An oil rig about 100 miles of the Louisiana coast exploded on Thursday. The rig, owned by Mariner Energy Inc., is west of the site of BP’s Deepwater Horizon. All 13 people aboard the rig where rescued, unharmed.

Firefighters are already on scene. The cause of the blast is still unknown.

An oil sheen about a mile wide was spotted near the platform.

The rig is in about 340 feet of water.

Source: SF Gate

BP Update

BP will begin removing the cap that is plugging the leak of its ruptured Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday. Officials say this must be done in order to replace the damaged blowout preventer. Once the preventer is replaced, the relief well can plug the leak for good.

Source: Reuters

In fact, Americans spend so much time in their cars that it’s practically a part-time job. Lutz says that people spend an average of 18.5 hours a week in their cars, either as a passenger or driver. And traffic makes us cranky, gives us road rage, increases stress, and is a colossal waste of time.

Cars are also dangerous. Lutz says that a million people are injured every year in car crashes and there is a hidden nation of the car disabled. Some of the accidents result in spinal cord damage and other horrific, life-changing injuries.

And since car companies are the number one advertiser year in and year out, it’s hard to not be influenced by their messages says Fernandez. We can even be influenced to upgrade models before it’s needed.

So what can you do to reduce your dependence?

Keep a car diary says Fernandez. Seeing where you are going in the car and how often can help cut back on the trips that aren’t necessary.

Try public transit for a week. Most people shy away from the public option. However, it can be more productive, help save money, and reduce stress.

For more information on Carjacked: the culture of the automobile and its effect on our lives, visit carjacked.org.

A Russian tanker passed through the Northern Sea Route on its way to China, a historic feat for the size of the tanker. The SCF Baltica was carrying 70,000 tons of a natural gas extract to Ningbo, China. The trip is a total of 7,000 nautical miles and cuts the usual route down by 5,000 miles. Although the new route saves quite a bit of fuel, there are broader implications about the severity and impact of climate change.

Source: CNN

Alaskan Salmon Return in a Big Way

Alaska is reporting a larger than predicted number of salmon returning to streams this summer. The 2010 statewide harvest was expected to be 137 million salmon; however, 157 million have been caught so far. About 50 percent of the U.S. Seafood production is produced in Alaska.

Source: Anchorage Daily News

Water Being Drained from French Glacier

Engineers are working to drain the water from an underground lake found beneath a glacier in Mont Blanc. Officials believe that draining the water could prevent a catastrophic flood in a region that is home to three thousand people. About 2,275,000 cubic feet of water will be drained, a process that could take months. The glacier is 10,560 feet above sea level.

Source: AP

According to numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of farmers markets in the U.S. has increased 170 percent over the last ten years.

It’s good news for farmers market vendors like Baird Family Orchards. Owner Trevor Baird says he used to just do markets on weekends, but now it’s a full time job. Because of this, he’s been able to cut back on wholesale accounts and focus almost exclusively on selling directly to the consumer.

Senior Market Manager for Portland Farmers Market, Jaret Foster, says markets have undergone a resurgence as people look for ways to socialize and be part of a community.

Farmers markets, he says, also offer a more sustainable and premium product.

Food sold at a farmers market has traveled an average of 50 miles while food at a grocery store has usually traveled over 1,500 miles.

Farmers Markets don’t always succeed. Portland Farmers Market’s Pearl District location closed last summer due to lack of growth.

The opening of the two new markets this summer means there are six markets operating under the umbrella of Portland Farmers Market.

The new markets are the Pioneer Square Market and the NW 23rd Market.

Each Portland Farmers Market operates on a different day and offers a unique mix of vendors.

For more information go to www.portlandfarmersmarket.org.

I was happy to get a letter from my daughter’s school announcing new snack policies: The school will not be giving out any more snacks, offer food as incentives, prizes or rewards, and birthday celebrations at school will become “food free.” Parents are being encouraged to send healthy snacks from home, including fresh fruit, cut-up vegetables, dry fruit and trail mix (with no candy).

The reasons cited for this change of policy are dual—better nutrition to prevent childhood obesity and a precaution taken because many kids suffer food allergies.

I’m greatly encouraged to see that change in the way we feed our kids is indeed coming!
And to this hopeful note I’d like to add a few suggestions for simple steps that can add up to better health this coming school year. These steps are indeed small, certainly doable, and can have a real impact, especially if they lead to the next small step towards wellness:

• Eat breakfast – Many know that breakfast may be the most important meal in the day. Studies show that eating breakfast is not only associated with better nutrition, better concentration and performance in school but also with less obesity. Yet up to a third of teenagers skip breakfast regularly. Make sure your kids leave home after they’ve had a nutritious breakfast! I’ve written more about the importance of eating breakfast in my post here.

• Teach your kids how to cook – Preparing simple healthy meals is a life skill that is a gift that keeps on giving. Give your kids age-appropriate healthy shopping and healthy cooking lessons, and if you feel you’re in need of a few lessons yourself, you can learn together from books, websites and cooking shows.

• Take the junk-food out – While a little junk every once in a while will probably do no harm, having it available at home on a regular basis enables bad habits and teaches the wrong lesson. Make home a safe haven of healthy, nutritious food. Take the soda, sweet drinks, fatty sweet and salty highly processed snacks out, and replace them with readily accessible fruits, vegetables, nuts and other healthy snacks.

• Find out what’s served in the school cafeteria – Unfortunately, the school lunch in many schools is not a healthy one. What’s more, competing with the school lunch are junk foods sold through vending machines and other sources. Find out what is served in your kids’ school, and if it doesn’t meet your standards, do something about it: Send your kids to school with a lunchbox and healthy snacks from home; speak up and try to effect change in the school lunch program in a practical and positive way.

• Get them moving! – A third of our kids are overweight or obese, childhood obesity has tripled in the past thirty years, and although these skyrocketing rates are mostly a result of the food environment we live in, kids’ inactivity also plays a role. If your kids aren’t getting their daily dose of vigorous exercise, encourage them to join a sports team, pick a new hobby that will get them moving, and incorporate more movement in daily life. If school and other activities are close to home, consider walking rather than driving when weather and time permits. Choose family activities that are active, and get the whole family exercising and out in the fresh air! Many neighborhoods are quite safe, yet kids don’t play outdoors often enough; find a way to get the kids on your block back in the playground or on the open field playing unorganized sports the old fashioned way, with supervision if you see the need, or without.

A happy, healthy start to the new school year to all of us!

Read more from Dr. Ayala at http://herbalwater.typepad.com/

California has approved a license for the nation’s first large scale solar thermal power plant in two decades.

The 250-megawatt Beacon Solar Energy Project will be built on the western edge of the Mojave Desert. Several other big solar farms are set to receive approval from the California Energy Commission in the next month.

Developers are racing to license solar power plants and start construction before the end of the year when federal incentives run out.

The Beacon project went through two and a half years of environmental review. Some rural residents objected to the amount of groundwater the project would consume annually.

The company behind the plant has agreed to use recycled water that will be piped in from a neighboring community.

Source: Environmental Leader

The San Francisco Green Products List

The city of San Francisco is doing what it can to protect consumers from green washing. The city has published what it is calling the SF Approved List. The website lists over 1,000 products that do not emit greenhouse gases. San Francisco has required its municipal departments to buy products that meet strict environmental guidelines since 2005.

The San Francisco Department of the Environment said in putting together its list it evaluated ingredients, energy efficiency, and volume of recycled content.

The SF Approved List also lists products that the city purchasing agents are not allowed to buy including bottled water and plastic foam containers.

Source: New York Times

Flame Retardants and Pesticides in Bald Eagles

Researchers found pesticides and flame retardants in the blood of bald eagle nestlings. Blood samples were taken from birds living in the Great Lakes region. Experts say the chemicals are most likely ingested through their food.

The primary source for flame retardants contaminating the environment is through discarded furniture in landfills. The researchers say that these findings suggest that the way in which chemicals are used in the United States should be closely scrutinized. The chemicals are contaminating the soil, air, and water and taking an extended period of time to break down. The study was conducted by Indiana University.

Background Information on the Bald Eagle:

The bald eagle is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. Bald eagles were put on the endangered species list in the U.S. in 1967. One of the primary causes of the bald eagle population decline was attributed to the pesticide DDT. DDT was found to weaken the eggshells, making it nearly impossible for the eggs to survive. DDT was banned in the U.S. in 1972, largely due to a book by Rachel Carson called Silent Spring.

Source: Discovery News

Severe flooding in Pakistan has killed 1,600 people and destroyed around 290,000 homes. The Pakistan government says over 15 million people have been effected.

As far as sheer numbers, the floods are more devastating than the 2005 South Asia tsunami and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The government claims that the severity of the disaster has yet to be fully assessed.

Source: Yahoo News

New Parasite-resistant Honeybee

A British beekeeper says he may have discovered a mite resistant honeybee.

The Varroa mite has been wiping out populations of honeybees worldwide.

Retired heating engineer, Ron Hoskins, says he has been able to breed a strain of bees, which groom one another and remove the mites. Hoskins says recent research has found more than two thirds of all Britain’s honeybees have been lost to the parasite.

Bees are crucial for pollinating crops and plant species. If the problem isn’t fixed, he says it could spell disaster for the food chain.

Source: Reuters

Brazil Fire Tornado

A rare fire tornado was caught on tape in Brazil. It’s believed to be the result of months of drought combined with brush fires and strong winds.

Officially called “fire whirls” these flaming fingers are deadly. In 1923 an earthquake in Tokyo set off a massive fire tornado that killed 38 thousand people in 15 minutes.

Source: RT

The LEED program may be getting a bad name after a LEED certified building in Salem, Oregon is being evacuated due to structural concerns. Tenants including Marion County and the Salem Keizer Transit Agency have been given 30 days to move out of the Courthouse Square Building.

Concrete in the 30 million dollar building was tested and found not to meet the specified strength. Claims against the architect and the general contractor have already been settled. Pence/Kelly Construction and Arbuckle Costic Architects paid a combined total of 1.8 million to the city of Salem.

Source: ENN

Ivory Bust

In what appears to be the largest find of its type in several years, conservation officers have seized more than two tons of illegal ivory in Kenya. Boxes labeled “avocados” included 317 individual elephant pieces and five rhino horns.

The seizure was made at Nairobi’s International Airport. Officials say the ivory appears to have been taken from animals that died of natural causes and none of it had the ink used to mark government held stocks.

Poaching has been on the rise in Kenya. Last year, poachers killed 271 Kenyan elephants. In 2007 only 37 were killed.

Source: Google News

A new study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory asserts that bacteria are making short work of the 22-mile long plume of oil stuck beneath the surface.

Late June the plume was discovered. Last week a study by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute found that the oil could linger for months without breaking down.

The new research took water samples of the plume and isolated the bacteria. One particular strain was discovered that does not use oxygen as it breaks down the oil. The researcher, Terry Hazen, says the oil plume is likely already gone.

However, doubts still linger about the accuracy and implications of these findings from other experts and oceanographers.

Hazen’s research is partly funded by BP.

Source: Wired

Missing Plastic in the North Atlantic Garbage Patch

The Sea Education Association (SEA) has been monitoring the North Atlantic Garbage Patch for 22-years and in that time it has not grown in size. However, human plastic use has increased in the past two decades, despite recycling efforts.

Researchers say the possibilities for this could be a variety of factors. One theory is the plastic is too small to catalog. Another is that aquatic life could be eating it, mistaking the pieces for plankton. Yet another theory is that it could be sinking to the ocean floor. The researchers assert that the amount of plastic in the ocean is definitely increasing, despite the findings.

Plastic doesn’t biodegrade but photodegrades, breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces.

Source: National Geographic

Mexico City Bans the Bag

Mexico City, Mexico just passed a law that will fine shops that give away plastic bags for free. The bags must also be biodegradable. Shop owners that don’t comply with the new rules face up to $90,000 in fines and up to 36-hours in jail.

Officials think that more than 20 million plastic bags are used per day in Mexico City. The bags are thought to cause health problems and increase environmental pollution.

Source: BBC

BP has announced that it intends to transfer all legal claims to an independent facility called the Gulf Coast Claims Facility. Wednesday is the last day that BP will accept any claims from businesses and individuals. The facility will begin operation on Monday.

BP created a $2 billion fund for Gulf Coast victims of the massive oil spill. So far the company claims that it has paid over $368 million.

Meanwhile the final seal of the Macondo well has been delayed for further testing.

Source: VOANews.com

Peru’s Vampire Bats Spreading Rabies

Peru is struggling to control an outbreak of rabies in a remote region of the Amazon. Vampire bats are reported to be the cause of the outbreak. Officials say the bats in Urakusa, near the Ecuadorian border, have bitten 500 people. Four children have died so far.

Health officials have vaccinated nearly everyone that came into contact with the creatures.

Vampire bats feed on the blood of sleeping mammals. They typically feed on livestock and wildlife. The bats rarely attack humans and experts say that deforestation in the Amazon could be to blame. Vampire bats live in the Americas ranging from Mexico to Argentina.

Source: BBC

Aviation to Streamline Volcano Response

The aviation industry is planning a conference in September in Iceland to streamline the response to volcanic eruptions. In April the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajokull, erupted and crippled aviation. Thousands of passengers were stranded as flights were grounded and airlines lost billions of dollars in revenue.

Officials say that better coordination and an action plan could help the industry bounce back faster in the event of another eruption. The meeting is to take place in Keflavik on the 15th of September.

Source: Reuters

The authors, led by Michael Mink, PhD, analyzed ads placed in 84 hours of prime time and 12 hours of Saturday morning (cartoon-time) broadcast in the four major U.S. networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC). Each advertized food item was then analyzed for nutritional content.

Here’s what they found:

• Of 3,584 total ads 614 (or 17 percent) were for foods. There were 3 food ads for every 30 minutes of broadcast.

• A 2000 calorie diet consisting entirely of advertized foods would contain 25 times the recommended daily intake of sugar, and 20 times the recommended daily intake of fat.

• During the 96 TV hours observed there were 116 public service announcements—none addressed nutritional education.

• The hypothetical TV ad diet oversupplies the same nutrients Americans are known to consume too much of: protein (lots of meat), sodium, fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.

Do TV ads influence food choices?

Americans are exposed to TV for almost 7 hours a day, and food and beverage related TV ad spending was $11.26 billion in 2004. To put this sum in perspective: The federal budget for the 5-A-Day program (promoting fruits and veggies) was just $4.85 million and the entire U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrition education budget was $268 million for the same year. I’m sure food and beverage makers see proven results for their mass spending—otherwise they wouldn’t be incurring these costs.

Ads do affect our consumption habits, and are especially effective on the very young. Most toddlers can’t tell programming and advertising apart and many toddlers have been known to sing the tunes and repeat the message after being exposed to some ads just once, and to remain loyal to a brand forever.

Suggestions for a healthier advertizing environment

The authors have a few recommendations:

• Consumer education: Let the public know that food advertizing has a bias for foods that provide a whole day’s worth of sugar and fat in a single serving.

• Food industry education and collaboration: Let food makers know they’re promoting nutritionally imbalanced foods (does anyone actually believe they aren’t aware of that?).

• Public media strategies: Air more public service announcements to balance the nutrition message.

• Regulation: Require nutritional warnings for imbalanced foods similar to those mandated on direct-to-consumer drug ads.

I’d like to add a few suggestions of my own:

• Teach your kids how to apply critical thinking skills to the ads they see: here’s a Federal Trade Commission website with some great tools and fun games that may help.

• Turn the TV off: Sorry, I know some say we’re in the midst of a new golden age of TV, and there are some very good programs to watch, but I truly believe that watching much less TV is a health promoting bit of advice, especially if you have kids at home. The 1 to 2 hours of quality programming per day upper limit suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics seems indulgent enough.

I assume the researchers are still recovering from the 96-hour TV overload.

Read more from Dr. Ayala at: http://herbalwater.typepad.com/

A study by Statistics Canada found that 91 percent of Canadians had traces of Bisphenol A in their blood. The chemical has been known to affect brain development in fetuses, infants, and young children. Canada recently banned the use of BPA in baby bottles.

However, many consumer groups think that the chemical should be restricted further, linking it to cancer, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Scientists’ say that in most cases the chemical can be flushed from the body in as little as six hours. The U.S. is still researching the chemical and has yet to impose any regulations

What is Bisphenol A?

Bisphenol A, commonly called BPA, is a widely used chemical in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. It’s found in plastic bottles, cash register receipts, canned foods, etc. The main exposure to humans is through food packaging. The EPA estimates that one million pounds of the chemical are released into the environment a year. The EPA is currently investigating reports that BPA affects growth, reproduction, and development of aquatic species.

What are polycarbonates?

Polycarbonates are a group of thermoplastic polymers found in: CD’s, DVD’s, Blu-Ray Discs, drinking bottles, glasses, lab equipment, sunglasses, toys, signs, sound walls, laptops, computer cases, electronics, etc.

What are epoxy resins?

An epoxy resin is a thermosetting polymer that is used in paints, coatings, adhesives, molds, laminates, castings, fixtures, electrical systems, electronics, boat repair, art pigments etc.

Source: ENN

Thawing Permafrost New Source of Mercury

Scientists studying permafrost in Sweden found that a change to the structure of Stordalen mire was responsible for increased levels of mercury in a nearby lake Inre Harrsjon. Over the years scientists have acknowledged that mercury and carbon dioxide have been sequestered and stored in northern peatlands, making them sinks for these emissions. However, as the climate warms and the permafrost thaws the structure of these lands will change dramatically. And as seen with the Stordalen mire in Sweden, scientists fear that a new major source of mercury and carbon dioxide emissions will emanate from northern peatlands and mires.

What is Mercury?

Mercury is an element found in the air, water, and soil. Small amounts are also used in thermometers, switches and compact fluorescent light bulbs. The most common form of mercury is methylmercury. When coal is burned, mercury is released into the air. Once in the atmosphere, it undergoes a chemical change and become methylmercury. It eventually falls as rain and contaminates the water and its inhabitants. The predatory fish (i.e. swordfish, largemouth bass, etc,) are likely to contain increased levels of methylmercury. Exposure to mercury at high levels affects the brain, lungs, heart, kidneys, and immune system.

Source: Science Direct

Scotland Developing Whisky Biofuel

A new source for biofuel has surfaced in Scotland in the form of whisky. Researchers at Edinburgh Napier University used the two main waste by-products from whisky distilleries to create a new source of fuel. The whiskey industry produces well over $6 billion in revenue each year, creating a continuous potential supply for biofuel. The researchers used both pot ale, liquid derived from copper stills, and draft, used grains, to create the biofuel.

They say that the biofuel can be applied to existing cars without the need for any engine improvements and could be available at the pump in a couple of years.

Source: Guardian

BP will pay $50 million in fines for safety violations in a Texas City oil refinery explosion. In 2005 a piece of equipment overflowed with highly flammable hydrocarbons and exploded, killing 15 people. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is trying for another $30 million saying that BP didn’t fix the safety hazards fast enough.

Source: Huffington Post

Scotland’s Big Tidal Turbine

Scotland recently unveiled the largest tidal turbine in the world. The AK-1000 was developed by Atlantis Resources Corporation and ideal for the tumultuous waters of Scotland. The turbine will be placed on the seabed and generate power from tidal currents. Experts say the tidal turbine will generate enough electricity to power 1,000 homes.

Source: The Guardian

Project Snow Leopard

One man is going out of his way to protect the endangered snow leopard. Shafqat Hussain founded Project Snow Leopard in 1999 that works with local villages to compensate them for goats killed by the big cats. The only stipulation is that the villagers can’t kill the felines in retaliation. The project is already working in 10 villages in Pakistan and expanding into Nepal, China, and India.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature there are less than 7,000 snow leopards left in the world.

Source: The Guardian

An Iowa company has expanded a nationwide recall of eggs after some of its facilities were linked to a salmonella outbreak. Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, has recalled a total of 380 million eggs.

The outbreak began in May and has sickened hundreds of people across the country. Public health officials in California, Minnesota, and Colorado determined many of the people who had gotten sick had eaten food containing eggs. Investigators traced the tainted eggs to Wright County Egg.

The company has had previous run-ins with regulators over poor working conditions and environmental violations.

Wright County Egg says the recalled eggs came from five plants and were distributed across the country under the brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms, Kemps, James Farms, Glenview and Pacific Coast.

Many of the affected eggs have already been cooked and eaten but officials say millions could still be stored in refrigerators.

Source: New York Times

Aldicarb Banned

Manufacturer Bayer CropScience has agreed to stop producing the highly toxic insecticide, Aldicarb, under an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Aldicarb, which is used to kill pests on cotton and food crops, is responsible for the worst known outbreak of pesticide poisoning in US history.

In 1985 at least 2,000 people got sick from eating California watermelons illegally contaminated with the substance.

Bayer CropScience says it will phase out all production by 2015. Use on citrus and potatoes will be prohibited after next year.

New EPA documents show babies and children under five can ingest levels of the insecticide through food and water that exceed levels the agency considers safe.

Source: Environmental Health News

Nature is Good for the Brain

Research is showing spending time in nature is not only good for your health it’s good for your mind.

A 2008 study out of the University of Michigan found students who walked through an arboretum scored significantly higher on an attention test than those who walked through city streets. Even looking at a photograph of nature showed measurable improvement.

Research has also shown the more plant diversity the better. Subjects who spent time in parks with a large variety of trees scored higher on psychological well-being than those who spent time in parks with less biodiversity.

Experts say this is not a new idea. Philosophers and landscape architects have recognized the importance of integrating nature into modern life for years.

Ralph Waldo Emerson reportedly advised people “to adopt the pace of nature.”

Landscape Architect Frederick Law Olmsted helped create Central Park in New York and the Emerald Necklace in Boston to help urbanites escape city life.

Source: Wired

Soaring ocean temperatures off Indonesia’s Aceh Province are reportedly killing off massive amounts of coral.

Coral bleaching, whitening due to heat driving out the algae living in the coral, was first reported in May. Since then 80 percent of some species have died.

More coral colonies are expected to die within the next few months something that could mean disaster for local communities reliant on the reefs for food and money from tourism.

Scientists fear the event could be one of the worst in the region’s history.

Between April and late May, sea surface temperatures in the Andaman Sea rose to
34 degrees Celsius or about 4 degrees Celsius above the long term average.

Source: Mongabay

Russian Heat Wave Over

Russia is finally getting a reprieve from the deadly heat wave and resulting wildfires that have been plaguing the country.

Russian Meteorologists said Wednesday would be the last hot day.

Rain is expected through most regions of the country through the weekend.

The heat wave and drought killed thousands and destroyed a quarter of the country’s grain crop.

Some smoke still lingers in the air in Moscow, but the city’s pollution monitoring service says chances of harmful effects are lower than the toxic peak in early August. Amounts of pollution hit the worst level in eight years on August 4th.

Source: Reuters

What Killed the Woolly Mammoth?

New research suggests changing habitat, not humans, killed off the woolly mammoth and other mammals.

According to Durham University scientists, a massive reduction in grasslands and the spread of forests drastically reduced the amount of food available for them.

These findings challenge the theory that human beings were the primary cause of extinction through hunting, competition for land and increased pressure on habitats.

The research is part of the most comprehensive study to date of the Northern Hemisphere climate and vegetation during and after the last ice age.

It shows over a huge part of the Earth’s surface there was a massive decline in productivity of grasslands due to climatic warming and the spread of forests.

Source: ENN

A report from the nonprofit organization, Environment and Human Health Inc., says the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’s (LEED) program is putting too much emphasis on energy efficiency and not enough on human health.

EHHI says nearly four times as many credits are awarded for energy conservation technologies and designs as for protection of indoor environmental quality.

Tens of thousands of potentially toxic building materials are currently on the market.

By making a building more airtight, EHHI says you can end up trapping many harmful gases inside.

Under the current rating system, they say LEED can award its highest level of certification to a structure that earns no points for air quality.

John Wargo, a professor of environmental policy at Yale, is the lead author of the report.

He says the job of setting new standards for construction should not be left up to a private sector organization like LEED and argues for a federal law controlling chemical content in the built environment.

Source: Yale360

Stimulus Funding Falls Short

An audit has found only 8.4 percent of stimulus money for energy efficiency projects has been spent since Congress approved the $3.2 billion economic stimulus package in January.

A reported 2,300 jobs have been created or saved so far.

As of August 2010, the audit by the Energy Department’s Inspector General found grant recipients had spent $269.7 million for energy efficiency activities or projects, significantly less that the $675 million anticipated.

Problems cited in the audit include lack of staff to process applications at both the state and federal level.

Specific rules or provisions set by Congress to receive federal money has slowed spending at the state and local governments.

Source: Environmental Leader

Spain Vs. Pigeons

Spain is taking aggressive steps to crack down on its pigeon problem.

In some cities, private pigeon catchers are being hired to trap them using special net catapult devices.

The technique involves two people, one to feed the pigeons and the other to release the net.

Once the birds are in place, a net is released over the birds to trap them before they can fly away.

Barcelona is having so many problems with pigeons it has declared the birds to be a plague and has decided to catch and destroy 25 percent of the population in the next 18 months.

After the birds are caught they are asphyxiated with carbon dioxide.

The city says the birds can carry diseases and are damaging buildings.

Source: Wired

Peer behavior influences a wide range of health related behaviors–from smoking to alcohol intake to bike-helmet wearing–and also influences kids’ eating patterns. The need to belong and the effect of peers are most pronounced in adolescence.

A new study in the journal Appetite set out to see if friendship groups affect teens’ unhealthy snacking behavior. The study looked at the snacking habits of about 750 Dutch teens while mapping out who’s friends with who. It also collected data including the teens’ weight, education level and personal characteristics as well as the availability of high-caloric-density snacks (chips, candy, soda etc.) in those kids’ school canteens and vending machines.

Here are the study’s main findings:

• Teens with friends who ate snacks and drank soft drinks tended to do the same if snacks were available in schools canteens and vending machines. In fact most soft drinks were consumed by teens with friends that drank soft drinks.

• The tendency to conform to friends’ snack habits was stronger for boys and for teens with lower education levels.

• Girls ate healthier than boys and seemed less susceptible to snacking on unhealthy items.

The Chicken or the egg?

So which came first? Do teens model their friends when it comes to snacking, or do they pick friends with similar snacking habits? This study can’t really answer that question. Other experimental studies though have shown that people model eating choices and quantities after friends’ patterns. Regardless, herd-like snacking behavior suggests new possibilities for intervention: Create a ripple of better eating within the group and it may grow into a wave that includes the entire cluster of friends.

The effect of vending machines

The presence of junk-for-sale in schools was a critical component of unhealthy snacking group-behavior in this study. In schools that had limited or no junk around, peer influence was less strong. It’s quite obvious that regardless of your friends’ habits, inability to perform the habit in school due to a missing key ingredient—the snack for purchase—gives less opportunity for the habit to spread.

Resisting unhealthy peer-pressure

Although friends affect teens quite a bit, and teens spend fewer hours with their family as they grow older, I’m quite sure that good family relationships, good role-modeling from parents and a high self-esteem are really important in enabling kids to stick to what they know is better for their health.

I don’t know how many parents-to-teen-boys (of which I am one) will appreciate this, but this study does hint that hanging out with the girls can promote better eating. I do love a study that compliments girls. Women tend to make healthier food choices at all stages of life, so having us around is usually a health promoting lifestyle.

Read more from Dr. Ayala at http://herbalwater.typepad.com/

Flooding in Pakistan has killed thousands of people and affected billions more. United Nations secretary Ban Ki-moon is trying to raise $500 million dollars to aid the country on the road to recovery. There are reports that almost 20 percent of the country is under water.

Source: BBC

U.S. Aid to Russia

The United States is sending firefighting equipment to Russia. Russia has been battling wildfires for the past few weeks. A reported 66 large fires are still burning. The fires have claimed lives, homes, and about one quarter of all cereal crops. An export ban was introduced last week in order to ward off a famine that could develop once the smoke clears. Moscow’s air quality is at an all-time low due to the smoke.

Source: Media Newswire

Louisiana Shrimp

Louisiana’s shrimp season opened Monday. After extensive tests by the Environmental Protection Agency, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Food and Drug Administration all agencies have agreed that the Gulf of Mexico seafood is safe. However, consumer confidence in the quality of the seafood is still precarious.

Source: Yahoo News

In response to Thailand’s rapid disappearance of fish, the Thai Queen has commissioned 25 tanks, 273 old railroad cars, and 198 garbage trucks to be sunk in the Southern Thai Gulf. The hope is to create artificial reefs that will foster marine life. The abandoned hunks of metal will create a total of 72 artificial reefs.

Source Huffington Post

Styrofoam Substitute

Ecovative Design created a new type of environmentally friendly packaging. It’s hailed as an energy efficient substitute to Styrofoam. It’s composed of mushroom roots and agricultural waste.

Recently the company was granted $180,000 to develop a more environmentally friendly sterilization treatment by the National Science Foundation. The treatment is said to use cinnamon bark oil, thyme oil, oregano oil, and lemon grass oil. The all-natural ingredients make it about 2.5 percent more energy efficient than the one currently used to sterilize foam.

Source: GreenBiz

”This is definitely where the world is going. We are going to run out of fuel in the future,” says Ketchum.

The bikes can go up to 60 miles when fully charged. Most of the models have an onboard charging system making it perfect for charging while at work or out to eat.

There are four models in Zero’s 2010 line-up including a dirt bike and the S model, which is good for riding around town.

Zero is the only Electric Vehicle manufacturer to use a completely non-toxic lithium-ion vehicle technology. The Zero battery contains no toxic metals and is completely recyclable.

The bikes retail for $9,995 but government incentives can bring the cost down considerably.

For more information go to www.zeromotorcycles.com.