Education Strategy, which links efforts on both sides of
the border in assessing educational needs and developing programs to meet
those needs.
* * *
ECO-PROBLEMS PLAGUE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
On Wednesday, an explosion at a landfill on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin
Islands sent a 2,000 foot high mushroom cloud into the air and started a
fire that burned through the night. Local officials think a bulldozer may
have hit a discarded fuel tank hidden in the landfill, igniting gasoline
and the flammable gases created by the decaying garbage. The landfill is
located near St. Croix’s international airport, and the blast was audible
there and for miles around. Nearby residents were warned to remain indoors
and drink purified water, as officials could not confirm whether the fire
had released toxins into the air and local water supply. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promised Wednesday to help the U.S.
Virgin Islands government clean up a warehouse in Charlotte Amalie filled
with hazardous chemicals. The roof of the warehouse, owned by the Virgin
Islands Property and Procurement Department, has deteriorated, allowing
rain to corrode barrels of industrial chemicals. Cleanup will begin in July
using personnel and equipment from the U.S. mainland, and possibly funds
from the EPA.
* * *
CHICAGO STUDENTS WIN BIG WITH ETHANOL ENGINE
Engineering students from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) have
won the 1999 Ethanol Vehicle Challenge by designing an engine that runs on
corn based fuel. More than 200 students from 14 colleges and universities
competed in the contest, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of
Energy, Natural Resources Canada and General Motors. The UIC team won first
place overall, first place in fuel economy, best flame-arrestor design - to
prevent flames from an external source from reaching the fuel tank. They
tied for first place in emissions tests with the University of Texas at El
Paso and Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Teams had to
demonstrate improvement in fuel economy and reductions in exhaust emissions
compared to conventional pickup trucks. A catalyst provided by
AlliedSignal, Inc. and a secondary air-injection system designed by the UIC
team helped reduce the engine’s emissions. The catalyst reduces all three
components of emissions - hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and oxides of
nitrogen. The secondary air-injection system picks up unburned raw fuel
that remains in the exhaust stream after combustion, in particular reducing
hydrocarbon emissions. "With these two devices, we came up with a system
that exceeds the California Low Emissions Vehicle standards," said UIC team
leader Michael Svestka. The competition wrapped up with a 600-mile
motorcade from Lansing, Michigan to Springfield, Illinois.
* * *
NATIVE AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL FESTIVAL IN MICHIGAN
This Saturday, the American Indian Health and Family Services of
Southeastern Michigan will hold the second annual Ogiichidaw-Quay "Keepers
of the Water" Environmental Festival in Algonac, Michigan. The festival is
held to celebrate the Great Lakes environment and promote awareness of the
connection between the health of the environment and the health of the
people. Speakers at the festival include Quita Sullivan, environmental
attorney for the Sugar Law Center in Detroit, and traditional speakers from
Canada. The festival’s riverside location commemorates the center's
involvement in environmental issues. In 1996, American Indian Health joined
with the Walpole Island Reserve and the citizen's of Marine City and
Algonac in the effort to prevent a closed phosphate fertilizer plant from
dumping millions of gallons of contaminated pond water into the St. Clair
River. The issue was recently recognized as an environmental justice issue
by the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. American Indian Health has
since become committed to providing environmental health programs to
educate their clients and the public about the relationship between the
environment and the health of their families.
* * *
WOUNDED TOMATO PLANTS SCREAM, "HELP, AN ARMYWORM!"
Stimulating a plant’s natural defenses against insect attackers can summon
the insects’ natural enemies to help repel the assault, a California
researcher has found. In a recent study of tomato plants, beet armyworms
and parasitic wasps, Jennifer Thaler, a University of California at Davis
postdoctoral fellow, found that wasps on tomato plants whose defense
systems had been artificially stimulated killed twice as many caterpillars
as did wasps on untreated plants. Wounded tomato plants send out an
aromatic SOS that hails the wasps, which lay their eggs in the armyworms.
Thaler sprayed a chemical on tomato plants that triggered this resistance
response and found there were twice as many parasitized caterpillars on the
chemically treated plants as there were on the control plants. "Because
these responses can be manipulated using elicitors - chemicals that can be
sprayed onto fields of plants to stimulate natural defenses - we may be
able to reduce the use of traditional pesticides," Thaler said. "Next we'll
want to see how we can make use of this mechanism for large-scale pest
management in production agriculture." Thaler, who conducted her study with
UC Davis entomology professor Richard Karban, will report her findings in
the June 17 issue of the journal "Nature."
* * *
RAGING GRANNIES OF TWO NATIONS UNITE TO SAVE OLD TREES
Today, the Seattle chapter of the Raging Grannies singing group donned
their protest hats and long skirts and joined their counterparts from
Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia to photograph a threatened
rainforest grove in the Stoltmann Wilderness just north of Vancouver, B.C.
The international contingent of Grannies is to serenade customers of Home
Depot later today to drive home the message that buying ancient forest
products causes ancient forest destruction. "We Grannies have a certain
affinity with these grand old trees," said Carolyn Hale of the Seattle
chapter. "They contain the wisdom of the ages - they know how to preserve
wild salmon, they help slow our globe from warming, and they are standing
libraries for First Nations People. And tomorrow they could be lying in
Home Depot as 2 by 4's!" The U.S. has only five percent of its old forests
remaining. B.C. has over 50 percent left, but logging takes enough each
year to fill trucks circling the globe 1.5 times. Over 60 percent of the
B.C. harvest ends up at American wholesalers and retailers. Home Depot,
with over 700 stores, is the largest retailer of ancient forest products in
the world. The rainforest the Grannies will visit is due to be logged by
International Forest Products, a supplier to Home Depot. There the Grannies
will picnic and take pictures they will hand to customers of Home Depot
later today. The grove is named after Randy Stoltmann, B.C. writer,
conservationist, and mountaineer who died in a 1994 mountaineering accident
in B.C.'s Coast Mountains.
Reprinted under the fair use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html
doctrine of international copyright law.
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Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit)
Unenh onhwa' Awayaton
http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
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