See instructions and format at the beginning of the first week's thread.
1. Mark Whitaker
2. Canada Bans Plastic Baby Bottles, First government to act against bisphenol-a, or BPA, a human hormone manipulator chemical
3. Interesting news from Canada, re, 'risk society.' Nice example of governments claiming its entirely safe in the past and then reversing themselves: "The action, by the departments of health and environment, is the first taken by any government against bisphenol-a, or BPA, a widely used chemical that mimics a human hormone. It has induced long-term changes in animals exposed to it through tests"...though it had been allowed before as 'certainly safe.'
Many of the USA 'authorized' chemicals don't even have safety research data. They were simply put into the monitoring program as "GRAS", Generally Recognized As Safe, though without any general studies about them. Besides, there is the issue of testing these chemicals as individual introductions to the environment, when the major issue is the chemical cocktail of interactions--that is without any legal requirement to test them as compounded introductions and as interactions.
In other words, an entirely artificial world of isolated, single-chemical tests becomes the way for 'managing the rationalization' of safety--even though it has nothing to do with the real world of 'risk society' daily experience.
However, just when you thought it was a 'risk society' story, we have this sort of 'treadmill' like demonstration that plastic is still considered 'rationally safe' (despite its ability to absorb other chemicals in the manufacturing process or its entirely dangerous waste build up in the oceans. The other quote makes the Canadian government look like a shopping mall for the treadmill idea: "“We’re not waiting to take action to protect our people and our environment from the long-term effects of bisphenol-a,” the environment minister, John Baird, told a news conference, ***where he displayed an array of baby bottles made from plastics that do not use the material."****
So which is it: the political capitalism of a Schnaiberg world, or a eco-political capitalism of an Ulrich Beck world?' As with many things, it all comes from your perspective and unobserved anticipations of the future or your selective views about the past.
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Canada Takes Steps to Ban Most Plastic Baby Bottles
By IAN AUSTEN
Published: April 19, 2008
OTTAWA — The Canadian government moved Friday to ban polycarbonate infant bottles, the most popular variety on the market, after it officially declared one of their chemical ingredients toxic.
Nalgene brand water bottles had used bisphenol-a, which some studies in animals linked to hormonal changes.
The action, by the departments of health and environment, is the first taken by any government against bisphenol-a, or BPA, a widely used chemical that mimics a human hormone. It has induced long-term changes in animals exposed to it through tests.
Also on Friday, Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, said he intended to introduce on Monday a bill that would ban many uses of BPA-related plastics. It would prohibit them in all children’s products, including nonfood items they may put in their mouths, as well as in any product used to contain food or beverages.
The toxic designation will allow Canada eventually to ban the manufacture, import or sale of baby bottles made with polycarbonate. Polycarbonate, which dominates the North American baby bottle market, mimics glass but is lighter and shatter-resistant.
The toxic designation is to be followed by a 60-day comment period, but there is little chance of a reversal, given the lengthy government examination that preceded the move. Because of regulatory procedures, however, government officials said that a ban probably would not be fully in effect for about a year.
“We’re not waiting to take action to protect our people and our environment from the long-term effects of bisphenol-a,” the environment minister, John Baird, told a news conference, where he displayed an array of baby bottles made from plastics that do not use the material.
The health minister, Tony Clement, told reporters that after reviewing 150 research papers and conducting its own studies, his department concluded that children up to the age of 18 months were at the most risk from the chemical. Mr. Clement said that animal studies suggested “behavioral and neural symptoms later in life.”
Potentially unsafe exposure levels are far lower for children than for adults, Mr. Clement said, and he and Mr. Baird both said that adults who use plastic containers made with the chemical were not at risk.
“For the average Canadian consuming things in those products, there is no risk today,” Mr. Clement said.
He said that the government was also concerned about the use of BPA in coatings inside infant formula cans, but did not act because no practical alternative is now available. The government, he said, will work with formula and packaging industries on that issue.
The government has begun monitoring the exposure of 5,000 people to the chemical. If that study, to be completed in 2009, indicates a danger to adults, the toxic designation will allow the government to take additional action swiftly, according to government officials who, following official practice, spoke on the condition they not be identified.
The government said that its review found that even low levels of the chemical can harm fish and other aquatic life over time, and that low levels are present in waste water.
Canada’s move drew praise from environmentalists. “I have nothing but congratulations for the government today,” said Rick Smith, the executive director of Environmental Defence, who has long criticized the use of BPA. “This sends a clear message to the plastics industry that it needs to start reformulating its products.”
But in Washington, Steven G. Hentges, the head of the American Chemical Council’s polycarbonate group, told reporters in a teleconference: “We do not think that bans on bisphenol-a are based on science.”
Shannon Jenest, a spokeswoman for Philips Avent, which makes bottles from polycarbonate and other materials, said she “wouldn’t see us challenging” the Canadian health department.
But Gemma Zecchini, senior vice president of public policy for Food and Consumer Products of Canada, whose members include the bottle makers Nestlé Gerber and Playtex, said her group would most likely ask the government to avoid an outright ban.
Ms. Zecchini acknowledged, however, that the market might already have outrun the Canadian government.
Most of Canada’s major retailers, including the Canadian units of Wal-Mart and Sears, have rushed to remove food-related BPA products from their stores. The country’s largest druggist, Shoppers Drug Mart, took the step at its 1,080 stores on Friday.
Senator Schumer said in an interview that he was prompted to act by the Canadian announcement and a report from the United States Department of Health and Human Services this week, which endorsed a scientific panel’s finding that there was “some concern” about the health effects of the chemical.
“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” he said. “There are alternatives.” Senator Schumer added that his bill would give industry a substantial amount of time to switch to other plastics.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/19/business/worldbusiness/19plastic.html?_r=1&ref=americas&oref=slogin
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11 comments:
1. Mark Whitaker
2. "Has GM made any comment?" about the revived all-electric car? Yes. Kill it or we will sue you.
3. See the short two 'updates' to the documentary of Who Killed the Electric Car. An insider story of that old man talking, talking of GM as still adamant about killing his University's revived 'museum model' of EV-1 all-electric cars. Then the other film about some groups creating a rewired all-electric EV-1 and immediately, within weeks, GM knew about it and told them to dismantle it.
GM is adamant about keeping the all electric car 'killed'. See this short video about the 'revival of the GM EV-1 electric car' and GM's legal antics to stop it.]
Resurrected EV1 comes to SEVA [nine minute video]
"Of the original 1115 GM EV1s only 40 or so still exist. These were severely disabled by GM and given to universities and museums. A few more may still exist as part of GM's fuel cell research projects. In Early December of 2007 one of them was resurrected, making its first public appearance Dec 8th at Renewable L.A., and then a few days later at the Seattle chapter of the Electric Auto Association's monthly meeting on December 11th. [Then GM told its lawyers to threaten the group with a lawsuit unless they dismantled this working example of an all-electric car.]"
The 1997 PbA (Lead Acid) EV1 was reanimated by university faculty, students, EV Bones, and Pv's donated Tech2 scanner! Mike, a retired instructor made sure to mention that the car was a part of their ongoing Hybrid project as GM stipulated that the EV1 must not be used as an EV as part of their agreement when donating it to the school.
Added: 4 months ago
From:D0li0
Views: 2,768
2.
See some of the 'documentary's stars' from Who Killed the Electric Car--around an EV-1 in 2007.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjKG5bVeCDs&feature=related
Added: December 09, 2007 (Less info)
GM's Order to "Cease and Desist" is keeping it off the streets.
Those who got donations of the EV1 are only supposed to put it on display, or do stupid stuff like mount a jet engine in the trunk, leaving a diesel STINK.
GM "contacted" WWU, which had restored the EV, and "reminded" them that it MUST NOT be driven on streets as a BEV.
So that's how long it took for evil GM and its oilie goons to hunt down and kill the revived EV1.
Shots of EV1, display, convenience charger, former EV1 drivers, whether GM can be forgiven...no. Who killed the Electric car: GM and Chevron. "
1. Keonhwa Sung
2. America's 50 Greenest Cities
3. This is about environmental actions in American cities. Those are because of the power of local community, not because of efforts of federal government. It is also important to manage environmental danger in federal government, though. The most important fact is that people in area they live have to consider how serious the danger is and what they have to do for their environment. At the end of this article, we can see rankings of cities in America.
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Want to see a model for successful and rapid environmental action? Don't look to the federal government—check out your own town. Here, our list of the 50 communities that are leading the way. Does yours make the cut?
By Elizabeth Svoboda, with additional reporting by Eric Mika and Saba Berhie Posted 02.08.2008 at 4:54 pm
In the international alliance to fight climate change, the United States is considered the sullen loner. But in the seven years since we rejected Kyoto, changes have begun. Not at the federal level, however. It’s the locals who are making it happen.
In everything from emissions control to environmental stewardship, cities across the country are far ahead of the federal government, and they’re achieving their successes with ready-made technology. Austin has pledged to meet 30 percent of its energy needs with renewable sources by 2020, aided by planned wind-power installations that will surpass their predecessors in efficiency. Seattle has retrofitted its municipal heavy-duty diesel vehicles with devices that will reduce particulate pollution by 50 percent. Boulder has enacted the country’s first electricity tax to pay for greenhouse-gas emission reductions. Something about the comparative speed of city government—a city-council member can greenlight a project and be cutting the ribbon a year later—leads to bold action, and as cities trade ideas, a very positive sort of mimicry is spreading.
The 10 trailblazing civic projects profiled in our list of the top green cities in America are among the most impressive success stories to date—examples of what’s possible when elected officials and local business leaders back up their green visions with scientific know-how, clout and creative funding.
How the Rankings Work:
We used raw data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Geographic Society’s Green Guide, which collected survey data and government statistics for American cities of over 100,000 people in more than 30 categories, including air quality, electricity use and transportation habits. We then compiled these statistics into four broad categories, each scored out of either 5 or 10 possible points. The sum of these four scores determines a city’s place in the rankings. Our categories are:
Electricity (E; 10 points): Cities score points for drawing their energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar, biomass and hydroelectric power, as well as for offering incentives for residents to invest in their own power sources, like roof-mounted solar panels.
Transportation (T; 10 points): High scores go to cities whose commuters take public transportation or carpool. Air quality also plays a role.
Green living (G; 5 points): Cities earn points for the number of buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, as well as for devoting area to green space, such as public parks and nature preserves.
Recycling and green perspective (R; 5 points): This measures how comprehensive a city’s recycling program is (if the city collects old electronics, for example) and how important its citizens consider environmental issues.
See the the full list below. Click here to launch the gallery to see six case studies on how our greenest cities are cleaning up
1. Portland, Ore. 23.1
Electricity: 7.1 Transportation: 6.4 Green Living: 4.8 Recycling/Perspective: 4.8
America’s top green city has it all: Half its power comes from renewable sources, a quarter of the workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation, and it has 35 buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.
2. San Francisco, Calif. 23.0
Electricity: 6.8 Transportation: 8.8 Green Living: 3.5 Recycling/Perspective: 3.9
See how San Francisco turns wasted roof space into power, here.
3. Boston, Mass. 22.7
Electricity: 5.7 Transportation: 8.7 Green Living: 3.4 Recycling/Perspective: 4.9
CASE STUDY: Grass Power
Boston has preliminary plans for a plant that would turn 50,000 tons of fall color into power and fertilizer. The facility would first separate yard clippings into grass and leaves. Anaerobic bacteria feeding on the grass would make enough methane to power at least 1.5 megawatts’ worth of generators, while heat and agitation would hasten the breakdown of leaves and twigs into compost.
4. Oakland, Calif. 22.5
Electricity: 7.0 Transportation: 7.5 Green Living: 3.1 Recycling/Perspective: 4.9
See how Oakland's hydrogen-powered transit helps the city cut pollution, here.
5. Eugene, Ore. 22.4
Electricity: 10.0 Transportation: 4.7 Green Living: 2.9 Recycling/Perspective: 4.8
CATEGORY LEADER: Electricity
Much of the wet Pacific Northwest draws its energy from hydroelectric dams. But Eugene draws an additional 9 percent of its municipal electricity from wind farms. It also buys back excess power from residents who install solar panel
6. Cambridge, Mass. 22.2
Electricity: 6.1 Transportation: 7.5 Green Living: 3.9 Recycling/Perspective: 4.7
7. Berkeley, Calif. 22.2
Electricity: 6.2 Transportation: 8.4 Green Living: 2.9 Recycling/Perspective: 4.7
8. Seattle, Wash. 22.1
Electricity: 6.2 Transportation: 7.3 Green Living: 4.7 Recycling/Perspective: 3.9
9. Chicago, Ill. 21.3
Electricity: 5.4 Transportation: 7.3 Green Living: 5.0 Recycling/Perspective: 3.6
CATEGORY LEADER: Green Space
In addition to the 12,000 acres Chicago has devoted to public parks and waterfront space, the U.S. Green Building Council has awarded four city projects with a “Platinum” rating, its highest award.
See how Chicago's power plants produce twice the energy with a third the carbon, here.
10. Austin, Tex. 21.0
Electricity: 6.9 Transportation: 5.9 Green Living: 3.3 Recycling/Perspective: 4.9
11. Minneapolis, Minn. 20.3
Electricity: 7.8 Transportation: 7.4 Green Living: 2.8 Recycling/Perspective: 2.3
CASE STUDY: Citizen Enviro-Grants
If you’ve got a world-saving idea, the City of Lakes will give you, your church or your community group the money to get it done. Twenty $1,000 mini-grants and five $10,000 awards were distributed last year to programs ranging from household power-consumption monitors to “block club talks” about global warming. A similar initiative has sprung up in Seattle.
12. St. Paul, Minn. 20.2
Electricity: 8.0 Transportation: 4.0 Green Living: 3.5 Recycling/Perspective: 4.7
13. Sunnyvale, Calif. 19.9
Electricity: 7.3 Transportation: 6.8 Green Living: 2.2 Recycling/Perspective: 3.6
14. Honolulu, Hawaii 19.9
Electricity: 6.0 Transportation: 7.8 Green Living: 2.6 Recycling/Perspective: 3.5
15. Fort Worth, Tex. 19.7
Electricity: 8.3 Transportation: 4.6 Green Living: 2.4 Recycling/Perspective: 4.4
16. Albuquerque, N.M. 19.1
Electricity: 7.6 Transportation: 5.5 Green Living: 2.4 Recycling/Perspective: 3.6
17. Syracuse, N.Y. 18.9
Electricity: 7.0 Transportation: 4.9 Green Living: 2.6 Recycling/Perspective: 4.4
18. Huntsville, Ala. 18.4
Electricity: 6.2 Transportation: 4.1 Green Living: 3.6 Recycling/Perspective: 4.5
19. Denver, Colo. 18.2
Electricity: 5.9 Transportation: 5.2 Green Living: 3.0 Recycling/Perspective: 4.1
CASE STUDY: Green Concrete
Fly ash, a by-product of coal-burning power plants, usually ends up in landfills. Researchers at the University of Colorado Denver found a way to reuse this industrial by-product. They add it at concentrations of about 20 percent to a new green concrete mix. The addition of fly ash also reduces the amount of sulfur- and carbon-spewing concrete production needed to finish a job. The mayor has signed an executive order requiring the use of green concrete in new city projects, and a $550-million infrastructure bond makes demand for the mix likely to grow.
20. New York, N.Y. 18.2
Electricity: 2.8 Transportation: 10.0 Green Living: 3.4 Recycling/Perspective: 2.0
CATEGORY LEADER: Transportation
More than 54 percent of New Yorkers take public transportation to work, beating the next-best metropolis, Washington, D.C., by 17 percent.
See how New York City turns its tides into electricity, here.
21. Irvine, Calif. 18.1
Electricity: 4.2 Transportation: 6.8 Green Living: 2.9 Recycling/Perspective: 4.2
22. Milwaukee, Wis. 17.3
Electricity: 5.0 Transportation: 4.9 Green Living: 3.1 Recycling/Perspective: 4.3
23. Santa Rosa, Calif. 17.2
Electricity: 7.0 Transportation: 3.4 Green Living: 2.4 Recycling/Perspective: 4.4
See how Santa Rosa taps geysers for watts, here.
24. Ann Arbor, Mich. 17.2
Electricity: 4.6 Transportation: 4.8 Green Living: 2.9 Recycling/Perspective: 4.9
25. Lexington, Ky. 16.8
Electricity: 5.9 Transportation: 3.6 Green Living: 2.3 Recycling/Perspective: 5.0
CATEGORY LEADER: Recycling and green perspective
Lexingtonians recycle everything from surplus electronics to scrap metal, and they listed the environment as their third most important concern (behind only employment and public safety)—the highest ranking in our survey.
26. Tulsa, Okla. 16.7
Electricity: 5.0 Transportation: 3.9 Green Living: 3.4 Recycling/Perspective: 4.4
27. Rochester, N.Y. 16.1
Electricity: 4.5 Transportation: 4.4 Green Living: 3.1 Recycling/Perspective: 4.1
28. Riverside, Calif. 16.0
Electricity: 7.5 Transportation: 3.1 Green Living: 2.1 Recycling/Perspective: 3.3
29. Springfield, Ill. 15.7
Electricity: 5.3 Transportation: 3.0 Green Living: 3.2 Recycling/Perspective: 4.2
30. Alexandria, Va. 15.7
Electricity: 2.7 Transportation: 6.3 Green Living: 3.1 Recycling/Perspective: 3.6
31. St. Louis, Mo. 15.0
Electricity: 2.7 Transportation: 5.0 Green Living: 3.7 Recycling/Perspective: 3.6
32. Anchorage, Alaska 14.4
Electricity: 2.7 Transportation: 4.7 Green Living: 2.1 Recycling/Perspective: 4.9
CASE STUDY: Power-Saving Streetlights
Since Anchorage spends a good part of the year buried under highly reflective snow, it doesn’t make sense to keep the street lamps at full bore when moonlight can do the job. The fix? Install citywide dimmers. On top of that, the city is planning to upgrade its 16,000 streetlamps to either LED or induction bulbs, depending on the results of computer simulations designed to find the type of light that helps humans see best and disturbs wildlife the least. The swap should be complete by year’s end, and the initial $5-million investment is expected to save up to $3 million in energy costs annually.
33. Athens-Clarke, Ga. 14.1
Electricity: 2.4 Transportation: 4.7 Green Living: 3.2 Recycling/Perspective: 3.8
34. Amarillo, Tex. 14.0
Electricity: 5.2 Transportation: 2.9 Green Living: 2.3 Recycling/Perspective: 3.6
35. Kansas City, Mo. 13.8
Electricity: 2.7 Transportation: 3.7 Green Living: 2.7 Recycling/Perspective: 4.7
36. Salt Lake City, Utah 13.5
Electricity: 3.6 Transportation: 4.1 Green Living: 2.3 Recycling/Perspective: 3.5
See how Salt Lake City heats homes from waste, here.
37. Pasadena, Calif. 13.2
Electricity: 5.8 Transportation: 3.1 Green Living: 1.8 Recycling/Perspective: 2.5
38. Norwalk, Calif. 13.0
Electricity: 3.5 Transportation: 3.1 Green Living: 2.5 Recycling/Perspective: 3.9
39. Laredo, Tex. 12.9
Electricity: 4.4 Transportation: 2.5 Green Living: 1.7 Recycling/Perspective: 4.3
40. Joliet, Ill. 12.0
Electricity: 1.3 Transportation: 4.3 Green Living: 2.6 Recycling/Perspective: 3.8
41. Newport News, Va. 11.9
Electricity: 2.7 Transportation: 2.7 Green Living: 2.7 Recycling/Perspective: 3.8
42. Louisville, Ky. 11.9
Electricity: 1.3 Transportation: 4.0 Green Living: 2.5 Recycling/Perspective: 4.1
43. Concord, Calif. 11.9
Electricity: 3.0 Transportation: 3.2 Green Living: 2.2 Recycling/Perspective: 3.5
44. Fremont, Calif. 11.3
Electricity: 3.0 Transportation: 3.0 Green Living: 1.5 Recycling/Perspective: 3.8
45. Elizabeth, N.J. 10.5
Electricity: 2.6 Transportation: 2.8 Green Living: 1.8 Recycling/Perspective: 3.3
46. Livonia, Mich. 10.2
Electricity: 2.7 Transportation: 2.1 Green Living: 1.8 Recycling/Perspective: 3.6
47. San Bernardino, Calif. 10.2
Electricity: 2.8 Transportation: 2.3 Green Living: 1.6 Recycling/Perspective: 3.5
48. Thousand Oaks, Calif. 10.2
Electricity: 2.9 Transportation: 2.9 Green Living: 1.6 Recycling/Perspective: 2.8
49. Stockton, Calif. 10.1
Electricity: 2.8 Transportation: 2.5 Green Living: 1.0 Recycling/Perspective: 3.8
50. Greensboro, N.C. 10.0
Electricity: 2.0 Transportation: 2.0 Green Living: 2.1 Recycling/Perspective: 3.9
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http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2008-02/americas-50-greenest-cities?page=1
1. Mark Whitaker
2. Media Reporting on Antarctic deep, cold salty water starting to be less salty and warmer/more buoyant: a sign of the slowing of the climate conveyor in the oceans in the South Atlantic (like already seen in the North Atlantic)
3. You can find information about the North Atlantic current cycle or conveyor belt of water, pulling warmer water to Europe, keeping Europe from plunging into Siberian temperatures. The same process of the weakening of these heat transfer mechanisms in the deep ocean off Greenland are noticed now in Antarctica.
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From: Reuters
Published April 18, 2008 09:09 AM
Freshening of deep Antarctic waters worries experts
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SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Scientists studying the icy depths of the sea around Antarctica have detected changes in salinity that could have profound effects on the world's climate and ocean currents.
The scientists returned to the southern Australian city of Hobart on Thursday after a one-month voyage studying the Southern Ocean to see how it is changing and what those changes might mean for global climate patterns.
Voyage leader Steve Rintoul said his team found that salty, dense water that sinks near the edge of Antarctica to the bottom of the ocean about 5 km (3 miles) down was becoming fresher and more buoyant.
So-called Antarctic bottom water helps power [by its 'pull down'] the great ocean conveyor belt, a system of currents spanning the Southern, Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans that shifts heat around the globe.
"The main reason we're paying attention to this is because it is one of the switches in the climate system and we need to know if we are about to flip that switch or not," said Rintoul of Australia's government-backed research arm the CSIRO.
"If that freshening trend continues for long enough, eventually the water near Antarctica would be too light, too buoyant to sink and that limb of the global-scale circulation would shut down," he said on Friday.
Cold, salty water also sinks to the depths in the far north Atlantic Ocean near Greenland and, together with the vast amount of water that sinks off Antarctica, this drives the ocean conveyor belt.
This system brings warm water into the far north Atlantic, making Europe warmer than it would otherwise be, and also drives the large flow of upper ocean water from the tropical Pacific to the Indian Ocean through the Indonesia Archipelago.
If these currents were to slow or stop, the world's climate would eventually be thrown into chaos.
"We don't see any evidence yet that the amount of bottom water that's sinking has declined.
But by becoming fresher and less dense it's moving in the direction of an ultimate shutdown."
Rintoul said results of the bottom water samples in the Ross Sea directly south of New Zealand and off Antarctica's Adelie Land further to the west, were a crucial finding.
"We didn't know that before we left but it's now clear that both of those regions are becoming fresher for some reason."
GLOBAL WARMING TO BLAME?
During the voyage, scientists from Australia, Britain, France and the United States measured salinity, carbon dioxide and iron concentrations as well as currents between Antarctica and Australia.
Rintoul said his team are studying if faster melting of icesheets or sea ice is the source of the fresher water but he said it was too early to tell if global warming was to blame.
Over the coming months, his team will study oxygen isotopes collected from water samples.
"Oxygen isotopes act as a tracer of ice melt and that information should help pin down exactly what the cause of the freshening is in the deep ocean," said Rintoul, of the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre.
"The leading hypothesis at the moment for why it's freshening is that the floating ice around Antarctica is melting more rapidly than in the past."
He pointed to studies showing winds around Antarctica changing because of global warming and the ozone hole.
"The most likely scenario is that those changes in winds have changed the circulation of the ocean, in particular caused more upwelling of relatively warm water from below and that could have caused the increased melting of ice around Antarctica," he said.
"The next challenge over the coming months and year will be to see just how well we can this pin down."
(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)
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http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/34921
1. Mark Whitaker
2. Paging Ulrich Beck, Telephone Call for you.... [Government backed nanoparticle research and popularization, yields massive neurotoxicity
3. It has already been known that nanoparticles are toxic to fish in streams. Here's the scale of another 'risk society' issue: nanoparticles under special treatment kills cells they aimed to heal....
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Widely-Used Iron Nanoparticles Toxic To Nerve Cells
ScienceDaily (Mar. 29, 2007) —
Researchers at UC San Diego have discovered that iron-containing nanoparticles being tested for use in several biomedical applications can be toxic to nerve cells and interfere with the formation of their signal-transmitting extensions.
"Iron is an essential nutrient for mammals and most life forms and iron oxide nanoparticles were generally assumed to be safe," said Sungho Jin, a professor of materials science at UCSD and senior author of a paper to be published in Biomaterials. The paper is currently available on the journal's website. "However, there are recent reports that this type of nanoparticle can be toxic in some cell types, and our discovery of their nano-toxicity in yet another type of cell suggests that these particles may not be as safe as we had once thought."
In their studies, the UCSD researchers used PC12 cells, a line derived from a rat pheochromocytoma.
Nerve growth factor prompts PC12 cells to express a variety of neuron-specific genes and generate thin sprout-like cellular extensions called neurites, which are hundreds of times longer than the width of the cell, or up to several millimeters in length.
These properties of PC12 cells have made them useful for studying the neurobiological and neurochemical properties of nerve cells.
Jin and the other co-authors of the paper, Thomas R Pisanic, II, Jennifer D. Blackwell, Veronica Shubayev, and Rita Finoñes began their laboratory experiments by coating iron oxide nanoparticles with DMSA (dimercaptosuccinic acid), a metal binding agent that polymerizes on the particles' surface.
This coating keeps the particles from clumping together in an aqueous solution, and facilitates their engulfment by the PC12 cells via an inward pouching of the cell membrane called endocytosis.
What happened next was a surprise.
Jin's group had initially investigated the nanoparticles for use in in vitro studies as a possible way to manipulate nerve cells remotely with magnetic force.
Eventually they had hoped to conduct in vivo experiments, using nanoparticles-laden nerve cells to bridge regions of damaged neurons.
However, when they added nerve growth factor to nanoparticle-laden cells in culture flasks, they observed toxic dose-dependent effects: some cells died, and many of the survivors exhibited a diminished ability to produce neurites.
In their experiments, PC12 cells that had not been exposed to magnetic nanoparticles generated three neurites in response to nerve growth factor. However, exposure to a low concentration of iron oxide nanoparticles resulted in the production of fewer than three neurites per cell in response to growth factor addition.
A 10-fold increase in the concentration of nanoparticles led to the production of two neurites per cell, and a 10-fold increase of that concentration resulted in only one neurite per cell.
Additionally, neurites produced in response to the growth factor in the presence of iron oxide nanoparticles were less well formed and also showed abnormal morphology and neurobiological characteristics.
The researchers also studied long protein polymers inside the PC12 cells that make up the cytoskeletal structure. They found that iron oxide nanoparticles resulted in fewer and less organized microtubules and microfilaments, protein polymers involved in cell motility and cell shape.
"It's worth noting that neither iron oxide nanoparticles alone, nor the coating material alone are overtly toxic, but combining the two to create water-soluble nanoparticles has a completely different effect," [and no one ever 'rationally' tests for that in authorizing the individual things] said Pisanic, who carried out the studies as a part of a Ph.D. thesis project at UCSD.
Iron oxide nanoparticles are considered promising because they are maneuverable by remote magnetic fields, and can be coated with various marker molecules to make them stick selectively to tumors and other targets within the body.
The particles can also be made to carry anti-cancer drugs or radioactive materials directly to a tumor. [Little evidence that works though.]
Magnetic nanoparticles designed to attach to cancerous tissue can also be made to heat up by using a remote, alternating magnetic field, thereby selectively killing cancer cells in a process called magnetic hyperthermia.
Many researchers throughout the world are also studying the use of iron-containing nanoparticles in gene therapy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and other medically important applications. While studies have focused primarily on the many potential uses of nanoparticles, Jin said more attention should be paid to their safety. "Our experience leads us to conclude that any analysis of the biocompatibility of nanoparticles should include not just a toxicological study of the component parts," said Pisanic, "but also an examination of the total structure as a whole."
Adapted from materials provided by University of California - San Diego, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070328155553.htm
1. Mark Whitaker
2. Risk Society - government lets large poultry farms exist as 'safe', though this happens repeatedly
3. Another material example perhaps applicable to the risk society thesis; particularly the transborder issues, the 'penumbra' of risk in general and dread all around, government claims to solve the issue though may have been the cause of the problem in the first place, etc.
On my trip to Seamangum last week, two graduate students and myself (with the bus full of Green Korea participants) had our bus wheels hosed down in disinfectant as we went into an aera of large scale biotechnology farms. Nothing could be more appropriate for that group to witness than this. There were lots of 'guards' in white plastic body suits spraying the wheels of trucks or pulling them over, etc.
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SKorea upgrades bird flu alert, troops on standby
4 days ago
SEOUL (AFP) — South Korea on Wednesday issued a nationwide bird flu alert, deployed troops and put firefighters on standby to try to contain the spread of the disease, officials said.
The agriculture ministry said in a statement the "orange" vigilance level was extended to the whole country after previously covering only the badly hit southwest.
The ministry said it had confirmed 20 outbreaks involving the H5 virus, of which at least six were the deadly H5N1 subtype, since the first case was reported in Gimje, 260 kilometres (162 miles) south of Seoul, in early April.
It is investigating 14 more suspected cases, including one on a farm in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometres south of Seoul.
Officials have slaughtered 2.2 million chickens and ducks in and around infected farms. These are mainly in the South and North Jeolla provinces, a hub of the poultry industry.
"As avian influenza is spreading, the military has decided to help slaughter and bury poultry in the infected areas," a defence ministry spokesman said.
The spokesman said an initial contingent of about 200 troops was deployed in and around the Gimje area Wednesday to help cull chickens and ducks.
A separate group of about 180 soldiers had already been manning checkpoints to help control movements in infected areas.
The National Emergency Management Agency ordered local firefighters to be ready to help with disinfecting vehicles and farms or other tasks, although it said they would not take part in culls.
"We'll do whatever we can do to prevent the bird flu outbreaks from spreading nationwide, which is now a national concern," Kim Kook-Rae, a senior agency official, told AFP.
Authorities have yet to fully explain why the outbreaks are not abating, but said Tuesday that a poultry dealer was under investigation for breaching quarantine restrictions.
The dealer was found to have taken hundreds of ducks from an infected Gimje farm and supplied them to retailers and restaurants in other regions.
The agriculture ministry said it had located 141 restaurants or farms which had recently been visited by the dealer, and had so far slaughtered poultry at 34 of the total.
South Korea reported seven cases of H5N1 infection between November 2006 and March last year, resulting in the temporary suspension of poultry exports to Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and elsewhere.
But last June the World Organisation for Animal Health classified the country as free from the disease.
The H5N1 strain has killed more than 230 people worldwide since late 2003. No South Koreans have contracted the disease.
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http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hsFxiCLm7EoPfeNJUFX6RsD1pV0w
1. Hea Joung Lee
2."Chemical in Plastic May Harm Human Growth
3. I can't understand why don't control plastic. Many people says we don't agree plastic's harm yet. In fact people who don't agree that are related plastic's industry( maybe) But real reason, plastic's harm is not explain clear. This report is so great that fact. On this report, Plastic could be harming the development of children's brains and reproductive organs, a federal health. And babies and children were in danger because bisphenol A, or BPA, harmed animals at low levels found in nearly all human bodies. I hope plastic's harm is explain exactly, so it must control.
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"A controversial, estrogen-like chemical in agency concluded in a report released Tuesday. The National Toxicology Program, part of the National Institutes of Health, concluded that there was 'some concern' that fetuses, An ingredient of polycarbonate plastic, BPA is one of the most widely used synthetic chemicals in industry today. It can seep from hard plastic beverage containers such as baby bottles, as well as from liners in cans containing food and infant formula. The federal institute is the first government agency in the U.S. to conclude that low levels of BPA could be harming humans. Its findings will be used to help regulators at federal and state environmental agencies to develop policies governing its use. The draft report followed an 18-month review that was fraught with allegations of bias, heated disputes among scientists and the firing of a consulting company with financial ties to the chemical industry."
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Marla Cone reports for the Los Angeles Times April 16, 2008.
1. Hea Joung Lee
2."Chemical in Plastic May Harm Human Growth
3. I can't understand why don't control plastic. Many people says we don't agree plastic's harm yet. In fact people who don't agree that are related plastic's industry( maybe) But real reason, plastic's harm is not explain clear. This report is so great that fact. On this report, Plastic could be harming the development of children's brains and reproductive organs, a federal health. And babies and children were in danger because bisphenol A, or BPA, harmed animals at low levels found in nearly all human bodies. I hope plastic's harm is explain exactly, so it must control.
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"A controversial, estrogen-like chemical in agency concluded in a report released Tuesday. The National Toxicology Program, part of the National Institutes of Health, concluded that there was 'some concern' that fetuses, An ingredient of polycarbonate plastic, BPA is one of the most widely used synthetic chemicals in industry today. It can seep from hard plastic beverage containers such as baby bottles, as well as from liners in cans containing food and infant formula. The federal institute is the first government agency in the U.S. to conclude that low levels of BPA could be harming humans. Its findings will be used to help regulators at federal and state environmental agencies to develop policies governing its use. The draft report followed an 18-month review that was fraught with allegations of bias, heated disputes among scientists and the firing of a consulting company with financial ties to the chemical industry."
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Marla Cone reports for the Los Angeles Times April 16, 2008.
1. Hea Joung Lee
2."Chemical in Plastic May Harm Human Growth
3. I can't understand why don't control plastic. Many people says we don't agree plastic's harm yet. In fact people who don't agree that are related plastic's industry( maybe) But real reason, plastic's harm is not explain clear. This report is so great that fact. On this report, Plastic could be harming the development of children's brains and reproductive organs, a federal health. And babies and children were in danger because bisphenol A, or BPA, harmed animals at low levels found in nearly all human bodies. I hope plastic's harm is explain exactly, so it must control.
-----------------
"A controversial, estrogen-like chemical in agency concluded in a report released Tuesday. The National Toxicology Program, part of the National Institutes of Health, concluded that there was 'some concern' that fetuses, An ingredient of polycarbonate plastic, BPA is one of the most widely used synthetic chemicals in industry today. It can seep from hard plastic beverage containers such as baby bottles, as well as from liners in cans containing food and infant formula. The federal institute is the first government agency in the U.S. to conclude that low levels of BPA could be harming humans. Its findings will be used to help regulators at federal and state environmental agencies to develop policies governing its use. The draft report followed an 18-month review that was fraught with allegations of bias, heated disputes among scientists and the firing of a consulting company with financial ties to the chemical industry."
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Marla Cone reports for the Los Angeles Times April 16, 2008.
1. Gowoon JUNG
2. "Curing Congestion"
Variable Toll Pricing Gets Cars off the Road
3. There is an interesting policy for regulating the usage of cars by New York's mayor. The concerns of air guality problem brought about this policy, but it is not only preventing air pollution but also attcking traffic congestion problem. The core of that policy is charging some amount of fees to car drivers in peak time. Before New York started this policy, London and many other big cities adapted for those similar reasons.
I think this is really smart idea for regualting environmental degradation and it also shows how the government make their efforts to improve their enviornmental conditions. I am not sure I can say that this is also an example of ecological modernization or not, but anyway a governmental legislation is clearly shown in this article.
Then, what would they do with the collected fees?
The collected revenue is supposed to be used solely to fund expansions and improvements to the regional transit system. I think that this is also another byproduct of operating this policy even though people can dislike the policy.
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Across the country, air quality in big cities suffers from an onslaught of daily commuters in cars. Some government officials are tackling traffic congestion head on. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg introduced a congestion pricing plan last year that would have discouraged automobile use and encouraged commuters to bike, walk or use mass transit. Bloomberg’s plan, stillborn amid fierce turf wars, would have charged a fee to drivers entering the busiest parts of Manhattan during its heaviest times of use. It was modeled closely on London’s highly successful pricing plan, put in place in 2003.
According to the mayor’s congestion scheme, part of PlaNYC, the revenue collected would be used solely to fund expansions and improvements to the regional transit system. Transportation Alternatives, a nonprofit group whose mission is to “reclaim New York City’s streets from the automobile,” strongly supports the initiative. “A congestion pricing plan is the most cost-effective way to jump-start transit improvements and reduce traffic congestion,” says Wiley Norvell, the group’s communications director. But commuters hated it, as did the general public: According to a Quinnipiac poll in 2007, almost two-thirds of New York City voters opposed the plan.
Congestion pricing plans are already in place across the country. On Los Angeles’ private 91 Express Lanes, the tolls increase gradually during peak hours to almost $1 per mile. But while congestion pricing eventually reduces gridlock, drivers are quick to fight the rate increases. Observers in Houston blame heated opposition for Harris County canceling a price increase on the Westpark Tollway.
Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal was rejected by state legislators last July, causing the city to miss a deadline to apply for federal funding—as much as $354 million if the plan is enacted. “Congestion pricing didn’t fail on its merits and flaws, but on the politics of Albany,” says Norvell.
New York’s plan may be revived. Proposals on the table include restricting cab hailing to designated taxi stands and barring cars with certain license plate numbers from entering Manhattan on specified days. Bloomberg claims his plan would bring a six percent reduction in traffic, and serve as a model for clogged California cities.
Before it instituted congestion pricing, London was plagued by gridlock, poor air quality and hazardous streets. But since the implementation of a $13 charge during peak traffic hours, the plan has significantly reduced traffic congestion, improved bus and taxi service and generated a substantial amount of revenue, according to a recent study by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute. Two-thirds of Londoners now approve of the charge, and the pricing plan is scheduled for expansion into West London.
A 2006 congestion pricing test—dubbed the Stockholm Trial—produced similarly promising results. A Swedish report concluded that travel times fell significantly during the test period. Emissions of both carbon dioxide and particulate matter were reduced, access for bus service to, from and within the inner city improved and travel by public transport increased by approximately 4.5 percent.
Though improved public transportation plays a role in ensuring a pricing plan’s success, Stockholm’s report shows that, on its own, expanded public transport has little effect on travel by car.
“It is only when car travel becomes more expensive in the form of higher costs or longer travel times (traffic jams) that public transport can increase its market share to a considerable extent,” stated the report. In short, a congestion pricing plan simply cannot work without some sort of financial incentive.
New York is already the least car-dependent city in the U.S., since 72 percent of trips in the city are five miles or less. In fact, results from the New York Bike-Share Project (an experiment that ran for five days last summer, allowing bikers a free 30-minute bike rental) confirmed that New Yorkers would be willing to use bikes if they were more available. David Haskell, founder of the bike-share project, says that hundreds of people expressed strong support.
Bike-sharing has taken off in Europe. This past summer, Parisians parked more than 10,000 bicycles at 750 stations, and plan to almost double that number in 2008. The program, called “Velib”—short for free bike in French— allows riders to take bikes from one station and drop them off at another for a small fee. Other successful bike-share programs can be found in Barcelona, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen and Frankfurt.
Economists and environmentalists agree that it’s simply not possible to maintain clean air and gridlock-free streets with one person per vehicle. If that means making drivers feel the pain, the long-term gains are worth it.
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http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4093
1. Nuri Na
2. States court presidential hopefuls on CO2
3. Leaders from 18 states have agrred to set tough greenhouse gas limits. Three candidates - McCain, Obama and Clinton - have also agreed on the tougher limits than Bush administration's limits.
I think this is great that they've finally decided to regulate the greenhouse gas limits. I just hope that this would not be ended as one of the political acts.
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Leaders from 18 states that have bypassed the Bush administration and set tough greenhouse gas limits agreed on Friday to try to shape the next administration's climate policy by contacting the presidential candidates.
"President McCain, President Obama, President Clinton would all shift this country to a much higher level on climate change," California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, told a meeting of state leaders at Yale University.
The presidential hopefuls -- Republican John McCain and Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton -- favor tougher limits than President George W. Bush on greenhouse gas emissions.
Bush, who will step down in January, unveiled a plan on Wednesday that would cap U.S. emissions by 2025. He has opposed tough mandatory cuts, saying they would harm the economy.
California, Illinois, Florida and 15 other states will "reach out to major presidential candidates as a means of shaping the first 100 days of the next administration," on climate, according to the agreement signed on Friday. They will share their experience in forming emissions plans to create state and federal partnerships on climate.
The leaders also marked the centennial of a governors meeting with former President Theodore Roosevelt that established a conservation partnership between the states and the federal government and helped create the U.S. park system.
Schwarzenegger, a Republican, said a deadlock between the United States, by many counts the world's top greenhouse gas emitter, and rapidly developing countries, like China and India, on working together to cut emissions would loosen if a new U.S. administration takes the lead on climate change.
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat, told the meeting that national action to cut planet-warming gases could help repair U.S. relations with countries that have urged the United States to do more on climate.
"We have a vacuum in Washington that not only hurts the states, but our reputation internationally," Corzine said.
In the agreement, the leaders said they represent more than half of the U.S. population and emit more than half of the country's greenhouse emissions.
Daniel Esty, a professor of environmental studies at Yale, said the states have begun contacting some of the presidential candidates.
The other states in the pact were Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Virginia and Washington.
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http://www.enn.com/lifestyle/article/34931
1. Jee-Hyun Song
2. Rumble in the jungle
How barefaced capitalism can help save the Amazonian rainforest
3. I think this is a very good example of 'ecological modernisation' perspective.
Rainforest Expeditions, the company that runs Posada Amazonas, is the biggest tourism operator in the region. The company gains profit from the eco-tourism but the tourism business conserves the environment.
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FROM the top of the 30m-tall viewing platform at Posada Amazonas, a thatched 30-bed tourist lodge in the Peruvian Amazon, immense trees—some more than a millennium in age—extend to the horizon. It seems an untroubled Eden. But below the canopy, danger lurks in the shape of a new paved highway.
Peru's Madre de Dios region has been undergoing an ecotourism boom. More than 70 “eco-lodges” cater to tourists from around the world, eager to experience a few days in the Amazon. Last year more than 60,000 foreigners visited the area, a 20-fold increase over 15 years.
Its success stems from two factors. First, the region comprises vast areas of pristine rainforest, including some of the most biodiverse places on earth, much of it protected (at least on paper) in magnificent national parks. It is also easily accessible. Its capital, Puerto Maldonado, is less than an hour's flight from Cuzco, gateway to Machu Picchu, the Incas' ruined city. From Puerto Maldonado, many of the lodges are just an hour or two away by riverboat.
Rainforest Expeditions, the company that runs Posada Amazonas, is the biggest tourism operator in the region, hosting a quarter of the tourist nights spent there. Founded in 1989, its goal was, and still is, to use tourism to foster conservation.
Posada Amazonas sits above a bend in the Tambopata River, on 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) owned by the 148-family community of Infierno. In 1996 Rainforest Expeditions entered into a 20-year joint venture with the community, most of whom are indigenous Ese-éja people. Under it, they share the decision-making through an elected “control committee” and receive 60% of the profits—totalling $130,000 last year. They also got most of last year's $140,000 payroll. The company is now training them so that they can take over the whole operation in 2016.
The arrangement is already paying rich dividends: Infierno's literacy, nutrition and healthcare levels have all greatly improved, while the surrounding forest remains unspoiled. “We have stopped hunting so much,” Carlos Dejavijo, a control-committee member, says: “We are thinking more about the future.”
Because Rainforest Expeditions is a for-profit venture, says Eduardo Nycander, one of its founders, it has been able to undertake conservation and social development more nimbly than governments or NGOs. “By protecting my interests,” he explains, “I am helping conservation. I'm not Father government, nor Mother NGO—I am here to make money.”
So far, Mr Nycander has applied his approach to a few thousand hectares. Now he has a chance to try it on a regional scale. Just 15km (9 miles) from Posada Amazonas, crews are at work improving the dirt track known as the Interoceanic Highway. By 2010, when the last 700km have been paved, it will form the first all-weather link between Brazil and Peru's Pacific coast, cutting the three-day trip from the Andes to the Brazilian border by two-thirds.
But roads in the Amazon are notorious for provoking waves of development and uncontrolled deforestation through logging, mining and agriculture. In Brazil, a halo of deforestation typically extends 50km on either side of a road within a decade of paving. Recent studies by Leonardo Fleck, an economist, have shown that the scale of destruction can result in a net economic drain, in spite of the infrastructure investment—expected in the Interoceanic Highway's case to reach around $1 billion. This is especially worrisome in Madre de Dios because the road cuts between the two biggest protected rainforest areas, and substantial sections of seven more protected areas lie within 50km of it.
Though Peru has wide-ranging environmental laws, they are little-applied and unfunded. Mr Nycander points to Peru's government as the main problem. Earlier this year it sought to award petroleum concessions inside the Tambopata Reserve behind Infierno. So conservationists and ecotourism operators in Madre de Dios are now scrambling to head off uncontrolled development on their own.
By promoting tourism, Mr Nycander hopes to create a big constituency wanting to keep the forest standing. In co-ordination with Odebrecht, the Brazilian company doing the roadwork, he hopes to establish an ecotourism corridor along the road. He believes that the preservation of a strategic swathe of 150,000 hectares involving a series of parks, private reserves, indigenous lands, ecotourism and conservation concessions, brazil-nut and other extractive permits—as the basis for an economy that depends on healthy rainforest—would do the trick.
Already land prices near the road are climbing, thanks to speculation in the face of high soya and corn prices. With the monetisation of ecosystem services like carbon storage still largely theoretical, ecotourism is one of the few non-destructive land uses capable of generating an immediate, competitive cashflow.
Kurt Holle, the co-founder of Rainforest Expeditions, reckons the company's scale is just big enough to secure the Tambopata Reserve and the much bigger national park behind it. But he cautions that the regionwide picture is uncertain: “It's like the front of the battle,” he says. “If the trenches—the ecotourism operations—are overrun, the reserves could be plundered.”
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http://www.economist.com/world/la/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11017681&CFID=2915534&CFTOKEN=74008754
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