I got back the other day from a visit from Cambria with a day trip up to Nepenthe. I'm still in awe of the power of natural beauty on one's soul. When I was younger, I did have the occassion to camp up in Big Sur, and have, since then, always knew that when I was tired of the encroaching commercialism and the dulling of my heart and soul, a trip to the wilds of Big Sur would be a panacea. And when I decide to "drop out", as artistic souls are wont to do, instead of the circus, I would just "run away" to Big Sur.
My belief in campaigning and informing people of all political persuasions of environmental issues has been strengthened. So, today, consider this diary as a moment of Zen....or as I refer to it, a little bit of "Big Sur State of Mind"
Flame retardant risk stokes debate. A 59-year-old retired Fort Worth nurse has numerous chemical flame retardants in her blood, a Star-Telegram research project found. Those chemicals are used extensively in a host of household products and are commonly found in food and dust. Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Group claims 'tobacco'-style lobby shields toxic interests. An environmental organization claims that a group funded by manufacturing and aerospace companies used misleading research and tobacco industry-style lobbying to influence the debate on the effects of perchlorate. Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, California.
Worst floods for years devastate east Africa. The worst floods for years have killed at least 150 people and uprooted more than a million others in eastern Africa, aid workers said. Reuters.
I'm dreaming of a green Christmas. While over the next few weeks marketers and retailers will tempt us with ever greater numbers of things to buy, awareness is starting to dawn on the global perils of over-consumption. Baltimore Sun, Maryland.
Coal's dirty past. Thousands of acres of Ohio remain polluted, dangerous. A Dispatch analysis of state data shows that Ohio has to repair more than 36,600 acres of mine damaged sites, about as much land as Pittsburgh occupies. And it has to clean up more than 1,000 miles of polluted streams. Columbus Dispatch, Ohio.
Greener, cleaner, and competitive. Renewables could supply one-quarter of US energy by 2025, with no harm to economy. Christian Science Monitor.
German greens refocus on environment to win voters. Germany's Greens party, hoping a global wave of anxiety about climate change will sweep it back into power, is setting aside its liberal-left campaigns to return to its original cause -- the environment. Reuters.
Saving penguins in a warmer world. While people are lining up to see animated penguins with "happy feet," environmental groups are predicting some breeds of the bird will go extinct because of global warming. Great Lakes Radio Consortium, Michigan.
Global warming threatens fisheries. Global warming and unpredictable fish behaviour could prompt Fisheries and Oceans Canada to shorten openings and further restrict the number of boats on the fishing grounds. Victoria Times Colonist, British Columbia.
Contractors using biodiesel for cleaner air at Oregon work sites. Portland's Andersen Construction company decided to experiment with ways to eliminate all diesel exhaust from the job site by using biodiesel. Associated Press.
Working on empty: Planning for oil's end. Portland is one of only a handful of cities confronting head-on the predictions of a looming oil shortage and ballooning gas prices. Portland Oregonian, Oregon.
GM to bring back electric car? The company accused of "killing the electric car" says it's going to bring a new version of plug-in car back to the market. Great Lakes Radio Consortium, Michigan.
New crops needed to avoid famines. The global network of agricultural research centres warns that famines lie ahead unless new crop strains adapted to a warmer future are developed. BBC, UK
Tribal leaders plan meeting on global warming. Native American communities are witnessing firsthand the effects of a warming planet. Phoenix Arizona Republic, Arizona.
Tapping sun for water heat. Lost in the hype over solar electricity is the fact athat solar thermal - the industry's best-kept secret - is an economical way of offsetting our use of natural gas and electricity for water heating. Toronto Star, Ontario.
Freak hurricanes cause death and devastation across Britain. Hurricane force winds ripped through Britain causing catastrophic devastation in one of the worst storms for 10 years. Daily Mail, UK
Natural competitor. Whole Foods CEO talked about the decision to cut his salary to $1, the future of natural and organic food and why he thinks unions aren't necessary at Whole Foods. Wall Street Journal. (sub req.)
What price would you put on your prostate, liver or fertility? A growing number of scientists report that a portion of our susceptibility to various ailments may be established by chemical exposures our mothers and even grandmothers experienced while pregnant. Oakland Tribune, California.
Toxic trade-off. This is a story about a trade-off: Products that make our everyday lives convenient, comfortable and safe contain potentially harmful chemicals that can remain in the body for decades. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas.
Nicaragua fights for 'Death's Dew' compensation. Tens of thousands of residents of Latin America, Africa and the Philippines blame their health problems on Nemagon, a U.S.-made pesticide that was banned here in 1979. A few promising lawsuits seek damages. New York Newsday, New York.
Asbestos dangers remained hidden for decades. Forty-five years after leaving a $1.95-an-hour job he'd worked for just six months, Ralph Blevins discovered why his chest hurts too much to sleep. There's every reason to believe other Utahns are in the dark, too. Salt Lake Tribune, Utah.
Lake Superior near record-low levels. Lake Superior has dropped nearly a foot this year to its lowest late-autumn water level in eight decades, a startling decline that is raising worries about shipping, shorelines and fish populations. Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota.
'Collateral damage.' Residents near the epicenter of the Rockies' energy boom are starting to worry about their health, and who, exactly, is looking out for them. Aspen Times, Colorado
Choked roads lead to clogged arteries. Here's what happens when you don't have sidewalks in your community, your city streets are six lanes wide and choked with traffic, and you're guzzling a cola and burger from the drive-thru en route to the mall. You get fat, you get diabetes. Oakland Tribune, California.
It's hot - but climate research is being cut. Britain's leading centre for researching climate change has been ordered to cut its budget, despite warnings that global warming is one of the most critical and costly threats facing the world today. London Observer, England.
Bush focus of lawsuit on climate. A Tucson-based environmental group is suing the Bush administration for refusing to produce a federally mandated national climate-change report that is several years overdue. Phoenix Arizona Republic, Arizona.
CEO values different kind of green. CEO Dick Kelly is positioning Xcel Energy, Colorado's largest gas and electric utility, to be a national leader in renewable energy and reduction of carbon emissions believed to contribute to global warming. Denver Post, Colorado
Eyesore or cash cow? The quiet farming community of Mars Hill, next to the Canadian border, is getting a lot of attention these days as home to New England's first major wind farm. Portland Press Herald, Maine.
Baby formula: Thieves love it. At $12 or more per can, baby formula is flying off shelves and into the pockets of profiteers. And that stolen formula, which is often improperly stored and therefore spoils, could end up right back in stores and in your infant's bottle. Salt Lake Tribune, Utah.
US accused of being lax on beef safety. U.S. consumer advocacy groups accuse the U.S. government of blocking voluntary tests for mad cow disease by meat processing companies and trying to scale the existing ones down. Seoul Korea Times, South Korea.
Resorts use more 'green' power. Visitors to many ski areas this winter will find cleaner air and better views of mountain landscapes. Associated Press.
The pulse of the planet. An intergovernmental organisation called the Group on Earth Observations has designed a one-stop shop of important environmental data useful to policymakers, businessmen and researchers. Economist.