This comes weeks after the U.S. Navy and the NRDC, and others, settled the law suit that contended sonar testing was causing irreparable damage, and sometimes death, to whales and dolphins in surrounding areas.

It should be noted that “Hawaii is the only place in the United States where humpbacks breed, calve, and nurse their young. Approximately 4,000-5,000 whales migrate to the Hawaiian Islands each winter. Although the population of humpbacks is increasing, these whales remain endangered.”

Each year the U.S. Navy is granted a letter of authorization by the NOAA.  The letter states the rules and regulations that the Navy must follow for marine protection. It is reissued, annually, provided the Navy abides by the terms and conditions of the letter, submits the required annual reports, and shows their activities do not result in more numerous effects or more severe harm to marine mammals than were originally analyzed or authorized. 

This year’s letter contains the provision that injury or death of up to 10 animals of each of 11 species over the five years is allowed by the regulations.  

Many criticize the NOAA since it was created as a means to protect marine mammals and other species.  This seems like another parting gift from the Bush administration and their slow destruction of the planet. No word on if this decision can be overturned when new leadership is in place after January 20th.

The Navy said Saturday the deal reached with the Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups requires it to continue to research how sonar affects whales and other marine mammals.

This agreement comes a month after the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the US Navy, which was not a surprise to anyone. The original complaint, filed by 5 plaintiffs including the NRDC, sought a court order to limit mid-frequency sonar, which is the method of choice for detecting submarines, because it was felt that the sonar contributed to the deaths seen amongst whales and dolphins. Federal courts had ruled in favor of the NRDC, but when taken up by the Supreme Court, the tables were turned, siting that national security against terrorism was more important than whales.

The Navy said the settlement, which was reached Friday, calls on it to spend $14.75 million over three years on marine mammal research topics of interest to both the Navy and the plaintiffs.

The Navy said the long-range research program it adopted under the settlement is basically the same as the one it set out to follow in August 2005, two months before the lawsuit was filed.

As a result of the settlement, the plaintiffs have requested that the lawsuit be withdrawn.

Many critics feel that this is a case where the whales and the environment have lost. While the settlement calls for further research into the effects of sonar on marine mammals, it is limited in stating what must be done with said research and subsequent testing. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

You can find the original article, via MSNBC, HERE.

remember: in reality, there is no such thing as clean coal

This was a highlights clip. If you want more of the details, extended selections, you can find them at the NRDC website, HERE.

Make no mistake: There is no such thing as ‘clean coal’; there is only ‘dirty’ coal. And that’s true no matter how it’s mined, processed or burned. In fact, environmental experts all agree that coal is the dirtiest fuel America uses to produce electricity.

The Dirty Dozen is a list put together by the NRDC of the government officials that have the worst environmental record.

1. Rep. Tim Walberg – R, Michiga – Walberg served only one term, but distinguished himself as a reliable vote against the environment. He scored just 5% (out of 100) on LCV’s annual ranking of votes on environmental issues. In 2007 and 2008, he voted against ever piece of legislation but one that LCV identified as key for improving energy efficiency and investing in clean energy. He also voted against the No Child Left Inside Act, which funds outdoor programs for school age children.

7. Rep. Joe Knollenberg – R, Michigan – Knollenberg is synonymous with inaction on global warming. He twice tried to pass an amendment that would have barred federal agencies from doing anything about global warming, including holding educational seminars. That line of thinking was of a piece with his voting record, which has favored polluting industries over clean energy. Voters opted for something new, Democrat Gary Peters.

This is the first time I am hearing about this toxin, but I feel it warrants a lot of attention.

A few years back, the NRDC petitioned the EPA and asked them to place a ban on Carbaryl, a pesticide used in everything from flea collars to apple orchards. It is also seen as a major factor in the depletion of our bees. The EPA, after being forced by a lawsuit, finally responded with an adamant “nope”.

You can find the entire article on the NRDC blog, HERE.

Some information about Carbaryl:

Carbaryl, trade name ‘Sevin’, is a broad-spectrum insecticide used on pets, lawns, and gardens as well as agriculture crops that include apples, pecans, grapes, alfalfa, oranges, and corn. About 3.9 million pounds of carbaryl are used annually in the U.S., with about half for agriculture and half for non-agriculture uses.

Carbaryl is classified by EPA as a likely carcinogen, and according to EPA’s own fact sheets, “carbaryl can cause cholinesterase inhibition in humans; that is, it can overstimulate the nervous system causing nausea, dizziness, confusion, and at high exposures, respiratory paralysis, and death.”

From my experience in studying chemicals, etc., is that when an organization like the NRDC says something is bad, it is usually bad. I would look at all your pet and garden products and remove them from your home. I would also make a special effort to buy organic produce, so you can avoid the poisoning from pesticides.