More news from 2009-11-07

Moderate exercise may lower prostate cancer risk. Men who regularly get moderate exercise may have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer -- including aggressive, fast-growing tumors, a new study finds. Reuters Health. 7 November 2009.
Seasonal flu may hit Europe after H1N1: experts. The H1N1 pandemic flu virus could kill up to 40,000 people across Europe and be followed by seasonal flu waves that could kill the same number, European health experts said on Friday. Reuters. 7 November 2009.
Some countries "ambushed" by H1N1. Some countries have been "ambushed" by sudden severe outbreaks of disease and death from the H1N1 flu pandemic, and have gone over the top in their response, a European flu specialist said on Friday. Reuters. 7 November 2009.
Animals need to be closely watched for flu. Some pigs, turkeys and household pets have become infected with the H1N1 flu, but the pandemic virus does not yet appear to be spreading quickly among animals, the World Health Organization said on Friday. Reuters. 7 November 2009.
Swine flu: Shanghai schools safe. The Shanghai Health Bureau acted quickly Friday to avert panic with the official line: There is no outbreak of swine flu in the city schools. Students and teachers of city primary and middle schools are key targets for free swine flu vaccinations next week. Shanghai Daily, China. 7 November 2009.
All Beijing residents to get H1N1 vaccination. Beijing is the first city in China with plans to inoculate all of its registered permanent residents, some 12 million people, or about 20 percent of China's target for total H1N1 inoculations nationwide by the end of the year. China Daily. 7 November 2009.
Many can't find swine flu vaccine, but some don't want to, survey finds. About 40 percent of US parents tried to get their children vaccinated against H1N1, but only one-third had success. High-risk adults were unsuccessful too. But, 50 percent of all US adults still express no interest in the vaccine. Washington Post. 7 November 2009. [Registration Required]
China a big winner in carbon credit game. In energy-hungry China's southwestern Yunnan province, power is being produced at wind farms, dams and garbage dumps as the Asian giant adopts more "green" technology thanks to carbon trading. Agence France-Presse. 7 November 2009.
Painting a street green hasn't stimulated one new job. One street in Baltimore is part of one of the biggest initiatives ever undertaken by the US government--a nationwide push to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. But as the unemployment rate rises, the work has not produced a job yet. Washington Post. 7 November 2009. [Registration Required]
Ethical travel company drops carbon offsetting. One of Britain's leading ethical travel operators has launched a scathing attack on the carbon offset industry and has decided to stop offering offsets to its customers as a way of reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. London Independent, United Kingdom. 7 November 2009.
Is environmentalism a religion? A British court fight. Animism, naturalistic pantheism, Gaia theory — there are various belief systems that deify the natural world. But should a fervent belief in the need to fight climate change be given the same legal protection as an actual religion? Time Magazine. 7 November 2009.
Climate war gets personal for Rudd. Kevin Rudd has launched a blistering attack on climate change sceptics and deniers in Australia and abroad, accusing them of a systematic campaign to sabotage global talks in Copenhagen and of being contemptuous towards the world's children. Sydney Morning Herald, Australia. 7 November 2009. [Registration Required]
Chris Smith - the respectable radical who is plotting a green revolution. Lord Smith of Finsbury wants to start a green revolution. As chairman of the Environment Agency, his job is to persuade a sceptical public that, despite the recession, climate change remains the greatest threat to Britain. London Times, United Kingdom. 7 November 2009.
Australian agency denies gagging researchers. Australia's national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), has this week denied accusations that it is preventing researchers from publishing work on politically-sensitive issues such as climate change. Nature. 7 November 2009.
Will talking change anyone's mind about climate change? A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that the number of people who think there’s solid evidence of human-induced climate change has declined dramatically in the past few years. Christian Science Monitor. 7 November 2009.
(Not yet) marching as to war. Even as politicians and protesters the world over gear up for a fateful climate-change meeting in Denmark, many citizens have little stomach for a fight. In fact, there are clear signs in several democracies of sentiment moving in the other direction. Economist. 7 November 2009.
Incorporating nitrogen cycle leads to predictions of more atmospheric CO2. New climate research that accounts for the nutrient requirements of vegetation and other aspects of the nitrogen cycle suggests that over the coming century ecosystems could accumulate 2−3 times less carbon than previously estimated. Environmental Science & Technology. 7 November 2009.
Study: Managing emissions intensity. “Emissions intensity” – the amount of atmospheric carbon generated from fossil fuel use per unit of gross domestic product – fell globally in all but two years between 1994 and 2006, according to a World Bank study released earlier this week. New York Times. 7 November 2009. [Registration Required]
Yogyakarta groundwater surface dropping 30cm a year. Since 2000, groundwater levels in Yogyakarta province have dropped by an average 30 centimeters a year because of climate change, Gadjah Mada University hydro-geologist Heru Hendrayana says. Jakarta Post, Indonesia. 7 November 2009.
Defining ‘sustainable’ palm oil production. Earlier this week the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, an association of palm oil producers, manufacturers, and environmental groups, decided not to include greenhouse gas emissions standards in its certification criteria for ‘sustainable’ palm oil. New York Times. 7 November 2009. [Registration Required]
First look at carbon capture and storage in a West Virginia coal-fired power plant. A relatively small unit in the shadow of the smokestack at the Mountaineer Power Plant in West Virginia has begun capturing carbon dioxide from the plant's flue gas and injecting it underground for permanent storage. Scientific American. 7 November 2009.
Gone with the wind. A collection of humble plants clinging to 600 million-year-old rocks on a distant mountain range and a small dragon given to promiscuous sex under a hot sun have forced planners to redraw the map for the southern hemisphere's biggest wind farm. Sydney Morning Herald, Australia. 7 November 2009. [Registration Required]
A howl over a man-bites-dog story. They've been called "tree huggin maggots" and compared to cannibals. One person wondered if they ate their kids. Pet lovers are not happy with two New Zealand architects who published an environmental book this summer called "Time to Eat the Dog? The Real Guide to Sustainable Living." ClimateWire. 7 November 2009.
Lifting the lid on climate change talks. Rich countries bullying poorer ones, mud-slinging and back-stabbing - environmental summits can be vicious. London Guardian, United Kingdom. 7 November 2009.
Old king coal. The single biggest contributor to global warming is also one of Australia's biggest money earners. So can Australia wean itself off coal? And what would the implications be if it did? Melbourne Age, Australia. 7 November 2009.
Meters set to drive up power bills. Some households face an annual increase of $320 in electricity bills with the installation of smart meters and implementation of the Federal Government's climate change laws Sydney Morning Herald, Australia. 7 November 2009. [Registration Required]
A greener future does compute. Green Information Technology is about making sustainable and environmentally conscious decisions in the purchasing, manufacturing and operating of computers and IT infrastructure, something often overlooked in business and personal computing. Calgary Herald, Alberta. 7 November 2009.
Can technology persuade us to save energy? If technology is to save us from climate change, it has some tough challenges to master: taming wave, wind and sun, cheaply scrubbing carbon dioxide from the air or mastering fusion. New Scientist. 7 November 2009.
Environmental groups want to rework Columbia River Crossing for climate, costs. A coalition of environmental groups has called for a rethinking of the Columbia River Crossing suggesting changes that would make reducing greenhouse gas emissions a priority and promote public transportation and healthy neighborhoods. Portland Oregonian, Oregon. 7 November 2009.
Making cleaner power pay off. In a little under a year, if all goes well, the operator of a power station in Taweelah will start getting paid to go green, as firms across the UAE’s industrial sector look at turning carbon emissions to their financial advantage. Abu Dhabi National, United Arab Emirates. 7 November 2009.
For peat's sake, stop. A report published by Wetlands International concludes that wetlands are big sources of greenhouse gases--emitting at least 1.3 billion tonnes of CO2 a year as a result of human activity. Economist. 7 November 2009.
Jets' trails suggest role in global warming. Planes already are blamed for 13 percent of the transportation sector's human-generated greenhouse gas emissions, which act as insulation, holding warmth around the planet, according to a report this summer from the General Accountability Office. Nashville Tennessean, Tennessee. 7 November 2009.
U.K. urges divided G20 to reach climate finance deal. British finance minister Alistair Darling urged his G20 counterparts on Saturday to work toward a $100 billion deal on tackling climate change as developing nations held firm they did not want to talk about it. Reuters. 7 November 2009.
Small nations urge tougher climate deal. Wealthy countries came under attack at the UN climate talks in Spain on Friday for not pursuing a legally binding global treaty on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and instead pushing for a weaker political agreement. CBC Canada. 7 November 2009.
World leaders needed at talks to cut climate deal. After two years of tough U.N. climate talks often pitting the world's rich against the poor, negotiators said Friday a new global agreement now rides on industrial nations pledging profound emissions cuts next month in Copenhagen. Associated Press. 7 November 2009.
Prospects for deal to address deforestation unclear, says alliance. Prospects for a credible deal to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation – commonly known as REDD – were still unclear when the UN climate talks concluded yesterday, according to the Ecosystems Climate Alliance (ECA). Dublin Irish Times, Ireland. 7 November 2009.
Forty leaders plan to attend climate talks: U.N. About 40 world leaders plan to go to Copenhagen next month to boost the chances of clinching a U.N. climate deal, the United Nations said Friday as preparatory talks wound down with scant progress. Reuters. 7 November 2009.
British treasury chief urges climate agreement. British treasury chief Alistair Darling urged the world's top finance officials on Saturday to reach an agreement on bearing the cost of fighting climate change before a UN summit on global warming next month. Associated Press. 7 November 2009.
U.S. singled out for delay of climate pact. The United States is likely to bear the brunt of the blame among recession-hit developed nations for an expected six- to 12-month delay to a new global climate deal hoped for December in Copenhagen. Reuters. 7 November 2009.
Climate bill numbers. The climate bill working its way through Congress will have major impacts on our economy, especially on employment rates. There’s a lot of conversation as to whether the bill would help or harm the economy. Living On Earth. 7 November 2009.
Gore defends Senate panel's climate action. Former Vice President Al Gore hailed yesterday's Senate committee action on global warming legislation as "an important victory for climate" and shrugged off concerns that the panel's controversial process might alienate moderate lawmakers whose votes are needed to pass the measure into law. Greenwire. 7 November 2009.
Come in spinner. Not long after Oleg Deripaska was named Russia's richest man for 2008, his company's Australian chairman wrote to the Department of Climate Change warning that his investment in Australia was being threatened by the Rudd Government's plan to tackle global warming. Sydney Morning Herald, Australia. 7 November 2009. [Registration Required]
Rudd fails on election promise to run clean energy government. Despite repeatedly brandishing its green credentials, the Rudd Government has reneged on its election promise to run Parliament House and MPs' electoral offices on clean energy. Melbourne Age, Australia. 7 November 2009.
Rudd blames climate sceptics for global sabotage. Kevin Rudd has launched a full frontal assault on global warming sceptics, lumping Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull in with a ''new league of world government conspiracy theorists'' he accuses of sabotaging progress on a climate treaty. Melbourne Age, Australia. 7 November 2009.
Desalination equipment maker sees rapid growth. Energy Recovery Inc, which makes equipment for desalination plants, sees the industry that converts sea water to fresh water growing as much as 25 percent annually and is looking to expand its operations through the acquisition of new technologies. Reuters. 7 November 2009.
Is bottled water a good or bad choice for you? Have you ever thought about what goes into a bottle of water? What does it take to produce all those small bottles thrown away? And when reaching for that bottle, is the water better than tap water? Bergen County Record, New Jersey. 7 November 2009.
Low flow showers put to the test. Even if it meant saving a lot of hot water, many people would rather stick with their old showerheads. That's because low-flow showerheads often don't measure up. Environment Report, Michigan. 7 November 2009.
Chinese drywall no danger to health, experts say. Three experts from three different companies in the private sector, including two toxicologists and the chief medical officer for an indoor environmental air quality consulting firm, have asserted that defective Chinese drywall is not a hazard to human health. Fort Myers News-Press, Florida. 7 November 2009.
Seeding the seeds. Something is happening with a different sort of fertiliser. For reasons that are not yet entirely clear, it looks as though exposing seeds to carbon nanotubes before they germinate makes the seedlings that subsequently sprout grow faster and larger. Economist. 7 November 2009.
£2m a day fines from EU, unless sewage is sorted out. The Assembly Government has been warned it could face fines of up to £2m a day unless major pollution problems affecting the Burry Inlet in Carmarthenshire are dealt with. Cardiff Western Mail, United Kingdom. 7 November 2009.
Nuclear test veterans await compensation. Norfolk nuclear test veterans have claimed the Ministry of Defence is stalling so long over paying them compensation for what happened to them more than 50 years ago that many will die before they see their money. Norwich Evening News, United Kingdom. 7 November 2009.
Squatting the Berlin Wall. November 9 marks the 20th year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Soon after the wall came down, a group of squatters moved into the barren wasteland and has been working to green the buffer zone ever since. And they may be providing a model for sustainable urban living today Living On Earth. 7 November 2009.
Floods could threaten up to 750,000 in Kenya. Up to 750,000 people in Kenya, nearly half of them Somali refugees, could be caught up in flooding and landslides from heavy rains expected to peak in November, the United Nations warned on Friday. Reuters. 7 November 2009.
Gabon to ban gas flaring, unprocessed log exports. Oil firms operating in Gabon will be banned from flaring gas in 2010, and exports of unprocessed timber will also be banned next year, the government said Thursday. Reuters. 7 November 2009.
More support for human role in Chinese quake. When the Wenchuan earthquake killed some 80,000 people in southwest China in May of last year, suspicion immediately fell on the reservoir behind the nearby Zipingpu Dam. Science. 7 November 2009.
Environment group hits coal plants' construction. A conservation group on Saturday criticized government initiatives on coal-fired power plant. Manila Bulletin, Philippines. 7 November 2009.
Western Sydney faces water crisis, scientists warn. The State Government must consider curbing population growth in western Sydney because there will not be enough water to sustain agriculture, recreation and environmental flows in the region, scientists say. Sydney Morning Herald, Australia. 7 November 2009. [Registration Required]
The Hunter Valley town that breathes coal dust. There's no mistaking Muswellbrook for anything but a working town. The coal trains, 90 carriages long, rumble through day and night, and the dust, always the dust, blows in from the mines when the wind gusts from the south. Melbourne Age, Australia. 7 November 2009.
Alarm at toxic mine deal. An Australian mining company caught up in war crimes allegations in Africa is about to sign off on a deal that will tie it to a British firm responsible for dumping toxic chemical waste that has killed or affected thousands of people. Sydney Morning Herald, Australia. 7 November 2009. [Registration Required]
Losing power. Venezuela, a country that has claimed the world’s biggest oil reserves and is home to its fourth-mightiest river, has recently been forced to ration both water and electricity. And several experts say the underlying cause is the government’s failure to plan, maintain and invest in the necessary infrastructure. Economist. 7 November 2009.
Company fined $200,000 for pollution of Trent River. A spokesman for Cascades Canada Inc. said the 2007 spill at its Trenton Norampac plant was an isolated case that won't be repeated. Belleville Intelligencer, Ontario. 7 November 2009.
Superior Tube emits more substance, but it's less toxic. Superior Tube has applied for permission to increase the amount of VOCs it emits from its Germantown Pike plant, however it is less dangerous than the recognized carcinogen the company used previously, according to state regulators. Pottstown Mercury, Pennsylvania. 7 November 2009.
WVSA may treat wastewater from gas-drilling. The Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority is investigating the feasibility of treating wastewater created from natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale. Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, Pennsylvania. 7 November 2009.
Natural gas quest: EPA to review safety of fracking process. The safety of fracking -- a controversial process to stimulate natural gas production from the Marcellus Shale -- will be re-evaluated by the Obama administration. Gannett News Service. 7 November 2009.
Air pollution, development earn Smokies low marks in National Geographic Travel survey. Park spokesman Ranger Bob Miller didn't disagree with the magazine's take on the air pollution and development problems. Asheville Citizen-Times, North Carolina. 7 November 2009.
Report: S.C. needs tougher beach law. Two decades after South Carolina adopted a sweeping beach protection law, the state has failed to keep new development from encroaching on the seashores and sand dunes that define the coast - and in some cases is subsidizing private oceanfront landowners, a new report says. Columbia State, South Carolina. 7 November 2009.
Tainted drywall answers sought at Tampa forum. Most agree the drywall emits a gas that destroys appliances and corrodes air-conditioning coils and metal pipes. One thing that's not as clear: how the gasses affect the health of those in the homes. Tampa Tribune, Florida. 7 November 2009.
City seeks further funding for biomass project. The Ely City Council approved a request to apply for two grants that will be used to help fund the biomass energy project being studied by Ely’s Alternative Energy Task Force. Timberjay Newspapers, Minnesota. 7 November 2009.
Utica Energy to pay nearly $500,000 for ethanol plant's environmental violations. The owners of an ethanol plant in the town of Utica will pay $280,000 in penalties and at least another $200,000 to connect to the Oshkosh wastewater treatment system under settlement of a state water pollution lawsuit. Oshkosh Northwestern, Wisconsin. 7 November 2009.
Utica Energy to pay penalties and costs to settle state water pollution lawsuit. The judgment in Winnebago County Circuit Court resolves charges that Utica Energy failed to comply with state laws governing wastewater discharges and drinking water supplies. Madison Wisconsin State Journal, Wisconsin. 7 November 2009.
Doyle signals he'll veto DNR bill. Gov. Jim Doyle signaled Friday he would veto a bill that takes away the governor's power to appoint the natural resources secretary and said he doesn't think lawmakers have the votes to block him. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin. 7 November 2009.
Could Portland's style of urban agriculture be the model that saves Detroit? Historian and writer Mark Dowie says the nation's most depressed metropolitan area, Detroit, could be transformed by turning its burned-out blocks and abandoned factory sites into farms. Portland Oregonian, Oregon. 7 November 2009.
Groundwater program marks 15th year. Michigan's nationally admired Groundwater Stewardship Program provides educational, financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and residents to identify and reduce groundwater contamination risks. Traverse City Record Eagle, Michigan. 7 November 2009.
Contamination investigations continue. Work continues to take place to better understand contamination in the Tittabawassee River, as regulators consider public input on a proposed path toward cleanup action. Midland Daily News, Michigan. 7 November 2009.
Officials warn of tainted deer meat. Officials are investigating an Eastland County, Texas, man for possibly misusing a pesticide that killed game animals. Abilene Reporter-News, Texas. 7 November 2009.
Talks yield no accord on Roan leasing. Daylong talks failed to result in a settlement Friday of a lawsuit over oil and gas leasing on the Roan Plateau, an attorney for conservation groups says. Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, Colorado. 7 November 2009.
State agencies sign water quality roadmap. Two state agencies responsible for both livestock and clean water have a new agreement they say will allow them to be more effective regulators. Yakima Herald Republic, Washington. 7 November 2009.
Jurupa school district questioned about weed spraying. Jurupa school officials are rethinking their practice of spraying weed killer during school hours after a parent complained that her daughter had a severe allergic reaction from an herbicide sprayed on the Patriot High School campus. Riverside Press-Enterprise, California. 7 November 2009.
Backers of Malibu septic ban rode wave of surfers' testimony. Malibu board riders' tales of illness due to pollution helped spur regional water officials to prohibit new tanks. Los Angeles Times, California. 7 November 2009. [Registration Required]
Schwarzenegger signs part of water package. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger went to a scruffy field in the San Fernando Valley on Friday to sign two pieces of water legislation passed earlier this week. Los Angeles Times, California. 7 November 2009. [Registration Required]
Speaker: Chemicals can cause big harm. John Peterson Myers has written extensively about how exposure to certain chemical hazards, often at levels deemed safe, can harm people while still in the womb and surface in adulthood as deadly diseases. Chico Enterprise Record, California. 7 November 2009.
Texaco still cleaning up old Fillmore refinery site. More than 50 years after a Fillmore oil refinery was closed, Texaco is still working to clean the soil and groundwater of benzene and other contaminants at the Superfund site. Ventura County Star, California. 7 November 2009.
$450 million offered in water cleanup. A federal attorney has hinted that cleanup of tainted irrigation water on the Valley's west side -- and resolution of a 20-year legal battle over the issue -- may be on the horizon. Fresno Bee, California. 7 November 2009.
Sustainable Novato hopes new city council will make integrated pest management a priority. Members of Sustainable Novato say they'll push the Novato City Council to get an ordinance on integrated pest management higher on the council's priority list. Marin Independent Journal, California. 7 November 2009.
Water funds by the bucket. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday began signing bills in the just-passed five-bill water package. He is expected to sign the centerpiece, an $11.14 billion general obligation bond scheduled to go before voters on Nov. 2, 2010, early next week. Sacramento Bee, California. 7 November 2009.
Conservation groups may sue over Seward coal dust. On Oct. 29, several conservation groups served a 60-day notice on the Alaska Railroad and Aurora Energy Services of their intent to file suit over what they say are unpermitted discharges of coal into Resurrection Bay, in violation of the Clean Water Act. Alaska Journal of Commerce. 7 November 2009.
Questioning a test for cancer. Scaring people into quitting is the marketing rationale for a new genetic test, which purports to identify which smokers have the highest risk of developing lung cancer. New York Times. 7 November 2009. [Registration Required]
Plastics, by the numbers, they're everywhere. The bottom line: since plastics are a fact of life, learn how to pick and choose your plastics if you want to protect your health. Santa Cruz Sentinel, California. 7 November 2009.
Think clean coal’s a real option? Sequester this!. It would appear that clean coal is to science what Santa Claus is to children: It might feel good to believe, but the science just doesn’t support it. Denver Washington Park Profile, Colorado. 7 November 2009.
Healthy watershed takes teamwork. With the impending gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale, the unknown effects of climate change and chemical inputs, such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides, reliably clean water is not a given. That is why watershed management is so critical. Ithaca Journal, New York. 7 November 2009.