The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal

::: ENN Daily Newsletter - Wednesday, January 12, 2005 ::: READ ALL TODAY'S NEWS EPA Watchdog Finds Security Lapses in Remote Controls for Water Systems WASHINGTON — Water utilities have installed computer-based remote controls "with little attention paid to security," leaving valves, pumps and chemical mixers for water supplies vulnerable to cyber-attack, according to an Environmental Protection Agency report. Rising Seas Threaten Islands, Cities, Coasts OSLO — It sounds insignificant alongside the Indian Ocean tsunami, yet an almost imperceptible annual rise in the world's oceans may pose a huge threat to ports, coasts and islands by 2100. Leaders of 37 small island states meet in Mauritius this week to discuss an early warning system to protect against tsunamis and a creeping rise in ocean levels, blamed widely on global warming. EarthTalk: Is it True that Coastal Development Contributed to Greater Loss of Life from the Tsunami? The tsunami that devastated Southeast Asia in December was a natural catastrophe triggered by a massive undersea earthquake. But rampant coastal development in recent years--which removed the mangrove forests and coral reefs that had previously been abundant along shorelines--did contribute to the damage and death toll. Residents Displaced by Chlorine Gas May Be Kept Away Longer AIKEN, S.C. — Thousands of people evacuated last week when a train crash unleashed deadly chlorine gas might not return home Wednesday, as had been hoped. And if residents want their homes tested for lingering chlorine residue -- which Norfolk Southern says it will offer to do -- the wait to return could be even longer. It's not clear how many structures need testing or how long that might take. Device Could Cut Air Pollution at Long Beach, California Port LONG BEACH, Calif. — Harbor Commissioners on Monday lauded the potential of new technology that may reduce air pollution from giant ships docked at the Port of Long Beach by 90 percent or more. Tsunami Disaster in Focus as Island Meeting Opens PORT LOUIS — The Indian Ocean tsunami has pushed disaster early warning to the top of the agenda at a meeting of the world's small islands, potentially crowding out concerns about climate change and trade, some delegates say. Health Standard for Perchlorate in Drinking Water Too High, Panel Says WASHINGTON — A panel of scientists concluded Monday that perchlorate, a toxic chemical used in rocket fuel and explosives, is safe for consumption at levels 20 times greater than the standard being considered by the Environmental Protection Agency. Tortoise Adopts Stray Hippo at Kenyan Sanctuary NAIROBI — A 120-year-old giant tortoise living in a Kenyan sanctuary has become inseparable from a baby hippo rescued by game wardens, officials said on Thursday. READ ALL NON PROFIT NEWS "Green Reconstruction" Vital in the Aftermath of the Tsunami - WWF — By WWF-US White House, Pentagon, Industry Secretly Colluded To Skew National Academy Of Sciences Perchlorate Report, Documents Show — By Natural Resources Defense Council