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Mobile Phones "More Dangerous Than Smoking" Sunday 30 March 2008
Mobile phones could kill far more people than smoking or asbestos, a study by an award-winning cancer expert has concluded. He says people should avoid using them wherever possible and that governments and the mobile phone industry must take "immediate steps" to reduce exposure to their radiation. The study, by Dr Vini Khurana, is the most devastating indictment yet published of the health risks. It draws on growing evidence - exclusively reported in the IoS in October - that using handsets for 10 years or more can double the risk of brain cancer. Cancers take at least a decade to develop, invalidating official safety assurances based on earlier studies which included few, if any, people who had used the phones for that long. Earlier this year, the French government warned against the use of mobile phones, especially by children. Germany also advises its people to minimise handset use, and the European Environment Agency has called for exposures to be reduced. Professor Khurana - a top neurosurgeon who has received 14 awards over the past 16 years, has published more than three dozen scientific papers - reviewed more than 100 studies on the effects of mobile phones. He has put the results on a brain surgery website, and a paper based on the research is currently being peer-reviewed for publication in a scientific journal. He admits that mobiles can save lives in emergencies, but concludes that "there is a significant and increasing body of evidence for a link between mobile phone usage and certain brain tumours". He believes this will be "definitively proven" in the next decade. Noting that malignant brain tumours represent "a life-ending diagnosis", he adds: "We are currently experiencing a reactively unchecked and dangerous situation." He fears that "unless the industry and governments take immediate and decisive steps", the incidence of malignant brain tumours and associated death rate will be observed to rise globally within a decade from now, by which time it may be far too late to intervene medically. "It is anticipated that this danger has far broader public health ramifications than asbestos and smoking," says Professor Khurana, who told the IoS his assessment is partly based on the fact that three billion people now use the phones worldwide, three times as many as smoke. Smoking kills some five million worldwide each year, and exposure to asbestos is responsible for as many deaths in Britain as road accidents. Late last week, the Mobile Operators Association dismissed Khurana's study
as "a selective discussion of scientific literature by one individual".
It believes he "does not present a balanced analysis" of the published
science, and "reaches opposite conclusions to the WHO and more than 30
other independent expert scientific reviews".
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March 2008
March 31, 2008
Biofuel: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
In the search for alternatives to oil, biofuels have emerged as a promising answer to wean us off our oil addiction. By some estimates, biofuels could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.7 billion tons per year, be cost competitive with gasoline and provide a major source of revenue for farmers. However, not all biofuels are created equal and the rapid rush to develop biofuels is beginning to show some dangerous trends. Biofuel material is being grown on protected lands, fuel production is competing with food production, and recent data seems to indicate that almost all biofuels used today in the United States cause more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels when the full emissions costs of producing the biofuel is taken into account.....
Neurosurgeon Says Cell Phones Cause Cancer
March 30, 2008
Cherry Blossoms Out Early in Washington, D.C.
Photo by Wayne Jiang of Pacifica, who just returned from a trip to D.C., where the NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL began yesterday.
Leaning Into the Curve
Charley Artell (#51) & "Peanuts" McDougall (#1) race for first place at the Sacramento quarter mile during the racing season of 1946. (Bob Pilgrim photo from his work-in-progress on California motorcycling history)
Shining a Light on Fluorescent Bulb Hazards
Compact fluorescent light bulbs pose a bigger threat to health and the environment than previously thought, say officials and activists, who warn that the bulbs' mercury-laced contents can be hard to dispose of.
March 29, 2008
Send Us Hot Stories, Cool Photos, Cold Cash
Email us your hot stories and cool pix (jpg, gif, or png). And donate now by clicking HELP KEEP RIPTIDE ALIVE on the top right sidebar. Thanks.
JOHN MAYBURY
Editor and Publisher
editor@pacificariptide.com
Tucson Botanical Gardens: The Sonoran Desert
Please visit my photo album (left sidebar) of the Tucson Botanical Gardens.
JOHN MAYBURY
Nau Clothing: Beautiful, Functional, Sustainable
NAU is the sustainable outdoor clothing brand that donates 5% of the purchase price to a nonprofit organization (customers get to choose where donations go during checkout). It's a win-win: Better the world by bettering your wardrobe.
Company Background
Nau opened its doors in March 2007 under the premise that each piece it creates must be functional, beautiful, and sustainable. Through its Partners for Change program, it's also setting an example for other businesses by donating a portion of its profits to - and raising awareness about - organizations such as Conservation International and Mercy Corps that are working to solve environmental and social issues. You can even follow the program's progress, and your part in it, online. Designwise, Nau's clothes are edgy and multipurpose. Chief Sustainability Officer Jil Zilligen, says "We're urban dwellers who love the outdoors, so we make clothing that keeps us moving between the two." The fall line includes sleek, recycled-poly jackets and sexy, eco-merino dresses, so you can look stylin' for your hike and your coffee date without needing to change in between (just remember your aluminum-free deodorant).
Why Care
Nau purchases renewable energy credits (such as wind) for 100% of its electricity use in stores and HQ, and carbon offsets 100% of employee travel and product transport. The company donates 5% of gross revenue (more than 70 times that of most Fortune 500 companies, which average 0.07% of sales) to charities through its Partners for Change program. Nau worked in partnership with manufacturers to develop 43 all-new eco-fabrics, such as recycled polyester and corn-based cloth. The company shares its sustainable technology (its new fabrics, for example) with competitors, free of charge.Nau is transparent about its practices, publishing a section on its site called Grey Matters where you can read about its eco-initiatives.
Keeping It Real
Nau produces most of its line overseas. It's necessary to stay competitive, says Zilligen, but "it's also very much because that's where the technical expertise exists." A third-party audit ensures that labor requirements are met. Also, its rainproof gear uses a finish that isn't very eco-friendly, so Nau's working hard to find an alternative.
[idealbite.com]
March 28, 2008
Global Warming: We Can Solve It
Climate change is an urgent issue that requires immediate solutions. That's why I've joined with Al Gore and others across the country and around the world who want to halt global warming. We're are over one million strong and I'm asking you to join us. Please click here today to become part of the solutions to global warming:
If leaders in business and government are going to make stopping climate change a priority, we need to send a loud message that we want action now. That's why I'm asking you to get involved today. Why? Because the world your children inherit literally will not be livable if we don't change how we are polluting with greenhouse gases CO2 and methane. Together, we can stop global warming.
Ahnold Terminates Joe Kidd & Bobby the Kid
In a shootout, Clint Eastwood usually wins. Or at least, that's how it goes in the movies. But it seems Clint recently got terminated by the Terminator. GET THE SACRAMENTO SCOOP HERE. With no advance notice, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger summarily refused to reappoint Eastwood and the governor's own brother-in-law Bobby Shriver to the California State Park and Recreation Commission. This unexpected action has been read as "payback" by the governor for the refusal of Eastwood and Shriver to vote for the governor's plan to bulldoze a major new freeway through the middle of San Onofre State Beach. The State Coastal Commission, after a hearing in which more than 3,500 persons participated, also rejected that idea: SURFERS AND GREENS SAVE THE BEACH. (From Planning & Conservation League newsletter)
Please Don't Nuke the Garlic
Consuming large amounts of pungent, raw garlic may be good for your heart, but not necessarily your social life. Until recently, researchers and nutritionists assumed that eating uncooked garlic was the best way to obtain the cardiovascular benefits attributed to it-and its close relative, the onion. Both are rich sources of heart-protective compounds called "thiosulfinates." These sulfur compounds, best known for causing eyes to water, are thought to lower blood pressure and break up potentially harmful clusters of platelets in the bloodstream.
To test the effects of cooking on garlic's beneficial compounds, scientists boiled, baked, and microwaved both crushed and uncrushed cloves and evaluated them for their antiplatelet activity. They learned that crushing the garlic helped free up the compounds. And though garlic retained most of its health benefits with light cooking, microwaving practically stripped it of its blood-thinning characteristics.
[From Agricultural Research, March 2008, courtesy of Jake Sigg's Nature News]
City Lawsuit Against Shelter Cove Landlord
Juan Carlos Pometta Betancourt/Special to The Examiner
The only way tenants of Pacifica’s Shelter Cove can currently reach their homes is by traversing a narrow path of dirt steps down a steep cliff a makeshift pathway that has created an imminent landslide risk, the city argues.
Tamara Barak Aparton, The Examiner
2008-03-28 11:00:00.0
PACIFICA - The owner of Shelter Cove, a community of 17 buildings on a beachfront property, has failed to maintain the property and has allegedly created an imminent landslide threat, according to a lawsuit filed by the city. Current conditions of the pedestrian path leading to the community of low-income tenants “pose an immediate threat of serious injury of death” to anyone traversing on the hillside or near the path, according to the lawsuit filed March 19.
Owner Arno Rohloff’s years of favoring the cheapest solution and providing makeshift and temporary access to his tenants over a permanent fix for the active landslide area has made the pedestrian path completely impassable, according to the lawsuit. The rudimentary measures have also put the properties above his land at risk of collapsing down the cliff, according to the lawsuit. Currently, a narrow path of dirt steps sloping down a steep cliff is the only way tenants can reach their homes.
Rohloff’s attorney, Francois Sorba, said his client has a permit pending with the city to construct a bridge-like path that will allow people to easily access their homes. He denied that Rohloff has been neglectful of Shelter Cove. “Mr. Rohloff has spent a lot of money dealing with his property and trying to comply with what the city has wanted,” Sorba said.
The battle between Rohloff and the city has been going on for years, said attorney Kimon Manolius, who is representing the city. However, storms that hit the area in January and February have transformed the problem into an emergency, he said. “The city is concerned about a pedestrian path going across an active landslide. They’re concerned someone is going to get hurt,” Manolius said.
City officials are seeking an order declaring Shelter Cove a public nuisance as well as a restraining order preventing Rohloff from employing any more makeshift measures that might worsen the landslide. They are also seeking an order that will require work on the landslide area to be approved and monitored by a state-licensed certified engineering geologist and geotechnical engineer. Officials also want danger signs to be posted.
The tiny neighborhood used to be a popular day stop for San Franciscans, but a 1960 storm washed out the access road, leaving it accessible only by foot or boat. Public access by footpath was closed in 1975, though there have been efforts since to make the beach open to the public.
Greener Cleaners and Fresheners
- Eco-Me Starter Kit - if you think you could never make your own cleaning products, this practically does it for you ($26).
- Sh-Mop - Swiffer-like mop with reusable microfiber mop tops ($13).
- Caldrea Powdered Scrub - scrub down surfaces without getting too abrasive ($8).
- Seventh Generation Toilet Bowl Cleaner - biodegrades once flushed, with a nice, minty scent ($6).
- Sun & Earth Deep Cleaning Laundry Detergent - liquid eco-detergent with no artificial perfumes or petroleum-based solvents ($6).
- Ecover Stain Remover - works on tough stains so you won't have to run the washer for just one shirt ($5).
- Method Wood for Good - polish up with this great-smelling concoction ($5).
- Mrs Meyer's Carpet Cleaner - in 2007, they've resolved to get parabens out of all their product formulas. This stuff works great for spotty rugs ($5).
- Mrs Meyer's Dish Soap - we LOVE the geranium-scented version ($5).
- Earth Friendly Products Window Kleener - coconut + lavender = streak-free windows ($4).
- Ecover All-Purpose Cleaner - veggie-based formula with a great lemon fragrance ($4).
- method Sweet Water Aroma Spray – great design meets a great product that really works ($5).
- PureAyre Odor Eliminator – kit comes with - no joke - a blacklight for finding urine ($20-$40).
- AirZyme Odor Eliminator – ingredients from sugarcane and coconuts dissolve smells ($8).
- DIY Bite: Mix 3 parts fabric softener to 4 parts water in a spray bottle, twirl it around like a pistolero and shoot.
[idealbite.com[
March 27, 2008
Senator Yee: Freedom of Info, Open Government
SACRAMENTO – Following Sunshine Week, a national initiative focusing on the importance of open government and freedom of information, the Senate Judiciary Committee today approved legislation to allow greater public access to government contracts as well as audits and reviews of public agencies.
Senate Bill 1696, authored by Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), would prohibit a state or local agency from allowing an outside entity to control the disclosure of information that is otherwise subject to the state’s Public Records Act. In addition, the bill would specify that regardless of any contract term to the contrary, a contract for the purpose of conducting a review, audit, or report between a private entity and a state or local agency is subject to the same disclosure requirements as other public records.
The need for the measure arose from the denial of a January 2007 request by the San Francisco Chronicle to the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF). UCSF refused to release an independent review of its finances or even the name of the firm that was issued a contract for $165,000 to carry out the review. UCSF claimed the auditing firm controlled the confidentiality of the contract and the audit.
Since the inception of the California Public Records Act, records created, held maintained or used by a state or local agency have been presumptively disclosable to the public unless an exemption in the law permits the agency to withhold requested information. The law was enacted to ensure accountability of government institutions and specifically states that “access to information concerning the conduct of the people’s business is a fundamental and necessary right of every person in this state.”
“The public deserves to see how their tax dollars are being spent and should not be prevented access to contracts, audits, reviews or reports of government agencies,” said Yee. “Simply entering into a confidentiality agreement with a third party will no longer be an excuse to not disclose information and avoid scrutiny and accountability.”
“SB 1696 will block this end-run strategy while also safeguarding the essential principles of public accessibility and accountability in the California Public Records Act that have been established for forty years,” said Jim Ewert, Legal Counsel for the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA). “CNPA applauds Senator Yee’s leadership in protecting the rights of the public to access information about government institutions and their activities.”
“We strongly believe that it is crucial that the public have the right to obtain information on government agencies if there is to be true oversight of public agencies,” said Lakesha Harrison, President of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME Local 3299). “We are proud to support this important piece of legislation and we appreciate Senator Yee’s ongoing commitment to ensuring public access and oversight of public institutions.”
In addition to CNPA and AFSCME, SB 1696 is also supported by the Council of University of California Faculty Associations, Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, Californians Aware, California Labor Federation, Associated Students of the University of California (Davis), and the California Nurses Association, among others.
The bill may be voted on by the full Senate as early as next week.
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Adam J. Keigwin
Office of Senator Leland Y. Yee, Ph.D.
Assistant President pro Tem
California State Senate, District 8
(916) 651-4008
www.senate.ca.gov/yee
Uh Oh: Biofuel Dirtier Than Fossil Fuel?
Biofuels Switch a Mistake, Say Researchers
By Tristan Farrow
The Guardian UK
Friday 17 August 2007
Increasing production of biofuels to combat climate change will release between two and nine times more carbon gases over the next 30 years than fossil fuels, according to the first comprehensive analysis of emissions from biofuels.
Biofuels - petrol and diesel extracted from plants - are presented as an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels because the crops absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow.
The study warns that forests must not be cleared to make way for biofuel crops. Clearing forests produces an immediate release of carbon gases into the atmosphere, accompanied by a loss of habitats, wildlife and livelihoods, the researchers said.
Britain is committed to substituting 10% of its transport fuel with biofuels under Europewide plans to slash carbon emissions by 2020.
"Biofuel policy is rushing ahead without understanding the implications," said Renton Righelato of the World Land Trust, a conservation charity. "It is a mistake in climate change terms to use biofuels."
Dr Righelato's study, with Dominick Spracklen from the University of Leeds, is the first to calculate the impact of biofuel carbon emissions across the whole cycle of planting, extraction and conversion into fuel. They report in the journal Science that between two and nine times more carbon emissions are avoided by trapping carbon in trees and forest soil than by replacing fossil fuels with biofuels.
Around 40% of Europe's agricultural land would be needed to grow biofuel crops to meet the 10% fossil fuel substitution target. That demand on arable land cannot be met in the EU or the US, say the scientists, so is likely to shift the burden on land in developing countries.
The National Farmers Union said 20% of Britain's agricultural land could be used to grow biofuels by 2010. However, the researchers say reforesting the land would be a better way to reduce emissions.
Biofuels look good in climate change terms from a Western perspective, said Dr Spracklen, but globally they actually lead to higher carbon emissions. "Brazil, Paraguay, Indonesia among others have huge deforestation programmes to supply the world biofuel market", he said.
The researchers say the emphasis should be placed on increasing the efficiency of fossil fuel use and moving to carbon-free alternatives such as renewable energy.
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Air Force Dumps Dirty Water in Half Moon Bay
In October of 2004, a California agency chided Vandenberg Air Force Base — which has an installation on Pillar Point — for discharging dirty storm water into the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, recently released documents show. The water reaches the reserve via a system of man-made trenches and gutters on Pillar Point that empty out onto the beach.
Following at least two studies conducted on the matter, Air Force officials are now proposing to solve the problem by redirecting the water — tainted with high levels of nitrogen, copper, zinc and fecal coliform into Pillar Point Harbor.
For more of this story, click the URL below:
Last Supper at Mister Lee's Chinese Food
Mister Lee with longtime friend and customer Michele Trausch
Tuesday, March 25 was the last night for nonpareil Chinese food enjoyed by a packed house at Mister Lee's Chinese Food.
The southern end of the Pedro Point Shopping Center has been sold and Mister Lee is retiring after presenting wonderful cuisine for the past two decades.
Mister Lee's neighbor, Pacifica Athletic Club (PAC), also is leaving Pedro Point, moving into the Log Shop's old space on Crespi, while the Log Shop moves next door into the old Dollar Store space.
We shall always remember Mister Lee's Prawns Hong Kong, Asparagus with Beef, Crab Foo Yung, Chow Fun, and Tempura Fish. The man's repertoire seemed endless. Bless him, there is no replacing him.
LIONEL EMDE
Editor's Note: This new Crespi power point (surf shop, exercise gym, and candy store) should be selling my favorite flavor, Crespi Creme. —J.M.
March 26, 2008
Lantos Tunnel Legislation Passes Senate
SACRAMENTO – The California Senate has unanimously passed legislation to name the coastside tunnel currently being constructed on Highway 1 at Devil’s Slide in honor of the late Congressman Tom Lantos, who secured much of the funding necessary for the $272 million project. Senate Concurrent Resolution 71, authored by Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), would officially name the bypass the “Tom Lantos Tunnel at Devil’s Slide.”
“No one single person is more responsible for this important project coming to fruition than Congressman Tom Lantos,” said Yee. “I can’t think of a better way to recognize his commitment to our nation and our community. He was one of our finest champions for working families, human rights, national security, and the environment.”
As a staunch advocate for the tunnel project, Congressman Lantos obtained $150 million in federal funds to construct a bypass of the hazardous coastal route. The other $120 million is being funded by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
Lantos led numerous other Congressional efforts for the coastal highway as well. In 1983, he secured $58 million for emergency repairs and replacement of the highway around Devil’s Slide. In April 2007, Lantos successfully pushed for expedited federal small business loans for coastal business that faced significant loss due to the closure of Highway 1 at Devil’s Slide.
In 2004, then Assemblyman Yee was able to keep a critical state bill allowing for the tunnel construction from dying in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
In November 2007, workers started digging into the mountain to build the 4,200 foot tunnel at Devil’s Slide. About 100 feet of the northbound tunnel has been completed with construction crews working 24 hours a day, seven days a week aiming for a completion in 2010.
“For over three decades, many San Mateo County residents and civic leaders have worked tirelessly to see this project become a reality and protect pristine coastal land from being paved over,” said Yee. “Congressman Lantos fought for us from day one. I am honored to author the law designating the Tom Lantos Tunnel.”
The legislation must pass the State Assembly before officially being chaptered into law.
###
Adam J. Keigwin
Office of Senator Leland Y. Yee, Ph.D.
Assistant President pro Tem
California State Senate, District 8
(916) 651-4008
www.senate.ca.gov/yee
Iraq War Resister Seeks Work: Can You Help?
At the Chevron demo on Saturday, I met an Army vet who refused orders to Iraq and applied for conscientious objector status. His name is Charles Brown. (He uses "Hamilton" below, but it is the same person.) The Army turned down his application and gave him a dishonorable discharge. He is now out of the Army and appealing his dishonorable discharge with the help of a lawyer.
But due to his discharge, he has not been able to find work. Most of us from the Vietnam era found that once we got our first job and held it for long enough, we established a track record and our bad discharge didn't stop us anymore (the other way we made it was to go to school and establish a skill there). But Charles needs that first civilian job following the military. I am sending this out to my list in the San Francisco Bay Area (Charles lives in Berkeley) to see if anyone knows of any jobs, employers who might hire him, or anything that could help. At present his situation is very dire and anything would help, even part-time or temporary work. He lists his work skills in the email below. He was a truck mechanic in the Army.
His email is cnote6920032003@yahoo.com. If you know anyone who can help, please email Charles directly. Also please forward this to your contacts. See a photo of Charles Brown at the recent Marine Recruiting Station demo with Medea Benjamin: CHARLES BROWN
Thanks for any help you can give. Yours in peace,
Mike Wong
----Forwarded Message-----
Hi Mike,
Good to hear from you, and thank you for helping. The job skills that I have are as listed: Transmission replacement, Auto mechanic assistant, Line cook, Grill cook, Janitorial, Security, Painting, Sheetrock hang, tape, and mud, Decking, Framing, and Demolition. Thanks again for all your help,
Charles
Patchwork Nation: New Political Resource
Tired of the old blue state/red state divide and its ugly stepchildren, the purple states? The Christian Science Monitor is, too, so it has built a great new site called Patchwork Nation that maps a much more nuanced understanding of the American electorate, from Boom Towns and Evangelical Epicenters to Minority Central and Monied 'Burbs. The Monitor identifies 11 such communities overall, producing a cool map and blogging about issues particular to those communities. Also check out the timeline showing what kinds of community groups the candidates have been visiting.
March 25, 2008
Mayor Jim Vreeland: State of the City
Click link to read Barbara Arietta's full account of the recent Pacifica Democrats breakfast meeting where Mayor Jim Vreeland spoke on the State of the City:
The Owl and the Hornet
Bird in the Bird
U.S. Airmen aboard the aircraft carrier USS Truman discovered a screech owl in the left-main wheel well of an F/A 18 Hornet during a pre-flight inspection, March 17, 2008. Nicknamed "Fod", short for foreign object debris, the bird was nursed back to health by an Airmen who is a licensed U.S. falconer, then transported to land and safely released. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Matthew Bookwalter. (MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ)
Stephanie's Garden: Safe Rides for Teens
Welcome to Stephanie's Garden, where we honor the memory of our daughter, niece, aunt, and friend. Stephanie was taken from us in a senseless crash that also took the life of her boyfriend Jonny Bier. Contributions made in Stephanie's name are used to fund a SAFE RIDES FOR TEENS program in Pacifica. Please mail donations to The Stephanie Fund, PO Box 1035, Pacifica, CA 94037.
Natural Nails, No Phtalates
The Benefits
- Get drop-dead gorgeous nails without, um, dropping dead.
- Avoid hormone-disrupting chems like phthalates, most commonly found in women aged 15-45, in part due to the use of nail polish.
- Water-based formulas let your cuticles breathe.
Wanna Try?
Patience please: some natural polishes take a little longer to dry.
- Honeybee Gardens No Peel Polish and Nail Polish Remover - widely available at Whole Foods ($2-$7).
- SpaRitual Nail Lacquer - 72 different hues of vegan, phthalate-free polish ($10).
- Peacekeeper Nail Paint - we like the muted purple Paint Me Grateful. All profits go to women's health and human rights orgs ($12-$17).
- Santé Kosmetics Nail Polish Remover - ethanol-based formula ($10).
- Max Green Alchemy Cuticle Rescue - conditioner with essential oils to nourish dry or discolored nails ($14).
- Skin Deep - find out if your fave nail products make the eco-grade using this directory.
[idealbite.com]
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