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earthsystems.org news Volume 2 Issue 34
Please, visit our site:
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FROM EARTHSYSTEMS.ORG:
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New Editorial
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Sci-fi writer Bruce Sterling examines recent events at the North Pole and oil
giant BP's new name, Beyond Petroleum.
http://earthsystems.org/editorial.html
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Issue of the Week
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We are extending last week's Issue of the Week, Water at the North Pole. If
you haven't already done so, please come and vote in our poll and discuss the
issue in the Earth Forum.
http://earthsystems.org/issues.html
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FROM ENS
http://ens.lycos.com
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WHISTLEBLOWING REPORTER WINS CASE
AGAINST FLORIDA TV STATION
TAMPA, Florida, August 28, 2000 (ENS) - A jury in Florida has ruled
that Fox TV’s Tampa station illegally fired reporter Jane Akre for
refusing to run a false report about genetically engineered bovine
growth hormone (BGH), a controversial drug used to increase milk
production. The six member jury awarded Akre $425,000, including
$88,725 for lost wages, $120,750 for lost earning capacity, and
$215,525 for other damages. The landmark decision was the first time
Florida's whistleblower law has been used to protect a journalist fired
for refusing to slant the news. In the original version of their report,
Akre and her husband and co-reporter Steve Wilson revealed the
risks of BGH, including potential links to breast cancer and other
human and animal health effects.
Testimony during the trial showed how Monsanto, the biotechnology
company that developed BGH, warned Fox of "dire consequences" if
the station went ahead and aired the critical report. In finding for
Akre, the jury ruled that she was fired for refusing to participate in
"the broadcast of a false, distorted, or slanted news report" which
violated journalistic ethics that prohibit distorting the news. "After
the FOX owned station in Tampa was threatened by Monsanto, the
direction of my story about bovine growth hormone changed
dramatically," said Akre. "There has never been any doubts in our
minds that with virtually every cut, trim and edit to this four part
series, the public interest suffered at the hands of the station's
lawyers. For me, it's past time now to get back to our daughter Alyx
Anne. She was the reason we stood up for the story in the first
place. We believe parents have the right to know how the milk they
feed to their children has been adulterated with a chemical we don't
need and many don't want."
[earthsystems.org note: Monsanto is also the leading producer of other
genetically modifed food technologies. In fact, over 85% of genetically
modified food produced in the US comes from Monsanto technologies.]
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FROM GRIST:
http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/gist
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ICE CAPADES
Global warming was top-of-the-hour news last week because of a report in the
New York Times that open water had been spotted at the North Pole for the
first time in perhaps 50 million years. Turns out the Times overstated the
development; in a costartion today and a follow-up article, the newspaper
reports that some scientists believe there have probably been clear spots at
the pole before because about 10 percent of the Arctic Ocean is clear of ice
in a typical summer. Data does show that the ice pack in the region is
shrinking in area and thickness, and that on average, temperatures in the
Arctic Ocean have risen 11 degrees over the past 30 years and are the warmest
in four centuries. But scientists are unclear whether the shifts are part of
a natural cycle or are a loud warning signal that the effects of global
warming are already upon us.
straight to the source: New York Times, 08.29.00
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/front/corrections.html
straight to the source: New York Times, John Noble Wilford, 08.29.00
http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/082900sci-pole.html
BURNING QUESTIONS
As the U.S. endures its worst forest fire season in 50 years, some enviros
and scientists are wondering whether climate change might be one of the
catalysts. "It's very difficult to say with a great degree of certainty, but
what you can say is that this summer's events are very typical of the kinds
of phenomenon we would see more of during global warming," said University of
California-Berkeley professor John Harte. The finger is also being pointed
at industrial forestry because loggers have generally taken the big, valuable
trees that are the most fire-resistant and left the small ones that burn more
readily. U.S. Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck is pushing a proposal to
reduce fire danger by cutting small trees and leaving the big ones behind, as
well as setting prescribed burns. Forest fires are also raging outside the
U.S. this summer, in Brazil, Greece, Spain, and other nations.
straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Lewis MacAdams, 08.27.00
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environ/20000827/t000080331.html
straight to the source: Planet Ark, Reuters, Randy Fabi, 08.28.00
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=7947
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle/Examiner, Associated Press, 08.26.00
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2000/08/26/international1925EDT0591.DTL
MONEY DOES GROW ON TREES
National forests are 10 times more valuable if used for recreation and to
protect wildlife and water quality than they are if used for logging, mining,
and grazing, according to a new report commissioned by the Sierra Club.
Measured by these new standards, the forests are worth $234 billion and
generate 2.9 million sustainable jobs, found the report, which was prepared
by ECONorthwest, an economic consulting firm. In contrast, logging, mining,
and grazing on national forest land are worth just $23 billion and provide
407,000 jobs. "Leaving trees standing in most cases can contribute far more
to local, state, and national economies than logging," said Ernie Niemi, a
coauthor of the report.
straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle/Examiner, Associated Press, John Hughes, 08.29.00
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2000/08/29/state0316EDT0339.DTL
BORN IN THE SIGN OF CANCER
Exposure to toxic chemicals in food, water, and air may be leading to
a dramatic surge in childhood cancers, asthma, and sudden death
syndrome in Canadian children, according to a report released earlier
this week. For example, the report by the Canadian Institute of
Child Health found that childhood cancers have increased by 25
percent in the last 25 years, and that some of the cancers, such as
acute lymphocytic leukemia and tumors of the central nervous system,
have been tied, at least in part, to exposure to environmental
contaminants. Trevor Hancock, chair of the Canadian Association of
Physicians for the Environment, writes in an opinion piece that "we
are collectively responsible for what amounts to environmental child
abuse."
straight to the source: Toronto Globe and Mail, Andre Picard, 08.22.00
http://www.globeandmail.com/gam/Health/20000822/UKIDSN.html
straight to the source: Toronto Globe and Mail, Trevor Hancock, 08.24.00
http://www.globeandmail.com/gam/Commentary/20000824/COENVIRO.html
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FROM ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE:
http://www.environmentaldefense.org/
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PLAN TO COMBAT ANTIBIOTIC OVERUSE IS TOO FEEBLE, SAY ENVIROS
Antibiotic resistance causes thousands of deaths and more than $3 billion in
extra medical expenses each year, and is a growing public health crisis.
Recently Environmental Defense and other public-interest organizations
sharply criticized a government plan to reduce antibiotic resistance, saying
it fails to call for banning the use of medically important antibiotics in
agriculture.
http://www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/filings/actionplan.html
PILOT PROGRAM IN TEXAS LURES DRIVERS TO STAY OFF THE ROAD
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Progressive Auto Insurance have
signed an agreement to measure the environmental benefits of a
"pay-as-you-drive" insurance program in Texas. Progressive's 2-year-old
program bases rates on amount of driving, and could lead to decreases in auto
use and improvements in air quality.
http://www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/NewsReleases/2000/jul/j_insurance.html
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