ANTI-PESTICIDE GROUPS DISPEL WEST NILE MYTHS
by Sarah Morgan

The news that a man died from West Nile virus in Orange County, Texas, in late June sent mosquito sprayers and citizens into a frenzy while anti-pesticide groups say that pesticide use, not West Nile, is what the public should be concerned with.

"Aerial and ground spraying of our community is a questionable attempt to control the West Nile virus and may very well be more dangerous than the disease itself," according to a statement released by Texans for Alternatives to Pesticides, or TAP, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating others on the dangers of pesticides.

According to the Orange County Mosquito Control District, the affected individual had lymphoma, which may have weakened his immune system. Also, he was the first person in Texas to be diagnosed with the West Nile virus, or WNv, this year, according to an article in the Beaumont Enterprise.

The article describes residents¹ fears and quotes Vidor City Manager Shawn Oubre as saying, "We have been coordinating with the county about testing, and when the indicators go up they saturate the area with spraying."

It is comments like these that worry anti-pesticide groups. Less than one percent of those infected with WNv will develop severe illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Furthermore, a fact sheet released by the group Beyond Pesticides states that about 80 percent of those who do become infected with WNv will show no symptoms and never become sick. The rest may experience mild flu-like symptoms.

Despite this information, residents interviewed in the Enterprise article were clamoring for more spraying.

According to Beyond Pesticides, more spraying is just not the answer.

"Close to 99.9 percent of sprayed chemicals go off into the environment where they can have detrimental effects on public health and ecosystems, leaving 0.10 percent to actually hit the target pest," the fact sheet says.

Beyond Pesticides and TAP cite various studies showing that pesticide exposure can cause acute asthma attacks, other respiratory problems, and dermatological problems, and that some chemicals used in mosquito control are neurotoxic and have been linked to cancer. Furthermore, TAP notes that one chemical commonly used in mosquito spraying, an agent known as Dibron or Naled, is very similar to nerve gas used in warfare.

In a related story from News 24 in Houston, the Harris County Health Department told the News 24 reporter that the county is spraying a higher concentration in some areas because mosquitoes have become resistant.

This is another effect that anti-pesticide groups are concerned with, citing studies showing that over a period of time mosquitoes can develop immunity, rendering the spraying completely ineffective.

Instead of spraying, anti-pesticide groups promote a few simple steps to control mosquitoes, most importantly the elimination of standing water, where mosquitoes tend to breed. . Also, TAP and others advocate natural alternatives to pesticides, including vegetable-based oils and herbal repellants. These are available at most gardening supply stores or can be found easily online.

SUN, SAND, AND BACTERIA
by Sarah Morgan

With no-swim advisories popping up on Galveston¹s beaches a month ago, some families may still question that weekend trip to the beach. Though most scientists say there is nothing to worry about, recent beach analysis reports say that illnesses are on the rise and there may be more bacteria in the water then previously believed.

In June, three of 45 Galveston County beach testing locations found higher than normal bacteria levels. Their findings caused health officials to issue swimming advisories for those areas, attributing the high bacteria levels to the high levels of rainfall in the previous weeks and the subsequent run-off.

According to an article released this week in the Scientific-American titled No Day at the Beach, this is a growing problem across the nation.

"Put bluntly, the problem is poop," the article reports, explaining that fecal pollution from raw sewage is the predominant cause of these high bacteria readings.

Although no illnesses were reported from Galveston¹s readings, Scientific-American's article says that swimming in contaminated water can lead to sore throats, diarrhea, and even meningitis or severe gastroenteritis. Furthermore, the article says that death rates from microbial gastrointestinal illness are rising after many years of decline.

The Natural Resources Defense Council's annual report on beach water quality for 2002 found that the number of beach closings and advisories reached the second highest level in 13 years, with 12,000 closures and advisories caused by pollution. The NRDC's 2003 report is due out at the end of this month.

The US Environmental Protection Agency establishes acceptable levels for beach water contaminants. In Galveston, the EPA's 2002 records show that these criteria were exceeded as many as nine times among the five areas tested. During these sampling periods, the EPA reports that the public was "usually" informed of the high levels of bacteria present.

This brings up another concern. The Surfrider foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting beaches and oceans, creates an annual State of the Beaches report listing the positives and negatives for each state's beaches. One of the major negatives for Texas that Surfrider reports is that neither the county nor the state has the authority to issue beach closures should a high bacteria level or other problem warrant such an action. Beach closures can only be initiated at the local level in Texas.

Additionally, the EPA's records show that in 2002, water samples were collected and tested five times a month during the peak season, and only two to three times a month during the off-peak season. The Scientific-American notes that this may not be enough.

The EPA estimates that Americans take a total of 910 million trips to coastal areas each year, generating about $44 billion for those areas. It¹s no surprise that the EPA is encouraging the Clean Beaches Plan, issuing a proposed regulation to improve standards for water quality monitoring nationwide. The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act, or BEACH Act, of 2000 requires many states to adopt the EPA's most current bacteria standards by April 10, 2004. However, as of this date, 25 out of 35 coastal states and territories failed to meet the monitoring standards, though Texas is listed as one of the ten states that have already adopted EPA's criteria.

It seems that overall beach protections are getting better. The NRDC reports that the increased number of days where the bacteria standards were exceeded is probably due to the increased monitoring and better testing standards.

"As monitoring improves and expands, the number of closings and advisories is likely to rise even higher," says NRDC's clean water and oceans report. Though the report commends the increased monitoring efforts, NRDC claims that the Bush administration's policies on beach protection are not where they should be, citing proposals that would lessen the requirements for sewage treatment and allow more contaminated storm water to pollute waterways.

GALVESTON BAY FOUNDATION CONTINUES MISSION THROUGH NEW LEADERSHIP

The Galveston Bay Foundation has worked hard to preserve and protect one of Texas' finest natural resources, the Galveston Bay estuarine system, with four goals in mind: advocacy, conservation, education, and research.

In a recent press release, GBF announced that Bob Stokes has accepted an offer to serve as president. Stokes has been chair of the Foundation's board of trustees the past two years and says he is aware of the challenges that he faces.

Recently, GBF, the Environmental Science Partnership, and the US Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service worked together in a project to restore and reintroduce wetland vegetation along the San Jacinto River. The new species planted, a California bulrush (Scirpus californicus), will provide habitat for fish and bird species. The GBF Education committee has also started meeting again to provide new programs for students such as the Bay Ambassador Program, which provides outdoor education for youth and adults. The program includes experience on the bay that helps participants identify birds, test water quality, learn about the wetlands, and explore the watershed. Other major events this year included the restoring of marsh habitat in May during Marsh Mania 2004. According to the GBF newsletter, "Marsh Mania volunteers have already restored almost 10 acres of marsh habitat this year." Finally, GBF Bay Day 2004 begins Saturday, September 18, at the Sylvan Beach Park in La Porte, Texas. Activities include a youth fishing tournament, the Junior Angler program with Texas Parks and Wildlife and many interactive exhibits. Most importantly, the day will kick off National Estuaries Week. For more information, visit http://galvbay.org/

WET IN THE CITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Council for Environmental Education was founded in the 1970s in an effort to collaborate with education and natural resource professionals. CEE focuses on educator training and is the co-sponsor of several projects including WET in the City. WET in the City provides teachers with ideas and resources for hands-on experiences allowing K-12 youth to explore the science of water. CEE and the Museum of Health and Medical Science will sponsor the workshop, "WET in the City Professional Development," Tuesday, August 3, from 9 am to 3 pm at The John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science, 1515 Hermann Drive. The cost is $20, which includes lunch and a free curriculum guide. For more information or to register, visit the MHNS website at http://www.mhms.org. To learn more about CEE, visit http://www.c-e-e.org/.

TEXAS FOREST SERVICE 2004 URBAN FORESTRY PARTNERSHIP GRANT

The Texas Forest Service, the agency responsible for protecting and enhancing the state's forest resources, offers financial assistance in the form of challenge grants. The Partnership Grants are designed to start or improve a local urban forestry program or to educate the public about the importance of urban trees. Grant awards range from $1,000 to $10,000 and must be matched dollar-for-dollar (except for the application for a new professional staff position, for up to $30,000). Applicants may include any local or state government entity, schools, or nonprofit groups. Application deadline is July 15, 2004. To apply, e-mail the program secretary at lscasta@tfs.tamu.edu, or visit: http://www.texasforestservice.tamu.edu
Go to the Urban Forestry page and click the link for grants.

CONSUMER GUIDE DETAILS ILLS AND ALTERNATIVES FOR COMMON PRODUCTS

A free online consumer guide published in March by the Worldwatch Institute describes the environmental, social, and health harms associated with a wide range of products, including appliances, baby products, DVDs, clothing, cell phones, and food. The guide takes a behind the scenes look at how products are made, and offers simple advice and alternatives that enable people to reduce some of the ills associated with the things they buy.
For each product, the guide also describes successful efforts by governments, businesses, and nonprofit groups around the world to reduce negative impacts associated with common products.
http://www.worldwatch.org/pubs/goodstuff

NEW REPORT IN PARKS FOR PEOPLE SERIES

The Trust For Public Land’s Parks for People initiative works in cities across America to ensure that everyone--in particular every child--enjoys access to a park, playground, or open space. A new Parks for People report by Peter Harnik, director of TPL's Center for City Park Excellence, highlights the need for parks in Newark, New Jersey. The report's release follows by several months the publication of TPL's Parks for People white paper, which makes the case for new city parks nationwide. Upcoming Parks for People publications will focus on other US cities.
http://www.tpl.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=13843&folder_id=175

A HANDBOOK FOR ACTIVISTS

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, Wilderness Forever has created a handy-dandy guide to taking action. Learn how to draft your own action letters, organize enjoyable activism events, and get in touch with local media.
To obtain your own tree-free version of the guide:
http://www.wildernessforever.org/action/index.html
Learn more about the Wilderness Act:
http://www.wilderness.org/OurIssues/Wilderness/act.cfm

EPA SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS

The EPA Summer Opportunities for Students website is now up and running. The site provides a web portal through which students may enter to learn about EPA programs, offices, and summer employment opportunities. They also will be able to submit a job application directly to the EPA location where there is a vacancy.
http://www.epa.gov/ohros/student