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Plan B Budget for Restoring the Earth - Part Three. April 17, 2007 Earth Policy Institute
To save civilization means restructuring the economy, restoring natural support systems, eradicating poverty, and stabilizing population. We have the resources to do this and the US has the resources to lead this effort. Rich countries are so rich - and the poor so poor - that a few tenths of 1% of GNP from the rich ones over the coming decades could ensure that the basic needs of health and education are met for all impoverished children. It is not possible to put a price tag on the changes needed to move our civilization onto a path that will sustain economic progress. We need to restructure the energy economy to renewable sources of energy. The funding to achieve universal primary education in the developing countries is estimated at $12 billion per year. Funding an adult literacy program based on volunteers will take $4 billion annually. Providing for basic health care in developing countries is estimated at $33 billion. The funding to provide reproductive health care and family planning services to all women in developing countries is less than $7 billion a year.

Providing the 9.5 billion condoms needed to control the spread of HIV in the developing world and Eastern Europe requires $2 billion for condoms and $1.7 billion for AIDS prevention education and condom distribution. School lunch programs to the 44 poorest countries is $6 billion. $4 billion per year would cover the cost of assistance to preschool children and pregnant women. The cost of reaching basic goals comes to $68 billion a year.

A poverty eradication effort that is not accompanied by an earth restoration effort is doomed to fail. Reforesting the earth will cost $6 billion annually. Protecting and restoring rangeland will require $9 billion, restoring fisheries will cost $13 billion, and stabilizing water tables will require $10 billion annually. Protecting biological diversity and conserving soil on cropland, account for over half of the earth restoration annual outlay, $93 billion of additional expenditures per year.

We can decide to stay with business as usual and watch our modern economy collapse, or we can move onto a path, that will sustain economic progress.
It is hard to find the words to convey the gravity of our situation and the momentous nature of the decision we are about to make. No one can argue that we do not have the resources to eradicate poverty, stabilize population, and protect the earth's natural resource base. Shifting one sixth of the world military budget to the budget would be more than adequate to move the world onto a path that would sustain progress.

This economic restructuring depends on tax restructuring, on getting the market to be ecologically honest. The benchmark of political leadership will be whether or not leaders succeed in restructuring the tax system. This is the key to stabilize climate and to make the transition to the post-petroleum world.

The challenge is to build a global society that is environmentally sustainable. rw
Karen Gaia says: I respect the Earth Policy institute, but do not share their confidence that there will be enough food to go around after all the restoration and stabilization of water tables. What is to prevent the continuous draw upon the world's resources from again depleting them? And how can this restoration be accomplished while we still rely on fossil fuels which are depleting?

U.S.: Funds for Highways Plummet As Drivers Cut Gasoline Use. July 28, 2008 The Wall Street Journal
A report shows that over the past seven months, Americans have reduced their driving by more than 40 billion miles. The cutback furthers reducing oil consumption and curbing emissions. But it means consumers are paying less in fuel taxes, which finance highway and mass-transit systems. As a result, many such projects may have to be pared down or eliminated.

Surging costs for construction materials already are straining state and local transportation budgets and make it more expensive to maintain roads, bridges and rail networks.

About 25% of bridges in the U.S. are either "functionally obsolete" or "structurally deficient."

Moreover, the pavement is rated "not acceptable" on one of every seven miles of the nation's roads. About $225 billion a year is needed to meet the country's transportation infrastructure needs. Current spending is about 40% of that level.

On top of the gasoline tax, at 18.4 cents a gallon, the states charge their own gasoline taxes, which are typically slightly above the federal rate.

The administration is expected to project a deficit of $5 billion or more in the Highway Trust Fund for next year. The trust historically has run a surplus.

A memo estimates that the states will lose about $14 billion and 380,000 jobs if Congress doesn't act soon.

The House passed a bill targeting $8 billion for highway and mass-transit projects and it has a good chance of clearing the Senate. The House designated an additional $1 billion for bridge repair.

A debate is expected next year as Congress considers a six-year transportation bill that could authorize more than $400 billion in spending.

The goal would give states flexibility to set transportation spending, while making it easier for them to tap private-sector dollars. Also it asks Congress to loosen restrictions on new tolls on interstate highways.

A big question will be what to do about the Highway Trust Fund, which pays for the promises in each transportation bill and should a greater share of transportation dollars go to other nonhighway options.

An Oregon Democrat who is leading efforts to solve the "transportation funding crisis," is hoping the presidential candidates will offer their views.

Sen. Barack Obama, proposed a $60 billion national infrastructure bank that would fund projects that could improve transportation.

With driving down, the number of people riding Amtrak has risen 11% and mass-transit systems in many areas are experiencing ridership increases of 30% or more.

Mississippi is diverting money from new road improvement projects toward simple maintenance of existing roads.

Many consumers are altering their travel patterns, forcing auto makers to overhaul their plans and straining the capacity of many transit systems. rw
Karen Gaia says: if we don't step up transportation alternatives, we are going to be caught in a transportation shortage when the demand grows again with population growth. Americans can cut back to some degree, but there will be a time in the near future when alternatives will be needed.

US Alaska: Anchorage Joins Led City Initiative to Improve Light Quality and Reduce Energy Costs. July 29, 2008 MarketWatch
Cree Inc, a leader in LED lighting, and the Municipality of Anchorage announced Anchorage's participation in an international program that promotes the deployment of energy-efficient LED lighting. The appropriation of $2.2 million will enable the city to change out roughly one-quarter of Anchorage's streetlights. New lighting technology will save energy and maintenance cost.

The continental U.S. has more than eight hours of daylight per day but in Anchorage, 85 days a year see less than eight hours of daylight.

The LED fixtures from BetaLED are expected to use 50% less energy than current streetlights, which could save the city $360,000 annually at today's energy prices. The LED fixtures typically last up to seven times longer than high-pressure sodium fixtures. rw

Earthjustice Will Sue EPA to Reduce Global Warming Pollution from Ships and Aircraft. July 31, 2008 Earthjustice
A coalition of conservation groups and state attorneys general has warned of impending lawsuits over the EPA's failure to address pollution from ships and aircraft. Eight state and local jurisdictions filed similar notices.

The coalition filed petitions to the EPA in 2007, requesting that it determine whether greenhouse gas emissions from marine vessels and aircraft endanger public health and if so, to issue regulations to control emissions from these sources.

The EPA delayed its obligations by issuing an "Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" (ANPR) that does not make a finding as to whether EPA intends to regulate greenhouse gases as the Supreme Court determined was required to do. Instead, the ANPR compiles comments from other government agencies, reviews provisions of the Clean Air Act, and raises issues regarding potential regulations. The administration is wasting time with continued foot-dragging. Global climate change is damaging our daily lives, even more rapidly than forecast.

The conservation groups also released a report that analyzes the large impacts of shipping on climate change and discusses solutions. Instead of taking action the EPA is again putting the brakes on developing innovative solutions.

Aircraft emit 12% of carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. transport sources and 3% of the US total emissions. Aircraft also emit nitrogen oxides, which contribute to the formation of ozone. Emissions of NOX at high altitudes result in greater concentrations of ozone than ground-level emissions. Aircraft also emit water vapor which forms condensation trails. The persistent formation of contrails is associated with increased cirrus cloud cover, which warms the Earth's surface.

The effects of ozone, contrail and aviation-induced cloud cover is likely to triple the warming effect of aircraft-emitted CO2 alone. If these estimates are correct aviation may be responsible for between 6% and 10% of the human impact on climate by the year 2050.

According to the FAA emissions from US domestic aircraft are expected to increase 60% by 2025. The US has failed to address these emissions.

The global fleet of marine vessels releases almost 3% of the world's carbon dioxide. Marine vessels release carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and soot.

Emissions from ships are not currently regulated. Global shipping has increased by 3% per year for the last three decades and this growth is projected to increase. Shipping pollution will potentially double from 2002 levels by 2020. rw

McCain Touts His Nuclear Plans at Reactor Site. August 06, 2008 Los Angeles Times
John McCain supports nuclear power, which he argues must be part of America's energy future.

He toured the Fermi 2 nuclear power plant, a 1,100-megawatt boiling water reactor on the shores of Lake Erie.

A nearby reactor was decommissioned in 1975 after a partial fuel meltdown that caused no injuries.

But soaring prices have pushed energy to the top of voters' concerns, and the Arizona senator has focused his campaign efforts at highlighting his policies -- and criticizing Barack Obama.

Sen. Obama has said that expanding our nuclear power plants doesn't make sense for America. He also says no to nuclear storage and no to nuclear processing. "I could not disagree more." said McCain.

Obama's campaign spokesman Bill Burton said Obama "supports safe and secure nuclear energy. . . . However, before an expansion of nuclear power is considered, Obama thinks key issues must be addressed, including: security of nuclear fuel and waste, waste storage, and proliferation."

McCain supports entombing spent fuel at Yucca Mountain, in the Nevada desert, while Obama opposes using the mountain facility.

McCain also has called for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, as is widely done in France and other countries. Obama says experts must first solve safety and security concerns.

The Energy Department on Tuesday released a report that concluded it would cost $96.2 billion to research, build and operate Yucca Mountain until it closes in 2133, a 38% increase from a 2001 estimate. Part of that increase is based on a projection that it would need to store 30% more nuclear waste, requiring a major expansion of the planned facility.

In his remarks to reporters, McCain again pledged to build 45 new nuclear plants by 2030, a sharp increase over the nation's 104 operating commercial reactors.

McCain has not explained how he would achieve that goal. Although the federal government already provides generous tax incentives and loan guarantees, no utility has begun construction on a new nuclear plant since the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster in western Pennsylvania in 1979 led to more federal regulations and local opposition.

Polls show the anti-nuclear fervor of the 1980s and 1990s has cooled considerably. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has received 10 new license applications since September 2007, and officials said they expected to have 18 by the end of the year.

Detroit Edison, the owner and operator here, has made tentative plans to construct a third reactor nearby. But licensing and construction of a new nuclear power plant "could take as many as 11 years to complete."

A reporter asked McCain how he would build the new plants in only 22 years. "It can take five years to build a nuclear power plant. You can ask our folks here." rw

Environmentalists Are Failing Sustainability 101. 2007 ElyNews
The fact that China and the USA together are responsible for half of the increasing atmospheric carbon is partially a result of the large population increases engendered by these high fertilities.

Unfortunately, fertility is a forgotten player in today's agenda being advocated in so many countries, including our own. If your environmental guru is a global warming guide from Al Gore, Sierra Club, NRDC, Union of Concerned Scientists, Environmental Defense, Outside Magazine's Green Issue, Time Magazine's Global Warming Survival Guide, or indeed the entire mainstream U.S. environmental movement, then you will find that the number of children a couple has is not a component of anybody's sustainability equations.

This omission introduces dramatic errors into a major new international poll.
A total of 14,000 people in 14 countries were queried to determine their environmental footprint and "to promote environmentally sustainable consumption". The survey was constructed with the help of 27 experts. National Geographic intends to repeat it year after year to determine how the world and how each country are faring.

It is important that the survey be error-free.

After I answered the questions, the website calculated my "Greendex" score. The higher the score, the smaller is one's environmental impact. The last of the 12 questions asked about the number of adults (18 and older) and children (younger than 18,in my household. My wife and I have no children, so I put "two" for the number of adults and "zero" for the number of children.

Out of curiosity, I increased the number of children first to "one", then to "two" up to "six", but leaving other answers exactly the same. Surely a couple who has, say, 4 non-adopted children, has a much larger environmental impact than a couple who has none.

Imagine my surprise, when my Greendex score went up substantially as the number of children living with my wife and me increased. When applied to the 14 countries surveyed, a country like India is rewarded for its high fertility of about 2.8 children per woman, while a country like Japan is penalized for its low fertility of about 1.2 children per woman. Taking this formula to its logical and absurd conclusion, the best environmentalist would be one who produced dozens of children over his/her lifetime.

Ultimately, the fault must be attributed to the U.S. environmental movement that, for decades, has abrogated its responsibility to address in a politically meaningful way the environmental harm caused by population growth. As mentioned above, one could never tell from anyone's list of "50 simple things you can do to save the Earth", that arguably the environmentally most important life decision a couple can make is to limit their number of non-adopted children to two, at most. rw
Karen Gaia says: while this article is accurate in most points, it is not true that the Sierra Club does nothing about U.S. population growth. It is sad that this former member of the Sierra Club Board of Directors should make this claim.

U.S.: Contraception Treated Like Abortion. August 16, 2008 MoveOn.org
The Bush Administration is trying to include birth control with abortion. This could wipe out dozens of state laws that protect women's reproductive freedom and protect rape victims. It's being pushed as a "rule change" that doesn't need congressional approval.

The best way to beat this proposal is to show Secretary Leavitt public outrage which is why we're launching this petition jointly with Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

The draft regulation would define birth control as abortion and could deny access to critical family planning for women across the country.

The draft rule could void laws in 27 states that require insurance companies to provide birth control coverage for women requesting it laws in 14 states requiring that rape victims receive counseling and access to emergency, day-after contraceptives.

The birth control pill, the IUD, and emergency contraception might all become illegal.

Click on the link to help. rw

Is Growth Over? California's Continuing Water Crisis May Mean the End of the State as We Have Known It. July 20, 2008 Los Angeles Times
Arnold Schwarzenegger's order certifying that California is in a drought and directing state agencies to think what to do about it is only the latest sign that a way of life built on available water is coming to a close. The continuing water crisis raises the question of whether we are approaching the limits of growth in California.

California's economy and population exploded, fueled in large part by abundant water supplies. Snowmelt which historically has filled the state's major reservoirs has been shrinking steadily. California's rights to Colorado River water have been scaled back. Court orders aimed at protecting endangered fish have slashed water deliveries from the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta. Reduced rainfall has made it difficult to replenish groundwater basins.

Now, the situation is that the water agencies are beginning to give the public a taste of what lies ahead.

The largest water agency in the region and the principal supplier to the cities announced a 30% reduction in deliveries to agricultural customers. The agency adopted a plan that could result in similar cutbacks to urban consumers and rate hikes of up to 20%. Such steps alone will probably not make enough of a difference to avert a water-supply crisis. There is a finite amount of water in Southern California, and it has not increased since 1990. Major sectors of the state's economy such as agriculture and real estate development will soon face unimagined restrictions.

Environmental groups contending that many water-use practices violate the state's constitutional mandate that water be put to beneficial use to the maximum possible extent and that waste or unreasonable use be prevented.They object to pumping water from the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta to irrigate cotton and alfalfa, as well as lawns. These environmentalists plan to petition to permanently reduce Delta pumping that would affect every aspect of water use.

State laws require water agencies to document sufficient long-term supplies to support large developments. The Eastern Municipal Water District, the largest water agency in Riverside County, recently delayed approval of a huge industrial development because it couldn't guarantee water supplies. The state Supreme Court overturned approval of a major new planned community in the Sacramento area because the project's environmental impact report did not adequately address long-term water supplies.

Don't expect new homes to be built along a new golf course or the shores of a man-made lake. The appliances in the new homes will be low-flow, and the pavement outside permeable to help replenish groundwater. The Legislature is considering a requirement that all urban water agencies reduce their consumption by 20% within 12 years.

Agriculture is also feeling the sting of dwindling water supplies. Agencies throughout the state are pressing farmers to cut their water consumption by not growing water-intensive crops, investing in more efficient irrigation systems and even taking land out of agricultural use altogether.

Yet it is unrealistic to expect that California's population will stop growing.
The current shortage of water is largely the product of global warming. The easiest way to increase water supplies is conservation.

California is approaching the limits of growth. Those areas with limited local water supplies already are off-limits for development, and big users of water, such as agriculture, are cutting back. rw
Ralph says: Natures resources are limited and it is time we limited the number of people using them.

Why Botswana's Children Are Dying. June 26, 2007 Guardian (London)
Botswana is unlikely to achieve the UN's fourth Millennium Development Goal of decreasing child mortality rates by two-thirds by 2015.

A 2001 report indicates that in 1991, infant mortality stood at 48 deaths per 1,000 live births. This increased to 56 per 1,000 live births by 2001. Over the same period, under-five mortality increased from 63 to 74 deaths per 1,000 live births.

The figures for the under-five mortality rate rose from 58 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 116 in 2004. The high prevalence of HIV/Aids is one of the factors. The link is being made between child mortality and the status of women. Women who bear the burden of child care are able to feed their children if they live in households with relatively high and stable incomes.

Socio-economic status determines the choice in diets. Children from low-income households are sometimes forced to skip meals because there is not enough food in the house.

At the current pace, it may be possible for Botswana to achieve the goal of reducing the mortality rate of children under five by two-thirds by 2015.

The infant mortality rate is influenced by by poverty, malnutrition and female literacy. Women's lack of access to decision-making, employment, finance and education is at the root of infant mortality. Poor nutrition in girls, early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy all have consequences for these young mothers.

Educated and empowered women are more likely to marry at an older age and to seek neonatal and postnatal care, all of which are crucial in reducing child and maternal mortality.

On a continent where large numbers of women still live in rural areas and have limited access to health clinics or hospitals, community partnerships can be the most immediate means to better health.

The important social status of traditional birthing assistants, or midwives, should be harnessed. Training of these professionals can provide rural women with safe pregnancies and deliveries, as well as access to family planning information and services. rw

Children's Parliament Advocate Family Planning in Nigeria. June 26, 2007 People Daily
The Children's Parliament of Nigeria has advised parents to adopt family planning, to have the number of children they can care for. According to the parliament, adopting family planning by parents reduce the menace of child trafficking. A lot of parents bear too many children they cannot cater for, and this has often led to poverty, which makes them traffic their children for money.

Child trafficking was a violation of children's rights and a setback for the development of Nigeria.

The parliament also called for the proper training of security personnel to enable them to protect children from the menace of child trafficking.

It urged governments to provide job opportunities for people at the grass roots to tackle the problem of poverty.

It also called for the registration of orphanages and motherless babies' homes. The Children's Parliament of Nigeria is a nonpolitical and nonreligious children organization.

The theme for this year's celebration is "combat child trafficking."

The Day set aside by the African Union (AU), is observed annually across Africa in remembrance of the massacre of innocent children in Soweto, at the height of racist apartheid regime.

Hundreds of young boys and girls were shot. rw

U.S.: Two Words: Bad Plastic. July 31, 2007 Salon Magazine
The American Chemistry Council tells us that bisphenol A makes our lives "healthier and safer, each and every day." But accumulating research indicates it may be adversely affecting women's ability to have children and children's reproductive health. Recent studies link bisphenol A to obesity, breast and prostate cancer, and neurological disorders.

Bisphenol A is a building block of the plastics used in products ranging from baby bottles to coffee makers. Everyone is exposed to it.

Bisphenol A is at the center of a controversy challenging established methods of determining chemical safety.

Legislators in several states have introduced bills that would restrict sale of infants' and children's products containing bisphenol A. San Francisco adopted a law that would ban the sale of baby products with bisphenol A. However, in the wake of a review by the city's health and environmental departments, the city repealed the ban.

Between 1980 and 2000, U.S. production of bisphenol A grew nearly five times.

Te Centers for Disease Control has found bisphenol A in 95% of tested Americans at or above levels that have caused abnormalities in animals.

Bisphenol A can interfere with hormone function. Endocrine disrupters interact in specific ways with the genetic receptors that determine a number of vital bodily mechanisms. In the case of bisphenol A, these apparently include egg cell, reproductive organ, and fat cell development. Its most profound effects appear to take place prenatally and in the early stages after birth.

Bisphenol A produces its adverse effects in "phenomenally small amounts," that are below those the FDA considers safe for daily human consumption.

In 1998, molecular biologist Patricia Hunt and colleagues at Case Western Reserve University were investigating chromosomal changes that occur in egg cells as animals age. One day, researchers discovered the contamination that was causing problems came from bisphenol A released by degrading plastic in the mouse cages.

Low doses of bisphenol A can produce adverse impacts while high doses may not. Low levels of exposure during fetal development can cause lasting changes in reproductive and metabolic development. These changes to the fetus are permanent and irreversible. rw

U.S.: Bloomberg: Good Environment Means Good Economy. April 08, 2008 Georgetown University News
Going green could actually have a positive effect on the economy, New York Mayor Bloomberg said as he opened the second Newsweek Global Environment Leadership Conference. Going green helps the bottom line by reducing energy consumption and lowering energy costs. It's also a plus in recruiting and retaining top employees. There is a demand for this. People make decisions about what they want to put into their bodies. So, they start thinking organically. Bloomberg shared the eco-friendly initiatives he's been able to put in place in New York.

His PlaNYC initiative was established to make economic growth coincide with the predicted New York population growth to 9 million by 2030.

"The growth we're forecasting will produce three-quarters of a million new jobs and billions of dollars worth of new economic activity," he said. In addition to infrastructure changes, Bloomberg said the affordable housing program would have to be broadened substantially. He estimated that 1 million new trees would have to be planted throughout the city.

PlaNYC also looks at the expansion of mass transit. In December, the city broke ground for a project that would extend subway service from Times Square to Manhattan's Far West Side. But Bloomberg said it doesn't go far enough. We've identified $50 billion worth of essential transit projects for our growing city and region. But we need a way to finance them.

The congestion pricing bill would have charged motorists an $8 entrance fee into lower Manhattan on weekdays in an effort to decrease traffic pollution and raise money marked for mass transit expansion.

Bloomberg warned that there are four basic environmental problems that the United States quickly needs to address. Energy research and development should be stepped up dramatically; subsidization should be stopped for corn-based ethanol, which is contributing to the sticker shock in supermarkets; Detroit automakers need to get more serious about building energy-efficient cars and trucks and carbon emissions should be treated as a cost of doing business.

It will demand courage from our elected officials. Without Hurricane Katrina and films such as An Inconvenient Truth, Beach said the Newsweek conference probably would not have taken place. rw
Karen Gaia says: no mention in this article of population growth and how the growing demand for resources and growing pollution needing mitigation might wipe out any gains made by economic growth.

MDGs -Africa's Progress Linked to Growth, Environment. April 12, 2008 Africa News Service
A World Bank report warns that most countries in Africa will fall short on meeting their Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

There has been strong growth in many countries, but in Sub-Saharan Africa, there could yet be progress in poverty reduction, the region is likely to fall short of halving extreme poverty by 2015.

The report emphasizes that high commodity prices could complicate prospects in the region. Rising food and fuel prices lower the income causing poor people to eat less food, or cheaper, less nutritious food - a risk in poor countries such as Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Zambia, which already have high under-five malnutrition and mortality rates.

There is a reduction in the HIV prevalence rates in many countries, a steady increase in primary school enrollment, and an increase in measles vaccination from 50% in 1992 to 71% in 2006. The report calls for a redoubling of efforts in these and other areas to multiply successes in the region. Donors will need to deliver more quickly on aid commitments made at international summits.

Reducing hunger and malnutrition has a 'multiplier' effect, contributing to success in other MDGs.

Action on climate change may worsen food insecurity. Diseases like malaria and diarrhea are linked to environmental factors and climate change.

A key concern is the ability of countries to meet targets for managing natural resources and controlling pollution. If a nation cannot provide clean drinking water and sanitation for the majority of its citizens, it will fail to meet most of the MDGs.

To achieve the goals, a six-point agenda prioritizes strong, inclusive growth; more effective aid; a successful outcome of trade talks; more emphasis on strengthening programs in health, education and nutrition; and support for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are off track to halve poverty and hunger by 2015, but Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda are making progress to achieving the MDGs.

Ethiopia's poverty count as of 2005 was 39%; in 2004, Zambia's was 68% and Sierra Leone 70%.

Africa's economic growth has risen from 2.1% in the 1990s to an average 5.6% in 2003-07. Challenges are greatest in about 20 countries with low or negative growth, and include security, private sector growth opportunities, and building basic government capacity to put international aid to good use.

Aid to Africa has risen in the form of debt relief. Overall aid climbed to over $40 billion in 2006, an increase of $6.9 billion over 2005 levels and $12.4 billion over 2004. Some countries have made progress in strategies for implementation. Good candidates for scaled-up aid include Burkina Faso, Ghana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania. Mali could use a moderate increase.

Ten of the 11 countries with under-five mortality rates over 200 per 1,000 are in Sub-Saharan Africa, Angola and Sierra Leone. Only 2 of the 33 fragile states are on track to reduce under-five mortality by two-thirds by 2015.

Malnutrition reduces school achievement and results in inferior abilities that persist through life. In rural Zimbabwe, childhood nutritional deficits due to civil war in the late 1970s and drought in 1982-84 led to an estimated 14% reduction in learning.

In the region in 2006, only 45% births were attended by skilled personnel - an increase of 1% since 1992.

Those living with HIV have declined by 1% since 2000.

18 of 37 countries are not on track to achieve gender parity in education.

80% of the countries show poor progress on improved sanitation and 44% of the population lacks access to clean water.

In 2007, flows from multilateral development banks crossed $12 billion. Africa received 44% of these flows in 2007, up from 37% in 2000. rw

Africa: The Population Emergency. January 19, 2008 Centre Population et Developpement (CEPED)
The report of a demographic study was published recently, the work performed by a joint team from the IRD and academics from Belgium, Cameroon, France and the Ivory Coast. They examined the population trends in Sub-Saharan Africa and the relationships between these and the development of the region. This review demolished some accepted ideas, in particular that Sub-Saharan Africa is underpopulated.

Today, 2 of 3 inhabitants are under 25 and, with 32 inhabitants per km2, Sub-Saharan Africa is more densely populated than Latin America (28 inhabitants/km2). Two-thirds still live in rural areas, but migration to the towns and cities is under way. In 1960, only Johannesburg had a population of over one million; Africa now has 40 of them.

At the present rate of rural exodus, half of Sub-Saharan Africa's population would be urban dwellers by 2030. This should be met by investments in wastewater drainage and treatment and refuse reprocessing, whose management threatens to become more and more problematic. Intra-regional migration is disrupted by the conflicts and crises affecting several host countries.

The possibilities for emigration to industrialized countries are increasingly subject to control. The risks of population decrease linked to AIDS appear to be receding, due to more effective prevention campaigns and improved access to health care. The latest assessments brought the proportion of the African population infected by HIV to about 5%. No country will see its population decrease owing to the AIDS epidemic.

Fecundity is two to three times higher than the rest of the world, as four out of five African women live in countries where there is little access to contraception. Less than 20% of women use contraception, as against 60% or more in Latin America and Asia. The use of contraception is progressing very slowly, yet the control by women over their fecundity remains the essential lever by which Sub-Saharan Africa might achieve its demographic transition.

The overall trend points towards a stabilization of world population, with Africa continuing on a substantial rise. The area is behind in the development process. In 2004 only six countries out of 48 obtained a growth rate equal to or greater than 7%, the threshold essential for halving of poverty between now and 2015.

This population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is a major handicap to economic and social development. If the African nations want to take up the challenge of demographic transition and reduction of poverty, development policies must be completely rethought. It is by the implementation of policies education, prevention of mortality, equitable access to health care and to family planning that bring advances and improved living standards. This makes it imperative to place the population question at the core of their development policies. rw

Congo, Democratic Republic of the: Gorillas, Guns and Blogs. March 25, 2008 Environmental Graffiti
Rangers on patrol were ambushed by the Mai Mai rebels, and one of them was killed. These rangers have dedicated their lives to the protection of DR Congo's Mountain Gorillas. Their relationship to these peaceful creatures is no different from any mother to her children. Until the recent resurgence of fighting in Eastern Congo, the rangers would venture out every day to track the gorillas and mark their observations.

When the rebel leader refused to disarm his soldiers, violence broke throughout the region preventing any monitoring of the Gorilla Sector. Only 700 of this endangered species remain.

More than 370,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in eastern DR Congo, and thousands more were trying to escape outbreaks of violence. The ranger named Innocent has been protecting gorillas for over 10 years and has witnessed 100 fellow rangers brutally murdered my militant factions.

Wildlife Direct was established to provide support to conservationists via the use of blogs. This year alone, approximately half a million dollars has been raised through the Gorilla Protection blog. The money goes directly to the recipients, with no administration fee.

The human population is in dire straits as a result of attacks and unbelievable acts of human atrocities. Hundreds of thousands of people are again on the move, many hundreds have been killed, more still have been injured, children conscripted into the armies and women raped and brutalized.

Most of the long term damage is a result of the long duration of these wars. The devastation is caused in part by the war, in part because the human population is displaced, hungry, afraid and desperate.

In 23 nations, the total cost of Africa's 20 or more wars in recent decades have robbed the continent of $300 billion a year.

The war in eastern Congo has prevented any tourism. These gorillas represent economic value to the Congo. Tourism could generate 21 million dollars per year for the Wildlife Authority from visitation to 15 groups of mountain gorillas alone. Rwanda is doing brisk gorilla tourism business. It's driven by the mountain gorillas which remain, the main attraction. The industry is so important that gorillas have become a national icon.

Mountain gorillas are confined to four national parks, separated into two forest blocks no more than 45 kilometers apart and comprising approximately 590 sq km of medium altitude forest.

One population of mountain gorillas inhabits the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. A census in 2002 recorded 310-315 here. The second population is in the habitat shared by Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Uganda), Volcano National Park (Rwanda) and Virunga National Park -Southern Sector (DRC). The Virunga population numbers at least 358 and has grown by 11% in the past 12 years. However, few months ago, the slaughter of 7 gorillas was a wake up call.

The challenges to conservation in the Virungas are some of the hardest in the world. In addition to armed militias, poachers, charcoal traders and illegal land invasions, the primary threat to mountain gorillas comes from forest clearance as the region's growing human population struggles to eke out a living.

The charcoal trade is major industry in Virunga National Park, $30 million a year, and many individual, communities, military, and even some rangers become corrupt. Those at the Congolese wildlife agency were suspected of being involved. Gorillas were killed as act of sabotage to discredit conservation in the park.

Blogging about protecting gorillas has been critical for the rangers in Virunga. After years of working in isolation, the guardians can communicate with supporters all over the world. This has led to an increased global awareness of the threats facing the gorillas. rw

Australia: What Kind of Future Will Our Kids Inherit?. March 11, 2008 Sunshine Coast Daily
Respondents to the Sunshine Coast Daily's recent survey expressed concern about the rate of growth and the impact on their quality of life.

A study pointing out the appropriate population distribution for Australia, including impacts of climate change and peak oil, must now become a priority.

There is no escaping the limits of the world's resources. The laws of physics trump the laws of economics every time.

Global demands on natural systems exceeded their sustainable yield by an estimated 25%.

With some exceptions, policy makers have allowed sustainability to be an environmental issue away economic development.

Yet we have drawn upon the Earth's non-renewable resources as if they were limitless, and create an economy that demands cheap energy to sustain the movement of food and goods and water and people in ever greater numbers.

Queensland government Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation Andrew McNamara called for the building of a new economy powered by renewable energy, backed by a transport system, and that uses and re-uses everything.

And he warned of the dangers of exponential population growth. "The rampaging monster loose upon the land is over-population. In its presence, sustainability is but a fragile theoretical construct."

Let's throw away the notion that Australia is an empty space waiting to be filled up. Our rivers, our soils, our vegetation won't allow that to happen without an enormous cost to those who come after us.

The conservation of soil, forests, stream flows and natural biological is one of the most important and urgent tasks which faces us today. rw

U.S.: The Environment...Are We Doing All We Can?. June 19, 2008 Business Wire
According to the Harris Poll of 2,602 U.S. adults:

72% believe their personal actions are significant on the environment while 22% believe their actions are not significant; Women are more likely than men - 77% to 67% - to believe that their actions are significant, 35% of women believe their actions are very significant on the environment, 21% of men believe the same;

Republicans are less likely, 63% vs. 78%, for Democrats and 77% for Independents. More than half of U.S. adults have made changes that they believe will help sustain the environment. Independents 63%, Democrats 57% and Republicans 44%, while 58% say they have not heard the phrase "environmental sustainability", 42% have heard it;

* Just under half of those aged 18-43 have heard the phrase, while 30% aged 63 and older have heard it used.

Just under half of those with a high school education or less (46%) have changed their lifestyle compared to two-thirds (65%) of those with a post graduate degree.

What Lifestyle Changes are People Making?

* Almost everyone who has made a change to their lifestyle is recycling (91%);
* Seventy-three percent are paying bills online and/or receiving paperless statements;
* Just about half (49%) are buying more locally produced food and/or goods;
* Many are buying green household products (47%) and installing resource friendly appliances (46%);
* Some are no longer purchasing plastic water bottles (30%), commuting to work in ways other than by car (16%), carpooling (16%), changing light bulbs (4%) and buying a hybrid (3%).

But not everyone is doing something to change their lifestyle. The top reason cited by one-third (34%) of those who have not changed their lifestyle is that they do not know what to do. Three in ten (29%) say that they haven't changed their lifestyle as it won't make any difference, followed by 22% who say they just tend to forget until afterwards to do something differently. One in five (19%) have not done anything as it is too expensive while one in ten (10%) say they don't have the time.

"This poll shows that green living is certainly at the forefront of our minds," said Stephanie Meeks, acting president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy, which advised Harris Interactive on the development of this latest poll. "Yet people are getting lost in the maze of information on how to lessen our environmental impact. The bottom line is that even the smallest lifestyle change can have significant impact in the long-run."

So What Does it All Mean for Our Future?

Thinking about the future and the possibility of living a sustainable life, two-thirds of Americans (67%) say it will be possible for people to actually live an environmentally sustainable life, while 22% say it will not be possible. One thing to note is that just one in five (20%) say it definitely will be possible while almost half (47%) believe it probably will be possible. And while 64% of those with a high school degree or less say it will be possible, more adults (78%) with a post graduate degree believe the same.

Regina Corso, Director of The Harris Poll, said, "In the end, the environment and sustainable living are issues that will not be going away anytime soon. As we move into the November presidential election, it will be interesting to see how much of an impact, if any, the environment has on the campaign. And how this impacts the tone of the election may be a sign as to how it would influence either a McCain or Obama White House." rw

U.S.: To Ease Gas Prices, Obama Eyes Speculators. June 23, 2008 New York Times*
Senator Obama proposed tightening the regulation of oil speculators to ease high gasoline prices. He proposed closing a legal provision requested by Enron that exempts crucial energy commodities from government oversight. He also proposed preventing traders of American crude oil from routing transactions through offshore markets to evade American limits and he called on the Government to investigate market manipulation and oil futures.

How large a role investment plays in pushing up commodity prices is not clear.

While some analysts believe that large flows of money into largely unregulated exchanges have distorted markets and pushed up prices, most energy experts see no support for that theory. They point out that traditional market forces, like growing demand from emerging countries, and limited growth in oil supplies, can easily account for the increase in prices.

As news emerged that Saudi Arabia planned a production increase, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, welcomed the Saudi move but said that it would dampen prices only "a little bit."

Obama supporters assailed Mr. McCain for saying that he now favors allowing coastal oil drilling by states that want it.

McCain supporters said that opening up offshore drilling would signal that betting on future high prices is risky.

Mr. Obama received support from former Bill Clinton who predicted Congress would pass a cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions. rw
Karen Gaia says: it is a fact that there is a growing demand from emerging countries, and limited growth in oil supplies. These two alone would easily account for the increase in prices. We need to educate Obama.

New Zealand: Protecting Our Ocean Resources. June 26, 2008 Scoop.co.nz
From New Zealand's State of the Environment Report, Environment 07 -
Environmental indicators are a valuable tool as part of our work towards carbon neutrality and a sustainable New Zealand. Environment 07 measures the impact of transport, energy, waste, and our consumption on the environment.
New Zealand research, based on a survey of 1000 people, found that the most popular sustainable actions New Zealanders are taking included recycling 92% and composting 54%. The least popular actions were transport and water use.

The government is advancing new proposals including:
The creation of a waste levy to to encourage recycling; regulation including recognition of existing industry sponsored schemes; funding public recycling stations under the brand name "Love New Zealand".

The provisions for product stewardship aim to get businesses to create their own solutions to protect the environment. The public sector programme is aimed at government agencies sharing their knowledge and experience. Antarctica New Zealand reported a 24% reduction in water consumption at Scott Base and Inland Revenue reported savings of $100,000 per annum through their energy monitoring programme. The Ministry of research, Science and Technology reported a 79% reduction in their waste sent to landfill.

The Carbon Neutral Public Service programme is designed to be useful for the private and non government sectors seeking to reduce their carbon footprints.

It was a huge achievement to have calculated the carbon footprint of the core public service, equivalent to 159,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2006/07.

Six agencies have a target of carbon neutrality by 2012 and are doing well. The government is developing an online database to provide guidance on the eco-labels and eco-standards that are in use in New Zealand.

An important part of sustainability includes managing our water resource.

The proportion of the population receiving drinking water that complies with guidelines has increased significantly, and pollution from point source discharges has decreased due to improved management.

The National Environmental Standard for Sources of Human Drinking Water has just come into force, and will contribute to keeping pollution out of our water supplies, rather than just relying on treatment at a later stage.

In the Exclusive Economic Zone, the EEZ, will encourage investment in sustainable offshore activities. rw

Citing Need for Assessments, U.S. Freezes Solar Energy Projects. June 27, 2008 New York Times*
The federal government has placed a moratorium on new solar projects on public land until it studies their environmental impact. The Bureau of Land Management says an environmental study is needed to determine how large solar plants might affect millions of acres it oversees. The decision to freeze new solar proposals temporarily has caused widespread concern in the alternative-energy industry. Federally administered land in the West is ideal for solar energy, particularly in Arizona, Nevada and Southern California. Solar companies have filed more than 130 proposals since 2005. They center on the desires to lease public land to build solar plants and then sell the energy to utilities.

The applications, which cover more than one million acres, are for projects that have the potential to power more than 20 million homes.

All involve two types of solar plants, concentrating solar plants use mirrors to direct sunlight toward a synthetic fluid, which powers a steam turbine that produces electricity. Photovoltaic plants use solar panels to convert sunlight into electric energy.

Photovoltaic solar projects grew by 48% in 2007. Eleven concentrating solar plants are operational in the US and 20 are in planning or permitting, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

The manager of the Bureau of Land Management's environmental impact study said that many factors must be considered when deciding on the scale being proposed, among them the impact of construction and transmission lines on native vegetation and wildlife.

Water use can be a factor as well, especially in the parched areas where virtually all of the proposed plants would be built. Concentrating solar plants may require water to condense the steam used to power the turbine.

These plants potentially have a 20- to 30-year life span. How to restore that land is a big question.

Officials emphasized they will continue processing the more than 130 applications received before May 29. Many believe that the freeze is unwarranted. Some say small solar energy businesses could suffer if they are forced to turn to more expensive private land for development.

The industry is concerned over the fate of federal solar investment tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year unless Congress renews them. This is a very young industry, and the majority of us that are involved are young, struggling, hungry companies. This is a setback. rw

U.S.: Immigration, Population and Politics. June 29, 2008 Sacramento Bee
California had about 27 million residents when Californians for Population Stabilization (CAPS) was formed in 1986 to raise alarms about the impacts of continued population growth. California now has about 38 million residents. If California continues to grow, it faces environmental degradation.

Many of the problems facing California today have one root cause: too many people. As California's population grows by a half-million or more each year, virtually all of that growth stems from immigration, legal and illegal.

Population growth, creates the demand for more housing, more water, more schools, more highways � more of everything and that puts pressure on the environment.

Overpopulation driven by unsustainable levels of immigration is bringing on more traffic congestion, escalating energy prices, overcrowding of our beaches, parks and recreational areas, and increasing demands on our limited water supply.

That said, while the low- or no-growth policies might lessen the environmental issues, they would also create new and difficult economic and social problems.

Shortages of trained workers are looming in California. Low-growth countries such as Japan are already feeling that pinch.

Without ever-expanding, tax-generating construction, employment and retail sales, state and local governments would be compelled to raise taxes on an aging population with fixed incomes.

Changes of political policy often produce unintended consequences. rw
Karen Gaia says: add more workers to solve the aging population problem and you will have those workers becoming aged themselves one day. Who will take care of them? It is an insane pyramid scheme to keep growing the population to take care of the aged. Regarding immigration contributing to growth, most of California's growth is due to births, many of which are unintended and can be prevented - regardless of whether or not the parents are native born. There are many legislative measures that affect California's fertility. Let us work on them!!!

US Montana: Supreme Court Won't Hear W.r. Grace Appeals . June 24, 2008 The Missoulian
A Supreme Court decision has potentially cleared the way for a court date for the criminal trial of W.R. Grace & Co.. It rejected the appeals of W.R. Grace and six of its top executives, who are charged with releasing asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from a mine in Libby.

Appeals by Grace and its executives stems from a February 2005 indictment, which alleges the chemical company knowingly endangered the lives of mine workers and other Libby residents. Asbestos-related disease has killed an estimated 300 to 400 miners at W.R. Grace's now-closed vermiculite mine, their families and others, while hundreds more suffer from fatal illnesses.

This decision strips Grace of its final chance at blunting the government's case.

The Supreme Court's refusal to hear the case means there is nowhere else for Grace to appeal. The judge has made clear his desire to bring the case to trial as quickly as possible. Grace argued that the U.S. EPA definition of asbestos doesn't cover most of the fibers that contaminated the vermiculite in Libby. After exhausting their appeal to the 9th Circuit, lawyers for Grace asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review and reverse the rulings.

Government prosecutors successfully opposed those efforts. There is a need to prevent any unnecessary delay some witnesses and many victims ... are dying from mesothelioma, asbestosis and other asbestos-related diseases. Molloy's 2006 stymied the government's plans to bring charges of "knowing endangerment," a violation of the federal Clean Air Act. Molloy held that those charges were time-barred.

Prosecutors argued that the "knowing endangerment" charges lie at the heart of allegations that top Grace executives intentionally concealed the dangers. Grace agreed to pay $3 billion to those sickened or killed because of its actions in Libby, and agreed to pay the U.S. government $250 million to reimburse its investigation and cleanup of asbestos poisoning in Libby. rw
Karen Gaia says: as population increases, so does the search for resources, often necessitating exploring materials with hazards that are unknown. In my town, schools and houses sometimes are being built on asbestos-laden soil, the type of asbestos with fibers too small to be measured by standard EPA equipment, and with dangers to health still undetermined, but likely very dangerous.

US Florida: Deal Could Restore the Everglades. June 25, 2008 Los Angeles Times
The buyout of U.S. Sugar's lands between Lake Okeechobee and the protected territory should allow the land to revert to marshes and waterways soon after sugar operations cease.

U.S. Sugar will continue to lease the land for the next six years to fulfill commitments. A recent federal court ruling faulted the company's practice of pumping dirty water back into Lake Okeechobee.

The deal had been quietly in the works for the last seven months. Negotiations on the price should be concluded within 75 days. The agreement was praised as "an achievement of breathtaking significance and priceless value."

Backers of the package said the lost sugar jobs would be absorbed by other cane growers and millers as well as an expected surge in construction and eco-tourism, once the Everglades recover their original splendor.

The Everglades have suffered since white settlers first came to Florida in the 1890s. Once spanning 4,000 square miles, the Everglades now cover less than half that. Only about 10% of the region's original 2 million wading birds survive, and the ecosystem is now home to 67 threatened or endangered species.

The surprise Everglades deal was a stunning comeback for the governor among environmentalists, who lavished praise for his vision and pursuit of the landmark purchase.

Recovery of the land could be expected "within a handful of years" once the damaging influences of polluted runoff and canal dredging ceased.

As sugar cane farming and milling wind down, phosphate-laden runoff will gradually be eliminated, allowing water managers to protect the fragile coastal estuaries from damaging freshwater flows. rw
Karen Gaia says: Once and awhile it is nice to hear a success story amongst all the ones about environmental destruction.

U.S.: Pentagon Fights EPA On Pollution Cleanup. June 30, 2008 Washington Post
The Defense Department is resisting orders from the EPA to clean up military bases where dumped chemicals pose dangers to public health and the environment.

The Pentagon has declined to sign agreements required by law that cover 12 other military sites on the Superfund list of the most polluted places in the country. The actions are part of a standoff between the Pentagon and environmental regulators that has been building during the Bush administration. The EPA will not sue the Pentagon; although the law gives final say to EPA Administrator in cleanup disputes with other federal agencies, the Pentagon refuses to recognize that provision. Experts in environmental law said the Pentagon's stand is unprecedented.

Pentagon officials say they are voluntarily cleaning up the three sites named in the EPA's "final orders" -- Fort Meade in Maryland, Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida and McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey.

At all three sites, the military has released toxic chemicals into the soil and groundwater.

"Final orders" are the EPA's enforcement tool. If a polluter does not comply, the agency usually can go to court to force compliance and impose fines up to $28,000 a day for each violation.

Cleanup agreements drafted by the EPA for the 12 other sites contain "extensive provisions" that the Pentagon finds unacceptable.

Congress established the Superfund to clean up the country's most contaminated places. Some military branches have been more cooperative than others.

The Pentagon's has about 25,000 contaminated properties in all 50 states. The EPA said final orders were issued because the agency is worried about drinking water and soil contamination. The Pentagon has also fought EPA efforts to set new pollution standards on perchlorate, found in propellant for rockets and missiles, and trichloroethylene (TCE), a degreaser for metal parts.

More than 1,000 military sites are contaminated with TCE.

Since Bush took office, one military site has been added to the Superfund list -- the Navy bombing range at Vieques Island, off Puerto Rico. rw
Karen Gaia says: the more people there are, the bigger the military to defend and the more the pollution.

Abortion as Uncommon as it was in Grandma's Day. March 20, 2008 AAP Newsfeed
Young Australian women are as unlikely to have an abortion as their grandmothers. Researchers credit increasing condom use and the nation's enthusiasm for having children. Less than 5% of women born in the 1980s have had an abortion, a drop from 14% 10 years ago.

The study involves about 4,500 women of all ages whose reproductive history was mapped over their lifetime.

Women born before 1945 had below 5%, but this increased rapidly with the legalization of abortion, the sexual revolution and the pill.

We've seen is a dramatic downturn for the latest group born between 1976 and 1990.

These women were past the 20 to 25 peak when women were most likely to abort.

The findings were linked to changing attitudes to safe sex.

Probably more significantly, the occurrence of HIV and AIDS has vastly increased condom use. The drop could be linked to the recent rise in the birth rate, seen mostly among older women. rw

Reaping Cash From Lake Manyara`s Biosphere. March 24, 2008 Guardian (London)
Located in the East African Rift Valley, the Lake Manyara Biosphere Reserve is one of the most thrilling tourist attractions of Tanzania. The lake is an important breeding site for residents and migrant birds. Tourists from different parts of the planet earth flock in this Tanzania`s heaven.

Communities living along LMBR are partly within the Lake Manyara National Park. According to Maasai elders` narratives, the indigenous Maasai community that lived close to LMNP used very little firewood for cooking due to their eating habit-mainly unboiled milk.

The town has become cosmopolitan in nature and demands for cooking firewood have increased.

Government initiative on Tse-tse fly eradication encouraged clearing of forests in the villages and paved way for erection of human settlements closer to the park, leading to deforestation, destruction of livestock routes and wildlife corridors.

Maasai elders narrate that, some years ago, people indiscriminately harvested the wildlife. Waters for irrigation drained to Lake Miwaleni and was one of the wildlife`s drinking points. The lake has little water while some animals have moved to other areas.

The cosmopolitan community originated from as far as Kenya and has been living in harmony after settling in the area and attracted by the tourism industry.

The human population in the biosphere reserve is estimated to over 250,000 people.

Most of immigrants in the region depend on tourism though poaching causes a menace to biodiversity. People in the area are now engaged in cultural tourism that relieves them from the jungle of poverty.

Several projects promote activities such as bee keeping or to control the tick infestation in the livestock. Tourists pay for services such as hiring out bicycles, nature trails, food and traditional dances.

There are mutual benefits in the sense that tourists learn from villagers the ways of life, whereas in doing so, they pay for those services thus benefiting villagers and the village government through contributions.

Cultural tourism conserves natural resources as people concentrate on other sources of income.

They have prepared a land use plan which demarcates the land for different purposes and make sure that the type of land use is adhered to. Population pressure has caused blockage of wildlife corridors and creates unnecessary quarrels between the existing communities and wildlife, especially the elephants.

Frequent fires have started jeopardizing the biosphere`s reserve.

Poaching remains one of the critical problems in the area. Plans are underway to annex the buffer zones and establish wildlife management areas that will be managed by the National Park and the surrounding communities. rw

Changing the Object of Capitalism. June 30, 2008 Barron's
Capitalism has been successful as a growth machine. The world economy is on a path to quadruple in size by midcentury. But capitalism must be retooled or the world will be physically unfit to live in. The new capitalism should protect the environment and raise the quality of human life.

For those of us in the affluent societies, economic growth has now entered a period of diminishing returns.

This shift is most apparent on the environmental front. All we have to do to destroy the planet's climate and leave a ruined world to our children is to keep doing what we are doing today with no growth in the human population or the world economy. Just continue to impoverish ecosystems and release toxic chemicals at current rates, and the world in the latter part of this century won't be fit to live in.

But human activities are accelerating dramatically and constitute a severe indictment of the capitalism we have today.

The main features of today's capitalism include: an unquestioning commitment to economic growth at any cost; enormous investment in technologies with little or no regard for the environment; corporate interests whose objective is to grow by generating profit. Rampant consumerism spurred by sophisticated advertising and marketing on so large in scale that its impact alters the fundamental biophysical operations of the planet.

Capitalism as it operates today will grow in size and complexity and will generate ever-larger environmental consequences.

Market failure can be corrected by government, perverse subsidies can be eliminated, and environmentally honest prices can be forged. The affluent countries can shift to where jobs and economic security, the natural environment, our communities and the public sector are no longer sacrificed in order to sustain high rates of growth that is consuming natural and social capital.

There are many steps that can be taken, and include measures such as a shorter work week and longer vacations; greater labor protections, job security and benefits; restrictions on advertising; strong social and environmental provisions; rigorous environmental and consumer protection; greater economic and social equality, progressive taxation for the rich and greater income support for the poor; major spending on public-sector services and environmental amenities; a huge investment in education, skills and new technology; and programs to address population growth at home and abroad.

The economy might evolve to a steady state, where a declining labor force and shorter work hours are offset by rising productivity.

There would still be scope for all kinds of mental culture, and moral and social progress; as much room for improving the art of living, and more likelihood of it being improved. rw
Karen Gaia says: there are not enough resources to make everyone comfortable, we must start by redefining 'comfortable' and redistributing resources between rich and poor. We also must continue to practice voluntary family planning.

Bangladesh: Saving the Tigers. June 09, 2008 The New Nation
Activists, politicians and the general public in Bangladesh are demanding protection of nature. The question now arises: like whether nature really needs help and whether damage to the environment does exist in the form of global warming, destruction of wetland and forest, and other problems that result from human activities.

Then we ask why should we save the tigers and nature in Bangladesh when most Bangladeshis are struggling to put their both ends meet? We need to save nature and the tigers because we have cultural and religious connections and responsibility towards nature, because it will reduce natural disaster and its impacts and because it will help all of us.

Environmental damage incurs a heavy cost on human societies and animals. Environmental damage can lead to many diseases such as asthma, dengue, malaria, jaundice, diarrhea, typhoid and many other ailments. It is the poor that usually suffer from pollution rather than the rich. The loss of productivity of workers due to diseases is an added cost on the economy.

Other issues like loss of cultivable land, increased severity and frequency of natural disasters continue to inflict severe economic and political blows. It should be noted that some 52% of Bangladesh's labor force is connected with agriculture. Any negative impact on it would spell disaster for the poor and over at least half of Bangladesh. Ensuring a safe habitat for the tiger will allow us to have a sustainable and productive economy.

The tiger is as Bangladeshi as every human being on this piece of land. If they don't have a domain to live on then I would suggest we should cease to call ourselves and our cricket the "Tigers".

About 85%, of Bangladeshis follow Islam. The Holy Qur'an and Hadith have instructions on caring for the environment, planting trees and responsibility to animals and other creations of Allah and warn about exploiting nature. Yet, many Muslims are apathetic towards taking care of their environment. Hindus comprise the largest minority and nature is a big part of their religion. However, even Hindus have little concern over the environment now. We are, rejecting Bangali culture and desecrating our religions in the process of decimating the unique Bangladeshi flora and fauna.

Trees are oxygen factories and carbon storage tanks. Forests help moderate the local as well as global climate. For a sustainable natural environment, a country must have at least 25% of its total area covered by forests, only 14% of Bangladesh is forest.

Land is very precious in Bangladesh and even a little loss is far too big for us to bear. The Sunderbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world. Nevertheless, it is constantly being shrunk through illegal logging. It is also under threat from the rising sea levels to which the so-called "developed nations" have a disproportionately high contribution.

Lastly, saving the tigers helps us all. Tigers are very smart, powerful and dangerous animals. They are the biggest cats on earth. While they have the strength and cunning to hunt humans, they usually ignore humans and prefer their natural prey like the "cheetal" deer and water buffalo. The Bengal tiger is on the brink of extinction due to habitat destruction brought about by man.

The ideology of "Man vs Nature" prevails. This type of selfish, arrogant and downright irresponsible doctrine has been "borrowed" from the elites of the West where their ideologies are increasingly being shunned.

If we save the tiger we save our forests. It will act as buffer from natural calamities and help ease food crisis. Humans have the intelligence and means to help the environment that will eventually benefit them. Scientists say more than 90% of the plant and animal life that appeared on earth became extinct. Most of these species became extinct before humans appeared on earth according to these scientists.

As you destroy your environment, you are bound to destroy yourself. rw
Karen Gaia says: Nothing is said about population. The more people there are, the more there will be conflict between people and wildlife. Bangladesh has a good family planning program, but perhaps not enough people know about it.

US California: Ammonia From Sacramento Waste Could Hurt Delta Ecosystem. June 01, 2008 Sacramento Bee
Sacramento's regional sewage treatment plant discharges treated wastewater from nearly 1.4 million people into the Sacramento River without removing ammonia.

Two recent studies show that ammonia disrupts the food chain in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

The discovery, if it holds up to further scientific review, illustrates how fixing the Delta will be a costly task. The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District estimates it needs as much as $1 billion to remove ammonia from the metro area's wastewater. It seems to interrupt a natural food production line that would otherwise yield abundant blooms of tiny aquatic animals to feed salmon, smelt and bass, but those species have been in steady decline.

The ammonia threat was illustrated when dozens of chinook salmon showed up dead in the San Joaquin River near Stockton's sewage outfall. Sacramento's effluent problem is slightly different, the threat is the enormous volume of ammonia-laced wastewater. The plant near Freeport each day releases about 146 million gallons of treated wastewater into the Sacramento River. The Sacramento River is traditionally considered the Delta's lifeblood, because it provides the vast majority of fresh water entering the estuary.

But Sacramento has been growing like gangbusters, and so the water's perhaps not quite clean as we thought.

The ammonia load in Sacramento's wastewater has more than doubled since 1985 due to rapid urbanization and the regional sewer agency is planning a major expansion that includes no ammonia controls.

Sewage officials estimate upgrading to filter out ammonia would cost $740 million. To remove excessive nitrates produced as a byproduct of that treatment would raise the cost to $1 billion.

District engineers estimate these steps would boost sewage rates in the region from $19.75 per month to $62.17.

Growth in Sacramento's ammonia output has coincided with a decline in diatoms, an important phytoplankton at the base of the food chain.

The volume of human wastewater may be starving Delta fish by shutting down food production.

Young fish eat small animals called zooplankton that in turn, feed on diatoms and other phytoplankton.

Phytoplankton require nutrients and enough sunlight to bloom in sufficient numbers. Nitrates are the favored nutrient. Ammonia is another.

Phytoplankton can't feed on nitrates when there is too much ammonia in the water. A toxic type of algae, has begun to replace more nutritious phytoplankton. So ammonia may also encourage the rise of harmful foods.

New studies are under way to confirm whether Sacramento's sewage is the true cause.

"If it's part of the problem, the river just could never handle that amount and reduce it. Sacramento's regional sewage plant uses a so-called "secondary" treatment process that has become outdated. Most other urban areas have upgraded to "tertiary" systems that add rigorous filtration steps.

Sacramento has been able to avoid this expense so far, Snyder said, because its wastewater is quickly diluted to legally acceptable levels by the strong flow of the Sacramento River.

A Sacramento Superior Court judge ruled against the district on a number of points filed by many of the water agencies that divert drinking water from the Delta to serve more than 20 million people throughout California.

The court ruled that the Sacramento district "ignored a significant component of the environment" by failing to fully assess the additional nutrients pumped into the Delta in the region's wastewater.

The ammonia threat can be fixed if further research confirms it to be a danger.

But there is no fix for the predicted sea level rise that could overwhelm Delta levees, nor any practical way to remove foreign species invading the estuary. rw
Karen Gaia says: how can people be so short-sighted! Duh! If you add more people, you have more impacts of varying sorts. Better to stabilize population by preventing unintended pregnancies in the first place. You can't put people back once they are born (or conceived according to some religions).

Australia: Fears for Penguin Colony. April 22, 2008 Age
A penquin colony living in St Kilda will not get increased protection from the contaminants that will be disturbed this week by the channel deepening project, which includes a removal of the riverbed including an underground sewer owned by Melbourne Water.

With dredging in the contaminated parts of the Yarra River to begin, the environment group Earthcare at St Kilda has stepped-up calls for the Port of Melbourne and the Government to increase monitoring of the penguins.

Earthcare said that the sediments contain lead, mercury and DD. Planning Minister Madden recommended the St Kilda penguins be given extra protection. A Department of Sustainability and Environment spokeswoman said a monitoring program on penguins at Phillip Island was deemed sufficient, they will be monitored by weight, and other studies of the primary source of food for the penguins and that research showed that the St Kilda colony would not be adversely affected by dredging. rw
Karen Gaia says: same old thing: technology will fix it. But always overlooking that technology takes money and the money isn't always available.

Bangladesh: Lack of Funds and Staff Shortages Hit Health Sector. April 23, 2008 The New Nation
The budget in Bangladesh should be prepared for the needs of poor people and a community participation while preparing it. The government should ensure proper medicine, equipment and facilities for the poor in all clinics and hospitals.

Family planning programmes are being hampered due to lack of staff.

Speakers urged the government to increase community involvement so that the service delivery system will be decentralised.

The allocation of budget in the heath sector is disproportionate. About 83% of the poor people have no family planning facilities from the government hospitals till now.

Staff shortages are the main obstacle to improve the family planning activities in the country.

At present, the health sector at the upazila level is deplorable and an effective mechanism is needed to find out the cause. The government must ensure monitoring tools before planning the national budget. rw

Global Inaction: We�d better get motivated now to confront climate change; our leaders are not going to do it for us. March 09, 2008 The Register-Guard
The global response to global warming has been inaction. And while a poll shows that 71% of Americans think warming is a problem, most of us continue with our lives as usual.

Why are we so passive in the face of such profound changes for the worse in our environment?

By the year 2100, those changes will include a sea level rise of 5 to 10 feet; a 30% drop in crop yields; hundreds of millions of climate refugees; erratic and more severe weather; frequent forest fires; potable water shortages; a roughly 30% rate of global species extinction, and a hostile world.

With a better understanding of our reluctance to act, we'll be motivated to undertake the changes required for sustainability.

Global warming's harm is in the future, and we tend to ignore future harm. Warming is in evidence today, but so far only amounts to one degree C. Now we must insure ourselves against the very high likelihood that human-caused carbon dioxide emissions will be massively disruptive.

We have to stop polluting. Dilution is not the solution, because it fails when the volume or toxicity of pollutants increase.

The huge volume of carbon dioxide is a pollutant, but it's ignored because it's invisible and odorless. Now, it is our single most serious problem.

Rising carbon dioxide correlates with rising temperature, and rising temperatures will cause a multitude of problems. The science has some uncertainty, but so does all science.

By the time we have precise knowledge of the rate and consequences of warming, it will be too late. If we wait, significant warming will be inevitable and irreversible.

So far, if drought reduces some food we want, we simply pay more to bring some in from elsewhere. But more than 1 billion people in the world live on $2 a day or less, and have no cushion against the ill effects of warming. Soon, even our wealth will prove inadequate. A 2003 Pentagon study predicted widespread chaos based on just one of the global warming consequences.

Our wealth temporarily insulates us from an urgent and chaotic reality.

We have to save ourselves � we have no effective leaders.

We have no assurance that alternative, non-polluting energy sources can replace our current energy use, or even large parts of it. It seems unlikely that we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions as much as needed.

No one knows how much non-emitting energy we can develop, because that depends mostly on new or improved technologies. But the reduction will change our lives, because we are highly dependent on cheap and plentiful fossil fuel energy.

At some point quite a while ago, growth became unsustainable. But our cultural worship of growth irrationally persisted. rw

U.S.: A Real Freak Out. March 18, 2008 Kunstler.com
The train wreck of bad debt meets the Saint Paddy's Day Parade of bacchanalian excess at the grade-crossing of destiny. The train is carrying America's financial system, but the engine driving it is peak oil, because declining energy resources means declining capital wealth that leads to the reinvention of American life by other means.

There are those who believe we will 'high-tech' our way out, and those who believe we'll organize our way out.

One of the implications is the probability that we will try anything besides the right things to keep the old game going for a while.

The touting of hybrid cars, and the flimflam of energy independence, the "environmental" crowd" squanders most of its attention on how to keep all the cars running on something other than gasoline.

I hate to think of the political consequences when their disappointment catches up to the reality that the suburbs and the way of life they entail will not be rescued.

Now, we'll also bail-out all those who tried to become rich by getting something for nothing at both ends of the the housing bubble. The bail-out is likely to accomplish nothing except the more rapid bankruptcy of government at all levels and a second Great Depression.

One game is to prevent the "assets" of Bear Stearns from going to the auction block, on which they would be discovered to be nearly worthless.

The next thing in store for America will be oil-and-gasoline shortages. While frightened money pours into the oil futures markets, driving the price up, imports of oil and gas to the US may not be as reliable as it had been. The exporters may be changing their terms of doing business with us. Shortages are going to be a real freak out. rw
Karen Gaia says: with the growth of population and availabilty of cheap transportation, we have pushed ourselves out from the congested city centers. We have nearly used up the huge reserve of oil and natural gas and coal when we should have been conserving for our grandchildren and the bulging population we have produced. We will pay the price of our greed in the near future.