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Factoids MAKING WAVES, Dec.-Jan. 1998-99 |
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Temperature Change and Coral Reefs "It has been estimated that if the shallow tropical seas warm by as little as one or two degrees Celsius over the next century, many coral species would become extinct (3 were lost from the eastern Pacific during the El Nino event of 1982-83 alone) and some reefs might disappear altogether." (Source: The Diversity of Life, by Edward O. Wilson, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1992, pg. 271) Lawn Tips "Instead of using lawn pesticides, which disturb natural biological processes that are beneficial to your lawn, try mowing grass higher and more often. Longer grass develops deeper roots and is better able to compete with weeds. Water less frequently but more deeply to minimize fungus growth. And leave grass clippings on your lawn so that they will break down into nitrogen, a natural fertilizer." Lawn pesticides often end up in polluted runoff flowing to our coastal waters. (The quoted excerpt is from "How Green Is Your Lawn?" from Wildlife Lands, the newsletter of the Humane Society of the United States Wildlife Land Trust, Summer 1998, pg. 7) Government Influences on Coastal Development "Coastal development is influenced in part by incentives, both actual and perceived, resulting from federal government actions. While it is the stated objective of the federal flood insurance program to guide development away from high risk flood areas, critics maintain that the government has yet to fully consider development pressure in the most highly eroding coastal areas. In September 1994, the Congress completed long anticipated reforms of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) but bowing to substantial opposition from representatives of long established coastal communities, chose not to curtail federally provided flood insurance in coastal erosion zones, as early versions of the legislation had specified. Instead, the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to "study" and map erosion hazards along the Nation's coasts and riverbanks. This study may also evaluate whether the NFIP is helping to control coastal development as intended, and if not, may call for further reforms. A key concern continues to be the increasing federal (and non-federal) expenditures for disaster assistance to coastal communities." The above is an excerpt from "Coastal Development and the National Flood Insurance Program," prepared by David Whiteman. This is from the Oceans & Coastal Resources: A Briefing Book, which is the Congressional Research Service Report 97-588 ENR. It's available at http://www.cnie.org/nle/mar-20/p.html. Motor Oil in Californiaa Motor oil never wears out - it only gets dirty. Old oil can be re-refined, so it's as good as new. By law, Californians must recycle used motor oil. But all Californians don't do it. Of the approximately 137 million gallons used every year in California, only half is recaptured. That means that the used motor oil Californians dump into the environment each year is the equivalent of more than 6 Valdez oil spills. (Source: 15 Simple Things Californians Can Do To Recycle, by the EarthWorks Group and the California Department of Conservation's Division of Recycling, 1991, pp. 70-71) |
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