SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A federal judge has denied an energy company's request to dismiss a lawsuit claiming its dams cause pollution lethal to fish in a river along the California-Oregon border that once brimmed with salmon.
The suit was filed against Portland, Ore.-based PacifiCorp by a group of Klamath River tribal leaders, salmon fishermen, business owners and environmentalists in U.S. District Court in Northern California. The plaintiffs accuse the company of operating two California dams in a way that causes toxic algae blooms.
U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup ruled Friday that the suit can go forward, though he also wrote that he did not have the authority to require PacifiCorp to immediately alter its dam operations while the case is heard.
In the company's motion to dismiss, lawyers for PacifiCorp argued that the algae in question is common in the Klamath River basin and other watersheds throughout California.
The Klamath was once the West Coast's third-biggest producer of salmon, but last year federal fisheries managers practically shut down commercial salmon fishing after the third straight year of poor returns of wild chinook. Opponents have long pushed for the dams' removal as a remedy to the salmon decline.
© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
San Bernardino County, Calif., will account for greenhouse-gas emissions
One of the largest, fastest-growing, most sprawl-happy counties in the U.S. will have to measure its greenhouse-gas emissions and set targets for reducing them by 2010, according to a legal settlement announced Tuesday. California's San Bernardino County had been sued by State Attorney General Jerry Brown after county officials updated a 25-year growth plan without accounting for emissions. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the settlement, and enviros crossed their fingers that the ruling will set a precedent for other counties and municipalities to limit sprawl and create denser communities. Because driving a mile to borrow a cup of sugar just seems silly.
World: WHO Warns of Accelerating Spread of Infectious Diseases
August 23, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- In it's annual report, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that new infectious diseases are emerging at an unprecedented rate around the world -- and spreading faster than ever. Thomson Prentice, who edited the WHO report, says it is intended as a wake-up call to governments around the world. "In the last 20 or 30 years there has been an average of one new disease -- often a fatal and very difficult to treat disease -- emerging every year," he says. Some of these illnesses have become household words, like HIV/AIDS and severe acute respiratory syndrome, better-known by its acronym SARS -- both of them unknown three or four decades ago. Other new diseases are more obscure but even more lethal, like Marburg fever.
Population, Climate Trends To BlameThe WHO says there are several reasons why new diseases are emerging so often. The population boom in developing countries means human beings are settling in many previously wild areas, disturbing natural habitats and clearing a path for new viruses to emerge. In addition, warmer weather is carrying some tropical diseases northward to more temperate countries. Also, the improper use of antibiotics means old scourges like tuberculosis are reemerging as public health threats, in strains that are more resistant to treatment.
Globalization Of DiseaseBut what really concerns scientists at the WHO is the global boom in air travel. More than 2 billion people per year now travel by air. In the words of the WHO report, it means "an outbreak or epidemic in one part of the world is only a few hours away from becoming an imminent threat somewhere else." That was illustrated recently by the case of an American lawyer, diagnosed with a highly resistant strain of tuberculosis, who caused an international health alert after he flew on a trans-Atlantic flight. "That sort of thing, fortunately, is fairly rare. But it makes a good point that there is the potential for even just one individual traveling between countries, carrying an infectious disease, to be a threat to others and to cause an alarm or a potential crisis in another country," Prentice notes. "If we go back three or four years to the outbreak of SARS in Asia, again the outbreak was largely spread by passengers on a particular aircraft [who were] traveling," he says. "Some other passengers on the same plane were infected. And by the time they got off the plane at their destination airport, that disease had become international." Prentice says the WHO report is aimed at government health authorities around the world, to urge them to improve their monitoring of infectious diseases and to report outbreaks as soon as they happen. "The idea that you can control a disease by closing down the borders just won't work anymore," he says. Every country has a global responsibility when it comes to stopping the spread of infectious diseases, as scientists work on cures to eliminate these new threats.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Climate Camp at Heathrow Airport
Ah! It takes me back to the old days when I was a protester at England's Greenham Common peace camp.
The controversial Climate Camp at London's Heathrow Airport kicks off today, with as many as 2,000 people expected to attend at its height. The weeklong protest is aimed at airport officials' plans to build a new runway, and at the role of aviation in climate change. "Aviation emissions aren't even part of our climate budget ... and for that reason the government has just given the aviation industry a green light to expand when the rest of us are being told we have to reduce our emissions," said one Greenpeace campaigner. Organizers are planning trainings, debates, and direct actions. With rumors spreading that the protesters plan to unleash bomb hoaxes, anxious airport officials and as many as 1,800 police are on guard. But the campers -- who surmounted an injunction leveled against them earlier this month -- say their aims are peaceful. "This isn't just about people's freedom to fly," said one, "this is about people's freedom to live on a planet that has a future."
The controversial Climate Camp at London's Heathrow Airport kicks off today, with as many as 2,000 people expected to attend at its height. The weeklong protest is aimed at airport officials' plans to build a new runway, and at the role of aviation in climate change. "Aviation emissions aren't even part of our climate budget ... and for that reason the government has just given the aviation industry a green light to expand when the rest of us are being told we have to reduce our emissions," said one Greenpeace campaigner. Organizers are planning trainings, debates, and direct actions. With rumors spreading that the protesters plan to unleash bomb hoaxes, anxious airport officials and as many as 1,800 police are on guard. But the campers -- who surmounted an injunction leveled against them earlier this month -- say their aims are peaceful. "This isn't just about people's freedom to fly," said one, "this is about people's freedom to live on a planet that has a future."
Water's disappearing at an alarming rate
It could be a summer of record lows in two of the world's iconic places: the Great Lakes and the Arctic seas. Water levels in Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior are well below normal, and Superior could soon hit a record low set in 1926. The U.S. and Canada have undertaken a five-year study that could shed sloooow light on the situation, which has been blamed on climate change, rainfall patterns, and human activities like dredging. "I think we found that all of those contributed to some degree," said Robert Nairn, principal of an engineering firm that has studied the issue. "The big question that remains is how much is each contributing." In the Arctic, measurements made last week by the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center found sea ice extent nearly 30 percent below the long-term average. With a month of melting season left, scientists say, a new record will likely be set. Says Mark Serreze of NSIDC, "We cannot explain everything that we have seen just through natural processes."
Friday, August 10, 2007
I used to be a cheating bastard
A remarkable British design company has launched a line of recycled products that proudly announce what they used to be. We only wish future boyfriends came so clearly marked. (from the folks at Daily Grist Magazine. Check out their fashion finds, made from recycled materials).
Support Smart Transportation in the Bay Area
Bay Area commuters spend a lot of time stuck in gridlock, ranking behind only Los Angeles in total hours lost in congestion. But local transportation planners have proposed an innovative new transportation program, San Francisco Bay Area Accelerate, designed to reduce gridlock and cut global warming pollution.
This innovative package earned San Francisco a slot as 1 of 9 finalist cities in the U.S. Department of Transportation's Urban Partnership Agreement program. Under this program, the U.S. Transportation Department will award $1.2 billion in federal funds to support projects that cut traffic congestion and pollution by better pricing and managing existing roads, improving transit, and supporting telework. The final awards will be announced any day.
The San Francisco Bay Area Accelerate program calls for congestion pricing to be implemented along Doyle Drive -- the road linking downtown San Francisco to the Golden Gate Bridge.The city also plans to adopt additional congestion pricing measures through a regional network of high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes focusing primarily on the areas of Silicon Valley and Tri-Valley/Sunol.
To supplement these pricing strategies and provide alternative commutes for drivers, bus rapid transit will be offered along several routes toward downtown and also along I-580. Additionally, bus routes into the city will be able to travel along transit-preferential streets that include traffic signal prioritization for transit, more accessible boarding areas, and transit-only lanes.
The city also seeks to employ a new "Smart" Parking Management program which would include a parking guidance system to direct drivers towards free spaces and dynamically priced parking which would charge higher fees for parking in premium spaces during busy hours.
Finally, San Francisco plans to update their traffic information system to give commuters real time traffic reports and help them avoid congested periods.
This plan is a big step in the right direction and we'd like to ask you to help send a message of thanks to key decision-makers.
Green Cuisine
Earth-friendly, healthy recipes from top chefs and local farmers
Chefs all around the country are committed to using local, organic ingredients in their dishes. 
In the slideshow on the site, UCS talks with Nora Pouillon, owner of Restaurant Nora and Asia Nora in the nation's capital, about why supporting small farmers in the region is so important. We also meet local grower Jim Crawford of New Morning Farm and the Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative, before finally snagging one of Nora's seasonal summer recipes to share with you.
Nora's Shopping tips
Buy organic – With an organic restaurant standard to maintain, this is Nora’s first priority. “Organic food is better for the environment and for people’s health,” she maintains. That’s because certified organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. It is grown without conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or sewage sludge, and genetic engineering. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals raised without antibiotics or growth hormones. Growers who want to label and sell foods as organic must have their farms inspected by government-approved certifiers, and their methods must meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s organic standards.
Buy locally – If you have access to organic foods that are also grown locally, so much the better. Most supermarket foods travel more than 1,500 miles to get to your dinner plate, so buying from local farmers at farmers markets or through a community-supported agriculture program (CSA) can help shrink your “carbon footprint.” Fresh foods grown close to home often require less fuel to ship, and many small-scale, local farmers also use fewer energy-intensive pesticides and fertilizers. Local produce is also fresher and better tasting because it’s picked ripe and usually sold within hours. Even Nora sometimes buys from local farmers who are not certified organic, but only if she knows them and trusts that their methods approach or exceed organic standards. “I like to meet and talk with the farmers at the farmers market,” she says. “When you know the farmers and their practices, you can buy confidently.”
Buy in season (and save!) – The freshest, tastiest foods—even organic foods—don’t have to be more expensive. In a recent survey in Tulsa, Oklahoma, prices of locally grown fruits and vegetables compared favorably with supermarket prices for the same items. Nora recommends buying locally-grown items at the height of their season, when they are most abundant and prices are lowest. Save even more by getting together with friends and neighbors to buy in large quantities. “Make and freeze an extra-large batch of fresh tomato sauce in late summer when local tomatoes are a bargain,” Nora says. “You’ll enjoy a taste of summer all winter long.”
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
NJIT Researchers Develop Inexpensive, Easy Process To Produce Solar Panels
NEWARK, July 18, 2007
Researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) have developed an inexpensive solar cell that can be painted or printed on flexible plastic sheets. “The process is simple,” said lead researcher and author Somenath Mitra, PhD, professor and acting chair of NJIT’s Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences. “Someday homeowners will even be able to print sheets of these solar cells with inexpensive home-based inkjet printers. Consumers can then slap the finished product on a wall, roof or billboard to create their own power stations.”
“Fullerene single wall carbon nanotube complex for polymer bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells,” featured as the June 21, 2007 cover story of the Journal of Materials Chemistry published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, details the process. The Society, based at Oxford University, is the British equivalent of the American Chemical Society.
Harvesting energy directly from abundant solar radiation using solar cells is increasingly emerging as a major component of future global energy strategy, said Mitra. Yet, when it comes to harnessing renewable energy, challenges remain. Expensive, large-scale infrastructures such as wind mills or dams are necessary to drive renewable energy sources, such as wind or hydroelectric power plants. Purified silicon, also used for making computer chips, is a core material for fabricating conventional solar cells. However, the processing of a material such as purified silicon is beyond the reach of most consumers.
“Developing organic solar cells from polymers, however, is a cheap and potentially simpler alternative,” said Mitra. “We foresee a great deal of interest in our work because solar cells can be inexpensively printed or simply painted on exterior building walls and/or roof tops. Imagine some day driving in your hybrid car with a solar panel painted on the roof, which is producing electricity to drive the engine. The opportunities are endless.”
The science goes something like this. When sunlight falls on an organic solar cell, the energy generates positive and negative charges. If the charges can be separated and sent to different electrodes, then a current flows. If not, the energy is wasted. Link cells electronically and the cells form what is called a panel, like the ones currently seen on most rooftops. The size of both the cell and panels vary. Cells can range from 1 millimeter to several feet; panels have no size limits.
The solar cell developed at NJIT uses a carbon nanotubes complex, which by the way, is a molecular configuration of carbon in a cylindrical shape. The name is derived from the tube’s miniscule size. Scientists estimate nanotubes to be 50,000 times smaller than a human hair. Nevertheless, just one nanotube can conduct current better than any conventional electrical wire. “Actually, nanotubes are significantly better conductors than copper,” Mitra added.
Mitra and his research team took the carbon nanotubes and combined them with tiny carbon Buckyballs (known as fullerenes) to form snake-like structures. Buckyballs trap electrons, although they can’t make electrons flow. Add sunlight to excite the polymers, and the buckyballs will grab the electrons. Nanotubes, behaving like copper wires, will then be able to make the electrons or current flow.
“Using this unique combination in an organic solar cell recipe can enhance the efficiency of future painted-on solar cells,” said Mitra. “Someday, I hope to see this process become an inexpensive energy alternative for households around the world.”
New Jersey Institute of Technology, New Jersey's science and technology university, enrolls more than 8,000 students in bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 100 degree programs offered by six colleges: Newark College of Engineering, New Jersey School of Architecture, College of Science and Liberal Arts, School of Management, Albert Dorman Honors College, and College of Computing Sciences. NJIT is renowned for expertise in architecture, applied mathematics, wireless communications and networking, solar physics, advanced engineered particulate materials, nanotechnology, neural engineering, and eLearning. NJIT: The Edge in Knowledge.
Contact : Sheryl Weinstein
Information : Public Relations • 973-596-343
Proposals for Sustainability Interns
Dear Berkeley Sustainable Business Community Members!
For the second year in a row the City's Office of Energy and Sustainable Development and the UC Berkeley Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Sustainability have teamed up to provide talented UC students to work on greening our community's businesses and institutions.
Last year interns worked in the community on a green collar job study, a pharmaceuticals take back program, school energy efficiency and a local organic grocery cooperative.
This year the application is quick and straightforward to complete ... and it is DUE AUGUST 17TH.
Please call me with any questions you may have. I look forward to seeing your proposals!
Warmly,
Jennifer
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Jennifer Cogley
Sustainable Business Coordinator
Energy and Sustainable Development
City of Berkeley
2180 Milvia Street, 2nd Floor
Berkeley, CA 94704
510-981-5438
jcogley@ci.berkeley.ca.us
www.cityofberkeley.info/sustainable
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We provide leadership and practical solutions to help create a more livable Berkeley community now and for the future.
Monday, August 6, 2007
August 3rd Lunch at Swans Market Cohousing
We had a full house again this lunchtime. Thanks again to Swans Cohousing for allowing us to use the space. We’re averaging between 30 and 40 people at our lunches these days. And so…we may soon outgrow our current venues, so help us out with suggestions of places where we can meet. They’ve got to be
• close to public transport - BART is best, although bus is OK too
• have a private / semi-private room to house up to 40 folks at lunchtime
• be able to offer lunch/buffet for under $15 a head
We had almost an entire table full of newly-minted MBAs, etc. who are “in-between contracts,” and are looking for work in the sustainability arena. So, come on, put your thinking/networking hats on and let’s help these folks get some meaningful and sustainable work for themselves.
Lee Rodrigues is the new head of our Technology Committee, lee@ethotec.com. He’s looking for some help, so contact him directly to offer your expertise, or your sweat equity.
Sunny Hill is our new bookkeeper! she can be reached at sunnybooks321@yahoo.com.
We need help on all our committees, folks! You don’t have to do everything. If you do just one thing, and someone else does just one thing, soon we’ll be working like a well-oiled machine and no one will burn out. Send me an e-mail if you’re able to do one thing—jb@sustainablebiz.org, and we’ll put you to work in one of the following areas
• Events
• Membership
• Marketing
• Technology
• Financial
Delicious door prizes were donated by
- Kate Amon, Kate@KatesCaringGifts.com, Kate’s Caring Gifts, a natural UV SPF+30 sunscreen
- Mark Magers, Mark@divinechocolateusa.com, Divine Chocolate, seven yummy bars of fair-trade, farmer-owned chocolate
- JB, Pre-Paid Legal Services, http://www.LessThanACupOfCoffeeADay.com, a paraliminal CD on creating Prosperity in your life
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