• Killer Smog a National Problem
  
• Animal Groups Seek Ban on Internet Hunting
  
• Wildlife Scientists Count Animals From Space
  
• Honolulu Rolls Out Clean, Quiet Hybrid Buses
  
• New York State First to Lease 2005 Honda Fuel Cell Cars
  
• Teflon Blood Level Controversy Escalates
  
• Starbucks to Debut First Recycled Content Beverage Cups
  
• Smart Growth Awards Honor Eco-Friendly Development
  

Killer Smog a National Problem

To determine the association between ozone and mortality, the researchers looked at the total number of non-injury related deaths and cardiovascular and respiratory mortality in the 95 largest U.S. communities in the 13 years from 1987 to 2000.

The researchers calculated that a 10 parts per billion reduction in daily ozone, which is roughly 35 percent of the average daily ozone level, could save nearly 4,000 lives in the 95 urban communities included in the study.

The researchers, from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, said the risk of death was similar for adults of all ages and slightly higher for people with respiratory or cardiovascular problems.

Ground level ozone forms when emissions from cars and power plants react chemically in the presence of sunlight.

The increase in deaths occurred at ozone levels well below clean air standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which funded the study jointly with the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences and the Health Effects Institute.

The study appears in Wednesday's edition of the "Journal of the American Medical Association."

The ozone study was part of the ongoing National Morbidity Mortality and Air Pollution Study at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, which assesses health effects of air pollution on a national scale.

Air pollution data were supplied by the EPA. Mortality data were supplied by the National Center of Health Statistics. The researchers accounted for variables such as weather, particulate matter pollution and seasonality, which could impact mortality rates.

The researchers found that an increase of 10 parts per billion (ppb) in weekly ozone levels was associated with a 0.52 percent daily increase in deaths the following week.

The rate of daily cardiovascular and respiratory deaths increased 0.64 percent with each 10 ppb increase of weekly ozone.

The average daily ozone level for the cities surveyed was 26 ppb. The EPA's maximum for ground-level ozone over an eiht hour period is 80 ppb.

"Our study shows that ground-level ozone is a national problem, which is not limited to a small number of cities or one region. Everyone needs to be aware of the potential health risks of ozone pollution," said Francesca Dominici, PhD, senior author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Biostatistics at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The data and statistical models used to complete the study are available on the Health and Air Pollution Surveillance System website at: www.ihapss.jhsph.edu.

Animal Groups Seek Ban on Internet Hunting

John Underwood, a rancher in southwest Texas has built a platform for a rifle and camera that can be remotely aimed on his 330 acre ranch by anyone on the Internet anywhere in the world.

He already offers target practice with a .22 calibre rifle via the Internet but he wants to allow visitors to his site to shoot living deer, antelope and wild pigs. The only thing in his way is a slow Internet connection to his remote ranch.

Underwood says an attendant would retrieve the shot animals for the shooters, who could have the heads preserved by a taxidermist. They could also have the meat processed and shipped home, or donated.

But Texas officials may change state laws to stop the Internet hunting operation before it gets started.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department official Mike Berger told reporters, "The current state statutes don’t cover this sort of thing."

State law covers "regulated animals" such as native deer and birds and cannot prevent Underwood from offering Internet hunts of "unregulated" animals such as non-native deer that many ranchers have imported, and wild pigs.

In their joint letters, two animal advocacy groups are urging the governor, legislators and officials within the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to impose a requirement that any person hunting animals in Texas must be physically on site when he or she shoots, and to take steps to ensure that the prohibition covers the many non-native species used in canned hunts.

“Hunting over the Internet is a new low,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. “This is a snuff film scenario in which animals will be senselessly killed for the voyeuristic pleasure of someone sitting at a keyboard. It is pay-per-view slaughter. This bizarre plan should be shut down and outlawed immediately.”

Berger has proposed a rule that will come up for public discussion in January that anyone hunting animals covered by state law must be physically on site when the shot is fired.

Wildlife Scientists Count Animals From Space

Honolulu Rolls Out Clean, Quiet Hybrid Buses

“This occasion marks another significant step for Honolulu along the path to sustainability,” said Mayor Jeremy Harris. “These hybrid electric vehicles protect our environment because they are cleaner, quieter and more fuel efficient than conventional diesel buses.”

The 75 passenger hybrid buses are called E-Transit because much of their power comes from electricity generated by the buses themselves. The 60 foot long, low floor articulated buses emit 90 percent less air pollution and use 50 percent less fuel than diesel buses and are ultra-quiet.

But the new buses will have no dedicated lanes and there will be no federal construction money to create them.

Critics forced the city to roll back its plan for dedicated lanes because they worried by the loss of lanes for passenger cars.

Governor Linda Lingle said she would not allow the buses the exclusive use of state roadways.

"It's not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction," said city Managing Director Ben Lee. Oahu Transit Services (TheBus) will operate TheTransit, and fares and transfers will be the same as all other routes operated by TheBus.

A new hybrid electric bus will be on display at the Brunch on the Beach in Waikiki next Sunday morning.

New York State First to Lease 2005 Honda Fuel Cell Cars

New York is the first state government customer for the fuel cell vehicles in the United States and will be the first to operate the vehicles in the Northeast.

"New York is pleased to partner with Honda to utilize these innovative fuel cell vehicles, which use emerging technology to significantly reduce energy use, promote cleaner air and help break our dependence on foreign oil," said Pataki.

"Fuel cells - like those used in this vehicle - have the potential to revolutionize the transportation and energy industries," the governor said, "and we are proud that the state will play a major role in helping to develop the next generation of clean, energy efficient vehicles for daily use."

As part of Honda's testing program for the 2005 FCX, New York State will lease two cars for a period of two years with the first vehicle expected to be delivered in December and the second in mid-2005. The vehicles are the first fuel cell vehicles in New York's fleet and will be used in regular daily State operations.

Koichi Kondo, president and CEO of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. joined Pataki at the State Capitol for the announcement. "I would like to commend the governor and the people of New York for their vision and for taking this bold step toward a more sustainable energy future, and also thank them for becoming a customer for Honda fuel cell technology," he said.

The Honda FCX converts compressed gaseous hydrogen into electricity for motive power with water as its only emission. The 2005 FCX has a range of up to 190 miles and seating for four people, making it practical for a wide range of real-world applications.

FCVs can be fueled with pure hydrogen gas stored onboard in high pressure tanks. They also can be fueled with hydrogen rich fuels, such as methanol, natural gas, or even gasoline. However, these fuels must first be converted into hydrogen gas by an onboard device called a "reformer."

FCVs fueled with pure hydrogen emit no pollutants; only water and heat. In addition, FCVs can be twice as efficient as similarly sized conventional vehicles and may also incorporate other advanced technologies to increase efficiency.

The Honda FCX is the only fuel cell car to be certified by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board for regular daily use.

Beginning in model year 1997, the Federal Energy Policy Act of 1992 required state agencies to increase their acquisitions of alternative fueled vehicles for state fleets. New York State has exceeded these federally mandated requirements for the sixth consecutive year - in model year 2003, by nearly 14 percent.

In 2003, 89 percent of all light duty vehicles purchased by New York State were alternative fueled vehicles.

Currently, the state has 4,141 alternative fueled vehicles in its fleet, using a variety of different fuels, such as CNG, ethanol, propane, electric and hybrid vehicles. These vehicles make up 32 percent of the total vehicles in the state's fleet and by 2009, that number is expected to jump to 62 percent.

Teflon Blood Level Controversy Escalates

The watchdog group says the new tests show that neighbors of Dupont's Parkersburg, West Virginia plant have Teflon chemicals in their blood at rates many times higher than the rest of the American public.

The EPA is currently in litigation against DuPont for hiding similar health and tap water pollution studies from the agency for 20 years.

Richard Wiles, senior vice president at EWG, said, "DuPont is already defending itself in court against EPA charges that it suppressed critical safety information from the communities surrounding its plants. What will it take for DuPont to tell the public everything it knows about the extraordinary dangers of Teflon chemicals?"

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) filed a petition asking the federal government to conduct a full investigation of this apparent violation of federal reporting requirements for toxic chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

DuPont's new, "suppressed" study, obtained by EWG, was conducted by DuPont consulting firm Exygen. It shows that DuPont found the chemical PFOA in the blood of people living near their West Virginia Teflon plant at levels 12 times higher than U.S. background blood levels of the pollutant.

Over 95 percent of the American public has the Teflon chemical in their blood. The EPA is conducting an investigation to determine how the Teflon chemical has gotten into the blood of nearly every American. The EWG says this investigation "could lead to a limit in use or a ban of this Teflon chemical."

DuPont says that it "fully and promptly reported" to the EPA "all appropriate information regarding PFOA, an essential processing aid used to make fluoropolymers."

"Our company has been and will continue to be forthright in providing information to the EPA that goes beyond compliance and, at the same time, helps the agency's efforts to improve its understanding of PFOA," said DuPont General Counsel Stacey Mobley.

"We provided the agency with the results of 22 toxicology studies, including studies of acute, chronic, developmental, genetic, and aquatic toxicity," said Mobley in August. "We responded completely and accurately to EPA's request, providing all relevant information."

In April of last year EPA said that it "does not believe there is any reason for consumers to stop using any consumer or industrial-related products" because of questions about PFOA. DuPont agrees fully with the EPA's position and "remains confident that PFOA is safe."

"We have and will continue to manage PFOA safely," said Mobley. "We expect to resolve the issues raised in the EPA complaint and will remain committed to supporting the agency in its review of the compound."

Starbucks to Debut First Recycled Content Beverage Cups

The recycled content commitment follows approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a Starbucks supply chain member, Mississippi River Corporation, to use recycled content in food packaging, another industry first. That approval was granted in September to Mississippi River and its customers, MeadWestvaco and Solo Cup Company.

“Beginning to use post-consumer recycled content hot beverage cups is an important milestone for Starbucks in addressing the environmental impact associated with our paper-buying practices,” said Jim Donald, Starbucks CEO designate. “Starbucks goal is to convert hot cups in our U.S. company operated retail stores by the end of calendar 2005."

After testing early next year to validate performance, quality, and safety, Starbucks expects to place the recycled content cups in thousands of its U.S. retail stores. The cups will look and perform the same as the ones in use today, but the new cup is expected to lower the company’s dependence on tree fiber by more than five million pounds per year.

“As Starbucks continues to grow and expand its presence around the globe, we are actively working to incorporate environmental considerations in our business operations,” said Ben Packard, Starbucks director of environmental affairs.

“We hope to have other future firsts as we continue to look for innovative ways to improve our environmental performance,” Packard said.

Smart Growth Awards Honor Eco-Friendly Development

Smart growth development practices help protect the environment by preserving open space and parkland, protecting critical habitat, improving transportation choices to reduce emissions from automobiles, cleaning up and reusing brownfields, and reducing paved surfaces to minimize polluted run-off.

EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt Wednesday presented the honors for:

Overall Excellence to the Town of Davidson, North Carolina, Planning Department for creating vibrant neighborhoods in an historic setting. The town is revitalizing existing buildings, and has issued design guidelines that preserve its small town atmosphere. New neighborhoods feature parks within a five minute walk of homes, along with a variety of lot sizes and housing types, including affordable housing.

Built Projects to the City of Greensboro, North Carolina, Department of Housing and Community Development for the Southside Neighborhood, located close to Greensboro’s historic main street. New development and revitalization of existing structures transformed this blighted area into a thriving, attractive district.

Policies and Regulations to the City of Santa Cruz, California, Department of Housing and Community Development for its Accessory Dwelling Unit Program which makes it easier to build accessory units, which are separate residences that are created by converting all or part of a garage or by building new structures on a homeowner's property.

Community Outreach and Education to the Sacramento, California Area Council of Governments for its Sacramento Region Blueprint: Transportation/Land Use Study. The blueprint study brought together 5,000 citizens, 30 agencies, and private businesses to plan how and where the region will grow. Over two years, participants explored land use, housing, and transportation choices, then evaluated and voted on four proposals. The chosen scenario became the basis for a regional plan that extends until 2050. Small Communities to the The Office of the Governor of the San Juan Pueblo Tribe, north of Santa Fe, New Mexico, for a Master Land Use Plan that honors Native American heritage. The first of its kind for a Native American community, the plan and process by which it was developed are a valuable model for tribes and communities around the country. In 2003, a 40 unit, mixed income, rental housing project was completed, exhibiting a culturally appropriate, affordable design. The 2004 call for entries drew 98 applications from 32 states and the District of Columbia. Winners were selected based on how effectively they advanced Smart Growth, how easily their projects could be replicated, and how well they engaged citizens and fostered partnerships. For more information about the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement and this year’s winners, visit: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/awards.htm.

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