Rachel's Precaution Reporter #89
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
From: The Signal (Santa Clarita, Calif.) ..................[This story printer-friendly]
May 9, 2007
UNCERTAINTY OVER LEUKEMIA LINK SHAPES SCE POWER PLAN
[Rachel's introduction: The California Public Utilities Commission has adopted a precautionary approach and has issued orders for electrical companies like Southern California Edison to take preventive measures to reduce electro-magnetic fields near new high- voltage power lines.]
By Kristopher Daams
As a new power line project is planned to make its way through the northern Santa Clarita Valley, officials with Southern California Edison (SCE) said they would take steps to reduce a potential human impact of the project.
Southern California Edison's Antelope-Pardee 500-kV Transmission Line Project is set to run from the Tehachapi area through the Angeles National Forest and into the Santa Clarita Valley, where it would cut through northern areas of Saugus and Valencia and terminate at the Pardee substation in the Valencia Industrial Center.
Current towers along a route would be replaced with taller ones, and the lines would carry 500,000 volts of electricity, larger than normal transmission lines. Electromagnetic fields, EMFs, exist at current lines. With higher-capacity lines and more current running through them, EMFs could be stronger, but their potential impact on human health remains unclear.
Previous conflicting studies have shown limited or no evidence for a link between EMFs in homes near power lines and childhood leukemia.
EMFs are defined by the National Cancer Institute as "areas of energy that surround any electrical device" and are produced by power lines, home appliances such as hair dryers and electrical wiring."
"So the issue is being driven by this concern, but the conclusion of this scientific research is that it remains in this area of possibility," said John Sirugo, manager of Edison's EMF group.
Sirugo said there have been anywhere from 25 to 30 studies on the effects of EMFs over the past 25 years with no strong evidence to back up the leukemia claim, such as supporting cellular studies.
But state officials and staff with the California Public Utilities Commission have nevertheless taken up the precautionary principle, Sirugo said, and have issued orders for electrical companies like Edison to take preventive measures to reduce possible EMF effects.
Edison EMF engineer Glenn Sias told a group of Leona Valley residents Monday night that while the state and federal governments don't have a sure answer whether EMFs impact human health at all, "we're not taking a position that there's not a problem."
In a recent interview, Sias said one measure Edison engineers take is an alignment of power lines that cancels out magnetic fields.
The closer the lines are together, the more the magnetic fields cancel. But safety concerns for maintenance workers and the risk of electricity arcing limit how close the lines can be.
He said the arrangement is "very effective when there's multiple lines in a right of way."
Edison is authorized to spend 4 percent of a project's total cost to pursue a 15 percent reduction in magnetic fields, measured in gauss, a unit of magnetic field strength.
At the edge of a right of way for an electrical tower, Sirugo said, typical exposure can be up to 40 milligauss, while a hair dryer at top heat can release several thousand.
Edison is following the lead of the CPUC, which regulates electrical companies like Edison.
"We don't have a clear answer," Sirugo said, "and in the interim, while we're waiting for that... we feel it's a reasonable thing to take some steps, and we are trying to do it in a way that makes sense."
Copyright 2007 The-Signal.com
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From: European Parliament Press Service ...................[This story printer-friendly]
May 8, 2007
FLAVOURINGS AND ENZYMES UNDER SUPERVISION
[Rachel's introduction: The European Union is planning to take a precautionary approach to two kinds of food additives: flavorings and enzymes. Their position will be finalized this summer.]
The food industry uses a great deal of natural and artificial flavourings with around 2600 being currently registered. More and more enzymes are entering into the production of commodities that we consume. Two new European Regulations, approved on May 8, 2007 by the Parliament's Committee for Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, aim to improve consumer safety and confidence in the use of such substances.
Two other regulations got the green light from the committee a month ago: a "horizontal" regulation setting up a common authorisation procedure for additives, enzymes and flavourings and a specific regulation on additives (see link below). The two specific regulations before the Environment Committee today -- one on flavourings and the other on enzymes -- complete the set. The report on the first (on flavourings) was drafted by Mojca Drcar Murko (ALDE, SI) and adopted by 46 votes to 0 with 2 abstentions. The report on the second (on enzymes) was drafted by Avril Doyle (EPP-ED, IE) and adopted by 43 votes to 0 with 1 abstention.
Precautionary principle
In both cases, the purpose is to define the conditions of use and draw up a positive list of authorised substances which will be the subject of an evaluation procedure by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to check that they pose no health problems and do not mislead the consumer. MEPs want to make the conditions of use stricter and they believe that the use of enzymes and flavourings must also bring a benefit to the consumer. In both cases, they adopted amendments introducing the precautionary principle.
For flavourings, the regulation provides for a list of substances which meet the criteria as well as a list of banned products and maximum levels for particular substances. MEPs believe flavourings must only be used if their use is a technological necessity and when the effect sought cannot be achieved with spices. They also call for the effect of flavourings on vulnerable groups to be investigated, and in particular the impact on the food preferences of children.
MEPs also considerably strengthened the rules on labelling. Flavourings and enzymes produced from GMOs, like additives, must be indicated as such. A flavouring should only be deemed "natural" if 95% of the flavouring element is of natural origin.
Codecision, 1st reading -- Plenary vote: June or July
07/05/2007
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Chair : Miroslav OUZK (EPP-ED, CZ)
REF.: 20070507IPR06342
Contact: Andre Riche Press Service envi-press@europarl.europa.eu
(32-2) 28 40992 (BXL) (32) 0498.983.585
Further information: Standard procedure and additives
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From: AlterNet ...........................................[This story printer-friendly]
May 7, 2007
WAKE UP, GLOBAL WARMING CONSPIRACY THEORISTS
[Rachel's introduction: Why is it that conspiracy theories are almost always regarded as nutty, paranoid fantasies until right-wing America starts talking about global warming?]
By Sean Gonsalves
From the assassination of JFK to 9/11, conspiracy theories are almost always regarded as nutty paranoid fantasies imagined by those hopelessly out-of-touch with reality; unworthy of serious debate ... unless, of course, we're talking about the global warming "conspiracy" theories circulating around right-wing America.
No sooner did the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) hit the news, calling on the world's leading industrial nations -- especially the U.S. and China -- to curb greenhouse gas emissions now, while something can still be done (on the relative cheap to boot!), than all the "junk-science" detectors come out of the woodwork to warn all of us poor idiots to beware of the "global warming conspiracy."
Two of the more prominent examples include CNN's Glenn Beck, who recently did an hour-long segment called "Exposed: The Climate of Fear," in which he predictably evoked Hitler and Nazism to smear anyone concerned about the environment. (For civics sake, enough with the Hitler references already!)
On the other side of the political spectrum, we have Alexander Cockburn offering a "leftist" contrarian climate change argument, disputing the existence of any link between CO2 emissions and rising CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere.
For the record, I didn't see, nor do I intend to see, "Inconvenient Truth." I was never subjected to any "save the earth" curriculum that my kids now receive. I do not belong to any environmental organization and, frankly, the upper-class, granola-bar-eating, healthier-than- thou, eco-fundamentalism characteristic of some "liberals" is about as attractive to me as growing up female under the Taliban.
I'm not a scientist -- just like most people reading this right now. But like Bertrand Russell said: "Clearly, if you are going to believe anything outside your own experience, you should have some reason for believing it. Usually, the reason is authority... . It is true that most of us must inevitably depend upon (authority) for most of our knowledge." When it comes to global warming I make Pascal's Wager and put it on. It's better to believe the warnings of global warming scientists and adhere to the "precautionary principle" than not believe and suffer the consequences.
I'll put my money on the IPCC -- the most authoritative body of climate scientists in the world, whose work is peer reviewed; unlike the mutterings of nonscientist ideologues who dismiss the work of real scientists who, we're told, secretly want to destroy capitalism, halt technological progress and keep the poor, poor. Apparently, with the global warming conspiracy crowd, climate science is filled with a bunch of Unabombers; a collection of Ted Kaczynskis. But instead of getting the koo-koo treatment, they get prime time?
And I don't buy the they're-in-it-for-the-government-money argument, either. Everyone knows that the real research money is in defense. And it's just absurd to think that corporations and governments want to give millions of dollars to scientists whose research indicates our entire way of living is a global threat.
But, when it comes down to it: "a new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it," as Max Planck wrote in his autobiography.
So I don't care to argue much about global warming. I mean, John Maynard Keynes had a point -- in the long run, we're all dead. But for me and my kids, when the climate change contrarians are dead, it's us who'll be caught up in the "long run." That's why recent polls have shown that young Americans -- the long runners -- are particularly sensitive to environmental issues, with 77 percent of 18- to 29-year- olds saying they favor the U.S. signing an international treaty requiring less emissions from power plants and cars, compared to just 48 percent of those 65 and older, as Benjamin Page and Marshall Bouton discuss in their book "The Foreign Policy Dis*Connect."
What we've gotta do, young America, is take over the environmental conversation and policy in this country. Matter of fact, the environmental opinions of anyone whose average life expectancy comes in, say, the next 20 years or so, should be considered irrelevant.
I remember being admonished sometimes by older folks to "mind my business when grown folks are talking." Well, on global warming and the environment, here's where we flip the script. This is the one conversation where we need to say: mind your business when young folks are talking.
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From: IndyMedia ...........................................[This story printer-friendly]
May 8, 2007
LENNAR CORP AND OTHER SCUM BAGS EXPOSED IN PUBLIC AT CITY HALL
[Rachel's introduction: The Bayview Hunters Point section of San Francisco has been disproportionately polluted for years. Activist Francisco de Costa says the city is continuing that history by selectively enforcing its precaution policies.]
By Francisco Da Costa
For years the forces of EVIL have been polluting the Bayview Hunters Point aided and abated by Sell Outs. Now, the forces of good gathered before the Land Use Committee on May 7, 2007 and exposed Lennar Corp. and its operations and many scum bags on the take. We call them sell outs.
May 7. 2007 will go down in history as a day where the forces of EVIL were challenged by those that stood for what is good. Good people from the Bayview Hunters Point and all over the City and County of San Francisco came to bat for the victims poisoned by Lennar Corp.
Lennar Corp. has been buying influence and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is keeping a close eye on the SF Health Department, other Regulatory Agencies, Mayor Gavin Newsom, Sophie Maxwell, other too many to mention -- and time will tell about the corruption.
The City and County of San Francisco has the Precautionary Principle but does not enforce it when it comes to people of color.
Lennar Corp. from April to August did not conduct its operations in a proper manner.
For over four months it bombarded innocent constituents many of them children -- with lead, mercury, asbestos friables, and many other toxic elements. Some of them radiological in nature.
Lennar Corp. is fast tracking its project on Parcel A which is at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.
At the Land Use Committee Supervisor Sophie Maxwell with Bevan Dufty and Geraldo Sandoval heard the pleas of the community.
The community was NOT pleased with Lennar Corp. What is City Hall going to do about it? Can City Hall stand the TRUTH? What is the Mayor going to do about this fact linked to adverse impacts and Lennar Corp.?
Minister Christopher Muhammad spoke and so did Archbishop King, Jim Queen, Espanola Jackson, JD from the Samoan Community, Brother Landary from the Fillmore, Pastor Ernie Jackson, Lynne Brown and many more.
Of course there were the sell outs trying to say something but their voices were stifled by the lies that were forced from their throats. Every one saw the writing on the wall -- do not trust Lennar Corp ever.
Amy Brownell from the SF Health Department was lying through her teeth. But, that is fine -- one day she will have to answer to come entity that knows it all.
May 7, 2007 is a historic day -- on that day the City and the cronies were all exposed about the harm done to thousands in the Bayview Hunters Point and all over San Francisco.
You cannot fool all the people all the time. In the Bayview we have women and men warriors and they will take on this fight -- one battle at a time until we win this WAR.
Francisco Da Costa Director Environmental Justice Advocacy
Copyright 2000-2007 San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center
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Rachel's Precaution Reporter offers news, views and practical examples of the Precautionary Principle, or Foresight Principle, in action. The Precautionary Principle is a modern way of making decisions, to minimize harm. Rachel's Precaution Reporter tries to answer such questions as, Why do we need the precautionary principle? Who is using precaution? Who is opposing precaution?
We often include attacks on the precautionary principle because we believe it is essential for advocates of precaution to know what their adversaries are saying, just as abolitionists in 1830 needed to know the arguments used by slaveholders.
Rachel's Precaution Reporter is published as often as necessary to provide readers with up-to-date coverage of the subject.
As you come across stories that illustrate the precautionary principle -- or the need for the precautionary principle -- please Email them to us at rpr@rachel.org.
Editors:
Peter Montague - peter@rachel.org
Tim Montague - tim@rachel.org
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