E-NEWS
Clearing the Air in TexasDecember 15, 2008Reporting by Roddy Scheer
“This agreement gives us greater legal and regulatory certainty as we complete the Oak Grove generating station, which will help meet growing Texas electricity demand,” Luminant general counsel Bill Moore told reporters. “We’re confident that our state-of-the art emissions control technology will continue to meet or exceed all regulatory requirements, reflecting our ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship,” he added. Last week’s news marks the second time in as many years that the Texas-based company made concessions to environmental interests. In 2007, EFH scrapped eight of 11 proposed new coal-fired power plants across Texas in order to gain the support of two other leading environmental nonprofits, Environmental Defense and the Natural Resources Defense Council. |
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Coral Reefs in CrisisDecember 15, 2008Reporting by Roddy Scheer
“The report details the strong scientific consensus that climate change must be limited to the absolute minimum,” said Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network Coordinator Clive Wilkinson. “If nothing is done to substantially cut emissions, we could effectively lose coral reefs as we know them, with major coral extinctions.” Source: IUCN |
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COMMENTARY: A Gift HorseAdopting” an Animal for the HolidaysBy Jessica Rae Patton Looking for a last-minute present for the animal-lover on your holiday gift list? Needless to say, actual animals are never wise gift ideas. Companion animals are a lifetime commitment that shouldn’t ever be acquired on a whim or for someone else. But there is a myriad of “adoption” programs that offer a perfect way of both acknowledging your loved one’s fondness for animals and supporting just about any animal imaginable. (And, all organizations listed here are 501(c)(3) nonprofits, so your gift is even tax-exempt.)
Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, which has been providing a home for rescued livestock since 2004, offers a sponsorship opportunity in which the gifter’s credit card is charged monthly over the course of a year. The recipient receives a personalized photo card of the selected animal, including “a description of that animal’s rescue story and personality,” plus an optional personalized note from the gift-giver. The recipient may also visit their animal any time of year at the organization’s facility in the Catskills region. Prices range from $10/month for a chicken or rabbit to $50/month for a cow.
TURKEYS Farm Sanctuary A true way to pardon a turkey this holiday season is to “adopt” one of the turkeys living at the Farm Sanctuary shelter for farm animals, either in Watkins Glen, New York, or Orland, California. A one-time $25 adoption fee earns your gift recipient an Adopt-A-Turkey certificate with a color photo and details about their feathered friend; a one-year Farm Sanctuary membership and a subscription to Sanctuary, the organization’s quarterly newsletter. Adopt a turkey online or by phone at 1-888-SPONSOR.
HORSES Best Friends Animal Society This Utah shelter has gotten a lot of attention since the premiere of the series DogTown on the National Geographic channel, and also as the rehab center for 22 of the rescued pit bulls from NBA quarterback Michael Vick’s dog-fighting operation. But this sprawling oasis has, for 25 years, been quietly rehabilitating for adoption—or providing a permanent home—for those critters considered the hardest-luck cases: abused, abandoned and special-needs animals who are considered unadoptable in shelters due to age, behavioral troubles or medical needs. Nearly 2,000 animals from around the country live at Best Friends. Cats, dogs, birds and “barnyard pals”—including horses—are listed by photo and bio, and a $25 gift sponsorship includes a personalized e-greeting sent to your recipient; a link to a bio and high-res photo of their sponsor animal; a subscription to Best Friends magazine; quarterly newsletters; and area discounts for you or your gift recipient if visiting Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.
CHIMPANZEES The Jane Goodall Institute A gift of a Chimpanzee Guardianship helps the Jane Goodall Institute care for 160 chimpanzees at four different sanctuaries in Africa who have been orphaned in the bushmeat trade. They are provided with food, shelter and socialization, and are expected to remain in the protective sanctuaries for the remainder of their lives (chimps can live to be 60 years old). The Guardianship opportunities range in price from $25 to $250, with varying perks including stuffed-animal chimps, a guardian certificate and a signed photo of Jane Goodall.
KOALAS Australian Koala Foundation According to the Australian Koala Foundation website, the funds raised through the fostering of one of these marsupials who live in various wildlife parks throughout Australia contribute directly to the conservation of Australia’s wild koalas. A dubious plus to this program is that sponsors traveling down under may visit and “cuddle” their koala—whether koalas are fans of such shows of endearment remains in question. For $20/month, sponsor a joey or a mother, or sponsor a mom-and-kid pair for $30/month. Foster-a-Koala perks include: a welcome letter describing your gift-recipient’s koala, a photo of the koala, a personalized Foster-a-Koala certificate with the koala’s name, stickers, an AKF supporter card and AKF newsletters and bulletins.
WHALES New England Aquarium Right Whale Sponsorship Program It’s a pretty safe bet that you will never cuddle your whale, making this animal-sponsor holiday gift all the more altruistic. There are fewer than 400 Northern right whales—a species of baleen whales that were considered “right” for commercial whaling—making them the most endangered of all large whales. Sponsorship opportunities range from $45 to $250. All include a 4x6 photo of your chosen whale, a sponsorship certificate, a composite drawing and sighting map for your whale and a subscription to Right Whale Research News. Higher-end donations also include books or T-shirts. Your donation helps offset the aquarium’s yearly cost for field research and data analysis. The Elephant Sanctuary You can’t visit your chosen elephant sponsee, either, but you just may be able to spot them on the EleCam, which follows the wanderings of The Elephant Sanctuary’s 20 residents around their 2,700-acre natural-habitat preserve in Tennessee. “The Girls,” as the Sanctuary’s founders affectionately call their Asian and African elephant residences, have been retired from the entertainment industry or confiscated by the USDA due to negligence. Feed an elephant for a day for $30 in your giftee’s name, and they will receive a picture, bio, certificate and one-year membership to the Sanctuary. Want more animal-themed, gift-giving options? JustGive.org is an online database of charitable organizations that provides the opportunity to donate to over 75 animal-related charities. And there’s the option to give in someone else’s name. Happy holidays! JESSICA RAE PATTON is a contributing editor at E. |
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To Call or Not to Call?The Ongoing Cell Phone Safety DebateBy Erika Alexia Tsoukanelis
In certain circles, the dispute over the safety of mobile phones—not to mention the towers that support them—is as great as the popularity of the gadgets themselves. Studies have linked heavy cell-phone usage with brain cancer and other ailments, but have been called into question by researchers who note the relationship has been proven only associative, not causal. Others insist that research must be done for 10, 20 or even 30 years before conclusive evidence is found. Groups like the World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration maintain that there’s simply not enough information to deem cell phones definitively safe or unsafe. Worry Sets In The debate received its first significant public attention in 1993 when Florida businessman David Reynard filed a lawsuit against the cell-phone industry. He believed that heavy cell-phone usage by his late wife led to the brain cancer that killed her. The suit was dismissed for lack of evidence. Although some cell-phone companies now add clauses to their service contracts that prohibit consumers from suing them, a major case against providers has yet to be won. Siding with naysayers, the University of Utah in 2008 examined nine studies with thousands of brain tumor patients and “found no overall increased risk of brain tumors among cellular phone users.” Recent inquiries in France, Den-mark, England and Nor-way concluded the same thing. Some of these studies are part of an ongoing, large-scale research project called Interphone, which involves 13 mainly European nations. Though not yet published, the Interphone studies show more worrying results. A Swedish oncologist reviewed 10 European studies done between 2001 and 2007, and noted a consistent pattern between specific brain tu-mors and long-term cell-phone use. The tumors include gliomas (brain cancers); acoustic neuromas, cancers that occurs where the brain meets the ear; and cancers of the parotid, a salivary gland near the ear. A 2008 study of 500 Israelis found a 50% increased risk of parotid cancer among habitual mobile-phone users. Finnish scientists presented research in 2007 that stated there was a “significantly in-creased” risk of brain cancer after cellular phone use of more than 10 years. Also in Finland, the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority discovered that exposing human cells to the non-ionizing radiation emitted by cell phones causes a response that normally only occurs when cells are being damaged. Safer Cell Phoning A number of researchers were alarmed enough by these findings to issue immediate warnings. Dr. George Carlo, founder of the Safe Wireless Initiative, author of Cell Phones: Invisible Hazards in the Wireless Age (Carroll & Graf Publishers) and one of the first to investigate the dangers of mobile-phone use, declares that diseases gaining strength in our wireless era include cancer, attention deficit disorder, autism, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. He asserts that we face a wide-ranging public-health crisis. More moderate in their warnings, three eminent neurosurgeons appeared on CNN’s Larry King Live in the spring of 2008 to encourage cautionary measures such as using headsets when speaking on cellular phones. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, sent a memo to 3,000 faculty and staff that encouraged them to do the same. He stated, “Although the evidence is still controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use.” He recommended all err on the side of caution, especially children, whose developing brains and thinner skulls may make them especially vulnerable to radiation’s effects. Another way to play it safe may be to keep mobile phones as far from the body as possible, protecting sensitive areas such as the eyes, testes and hips, where 80% of red blood cells are formed. Using speakerphone features and land lines helps to reduce risk, as does purchasing cell phones that emit lower radiation levels. The technology news site CNET has compiled a list of these phones online. But before consulting the list to find the latest high-tech gadget, consider donating old cell phones or recycling them for a happier, healthier planet. ERIKA ALEXIA TSOUKANELIS is a writer, editor and yoga instructor based in Woodstock, New York.
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Solar Industry Heats UpThe Technology Is Here, But Not the InvestmentBy Erica Gies Aided by rising fossil fuel prices, interest in solar power is at an all-time high. And the cost of solar cells continues to drop, thanks to greater efficiency and thinner silicon wafers that use fewer raw materials. Where once solar energy was relegated to off-grid systems, 90% of the industry was tied to the grid in 2007, according to Paula Mints, principal analyst for the PV Services Program at Navigant Consulting.
In other places, rates are 8 to 10 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), and cost parity could happen in four to eight years, according to Blunden. But cost parity doesn’t necessarily mean that solar will take off. The technology still needs significant capital investment, says Daniel Tomlinson, a senior consultant at Navigant. In Europe, higher-than-U.S. energy prices and government incentives are spurring the movement to solar. European countries have encouraged solar with feed-in tariffs, rate guarantees funded by a surcharge on public utility bills. When people build solar projects, they are guaranteed a certain payment per kWh over 20 or 25 years. Germany’s 40-euro-cent-per-kWh tariff has generated 40% of all solar installations worldwide, according to Stephen Torres, COO of DRI Energy out of Irvine, California. He says 75% of 2008 installations are in countries with feed-in tariffs. “That’s clear evidence that the feed-in tariff is working as the most attractive mechanism to incentivize [sic] solar installations in the world today,” he says. The U.S. government is slow to follow, but is beginning to give solar more serious support. In October, Congress voted to extend the federal solar investment tax credit (which was set to expire in December 2008) for another eight years, and to lift the $2,000 cap for residential rebates. States like California, New Jersey, Arizona and Florida have instituted state incentive programs for residential installations, adding thousands to rebates and elimating property taxes on systems, among other measures. The remaining U.S. incentives are at the city level, and most are not large enough to make those markets financially attractive to industry, according to many insiders. In spite of Europe’s success with feed-in tariffs, the U.S. is not expected to follow that model. U.S. regional utilities are decentralized, with pricing dependent on whether they are publicly or privately held. Utilities also have different methods of dealing with investments, owning power plants and equipment, and amortization. And homeowners with solar power are also subject to net metering, which is fundamentally different from Europe’s feed-in tariffs. Tomlinson explains: “U.S. customers can zero out their bill, but most net metering laws prevent them from collecting a credit over a period longer than one year. In the U.S., the utility will almost never cut you a check for production, whereas in Europe customers are paid for every kilowatt hour generated.” Still, there is evidence of U.S. consumer support for solar. “New solar homes in California are selling twice as fast as homes in neighboring communities without solar,” said Blunden. “That’s really important in a situation where you’ve got a down housing market.” Up-front costs—in the range of $20,000-$60,000 for residential homes—are a barrier to adoption for many people. But new companies are offering financing models. Sun Run in San Francisco owns the panels on people’s homes, allowing homeowners to pay less up front and to buy electricity at a fixed rate. MMA Renewables provides financing and solar systems for commercial customers by attracting investors looking for a tax write-off and an investment in line with their values. A company called SolarCity has a community program, in which it targets residential neighborhoods to sign up 30 to 40 homes in a three-mile radius. Working in volume and installing multiple projects at once saves 20 to 25%, according to SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive. SolarCity also has a lease-to-purchase option, where lease payments combined with new electricity bills are still lower than traditional electric bills, according to the company. Traditionally, solar cells were made with crystalline silicon. But this technology is starting to lose market share to thin-film technology, which is now being developed commercially. Crystalline still dominates, with 89% of modules sold in 2007, according to Mints, but many think thin film will grow in the years to come. There are several types of thin film, and their flexibility lends them to creative applications. They also reduce the amount of material required in a cell, which means they can be less expensive than crystalline. But many are currently less efficient as well. The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), which uses a dye as the light-absorbing material, has now been put into a thin-film coating. Innovators hope to expand DSSC to building-integrated materials, put-ting cells inside light fixtures, on window blinds and more. Depending on the technology, in addition to the solar cell, consumers must pay for the module, inverter and installation. This can be 50% of the cost for a residential system. The industry is trying to reduce these costs. Some thin-film products eliminate the frame. Torres’ company, DRI Energy, integrates labor into the sale by doing the installation. New developments can include solar for less than add-on projects. Others are going big—a large central power installation requires fewer trackers to hold up and move modules. Large-scale projects—whether a commercial space or a neighborhood installing panels simultaneously—are always more cost effective than one person going it alone.
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