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E-NEWS

Suing for Wolverines
October 6, 2008
Reporting by Roddy Scheer

Wolverines depend on areas that maintain deep snow from February through early May
A coalition of environmental groups filed suit in federal court last week over the wolverine being denied protection under the Endangered Species Act. The groups claim that the White House call not to list the wolverine—whose numbers have been shrinking due to global warming and other factors—was based on politics, not science.

Wolverines are rare, wide-ranging members of the weasel family that are associated with wild, remote alpine areas. Environmentalists are concerned about their status in the lower 48 because of their low numbers, isolation from larger Canadian populations, and climate change. In a recent status review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the federal agency responsible for overseeing endangered species protections, stated that wolverine population numbers were declining precipitously: “The small effective population size (number of breeding wolverines) in the contiguous U.S. wolverine population has led to inbreeding and consequent loss of genetic diversity,” they report. “Over time, if the current effective population size remains stable, the population will be at risk of extinction.”

Greens believe that the Bush administration failed to follow the recommendations of its own FWS scientists because it feared putting a second species on the endangered list due to global warming. (Last May, the White House added the polar bear, whose sea ice habitat is breaking up due to climate change, after months of delay.) Wolverines are at direct risk from climate change, because they depend on areas that maintain deep snow from February through early May, which is their birthing and denning season. Snowpack is already in decline in their preferred habitat in the western mountains and is only expected to worsen in the coming years.

The lawsuit to overturn the listing decision was filed by Earthjustuce on behalf of Defenders of Wildlife, Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Northwest, Friends of the Clearwater, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Idaho Conservation League, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center and Wyoming Outdoor Council.

Source: Center for Biological Diversity

The Problems on Our Plates
October 6, 2008
Reporting by Roddy Scheer

British researchers confirm that too much meat in our diet is leading to climate catastrophe.
British researchers are suggesting that those of us in the world’s developed nations limit our weekly intake of meat to only four modest portions—and milk to just one liter—if we are to avoid “runaway” climate change. A new report from the UK-based Food Climate Research Network concludes that humans’ increasing demand for livestock and other food items—especially “low nutritional value” treats such as alcohol, sweets and chocolates—is exacerbating global warming worldwide.

The report found that the food sector in the UK generates about one-fifth of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions. The UK’s meat and dairy sector accounts for just over half of those emissions, while potatoes, fruits and vegetables account for 15 percent. Drinks and other sugary products account for another 15 percent, with bread, pastry and flour accounting for 13 percent. Researchers said that if enough of us reduce the amount of meat we eat, the emissions savings could be substantial.

Beyond a straight assessment of how the food economy is affecting climate change, though, the report also makes recommendations for how consumers can do their part on an individual basis to lower their food-related carbon footprints. Some of the key tips are to buy local, in-season produce, cook in bulk and in pots with lids or pressure cookers, avoid waste, and walk to food shops and farmers’ markets. The report also recommends using the microwave more than the oven—it uses far less energy overall—and also shopping via the Internet, which saves fuel since deliveries are centralized and not everyone is driving their own vehicle to the store.

Source: The Guardian

COMMENTARY: Parking the Beast

Overcoming My Gas-Guzzling Cadillac Addiction

By Michael J. Conway

The 1990 Cadillac Deville, my guilty habit.

© www.automotive.com
When I was a kid, sugar substitutes were sure to give my rat brain cancer, Pop Rocks would make my stomach implode, and most anything one could spray or drive would poke a hole through the ozone . I easily passed on the diet stuff, mixed Pop Rocks with Cola, and watched Ma tease her hair with 1/2 a can of BRECK hairspray while smoking a Tareyton 100. Three decades after G. I. Joe was laid to rest, I watched Gore and Moore and still did not care much about worldly going ons or global salvation. I arrived in my 40s far from eco-friendly.

Last winter, I was driving back and forth to work in my 1990 Cadillac Deville, a.k.a. “the Beast.” One day as the 8 cylinders idled at a stop light, I looked off to the right and noticed two hybrid cars totaling the Beast’s length. Shortly after, I heard something dragging beneath my car. I imagined it to be a Prius or the like under my rusted tailpipe.

I was outside the car, bent over to have a look, when I noticed an elderly man sitting on a porch in the cold. A small oxygen tank sat next to his wheelchair and a small green tube snaked to his face. I wondered if my driving the Beast may have helped put him there. I looked at the sickly man, then the Beast; the sickly Beast, then the man. I felt guilty. Then I forgot about it.

Months later I passed the porch where the old man had been sitting. It was getting warmer and the snow had turned a mushy gray and black. The man was not there. The feeling of guilt returned, but worse. I thought back to when I had my addiction under control, only driving the Caddy on the weekends. Then it took hold of me. Back and forth to work, trips for the morning paper while the family 6 cylinder “Bob” sat in the lot of our house. Arriving home, I Googled 12-Step programs for old Caddy owners and found none. I would have to wean myself off the warm womb-like vehicle.

Instead, I went nearly cold turkey and started driving Bob to work each day. At first I cursed every bump, rut, and bigger car on the road. Then it got better. Although not perfect, I am happy to report that I am down to once a week. Saturdays I drive the Beast to a bookstore to meet some friends and discuss literature. Meeting up with friends has helped a lot with the separation anxiety I feel toward the Beast.

Yesterday, my wife and I drove Bob to the waters at Marblehead Neck, Massachusetts. As speedboats wheezed by, I spotted a sailboat and admired its simplicity and lack of revved-up motor.

U.S. Dept. of Energy www.fueleconomy.gov

1990 Cadillac Deville:
Premium Gasoline
MPG 15 City, 17 Combined, 23 Hwy
Cost to drive 25 miles: $ 6.19
Fuel to drive 25 miles: 1.47 gal.
Annual Fuel Cost*: $ 3713,
Annual Petroleum Consumption: 20.1 barrels (1 barell = 42 gallons)
Annual Tons of CO2 Emitted: 10.8.

2008 Toyota Prius:
Regular Gasoline
48 City, 45 Hwy, 46 Combined
Cost to drive 25 miles: $ 2.15
Fuel to drive 25 miles: 0.54 gal.
Annual Fuel Cost*: $ 1289
Annual Petroleum Consumption: 7.4 barrels (1 barell = 42 gallons),
Annual Tons of CO2 Emitted: 4.0.

(•Based on 45% hwy/ 55% city, 15,000 miles / year, Prem.: $ 4.21 gal./ Reg.: $ 3.96 gal.)

MICHAEL J. CONWAY is a freelance writer who reports he is “getting better at this green thing” every day. He can be reached at mjcon6@msn

Winds of Change at Logan Airport
By Judith E. Allen

The new turbines at Logan Airport.

© Logan Airport
The Massachusetts Port Authority is exploring the possibility of using wind power to generate electricity at Logan Airport. Its demonstration project—the installation of 20 building-integrated turbines at the Logan Office Center—began at the end of February. By late May, debugging was complete.

Over the next year, they’ll evaluate the project’s total electrical generation and decide whether the turbines can be used effectively throughout the entire airport. The initial data looks promising.

“We are on the harbor and anticipate that wind speed—from two to 120 miles per hour [mph]—will be enough to generate approximately 90,000 kilowatt hours [kWh] of electricity annually,” says Terry Civic, manager of Massport’s Utilities Contro1. “That output would be 2% of the office building’s monthly energy use, a $13,000 annual savings for Massport.”

While data collection will take 12 months, start-up and installation have offered valuable first lessons. They found that short, square rectangular buildings work best for siting the turbines, and that building location played a big role in turbine effectiveness.

“Turbines can move about 60%, which means they can actually pick up wind from behind,” Civic says. “But wind—hopefully 15 mph or more—that hits the building, and thus the turbines, face-on is best.”

The entire investment was $150,000 or $6,500 to $7,500 per turbine, each of which stands six feet tall and is eight feet at the base. With shorter support towers and reduced noise and vibration, these smaller turbines made by AeroVironment of California, adapt easily to buildings. They’re also at Duluth County Courthouse in Minnesota and Kettle Foods Factory in Wisconsin, among other spots.

Massport representatives attended an Earth Day conference in Dallas this past spring, and generated a lot of interest in their renewable energy measures. Since then, Civic learned that an airport in Manchester, U.K., has called AeroVironment to install one test turbine. “We are very interested in sharing data with other interested parties, so they can look at the technology and have raw data to evaluate,” she says.

CONTACTS: AeroVironment; Groom Energy Solutions; Massport

Week of 10/05/2008

Dear EarthTalk: Are there natural headache remedies that can get me off of Tylenol, Advil and other medicines whose side effects can be as bad as or worse than the pain that led me to use them?

-- Jan Levinson, Portland, ME

Many of us may be too dependent on over-the-counter painkillers to treat the occasional headache, especially given the side effects of such drugs. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can increase the risk of heart and circulation problems—including heart attack and stroke—and is also tough on the digestive tract. Too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) has been linked to nausea, diarrhea, and kidney and liver problems. Many natural health care practitioners disparage drugs for merely masking the symptoms of larger problems.

All headaches are not the same and gobbling down pain pills will not address the causes, whatever they may be. Some headaches are caused by tension; others stem from sinus congestion, caffeine withdrawal, constipation, food allergies, spinal misalignment or lack of sleep. And then there are migraines, which researchers think are neurological in nature: The brain fails to constrict the nerve pathways that open the arteries to the brain, resulting in a pounding headache as blood flows in unchecked. Assessing what kind of headache you may have can help lead the way to a solution beyond deadening the pain with a pill.

Massage and techniques such as acupressure (acupuncture without the needles) can go a long way to relieve tension headaches without the need for chemical painkillers. As to relieving migraine headaches, a number of nutritional supplements and herbs have good track records, but they should not be used without the guidance of a trusted doctor or naturopath.

© Getty Images
To make tension headaches go away, the Farmers’ Almanac recommends applying an ice pack to the neck and upper back, or, even better, getting someone to massage those areas. Also, soaking the feet in hot water can divert blood from your head to your feet, easing any kind of headache pain in the process.

Another all-natural headache cure is acupressure (like acupuncture, but without the needles), which promotes healing throughout the body by stimulating channels of energy known as meridians. Victoria Abreo, alternative medicine editor for the website BellaOnline, says that anyone suffering from a tension headache can employ a simple acupressure technique to help relieve the pain: “With one hand, press the shallow indention in the back of the head at the base of the skull. Simultaneously, with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand, press firmly into the upper hollows of the eye sockets, right where they straddle the bridge of the nose and meet the ‘t’ of the eyebrow bridge.” She says to press softy at first, and then more firmly, holding for three to five minutes.

As for migraines, avoiding certain trigger foods might be key to staving them off. Abreo says migraine sufferers should try steering clear of dairy products, processed meat, red wine, caffeine and chocolate. New research has shown that some people with specific dietary deficiencies are more prone to migraines.

According to Dr. Linda White, who writes about natural health for Mother Earth News, some recent clinical trials have shown three nutritional supplements—magnesium, riboflavin and coenzyme Q10—to be particularly effective at reducing the frequency and severity of migraines. Also, a number of herbs—including feverfew, butterbur, lavender, gingko biloba, rosemary and chamomile—have proven track records in preventing or stopping migraines. Since herbs can be potent and are not regulated or tested, headache sufferers should consult a trusted doctor or naturopath before using alternative remedies.

CONTACTS: Farmers’ Almanac; BellaOnline; Mother Earth News

Dear EarthTalk: Are there any electric bicycles or scooters that make for a nice cheap, green-friendly commute?

-- Sean Foley, Nashua, NH

Today‚s electric bikes and scooters are big improvements over the finicky mopeds of the 70s and 80s. Consumers can start greening up their commutes on such vehicles for as little as a $1,500 investment and about 25 cents a day in electricity costs. Pictured: the Veloteq Challenger RSV.

© Veloteq
Bicycle commuting has long been a symbol of greener living, and it is great exercise, too. But most people are probably not up to commutes much beyond five or 10 miles one-way in the interest of time and in not arriving at work too pooped (or sweaty) to pop.

Now a number of battery-powered two-wheelers are coming on the market that won’t get you your exercise but will get you from point A to B and back with minimal environmental impact. Consumers can start greening up their commutes on such vehicles for as little as $1,500 plus about 25 cents a day in electricity costs—not bad at all when you consider that a new car costs thousands of dollars more up front and chugs mass quantities off expensive and polluting gasoline.

Many of us conjuring up images of electric bikes and scooters may envision the finicky mopeds of the 70s and 80s, but today’s offerings are much improved and quite diverse.

Those who want to go fast but stay green should check out some of the electric scooters made by Miami-based EVTAMERICA. Each of the company’s three models tops out at a maximum speed of 45 miles per hour—respectable even on the highway. “People want to go at least 40 mph,” says the company’s co-owner, Fernando Pruna. “Everything built before could only do 25 or 30.”

Meanwhile, eGO of Somerville, Massachusetts makes electric bikes that can speed along at 25 miles per hour in “go fast” mode, but also have a “go far” mode, which trades off speed for distance (some 24 miles on a single charge). While eGO’s bikes may look diminutive, they are known for their strength. “Our bikes are powerful enough to tow a car,” says Kevin Kazlauskas, the company’s operations manager. “These are not toys, and customers aren’t treating them like toys.”

Another option might be an electric scooter made by Houston-based Veloteq. These scooters only go 20 miles per hour at top speed, but they can cover up to 50 miles on a single charge, which is more than enough distance to get most commuters back and forth to work, as long as they can avoid fast-moving highways along the way. A side benefit of the speed limitation on Veloteq’s vehicles is that they are typically exempt from licensing, registration and insurance regulations in most jurisdictions—yet another way to save money over those car drivers still mired in their 20th century car commutes.

Opting for one of these new scooters or bikes over a car commute will take a big bite out of your carbon footprint, but the future promises even greener versions. The lead-acid batteries that most models use today will soon be replaced with greener and more efficient varieties, lithium ion and nickel zinc being two of the more promising formats. These new fangled batteries will make the vehicles cost more, at least initially, but they will also trim bike weight significantly and provide a lot more distance per charge. And eGo is working on a model with a small solar array behind the seat to extend the bike’s range once its electric charge starts to run low.

CONTACTS: EVTAMERICA; eGO; Veloteq

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