The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal

ENN Daily News for 08/20/2004

ENN
Environmental News Network
http://www.enn.com
E-mail Edition

U.S. courts tackle foreign abuses of energy corporations
A 215-year-old law originally written to address piracy and crimes abroad against American ambassadors is at the heart of litigation targeting some of the world's largest energy corporations.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-20/s_26558.asp

State and federal agencies seek sealed grand jury documents on former nuclear plant near Denver
State and federal agencies have asked to see sealed files of a grand jury that investigated alleged environmental crimes at the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant, after an advocacy group said cleanup plans were dangerously incomplete.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-20/s_26630.asp

E.U. complains at governments' failure to implement environment rules
The European Union's head office accused national governments Thursday of letting their citizens down by failing to properly implement E.U. environment laws. It named France, Italy, and Ireland as the worst offenders.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-20/s_26631.asp

Jolts of low-voltage electricity are reviving damaged coral reef off Indonesian resort
As the late-afternoon sun bathes the beach with a soft warmth, gentle waves lap quietly at the shore — and strollers occasionally stumble over a thick wad of white cables embedded in the fine, black sand.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-20/s_26634.asp

The Bush administration pushes dirty coal plants
Why was the Lake Michigan coastal city of Manistee, population 6,600, targeted for a $700 million, 425-megawatt, coal-powered electric power plant, the largest proposed in Michigan in two decades?
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-20/s_26554.asp

Unusual alliance forms to clean mining wastes from Utah canyon
Texas oilman Dick Bass invested nearly every dollar he ever earned — and borrowed millions more — to develop the Snowbird ski resort, and he wasn't eager to touch the mining waste he inherited on the resort's land.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-20/s_26632.asp

Illegal logging a threat to prized timber, group says
Trade in a valuable tropical timber used in everything from picture frames to billiard cues needs greater control to limit habitat destruction and prevent overharvesting, an environment group said on Thursday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-20/s_26626.asp

U.S. birders flock to see rare, lonesome falcon
Hundreds of U.S. bird lovers have flocked to a New England resort island to catch a glimpse of a rare falcon who appears to have made a wrong turn and ended up half a world away. He may never find his way home.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-20/s_26628.asp

Weird worms dine on whale bones and other stories
A remote-controlled submarine sent 9,400 feet below the ocean's surface found more than the rotting whale carcass it was looking for. In addition to bones, researchers including Robert Vrijenhoek of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute have discovered two new species of worms — lacking eyes, stomachs, or mouths — living in the skeletal remains of a gray whale off the coast of Monterey, California.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-20/s_26389.asp

Pollution shrouds Hong Kong, poor visibility blamed for string of ship collisions
Unusually high air pollution shrouded Hong Kong in thick brownish haze on Thursday, obscuring the skyline and cutting visibility so much that eight ships were involved in collisions in the territory's waters.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-20/s_26633.asp

Ecuadorean lawsuit vs. Texaco boils down to science
After a decade of court battles, this week lawyers took a lawsuit by Ecuadorean Indians accusing U.S. oil firm ChevronTexaco Corp. of polluting the Amazon jungle into the field.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-20/s_26625.asp

Kerry pledges $10 billion to clean up coal power plants
U.S. Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry on Thursday pledged $10 billion over a decade to help U.S. electric utilities find cleaner ways to burn coal, the nation's most abundant energy source.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-20/s_26627.asp

Malaysia confirms deadly bird flu strain and culls birds
A strain of bird flu blamed for 27 deaths in Asia this year has been found in Malaysia, the government said on Thursday, as hundreds of birds were gassed and their carcasses burned to contain the outbreak.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-20/s_26629.asp

Mars rovers find more evidence of water and some oddities
The twin Mars rovers have found a wonderland of weird rocks and enticing dunes, along with more evidence the Red Planet once had water, NASA scientists said this week.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-20/s_26635.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:

Adventure Life Journeys - an unusual travel company. Adventure Life takes a holistic approach to travel and is dedicated to expanding ecological and cultural awareness. Visit them on the web at http://www.adventure-life.com/index.html.

Alternative Energy Store - retailer for solar panels, windmills/wind turbines, inverters, solar water pumps, solar home heating systems and other solar and wind electric power systems for your home or business. Visit them on the web at http://www.altenergystore.com.

Environmental Construction Outfitters of New York - For over 15 years ECO of NY has been monitoring the issues related to safer, healthier, and environmentally responsible building products and systems. Visit them on the web at http://www.environmentaldepot.com.

Garden Kids - a children's clothing manufacturer dedicated to providing superior quality clothing using environmentally friendly products and socially responsible business practices. Visit them on the web at http://www.gardenkids.com.