British bees and Parisian bikes

Since we posted Saturday on the topic of bees (Would hives collapse if the males worked more?), everywhere we look another story about the creatures and their catastrophe seems to appear.

I had assumed the problem was particular to the American honeybee. Sadly, this is not the case. Apiarists across the pond are confronted (and confounded) by a similar scourge, as related by Times (of London) columnist Ben Macintryre in Wake up! The bees are on their knees.

On a sunnier note, Parisians are doing their best to reduce carbon emissions by replacing Peugeot power with pedal power. The Times (again) reports on the Vélib’:


“Taxi drivers and other critics said that it would never work, but three weeks after Paris was sprinkled with 10,000 self-service bicycles, the scheme is proving a triumph and a new pedalling army appears to be taming the city’s famously fierce traffic.

Bertrand Delanoë, the city’s mayor, and his green-minded administration are jubilant at the gusto with which Parisians and visitors have taken to the heavy grey cycles that have been available at 750 ranks since July 15. “

You can read more about it here and here and here.

British bees and Parisian bikes Read More »

Fix our bridges? Nah, let’s bomb one instead

Last week’s bridge collapse in Minneapolis focused public attention, at least fleetingly, on the problem of our aging infrastructure. How many more infrastructure-failure deaths we wonder will it take to prompt lasting attention in the form of project development and funding?

The government’s failure to act is not surprising. Infrastructure isn’t politically sexy. As Gilbert Wesley Purdy writes:

“Largely ignoring the crumbling state of our national infrastructure has been a bi-partisan trait for decades now. The Republican successes of the past 20 years have been founded almost entirely upon the idea that government and taxes should be reduced. Democrats stumping for universal health care and other admirable big-ticket programs, during much of that time, as their alternative to Republican minimalism, have been in no position suggest yet another such program.”

Despite all that, Purdy reminds us that:

“In 2005, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) completed an infrastructure report card for the country. They estimated the total cost of recovering the public road systems, water systems, sewer systems, dams, levees and buildings, at $1.6 trillion over five years. The figure also includes projected expenses associated with the increased oversight of the U.S. power transmission grid which the group considered essential in order to avoid such debacles as the Great 2003 Blackout and the 2006 Queens Blackout.”

The situation, already serious, is likely to get worse. The Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday reported :

“Sometime after October 2008, the main money source for interstate repairs, the federal Highway Trust Fund, is expected to start running a deficit. When that happens, some green-lighted reconstruction projects could have trouble getting the U.S. government to pay up, forcing states to put off essential road repairs.”

With so many other important needs competing for federal funds–like health care, education, medical research, alternative energy development, and environmental remediation–the obvious question is, where will all the money come from?

Would it be unpatriotic to note that, with Congress’s recent approval of an additional $100 billion, the total amount spent or allocated for the Iraq War is reaching an astounding half a trillion dollars?

Do you, fellow taxpayer, believe you’re getting an adequate return on that investment?

It may be titillating to watch American smart bombs blow up bridges in Baghdad, but wouldn’t it be even smarter to use the money to rebuild bridges at home?

Fix our bridges? Nah, let’s bomb one instead Read More »

Would hives collapse if the males worked more?

Setting out to research colony collapse disorder among domestic bees, New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolburt became so interested in her subject that she began keeping bees in the woods near her Western Massachusetts home. Her hive is a wooden box that dangles from a wire strung to two tall trees, high enough to elude a bear’s reach.

One of the things Kolburt found interesting about bees is their incredibly cooperative social order. She estimates that some 50,000 bees inhabit her hive (about the size of a three-drawer file cabinet) and get along in a highly productive social order. Well, almost.

The occupants, she explains in a New Yorker audio report, are predominantly female. The females, she says, do all the work, while the “completely incompetent” minority, male occupants refuse to forage. They live off the women, won’t clean up after themselves, and, at the season’s end, are thrown out of the hive by the females and left to die.

That sounds to me like a happy, feminist ending to a Marxist fairy tale. But my “ex” might view it differently.

Would hives collapse if the males worked more? Read More »

On alterntive energy, stylish cows and pond scum


Harvesting the Power of Ocean & Tidal Energy – A small team of engineers based in Cornwall, England, have made a breakthrough with the development of a turbine that they claim could solve the commercial viability of tidal power. Known as the Osprey turbine, the technology can be used to create electricity offshore at sea — or in tidal rivers and inland waterways. (Renewable Energy Access.com)

Secret Kiwi fuel ingredient is pond scum – Air New Zealand and airliner manufacturer Boeing are secretly working with New Zealand-based biofuel developer Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation to create the world’s first environmentally friendly aviation fuel, made of wild algae. If the project pans out the small and relatively new New Zealand company could lead the world in environmentally sustainable aviation fuel. (Sydney Morning Herald)

Business Roundtable CEOs Take Stand on Climate Change – A broad-based group of CEOs acknowledged the reality of climate change July 17 with the release of a policy statement urging collective action. The Business Roundtable, an association of 160 CEOs from top U.S. companies, supports efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions while emphasizing energy and fuel efficiency, and the funding of green technology and science. (GreenBiz.com)

Global warming and stylish cows – PennEnvironment holds a press conference in Philadelphia to talk about the danger global warming poses to Pennsylvania. Columnist J. D. Mullane stops by “to see when the Commonwealth will be plunged into the apocalypse” and then filed this report. (Bucks County Courier-Times)

And to think I’ve been lusting for a laser printer – That laser printer sitting on your desk could be emitting high levels of potentially hazardous particles, according to a study published today.Some printers released almost as many ultra-fine particles as a smoldering cigarette, the study authors said. (Chicago Tribune)

On alterntive energy, stylish cows and pond scum Read More »

Week’s top environmental & political news

Some of the top stories appearing in EnviroPolitics from Aug 27-31. Captured from newspapers and other information sources in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and beyond.

New Jersey Environment

DEP orders work to stop on strip mall planned for Highlands In one of the first enforcement cases of the Highlands statute, a notice of violation has been issued to the developer of the proposed Liberty Square mall in Independence Township, Warren County. Developer Liberty Square 517 LLC missed an Aug. 10 deadline to build a foundation on the project in the strict Highlands preservation area, and a cease-and-desist order has been issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection, officials said. (Star-Ledger)
Sparta approves $2.1M for reservoir Despite the prospect of a lawsuit, the Sparta Township Council has adopted a $2.1 million bond ordinance to buy nearly one-third of a quarry founded by Thomas Edison that contains a vast spring-fed reservoir. (Star-Ledger) Smoke at chemical fire sends 15 to hospital A small chemical fire broke out Tuesday at the Permacel Inc. building in the Industrial Park, forcing several people to the hospital with respiratory problems. About 60 employees of the plant at 1990 Rutgers University Blvd. and workers in the surrounding complexes were evacuated about 10:15 a.m. as firefighters spent about 20 minutes putting out the blaze, authorities said (Asbury Park Press)Sayreville told about Superfund cleanups Twenty-five years ago, an abundance of toxic chemicals was found buried beneath the Sayreville landfill, seeping into the soil and poisoning the groundwater with pesticides. In the years that followed, state officials began a gradual cleanup of the site, removing drums of hazardous waste and installing systems to block the pollution from spreading. On Wednesday, representatives from the state Department of Environmental Protection told a room of Sayreville residents their work on the landfill is nearly done. (Star-Ledger)Somerset parks employees repay county $1,697 Somerset County parks employees have reimbursed the park commission for several expenses criticized as unrelated to their jobs, but most were legitimate or judgment calls, county officials said last night.
After reviewing expense vouchers cited as “questionable” by an outside law firm, county Treasurer Brian Newman said there were no clear prohibitions against some of the payments.

Proposed power plant switching from coal to natural gas LS Power Company plans to put its Delaware River power plant online four years sooner than anticipated now that it proposes to use natural gas rather than coal to fuel the operation. (Courier-Post)Eagles and hawks are migrating south The autumn hawk-watching season takes off Saturday as thousands of raptors begin their annual southern migration. Bergen County’s prime viewing spot is in Alpine, where broad-winged hawks and bald eagles can be seen flying down the Hudson River. The viewing area, the State Line Lookout, is just off Exit 3 of the Palisades Interstate Parkway (Bergen Record)Clean Water New Jersey to honor excellence in stormwater pollution control Polluted runoff is a major threat to New Jersey’s water quality, and municipalities and other government agencies that have excelled in managing it are now eligible for special Clean Water New Jersey awards (NJ-DEP)
New Jersey Politics

Democrats seek to unload contributions from fugitive Some top New Jersey Democrats scrambled yesterday to divest themselves of at least $51,000 in campaign contributions from a donor whose fugitive status also caused embarrassment this week for presidential candidate Hillary ClintonNursing home fixing the AC after a roasting from Codey A Newark nursing home where state Sen. Richard Codey found sweltering conditions during a surprise inspection earlier this month will replace its sputtering air conditioners (Star-Ledger)Ex-mayor gets harsh term in graft case For nearly five years after pleading guilty to corruption charges, former Ocean Township Mayor Terrance Weldon remained a free man by quietly cooperating with investigations against others. But when his day of reckoning came yesterday, Weldon caught the wrath of a federal judge fed up with the seemingly endless parade of New Jersey politicians “hell-bent on corruption.” For nearly five years after pleading guilty to corruption charges, former Ocean Township Mayor Terrance Weldon remained a free man by quietly cooperating with investigations against others. But when his day of reckoning came yesterday, Weldon caught the wrath of a federal judge fed up with the seemingly endless parade of New Jersey politicians “hell-bent on corruption.” (Star-Ledger)

Could it be Lautenberg vs. Booker? With Democrats Rob Andrews, Frank Pallone and Steve Rothman unwilling to mount a primary challenge against the 83-year-old incumbent, could Booker be the guy who runs Wally Edge BlogWesley Lance dies, shaped constitution Former Republican state Sen. Wesley L. Lance of Hunterdon County, the last survivor of the 81 delegates to the historic NJ Constitutional Convention of 1947 that created the state’s modern constitution, died Saturday. He was 98. (Star-Ledger)
Pennsylvania Environment

DEP fines Hercules Cement The Department of Environmental Protection announced today it has issued a $174,604 civil penalty against Hercules Cement Company in Stockertown Borough, Northampton County, for air quality violations between 2003 and 2006.

PPL Gas Utilities Announces Decrease in Gas Supply Rate PPL Gas Utilities’ 76,000 customers will see a decrease in their bills this fall. The company announced Friday (8/31) a
3 percent reduction in the rate customers pay for the gas supply portion of their bill. (PPL)

Hundreds protest wind turbines — Accusations flew and tempers flared Tuesday as hundreds of residents in Bedford and Somerset counties ordered Gamesa Energy to keep
wind turbines off Shaffer Mountain. (Altoona Mirror)

Cleaning up coal’s bad rap Is coal becoming a dirty word? It’s vilified as a contributor to global warming, risky to get out of the earth — as recent deaths in a Utah coal mine have reminded us — and responsible for destroying streams and valleys in Appalachia, where mountaintop removal mining remains extremely controversial. Meanwhile, pressure from environmental groups worried about climate change has forced utilities from North Carolina to Oregon to drop plans for about two dozen coal-fired power plants. NRG Energy CEO David Crane says that ‘clean coal’ has a future, despite what critics say. NRG Energy is looking to build the country’s first big coal plant to capture and store carbon dioxide.

Pennsylvania Politics

Democratic offices searched in Harrisburg State investigators last week executed a search warrant on the Capitol basement headquarters of the Democratic Office of Legislative Research in a broadening investigation into whether state employees were used to run several political campaigns last year. (Post-Gazette)

Judge: Fumo can keep Sprague as lawyer A federal judge ruled today that State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo, who faces 139 charges of federal fraud and obstruction of justice, can keep Richard A. Sprague as his lawyer. The decision means the scheduled trial of one of Pennsylvania’s most powerful politicians, who had been represented by one of Philadelphia’s most prominent lawyers, is likely to proceed as scheduled for February. (Inquirer)Future of Pa. six-pack sales is now a case for justices The state Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether Pennsylvanians will be able to walk into their local grocery or corner store and pick up a six-pack of beer along with toilet paper and a carton of milk.

New York/Region/World

California aims to save fish via poison The state’s latest plan to rid Lake Davis of northern pike – and protect species downstream – raises concern.(Christian Science Monitor)

Sony Develops Bio-Battery Powered by Glucose Sony’s new bio-battery that uses the sugar in carbohydrates to generate electricity — as an example, the company demonstrated using a sports drink to power a small fan or a Walkman. (GreenBiz.com)

German Biodiesel Industry Peaks, Trouble Ahead Germany’s biodiesel production capacity is set to rise to a record 5 million tons in 2007, but analysts have warned that the boom in the country’s biodiesel industry is coming to an end after the industry failed to block the government from rolling back a key tax relief scheme in court this July. (Renewable Energy Weekly)

Week’s top environmental & political news Read More »

Princeton profs wedge into global warming

In a 2004 article in Science, Princeton University professors Robert Socolow and Stephen Pacala wrote about how they gave students 15 wedges with different colors, each representing a way to achieve a billion tons of carbon savings. Then they asked the students mix and match them to come up with a plausible strategy for keeping the 2050 emissions level equal to today’s.

Al Gore picked up the ‘wedge model’ in his book, An Inconvenient Truth, and the model–and its creators–have played an important role in the global warming discussion ever since.

EQN, the blog of Princeton University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, tracks some of the professors’ recent media appearances, including a July 15 Washington Post article, What It Would Take to Put the Brakes on Global Warming, and an essay in the July 13 issue of Science by New Jersey Congressman Rush Holt, endorsing the scientific validity of Gore’s book-turned-movie.

EQN notes that, while Socolow and Pacala’s fan club grows larger by the minute, they have their critics, including 1984 Princeton graduate Warren Meyer, who is writing a book supporting the contrarian’s view that climate change change cannot all be pinned on man-made CO2.Expect to see a lot more references to global-warming wedges as New Jersey begins to explore and debate the difficult–and likely expensive–steps necessary to reduce greenhouse gas production under the state’s recent Global Warming Act.

Princeton profs wedge into global warming Read More »

Verified by MonsterInsights