EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE MUST BE PROTECTED, SHUTTLE COMMANDER SAYS
From CNN

In a conversation from space with Japanese officials in Tokyo, Discovery commander Eileen Collins said the view from space made clear that Earth's atmosphere must be protected.

"The atmosphere almost looks like an eggshell on an egg, it's so very thin," she said. "We know that we don't have much air, we need to protect what we have."

Collins also said that astronauts had seen widespread environmental destruction on Earth.

"Sometimes you can see how there is erosion, and you can see how there is deforestation. It's very widespread in some parts of the world," Collins said. "We would like to see, from the astronauts' point of view, people take good care of the Earth and replace the resources that have been used," she said

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was among the officials included in Thursday's conversation. Collins was standing with Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi in front of a Japanese flag.

The source for this story is CNN

EPA, NRDC MAKE DUELING CLAIMS ABOUT BEACH HEALTH
By Ella Tyler

The EPA sent a press release on July 27 claiming that the statistics for beach closings for 2004 indicate "better beach health". The following day, the National Resources Defense Council sent a press release claiming, "Beach closings due to hazardous bacterial contamination are on the rise nationwide."

The dueling press releases are based on the same data, according to the NRDC's Elliott Negin.

Is this a case of positive spin by the EPA? Negative spin by NRDC?

The EPA press release states, "Only four percent of beach days were lost in 2004 due to advisories or closures triggered by monitoring for bacteria." Reference to the underlying report shows that the EPA counted 584,150 beach days in the season and found closings or advisories on 21,061 of those days. That number is close to the 20,000 days reported by the NRDC.

"One reason there are more closings and health advisories is that improved monitoring has uncovered the true extent of the pollution problem," Negin said.

The Federal Beaches Environmental Assessment, Closure and Health (BEACH Act), which required states to adopt the EPA's bacteria standards and provided grants for monitoring, went into effect in early 2004. In 2004, 3,574 beaches were monitored.

The NRDC's report shows that 85 percent of the closings or advisories were caused by high levels in the water of bacteria found in human or animal waste.

In addition to the jump in closings and advisories as a result of increased monitoring, heavier than average rainfall in some areas flushed more pollution into local waterways.
The NRDC also cites the continuing failure of municipalities to clean up pollution sources as a reason for the increase in unsafe water conditions.

"Closing more beaches is not the answer," said Nancy Stoner of NRDC. "Instead of closing our beaches, let's clean up the water," she said.

According to NRDC, Texas had the biggest jump in unsafe days, more than a 1,000% increase over the 2003 figures.

Ellis Pickett of the Texas chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit that is involved in coastal conservation issues, said the jump in unsafe days from 2003 to 2004 is probably a result of an increase in the number of testing sites. He doubts that Texas beaches are safer this year, "There's not much being done to make them cleaner," he said.

"In Texas there is no mechanism to close beaches," Pickett reported. "A warning sign is posted, but a lot of people don't see, don't read, or don't pay attention to signs," he said. "The other problem," he continued, "is that with current technology it takes 24 hours to get test results. So the warning goes up a day after people are exposed. There are tests that give immediate results, but they aren't as accurate, and no one wants to come back later and say 'we were wrong, that water isn't contaminated after all.'"

Pickett said he hopes that the testing will lead to solving some of the problems that cause polluted water. "There are some places along the Seawall in Galveston that consistently have higher bacterial counts than others, and the information should be used to track down and fix the problem," he said.

The NRDC suggests that individuals can improve beachwater quality by capturing runoff from roofs and driveways, maintaining septic systems, picking up pet waste, and avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It also suggests supporting legislation and funding for repair of aging sewer systems and protection of wetlands and coastal vegetation.

To check current readings for Texas beaches, go to the Surfrider Foundation's web site at http://www.surfrider.org/waterquality.

RICE DESIGN ALLIANCE FIFTH ANNUAL DESIGN CHARRETTE

The Rice Design Alliance is hosting its fifth annual design charrette on Saturday, August 6, 8 am to 6 pm, at the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston. RDA believes downtown Houston's revitalization, the transformation of the city's transportation system, and the redevelopment of other local districts are signs that urban planning is alive and well in Houston. The Mayor recently announced a major urban park, 13 acres in area, next to the convention center.

RDA is inviting urban design proposals to be part of a juried competition, Plan C.B.D., which will focus on urban design within Houston's central business district. An entry fee of $20 per person ($15 for RDA members) will cover the event program, coffee, lunch, and refreshments. The competition is open to both architects and non-architects, entering as individuals or in teams of up to five people. Teams of five receive a discounted rate of $75. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Camilo Parra at (713) 942-8346 or cparra@parradesigngroup.com.

SIERRA CLUB TO WATCH METEOR SHOWER AT BRAZOS BEND STATE PARK

Enjoy nature's own spectacular fireworks display, the Perseids meteor shower, with the Houston group of the Sierra Club on an overnight camping trip at Brazos Bend State Park, Fort Bend County, on Friday, August 12. The Sierra Club says Perseids is one of the two best meteor showers of any year. The sky above the park is exceptionally dark, and the moon will set at 1 am Friday night. After an early night's sleep, campers will get up to watch this spectacular show at its peak. Most meteors will appear between about 2 am and dawn. Campers can then stay to enjoy the morning cool of the park or can head back to a full weekend in Houston. For more information, contact John Sims at (713) 972-1804 or jasims@att.net. There is a $3 per person park-entrance fee.

HERMANN PARK DESIGN WINS AWARD FROM ASLA

The $10 million project to renovate the northwest corner of Hermann Park has received the American Society of Landscape Architects' 2005 Award of Excellence in the category of general design. The project, dubbed The Heart of the Park, was completed last summer when the Mary Gibbs and Jesse H. Jones Reflection Pool was finished and fountains were added to Molly Ann Smith Plaza and the O. Jack Mitchell Garden. Forty four mature oak trees were transplanted to create a live oak allee. The project was part of the first phase of Hermann Park Conservancy's master renovation plan for the park.

The award will be presented to SWA Group and Olin Partnership on October 10 at the ASLA annual meeting. Thirty three projects were selected to receive awards from a field of more than 520 entries in this annual competition. Only one other project received an Award of Excellence. SWA Group, which has offices in Houston, will also receive the ASLA's landscape architecture firm award at the meeting.

CEE PPROJECT WILD MANAGER

Council For Environmental Education (CEE) seeks Project Wild Manager to administer its education programs. Minimum qualifications are a BA or BS in education, environmental education, curriculum design and development, or related field and four years' related work experience. Excellent oral and written communication skills and significant budgetary and grant management experience are required. Salary range is mid-40,000s to low 50,000s, plus benefits. Applicants may work in either Woodland, CA, or Houston. Send cover letter, resume, and three current professional references to:

Council for Environmental Education

Project WILD Manager Search Committee

5555 Morningside Drive, Suite 212

Houston, Texas 77005

Applications must be postmarked by August 19, 2005.

TEXAS SEA GRANT/TEXAS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WATERSHED COORDINATOR

Texas Sea Grant/Texas Cooperative Extension seeks Watershed Coordinator for the Dickinson Bayou Watershed. The coordinator will oversee development of a watershed protection plan. Some knowledge of natural resource management is expected, but fields such as community development or urban planning are welcomed. Public speaking, writing and editing skills, and the ability to develop and carry out educational programs are required. A degree is preferred, but experience may be substituted. The position is funded for two years. Salary competitive, based on qualifications. For more information or to apply, contact John Jacob, jjacob@tamu.edu.

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