Thursday, 09 Oct 2003

Bubble Trouble

Navy Sonar Is Causing the Bends in Marine Mammals, Report Says

Sonar from navy ships appears to be giving whales and other marine mammals the bends, that infamous bane of scuba divers and other deep-sea adventurers, according to a report published in the latest edition of the journal Nature. Researchers from England and Spain found air bubbles in tissues and blood vessels of whales that died in the Canary Islands shortly after a naval exercise in 2002; such bubbles are a sign of the bends, also known as decompression sickness. The researchers offered two hypotheses for how sonar induces the bends: Either it could cause the animals to panic and rise to the surface too quickly (the cause of the bends in humans), or it could directly cause bubble formation on gas nuclei in whale tissues. The findings could have major implications for the U.S. Navy's ongoing efforts to gain approval for widespread use of very loud, low-frequency sonar, which is in the auditory range of some of the world's largest and most endangered whales.

Smelter Skelter

Enviros Protest Massive Dam in Iceland

Extreme weather and remote locations can't stop the forward march of, uh, progress, as Iceland's Karahnjukar dam shows. The dam, which will be Europe's highest, is being built in a huge wilderness area, much to the dismay of environmentalists. They fear it will drown highland vegetation, change the groundwater balance, and create so much mud that in the dry season the dust blowing from the region will choke a nearby town. Moreover, they say, it will disturb the area's reindeer, freshwater fish, and harbor seals, and destroy some 500 nesting spots of the pink-footed goose. The dam, which is being built by the national power company Landsvirkjun, will have just one customer: an Alcoa aluminum smelter slated to open in 2007.

Spitz-ing Mad

Attorneys General Accuse HUD of Noncompliance on Pesticide Law

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development isn't abiding by a federal law governing pesticide use in public housing projects, according to attorneys general from 10 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Some 1.3 million families are exposed to unsafe levels of pesticides because of HUD's failure to follow the Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, alleged New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, who was one of those calling on the department to enforce the law at HUD-funded housing projects. According to a survey conducted by Spitzer's office last year, public housing authorities throughout New York state relied almost exclusively on chemicals, including suspected carcinogens, to combat pest problems. Under federal law, the authorities are supposed to use non-chemical means whenever possible, such as screens and improved sanitation.

Wheezy Does It

Even Comparatively Clean Air Could Exacerbate Asthma, Study Shows

What constitutes a safe level of pollution? For children suffering from severe asthma, there might not be such a thing, according to research published in this week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. In a study of 271 kids under the age of 12 in Massachusetts and Connecticut, those with bad asthma started experiencing shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness when exposed to what the U.S. EPA considers "good" pollution levels. When ozone pollution was near the high end of the zero-to-60 parts per billion "good" range, "we found an immediate, same-day effect of ozone on wheeze, chest tightness and shortness of breath," the researchers wrote. Ozone is generated by vehicles, industry emissions, and oil refining, among other sources.

No More Sulfuring in Silence

China Bans Coal Plants in Big Cities

In a much-needed and long-awaited gambit to improve air quality and reduce acid rain, China has banned coal-fired power plants in major cities across the nation. The ban applies to Beijing, Shanghai, and 21 provincial capitals, which together produce approximately 60 percent of China's sulfur dioxide emissions. Sulfur dioxide is the leading cause of acid rain, which plagues a third of the massive country. Strict new environmental laws will also require thermoelectric energy projects in big and medium-sized cities to meet federal environmental protection standards.