Technitude Scheduled

Technitude 2001, a competition for middle school girls intended to keep them interested in math, science, and technology, is scheduled for Saturday, November 10. This year’s theme is A Clean Air Odyssey. The girls will work in teams with professional women who hold math, science, or technology degrees and practice in related fields. The groups work through a series of timed events to complete a project. Houston area girls aged 11 to 14 and in grades 6, 7, and 8 are invited to apply. Applications are available online at http://www.technitude.org; they are due October 29.

Renowned Author Speaks on Global Warming

This week, Ross Gelbspan, author of The Heat Is On: The Climate Crisis, The Cover-Up, The Prescription, discussed global warming at a forum at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church on Main hosted by the Cool Texas Network (http://www.coolTexas.net). After outlining the causes and effects of climate change, Gelbspan offered three solutions: diverting the approximately $21 billion the federal government uses to subsidize fossil fuels to the renewable energy industry; phasing in increasingly stringent efficiency standards for each energy-use sector, which would create an instant market for renewables; and taxing currency transactions to fund transfer of climate-friendly technologies to the developing world. For more details on Gelbspan’s book, visit http://www.heatisonline.org. The Reverend Sally Bingham also spoke at the event, focusing on the Episcopal Power and Light project, a campaign that encourages the faith community to switch to renewable energy providers. More information on this program is available at http://www.theregenerationproject.org

STATE

Global Warming, Locally

This week, the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Ecological Society of America released a report titled Confronting Climate Change in the Gulf Coast Region. The 80-page document warns that the projected 3 to 7 degree Fahrenheit average temperature increase in our region over this century will result in more extreme rainfall events, longer dry periods, a faster rise in sea level, more coastal flooding, and changes in plant and animal native ranges. All hope is not lost, however. The Gulf States can meet the challenge of global warming, says the report, by reducing carbon emissions, minimizing human stresses on ecosystems, and adapting to the challenges to come. http://www.ucsusa.org/releases/10-23-01.html

TNRCC to Produce Global Warming Report

Under pressure from environmental groups, the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) agreed to produce a report, due December 1, that compiles information on greenhouse emissions, checks the effectiveness of existing anti-pollution efforts, and outlines solutions. Cool Texas, a project of the SEED Coalition, the Public Citizen Texas office, and Texas Impact, is asking citizens to encourage TNRCC to “develop strong rules that will help stop global warming and will position Texas as a world leader in renewable energy technologies.” Those interested can send an automatic fax to TNRCC through the Cool Texas website at http://www.coolTexas.net. Texas emits the most greenhouse gases or any state, according to the World Wildlife Fund. If it were it’s own country, Texas would rate 7^th among the highest emitting nations.

Groups Challenge Northeast Texas SIP

The State Implementation Plan (SIP) for northeast Texas does not go far enough to protect health and clean up air pollution, according to the SEED Coalition and WeCan Texas. While the Houston and Dallas plans include reductions of 90 percent and 88 percent for NOx emissions from power plants, in northeast Texas the required reductions are minimal, say the groups. For example, Pirkey a coal burning plant near Longview only has to reduce NOx by 10 percent. This means they don't have to use scrubbers or catalytic reduction units, which would reduce sulfur and mercury emissions as well.  For this reason the northeast Texas plan does nothing to help remedy the haze problem in the Big Bend National Park region, the organizations note. The SEED Coalition and WeCan Texas have developed their own Citizens' Implementation Plan calling for 95 percent NOx reductions and are asking citizens to support it by using the automatic fax generator at http://seedcoalition.org/act.tnrcc.cip.htm.

NATIONAL

EPA Says US Air Quality Improved, Smog Still a Problem

Air quality in the United States is steadily improving, but smog and haze are still a problem for more than 100 million Americans, according to a report released by the Environmental Protection Agency. The agency pointed to significant reductions in four major pollutants in the 1991-2000 period, after the Clean Air Act went into effect. Lead levels decreased 50 percent, carbon monoxide down 41 percent, sulfur dioxide down 37 percent, and nitrogen dioxide fell 11 percent, EPA said. Current EPA reduction efforts focus on ground-level ozone and fine particle matter, both major components in smog and haze that obscure views and increase health problems in major cities like Atlanta, Houston, New York and Los Angeles. http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2001/10/10222001/reu_epa_45319.asp

EPA Approves Chicago/Milwaukee Air Plan

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently approved major plans submitted by Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin to attain the one hour outdoor air quality standard for ground-level ozone smog in the Milwaukee/Chicago/Northwest Indiana area by 2007. The three states, all members of the Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium, worked together to develop the areawide plans. http://www.pollutiononline.com/read/nl20011018/469134

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