Garden State Green

We've Moved!! Please Continue to Follow Our Blog!

2010-09-26T12:41:00.000-04:00

Since our URL did not match our blog name, we have now moved. Those of you following us, please go to our new address and follow us once again. There are many of you viewing this blog, but not following, that's totally fine. Just update your bookmarks with the new URL.

Garden State Green is now here!! Please continue to follow us!

Today, will be the last time you see new posts at the current address. All new & previous content is now located at our new website gardenstategreenblog.blogspot.com

Thank you!

Garden State Green

Varying Shades of Green

2010-09-25T20:02:00.001-04:00

Marc A. Reynolds - Garden State Green

I can remember it clearly. I was in a hospital visiting a friend who just had a baby. I was in the lounge area of the hospital chatting with a mutual friend. It was 2007 and he said to me... "this coming year the huge buzz word is going to be green". He's a writer for a major magazine, he's up on current events and I listened to what he said and then watched the word "green" sprout up online, in magazines and on television.

I've been paying attention to being "green" before the word existed, back in the early '90s. I will admit that my level of commitment to the planet did wane slightly over time, but grew even stronger about 6 months before that conversation in 2007. It was after meeting a new friend at work. He and I were on the same page with environmental issues which turned into almost a contest of who could be greener. It was a very positive friendship. More accurately, I would say we inspired each other to push our environmental responsibility to the next level.

There are various reasons why people have been or have recently begun becoming better care takers of the planet. Some people begin to reduce their purchases to save money. I have begun reducing my purchases to reduce waste. When a friend and neighbor questioned my commitment to being green, I sold my small SUV and bought a Prius within 2 weeks. I didn't buy a Prius to save money, I bought a Prius so that I could sleep better at night and not be riddled with guilt. I didn't start buying organic food 8 years ago solely because it's better for my family. I buy more then the "Dirty Dozen" organic foods because I also care how the planet is poisoned by conventional farming. No matter how much you think you are doing to be green, you can always do more.

You have to think of being green like some people think of being religious. Some people will be good all the time for fear of doing the wrong thing. They are being "watched" by a higher power. Environmentalists don't have anywhere to go on Sundays to be forgiven our sins against the planet. We don't live our lives as "green" people when it's convenient or when someone else can see. It's about being fully committed as much as possible, all the time. Trust me, it's not easy knowing and thinking fully about what I'm consuming, where it came from and who sews the clothes that I wear.

Everything helps. People who do a little and people who do a lot. I just want you to ask yourself, are you really doing as much as you can or are you doing what comes easy? Be green when no one is looking and the whole planet will benefit.

Saturday, November 23rd - Get Rid of Your Unwwanted, Unused & Expired Medication

2010-09-24T09:36:00.002-04:00

Responsible Medication Disposal Safeguards Lives and Protects the Environment.

Medicines play an important role in treating certain conditions and diseases, but they must be taken with care. Unused portions of these medicines must be disposed of properly to avoid harm to wildlife, pets, and people.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the American Pharmacists Association, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America have created the SMARXT DISPOSAL Smart Disposal Trademark campaign to educate consumers about how to dispose of medicines in a safe and environmentally protective manner.

Madison is the only location in Morris County to take part on November 23rd

Public Safety Complex

62 Kings Rd

Madison , New Jersey 07940

973-593-3000

10am - 2pm
See Map

A few small steps can make an important difference in safeguarding lives and protecting the environment.

Follow your medication prescriber’s instructions and use all medications as instructed. If you do not use all of your prescribed or over-the-counter medication, you can take a few small steps to make a huge impact in safeguarding lives and protecting the environment by disposing of unused medicines properly:

1. DO NOT FLUSH unused medications and DO NOT POUR them down a sink or drain.

2. Be Proactive and Dispose of Unused Medication In Household Trash. When discarding unused medications, ensure you protect children and pets from potentially negative effects:

* Pour medication into a sealable plastic bag. If medication is a solid (pill, liquid capsule, etc.), add water to dissolve it.

* Add kitty litter, sawdust, coffee grounds (or any material that mixes with the medication and makes it less appealing for pets and children to eat) to the plastic bag.

* Seal the plastic bag and put it in the trash.

* Remove and destroy ALL identifying personal information (prescription label) from all medication containers before recycling them or throwing them away.

3. Check for Approved State and Local Collection Programs. Another option is to check for approved state and local collection alternatives such as community based household hazardous waste collection programs. In certain states, you may be able to take your unused medications to your community pharmacy or other location for disposal.

4. Consult your pharmacist with any questions.

Further information can be found @ American Medicine Chest this is a national event.

Recycling in Morris County

2010-09-24T07:09:00.000-04:00

HHW Disposal & Computer/TV Drop-Off Events

Open Morris County residents only and no appointment is necessary. There is no cost for this service accept for certain materials listed below.

Sunday, November 7, 2010
Jefferson Township D.P.W.
1033 Weldon Road
Lake Hopatcong, NJ
Click Here For Directions

All disposal days are from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., rain or shine.

Note: Municipal, commercial and non-Morris county generators are not permitted to use these programs but must make an appointment to use the permanent facility (see below).
Acceptable Hazardous Wastes (all free of charge except where noted): household cleaning products, pesticides, herbicides, oil-based paints, stains, paint thinners, solvents, antifreeze, motor oil, gasoline, batteries, pool chemicals, darkroom chemicals, chemistry sets, asbestos (100 lb. max, and it must be wetted, double bagged and sealed with duct tape), BBQ-propane tanks ($5 per 20 lb. cylinder, no charge for small cylinders), fluorescent bulbs, ballasts, thermostats, mercury switches, most other identifiable HHW
The MCMUA’s disposal days will also feature a Computer/TV drop-off for demanufacturing at the same location. Cost starts at $3.00 per component. Computers, monitors, printers, scanners, copiers and stereos (starting at $3 per item but it is based on size), electronic peripherals (i.e. mice, drives, keyboards, etc. free of charge), televisions (starting at $3/TV based on size). Click here to see the generalized price list for electronics recycling.
Unacceptable Wastes: drums of any material (large quantities must be transferred to 5-gallon pails prior to delivery), latex paint, grout, spackle, joint compound, empty containers, unknown materials, tires, construction waste, medical waste, explosives, business or institutional waste, smoke detectors.

Permanent HHW Facility

Located at the MCMUA Transfer Station in Mount Olive, the HHW permanent facility is open on most Tuesday, Friday and Saturday mornings by appointment only. Call (973) 829-8006 to check the schedule and to make an appointment.

After making an appointment, Morris County residents and municipalities* may utilize the facility for managing their hazardous waste free of charge. Non-residential generators* and out-of-county residential generators may utilize the facility for $1.25 per pound.
Electronics Demanufacturing: The MCMUA accepts computers, monitors, TVs, printers, scanners and stereos for demanufacturing and recycling at its permanent HHW facility. Individual items can also be dropped of for a recycling fee of $3.00 a piece.

* Note: Municipalities and non-residential generators (commercial) must meet the conditions of conditionally exempt small quantity generators (CESQG) to utilize the the facility to dispose of hazardous waste. Regulated generators are only permitted to use Recycling Consolidation Center in Dover to recycle universal wastes such as fluorescent bulbs and batteries. Call (973) 631-5109 to check on your eligibility.
Directions: HHW Facility at the MCMUA’s Mt. Olive Transfer Station. When you get there use the first entrance gate on your left and follow signs.

From the East: Take Interstate Route 80 westbound to Route 206 southbound. This is Exit 27 (Somerville). Take Route 206 southbound for just under one (1) mile to Gold Mine Road. There is a masonry home center (Meier Stone) on your right side at the intersection of Route 206 and Gold Mine Road. Make a right on Gold Mine Road and take it west for about 1/2 mile. The Morris County Transfer Station will be on your left side. Do not go over to the scale!
From the South: Take Route 206 northbound into Flanders (Mt. Olive). About 4.5 miles north of the McDonald’s on Route 206 in Flanders is Gold Mine Road. There is a masonry home center (Meier Stone) on your left side at the intersection of Route 206 and Gold Mine Road. Make a left onto Gold Mine Road and take it west for about 1/2 of a mile. The Morris County Transfer Station will be on your left side. Do not go over to the scale!

Universal Waste Recycling at the Dover Recycling Consolidation Center

Making hazardous waste management easy and affordable for the regulated community. The MCMUA manages these materials through the Recycling Consolidation Center in Dover. You must call us at (973)-829-8006 to find out current pricing and to make arrangements prior to delivering materials. Materials accepted include:

Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Rechargeable and Hazardous Dry-Cell Batteries – All batteries must be properly packaged (individually bagged or taped) to prevent terminals from shorting prior to delivery. Alkaline batteries are not accepted and are not hazardous and should be disposed of in the regular garbage.

Morris County Solid Waste Management

Visit www.MCMUA.com for information about other programs provided by the Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority. For specific program go to these sites:

www.MCMUA.com/SolidWaste (Solid Waste Management Division)
www.MCMUA.com/Recycling (Recycling in Morris County)
www.MCMUA.com/Disposal (Disposal in Morris County)
www.MCMUA.com/TransferStations (MCMUA Transfer Stations)
www.MCMUA.com/HazardousWaste (Hazardous Waste Management)
www.MCMUA.com/Composting (MCMUA Composting Facilities)
www.MCMUA.com/Calendar.asp (Upcoming Events)
www.MCMUA.com/Towns.asp (Morris County Municipal Programs)
www.MCMUA.com/News.asp (Morris County Solid Waste News)
www.MCMUA.com/Facilities.asp (Solid Waste and Recycling Facilities)
www.MCMUA.com/History.asp (Past Events)
www.MCMUA.com/Links.asp (Internet Links)
www.MCMUA.com/Contacts.asp (MCMUA and Morris County Contacts)
www.MCMUA.com/SWMP (Solid Waste Management Plan)
www.MCMUA.com/Water (Water Division)
www.MCMUA.com/directions.htm Directions to MCMUA Facilities

Caution

<Explosives or Highly Reactive Materials may be dangerous. If you have these types of materials, call first for safety instructions. DO NOT bring these materials without prior authorization! These dangerous items include, but are not limited to, picric acid, isopropyl ether, calcium carbide, perchloric acid and benzoyl peroxide.

War on Russian Seedbank Could Leave Food Future Out in the Cold

2010-09-24T00:49:00.003-04:00

The Pavlovsk Experimental Station, is a seedbank founded in 1926. Seeds are stored as a source for planting in case seed reserves elsewhere are destroyed. It is a type of gene bank. The seeds stored may be food crops, or those of rare species to protect biodiversity. The reasons for storing seeds may be varied. In the case of food crops, many useful plants that were developed over centuries are now no longer used for commercial agricultural production and are becoming rare. Storing seeds also guards against catastrophic events like natural disasters, outbreaks of disease, or war.

The fate of the station is now in limbo as, after an intense lobbying campaign by botanists and conservation groups around the world, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has announced that the government is investigating the effort to uproot one of the most valuable botanical collections on Earth. The station seems destined to fall victim to a drive by the Russian government to free up public land for sale to developers.

The heat wave and subsequent fires that have destroyed much of Russia's wheat harvest this year may have helped increase the chances that Vavilov's storehouse of plants will live on at Pavlovsk. The fires triggered new fears in Russia about the nation's ability to feed itself and the impact of global warming, and raised the profile of scientists working to protect the country's food varieties. As the heat wave has faded, many Russians are now hoping that Pavlovsk can be saved.

The Pavlovsk Research Station, part of the N.I. Vavilov Research Institute of Plant Industry, houses one of the world's largest collections of seeds and planted crops, roughly 90 percent of which are found in no other scientific collections in the world. The station's inventory includes almost a thousand types of strawberries from more than 40 countries; a similar number of black currant varieties from 30 countries, including North America, Europe and the Far East; 600 apple types collected from 35 countries; and more than a hundred varieties each of gooseberries, cherries, plums, red currants, and raspberries. More than half of the black currant varieties grown in Russia, the world's leading producer, were bred at Pavlovsk. Sales of black currants in Russia are valued at more than $400 million annually.

Please visit our Petition page to sign up to help protect this invaluable resource. Further information regarding this topic can be found at guardian.co.uk

Let the Bus Driver Do the Driving

2010-09-23T11:48:00.002-04:00

Marc A. Reynolds - Garden State Green

We live in the richest state in the nation and that comes at a cost. One of the costs is high property taxes. Our taxes pay for public services and one of those services is our public schools. Most schools in Morris County offer bus service to all students at no additional cost. There are some towns that have now added a transportation cost to students who live within walking distance to the school. Those of you who have to pay extra for bussing, are exempt from this blog post. Don't forget that private school costs more than likely include transportation.

What I'm getting at is this, let your kids ride the bus. Driving your kids to school might seem like a good idea, but it's not helping the health of our planet. Out here in the suburbs of New York City we have to get in the car to drive most everywhere. Riding a school bus is one of the few chances our kids get to help curb climate change. The bus is going to be driving around town anyway, it would be much better for all of us, if the bus was occupied by the students it was slated to service. More cars on the road means more traffic and more pollution. Most schools in our area have a drop-off\pick-up lane set up in front of the school. Even though smarter schools are trying to be greener by posting "Idle Free Zone" signs by the drop off\pick up areas, many parents totally ignore them. Sometimes waiting with their car on idling sometimes up to 20 minutes. This is wrong. Not only are these parents wasting time and money, they are adding unnecessarily to climate change.

Most kids very much enjoy riding the bus to school. It's part of the process of growing up and will help the children learn independence. Many households are teaching their children about how to take respect our planet. Taking advantage of buses for public as well as private school is a great way for them to learn about public transportation, traffic & pollution. It's never too young to start teaching our children to be great stewards of our planet.

If a parent's schedule absolutely does not allow for their child to ride the bus than there isn't much that can be done. If you happen to be one of those parents, please turn your car off when you get to school waiting for your child to come out. Every little piece adds up and every educated mind helps us all be a little more Earth smart.

Somebody's Watching You

2010-09-21T03:19:00.001-04:00

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell said on Tuesday he was “deeply embarrassed [1]” by his Office of Homeland Security’s use of a bulletin that labeled opponents to gas drilling as “environmental extremists” and said the information had come from an anti-terrorism consulting firm that produces information about potential threats to the state’s security and infrastructure.

Rendell said he had terminated Pennsylvania’s $125,000 contract with the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response, which produced the document. He also said that he had only learned of the issue on Tuesday [2].

"I am appalled that this contract was entered into without my knowledge," he told reporters at a Tuesday evening [3] news conference. "I am appalled that information was disseminated about groups that were exercising their constitutional right to free speech and to protest. They shouldn't be on any list [of possible security threats]. This is extraordinarily embarrassing."

But Rendell’s office was informed about the leaked bulletin last Wednesday, when ProPublica broke the story and asked the governor’s office for comment.

“I didn’t know that he didn’t know,” the governor’s spokesman, Gary Tuma, told me when I spoke with him today.

Last week, Tuma told ProPublica that “all this security bulletin does is raise awareness of local officials.” He also said that information obtained through the contractor about potential threats was being shared with energy companies. Although Tuma said the state itself is not keeping a list of anti-drilling activists or groups, he did not know the methods that the state’s contractor was using to gather its information on potential threats.

“It’s not that anyone was compiling a list of groups in any given area, it’s them compiling what they considered to be potential events of concern,” Tuma said. He added, “I don’t know how the contractor made their determinations.”

Yesterday, James Powers, the state's Homeland Security director acknowledged in an interview with the Harrisburg Patriot-News [4] that someone was monitoring the “Web traffic” of anti-drilling groups. Powers would not say whether the monitoring was done by state employees or by the consulting firm, but said the state was not tracking groups.

Mike Perelman, one of consulting firm’s directors, declined to answer questions about the contract or the bulletins, telling the Associated Press [1] that the firm does not discuss client matters.

The last page [5] of the Pennsylvania intelligence bulletin contained the following explanation of why it was produced:

The Institute of Terrorism Research and Response (ITRR) produces this document specifically for the Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security in support of National Priority #3: Implement the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) and all public and private sector, critical infrastructure protection-related initiatives and strategies.

The bulletin also flagged antiwar events, animal rights demonstrations and Muslims observing Ramadan as among the potential security threats.

Gov. Rendell has now terminated the state’s contract with the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response. But it’s worth noting that the information in the document [6] relating to the threat of “environmental extremism” was originally from the FBI, and was extracted into the Pennsylvania bulletin.

That means the original association between environmental activists and threats to security originated on the federal level. The FBI has not responded to ProPublica’s request for comment.

Originally posted

by Marian Wang
ProPublica, Sep. 15, 2:56 p.m

Beware- According to the Government I'm an Environmental Extremist

2010-09-21T03:13:00.001-04:00

The FBI in recent years opened investigations into some U.S. activists with little basis, unjustifiably extended the duration of the probes, improperly retained information about activist groups in its files, and classified its investigations of “nonviolent civil disobedience” as investigations into “acts of terrorism,” according to a report released today [1] (PDF) by the Justice Department’s Inspector General.

The FBI activities reviewed by the Justice Department took place from 2001 to 2006, and involved groups including the Thomas Merton Center (a Pittsburgh social justice center), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Greenpeace, The Catholic Worker (communities of religious pacifists) and a Quaker peace activist.

The report by the Justice Department watchdog didn’t find that the FBI targeted these groups on the basis of their free speech activities — which would be a serious violation of FBI guidelines — but did fault the agency for other reasons, most notably a “factually weak” basis for opening investigations.

“FBI agents and supervisors sometimes provided the [Office of the Inspector General] with speculative, after-the-fact rationalizations for their prior decisions to open investigations that we did not find persuasive,” the report said.

The report also found that that the FBI unnecessarily classified its probes as domestic terrorism investigations, even though some of the potential crimes were trespassing or vandalism — acts not normally considered to be terrorism. This classification resulted in several individuals improperly being placed on terrorism watchlists.

The Inspector General also found that the FBI gave “inaccurate and misleading” explanations to justify its attendance at a 2002 rally against the Iraq war organized by the Merton Center.

The FBI’s director, Robert Mueller, told a Senate committee in 2006 that his agents at the antiwar rally “were not concerned about the political dissent,” but were attempting to identify “persons of interest” expected to attend the rally.

That testimony wasn’t supported by an “extremely troubling” FBI document about the incident, the report noted. The document “described no legitimate purpose for the FBI to attend the event” and “supplied no evidence or even suspicion that any criminal or terrorist element was associated with the Merton Center or likely to be present at the event,” the report said.

The FBI, responding in an appendix to the report, acknowledged the inaccuracies. It said that incorrect information was provided to the FBI director, who then testified inaccurately before Congress.

“The FBI regrets that incorrect information was provided regarding this matter,” Deputy Director Timothy P. Murphy wrote in a letter to Inspector General Glenn Fine.

The surveillance of activists — both on the state level as well as the federal level — has been a recent topic of concern. As we’ve noted, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, apologized last week for a state contract [3] with an anti-terrorism consulting firm, which produced a document calling opponents to gas drilling “environmental extremists” and flagged these and other activists as potential threats to the state’s security.

The document’s section about environmental extremism, as we’ve noted [4], cited an FBI bulletin as the source of the information. In the document, the FBI assessed with “medium confidence” the threat that environmental extremists posed to the energy sector. (FBI “assessments,” under 2008 guidelines from the attorney general, are the agency’s “lowest level of investigative activity,” the Inspector General report said.)

The FBI has not responded to our request for comment.

Originally posted by Marian Wang
ProPublica, Yesterday, 4:11 p.m

One Very Easy Way to Limit Your Carbon Footprint - Composting!

2010-09-19T10:33:00.000-04:00

WHY COMPOST AT ALL?

Along with fuel efficiency, water conservation, and reduction in meat consumption, home composting is one of the most environmentally beneficial activities of modern society. Yard and food wastes make up approximately 30% of the waste stream in the US. Not only does composting sucessfully divert a significant portion of your family's waste stream from the landfill and water treatment facilities, it is a natural method of recycling organic materals into valuable humus. Finished compost is nutritious enough to use as a soil amendment, buffering the pH and helping to retain water in the soil. It can cool the soil's surface, and help mitigate erosion. Why buy topsoil when you create your own endless supply?

Home composting also serves as an invaluable educational tool, teaching youngsters about conservation, the cycle of life, and inter-connectedness of the natural world. If it gets your child thinking about science or biology, or voluntarily participating in gardening and yard work, isn't it well worth the effort?

HOW TO COMPOST

Like death and taxes, composting happens - whether we want it to or not. Though all organic matter will eventually decompose (despite neglect), the trick is to get your pile to decompose as fast as you can fill it. The rate at which breakdown occurs depends on several factors: oxygenation, temperature, water content, particulate surface area, and the carbon:nitrogen ratio (see chart below). Like painting, composting is more art than a rigid science, and can at times require a bit of finesse and skill. However, with patience and a little practice, you can have ready-to-use humus for your garden in 6-8 weeks.

Factors Affecting Rate	Description
Oxygenation	Oxygen is required for respiration by all aerobic inhabitants within the pile. Adequate ventilation, wind, convention currents and manual turning or mixing will help keep the anaerobic critters from producing foul odors.
Temperature	The optimum temperature for fast decomposition is between 90 and 135 degrees F. Whether it is due to cold climate or insufficient bacterial activity, when the temperature falls below this, decomposition will slow, but not cease. To keep temperatures elevated, try an insulation jacket or better placement for maximizing radiant solar heat. Also choose black colored bins in cooler climate zones.
Water Content	An efficient composter needs to have a moisture content around 50% (feels like a damp towel). If it is too dry, decomposition will slow down considerably, while overly wet piles can smell. Keep pile covered during heavy rains, and add rain water when dry spells occur (chlorine in municipal water can kill the organisms in your living system).
Surface Area	Maximize this by shredding and chipping all clippings and waste into small pieces. The more area you expose to micro-organisms, the larger the dinner table, and the faster the decomposition.
Carbon:Nitrogen Ratio	Organic materials rich in nitrogen are referred to as GREENS (fresh veggie scraps or grass clippings), while the others can be lumped together as BROWNS (hay, twigs, dried leaves). A good general rule of thumb is use 2-3 parts brown to 1 part green. Always remember to layer, layer, layer. If an ammonia smell is detected, ease up on the nitrogen-rich greens.

WHAT TO COMPOST

So long as they have a high surface to volume ratio, most plant materials from your garden will work beautifully in your pile. You want to use common sense when adding larger items like sequoia branches or giant rubber tree leaves - shread them or chip them up into smaller pieces - the more surface area available to you resident critters, the faster the decomposition process. Plant food scraps from the kitchen, shredded cardboard boxes, and sawdust from untreated wood will all contribute nicely to your organic potpourri, just don't put too much of any one thing in - it can throw off the N-P-K balance, not to mention the pH. Always remember to throw in a handful of good garden soil to innoculate the new pile with living organisms. A few earthworms and rollie pollies are a nice addition, too. Though it is not required, many individuals add compost starters and accelerators to help their pile along --- this is fine, just avoid the synthetic additives and seek out natural and organic sources with minimal packaging.

From the Yard	From the Kitchen
grass clippings leaves shrub and tree waste sawdust and wood chips	coffee grounds tea bags veggie and fruit scraps corn husks

WHAT NOT TO COMPOST

Though all organic matter can be broken down naturally, some materials are just not suitable for the home compost pile. First and foremost, no human or pet excrement should be added to the bins. Feces can harbor harmful bacteria, and there is no guarantee that the high temperatures of your pile will sucessfully kill them. Second, stay away from greasy foods, dairy products, meat scraps and bones. Not only can their decompostion result in 'colorful' aromas, they can attract rodents. Unless you are a seasoned composter, it is best to avoid them completely. Natural chemicals in citrus peels, eucalyptus leaves, and pine needles can actually slow down your compost pile - avoid mixing them into your artistic masterpiece. Ashes from your fireplace are basically worthless --- they are already broken down as much as possible (remember the heat and flames), and therefore have little potential energy to offer the micro organisms in your pile. Beside, ash can drastically alter the pH of the soil. If your prize tomatoes experienced their worst blight on record, you probably want to keep their diseased leaves and stems out of the pile, especially if the finished compost will be returning to your vegetable garden. Why propagate pestilence? Rocks, plastic and styrofoam are not going to do much for your creation either, so keep them out.

WHAT IS THE BEST COMPOSTER FOR ME?

Purchasing a compost bin is as much a personal preference choice as it is a functional choice. While monetary considerations should always be taken into account, also think about such issues as visibility, aesthetics and capacity. Each compost bin on this site will have a Specification Grid highlighting important features and benefits. Some bins are more educational than others, a few require a bit more maintenance, while several allow participation by the whole family. Some are attractive. Others ugly. A few are actually fun, while a couple are virtually problem-free.

THERE ARE CRITTERS IN MY BIN !

After your compost pile is established (1-4 weeks) you will begin seeing various and sundry 'critters' throughout the pile's contents. These little helpers, which usually migrate from other parts of the garden or the soil beneath the pile, can range from arthropods and flying insects to micro-organisms like bacteria and fungi. This soil-borne community is critical to the decomposition process! Do not attempt to eradicate or remove these beneficial creatures. Do not use any chemicals or sprays that would normally harm such animals and fungi. If possible, use rainwater from your Rain Barrel to moisten the pile, as chlorinated municipal water sources can slow down the natural rate of breakdown.

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?

Occasionally, a compost pile's performance is less than optimal. That's OK, even the experts have problems from time to time. Make sure that your pile has sufficient warmth for high levels of bacterial activity. Most bins are made from black recycled plastic so that they can absorb radiant heat from the sun. Colder climates might require insulation jackets be placed around the pile. Moisture is another factor that can cause problems. Without enough water, the pile remains too dry and decomposition can slow down considerably. But remember not to over water, as that may cause the organic material to rot anaerobically (without oxygen), which may lead to odoriferous fumes. A well drained, well-moistened compost pile with moderately elevated temperatures and the proper C:N mix seems to work best.

WHAT ABOUT RODENTS?

Like cockroaches and pigeons, rodents will always be a part of human society. While few bins are 100% rodent proof, there are a few steps you can take to avoid rodent entry into your sacred pile of humus. First, make sure the bottom lip of the bin is buried under the soil's surface (rodents usually enter through openings in the bottom). Second, keep all lids and doors (if your bin has them) securely fastened and/or locked (some thieves like raccoons, can easily work latches). If you have a known rodent problem, select bins that do not have large openings between the slats. Moreover, when discarding your food scraps, bury them in the compost pile's center, so that access is difficult. To prevent entry from below, purchase a few yards of chicken coop wire with a small mesh diameter, then line the bottom of the bin or bury the wire a few inches below the surface. If at all possible, avoid using poisons as a means of control; instead, try predator urine, used kittie litter, hot pepper wax, or peppermint extract. As a last resort, purchase a few humane rodent traps that allow for release elsewhere.

originally posted on Composters.com

Plan underway to clean up Linden's DuPont site- Pending Sale to PurGen Coal

2010-09-18T08:23:00.001-04:00

Eliot Caroom/For the Star-Ledger ***Union County Alert***

Linden, NJ— DuPont Co. plans to inject hydrogen peroxide into the ground at the polluted site of a former chemical plant in Linden to counteract toxic chemicals as part of a $13 million cleanup effort.

Various companies manufactured harsh chemicals on the property for more than a century. From the 19th century until 1928, the Grasselli Chemical Company produced industrial acids used in manufacturing, and DuPont produced pesticides there from 1928 until 1990, according to John Vidumsky, who is managing the project for DuPont.

“That is an area where some liquid waste was in the distant past, and that’s what we’re targeting with this treatment,” Vidumsky said.

“They’re common materials, but not things you want in the environment.”

The cleanup is a prelude to DuPont’s sale of the property to PurGen, a private energy developer planning to build a carbon-sequestration power plant that would heat coal to produce electricity and send the carbon emissions into the ocean through a pipe beneath the ocean floor.

Vidumsky said the pollution is concentrated on a couple acres of the 100-acre property near oil refineries in a heavily industrial area of Linden on Tremley Point Road near the New Jersey Turnpike. Those acres are contaminated with solvents and pesticides which have settled 10 to 12 feet down into the soil and groundwater and are held up by a layer of thicker silt called a meadow mat.

The plan is to inject a custom formulation of peroxide, a chemical best-known for treating cuts and scrapes, down specially-drilled wells to react with the harmful chemicals and break them down.

“People have been using peroxide to do remediation for 20 years,” Vidumsky said this week. “Every problem is somewhat unique in remediation. You really want to tailor it to make sure you get the best results.”

For that reason, DuPont has been testing the peroxide solution in a lab with contaminated soil samples from the site. After the injections, DuPont plans to extract groundwater and install a containment system to control the chemicals.

But the executive director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, Jeff Tittel, said the injections won’t solve the problems at the site and could aggravate them.

“It’s not a permanent solution. What I would be looking at is removing all the solvents possible, and then put in controls,” Tittel said. “It may even make things mobile, because you’re pumping more things in. You’re much better to remove stuff than to try to add stuff.”

Until Sept. 30, concerned members of the public can submit comments on the project to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Please sign the petition to stop PurGen Coal Plant from coming to Linden and polluting.

A Campaign for Peace in Congo

2010-09-17T19:32:00.001-04:00

Falling Whistles - Be a Whistleblower for Peace in Congo from Falling Whistles on Vimeo.

Falling Whistles gives a small window into our world’s largest war. Originally just a journal written about boys sent to the frontlines of war armed with only a whistle, readers forwarded it with the same kind of urgency in which it was written and demanded to know –
what can we do?
The Falling Whistles campaign launched with a simple response - make their weapon your voice and be a whistleblower for peace in Congo. Read the story and buy the whistle. Proceeds go to rehabilitate and advocate for war-affected children. Share their story and speak up for them.
Together, we'll become the voice of a growing coalition for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Wait, there’s a war in Congo?
The Democratic Republic of Congo is home to the world’s largest and most deadly war. During the past 10 years, roughly 6 million people have died, and nearly 1,500 people continue to lose their lives daily. Sexual violence is more rampant here than anywhere else in the world, and thousands of children are involved in the war. Why?
There are a number of reasons, dating back over a century. However, most of the conflict is tied directly to the country's vast natural resources. They are both a blessing and a curse, making Congo a country of great potential and a frequent victim of exploitation. The minerals found in Congo are used in consumer electronics, including laptops and cell phones. While many benefit from the mineral trade, it is the Congolese people who bear the consequences of a conflict that sustains profitable mining enterprise.
A combination of unstable governance, a history of bitterness between local groups, and international interest in Congo makes this situation one of the most complicated on the planet. It is this complexity that has left the current systems in place largely ineffective. A new approach is needed.

To read more about this cause visit this website.

Sugar: So Sweet Yet So Evil

2010-09-17T18:39:00.001-04:00

By Emily Sohn - Discovery News
Mon Sep 13, 2010 07:00 AM ET

Sugar damages our health in ways that have nothing to do with extra calories.
Sugar's power over us began during a time of starvation, when the ability to get fat off of sugar was a survival tool for our ancestors.
Sugar may be just as bad as alcoholism when it comes to liver health.

Sugar is the enemy, according to a growing body of research, and not just because it rots our teeth and adds padding to our thighs.
The real danger is fructose -- a main ingredient in table sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and fruit -- that actually gets into our cells and alters metabolism.
The findings may help to explain how our nation's excessive consumption of sweetened foods is contributing to growing rates of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and more -- in a way that has nothing to do with sugar's rich source of empty calories.
What's more, there may be deep evolutionary roots that explain sugar's power over our bodies. Many millions of years ago, according to new research, our ape ancestors developed mutations that made it easy for them to get fat from eating fructose.
Learn about the top five things you may not have known about sugar in this slide show.
At the time, the mutation was a good thing. It allowed our ancestors to survive seasonal periods of famine when the fruit trees went bare.
Today, the mutation makes a year-round, fructose-filled diet dangerous to our health, said Richard Johnson, chief of the division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension at the University of Colorado, Denver, and author of "The Sugar Fix: The High-Fructose Fallout That Is Making You Fat and Sick."
Both sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are equally bad, he said, because both contain about the same amount of fructose.
"This mutation that occurred 15 million years ago could explain why we're fat today," Johnson said. "It doesn't mean we all become obese. It doesn't mean everyone is going to get diabetes. It does mean that all of us are more susceptible to being fat than most other mammals."
As rates of diabetes and obesity increased in the 1960s, Johnson said, an idea emerged that some ancient mutation might have occurred during a time of famine, increasing people's ability to become fat easily when food became plentiful again. But only recently have scientists found evidence to explain what that mutation might be and how it might work.
In a paper published in January in the journal Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association, and a more detailed paper set for publication in November, Johnson and colleagues identify just such a mutation that affects how our bodies deal with uric acid, an ordinary byproduct of metabolism.
The mutation evolved 15 million years ago, during a period of starvation. One hundred percent of us have it.
While many of the details have yet to be published, Johnson said that the mutation led to an increase in how much uric acid our bodies produce after eating fructose, while also lengthening the amount of time that uric acid sticks around after a sweet treat.
The result, he said, is inflammation and an increased ability for cells to become fat. In other words, uric acid works within cells to amplify sugar's ability to cause obesity.
Even on a calorie-restricted diet, he said, animals that eat too much sugar develop insulin resistance, an early sign of diabetes. Other trials in people have shown that lowering uric acid levels lowered their blood pressure.
"We need to start thinking about sugar in a completely different way," said Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco.
Lustig agrees with Johnson that uric acid might drive high blood pressure, but he isn't convinced that uric acid explains all of sugar's power to induce obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Instead, he thinks the story is more complicated than that.
In several papers, including one published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Lustig and colleagues report striking similarities in the health effects of both sugar and ethanol, the active ingredient in beer, wine and liquor.
Fatty-liver disease, for example, is common in alcoholics, and it appears in more than a third of obese kids and nearly half of obese adults. In these obese patients, Lustig said, the liver looks exactly like the liver of an alcoholic with the disease, even when the patient doesn't drink.
Like alcohol, his recent study found, sugar is also habit-forming and possibly addictive.
More than half of the American population is overdosing on sugar, he added. The American Heart Association recommends a maximum of six teaspoons per day of added sugars for women and nine teaspoons for men. But with so much sugar and high fructose corn syrup in processed foods, Lustig said, education alone will never succeed at getting people down to slash the sweets from their diet.
"We need to have sugar policies the same way we have ethanol policies," he said. "And until we do, don't expect the obesity epidemic to get any better."

Green Eggs and Ham

2010-09-17T07:46:00.002-04:00

Marc A.Reynolds - Garden State Green

Luckily in my household we only buy eggs from organic, cage-free, free-range chickens. Otherwise, we may have had to worry about being sicked by salmonella. If you are new to buying organic food or only buy a few things organic, eggs and milk should be the first two. Of course if you never eat eggs & don't consume dairy milk than it's a non-issue. The conditions under which factory farmed chickens live where they are not cage-free and free-range would turn your stomach. You have to be careful when buying the eggs, just because they are cage-free does not mean they are free-range. Cage-free only means they are not kept in battery cages and that some kind of ventilation is available sometimes in the chicken coop. The chickens are still cramped together and stepping in their own feces and other dead chickens. It sounds gross, because it is. It's even worse if you also eat chickens. You might also be surprised to learn that non-organic chickens are sometimes fed parts of other chickens. Now that doesn't seem normal, now does it? If you are a meat eater be sure to look for organic, cage-free & free-range labels in the produce section. I plan to compile a list of local places where such products can be bought. Look for it soon.

Garden State Green's First Petition! Demand Recyling @ the Rockaway Mall!

2010-09-16T19:40:00.002-04:00

Marc A. Reynolds - Garden State Green

Have you ever noticed that the Rockaway Mall has no recycling? Well, a few weeks ago, I did. I went straight to the information desk and asked where I could recycle my bottle. The woman behind the counter made a phone call to check if there was anywhere in the mall that I could recycle...nope. I was surprised and disappointed. Right at that moment I wrote a brief request to the management of the mall requesting recycling receptacles. It will be a much stronger fight if we pull together and sign the petition. Local shopping centers have to do their part to help us do ours. It's only right to provide recycling, especially where businesses sell drinks in cans, bottle and plastic containers.

Please help with this cause and take just 30 seconds to sign the petition . If you are worried about writing in your address, you really shouldn't be. It's extremely hard to keep your address private these days so you won't be giving away information that isn't already out there. Also, your name and address does not show up on the petition page. Only Simon Property Group, Inc. will see the final result.

Thank you!

Garden State Green

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

2010-09-16T16:40:00.004-04:00

Marc A. Reynolds - Garden State Green

I can remember it well, I was 19 years old and I had just received my first store credit card. It was a 19" TV that I was after and it was just over $300. And so began my long life of needless spending. The more money I made, the more "stuff" I bought. When I was younger I never really thought about what would become of the stuff once I grew tired of it.

Sometime after the late 1980's electronics became more and more easier to obtain. They were cheaper and there were more choices. The compact disc was a new novelty that we all had to buy, VCRs later gave way to DVDs and now Blu-Ray. Along the way home computers and mobile phones became so cheap that most people could afford them. Instead of repairing electronics, they become disposable.

Once electronics reached the level of being cheaper to buy new then to fix, the problem really started getting out of control. The problem I am referring to is e-waste. Wikipedia explains such waste as Electronic waste, e-waste, e-scrap, or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) this describes loosely discarded, surplus, obsolete, or broken electrical or electronic devices. Environmental groups claim that the informal processing of electronic waste in developing countries causes serious health and pollution problems. Some electronic scrap components, such as CRTs, contain contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury, and brominated flame retardants. Activists claim that even in developed countries recycling and disposal of e-waste may involve significant risk to workers and communities and great care must be taken to avoid unsafe exposure in recycling operations and leaching of material such as heavy metals from landfills and incinerator ashes. Scrap industry and USA EPA officials agree that materials should be managed with caution, but that environmental dangers of unused electronics have been exaggerated by groups which benefit from increased regulation.

The impact of where all of this waste winds up is something most people would like to ignore or just not think about. Once you're educated about what's really going on, it gets harder to ignore. Below is just one video, but there are more like it exposing the truth about where our once "gotta have" items wind up.

Bisphenol A (BPA)

2010-09-15T12:17:00.000-04:00

CATEGORY: Endocrine disruptor

USED IN: Plastics, epoxy resins used in food cans

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most pervasive chemicals in modern life. More than 2 billion pounds of BPA are produced in the United States each year. As the building block of polycarbonate plastic and a component of epoxy resins, BPA is used in thousands of consumer products, including food packaging.

Research suggests that BPA exposure may contribute to the epidemic of breast cancer now and in the future. Furthermore, BPA exposure has been shown to interfere with chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer.

BPA: A Synthetic Estrogen

BPA was developed in the 1930s as a synthetic estrogen (also called xenoestrogen) so it is not surprising that it acts like an estrogen in humans, increasing the risk of breast cancer. Decades of research have shown that extensive exposure to estrogens, both natural and synthetic, increases breast cancer risk. Reducing exposure to estrogens appears to reduce the risk of breast cancer. For example, experts attribute the recent decline in breast cancer incidence to decreased use of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT), following the major study that implicated HRT in increased risk of breast cancer.

Studies of human breast cancer cells in culture show that BPA acts through the same response pathways as natural estrogen (estradiol), and induces cell growth and proliferation. In addition, BPA has been shown to mimic natural estrogen (estradiol) in causing direct damage to the DNA of cultured human breast cancer cells.

Principal Route of Exposure to BPA: Food Packaging

BPA is found in the lining of metal food cans and in some plastic food containers, including some baby bottles, water bottles, microwave ovenware and eating utensils. Because BPA is an unstable polymer and is lipophilic (fat-seeking), it can leach into infant formula and other food products, especially when heated. Once in food, BPA can move quickly into people—a real concern for women of childbearing age and for young children.

Exposure to BPA Begins in the Womb

Exposure to BPA is ubiquitous in the United States and other developed countries, and the exposure begins before birth, when the risk of harm is greatest. BPA has been found in blood samples from developing fetuses as well as in placental tissue and the surrounding amniotic fluid, in umbilical cord blood of newborn infants and in human breast milk. Finding BPA in breast milk confirms the presence of this environmental estrogen in the target organ for breast cancer.

A number of animal studies show that prenatal and early life exposure to extremely low levels of BPA alters development of the mammary gland in ways that predispose the animals to cancer in adult life. Exposure also increases sensitivity to estrogen at puberty. Early exposure to BPA also leads to abnormalities in mammary tissue that can be seen during gestation.

Animal studies implicate BPA in childhood obesity, which raises the risk of early puberty, a known risk factor for breast cancer. Formula feeding (BPA lined containers and/or baby bottles) rather than breastfeeding is also linked with childhood obesity. Because disparities based upon income and race/ethnicity exist in access to fresh fruits and vegetables, to BPA-free food containers, and rates of breastfeeding, it is not surprising that BPA levels are higher among low income groups, in women, and in non-hispanic blacks.

For references to this article, download our fact sheet about BPA and breast cancer.

Article borrowed from Breast Cancer Fund

Bamboo Bed Linens? Only If They're Organic (to start with)

2010-09-08T00:43:00.000-04:00

by Marc A. Reynolds - East Coast Green

Hopefully, you read the post prior to this one. It's about organic cotton versus conventional cotton. There is a major difference and organic is the better bet for you and for the planet. Well...the same holds true for bamboo clothing and linens. We've all heard about bamboo being a green choice because it regenerates very quickly, but there are additional factors you need to consider.

Although under ideal conditions (soil & climate) bamboo can grow at a rate as fast as 2" per hour it's not perfect. Unfortunately, nearly all bamboo used in the US now is shipped over from China (where, by the way, the industry sustains 6 million people's livelihoods). If you are concerned about your bamboo linens and their carbon footprint that's an obvious consideration. Also, most bamboo is not yet in a position to be seen as a truly green alternative: growers use pesticides, clear cut rainforests to plant it (thus voiding its tree-saving advantages), and there's no fair trade system in place to ensure bamboo growers are adequately compensated. You would need to make sure the bamboo was harvest from an FSC-Certified grower.

The process for producing regenerated bamboo into fiber is also something you should be concerned with. Two well known processes exist for producing regenerated bamboo fiber, both of which were developed in China.

1) Chemical Processing: Sodium hydroxide (NaOH- also known as caustic soda or lye) is used to ‘cook’ the fiber into a form of regenerated cellulose fiber
carbon disulfide is used for hydrolysis alkalization combined with multi phase
bleaching. This process produces a fiber also known as bamboo rayon or modal.
Chemical processing is the most popular bamboo fiber regeneration process.

2) Mechanical Processing: In mechanical transformation, machines are used to crush the woody parts of the bamboo plant; natural enzymes are then used to break the bamboo into a mushy mass at which point the individual fibers are combed out and spun into a yarn. This is similar to the process used to make linen. As such, the end product in this process is also known as bamboo linen. This process is much less popular than chemical, primarily because it is much more labor intensive and costly.

Both processes present environmental hazards and harmful health effects. As for the chemicals (the more widespread process), breathing in carbon disulfide is known to cause tiredness, headache and nerve damage among the exposed. At factory plants it is also associated with neural disorders among rayon manufacturers.

Low levels of exposure to sodium hydroxide is also known to cause irritation of the eyes and skin. As a strong alkaline base in its crystalline form, caustic soda (NaOH) is one of the major ingredients of Drano. These same chemicals are used not only for bamboo, but in standard rayon processing from wood or cotton waste byproducts.

Because of the health risks posed by these chemicals, coupled with the negative environmental impacts in surrounding factory plants, bamboo manufacturing, like other regenerated fibers produced using hydrolysis alkalization, is not considered eco-friendly, nor sustainable. However, important to note is that some companies ARE producing bamboo organically, using processing that do not involve bleaching.

I bet you never thought the process of buying bamboo sheets was going to be such a complex decision. Well, depending on how green you want to be, will determine the length of your search for the right eco friendly bamboo sheet. First off, remember that no matter what bamboo sheets you buy, the materials had to be shipped over from China. Definitely choose organic bamboo sheets. These will not be subjected to the harsh chemicals described above. Honestly, when I bought my organic bamboo sheets I did not look for the FSC certification simply because I forgot to. I can't even be certain that you will be able to determine if the bamboo used for sheets was derived from an FSC Certified operation.

There is a whole other issue of worker exploitation that I didn't even cover. In case you weren't aware, China would probably be the worst choice slightly above the other countries. China being communist and all, there are zero standards in place to be sure the workers are being treated fairly. That topic will be discussed in future posts.

If all of the above information makes it seem like it's just too complicated to buy organic bamboo sheets and be environmentally responsible, consider organic cotton sheets. Organic cotton is currently grown in China, Turkey, India and eight countries within Africa. Fair Trade cotton will most likley be easier to find than FSC certified bamboo sheets. I own both types of sheet and I can attest to both choices being just as soft as the other. In the end, all your research for the perfect eco sheet would all be for naught if you couldn't get a good night's sleep.

Cotton and the Environment

2010-09-07T10:14:00.001-04:00

Benefit of Organic Cotton
Organic agriculture protects the health of people and the planet by reducing the overall exposure to toxic chemicals from synthetic pesticides that can end up in the ground, air, water and food supply, and that are associated with health consequences, from asthma to cancer. Because organic agriculture doesn't use toxic and persistent pesticides, choosing organic products is an easy way to help protect yourself.

Acreage estimates for the 2006 U.S. cotton crop show approximately 5,971 acres of certified organic cotton were planted in the United States and in 2007, farmers planed 7,473 acres. Internationally, Turkey and the United States are the largest organic cotton producers.

Demand is being driven by apparel and textile companies that are expanding their 100% organic cotton program and developing programs that blend small percentages of organic cotton with their conventional cotton products.

Here are some reasons why organic cotton production is important to the long-term health of the planet.
Cotton is considered the world's 'dirtiest' crop due to its heavy use of insecticides, the most hazardous pesticide to human and animal health. Cotton covers 2.5% of the world's cultivated land yet uses 16% of the world's insecticides, more than any other single major crop (1).

Aldicarb, parathion, and methamidopho, three of the most acutely hazardous insecticides to human health as determined by the World Health Organization, rank in the top ten most commonly used in cotton production. All but one of the remaining seven most commonly used are classified as moderately to highly hazardous (1).

Aldicarb, cotton's second best selling insecticide and most acutely poisonous to humans, can kill a man with just one drop absorbed through the skin, yet it is still used in 25 countries and the US, where 16 states have reported it in their groundwater (1).

Insecticide use has decreased in the last 10 years with the introduction of Biotechnology (BT), the fastest adapted yet most controversial new technology in the history of agriculture. As of 2007, Bt cotton already commands 34% of total cotton cropland and 45% of world cotton production. In Bt cotton, the insecticide is always present in the plant rather than applied in periodic spraying sessions which will lead to rapid rates of pest immunities and possibly produce superpests (3).

It can take almost a 1/3 pound of synthetic fertilizers to grow one pound of raw cotton in the US, and it takes just under one pound of raw cotton to make one t-shirt (4).

Nitrogen synthetic fertilizers are considered the most detrimental to the environment, causing leaching and runoff that freshwater habitats and wells (5).

Nitrogen synthetic fertilizers are a major contributor to increased N2O emissions, which are 300 times more potent than CO2 as greenhouse gas (5), which is ominous for global warming as synthetic fertilizer use is forecasted to increase roughly 2.5 times by mid-century (6).

Organic farming methods use natural fertilizers, like compost and animal manure, that recycles the nitrogen already in the soil rather than adding more, which reduces both pollution and N2O emissions (5).

The cottonseed hull, where many pesticide residues have been detected, is a secondary crop sold as a food commodity. It is estimated that as much as 65% of cotton production ends up in our food chain, whether directly through food oil or indirectly through the milk and meat of animals (1).

Cottonseed and field trash is usually sold for animal feed. Studies in Brazil and Nicaragua have show traces of common cotton pesticides in cow milk, fueling concerns about chemical residues on the cottonseed (1).

The developing world is home to 99% of all cotton farmers and produces 75% of the world's total cotton, so it bears the brunt of cotton's environmental and health concerns (1).

Rural farmers lack the necessary safety equipment, protective clothing, and training for handling hazardous pesticides. In India, one in ten pesticide applications results in three or more reported health symptoms related to pesticide exposure (1).

Surveys show that rural cotton farmers often store pesticides in their bedrooms or in close proximity to their food and some even reuse pesticide containers for drinking water. These farmers and their families are at highest risk for acute pesticide poisoning as well as chronic effects (1)

US cotton subsidies artificially lower cotton prices while production costs for Biotech (Bt) seeds and pesticides are rising, causing financial stress in the rest of the world's cotton-producing areas. India's once prestigious cotton belt is now referred to as the "suicide belt" due to farmers unable to accept growing debts. Since 2003, the suicide rate has averaged one every eight hours in Vidarba, India (7).

During the conversion of cotton into conventional clothing, many hazardous materials are used and added to the product, including silicone waxes, harsh petroleum scours, softeners, heavy metals, flame and soil retardants, ammonia, and formaldehyde-just to name a few (8).

Many processing stages result in large amounts of toxic wastewater that carry away residues from chemical cleaning, dyeing, and finishing. This waste depletes the oxygen out of the water, killing aquatic animals and disrupting aquatic ecosystems (8).

The North American Organic Fiber Processing Standards prohibits these and similar chemicals.

Cotton uses approximately 25% of the world's insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides (including herbicides, insecticides, and defoliants.). (Allan Woodburn)

Approximately 10% of all pesticides sold for use in U. S. agriculture were applied to cotton in 1997, the most recent year for which such data is publicly available. (ACPA)

Fifty-five million pounds of pesticides were sprayed on the 12.8 million acres of conventional cotton grown in the U.S. in 2003 (4.3 pounds/ acre), ranking cotton third behind corn and soybeans in total amount of pesticides sprayed. (USDA)

Over 2.03 billion pounds of synthetic fertilizers were applied to conventional cotton in 2000 (142 pounds/acre), making cotton the fourth most heavily fertilized crop behind corn, winter wheat, and soybeans. (USDA)

The Environmental Protection Agency considers seven of the top 15 pesticides used on cotton in 2000 in the United States as "possible," "likely," "probable," or "known" human carcinogens (acephate, dichloropropene, diuron, fluometuron, pendimethalin, tribufos, and trifluralin). (EPA)

In 1999, a work crew re-entered a cotton field about five hours after it was treated with tribufos and sodium chlorate (re-entry should have been prohibited for 24 hours). Seven workers subsequently sought medical treatment and five have had ongoing health problems. (California DPR)

Sources
1) EJF. (2007). The deadly chemicals in cotton. Environmental Justice Foundation in collaboration with Pesticide Action Network UK: London, UK. ISBN No. 1-904523-10-2.

(2) Whitford, F., Pike, D., Burroughs, F., Hanger, G. Johnson, B., & Brassard, D. (2006). The pesticide marketplace: Discovering and developing new products. Purdue University Extension, report # PPP-71.

(3) Chaudhry, M.R., (2007, March 6-8). Biotech applications in cotton: Concerns and challenges. Paper presented at the Regional Consultation on Biotech Cotton for Risk Assessment and Opportunities for Small Scale Cotton Growers (CFC/ICAC 34FT), Faisalabad, Pakistan.

(4) Lauresn, S. E., Hansen, J., Knudsen, H. H., Wenzel, H., Larsen, H. F., & Kristensen, F. M. (2007). EDIPTEX: Environmental assessment of textiles. Danish Environmental Protection Agency, working report 24.

(5) Kramer, S. B., Reganold, J. P., Glover, J. D., Bohannan, B. J. M., & Mooney, H. A. (2006). Reduced nitrate leaching and enhanced denitrifier activity and efficiency in organically fertilized soils. PNAS, 103 (12), 4522-4527.

(6) Tilman, D., Cassman, K., Matson, P., Naylor, R., & Polasky, S. (2002). Nature (418), 71-677.

(7) de Sam Lazaro, F. (2007). The dying fields: India's forgotten farmers [Television series episode]. In WNET (producer), Wide Angle. New York: Public Broadcasting Station.

(8) Kadolph, S. J., & Langford, A. L. (2002). Textiles (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

OTA's "2006 U.S. Organic Production & Marketing Trends" report.

Allen Woodburn Associates Ltd./Managing Resources Ltd., "Cotton: The Crop and its Agrochemicals Market," 1995.

American Crop Protection Association, "1997 Total U. S. Sales by Crop Protection Product Type and Market," 1998 ACPA Industry Profile.

California Department of Pesticide Regulation, "DPR Releases Data on 1999 Pesticide Injuries," 2001.

U. S. Department of Agriculture, "Agricultural Chemical Usage: 2003 Field Crop Summary."

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, "List of Chemicals Evaluated for Carcinogenic Potential," 2001.

Are You Down With VOCs - Not Me

2010-09-05T23:01:00.004-04:00

by Marc A. Reynolds - Garden State Green

Even though talk of low VOC paint seems to be all over networks like HGTV and TLC there are probably many people in the dark about this topic. This particular post was written to explain what VOCs are, why you should be worried about them & what you can do to limit your exposure to them.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects including asthma, chronic headaches and even cancer to name a few. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers, and photographic solutions.

Organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in household products. Paints, varnishes, and wax all contain organic solvents, as do many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing, and hobby products. Fuels are made up of organic chemicals. All of these products can release organic compounds while you are using them, and, to some degree, when they are stored.

EPA's Office of Research and Development's "Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) Study" (Volumes I through IV, completed in 1985) found levels of about a dozen common organic pollutants to be 2 to 5 times higher inside homes than outside, regardless of whether the homes were located in rural or highly industrial areas. TEAM studies indicated that while people are using products containing organic chemicals, they can expose themselves and others to very high pollutant levels, and elevated concentrations can persist in the air long after the activity is completed.

I happened to experience ill feelings due to new carpeting, paint and furniture when I worked for a large corporation. They had just refinished our wing of the building. Everyone was so caught up in the new fresh look of the office that they couldn't figure out why many of us were getting headaches those first few months. With no windows to open to get immediate fresh air, we were left to sit in the toxicity that comes from new carpeting, paint & office furniture. The good news is that many companies are realizing the health hazards of producing such products. They are now being honest as people are becoming aware of the dangers of VOC and they are demanding change.

You can readily buy organic carpeting, eco friendly furniture and low to no VOC paint. We're going to focus on paint since it's the one home improvement project many of us tackle ourselves and do so fairly often. The products below and others like them will help keep your home and the environment less polluted and virtually odorless. I painted with both Aura and milk paint and there was no smell like VOC ridden paint.

Here are some choices for low to zero-VOC paints.

Milk paint and whitewash are free of VOCs, biocides and fungicides, and both allow the material being painted to breathe, reducing the growth of mold and mildew. Milk paint is made with milk protein casein and lime; whitewash is made with lime and water (and sometimes casein). Natural earth pigments are used for coloring, as they are in natural plaster. You can buy milk paint right here in Morris County at my friend Carol's store Chester Country Furnishings - tell them Middle Man Marc sent ya.

Mythic Paints - Mythic Paint is a zero-VOC, Zero-carcinogenic, premium quality line of latex paints. Mythic provides and requires a Zero-VOC colorant system that maintains zero-VOCs and provides bright and beautiful colors. You can pick up a can right here in Denville at Painten Place .

The Freshaire Choice - The Freshaire Choice paint contains no volatile organic compounds — commonly known as VOCs. This is sold at The Home Depot.

Aura, ben, & Natura all from Benjamin Moore. The first two are low VOC and Natura is supposedly zero-VOC. There are plenty of Benjamin Moore stores in Morris county - Chester, Denville, Morristown & Dover just to name a few.

California Paints their consumer green line of paints is called flawless ELEMENTS™ and their commercial line of green paints is called Envirotech. Both are LEED certified and have zero VOCs. You can purchase California Paints right in Dover, NJ at Sacks Paint & Wallpaper.

Enso - Zero-VOC

Three Trader Joe Products I Can't Live Without

2010-09-05T20:17:00.004-04:00

by Marc A. Reynolds
Garden State Green

I'll start out by saying that you have to be careful when shopping at Trader Joe's. To the unsuspecting shopper or someone new to the world of organic food it's easy to be fooled. Unlike Whole Foods, Trader Joe's allows foods with their own name on it to contain less than healthy ingredients. Their standards are just not as high when it comes to keeping with all natural and organic. Now that the negative news is out of the way, let's get on with it.

The first item that my family finds to be very tasty and super convenient is Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice. The box contains three pouches, you cook each one in the microwave for 3 minutes. It's as simple as that, no guessing water levels when cooking and waiting around for your brown rice to cook.

Item number two that will help eliminate a slew of other cleaning products is Trader Joe's Multi Purpose Cleaner. With no chemicals and keeping it truly green this stuff cleans glass, granite, stainless steel and pretty much any other household surfaces. I even use it on my hardwood floors and ceramic tile if I have a little spot to clean up. It works well without being toxic.

The last great find that is now a staple in our household is Trader Joe's Unscented Deodorant. This stuff is awesome. You can now enjoy the health and environmental benefits of using a deodorant that is Paraben and Aluminum free. Even better, you don't have to sacrifice smelling clean. This is years ahead of that old crystal that would leave you smelling like you spent the day running laps under a hot sun.

While there are other products I regularly purchase at Trader Joe's these are the top three. They really changed how we clean our home. We eat dinner faster with the tastiest organic brown rice I have found. We are stink free without polluting our bodies with unnecessary chemicals (mostly). I do have to point out that this deodorant is not 100% natural, but I have yet to find one that is that doesn't leave me smelling like a BO ridden bus boy by mid morning. I highly recommend you give some or all of these products a try if you're in the market for greener, healthier products.

Fracking - What Is It & Why Should I Care?

2010-09-05T08:58:00.000-04:00

Hydraulic fracturing (called "frac jobs^" or "frac'ing" in the industry and recently, "fracking" by the media) is a process that results in the creation of fractures in rocks, the goal of which is to increase the output of a well. The most important industrial use is in stimulating oil and gas wells, where hydraulic fracturing has been used for over 60 years in more than one million wells. On the other hand, high-volume horizontal slickwater fracturing is a recent phenomenon. The fracturing is done from a wellbore drilled into reservoir rock formations to enhance oil and natural gas recovery.

Hydraulic fractures may be natural or man-made and are extended by internal fluid pressure which opens the fracture and causes it to grow into the rock. Man-made fluid-driven fractures are formed at depth in a borehole and extend into targeted rock formations. The fracture width is typically maintained after the injection by introducing a proppant into the injected fluid. Proppant is a material, such as grains of sand, ceramic, or other particulates, that prevent the fractures from closing when the injection is stopped. Natural hydraulic fractures include volcanic dikes, sills and fracturing by ice as in frost weathering.

Considerable controversy surrounds the current implementation of hydraulic fracturing technology in the United States. Environmental safety and health concerns have emerged and are being debated at the state and national levels.

History

Hydraulic fracturing for stimulation of oil and natural gas wells was first used in the United States in 1947.^[14] It was first used commercially in 1949,^[14] and because of its success in increasing production from oil wells was quickly adopted, and is now used worldwide in tens of thousands of oil and natural gas wells annually. The first industrial use of hydraulic fracturing was as early as 1903, according to T.L. Watson.^[15] Before that date, hydraulic fracturing was used at Mt. Airy Quarry, near Mt Airy, North Carolina where it was (and still is) used to separate granite blocks from bedrock.

Volcanic dikes and sills are examples of natural hydraulic fractures. Hydraulic fracturing incorporates results from the disciplines of fracture mechanics, fluid mechanics, solid mechanics, and porous medium flow.

Environmental & Health Concerns

Some environmental and human health concerns possibly associated with hydraulic fracturing may include the potential mishandling of solid toxic waste, potential risks to air quality, potential contamination of ground water, and the unintended migration of gases and hydraulic fracturing chemicals to the surface within a given radius of drilling operations. The potential costs associated with possible environmental clean-up processes, loss of land value and human and animal health concerns are undetermined. New technological advances and appropriate state regulations are working to study and safely implement the process.

A well blowout in Clearfield County, PA on June 3, 2010 sent more than 35,000 gallons of hydraulic fracturing fluids into the air and onto the surrounding landscape in a forested area. Campers were evacuated and the company EOG Resources and the well completion company C.C. Forbes have been ordered to cease all operations in the state of Pennsylvania pending investigation. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has called this a "serious incident".

Industry groups dispute whether hydraulic fracturing has a significant environmental impact, with arguments centered around the extent to which fracturing fluid used far below the earth’s surface and isolated from fresh water zones, could contaminate surface or near-surface water supplies.impact rock shelf causing seismic events or lead to surface subsidence. Indeed, the principal water-related risks from hydraulic fracturing are on or relatively-near the surface. With the transport, handing, storage and use of so many chemicals, and so much chemical-laden water, on so many sites, accidents or cost-cutting inattention on the part of producers seem inevitable.

In April 2010 the state of Pennsylvania banned Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. from further drilling in the entire state until it plugs wells believed to be the source of contamination of the drinking water of 14 homes in Dimock Township PA. The investigation was initiated after a water well exploded on New Year's Day in 2009. The state investigation revealed that Cabot Oil & Gas Company "had allowed combustible gas to escape into the region's groundwater supplies."

Injection of fluid into subsurface geological structures, such as faults and fractures, reduces the effective normal stress acting across these structures. If sufficient shear stress is present, the structure may slip in shear and generate seismic events over a range of magnitudes. Subsidence is not directly caused by hydraulic fracturing but may occur after considerable production of oil or ground water. Subsidence occurs over reservoirs whether they have been subject to hydraulic fracturing or not because it is a result of producing fluids from the reservoir and lowering the reservoir pore pressure. The subsidence process can be associated with some seismicity. Reports of minor tremors of no greater than 2.8 on the Richter scale were reported on June 2, 2009 in Cleburne, Texas - the first in the town's 140-year history. It must be noted that no scientific studies have been conducted that can substantially prove that conventional hydraulic fracturing is directly related large scale seismic activity.

One use of hydraulic fracturing is in stimulating water wells. In that case, the fluid used may be pure water (typically water and a disinfectant such as bleach). Another use of hydraulic fracturing is to remediate waste spills by injecting bacteria, air, or other materials into a subsurface contaminated zone.

It has been reported that the hydraulic fracturing industry has refused to publicly disclose, allegedly due to intellectual property concerns, the specific contents of the fluids employed in the fracturing process. A "NOW on PBS" episode aired in March, 2010 introduces the documentary film Gasland. The filmmaker claims that the chemicals include toxins, known carcinogens and heavy metals which may have polluted the ground water near well sites in Pennsylvania and Colorado. The film also makes a case for explosive gases entering private potable water wells, causing "flammable water."

A 2008 newspaper report states that medical personnel were inhibited in their treatment of workers injured in a fracturing accident because they did not know which specific chemicals were used. In the article, a nurse claimed she may have been exposed to the unknown chemicals on the patient’s clothes.

In the United States, a 2004 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study concluded that the process was safe and didn't warrant further study, because there was "no unequivocal evidence" of health risks, and the fluids were neither necessarily hazardous nor able to travel far underground. That study, however, was not intended as a general study of hydraulic fracturing, but only of its use in coalbed methane deposits, and the study did not consider impacts above ground. The EPA report did find uncertainties in knowledge of how fracturing fluid migrates through rocks, and upon its release service companies voluntarily agreed to stop using diesel fuel as a component of fracturing fluid, due to public concerns of its potential as a source of benzene contamination. With critics claiming that Bush administration officials influenced the 2004 EPA study, the U.S. Congress has requested that the EPA undertake a new, broader study of hydraulic fracturing. The report is due to be released in 2012.

The increased use of hydraulic fracturing has prompted more speculation about its environmental dangers. A 2008 investigation of benzene contamination in Colorado and Wyoming led some EPA officials to suggest hydraulic fracturing as a culprit. One of the authors of the 2004 EPA report states that it has been misconstrued by the gas-drilling industry.

How to Convert a Car to Run on Vegetable Oil

2010-09-04T23:07:00.002-04:00

By Lilia Scott, eHow Member

Diesel engines can run on three basic types of fuel: petroleum diesel, biodiesel, and straight vegetable oil (SVO). Diesel fuel produces carbon dioxide, pollution, particulates and sulfur emissions and increases reliance on foreign oil because it comes from petroleum. Any diesel engine can run on biodiesel. Biodiesel is a clean-burning fuel made from domestic, renewable plant sources, such as oils from vegetables, peanuts, soy beans, canola/grape seeds, hemp seeds and some grains. It has undergone the process of transesterification, a simple chemical modification of ordinary vegetable oil that makes the fuel usable in diesel engines and keeps it from thickening at colder temperatures.

Difficulty: Moderate

Start with a modern diesel engine. Nearly any newer diesel engine can be converted to run on vegetable oil as long as it doesn't have rubber seals in its fuel system (only older diesels use rubber seals). The rubber seals will deteriorate when exposed to vegetable oil over time because vegetable oil acts as a solvent.
Install a vegetable oil fuel conversion kit or have a mechanic do it. You should keep the original gas tank to hold regular diesel or biodiesel fuel for cold weather. Install a second tank for vegetable oil; these sometimes go in the trunk. The conversion kit should include hoses from the car's radiator to the vegetable oil tank to heat the oil via a heat exchanger before it enters the final fuel filter and injectors inside the engine compartment.
Get vegetable oil. New vegetable oil is easiest to acquire but very expensive. Restaurants will often give you their waste oil for free. Chinese and Japanese restaurants are best because their oils comes out cleanest. The oil should be amber in color. Oil from other types of restaurants may also be suitable but could require more filtering to remove food particles. You will need a few containers for transferring the oil from the source to your filtering destination. The five gallon jugs that the restaurants receive the fresh oil in work fine. Restaurants are usually happy to give you these containers since it saves them disposal fees.
Filter the oil. Use filter bags that are rated to 0.5 microns thick. To increase the life of your filter bags, first allow the oil to sit in a barrel for about a week to let particulate matter settle to the bottom. Then, pump or scoop the oil into a filter bag suspended above a fresh empty barrel from the top of the barrel (since most of the food particles matter and possible water is at the bottom). Start your engine using regular diesel or biodiesel fuel from the normal gas tank. Once the engine and vegetable oil are warm (after about 15 minutes depending on weather), switch to allow the vegetable oil to flow into the fuel source.
Switch back to diesel or biodiesel a few minutes before you stop your engine for any time (about 10 minutes depending on the temperature) to make sure the vegetable oil is purged from the fuel line and injectors so that they don't become clogged when the engine cools.

Tips & Warnings

In warm weather, the car can be started and run completely on vegetable oil.
Make sure to keep your regular diesel tank just in case you may run out of vegetable oil or want to travel to a cooler climate.
Purge the fuel line and fuel pump/injector with biodiesel or regular diesel every time you stop your engine just in case the weather turns cold unexpectedly.
It's possible to change the rubber seals on older diesel vehicles so that they too can be converted to run on vegetable oil.
Consider using a fuel injector/piston cleaner every six months to remove any accumulated carbon deposits. To do this, just pour the 12-ounce bottle into the tank before you drive.
Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel that has been tested completely for health effects based on the requirements of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments.
Biodiesel is sometimes combined with standard diesel and sold under the label "biodiese.l" However, its benefits are relevant to the portion of pure biodiesel used.
Straight vegetable oil (SVO) is any vegetable oil that can power diesel engines but has not undergone the transesterification process. The major constraint of using SVO is that it thickens at colder temperatures (below 25 degrees Fahrenheit), but it can be warmed up before reaching the engine's fuel injectors.
It's expensive to buy and use fresh cooking oil, but restaurants are often willing to donate their used cooking oil, which is commonly called Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO). Vegetable oil engine conversion kits include a heating system and usually a second gas tank to get around the cold weather issues. Like Biodiesel, SVO produces very low emissions. However, raw vegetable oil does not meet biodiesel fuel specifications and is not registered with the EPA, nor is it a legal motor fuel.
Converting your car to run on vegetable oil can void any warranty you have on your car. Contact your dealer or manufacturer to find out.

Solar, Wind Power Groups Becoming Prominent Washington Lobbying Forces After Years of Relative Obscurity

2010-09-04T22:05:00.000-04:00

By Cassandra LaRussa on August 25, 2010 4:41 PM

(Editor's note: A version of this story originally appeared March 30 on OpenSecrets Blog.)
In 1998, the entire alternative energy industry barely even registered as a political player in Washington, spending a mere $2.4 million on lobbying the federal government. Meanwhile, in the same year, the oil and gas, electric utilities and mining industries spent a combined $142 million advancing their own legislative interests.
That landscape, however, has changed considerably.
By 2007, the alternative energy industry had begun to drastically increase its lobbying spending, almost doubling its expenditures from the previous year. In 2009, alternative energy organizations shelled out an unprecedented $30 million to protect and promote their interests on Capitol Hill, and this year, it's on pace to equal that record output.
The alternative energy industry’s lobbying expenditures have grown to 12 times from its 1998 level. In comparison, oil and gas spending and mining spending have grown less than three times their 1998 amount, and electric utility spending has grown to just twice its 1998 amount.
The growing involvement of the alternative energy industry in legislative affairs is reflected not just in increased spending, but also in the number of companies and organizations that employ federally registered lobbyists.

In the late 1990s, only about 20 alternative energy industry organizations used federal lobbyists.
By 2009, there were about 200 alternative energy companies and organizations employing lobbyists to help advance the industry’s interests.
The American Wind Energy Association is one of those organizations that recently and significantly increased lobbying efforts.
Until 2008, AWEA failed to crack the $1 million mark in annual lobbying expenditures -- and most years, it spent less than $500,000. In 2009, its expenditures experienced a drastic increase, and the group spent almost $5 million on lobbying for issues related to the wind power industry.
But why did AWEA, and scores of other alternative energy corporations, trade organizations and non-profits, get involved in legislative affairs so suddenly and with such gusto?
The involvement stems from the growth in number of alternative energy companies, which was made possible by the growth in popularity of wind power in the national consciousness, said Christine Real de Azua, an AWEA spokeswoman.
Real de Azua states that this, in turn, increased AWEA's ranks by more than 1,000 new business members in 2009 alone, many of them "companies entering or seeking to enter the wind turbine supply chain."
Last year "was a record year for wind power in the U.S.," Real de Azua said. "The industry installed 10,000 megawatts last year, enough to generate as much new electricity as three new nuclear plants."
The recent involvement of AWEA in federal affairs, she said, "reflects the urgency of the industry's number one priority -- passing a national renewable electricity standard with aggressive, binding near- and long-term targets, as part of comprehensive energy and climate legislation."
Azua de Real cites "market certainty" as a concern of AWEA's members, who need legislative support of their industry "in order to expand their operations and invest in new manufacturing as well as new wind farm facilities." She added that it is imperative to the members of AWEA that the U.S. government "steps up and clearly commits to developing renewable energy."
AWEA cites the sheer potential of wind energy and the opportunity for job creation as two key points that their lobbyists emphasize in the fight for favorable legislation.
Not as drastic but certainly notable is the increased lobbying by the Solar Energy Industries Association. Until 2007, the organization had never spent more than half a million dollars on federal lobbying efforts. In 2009, it spent more than $1.6 million.
Monique Hanis, an SEIA spokeswoman, attributes the increase in lobbying presence to a growth in membership that enabled the organization to expand legislative activities.
She explains how in late 2008, SEIA's increased lobbying pressure paid off when Congress "passed the eight-year extension of the solar investment tax credit," which allowed the organization to move on to lobbying regarding climate, renewable energy standards, green jobs and appropriations.
The goal of spending more money than ever before on federal legislation, Hanis says, is "to remove market barriers so that solar can compete fairly with other energy sources and we can expand the amount of solar used in this country."
SEIA has already seen positive gains from their increased expenditures, Hanis said.
The group’s lobbyists were successful in promoting several provisions of the stimulus bill, such as the "lifted cap on solar investment tax credit for residential solar water heating systems." In addition, the industry’s increased presence on Capitol Hill has "built bipartisan support of and knowledge about solar."
Alternative energy groups are also showing signs of maturity in their lobbying efforts by forming partnerships and creating a collective voice.
Rather than compete against one another for profits or the government’s attention, groups such as the Clean Economy Network, says network lobbyist Tim Greeff, allow many alternative energy businesses to speak to Congress in unison.
"Clean tech hasn’t had a voice because [the industry] traditionally has been siloed," he told OpenSecrets Blog. "They’ve all fought for their own piece … competing."
Clean Economy Network calls itself the largest "clean tech" advocacy organization in existence. It’s members are professionals, entrepreneurs and business leaders from across the alternative energy sector. Though new to the scene -- the group was created in March 2009, at the dawn of Barack Obama’s presidency -- CEN has already spent more than $1.3 million in federal lobbying expenditures in just 17 months.
Such lobbying efforts, says Greeff, also allow the alternative energy industry to stand out in a crowded field of special interest groups.
But while alternative energy interests are just getting acquainted with K Street, the oil and gas industry has been a permanent resident for years.
Since 1998, the oil and gas industry has never spent less than $50 million on lobbying in any given year, and in 2009, it reported $175 million in lobbying expenditures. For the first six months of 2010, it spent another $74.9 million.
So does a rise in alternative energy lobbying threaten to erode the oil and gas industry's political power?
Probably not, said American Petroleum Institute spokesman Bill Bush, adding that he is "not concerned" about the alternative energy industry's efforts and “not aware of any impact” they're having on the petroleum industry's fortunes.
Bush also emphasized that the oil and gas industry "understands that there is a role for alternative energy" and has "invested billions in it."
He added, however, that "on various issues, we may be on different sides."
In 2009, API focused on energy legislation and "issues related to access to oil and natural gas development," Bush said. The institute spent more than $7.3 million in 2009 on federal lobbying efforts after spending between $2.8 million and $4.8 million each year on lobbying between 2002 and 2008.
As this decade moves forward, climate and energy policy remains a key issue in Congress.
Barack Obama labeled such legislation a high priority long before he became president, and people and political action committees associated with the alternative energy industry responded with campaign contributions of $173,500. The oil and gas industry poured more than five times that amount into Obama's campaign coffer, but gave most of its presidential campaign contributions to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) earlier this year attempted to craft a bill addressing the nation's energy needs.
Such a bill, if passed, could have certainly become a major political victory for Obama, but it instead went nowhere, and major energy or climate change-related legislation appears out of political play until at least next year.
But with political focus on alternative energy constantly expanding, the lobbying power of the alternative energy industry may soon become as plentiful as Great Plains breezes and desert sunshine, particularly if Congress in coming months again finds an appetite for energy policy.
OpenSecrets Blog reporter Evan Mackinder contributed to this report

Green Family Travel

2010-09-03T08:49:00.000-04:00

With the summer winding down and the kids going back to school, I figured what a great time to book a vacation. It doesn't look like we'll be spending Thanksgiving in NJ if I have anything to do with it. We were thinking of Disney, but what we found wasn't super exciting. The costs were also insane. If were going to drop $5K on a vacation, we want to be able to relax. I'm still hunting down where our destination will be, but along the way I came across this article. I figured I would pass it along in case anyone else would like to make a smaller carbon footprint when they vacation.-

Kermit was wrong: it is easy being green. And trendy too.

Environmentally conscious travelers no longer have to rough it in jungle leans-to without electricity or trek to remote campgrounds in order to vacation. More and more hotels, resorts and lodges are targeting eco-aware tourists by touting green credentials.

Treading gently on mother earth when traveling not only feels good, it also sells. Although statistics on what exactly inspired someone to book a property are hard to come by, a Travel Industry Association of America national survey of 3000 travelers conducted in August 2007 found that more than half of U.S. adults would be more likely to choose an environmentally friendly hotel, rental car or airline if given the opportunity.

The tricky part, however, is defining "environmentally friendly." After all, "green" comes in many shades.

Some properties claim to be environmentally sound when their sole green action is to place a "do not change the linen daily" sign on your bed. For purists that's "green-washing." Like "white-washing," the term means covering-up false or misleading statements but in the context of a property's ecological sensitivity.

For other travelers, the laundry option marks a step in the right direction. Amelia Island Plantation, a green property under Florida's standards, saved 180,000 gallons of water with its linen reuse program. If that were all the resort did, however, it would not have won green certification.

Certifications
What distinguishes a truly green resort is its entire package of initiatives so check to see how and who rates the property. "Certification," notes Ayako Ezaki, the International Ecotourism Society's director of communications, "has certainly been one of the most effective ways to distinguish truly green companies from those that are merely using 'eco' and 'sustainable' as a marketing tool.

Not all certifications carry the same weight since standards differ. "Certifications are nice, but a piece of paper by no means can guarantee company and employee commitments," says Bill de Stanisloa, director of Florida's Amelia Island Plantation spa and also of the resort's ecological program. "A green guest should ask 'How long has your resort or hotel been green and what are your initiatives in place now?' One reason for the extra research on the part of the consumer is that a few states have so-called green standards that are more of a 'pay-to-play' certification.

To be recognized by Green Seal, a 20-year-old non-profit organization, a lodging must not only minimize waste and recycle, but also demonstrate energy efficiency, proper management of fresh water and waste water, as well as purchase and use environmentally-sensitive products.

"It's not an easy process and it can take a long time to achieve," says Linda Chipperfield, Green Seal's vice president of marketing and research. "What we do is add credibility back into the claims. We apply standards and have guidelines, do a site visit and have third party involvement. But once a property goes through this and gets certified, it creates real change." Green Seal, like other organizations, offers gold, silver and bronze awards, designating varying levels of green actions.

Great Wolf Lodges, on April 16, 2009, became the first national hotel chain to be awarded Green Seal certification. All 11 U.S. lodging units of the indoor water park resorts achieved Green Seal Silver designation while the Niagara Falls, Ontario, property gained Green Leaf status, an analogous Canadian certification.

Project Green Wolf began with simple changes about 18-months ago at Great Wolf's Pocono property. "In one year," says Steve Shattuck, Great Wolf Lodges' director of communications, "with low-flow toilets and linen recycling, we saved 9 million gallons of water. We have some great guest feedback about our efforts," says Shattuck. "At the end of the day, it makes sense. It's healthier for our guests, healthier for the environment and healthier for our bottom line."

Green applies to daytrips from the resort as well. The best outfitters preserve the environment you've come to experience, adhering to the credo of "taking only photographs and leaving only footprints." Ecologically responsible operators also encourage the area's tourism industry by working with local guides and companies.

Recommended Hotels and Resorts
Options abound for going green on your next family vacation whether you want a strict, easy-on-the-land eco-lodge or a resort that complies with basic recycling. The following earth-friendly accommodations offer varying degrees of green and range from plain seaside tents to indoor waterparks, rainforest lodges and AAA Four Diamond properties. At each of them, you can feel good about your ecological awareness plus have a great family vacation.

U.S. Virgin Islands: Maho Bay Camps and Harmony Studios, St. John
In 1976, long before "green" was anything but a color, Stanley Selengut opened Maho Bay Camps, a series of tent-cottages located within the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park. Perched on a hillside overlooking the teal-colored Caribbean sea, the 114 structures rely on island breezes and electric fans for cooling and camp stoves for cooking. The nearby bathhouses have limited shower hours.

The deluxe camping units proved so popular that Selengut opened Harmony Studios, ecologically friendly townhouses with a similar setting but such creature comforts as running water, kitchens and private bathrooms. Elevated walkways minimize ground contact. Harmony's construction features recycled milk jugs for roof insulation, floor tiles constructed from recycled tire rubber or clay scraps, as well as rafters, floor girders and I-beams made from waste wood or farmed trees.

At Concordia, Maho Bay's sister property on St. John's southeastern side, choose from 25 eco-tents with running water, toilets and solar heated showers or opt for the added luxury of Estate Concordia's nine studios, each with a bathroom, living area and kitchen facilities.

All the properties come with stunning views and the chance to enjoy the essential Caribbean. Hike the wooded trails, snorkel the coves and kayak the tranquil waters. At Maho Bay's art studio, you and your kids can create a treasure from recycled trash.

Belize: Inn at Chaa Creek
Located in Belize's inland Cayo District, the Lodge at Chaa Creek gained Green Globe Silver certification in 2009 and has been a member of the Rainforest Alliance for twenty years. The eco-resort, about 20-minutes from San Ignacio, is situated on a private 365-acre nature reserve in the hills above the Macal River.

All 23 cottages feature decks, making it easy to watch for toucans, parrots and spider monkeys in the nearby trees. Both the modest thatched-roof cottages and the more elaborate casitas are decorated with tile floors and Belizean fabrics and colors. Among the resort's many eco-friendly initiatives are howler monkey reintroduction programs plus the use of energy-efficient lighting, crushed metal cans in concrete building foundations and organic kitchen waste as fertilizer for vegetable gardens.

You and your children can watch butterflies hatch at the Butterfly Farm, learn about rainforest animals and insects at the Natural History Centre, discover the healing properties of plants on the Medicine Trail plus hike and horseback ride through the rainforest. The Eco-Kids Rainforest Adventure package, a four-night, five-day program geared to ages 6 to 10 and 11 to 15, includes many of these activities.

Florida: Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island
Sprawling on 1,350 acres, Amelia Island Plantation not only rates Four Diamonds from AAA, but also a Green Lodging designation from Florida's Department of Environmental Protection. The resort maintains 70 percent of its natural tree canopy despite offering 610 guest accommodations: 249 hotel rooms in the oceanfront Amelia Inn and Beach Club, and 361 one- to three-bedroom condominiums called "villas." Along with energy efficient lighting, linen reuse and recycling programs for paper, plastic, glass and aluminum, the resort irrigates its golf courses with reclaimed water and the spa uses only chemical free, natural products.

Stroll the long stretch of beach, swim in the ocean, play golf and tennis with your kids as well as go crabbing, fishing and kayaking. You can also learn more about the local environment on a guided tour of the salt marshes led by a naturalist. Kids' Camp Amelia hosts morning, afternoon and all-day sessions for ages 3 to 10.

US and Canada: Great Wolf Lodges
Great Wolf Lodges are located in Kansas City, KS; Traverse City, MI; Concord, NC; Mason; OH; Sandusky, OH; Pocono Mountains, PA; Grapevine, TX; Williamsburg, VA; Grand Mound, WA; Wisconsin Dells, WI; Blue Harbor, Sheboygan, WI, and Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Great Wolf Lodges captivate kids with its mega-sized, indoor water parks. At these huge water play areas (78,000 square feet indoors at the Wisconsin Dells resort) you can float along current pools, splash down slides, dunk in fountains and climb four-story treehouses arrayed with sprays and water guns for dousing unsuspecting relatives. Even though the size and water elements differ at the various properties, you can count on slides, bucket dumps, kiddie pools and swimming areas.

Alas, you have to get out of the water sometimes. The lodges, except for the Sheboygan, WI, Blue Harbor, aim to evoke a Wisconsin Northwoods' cabin. Sculptures of howling wolves, timbered facades and even totem poles adorn some hotels. Beds have log-like headboards and some rooms come with a pretend cabin or a tent outfitted with bunk beds.

The 12 hotels -- not the water parks -- became the first national chain to receive Green Seal certification in April. The company also launched Project Green Wolf, a program that develops standards for "greener" water parks and works National Geographic Kids to educate children about environmental protection through play areas and in-room television programming.

Arizona: Sheraton Wild Horse Pass, Chandler
Only 11 miles from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International airport, the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass is world's away. The 500 room resort occupies 2,400 acres of the 372,000-acre Gila River Indian Reservation, home to the Pima, Maricopa and HuHugam (Hohokam) tribes. More than 1500 wild horses still roam the land, Native American art graces the public areas, storytellers engage guests in winter, a year-round cultural concierge answers questions and a two and a half mile replica of the Gila River runs through the desert property, all part of the tribes' effort to tell their story about water rights and cultural survival.

These initiatives, as well as recycling, energy-efficient lighting, controlled air conditioning and other ecological programs, combine to create what the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass calls a "GeoGreen" property, one that combines cultural sustainability with environmental stewardship.

Forget-about being bored. Children can twist down the water slide and make crafts at the kids' program as well as ride horses across the high mountain plains. At the AAA Four Diamond property, you can play golf, luxuriate at the spa and savor dinner at Kai, Arizona's only Mobil Five Star restaurant.

Written by Candyce H. Stapen

Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job!"

2010-09-02T17:55:00.001-04:00

By Alfie Kohn

Hang out at a playground, visit a school, or show up at a child’s birthday party, and there’s one phrase you can count on hearing repeatedly: "Good job!" Even tiny infants are praised for smacking their hands together ("Good clapping!"). Many of us blurt out these judgments of our children to the point that it has become almost a verbal tic.

Plenty of books and articles advise us against relying on punishment, from spanking to forcible isolation ("time out"). Occasionally someone will even ask us to rethink the practice of bribing children with stickers or food. But you’ll have to look awfully hard to find a discouraging word about what is euphemistically called positive reinforcement.

Lest there be any misunderstanding, the point here is not to call into question the importance of supporting and encouraging children, the need to love them and hug them and help them feel good about themselves. Praise, however, is a different story entirely. Here's why.

1. Manipulating children. Suppose you offer a verbal reward to reinforce the behavior of a two-year-old who eats without spilling, or a five-year-old who cleans up her art supplies. Who benefits from this? Is it possible that telling kids they’ve done a good job may have less to do with their emotional needs than with our convenience?

Rheta DeVries, a professor of education at the University of Northern Iowa, refers to this as "sugar-coated control." Very much like tangible rewards – or, for that matter, punishments – it’s a way of doing something to children to get them to comply with our wishes. It may be effective at producing this result (at least for a while), but it’s very different from working with kids – for example, by engaging them in conversation about what makes a classroom (or family) function smoothly, or how other people are affected by what we have done -- or failed to do. The latter approach is not only more respectful but more likely to help kids become thoughtful people.

The reason praise can work in the short run is that young children are hungry for our approval. But we have a responsibility not to exploit that dependence for our own convenience. A "Good job!" to reinforce something that makes our lives a little easier can be an example of taking advantage of children’s dependence. Kids may also come to feel manipulated by this, even if they can’t quite explain why.

2. Creating praise junkies. To be sure, not every use of praise is a calculated tactic to control children’s behavior. Sometimes we compliment kids just because we’re genuinely pleased by what they’ve done. Even then, however, it’s worth looking more closely. Rather than bolstering a child’s self-esteem, praise may increase kids’ dependence on us. The more we say, "I like the way you…." or "Good ______ing," the more kids come to rely on our evaluations, our decisions about what’s good and bad, rather than learning to form their own judgments. It leads them to measure their worth in terms of what will lead us to smile and dole out some more approval.

Mary Budd Rowe, a researcher at the University of Florida, discovered that students who were praised lavishly by their teachers were more tentative in their responses, more apt to answer in a questioning tone of voice ("Um, seven?"). They tended to back off from an idea they had proposed as soon as an adult disagreed with them. And they were less likely to persist with difficult tasks or share their ideas with other students.

In short, "Good job!" doesn’t reassure children; ultimately, it makes them feel less secure. It may even create a vicious circle such that the more we slather on the praise, the more kids seem to need it, so we praise them some more. Sadly, some of these kids will grow into adults who continue to need someone else to pat them on the head and tell them whether what they did was OK. Surely this is not what we want for our daughters and sons.

3. Stealing a child’s pleasure. Apart from the issue of dependence, a child deserves to take delight in her accomplishments, to feel pride in what she’s learned how to do. She also deserves to decide when to feel that way. Every time we say, "Good job!", though, we’re telling a child how to feel.

To be sure, there are times when our evaluations are appropriate and our guidance is necessary -- especially with toddlers and preschoolers. But a constant stream of value judgments is neither necessary nor useful for children’s development. Unfortunately, we may not have realized that "Good job!" is just as much an evaluation as "Bad job!" The most notable feature of a positive judgment isn’t that it’s positive, but that it’s a judgment. And people, including kids, don’t like being judged.

I cherish the occasions when my daughter manages to do something for the first time, or does something better than she’s ever done it before. But I try to resist the knee-jerk tendency to say, "Good job!" because I don’t want to dilute her joy. I want her to share her pleasure with me, not look to me for a verdict. I want her to exclaim, "I did it!" (which she often does) instead of asking me uncertainly, "Was that good?"

4. Losing interest. "Good painting!" may get children to keep painting for as long as we keep watching and praising. But, warns Lilian Katz, one of the country’s leading authorities on early childhood education, "once attention is withdrawn, many kids won’t touch the activity again." Indeed, an impressive body of scientific research has shown that the more we reward people for doing something, the more they tend to lose interest in whatever they had to do to get the reward. Now the point isn’t to draw, to read, to think, to create – the point is to get the goody, whether it’s an ice cream, a sticker, or a "Good job!"

In a troubling study conducted by Joan Grusec at the University of Toronto, young children who were frequently praised for displays of generosity tended to be slightly less generous on an everyday basis than other children were. Every time they had heard "Good sharing!" or "I’m so proud of you for helping," they became a little less interested in sharing or helping. Those actions came to be seen not as something valuable in their own right but as something they had to do to get that reaction again from an adult. Generosity became a means to an end.

Does praise motivate kids? Sure. It motivates kids to get praise. Alas, that’s often at the expense of commitment to whatever they were doing that prompted the praise.

5. Reducing achievement. As if it weren’t bad enough that "Good job!" can undermine independence, pleasure, and interest, it can also interfere with how good a job children actually do. Researchers keep finding that kids who are praised for doing well at a creative task tend to stumble at the next task – and they don’t do as well as children who weren’t praised to begin with.

Why does this happen? Partly because the praise creates pressure to "keep up the good work" that gets in the way of doing so. Partly because their interest in what they’re doing may have declined. Partly because they become less likely to take risks – a prerequisite for creativity – once they start thinking about how to keep those positive comments coming.

More generally, "Good job!" is a remnant of an approach to psychology that reduces all of human life to behaviors that can be seen and measured. Unfortunately, this ignores the thoughts, feelings, and values that lie behind behaviors. For example, a child may share a snack with a friend as a way of attracting praise, or as a way of making sure the other child has enough to eat. Praise for sharing ignores these different motives. Worse, it actually promotes the less desirable motive by making children more likely to fish for praise in the future.

Once you start to see praise for what it is – and what it does – these constant little evaluative eruptions from adults start to produce the same effect as fingernails being dragged down a blackboard. You begin to root for a child to give his teachers or parents a taste of their own treacle by turning around to them and saying (in the same saccharine tone of voice), "Good praising!"

Still, it’s not an easy habit to break. It can seem strange, at least at first, to stop praising; it can feel as though you’re being chilly or withholding something. But that, it soon becomes clear, suggests that we praise more because we need to say it than because children need to hear it. Whenever that’s true, it’s time to rethink what we’re doing.

What kids do need is unconditional support, love with no strings attached. That’s not just different from praise – it’s the opposite of praise. "Good job!" is conditional. It means we’re offering attention and acknowledgement and approval for jumping through our hoops, for doing things that please us.

This point, you’ll notice, is very different from a criticism that some people offer to the effect that we give kids too much approval, or give it too easily. They recommend that we become more miserly with our praise and demand that kids "earn" it. But the real problem isn’t that children expect to be praised for everything they do these days. It’s that we’re tempted to take shortcuts, to manipulate kids with rewards instead of explaining and helping them to develop needed skills and good values.

So what’s the alternative? That depends on the situation, but whatever we decide to say instead has to be offered in the context of genuine affection and love for who kids are rather than for what they’ve done. When unconditional support is present, "Good job!" isn’t necessary; when it’s absent, "Good job!" won’t help.

If we’re praising positive actions as a way of discouraging misbehavior, this is unlikely to be effective for long. Even when it works, we can’t really say the child is now "behaving himself"; it would be more accurate to say the praise is behaving him. The alternative is to work with the child, to figure out the reasons he’s acting that way. We may have to reconsider our own requests rather than just looking for a way to get kids to obey. (Instead of using "Good job!" to get a four-year-old to sit quietly through a long class meeting or family dinner, perhaps we should ask whether it’s reasonable to expect a child to do so.)

We also need to bring kids in on the process of making decisions. If a child is doing something that disturbs others, then sitting down with her later and asking, "What do you think we can do to solve this problem?" will likely be more effective than bribes or threats. It also helps a child learn how to solve problems and teaches that her ideas and feelings are important. Of course, this process takes time and talent, care and courage. Tossing off a "Good job!" when the child acts in the way we deem appropriate takes none of those things, which helps to explain why "doing to" strategies are a lot more popular than "working with" strategies.

And what can we say when kids just do something impressive? Consider three possible responses:

* Say nothing. Some people insist a helpful act must be "reinforced" because, secretly or unconsciously, they believe it was a fluke. If children are basically evil, then they have to be given an artificial reason for being nice (namely, to get a verbal reward). But if that cynicism is unfounded – and a lot of research suggests that it is – then praise may not be necessary.

* Say what you saw. A simple, evaluation-free statement ("You put your shoes on by yourself" or even just "You did it") tells your child that you noticed. It also lets her take pride in what she did. In other cases, a more elaborate description may make sense. If your child draws a picture, you might provide feedback – not judgment – about what you noticed: "This mountain is huge!" "Boy, you sure used a lot of purple today!"

If a child does something caring or generous, you might gently draw his attention to the effect of his action on the other person: "Look at Abigail’s face! She seems pretty happy now that you gave her some of your snack." This is completely different from praise, where the emphasis is on how you feel about her sharing

* Talk less, ask more. Even better than descriptions are questions. Why tell him what part of his drawing impressed you when you can ask him what he likes best about it? Asking "What was the hardest part to draw?" or "How did you figure out how to make the feet the right size?" is likely to nourish his interest in drawing. Saying "Good job!", as we’ve seen, may have exactly the opposite effect.

This doesn’t mean that all compliments, all thank-you’s, all expressions of delight are harmful. We need to consider our motives for what we say (a genuine expression of enthusiasm is better than a desire to manipulate the child’s future behavior) as well as the actual effects of doing so. Are our reactions helping the child to feel a sense of control over her life -- or to constantly look to us for approval? Are they helping her to become more excited about what she’s doing in its own right – or turning it into something she just wants to get through in order to receive a pat on the head

It’s not a matter of memorizing a new script, but of keeping in mind our long-term goals for our children and watching for the effects of what we say. The bad news is that the use of positive reinforcement really isn’t so positive. The good news is that you don’t have to evaluate in order to encourage.

Copyright © 2001 by Alfie Kohn. This article may be downloaded, reproduced, and distributed without permission as long as each copy includes this notice along with citation information (i.e., name of the periodical in which it originally appeared, date of publication, and author's name). Permission must be obtained in order to reprint this article in a published work or in order to offer it for sale in any form. Please write to the address indicated on the Contact page at www.alfiekohn.org.

Suck On This - NJ Senator Says No

2010-09-02T16:15:00.000-04:00

By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM (AP) 9/1/10

RICHMOND, Va. — Galen Kipe hasn't smoked a cigarette in more than three months.

He couldn't kick his habit of 17 years with nicotine patches or gum. He finally put away his Marlboro menthols for good by swapping them for electronic cigarettes, which look like the real thing and give him his nicotine fix but do not contain tobacco.

"It's the closest thing to what I was doing before," the 34-year-old steelworker from Asheboro, N.C., said. "I'm still getting the nicotine, but I don't feel like I'm getting any kind of bad side effects. It can't be any worse than actual cigarettes."

As they become more popular, the battery-powered cigarettes have become the center of a fight over how risky they are compared with traditional smokes, whether they're legal and, if they are, how they should be regulated.

E-cigarettes are made of plastic and metal and heat a liquid nicotine solution in a disposable cartridge, creating vapor that the "smoker" inhales. A tiny light on the tip even glows like a real cigarette.

Nearly 46 million Americans smoke traditional cigarettes. About 40 percent try to quit cold turkey or with other nicotine replacements each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But unlike patches or gums, e-smokes operate in a legal gray area.

The Food and Drug Administration and public health groups have sounded the alarm, saying they contain dangerous chemicals and are being marketed to children, and the federal agency has halted shipments of e-cigarettes at ports nationwide.

Some sellers of e-cigarettes sued the FDA last year after the agency instructed customs officials to refuse entry of shipments into the U.S. A federal judge ruled that the FDA can't stop those shipments, saying the agency had overstepped its authority. The FDA appealed, and won a stay of that ruling, pending oral arguments that are set to begin next month.

The FDA claims it has the authority to regulate e-cigarettes as drug-delivery devices, which would require proving — probably through expensive clinical trials — that they are safe and effective as a stop-smoking aid.

E-cigarette sellers would like to see them regulated as a tobacco product, which would follow the same restrictions as traditional cigarettes and tobacco products.

Several states have tried to ban the sale of the products. A leading distributor has agreed to halt sales in Oregon following a lawsuit filed by the state. And Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J., also wrote to the FDA in March asking that e-cigarettes be taken off the market until they can be proven safe by the agency.

Users and distributors say e-cigarettes address both the nicotine addiction and the behavioral aspects of smoking — the holding of the cigarette, the puffing, seeing the smoke come out and the hand motion — without the more than 4,000 chemicals found in a traditional cigarette.

"When you're talking about a product that's essentially Russian roulette, and the alternative is much, much better, you can imagine they're pretty happy," said Jason Healy, the president of Charlotte, N.C., electronic cigarette maker Blu Cigs. "Up until e-cigs, there was quit or die."

First marketed worldwide in 2002 as an alternative to regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes didn't become easily available in the U.S. until late 2006. Now, the industry has grown from the thousands in 2006 to several million worldwide, with estimated 20,000 to 30,000 new e-smokers every week, according to Healy, whose company is expected to have $30 million in sales this year.

A starter kit, including flavor cartridges, costs about $60. Additional cartridges, equivalent to about 150 cigarettes, are about $25. The cartridges include flavor and different levels of nicotine, or no nicotine at all.

Many e-smokers like Kipe say they have noticed they can smell and taste better and sleep more soundly, plus their clothes, car and breath don't smell like cigarette smoke.

Still, the FDA has said its tests found the liquid in electronic cigarettes contains substances known to be toxic to humans — besides nicotine, which is itself toxic in large doses — as well as carcinogens that occur naturally in the tobacco in cigarettes. Most e-cigarettes are imported from overseas.

However, the level of those carcinogens was comparable to those found in nicotine replacement therapy like gum and patches, because the nicotine in all of the products is extracted from tobacco, said Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health.

"It's kind of deceptive to say, 'Oh, my God, there's carcinogens in there,'" Siegel said. "The importance is what level of carcinogens. It turns out that the levels are so low that they are 1,400 times lower than in (regular) cigarettes."

Christian Berkey, CEO of Johnson Creek Smoke Juice, a Wisconsin company that makes the "juice" for e-cigarettes, said its products have only seven ingredients, none of which has ever been deemed unfit for human consumption.

"There's no combustion, and that's what it really comes down to," said Berkey, who has asked the FDA to test its products and is awaiting results.

And Siegel said that while e-cigarettes haven't been studied in clinical trials, the current evidence is "sufficient to conclude that these products are much safer than smoking."

Berkey and Healy said they are fine working with the FDA to regulate the products.

"(The FDA) should be regulating it in a way that really allows the potential of the product to be realized rather than a way that just takes it off the market completely and puts an end to the possibility of what really could be a lifesaving product for many smokers," Siegel said.

Another Oil Rig Explosion Off the La. Coast

2010-09-02T12:51:00.001-04:00

GRAND ISLE, La.

An offshore oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, west of the site of the April blast that caused the massive oil spill.

A commercial helicopter company reported the blast around 9:30 a.m. CDT Thursday, Coast Guard Petty Officer Casey Ranel said. Seven helicopters, two airplanes and four boats were en route to the site, about 80 miles south of Vermilion Bay along the central Louisiana coast.

The Coast Guard said initial reports indicated all 13 crew members from the rig were in the water. One was injured, but there were no deaths.

The platform owned by Mariner Energy is in about 2,500 feet of water, the Coast Guard said, and was not currently producing.

About 206 million gallons of oil from an undersea well spilled into the Gulf after BP's Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers.

Turn it Off! Drought Watch Issued for Morris County

2010-09-02T10:57:00.000-04:00

TRENTON - Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today issued a drought watch for the Northeast region of the State, asking residents of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris and Passaic counties to voluntarily conserve water due to continued hot and dry conditions and increasing concerns about reservoir levels.

The DEP has observed serious drops in some reservoir levels, especially the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission’s Wanaque and Monksville reservoirs, and United Water Company’s Oradell reservoir. Scattered thunderstorms may provide some welcome relief today and tomorrow but are not expected to appreciably improve the water supply situation.

A drought watch is a response to deteriorating water supply conditions, with a goal of raising public awareness and formally alerting all water suppliers in the region of the situation, to help preserve existing supplies and balance reservoir storage in the region.

The DEP is not issuing a formal drought warning at this time, which could initiate mandatory steps such as water transfers between regional water supply systems. Instead, the DEP is asking residents to be aware of the situation and use water more carefully, especially when it comes to lawn watering and other unessential uses. The goal at this time is to moderate water demand through voluntary conservation.

“We are asking residents in these five affected counties to keep watch on their water use, to voluntarily reduce unessential water use due to a rapid decline in some reservoir levels,’’ said Commissioner Martin. “Using water responsibly by voluntarily taking steps such as limiting lawn and landscaping water, and cutting back on at-home car washing, could save millions of gallons of water daily.’’

“We have been monitoring this situation very closely and have determined that this course of action, to initiate a drought watch, is now appropriate,’’ said John Plonski, Assistant DEP Commissioner for Water Resource Management.

While water demands are generally below peak levels experienced during the extremely hot July 4th weekend, which prompted Commissioner Martin to issue a statewide water use alert, demand remains higher than normal due to persistently warm, dry weather.

Rainfall has been sporadic, with accumulations varying greatly across the state. For example, some areas received more than an inch of rain last Sunday while others got virtually none.

Here are some suggested water conservation tips:

Do not over-water lawns and landscaping. Two times per week for 30 minutes in morning or late evening typically is sufficient. Use a hose with a hand-held nozzle to water flowers and shrubs.
To save water at home, fix leaky faucets and pipes.
Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth and shaving.
Run washing machines and dishwashers only when full.
Use a broom to sweep the sidewalk, rather than a hose.

More information on water conservation and water supply status can be found at www.njdrought.org/ideas.html and www.njdrought.org/status.html

Don’t Sell New Jersey’s Water Supply Short

2010-09-02T10:54:00.000-04:00

July 27, 2010

Contact: Jeff Tittel, NJ Sierra Club Director, 609-558-9100

New Jersey should be deeply concerned with proposals for shale drilling and hydro fracking in the Delaware River Basin. The Delaware River is the source of drinking water for three million New Jersey residents. Currently, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) has a moratorium in place on new wells, however, we are concerned with the position New Jersey is taking on this issue.

In a letter sent July 13 to the DRBC, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin makes a number of troubling assertions regarding fracking in the Marcellus Shale. In the letter, Commissioner Martin says he believes Pennsylvania should have primacy over the rules and regulations on fracking in the Marcellus shale. However, fracking will have serious impacts on the Delaware River, which provides drinking water for both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

“What happens in Pennsylvania affects the entire river basin, especially New Jersey. Pennsylvania should not have primacy over decisions impacting the river basin,” New Jersey Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel said. “The DRBC was created to regulate water for the region and these decisions should not be made by one state. New Jersey plays a very important role in the DRBC and New Jersey should be standing up for its own interests, not Pennsylvania’s.”

Pennsylvania has some of the worst water problems in the nation that they repeatedly fail to deal with. It has fought against strengthening standards and eliminating pollution from waterways. Pennsylvania is constantly opposing land use regulations that protect water and pushing for more dumping. Furthermore, Pennsylvania is leasing public lands for well drilling and therefore has a conflict of interest because they are looking to make money through fracking.

“Pennsylvania has consistently done a poor job protecting its water. They do not need to be in the business of protecting New Jersey’s drinking water,” Tittel said.

Hydro fracking is the process of extracting natural gas from wells thousands of feet deep. This process involves the use of many chemicals, which are mixed with water and injected into the ground. The average frack uses between one million and six million gallons of water each frack and many get fracked three or four times before going into production. Additionally, each frack needs maintenance fracking afterwards.

Fracking fluid is water mixed with numerous chemicals, many which are hazardous and toxic, including benzene, components of salt, and other volatile organic chemicals. This process can contaminate streams and rivers through the discharge of fracking fluids or accidental spills. Much of the fracking fluid injected into the ground does not get removed and could contaminate our aquifers, posing a serious threat to our ground water.

Each Marcellus shale well will destroy 15 acres of forest and require a half mile of roadway. There are currently over 10,000 wells seeking permits. The entire Delaware River Basin could see as many as 50,000 wells. This could result in the removal of a million acres of woodlands and farmland and the construction of 30,000 miles of road and pipelines. The runoff and pollution will cause irreparable damage to the Delaware River Watershed. Thanks to Dick Cheney’s Energy Task Force and the Bush Administration’s changes to the Safe Drinking Water Act, fracking fluids are now exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act. The largest company looking to drill in the Marcellus Shale happens to be Halliburton.

In his letter, Commissioner Martin also says he wants the DRBC to complete its rules on fracking by the end of September. Because fracking is a very complex issue with a tremendous amount of environmental impacts, the Sierra Club believes we should not be rushing to put rules in place without a complete understanding of the impacts this process will have on the Delaware River in New Jersey. The Commissioner’s letter and recent actions, including the approval of the Tenaco gas pipeline through the Highlands to transport gas from the Marcellus Shale, are cause for serious concern regarding fracking and the quality of our drinking water.

Thanks to Congressman Rush Holt, the EPA has just received public money to study the impacts of fracking on our water. We believe it would be prudent to wait for the results of that review before moving forward with drilling. Rules should not be put in place until the EPA releases its study that assesses the impacts Marcellus Shale drilling will have on water quality and quantity.

The DRBC currently has a temporary and incomplete moratorium on fracking that will expire before the EPA’s impact study is released and full regulations are in place. The moratorium does not include previously permitted drilling projects or related projects like Stone Energy’s application to withdraw 700,000 million gallons per day from a major tributary. The state of Delaware opposed this project but New Jersey supported Pennsylvania in approving it.

The Delaware River is a critical natural resource that not only provides drinking water for millions but is also an important recreational resource. Many people come to the region to kayak, boat, tube and enjoy various water activities. Because of this, the river is the center of a very strong economy for river towns like Lambertville and Frenchtown. If the Delaware River is polluted, it will destroy not just the water, but the economies of these towns as well.

“We do not want to see the Gulf of Mexico in Pennsylvania,” Tittel said. “There have been a series of spills, explosions and even deaths with Marcellus Shale drilling already in Pennsylvania and other places. We’re concerned that unless this is strictly and properly regulated, what has happened to the Gulf of Mexico could happen to the Delaware River.”

Modern-Day Slavery at Hair Braiding Salons Driven By Greed

2010-09-02T09:15:00.000-04:00

By Lynnette Khalfani-Cox on Jul 14th 2010

A New Jersey man from the West African nation of Togo is behind bars after forcing at least 20 women to work without pay in hair braiding salons. According to the Associated Press, 47-year-old Lassissi Afolabi, a citizen of the Togolese Republic, was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison after he admitted to smuggling Togolese women and girls into the U.S. from 2002 through 2007 and making the young women, in effect, modern day slaves at hair salons throughout Newark and East Orange, NJ.

The Star Ledger reported that the women suffered beatings, psychological torture and sexual abuse. A federal judge in Newark described Afolabi's crimes as "horrific" and ordered him to also repay his victims $3.9 million in restitution.

But Afolabi didn't act alone; he had help. His ex wife, Akouavi Kpade Afolabi, and her son were also convicted in the scheme. The former wife will be sentenced in September for her wrongdoing; her son has been given 55 months prison time. The trio snuck the women into the U.S. using fake visas, authorities said.

I imagine that wasn't the only fraud used in this scam. Afolabi and his partners in crime probably wooed those unsuspecting women with promises of money and a shot at the good life in America. One can only imagine how that American Dream turned into a nightmare for the women who were forced to toil long hours day after day -- only to get abused physically, emotionally and financially.

Ironically, from the 16th to the 18th century, when Europeans came to Africa's shores searching for slaves, Togo and the neighboring region were such hotbeds of slave trading that the area earned the nickname "The Slave Coast." Sadly, this case shows that slavery apparently remains an issue for both Togo and the United States. Although slavery has long since been outlawed in America, human rights groups say that the heinous practice of slavery nevertheless still exists in the shadows. Perhaps that's because, no matter where you go worldwide, some people are so greedy and unfeeling that they'll do anything for a buck.

New Jersey Takes the Lead on Solar

2010-08-31T21:59:00.000-04:00

William Paterson University to Install Largest Solar Energy Facility on a University Campus in U.S. --Solar panels expected to save University $4.3 million in energy costs

William Paterson University will build a solar energy facility on the campus in Wayne that will be the largest solar facility at a university in the nation. It is expected to save millions of dollars in energy costs for the University.

Construction is scheduled to begin in February. The installation will be capable of supplying 3.5 megawatts of clean, low-cost energy. The first 3-megawatt phase is to be completed during 2010; the second 500-kilowatt phase is scheduled to go online in 2011.

“This will be a landmark project for the University,” says Stephen Bolyai, vice president for administration and finance at William Paterson. “The project will reduce our energy costs and carbon footprint, and students will be able to see the University’s commitment to a major alternative energy project, and what the University is doing to save energy costs.”

The institution has made a strong commitment to energy conservation and recently received a $1.2 million federal grant to upgrade the controls for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems on campus. As of June 2007, the University is a charter signatory in the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), a national initiative with a goal of carbon neutrality at member institutions. The University is also certified under the NJDEP Environmental Stewardship program, became an EPA Waste Wise Partner, and was recognized by the New Jersey Higher Ed Partnership for sustainability with an Energy and Climate Action Award for meritorious achievement.

Other recent energy savings commitments at the University include replacing some gas-powered vehicles on campus with electric cars; recycling paper, plastic, and other materials; and installing occupancy sensors to control lights in buildings.

Nautilus Solar Energy, LLC, a leading independent solar power producer, will finance, own, and operate the facility under a 15-year power purchase agreement. The University will buy the solar power at a reduced rate with no upfront costs. The new solar power system is designed to reduce the University’s energy costs by $4.3 million over the term of the agreement.

The project, designed by SunDurance Energy, a New Jersey-based solar power system installer, will include arrays covering some parking areas and photovoltaic cells on the roofs of some of the University’s buildings.

Elevated solar arrays will be located in Lot 1, Lot 6, a portion of Lot 5, the Power Art Center parking lot, and the extended parking lot at 1600 Valley Road. Solar panels will be located on the Power Art Center, the upper roof of the Recreation Center, Wayne Hall, and the University Commons Ballroom.

To keep the campus informed about the University’ s energy savings, a kiosk, to be located in the Science Building, will constantly display the amount of energy produced by the solar panels, and the concurrent savings accrued in real time.

William Paterson University is one of the nine state colleges and universities in New Jersey. It offers 43 undergraduate and 20 graduate programs through five colleges: Arts and Communication, Cotsakos College of Business, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Science and Health. Located on 370 hilltop acres in Wayne, the University enrolls approximately 11,000 students and provides housing for nearly 2,300 students.

The Facts About Childhood Poisonings with Home Cleaning Products

2010-08-31T12:15:00.000-04:00

Bleach causes the most injuries, but there's another cleanser that's more likely to send your kid to the hospital. Get the facts.

By Dan Shapley

The Daily Green

The good news is that the number of annual emergency room visits for household cleaner injuries is down 46% since 1990, primarily because childproof containers are now required, and parents are better educated. But the bad news is that the actual number of children hurt by household cleaners is likely to be significantly higher than the reported number, and at least 744 children poisoned by household cleansers suffered life-threatening or permanent injuries in the last year studied, according to the authors of the study, Lara B. McKenzie, Nisha Ahir, Uwe Stolz and Nicolas G. Nelson, who published their research today in Pediatrics. The study relied on data from about 100 emergency rooms from around the country.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends storing cleansers in locked cabinets, buying products with child-resistant packaging, retaining products in their original packaging and disposing properly of unneeded cleansers. Many parents report taking these steps, but studies show they rarely do. The Daily Green additionally recommends avoiding harsh cleansers in the first place, by choosing nontoxic off-the-shelf cleansers, or making your own, which is often as easy as mixing baking soda and vinegar. Try simple nontoxic DIY cleansers to clean anything around the home.

So what makes kids sick?

Not surprisingly:

Bleach is a big culprit, causing 37% of injuries, including many that start with parents storing bleach in dinnerware – a big no-no.
Most injuries, 63%, came from drinking cleansers, and poisoning was the most common diagnosis. Another 36% of exposures came from skin contact, leading to chemical burns or rashes.
Nearly three out of every four injuries happened to very young children, under age 3. And nearly 60% of victims were boys.
Children under the age of 5 account for more than half of all poisonings in the U.S. each year (1.2 million cases in 2006), and 80% of those poisonings happen in the home.

More surprisingly:

Spray bottles caused 40% of injuries, more than any other type of container. Injuries to the eyes and face were 14 times more likely, too, when spray bottles were in play, and spray bottles were the only category of container to show no decrease in injuries caused since 1990.
Children exposed to cleansers with acids or alkalis like lye, oven cleaners, drain cleaners, toilet bowl products and dishwasher detergents were nearly five times as likely be hospitalized for their injuries. Exposure to ammonia also increased hospitalizations.
Exposure to cleansers is the second-biggest source of poisoning in children under the age of 6. Exposure to personal-care products or cosmetics is No. 1.

Here's a look at the categories of cleansers that caused emergency room visits, in order from most to least.

1. Bleach: 37%

swimming pool chemicals

disinfectants

2. Other: 30%

general-purpose household cleaners

wallpaper cleaners

room deodorizers

abrasive cleaners

metal polishes

room deodorizers or fresheners

tarnish removers

windshield wiper fluids

mixtures

3. Low-molecular-weight hydrocarbons: 13%

pine oil cleaning products

spot removers

turpentine

4. Acids and/or alkalis: 10%

acids

lye

caustic agents

oven cleaners

drain cleaners

toilet bowl products

dishwasher detergents

5. Detergents: 7%

laundry soaps and detergents

dishwashing liquids

(Even seemingly benign cleansers like these can be poisonous; dishwasher tablets or powder, and many laundry detergents, can be caustic enough to burn skin or damage the respiratory tract or stomach if swallowed.)

6. Ammonia: 3%

Photo: Istock / Photo Illustration by Gloria Dawson

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By Dan Shapley

	digg
Buzz up!

Nearly 12,000 children aged 1-5 went to a hospital emergency room because they drank, touched or were sprayed with household cleaners in a single year, according to a new study that analyzed data from 1990 to 2006.
The good news is that the number of annual emergency room visits for household cleaner injuries is down 46% since 1990, primarily because childproof containers are now required, and parents are better educated. But the bad news is that the actual number of children hurt by household cleaners is likely to be significantly higher than the reported number, and at least 744 children poisoned by household cleansers suffered life-threatening or permanent injuries in the last year studied, according to the authors of the study, Lara B. McKenzie, Nisha Ahir, Uwe Stolz and Nicolas G. Nelson, who published their research today in Pediatrics. The study relied on data from about 100 emergency rooms from around the country.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends storing cleansers in locked cabinets, buying products with child-resistant packaging, retaining products in their original packaging and disposing properly of unneeded cleansers. Many parents report taking these steps, but studies show they rarely do. The Daily Green additionally recommends avoiding harsh cleansers in the first place, by choosing nontoxic off-the-shelf cleansers, or making your own, which is often as easy as mixing baking soda and vinegar. Try simple nontoxic DIY cleansers to clean anything around the home.
So what makes kids sick?
Not surprisingly:

Bleach is a big culprit, causing 37% of injuries, including many that start with parents storing bleach in dinnerware – a big no-no.
Most injuries, 63%, came from drinking cleansers, and poisoning was the most common diagnosis. Another 36% of exposures came from skin contact, leading to chemical burns or rashes.
Nearly three out of every four injuries happened to very young children, under age 3. And nearly 60% of victims were boys.
Children under the age of 5 account for more than half of all poisonings in the U.S. each year (1.2 million cases in 2006), and 80% of those poisonings happen in the home.

More surprisingly:

Spray bottles caused 40% of injuries, more than any other type of container. Injuries to the eyes and face were 14 times more likely, too, when spray bottles were in play, and spray bottles were the only category of container to show no decrease in injuries caused since 1990.
Children exposed to cleansers with acids or alkalis like lye, oven cleaners, drain cleaners, toilet bowl products and dishwasher detergents were nearly five times as likely be hospitalized for their injuries. Exposure to ammonia also increased hospitalizations.
Exposure to cleansers is the second-biggest source of poisoning in children under the age of 6. Exposure to personal-care products or cosmetics is No. 1.

Here's a look at the categories of cleansers that caused emergency room visits, in order from most to least.
1. Bleach: 37%
swimming pool chemicals
disinfectants
2. Other: 30%
general-purpose household cleaners
wallpaper cleaners
room deodorizers
abrasive cleaners
metal polishes
room deodorizers or fresheners
tarnish removers
windshield wiper fluids
mixtures
3. Low-molecular-weight hydrocarbons: 13%
pine oil cleaning products
spot removers
turpentine
4. Acids and/or alkalis: 10%
acids
lye
caustic agents
oven cleaners
drain cleaners
toilet bowl products
dishwasher detergents
5. Detergents: 7%
laundry soaps and detergents
dishwashing liquids
(Even seemingly benign cleansers like these can be poisonous; dishwasher tablets or powder, and many laundry detergents, can be caustic enough to burn skin or damage the respiratory tract or stomach if swallowed.)
6. Ammonia: 3%

Ask Your Legislators to Pass the Safe Cosmetics Act

2010-08-30T22:54:00.000-04:00

What are all those chemicals in your shampoo? Your lipstick? your aftershave? And what do they have to do with asthma, breast cancer and learning disabilities?

Learn, share and help change this toxic mess: Watch The Story of Cosmetics, a 8-minute film exposing the ugly truth about personal care products - brought to you by Clean Water Action, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Annie Leonard's Story of Stuff Project and Free Range Studios, and take action to help pass the Safe Cosmetics Act.

Phone Numbers Are Dead, They Just Don’t Know It Yet

2010-08-30T22:22:00.001-04:00

Reposted via TechCrunch Aug 28, 2010

Editor’s note: The following guest post is by Nikhyl Singhal, the co-founder and CEO of voice-application startup SayNow.

Is it conceivable that one of our greatest inventions, the phone number, is about to face extinction?

Just ask Mark Zuckerberg. Earlier this year, when asked if Facebook would be around in 100 years, as long as Ma Bell has been around, Zuckerberg responded, “I don’t know. But I don’t know how long telephones will be around for.” Will they be around for ten more years? I’ll go even further. It may not even take 5 years for the phone service, as we know it, to meet its demise.

Who’s going to lead the charge? Voice on Gmail and Skype are just the beginning. What are Facebook, Apple, Yahoo, and Microsoft doing? As AT&T, Verizon, Apple and Google spent this summer hashing out plans for world domination, it seems that Facebook is best positioned to strike the fatal blow against our beloved carriers. And it starts with those phone digits.

I’m certain my grandkids will never dial a phone number, or even have one. It’s time to say goodbye to ten digits along with the world’s oldest social network. While we’re at it, let’s kill phone-tree mazes, do-not-call lists…everything associated with phone numbers.

Don’t misconstrue what I’m saying. This isn’t the demise of phone calls. Far from it. People will still talk on their phones. They just want the service to be simple and fun, which won’t entail punching digits into a device to start a conversation.

Why put phone numbers on deathwatch? Consider a few facts:

No control. Anyone can dial your 10 digits, including your ex-girlfriend, a political campaign worker, or a solicitor. Unlisted numbers, Caller ID and do-not-call lists all tried to solve this problem, but these solutions still don’t prevent unwanted calls.
Phone numbers are tied to a device, not to you. Everyone has multiple numbers, yet your home line is shared, leaving callers guessing the best way to reach you.
User experience is very limited. The phone was designed as a utility—dial a number, have a conversation. It’s remained this way since its inception. It’s not optimized for other experiences, which is why voicemail and conference calls are tedious, and why checking flight status is worse than a root canal.

Compare this to your social networks. You have control over who accesses your information; you have one username and profile that you use at all times; and applications fill in the holes and extend the network’s capabilities to communicate, play games and meet people on your own terms.

On any Facebook page, I can “send a message”, even if we aren’t friends. And I can choose to receive messages from non-friends. The key thing is the network sets up a policy, and I as a user can change this. We don’t have this choice on the phone network today. Anyone can dial my number, and I can’t control it—but I do control my interaction on a social network.

Google, Skype, and others try to resolve telephony problems by stuffing the phone system into the web. Personally, I’ve spent five years at SayNow trying to eke more out of the digit-based phone system too. We’ve built dozens of applications that enable brands, celebrities and millions of users to use the phone in an entirely new way. But we’ve all hit the limits of what we can accomplish. Instead of replicating the antiquated phone network inside the web, let’s instead dramatically simplify telephony by adding voice on top of our social networks.

If given a choice between Ma Bell and Zuckerbell as our operator, we should choose Zuck. Despite criticisms about Facebook’s privacy settings, the site gives us far more control over our interactions than we have on the telephone. Since our contacts live in the network, we already belong to the world’s largest white pages. And with more businesses moving to social networks, throw in the global yellow pages, too. So say goodbye to lost phone numbers, moving contacts between devices and even 411. More importantly, just as you determine who can see your bachelor party photos, you will soon have complete control over who has access to call you and who doesn’t. As I write this I already hear my wife saying, “Honey, why can’t my mom call us anymore?”

Also relevant here are the creative smartphone applications that developers churn out daily. None of these leverage the primary reason these mobile devices exist: voice. Once smartphone platforms allow developers to initiate conversations and voice messages, you can bet voice will finally become flexible and fun.

Speaking of which, I was at a Lady Gaga concert recently, and the good people at Virgin Mobile arranged for Gaga to “surprise” a fan with a phone call that upgraded her seats. Great idea, but we all know the entire activity was scripted and carefully orchestrated. But what if it wasn’t? Lady Gaga should be able to open her iPhone, see her Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace fans, choose someone checked in at the venue, and…. (cue drumroll), call them. Call one of them. Some of them. All of them. And whether you have 5 million friends or just 5, phone calls should be just that easy. So enjoy punching those digits while they are still around.

Proof That Signing a Petition Can Make a Difference!

2010-08-30T16:30:00.001-04:00

I received the following email today because I along with many others signed a petition to help the Barnegat Bay.

Victory for NJ's Water and Environment!

Hello Marc,

Our members are what make everything happen! Thanks to your support, the New Jersey Environmental Federation, Clean Water Action's New Jersey chapter, recently celebrated two victories that will help protect New Jersey's water and environment.

Bill to help Barnegat Bay moves out of committee

Thanks to the support of coalition partners and New JerseyEnvironmental Federation staff and members, the state Senate and Assembly environmental committees recently voted yes on a package of bills that will help ease stress on Barnegat Bay. On August 17th, the bills were sent to the floor of the New Jersey Legislature. We are now working to ensure the measures make it to the Governor's desk for signing in their current and strongest forms.

This is a tremendous victory for Barnegat Bay and New Jersey's waters. One measure, S-1411/A-2290, will help reduce fertilizer pollution around Barnegat Bay, an ecosystem facing serious pollution threats from the misuse and overuse of phosphate and nitrogen-based fertilizers. Fertilizer runoff is literally sucking the life out of Barnegat Bay, leading to eutrophication (i.e. excessive nitrogen buildup, which depletes oxygen in the water, causes algal blooms, disrupts marine ecoystems from the ground up, and leads to a proliferation of jellyfish).

The New Jersey Environmental Federation helped gather thousands of letters, e-mails and faxes in support of these measures. Read more about this campaign.

Grass-Fed Basics

2010-08-30T07:55:00.001-04:00

by Jo Robinson courtesy of Eat Wild

Back to Pasture. Since the late 1990s, a growing number of ranchers have stopped sending their animals to the feedlots to be fattened on grain, soy and other supplements. Instead, they are keeping their animals home on the range where they forage on pasture, their native diet. These new-age ranchers do not treat their livestock with hormones or feed them growth-promoting additives. As a result, the animals grow at a natural pace. For these reasons and more, grass-fed animals live low-stress lives and are so healthy there is no reason to treat them with antibiotics or other drugs.

More Nutritious. A major benefit of raising animals on pasture is that their products are healthier for you. For example, compared with feedlot meat, meat from grass-fed beef, bison, lamb and goats has less total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories. It also has more vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and a number of health-promoting fats, including omega-3 fatty acids and “conjugated linoleic acid,” or CLA. Read more about the nutritional benefits of raising animals on pasture.

The Art and Science of Grassfarming. Raising animals on pasture requires more knowledge and skill than sending them to a feedlot. For example, in order for grass-fed beef to be succulent and tender, the cattle need to forage on high-quality grasses and legumes, especially in the months prior to slaughter. Providing this nutritious and natural diet requires healthy soil and careful pasture management so that the plants are maintained at an optimal stage of growth. Because high-quality pasture is the key to high-quality animal products, many pasture-based ranchers refer to themselves as "grassfarmers" rather than “ranchers.” They raise great grass; the animals do all the rest.

Factory Farming. Raising animals on pasture is dramatically different from the status quo. Virtually all the meat, eggs, and dairy products that you find in the supermarket come from animals raised in confinement in large facilities called CAFOs or “Confined Animal Feeding Operations.” These highly mechanized operations provide a year-round supply of food at a reasonable price. Although the food is cheap and convenient, there is growing recognition that factory farming creates a host of problems, including:
• Animal stress and abuse
• Air, land, and water pollution
• The unnecessary use of hormones, antibiotics, and other drugs
• Low-paid, stressful farm work
• The loss of small family farms
• Food with less nutritional value.

Unnatural Diets. Animals raised in factory farms are given diets designed to boost their productivity and lower costs. The main ingredients are genetically modified grain and soy that are kept at artificially low prices by government subsidies. To further cut costs, the feed may also contain “by-product feedstuff” such as municipal garbage, stale pastry, chicken feathers, and candy. Until 1997, U.S. cattle were also being fed meat that had been trimmed from other cattle, in effect turning herbivores into carnivores. This unnatural practice is believed to be the underlying cause of BSE or “mad cow disease.”

Animal Stress. A high-grain diet can cause physical problems for ruminants—cud-chewing animals such as cattle, dairy cows, goats, bison, and sheep. Ruminants are designed to eat fibrous grasses, plants, and shrubs—not starchy, low-fiber grain. When they are switched from pasture to grain, they can become afflicted with a number of disorders, including a common but painful condition called “subacute acidosis.” Cattle with subacute acidosis kick at their bellies, go off their feed, and eat dirt. To prevent more serious and sometimes fatal reactions, the animals are given chemical additives along with a constant, low-level dose of antibiotics. Some of these antibiotics are the same ones used in human medicine. When medications are overused in the feedlots, bacteria become resistant to them. When people become infected with these new, disease-resistant bacteria, there are fewer medications available to treat them.

Caged Pigs, Chickens, Ducks and Geese. Most of the nation’s chickens, turkeys, and pigs are also being raised in confinement. Typically, they suffer an even worse fate than the grazing animals. Tightly packed into cages, sheds, or pens, they cannot practice their normal behaviors, such as rooting, grazing, and roosting. Laying hens are crowded into cages that are so small that there is not enough room for all of the birds to sit down at one time. An added insult is that they cannot escape the stench of their own manure. Meat and eggs from these animals are lower in a number of key vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids.

Environmental Degradation. When animals are raised in feedlots or cages, they deposit large amounts of manure in a small amount of space. The manure must be collected and transported away from the area, an expensive proposition. To cut costs, it is dumped as close to the feedlot as possible. As a result, the surrounding soil is overloaded with nutrients, which can cause ground and water pollution. When animals are raised outdoors on pasture, their manure is spread over a wide area of land, making it a welcome source of organic fertilizer, not a “waste management problem.” Read more about the environmental differences between factory farming and grass-based production.

The Healthiest Choice. When you choose to eat meat, eggs, and dairy products from animals raised on pasture, you are improving the welfare of the animals, helping to put an end to environmental degradation, helping small-scale ranchers and farmers make a living from the land, helping to sustain rural communities, and giving your family the healthiest possible food. It’s a win-win-win-win situation.

You can read more on this topic by checking out Jo Robinson's book Pasture Perfect

Egg Carton Labels

2010-08-30T07:21:00.001-04:00

A brief guide to labels and animal welfare

The Humane Society of the United States November 9, 2009-updated June 2010

The vast number of consumer labels affixed to egg cartons can leave a shopper feeling dazed and confused. One carton may label its eggs "Natural." Another carton may call them "Free Range," while yet another may claim its eggs are "Certified Organic." How are thoughtful consumers supposed to know what these labels and claims really mean?

The truth is that the majority of egg labels have little relevance to animal welfare or, if they do, they have no official standards or any mechanism to enforce them.

The Labels†

Certified Organic: The birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, and are required to have outdoor access, but the amount, duration, and quality of outdoor access is undefined. They are fed an organic, all-vegetarian diet free of antibiotics and pesticides, as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program. Beak cutting and forced molting through starvation are permitted. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing.

Free-Range: While the USDA has defined the meaning of "free-range" for some poultry products, there are no standards in "free-range" egg production. Typically, free-range hens are uncaged inside barns or warehouses and have some degree of outdoor access, but there are no requirements for the amount, duration or quality of outdoor access. Since they are not caged, they can engage in many natural behaviors such as nesting and foraging. There are no restrictions regarding what the birds can be fed. Beak cutting and forced molting through starvation are permitted. There is no third-party auditing.

Certified Humane: The birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses but may be kept indoors at all times. They must be able to perform natural behaviors such as nesting, perching, and dust bathing. There are requirements for stocking density and number of perches and nesting boxes. Forced molting through starvation is prohibited, but beak cutting is allowed. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing. Certified Humane is a program of Humane Farm Animal Care.

Animal Welfare Approved: The highest animal welfare standards of any third-party auditiing program. However, there are no participating producers that sell to supermarkets. The birds are cage-free and continuous outdoor perching access is required. They must be able to perform natural behaviors such as nesting, perching and dust bathing. There are requirements for stocking density, perching, space and nesting boxes. Birds must be allowed to molt naturally. Beak cutting is prohibited. Animal Welfare Approved is a program of the Animal Welfare Institute.

American Humane Certified: This label allows both cage confinement and cage-free systems. Each animal who is confined in these so-called "furnished cages" has about the space of a legal-sized sheet of paper. An abundance of scientific evidence demonstrates that these cages are detrimental to animal welfare, and they are opposed by nearly every major US and EU animal welfare group. Forced molting through starvation is prohibited, but beak cutting is allowed. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing. American Humane Certified is a program of American Humane Association.

Cage-Free: As the term implies, hens laying eggs labeled as "cage-free" are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, but they generally do not have access to the outdoors. They can engage in many of their natural behaviors such as walking, nesting and spreading their wings. Beak cutting is permitted. There is no third-party auditing.

Free-Roaming: Also known as "free-range," the USDA has defined this claim for some poultry products, but there are no standards in "free-roaming" egg production. This essentially means the hens are cage-free. There is no third-party auditing.

United Egg Producers Certified: The overwhelming majority of the U.S. egg industry complies with this voluntary program, which permits routine cruel and inhumane factory farm practices. Hens laying these eggs have 67 square inches of cage space per bird, less area than a sheet of paper. The hens are confined in restrictive, barren battery cages and cannot perform many of their natural behaviors, including perching, nesting, foraging or even spreading their wings. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing. Forced molting through starvation is prohibited, but beak cutting is allowed. This is a program of the United Egg Producers.

Vegetarian-Fed: These birds' feed does not contain animal byproducts, but this label does not have significant relevance to the animals' living conditions.

Natural: This label claim has no relevance to animal welfare.

Fertile: These eggs were laid by hens who lived with roosters, meaning they most likely were not caged.

Omega-3 Enriched: This label claim has no relevance to animal welfare.

†Virtually all hens in commercial egg operations—whether cage or cage-free—come from hatcheries that kill all male chicks shortly after hatching. The males are of no use to the egg industry because they don't lay eggs and aren't bred to grow as large or as rapidly as chickens used in the meat industry. Common methods of killing male chicks include suffocation, gassing and grinding. Hundreds of millions of male chicks are killed at hatcheries each year in the United States.

Governor Christie Finally Does Something Right

2010-08-29T11:38:00.000-04:00

Last week, Governor Christie signed legislation to support the development of wind farms off the Jersey shore. The bill calls for at least 1,100 megawatts of offshore wind - or enough to power roughly 350,000 New Jersey homes.

“With this new legislation, New Jersey could be the first state in America to build offshore wind,” said Matt Elliott, Clean Energy Advocate for Environment New Jersey. “This shows real leadership on the part of the Legislature and Governor Christie, and will position our state as a pioneer on clean energy and green jobs in this country.”

Offshore wind farms have successfully operated in Europe for over two decades, generating pollution-free energy with little environmental impact. So far, not a single offshore wind turbine has been built in the U.S.

“When it comes to energy, it’s time to move into the 21st century and kick our fossil habit once and for all. We applaud New Jersey for leading America’s long overdue transition to a clean energy future,” said Elliott.

“Just in the past few months, we’ve seen just how costly and dangerous fossil fuels really are. The Gulf oil spill, melting glaciers, and extreme weather patters are all painful reminders of just how important this legislation is. Offshore wind is a critical part of the solution,” Elliott concluded.

New Jersey Poison Control Needs Your Help!

2010-08-28T12:08:00.001-04:00

In January 2010, the transition team for New Jersey Gov.-elect Chris Christie recommended that Christie eliminate the $569,000 in state funding for the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System.

Part of the rationale for recommending that cut was that NJPIES was established in 1982, prior to the Internet, and that most doctors and hospitals search the Internet directly to find poison information.

In fact, that’s demonstrably not the case. Of the nearly 2.5 million poison exposure calls made to

U.S.

poison centers in 2008, 16 percent came from a health care facility, meaning doctors and health care providers frequently relied on the expertise of poison centers when confronted with a poison exposure.

New Jersey managed to make it through the first round of cuts, but the center has months before it will know if it has truly survived intact. If you're concerned about the future of NJPIES, write Gov. Christie here or sign the online petition at: http://www.petitiononline.com/NJPIES/petition.html

It takes only a few minutes to sign this petition. We can't always rely on someone else to sign petitions and fight for causes. The only way to know for sure that your voice is being heard is to do it yourself.

Benjamin Moore of Mt. Olive is Going Solar

2010-08-28T10:22:00.003-04:00

by G. Hollbrook

Garden State Green

Back in January of this year Mount Olive, New Jersey-based house-paint giant Benjamin Moore announced it wants to install more than 9,100 ground-mounted solar photovoltaic panels to produce 1.9 megawatts of power, or enough to power 70 percent of its R&D center on Flanders-Bartley Road, a site currently occupied by cornfields.

The company was granted approval from the city’s zoning board to install the panels on nine acres of a 92-acre property currently owned by Benjamin Moore. The project still needs a go-ahead from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the Morris County planning department, and the Morristown & Erie Railroad, which runs in the same direction as Flanders-Bartley Road about 1,500 feet distant. State approval is needed because the proposed solar farm is located within the Highlands region, an historic preservation and open spaces area.

When completed, it will be the first company facility to generate some of its own electricity via solar panels, according to Benjamin Moore spokeswoman Eileen McComb, who added that company intends in the future to move toward a new energy grid at all its U.S. locations.
The panels will reportedly be three feet by six feet, and tilted in a fixed array at a 35-degree angle to capture as much solar insolation as possible. In New Jersey, this value (3.0, on a scale of 2.0 to 6.0 in the continental U.S.) is sufficient to make solar power a winning proposition, as are the state’s roughly 260 days of sun per year.

According to Mount Olive’s Mayor, David Scapicchio, the Benjamin Moore installation will be the township’s first, non-residential solar installation. According to Scapicchio, Benjamin Moore will be the first non-residential entity to install solar panels in Mount Olive. He said it would enhance the township's efforts to become more environmentally friendly.

The Benjamin Moore Flanders facility employs over 200 individuals. Established since 1992, it includes a 4.5-acre testing facility, which develops new mixtures and samples paint in the real world to determine its durability.

The Natura paint line, an eco-friendly, zero-VOC (volatile organic compound) indoor paint line containing a proprietary, 100-percent acrylic resin to deliver durability, is a prime example of Benjamin Moore’s move into a cleaner, greener future. According to the company, Natura is fully competitive with Green Seal’s GS-11 standard, though the company plans to perform independent testing and will thus not seek GS-11 certification.

GS-11 is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standard for interior paints which maintain VOC emission levels less than 50 grams of VOC per liter for flat paints and 150 grams of VOC per liter for non-flat paints. The good news for Benjamin Moore is that specified paints don’t need to go through formal Green Seal certification processes. They just need to meet GS-11 specifications. Benjamin Moore also offers other low VOC paints such as Ben and Aura.

Sometimes I Feel Like a Party Pooper

2010-08-28T00:25:00.006-04:00

By Marc A. Reynolds

Garden State Green

As I educate myself more and more about what's really going on, what's not being played on the nightly news I can't help, but get depressed and inspired simultaneously. It's not easy living a life that's open to learning the truth. It's also not very convenient. The problem is, it's the life that speaks the most to me. It's one of the few things that gets my wheels churning and my blood boiling. It's not my job to protect the earth or it's citizens from the evils that are profiting from it each day. Then again, maybe I want it to be my job. I'll be the unsolicited advocate on behalf of the planet and the people who inhibit it.

I'm just not the type of person who can watch documentaries like FOOD, Inc. , King Corn, 180° South, GasLand without wanting to create change. There are too many people who want to keep their heads in the sand. It's much easier to carry on as if everything will be OK with inaction. Even my own mother said something to me last night about not being able to change people's minds when it comes to certain environmental issues. It was kind of ironic since this was the same woman who used to tell me as a kid that I could do whatever I put my mind to. Here I am thirty some odd years later and I can't help, but put my mind to it...every day. Am I saying I'm the perfect environmentalist? No. Nobody is, not even Ed Begely Jr. or Al Gore. We can all do better. I just make sure I do as much as I can.

A lot of times when I'm talking about environmental issues with people they will tell me "I do what I can". That's exactly the point when I want to ask them, can you do just a little bit more?

Storm Water Information

2010-08-27T13:56:00.001-04:00

What is Storm Water?

Stormwater is water from rain and melting snow that flows over lawns, parking lots and streets becoming runoff. This water works its way back into our local waterways and eventually will end up in the Atlantic Ocean. Along with the water, anything such as litter, oil, and/or fertilizer will also end up in our waterways.

In 2004, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection established new stormwater rules that address water quality and the impacts associated with existing and future stormwater discharges. A part of this regulation pertains to new construction and set required components to help protect our water quality. Details of all the new regulations can be found in the Department of Environmental Storm Water Management Rules. The website for the NJDEP is www.nj.gov/dep/watershedmgt/stormwater.

What is a Watershed?

A watershed is the area of land that drains into a body of water such as our local streams, rivers and lakes. It is separated from other systems by high points in the area such as hills or slopes. It includes not only the waterway but also the land area that drains into it.

Complications from our actions can affect our watersheds. Changing the way storm water flows, littering, oil or other vehicle fluids from parking lots, using too much fertilizer or fertilizer containing phosphorus can critically affect a watershed. It is important to practice pollution prevention to help eliminate the damage being done to our watershed.

What is Ground Water

It is very simple, if rainwater soaks into the ground, it is ground water. Ground water moves into water-filled layers of porous geologic formations called aquifers. Aquifers are not flowing underground streams or lakes. Aquifers can range from a few feet below the surface to several hundred feet underground. A system of more than 100 aquifers is scattered throughout New Jersey covering 7,500 square miles.

Ground water is the primary drinking water source for half of New Jersey’s population. Most of the water is obtained from individual domestic water or public water supplies which tap into aquifers.

Stormwater Sewers

Stormwater flows into the system through a storm drain. These are located along the curb line of roadways and parking lots. The grate that prevents larger objects from flowing into the storm drain is called a catch basin. Once water is in the drain, it flows through pipes to local streams, rivers and lakes. In most areas of New Jersey, the stormwater goes directly to our local waterways without any treatment.

Much of the debris and other pollutants such as salt that have settled on the surface and in the stormwater sewer are picked up and carried to the local waterways during a rainstorm. This adds to the water quality problems and it is important to protect the stormwater system from this debris.

The following should NEVER be dumped down storm drains. Motor oil, pet waste, grass trimmings, leaves, hazardous chemicals or any other type of debris. Storm drains are made for water only.

Storm Drain Labeling

Soon you will begin seeing labels on the storm drains in your area. The new storm drain labeling requirements from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s municipal stormwater permitting program requires the Township to label all of our storm drains to make people more aware of non-point source pollution, polluted run-off and the connection between the storm drains and our local waterways.

The storm drain labeling program in Roxbury will be run in conjunction with the Clean Communities Program. The Roxbury Clean Communities program promotes litter abatement and awareness, along with sponsoring local clean ups, educational programs for our schools and other functions.

What is Non-Point Source Pollution?

Non-point source pollution comes from many sources. Non-point source pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over the ground. As the water moves, it picks up natural and man-made pollutants depositing them into storm drains which lead to our lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and even our underground sources of drinking water. Some of the pollutants include excess fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides, oil, grease, and toxic chemicals, salt, bacteria from livestock, pet wastes and faulty septic systems.

Some states report that non-point source pollution is the leading cause of water quality problems. The total effects may not always be fully assessed however, we do know that pollutants have harmful effects on our drinking water, recreation, fisheries, and wildlife.

We can all work together and prevent non-point source pollution by changing some everyday habits.

Water Conservation

Why Save Water?

Besides saving money, water conservation can help prevent pollution. Using less water reduces run-off and leaves more water in streams or lakes, which protects existing ecosystems such as wetlands and water supplies. Reduced water usage may extend the life of existing sewage treatment plants and can eliminate the need for new water supplies which are expensive to locate and build.

How Much Water Are We Using?

The average American uses 60 gallons of water a day. That does not include car washing, lawn watering and other outdoor uses. Flushing the toilet, bathing and washing clothes are the largest uses of water in the home.

Conservation Measures

Check faucets, hoses, and toilets for leaks. Turn off hoses and connecting faucets when not in use. This will also preserve equipment and avoid leaks. Inspect your water pipes periodically for pinhole leaks and leaks in connections. Repair leaks as soon as possible. Don’t over fill the bathtub. Take shorter showers. Install water saving toilets and shower heads. Don’t let the water run when brushing your teeth or shaving. Keep a BPA safe bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator so you don’t need to run the tap water for cold water.

Things You Can Do to Keep Water Clean

Never throw anything down storm drains.
Don’t Litter.
Obey your town's “Pooper Scooper” Law.
Pre-cycle. Buy products with the least amount of packaging available.
Recycle. Call the Recycling Department for a list of the required recyclables and for further information.
Conserve water. Don’t let the water run when you are brushing your teeth, shorten the length of your showers and repair any leaking faucets.
Try natural organics instead of fertilizers that contain phosphorus.

Activity	Water used
Shower	15-30 gallons (57-114 liters)
Brushing teeth (water running)	1-2 gallons (3.75-7.51 liters)
Shaving (water running)	10-15 gallons (38-57 liters)
Washing dishes by hand	20 gallons (75 liters)
Washing dishes in dishwasher	9-12 gallons (34-45 liters)
Flushing toilet	5-7 gallons (19-26 liters)

Some of the information has been provided by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the Passaic River Coalition and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

New Jersey to Take Lead in Offshore Wind Energy?

2010-08-27T04:50:00.000-04:00

Energy | August 23, 2010 | by Ecopolitology - by Timothy B. Hurst

As the proposed Cape Wind offshore wind farm in Massachusetts fends off some last ditch legal challenges to become the first offshore wind farm in the U.S., New Jersey yesterday passed a law that would ultimately make it the leading provider of offshore wind energy in the country.

The Offshore Wind Economic Development Act directs the state’s Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to establish an offshore renewable energy certificate program that calls for a percentage of electricity sold in the state to be from offshore wind energy. The act would support the development of at least 1,100 megawatts of offshore wind energy capacity.

The bill was signed into law yesterday by Gov. Chris Christie yesterday at a former BP port facility that will be transformed into a regional hub for the offshore wind industry.

"Developing New Jersey’s renewable energy resources and industry is critical to our state’s manufacturing and technology future," Christie said.

The package will offer incentives including financial aid and tax credits to attract wind energy developers to the state’s waters.

Two offshore wind development companies, Fishermen’s Energy and Deepwater Wind, already have plans to develop offshore wind energy off the coast of New Jersey.

A report released last year by the Interior Department said shallow-water offshore wind farms could supply as much as 20 percent of the electricity in most coastal states.

Reprinted with permission from Ecopolitology

Don't Poison Your Kid's Lunch

2010-08-27T03:38:00.003-04:00

by G. Hollbrook

Garden State Green

It's fast, it's easy and it's cheap. Lunch meat, cold cuts, deli meats anyway you slice it, you need to pay attention. The information below will explain why it's important to go organic or at least nearly organic. The cost in dollars is higher, but if you go with your typical Shoprite, Acme lunch meat your most likely going to pay with your kids' health later on. One of the most common culprits in cold cuts are nitrates. There are definitely more, but this is enough information to have you start reaching for that Applegate Farms package of cold cuts. The Succasunna Shoprite sells them, they are located near the deli counter. You can also get this brand at the Whole Foods in Madison. It's the brand they use at their deli counter so the varieties available are more plentiful.

Nitrate

In the chemical families: Inorganic salts, Nitrate compounds

Nitrates are nitrogen-oxygen compounds released into the environment from the widespread use of nitrogen-based fertilizers, human sewage and animal manure. High nitrate levels in well water can cause the sometimes-fatal “blue baby” syndrome in infants, impairing the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen. Over years, adults consuming excess nitrates can suffer kidney and spleen damage. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, nitrates can react with the body’s amino acids to form nitrosamines, linked to cancer in test animal studies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sets a limit of 10 parts per million for nitrates in drinking water.

In estuaries, nitrates cause algae blooms that quickly deplete the water of oxygen and create “dead zones,” killing bottom-dwelling organisms such as shellfish and crabs and fish that cannot escape the area. In January 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that two-thirds of the nitrogen causing the 8,000-square-mile Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico came from fertilizer runoff from farms along the Mississippi River. Application of nitrogen-based fertilizers also leads to emissions of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that has 300 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide.

The Environmental Working Group has been in the forefront of the effort to reform agriculture policies, advance conservation and curb the pollution that is killing the Gulf. In a 2006 report, Dead in the Water, EWG concluded that farms encompassing just 15% of the land in the Mississippi River Basin are responsible for 80% of the spring surge of nitrates feeding the Dead Zone; in the areas where nitrate runoff is worst, the study found, the U.S is spending just $1 on water quality for every $500 in crop subsidies. In a 2007 report, Trouble Downstream, EWG recommended that farmers who benefit from taxpayer support be required to show tangible progress in reducing soil erosion and nitrate runoff.

In a 2008 analysis, The Unintended Environmental Impacts of the Renewable Fuel Standard, EWG concluded that increased corn cultivation to make biofuel would accelerate soil erosion, intensify use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and aggravate nitrate runoff into the fragile Gulf. Also, EWG said, expanding corn farming would heighten demand for water for irrigation, stressing underground water sources, and degrade shrinking wildlife habitat.

Organic Lawn Care

2010-08-25T19:08:00.001-04:00

by Marc A. Reynolds

Garden State Green

A few years ago I noticed a sign that was on my friend's lawn. It read "Organic Lawn Care". It's not like I hadn't thought about it before, I just never knew anyone who used that kind of service. I spoke to my friend and she said she was very happy with it. I don't think you'll ever achieve a golf course, deep green lawn without using man-made chemicals, but at least you'll be able to sleep at night. Conventional lawncare products are far too toxic to consider safe.

Come to think of it, I was actually using an organic lawn service when I noticed my friend's sign. I just wasn't happy with them. The name of the company I would personally not recommend is The Organic Dutchman. I even saw the owner interviewed by a NYC news source, but they were more talk then they were results.

The second service I went with was called Organic Turf & Insect Busters. This company is a smaller outfit located in Chester, NJ. The owner is very bland and did not try to sell me his service or his philosophy. The results were mediocre and the cost was high. The owner would sit in his Subaru Outback while two Latino men would put down the all natural ingredients by hand. The cost was too high and I gave up and no longer put any kind of chemicals on my lawn. Is a greener weed free lawn really worth the risks? I don't think so.

I recently did a search for organic lawn care in Morris County and what a shock, the market now seems to be flooded with choices. Did everyone wake up one night feeling worried and guilty about poisoning our families and neighbors? No, green became a buzzword back in 2008 and the rest as they say is history. If I were to pursue this type of service again, I would ask for referrals and I would go with my gut. Everyone can't be in it for the love of the planet I know, but they should at least try to fake it just a little bit.

A Great Local Group to Meet other "Green-minded" People

2010-08-25T16:54:00.002-04:00

Community Green is an all volunteer organization.

Community Green is an interconnected coalition of people and organizations promoting eco-conscious lifestyles.

Our Vision: We believe in transforming ourselves, our communities, our world by nurturing creative solutions for local and global issues. Caring for our environment is joyful and rewarding for ourselves and future generations.

Our Mission: Our network provides simple, healthful, community based activities. We bring people together to take positive action and rebuild local resilience.

Together, we make a world of difference!

Designer Ariane Delafosse launched Community Green in April of 2007. Living in New Jersey her entire adult life, she is a graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Landscape Architecture. Ariane’s mission is to connect the people with local and global environmental issues, starting with our own backyards. Ariane is an avid gardener, beekeeper, photographer and environmentalist, and served 2 years on the Bernards Green Team.

Paul Saccone has been involved in environmental and social causes for many years. Paul brings great passion and experience to Community Green, fully understanding its impact on peoples lives and perceptions. He shares our longing for a world where we can all live green and sustainable lifestyles. Paul is a huge patron of art and music, and is a member of the Bernards Green Team.

Jonathan Cloud is a lifelong environmentalist, community organizer, and entrepreneur. His career has spanned journalism, politics, invention, housing design and construction, internet development, networking, non-profits, and sustainable business development. Jonathan knows that our challenge is understanding our current situation, and the changes that are needed in our attitudes and actions. He also sees the possibilities and opportunities to nurture trends that will enable us not merely to survive but to thrive.

Paul Nick, CG Mentor has been a rock climber since 1990 and authored three guidebooks to rock climbing include Rock Climbing New Jersey. Paul spent several years as co-coordinator of the NYC Metropolitan Area Awakening the Dreamer Symposium Local Community Group. Paul is on the Board of Directors of the non-profit Amazon Dental/Medical Project and has made four volunteer trips to the Amazon. He has also been an Introduction Leader for Landmark Education for five years, but today prefers to use that training to be one of many people who are transforming ecological crisis into possibility.

Jennifer McDonnell Makini, CG Mentor worked for Whole Foods Market as their Environmental Specialist for six years. She is a NJ Certified Recycling Professional, an active member of the NJ WasteWise Business Network Advisory Council, the Buy Recycled Alliance of New York (BRANY) Planning Committee, the Association of NJ Recyclers, and the NJ Food Council Environment Committee. She also hosts the media outlet "Planet Diaries", where she works to advance the use of innovative technologies.

Marnie Vyff is an information designer who discovered we have to break from the world that’s marketed to us and follow our inner voice. She is an avid environmentalist and promotes how affordable and rewarding it is to be green. Living in Mountain Lakes most of her life, Marnie is a partner in a graphic design firm, runs a local organic co-operative, is on her Shade Tree Commission, and works with local environmental groups.

Suzie Blodgett is an avid environmentalist who believes that individuals, communities and businesses each have a responsibility to do their part to make conscious decisions that minimize their impact on the planet while leaving the resources necessary for future generations to sustain themselves. Educated in interior design with a focus on green design, she opened the first green design showroom in NJ, with the goal of making it easier to go green and create a healthy home. Today, she continues to offer green products and eco-jewelry and crafts. Suzie serves on the Board of Directors for Sustainable West Milford and is actively involved in sharing information and creating events that spark change.

Elyssa Serrilli has been an environmental educator in New Jersey for the past 8 years teaching in urban, suburban, and rural communities to audiences from children to adults. She has a passion for sustainable living, outdoor experiential education, and community service. Through her experiences with AmeriCorps and NJ Youth Corps, she has seen the power of ‘service learning’ to empower individuals to change their lives and rebuild their communities. Elyssa is co-founder of Green Collar Futures, a residential service-learning program in green collar job training, sustainable living, and leadership development.

Richard Luna is an entrepreneur who has been a business owner and a real estate investor. He's also a certified chimney sweep and is interested in alternative energy. He's passionate about the environment and people's well being. As a former introduction leader for Landmark Education he has a desire to find other leaders who are also committed to making a difference with the environment in their communities and in the world.

Sharon Simpson is committed to having people reconnect with nature. She believes that by connecting with nature, people will have a greater appreciation for the planet and therefore will take the necessary actions to do their part in making the world a greener place to live. She has a love for travel which has taken her to many places around the world. Being in the customer service industry her entire working life, she is dedicated to making a difference for others.

Meet Community Green at local NJ events because to make a difference in the world we all need to be actively involved with our own communities! Interested in becoming a Volunteer Organizer for Community Green? All are welcome to apply, just download our Organizer Guidelines & Application here and let us know your interested via email.

Risky Decisions

2010-08-25T16:45:00.001-04:00

Published: Sunday, August 22, 2010, 2:00 PM Star Ledger

Susan K. Livio/Statehouse Bureau

Amanda Brown/The Star-LedgerPediatrician M. Calhoun Thomas immunizes Julian Booker, age 2, in her Orange office. Julian's dad Aree Booker holds the toddler, but Julian's sister Aaliyah, age 8, cannot bear to watch.

TRENTON — Call it one of New Jersey’s medical mysteries.
One of the most affluent states in the country, home to more than a few giants of the pharmaceutical industry, New Jersey also has one of the lowest immunization rates in the nation for babies and toddlers.
The state ranked 42nd last year — and 45th in 2008 — in a telephone survey of parents and pediatricians by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
New Jersey’s 64 percent rate for giving infants and toddlers recommended shots for polio, hepatitis B, mumps, measles and rubella and other diseases last year was well below the national average of nearly 71 percent, and the lowest in the Northeast. In Pennsylvania, 72 percent of infants and toddlers got their shots. Nearly 71 percent got them in New York City.
Nobody knows for sure why New Jersey’s vaccination rate has slipped so low, but public health professionals and pediatricians say they’ve seen it building for several years.
In low-income and immigrant communities, many lack health insurance, transportation to the doctor’s office, or struggle to understand the complex schedule of up to 28 shots recommended by the time a child is two-and-a-half years old.
And there’s also a growing resistance to vaccines among middle-class and wealthy people for whom money and insurance aren’t an issue. Some reject the schedule of shots urged by the American Academy of Pediatricians and the CDC.
"There is a lot of angst over vaccines," said David Bendich, a pediatrician and president of the Essex Metro Immunization Coalition, which promotes vaccination among city children. "There is so much anti-vaccine feeling in the population. Nurses don’t want to see kids cry. Even some doctors don’t want to give four vaccines in one visit."
To improve vaccine rates, physicians and public health officials formed the New Jersey Immunization Network late last year. They fear what the anti-immunization trend might bring: a comeback for serious diseases like whooping cough and measles, all but wiped out generations ago. They note 1,500 cases of whooping cough erupted this year in California, where doctors say children were unprotected.

"So far we are pretty lucky," said Ruth Gubernick, a public health consultant who specializes in child immunizations. "But we could be a plane ride away" from an outbreak.
Some of the more vocal parents who question vaccines said they were surprised, but not alarmed, by the state’s ranking.
"It’s encouraging to me that parents are saying: wait," said Sue Collins, co-founder of the New Jersey Alliance for Informed Choice in Vaccination.
The law allows parents to delay vaccinating babies and toddlers, unless they go to day care. Mandates don’t kick in until they reach school age. Some parents request pediatricians administer one shot at a given time instead multiple vaccinations because they don’t trust vaccine manufacturers and the government to investigate and reveal side effects.
"Parents are realizing the onus is on them to do their own research," Collins said. "They are not getting the answers they want from health officials and doctors."
Deputy Health Commissioner Susan Walsh said parents shouldn’t alter the schedule of shots. "People who are vaccinated help form a circle of protection around babies and individuals with health conditions who can’t be fully immunized," she said.
Vaccine opponents are meeting regularly with lawmakers to build momentum for a bill that would allow parents of school-aged children to claim a "philosophical exemption" to shots, said Collins, a Long Hill resident.
A small but growing number of parents already use the state’s religious exemption to allow their children to skip the shots required for school. It does not require parents to reveal their religion or present a letter from a member of the clergy.
In the 2005-06 school year, schools gave 452 students a pass because their parents cited religious reasons, state health spokeswoman Donna Leusner said. In the school year that just ended, 3,865 were allowed to skip shots on religious grounds.

Amanda Brown/The Star-LedgerPediatrician M. Calhoun Thomas (left) gives Christopher Burnett, age 12, of Newark, a hug after he got immunized in her Orange office.

Stacy Allan of Summit said she got religious exemptions for her boys, now 5 and 8, after having them vaccinated through their fourth birthdays and watching them suffer with life-threatening food allergies and severe asthma. She hasn’t allowed her 2-year-old daughter to get any shots.
Allan resents doctors who look askance at parents who reject the schedule of shots for their kids. "They make them sound fearful or stupid. They are not," Allan said. "People who are not vaccinating are the most educated. You stop vaccines because you researched it, after weighing the pros and cons."
Many say the early catalyst to the questioning of vaccines was a study by a British doctor 12 years ago linking the measles, mumps and rubella shots to autism. That study was debunked this year by the medical journal that published it.
New Jersey’s immunization rate plummeted from 76 to 62 percent in 2007, the same year the CDC announced the state has the nation’s highest autism rate. That was also the year New Jersey became the first to mandate a flu shot for children from 6 months to 59 months who attend a child care center or preschool.
"When that mandate passed, a whole lot of parents who had no interest in vaccines felt like this was too many and too much," said Barbara Flynn of Summit, an Alliance for Informed Choice member.
Robert Tolan, chief of allergy immunization and infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of St. Peter’s Medical Center in New Brunswick, admits frustration.
"There are a small percentage of people who are very vocal and very invested in making their viewpoint known," he said. "When I have tried to share scientific information, they don’t seem to respond to that approach. What will happen is that when preventable illness starts striking down our children, the pendulum will swing back."
Families willing to vaccinate who have trouble remembering the complicated schedule or getting to a doctor can get help from the Immunization Network, said Jane Sarwin, a founding member.
The network will help spread the word about free vaccines many clinics and doctors’ offices have because of federal stimulus grants. "By raising awareness about who is providing the vaccines, it will help increase immunization rates," she said.
Within 16 months, pediatricians will have to enter immunization information into a statewide confidential registry, so doctors can contact families when the next shot is due. "This will be a powerful tool for bringing kids up to date," Sarwin said.

Where to donate in Morris County

2010-08-25T15:54:00.001-04:00

How to find local organizations needing donations
bicycles	books	cars	cell phones	computers	clothing & furniture	educational supplies
educational supplies	eyeglasses	food	frequent flyer miles	hair	packing peanuts	pet supplies	toys
Determining the Value of Donated Property, IRS Publication 561

bicycles

Pedals for Progress accepts used bicycles and distributes to developing countries. Local contact: (908) 838-4860, Box 312 High Bridge NJ 08829-0312

cars
Thinking about donating your car to a charity? The IRS publishes A Donor's Guide to used-car donations. Make sure you know where your car is going before you sign over the title and hand the keys to a stranger. Charities that are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service are listed in The Cumulative List of Organizations (Publication 78). Some organizations sponsor their own auto donation programs, others use national networks such as the Vehicle Donation Center. Every organization has its own guidelines regarding acceptable cars (age, running/non-operational) and title transfer.
IRS Publication 561 does not specify which car guides must be used to determine the fair market value of your vehicle. The New Jersey Administrative Code 11:3-10.4 specifies two approved guides for the use of insurance company vehicle appraisals: National Automobile Dealer Association and the The Automobile Red book:A Primedia Price Digest [formerly the National Market Reports Auto Blue Book].This Automobile Red Book is not available for free on the Internet. The Morris County Library subscribes to the Red Book and can provide you with prices from this source. The popular Kelley Blue Book is also available online for free.
The following organizations pick up cars in the Morris County area (no, this is not a comphensive list!):

American Cancer Society, 888-227-5500
American Lung Association, 800-586-4872
American Red Cross, 1-87-RED-CROSS
Children's Wish Foundation, 800-766-7206
Habitat for Humanity, 877-277-4344
Market Street Mission [Morristown], 973-538-0427
St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center,800-899-2507
Salvation Army [Newark], 888-999-2769

cell phones
Morris County Division on Aging, Disabilities and Veterans, (973) 285-6848 The Wireless Foundation's national Donate a Phone campaign collects cell phones to benefit victims of domestic violence. FAQs about donation (Must the phone be operational? How to obtain tax receipts, etc.), where to mail/drop off phones and instructions for organizing a community cellphone drive are included. Morris County NJ patrons can drop off their phones at the Wireless Zone, 11 Park Ave. Madison, (973) 593-9199
Verizon Wireless Hopeline also collects for victims of domestic violence.

clothing, furniture, & white goods
Clothing and furniture must be clean and in good condition; white goods must be operational. These organizations pick up donations in the Morris County area:

General donations

Habitat for Humanity [store in Mine Hill] (973) 366-3357
...accepts new or slightly used building materials and large household appliances
Market Street Mission [Morristown] (973) 538-0427
Recycling Ministry [Madison & Dover] (973)610-2325
Interfaith Furnishings [Randolph] $20 charge for pick-up. Furniture only, please.
E-mail for information 973-361-1666
Vietnam Veterans Pick Up Service (800) 775-8387
Salvation Army Morristown(973) 539-2700 & Dover (973) 366-0764 Special collections
Career Closet/National Council of Jewish Women [Livingston] (973) 994-4994
Dress for Success [Madison] (973) 822-3188 collects business clothes for women

Clothing donation bins from various organizations (DARE, etc.) are sometimes found in your town's recycling center. Northern NJ Goodwill donation centers.

computers
(See county Utilities Authority for disposal of computers and monitors.) Locally, contact Employment Horizons, who can use desktop and laptop computers, laser printers and DVD players. Several national computer recycling programs accept both large-quantity donations and individual pieces of new and used computer equipment. Peripherals such as desks, surge protectors, headphones and software are also welcome. Units specially adapted for the disabled (speech synthesizers, magnification software, joysticks) are in the highest demand. Equipment must be in good working condition. Donors are asked to arrange and pay for shipping. This is also a tax deductible expense. Be sure to erase your harddrive before you donate your computer.The major clearinghouses are:

Computers 4 Kids: (434-817-1121) Committed to giving our nation's children the equipment they need to advance their education. Computers are distributed to designated technologically-poor areas.
Gifts In Kind International: (703-836-2121) "Recycle Technology" program accepts large quantity donations of new and used equipment from businesses for international distribution. Does not accept donations from individuals.
National Cristina Foundation: (800-CRISTINA) Matches your donations with organizations in your area. Donors arrange to deliver equipment directly to the organization in need.

educational supplies

Neighborhood House (973) 538-1229
White boards, glue, pencils/pens, paper, art supplies, plastic plates and cups.

eyeglasses

Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center NJ, West Trenton
New Eyes for the Needy, Short Hills
Pearl Vision --partners with New Eyes for the Needy, (973) 376-4903

food
Local schools and municipal governments often conduct food drives around the holidays.

Interfaith Food Pantry, Morristown (973) 538-8049...lists items currently needed
Morris County, NJ Food Pantries

frequent flyer miles & hotel loyalty points
Do you have miles you can't use? Other people can. Please consider

Red Cross uses these miles to send volunteers to places in need

Make-A-Wish keeps families caring for very ill children together with your airline miles & hotel points.

hair
Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children. Many of these children have cancer. Hair of all kinds, 10" or longer, is needed to create a hairpiece. Ask your salon if it participates. If not, donors are asked to pay cost of the cut and mailing their hair to the organization. hair to the organization. Call (888) 896-1588 if you have questions.

pet supplies
Food, blankets, towels, cleaning supplies, pet toys

St. Hubert's, Madison
PetFinder, lists municipal shelters

toys
Lightly used toys are sometimes welcome by shelters (serving families with children) and local churches (for distribution or in-house use). In Morris County try Homeless Solutions & Neighborhood House . Some organizations sponsor toy drives during the December holidays; many of these welcome lightly used toys. Example: Toys for Tots/US Marines.

It's easy to identify non-profit organizations in our area:

Think about who can use your items. Successful connections depend upon the specs of the equipment, the current needs of the organization, and logistics (delivery is crucial). Day care centers & nursery schools: Many primary educational programs work just fine on older computer models. Printers are nice, but not necessary.
Senior centers & nursing homes: Computers and typewriters are often appreciated by seniors who have a hard time writing by hand.
Shelters & group homes: Adults can use older computers for job hunting (resumes & cover letters), practice typing and upgrade their office computer skills. Children can use them to expand their education or complete homework assignments. Books and games in good condition may also be welcome.
Organizations: Special Olympians may appreciate sports equipment (in good, working condition); a community garden may be interested in your old wheelbarrow. Retiring to Florida? Maybe Habitat for Humanity can find a new home for your old snowblower. Animal shelters welcome used blankets and towels.

Thanks to the Morris County Library for providing this list.

Clean energy laws, utility costs make New Jersey a solar hotbed

2010-08-25T14:23:00.002-04:00

Published: Sunday, August 22, 2010, 6:00 AM

Abby Gruen/The Star-Ledger

PHOTOS BY MITSU YASUKAWA/THE STAR-LEDGER Edward Fischer of Pompton Lakes waited nine years to have solar panels installed in his 1950s Cape Cod. A California company's financing method made the project affordable.

Edward Fischer of Pompton Lakes finally got solar panels this week on his tidy, 1950s Cape Cod with sky blue shutters.
He had been trying for nine years to figure out how to afford them. But two years ago he gave up when he was quoted an out-of-pocket price — with rebates — of $30,000.
Then, he read a newspaper article in January about a California company that had a better method for financing solar power.
"I called them in a flash, and when they said it was going to cost me $600 I said, ‘Hallelujah, my dream of having the power meter go backward was finally going to be granted,’ " Fischer said.
New Jersey is the hottest place in the United States for solar energy these days, and it is not because it is so sunny. The Garden State’s progressive clean energy laws and high electricity costs make it the best place to install solar power because systems can pay for themselves in less than five years — faster than any state in the nation.
Mercury Solar Systems, one of the larger solar installers in New Jersey, built the array on Fischers’ steep roof. But the financing, insurance and maintenance was handled by SunRun, the California-based company that caught Fischer’s eye.
The state’s burgeoning solar industry is attracting the attention of companies from around the country, especially from California, which has long been the nation’s largest solar market. Its 66,000 solar installations dwarf New Jersey’s 6,500 projects.
In the past year, established San Francisco-area solar companies like SunRun, Tioga Energy and One Block off the Grid have been partnering with local installers and bringing new methods for financing solar to New Jersey.
"SunRun and One Block off the Grid are pursuing alternative business models," said Justin Barnes, a solar policy analyst at the N.C. Solar Center in Raleigh, N.C. "They figured out all the details in California, and now they are looking into new markets to make money."
Since January, when SunRun started operating in New Jersey, the company has had a 60 percent growth rate each month, completing nearly 500 deals, said Lynn Jurich, co-founder and president. The 3-year-old firm owns the solar panels, and sells the power back to the homeowners.

A worker from Mercury Solar Systems carries a solar panel into Fischer's home. Fischer estimates the installation will cost him $600.

In December, San Mateo-based Tioga Energy won a $22.3 million contract with its partner, SunDurance Energy of South Plainfield, to build a solar project at 19 municipal and school buildings in Morris County. Tioga will own and maintain the equipment and sell the energy back to the county. The county will buy the power for less from Tioga than it would pay the local utility.
The financing arrangement is complex, as it combines power purchase agreements from Tioga and low-interest bonds issued by the Morris County Improvement Authority. That allows the county to benefit from federal tax incentives and save $3.5 million in electricity costs over the next 15 years.
"Being in the solar industry, I talk about policy a lot and I regularly point to New Jersey for having the very best policies for renewables," said Marc Roper, vice president of sales and marketing for Tioga, who formerly lived in Hunterdon County. "The market creates competition so consumers are not paying more than they need to, and it lets us plan for the long term."
New Jersey is a leader among states from Arizona to Massachusetts, which are using a solar renewable energy credit systems to encourage property owners to invest in solar. New Jersey’s solar renewable energy credits are the most generous in the nation, giving homeowners $655 for every megawatt of sun power they generate. That’s more than twice the amount for any other state.
"The California gold rush is a solar credit story," said Gary Lakritz, president of Knollwood Energy in Chester Township, an energy credit financial advisor. "I have a lot of customers investing in solar wondering whether to go to Pennsylvania or New Jersey, and I always recommend New Jersey because of the price of the credits."
New Jersey’s solar credits can be traded on an exchange. One of the largest online marketplaces for New Jersey’s solar credits, SRECTrade, is based in San Francisco.
It was formed three years ago by Stanford University business school graduates who saw the opportunity in trading SRECs — solar renewable energy credits. SRECs from 15 states are sold through the auction site, but New Jersey’s make up the bulk of their business.
While New Jersey is the second-largest solar market in the U.S. for installations after California, it lags behind the West Coast state considerably in solar product manufacturing. Petra Solar of South Plainfield is the only producer of solar panels here.
Petra Solar is best known for providing solar panels for utility poles to PSE&G for a large program that will generate 40 megawatts of energy, enough to power 40,000 homes a year. The 4-year-old firm has grown from 14 employees last year to 140 this year, and has raised $54 million in the past three years, all from sources outside of New Jersey.
"We are the only manufacturer in New Jersey, and we need a lot more," said Shihab Kuran, president of Petra Solar. "We need a supply chain."
Recently Kuran, who has made a number of deals this year for sales outside of New Jersey, has been able to turn the tables on the California invasion into the Garden State.
"We opened an office in California earlier this year, in Santa Monica," said Kuran. "We are exporting a unique product invented here to California."

Morris County solar energy project will save about 35 percent on energy bills

2010-08-25T14:13:00.001-04:00

Published: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 6:09 PM Updated: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 6:51 PM

Lawrence Ragonese/The Star-Ledger

Robert Sciarrino/The Star-LedgerMike Sheets, an employee of The Solar Center, installs the first of over 1600 solar electric panels on a roof in Wharton in Morris County. Officials announced today that those involved in the renewable energy project will save an average of 35 percent on energy bills next year.
MORRIS COUNTY -- Schools and agencies that signed up for Morris County’s solar/renewable energy project will average 35 percent savings on energy bills next year and more than 40 percent by the end of the initial 15-year program, officials announced today.

It will cost them 10.6 cents per kilowatt hour for solar-produced power versus a current average of more than 15 cents for traditional energy sources, said Stephen Pearlman, attorney for the Morris County Improvement Authority, which is jointly spearheading the project with the county board of freeholders.
It is estimated participants will save a total of $2.3 million over 15 years, officials said.
"This is a tremendous moment,’’ Pearlman said at a joint meeting today of the authority and freeholders in Morristown. "We have seen a concept, an idea turned into an important reality.’’
California-based Tioga Energy, Inc. and SunDurance Energy of South Plainfield, which won a $22.3 million contract in December to lead the solar initiative, will start work by June to prepare buildings for solar panels, including roof upgrades, said officials.
Solar panels will be installed on 14 public schools and some county government buildings. Participants include county government, the Morris County Park Commission and the Boonton, Parsippany, Mountain Lakes, Morris Hills Regional and West Morris Regional school districts.
Boonton School Superintendent Christine Johnson anticipates a first-year saving of $16,000 and cut in energy consumption by 36 percent for her district. Savings should reach $25,000 a year by the 15th year, she said.
Solar panels will be installed on Boonton High School and John Hill and School Street elementary schools. Included is a $100,000 upgrade of the high school roof, to be financed by the county.
"Anything we can do to show the community we are trying to save money and reduce energy is worthwhile,’’ said Johnson, who expects to incorporate the energy project into the district’s educational curriculum.
Participants can also receive state energy rebates, federal investment tax credits, solar energy certificates and could even make money by selling excess power during summer months to the energy grid for a power/energy credit, he said.
County Administrator John Bonanni said he expects the county to initiate a second round of solar connections and hopes to entice more schools and towns to participate.

An Alternative to Starbucks & Dunkin Donuts

2010-08-25T13:36:00.004-04:00

by Marc A. Reynolds
Garden State Green

If you follow this blog, you've most likely wondered where you could go locally for a fair trade, organic cup of coffee. Luckily, I found a great place a few years ago. They actually have three locations. The name of the establishment is Smart World Coffee.

They have stores in Morristown, Denville and the newest location is in New Milford. The newest location even offers a drive thru. With free Wi-Fi and mostly organic offerings, I can't imagine you would be disappointed. I frequent the one in Morristown, friendly staff and kind of tight seating. The Denville location is a very nice looking space, usually not crowded at all, but a little less fun for people watching since foot traffic is a lot less than Morristown. I have never been the Bergen County location, but hear it's quite nice. Make sure to hang onto your customer loyalty card and get it punched with each coffee purchase and your 11th coffee will be free.

The prices are no more than you would find at a Starbucks or Seattle Coffee Works. The only ingredient in Cafe Mocha that isn't organic is the mocha itself. Everything else is. Please don't forget to bring your BPA free reusable plastic cup. I picked up this exact set at Costco for $18. Not only does it prevent more waste from being generated, but it keeps your iced coffee cool.

I don't know of any other "Mom & Pop" coffee shops that offer so much in organic coffees in Morris County. Make sure to hang onto your customer loyalty card and get it punched and your 11th coffee will be free. If you know of any, please reach out to us and fill us in.

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Published: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 6:09 PM Updated: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 6:51 PM

An Alternative to Starbucks & Dunkin Donuts