January, 2003

A Matter of Life and Breath
In an effort to clean the air we breathe, the American Lung Association and eight other environmental groups notified the Environmental Protection Agency that they plan to sue. According the the ALA, the EPA has failed to comply with the Clean Air Act, which requires the EPA to conduct a review of air quality science and national ambient air standards for particulate matter every five years. The last time the EPA completed such a review was in 1996.

Deer Mice Endearing, Endangered
In the continuing saga that is Anacapa Island, two animal protection groups have filed a petition to list the Anacapa deer mouse-found nowhere else in the world-as an endangered species. 175 of the mice were contained, but this is below the 333 recommended for a sustainable population. Currently, the National Park Service is dropping poison on the island with the intention of killing nonnative black rats
(see The Best of the Leaf-let, http://www.albrightseed.com/anacapaudate.htm),
but environmentalists say it also affects the deer mouse, which disperses seeds for native plants. Eradication of the deer mouse could impact other plant and animal species.

Future Fires Face Faulty Funding
The Western Governors' Association asked President Bush to include sufficient funding in the federal budget to complete cost-effective, proactive work to reduce the risks and costs of future wildfires. According to the leaders of the WGA, 2002 was one of the worst wildfire seasons in history and there is "fear that the devastation may be even worse in the future unless significant progress is made in addressing the underlying problem of fuel-load buildup in our forests." For more information about the WGA: http://www.westgov.org.

Diesel Emissions a Dirty Business
The Washington Post reported that the EPA has concluded for the first time that diesel exhaust is a human carcinogen, paving the way for the Bush administration to draft new rules to regulate off-road diesel-powered vehicles and machinery. Diesel engines emit chemicals including benzene, butadiene, dioxin and mercury, and diesel fumes that can cause eye irritation, nausea, and respiratory problems. Last year, the EPA issued standards that were expected to prevent 360,000 asthma attacks and 8300 premature deaths annually, but the newer, more rigid restrictions will be released next spring. It is expected that these rules will require oil refineries to produce low-sulfur diesel fuel.

Baiting Bears Unbearable
Some hunters find sport in leaving doughnuts or pizza out for bears, then ambushing Yogi while he's chomping down on his smorgasbord. While three states have already outlawed bear-baiting, it's still legal in Maine, New Hampshire, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, and Alaska. Congress will be asked to decide if the practice should be allowed to continue on federal lands. Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, a critic of bear-baiting, said, "That ain't sport-that's assassination," while supporters of this type of hunting claim that baiting makes the bear population stronger by providing enough food for surviving bears to have more cubs in the spring.