Organizations that have produced visions and goals are invited to send them to David Crossley, Gulf Coast Institute, 2001 Kirby Suite 515, Houston 77019, or to crossley@gulfcoastideas.org.

CEC Notes
Don’t Forget October 18!
At the October 18 Delegate Luncheon, Linda Shead, executive director, will provide CEC members an extraordinary overview of the work of the Galveston Bay Foundation.

Noon, HEC, 3015 Richmond. As always, lunch is free. Please reply to 713-524-4232 so that Marcia Carter can plan the food.

Eco Notes
Traffic Pollution Kills Thousands
Traffic pollution has been blamed for tens of thousands of deaths every year across Europe. Research published in The Lancet medical journal estimates that 6% of deaths per year in Austria, France, and Switzerland are due to air pollution. Half these deaths - some 20,000 - were linked to traffic fumes.

The researchers also estimated that traffic fumes were responsible for more than 25,0000 new cases of chronic bronchitis and more than 500,000 asthma attacks.

The cost of treating illness associated with traffic pollution across the three countries amounted to 1.7% of their gross domestic product, exceeding the costs arising from traffic accidents.

The study was led by Dr. Nino Kunzli, from the Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Basel, Switzerland. His team quantified the effects of air pollution by measuring specific increases in the concentration of inhalable particles less than 10 millionths of a meter across. These particles, called PM10s, have been linked with illness and mortality before.

In the current study, cases of illness and death in different areas were matched against PM10 levels. The results showed that although the risk for the individual was small, the population-wide impact was very significant.

Doctor Kunzli said, “Traffic-related air pollution remains a key target for public health action in Europe. Our results, which have also been used for economic valuation, should guide decisions on the assessment of environmental health-policy options.”

Friends of the Earth transport campaigner Tony Bosworth said, “If the impacts are the same in Britain, then nearly 19,000 deaths every year are due to road traffic.

“That’s equivalent to a jumbo jet crashing every ten days. The government must take tougher action on traffic levels to reduce this appalling death toll.” (BBC 9/1/00)

World’s Largest Wind Installation Planned For Texas
The largest single wind energy installation of its kind will be located on the 3,141 foot King Mountain near McCamey in West Texas. Reliant Energy has formed an unregulated affiliate, Reliant Energy Renewables Inc., to construct 160 wind turbines, each of which can generate 1.3 megawatts. 

Construction on the facility will start this fall, and the wind farm will be built and operated by Cielo Wind Power LLC, and Renewable Energy Systems (USA) Inc. Reliant will buy the electricity for resale. “As a result of Reliant Energy’s progressive position on wind energy, millions of gallons of water resources will be conserved, tons of air emissions will be eliminated, and hundreds of jobs will be created in rural Upton County,” said Walter Hornaday, president of Cielo.

Reliant will also generate electricity from methane gas at 12 landfill sites in the state, to produce 44 megawatts of power. The methane will be collected from shallow wells drilled into each landfill, and will reduce the escape of uncontrolled methane into the atmosphere. (ENS 8/28/00)