From: National Resources Defense Council
Published May 18, 2010 08:57 AM
The Myth of Mountaintop Removal Reclamation
WASHINGTON
(May 17, 2010) -- Roughly 1.2 million acres, including 500 mountains, have been flattened by mountaintop removal coal mining in the central Appalachian region, and only a fraction of that land has been reclaimed for so-called beneficial economic uses, according to new research by environmental groups.
A study by Appalachian Voices, which analyzed recent aerial imagery of eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia, southwest Virginia and eastern Tennessee, confirms for the first time the extent of mountaintop removal throughout the region; nearly half of which has taken place in Kentucky.
"The fact that coal companies can blast away the tops of 500 of the oldest and most biodiverse mountains on the continent shows an utter disrespect for the communities that have to live with the destruction of their land, air and water," said Matt Wasson, with Appalachian Voices.
The mining industry has long exploited a federal statutory provision that exempts them from restoring the land to its "approximate original contour" if there is a plan to develop the land for "equal or better economic use" such as "industrial, commercial, residential or public use." However, NRDC's analysis -- released today in its report Reclamation FAIL -- confirms that nearly 90 percent of mountaintop removal sites have not been converted to economic uses.
"Mining companies don't love mountains but they love bragging about how they restore mine sites for the benefit of local communities," says NRDC's Rob Perks. "Our study exposes Big Coal's broken promises by proving that post-mining economic prosperity is a big, flat lie."
NRDC examined 500 mountaintop removal sites in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee. Of these locations, 90 were excluded from the study due to active, ongoing mining activity. Of the 410 remaining sites surveyed:
* 366 (89.3 percent) had no form of verifiable post-mining economic reclamation excluding forestry and pasture
* 26 (6.3 percent of total) yield some form of verifiable post-mining economic development
Only about four percent of mountains in Kentucky and West Virginia, where 80 percent of the mining is occurring, had any post-mining economic activity. Virginia had the highest proportion of economic activity on its reclaimed mountaintop removal sites at 20 percent. Tennessee, which has relatively little mountaintop removal compared to the other three states, had no economic activity on the six sites examined in that state. Overall, economic activity occurs on just 6 to 11 percent of all reclaimed mountaintop removal sites surveyed as part of this analysis.
Article continues: NRDC Media Center
A place for worthy news and notes and an abundance of links full of helpful tools and tips. We seek the ways and means to help make the world a better place to live and work and be - the best that we can be.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Rare-earth metal recycling needed to power green tech
Metal recycling is the sleeper growth industry in green tech.
Specialty metals, such as lithium and indium, and rare-earth elements, such as neodymium, are required for production of many green-technology products, including batteries for hybrid cars, LED lights, fuel cells, and solar panels.
But to ensure future supply of these resources, recycling rates needed to increase substantially, according to a report from the United Nations Environment Program. Preliminary findings were issued Thursday, with a full report planned for later this year.
More recycling is needed to ensure supply of metals for common products, such as electronics and car batteries.
(Credit: U.N. Environment Program) The recycling rates for specialty metals are only about 1 percent, according to a U.N. panel on metals that is chaired by experts from India, Germany, and Yale University.
"Boosting end-of-life recycling rates not only offers a path to enhancing those supplies and keeping metal prices down, but can also generate new kinds of employment while ensuring the longevity of the mines and the stocks found in nature," Achim Steiner, executive director of the U.N. Environment Program, said in a statement.
There are substantial environmental benefits to recycling all metals, which is between two and ten times more energy efficient than smelting metals from ores, according to the report.
The report says recycling rates of more common metals, such as copper, aluminum, lead, and tin, vary greatly. They can range from 25 percent to 75 percent and are much lower in some developing countries.
Increasingly, both specialty and common metals may be "mined" from existing products and structures, such as electronic gadgets and buildings. For every person in the U.S., there is now about 530 pounds of copper that is above ground, according to the report.
Article continues on -
Specialty metals, such as lithium and indium, and rare-earth elements, such as neodymium, are required for production of many green-technology products, including batteries for hybrid cars, LED lights, fuel cells, and solar panels.
But to ensure future supply of these resources, recycling rates needed to increase substantially, according to a report from the United Nations Environment Program. Preliminary findings were issued Thursday, with a full report planned for later this year.
More recycling is needed to ensure supply of metals for common products, such as electronics and car batteries.
(Credit: U.N. Environment Program) The recycling rates for specialty metals are only about 1 percent, according to a U.N. panel on metals that is chaired by experts from India, Germany, and Yale University.
"Boosting end-of-life recycling rates not only offers a path to enhancing those supplies and keeping metal prices down, but can also generate new kinds of employment while ensuring the longevity of the mines and the stocks found in nature," Achim Steiner, executive director of the U.N. Environment Program, said in a statement.
There are substantial environmental benefits to recycling all metals, which is between two and ten times more energy efficient than smelting metals from ores, according to the report.
The report says recycling rates of more common metals, such as copper, aluminum, lead, and tin, vary greatly. They can range from 25 percent to 75 percent and are much lower in some developing countries.
Increasingly, both specialty and common metals may be "mined" from existing products and structures, such as electronic gadgets and buildings. For every person in the U.S., there is now about 530 pounds of copper that is above ground, according to the report.
Article continues on -
Friday, May 14, 2010
Small-wind turbines pick up steam (photos)
Small Wind Turbines Pick Up Speed
May 12, 2010 8:22 AM PDT
Windtronics, based in Muskegon, Mich., later this year plans to release a wind turbine specifically designed for low wind speeds. The products will be sold as the Honeywell Wind Turbine and made available through hardware stores, although in most cases it will need a professional installer. One important feature with this turbine is that it doesn't have gears in the rotor of the fan, instead relying on power generation through permanent magnets on the tips of the blades.
There are dozens of different types of wind turbines aimed at homeowners or commercial customers interested in on-site electricity generation. As the industry matures, experts say that there need to be better tools for assessing the available wind resource at homes, which will produce an economically viable project.
See related story: "Good data needed for small-wind turbines to spin"
May 12, 2010 8:22 AM PDT
Windtronics, based in Muskegon, Mich., later this year plans to release a wind turbine specifically designed for low wind speeds. The products will be sold as the Honeywell Wind Turbine and made available through hardware stores, although in most cases it will need a professional installer. One important feature with this turbine is that it doesn't have gears in the rotor of the fan, instead relying on power generation through permanent magnets on the tips of the blades.
There are dozens of different types of wind turbines aimed at homeowners or commercial customers interested in on-site electricity generation. As the industry matures, experts say that there need to be better tools for assessing the available wind resource at homes, which will produce an economically viable project.
See related story: "Good data needed for small-wind turbines to spin"
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Philips Unveils World's First 60 Watt LED Bulb
PHILIPS UNVEILS WORLD’S FIRST LED REPLACEMENT FOR MOST COMMON HOUSEHOLD LIGHT BULB
Las Vegas, USA (May 12, 2010) – Royal Philips Electronics (AEX: PHI, NYSE: PHG) today unveiled its 12 watt EnduraLED light bulb, the industry’s first LED replacement for a 60 watt incandescent light bulb. Shown for the first time here at the Lightfair International tradeshow, it marks an important breakthrough in the use of LED lighting technology in everyday applications. Consumers will now have an LED alternative to the most commonly used incandescent bulb, which will deliver up to 80% energy savings and last 25 times longer than its century-old predecessor.
The significance of developing an LED equivalent to the 60 watt has been recognized by many international organizations, including the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), who created the L-prize competition to spur development of this highly sought after innovation. Philips’ entry was the first, and to date remains the only submission for the L-Prize, which was used as the basis for the 12 watt EnduraLED. Exceeding the Energy Star specifications for a 60 watt bulb, the EnduraLED uses only 12 watts of power while delivering an industry benchmark of 806 lumens.
Article continues on at - http://www.newsinfusion.com/philips/
Las Vegas, USA (May 12, 2010) – Royal Philips Electronics (AEX: PHI, NYSE: PHG) today unveiled its 12 watt EnduraLED light bulb, the industry’s first LED replacement for a 60 watt incandescent light bulb. Shown for the first time here at the Lightfair International tradeshow, it marks an important breakthrough in the use of LED lighting technology in everyday applications. Consumers will now have an LED alternative to the most commonly used incandescent bulb, which will deliver up to 80% energy savings and last 25 times longer than its century-old predecessor.
The significance of developing an LED equivalent to the 60 watt has been recognized by many international organizations, including the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), who created the L-prize competition to spur development of this highly sought after innovation. Philips’ entry was the first, and to date remains the only submission for the L-Prize, which was used as the basis for the 12 watt EnduraLED. Exceeding the Energy Star specifications for a 60 watt bulb, the EnduraLED uses only 12 watts of power while delivering an industry benchmark of 806 lumens.
Article continues on at - http://www.newsinfusion.com/philips/
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Senate climate bill unveiled; fate uncertain
Senate Climate Bill Unveiled
(Reuters) - A U.S. Senate compromise bill aimed at battling global warming would cut emissions of greenhouse gases 17 percent by 2020, according to a summary given to senators and obtained by Reuters on Tuesday.
(Reuters) - A U.S. Senate compromise bill aimed at battling global warming would cut emissions of greenhouse gases 17 percent by 2020, according to a summary given to senators and obtained by Reuters on Tuesday.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Panel Affirms Radiation Link to Cancer
From: H. Josef Hebert, Associated Press
Published June 30, 2005 12:00 AM
Panel Affirms Radiation Link to Cancer
March 3, 2008 05:21 PMWASHINGTON — The preponderance of scientific evidence shows that even very low doses of radiation pose a risk of cancer or other health problems
and there is no threshold below which exposure can be viewed as harmless, a panel of prominent scientists concluded Wednesday.
The finding by the National Academy of Sciences panel is viewed as critical because it addresses radiation amounts commonly used in medical treatment and is likely also to influence radiation levels the government will allow at abandoned nuclear sites
Published June 30, 2005 12:00 AM
Panel Affirms Radiation Link to Cancer
March 3, 2008 05:21 PMWASHINGTON — The preponderance of scientific evidence shows that even very low doses of radiation pose a risk of cancer or other health problems
and there is no threshold below which exposure can be viewed as harmless, a panel of prominent scientists concluded Wednesday.
The finding by the National Academy of Sciences panel is viewed as critical because it addresses radiation amounts commonly used in medical treatment and is likely also to influence radiation levels the government will allow at abandoned nuclear sites
Environmental Cancer Risk
Environmental Cancer Risk
(Click link for full report)
There is a body of evidence linking general environmental exposures to cancer. A report was released today by the President's Cancer Panel which finds that the true burden of environmentally induced cancer is underestimated. The Panel's report, "Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now," concludes that while environmental exposure is not a new front on the war on cancer, the harm from this group of carcinogens has not been addressed adequately by the National Cancer Program.
From: Andy Soos, ENN
Published May 6, 2010 12:31 PM
(Click link for full report)
There is a body of evidence linking general environmental exposures to cancer. A report was released today by the President's Cancer Panel which finds that the true burden of environmentally induced cancer is underestimated. The Panel's report, "Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now," concludes that while environmental exposure is not a new front on the war on cancer, the harm from this group of carcinogens has not been addressed adequately by the National Cancer Program.
From: Andy Soos, ENN
Published May 6, 2010 12:31 PM
Wind Power Growth Continues to Break Records Despite Recession
Wind Power Growth Continues to Break Records Despite Recession
Saya Kitasei
May 06, 2010
Global wind power capacity increased by 38,343 megawatts to a total of 158,505 megawatts in 2009.1 Despite a widespread economic recession, new wind power capacity grew more than 31 percent in cumulative installations, the highest rate in the last eight years.2 (See Figures 1 and 2.) Worldwide, wind power contributed 340 trillion kilowatt-hours, or 2 percent, to global electricity consumption in 2009.3
Saya Kitasei
May 06, 2010
Global wind power capacity increased by 38,343 megawatts to a total of 158,505 megawatts in 2009.1 Despite a widespread economic recession, new wind power capacity grew more than 31 percent in cumulative installations, the highest rate in the last eight years.2 (See Figures 1 and 2.) Worldwide, wind power contributed 340 trillion kilowatt-hours, or 2 percent, to global electricity consumption in 2009.3
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Wasps, Eco Questions & Energy Vampires
Ask Umbra on wasps, researching your own eco-questions, and energy vampires
Q. Dear Umbra,
Every time the weather gets warmer, it's the same: the wasps! They insist on trying to make their home in my balcony! I tried many different things, like citronella candles, but some of them apparently attract instead of repelling wasps. I don't want to kill them; I just want to keep them away! Also, if I don't do anything effective, the landlord will notice and will kill them himself with whatever harsh insect killer he has in hand!
Please help!
Thabata
A. Dearest Thabata,
Before we talk about how to get rid of wasps, let's give them their due as helpful insects. Most wasps are actually quite beneficial to the ecosystem as predators to other insects like caterpillars, which can wreak havoc on a garden. But wasps can be nasty too, so what to do with your balcony colony.
Generally, wasps avoid us humans. But, as you obviously know, when the nest is near a house, it's got to go. Your desire to avoid the fury of a wasp sting (I have—it's no picnic, my friend) is understandable; your desire not to harm the wasps admirable.
Continue On...
http://www.grist.org/article/2010-04-30-ask-umbra-on-wasps-researching-your-own-eco-questions-vampires
Q. Dear Umbra,
Every time the weather gets warmer, it's the same: the wasps! They insist on trying to make their home in my balcony! I tried many different things, like citronella candles, but some of them apparently attract instead of repelling wasps. I don't want to kill them; I just want to keep them away! Also, if I don't do anything effective, the landlord will notice and will kill them himself with whatever harsh insect killer he has in hand!
Please help!
Thabata
A. Dearest Thabata,
Before we talk about how to get rid of wasps, let's give them their due as helpful insects. Most wasps are actually quite beneficial to the ecosystem as predators to other insects like caterpillars, which can wreak havoc on a garden. But wasps can be nasty too, so what to do with your balcony colony.
Generally, wasps avoid us humans. But, as you obviously know, when the nest is near a house, it's got to go. Your desire to avoid the fury of a wasp sting (I have—it's no picnic, my friend) is understandable; your desire not to harm the wasps admirable.
Continue On...
http://www.grist.org/article/2010-04-30-ask-umbra-on-wasps-researching-your-own-eco-questions-vampires
Dolphins, Like Humans, Recognize Names
From: Deborah Zabarenko, Reuters
Published May 9, 2006 12:00 AM
Dolphins, Like Humans, Recognize Names
RELATED ARTICLES
Dolphin Intelligence
April 1, 2009 11:18 AMWASHINGTON — Bottlenose dolphins can call each other by name when they whistle, making them the only animals besides humans known to recognize such identity information, scientists reported Monday.
Scientists have long known that dolphins' whistling calls include repeated information thought to be their names, but a new study indicates dolphins recognize these names even when voice cues are removed from the sound.
For example, a dolphin might be expected to recognize its name if called by its mother, but the new study found most dolphins recognized names -- their signature whistles -- even when emitted without inflection or other vocal cues.
More than that, two dolphins may refer to a third by the third animal's name, said Laela Sayigh, one of three authors of a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"They are known to produce these individually distinctive signature whistles, like names," Sayigh said in a telephone interview. She said the researchers wanted to know what information in the whistles helped dolphins identify each other's names.
The scientists already knew that dolphins responded to whistles, but wondered if something in the actual voice of the whistling dolphin was making the identity clear, or if the name itself was enough for recognition.
Published May 9, 2006 12:00 AM
Dolphins, Like Humans, Recognize Names
RELATED ARTICLES
Dolphin Intelligence
April 1, 2009 11:18 AMWASHINGTON — Bottlenose dolphins can call each other by name when they whistle, making them the only animals besides humans known to recognize such identity information, scientists reported Monday.
Scientists have long known that dolphins' whistling calls include repeated information thought to be their names, but a new study indicates dolphins recognize these names even when voice cues are removed from the sound.
For example, a dolphin might be expected to recognize its name if called by its mother, but the new study found most dolphins recognized names -- their signature whistles -- even when emitted without inflection or other vocal cues.
More than that, two dolphins may refer to a third by the third animal's name, said Laela Sayigh, one of three authors of a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"They are known to produce these individually distinctive signature whistles, like names," Sayigh said in a telephone interview. She said the researchers wanted to know what information in the whistles helped dolphins identify each other's names.
The scientists already knew that dolphins responded to whistles, but wondered if something in the actual voice of the whistling dolphin was making the identity clear, or if the name itself was enough for recognition.
How the Human Brain Recognizes Language
From: David A Gabel, ENN
Published May 3, 2010 11:37 AM
How the Human Brain Recognizes Language
May 9, 2006 12:00 AM It is a major part of what separates us from the animals, the ability to verbalize our thoughts and understand the verbalizations of others. However, this evolutionary miracle is not exclusive to human beings — other species like dolphins and birds communicate regularly. Humans, however, have taken communication to such an advanced degree that we can verbalize even the most minute detail, and our brains are wired to understand them. Not only are we capable of multiple languages, we also have the capacity for non-verbal sign language. In fact, a recent study out of the University of Rochester focusing on sign language has reached a new conclusion on how the brain is wired for language.
Continue On - http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/41283
Published May 3, 2010 11:37 AM
How the Human Brain Recognizes Language
May 9, 2006 12:00 AM It is a major part of what separates us from the animals, the ability to verbalize our thoughts and understand the verbalizations of others. However, this evolutionary miracle is not exclusive to human beings — other species like dolphins and birds communicate regularly. Humans, however, have taken communication to such an advanced degree that we can verbalize even the most minute detail, and our brains are wired to understand them. Not only are we capable of multiple languages, we also have the capacity for non-verbal sign language. In fact, a recent study out of the University of Rochester focusing on sign language has reached a new conclusion on how the brain is wired for language.
Continue On - http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/41283
Scientists Resurrect Mammoth Hemoglobin
Scientists Resurrect Mammoth Hemoglobin
by Andrew Curry on May 2, 2010 1:00 PM
Defrosted. Woolly mammoth hemoglobin contains unique regions (blue) that interact with other regions (red) to deliver oxygen at a steady rate regardless of temperature.
Credit: (mammoth) Royal British Columbia Museum; (inset) Joerg StetefeldBy inserting a 43,000-year-old woolly mammoth gene into Escherichia coli bacteria, scientists have figured out how these ancient beasts adapted to the subzero temperatures of prehistoric Siberia and North America. The gene, which codes for the oxygen-transporting protein hemoglobin, allowed the animals to keep their tissues supplied with oxygen even at very low temperatures. "It's no different from going back 40,000 years and taking a blood sample from a living mammoth," says Kevin Campbell, a biologist at the University of Manitoba in Canada.
Campbell's team obtained DNA from mammoth bone preserved in the Siberian permafrost. It was a long journey for Campbell, whose specialty is the physiology of mammals. A decade ago, he saw a Discovery Channel program on the recovery of a mammoth specimen encased in ice and wondered if such specimens might hold clues to the physiology of the mammoth.
Artcle continues on at - http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/05/scientists-resurrect-mammoth-hem.html?rss=1
by Andrew Curry on May 2, 2010 1:00 PM
Defrosted. Woolly mammoth hemoglobin contains unique regions (blue) that interact with other regions (red) to deliver oxygen at a steady rate regardless of temperature.
Credit: (mammoth) Royal British Columbia Museum; (inset) Joerg StetefeldBy inserting a 43,000-year-old woolly mammoth gene into Escherichia coli bacteria, scientists have figured out how these ancient beasts adapted to the subzero temperatures of prehistoric Siberia and North America. The gene, which codes for the oxygen-transporting protein hemoglobin, allowed the animals to keep their tissues supplied with oxygen even at very low temperatures. "It's no different from going back 40,000 years and taking a blood sample from a living mammoth," says Kevin Campbell, a biologist at the University of Manitoba in Canada.
Campbell's team obtained DNA from mammoth bone preserved in the Siberian permafrost. It was a long journey for Campbell, whose specialty is the physiology of mammals. A decade ago, he saw a Discovery Channel program on the recovery of a mammoth specimen encased in ice and wondered if such specimens might hold clues to the physiology of the mammoth.
Artcle continues on at - http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/05/scientists-resurrect-mammoth-hem.html?rss=1
New EPA Regulations Target Mercury & Other Toxic Emissions
New EPA Regulations Target Mercury and Other Toxic Emissions
from Boilers and Solid Waste Incinerators:
ENN Article - http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/41288
EPA Proposed Regs - http://www.epa.gov/airquality/combustion/
from Boilers and Solid Waste Incinerators:
ENN Article - http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/41288
EPA Proposed Regs - http://www.epa.gov/airquality/combustion/