Tuesday, 01 May 2001

Runoff Sentences

Runoff from fertilizers and other nutrient-rich chemicals is posing a major threat to Canada's water bodies, according to a government report conducted over five years. The report, completed in January 2001 and obtained under public access rules by a private citizen, says farming and municipal sewage systems are the biggest source of the nitrogen- and phosphorus-rich chemicals that lead to the algae growth choking off oxygen supplies and other life forms in inland waters. The report also details problems with the country's air quality.

That's Why He's Called the "Vice" President

Vice President Dick Cheney yesterday rejected the idea that "we could simply conserve or ration our way out" of what he described as an energy crisis. Instead, he said the U.S. must increase its supply of fossil fuels, open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, and build one new power plant a week for 20 years to keep up with the demand for electricity. He said, "Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it is not a sufficient basis for a sound, comprehensive energy policy." Cheney, who is leading a White House energy task force that is expected to issue policy recommendations later this month, said those who want to reduce the use of coal in this country because it is a major source pollution "deny reality." The vice president went on to say that the most environmentally friendly way to increase energy supplies in the U.S. would be to expand the use of nuclear power.

The Lung and Short of It

More than 140 million Americans live in areas that flunk air-quality tests for ozone pollution, according to a report by the American Lung Association. The number rose 9 million since the group issued a similar report last year, in part due to hot summer conditions that could become par-for-the-course because of global warming. The group ranked areas based on U.S. EPA data from 1997-1999. The 10 worst metro areas in order were: Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, and San Joaquin Valley, Calif., Houston, Texas; Atlanta, Ga.; Washington, D.C., Charlotte, N.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Philadelphia, Penn. Looking for a breath of fresh of air? Try Spokane, Wash., Duluth, Minn., or Lincoln, Neb.

First 100 Daze

About 200 protesters from at least 22 environmental groups marched at the White House yesterday, claiming that President Bush had the worst environmental record of any president at the 100-day mark of an administration. In front of the White House gates, they lifted a big sign decorated with a spewing oil well; smaller signs read "No nukes," "Don't plunder the planet," and "Stop the rollbacks." Wenonah Hauter of Public Citizen said, "First they stole the election -- now they are stealing our children's futures."

Note to Self: Don't Feed Lead to Kids

Children with levels of lead in their blood that are now considered safe scored significantly lower on intelligence tests than children with almost no lead in their blood, according to a study presented yesterday at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting. Lead author Bruce Lanphear said the research suggested that one in every 30 children in the U.S. has been negatively affected by lead. Currently, 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood is considered a safe concentration level, but experts predicted that Lanphear's research would cause regulators to lower the standard.