Environmental Science Help

Anyone seen any recent articles on water issues, air issues, or biodiversity issues?

[quoteb6969a07ae="stackmjwiz"]Anyone seen any recent articles on water issues, air issues, or biodiversity issues?[/quoteb6969a07ae]

What's the assignment? I have a Nexis account...maybe I could turn something up.

I have to find an article in each of the categories and summarize/evaluate them.

For example, anything dealing with water or air pollution would go under the categories "Water Issues" and "Air Issues". "Biodiversity" could be on habitats, possible extinction, etc.

Thanks.

Here's one on biodiversity


Copyright 2005 BusinessWorld Publishing Corporation
BusinessWorld

September 28, 2005, Wednesday

SECTION Pg. S2/8

LENGTH 384 words

HEADLINE ASEAN launches regional center for biodiversity

BODY
For the first time, all member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will have a regional center for excellence for the promotion and protection of biodiversity in the region.

Based in the Philippines, the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB) was created as an international organization by virtue of an international agreement among the ASEAN nations. The ACB's overall objective is to encourage and enable the ASEAN region to meet the call by the World Summit on Sustainable Development to achieve a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. Furthermore, the ACB will support scientific/thematic networking on biodiversity issues within the region, and between the region and the international scientific community.

The ACB is an autonomous organization with the involvement of ASEAN member countries who will also be members of the Governing Board.

The European Commission will contribute six million euros in support of the creation and functioning of ACB in order to boost biodiversity conservation in the Southeast Asian region. This contribution is in line with the European Commission's policy to address links between environmental conservation and poverty reduction and to strengthen the EU-ASEAN partnership. ASEAN member states, in turn, will provide a counterpart contribution of 1.3 million euros and will endeavor to provide another five million euros to meet the overall targeted amount of 20 million euros for an endowment fund to ensure the long-term sustainability of the ACB.

Support to the ACB is a response to the need to have a sustainable institution to strengthen the capacity of the ASEAN member countries to formulate and coordinate biodiversity-related policies, strategies, and actions. It also answers the need to fulfill relevant international obligations, and to promote and advance common positions on matters related to biodiversity conservation, management, and sustainable use.

These wide-ranging activities will be undertaken by promoting the exchange of relevant knowledge, thus helping fulfill national, intra-ASEAN and international needs and commitments in terms of retrospective monitoring and early warning systems, while facilitating greater investment in the biodiversity sector within ASEAN.

LOAD-DATE September 27, 2005

Awesome, thanks a lot. I just found one one water issues so I'm looking for my last article on Air Issues now.

Here's one from my homeland


Copyright 2005 The Denver Post
All Rights Reserved
The Denver Post

October 14, 2005 Friday
FINAL EDITION

SECTION DENVER & THE WEST; Pg. B-06

LENGTH 590 words

HEADLINE EDITORIAL Fuel measure could damage air quality A bill recently passed by the House, which would cut the number of fuel blends sold in the U.S., could harm public health by increasing pollution.

BODY


Metro Denver's air is better than it was decades ago, thanks largely to modern vehicle engines - and cleaner types of fuel. But a bill the GOP has rammed through the U.S. House could erode both that past progress and future air quality efforts.

U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, claims his H.R. 3893 would solve gasoline shortages by cutting the number of fuel blends sold around the country from 17 to six. In truth, his measure would harm public health because air pollution is linked to respiratory diseases.

Climate, altitude, sunlight and other regional factors affect which air pollutants become problems in a specific geographic area. So different states require use of fuels blended with certain additives to address their specific air quality issues. Colorado makes metro Denver stations sell fuel mixed with ethanol in the winter to curb carbon monoxide and gasoline with low vapor pressure in the summer to reduce ozone pollution.

Oil refineries complain the variety of fuels makes it hard to adequately supply all markets because they can't ship the same kind of gasoline to all parts of the country. However, the industry partly created the headache. For instance, in the 1990s Arizona considered adopting California's effective but expensive rules, but oil refiners begged Arizona to embrace its own, looser standards. Arizona caved in, but the result was additional, special fuels.

Experts say the fuels sold in California would work in car engines nationwide but it's not necessary for every state to adopt such tough but costly standards. If all states followed the California code, though, only a handful of fuel blends would be sold nationwide - in theory solving the problem the oil industry cites. Yet refineries would howl if Congress resolved confusion over fuel blends by adopting, across the board, the strictest environmental technology available today. Thus Barton's bill isn't about ensuring adequate supplies, it's about rolling back environmental progress.

There's a sensible alternative buried in the massive energy bill Congress passed just two months ago. The U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency are supposed to study and report back to Congress next year on whether various fuel blends affect energy supplies, air quality and related issues. It's logical to gather as much information as possible before tinkering with time-tested public policy on fuel blends, which has improved air quality in Colorado and many other states.

Barton's hasty approach also could cost consumers big repair bills. At the EPA's behest, the automotive industry is selling cleaner diesel engines - but the engines only work if they burn new, cleaner fuel. By permitting dirtier diesel to be sold, Barton's bill could damage the new engines. "Just one tankful of high sulfur fuel can permanently impair" air pollution controls on new trucks, warns the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. Repairs could cost owners up to $5,000, say emissions control equipment makers.

Democrats in Colorado's U.S. House delegation, Diana DeGette of Denver, Mark Udall of Eldorado Springs and John Salazar of the Western Slope, wisely voted against H.R. 3893. Bob Beauprez, suburban metro Republican, didn't vote. Colorado was ill-served by "yes" votes from Republicans Marilyn Musgrave of Fort Morgan, Joel Hefley of Colorado Springs and Tom Tancredo of the metro suburbs.

When Barton's bill goes to the Senate, Colorado Democrat Ken Salazar and Republican Wayne Allard should preserve the states' right to require clean fuels.

LOAD-DATE October 14, 2005