remember Brooks of the "babbling watery" ilk...
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS for your perusal.
Are states' rights about to disappear under federal rules? Some of California's landmark consumer and environmental safeguards are in jeopardy as the federal government moves aggressively to override state laws in favor of more business-friendly national policies. Copley News Service via The Daily Breeze
Why environmentalism is hot. With windmills, low-energy homes, new forms of recycling and fuel-efficient cars, Americans are taking convservation into their own hands. Newsweek
Creeks rise, mountainsides fall. Rain that fell at nearly 2 inches an hour in places destroyed buildings, devastated highways and caused massive mud, tree and boulder slides this weekend. Denver Post
Erosion fears as Alps braced for huge rockfall. A massive lump of rock twice the size of the Empire State Building is threatening to crash down Europe's most infamous mountain amid fears that global warming is speeding up erosion of the Alps.
Edinburgh Scotsman
Volcanic leaks point to climate gas storage risks. Hundreds of deaths caused by volcanic leaks of carbon dioxide from Cameroon to California are worrying experts seeking ways to bury industrial emissions of the gas as part of an assault on global warming. Reuters
Oil's promise still a dream. Outside the gleaming white fences of a multibillion-dollar American petroleum complex here, a slum dreams of becoming a boom town. But most remain unemployed, with neither electricity nor running water. Los Angeles Times
Lake O's water quality not improving. Despite early successes in reviving the Everglades, the vast ecosystem's liquid heart -- Lake Okeechobee -- continues to waste away, a new federal report suggests. Naples Daily News
Fox River cleanup leads to PCBs disposal quandary. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is expected to decide by Saturday whether to approve a proposal by Georgia-Pacific to use a company-owned landfill to bury the most highly toxic waste. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Plan to tap state water gets review. The Ehrlich administration is considering a policy to lease or sell water on and under state lands - a move sought by towns thirsty for water to serve new homes but that critics say could pave the way for intense development on the borders of state parks. Baltimore Sun
Climate change seen affecting crop yields. Climate experts have warned of a drastic decline in Thai agricultural crop yields due to hotter weather and more frequent occurrence of natural disasters triggered by climate change and global warming. Bangkok Post
Green & growing. The city of Fort Collins Climate Wise program is helping local businesses reduce greenhouse gas emissions because it makes good business sense. Fort Collins Coloradoan
The next New Orleans? If a storm similar in strength hit the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area, Florida's most populous, the devastation could be even greater than in New Orleans. Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Asia going nuclear amid rising oil prices. Led by fast-growing China and India, Asia is going nuclear in a big way to feed its ravenous appetite for energy. Business Week
Nuclear waste looms as challenge in Asia. A hillside bunker overlooking the Sea of Japan is to become one of Asia's first permanent nuclear dump sites, ending South Korea's 19-year quest to deal with low- and medium-level waste from its 20 nuclear power plants. Associated Press via NYT
Burbank may lobby for 'plug-in' hybrids. One of the nation's most polluted cities may soon join a grass-roots effort to lobby automakers to accelerate the development of hybrid-electric vehicles. Los Angeles Daily News
Zamboni powered by wind in works. In Park City, where city buses were just switched over to soybean oil-based biodiesel fuel, even a wind-powered Zamboni seems possible. Salt Lake Tribune
State's granary runs dry. The nightmare has arrived. After the driest June in 148 years, the Wimmera is almost out of water. The impact on the region's estimated $2 billion agricultural economy is expected to be huge. Melbourne Age
West Texas lake goes untapped for its water. Decades of political infighting, lawsuits and questionable planning have culminated in a West Texas reservoir that, so far, has been little more than a $70 million fishing hole. Houston Chronicle
Looking out for lead. Americans reasonably expect that when they go to the tap for a drink of water, they aren't gulping down a serious health hazard. Raleigh News & Observer
Shady side of livability. The increasing temperatures present a clear and present danger to Greater Phoenix's future. Phoenix Arizona Republic