FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5/24/2004
CONTACT: Brent McCown, (608) 262-0574, bhmccown@wisc.edu; Eric Zeldin, (608) 262-0517, elzeldin@wisc.edu
CRANBERRY BREEDING PROGRAM MAY SOON BEAR FRUIT FOR GROWERS
MADISON - A cranberry variety developed by University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists with the help of local cranberry growers is now poised to give those same growers a competitive edge.
The berries of HyRed, a cranberry bred and tested for more than 10 years by UW-Madison plant breeders Eric Zeldin and Brent McCown, turn deeply red a full two weeks sooner than those of a leading cranberry cultivar called Stevens. HyRed's early and intense fruit color promises to help Midwest growers better compete with East Coast and West Coast cranberry operations that benefit from longer growing seasons.
"Because the Midwest has a shorter growing season and growers have to get the cranberries out before freezing, they've many times had to go in and harvest the crop before it developed full color," says McCown, UW-Madison's Gottschalk Distinguished Professor of Cranberry Research. "Growers can command a premium price for darker berries, so color is one of the issues of competitiveness for the Midwest."
Cranberries are particularly big business in Wisconsin: The state currently produces 50 percent of North America's crop, making Wisconsin the largest cranberry producer in the world.
Given the crop's regional importance, McCown and Zeldin talked with several local growers when launching UW-Madison's cranberry research program in the early 1990s. "We wanted to know what research we could do that would be of unique significance to the Midwest," says McCown.
The scientists decided on boosting the color, or pigment content, of the berries as their first target because color is an easy trait to measure and growers identified it as a key issue. In fact, one grower from Pittsville, Wis., became so involved in developing ideas for the research program that he is listed with Zeldin and McCown on a HyRed patent. The patent was issued in 2003 to UW-Madison's patent and licensing organization, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF).
Growers have also played a key role in testing the variety's performance in the field. After evaluating HyRed for several years in plots in central and northern Wisconsin, in 2001 Zeldin and McCown released the variety to growers for further testing - making HyRed the first publicly available cranberry hybrid in more than three decades.
Since then, the cultivar has been planted in trial beds in over 30 commercial cranberry marshes around Wisconsin, as well as sites in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and British Columbia.
"The development of HyRed is a good example of participatory plant breeding," says McCown, "where the eventual recipients (the growers) take part in the initial breeding program by helping to design goals, evaluate new varieties in their fields and fund the research."
HyRed's development has been supported, in part, by the Wisconsin Cranberry Board and Ocean Spray, Inc.
As crop plants go, cranberry is relatively undomesticated. Many popular varieties - including Ben Lear, favored in Wisconsin because its fruit also turns red earlier in the season, and Early Black, which Zeldin calls the classic Massachusetts cranberry - were taken directly from wild cranberry bogs and cultivated.
Even the variety Stevens, an easy-to-grow cultivar that constitutes an estimated 60 percent of the cranberry acreage in Wisconsin, is "just one step away from the wild," says Zeldin - the result of a single round of breeding by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the early 1930s.
Cranberry's wild character provides plant breeders with an abundance of genetic variation. So, when Zeldin began the cranberry-breeding effort by crossing Ben Lear with Stevens, he fully expected to see berry shades ranging from light pink to dark red among the 700 progeny he propagated from the cross. Even so, HyRed surprised him.
"HyRed was just unique," he says. "That particular year, its berries were already red in August, and it had a lot of flower buds," a promising indicator of high fruit yield. Zeldin has since shown that HyRed produces berries containing up to three times as much red anthocyanin pigment as Stevens. And because its berries color and ripen much earlier, HyRed can be harvested two to three weeks sooner than Stevens - a boon for local growers.
"Originally, we just wanted to combine the good color of Ben Lear with the reproducibility and ease of growth of Stevens," Zeldin says. "Well, we exceeded that with HyRed."
To accommodate those growers who may be ready to scale up their pilot HyRed plantings to the commercial level, WARF is now offering reasonably priced licenses that will allow growers to market and sell the cultivar's fruit. The licenses are required to regulate and protect HyRed's genetic integrity. All licensing income will return to UW-Madison to support future research.
###
-Madeline Fisher, (608) 265-9861; mmfisher@warf.org
****************************************************
For questions or comments about UW-Madison's email
news release system, please send an email to:
releases@news.wisc.edu
For more UW-Madison news, please visit:
http://www.news.wisc.edu/
University Communications
University of Wisconsin-Madison
27 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: (608) 262-3571
Fax: (608) 262-2331
A personal quest to promote the use of wind energy and hydrogen technology in the Great Lakes area of the United States. The Great Lakes area is in a unique position to become an energy exporting region through these and other renewable energy technologies. *Update 2014: Just do it everywhere - Dan*
Demand Grows to Require Paper Trails for Electronic Votes
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
Published: May 23, 2004
ASHINGTON, May 22 - A coalition of computer scientists, voter groups and state officials, led by California's secretary of state, Kevin Shelley, is trying to force the makers of electronic voting machines to equip those machines with voter-verifiable paper trails.
Following the problems of the 2000 election in Florida, a number of states and hundreds of counties rushed to dump their punch card ballot systems and to buy the electronic touch screens. Election Data Services, a consulting firm that specializes in election administration, estimates that this November 50 million Americans - about 29 percent of the electorate - may be voting on touch screens, up from 12 percent in 2000.
But in the last year election analysts have documented so many malfunctions, including the disappearance of names from the ballot, and computer experts have shown that the machines are so vulnerable to hackers, that critics have organized to counter the rush toward touch screens with a move to require paper trails.
Paper trails - ballot receipts - would let voters verify that they had cast their votes as they intended and let election officials conduct recounts in close races.
Not everyone agrees that paper trails are necessary, or even advisable. Numerous local election officials - the ones who actually conduct elections - argue that...(Full Story)
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
Published: May 23, 2004
ASHINGTON, May 22 - A coalition of computer scientists, voter groups and state officials, led by California's secretary of state, Kevin Shelley, is trying to force the makers of electronic voting machines to equip those machines with voter-verifiable paper trails.
Following the problems of the 2000 election in Florida, a number of states and hundreds of counties rushed to dump their punch card ballot systems and to buy the electronic touch screens. Election Data Services, a consulting firm that specializes in election administration, estimates that this November 50 million Americans - about 29 percent of the electorate - may be voting on touch screens, up from 12 percent in 2000.
But in the last year election analysts have documented so many malfunctions, including the disappearance of names from the ballot, and computer experts have shown that the machines are so vulnerable to hackers, that critics have organized to counter the rush toward touch screens with a move to require paper trails.
Paper trails - ballot receipts - would let voters verify that they had cast their votes as they intended and let election officials conduct recounts in close races.
Not everyone agrees that paper trails are necessary, or even advisable. Numerous local election officials - the ones who actually conduct elections - argue that...(Full Story)
Friday, May 28, 2004
Please ask Gov. Blagojevich to Sign 4099 into law
From the Great Lakes Environmental Law & Policy Center:
Victory is close! On May 20th, the Illinois General Assembly
passed the Illinois Energy Efficient Commercial Building Act,
HB4099, which now goes to Governor Blagojevich for signature.
HB4099 covers all commercial, industrial and multi-unit
residential buildings, but not single-family homes and would
result in huge energy savings for Illinois.
Please take a minute to send the Governor the message that you
want him to sign HB4099 into law and bring energy-efficient
commercial buildings to Illinois.
You can take action on this alert via the web at:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/HB4099/
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/HB4099/forward/
We encourage you to take action by June 11, 2004
Sign HB 4099 into Law
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:
If you have access to a web browser, you can take action on this
alert by going to the following URL:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/HB4099/
Your letter will be addressed and sent to:
Governor Rod Blagojevich
----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME----
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I am writing to urge you to sign HB4099 into law and bring
energy-efficient commercial buildings to Illinois.
Illinois is the largest energy-consuming state in the nation
without a statewide energy efficient building code, and one of
only twelve states with no energy code for commercial
construction. Doing energy efficiency "right" at the new
construction and major rehab stage is by far the most
cost-effective time to make these pro-environmental and energy
cost reduction investments. This is the single most important
policy step that a state can take to increase energy efficiency
in buildings and reduce pollution through avoided electric power
and natural gas use.
HB4099 establishes a uniform statewide energy efficient building
code for commercial construction and renovations. Moreover,
HB4099 will protect Illinois businesses from higher energy bills
resulting from inefficient buildings. This statewide energy
efficient commercial building code would:
1. reduce energy consumption for heating, cooling, and lighting,
resulting in ongoing savings for commercial owners,
2. reduce demand for natural gas during volatile markets,
3. cause the reduction of emissions of air pollutants, and
4. simplify rules for commercial builders, providing one uniform
statewide energy code.
I urge you to save energy and money for consumers by signing
HB4099. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your
response.
----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----
Sincerely,
Xxxx Xxxx
--------------------------------------------------
If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for
Environmental Law and Policy Center at:
http://actionnetwork.org/elpc/join.html?r=W7aexc11HjfhE
From the Great Lakes Environmental Law & Policy Center:
Victory is close! On May 20th, the Illinois General Assembly
passed the Illinois Energy Efficient Commercial Building Act,
HB4099, which now goes to Governor Blagojevich for signature.
HB4099 covers all commercial, industrial and multi-unit
residential buildings, but not single-family homes and would
result in huge energy savings for Illinois.
Please take a minute to send the Governor the message that you
want him to sign HB4099 into law and bring energy-efficient
commercial buildings to Illinois.
You can take action on this alert via the web at:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/HB4099/
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/HB4099/forward/
We encourage you to take action by June 11, 2004
Sign HB 4099 into Law
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:
If you have access to a web browser, you can take action on this
alert by going to the following URL:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/HB4099/
Your letter will be addressed and sent to:
Governor Rod Blagojevich
----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME----
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I am writing to urge you to sign HB4099 into law and bring
energy-efficient commercial buildings to Illinois.
Illinois is the largest energy-consuming state in the nation
without a statewide energy efficient building code, and one of
only twelve states with no energy code for commercial
construction. Doing energy efficiency "right" at the new
construction and major rehab stage is by far the most
cost-effective time to make these pro-environmental and energy
cost reduction investments. This is the single most important
policy step that a state can take to increase energy efficiency
in buildings and reduce pollution through avoided electric power
and natural gas use.
HB4099 establishes a uniform statewide energy efficient building
code for commercial construction and renovations. Moreover,
HB4099 will protect Illinois businesses from higher energy bills
resulting from inefficient buildings. This statewide energy
efficient commercial building code would:
1. reduce energy consumption for heating, cooling, and lighting,
resulting in ongoing savings for commercial owners,
2. reduce demand for natural gas during volatile markets,
3. cause the reduction of emissions of air pollutants, and
4. simplify rules for commercial builders, providing one uniform
statewide energy code.
I urge you to save energy and money for consumers by signing
HB4099. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your
response.
----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----
Sincerely,
Xxxx Xxxx
--------------------------------------------------
If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for
Environmental Law and Policy Center at:
http://actionnetwork.org/elpc/join.html?r=W7aexc11HjfhE
Stop Raids on Environmental Funds!
From the Great Lakes Environmental Law & Policy Center:
In a desperate effort to plug the state's $2 billion budget
deficit, the Illinois Senate introduced an amendment to HB 7181
that would effectively steal the balances in a variety of
important environmental and energy funds in an effort to balance
the budget. Some of the funds that will be raided if this
amendment passes include:
Natural Areas Acquisition Fund ($3.4 million),
Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Fund ($22.7
million),
Conservation 2000 Fund ($7.4 million)
Solid Waste Management Fund ($check the #)),
Brownfields Redevelopment Fund ($5.1 million),
Used Tire Management Fund ($3,278,000),
Renewable Energy Resources Trust Fund ($9,510,000), and
Energy Efficiency Trust Fund ($3,040,000)
Many of these funds were just increased in last year's
legislative session. The Renewable Energy Resources Trust and
Energy Efficiency Trust are funded by ratepayers on their
utility bills specifically for these programs.
All these cuts to environmental funds total a whopping
$55,164,000, which would otherwise go towards preserving and
protecting our Illinois environment.
The Senate will be voting on this amendment by Monday while the
House may be considering it early next week. It's important that
you reach out to both your Senator and Representative telling
them to vote no on Amendment 1 to House Bill 7181.
If you've already taken action on this issue, thank you. If you
haven't yet made a phone call, we've made it easier for you so
all you have to do is click below to send both your state
senator and state representative faxes asking them to vote no on
this amendment. Thanks for your support, and enjoy the holiday
weekend!
You can take action on this alert either via email (please see
directions below) or via the web at:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/HB7181/
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/HB7181/forward/
We encourage you to take action by June 4, 2004
Prevent Raids on Environmental Funds!
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:
If you have access to a web browser, you can take action on this
alert by going to the following URL:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/HB7181/
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL:
Just choose the "reply to sender" option on your email program.
Your letter will be addressed and sent to:
Your Representative (if you live in IL)
Your State Senator (if you live in IL)
----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME----
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I am writing asking you to vote against the proposed Amendment
to HB7181, the so-called Budget Stabilization Act. While I
understand the need for the State to balance its budget, it
shouldn't do so by raiding the important environmental and other
specific-purpose funds this Amendment targets. Among the
programs targeted are:
1. The Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Fund: This
is a critical program that helps to buy remaining open space for
conservation, wildlife habitat and recreation.
2. The Solid Waste Management Fund: This fund, supported by
tipping fees at landfills, is used to support recycling and
waste reduction programs throughout the state.
3. The Used Tire Management Fund: This fund, supported by
disposal fees paid by consumers when replacing their tires, is
used for programs which help to reduce the hazards associated
with the enormous piles of used tires scattered throughout
Illinois. The disposal fee was just increased to provided
additional resources to combat mosquitoes carrying the West Nile
virus.
4. The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Trust Funds: These
public benefit funds are supported by a small surcharge on the
electric bills of investor-owned utilities' customers and are
used to provide grants for community energy efficiency programs,
energy efficiency retrofits in affordable housing and renewable
energy projects.
In total, funds that help preserve and protect the environment
or encourage better use of energy resources represent over $90
million of the proposed budget transfers in this Amendment. Many
of these programs were years in the making and have made a huge
difference in protecting Illinois' environment.
Thank you for your consideration in rejecting this Amendment.
----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----
Sincerely,
Xxxx Xxxxx
--------------------------------------------------
If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for
Environmental Law and Policy Center at:
http://actionnetwork.org/elpc/join.html?r=Opaexc11HjfEE
--------------------------------------------------
From the Great Lakes Environmental Law & Policy Center:
In a desperate effort to plug the state's $2 billion budget
deficit, the Illinois Senate introduced an amendment to HB 7181
that would effectively steal the balances in a variety of
important environmental and energy funds in an effort to balance
the budget. Some of the funds that will be raided if this
amendment passes include:
Natural Areas Acquisition Fund ($3.4 million),
Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Fund ($22.7
million),
Conservation 2000 Fund ($7.4 million)
Solid Waste Management Fund ($check the #)),
Brownfields Redevelopment Fund ($5.1 million),
Used Tire Management Fund ($3,278,000),
Renewable Energy Resources Trust Fund ($9,510,000), and
Energy Efficiency Trust Fund ($3,040,000)
Many of these funds were just increased in last year's
legislative session. The Renewable Energy Resources Trust and
Energy Efficiency Trust are funded by ratepayers on their
utility bills specifically for these programs.
All these cuts to environmental funds total a whopping
$55,164,000, which would otherwise go towards preserving and
protecting our Illinois environment.
The Senate will be voting on this amendment by Monday while the
House may be considering it early next week. It's important that
you reach out to both your Senator and Representative telling
them to vote no on Amendment 1 to House Bill 7181.
If you've already taken action on this issue, thank you. If you
haven't yet made a phone call, we've made it easier for you so
all you have to do is click below to send both your state
senator and state representative faxes asking them to vote no on
this amendment. Thanks for your support, and enjoy the holiday
weekend!
You can take action on this alert either via email (please see
directions below) or via the web at:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/HB7181/
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/HB7181/forward/
We encourage you to take action by June 4, 2004
Prevent Raids on Environmental Funds!
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:
If you have access to a web browser, you can take action on this
alert by going to the following URL:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/HB7181/
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL:
Just choose the "reply to sender" option on your email program.
Your letter will be addressed and sent to:
Your Representative (if you live in IL)
Your State Senator (if you live in IL)
----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME----
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I am writing asking you to vote against the proposed Amendment
to HB7181, the so-called Budget Stabilization Act. While I
understand the need for the State to balance its budget, it
shouldn't do so by raiding the important environmental and other
specific-purpose funds this Amendment targets. Among the
programs targeted are:
1. The Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Fund: This
is a critical program that helps to buy remaining open space for
conservation, wildlife habitat and recreation.
2. The Solid Waste Management Fund: This fund, supported by
tipping fees at landfills, is used to support recycling and
waste reduction programs throughout the state.
3. The Used Tire Management Fund: This fund, supported by
disposal fees paid by consumers when replacing their tires, is
used for programs which help to reduce the hazards associated
with the enormous piles of used tires scattered throughout
Illinois. The disposal fee was just increased to provided
additional resources to combat mosquitoes carrying the West Nile
virus.
4. The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Trust Funds: These
public benefit funds are supported by a small surcharge on the
electric bills of investor-owned utilities' customers and are
used to provide grants for community energy efficiency programs,
energy efficiency retrofits in affordable housing and renewable
energy projects.
In total, funds that help preserve and protect the environment
or encourage better use of energy resources represent over $90
million of the proposed budget transfers in this Amendment. Many
of these programs were years in the making and have made a huge
difference in protecting Illinois' environment.
Thank you for your consideration in rejecting this Amendment.
----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----
Sincerely,
Xxxx Xxxxx
--------------------------------------------------
If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for
Environmental Law and Policy Center at:
http://actionnetwork.org/elpc/join.html?r=Opaexc11HjfEE
--------------------------------------------------
Liberty Beat
by Nat Hentoff
Patriot Act Besieged
A Justice Department honcho confesses: 'We are losing the fight for the Patriot Act'
May 28th, 2004 1:00 PM
The objective of the Patriot Act [is to make] the population visible and the Justice Department invisible. The Act inverts the constitutional requirement that people's lives be private and the work of government officials be public; it instead crafts a set of conditions that make our inner lives transparent and the workings of government opaque. - Elaine Scarry, "Acts of Resistance," Harper's Magazine, May 2004
The Patriot Act makes it able for those of us in positions of responsibility to defend the liberty of the American people. - George W. Bush, quoted by the National Committee Against Repressive Legislation, May 2004
In March, at the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, I debated Chuck Rosenberg, chief of staff to James Comey, John Ashcroft's second-in-command at the Justice Department. A former counsel to FBI director Robert Mueller, Rosenberg, a former prosecutor, has specialized in counterintelligence and counterterrorism.
The next day, the headline in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch story on the debate (March 22) was "Ashcroft Staffer Admits Patriot Act Is Unpopular." And Chuck Rosenberg was quoted in the story: "We're losing this fight."
The reporter, Doug Moore, told me Rosenberg had made that admission during the intermission in our debate. It wasn't my eloquence that deflated Rosenberg, but rather my focus that afternoon on the insistent resistance to the Patriot Act around the country—and in Congress.
By May, 311 towns and cities—and four state legislatures (Alaska, Hawaii, Vermont, and Maine)—had passed Bill of Rights resolutions instructing the members of Congress from those areas to roll back the most egregiously repressive sections of the Patriot Act, subsequent executive orders, and other extensions of the act.
According to Nancy Talanian, director of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee in Northampton, Massachusetts, and the primary organizer and coordinator of this campaign to preserve the Constitution, "Hundreds more communities and states are considering resolutions. Last December, the National League of Cities approved a resolution calling for amending the Patriot Act."
And on May 12, The Hill, a Washington publication that gets inside congressional maneuvers, ran a...(Full Story)
by Nat Hentoff
Patriot Act Besieged
A Justice Department honcho confesses: 'We are losing the fight for the Patriot Act'
May 28th, 2004 1:00 PM
The objective of the Patriot Act [is to make] the population visible and the Justice Department invisible. The Act inverts the constitutional requirement that people's lives be private and the work of government officials be public; it instead crafts a set of conditions that make our inner lives transparent and the workings of government opaque. - Elaine Scarry, "Acts of Resistance," Harper's Magazine, May 2004
The Patriot Act makes it able for those of us in positions of responsibility to defend the liberty of the American people. - George W. Bush, quoted by the National Committee Against Repressive Legislation, May 2004
In March, at the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, I debated Chuck Rosenberg, chief of staff to James Comey, John Ashcroft's second-in-command at the Justice Department. A former counsel to FBI director Robert Mueller, Rosenberg, a former prosecutor, has specialized in counterintelligence and counterterrorism.
The next day, the headline in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch story on the debate (March 22) was "Ashcroft Staffer Admits Patriot Act Is Unpopular." And Chuck Rosenberg was quoted in the story: "We're losing this fight."
The reporter, Doug Moore, told me Rosenberg had made that admission during the intermission in our debate. It wasn't my eloquence that deflated Rosenberg, but rather my focus that afternoon on the insistent resistance to the Patriot Act around the country—and in Congress.
By May, 311 towns and cities—and four state legislatures (Alaska, Hawaii, Vermont, and Maine)—had passed Bill of Rights resolutions instructing the members of Congress from those areas to roll back the most egregiously repressive sections of the Patriot Act, subsequent executive orders, and other extensions of the act.
According to Nancy Talanian, director of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee in Northampton, Massachusetts, and the primary organizer and coordinator of this campaign to preserve the Constitution, "Hundreds more communities and states are considering resolutions. Last December, the National League of Cities approved a resolution calling for amending the Patriot Act."
And on May 12, The Hill, a Washington publication that gets inside congressional maneuvers, ran a...(Full Story)
North America Market Access for Wind Energy Equipment
UL seminar
If you are involved in wind energy equipment design, compliance
and regulation, or are concerned about the business issues
around wind energy, this seminar is for you. Join UL, the
leader in testing and certification of wind energy technology,
to learn how you can accelerate time to market, gain broader
market access and speed installation for your wind energy
products.
This seminar is presented by experienced renewable energy
engineers from UL, National Electrical Code ® experts, staff
members from a variety of state energy commission, and
regulatory authorities.
In the Wind Energy seminar, you'll learn about:
- IEC 61400 and IEC WT 01, Wind Turbine Standards
- Overview of ISO 9001:2000 audits for compliance to IEC 61400
- Reliability and performance requirements for wind turbines
- U.S. federal and state regulations governing wind energy
- Requirements of the U.S and Canadian electrical codes
- Preparing for a regulatory authority inspection of your installation
- Connecting wind turbine energy to power grids
- Renewable energy incentive programs and how to qualify.
Click this link to PDF for more details and the seminar agenda.
http://www.emaildelivery.net/rd.aspx?E11880;553EA663;6704319034C7
For more information and to register by phone, please call
toll-free at 888-503-5536. Or, visit us at www.ul.com and click
on "training" on the left side bar and then topics.
Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
333 Pfingsten Road
Northbrook, IL 60062
UL seminar
If you are involved in wind energy equipment design, compliance
and regulation, or are concerned about the business issues
around wind energy, this seminar is for you. Join UL, the
leader in testing and certification of wind energy technology,
to learn how you can accelerate time to market, gain broader
market access and speed installation for your wind energy
products.
This seminar is presented by experienced renewable energy
engineers from UL, National Electrical Code ® experts, staff
members from a variety of state energy commission, and
regulatory authorities.
In the Wind Energy seminar, you'll learn about:
- IEC 61400 and IEC WT 01, Wind Turbine Standards
- Overview of ISO 9001:2000 audits for compliance to IEC 61400
- Reliability and performance requirements for wind turbines
- U.S. federal and state regulations governing wind energy
- Requirements of the U.S and Canadian electrical codes
- Preparing for a regulatory authority inspection of your installation
- Connecting wind turbine energy to power grids
- Renewable energy incentive programs and how to qualify.
Click this link to PDF for more details and the seminar agenda.
http://www.emaildelivery.net/rd.aspx?E11880;553EA663;6704319034C7
For more information and to register by phone, please call
toll-free at 888-503-5536. Or, visit us at www.ul.com and click
on "training" on the left side bar and then topics.
Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
333 Pfingsten Road
Northbrook, IL 60062
United States sinking, Canada on the rise
By CHRIS LACKNER
Globe and Mail Update
The United States is slowly sinking, and Canada is on the rise – all thanks to a glacier that melted over 12,000 years ago.
Scientists have discovered that the melting of North American glacial sheets is still shifting the makeup of the land.
For one thing, the shift is causing Canada's Great Lakes to slip slowly southward. Chicago, for example, is sinking at a rate of 1 millimetre a year.
At current rates, Chicago's Sears Tower will be below water in approximately 462,686 years.
“For years we've studied the history of the glaciers retreat and how it created land mass,” said Seth Stein, a Northwestern geological science professor that helped organize the new study. “But new measuring techniques are allowing us to see [the details].”
Mr. Stein and his coworkers measured how global plate motions over time compared with those from over a few years. Their detailed measurements were uncovered using Global Positioning System satellites.
The team used 10 years of readings from the satellites from more than 20 North American locations in order to measure the shift.
“Space-based techniques allow us to measure positions on the earth far more precisely than anyone dreamed possible a few years ago,” he said. “We now have the data density needed to see these variations.”
Over 20,000 years ago the glacial sheets created depressions and other natural features in the North American landscape, including the Great Lakes. When the ice began to melt – a process that began 12,000 years ago – the land slowly began to...(Full Story)
By CHRIS LACKNER
Globe and Mail Update
The United States is slowly sinking, and Canada is on the rise – all thanks to a glacier that melted over 12,000 years ago.
Scientists have discovered that the melting of North American glacial sheets is still shifting the makeup of the land.
For one thing, the shift is causing Canada's Great Lakes to slip slowly southward. Chicago, for example, is sinking at a rate of 1 millimetre a year.
At current rates, Chicago's Sears Tower will be below water in approximately 462,686 years.
“For years we've studied the history of the glaciers retreat and how it created land mass,” said Seth Stein, a Northwestern geological science professor that helped organize the new study. “But new measuring techniques are allowing us to see [the details].”
Mr. Stein and his coworkers measured how global plate motions over time compared with those from over a few years. Their detailed measurements were uncovered using Global Positioning System satellites.
The team used 10 years of readings from the satellites from more than 20 North American locations in order to measure the shift.
“Space-based techniques allow us to measure positions on the earth far more precisely than anyone dreamed possible a few years ago,” he said. “We now have the data density needed to see these variations.”
Over 20,000 years ago the glacial sheets created depressions and other natural features in the North American landscape, including the Great Lakes. When the ice began to melt – a process that began 12,000 years ago – the land slowly began to...(Full Story)
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Support GLIN Daily News: http://www.glin.net/news/sponsor/
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Great Lakes News: 28 May 2004
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Environmentalists call for $30 billion to save Great Lakes
----------------------------------------
About 70 of the country's leading environmentalists spent this week in Grand
Rapids, Mich., developing an action plan for restoring the Great Lakes, in
hopes of placing issues facing the world's largest pool of fresh water in
the spotlight. Source: The Grand Rapids Press (5/28)
The browning of Lake Erie
----------------------------------------
Heavy rains turned the Cuyahoga River mud brown this week, washing tons of
soil from construction sites between Akron and Cleveland and eroding stream
banks. It's an ongoing problem, one that's costly to the environment and
taxpayers. Source: The Plain Dealer (5/28)
Rising lakes keep marinas afloat
----------------------------------------
Recent rises in lake levels because of heavy rainfall have been welcomed by
marina owners. Source: The Windsor Star (5/28)
Taft urged to help Chicago get $1.8M for lake protection
----------------------------------------
Ohio Gov. Bob Taft and his fellow Great Lakes governors have been asked to
help the Chicago area receive an additional $1.8 million for a second
electrical barrier near Lockport, Ill., that would provide an extra layer of
protection for Lake Michigan from the invasive Asian carp. Source: The
Toledo Blade (5/28)
Sundew comes home to rest
----------------------------------------
After a 60-year career, the Coast Guard cutter Sundew is decommissioned and
will float on as a museum in Duluth, Minn. Source: Duluth News Tribune
(5/28)
COMMENTARY: Surf's Up - post-recession job recovery
----------------------------------------
The post-recession job recovery has hit the shores of nine states on the
Atlantic seaboard, and the undertow in three Great Lakes states has
reversed. Source: National Review (5/28)
Windsor port woos road shipments
----------------------------------------
The amount of goods shipped through the Port of Windsor. Ontario, dipped
last year but officials are optimistic highway construction and a billboard
advertising blitz will reverse the trend. Source: The Windsor Star (5/28)
Great Lakes take center stage
----------------------------------------
A 4-hour hearing this week at the Rochester Institute of Technology was
designed to get a citizens' eye-view of Great Lakes issues. Source:
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (5/27)
United States sinking, Canada on the rise
----------------------------------------
Scientists have discovered that the melting of North American glacial sheets
is still shifting the makeup of the land. Source: The Globe and Mail (5/21)
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Great Lakes Daily News is a collaborative project of the Great Lakes
Information Network (www.glin.net) and the Great Lakes Radio
Consortium (www.glrc.org), both based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
TO SUBSCRIBE and receive this Great Lakes news compendium daily, see
www.glin.net/forms/dailynews_form.html or send an e-mail message to
majordomo@great-lakes.net with the command 'subscribe dailynews' (minus
the quotes) in the body of the message.
TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send a message to majordomo@great-lakes.net with the
command 'unsubscribe dailynews' in the body of the message.
TO SUBMIT A NEWS STORY: www.glin.net/forms/news_form.html
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Support GLIN Daily News: http://www.glin.net/news/sponsor/
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Great Lakes News: 28 May 2004
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Environmentalists call for $30 billion to save Great Lakes
----------------------------------------
About 70 of the country's leading environmentalists spent this week in Grand
Rapids, Mich., developing an action plan for restoring the Great Lakes, in
hopes of placing issues facing the world's largest pool of fresh water in
the spotlight. Source: The Grand Rapids Press (5/28)
The browning of Lake Erie
----------------------------------------
Heavy rains turned the Cuyahoga River mud brown this week, washing tons of
soil from construction sites between Akron and Cleveland and eroding stream
banks. It's an ongoing problem, one that's costly to the environment and
taxpayers. Source: The Plain Dealer (5/28)
Rising lakes keep marinas afloat
----------------------------------------
Recent rises in lake levels because of heavy rainfall have been welcomed by
marina owners. Source: The Windsor Star (5/28)
Taft urged to help Chicago get $1.8M for lake protection
----------------------------------------
Ohio Gov. Bob Taft and his fellow Great Lakes governors have been asked to
help the Chicago area receive an additional $1.8 million for a second
electrical barrier near Lockport, Ill., that would provide an extra layer of
protection for Lake Michigan from the invasive Asian carp. Source: The
Toledo Blade (5/28)
Sundew comes home to rest
----------------------------------------
After a 60-year career, the Coast Guard cutter Sundew is decommissioned and
will float on as a museum in Duluth, Minn. Source: Duluth News Tribune
(5/28)
COMMENTARY: Surf's Up - post-recession job recovery
----------------------------------------
The post-recession job recovery has hit the shores of nine states on the
Atlantic seaboard, and the undertow in three Great Lakes states has
reversed. Source: National Review (5/28)
Windsor port woos road shipments
----------------------------------------
The amount of goods shipped through the Port of Windsor. Ontario, dipped
last year but officials are optimistic highway construction and a billboard
advertising blitz will reverse the trend. Source: The Windsor Star (5/28)
Great Lakes take center stage
----------------------------------------
A 4-hour hearing this week at the Rochester Institute of Technology was
designed to get a citizens' eye-view of Great Lakes issues. Source:
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (5/27)
United States sinking, Canada on the rise
----------------------------------------
Scientists have discovered that the melting of North American glacial sheets
is still shifting the makeup of the land. Source: The Globe and Mail (5/21)
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Great Lakes Daily News is a collaborative project of the Great Lakes
Information Network (www.glin.net) and the Great Lakes Radio
Consortium (www.glrc.org), both based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
TO SUBSCRIBE and receive this Great Lakes news compendium daily, see
www.glin.net/forms/dailynews_form.html or send an e-mail message to
majordomo@great-lakes.net with the command 'subscribe dailynews' (minus
the quotes) in the body of the message.
TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send a message to majordomo@great-lakes.net with the
command 'unsubscribe dailynews' in the body of the message.
TO SUBMIT A NEWS STORY: www.glin.net/forms/news_form.html
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Where will you be the day after tomorrow?
Beginning this afternoon, millions of Americans will go see The Day After Tomorrow -- the movie the White House doesn't want you to see. Thousands of MoveOn members will be there to enjoy the show, to help get people talking about the real danger of a climate crisis, and to take action to prevent one.
Get a sense of this movie's drama and spectacular imagery for yourself by viewing the movie's trailer at:
http://www.thedayaftertomorrow.com/trailer2/
It's an exaggerated story, intended to thrill, but it will leave people wondering, "Could this really happen?" Today and tomorrow, thousands of MoveOn members will be handing out flyers, designed to answer people's questions, and to give them a way to take action.
This is an unparalleled opportunity to help people do something to prevent a climate crisis. Twenty million people are expected to see this movie.
Beginning this afternoon, millions of Americans will go see The Day After Tomorrow -- the movie the White House doesn't want you to see. Thousands of MoveOn members will be there to enjoy the show, to help get people talking about the real danger of a climate crisis, and to take action to prevent one.
Get a sense of this movie's drama and spectacular imagery for yourself by viewing the movie's trailer at:
http://www.thedayaftertomorrow.com/trailer2/
It's an exaggerated story, intended to thrill, but it will leave people wondering, "Could this really happen?" Today and tomorrow, thousands of MoveOn members will be handing out flyers, designed to answer people's questions, and to give them a way to take action.
This is an unparalleled opportunity to help people do something to prevent a climate crisis. Twenty million people are expected to see this movie.
Kucinich advocates Department of Peace
Friday, May 28, 2004
TOM GORDON
News staff writer
U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who will be a candidate in Tuesday's Alabama Democratic presidential primary, says there should be a Cabinet-level Department of Peace.
"We have people running our government and there have been people running governments from time immemorial who happen to believe in the inevitability of war," the Ohio Democrat told a largely student audience Thursday afternoon at Birmingham-Southern College.
Kucinich, a former mayor of Cleveland, is a staunch opponent of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. He has conceded the Democratic presidential nomination to U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., but has continued his campaign because he wants Kerry and the party to embrace some of his ideas. Those include establishing universal health care, ending the Patriot Act, pulling the nation out of the North American Free Trade Agreement and establishing a Department of Peace.
"In order to win the election, (Kerry) has got to...(Full Story)
Friday, May 28, 2004
TOM GORDON
News staff writer
U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who will be a candidate in Tuesday's Alabama Democratic presidential primary, says there should be a Cabinet-level Department of Peace.
"We have people running our government and there have been people running governments from time immemorial who happen to believe in the inevitability of war," the Ohio Democrat told a largely student audience Thursday afternoon at Birmingham-Southern College.
Kucinich, a former mayor of Cleveland, is a staunch opponent of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. He has conceded the Democratic presidential nomination to U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., but has continued his campaign because he wants Kerry and the party to embrace some of his ideas. Those include establishing universal health care, ending the Patriot Act, pulling the nation out of the North American Free Trade Agreement and establishing a Department of Peace.
"In order to win the election, (Kerry) has got to...(Full Story)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5/19/2004
CONTACT: Katherine (Trina) McMahon, (608) 263-3137, tmcmahon@engr.wisc.edu
RESEARCHERS TO STUDY FATE OF PRIONS IN WASTEWATER
MADISON - With funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a group of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers will investigate what happens if infectious prion proteins - considered the cause of chronic wasting disease and mad cow disease - enter wastewater treatment plants.
Joining UW-Madison scientists Judd Aiken and Joel Pedersen currently investigating the fate of prion proteins in soil and landfills, Katherine (Trina) McMahon and Craig Benson, both faculty members in civil and environmental engineering, will examine the ability of these infectious proteins to withstand the processes used to treat wastewater.
At most treatment plants, microorganisms decompose biodegradable material in the sewage and, in theory, should also disintegrate infectious proteins, says McMahon. But as she points out, prion proteins generally are very resistant to degradation.
"Prion proteins can be viewed as an environmental contaminant," says McMahon, adding that it currently is not known how long these proteins can remain intact and infectious in the environment.
"Prions have not been detected in wastewater entering treatment plants, but we can imagine several scenarios in which we may need to be concerned about the presence of prions in wastewater," she says.
During this one-year project, which is supported with a grant of nearly $100,000, McMahon and her co-investigators will focus on several questions, including what percentage of these proteins would be degraded during treatment and what percentage would be released back into the environment in treated water. If prions are released, the researchers will determine if the proteins remain infectious.
McMahon says answers to these questions will be of particular interest to the engineers of treatment plants receiving water from slaughterhouses or rendering facilities, as well as septic tank owners who dress deer and potentially wash infected tissue down the drain.
"The EPA," adds McMahon, "would like to know what the fate of prions would be in wastewater treatment plants to determine if they need to ensure that prions are excluded from waste streams entering these facilities."
###
- Emily Carlson, (608) 262-9772, emilycarlson@wisc.edu
****************************************************
For questions or comments about UW-Madison's email
news release system, please send an email to:
releases@news.wisc.edu
For more UW-Madison news, please visit:
http://www.news.wisc.edu/
University Communications
University of Wisconsin-Madison
27 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: (608) 262-3571
Fax: (608) 262-2331
5/19/2004
CONTACT: Katherine (Trina) McMahon, (608) 263-3137, tmcmahon@engr.wisc.edu
RESEARCHERS TO STUDY FATE OF PRIONS IN WASTEWATER
MADISON - With funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a group of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers will investigate what happens if infectious prion proteins - considered the cause of chronic wasting disease and mad cow disease - enter wastewater treatment plants.
Joining UW-Madison scientists Judd Aiken and Joel Pedersen currently investigating the fate of prion proteins in soil and landfills, Katherine (Trina) McMahon and Craig Benson, both faculty members in civil and environmental engineering, will examine the ability of these infectious proteins to withstand the processes used to treat wastewater.
At most treatment plants, microorganisms decompose biodegradable material in the sewage and, in theory, should also disintegrate infectious proteins, says McMahon. But as she points out, prion proteins generally are very resistant to degradation.
"Prion proteins can be viewed as an environmental contaminant," says McMahon, adding that it currently is not known how long these proteins can remain intact and infectious in the environment.
"Prions have not been detected in wastewater entering treatment plants, but we can imagine several scenarios in which we may need to be concerned about the presence of prions in wastewater," she says.
During this one-year project, which is supported with a grant of nearly $100,000, McMahon and her co-investigators will focus on several questions, including what percentage of these proteins would be degraded during treatment and what percentage would be released back into the environment in treated water. If prions are released, the researchers will determine if the proteins remain infectious.
McMahon says answers to these questions will be of particular interest to the engineers of treatment plants receiving water from slaughterhouses or rendering facilities, as well as septic tank owners who dress deer and potentially wash infected tissue down the drain.
"The EPA," adds McMahon, "would like to know what the fate of prions would be in wastewater treatment plants to determine if they need to ensure that prions are excluded from waste streams entering these facilities."
###
- Emily Carlson, (608) 262-9772, emilycarlson@wisc.edu
****************************************************
For questions or comments about UW-Madison's email
news release system, please send an email to:
releases@news.wisc.edu
For more UW-Madison news, please visit:
http://www.news.wisc.edu/
University Communications
University of Wisconsin-Madison
27 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: (608) 262-3571
Fax: (608) 262-2331
W I R E D N E W S Top Stories - 09:15AM 27.May.04.PDT
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E-Vote Printers' High-Stakes Test (Machine Politics 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/evote/0,2645,63618,00.html/wn_ascii
This year Nevada may become the first state to use e-voting machines
that produce a paper trail in an election. All eyes are on the machines
and their printers, because election officials in other states are
hoping they will fail. By Kim Zetter.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A Fiery Death for Dinosaurs? (Technology Wednesday)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/technology/0,1282,63613,00.html/wn_ascii
A new study by a team of geophysicists and geologists suggests that
the dinosaurs died within hours after an asteroid impact, not months or
even years later as previously suspected. By Amit Asaravala.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Alaskans Sue to Stop CAPPS II (Politics 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/politics/0,1283,63563,00.html/wn_ascii
Four Alaskans say they want the court to stop the federal government
from imposing essentially secret laws on airline passengers, who
wouldn't be able to challenge the rules in court. By Ryan Singel.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
For Speeders, Hybrids Suck Gas (Autopia 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/autotech/0,2554,63541,00.html/wn_ascii
One of the biggest selling points for hybrid cars is their fuel-
efficiency, but some disappointed owners still have a case of the gas-
pump blues. They're discovering that, just like with regular cars,
driving styles dictate mileage. By John Gartner.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Common Pollutant as Bad as PCBs? (Med-Tech Center 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,63525,00.html/wn_ascii
PDBE contamination is on the rise, but no one's quite sure of the
long-term impact. Also: Methane releases could heat things up....
Activists team up to save boreal forest. By Stephen Leahy.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
California, Here We Come (Again) (Machine Politics Thursday)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/evote/0,2645,63533,00.html/wn_ascii
Ten of 14 counties that had their e-voting machines decertified by the
state are close to meeting the secretary of state's stipulations for
recertification. Some touch-screen machines will probably be ready for
November elections after all. By Kim Zetter.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Are You a Potential Terrorist? (U.S. vs. Them Thursday)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,63535,00.html/wn_ascii
A Florida company that helped the government launch Matrix also
provided the feds with the names of 120,000 people who, according to
its statistics, were likely terrorists.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New Dinosaur Stumps Scientists (Technology Thursday)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/technology/0,1282,63544,00.html/wn_ascii
A 50-foot-long sauropod recently unearthed in southern Montana has a
mysterious second hole in its skull that leaves researchers baffled.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EU OKs Import of Canned GMO Corn (Technology Wednesday)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/technology/0,1282,63521,00.html/wn_ascii
Breaking its controversial five-year ban on new genetically modified
foods, the European Union opens supermarket shelves to Syngenta's sweet
corn.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E-Vote Printers' High-Stakes Test (Machine Politics 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/evote/0,2645,63618,00.html/wn_ascii
This year Nevada may become the first state to use e-voting machines
that produce a paper trail in an election. All eyes are on the machines
and their printers, because election officials in other states are
hoping they will fail. By Kim Zetter.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A Fiery Death for Dinosaurs? (Technology Wednesday)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/technology/0,1282,63613,00.html/wn_ascii
A new study by a team of geophysicists and geologists suggests that
the dinosaurs died within hours after an asteroid impact, not months or
even years later as previously suspected. By Amit Asaravala.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Alaskans Sue to Stop CAPPS II (Politics 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/politics/0,1283,63563,00.html/wn_ascii
Four Alaskans say they want the court to stop the federal government
from imposing essentially secret laws on airline passengers, who
wouldn't be able to challenge the rules in court. By Ryan Singel.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
For Speeders, Hybrids Suck Gas (Autopia 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/autotech/0,2554,63541,00.html/wn_ascii
One of the biggest selling points for hybrid cars is their fuel-
efficiency, but some disappointed owners still have a case of the gas-
pump blues. They're discovering that, just like with regular cars,
driving styles dictate mileage. By John Gartner.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Common Pollutant as Bad as PCBs? (Med-Tech Center 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,63525,00.html/wn_ascii
PDBE contamination is on the rise, but no one's quite sure of the
long-term impact. Also: Methane releases could heat things up....
Activists team up to save boreal forest. By Stephen Leahy.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
California, Here We Come (Again) (Machine Politics Thursday)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/evote/0,2645,63533,00.html/wn_ascii
Ten of 14 counties that had their e-voting machines decertified by the
state are close to meeting the secretary of state's stipulations for
recertification. Some touch-screen machines will probably be ready for
November elections after all. By Kim Zetter.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Are You a Potential Terrorist? (U.S. vs. Them Thursday)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,63535,00.html/wn_ascii
A Florida company that helped the government launch Matrix also
provided the feds with the names of 120,000 people who, according to
its statistics, were likely terrorists.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New Dinosaur Stumps Scientists (Technology Thursday)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/technology/0,1282,63544,00.html/wn_ascii
A 50-foot-long sauropod recently unearthed in southern Montana has a
mysterious second hole in its skull that leaves researchers baffled.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EU OKs Import of Canned GMO Corn (Technology Wednesday)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/technology/0,1282,63521,00.html/wn_ascii
Breaking its controversial five-year ban on new genetically modified
foods, the European Union opens supermarket shelves to Syngenta's sweet
corn.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ENN Environmental News Network
E-mail Edition 05/28/2004
Kiss those sweet red lips goodbye
As spring warms the southern seas in August, white steenbras begin to spawn along the coasts of South Africa. They're beautiful fish, silvery white with large eyes; prominent red lips; rakish, swept-back fins; and fetching flecks of gold on their upper scales.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_23416.asp
China embraces sustainability one city at a time
When China announced last November that it would impose strict new fuel-economy standards for small cars and minivans, it was only one sign that the world's most populated country is headed down a more sustainable path — while the United States moves in the other direction.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_23758.asp
High U.S. fuel costs put focus on renewable energy
With fuel prices at record levels, U.S. consumers are once again turning their attention to more efficient cars, companies are investing in renewable energy, and government programs are encouraging conservation.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24339.asp
Russia, U.S. to clean up nukes around the world
Russia and the United States agreed Thursday to lock away some of the most dangerous nuclear material scattered around the globe, but experts said that was no easy task.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24344.asp
Biomass could reduce CO2 emissions, says report
Using biomass, a type of fuel made of materials such as wood and manure, instead of coal to generate electricity could lower the world's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and create jobs, a report said Thursday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24342.asp
U.S. needs stricter car fuel standards, says group
America should end its love affair with gas guzzlers to cool down red-hot prices at the pumps and cut oil imports, a consumer group urged on Thursday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24343.asp
White House papers suggest cuts in new Bush administration for education, environment, research
The Bush administration has told officials who oversee federal education, domestic security, veterans, and other programs to prepare preliminary 2006 budgets that would cut spending after the presidential election, according to White House documents.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24346.asp
In about-face, Army scraps plans for environmental cutbacks
The Army scrapped plans on Thursday to curtail some environmental protections and contracts after learning from Pentagon budget officials it could make do with cuts elsewhere.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24345.asp
New Mexico fire spreads in "Smokey Bear" forest
A fire raging in a southern New Mexico mountain range, where a singed cub later named Smokey Bear was found clinging to a charred tree half a century ago, has consumed more than 25,000 acres, officials said Thursday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24340.asp
Californians are downing too many beers without recycling bottles
Californians have a drinking problem: New research says they're downing too many beers without recycling the bottles.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24347.asp
Giant three-tired mushroom baffles experts in Congo
A giant three-tiered mushroom, which measures a yard across and was found in the tropical forests of the Republic of Congo, has left experts in the capital Brazzaville scratching their heads.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24341.asp
Environmental Marketplace Updates (Become a Member)
We'd like to encourage you to visit our Environmental Marketplace where you'll learn about some amazing environmentally-focused businesses. A few examples:
Winslow Management Company, with an approach to investing that is based on the conviction that environmental responsibility enhances corporate profitability and investment performance. Learn more about Winslow Management Company
Bullfrog Films, the oldest and largest publisher of videos and films about the environment in the United States, bringing together programs that point the way to a new paradigm for living happily, healthily, and sustainably. Learn more about Bullfrog Films
UC Press, the publishing arm of the University of California, and Sierra Club Books, publishing arm of the Sierra Club. Learn more about UC Press and Sierra Club Books
ShoreBank Pacific, creating strong companies, vibrant communities and a healthy environment. Learn more about ShoreBank Pacific
Today's Press Releases (Become an Affiliate)
Direct from non-profit environmental and educational organizations.
Rainforest Action Network:
Grassroots Movements To Converge For Unique New Festival
Straus Communications:
The Rodale Institute® Wins Research Award
Redefining Progress:
BAY AREA FOOTPRINT 33 TIMES TOO LARGE FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Transboundary Watershed Alliance:
Bc And Redfern Fail To Stop "Acutely Lethal" Pollution From Tulsequah Chief And Big Bull Mines
Atlantic Salmon Federation:
Islander Becomes Director, ASF Regional Programs
African Wildlife Foundation:
Community Lodge to Open in Botswana's Okavango Delta
Center for International Climate and Environmental Research-Oslo:
Our changing solar system
Center for Biological Diversity:
Court strikes down USFWS decision to not list the Queen Charlotte Goshawk under the Endangered Species Act
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy:
Combat Summer Heat and High Electricity Bills with Energy Efficiency
Center for Biological Diversity:
Biologists move to protect Mojave rare plant habitat
Environmental Education Foundation:
HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH & the ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION - Mold Symposium
Center for International Climate and Environmental Research-Oslo:
A long-term target for the climate
E-mail Edition 05/28/2004
Kiss those sweet red lips goodbye
As spring warms the southern seas in August, white steenbras begin to spawn along the coasts of South Africa. They're beautiful fish, silvery white with large eyes; prominent red lips; rakish, swept-back fins; and fetching flecks of gold on their upper scales.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_23416.asp
China embraces sustainability one city at a time
When China announced last November that it would impose strict new fuel-economy standards for small cars and minivans, it was only one sign that the world's most populated country is headed down a more sustainable path — while the United States moves in the other direction.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_23758.asp
High U.S. fuel costs put focus on renewable energy
With fuel prices at record levels, U.S. consumers are once again turning their attention to more efficient cars, companies are investing in renewable energy, and government programs are encouraging conservation.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24339.asp
Russia, U.S. to clean up nukes around the world
Russia and the United States agreed Thursday to lock away some of the most dangerous nuclear material scattered around the globe, but experts said that was no easy task.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24344.asp
Biomass could reduce CO2 emissions, says report
Using biomass, a type of fuel made of materials such as wood and manure, instead of coal to generate electricity could lower the world's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and create jobs, a report said Thursday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24342.asp
U.S. needs stricter car fuel standards, says group
America should end its love affair with gas guzzlers to cool down red-hot prices at the pumps and cut oil imports, a consumer group urged on Thursday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24343.asp
White House papers suggest cuts in new Bush administration for education, environment, research
The Bush administration has told officials who oversee federal education, domestic security, veterans, and other programs to prepare preliminary 2006 budgets that would cut spending after the presidential election, according to White House documents.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24346.asp
In about-face, Army scraps plans for environmental cutbacks
The Army scrapped plans on Thursday to curtail some environmental protections and contracts after learning from Pentagon budget officials it could make do with cuts elsewhere.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24345.asp
New Mexico fire spreads in "Smokey Bear" forest
A fire raging in a southern New Mexico mountain range, where a singed cub later named Smokey Bear was found clinging to a charred tree half a century ago, has consumed more than 25,000 acres, officials said Thursday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24340.asp
Californians are downing too many beers without recycling bottles
Californians have a drinking problem: New research says they're downing too many beers without recycling the bottles.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24347.asp
Giant three-tired mushroom baffles experts in Congo
A giant three-tiered mushroom, which measures a yard across and was found in the tropical forests of the Republic of Congo, has left experts in the capital Brazzaville scratching their heads.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-28/s_24341.asp
Environmental Marketplace Updates (Become a Member)
We'd like to encourage you to visit our Environmental Marketplace where you'll learn about some amazing environmentally-focused businesses. A few examples:
Winslow Management Company, with an approach to investing that is based on the conviction that environmental responsibility enhances corporate profitability and investment performance. Learn more about Winslow Management Company
Bullfrog Films, the oldest and largest publisher of videos and films about the environment in the United States, bringing together programs that point the way to a new paradigm for living happily, healthily, and sustainably. Learn more about Bullfrog Films
UC Press, the publishing arm of the University of California, and Sierra Club Books, publishing arm of the Sierra Club. Learn more about UC Press and Sierra Club Books
ShoreBank Pacific, creating strong companies, vibrant communities and a healthy environment. Learn more about ShoreBank Pacific
Today's Press Releases (Become an Affiliate)
Direct from non-profit environmental and educational organizations.
Rainforest Action Network:
Grassroots Movements To Converge For Unique New Festival
Straus Communications:
The Rodale Institute® Wins Research Award
Redefining Progress:
BAY AREA FOOTPRINT 33 TIMES TOO LARGE FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Transboundary Watershed Alliance:
Bc And Redfern Fail To Stop "Acutely Lethal" Pollution From Tulsequah Chief And Big Bull Mines
Atlantic Salmon Federation:
Islander Becomes Director, ASF Regional Programs
African Wildlife Foundation:
Community Lodge to Open in Botswana's Okavango Delta
Center for International Climate and Environmental Research-Oslo:
Our changing solar system
Center for Biological Diversity:
Court strikes down USFWS decision to not list the Queen Charlotte Goshawk under the Endangered Species Act
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy:
Combat Summer Heat and High Electricity Bills with Energy Efficiency
Center for Biological Diversity:
Biologists move to protect Mojave rare plant habitat
Environmental Education Foundation:
HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH & the ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION - Mold Symposium
Center for International Climate and Environmental Research-Oslo:
A long-term target for the climate
Thursday, May 27, 2004
Coming In Out Of The Cold; Hybrids put to the test
By Jennifer Lee
Reporting for FuelCellCarNews.com and InvestorIdeas.com
Point Roberts, WA, Delta B.C.- May 25, 2004 With gas prices reaching an all time high and not much promise of an end in sight, hybrid technology is falling under the lens of some careful scrutiny these days with investors. In a recent article in MIT’s Technology Review, author Peter Fairley estimates “though buyers would have to pay more initially for gas-electric hybrids, they could save, on average, $5,000 at the gas pump over the 15-year life of a vehicle.”
That’s a considerable chunk, especially when we look at this past Monday’s chain reaction in rising prices, with US light crude futures increasing to around $1.30 on the New York Mercantile Exchange, bringing the price of West Texas Intermediate July delivery up to around $41.25 per barrel. In London, Brent crude also rose $1.24 (3.4%) to $37.75 a barrel on the International Petroleum Exchange.
But some of the questions we have for hybrid technology are...(Full Story)
By Jennifer Lee
Reporting for FuelCellCarNews.com and InvestorIdeas.com
Point Roberts, WA, Delta B.C.- May 25, 2004 With gas prices reaching an all time high and not much promise of an end in sight, hybrid technology is falling under the lens of some careful scrutiny these days with investors. In a recent article in MIT’s Technology Review, author Peter Fairley estimates “though buyers would have to pay more initially for gas-electric hybrids, they could save, on average, $5,000 at the gas pump over the 15-year life of a vehicle.”
That’s a considerable chunk, especially when we look at this past Monday’s chain reaction in rising prices, with US light crude futures increasing to around $1.30 on the New York Mercantile Exchange, bringing the price of West Texas Intermediate July delivery up to around $41.25 per barrel. In London, Brent crude also rose $1.24 (3.4%) to $37.75 a barrel on the International Petroleum Exchange.
But some of the questions we have for hybrid technology are...(Full Story)
ENN Environmental News Network
E-mail Edition 05/27/2004
Peregrines nest in San Francisco and other stories
For the first time in 70 years, peregrine falcons have successfully nested atop a San Francisco skyscraper. Brian Walton and David Gregoire of the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group have been carefully monitoring the nest, which is located on a high ledge outside the headquarters of the Pacific Gas &Electric Company at Beale and Mission streets. The young parents are tending two healthy chicks.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_23965.asp
World pays heavy price for global airline boom
In Sydney airport's crowded international terminal, passengers make last-minute passport checks or fret over toddlers in strollers as they wait in the snaking line to check in for the 23-hour flight to London.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24291.asp
Death toll from floods in Dominican Republic and Haiti nears 2,000
The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Haiti and the Dominican Republic rose to at least 1,950 on Wednesday with the discovery of more than 1,000 bodies in a Hatian town.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24288.asp
U.S., Russia work with U.N. on global nuke threat
The United States, Russia, and the U.N. are working to round up nuclear material across the globe to keep it out of the hands of rogue states and militants trying to acquire anything from crude "dirty bombs" to atomic weapons.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24290.asp
EPA issues fine over release of nerve gas on Pacific wildlife sanctuary
The U.S. Army and a contractor were fined nearly $52,000 for releasing a deadly chemical weapon on a wildlife sanctuary in the Pacific Ocean, federal environmental officials announced Wednesday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24294.asp
Tokyo to spend US$897 million more if Japan wins experimental nuclear fusion plant, says report
Tokyo would boost its investment in the world's first large-scale nuclear fusion plant by almost US$1 billion if the project's sponsors build the reactor in Japan, a newspaper reported Wednesday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24296.asp
Scientists find bacteria living in toxic soil at Washington nuclear reservation
Scientists have discovered bacteria swarming in the toxic sediment beneath underground tanks that have leaked radioactive waste at the Hanford nuclear reservation, home to some of the most highly contaminated soil in the world.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24297.asp
California governor launches fuel-conservation drive
Brake gradually, keep your tires properly inflated, and obey the speed limit: That was the message from California's Hummer-driving Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as he called on state residents to cut back on gasoline consumption in response to record prices.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24289.asp
U.S. arrests seven animal rights militants
Seven animal rights militants were charged Wednesday with terrorizing officers, employees, and shareholders of a British company in New Jersey that uses animals to test drugs, prosecutors said.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24292.asp
Administration looking at ways to boost gasoline supplies, may ease environmental rules
The Bush administration is considering easing environmental requirements for a multitude of gasoline blends and streamlining permits for new refineries to increase fuel supplies and fight soaring prices, Commerce Secretary Donald Evans said Wednesday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24295.asp
Environmental Marketplace Updates (Become a Member)
We'd like to encourage you to visit our Environmental Marketplace where you'll learn about some amazing environmentally-focused businesses. A few examples:
Winslow Management Company, with an approach to investing that is based on the conviction that environmental responsibility enhances corporate profitability and investment performance. Learn more about Winslow Management Company
Bullfrog Films, the oldest and largest publisher of videos and films about the environment in the United States, bringing together programs that point the way to a new paradigm for living happily, healthily, and sustainably. Learn more about Bullfrog Films
UC Press, the publishing arm of the University of California, and Sierra Club Books, publishing arm of the Sierra Club. Learn more about UC Press and Sierra Club Books
ShoreBank Pacific, creating strong companies, vibrant communities and a healthy environment. Learn more about ShoreBank Pacific
Today's Press Releases (Become an Affiliate)
Direct from non-profit environmental and educational organizations.
New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation:
Dentists Award the Cavity-prone and Toothless
Straus Communications:
The Rodale Institute® Wins Research Award
Atlantic Salmon Federation:
Islander Becomes Director, ASF Regional Programs
Redefining Progress:
BAY AREA FOOTPRINT 33 TIMES TOO LARGE FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Center for Biological Diversity:
Court strikes down USFWS decision to not list the Queen Charlotte Goshawk under the Endangered Species Act
Transboundary Watershed Alliance:
Bc And Redfern Fail To Stop "Acutely Lethal" Pollution From Tulsequah Chief And Big Bull Mines
African Wildlife Foundation:
Community Lodge to Open in Botswana's Okavango Delta
Rainforest Action Network:
Grassroots Movements To Converge For Unique New Festival
E-mail Edition 05/27/2004
Peregrines nest in San Francisco and other stories
For the first time in 70 years, peregrine falcons have successfully nested atop a San Francisco skyscraper. Brian Walton and David Gregoire of the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group have been carefully monitoring the nest, which is located on a high ledge outside the headquarters of the Pacific Gas &Electric Company at Beale and Mission streets. The young parents are tending two healthy chicks.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_23965.asp
World pays heavy price for global airline boom
In Sydney airport's crowded international terminal, passengers make last-minute passport checks or fret over toddlers in strollers as they wait in the snaking line to check in for the 23-hour flight to London.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24291.asp
Death toll from floods in Dominican Republic and Haiti nears 2,000
The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Haiti and the Dominican Republic rose to at least 1,950 on Wednesday with the discovery of more than 1,000 bodies in a Hatian town.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24288.asp
U.S., Russia work with U.N. on global nuke threat
The United States, Russia, and the U.N. are working to round up nuclear material across the globe to keep it out of the hands of rogue states and militants trying to acquire anything from crude "dirty bombs" to atomic weapons.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24290.asp
EPA issues fine over release of nerve gas on Pacific wildlife sanctuary
The U.S. Army and a contractor were fined nearly $52,000 for releasing a deadly chemical weapon on a wildlife sanctuary in the Pacific Ocean, federal environmental officials announced Wednesday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24294.asp
Tokyo to spend US$897 million more if Japan wins experimental nuclear fusion plant, says report
Tokyo would boost its investment in the world's first large-scale nuclear fusion plant by almost US$1 billion if the project's sponsors build the reactor in Japan, a newspaper reported Wednesday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24296.asp
Scientists find bacteria living in toxic soil at Washington nuclear reservation
Scientists have discovered bacteria swarming in the toxic sediment beneath underground tanks that have leaked radioactive waste at the Hanford nuclear reservation, home to some of the most highly contaminated soil in the world.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24297.asp
California governor launches fuel-conservation drive
Brake gradually, keep your tires properly inflated, and obey the speed limit: That was the message from California's Hummer-driving Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as he called on state residents to cut back on gasoline consumption in response to record prices.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24289.asp
U.S. arrests seven animal rights militants
Seven animal rights militants were charged Wednesday with terrorizing officers, employees, and shareholders of a British company in New Jersey that uses animals to test drugs, prosecutors said.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24292.asp
Administration looking at ways to boost gasoline supplies, may ease environmental rules
The Bush administration is considering easing environmental requirements for a multitude of gasoline blends and streamlining permits for new refineries to increase fuel supplies and fight soaring prices, Commerce Secretary Donald Evans said Wednesday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-05-27/s_24295.asp
Environmental Marketplace Updates (Become a Member)
We'd like to encourage you to visit our Environmental Marketplace where you'll learn about some amazing environmentally-focused businesses. A few examples:
Winslow Management Company, with an approach to investing that is based on the conviction that environmental responsibility enhances corporate profitability and investment performance. Learn more about Winslow Management Company
Bullfrog Films, the oldest and largest publisher of videos and films about the environment in the United States, bringing together programs that point the way to a new paradigm for living happily, healthily, and sustainably. Learn more about Bullfrog Films
UC Press, the publishing arm of the University of California, and Sierra Club Books, publishing arm of the Sierra Club. Learn more about UC Press and Sierra Club Books
ShoreBank Pacific, creating strong companies, vibrant communities and a healthy environment. Learn more about ShoreBank Pacific
Today's Press Releases (Become an Affiliate)
Direct from non-profit environmental and educational organizations.
New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation:
Dentists Award the Cavity-prone and Toothless
Straus Communications:
The Rodale Institute® Wins Research Award
Atlantic Salmon Federation:
Islander Becomes Director, ASF Regional Programs
Redefining Progress:
BAY AREA FOOTPRINT 33 TIMES TOO LARGE FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Center for Biological Diversity:
Court strikes down USFWS decision to not list the Queen Charlotte Goshawk under the Endangered Species Act
Transboundary Watershed Alliance:
Bc And Redfern Fail To Stop "Acutely Lethal" Pollution From Tulsequah Chief And Big Bull Mines
African Wildlife Foundation:
Community Lodge to Open in Botswana's Okavango Delta
Rainforest Action Network:
Grassroots Movements To Converge For Unique New Festival
Posted on Thu, May. 27, 2004
R E L A T E D L I N K S
• How to help
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC/HAITI
Tales of loss emerge from island flooding
Stories of unimaginable loss were widespread after a flash flood left nearly 900 reported dead in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
BY OSCAR CORRAL
ocorral@herald.com
JIMANI, Dominican Republic - Gabriel Nova wandered around the moonscape that used to be his neighborhood Wednesday, peeking under every twisted sheet of zinc roofing and turning over every banana leaf in search of the four children that a furious flood tore from his grasp.
Despite his heartbreaking discovery of the bodies of two young boys clinging to each other under a pile of rubble, Nova never found his own children.
''Those two boys used to play with my kids,'' he said, his eyes watering. ``Why did this happen to us? As soon as an opportunity pops up or I get some help, I'm leaving this place.''
Nova's story of unimaginable loss was echoed by many others two days after a flash flood crippled this town on the border with Haiti, flattened the neighborhood of La Cuarenta and left nearly 900 reported dead here and in Haiti.
The flood, triggered when unusually heavy...(Full Story)
R E L A T E D L I N K S
• How to help
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC/HAITI
Tales of loss emerge from island flooding
Stories of unimaginable loss were widespread after a flash flood left nearly 900 reported dead in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
BY OSCAR CORRAL
ocorral@herald.com
JIMANI, Dominican Republic - Gabriel Nova wandered around the moonscape that used to be his neighborhood Wednesday, peeking under every twisted sheet of zinc roofing and turning over every banana leaf in search of the four children that a furious flood tore from his grasp.
Despite his heartbreaking discovery of the bodies of two young boys clinging to each other under a pile of rubble, Nova never found his own children.
''Those two boys used to play with my kids,'' he said, his eyes watering. ``Why did this happen to us? As soon as an opportunity pops up or I get some help, I'm leaving this place.''
Nova's story of unimaginable loss was echoed by many others two days after a flash flood crippled this town on the border with Haiti, flattened the neighborhood of La Cuarenta and left nearly 900 reported dead here and in Haiti.
The flood, triggered when unusually heavy...(Full Story)
Nuclear industry targets Wisconsin
By Curt Andersen
News-Chronicle
A few years ago, I testified against extending the operating licenses for the Point Beach Nuclear Plant. The nuke plant at that time had one of the worst safety records in the country. Of particular note was a safety inspection that found a stuck cooling valve that was regularly opened and closed with a sledgehammer.
Several people testifying at the hearing stated their concerns about the possibility of terrorists flying planes into the plant. Former governor Tommy Thompson’s handpicked Public Service Commission board scored several Oscar performances when hearing that testimony. The eye rolling, the snickering, the elbows, the smacks on the forehead, the shared winks, and the exasperated gasps and snorts showed pure contempt for citizens voicing their concerns.
Yet, with all the board’s college degrees and all their knowledge, regular citizens had a better picture of the danger. College degrees mean nothing when you have marching orders to “grant that permit.” I guess the board decided they needed some theatre, something to keep them awake during the “Testimony To Be Ignored.” Unlike regular citizens, legislators and their toadies were supported by the nuclear industry, a wealthy special interest that makes big-time “campaign donations.” (Some call them “bribes.”)
During that testimony, nuclear plant officials assured us they had excellent security. This was a curious thing to say because back then, the plant allowed regularly scheduled public tours. Since then, security has been beefed up, so it appears the security wasn’t as good as they said it was…and we environmentalists knew that. As usual, the permits were granted.
Since then, the facility petitioned for and got permits to store nuclear waste in “temporary” aboveground containers (called “casks”) on the site, adding another target for terrorists. During the permitting process for the aboveground storage, nuclear engineers assured us that this type of storage was perfectly safe. Shortly after that statement was made, and while a steel lid was being welded to the top of a cask, an explosion caused by the welding torch igniting hydrogen gas inside the container, lifted the two-ton lid off to one side. The nuclear plant public relations people said that it “wasn’t an explosion, it was a fire…the rapid burning of gases.” A quick peek in the dictionary will show that the definition of “explosion” is: “the rapid burning of gases.” Here’s a helpful hint on how to tell the difference between a “fire” and an “explosion.” A fire is what you have in your fireplace or your Weber Kettle. IF, when you barbecue ribs, the lid from your Weber flies into the schoolyard down the street, THEN you had an explosion. You’re welcome!
The nuclear question is in the news again for several reasons. First, the federal government has chosen Northeastern Wisconsin as an alternate site to store the nation’s nuclear waste, in an area from Green Bay west to Wausau, and from Berlin north to the Michigan border. Underlying this area is the Canadian Shield, a very thick layer of igneous rock, nearly impervious to seismic activity. The plan is to bury the radioactive waste deep in the rock.
The area was chosen some time ago, then dismissed, but like a bad penny, it has come back again because the main storage area in Yucca Mountain, Nevada, is not yet ready. Yucca Mountain is also seismically active. The site is also near aquifers that supply valuable drinking water for Las Vegas, with an exploding population.
The proposed Wisconsin site also has wetlands, rivers, and lakes, and enough population in and around it to disqualify it from the list, and it has one scary thing in common with Nevada’s site: shipping the radioactive waste to either site opens the door to accidental release of the material, but worse yet, the shipments become tantalizing terrorist targets. Those shipments will undoubtedly pass through Chicago, Milwaukee, and Green Bay via rail and road.
The nuclear storage business has come to light again because of the new focus on new nuclear plants in Wisconsin, requiring the need for more nuclear waste storage. The idea to build more nuke plants has been pushed through our state legislature by Republicans running interference for the nuclear industry…just like last time. We’ve dodged a radioactive bullet so far. Other sites haven’t been so lucky.
Once again Republicans will be regaling us with stories about how nuclear power “doesn’t pollute,” in spite of the very costly storage of spent fuel to keep it away from us. We will be hearing that it’s safe, in spite of a rash of accidents in the 1970’s, and leakage, safety issues, security issues, and poor maintenance at existing power plants.
How does this affect us in Northeastern Wisconsin? Those with cottages in the Lakewood-Crandon area might be surprised to see notices of a nuclear waste dump next to their property. Those who do can kiss their property value goodbye. Kiss those vacations at the lake goodbye, too.
Once again, it’s a rush to the bottom. “Let’s save money by building nuclear!” shriek the short-term thinkers. Ask yourself where all this new generated electricity will be used. A new auto assembly plant in Howard? A new paper mill on the Fox River? A modern aircraft plant in Ashwaubenon? Sorry. That power will be sold to lucrative markets from Chicago to the East Coast. To those folks, Wisconsin is just a jerkwater state that will have to put up with the pollution.
Nuclear plants are...(Full Story)
By Curt Andersen
News-Chronicle
A few years ago, I testified against extending the operating licenses for the Point Beach Nuclear Plant. The nuke plant at that time had one of the worst safety records in the country. Of particular note was a safety inspection that found a stuck cooling valve that was regularly opened and closed with a sledgehammer.
Several people testifying at the hearing stated their concerns about the possibility of terrorists flying planes into the plant. Former governor Tommy Thompson’s handpicked Public Service Commission board scored several Oscar performances when hearing that testimony. The eye rolling, the snickering, the elbows, the smacks on the forehead, the shared winks, and the exasperated gasps and snorts showed pure contempt for citizens voicing their concerns.
Yet, with all the board’s college degrees and all their knowledge, regular citizens had a better picture of the danger. College degrees mean nothing when you have marching orders to “grant that permit.” I guess the board decided they needed some theatre, something to keep them awake during the “Testimony To Be Ignored.” Unlike regular citizens, legislators and their toadies were supported by the nuclear industry, a wealthy special interest that makes big-time “campaign donations.” (Some call them “bribes.”)
During that testimony, nuclear plant officials assured us they had excellent security. This was a curious thing to say because back then, the plant allowed regularly scheduled public tours. Since then, security has been beefed up, so it appears the security wasn’t as good as they said it was…and we environmentalists knew that. As usual, the permits were granted.
Since then, the facility petitioned for and got permits to store nuclear waste in “temporary” aboveground containers (called “casks”) on the site, adding another target for terrorists. During the permitting process for the aboveground storage, nuclear engineers assured us that this type of storage was perfectly safe. Shortly after that statement was made, and while a steel lid was being welded to the top of a cask, an explosion caused by the welding torch igniting hydrogen gas inside the container, lifted the two-ton lid off to one side. The nuclear plant public relations people said that it “wasn’t an explosion, it was a fire…the rapid burning of gases.” A quick peek in the dictionary will show that the definition of “explosion” is: “the rapid burning of gases.” Here’s a helpful hint on how to tell the difference between a “fire” and an “explosion.” A fire is what you have in your fireplace or your Weber Kettle. IF, when you barbecue ribs, the lid from your Weber flies into the schoolyard down the street, THEN you had an explosion. You’re welcome!
The nuclear question is in the news again for several reasons. First, the federal government has chosen Northeastern Wisconsin as an alternate site to store the nation’s nuclear waste, in an area from Green Bay west to Wausau, and from Berlin north to the Michigan border. Underlying this area is the Canadian Shield, a very thick layer of igneous rock, nearly impervious to seismic activity. The plan is to bury the radioactive waste deep in the rock.
The area was chosen some time ago, then dismissed, but like a bad penny, it has come back again because the main storage area in Yucca Mountain, Nevada, is not yet ready. Yucca Mountain is also seismically active. The site is also near aquifers that supply valuable drinking water for Las Vegas, with an exploding population.
The proposed Wisconsin site also has wetlands, rivers, and lakes, and enough population in and around it to disqualify it from the list, and it has one scary thing in common with Nevada’s site: shipping the radioactive waste to either site opens the door to accidental release of the material, but worse yet, the shipments become tantalizing terrorist targets. Those shipments will undoubtedly pass through Chicago, Milwaukee, and Green Bay via rail and road.
The nuclear storage business has come to light again because of the new focus on new nuclear plants in Wisconsin, requiring the need for more nuclear waste storage. The idea to build more nuke plants has been pushed through our state legislature by Republicans running interference for the nuclear industry…just like last time. We’ve dodged a radioactive bullet so far. Other sites haven’t been so lucky.
Once again Republicans will be regaling us with stories about how nuclear power “doesn’t pollute,” in spite of the very costly storage of spent fuel to keep it away from us. We will be hearing that it’s safe, in spite of a rash of accidents in the 1970’s, and leakage, safety issues, security issues, and poor maintenance at existing power plants.
How does this affect us in Northeastern Wisconsin? Those with cottages in the Lakewood-Crandon area might be surprised to see notices of a nuclear waste dump next to their property. Those who do can kiss their property value goodbye. Kiss those vacations at the lake goodbye, too.
Once again, it’s a rush to the bottom. “Let’s save money by building nuclear!” shriek the short-term thinkers. Ask yourself where all this new generated electricity will be used. A new auto assembly plant in Howard? A new paper mill on the Fox River? A modern aircraft plant in Ashwaubenon? Sorry. That power will be sold to lucrative markets from Chicago to the East Coast. To those folks, Wisconsin is just a jerkwater state that will have to put up with the pollution.
Nuclear plants are...(Full Story)
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Great Lakes News: 27 May 2004
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Sewage closes Macomb beaches
----------------------------------------
All public beaches in Macomb County are closed today - and may remain closed
through Memorial Day weekend - after weekend flooding sent bacteria levels
soaring. Source: The Detroit News (5/27)
High water: Lake levels climbing
----------------------------------------
Surging lake levels are bringing smiles to the faces of boaters and marina
operators across Southwestern Ontario. Source: The London Free Press (5/27)
First responders trained to fight terrorism aboard ships
----------------------------------------
The U.S. Coast Guard is training other law enforcement agencies to be
prepared to help deal with any terrorist threat on the water. Source:
WBAY-TV (5/27)
Sewage plant hearing set
----------------------------------------
Opponents of Hobart's plan to build a sewage treatment plant will soon have
their day in court. Source: The Northwest Indiana Times (5/27)
COMMENTARY: With waterfront comes stewardship
----------------------------------------
Accessible waterfront will soon belong solely to the wealthy, to those who
invested early, and to those who inherited a cottage. Source: The Toronto
Star (5/27)
COMMENTARY: Nuclear industry targets Wisconsin
----------------------------------------
The federal government has chosen Northeastern Wisconsin as an alternate
site to store the nation's nuclear waste, in an area from Green Bay west to
Wausau, and from Berlin north to the Michigan border. Source: The Green Bay
News-Chronicle (5/27)
Sundew drops anchor in Duluth
----------------------------------------
The Coast Guard cutter Sundew will be decommissioned today in the port where
it was launched 60 years ago. Source: Duluth News Tribune (5/27)
Class on the grass
----------------------------------------
More than 900 Chicago-area students took their science lessons outdoors
Wednesday morning for a day of environmental stewardship. Source: The
Northwest Indiana Times (5/27)
Environmental experts say goal of clean water remains elusive
----------------------------------------
The goal of the federal Clean Water Act remains elusive, experts at an
environmental conference agreed Wednesday - especially after more than 1.5
billion gallons of untreated wastewater were dumped into Milwaukee area
waterways in the last several soggy days. Source: Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel (5/26)
Illinois water quality initiative launched
----------------------------------------
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has asked the Illinois
Pollution Control Board to adopt interim standards applying to new and
expanding larger municipal and industrial wastewater/sewage treatment
plants. Source: The Suntimes News (5/26)
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html
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Consortium (www.glrc.org), both based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
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Great Lakes News: 27 May 2004
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Sewage closes Macomb beaches
----------------------------------------
All public beaches in Macomb County are closed today - and may remain closed
through Memorial Day weekend - after weekend flooding sent bacteria levels
soaring. Source: The Detroit News (5/27)
High water: Lake levels climbing
----------------------------------------
Surging lake levels are bringing smiles to the faces of boaters and marina
operators across Southwestern Ontario. Source: The London Free Press (5/27)
First responders trained to fight terrorism aboard ships
----------------------------------------
The U.S. Coast Guard is training other law enforcement agencies to be
prepared to help deal with any terrorist threat on the water. Source:
WBAY-TV (5/27)
Sewage plant hearing set
----------------------------------------
Opponents of Hobart's plan to build a sewage treatment plant will soon have
their day in court. Source: The Northwest Indiana Times (5/27)
COMMENTARY: With waterfront comes stewardship
----------------------------------------
Accessible waterfront will soon belong solely to the wealthy, to those who
invested early, and to those who inherited a cottage. Source: The Toronto
Star (5/27)
COMMENTARY: Nuclear industry targets Wisconsin
----------------------------------------
The federal government has chosen Northeastern Wisconsin as an alternate
site to store the nation's nuclear waste, in an area from Green Bay west to
Wausau, and from Berlin north to the Michigan border. Source: The Green Bay
News-Chronicle (5/27)
Sundew drops anchor in Duluth
----------------------------------------
The Coast Guard cutter Sundew will be decommissioned today in the port where
it was launched 60 years ago. Source: Duluth News Tribune (5/27)
Class on the grass
----------------------------------------
More than 900 Chicago-area students took their science lessons outdoors
Wednesday morning for a day of environmental stewardship. Source: The
Northwest Indiana Times (5/27)
Environmental experts say goal of clean water remains elusive
----------------------------------------
The goal of the federal Clean Water Act remains elusive, experts at an
environmental conference agreed Wednesday - especially after more than 1.5
billion gallons of untreated wastewater were dumped into Milwaukee area
waterways in the last several soggy days. Source: Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel (5/26)
Illinois water quality initiative launched
----------------------------------------
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has asked the Illinois
Pollution Control Board to adopt interim standards applying to new and
expanding larger municipal and industrial wastewater/sewage treatment
plants. Source: The Suntimes News (5/26)
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Great Lakes Daily News is a collaborative project of the Great Lakes
Information Network (www.glin.net) and the Great Lakes Radio
Consortium (www.glrc.org), both based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
TO SUBSCRIBE and receive this Great Lakes news compendium daily, see
www.glin.net/forms/dailynews_form.html or send an e-mail message to
majordomo@great-lakes.net with the command 'subscribe dailynews' (minus
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Last lefty standing
by Brad Tyer
Dennis Kucinich’s small campaign of big ideas
When plans for Dennis Kucinich’s visit to Missoula were finally confirmed late last week, you could almost hear the chorus of questions blooming in certain quarters of the city: Is he still running? Why on earth Montana? and Who is Dennis Kucinich?
Kucinich, for the latter, is a congressman from Ohio, former crusading boy mayor of Cleveland, and candidate for the Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidency of the United States. And yes he’s still in the race, despite Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry’s apparent lock on the nomination.
And why Montana? On Monday night at the Wilma, Kucinich told a press gathering and later a rally of supporters that voters in Montana’s June 8 primary, the nation’s last, could send Kucinich to Boston’s July 26–29 convention with momentum and a message of peace, among other things, and so exercise a bit of leverage on the Democratic Party’s still unfocused identity.
There’s another good reason for a fringe candidate to stump in Montana, though Kucinich didn’t mention it. Montana’s primary being last in the nation, combined with the state’s paltry 21 voting delegates (out of 4,322 for grabs in the campaign) make it one of the least important—and so least campaigned—states in the union. Bush sent Vice President Cheney to Billings in August of last year to trade expensive dinners for bags of cash and Kerry hasn’t campaigned in the state at all. Kucinich, in a three-day tour, spoke in Great Falls, Helena, Missoula, Billings, Bozeman and Butte. In a small pond of political orphans, his easy-to-agree-with populist message—a sea change in American governance for the benefit of American citizens—can pack real punch.
The crowd that greeted Kucinich in Missoula filled all but the balcony of the theater, and when he walked down an aisle to mount the stage it might as well have been boxing night for all the cheering and glad-handing that greeted him from the seats. Singer Amy Martin left the stage as he entered, and state campaign coordinator Paul Edwards quickly introduced Kucinich as the “heart and soul of the Democratic Party.”
The heart and soul of the Democratic Party wore brown shoes, blue pants, a salmon-colored buttoned-down shirt and a dark blue blazer. He is a short, trim man with a boyish haircut, but he is not nearly so elfin in person as photographs sometimes make him seem. He is coming off recent surges—he picked up at least eight delegates in Oregon last week and another 17 in Colorado and Alaska—and he seems easier now in front of a crowd than the dry and wonkish persona he conveyed earlier in the campaign. The punctuation points of his pitch, when his voice rose and his sentences started rolling toward their conclusion, drew standing cheers.
But the substance of Kucinich’s speech was largely responsible for the candidate’s enthusiastic reception. Kucinich believes—and has introduced legislation to accomplish—the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, and he told press conference attendees that if he is successful in his bid to carry influence into the Democratic convention, his first priority in leveraging that influence is ending the war. Kucinich has proposed a cabinet-level Department of Peace to actively encourage global non-violence, which is just goofy enough to be winning. He thinks the USA PATRIOT Act should be repealed, and he has offered legislation to that end as well. He suggests—and, again, has proposed legislation to accomplish—universal, single-payer, not-for-profit health care. He wants the U.S. out of NAFTA and the World Trade Organization (because they hurt American workers and discourage human rights), and back on board with Anti-Ballistic Missile treaties and the Kyoto Protocols on global warming (because we should get out of the weapons business altogether and prioritize international cooperation on environmental issues). He wants to offer a state college education free to any citizen, and he wants to do it with money cut from the Pentagon budget.
He mocks the reception such proposals receive in Washington: “How are you going to pay for it?” Why does nobody ever ask that question, he wonders rhetorically, when the expense is war, or massive tax cuts? “You’re already paying for it,” he tells the audience. “Do I have your attention? You’re already paying for it. You’re just not getting what you paid for.”
Kucinich’s is a candidacy of big ideas. He talks about a seismic shifting of priorities, a thorough reallocation of resources, an elevation of aspirations.
The U.S. is primed, Kucinich says, to evolve into...(Full Story)
by Brad Tyer
Dennis Kucinich’s small campaign of big ideas
When plans for Dennis Kucinich’s visit to Missoula were finally confirmed late last week, you could almost hear the chorus of questions blooming in certain quarters of the city: Is he still running? Why on earth Montana? and Who is Dennis Kucinich?
Kucinich, for the latter, is a congressman from Ohio, former crusading boy mayor of Cleveland, and candidate for the Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidency of the United States. And yes he’s still in the race, despite Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry’s apparent lock on the nomination.
And why Montana? On Monday night at the Wilma, Kucinich told a press gathering and later a rally of supporters that voters in Montana’s June 8 primary, the nation’s last, could send Kucinich to Boston’s July 26–29 convention with momentum and a message of peace, among other things, and so exercise a bit of leverage on the Democratic Party’s still unfocused identity.
There’s another good reason for a fringe candidate to stump in Montana, though Kucinich didn’t mention it. Montana’s primary being last in the nation, combined with the state’s paltry 21 voting delegates (out of 4,322 for grabs in the campaign) make it one of the least important—and so least campaigned—states in the union. Bush sent Vice President Cheney to Billings in August of last year to trade expensive dinners for bags of cash and Kerry hasn’t campaigned in the state at all. Kucinich, in a three-day tour, spoke in Great Falls, Helena, Missoula, Billings, Bozeman and Butte. In a small pond of political orphans, his easy-to-agree-with populist message—a sea change in American governance for the benefit of American citizens—can pack real punch.
The crowd that greeted Kucinich in Missoula filled all but the balcony of the theater, and when he walked down an aisle to mount the stage it might as well have been boxing night for all the cheering and glad-handing that greeted him from the seats. Singer Amy Martin left the stage as he entered, and state campaign coordinator Paul Edwards quickly introduced Kucinich as the “heart and soul of the Democratic Party.”
The heart and soul of the Democratic Party wore brown shoes, blue pants, a salmon-colored buttoned-down shirt and a dark blue blazer. He is a short, trim man with a boyish haircut, but he is not nearly so elfin in person as photographs sometimes make him seem. He is coming off recent surges—he picked up at least eight delegates in Oregon last week and another 17 in Colorado and Alaska—and he seems easier now in front of a crowd than the dry and wonkish persona he conveyed earlier in the campaign. The punctuation points of his pitch, when his voice rose and his sentences started rolling toward their conclusion, drew standing cheers.
But the substance of Kucinich’s speech was largely responsible for the candidate’s enthusiastic reception. Kucinich believes—and has introduced legislation to accomplish—the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, and he told press conference attendees that if he is successful in his bid to carry influence into the Democratic convention, his first priority in leveraging that influence is ending the war. Kucinich has proposed a cabinet-level Department of Peace to actively encourage global non-violence, which is just goofy enough to be winning. He thinks the USA PATRIOT Act should be repealed, and he has offered legislation to that end as well. He suggests—and, again, has proposed legislation to accomplish—universal, single-payer, not-for-profit health care. He wants the U.S. out of NAFTA and the World Trade Organization (because they hurt American workers and discourage human rights), and back on board with Anti-Ballistic Missile treaties and the Kyoto Protocols on global warming (because we should get out of the weapons business altogether and prioritize international cooperation on environmental issues). He wants to offer a state college education free to any citizen, and he wants to do it with money cut from the Pentagon budget.
He mocks the reception such proposals receive in Washington: “How are you going to pay for it?” Why does nobody ever ask that question, he wonders rhetorically, when the expense is war, or massive tax cuts? “You’re already paying for it,” he tells the audience. “Do I have your attention? You’re already paying for it. You’re just not getting what you paid for.”
Kucinich’s is a candidacy of big ideas. He talks about a seismic shifting of priorities, a thorough reallocation of resources, an elevation of aspirations.
The U.S. is primed, Kucinich says, to evolve into...(Full Story)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5/27/2004
CONTACT: Ahna Skop, (608) 262-1593, skop@wisc.edu
NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: High-resolution photos and movie clips are available at http://www.news.wisc.edu/newsphotos/skop.html
UW-MADISON SCIENTISTS FIND A KEY TO CELL DIVISION
MADISON - A cellular structure discovered 125 years ago and dismissed by many biologists as "cellular garbage" has been found to play a key role in the process of cytokinesis, or cell division, one of the most ancient and important of all biological phenomena.
The discovery of the function of the dozens of proteins harbored within this structure - which are necessary for normal cell division - by a team of scientists led by a University of Wisconsin-Madison geneticist was announced in today's edition of the journal Science.
The discovery promises a better understanding of the role of cell division in the growth and development of all organisms and, critically, of abnormal cell division, when the key proteins fail. These failures can lead to infertility, birth defects, cancer and neurological problems such as Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases.
"Going from one cell to two, or cytokinesis, is one of the most fundamental of cellular events," dating to a time when life evolved from single-celled organisms, explains Ahna Skop, an assistant professor of genetics with the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. "It applies to all species and organisms, and it is fundamental to the growth and development of all life on this planet."
However, just as cell division is the key to life, failures in the process can lead to certain diseases, says Skop.
"Several diseases are caused by cells that don't divide properly, or divide out of control, as in cancer," she says. "In addition, proteins that work during cell division may also work in the neurons in our brain or during wound healing, for example. So understanding how cell division works can help us understand how many other specific types of cells function."
With a new understanding of which proteins affect cell division, medical researchers can potentially develop new drugs to prevent cancer and birth defects, treat fertility and neurological disorders, or aide in wound healing, for example.
During the cell cycle, the genetic information the cell contains is copied and segregated into two new cells. During normal division, the outer membrane of the cell pinches in, forming two separate cells. Although a very simple event, scientists had not fully understood the mechanisms or identified the proteins involved in separating the two newly formed cells, says Skop.
As a graduate student at UW-Madison in John White's laboratory, Skop became interested in an ephemeral cellular feature called the midbody, which forms briefly - lasting only a minute in the cells of some species - during cell division.
"It was identified over 125 years ago by Walther Flemming, but hadn't been studied much or paid attention to since," she explains. "Most people thought it was cellular garbage."
However, Skop suspected that the midbody was more than an ancient relic with no useful function. She and colleagues used methods developed in the 1980s by Ryoko Kuriyama, then a UW-Madison postdoctoral researcher and now at the University of Minnesota, and Michael Mullins, now at Catholic University, to isolate midbodies from hamster ovary cells. They then analyzed and identified more than 500 proteins contained in the midbodies.
"Proteins are the building blocks of the cell," Skop says. "As the cell divides and a new membrane forms, the proteins found during that time in the cell cycle would be crucial elements in understanding how the process works."
The next step was to inactivate each protein in a developing embryo. If a defect occurred, it would mean that the inactivated protein is essential for normal development.
"We used nematodes, which are small roundworms that are cheaper and quicker to use than mammalian cells, to assess gene function," Skop says. "All but two of the proteins from the mammalian cells were homologous in the nematodes, which allowed us to perform this mutli-organismal approach. The fact that the process is highly conserved across two very different species shows how ancient and conserved the process of cell division is."
The team analyzed 160 key proteins - including 103 not previously known to function in cell division - and found that 58 percent caused cytokinesis defects if they were inactivated.
"The problems ranged from cells where chromosomes failed to separate normally, leaving extra DNA in one of the new cells, as is seen in Down's syndrome, for example, to cells in which the dividing membrane would begin to form normally and would suddenly retract before the cells could separate," Skop says. "Many of the proteins caused a variety of cell division and division-related defects."
Skop, who also has an appointment with the UW-Madison Medical School, conducted some of this work as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. Her co-authors on the paper are Hongbin Liu and John Yates from the Scripps Research Institute, Rebecca Heald from UC Berkeley, and Barbara Meyer from UC Berkeley and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
The National Institutes of Health and the state of Wisconsin funded Skop's work.
###
****************************************************
For questions or comments about UW-Madison's email
news release system, please send an email to:
releases@news.wisc.edu
For more UW-Madison news, please visit:
http://www.news.wisc.edu/
University Communications
University of Wisconsin-Madison
27 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: (608) 262-3571
Fax: (608) 262-2331
5/27/2004
CONTACT: Ahna Skop, (608) 262-1593, skop@wisc.edu
NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: High-resolution photos and movie clips are available at http://www.news.wisc.edu/newsphotos/skop.html
UW-MADISON SCIENTISTS FIND A KEY TO CELL DIVISION
MADISON - A cellular structure discovered 125 years ago and dismissed by many biologists as "cellular garbage" has been found to play a key role in the process of cytokinesis, or cell division, one of the most ancient and important of all biological phenomena.
The discovery of the function of the dozens of proteins harbored within this structure - which are necessary for normal cell division - by a team of scientists led by a University of Wisconsin-Madison geneticist was announced in today's edition of the journal Science.
The discovery promises a better understanding of the role of cell division in the growth and development of all organisms and, critically, of abnormal cell division, when the key proteins fail. These failures can lead to infertility, birth defects, cancer and neurological problems such as Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases.
"Going from one cell to two, or cytokinesis, is one of the most fundamental of cellular events," dating to a time when life evolved from single-celled organisms, explains Ahna Skop, an assistant professor of genetics with the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. "It applies to all species and organisms, and it is fundamental to the growth and development of all life on this planet."
However, just as cell division is the key to life, failures in the process can lead to certain diseases, says Skop.
"Several diseases are caused by cells that don't divide properly, or divide out of control, as in cancer," she says. "In addition, proteins that work during cell division may also work in the neurons in our brain or during wound healing, for example. So understanding how cell division works can help us understand how many other specific types of cells function."
With a new understanding of which proteins affect cell division, medical researchers can potentially develop new drugs to prevent cancer and birth defects, treat fertility and neurological disorders, or aide in wound healing, for example.
During the cell cycle, the genetic information the cell contains is copied and segregated into two new cells. During normal division, the outer membrane of the cell pinches in, forming two separate cells. Although a very simple event, scientists had not fully understood the mechanisms or identified the proteins involved in separating the two newly formed cells, says Skop.
As a graduate student at UW-Madison in John White's laboratory, Skop became interested in an ephemeral cellular feature called the midbody, which forms briefly - lasting only a minute in the cells of some species - during cell division.
"It was identified over 125 years ago by Walther Flemming, but hadn't been studied much or paid attention to since," she explains. "Most people thought it was cellular garbage."
However, Skop suspected that the midbody was more than an ancient relic with no useful function. She and colleagues used methods developed in the 1980s by Ryoko Kuriyama, then a UW-Madison postdoctoral researcher and now at the University of Minnesota, and Michael Mullins, now at Catholic University, to isolate midbodies from hamster ovary cells. They then analyzed and identified more than 500 proteins contained in the midbodies.
"Proteins are the building blocks of the cell," Skop says. "As the cell divides and a new membrane forms, the proteins found during that time in the cell cycle would be crucial elements in understanding how the process works."
The next step was to inactivate each protein in a developing embryo. If a defect occurred, it would mean that the inactivated protein is essential for normal development.
"We used nematodes, which are small roundworms that are cheaper and quicker to use than mammalian cells, to assess gene function," Skop says. "All but two of the proteins from the mammalian cells were homologous in the nematodes, which allowed us to perform this mutli-organismal approach. The fact that the process is highly conserved across two very different species shows how ancient and conserved the process of cell division is."
The team analyzed 160 key proteins - including 103 not previously known to function in cell division - and found that 58 percent caused cytokinesis defects if they were inactivated.
"The problems ranged from cells where chromosomes failed to separate normally, leaving extra DNA in one of the new cells, as is seen in Down's syndrome, for example, to cells in which the dividing membrane would begin to form normally and would suddenly retract before the cells could separate," Skop says. "Many of the proteins caused a variety of cell division and division-related defects."
Skop, who also has an appointment with the UW-Madison Medical School, conducted some of this work as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. Her co-authors on the paper are Hongbin Liu and John Yates from the Scripps Research Institute, Rebecca Heald from UC Berkeley, and Barbara Meyer from UC Berkeley and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
The National Institutes of Health and the state of Wisconsin funded Skop's work.
###
****************************************************
For questions or comments about UW-Madison's email
news release system, please send an email to:
releases@news.wisc.edu
For more UW-Madison news, please visit:
http://www.news.wisc.edu/
University Communications
University of Wisconsin-Madison
27 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: (608) 262-3571
Fax: (608) 262-2331
NEWS: Great Lakes Press Room: 27 May 2004
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Support GLIN Daily News: http://www.glin.net/news/sponsor/
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Great Lakes swimmers: Beware of potentially deadly rip currents
The correct ways to handle being caught in a rip current can save your life. Here's
several basics and links to advanced resources and information on rip current survival.
http://www.umich.edu/news/index.html?Releases/2004/May04/r052104
Source: Michigan Sea Grant (2004-05-20)
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Great Lakes Daily News is a collaborative project of the Great Lakes
Information Network (www.glin.net) and the Great Lakes Radio Consortium
(www.glrc.org), both based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
TO SUBSCRIBE and receive this Great Lakes news compendium daily, see
www.glin.net/forms/dailynews_form.html
TO SUBMIT A NEWS STORY: www.glin.net/forms/news_form.html
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Support GLIN Daily News: http://www.glin.net/news/sponsor/
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Great Lakes swimmers: Beware of potentially deadly rip currents
The correct ways to handle being caught in a rip current can save your life. Here's
several basics and links to advanced resources and information on rip current survival.
http://www.umich.edu/news/index.html?Releases/2004/May04/r052104
Source: Michigan Sea Grant (2004-05-20)
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Great Lakes Daily News is a collaborative project of the Great Lakes
Information Network (www.glin.net) and the Great Lakes Radio Consortium
(www.glrc.org), both based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
TO SUBSCRIBE and receive this Great Lakes news compendium daily, see
www.glin.net/forms/dailynews_form.html
TO SUBMIT A NEWS STORY: www.glin.net/forms/news_form.html
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W I R E D N E W S Top Stories - 09:15AM 26.May.04.PDT
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Wartime Wireless Worries Pentagon (Politics 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/politics/0,1283,63604,00.html/wn_ascii
The Pentagon, concerned that more scandalous pictures may sneak out of
Iraq, is putting pressure on commanders to make soldiers and
contractors use only wireless devices that conform to the military's
security standards. By Xeni Jardin.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Green Cars Strive to End Oil Era (Autopia 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/autotech/0,2554,63602,00.html/wn_ascii
Students and carmakers gather to show off their alternative-fuel
vehicles, and with gas prices on the rise again, more drivers are
paying attention. John Gartner reports from Trenton, New Jersey.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Paper Jam
E-Vote Printers' High-Stakes Test
This year Nevada may become the first state to use e-voting machines that produce a paper trail in an election. All eyes are on the machines and their printers, because election officials in other states are hoping they will fail. By Kim Zetter.
http://www.wired.com/news/evote/0,2645,63618,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Wartime Wireless Worries Pentagon (Politics 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/politics/0,1283,63604,00.html/wn_ascii
The Pentagon, concerned that more scandalous pictures may sneak out of
Iraq, is putting pressure on commanders to make soldiers and
contractors use only wireless devices that conform to the military's
security standards. By Xeni Jardin.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Green Cars Strive to End Oil Era (Autopia 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/autotech/0,2554,63602,00.html/wn_ascii
Students and carmakers gather to show off their alternative-fuel
vehicles, and with gas prices on the rise again, more drivers are
paying attention. John Gartner reports from Trenton, New Jersey.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Paper Jam
E-Vote Printers' High-Stakes Test
This year Nevada may become the first state to use e-voting machines that produce a paper trail in an election. All eyes are on the machines and their printers, because election officials in other states are hoping they will fail. By Kim Zetter.
http://www.wired.com/news/evote/0,2645,63618,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1
What happens when you don't manufacture enough domestically: (And act like a country full of spoiled bullies)
US asks private groups to ease bullet shortage
By Christopher Bowe in New York
Published: May 27 2004 5:00 | Last Updated: May 27 2004 5:00
Even in the age of unmanned aerial vehicles, satellite-guided bombs and night-vision goggles, the US army cannot fight a war without its most basic necessity: bullets.
And with more troops in Iraq, more intense combat than expected and the need for almost every soldier from frontline infantryman to rearguard logistician to be prepared for an ambush, the army suddenly finds itself in something of a bullet crunch.
According to a requisition last week by the Army Field Support Command, the service will need 300m to 500m more bullets a year for at least five years, or more than 1.5m a year for combat and training. And because the single army-owned, small-calibre ammunition factory in Lake City, Missouri, can produce only 1.2m bullets annually, the army is suddenly scrambling to get private defence contractors to help fill the gap.
The bullet problem has its roots in a Pentagon effort to restock its depleted war materiel reserve. But it has been exacerbated by the ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, where rearguard and supply units have been thinly-stretched throughout the countryside, occasionally without active duty combat soldiers to protect them.
The army's formal solicitation acknowledges that its current manufacturing abilities have been all but exhausted. "Increasing military contingencies have created a situation where the capability to produce small calibre ammunition through conventional methods has been fully exercised," it said.
Specifically, the army is looking for 300m more bullets annually, potentially rising to 500m a year.
Alliant Techsystems, which runs the army-owned factory in Lake City, is in talks with the military about remedying the bullet production shortage, insisting it could...(Full Story)
US asks private groups to ease bullet shortage
By Christopher Bowe in New York
Published: May 27 2004 5:00 | Last Updated: May 27 2004 5:00
Even in the age of unmanned aerial vehicles, satellite-guided bombs and night-vision goggles, the US army cannot fight a war without its most basic necessity: bullets.
And with more troops in Iraq, more intense combat than expected and the need for almost every soldier from frontline infantryman to rearguard logistician to be prepared for an ambush, the army suddenly finds itself in something of a bullet crunch.
According to a requisition last week by the Army Field Support Command, the service will need 300m to 500m more bullets a year for at least five years, or more than 1.5m a year for combat and training. And because the single army-owned, small-calibre ammunition factory in Lake City, Missouri, can produce only 1.2m bullets annually, the army is suddenly scrambling to get private defence contractors to help fill the gap.
The bullet problem has its roots in a Pentagon effort to restock its depleted war materiel reserve. But it has been exacerbated by the ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, where rearguard and supply units have been thinly-stretched throughout the countryside, occasionally without active duty combat soldiers to protect them.
The army's formal solicitation acknowledges that its current manufacturing abilities have been all but exhausted. "Increasing military contingencies have created a situation where the capability to produce small calibre ammunition through conventional methods has been fully exercised," it said.
Specifically, the army is looking for 300m more bullets annually, potentially rising to 500m a year.
Alliant Techsystems, which runs the army-owned factory in Lake City, is in talks with the military about remedying the bullet production shortage, insisting it could...(Full Story)
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Presidential politics come to Bozeman
By KAYLEY MENDENHALL, Chronicle Staff Writer
Montana's primary election may fall near the end of the primary season, but that doesn't mean it's too late for the state's voters to have any say in presidential politics, said Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich.
He told nearly 200 people in Bozeman Tuesday morning that Montana's voice does count.
"Montana can play a pivotal role in a presidential race," Kucinich said at a late-morning rally at the Gallatin County Courthouse. "What some call the Last Best Place could be the last best chance for the Democratic Party."
By voting for him, Kucinich said, Montanans can show the Democratic Party that they believe in peace, civil liberties, environmental protection, universal health care and fully funded education.
By voting for him, Montanans can also...(Full Story)
By KAYLEY MENDENHALL, Chronicle Staff Writer
Montana's primary election may fall near the end of the primary season, but that doesn't mean it's too late for the state's voters to have any say in presidential politics, said Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich.
He told nearly 200 people in Bozeman Tuesday morning that Montana's voice does count.
"Montana can play a pivotal role in a presidential race," Kucinich said at a late-morning rally at the Gallatin County Courthouse. "What some call the Last Best Place could be the last best chance for the Democratic Party."
By voting for him, Kucinich said, Montanans can show the Democratic Party that they believe in peace, civil liberties, environmental protection, universal health care and fully funded education.
By voting for him, Montanans can also...(Full Story)
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Support GLIN Daily News: http://www.glin.net/news/sponsor/
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Great Lakes News: 26 May 2004
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Asian-carp barrier cost grows by $1.8 million
----------------------------------------
The federal government says it needs more money to build an electrified
barrier to stop Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. Source: The Plain
Dealer (5/26)
Great Lakes advocates to testify in Rochester
----------------------------------------
Great Lakes scientists, agencies and activists will testify in Rochester on
Wednesday, outlining key issues for cleaning up and restoring the Great
Lakes. Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (5/26)
Lake Ontatio ferry trips to start June 17
----------------------------------------
The Spirit of Ontario will make its maiden passenger voyage across Lake
Ontario on June 17, the high-speed ferry company announced Tuesday. Source:
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (5/26)
Pier safety group will install life rings
----------------------------------------
Fifteen life rings and rip current warning signs soon will be installed
along Grand Haven's south pier, a navigational structure that has been the
scene of several drownings in recent years. Source: Muskegon Chronicle
(5/26)
Going with the (fast) flow
----------------------------------------
High waters in Lake Winnebago make for swift currents in Lake Michigan's
Green Bay. Source: The Green Bay News-Chronicle (5/26)
Michigan parks could get funds from tax form checkoff
----------------------------------------
Michigan taxpayers may be able to earmark money for state parks on their
income tax forms, under legislation to be introduced in the state Senate.
Source: Booth Newspapers (5/26)
Largemouth bass virus spreading in southern Michigan
----------------------------------------
A virus that can kill largemouth bass is spreading in lakes in southern
Michigan, including Lake St. Clair. Source: Detroit Free Press (5/26)
Public can offer views on dredging of ship canal
----------------------------------------
The public will have a chance to comment June 2 on an independent study
which says that a plan to take contaminated mud out of the Indiana Harbor
and Ship Canal is environmentally sound, but needs more data. Source: Gary
Post-Tribune (5/26)
Milwaukee-Muskegon ferry damaged, but should not miss June 1 start date
----------------------------------------
Damage to a stabilizer on the Lake Express ferry has been repaired and
should not delay the vessel's launch next week. Source: Associated Press
(5/25)
Freed aquarium fish growing threat to native marine species
----------------------------------------
Some experts now argue that though the aquarium industry could help preserve
ecosystems in developing nations, the same industry poses a growing threat
to wildlife elsewhere, if aquarium fish are later released into the wild.
Source: National Geographic (5/20)
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html
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Great Lakes Daily News is a collaborative project of the Great Lakes
Information Network (www.glin.net) and the Great Lakes Radio
Consortium (www.glrc.org), both based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
TO SUBSCRIBE and receive this Great Lakes news compendium daily, see
www.glin.net/forms/dailynews_form.html or send an e-mail message to
majordomo@great-lakes.net with the command 'subscribe dailynews' (minus
the quotes) in the body of the message.
TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send a message to majordomo@great-lakes.net with the
command 'unsubscribe dailynews' in the body of the message.
TO SUBMIT A NEWS STORY: www.glin.net/forms/news_form.html
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Support GLIN Daily News: http://www.glin.net/news/sponsor/
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Great Lakes News: 26 May 2004
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Asian-carp barrier cost grows by $1.8 million
----------------------------------------
The federal government says it needs more money to build an electrified
barrier to stop Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. Source: The Plain
Dealer (5/26)
Great Lakes advocates to testify in Rochester
----------------------------------------
Great Lakes scientists, agencies and activists will testify in Rochester on
Wednesday, outlining key issues for cleaning up and restoring the Great
Lakes. Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (5/26)
Lake Ontatio ferry trips to start June 17
----------------------------------------
The Spirit of Ontario will make its maiden passenger voyage across Lake
Ontario on June 17, the high-speed ferry company announced Tuesday. Source:
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (5/26)
Pier safety group will install life rings
----------------------------------------
Fifteen life rings and rip current warning signs soon will be installed
along Grand Haven's south pier, a navigational structure that has been the
scene of several drownings in recent years. Source: Muskegon Chronicle
(5/26)
Going with the (fast) flow
----------------------------------------
High waters in Lake Winnebago make for swift currents in Lake Michigan's
Green Bay. Source: The Green Bay News-Chronicle (5/26)
Michigan parks could get funds from tax form checkoff
----------------------------------------
Michigan taxpayers may be able to earmark money for state parks on their
income tax forms, under legislation to be introduced in the state Senate.
Source: Booth Newspapers (5/26)
Largemouth bass virus spreading in southern Michigan
----------------------------------------
A virus that can kill largemouth bass is spreading in lakes in southern
Michigan, including Lake St. Clair. Source: Detroit Free Press (5/26)
Public can offer views on dredging of ship canal
----------------------------------------
The public will have a chance to comment June 2 on an independent study
which says that a plan to take contaminated mud out of the Indiana Harbor
and Ship Canal is environmentally sound, but needs more data. Source: Gary
Post-Tribune (5/26)
Milwaukee-Muskegon ferry damaged, but should not miss June 1 start date
----------------------------------------
Damage to a stabilizer on the Lake Express ferry has been repaired and
should not delay the vessel's launch next week. Source: Associated Press
(5/25)
Freed aquarium fish growing threat to native marine species
----------------------------------------
Some experts now argue that though the aquarium industry could help preserve
ecosystems in developing nations, the same industry poses a growing threat
to wildlife elsewhere, if aquarium fish are later released into the wild.
Source: National Geographic (5/20)
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Great Lakes Daily News is a collaborative project of the Great Lakes
Information Network (www.glin.net) and the Great Lakes Radio
Consortium (www.glrc.org), both based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
TO SUBSCRIBE and receive this Great Lakes news compendium daily, see
www.glin.net/forms/dailynews_form.html or send an e-mail message to
majordomo@great-lakes.net with the command 'subscribe dailynews' (minus
the quotes) in the body of the message.
TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send a message to majordomo@great-lakes.net with the
command 'unsubscribe dailynews' in the body of the message.
TO SUBMIT A NEWS STORY: www.glin.net/forms/news_form.html
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Kucinich Asks Bush To Take Steps To Reduce Gas Prices
75 Democrats Sign Letter
POSTED: 10:33 am EDT May 26, 2004
WASHINGTON -- Seventy-five U.S. House Democrats, including five from Ohio, called on President Bush Tuesday to take several steps to combat rising gasoline prices.
The Democrats claim in a letter obtained that recent mergers between several large oil companies could have set the stage for price gouging practices, and they asked Bush to investigate.
"There is substantial evidence that anticompetitive practices by domestic corporations -- made possible by recent mergers -- are partly to blame for high gasoline prices.
"We believe only an increase in government oversight can restore the transparency and accountability consumers need," the Democrats said in a letter sent to Bush.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, who led the effort after getting NewsNet5.com's gas rage petition, said the president should take six steps to ensure lower gas prices, which included...(Full Story)
75 Democrats Sign Letter
POSTED: 10:33 am EDT May 26, 2004
WASHINGTON -- Seventy-five U.S. House Democrats, including five from Ohio, called on President Bush Tuesday to take several steps to combat rising gasoline prices.
The Democrats claim in a letter obtained that recent mergers between several large oil companies could have set the stage for price gouging practices, and they asked Bush to investigate.
"There is substantial evidence that anticompetitive practices by domestic corporations -- made possible by recent mergers -- are partly to blame for high gasoline prices.
"We believe only an increase in government oversight can restore the transparency and accountability consumers need," the Democrats said in a letter sent to Bush.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, who led the effort after getting NewsNet5.com's gas rage petition, said the president should take six steps to ensure lower gas prices, which included...(Full Story)
Biodiesel Helping to Clean Up the Air, Human Health Benefits Reported
Dear Biodiesel Alliance-Backers Supporters:
With the month of May designated as National Asthma Awareness Month and increasing concern about the effects of diesel exhaust on human health, there is growing interest in how cleaner-burning biodiesel improves air quality to aid people with respiratory ailments as well as the general public.
The President of the American Lung Association of Washington, D.C., a physician, states that biodiesel can improve air quality and improve public health. From a college student and school bus driver with asthma, to workers at a Kansas Salt Mine and an Iowa aluminum manufacturing plant, to firefighters and leaf blower operators in Missouri, people across the country report that they are breathing easier with biodiesel.
We hope you will take a moment and tell us YOUR STORY about health & environmental-related experiences with biodiesel, too! Just Click here, and fill out the form provided.
More information about their experiences is available in a news release at Biodiesel Helping to Clean Up the Air, Human Health Benefits Reported.
You can help support biodiesel by forwarding this exciting news to others who may be interested. Thanks in advance for your support.
Joe Jobe
Executive Director
National Biodiesel Board
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Washington D.C.
Ohio Lawmakers Want Action On Gas Prices
Five Ohio lawmakers are among 75 Democrats in the U.S. House asking President Bush to take several steps to combat rising gasoline prices.
The group sent Bush a letter asking that he investigate recent mergers between several large oil companies that could have set the stage for price gouging.
Congressman Dennis Kucinich is leading the effort. He says the president should make oil companies store more gas for use when demand is high. He also says they should stop filling the nation's petroleum reserve when prices are high...(Full Story)
Ohio Lawmakers Want Action On Gas Prices
Five Ohio lawmakers are among 75 Democrats in the U.S. House asking President Bush to take several steps to combat rising gasoline prices.
The group sent Bush a letter asking that he investigate recent mergers between several large oil companies that could have set the stage for price gouging.
Congressman Dennis Kucinich is leading the effort. He says the president should make oil companies store more gas for use when demand is high. He also says they should stop filling the nation's petroleum reserve when prices are high...(Full Story)
Mo. Plant Makes Oil From Turkey Offal
May 24, 6:10 PM (ET)
By MARGARET STAFFORD
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Someday, if the hopes and dreams of investors in a small plant in southwest Missouri come true, Americans may be using oil derived from what is left of a turkey after it has gone through a rendering plant.
The blood, guts, skin, feathers and bones, called turkey offal, are being converted into oil at the plant in Carthage, about 50 miles west of Springfield. Owners of the plant announced this week that they have begun selling between 100 and 200 barrels of the oil per day.
The plant is operated by Renewable Environmental Solutions, based in Downer's Grove, Ill., which is a joint venture of ConAgra Foods Inc. (CAG) and Changing World Technologies, Inc.
A method called Thermal Conversion Process converts the offal from turkeys at a nearby Butterball plant into oil, fatty acids, natural gas, minerals and carbon.
The process can convert any carbon-based form, essentially by speeding up the method the earth uses to break down dead plants and animals into petroleum hydrocarbons. Using specific heat, pressure and water, the feedstock's long molecular chains are broken into gas that is recycled to run the plant, water that is returned to municipal water streams and the other products that are sold.
The advantages of the process are significant, according to Brian Appel, chairman and chief executive officer of Changing World Technologies.
He said it uses far less energy than other waste-to-energy products, creates fewer toxic emissions and destroys most pathogens in the feedstocks, while creating environmentally friendly fuels and fertilizers.
If the process becomes widely accepted, it would reduce the mountains of animal waste accumulating in the world, help reduce global warming and prove that...(Full Story)
May 24, 6:10 PM (ET)
By MARGARET STAFFORD
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Someday, if the hopes and dreams of investors in a small plant in southwest Missouri come true, Americans may be using oil derived from what is left of a turkey after it has gone through a rendering plant.
The blood, guts, skin, feathers and bones, called turkey offal, are being converted into oil at the plant in Carthage, about 50 miles west of Springfield. Owners of the plant announced this week that they have begun selling between 100 and 200 barrels of the oil per day.
The plant is operated by Renewable Environmental Solutions, based in Downer's Grove, Ill., which is a joint venture of ConAgra Foods Inc. (CAG) and Changing World Technologies, Inc.
A method called Thermal Conversion Process converts the offal from turkeys at a nearby Butterball plant into oil, fatty acids, natural gas, minerals and carbon.
The process can convert any carbon-based form, essentially by speeding up the method the earth uses to break down dead plants and animals into petroleum hydrocarbons. Using specific heat, pressure and water, the feedstock's long molecular chains are broken into gas that is recycled to run the plant, water that is returned to municipal water streams and the other products that are sold.
The advantages of the process are significant, according to Brian Appel, chairman and chief executive officer of Changing World Technologies.
He said it uses far less energy than other waste-to-energy products, creates fewer toxic emissions and destroys most pathogens in the feedstocks, while creating environmentally friendly fuels and fertilizers.
If the process becomes widely accepted, it would reduce the mountains of animal waste accumulating in the world, help reduce global warming and prove that...(Full Story)
Drivers Eye Vegetable Oil As Cheap Fuel
May 24, 7:26 AM (ET)
By LAURA WALSH
WESTON, Conn. (AP) - As the nation grapples with pumped-up gas prices, car owners are turning to their favorite restaurants for a solution: recycled vegetable oil.
Environmentalists have been using the fuel alternative for years as a way to cut back on sooty emissions, but as gas prices soar above $2 a gallon, they say their "veggie cars" are also a great way to save some cash.
Every two weeks, Etta Kantor drives to a local Chinese restaurant to fuel her blue Volkswagen Jetta. She calls ahead and the owner knows to put aside a few buckets of used oil just for her. At home, Kantor uses a colander and a bag filter to remove water and any food particles.
The vegetable oil is then poured into a 15-gallon tank that sits in the back of her Jetta, where a spare tire would usually be kept. With a touch of a button, located above the radio, Kantor can switch from diesel fuel to vegetable oil in seconds.
"Oh, I zip around town, go fast on highways. It's not any different," said Kantor, 58, of Weston.
Restaurants have to pay to get rid of their old vegetable oil and are happy to give it away for free.
"It saves us a couple of dollars and it helps to save the environment a bit so I thought, 'Why not?'" said Shawn Reilly, a co-owner of Eli's On Whitney, a restaurant in Hamden.
Reilly estimates that it costs between $40 and $60 a month to have the oil removed otherwise.
The restaurant's only oil collector, Bridgeport resident Aaron Schlechter, says he picks up about 30 or 40 gallons twice a month from Eli's. He uses it to fuel his car for his 170-mile commute every day to his job as an environmental consultant in Staten Island, N.Y.
"The only way that I can assuage my guilt by driving this awful distance is by driving something that isn't consuming fossil fuels and has much more environmentally friendly emissions," Schlechter, 29, said.
Vegetable oil is becoming such a rage that a Massachusetts company called Greasecar, is buying it in bulk from a distributor and selling it to local customers. It sells for 90 cents a gallon, said company founder Justin Carven.
Since 2001, Greasecar has also been selling conversion kits, like the one in Kantor's car, that allow diesel cars to run on the recycled oil. The kits only work on diesel engines. About 200 kits were sold in the past year, Carven said.
A standard conversion kit sells for $800 at Greasecar.
"Once you install it, though, you are saving hundreds and hundreds of dollars," he said. "The product usually pays for itself within the first year."
Using the conversion kit, the car must be started and stopped on diesel fuel. A separate fuel tank is installed to hold the vegetable oil. Once the car is running and the vegetable oil has heated up, it can be switched over to run on just the vegetable oil.
The oil must be heated because it is thicker and tends to congeal in the cold weather, Carven said.
Similarly, Liquid Solar in Ithaca, N.Y., has contracts with a few local restaurants to collect their used vegetable oil. And in Santa Rosa, Calif., a group of 50 people have formed a co-op to buy the oil in bulk from a local manufacturer and then filter it for their own use.
Although the Environmental Protection Agency has given a stamp of approval for vegetable-based biodiesel, it hasn't...(Full Story)
May 24, 7:26 AM (ET)
By LAURA WALSH
WESTON, Conn. (AP) - As the nation grapples with pumped-up gas prices, car owners are turning to their favorite restaurants for a solution: recycled vegetable oil.
Environmentalists have been using the fuel alternative for years as a way to cut back on sooty emissions, but as gas prices soar above $2 a gallon, they say their "veggie cars" are also a great way to save some cash.
Every two weeks, Etta Kantor drives to a local Chinese restaurant to fuel her blue Volkswagen Jetta. She calls ahead and the owner knows to put aside a few buckets of used oil just for her. At home, Kantor uses a colander and a bag filter to remove water and any food particles.
The vegetable oil is then poured into a 15-gallon tank that sits in the back of her Jetta, where a spare tire would usually be kept. With a touch of a button, located above the radio, Kantor can switch from diesel fuel to vegetable oil in seconds.
"Oh, I zip around town, go fast on highways. It's not any different," said Kantor, 58, of Weston.
Restaurants have to pay to get rid of their old vegetable oil and are happy to give it away for free.
"It saves us a couple of dollars and it helps to save the environment a bit so I thought, 'Why not?'" said Shawn Reilly, a co-owner of Eli's On Whitney, a restaurant in Hamden.
Reilly estimates that it costs between $40 and $60 a month to have the oil removed otherwise.
The restaurant's only oil collector, Bridgeport resident Aaron Schlechter, says he picks up about 30 or 40 gallons twice a month from Eli's. He uses it to fuel his car for his 170-mile commute every day to his job as an environmental consultant in Staten Island, N.Y.
"The only way that I can assuage my guilt by driving this awful distance is by driving something that isn't consuming fossil fuels and has much more environmentally friendly emissions," Schlechter, 29, said.
Vegetable oil is becoming such a rage that a Massachusetts company called Greasecar, is buying it in bulk from a distributor and selling it to local customers. It sells for 90 cents a gallon, said company founder Justin Carven.
Since 2001, Greasecar has also been selling conversion kits, like the one in Kantor's car, that allow diesel cars to run on the recycled oil. The kits only work on diesel engines. About 200 kits were sold in the past year, Carven said.
A standard conversion kit sells for $800 at Greasecar.
"Once you install it, though, you are saving hundreds and hundreds of dollars," he said. "The product usually pays for itself within the first year."
Using the conversion kit, the car must be started and stopped on diesel fuel. A separate fuel tank is installed to hold the vegetable oil. Once the car is running and the vegetable oil has heated up, it can be switched over to run on just the vegetable oil.
The oil must be heated because it is thicker and tends to congeal in the cold weather, Carven said.
Similarly, Liquid Solar in Ithaca, N.Y., has contracts with a few local restaurants to collect their used vegetable oil. And in Santa Rosa, Calif., a group of 50 people have formed a co-op to buy the oil in bulk from a local manufacturer and then filter it for their own use.
Although the Environmental Protection Agency has given a stamp of approval for vegetable-based biodiesel, it hasn't...(Full Story)