Important Message From Community Activists in the Gulf Coast

Dear friends:

As tropical storm Gustave bares down on the Gulf of Mexico we find ourselves in a very dire situation. Our organization has worked to assist the residents of Plaquemines parish recover from the devastation of Katrina over the last three years and now we are faced with another evacuation to places unknown.

At present, as we make plans to leave our FEMA Campers and partially rebuilt homes and our communities we will be under a "Mandatory Evacuation" by Saturday August 30, 2008. We have about 30 men, women, children and elderly that are in need of assistance and care through out this difficult and stressful time. We have purchased food, water and are looking to arrangement for shelter and have exhausted our resources.

Monique Harden and her organization has donated $300.00 dollars towards the housing and care of these good people. We have plans to house ourselves at Jelly Stone Park in cabins that can sleep 6 to 10 people. These cabins are $80 to $110 dollars per day and allow us to house groups in a situation we can accomodate the kids and elderly in our group. We are asking for your help to provide for these needy people.

Because we do not know the direction or severity of this storm, we may have to go further north if it moves inland and the parish we are going to has a mandatory Evac as well. Hotels and other housing alternatives are all booked up as far as Tennessee and we may have to move these folks further north to a safe location.

Any ammount of assistance is a help and will be used to care for this group of people. They all have some money, but it will be used up quickly idf we have to travel 10+ hours to safety.

You can send this assistance to: Martin Denesse with a note for Hurricane Evac Assistance Western Union and e-mail me that you have donated. I will respond to the e-mail and let you know we have recieved it. Western Union should be sent to the New Orleans Location as it willl allow me to access the funds at any western Union Location nation wide.

I would ask one more thing of you, we have lost so much and the stress of this situation is great especially on children and the elderly...pray for us and that God would sustain us and protect us.

Blessings...

Pastor Martin Denesse
Grace Harbour Christian Ministries
Community Technology & Economic Development Center
for Plaquemines Parish
504-208-1479 Office / 318-607-7133 cell
One Parish...One Community...One Nation Under God!

Things that make you say duh, Volume 3

This just in from the United National Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): The United States and other developed countries waste a lot of food and water every year.

You think?

The amount that the U.S. wastes is quite staggering, however. in the United States, up to 30 percent of food, worth almost $50 billion, is thrown away each year. Wasted food also means wasted water that didn't have to be used to grow the food.

"That's like leaving the tap running and pouring 40 trillion litres of water into the garbage can - enough water to meet the household needs of 500 million people," the report said.

Anyone else think its about time for a new food system?

Source: The Vancouver Sun

How do pirates fight global warming?

By reducing their cAAARGHbon footprints!

(Actually, there is a point to the this blog post, the pirate joke was just a freebie.)

Apparently, increased numbers of pirate attacks on ships carrying large loads of chemicals have raised international concerns about chemical terrorism. According to Chemical and Engineering News, last year there were 263 reports of attempted or actual attacks on vessels worldwide. Of these reports, 23 were on chemical tankers and 29 were on product tankers, which may carry bulk chemical loads that include oil. These numbers are exepected to be grossly under-reported.

Um. If terrorism is the only concern with ships carrying 40,000 tons of cancer causing toxins across the ocean, then I'll be dAARGHned.

This is fracking ridiculous

Fracking* fluids, or fracturing fluids, are fluids that are pumped into the ground to break up rocks and increase oil production in a process known as hydraulic fracking. Around 90 percent of all oil and gas wells in the U.S. uses this process.

The problem is, these fracking fluids are extremely toxic and go largely unregulated. Yet, millions of gallons of these fluids are used every years, and there are hundreds of reported spills.The EPA, however, says that fracking fluids are safe for the environment and groundwater, even though this is clearly not the case. Check out this Newsweek article on the health and environmental effects of fracking, and story of one woman who got poisoned by exposure to fracking fluids.

The upside is that in yet another example of states stepping in where EPA fails, Colorado has just announced it will be issuing regulations on fracking fluid. Yay, Colorado!

*Brian has pointed out that frack is also a swear word commonly used on Battlestar Galactica. For all my sci-fi geek fans (Megan), I apologize for the confusion.

Important Action If You Are In DC On Friday

Take Action to Get Toxic Flame Retardants Banned in MI

The Michigan Legislature is currently discussing legislation to ban deca-BDE, a type of toxic flame retardant that shouldn't be used anymore. Deca-BDE is part of a class of chemicals known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE). They are widely used as flame retardants in furniture foams, industrial textiles, and consumer electronics. Deca-BDE is the most widely used form of PBDE, and is found in mattresses, televisions, computers, and residential upholstered furniture.

PBDEs have been found in human breast milk, wildlife, and in food. In 1998, Swedish scientists discovered that PBDEs may pose significant risks to human and environmental health. As a result, the European Union and the states of California, Hawaii, Maine, New York and Washington took action to reduce, or ban, the use of PBDEs.

I just took action to get deca-BDE banned in Michigan, and if you live in Michigan, you should take a second to take action as well: http://www.mnceh.org/take.deca.php

The Birds and The PCBs is Back

After a brief hiatus that involved an end to my fabulous summer working at Food and Water Watch, a move from DC to Ann Arbor, and a road trip through 7 states, I'm happy to report that The Birds and The PCBs is back in action. Sorry for the delay!

Massive Oil Expansion Slated For Amazon: Could the Amazonian Chernobyl Get Even Worse?

Earlier this week, I was stunned to learn about the "Amazonian Chernobyl." Now, it seems like Ecuador might be just the tip of the iceberg.

According to the Guardian, huge amounts of land in the Amazon are about to be opened up for gas exploration, including in some biodiversity hotspots. The land earmarked by oil companies for exploration spans the size of Texas. Texas!!!

Matt Finer of Save America's Forests, a US-based environmental group, said, "When you look at where the oil and gas blocks are, they overlap perfectly on top of the peak biodiversity spots, almost as if by design, and this is in one of the most, if not the most, biodiverse place on Earth."

The good (well, not good, but not as bad) news is that right now most of that land is in the exploration phase- which is problematic because it means companies are going to be cutting into the forest for their tests, but its not as devastating as full on oil drilling. Once the exploration turns to development is when there are going to be real problems. Not only ecologically, but also in terms of the indigenous people who live on these lands. "The way that oil development is being pursued in the western Amazon is a gross violation of the rights of the indigenous peoples of the region," explains Brain Keane of Land is Life.

Read more from The Guardian if you are interested to learn more.

North Pole Could Be Free of Ice In Just 5 Years

For anyone who doesn't believe that climate change is happening now, read this immediately.

After a record summer of arctic melting, leading scientists are now saying that the North Pole could be free of ice by 2013. I can't say it better than the Guardian, so I'm not going to try:

This startling loss of Arctic sea ice has major meteorological, environmental and ecological implications. The region acts like a giant refrigerator that has a strong effect on the northern hemisphere's meteorology. Without its cooling influence, weather patterns will be badly disrupted, including storms set to sweep over Britain.

At the same time, creatures such as polar bears and seals - which use sea ice for hunting and resting - face major threats. Similarly, coastlines will no longer be insulated by ice from wave damage and will suffer erosion, as is already happening in Alaska.

Other environmental changes are likely to follow. Without sea ice to bolster them, land ice - including glaciers - could topple into the ocean and raise global sea levels, threatening many low-lying areas, including Bangladesh and scores of Pacific islands. In addition, the disappearance of reflective ice over the Arctic means that solar radiation would no longer be bounced back into space, thus heating the planet even further.

Shout out to Gina Johnson for sharing this scary, scary story with us.

More things that make you say "duh"

"Hunting ban leads to whale recovery."

Wait, banning whale hunting is good for the whales? Really?

Still need that witty title

[Seriously though- I'm still waiting for those suggestions to pour in about what to call this section.]
This week, I'm going to feature a company that seems to be actually doing a lot of good. Ecover makes "ecological cleaners." So far I've used only their laundry detergent and dish soap, but according to their website they also have a ton of other products, like surface cleaners, hand soap, floor cleaner, etc etc.

Ecover is petro-chemical free, does not test on animals, and has been referred to as one of the "greenest carbon neutral products sold today." Ecover also does cool things like partner with the international charity Water Aid to provide sustainable access to safe water for communities in rural Ethiopia. Treehugger did an in-depth interview with Ecover not long ago and Peter Malaise, Ecover concept manager and handlebar mustache owner extraordinaire stated, "You never reach sustainability, you are always on the road." Well said, Mr. Mustache, well said.

More on the Amazonian Chernobyl

Great animated video about Chevron's toxic legacy in Ecuador:

Why haven't I heard about the Amazonian Chernobyl until now?

File this under things we should have heard about a long time ago. Apparently, U.S. oil giant Chevron has dumped over 17 million tons of oil waste in Ecuador, in an area with multiple indigenous tribes and thousands of rare species of plants and animals. The contamination is so bad that it is being referred to as the "Amazonian Chernobyl."

The toxic pollution has devastated the wildlife, poisoned the land and water, and sickened the people of Ecuador. 30,000 Ecuadorians have sued Chevron, and in typical form, they are denying responsibility.

Read all about it in the London Daily Telegraph and on Amazon Watch's excellent website, Chevron Toxico.

Have other people heard of this before now? Anyone else feel compelled to boycott Chevron?

Good News To Start The Weekend: Monsanto is a little less evil then they were last week

After this morning's bummer of a post, I decided we could all use some good news. Earlier this week, Monsanto, the evil agricultural mega-corporation, announced that it is selling off its dairy hormone business.

Recombinant bovine growth hormone, also known as rBGH, is an artificial growth hormone developed by Monsanto to increase dairy cows’ milk output. rBGH causes health problems in cows and increases antibiotic use on dairy farms. While the effect on humans consuming rBGH milk is not clear, studies suggest that rBGH increases another chemical that is linked to increased cancer risk. Basically, this stuff is pretty yucky, and environmental groups have become more and more outspoken about the problems associated with it, consumers have stopped buying milk produced with it, and businesses like Starbucks are staying away from it.

I can only assume that Monsanto made this decision based on the excellent letter to the editor I wrote last week.

Source: Food and Water Watch

This Just In: Climate Change Will F*** Things Up

Global warming could make extreme rains even stronger and more frequent, causing bigger floods, greater crop damage, and wider spread of diseases than previous thought, according to a new study by researchers in the U.K. In fact, extreme rainstorms are expected to rise 10 percent by 2050. These changes are already being seen, as evidenced by recent increases in massive downpours and flooding.

In related news:

• Samoan communities, faced with rising tides, are struggling to survive
  
• Polar bears are trapped on land because the sea ice retreated earlier this year
• Global warming and oil and gas development is threatening the Pacific Walrus, and if the Bush Administration doesn't act to protect them, pretty soon putting two sticks/cheetos/etc in your mouth will just be sad, no longer funny
• More than 4000 species of fish and other sea critters face extinction as coral reefs become ever more threatened

Man, what a bummer. I'll try to find some happier news to post before the workday is out, so I'm not such a Debbie Downer.

I'm pretty sure water isn't supposed to be flammable

This lady in Canada can light her water on fire. Holy crap! Not surprisingly, there is an oil and gas company operating in her neighborhood that is trying to claim that the gas in the water is natural. As much as I hate bottled water, lets hope for her sake that she's been drinking it.

Read all about it in Treehugger.

Gender Bender: Only Girls Being Born In Arctic Village

Really want to have a baby girl? Then I have a great place for you to live. In certain villages in northern Greenland, only baby girls are being born. Not only is this creepy, but its super disturbing as well. Altered sex ratios of population severely hinder the ability of the population to survive. And, this isn't just a problem in the Arctic. The ratio of baby boys to baby girls has been declining in the US and other industrialized countries since the 1970s.

Whats causing this crazy imbalance? I did some digging around, and it turns out that PCBs are one of the main chemicals linked to crazy sex ratios. PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are a class of yucky chemicals that were banned in the 1970s for being persistent organic pollutants (POPs). They are found to bioaccumulate in people and animals. A study that just came out found that women in San Francisco with high levels of PCBs in their bodies who became pregnant were a third less likely to give birth to a baby boy.

PCBs aren't the only culprit, though: studies have also linked dioxins, methylmercury, air pollution from incinerators, maternal exposure to non-ionizing radiation, paternal exposure to high voltages, paternal occupation, and parental smoking, among other things, to lower birth rates of boys.

Even though we can pat ourselves on the back for having banned PCBs, the fact that altered sex ratios seem to be a growing problem should be a warning that we need to take a hard look at our current system of chemical regulation. There are a ton of chemicals that we are exposed to every day that bioaccumulate in our bodies, and we don't know the effects of them.

Toxin found on Mars...and in your mom

Today, NASA announced that they found a toxin in the soil on Mars, and that hopes for finding life on the red planet were diminished.

Heres the funny thing though (not funny ha ha, funny weird): perchlorate, or rocket fuel, the toxin they found on Mars, is also found on our own planet- and not just in rocket fuel. In fact, its one of the most common pollutants of our waterways- it has been found to contaminate drinking water in at least 28 states. Studies by the Environmental Working Group, academic researchers and the Centers for Disease Control have found perchlorate in food, cow’s milk, human breast milk and the bodies of virtually every American.

I have a crazy idea. What if we stopped spending billions of dollars searching for life on other planets, and instead, invest that money in making our own planet more livable?

Sources: CNN, Environmental Working Group

Bad News To Start the Work Week: Dude Looks Like a Lady

Researchers in Florida have found that in heavily farmed areas, 40% of male toads have abnormalities that make them more like female toads. These reproductive abnormalities are likely to reduce the reproductive success of the toads.

With amphibians on the decline worldwide--there are thousands of species that are threatened or endangered--these ladydude toads are kind of a big deal. Pretty soon, folk singers around the world will be forced to sing "Where have all the cane toads gone?"

Specifically, the researchers found that the number of abnormalities and frequency of male toads with female traits ("intersex" toads) increased with amount of agriculture. Testosterone concentrations were altered and secondary sexual traits were either feminized or demasculinized in the intersex toads.

The authors conclude that: "These reproductive abnormalities could certainly contribute to amphibian population declines occurring in areas exposed to agricultural contaminants."

Anyone who is familiar with the work of Tyrone Hayes of UC Berkeley shouldn't be surprised by this new study. For years, Dr. Hayes has been publishing research showing that the most commonly used herbicide in the US, atrazine, feminizes frogs and turns them into hermaphrodites. Just this past year, Dr. Hayes gave a talk at Michigan that scared the bejesus out of all of us in attendance. Be sure to check out his homepage at: http://www.atrazinelovers.com/

Source: "Agriculture Alters Gonadal Form and Function in the toad Bufo marinus" Environmental Health Perspectives, July 2008 In-Press.

Good news to start the weekend!

The Senate Environment and Public Works committee passed legislation today that addresses toxic substances in drinking water, advances environmental justice issues, limits the release of mercury, tracks hazardous waste, cleans up the Great Lakes, and improves sanitation systems for rural and native villages in Alaska.

Superhero Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the EPW Committee said: "The bills approved by the Environment and Public Works Committee today tackle some of the most dangerous pollution threatening our families and communities."

Great work, EPW! (Congress, don't screw it up)

Insert Recurring Witty Title Here

My friend Elizabeth suggested that I have a regular section on consumer products that are either really good or really bad for the environment. While I'm still working on what to call this section (Product Watch? Green or Mean? If you have any clever ideas, leave them below), I love the idea, and will start with a particularly disturbing product recently featured on Slate.

I'm not going to lie. I have a fondness for face washes, including exfoliating face washes. Now that I know that the truth about them though, I'm going to have to part ways with my current face wash forever.

Why? Apparently the exfoliating beads are made of plastic, and when the soaps and face washes that contain them wash down the drain, the tiny plastic beads don't get removed by wastewater treatment plants, and so they end up in rivers and streams and oceans, where the plastic makes its way into marine life. Because plastic doesn't break down quickly, it pretty much just stays in the bodies of marine critters. Researchers don't know the effects of lots of plastic in the stomachs and tissues of marine organisms, but I'm going to bet its not anything good.

The good news, however, is that lots of alternatives exist. Burt's Bees has an exfoliating facewash made out of jojoba beads. St. Ives face wash uses apricot kernals. Or, you could just rub your face on a salt lick.