|
|||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Indigenous Peoples Call for Elimination of Columbus Day MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, October 12, 2004 (ENS) - "The settler governments and peoples of North, Central and South America who occupy the lands of various Indigenous nations of peoples will again celebrate with holiday parades and festivals for the 512th year of the invasion of our sacred lands by the colonial pirate Christopher Columbus," The American Indian Movement (AIM) said in a statement Monday.Calling October 12 a "national day of mourning," AIM says the landing of Christopher Columbus in 1492 on an island in what is now called the Bahamas, "was the beginning of the American holocaust against Indian peoples that claimed at least 60 million people from 1492 to the present." "These deaths were characterized by military and biological warfare, murder, torture, raping, pillaging, robbery, slavery, kidnapping, and forced removals of Indian people from their homelands," the indigenous advocacy group said. AIM called on Congress to eliminate the Columbus holiday "by following the lead of states such as Louisiana, and South Dakota" who declare October 12th each year to be a day for honoring American Indians. "American Indians gave you your spiritual, cultural, social, economic, and political freedom and sanctuary," AIM said. In New York City, indigenous people and people of color are gathering this evening at St. Mary’s Church in Harlem for a discussion of environmentally unjust free trade treaties that they say are "provoking massive strikes and resistance throughout the Americas and have left over a million people jobless" in the United States. The NYC People’s Referendum on Free Trade, the group organizing the free trade event, says among its key demands are "to protect indigenous use of healing plants from pharmaceutical patents, to eliminate the ability of corporations to sue governments for enforcing local labor or environmental standards, and to protect small farms and businesses." “Free trade is a continuation of the colonization that has been plaguing our people for centuries,” says Domingo de la Cruz, founder of the Dominican counterpart to the NYC People’s Referendum. “We must educate ourselves and demand that treaties improve our quality of life, instead of creating new forms of slavery.” Read the AIM statement in its entirety at: http://www.aimovement.org/moipr/index.html Find out more about the NYC People's Referendum on Free Trade at: http://www.wbai.org/index2.php?option=content&do_pdf=1&id=3779
September a Record Month for Tornadoes WASHINGTON, DC, October 12, 2004 (ENS) - The total number of tornado reports in the United States reached a record high in September for the second month in a row, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. September proved to be a deadly month, with eight fatalities caused by tornadoes, while in August three people died in tornadoes.The high number of tornadoes is associated with the large number of hurricanes that made landfall in the United States in September, meteorologists said. Preliminary numbers indicate a total of 247 tornadoes were reported during the month of September, said Dan McCarthy, the Storm Prediction Center's warning coordination meteorologist. Based on tornado records going back to 1950, this tops the previous September record of 139 tornadoes set in 1967, McCarthy said. The next three highest tornado Septembers all occurred in the past seven years - 104 in 1998; 101 in 1996; and 84 in 2001. The average number of tornadoes in the U.S. during September is 47. “The extremely active tropical storm season can be partially blamed for the high number of tornado reports,” McCarthy said. Three hurricanes - Frances, Ivan and Jeanne - affected the mid-Atlantic and Southeast states during September. With 117 reports, Hurricane Frances produced the most tornadoes ever, topping Hurricane Beulah's 115 tornadoes in September 1967. Hurricane Ivan was close with 104 tornado reports, and a total of 16 tornadoes were reported in association with Hurricane Jeanne. September's record follows a recordbreaking 173 reports during August, partially due to Tropical Storm Bonnie, with 30 tornado reports, and Hurricane Charley, with 25 reported tornadoes. "With a total of 292 tornado reports associated with land-falling tropical systems, this has been the most active period since 1967," McCarthy said of the two months August and September. "Never has there been four tropical systems produce so many tornado reports affecting Florida northward into Maryland." Tornadoes frequently occur in the northeast quadrant of northward advancing tropical systems or their remnants. “This is the sector where wind shear has its greatest effects on storms in the rain band,” McCarthy explained. The total number of tornadoes reported in 2004 to date is 1,516, already surpassing 1998's record total of 1,424 tornadoes for the year. The exact number of tornadoes for 2004 will not be known until June 2005, NOAA says.
Western Drought Forecast to Persist This Winter WASHINGTON, DC, October 12, 2004 (ENS) - This winter will bring above-average temperatures in Alaska, much of the West and the northern and central Great Plains, according to weather forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).The NOAA 2004-2005 Winter Outlook indicates some improvement in drought conditions in the West, but long-term drought is expected to persist through the winter in many areas. Drier-than-average conditions are expected in the Midwest, northern Plains, and Pacific Northwest. Elsewhere across the United States, the NOAA Winter Outlook calls for below average temperatures across the Gulf Coast states, the Southeast and the mid-Atlantic region. In the Northeast, Midwest and parts of the Southwest, NOAA forecasts equal chances of warmer, cooler or near-normal temperatures this winter. California and the southernmost states from coast to coast can expect wetter than average conditions, forecasters say. For the first time, NOAA’s new Climate Forecast System is being used as a tool for this outlook. This new system is a coupled ocean-atmosphere computer model, which complements other NOAA models and gives increased confidence of probable climate events before they happen. Dr. Louis Uccellini, director of NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction, calls it "a new era in climate prediction." “NOAA’s progress in climate forecasting is based on ongoing research and collaboration with our partners, advancements in our understanding of the global climate system, upgrades to the weather and climate supercomputer, and improvements in the state-of-the-art atmospheric and oceanic modeling applications," Uccellini said. The winter outlook reflects a blend of impacts associated with weak-to-moderate El Niño events in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean and is based on the likelihood that these conditions will persist through early 2005, forecasters predict. El Niño influences the winter weather patterns by affecting the jet stream and the path that storms take across the eastern Pacific and North America. “Our winter forecast factors in the effects of a weak El Niño that may strengthen into a moderate event during the winter months,” said NOAA Administrator Conrad Lautenbacher. “But we’ll keep our eye on other climate features in the Pacific and the North Atlantic that play an important role on the week-to-week variability in our winter weather. These patterns influence the position of the jet stream and dictate where and how winter storms will move.” During weak to moderate El Niño events, shifts in the jet stream change the patterns of storminess over the eastern North Pacific and North America. Jim Laver, director, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center says, “NOAA anticipates enhanced storminess near the Aleutian Islands and in the Southeast U.S., and warmer, drier conditions over western North America.” Another climate system called the North Atlantic Oscillation also plays an important role in modulating the winter weather over the eastern half of the United States. This climate pattern influences the position of the jet stream over the North Atlantic, affecting winter weather over the Northeast, but it is only predictable one to two weeks in advance. Impacts from the North Atlantic Oscillation are included in NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center's 8-14 day and 6-10 day outlooks and U.S. Hazards Assessment.
Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Wins Congressional Approval WASHINGTON, DC, October 12, 2004 (ENS) - Alaska’s Congressional delegation has won passage of several key federal incentives, including an $18 billion loan guarantee, that will enable a natural gas pipeline to be built from Alaska to the Lower 48 states. When completed, the pipeline will carry natural gas from Alaska to the Lower 48 states.Alaskan legislators were able to insert the natural gas pipeline provisions in both the Fiscal 2005 Military Construction Appropriations Conference Committee report and a bill addressing corporate taxes. On Saturday, the House of Representatives approved the Fiscal Year 2005 (FY05) Military Construction Appropriations conference report which contains authorizing language for the Alaska natural gas pipeline. The bill streamlines and clarifies the regulatory process and will facilitate private investment and lower borrowing costs at minimal risk to the federal government through a loan guarantee. Described as the largest private construction project ever undertaken in the United States, the gas pipeline will take 10 years to permit and construct. Upon completion, the Alaska natural gas pipeline will decrease U.S. dependency on foreign gas and imports of liquefied natural gas, "generate more than $40 billion in revenues for the federal government and create more than 400,000 jobs," said Alaska Senator Ted Stevens who pushed the legislation through. “Today is a great day for Alaska and America," said Senator Lisa Murkowski, who wrote the proposals to promote the Alaska natural gas pipeline. Appointed by her father, former Alaska Senator Frank Murkowski, to fill his seat when he won the Alaska governor's race in 2002, Lisa fulfilled her father's dream of an Alaska natural gas pipeline. In Juneau, the governor was delighted. “Senators Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski, along with Congressman Don Young have succeeded at the Herculean task of delivering on federal legislation that was critical in moving this project forward,” Governor Murkowski said Monday. “These federal incentives will go a long way in helping efforts to build the pipeline and secure the benefits of this important project for all Alaskans.” The measures:
“Our Congressional Delegation has delivered on federal legislation that removes a large roadblock to our efforts to make progress in the commercialization of our gas resources,” the governor said. “They have helped orchestrate an unprecedented federal response to what is regarded as the largest private sector construction project ever undertaken. If we’re successful, it will mean jobs for Alaska families and a reliable source of energy for the American people.” Both the military appropriations bill and the corporate tax bill are now on their way to President George W. Bush, who is expected to sign both.
Congress Passes First Biodiesel Tax Incentive WASHINGTON, DC, October 12, 2004 (ENS) - The first biodiesel tax incentive was approved by the U.S. Senate Monday, to the applause of the American Soybean Association, the National Biodiesel Board, soybean farmers and biodiesel enthusiasts who run their cars on the vegetable based oil.The House passed the bill on Friday. Lawmakers passed the incentive as part of H.R. 4520, legislation concerning the Foreign Sales Corporation/Extraterritorial Income Tax, also known as the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. American Soybean Association president Neal Bredehoeft, a soybean farmer from Alma, Missouri, called the Senate approval, "a defining moment for the future growth of biodiesel in the United States." Passage of the biodiesel tax incentive would not have happened without the steadfast commitment of Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, Senator Blanche Lincoln, an Arkansas Democrat, Congressman Kenny Hulshof, a Missouri Republican, and others, Bredehoeft said. The biodiesel tax incentive, which is structured as a federal excise tax credit, amounts to a penny per percentage point of biodiesel blended with petroleum diesel. Biodiesel, derived from soybeans or other field crops, is often blended 20 percent to 80 percent with petroleum diesel. In this form diesel engines can burn the bio-fuel without modification. Based on the USDA baseline estimates for future soybean production, over a five year time period the biodiesel tax provisions could add almost $1 billion directly to the bottom line of U.S. farm income, Bredehoeft said. The provisions "could increase U.S. gross output by almost $7 billion," he predicted. National Biodiesel Board Executive Director Joe Jobe said, "All biodiesel consumers will benefit from this legislation, including those in tax exempt markets, like school districts. The last step is for President George W. Bush to sign the bill; he is expected to do so within 10 days.
Fuzzy Exploration Tool One of Five New Energy Projects ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, October 12, 2004 (ENS) - The Department of Energy will provide more than $4.1 million to New Mexico for five new research and development projects to improve energy security, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and protect human health, Under Secretary of Energy David Garman announced Friday. The total award value of the five projects is $8.36 million.The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology based in Socorro has won three of the five project awards. The Institute will receive $1.2 million to create a free Internet tool that will assist in finding new oil reserves. Called the fuzzy expert exploration tool, it will analyze drilling prospects and reduce the risk of drilling new wells. It will simulate, but not replace, a human expert. The tool will be available to companies of any size, it will be customizable, and it will require only an Internet connection and browser to operate the software once the project is complete in an estimated three years. Under a second $1.2 million award, the Institute will develop methods to increase oil production by chemically blocking the voids or spaces in reservoir rocks. Researchers will first develop materials that can be positioned to block the voids and minimize the flow of both oil and water through them. Next, they will develop gels and polymers that reduce the flow of water through the voids, but will allow oil to pass. By increasing pressure in the formations and selectively controlling the flow of oil and water, these methods will enable producers to extract more oil. The Institute will spend a third $1.2 million award to focus on reducing the amount of oil bypassed during carbon dioxide (CO2) injection, an enhanced oil recovery technique used after oil that is easy to get has been extracted. Among other tasks, the researchers will develop models simulating CO2 flooding mechanisms. The project si expected to improve oil recovery and may enable more CO2 to be stored in geologic formations. CO2 is a greenhouse gas linked to global warming, and much research around the world is now exploring how to store, or sequester, CO2 underground where it cannot trap the heat of the Sun close to the planet. Correlations Company, also based in Socorro, will receive $1.5 million to develop a novel process to improve oil recovery by increasing the ability of some rock formations to absorb water. If the technology advances to the point that it works in half of U.S. shallow-shelf carbonate reservoirs, it could increase domestic oil production by some 800 million barrels, Garman said. Lovelace Biomedical & Environmental Research Institute of Albuquerque will receive $3.27 million to determine what link, if any, exists between the fine particulates emitted from coal-fired power plants, and health problems in humans. Fine particulates are particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter- less than 1/30th the width of a human hair, and invisible to the naked eye, Garman said. "While it has been established that these particles do affect human health, there is little information to provide a link between the particles from coal plants and cardiac or respiratory health problems in humans," he said. Results of the three year research project will be used to help design standards reviews, and to devise strategies for controlling power plant emissions. The projects will be managed for the Energy Department by the National Energy Technology Laboratory.
Ohio Opens One-Stop Shop for Compliance Assistance COLUMBUS, Ohio, October 12, 2004 (ENS) - The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has opened a new Office of Compliance Assistance and Pollution Prevention to provide a one-stop location for businesses seeking information about environmental regulations, compliance concerns and pollution prevention.The office provides free and confidential compliance and pollution prevention assistance on environmental issues related to air, land and water. Services include a toll-free hotline, a website, environmental workshops and publications that explain environmental requirements in plain English. Ohio businesses with fewer than 100 employees are eligible for compliance assistance services including on-site compliance assessments. Businesses of all sizes are eligible for advice and on-site assessments regarding pollution prevention. "The ultimate goal of our work at Ohio EPA is to protect the environment," said Ohio EPA Director Christopher Jones. "In addition to permitting and enforcement, our efforts to help regulated facilities understand and follow our rules before violations happen are also important in protecting the environment and public." Michael Kelley heads the new office. He began working at the Ohio EPA in 1988 and has been chief of the Office of Pollution Prevention since 1993. The new office combines staff from the Office of Pollution Prevention, the Small Business Assistance Office that previously focused on Central Ohio, and the Small Business Assistance Program that previously dealt only with air issues. Combining these functions enables the Ohio EPA to expand its services with no new funding. To improve customer service and efficiency, the new office plans to have a representative in each district office. In addition to staff at Ohio EPA's headquarters, the office opens with one staff person in a field office to serve Central Ohio and Southeast Ohio. Positions could be filled for Northeast Ohio and Southwest Ohio by the end of this year. A representative for Northwest Ohio will be added when additional funding is available. For now, existing staff will provide assistance to that part of the state. Contact the new office at: www.epa.state.oh.us/opp/ocapp.html or call the Hotline toll-free at: 800-329-7518
Bionanotech Particles Can Find Bioweapon in 20 Minutes GAINESVILLE, Florida, October 12, 2004 (ENS) - Out on the interface of biological science and nanotechnology, a team of University of Florida researchers has created tiny particles that can detect even one isolated E. coli bacterium in a lump of ground beef, or give an early warning alarm for bacteria used as agents of bioterrorism, or diagnose disease far earlier than conventional techniques."Our focus is the development of a bionanotechnology that combines the strengths of nanotechnology and biochemistry to generate a new type of bionanomaterial, which has some unique properties," said Weihong Tan, a UF Research Foundation professor of chemistry and associate director of UF's Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface. "Because of these properties, we're able to finish the detection of a single bacterium in 20 minutes," he said. Analyzing a possible bioterrorist agent by traditional means could take days and would involve sealing off the entire area during that time, said Tan. "Instead, we can come back in 20 minutes and say either this is safe or there is a problem." The ultrasensitive particles can be adapted to detect a wide variety of bacteria used as bioterrorism agents in food, clinical and environmental samples and can be used to detect disease in its earliest stages, Tan said. This new frontier of research - bionanotechnology - combines the building blocks of life and synthetic structures at molecular scale. Nanotechnology works with objects that are on the order of 1 to 100 nanometers; a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter, about the size of several atoms. When combined with molecular biology, the possible applications of this nano-frontier are leaps ahead of other technologies.. Scientists are designing microscopic nanobots - bioprobes and biosensors that, once implanted in the human body, could perform medical duties, from delivering drugs to detecting malignant cells. Tan says his compound materials are called "bioconjugated nanoparticles." He takes antibodies - molecules used to seek specific types of bacteria - and attaches, or "conjugates" them to other particles loaded with dye. "A bioconjugated particle is linked to the antibody, which can recognize a specific type of bacterium," Tan said. "Inside this particle, we put many fluorescent dye molecules in such a way that you can generate a very, very high signal." Once a particle finds the bacteria it is designed to seek, it glows. Dye labeled antibodies already are used to locate bacteria in a sample, but traditional methods are not very sensitive - the glow from one antibody linked dye molecule is not easy to see. The silica structure Tan's team uses to bind the antibody and dye amalgam together allows each particle to hold thousands of dye molecules, rather than just one, making the fluorescent signal thousands of times brighter. This allows detection to occur in 20 minutes. No longer do researchers have to wait days for bacteria in the sample to grow numerous enough to see. Chad Mirkin, professor of chemistry at Northwestern University and director of Northwestern's Institute for Nanotechnology, said the new technique looks promising. "This looks to be a pretty impressive way of detecting bacteria, and the obvious point of impact would be in the food safety industry," Mirkin said. "It looks quite good for pathogen detection in foods, which is a huge issue." The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Packard Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. The study will appear this week in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences." The team now is working on tailoring the bioconjugated nanoparticles to detect multiple bacteria simultaneously, including health threats E. coli, Salmonella and Bacillus cereus spores, a toxin found in many foods.
|
