• Global Warming Forecast to Melt Pacific Northwest Snowpack
  
• New York Trees Treated to Kill Asian Longhorn Beetles
  
• Southern California Recycling Fraud Ring Busted
  
• USDA Would Publicize Retail Stores on Tainted Meat Recall Lists
  
• More Good Fats Found in Grass-fed Beef and Dairy Products
  
• Pennsylvania Demand for Hybrid Vehicle Rebates Outstrips Funding
  
• Scientists Issue Forecast for Stronger Sunspot Cycle
  

Global Warming Forecast to Melt Pacific Northwest Snowpack

New York Trees Treated to Kill Asian Longhorn Beetles

The larvae of the Asian longhorned beetle bore into healthy hardwood trees and feed on living tree tissue and heartwood. Later, throughout the summer, adult beetles emerge from exit holes and briefly feed on the leaves and small twigs of host trees.

APHIS will treat trees in portions of the 132 square mile quarantine area in New York with the insecticide imidacloprid, which officials say has yielded positive results in past treatments. Imidacloprid is currently used in the lawn care industry to kill lawn grubs and in some domestic pet treatments to kill fleas.

Program officials will begin the treatment schedule with approximately 11,282 trees in Manhattan starting in mid-March. Treatment to approximately 22,900 trees in Brooklyn will follow starting in early April. By mid-April, the treatment of 17,000 trees in Queens will begin.

Certified pesticide applicator contractors will treat the soil surrounding trees, where appropriate, or inject the insecticide into the trees through a hand-held hydraulic applicator that uses compressed air to inject insecticide into the tree’s trunk. Each site will be closely monitored.

Regardless of the treatment form, the imidacloprid is dispersed through the tree’s vascular system. The insecticide is aimed at Asian longhorned beetle adults feeding on small twigs and leaves and the larvae feeding beneath the bark of host trees.

To fight this destructive invader, agriculture officials have removed and destroyed more than 6,000 trees infested with Asian longhorned beetles in and around New York City and Long Island since the insect was found in Brooklyn in 1996.

APHIS and its cooperators undertake eradication by imposing quarantines, conducting visual inspections around confirmed sites to determine the scope of infestations, removing infested and high-risk exposed trees and chemically treating host trees as part of an areawide integrated pest eradication strategy.

The goal is to eliminate this destructive insect from New York City and Long Island before it can establish itself elsewhere.

The public is asked to help with the eradication effort by allowing project officials access to their property to evaluate susceptible trees for any signs of Asian longhorned beetle infestation and/or to treat trees that are susceptible to the beetles.

The public can help by looking for Asian longhorned beetles, which are about 1 to 1.5 inches long, have a shiny jet black body with distinctive white spots and long antennae that are banded in black and white. To report a sighting of this insect, call 1-877-STOP ALB. For more information on the treatment program, call 1-866-265-0301.

APHIS, USDA’s Forest Service, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation participate in the Asian longhorned beetle cooperative eradication program. For more information visit the APHIS Web site at www.aphis.usda.gov/alb.

Southern California Recycling Fraud Ring Busted

USDA Would Publicize Retail Stores on Tainted Meat Recall Lists

Under the draft regulation, USDA would post on its website the names of grocery stores and restaurants that received shipments of tainted meat and poultry products. USDA’s current practice is to keep that information secret and to forbid individual states from disclosing it on their own.

"We believe that publishing a list of retail establishments that have received products subject to recall will help consumers more easily determine if they purchased recalled product," USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Richard Raymond said last week. "FSIS currently posts detailed information about recalled products, including pictures when possible, on its website to help consumers identify products subject to recall."

In 2004, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) launched a campaign to encourage USDA also to disclose the names of stores and restaurants that receive tainted meat and poultry.

“Consumers have a right to know whether the meat or poultry they’ve purchased is being recalled due to contamination with deadly bacteria,” said CSPI food safety staff attorney Ken Kelly. “By not naming the names of individual retailers, USDA had been making it difficult for consumers to avoid tainted food. This is a welcome, if overdue, change.”

CSPI says that even though the new proposal is a good first step, USDA still needs the legal authority to require companies to recall tainted foods. Currently, the agency has to rely on the meat industry’s voluntary compliance with recall requests from USDA.

But Kelly says that beginning in 2002, the Food Safety Inspection Service entered into a series of agreements to allow states to participate in the recall verification process.

While consignee identities and distribution lists have in the past been considered confidential business information, Kelly said FSIS has concluded that it does have the authority to release the names of retail consignees of recalled meat and poultry products and that doing so will enhance the effectiveness of the recall process.

In 2005, there were 53 recalls involving meat and poultry products, compared with 113 in 2002. When a recall is conducted, FSIS posts a recall press release on its website to help consumers identify the product. The agency also distributes the press release to national wire services and newspapers, television and radio stations in those states where the product has been distributed as well as electronically to mailing lists maintained by FSIS.

Federal, state and local health and agricultural officials are also alerted to the fact that a recall is taking place. The recall release includes the name of the recalling establishment, the reason for the recall, a description of the food being recalled, any identifying codes, the recall classification and the appropriate contact persons for FSIS and the company involved.

FSIS invites the public to submit comments on this proposed rule. Comments must be received on or before May 8, 2006. Comments can be sent to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 300 12th Street, S.W., Room 102 Cotton Annex, Washington, D.C. 20250; or through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov.

More Good Fats Found in Grass-fed Beef and Dairy Products

WASHINGTON, DC, March 13, 2006 (ENS) - "The grass is truly greener when it comes to grass-fed beef and dairy," says nutritionist Dr. Kate Clancy.

A scientist in the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, Clancy has just published the first comprehensive study confirming that beef and milk from animals raised entirely on pasture have higher levels than conventionally raised animals of beneficial fats that may prevent heart disease and strengthen the immune system.

The study also shows that grass-fed meat is often leaner than most supermarket beef, and raising cattle on grass can reduce water pollution and the risk of antibiotic-resistant diseases.

"When you eat grass-fed meat, you're getting beef with benefits," said Clancy. "There are no losers in producing cattle entirely on pasture. Farmers win, consumers win, the environment wins, and even the cattle win."

Raising cattle on pasture eliminates the risk of mad cow disease, which is spread in feed contaminated with the nervous system tissue of infected animals.

"Greener Pastures: How Grass-fed Beef and Milk Contribute to Healthy Eating," is the first study to synthesize the findings of virtually every English-language study comparing the amounts of total fats, saturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, and conjugated linoleic acid in both pasture-raised and conventionally raised beef and dairy cattle.

The report found that grass-fed beef and milk contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, the so-called beneficial fats. Grass-fed milk tends to be higher in an omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid that scientists have demonstrated reduces the risk of heart disease, Clancy said.

Both grass-fed milk and ground beef are also higher in conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid shown in animal studies to protect against cancer. While the levels found are relatively small on a per serving basis, they may be beneficial and merit further research, she said.

Pasture-raised cattle fertilize land with their manure in amounts that the soil can safely absorb. By contrast, thousands of beef cattle crammed in industrial feedlot operations generate many tons of manure that can harm local water supplies and fish populations.

Confined cattle, which are fed large amounts of grain (especially corn), are also prone to disease, which leads most feedlot operators to routinely administer antibiotics to prevent illness and accelerate growth.

But Clancy says cattle that are allowed to eat their natural diet are healthier and need fewer antibiotics, which protects the human population from antibiotic-resistant diseases.

Still, grazing, if not carefully managed, can cause water quality problems by increasing sediment, nutrients and bacteria levels, according to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and other agencies. While sediment, nutrients and bacteria all occur naturally in water, livestock in some situations can increase concentrations of these substances beyond what is allowed by state and national water quality standards.

Increased sediment concentrations can impact fisheries and other aquatic life, says the Wyoming DEQ. This may include less successful spawning activity, a change in the macro-invertebrate population, and a change in the aquatic plant community. In addition, overgrazing can increase water temperature if riparian plant species that normally provide shade are eliminated.

Pennsylvania Demand for Hybrid Vehicle Rebates Outstrips Funding

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, March 13, 2006 (ENS) - Pennsylvania is encouraging hybrid electric and alternative fuel vehicles by offering rebates to motorists who buy and operate them in the state, but the program has been so successful, the state is expect to run out of rebate money sometime in April.

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Kathleen McGinty said Pennsylvania already has awarded more than $1.3 million in rebates from the $1.5 million allotted for the program for the 2005-06 fiscal year. Another $1 million will become available for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Because buyers have six months from the time of the purchase to apply for the rebates, people buying hybrid electric and alternative fuel vehicles after the current funding runs out still will be able to apply for rebates when the programs reopens.

“Demand for these rebates clearly shows the public is interested in vehicles that achieve higher fuel efficiency standards and employ alternative fuel technologies,” McGinty said.

Alternative fuels include compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquid propane gas, ethanol, methanol, hydrogen, coal-derived liquid fuels and fuels derived from biological materials.

The use of these fuels offers an alternative to conventional transportation fuels that come primarily from petroleum imported from foreign countries, more desireable now that increasing energy prices are impacting consumers, businesses and local governments.

“With each of us demanding low-emissions cars that get better gas mileage, we can lessen our dependence on foreign oil and improve the environment at the same time," McGinty said. "I am grateful that Pennsylvania can offer this rebate program again in July.”

DEP will not accept rebate forms from the time current funding runs out until the program reopens. At that time, DEP will determine the amount of the rebate.

The Hybrid Electric and Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebates are offered through the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants (AFIG) program administered by the DEP. To qualify for the rebate, the automobile must be registered in Pennsylvania and operated primarily within the state. Rebates are offered on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the year as long as funds are available.

Since the AFIG program began in 1992, the DEP has awarded $28.7 million for 984 projects in 50 counties. DEP has also awarded $1.2 million since March 2005 to people who purchased hybrid electric vehicles. AFIG funds have leveraged more than $78 million from public and private fleet operators, fuel providers and the federal government.

In 2004, Governor Ed Rendell signed into law an act that expanded the AFIG program, including offering the rebate instead of a grant to residents who purchase hybrid electric and alternative fuel vehicles. AFIG also helps residents purchase alternative-fuel vehicles and finances related fuel projects to create new markets that can have measurable impacts on pollution reduction, environmental protection and economic growth.

Governor Rendell last year banned the purchase of conventional SUVs for the state vehicle fleet and is building on this initiative with a major effort to replace conventional vehicles with hybrid vehicles. In the coming fiscal year, the state will purchase 30 hybrids and set in motion a process to continually build on this commitment so that by 2011, fully 25 percent of the fleet will be hybrids.

Scientists Issue Forecast for Stronger Sunspot Cycle

The Sun goes through approximately 11 year cycles, from peak storm activity to quiet and back again. The Sun right now is in a quiet period, called a solar minimum, but it is expected to grow progressively more active until the activity peaks about six years from now, a year later than usual, the NCAR scientists predict.

The last solar maximum was in 2001.

Predicting the Sun's cycles accurately years in advance is important because solar storms can slow satellite orbits, disrupt communications, and bring down power systems. Planning for satellite orbits and space missions often require knowledge of solar activity levels years in advance.

The scientists say they have confidence in their forecast because, in a series of test runs, the newly developed model simulated the strength of the past eight solar cycles with more than 98 percent accuracy.

"Our model has demonstrated the necessary skill to be used as a forecasting tool," says NCAR scientist Mausumi Dikpati, the leader of the NCAR High Altitude Observatory team that also includes Peter Gilman and Giuliana de Toma.

The storms are linked to twisted magnetic fields in the Sun that suddenly snap and release tremendous amounts of energy. They tend to occur near dark regions of concentrated magnetic fields, known as sunspots.

The NCAR team's computer model, the Predictive Flux-transport Dynamo Model, draws on research by NCAR scientists indicating that the evolution of sunspots is caused by a current of plasma, or electrified gas, that circulates between the Sun's equator and its poles over a period of 17 to 22 years.

This current acts like a conveyor belt of sunspots.

The team verified its predictions using a new technique called helioseismology, based in part on observations from NASA instruments. The technique tracks sound waves reverberating inside the sun to reveal details about the interior, and the far side of the sun.

The forecasts are generated, in part, by tracking the subsurface movements of the sunspot remnants of the previous two solar cycles. The team is publishing its forecast in the current issue of the journal "Geophysical Research Letters."