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NIETC become reality
by Duane330＠aol.com 03 Oct '07

03 Oct '07

THE DECISION OF THE US-DOE SHOWN BELOW INDICATES THAT THE MID-ATLANTIC "NIETC" NOW EXISTS, HOWEVER THE PROPOSED TRAIL LINE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR APPROVAL BY THE US-DOE WITHIN THIS CORRIDOR UNTIL ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY THE STATES, EITHER APPROVING, DISAPPROVING, OR NEGLECTING TO MAKE A DECISION. THEN, THE US-DOE CAN APPROVE THE TRAIL LINE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE STATES DECIDE. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Subject: DOE Designates National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors, October 2, 2007. ************************************************************ DOE Designates Southwest Area and Mid-Atlantic Area National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors ************************************************************ WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Kevin M. Kolevar today announced the Department's designation of two National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (National Corridors) -- the Mid-Atlantic Area National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor, and the Southwest Area National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor. These corridors include areas in two of the Nation's most populous regions with growing electricity congestion problems. The Department based its designations on data and analysis showing that persistent transmission congestion exists in these two areas. Further information, including the complete National Electric Transmission Congestion Report and the maps, is available on the Corridors web site at http://www.nietc.anl.gov. For More Information ******************** For more information about the National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors and Congestion Study, visit the National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors and Congestion Study Web site at _http://nietc.anl.gov/index.cfm_ (http://nietc.anl.gov/index.cfm) . ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com

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US Climate Change Science Program
by duane330＠aol.com 21 Sep '07

21 Sep '07

US CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE PROGRAM PANEL GIVES U.S. PROGRAM MIXED GRADES. The National Research Council is pleased that the Bush Administration has advanced the science of climate change, but?has serious concerns about the management, funding, and emphasis of the? $1.7 billion a year Climate Change Science Program.? ? http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=11934 ? http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11934 ? http://www.gcrio.org/ipcc/ar4/wg1/faq/index.htm ? Chapter from which Questions have been taken [PDF files] Questions [PDF files] Multiple chapters All Questions in Single File? [7Mb] 1. Historical Overview of Climate Change Science 1.1. What Factors Determine Earth's Climate? [392Kb] 1.2. What is the Relationship between Climate Change and Weather? [514Kb] 1.3. What is the Greenhouse Effect? [2.7Mb] 2.Changes in Atmospheric Constituents and in Radiative Forcing 2.1. How do Human Activities Contribute to Climate Change and How do They Compare with Natural Influences? [298Kb] 3.Observations: Surface and Atmospheric Climate Change 3.1. How are Temperatures on Earth Changing? [3.7Mb] 3.2. How is Precipitation Changing? [296Kb] 3.3. Has there been a Change in Extreme Events like Heat Waves, Droughts, Floods and Hurricanes? [412Kb] 4.Observations: Changes in Snow, Ice and Frozen Ground 4.1. Is the Amount of Snow and Ice on the Earth Decreasing? [254Kb] 5. Observations: Oceanic Climate Change and Sea Level 5.1. Is Sea Level Rising? [139Kb] 6. Palaeoclimate 6.1. What Caused the Ice Ages and Other Important Climate Changes Before the Industrial Era? [549Kb] 6.2. Is the Current Climate Change Unusual Compared to Earlier Changes in Earth's History? [79Kb] 7.Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System?and Biogeochemistry 7.1. Are the Increases in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Other Greenhouse Gases During the Industrial Era Caused by Human Activities? [701Kb] 8.Climate Models and their Evaluation 8.1. How Reliable Are the Models Used to Make Projections of Future Climate Change? [183Kb] 9.?Understanding and Attributing Climate Change 9.1. Can Individual Extreme Events be Explained by Greenhouse Warming? [129Kb] 9.2. Can the Warming of the 20th Century be Explained by Natural Variability? [601Kb] 10.?Global Climate Projections 10.1. Are Extreme Events, Like Heat Waves, Droughts or Floods, Expected to Change as the Earth's Climate Changes? [79Kb] 10.2. How Likely are Major or Abrupt Climate Changes, such as Loss of Ice Sheets or Changes in Global Ocean Circulation? [100Kb] 10.3. If Emissions of Greenhouse Gases are Reduced, How Quickly do Their Concentrations in the Atmosphere Decrease? [211Kb] 11. Regional Climate Projections 11.1. Do Projected Changes in Climate Vary from Region to Region? [1.2 Mb] U.S. Global Change Research Information Office, Suite 250, 1717 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20006. Tel: +1 202 223 6262. Fax: +1 202 223 3065. Email: information(a)gcrio.org. Web: www.gcrio.org. Webmaster: webmaster(a)gcrio.org. ________________________________________________________________________ Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com

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Fwd: Health Care Reform Forum Tonite - Valley, 7:00
by Duane330＠aol.com 20 Sep '07

20 Sep '07

For Your Information. ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com

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The two-hit model for nano-particles
by duane330＠aol.com 08 Sep '07

08 Sep '07

WVU awarded $2.1M to study effects of air pollution Submitted to The Dominion Post, Page 6-D, September 6, 2007 WVU cardiovascular researcher Dr. Timothy R. Nurkiewicz has received a $2.1 million grant to study the effects of air pollution particles and engineered nanoparticles on the cardiovascular system. The grant, which distributes funds over a five-year period, is awarded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Nurkiewicz is a microvascular specialist who studies tiny blood vessels, called arterioles, capillaries, and venules that are not visible to the naked eye. They govern the parameters of blood flow, nutrient delivery and waste removal in the body. Particulate matter is one of six common pollutants for which the Environmental Protection Agency sets National Ambient Air Quality Standards. “Our hypothesis is that combustion source particulate matter impairs the vascular and immune systems in such a manner that blood flow to tissues is greatly compromised,” Nurkiewicz said. “We’re focusing primarily on diesel particles because they’re environmentally relevant and one of the most prolific components of ambient air pollution.” “Everyone has been stuck behind that ominous large truck spewing out black soot,” he said. “But we are exposed to particulate matter from more sources than exhaust from semi-tractor trailers.” According to Nurkiewicz, school buses and large vehicles associated with construction, city upkeep or road maintenance constantly run, putting particles into the air. “As a community, we frequently breathe in particles from these sources,” he said. “Our population and infrastructure are growing fast; however, we cannot expect the government, on any level, to appropriately regulate air quality and personal exposure if we don’t first have a full understanding of the health effects.” The grant also funds studies of the fairly new area of nanoparticle research. “There used to be a time when everyone thought asbestos was the wave of the future,” Nurkiewicz said. “Years later we know the detrimental health effects of asbestos, and we’re still struggling to deal with it because its toxicity was not properly characterized. We aren’t saying that will be the case with nanoparticles, but if nanotechnology is to reach its full potential, its health effects must be clearly identified, and this grant shows us that the NIH agrees.” The grant funds research to help assess possible risks related to the particles. Major risks include impairing the ability of blood vessels to dilate and immune system activation. If blood vessels cannot get bigger, then blood cannot flow. “The immune system normally activates when bacteria or viruses invade the body,” he said. “But our preliminary findings suggest particle exposure activates our immune system. If you are sick, you want your immune system to be active so the body can heal itself. If you’re not sick, it can be very bad because healthy tissues can be impaired or destroyed in the process.” According to the researcher, the risks associated with the “two-hit” model are much greater. In a twohit model, one’s health is already compromised by a preexisting disease such as hypertension, diabetes or obesity before exposure to particulate matter. Nurkiewicz’s studies will investigate the two-hit model with the intent to identify diseases or conditions that may increase susceptibility to air pollution exposure. “The effects of air pollution on cardiovascular function, including its ability to intensify cardiovascular disease, have become quite clear,” said Dr. Matthew A. Boegehold, director of the WVU Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Cardiovascular Sciences (CIRCS). “But we are still a long way from understanding the mechanisms by which these changes arise. Dr. Nurkiewicz’s project, along with similar studies, could serve as an important foundation for developing better clinical treatments for this problem.” Nurkiewicz’s lab will conduct the bulk of the research. Collaborating researchers include Vince Castranova, Ph.D., from NIOSH and WVU’s Dr. Judy Delp and Dr. Jeff Frisbee. “Dr. Nurkiewicz has assembled a creative, highly skilled group of investigators to assist him with this project,” Boegehold said. “The data they collect will not only answer the important questions currently outlined in the grant, but will also lead to new questions and possibly other exciting avenues of investigation in this area.” For more information on the CIRCS visit www.hsc.wvu.edu/circs/. ________________________________________________________________________ Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com

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1998 remains the warmest year (NY Times)
by Duane330＠aol.com 26 Aug '07

26 Aug '07

Quarter-Degree Fix Fuels Climate Fight By ANDREW C. REVKIN, The New York Times Posted: 2007-08-26 13:51:58 Filed Under: _Science News_ (http://news.aol.com/science) (Aug. 26) - Never underestimate the power of the blogosphere and a quarter of a degree to inflame the fight over _global warming_ (javascript:;) . A quarter-degree Fahrenheit is roughly the downward adjustment _NASA_ (javascript:;) scientists made earlier this month in their annual estimates of the average temperature in the contiguous 48 states since 2000. They corrected the numbers after an error in meshing two sets of temperature data was discovered by Stephen McIntyre, a blogger and retired business executive in Toronto. Smaller adjustments were made to some readings for some preceding years. All of this would most likely have passed unremarkably if Mr. McIntyre had not blogged that the adjustments changed the rankings of warmest years for the contiguous states since 1895, when record-keeping began. Suddenly, 1934 appeared to vault ahead of 1998 as the warmest year on record (by a statistically meaningless 0.036 degrees Fahrenheit). In NASA's most recent data set, 1934 had followed 1998 by a statistically meaningless 0.018 degrees. Conservative bloggers, columnists and radio hosts pounced. "We have proof of man-made global warming," Rush Limbaugh told his radio audience. "The man-made global warming is inside NASA." Mr. McIntyre, who has spent years seeking flaws in studies pointing to human-driven climate change, traded broadsides on the Web with James E. Hansen, the NASA team's leader. Dr. Hansen said he would not "joust with court jesters" and Mr. McIntyre posited that Dr. Hansen might have a "Jor-El complex" -- a reference to _Superman_ (javascript:;) 's father, who foresaw the destruction of his planet and sent his son packing. Blogs are still reverberating, but Mr. McIntyre, Dr. Hansen and others familiar with the initial data revisions are clarifying what is, and is not, at issue. One thing not in question, Mr. McIntyre and Dr. Hansen agree, is the merit of shifting away from energy choices that contribute heat-trapping greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Mr. McIntyre said he feels "climate change is a serious issue." His personal preference is to shift increasingly to nuclear power and away from coal and oil, the main source of heat-trapping carbon dioxide. Mr. McIntyre and Dr. Hansen also agree that the NASA data glitch had no effect on the global temperature trend, nudging it by an insignificant thousandth of a degree. Everyone appears also to agree that too much attention is paid to records, particularly given that the difference between 1934, 1998, and several other sets of years in the top 10 warmest list for the United States are so small as to be statistically meaningless. Mr. McIntyre said that when he posted the revised list under the heading "A New Leaderboard at the U.S. Open," "I just was sort of having some fun with it as much as anything." He added: "The significance of things has been misstated by Limbaugh and people like that." Dr. Hansen and his team note that they rarely, if ever, discuss individual years, particularly regional findings like those for the United States (the lower 48 are only 2 percent of the planet’s surface). "In general I think that we want to avoid going into more and more detail about ranking of individual years," he said in an e-mail message. "As far as I remember, we have always discouraged that as being somewhat nonsensical." Jay Lawrimore, a scientist at the National Climatic Data Center of the Commerce Department who works on assembling the climate records that NASA analyzed, said his agency could probably do a better job of emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding its annual temperature announcements. Indeed, there is enough wiggle room in the numbers that the center has a different list of the 10 warmest years than those produced using NASA’s and Mr. McIntyre’s analyses. By the climate center’s reckoning, 1998 remains the warmest year for the 48 states (with 2006 second and 1934 third). Dr. Lawrimore, Dr. Hansen and other experts said that trends are far more important than particular years, and the recent widespread warming trend has been clear — and very distinct from the regional hot spell that drove up United States temperatures in the 1930s. Mr. McIntyre and the government scientists do agree on at least one more thing: the need to improve the quality of climate data gathered around the world, including in the United States, which has by far the planet’s biggest network of meteorological stations. Mr. McIntyre is not alone in pointing out that the need to adjust and revise such data -- with the attendant risk of mistakes -- would be reduced with more care and consistency taken in collecting climate data. The National Academy of Sciences has repeatedly called for improvements in climate monitoring. An independent group of meteorologists and weather buffs is compiling its own gallery of American weather stations at www.surfacestations.org, with photographs showing glaring problems, like thermometers placed next to asphalt runways and parking lots. Dr. Lawrimore said that the government is preparing to build a climate reference network of more sophisticated, and consistent, monitoring stations that should cut uncertainty in gauging future trends. In any case, he said, the evidence for human-driven warming remains robust. "Saying what they're saying has just provided an opportunity for them to create doubt in people's minds," he said of the bloggers. Copyright © 2007 _The New York Times Company_ (http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/copyright.html) 2007-08-26 ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour

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Fwd: Virginia's State Corporation Commission holds hearings
by Duane330＠aol.com 25 Aug '07

25 Aug '07

FYI ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour

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Pennsylvania Hearings on TrAIL
by Duane330＠aol.com 25 Aug '07

25 Aug '07

To: Duane. RE: Public Hearings on TrAIL power line in Western Pennsylvania.............. Here is the schedule: 1. Washington County fairgrounds – Building B – August 29 & 30, September 19 & 20 – 1:00 and 7:00 pm daily 2. Greensboro VFD – September 5 – 1:00 pm 3. Carmichaels High School – September 5 – 7:00 pm 4. Waynesburg University Alumni Hall – September 6 – 1:00 and 7:00 pm To get on the schedule, you simply sign up when you arrive at the hearings. Rick Layton, Greene County. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> P.S. I am planning to testify, either at Greensboro or Carmichaels, on behalf of the MonValley Clean Air Coalition. I will try to get representatives from the WV Sierra Club and from a few other groups to come out as well. Duane Nichols ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour

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The Climate Game is Over..(y, n, really.?)
by Duane330＠aol.com 29 Jul '07

29 Jul '07

Editorial Climate: Game Over Donald Kennedy, editor, Science (AAAS) With respect to climate change, we have abruptly passed the tipping point in what until recently has been a tense political controversy. Why? Industry leaders, nongovernmental organizations, Al Gore, and public attention have all played a role. At the core, however, it's about the relentless progress of science. As data accumulate, denialists retreat to the safety of the Wall Street Journal op-ed page or seek social relaxation with old pals from the tobacco lobby from whom they first learned to "teach the controversy." Meanwhile, political judgments are in, and the game is over. Indeed, on this page last week, a member of Parliament described how the European Union and his British colleagues are moving toward setting hard targets for greenhouse gas reductions. Science, 27 July 2007 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "City welcomes TrAIL blazers", Fairmont Times West Virginian, front page headlines Regional office for the power line will be in Vets' Plaza. Kenny Construction Co. President John Kenny, Jr, Allegheny Power President Dave Filtman and state Sen. Brooks McCabe announce the construction company will open an office in Fairmont to build AE's new transmission line. The TrAIL project will create an estimated 700 construction jobs for the next five years. Fairmont Mayor Scott Sears officially welcomed Kenny Construction to the "family of Fairmont" and declared the city is "open for business". Kenny Construction is a Chicago-based construction company that has its focus on honesty, integrity and safety, according to its President. Friday, July 27, 2007. ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour

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Next meeting of MVCAC--July 24th
by William Wonderlin 20 Jul '07

20 Jul '07

The next meeting of the Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition will be: Tuesday, July 24th, at 7PM. Location: St. Paul Lutheran Church, 309 Baldwin St., Morgantown This will be a "working" meeting at which we will be stuffing envelopes with our nifty new flyers and discussing current issues and upcoming plans. Please try to join us. Thanks

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Moving Beyond Kyoto -- Al Gore
by Duane330＠aol.com 12 Jul '07

12 Jul '07

Moving Beyond Kyoto by: Al Gore 2 July 2007, New York Times WE — the human species — have arrived at a moment of decision. It is unprecedented and even laughable for us to imagine that we could actually make a conscious choice as a species, but that is nevertheless the challenge that is before us. Our home — Earth — is in danger. What is at risk of being destroyed is not the planet itself, but the conditions that have made it hospitable for human beings. Without realizing the consequences of our actions, we have begun to put so much carbon dioxide into the thin shell of air surrounding our world that we have literally changed the heat balance between Earth and the Sun. If we don't stop doing this pretty quickly, the average temperature will increase to levels humans have never known and put an end to the favorable climate balance on which our civilization depends. In the last 150 years, in an accelerating frenzy, we have been removing increasing quantities of carbon from the ground — mainly in the form of coal and oil — and burning it in ways that dump 70 million tons of CO2 every 24 hours into the Earth's atmosphere. The concentrations of CO2 — having never risen above 300 parts per million for at least a million years — have been driven from 280 parts per million at the beginning of the coal boom to 383 parts per million this year. As a direct result, many scientists are now warning that we are moving closer to several "tipping points" that could — within 10 years — make it impossible for us to avoid irretrievable damage to the planet's habitability for human civilization. Just in the last few months, new studies have shown that the north polar ice cap — which helps the planet cool itself — is melting nearly three times faster than the most pessimistic computer models predicted. Unless we take action, summer ice could be completely gone in as little as 35 years. Similarly, at the other end of the planet, near the South Pole, scientists have found new evidence of snow melting in West Antarctica across an area as large as California. This is not a political issue. This is a moral issue, one that affects the survival of human civilization. It is not a question of left versus right; it is a question of right versus wrong. Put simply, it is wrong to destroy the habitability of our planet and ruin the prospects of every generation that follows ours. On Sept. 21, 1987, President Ronald Reagan said, "In our obsession with antagonisms of the moment, we often forget how much unites all the members of humanity. Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to recognize this common bond. I occasionally think how quickly our differences would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world." We — all of us — now face a universal threat. Though it is not from outside this world, it is nevertheless cosmic in scale. Consider this tale of two planets. Earth and Venus are almost exactly the same size, and have almost exactly the same amount of carbon. The difference is that most of the carbon on Earth is in the ground — having been deposited there by various forms of life over the last 600 million years — and most of the carbon on Venus is in the atmosphere. As a result, while the average temperature on Earth is a pleasant 59 degrees, the average temperature on Venus is 867 degrees. True, Venus is closer to the Sun than we are, but the fault is not in our star; Venus is three times hotter on average than Mercury, which is right next to the Sun. It's the carbon dioxide. This threat also requires us, in Reagan's phrase, to unite in recognition of our common bond. Next Saturday, on all seven continents, the Live Earth concert will ask for the attention of humankind to begin a three-year campaign to make everyone on our planet aware of how we can solve the climate crisis in time to avoid catastrophe. Individuals must be a part of the solution. In the words of Buckminster Fuller, "If the success or failure of this planet, and of human beings, depended on how I am and what I do, how would I be? What would I do?" Live Earth will offer an answer to this question by asking everyone who attends or listens to the concerts to sign a personal pledge to take specific steps to combat climate change. (More details about the pledge are available at algore.com.) But individual action will also have to shape and drive government action. Here Americans have a special responsibility. Throughout most of our short history, the United States and the American people have provided moral leadership for the world. Establishing the Bill of Rights, framing democracy in the Constitution, defeating fascism in World War II, toppling Communism and landing on the moon — all were the result of American leadership. Once again, Americans must come together and direct our government to take on a global challenge. American leadership is a precondition for success. To this end, we should demand that the United States join an international treaty within the next two years that cuts global warming pollution by 90 percent in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy Earth. This treaty would mark a new effort. I am proud of my role during the Clinton administration in negotiating the Kyoto protocol. But I believe that the protocol has been so demonized in the United States that it probably cannot be ratified here — much in the way the Carter administration was prevented from winning ratification of an expanded strategic arms limitation treaty in 1979. Moreover, the negotiations will soon begin on a tougher climate treaty. Therefore, just as President Reagan renamed and modified the SALT agreement (calling it Start), after belatedly recognizing the need for it, our next president must immediately focus on quickly concluding a new and even tougher climate change pact. We should aim to complete this global treaty by the end of 2009 — and not wait until 2012 as currently planned. If by the beginning of 2009, the United States already has in place a domestic regime to reduce global warming pollution, I have no doubt that when we give industry a goal and the tools and flexibility to sharply reduce carbon emissions, we can complete and ratify a new treaty quickly. It is, after all, a planetary emergency. A new treaty will still have differentiated commitments, of course; countries will be asked to meet different requirements based upon their historical share or contribution to the problem and their relative ability to carry the burden of change. This precedent is well established in international law, and there is no other way to do it. There are some who will try to pervert this precedent and use xenophobia or nativist arguments to say that every country should be held to the same standard. But should countries with one-fifth our gross domestic product — countries that contributed almost nothing in the past to the creation of this crisis — really carry the same load as the United States? Are we so scared of this challenge that we cannot lead? Our children have a right to hold us to a higher standard when their future — indeed, the future of all human civilization — is hanging in the balance. They deserve better than a government that censors the best scientific evidence and harasses honest scientists who try to warn us about looming catastrophe. They deserve better than politicians who sit on their hands and do nothing to confront the greatest challenge that humankind has ever faced — even as the danger bears down on us. We should focus instead on the opportunities that are part of this challenge. Certainly, there will be new jobs and new profits as corporations move aggressively to capture the enormous economic opportunities offered by a clean energy future. But there's something even more precious to be gained if we do the right thing. The climate crisis offers us the chance to experience what few generations in history have had the privilege of experiencing: a generational mission; a compelling moral purpose; a shared cause; and the thrill of being forced by circumstances to put aside the pettiness and conflict of politics and to embrace a genuine moral and spiritual challenge. Al Gore, vice president from 1993 to 2001, is the chairman of the _Alliance for Climate Protection_ (http://www.climateprotect.org/) . He is the author, most recently, of "The Assault on Reason." ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

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