Environment Memo

Of course the gas industry says federal regulation of hydrofracking is unnecessary. And their lobbyists claim  they’ve never caused a problem as proof (but will they swear to that under oath?), and despite clear evidence to the contrary. There two basic reasons for having federal regulation (or, rather, re-regulation because federal regulation was suspended in [...]

Starbuck’s bottle of Vanilla Frap, sold in grocery stores, is reported to have as much sugar as 32 Nilla wafers! It’s part of the 20 Worst Drinks in America 2010.

A study in Austria shows a small relationship between cellphone use and tinnitus, that ringing in the ear. The researchers seem to think cellphone radiation could be a culprit here. But why couldn’t it just be that extra noise in the ear? Maybe they should look at cellphone audio quality, as well.

Big bucks can be made by getting gas out of the Marcellus and other shales. So, why should the drillers be exempt from stormwater regulations, as is currently the case? Here’s a report on efforts to remove this exemption, and efforts by Congressman Arcuri in this regard, pointing out how A farmer has to get [...]

Here’s a link to EPA’s web site on their expert review of hydraulic fracturing, which says that Congress requested they conduct analyses to assess the potential risks to drinking water posed by hydraulic fracturing of formations including coalbeds and shale for extraction of natural gas. Hydraulic fracturing (or hydrofracking) generates vertical and horizontal fractures in [...]

Representative Henry A. Waxman is gathering information on hydraulic fracturing fluids, from those who use them. Here’s hoping he can include investigating adding tracers to these fluids, as I’ve noted before. Fracking fluids could be modified very inexpensively to allow tracking water contamination back to the source.  Any fracking concern worth its salt should welcome [...]

People are hoarding razor blades, trying to get ahead of the crazy update cycle of newer, better, and way more expensive razors and blades. However, the article does not mention one means of extending razor blade life tremendously. As I noted in a previous post, drying the blades with a hair dryer costs very little, [...]

As temperatures increase, things happen faster. Bacteria grow and eat stuff faster, chemicals diffuse faster, chemical reactions go quicker, than at lower temperatures. So, processes tending to clean things up in the Gulf might go faster than they have in Alaska following the Exxon Valdez spill. There are many factors that could affect positive aspects [...]

What a letdown to learn that Astroturf and others were using large amounts of lead in their artificial turfs because The lead was added to the synthetic grass to keep its color bright One can only wonder at how these companies might have thought this practice was good for the bottom line. We’re talking children [...]

AP reports that … Of 50,000 wells drilled over the past six decades in the Gulf, 23,500 have been permanently abandoned. … Are they being properly monitored, spot-checked or otherwise examined? Maybe leaks from so many wells contribute to the huge dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico: