Candles Smell Good, But They Could Be Toxic (Links)
When it Comes to Los Angeles Lawns, Brown is Golden You know it’s the silly season when a member of the Los Angeles City Council weighs in on the importance of green lawns during a drought, as the 12th District’s Greig Smith did several weeks ago. How Much Weed Killer Is Safe in Your Water Glass? New research suggests that atrazine may be dangerous at lower concentrations than previously thought, particularly for fetuses. California Moves Toward Stringent Chromium 6 Standard for Drinking Water California took the first step Thursday toward setting a drinking water standard for chromium 6 that could force cities and water districts to undertake costly treatment. E.P.A. to Set Limits for Water Pollution in Florida After a 2008 lawsuit by the Sierra Club, Florida Wildlife Federation and others, the settlement is the first time the agency has forced numeric limits on nutrient runoff on a state. California to Mandate Recycling for Businesses, Apartments California residents not living in permanent housing may no longer have to deal with the frustration of searching for recycling options. China Closes Factories Amid Growing Protests Over Lead Poisoning Chinese officials have temporarily closed at least five heavy metal smelters as concerns rise over high levels of lead found in children in nearby villages and towns. Environmental Racism? Brazil Sends Toxic Ship Back to Britain A ship supposedly carrying recyclable materials was in fact full of toxic waste, including condoms, syringes, and human waste. Sugar vs. Corn Syrup High-fructose corn syrup was invented in 1957. Calls to Tax Junk Food Gain Ground Cigarette ‘sin taxes’ have turned out to be the most effective ways to reduce smoking; will the same tactic work to fight obesity? Candles Smell Good, But They Could Be Toxic Burning certain kinds of candles may generate indoor air pollutants.
Duncan D. Hunter: If Only ‘We Could Override The Endangered Species Act’ (CA & San Diego Links)
CA’s State Parks Generate $4.3 Billion Annually Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to close 80% of California’s state parks to address the state’s $24 billion budget deficit—even though park visitors pump $4.32 billion into the economy each year. In Grave Danger, Flat-Tailed Horned Lizard Gets a Reprieve The rare reptile may have one last chance, thanks to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. CA to Cut Water Usage to Save Fish Californians’ thirst for water has pushed salmon and other fish to the brink of extinction, a federal agency has ruled. CA Rep. Duncan D. Hunter Weighs in on the Water Ruling In a recent interview, Hunter dropped this gem: “If there’s some way that we could override the Endangered Species Act for things like the smelt fish and allow water to flow again down to Southern California that would be huge.” CA’s Climate Change Plan Will Boost Economy The floundering state’s plan is a watershed moment in history—but there’s still room to improve. Hatchery Fish May Hurt Efforts To Sustain Wild Salmon Runs Steelhead trout that are originally bred in hatcheries are too genetically impaired to expand populations in the wild. 40 Environmental Groups Back Frye for Coastal Panel More than 40 environmental groups in California lobbied Thursday for San Diego City Councilwoman Donna Frye to take over a position representing the region on the state Coastal Commission. Chaparral Institute Sues San Diego County Over Tree Removal Plan The wildlands advocacy group announced a lawsuit yesterday, alleging that the county failed to adequately analyze the environmental damage of removing trees and shrubs in the backcountry to reduce wildfire risks. EPA to Begin Unprecedented Coastal DDT Cleanup in 2011 The proposal includes placing a cap of silt and sand over one of the most hazardous places in the country—and mark the first time a Superfund site has used this method. California’s Thorny History of Cactus Theft In the early 1900s, gardeners took a shine to the prickly plants, and ‘cactus rustling’ was born.
Mockingbirds Can Remember Faces of People to Attack (Links)
Cost of Cigarette Litter May Fall on San Fran’s Smokers A proposed fee would add 33 cents to the cost of a pack of cigarettes, helping offset the estimated $10.7 million a year spent cleaning up discarded butts. Styrofoam Ban Grows in CA Palo Alto joins 21 other California towns in prohibition of polystyrene takeout containers. Yosemite’s Giant Trees Disappearing Data collected over 60 years by forest ecologists show that the oldest and largest trees in Yosemite National Park are disappearing. Climate change appears to be a major cause of the loss. Summer Haze Cooling SE United States Some local cooling is one effect of climate change. Marine Pleads Guilty in Wildfire A Marine was sentenced to a year in prison for horseplay that started a wildfire that burned a section of California’s Camp Pendleton, prompted widespread evacuations, and caused $2 million in damage. Cactus Wren Gets Another Chance in Culver City In an effort to bring the cactus wren back to a Culver City state park, Dorsey High students are restoring the coastal sage scrub preferred by the bird. Hollywood and the Flush Factor “If it’s yellow leave it mellow; if it’s brown flush it down,” said actor Cameron Diaz. EPA Approves Most Outstanding Mountaintop Removal Permits Environmental leaders criticized the EPA for not taking a stronger stand agains the highly destructive and polluting form of mining. Where Are All the Fish? Fisheries can’t keep up with the rate of seafood consumption by humans. New Study Provides Insight into Evolution of First Flowers Charles Darwin described the origin of flowering plants about 130 million years ago as an abominable mystery, one that scientists have yet to solve. Taking Back the Catalytic Converter A new bill would allow independent repair shops to compete for the business now guaranteed only to dealer-controlled establishments. Monkeys Found To Wonder What Might Have Been Monkeys register missed opportunities and learn from their mistakes. Intoxication May Not Always Be Visible It is difficult for even trained observers to fully identify “intoxication,” given that so many factors contribute to it. Some People Really Never Forget A Face “Super-recognizers” have an extraordinary ability to recognize faces, and can easily recognize someone they met in passing, even many years later. Mockingbirds Can Remember Faces of People to Attack Scientists find that the grey and white birds common in cities can distinguish between different people and will swoop to attack those they perceive as a danger.
EPA Halts New Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining Permits, Plans ‘Aggressive’ Review
Awesome news:
The Obama Administration just made a major announcement – they have directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to not issue any new mining permits until the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a chance to take a hard look at well over 100 pending permits to bury streams with mining waste, an essential part of the mountaintop removal coal mining process.
ESA, UCS, SEX (Links)
Hot on the heels of the Bush Administration’s order to remove science from the Endangered Species Act, a new government report has found more interference with ESA decisions. The EPA has released a ‘most wanted’ list. Maryland State Police used their anti-terror powers to spy on peaceful environmentalists. The UCS has released a guide to low-carbon vacations. Diesel trucks in California must meet new pollution guidelines. Chemicals are killing your sex drive. A group of students ages 9-18 have found a way to stop curb 90% of roadkills. Researchers are trying to find a way to meet golfers and enviros halfway. CSM explores America’s Great Lakes. Ocean fish farming spreads infection to wild fish. A deep sea expedition in the Gulf of California found unprecedented biodiversity and a troubling breadth of human impact. Recyclables are currently worth the same as trash—and aren’t being recycled. After almost 20 years, Exxon Valdez victims have received their first settlement payments. Enviros ‘counter’ clean coal oxymorons. Soldiers returning to the Middle East can look forward to breathing smoke from open air incinerators burning human remains and toxic waste. CNN has laid off its entire environmental, science, and technology news staff.
Ten Ton Meteorite Caused the Canadian Fireball (Links)
The FDA determines the acceptable amount of poison for baby formula. The Interior Department and EPA expect radical changes under Obama to ‘erase Bush’s mark.’ Maryland officials have taken on poultry pollution. Massey Energy will be allowed to remove the top of West Virginia’s Coal River Mountain, even though an economic study endorsed wind turbines instead. Bald eagles in the Catskills are showing increasing levels of mercury. The worldwide demand for sushi will extinguish the bluefin tuna in five years. Land iguanas are joining other endangered species in the Galápagos. A new preserve in Cameroon will protect the world’s most endangered great ape: the Cross River gorilla. ‘Efficient’ drip irrigation may be worse for the environment than traditional sprinklers. A ten-ton meteorite caused the Canadian fireball.
