Cleanest Cities In America According To Travel Girl- Grrl I mean

Travel Grrl, You know the superhero travel agent that flies faster then a speeding Concorde. Well she had a little help from CNN, but I am sure these places are clean. It is just a list however..from 2007 so some of them could have gotten dirty…

http://www.ranker.com/list/cleanest-cities-in-the-us/travelgrrl

Cleanest Cities in the US Cities / Towns

Cleanest Cities in the US

By TravelGrrl

Based on CNN and travelandleisure.com 2007 poll of over 60,000 Americans.

  • 1
    Hennepin County,Minnesota
  • Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome,Lake Harriet,Lake of the Isles,Meeker Island Lock and Dam,Saint Anthony Falls,Target Center,Armatage, Minneapolis,Audubon Park, Minneapolis,Bancroft, Minneapolis,Beltrami, Minneapolis,Bottineau, Minneapolis,Bryant, Minneapolis,Bryn Mawr, Minneapolis,CARAG, Minneapolis,Cedar-Isles-Dean, Minneapolis,Centr
    151.255305644
    Central Time zone
  • 2
    Multnomah County,Oregon,United States
    Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland,Mill Ends Park,Oregon Health & Science University,PGE Park,Pioneer Courthouse,Rose Garden Arena,Arbor Lodge,Argay, Portland, Oregon,Arnold Creek,Ashcreek,Beaumont-Wilshire,Benson Hotel,Brentwood-Darlington,Bridgeton, Portland, Oregon,Bridlemile, Portland, Oregon,Brooklyn,Burnside Triangle,C
    376.584271243
    Pacific Time Zone
    1851-02-08
  • 3
    California,San Diego County,United States
    Cox Arena,Mission Bay Senior High School,Point Loma Nazarene University,University of California, San Diego,Berkeley,Estudillo House,Allied Gardens,Balboa Park,Black Mountain Open Space Park,Black Mountain Ranch,Cabrillo National Monument,Carmel Mountain Ranch,City Heights,Clairemont, San Diego, California,College Area,Colombia,Core,Del
    963.734575856
    Pacific Time Zone
  • 4
    Texas,Travis County,United States
    Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium,Lake Austin,Lake Travis,Mike A. Myers Stadium,Town Lake,UFCU Disch-Falk Field,Arnold Bakery,Austin Community College,Austin History Center,Austin State Hospital,A. J. Jernigan House,Blanton Museum of Art,Brizendine House,Brown Building,Bryker Woods,Camp Mabry,Canyon Creek,Carrington-Covert House,Cathe
    767.283977687
    Central Time zone
    1839-12-27
  • 5
    King County,United States,Washington
    Ballard,Capitol Hill,Qwest Field,South Lake Union,Space Needle,University of Washington,Arthur Foss,Atlantic, Seattle, Washington,Beacon Hill, Seattle, Washington,Belltown,Bitter Lake,Brighton,Broadmoor,Bryant,Cascade,Cedar Park,Central District, Seattle, Washington,Cherry Hill, Seattle, Washington,Crown Hill,Dai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen
    369.073305723
    Pacific Time Zone
    1851
  • 6
    Colorado,Denver,United States
    Cherry Creek Neighborhood,Denver Mint,INVESCO Field at Mile High,Pepsi Center,University of Denver,Washington Park, Denver,80204,Alamo Placita,Auraria, Denver, Colorado,Berkeley, Denver,Capitol Hill,City Park, Denver,Civic Center, Denver,Colorado Governor’s Mansion,Community College of Denver,Coors Field,CU Online,Denver,Downtown Aqua
    401.189158291
    Mountain Time Zone
    1858-11-22
  • 7
    Charleston County,South County
    Blackbaud Stadium,Charleston Southern University,Family Circle Magazine Stadium,Johnson Hagood Stadium,Market Hall and Sheds,Nathaniel Russell House,Charleston School of Law,Coming Street Cemetery,Dock Street Theatre,Gibbes Museum of Art,South Carolina Aquarium,College of Charleston School of Business and Economics
    461.276882451
    North American Eastern Time Zone
  • 8
    New Mexico,Santa Fe County,United States
    College of Santa Fe,Georgia O’Keeffe Museum,Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian
    96.8655553266
    Mountain Time Zone
  • 9
    Hawaii,Honolulu County,United States
    Aloha Tower,Falls of Clyde,Hawaii Tokai International College,Les Murakami Stadium,Stan Sheriff Center,Waik?k?,Alewa Heights,Halawa,Hawaii Kai,Honolulu Zoo,Iroquois Point,Kahala,Kakaako,Kalihi,Kapolei,Makiki,Manoa,Moanalua,Moiliili,National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific,Neal S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu,Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii,Salt L
    271.948751585
    Hawaii-Aleutian time zone
  • 10
    Cook County,Illinois,United States
    add comment
    Edison Park, Chicago,Lincoln Square,

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Do NOT, and I repeat do not ask me to explain this last choice… I was totally with it up until number 10. More tomorrow.

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How About Cleanest Cities – Forbes is at it again

http://www.forbes.com/2007/04/16/worlds-cleanest-cities-biz-logistics-cx_rm_0416cleanest.html

Urban
Which Are The World’s Cleanest Cities?
Robert Malone, 04.16.07, 12:10 PM ET

pic
In Pictures: The World’s Cleanest Cities

There is clean and then there is clean. In the world, as a rule of thumb, the North is clean and the South is dirty. Indeed only two of the top-25 cleanest cities in the world are below the Equator–Auckland, New Zealand, and Wellington, New Zealand.

The cleanest cities are largely located in countries noted for their democracy and their industrialization. The only Asian cities represented are in Japan. There are no top-25 clean cities in South or Central America, Africa and Australia. The U.S. has five of the top 25; Canada, a strong five, with the top spot its city of Calgary; Europe has 11 of the top 25; and Japan has three.

The 25 cleanest cities are located in 13 countries. It may not be accidental that these countries are among the highest in purchasing power parity according to the World Development Indicator database of the World Bank. Twelve are in the top 20, and only New Zealand lags in wealth, at No. 37 on the list of world’s wealthiest. So clean may also mean well-off.

In Pictures: The World’s Cleanest Cities

To be clean a city has to face and solve many problems that otherwise lead to unsanitary conditions and poor health as well as possible economic stagnation. Producing energy for industry, homes and transportation has to be planned and executed reasonably, and this means some form of regulation and control.

To be clean means organizing what is done with waste. Landfills are being closed or filled up. Recycling is the only long-range answer, but this takes civic discipline, a system and preferably a system that turns a profit. Green only works well when it results in greenbacks.

In addition a city has to look closely at its transportation infrastructure (roads, rail, air, subways) and their impact upon being clean or going dirty or staying dirty. The logistics infrastructure is also critical in terms of efficiency that can translate into money and fuel savings that in turn affect cleanliness (air quality, water quality and ground quality).

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More tomorrow.

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Gulf Gusher Is Plugged – President vacations on the Gulf Coast

Everything is fine. No news is old news. Emergency over. Forgetaboutit. The modern news cycle and the short term memory public moves on. We need our gas. We need all our unnecessary  commercial STUFF and we need to get back to school. So what if 10 percent of the nation is unemployed by the corporate capitalists. So what if Russia just burned and Pakistan just drowned. This in from LEAN.

Don’t forget: If there is oil out there we must find it.

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/lowermississippiriverkeeper/sets/72157624713485348/

BP Disaster Continues to Wreak Death and Destruction

LEAN member and New Orleans photographer Jerry Moran revisited Raccoon Island on August 8, 2010 to find more of the same death and destruction that he found on his visit on July 18, 2010.

A Dead Pelican On Raccoon Island August 8, 2010
A Dead Pelican On Raccoon Island

Of his July 18, 2010 trip to Raccoon Island Jerry wrote:

“death is everywhere and I mean everywhere, even though visible oil is much less an issue, which concerns me greatly. A lot of the birds that weren’t dead, were obviously poisoned, almost acting drunk and dazed. Some were hardly walking, and some were alive, but lying where they will surely expire, some were actually fighting each other for food(surely contaminated)…….It is really hard for me to believe that nothing can be done to curb what is no less than the extermination of our beloved state bird, along with thousands of other birds and animals. There are not many times where I have just stopped shooting and left….yesterday was one of those day’s.”
A Dead Red Fish On Raccoon Island August 8, 2010
A Dead Red Fish On Raccoon Island

Of his August 8, 2010 trip to Raccoon Island Jerry wrote:

“The difference this time was that there were not as many (living) birds…… probably at least 60% less but just as much death if not more. Pelicans, Seagulls, Bull Redfish, Drum….you name it it was dead on the beach.  Oil had hit Raccoon Island last week and the island was obviously manicured, BP had set up tents on the 2 adjoining Islands.  All of the boom that was on the island and on top the jetties was gone, and the island was flat where it once had a more natural terrain….two of the pelicans had died very recently, and it was most disturbing that one of them was hooked to a sparkle beatle (a kind of fishing lure) which was tangled in dead mangrove…….I have no doubt that either Wildlife and Fisheries or BP workers had to have seen this Pelican while alive and just left him there to die.  A lot of the dead birds stomach cavaties were open and a brown sludge covered the inside, with the scent of oil.”
A Dead Juvenile Bird On Raccoon Island August 8, 2010
A Dead Juvenile Tern On Raccoon Island August 8, 2010



SaveOurGulf.org

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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ECOBuild In Britain – These events are so cool

In memoriam of Richie Hayward one founder of Little Feat It is Jam Band Friday…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FekVR_SC5M

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http://www.ecobuild.co.uk/2010-review.html

Ecobuild 2010 was a huge success with more than 1,000 exhibitors, over 41,000 visitors, and dozens of new attractions, initiatives and special events. Here are just some of the highlights…..

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Milliband launches Pay As You Save initiative

Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change, Ed Milliband, chose the opening day of Ecobuild to launch the Government’s new Pay As You Save initiative.  After the announcement, the Minister went on to meet some of Ecobuild’s 1,000 exhibitors.

Watch the announcement

First stage of Saint-Gobain’s solar decathlon completed at Ecobuild

The collaboration between Saint-Gobain and Nottingham University to design, build and operate Europe’s most attractive, effective and energy efficient zero carbon solar powered house came to fruition at Ecobuild with the debut of the Nottingham HOUSE (Home Optimising the Use of Solar Energy).  The structure now moves on to Madrid for the final of the Solar Decathlon Europe competition.

Watch the Nottingham HOUSE video

2010 BREEAM awards winners announced

BRE Global announced the winners of the 2010 BREEAM awards at Ecobuild, each building representing exemplary sustainable design and construction.

Click here for all the winners and case studies

Hundreds of new products launched

Ecobuild was the launch platform for hundreds of new sustainable construction products.

‘Ecobuild was extremely good, with near continuous traffic to the stand. With a good mix of customers and the right media present it was a great vehicle to launch our new products.’ Richard Hartley, Monier Ltd

Click here to see more products launched at Ecobuild 2010

Award for best innovative sustainable construction product

Winner of the Green Shoots Best Innovative Sustainable Construction Product award, Thomas Lipinski of Green Structures, received a cheque for £5,000 from Green Shoots sponsor, Neil Morgan, Lead Technologist – Low Impact Buildings, Technology Strategy Board.

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More next week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns9jGWiF8d0

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Illinois Stewardship Alliance – Wonderful food, great people

Harvest Dinner: A Celebration of Local Farmers and Local Chefs
Enjoy an early fall FEAST and support Illinois Stewardship Alliance!
We invite you to join us for a special Harvest Dinner to celebrate the abundance of local food prepared by talented local chefs. With scrumptious small plates prepared featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients, you won’t find a more delicious way to support local food and farming in Illinois.
Sunday, September, 19
5:00 p.m.
Inn at 835
835 S. Second St., Springfield

Harvest Dinner: A Celebration of Local Farmers and Local Chefs

Featured Chefs:

Michael Higgins, Maldaner’s Restaurant
August Mrozowski, Augie’s Front Burner
Robb Wyss, Illini Country Club
Zack Holston, Inn at 835
Lincoln Land Culinary Arts Students
Get Tickets:
Individual Individual Ticket $65
“Harvester” Ticket $90 (Includes a seat at a table with Celebrity Chef or Celebrity Farmer and Illinois Wine Courses)
Make checks payable to Illinois Stewardship Alliance and mail to: 401 W. Jackson Pkwy, Springfield, IL 62704
or pay online by clicking here.
Silent Auction:
Help Illinois Stewardship Alliance raise funds, demonstrate your commitment to sustainable food and farm systems in Illinois and get a treat for yourself, friends or family.
If you would like to donate to the silent auction, please contact Dee at (217) 528-1563 or isa@ilstewards.org.
Here are suggestions of silent auction items you could donate:
Silent Auction Items
Locally Produced Food Items
Gift Certificates
Artwork
Gardening/Farming Related Items
Farm Tours
Dinner for Two (or Breakfast or Lunch)
B & B Stays
Gift Baskets
Massage Gift Certificates

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nuff said

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More Tomorrow

oh these folks asked for a link so here it is:

www.platts.com

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Algae To Fuel – What is the current status

Jack Lundee asked if he could do a guest post. I am not fond of algae as a fuel source. Well, I am neutral about it. I think it is counter productive to continue to lust after liquid fuels. Still given the second article I list it is plausible as they say on Myth Busters.

http://everythingleft.wordpress.com/

Fed-Funded Algae Fuel Research making a Strong Comeback

Algae fuel is a biofuel, which is derivative of algae. In 1978, Former President Jimmy Carter pulled the trigger on a 25 million dollar research project into algae fuel production. To make a long story short, the project was somewhat unsuccessful because of the inability of scientists to find a way to make the organisms produce lipids gifted enough to be turned into biofuels, that is, in a high volume, low cost style.

One of the biggest concerns during early research was the fact that burning this algae fuel still released CO2 into the air. Nonetheless, the burning varies much so in that it doesn’t produce any new CO2 emissions like that of fossil fuels. This was a minor concern however, as the fuel was never really able to be inexpensively mass produced.

Now, there are definite signs of hope in the field of algae-based biofuels, as a number of firms and fortune 500 companies are delving into the research, investing billions of dollars. Alternative energy and carbon emission reduction efforts are widespread, funded by large collaborate organizations like the Clinton Global Initiative.  Fathered by ex-President Bill Clinton and Doug Band ( http://politicalinsider.blogs.heraldtribune.com/10498/clinton-heaps-praise-on-band-family/ ),  the CGI ( http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/ )  has made large strides in the San Francisco Bay area, reducing fleet emissions in large numbers. Even more recently, Google made an astounding investment of $38 million dollars into wind farm production.

Ultimately, Exxon Mobile has been one of the largest cooperators/investors into algae-based biofuels, setting aside nearly $600 million dollars as of 2009. In their quest for alternative energy, they joined with Synthetic Genomics Inc., to research and develop next-generation biofuels produced from sunlight.[ http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/07/14/14greenwire-exxon-sinks-600m-into-algae-based-biofuels-in-33562.html ]

But why algae? Here are some major reasons why algae would be a great substitute:

  • Grows in a wide range of climates
  • Lower water intensity than corn or cellulosic ethanols
  • Ability to potentially mitigate CO2
  • Liquid fuels formed are the only one of their byproducts
  • Byproducts are potentially the most valuable

All in all, the 40 percent lipid yield of some species (according to some studies) can produce up to 10,000 gallons of oil per annum (1 acre). This is far more productive than Soy or cellulosic ethanol, which range between 50 to 2700 gallons. [ http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_yield.html ]

As in any study, there are drawbacks, and for most companies, it’s the failure to indentify the right strains of algae for high lipid concentration. Also, there are elements like contamination or predation, and dealing with the complicatedness of de-watering and oil withdrawal; all processes which have yet to be perfected.

On July 1, the department of energy (DOE) announced the investment of $24 million for approximately 3 different research groups. Their mission is to target all these obstacles in the mass production of algae-based biofuels. Sustainable Algal Biofuels Consortium, Consortium for Algal Biofuels Commercialization and Cellana LLC Consortium will all perform separate tasks in hopes of igniting an algae fuel based society.

Jack Lundee – Follower of all things green and progressive.

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http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2010/08/03/converting-algae-into-fuel.html

By Marlene Cimons, National Science Foundation

The algae that keep salmon and shrimp a bright pink might keep jet airplanes and automobiles running someday.

It’s no secret that government, scientists and industry are devoting considerable resources and talent to developing renewable, cost-efficient and environmentally-friendly energy sources, the path to energy independence and to reducing the harmful effects of burning fossil fuels.

Click here to find out more!

One solution could come from the fatty acids produced by certain species of salt water algae.

“All photosynthetic plants take water, sunlight and carbon dioxide and make either sugar or fatty acids,” said Dr. William L. Roberts, a professor in the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University. “We want the ones that produce a lot of fatty acids.”

He and his colleagues, four biologists and three engineers, are working on ways to produce and extract these fats from Dunaliella, a microscopic species of algae, and convert them into fuel on a large scale, much larger than is possible today. Their research is funded by $1.99 million over four years from the National Science Foundation as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The North Carolina State University project is one of several teams in the nation studying the potential of algae as an energy source, and with great promise. This year the Department of Energy has awarded more than $100 million for bio-fuels research, an investment that includes a recently announced $24 million to specifically address the challenges in the commercialization of algae-based fuels.

“This is going to be one of the most important and dominant industries of the future because we will run out of fossil fuel,” Roberts said.

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More tomorrow

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BP Thinks It Is Time To Scale Back – Tip toe tip toe tip toe

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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Gulf Gusher Gone – The emergency is over

That is RIGHT. Everything is OK now. Put on your best clothes, light the lights, put out the food on the table, crank the band up, hire the bar tender and let’s make some whoopy. Let the boats fly to the shrimp. Toss the pelicans in the air.

Well maybe not:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/14/gulf-oil-spill-altering-f_n_645607.html

Gulf Oil Spill Altering Food Web Scientists Say, Long-Term Impact Unknown

Posted: 07-14-10 09:21 AM

317diggsdigg

Gulf Oil Spill

Get Green Alerts

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Scientists are reporting early signs that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is altering the marine food web by killing or tainting some creatures and spurring the growth of others more suited to a fouled environment.

Near the spill site, researchers have documented a massive die-off of pyrosomes – cucumber-shaped, gelatinous organisms fed on by endangered sea turtles.

Along the coast, droplets of oil are being found inside the shells of young crabs that are a mainstay in the diet of fish, turtles and shorebirds.

And at the base of the food web, tiny organisms that consume oil and gas are proliferating.

If such impacts continue, the scientists warn of a grim reshuffling of sealife that could over time cascade through the ecosystem and imperil the region’s multibillion-dollar fishing industry.

Federal wildlife officials say the impacts are not irreversible, and no tainted seafood has yet been found. But Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who chairs a House committee investigating the spill, warned Tuesday that the problem is just unfolding and toxic oil could be entering seafood stocks as predators eat contaminated marine life.

“You change the base of the food web, it’s going to ripple through the entire food web,” said marine scientist Rob Condon, who found oil-loving bacteria off the Alabama coastline, more than 90 miles from BP’s collapsed Deepwater Horizon drill rig. “Ultimately it’s going to impact fishing and introduce a lot of contaminants into the food web.

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More From The Gulf Gusher – This from Lean, one of my favorite groups

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!

BP Makes Me SickAmazing! 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


SaveOurGulf.orgVisit 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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Last Day On Energy And/Or Carbon Neutral – Don’t know what I will post next

After a very disastrous 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

press release

July 8, 2010, 10:14 a.m. EDT · Recommend · Post:

Alternate Energy Holdings, Inc.’s Energy Neutral(TM) Nominated for Idaho Smart Growth Award

Nomination Distinguishes Energy Neutral(TM) as Leader in Sustainable Communities

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 supremacist fundamentalists get it…Well maybe everyone will.

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

Using smart grid tech, solar panels and energy-efficient appliances to create homes that produce as much energy as they use
By Adrian Covert Posted 07.15.2009 at 12:30 pm 10 Comments
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.

October 19, 2007|From Bloomberg News

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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