SanLuisObispo.com: Environment

Asian carp within miles of Lake Michigan, tests indicate

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:11 PST

By By DAN EGAN -- The Army Corps of Engineers acknowledged Friday that tests taken earlier this fall revealed 32 positive DNA samples for Asian carp above the electric fish barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, some within about eight miles of the shoreline of Lake Michigan.

There now appears to be nothing left standing between the supersized, ecosystem-ravaging fish and the world's largest freshwater system other than the constantly swinging gates of two busy navigation locks, and it may be only a matter of time until the fish are jumping and flopping in Lake Michigan waters from Chicago to Door County - and beyond.

"It's a disaster," said Dan Thomas, president of the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council. "Heads should roll for this."

Asian carp may have breached barrier protecting Lake Michigan

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:02 PST

By By TINA LAM -- Two feared species of Asian carp have zoomed beyond the $9 million electric barriers built to keep them out of Lake Michigan. Now, the only thing left between the carp and the Great Lakes is a lock and dam in southern Chicago.

So far, the fish have managed to swim past nine other locks on their 600-mile, 16-year journey up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers to within a few miles of the Great Lakes.

No one knows exactly where the fish are now, but officials said Friday the latest DNA results don't lie: Tests at the end of September and early October showed 32 positive hits for carp DNA in the Calumet Sag Channel of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, even though no actual Asian carp have been found.

Landreth Seed Co. turns 225, launches African-American collection

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:46 PST

By By GINNY SMITH -- Six years ago, when Barbara Melera bought the venerable D. Landreth Seed Co., it had been decades since Landreths were at the helm, and the company no longer specialized in the vegetables and flowers that had built its fine reputation.

Instead, the nation's oldest seedhouse - founded by David Landreth in 1784 near 12th and High Street, now Market Street, in downtown Philadelphia - was selling mostly grass seed out of a warehouse in Baltimore.

Today, having moved the business back to Pennsylvania to bucolic New Freedom, near York, Melera has reason to celebrate. While nowhere near the powerhouse it once was, Landreth Seed Co. is celebrating its 225th birthday, an accomplishment in its own right, and officials are planning a future rooted in its beginnings.

Venezuelan envoys spark concerns

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:11 PST

By By JUAN O. TAMAYO -- A country's consuls are usually low-key diplomats who handle issues like visa applications. But under President Hugo Chavez, two Venezuelan consuls in the United States have been anything but low-profile.

One drew the FBI's attention for his close links to Puerto Rican pro-independence militants. Another sparked concerns over his ties to a Web site that has published several anti-Semitic rants.

Chavez has long been an exuberant salesman for "21st century socialism," regularly bashing the U.S. "empire" and its "lackeys," like Colombia next door and Israel farther afield. And his government has spent tens of millions of dollars selling that vision abroad.

A haven for his work; Artist uses found items, skills to create home, sculpture garden

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:01 PST

By By JACKIE LOOHAUIS-BENNETT -- MILWAUKEE - In a bark burl at the bottom of a woodpile, Paul Bobrowitz saw a mask with a wise man's face. In an old sewing machine case, he saw a handy computer printer table.

On a wooded plot of land on a back road in Colgate, Wis., he saw his dream home.

Bobrowitz, a carpenter turned sculptor, has made an artistic career out of creating something unexpected out of - well, lots of "other things."

California sets energy limits for new televisions

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:19 PST

By By JIM DOWNING -- The California Energy Commission on Wednesday approved the nation's first energy-efficiency standards for televisions.

The rules will phase in starting in 2011 and set a cap on the amount of power a TV can draw. Large sets can draw more power than small ones. All models larger than 58 inches are exempt from the regulations, though they may be covered in the future.

All televisions will have to draw less than 1 watt of "standby" power when turned off and plugged in. New televisions would be tagged with labels giving details on energy demands, as refrigerators and other appliances are.

California adopts first-in-nation rules to cut energy use by new TVs

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:23 PST

By By DANA HULL -- In a widely watched ruling that could be followed by other states, California passed first-in-the-nation energy efficiency standards for new television sets.

After two years of debate and fierce opposition from the Consumer Electronics Association, the five-member California Energy Commission unanimously voted Wednesday to require new TV sets sold in California to reduce electricity consumption 33 percent by 2011 and 49 percent by 2013.

Environmentalists and energy-efficiency experts applauded the move, noting that other states, as well as the federal government, are likely to follow California's lead.

Yes you can compost

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:44 PST

By By CONNIE NELSON -- I never used to roll my eyes when gardeners talked about their compost, describing texture and smell of their "black gold."

That was before I turned my first compost pile for the 7th time and found out that I, too, had completed compost, that I had made my own black gold.

It sounds lame to be excited about something like compost. But if you think about it, it's really cool. You put coffee grounds and leaves and rotten celery and the stems from a bouquet in a black bin. And you water, maybe. And you wait. And you get high-quality garden soil.

What about cloth diapers?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:18 PST

By By MORIEKA JOHNSON -- Q: What's the deal with cloth diapers and should I use them?

- Anonymous

A: To be honest, it's hard to imagine even the greenest new parents hand-washing dozens of diapers each day. When I asked a friend about taking the cloth diaper route, he recalled trying it with his twins for about a week before giving up. But that was a long time - and many, many diapers ago.

5 cranberry dishes for the holidays

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:18 PST

By By ROBIN SHREEVES -- Did you know that cranberries are one of the few fruits native to North America? And only five states grow the majority of cranberries in our country - Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington and New Jersey?

Cranberries also are a staple for most Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Here are five cranberry dishes that will spice up your holiday feasts:

HAZELNUT-CRANBERRY STUFFING

EarthTalk: Why do people oppose wind turbines?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:18 PST

By By E/THE ENVIRONMENTAL MAGAZINE -- Dear EarthTalk: I don't understand why many people oppose wind power just because they have to look at the turbines. If you ask me, wind turbines are much nicer-looking than coal-fired, waste-to-energy or nuclear power plants.

- Michael Hart, via e-mail

Whether it's a wind farm, a coal-fired power plant, a nuclear reactor or even just a big box store, there are always going to be locals opposed to it, declaring "not in my back yard!" (NIMBY).

Ask the Green Energy Coach: Lighting up the lumens and watts

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:18 PST

By By BILL TAUBER -- Dear Bill: I keep reading articles and hear people talk about lumens from a light bulb and watts from a light bulb. I'm told that if I buy a compact fluorescent lamp, that swirly light bulb, that I have to get the right watts or lumens. What's the difference between watts and lumens on a light bulb?

- Joan T., Bloomington, Ill.

Save the seeds: Scientists are relocating plants that may be affected by climate change

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:18 PST

By By JESSICA A. KNOBLAUCH -- As warmer temperatures threaten to devastate plant species across the globe, scientists are taking the lead by relocating plants to safer grounds, according to a recent New York Times article.

Known as "assisted migration," the practice of transplanting plants to more agreeable climates is taking hold among scientists who fear that global warming will wipe out many existing plant species.

"In 50 to 100 years, because habitats or climates are so altered, we might end up trying to move species in a restoration context, in assemblages of species," said Pati Vitt, a conservation scientist and curator of the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Furoshiki: Versatile reusable gift wrap

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:18 PST

By By SIEL JU -- My reusable Built wine bottle carrier's always gotten me compliments - while saving those rather useless little brown paper bags grocery store baggers like to put bottles in. But I just watched a video that now makes my reusable wine bag seem rather shabby.

Why buy a specific bag to carry wine bottles when furoshiki - a simple square piece of pretty cloth - can do the same thing more stylishly? Furoshiki's a type of Japanese wrapping cloth that's used to transport things - whether it's wine bottles or a bowling ball. Watch this how-to video to see just how versatile a simple piece of silk cloth can be: www.videojug.com/film/how-to-carry-groceries-with-a-square-of-cloth

With the holiday season coming up, furoshiki can be used as a gorgeous, reusable gift wrap, too - something my wine bag won't do as well. Planning on giving a green book or a box of fair trade chocolates this season? Here's another video from RecycleNow that shows how to stylishly gift wrap both of those using furoshiki: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn6zdyCAwJs

10 easy ways to green Thanksgiving

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:18 PST

By By ROBIN SHREEVES -- Adding just one of these suggestions to your holiday celebration can make a difference.

1. If you're using disposable napkins (though why not break out the "fancy" fabric napkins this year?), use ones made from recycled materials. Try Marcal Small Steps recycled dinner napkins.

2. Serve at least one local food. Root vegetables and gourds are in season right now so make your mashed potatoes, your sweet potato casserole or your pumpkin pie from a local source.