• Wildlife Smugglers Indicted in Illinois
  
• Hawaii Container Law is First in 20 Years
  
• Wildlife Refuge Created on Ohio Key
  
• Shrimp Imports From Haiti, Indonesia Banned
  
• May is EPA Environmental Science Month
  
• Gypsy Moth Spraying Resumes in Pennsylvania
  
• Mosquitoes Could Harbor Dengue Fever in Tucson
  
• Ice Cream Flavor Combats Global Warming
  

Wildlife Smugglers Indicted in Illinois

Two of the indictments involve a total of 19 tigers, seven leopards, a snow leopard, and an Asian swamp deer or barasingha, four species protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. During the investigation, federal agents purchased and rescued at least six tigers and leopards, which were about to be killed.

Another 17 tigers and one leopard were shot in cages and at an animal park.

The defendants include exotic animal exhibitors, taxidermists, trophy collectors and an exotic meat dealer, who allegedly bought tiger meat, mislabeled it as lion meat and sold it at his store in Lockport, Illinois.

The indictments are the results of a lengthy investigation by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) agents into the illegal trade of protected tigers, leopards and other animals in the Midwest. In May 1999, Fish and Wildlife agents executed six search warrants and conducted simultaneous interviews in 10 states, resulting in the seizure of a warehouse full of wildlife mounts, hides, skulls, bones, weapons and documents.

Last November, five defendants were indicted in Missouri, and four defendants were indicted on federal charges in Michigan. Each of the eight new defendants will be arraigned at a later date in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

"The scope of this investigation demonstrates the depths to which some people will go to profit from endangered wildlife," said Bill Hartwig, Midwest regional director of the USFWS. "It is disturbing to see such graphic examples that prove an animal is worth more dead than alive. The individuals who have been indicted should not be confused with sportsmen; there is no sport in shooting confined animals."

Patrick Fitzgerald, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, added, "These prosecutions attack the illegal commercialization of endangered species on all fronts from the suppliers to the ultimate consumers of the animals' hides and meat."

Hawaii Container Law is First in 20 Years

The five cent beverage container deposit bill will help Hawaii address its shrinking landfill space, create recycling jobs, and reduce bottle and can litter from beaches and roadways.

"Passing the bottle bill is a major victory for Hawaii's environment. Hawaii is paradise. We want to keep it that way," said Jeff Mikulina, director of the Sierra Club's Hawaii chapter. "With shrinking landfill space and an economy that is dependent on a clean environment, the bottle bill makes sense for Hawaii."

Hawaii uses about 800 million beverage containers each year. About 20 percent of those containers are now recycled statewide.

A recent national report, co-sponsored by the beverage industry, found that states with bottle bills recover 80 percent of their beverage container waste. Studies also show that states with bottle bills witnessed a 60 to 80 percent decrease in beverage container litter after enactment of the measures.

Hawaii's bottle bill will place a nickel deposit on all glass, plastic and aluminum beverage containers, which the consumer can recoup by bringing the empty container back for recycling. Redemption centers and retail stores over a certain size would be required to accept the recyclable bottles and cans.

"Bottle bills work," continued Mikulina. "They provide a real incentive for people to recycle and an incentive not to litter. The 10 states with bottle bills found that bottle and can litter has virtually disappeared. With the bottle bill, we will not only reduce the pressure on our landfills, but we will also improve the safety of our beaches and protect our ocean ecosystem."

The last states to pass nickel deposit bottle bills were Delaware and Massachusetts in 1982. Many of the measures introduced by states since then have been opposed by the beverage industry.

Over the past 20 years, beverage industry opponents have spent tens of millions on defeating bottle bills around the country, out spending proponents by as much as 30 to one, the Sierra Club charges. In 1996, $3 million was spent to defeat a bottle bill expansion initiative in Oregon.

The Sierra Club estimates that the beverage industry spent upwards of $100,000 attempting to stop the Hawaii bottle bill.

Wildlife Refuge Created on Ohio Key

Once known for its giant billboard and as a place for illegal camping and garbage dumping, and under constant threat of development, the island is now part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, joining 27 other such refuges in Florida and 570 nationwide.

"This is a victory for all those who treasure the unique environment of the Florida Keys," said Kathryn Fuller, president of World Wildlife Fund. "Everybody came out of this a winner and we are honored to be part of the team that made it happen."

For more than a decade, World Wildlife Fund has worked with local conservationist Margaret Brown, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the owners of Ohio Key to help broker permanent protection for the island. Despite years of abuse and neglect, Ohio Key remains home to the threatened piping plover as well as numerous other birds including the roseate spoonbill, ibis, herons, egrets, hawks and eagles.

National Home Communities, the corporation that owned Ohio Key, donated the land to the USFWS. The company also pledged to improve the environmental performance of Sunshine Key - the RV resort development that shares the island - building an advanced wastewater treatment facility and protecting beach areas for nesting turtles.

The company will also pay for improvements in the new wildlife refuge, including removal of garbage and invasive species and the planting of indigenous plants.

"We are committed to the protection of the fragile environment of the Florida Keys, as exemplified in the Sunshine Key redevelopment proposal which has been endorsed by numerous environmental representatives, including World Wildlife Fund," said Don Craig, president of the Craig Corporation, speaking on behalf of David Napp, CEO of National Home Communities.

Margaret Brown, longtime resident of Summerland Key and advocate for the protection of Ohio Key, said the new refuge is a symbol of what grassroots environmentalists can accomplish.

"If environmentalists believe strongly enough and work together long enough, they can accomplish something as amazing as protecting Ohio Key for the piping plover," said Brown.

Shrimp Imports From Haiti, Indonesia Banned

On April 29, the Department of State certified 41 nations and one economy as meeting the requirements for continued export of shrimp to the United States. U.S. law prohibits importation of shrimp harvested in a manner that may harm sea turtles.

Each year, the Department of State certifies which nations have taken specific measures to reduce sea turtle bycatch, or have taken other steps to eliminate threats to sea turtle species.

Such certifications are based in part on verification visits made to countries by teams of experts from the State Department and the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, and are renewed each year.

The chief component of the U.S. sea turtle conservation program is a requirement that commercial shrimp boats use sea turtle excluder devices (TEDs) to prevent the accidental drowning of sea turtles in shrimp trawls. Seventeen nations meet this standard.

Another 24 four nations and one economy were certified as having fishing environments that do not pose a danger to sea turtles, because they harvest shrimp manually or use other fishing methods not harmful to sea turtles.

Sixteen nations have shrimp fisheries only in cold waters, where the risk of taking sea turtles is negligible.

Imports of shrimp from all other nations will be prohibited unless harvested by aquaculture, in cold waters, or by specialized fishing techniques that do not threaten sea turtles. Only Brazil and Australia have shown that they have such a system in place for specific fisheries.

Indonesia and Haiti are the only major shrimp exporters not certified by the State Department. Indonesia's certification was revoked in July 2001 after a State Department inspection determined that the government was not enforcing use of turtle excluder devices (TEDs).

Haiti had been certified because its government allowed only non-mechanical shrimp harvests. The State Department has now withdrawn that certification because the Haitians are allowing foreign flagged shrimp trawling boats to operate without TEDs in their waters.

Over the past year the World Trade Organization gave final approval to U.S. implementation of the turtle protection law, defeating a challenge from Malaysia. A U.S. federal appeals court has upheld the State Department's implementation against a challenge from a U.S. environmental group.

May is EPA Environmental Science Month

Whitman said the EPA is developing the agency's first "State of the Environment Report," scheduled for release this fall.

"This report will use measurable indicators to describe the state of the nation's environment and impacts on ecological and human health," said Whitman. "It is our responsibility to manage and be held accountable for improved environmental results - it is an issue not only of public trust, but of the future health of our global environment."

May 2002 has been designated as EPA Environmental Science Month. The EPA Science Forum: Meeting the Challenges, a two day conference on May 1-2, was the kick off event for a month long look at the role of science in the EPA's decisions and regulations.

"I firmly believe the credibility of our decisions depends on the science underlying them," Whitman said. "The quality of the science behind those decisions largely determines how well environmental programs actually work - whether they achieve our health and environmental goals."

The EPA Science Forum included sessions focusing on air quality, safe water and populations that are most vulnerable to the effects of pollutants.

Also this week, a meeting in Boston, Massachusetts for the mining, power and chemical industries is focusing on long term management of surplus mercury and mercury tainted wastes.

Next week, a symposium in Kansas City, Missouri will look at the condition of the nation's waterways. The meeting is cosponsored by the EPA and the Council of State Governments.

A hardrock mining conference next week will look at the environmental issues shaping the mining industry. An international science and engineering fair will be held May 17 in Louisville, Kentucky.

A symposium on reducing emissions in Texas will be held in Houston on May 21.

Gypsy Moth Spraying Resumes in Pennsylvania

A total of 58,665 acres in 18 counties - down from 169,161 acres in 25 counties in 2001 - will be sprayed for suppression of the gypsy moth. All areas will be treated with the biological insecticide, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), the same insecticide that has been genetically inserted into certain corn varieties and other crops.

"Weather always has been our strongest ally in our gypsy moth suppression efforts, and last spring's was no exception," said state forester Dr. James Grace. "Rainfall last spring encouraged the spread of the natural fungus that has helped keep the insect in check in recent years."

The gypsy moth was introduced to North America in 1869 at Medford, Massachusetts, where it was used in a silk production experiment. The gypsy moth first reached Pennsylvania in Luzerne County in 1932, and has since infested every county in the state.

Gypsy moth caterpillars hatch and begin feeding from April to May. Oak, sugar maple, beech and aspen foliage is affected the most.

When populations peak, the insects may strip trees of foliage, leaving them weakened and susceptible to disease, drought and attack by other insects. A tree begins to suffer when 30 percent or more of its leaf surface is lost.

About 38 percent of the spraying target area - 22,043 acres - is comprised of private land whose owners have requested treatment and have been notified in advance of the spraying, said Larry Rhoads, DCNR forest pest suppression supervisor.

"The balance of the program will involve areas of publicly owned recreational land that includes state parks, state game lands, and publicly owned forestlands," Rhoads said.

Rhoades said gypsy moth defoliation was 72 percent lower in 2001 than in 2000 and was the lowest level recorded since 1998. The heaviest defoliation occurs in the central and southern portions of the state.

Though the Bt insecticide is not considered hazardous to the public, anyone coming in contact with it should wash with soap and water, said the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Cars and other surfaces should be cleaned with mild detergent.

The total cost of the insecticide and its application in 2002 is estimated at just over $1 million.

Mosquitoes Could Harbor Dengue Fever in Tucson

Tucson may be part of the Sonoran Desert, but to the mosquito Aedes aegypti, it is a tropical paradise. Unlike other mosquito species, this one survives in small amounts of water, including watering cans, dishes under potted plants or trash left around the yard that accumulates water during the monsoon season.

This mosquito transmits dengue fever, a virus native to more than 100 countries around the world. Although Tucson has never had an outbreak of dengue, it does support year round populations of A. aegypti that are able to carry the virus from person to person.

A Aedes aegypti mosquito, a species known to carry dengue fever, lives year round in Tucson. (Photo courtesy University of Arizona)

To be a threat to public health in Arizona, both the mosquito and the virus must be present. So far, the researchers have determined that Tucson has high numbers of A. aegypti, but no dengue fever. Yet its presence here as a potential carrier of dengue makes it a potential medical threat in Tucson, said Hagedorn.

"It lives around humans, breeds in our back yards, and in our homes," Hagedorn said. "Controlling the mosquito is a matter of controlling the backyard breeding sites."

Hagedorn and his team have run a series of tests in Tucson to analyze parts of the insect's life cycle and its feeding habits. So far they have focused on the mosquito's egg laying behavior, the frequency of its blood meals, and how often it bites animals other than humans.

Also under study are the various ways people make their homes and back yards attractive habitats for the insect.

The team has learned that the mosquito is present year round, but most common from July through September. It is biting multiple hosts and could transmit the virus from person to person, but just 50 percent of the mosquitoes tested had bitten humans, which, if confirmed, could reduce the threat of dengue transmission.

Researchers found that open windows and doors, standing water and lots of shrubs near the home provide opportunities for mosquitoes to remain in the area.

About 50 million cases of dengue occur annually around the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control. About five percent of those who contract the disease die.

Ice Cream Flavor Combats Global Warming

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and rock group The Dave Matthews Band have partnered with ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's in a campaign called One Sweet Whirled, the name of an ice cream flavor Ben & Jerry's created in honor of the Dave Matthews Band's environmental song "One Sweet World."

The One Sweet Whirled campaign provides people with practical tips on cutting their own global warming pollution and encourages them to assist WWF in pressing politicians to accelerate large scale solutions to the problem, including ratification of the Kyoto climate treaty.

The partnership has launched parallel campaigns in the U.S. and Europe, encouraging people there to pledge to reduce their own emissions and to urge political leaders to support the Kyoto Climate Treaty and other legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Through the One Sweet Whirled website (http://www.onesweetwhirled.org/), people can pledge to reduce their personal carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The campaign makes it easy for individuals to commit to making small changes in their lives - such as choosing green electricity for their homes, turning their thermostats down by one degree Celsius, or replacing four standard light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs.

The One Sweet Whirled website links to WWF's Go for Kyoto website, where people can E-mail and fax their messages of concern to political leaders. In addition to the website, Ben & Jerry's will be distributing information on the campaign through its scoop shops and events throughout western Europe.

"The whole world is feeling the effects of global warming," said Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, co-founders of Ben & Jerry's. "Now it's time for our political leaders to feel another kind of heat - the heat from the true majority of citizens who want to see action now to reverse global warming. Remember these words from two old ice cream guys: if it's melted, it's over."

Ben & Jerry's, founded in 1978 in Vermont, is well known for its environmental and social concern. The company has set a target to reduce the CO2 emissions from its manufacturing plants 10 percent below current levels by 2007.

By the way, the One Sweet Whirled flavor includes caramel and coffee ice creams with marshmallow and caramel swirls, covered in milk chocolate.