Wednesday, 17 Nov 2004

Kick the Habitat

Republicans take aim at Endangered Species Act

Republican leaders in Congress, bolstered by their election gains, no doubt have several environmental laws and regulations in their sights, but a top priority is revamping the Endangered Species Act. Developers, many Republicans, and a handful of Democrats have long contended that the act's requirements for protecting critical habitat are outdated and burdensome to economic progress. Enviros view them as the very soul of the act. Read about the state of play -- in Muckraker, today on the Grist Magazine website.

Givin' the Smog a Bone

Huge new study shows that smog does, in fact, kill

The largest study ever conducted on the health effects of smog, or more particularly, ground-level ozone, concludes that, well, smog kills people. Published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study found that a ground-level ozone rise over a week of roughly 10 parts per billion (ppb) increases a given person's chances of croaking by roughly 0.52 percent -- higher for cardiovascular and respiratory deaths, and higher yet for senior citizens. This means, says study lead author Michelle Bell, "if ozone levels were decreased by 10 ppb, about 4,000 lives would be saved each year in [the 95 urban centers studied]." The U.S. EPA is currently reviewing its standards for maximum daily ozone levels, which were tightened in 1997 to 80 ppb over an eight-hour period. The study could lead to a further tightening of that restriction, as it shows that mortality rates rise even when ozone peaks below legal levels.

I'll Have a Side of Hash Browns

U.S. joins 13 other nations in plan to reduce methane emissions

Fourteen nations agreed yesterday to a non-binding agreement to curtail methane emissions by trapping the gas and using it as a relatively clean-burning fuel before it's released into the atmosphere. Methane is the second most common heat-trapping greenhouse gas -- albeit a distant second to carbon dioxide, as methane accounts for just 16 percent of such gases -- mostly generated by landfills, but also by coal mines and oil and gas operations. The U.S. pledged to invest up to $53 million over the next five years in companies that provide methane-trapping technologies to participating countries, which include China, India, Mexico, and Russia. David Doniger of the Natural Resources Defense Council spoke for many enviros when he praised the methane agreement as "useful," but criticized the Bush administration's refusal to tackle atmospheric enemy No. 1, carbon dioxide, saying, "compared to the problem that's being ignored, it's small potatoes."

Better Red Than Dead

Annual "Red List" of threatened species says lots of species are threatened

The World Conservation Union released its annual Red List of threatened species today, and it ain't pretty. Some 15,589 species -- 7,266 animals and 8,323 plants and lichens -- are in danger, up more than 3,000 from just last year. Nearly an eighth of all birds, a quarter of mammals, a third of amphibians, and half of turtles and tortoises are on the chopping block. No doubt there are all sorts of factors at work, though, right? Uh, not so much: "[A] single species, ours, appears to be almost wholly responsible," said the report. It traces the decline in biodiversity, which is currently between 100 and 1,000 times faster than the fossil record indicates is normal, to over-exploitation of resources, habitat loss, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and (you knew it was coming) global warming. Attempting to put a happy face on the grim report, researcher Simon Stuart emphasized that coordinated action has been shown effective in saving specific species. "Good things are achievable," he said.

Dude, the Powder Is Nuclear Today!

Extreme microbes may aid nuclear waste disposal

Researchers with the Department of Energy, hip to the latest trends, have developed genetically manipulated "extreme microbes" that reportedly survive entirely on Red Bull and communicate via appropriated skater slang. Ah, we kid. But there are some pretty bitchin' microbes out there. Able to survive in earth's most inhospitable environments -- some thrive at above-boiling temperatures, enjoy the company of toxic chemicals, and can endure large doses of radiation -- these "extremophiles" may become a valuable tool for eliminating nuclear waste. Lab-enhanced versions could be drafted to begin ingesting and breaking down toxins "in the not-too-distant future," outgoing Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said earlier this year. In addition to saving money -- the Energy Department estimates conventional clean-up methods for nuclear waste could cost up to $260 billion -- the microbes break down radioactive elements into insoluble forms, making them less likely to leak into aquifers and streams.