Its Jam Band Friday – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I1bBcda4Ko

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Why is that. Because the WHOLE world is polluted. Most of these places didn’t even make the last two lists.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-19/americas-28-most-polluted-places/

Our Most Polluted States

by The Daily Beast Info

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Greenpeace marine biologist Paul Horsman shows globs of oil on a jetti at the mouth of the Mississippi River on May 17, 2010. (John Moore / Getty Images) As the EPA and BP fight over the Gulf oil spill cleanup, the Daily Beast crunches the numbers and ranks the most contaminated sites in the nation.

The BP oil rig explosion has led to untold millions in lost income for people who make their living from the Gulf, but toxic hazards are an everyday occurrence: The EPA estimates that there are 3,500 chemical spills each year, requiring $260 million to clean.

Above those, however, are the Superfund sites—places that have sustained major, long-term damage, necessitating years of cleanup. Established in 1980 after a series of toxic disasters, including the infamous Love Canal district of Niagara Falls, which turned the neighborhood into a virtual ghost town, Superfund has largely succeeded in centralizing hazardous waste cleanup and holding responsible parties financially accountable.

The BP fiasco—both a natural and human disaster—got us thinking: what are today’s most polluted toxic dumping grounds? To figure it out, we examined all available Superfund data from the Environmental Protection Agency. We filtered the results, focusing on sites that remain dangerous for human exposure and sites that have dangerous ground water. And then we ranked them using the following criteria:

· Toxicity per acre: The number of instances of each toxin, multiplied by the severity of each toxin, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, and divided by the acreage of the site.

· Toxicity per population: To determine potential human exposure we took the number of instances of each toxin, multiplied by the severity of each toxin, and divided by the population within one mile of the site. (The EPA gives a population range, and we used the higher number for this calculation.)

Since toxicity per acre is a more concrete statistic than potential human exposure (one can live near a toxic site and avoid contact), we weighted the former three times the impact of the latter. An important note: The human exposure element does not measure exposure levels, but rather indicates that the EPA believes there is a reasonable expectation that people may be exposed to contamination—exactly what the Superfund teams spend their time trying to alleviate.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2maAPVOZlkc&feature=fvw

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Acres: 2
Population: 10,000
Toxic chemicals: 34

History: From 1949 to 1991 Fletcher’s Paint Works operated a retail store and storage facility in this small New Hampshire town along the Souhegan River. In 1982 New Hampshire officials found leaking and open drums of paint chemicals in the storage area. Soil and groundwater around the site was later found contaminated with arsenic, lead, PCBs, and a slew of other nasty chemicals. The nearby Keyes Municipal Water Supply Well was shut down in the early 1980s after it was found contaminated by volatile organic compounds—gases emitted from paint and other household supplies. Cleanup began in 1988 and continues today. The EPA has tested homes in the area for gases seeping from soil into basements, with no health risks found in the homes and another round of testing due for June 2010. The main concern now is that fish in the Souhegan contain PCBs, and that the EPA has found evidence of people fishing in the river.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtCJp1h45gA&feature=related

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#2, Haverford, Pennsylvania:
Havertown PCP

Acres: 15
Population: 50,000
Toxic chemicals: 59

History: Getting rid of toxic waste used to be so simple. National Wood Preservers, which treated wood on the site from 1947 to 1963, would take their liquid waste lined with pentachlorophenols (PCPs) to a well, and dump it down. Or they would toss the PCP-laden liquid onto the ground. A nearby stream was contaminated, though residents living within a mile of the site don’t use it for drinking water. In 1992 the EPA removed 97,000 tons of liquid waste, and 60 tons of sludge from the site. The EPA is armed with $4.2 million from the Recovery Act to finish the final cleanup phase, which includes removing contaminated soil from residential property and public spaces.

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There is 2. For the rest read the article. HAPPY LABOR DAY everyone. More next week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX0cMoOiIMQ&feature=related

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As they say in the article, make sure it is not a dip in an open sewer. I have had this experience. It was one of the reasons I left Tampa never to return. They built their sewage ponds right next to the ocean and when there was a bad storm…it would all wash into the water. Yuck.

Dirty Dozen: The 12 Most Polluted Beaches in The U.S.

1/13

Zach’s Bay at Jones Beach State Park

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More Tomorrow.

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“As state and federal officials continue to open Gulf waters to fishing, we have to again point to evidence that the ‘all clear’ is being sounded way too early,” said Mr. Smith, who represents the United Commercial Fishermen’s Association, the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, public entities in the Gulf Coast, as well as private property and business owners. “One of the cautionary notes is that our experts have documented that toxic chemicals remain in the water and food chain – and pose a significant health risk. Those studies have shown that PAHs (polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons) are present in shrimp from the impacted area. And the PAHs in off-shore Florida are at levels 43 times the levels of shrimp from inland, low-impact inland areas sampled in Louisiana. In our estimation, it may take eight months before the toxic soup has had substantial enough biodegradation to announce an ‘all clear’ on seafood.”
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.smithstag.com
www.gulfoildisasterrecovery.com
www.oilspillaction.com
www.leanweb.org

CONTACT:

S. Smith: (504) 593-9600        C. Brylski/H. Harper (504) 897-6110

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More tomorrow

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Testing Results Returning With High Levels

Report by: Wilma Subra

Results of sampling  performed by the Lower Mississippi River Keeper in the Lower Atchafalaya Bay area on August 2, 2010

Collecting oysters from Oyster Bayou

The shore of the Gulf of Mexico east of Oyster Bayou, where the Atchafalaya Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico, contained visible oil on the vegetation along the shore line.  Soil in this location contained Carbon Disulfide, 378 mg/kg Hydrocarbons and six Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) (0.222 mg/kg). The oiled vegetation contained 2.3% Hydrocarbons and 31 PAHs (0.554 mg/kg) that  corresponded strongly to the PAHs in the Deepwater Horizon Crude Oil spill.  Samples of Blue Crab and Fiddler Crab contained 2,230 mg/kg hydrocarbons.

Oysters sampled from a reef on Oyster Bayou in Atchafalaya Bay contained 8,815 mg/kg Hydrocarbons.

Results of sampling performed by the Lower Mississippi River Keeper in the Mississippi River Delta on August 3, 2010

Taking samples in the Mississippi River Delta

At the mouth of Pass-a-Loutre, in the reed vegetation along the shore of an island, a sediment sample was collected.   The sediment contained 71 mg/kg Hydrocarbons and 14 PAHs (0.8713 mg/kg).  The PAHs in the sample weakly support that the contaminants in the sediment are associated with the crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon.  A muscle sample collected at this location contained 6,900 mg/kg Hydrocarbons and seven PAHs (0.386 mg/kg).

A sample of oysters was collected from oysters growing on  an abandoned crab trap between Pass-a-Loutre and Redfish Bay.  The oysters contained  12,500 mg/kg (1.25%) Hydrocarbons and two PAHs (0.063 mg/kg).

Along a beach area near Redfish Bay, samples were collected from a stained area along a sandy beach area and from a vegetated area behind the beach.  The beach area had clean-up waste materials and supplies left behind by cleanup crews.  A small water body adjacent to the beach had a boom in the water and a small boat used to place the poles that secured the boom was stained with oil.  The beach area contained a number of tar balls.

The sandy soil sample contained  Carbon Disulfide, Hydrocarbons  (146 to 779 mg/kg),  and 29 to 38 PAHs (3.7259 to 3.934 mg/kg).  The PAHs support reasonable evidence that the sandy soil is contaminated with crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon.

Samples were also collected from the vegetated area (reed vegetation) behind the beach.  The vegetated area contained  oil sheens on the vegetation and on the water that collected in the sampling area.  The soil/sediment samples contained Carbon Disulfide, 2-Butanone (MEK), Toluene, 0.4 to 1.16 % Hydrocarbons, and 20 to 40 PAHs (49 to 189 mg/kg).  The PAHs in the soil/sediment strongly support that the soil/sediment is contaminated with crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon.

Visit SaveOurGulf.org to get more information about the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster from Waterkeeper organizations across the Gulf Coast and donate to Save Our Gulf! :} Just kidding – More Tomorrow :}

UPDATE FROM THE GULF FROM LEAN

Where has all the BP oil gone?

The question, ‘where has all the oil gone?’ has been answered in the media in recent days by scientists providing much speculation about how the oil may go away but little hard data about what is actually happening in the Gulf. We cannot let the future of the Gulf rest on speculation.

The danger of this conjecture is that people are already beginning to tune out and assume that everything is fine, even within the spill response.

So, where is the oil?

Oil in grass between Oyster Bayou and Taylor’s Bayou, St. Mary’s Parish, Louisiana, July 30, 2010, Photo Credit: Antonia Juhasz. Oil in grass, St. Mary’s Parish, La, July 30, 2010, by Antonia Juhasz.

The BP oil can be found on the shores of St. Mary Parish. Just yesterday, July 30, 2010, stretches of shoreline along St. Mary Parish were found that were significantly oiled. This area was believed to be safe from the spill and was not given any attention by Unified Command. Even the St. Mary Parish President thought that they would not receive oil. (1)

Oil South end of Oyster Bayou, St. Mary’s Parish, Louisiana, July 30, 2010, Photo Credit: Antonia Juhasz. Oyster Bayou, St. Mary’s Parish, La, July 30, 2010, Photo by Antonia Juhasz

The BP oil can be found under the shells of post-larval blue crabs all across the northern Gulf of Mexico. As reported in a previous E-ALERT, researchers in Mississippi had found post-larval blue crabs with oil under their shells. Now the researchers have given another update on their findings and it is sobering. Nearly all of the crab larvae that the researchers have collected to date, from Grand Isle, LA to Pensacola, FL, have BP’s oil under their shells, but it doesn’t stop there. Chemical analysis suggests that the crabs may also contain the Corexit dispersants used on the spilled oil. Only time will tell if this contamination will affect commercial harvests but equally troubling is the potential for toxic materials to make their way into the food chain as these tiny crabs are important food sources for a host of other sea creatures. (2)

Yellow oil droplets can been seen under the shell of a post-larval blue crab. Yellow oil droplets can been seen in a post-larval blue crab.

Scientists saying that the effects of the BP oil spill will be minimal are speculating from very little data. It may make the media happy and the news more interesting but it is not good science to speculate on the outcome of the oil spill studies before they are even well underway.

The BP oil can also be found in “plumes” of dispersed oil floating around deep under the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. Researchers at the University of South Florida have confirmed that these “plumes” are, in fact, clouds of BP’s oil. (3)

Because of the massive use of dispersants, which conveniently shield the impacts from view, the real damage is much harder to quantify. The dispersal of the oil has caused an unknown, but undoubtedly very large, portion of the spilled oil to be mixed into and spread all through the Gulf waters in tiny little bits.

The damages caused by this sub-surface oil may not be apparent for some time. Like the crabs; the juvenile forms of fish, shrimp and many other species as well as the plankton they feed on will be exposed to the toxicity of the oil and the dispersants.

Imagine your city filled with smoke from a large fire. Now replace the air with water and the smoke with tiny droplets of dispersed oil and you have a better sense of how the ‘plumes’ of oil are impacting sea creatures.

That damage is difficult to quantify but to dismiss it as minimal is irresponsible. Many commercial and sport species in one of the most biologically productive areas of the world are being exposed to a mixture of materials that are known to be toxic and we really don’t know what the effects will be.

It is too early to be speculating about the impacts of the millions of barrels of BP oil on Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. It is especially problematic when its done by scientists in the media. We need to be focused on figuring out what actually is going on in the Gulf with thorough research and sound data.

The real answer to the question is this: significant amounts of the oil are still out in the Gulf environs and we really don’t know what the long term effects will be.

1. Antonia Juhasz, “BP’s “Missing Oil” Washes Up in St. Mary’s Parish, LA,” The Huffington Post 30 July 2010, .

2. Dan Froomkin, “Scientists Find Evidence That Oil And Dispersant Mix Is Making Its Way Into The Foodchain,” The Huffington Post 29 July 2010, .

3. Sara Kennedy, “Researchers confirm subsea Gulf oil plumes are from BP well,” McClatchy Newspapers 23 July 2010,

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More tomorrow.
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It is both true and disgusting. When you think nothing could get more cruel or stupid, these things happen…:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/7913940/New-oil-spill-in-the-Gulf-of-Mexico-after-tug-boat-strikes-well.html

By Heidi Blake
Published: 9:20AM BST 28 Jul 2010

The area of ocean 65 miles south of New Orleans would normally be occupied by fishermen, shrimpers and oystermen, but it has been deserted since the BP spill began.

The abandoned wellhead burst in the early hours of Tuesday morning after being hit by a tug boat that was pushing a dredge barge.

About 6,000 feet of boom was placed around the spill, and the Coast Guard was surveying the scene from a helicopter.

Admiral Thad Allen, the US Coast Guard chief, said the oil platform was surrounded by a sheen and a vapour that was probably a combination of oil and gas spewing from the well.

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From one end of the country to the other:

http://michiganmessenger.com/40133/michigan-oil-spill-a-replay-of-gulf-spill

Michigan oil spill a replay of Gulf spill?

By Ed Brayton 7/27/10 3:28 PM

It’s looking like the oil spill from a pipeline into the Talmadge Creek in Calhoun County is going to be a replay of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in at least one respect — the companies, aided by the government, do not want the media to have access to take pictures and video of what is going on. The Michigan Messenger’s Todd Heywood is on the scene and was turned away from one of the primary sites by employees of Enbridge, the company that owns and operates the pipeline.

Heywood was at 12 Mile Rd. and C Avenue at a bridge over the Ceresco Dam when employees from Enbridge turned him away. The employee would only give his name as Mike, and when he noticed Heywood writing down the information he said, “I’m not telling you anything else” and walked away.

A sheriff’s deputy on the scene confirmed that he was not allowed to take pictures there of the oil spill or the wildlife. He then went to the Enbridge command center and was told by Enbridge spokesperson Lorraine Grymala that he would have to go to the Calhoun County Sheriff to talk to them about it.

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More tomorrow

(I mean at this rate I really hope there isn’t…but I am sure there will be>)

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As has been reported the Energy Star Program has some fraud going on.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/nb_10153_12605_NB_showPledge?adCell=W4

See official rules See what you can win

I pledge to…

Switch out at least one energy-inefficient light in my home with an ENERGY STAR qualified one. I plan to replace
lights (max. 50)

learn more >

If every American home replaced just one light with an ENERGY STAR light, we would save about $700 million in annual energy costs while preventing 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to the emissions from about 800,000 cars.

Switch out my energy-inefficient appliances with ENERGY STAR qualified appliances for my kitchen and laundry (select all that apply):

Clothes Washer

Dishwasher

Refrigerator

learn more >

Sears has the largest selection of ENERGY STAR qualified appliances. If every refrigerator, dishwasher and clothes washer purchased in America this year were ENERGY STAR qualified, we would save $640 million in energy costs while preventing 4.5 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, equivalent to the emissions of 385,000 cars.

I plan to switch out the above appliance(s) within the next (select one):

1 year or less	1 – 2 years
2 – 5 years	5 years +

I will recycle the above old appliance(s) properly.

I will recycle any second energy-inefficient refrigerator that I might currently be using.

learn more >

Sears is the first national retailer that is recognized as part of the Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Refrigerators and room A/C units contain freon and are recycled through the RAD program. If every refrigerator being replaced was recycled properly, Americans would prevent 8 billion pounds of GHG emissions, equivalent to the emissions of 700,000 cars.

Switch out my energy-inefficient electronics with ENERGY STAR qualified electronics (select all that apply):

TV	DVD	Home Theater in a Box
Computer	Ink-Jet Printer	Multi-Function Device

learn more >

Sears also has a large selection of ENERGY STAR qualified electronics. If all electronics purchased in America this year were ENERGY STAR qualified, we would save more than $300 million in annual energy costs while preventing 4 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, equivalent to emissions from more than 350,000 cars.

Optimize the energy-efficiency of my home heating and cooling. I will:

Set or program my thermostat to save energy while I’m asleep or away from home

Have my heating and cooling equipment tuned-up by a professional and change my       air filter

Seal obvious leaks in my home’s outer walls, ceiling, windows, doors, and floors with       caulk, spray foam, or weather stripping, and add insulation to the attic

Seal obvious leaks and repair disconnections in my home’s duct system

Switch out my energy-inefficient heating and cooling equipment with ENERGY STAR qualified equipment (select all that apply):

Gas storage water heaters

Electric heat pump water heaters

Room air conditioners

Central air conditioners

learn more >

Sears provides both a wide variety of ENERGY STAR qualified heating and cooling equipment as well as servicing. If every American home optimized the energy efficiency of its heating and cooling system, sealed all obvious leaks and added insulation, we would save more than $15 billion in annual energy costs and prevent more than 75 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, equivalent to the emissions from more than 15 million cars.

Find more savings and rebates available in my state on my new ENERGY STAR qualified appliance purchase.

learn more >

Sears will help you find and submit rebates available in your state to make sure you get the most money back on your purchase. Check out the Rebate Map on our website or ask a Sears Blue Crew Associate for information.

Make environmentally conscious decisions with the 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year.

learn more >

Thanks to customers like you, Sears received the EPA’s 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award. Everyday more people choose a Sears ENERGY STAR QUALIFIED product and join millions of Americans, who prevented 45 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2009 alone with the help of ENERGY STAR qualified products. With more ENERGY STAR qualified appliances than anyone, the Responsible Appliance Disposal program, and hassle-free rebates, Sears makes going green easy.

Tell Us About Yourself

(Required) indicates a required field.

First Name

Last Name

Zip Code

Email

Confirm Email

Would you like to receive quarterly emails from ENERGY STAR with energy savings tips?

Yes
No

Would you like to receive offers, updates and sale alerts from Sears?

Yes
No

Take the Pledge for a chance to win a suite
of Kenmore ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances.
See official rules See what you can win

By taking the Pledge, you acknowledge and agree that: 1) Your personal information submitted as part of the ENERGY STAR Pledge will be shared with both the EPA and with SEARS and 2) that EPA’s use of your personal information shall be governed by the EPA’s Privacy Policy, and Sears will handle your information in accordance with the Sears Privacy Policy.

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More tomorrow.

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I keep telling people that crude oil is really really toxic. No one really listens.

I know this is not centered and you can not read all the text. Tough. Go to our BB Refrigerator Magnets and click on Louisiana  Environmental Action Network to read the whole thing. Or better yet, go to their website and read the original if you are really interested…I think you get the drift from what you can see.

BP Makes Me Sick! Amazing! 57,264 people joined our “BP Makes Me Sick” coalition in only 4 days. As BP blocks Gulf clean-up workers from wearing respirators when dealing with harmful toxins, thousands of us are asking President Obama to step in. (Keith Olbermann explains the issue here.) The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Baton Rouge Advocate, and others all wrote about this new coalition! We have momentum — can you help us reach 100,000 signers by joining our coalition today? Click here! (Then, forward to others!) Today, we are proud to announce that our effort is endorsed by 50 partners across the nation. This includes: Waterkeeper Alliance President Robert Kennedy Jr. and the Save Our Gulf Waterkeepers Louisiana Environmental Action Network Executive Director Marylee Orr Major Senate candidates – Roxanne Conlin (IA), Jack Conway (KY), Kendrick Meek (FL), and Elaine Marshall (NC) 27 House candidates – including bold progressives Ann McLane Kuster (NH), Bill Hedrick (CA), David Segal (RI), and others (full list here) 9 House members – including Carolyn Maloney (NY), Mary Jo Kilroy (OH), Jared Polis (CO), Chellie Pingree (ME), and Alcee Hastings (FL) National organizations like Democracy for America, Color Of Change, and Commercial Fishermen of America Please join our coalition and stand up for workers today — then, pass this email to others. Press Coverage: Louisiana Watermen Demand Proper Safety Equipment In Gulf Oil Cleanup By Ryan Grimm The Huffington Post July 8, 2010 In the harried cleanup that followed the attack on downtown New York on September 11th, managers of the process famously failed to equip workers with protective gear, damaging countless lives of those who came to the rescue. Environmental advocacy groups and commercial watermen, who are more often joined in combat than alliance, have come together with bloggers and public officials to prevent the pattern from repeating in the Gulf. Robert Kennedy Jr.’s Waterkeeper Alliance, the United Commercial Fisherman, the Louisiana Shrimp Association, Commercial Fisherman of America, the Nassau Sierra Club in Florida and the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, among dozens of others, are calling on BP to properly equip rescue workers mired in the toxic muck that has been spewing from the Gulf floor for nearly three months. “We cannot let the denial of protective gear that hurt so many 9/11 clean-up workers happen again with the Gulf clean-up workers,” reads a statement signed by the groups, organized by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. “President Obama and the federal government must demand that BP allow every clean-up worker who wants to wear respiratory protective equipment to do so — and ensure that workers get the equipment and training they need to do their jobs safely.” The fishing organizations represent those who have been transformed into cleanup workers by the spill. A scientist with the Louisiana Environmental Action Network recently testified before Congress on the hazards of Gulf cleanup. The groups are organizing an online petition at BPMakesMeSick.com, where a full list of the coalition, which includes local bloggers and national politicians such as Florida Democratic Reps. Alan Grayson and Kendrick Meek, can be found. Go to the article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/08/louisiana-watermen-demand_n_639094.html Gulf Fishermen, Bloggers, RFK Jr. Say “BP Makes Me Sick” By Nancy Scola Tech President July 8, 2010 A growing coalition of local bloggers, elected officials, online organizers, workers, environmental groups, and public figures formally launched today a drive to get BP to allow workers wear health-saving protective gear as they go about cleaning up the Gulf coast. The new BP Makes Me Sick Coalition is, it’s probably fair to say, the first high-profile push we’ve seen to use political organizing tactics, online and offline, to shape the ongoing disaster in the Gulf. The implicit tactic is to coalesce public opinion around a tangible idea — one itself important, but that stands for something bigger. The BP Makes Me Sick Coalition is a project spearheaded by the Progressive Change Coalition, with the backing of local groups like Atchafalaya Basinkeeper and Galveston Baykeeper, Gulf fishermen, local blogs like the Burnt Orange Report and Texas Kaos, local electeds like Reps. Alan Grayson (D-FL) and Kendrick Meek (D-FL), and national figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who helps head the New York-based environmental group Riverkeeper. The group, explained PCCC’s Adam Green, started taking shape about two weeks ago, after Marylee Orr, the head of the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, talked on Keith Olbermann’s MSNBC show about BP’s alleged efforts to prevent clean-up workers from wearing respirators on the job. “It’s a choice between feeding their family, and not having money to feed their family,” Orr told Olbermann. “They’re willing to sacrifice their health to feed their family, and I think that’s tragic. When our fishermen folks had their respirators on, they were told to take them off, that they would be fired if they used them.” (Clip  here.) Through Orr, says Green, PCCC connected with local fisherman’s organizations. Through them, they reached out to local environmental groups, and on to Kennedy, who came aboard yesterday. This being a PCCC joint, there’s also a strategic twist. The subtext of BP Makes Me Sick is using the relatively discrete matter of protective respirators to press President Barack Obama on his leadership in the Gulf — or, to flip it around, his supposed deference to BP. Fleshing out that angle is a note on the site echoing the George W. Bush-era: “We cannot let the denial of protective gear that hurt so many 9/11 clean-up workers happen again with the Gulf clean-up workers.” At the moment, BPMakesMeSick.com features an online petition that anyone can co-sign. Go to the article here: http://techpresident.com/blog-entry/gulf-fishermen-bloggers-rfk-jr-say-bp-makes-me-sick NY DAILY NEWS: Group Demands BP Provide Cleanup Workers With Respirators http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dc/2010/07/group-demands-bp-provide-clean.html SAN FRAN CHRONICLE: Sources: BP threatens to fire cleanup workers who wear respirators http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=67426#ixzz0t87rmAfd DAILY KINGFISH: Kingfish joins coalition to protect cleanup workers http://www.dailykingfish.com/diary/1575/kingfish-joins-coalition-to-protect-cleanup-workers Visit SaveOurGulf.org to get more information about the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster from Waterkeeper organizations across the Gulf Coast and donate to Save Our Gulf!

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More tomorrow.

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Our latest update from LEAN. This is a group you should support.

Louisiana Environmental Action Network & Lower Mississippi RIVERKEEPER© Helping to Make Louisiana Safe for Future Generations

E-ALERT July 8, 2010

To view as a webpage – click here The BP Oil Spill’s Toxic Effects Are Beginning To Be Seen, Scientist Frustrated By Lack Of Data Oil/Water samples from Gulf…VERY TOXIC This is a very compelling video from a concerned citizen who decided to take his own samples of oil found on the beach in Grand Isle, La and have them tested at a laboratory. In the water portion of the sample the lab found propylene glycol, an ingredient in Corexit 9500 and Corexit 9527A, at an estimated concentration of  430 parts per million. Propylene glycol only makes up 1-5% of the Corexit products, so, if this is indeed propylene glycol from Corexit then the concentration of Corexit as a whole is far higher. According to EPA’s latest analysis of dispersant toxicity released in the document Comparative Toxicity of Eight Oil Dispersant Products on Two Gulf of Mexico Aquatic Test Species Corexit 9500 at a concentration of 42 parts per million killed 50% of the mysid shrimp tested and at a concentration of 130 parts per  million killed 50% of the silverside fish tested. Remember the lab found 430 parts per million of a material that makes up only 1-5% of the Corexit products.  This also does not include the toxicity of the oil itself or an oil/dispersant mix. Click the image above to go to the video or go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq65E7rmO_k Note: the lab technician refers to propylene glycol by one of its other names, propane-diol. Researchers find evidence of oil spill in Gulf’s food chain By Harlan Kirgan Mississippi Press June 30, 2010 Yellow oil droplets can been seen in a post-larval blue crab. Harriet Perry, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Oil droplets have been found beneath the shells of tiny post-larval blue crabs drifting into Mississippi coastal marshes from offshore waters. The finding represents one of the first examples of how oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill is moving into the Gulf of Mexico’s food chain. The larval crabs are eaten by all kinds of fish, from speckled trout to whale sharks, as well as by shore birds. The tiny droplets are visible under the transparent shells of the 2-millimeter-sized crabs collected in Davis Bayou, said Harriet Perry, director for the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory’s Center for Fisheries Research and Development. Get the full article here: http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2010/06/research_discovers_oil_droplet.html Spill’s extent and the effects surprising those studying it By Lee Shearer Athens Banner-Herald July 07, 2010 Scientists knew weeks ago that much of the oil gushing from a blown-out oil well deep in the Gulf of Mexico remained below the surface, suspended in deep, cold water. But research they are doing now has surprised them at the extent of the spill and effects on marine life, University of Georgia oceanographer Samantha Joye said Tuesday in UGA’s Marine Sciences Building. Joye, one of the leading scientists tracking the spill, spoke at a weekly update on her research team’s findings. Seawater samples the team took during a June research voyage had to be diluted before analytical machines could accurately measure the oil levels in them, she said Tuesday. Other scientists analyzing the samples still haven’t told Joye the precise concentrations of oil they’ve found in the water. But they’ve seen enough to know the levels are much higher than what was found in an earlier research cruise in May, when they measured oil contamination in parts per million or parts per billion in areas close to the spill. The more recent water samples, many taken hundreds of feet deep in the Gulf, contain much more oil, she said. The water samples come from in and around vast plumes of oil, methane and other chemicals mixed with sea water that have been pouring out of a broken oil well since a BP-owned drilling rig, the Deepwater Horizon, exploded April 20 and sank four days later. Get the full article here: http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/070710/new_666367227.shtml Gulf Oil Spill: Scientists Beg For A Chance To Take Basic Measurements By Dan Froomkin Huffington Post July 6, 2010 A group of independent scientists, frustrated and dumbfounded by the continued lack of the most basic data about the 77-day-old BP oil disaster, has put together a crash project intended to definitively measure how much oil has spilled and where and how it is spreading throughout the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. An all-star team of top oceanographers, chemists, engineers and other scientists could be ready to head out to the well site on two fully-equipped research vessels on about a week’s notice. But they need to get the go-ahead — and about $8.4 million — from BP or the federal government or both. And that does not appear imminent. The test is designed to provide responders to future deep-sea oil catastrophes with valuable information. But, to be blunt, it would also fill an enormous gap in the response to this one. Get the full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/06/gulf-oil-spill-scientists_n_636981.html Visit SaveOurGulf.org to get more information about the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster from Waterkeeper organizations across the Gulf Coast and donate to Save Our Gulf!

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After a very disasterous environmental year, I have the summer doldrums. So I may just randomly post short things for awhile and as Mark Twain used to say, “let my tanks fill up”.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/alternate-energy-holdings-incs-energy-neutraltm-nominated-for-idaho-smart-growth-award-2010-07-08?reflink=MW_news_stmp

BOISE, Idaho, Jul 8, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) — Alternate Energy Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:AEHI) today announced its subsidiary Energy Neutral(TM) has been nominated for the Idaho Smart Growth award. The award sets the company apart from others in its construction techniques and use of renewable energy to create livable environments that maintain and enhance the idea of sustainable communities.

“This is a great honor to be publicly recognized for the work we’ve been doing with AEHI and Energy Neutral(TM). The very reason we started Energy Neutral(TM) was to show that proper planning and reliable use of renewable energy sources would result in a better, more productive building process–one that would create sustainability at an affordable price. In doing so, we’ve proven that anyone can take part in the process of making our communities cleaner and healthier,” said Don Gillispie, AEHI CEO.

“Energy Neutral(TM) unveiled its first model home in March 2010, which has consistently demonstrated it can create more power than it actually uses. In addition to bringing together state of the art technologies at low cost for our Energy Neutral(TM) homes, we have expertise in siting locations that provide added energy saving benefits. This home’s convenient location, close to shopping areas, public transportation, and the freeway, will aid in reducing vehicle emissions. The eventual owners will have more opportunities to leave their car at home when they go to work, stores, or recreation.”

“The Energy Neutral(TM) home is about being smarter stewards of the communities and environment we live in. It is the very reason we’ve been approached by builders from across the nation who are now looking to franchise with Energy Neutral(TM). We are able to provide them with an entirely new way to look at new home and commercial construction and I am hopeful this will be a strong contributor to the real estate market as more business and home owners come to recognize the Energy Neutral(TM) vision,” said Gillispie.

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I know…I know…It’s Idaho. But if the white supremist fundamentalists get it…Well maybe everyone will.

GE’s Net Zero Home Project Aims For Energy Neutral Living By 2015

GE Net Zero Energy Home General Electric

By 2015, if General Electric has their way, all our homes will be running on smart grids with mini-turbines and solar panels to produce electricity, consuming zero net energy in the process.

GE says that their smart energy system, dubbed the Net Zero Home project, will center around a $250 central management hub that will allow all of a home’s networked appliances and on-site power-producing equipment talk to each other, as well as to the smart grid outside the home..

GE’s push comes at a time when power conservation is valued more than ever, and smart energy innovations are pouring in by the day.

The goal here is to make people more conscious of how much power they’re using and how often they’re doing it. By enabling a home’s appliances to scale down their performance or power state during peak hours, cities will not only conserve energy, but consumers will save money.

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As usual California is in the lead.

http://articles.latimes.com/2007/oct/19/business/fi-puc19

Energy neutral homes urged

The PUC adopts targets emphasizing efficiency for new construction.

California energy regulators Thursday adopted a target that all homes built after 2020 produce at least as much energy as they consume to reduce demand for electricity and cut pollution tied to power generation.

The California Public Utilities Commission approved the guideline at a meeting in San Francisco. Homes would meet the goal through such measures as advanced insulation and solar power systems.

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There’s always more tomorrow

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