My first diary since being threatened by some hatefilled bloggers. I'm still a little skittish after recieving physical threats...but it's an important day today. EARTH HOUR day. 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - boom, boom...out go the lights tonight. And now...more ECO NEWS TO USE!
Lights off! Sydney supports Earth Hour. Sydney embraced its second Earth Hour tonight, as hundreds of thousands of citizens turned off their lights across the city between 8 and 9pm to make a statement against climate change. Sydney Morning Herald
A movement that spans the world. Fellow electricians Justin McInerney and Tony Bautista have never met, and probably never will, but the pair are playing their part in Earth Hour tonight. Sydney Morning Herald
Christchurch turns it off. The sunset faded, the bell tolled for Earth Hour and the lights went off in Christchurch. An hour later the combined efforts of residents, businesses and communities cut energy consumption by 12.8 per cent. Christchurch Press
There's no such thing as a free kilowatt. If there's one lesson Earth Hour teaches it's to always think before we consume. Toronto Star
FOOD
Warnings of lead in venison irk hunters. Thousands of pounds of venison donated to food pantries this year has become a contentious gift in three states, where officials are worried that the meat might be contaminated by lead from bullets. Associated Press.
How Italy's 'white gold' turned sour. The news that levels of potentially carcinogenic chemicals, called dioxins, were above legal limits in some of the cheese-producing areas around Naples led to buffalo milk mozzarella being rapidly dropped from the menu - both in Italy and beyond. BBC
Italy recalls tainted mozzarella. The Italian government has recalled from sale the mozzarella cheese linked to dioxin contamination. BBC
Cursed are the cheesemakers. It is a magical process, the transformation of acidic buffalo milk curds into an Italian delicacy. But the mozzarella scare has plunged the industry into crisis. London Independent
Kalamazoo woman aids in effort to find local, sustainable food. A Kalamazoo woman is among 15 people nationwide taking part in a yearlong effort to learn how to obtain, prepare and eat a sustainable, regionally based diet. Kalamazoo Gazette
WTO said to rule against EU in beef hormone dispute. The World Trade Organization will rule against the EU next week in a 12-year-old dispute with the US and Canada over beef treated with hormones, according to a summary of the ruling obtained the AP. Associated Press.
Mass. company recalls cut fruit products containing cantaloupe. A Massachusetts company is recalling fresh cut fruit products containing cantaloupe from a Honduran company the Food and Drug Administration has linked to a multistate salmonella outbreak. Associated Press.
WATER
Mid-America wades in the water. Risks for 100-year floods are higher than previously thought. And climate models predict that within 30 years the Midwest will receive more rainfall, equating to about 50 percent more water flowing through the rivers at any given time throughout the year. Living On Earth.
Into the breach - Clark Fork, Blackfoot rivers punch through Milltown Dam. Milltown Dam, a 100-year-old landmark that came to symbolize the economic prosperity and environmental destruction of Montana's mining industry, came down Friday. Missoula Missoulian
Strategic implications of water availability. Certain areas of the world are faced today not only with dwindling freshwater supplies and inequitable access but also with a growing corporate control of water sources. Dhaka Daily Star
Krill fishing threatens the Antarctic. The Antarctic, one of the planet's last unspoilt ecosystems, is under threat from mankind's insatiable appetite for harvesting the seas. London Observer
Surviving in a world without water. Already semi-arid climates, like that of Southern California, which is in its eighth year of drought, rely heavily on rain, snow, rivers and underground aquifers to sustain the ever-growing water needs of tens of millions of people, with tens of millions more on the way. Pasadena Weekly
Researchers testing deep aquifers used for drinking water found human viruses, challenging the assumption that these crucial water supplies are protected from surface contamination. Samples from three public water supply wells that draw from a 240-foot deep aquifer in Wisconsin contained human intestinal viruses, which as a group are associated with diseases such as meningitis, encephalitis, newborn enteroviral disease and polio. - Environmental Science and Technology
SCIENCE
Dad's hidden influence. Growing evidence suggests that a father's age and his exposure to chemicals can leave a medical legacy that lasts generations. Science News
The American West is heating up more rapidly than the rest of the world, according to a new analysis of the most recent federal government temperature figures. The average temperature rise in the Southwest's largest river basin was more than double the average global increase, likely spelling even more parched conditions. Warming in the West. Published by Natural Resources Defense Council.
Cancer study funded by cigarette company. A study on lung cancer says CT scans can dramatically reduce deaths by 80 percent. After the findings were published , however, it became clear that the research was funded by a cigarette company. Alex Chadwick talks to New York Times reporter Gardiner Harris about his article, which exposed the funding scandal. Day to Day
FDA relied on industry studies to judge safety. A Congressional investigation discovers that the FDA determined the bisphenol A was safe based on just 2 industry studies, ignoring hundreds of government and academic studies. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
White House ignored air quality advice. For many researchers, the Bush administration will be best remembered for the way it has manipulated scientific advice for political ends. New Scientist
ENERGY
Chevron plan has Brown's attention. In his public battle against global warming, California's Attorney General Jerry Brown has turned his eye toward Chevron's proposal to upgrade equipment at its Richmond refinery. Contra Costa Times
In 2006 alone, renewable energy and energy efficiency were responsible for $970 billion in industry revenues and 8.5 million jobs. This number will grow exponentially if our nation commits itself in earnest to reducing carbon emissions and making economy-wide improvements in energy efficiency. Green-Collar Jobs in America's Cities. Published by Center for American Progress.
Across the West, mining claims are encroaching on hundreds of sprawling cities, destination resorts, retirement communities and remote recreation retreats. Since 2003, mining interests have staked 16,282 claims within five miles of cities and towns in twelve western states, for a total of 51,579 active mining claims within five miles of these communities as of January 2008. Mining claims threaten western cities and towns. Published by Environmental Working Group.
GOOD NEWS
Embracing a clean green dream. Copenhagen aims to become the world's 'Eco-Metropole' as the lowest-emitting city on the planet, with harnessed winds, a pristine harbour and cyclists ruling the roads. Toronto Star
Carmakers race to make designs 'viable, clean and super-efficient'. The news last week was a big one for green cars: The Tesla Roadster - a zero-emissions sports car - finally started rolling off production lines in the U.S. Toronto Globe and Mail
Green grocer. A Whole Foods store in Connecticut is the first supermarket in the country to get all its power from a stationary fuel cell. Living On Earth.
Balanced and self-sustaining: Grapes go Zen. Not many years ago, the word "organic" was something of a pejorative among top winemakers. The best wine producers now preach the organic gospel far and wide. Toronto Globe and Mail
City looks at green building standards. Hoping to do its part in reducing global warming, the city of Chula Vista, California is considering mandatory "green" building standards for new homes and businesses, the first in the country. San Diego Union-Tribune
All colleges 'forced to go green.' All newly or partly built colleges will have to adopt wind turbines, solar panels or other renewable energy, under plans to cut global warming. BBC
NVV launches NAPA green certified winery program. Napa Valley Vintners has launched Napa Green Certified Winery (NGCW), a comprehensive program to help reduce the carbon footprint and institute a set of green business practices for winery production facilities in Napa County. St. Helena Star
Isle of Eigg a model of energy self-sufficiency. On Feb. 1, all of Eigg, a spectacularly scenic island off the west coast of Scotland, switched on its own continuous, clean, and renewable energy supply. Christian Science Monitor.