[ecofem] Scientists make breathtaking discovery at the beach - Mother Earth breathes!
- forwarded message - Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 16:49:35 -0600 From: Teresa Binstock [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Scientists make breathtaking discovery at the beach - Mother Earth breathes! Scientists make breathtaking discovery at the beach Wednesday, July 21, 2004 By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/182904_breathing21.html WASHINGTON -- The millions of Americans enjoying beach vacations this summer may not be aware of it, but the land beneath their feet is breathing. As tides come and go, the water causes changes in underground air pressure, forcing air and moisture in and out of the ground along the shore, Jui Jiao of the University of Hong Kong found in studying coastal areas near his school. While tidal changes in underground water levels along the shore were known, changes in air pressure beneath the surface were not as well recognized, Jiao reports in Geophysical Research Letters. The inhaling and exhaling isn't something likely to be noticed by frolicking beachgoers, though Jiao believes organisms living in the soil should be able to detect it. People can feel the process only under very special conditions. In Hong Kong, people once saw the water bubbles coming out of the fractures or joints of an asphalt pavement and heard the noise of the air flow through fractures, he said. But that was a special case with a rapidly changing tide and air and water moving through a limited number of underground pathways. Under normal conditions, people usually cannot directly detect this phenomenon. This is probably a reason why this phenomenon has not been studied until recently. Jiao said the breathing causes a constant exchange of air, water moisture and any pollution that may be present between the soil and the air. In addition, the constant changes in pressure beneath the surface may have an effect on buildings, airport and seaport structures and coastal highways, which are usually designed to support downward acting loads. Since asphalt and building structures can block this air flow, the coastal breathing may produce repeated cyclical -- up and down -- pressures on these structures. It is well known that the strength of materials under cyclic conditions is significantly lower than for (single direction) loading, Jiao said via e-mail. The performance of concrete or asphalt surface under cyclic loading by tidal-induced air pressure below the paved ground surface needs to be evaluated. Douglas Inman of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif., agreed that the finding will be very important to coastal engineers working in areas of reclaimed land where it is important to avoid having roads and structures pop up. Inman, who was not part of Jiao's research team, said that the breathing may be more common in areas of artificial fill, such as Hong Kong. Jiao and his co-author, Hailong Li of the China University of Geosciences at Wuhai, found that regular changes in below-ground air pressure were most affected by the rising and lowering of the water table with the tides. The process, which is lessened when it is raining, is relevant to coastal areas worldwide, Jiao said. The research was financed by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council, the University of Hong Kong and the National Science Foundation of China. 1998-2004 Seattle Post-Intelligencer The material in this post is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html http://oregon.uoregon.edu/%7Ecsundt/documents.htm http://oregon.uoregon.edu/~csundt/documents.htm http://oregon.uoregon.edu/%7Ecsundt/documents.htm If you wish to use copyrighted material from this email for purposes that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
[ecofem] ABC: Bogong moth plays arsenic detective
- forwarded message - Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 01:25:04 -0400 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Bogong moth plays arsenic detective Bogong moth plays arsenic detective Monday, 19 July 2004 Judy Skatssoon ABC Science Online Genetic analysis of bogong moths may lead scientists to agricultural lands contaminated by arsenic, a conference has heard. Australian researcher Dr Neil Murray from La Trobe University presented his work to the recent annual scientific meeting of the Genetics Society of Australia. Scientists have known for several years that this native moth (Agrotis infusa) had become a reservoir of high concentrations of arsenic, as its larvae had fed in areas sprayed with pesticides. And dead moths were in turn poisoning vegetation in the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales and the Victorian Alps where they 'hibernate' or aestivate over summer. Analysis of droppings from native animals showed that arsenic was also being passed onto alpine species that fed on the moths, including the endangered mountain pygmy possum. Scientists worked out that the moths were coming into contact with the arsenic in lowland areas where larvae fed during the breeding season. Suspect areas included cotton-growing parts of the lower Murray River area in New South Wales as well as around Swan Hill in Victoria, and southern Queensland. But because some moths were contaminated and others were clean, the actual source of the arsenic remained a mystery. For the past three years Murray and his colleagues have been analysing the DNA of bogong moths so they can match gene sequences from contaminated moths to lowland larvae. If we can get genetic markers we might be able to find out exactly where the arsenic's coming from without digging up every cubic metre of soil in western Victoria and New South Wales, Murray said. The genetic marker approach to tracking populations is far more efficient than trying to track moths. Murray said the arsenic could be the remains of past herbicides or pesticides use. For example, arsenic was widely used to poison prickly pear before the introduction of the cactoblastis moth in 1925. Bogong moths were now providing long-distance transport for residues, Murray said. It's one of these quite terrifying things how agricultural management in ecosystems out there is having an impact on ecosystems hundreds of thousands of kilometres away, he said. Murray said his work was complicated by the fact that analysis of the moths' mitochondrial DNA showed very little genetic variation. This was probably because bogong moths were highly efficient and genetic mutants were unlikely to survive, he said. http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1154836.htm posted by Deborah Elaine Barrie 4 Catherine Street Smiths Falls, On Canada K7A 3Z8 (613)284-8259 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.noccawood.ca subscribe to list service at website
[ecofem] AP: Pentagon Finds Contamination at 14 Bases
- forwarded message - Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 22:06:13 EDT From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Pentagon Finds Contamination at 14 Bases Pentagon Finds Contamination at 14 Bases By ERICA WERNER .c The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon says it found contamination from a toxic chemical, perchlorate, at 14 abandoned or scheduled to be closed military bases nationwide. But a Democratic senator said Friday more facilities should have been examined. In the report sent to lawmakers, the Pentagon said it found the chemical in ground water and soil samples at closed sites in 10 states. Perchlorate, a toxic chemical from rocket fuel and weapons production, has been linked to thyroid damage. The amounts found ranged from 1.2 parts per billion in ground water at Fort McClellan in Alabama, to as high as 2,890 parts per billion in some samples of ground water at Fort Wingate Depot in New Mexico. There is debate about what constitutes dangerous levels of perchlorate, but the Environmental Protection Agency's draft proposal for drinking water is one part per billion. Some but not all drinking water supplies draw on ground water. Perchlorate has been found in drinking water supplies in 29 states and has also been found in vegetables. The eight-page report, issued in response to a congressional mandate, was more than two months overdue. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., released a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Friday saying it didn't meet congressional demands. Feinstein said the report should have addressed 74 potentially contaminated closed bases - a number contained in a General Accounting Office report from 2003. She also complained that the Pentagon shouldn't wait for the EPA to issue a final national standard for perchlorate to develop clean-up plans. The final standard isn't expected until 2006 and the report indicates clean-up at most bases will wait until then. ``This report makes clear that the Defense Department intends to continue to drag its feet until a federal standard for perchlorate is adopted, wasting precious time and exposing millions of Americans to the hazardous effects of perchlorate contamination of water supplies,'' Feinstein wrote. ``This is an irresponsible and unacceptable approach to a serious problem.'' A Pentagon official defended the report, contending that in some cases remediation wasn't needed because the amounts of perchlorate found weren't significant. ``We believe that our response to the congressional request for the report was responsive, and that the concerns that Sen. Feinstein has raised were really outside the request of the report,'' said Alex Beehler, assistant deputy undersecretary of defense for the environment, safety and occupational health. The 14 bases listed in the Pentagon report were: Fort McClellan in Alabama; Fort Ord, El Toro Marine Corps Base, McClellan Air Force Base and Mather Air Force Base in California; Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado; Savanna Army Depot and Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois; Jefferson Proving Ground in Indiana; Fort Wingate Depot in New Mexico; Umatilla Chemical Depot in Oregon; Red River Army Depot in Texas, which is open, but scheduled to be closed; Camp Bonneville in Washington; and White Oak Naval Special Warfare Group in Maryland. (SUBs last graf to correct that Red River Army Depot is not closed but schedule for closing; SUBs 1st graf to add that some sites in study still open but to be closed.) 07/23/04 21:39 EDT
[ecofem] Canada Sacks Three Whistle-Blowing Scientists Who Criticized Safety of Bovine Growth Hormone
- forwarded message - Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 19:31:58 -0600 From: Teresa Binstock [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Canada Sacks Three Whistle-Blowing Scientists Who Criticized Safety of Bovine Growth Hormone Canada Fires Government Scientists Who Criticized Safety of Bovine Growth Hormone http://www.organicconsumers.org/rbgh/whistleblower071904.cfm Reuters (July 15, 2004) Canada Sacks Three Whistle-Blowing Scientists WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - The Canadian government fired three high-profile scientists to punish them for publicly challenging federal decisions on veterinary drugs, the scientists' union said on Thursday. But a spokesman for Health Canada said the dismissal of Margaret Haydon, Shiv Chopra and Gerard Lambert had nothing to do with their whistle-blowing activities. There is absolutely no connection, said Ryan Baker, a spokesman for the department, where the scientists worked in a section that reviews and approves veterinary drugs. This is not because of anything they may have said publicly, Baker said. The scientists have a lengthy history of disagreement with the department, which has reprimanded them in the past. Haydon and Chopra spoke out against a growth hormone for dairy cattle, called bovine somatotropin, that Monsanto Co. unsuccessfully applied to sell in Canada in the 1990s. They said the company did not submit enough information to prove the drug was safe for cows or humans, and complained they were pressured by the department to approve it. More recently, Chopra and Lambert complained the department approved a new method of use for the antibiotic tylosin, marketed by the Canadian animal health division of Eli Lilly and Co., despite their concerns that it could lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Haydon also criticized livestock feed rules in the wake of Canada's first homegrown case of mad cow disease last year. The precise reasons for the firings were outlined in letters delivered to the scientists at their homes on Wednesday, Health Canada's Baker said, declining to elaborate for privacy reasons. The individuals in question are able to share it with you if they choose to, Baker said. Chopra declined comment and referred questions to his lawyer, who in turn referred calls to the scientists' union, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. The union's president also declined to discuss the reasons given by Health Canada until a hearing is held, possibly in six months. We will be addressing what Health Canada has put in the letters and we will be showing that, despite what they say, the real cause of the letters of termination is the public criticism of the department and the government of Canada, Steve Hindle said. The fact that it's three (people fired) on the same day is unusual, and it also, I believe, lends credence to the argument we're putting forward that (the firings are) a result of them being whistle-blowers, Hindle said. The firings outraged activist groups who said whistle-blowers need better laws to protect them. All these scientists were trying to do was protect the food supply, and they got fired for doing their job, said Bradford Duplisea of the Canadian Health Coalition. The federal government had introduced new measures to protect bureaucrats who report concerns about their departments, but the proposed legislation was not enacted before the June 28 federal election. * The material in this post is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html http://oregon.uoregon.edu/%7Ecsundt/documents.htm http://oregon.uoregon.edu/~csundt/documents.htm http://oregon.uoregon.edu/%7Ecsundt/documents.htm If you wish to use copyrighted material from this email for purposes that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
[ecofem] EF: New Investor Guide to Climate Risk (Resource)
[I've beaten the market by putting my utility investments in firms that have larger-than-usual wind energy investments, myself - Will] - forwarded message - Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 21:27:42 -0700 From: Earth First! Media [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: New Investor Guide to Climate Risk NEW GUIDE ADVISES INVESTORS ON ADDRESSING FINANCIAL RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES FROM GLOBAL WARMING Expected use by growing number of pension, labor and endowment funds concerned about competitive, regulatory and legal risks to key industries; may spur Wall Street fund managers and companies to evaluate financial risks and opportunities of global warming BOSTON, MA///July 23, 2004///An investor guide released today outlines specific strategies for addressing the financial risks and investment opportunities posed by global warming. The guide identifies actions that pension plans, fund managers and companies can take to address climate risk, and also recommends that investors support government action to reduce investor and business uncertainty on global warming. The Investor Guide to Climate Risk was commissioned by Ceres, a coalition of investment funds and environmental groups, and written by the Investor Responsibility Research Center, an investor advisory firm. The guide was commissioned on behalf of the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), a new alliance of institutional investors dedicated to promoting better understanding of the risks of climate change among institutional investors. Ceres serves as the INCR Secretariat. The Guide is intended to help investors implement the recommendations of the Investor Call for Action on Climate Risk signed by investor leaders including public pension, labor pension fund, and foundation endowment trustees representing over $800 billion in assets. A list of signers is available on the INCR website (www.incr.com). According to the author of the Guide, emerging limits on global warming pollutants (carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions), both in U.S. states and worldwide, are creating new pressures to reduce emissions and are opening new markets for cleaner technologies--creating both risks and opportunities for companies and their investors. The Guide identifies three core actions to address climate risk: assessing the risks, disclosing the risks, and investing in solutions, such as cleaner,more energy efficient technologiesto achieve absolute reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Ten key steps are aimed at three main groups: Plan Sponsors, for pension plans and endowments and their investment consultants; Fund Managers for buy side investment managers and sell side brokers and securities analysts; and Corporations for boards of directors, CEOs and top executives. Mindy Lubber, Executive Director, Ceres, said: Fundamental changes must be made in our industries to limit the risks posed by climate change. Investors are now raising questions that need to be asked, and insisting on the analysis that will protect our economy and our investments over the long-term. This guide is a useful first step in beginning to quantify the risk exposure as a part of routine financial analysis, and in doing so encourage the changes that are needed. Doug Cogan, IRRC and author of the Guide, said: Analyzing climate risk is a new and important challenge for investors, fund managers and corporations. This guide is intended to show how they can coordinate their efforts to achieve better disclosure, better outcomes and more certainty in addressing what until recently was considered an 'off-balance sheet' risk. The Guide has been released as a web-based document at www.ceres.org and on the INCR website at www.incr.com, with links to nearly 50 resources for investors, fund managers, and companies seeking to evaluate and mitigate the risks posed by global warming and coming regulations. (A PDF version of the report is also available on the two websites.) == Chris Fox CERES 99 Chauncy Street Boston, MA 02111 Tel: 617-247-0700 x15 Fax: 617-267-5400 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] CERES website (www.ceres.org) Investor Network on Climate Risk website (www.incr.com)
