One can never be sure of the factors that contribute to election results but a new aggressive approach by a US ngo against five climate change deniers in the House of Representatives suggests that a decent advertising budget, social media, and, perhaps, a fortuitous storm may have contributed to costing four of the five their seats.

The League of Conservation Voters, a very well-established ngo set up by David Brower in 1969,  targeted with a $1.5million campaign in this year’s Congressional election what it called the “Flat Earth Five” climate change deniers. LCV targeted Rep. Dan Benishek (MI-01), Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (NY-24), Rep. Dan Lungren (CA-07), Rep. Francisco Canseco (TX-23), and Rep. Joe Walsh (IL-08). All but Rep. Dan Benishek were defeated yesterday.

The LCV campaign may or may not have been the reason for the defeat of these four members of Congress but it would seem that it almost certainly did not help their re-election. The outcome of this campaign is likely to embolden environmental ngos to target other politicians and business leaders seen as climate change deniers. LCV states that, with its affiliated political committees, it spent nearly $14 million during the 2012 election cycle — more than the last three cycles combined — to defend clean energy and climate champions like President Obama and candidates for the House and Senate nationwide.

LCV is still targeting corporations including Microsoft, Comcast, and Pfizer that fund the Heartland Institute, a leading corporately-funded organization in the climate change denial movement.

Information about the LCV “Flat Earth Five” campaign is at http://www.lcv.org/elections/flat-earth-five/

The campaign to pressure corporations to de-fund the Heartland Institute is at  https://secure3.convio.net/lcv/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=865&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr004=c84rhheph2.app334b

The Empire State Building – yes, that building, in New York City has implemented a series of energy retrofits that have reduced operating costs by $2.4 million in the first year alone. In the next few years, when the project is complete, the building is expected to reduce its energy use by nearly 40 percent–and save about $4.4 million each year. In the process the building is becoming a symbol of what can be done to reduce energy use in a cost effective manner in existing commercial buildings.

A team of real estate, energy service and climate experts worked over nine months to prove to the building’s owners that an energy efficient retrofit made economic sense. Johnson Controls, an energy service company, guaranteed that its portion of the work would provide roughly 20 percent savings for 15 years–or they would foot the bill for the difference.

A key component involved rebuilding the windows, reusing the existing glass, sash, and trim, and sandwiching a layer of insulating film between the two existing panes. This strategy created far less waste than tearing out the old windows and shipping in replacements.

More details on this new poster child for cost effective energy efficiency can be found at http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/plehner/empire_state_building_cuts_ene.html

Agriculture and food production contribute up to 29% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a compilation of research by the respected Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.

According to the research, production of the most common commodity staples—wheat, maize and rice—will be challenged by new weather patterns. Raising livestock and catching fish and other aquatic products—two of the more common sources of protein—will also be challenged by a new climate. In some areas, different plants, breeds and species can provide substitutions, but in others, adaptation is critical. Adjustments in production, replacement with commodities that can tolerate the new conditions in different regions, and innovations in technology are key elements of adaptation. This recalibration of agriculture will eventually extend beyond what is grown and raised. The world’s many cultures must adapt to the changing dinner menu forced upon them due to climate change.

While CGIAR’s work is focused on developing countries, disruption to global food commodity markets caused by climate change may have impacts around the world. As examples of dietary changes that may be forced upon a warming world, CGIAR states that banana products may replace much of the global potato consumption, cassava could substitute for wheat, and cowpeas could substitute for soybeans. In southern Africa goats are already substituting to some extent for cattle.

Key links to the research, published in the Annual Review of Environment and Resources, are available at http://ccafs.cgiar.org/news/press-releases/agriculture-and-food-production-contribute-29-percent-global-greenhouse-gas

The Seminole and Orange County Health Departments in Florida have reported a locally acquired case of dengue fever in a mainland Florida resident. Previously, cases of locally acquired dengue in the United States were reported only from the vicinity of Key West.

Dengue is a tropical disease spread by a species of mosquito. There is no vaccine or specific treatment. Symptoms can include high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, and a rash. Some people exhibit no symptoms, but in a small number of cases dengue fever can progress to dengue hemorrhagic fever and possible death. Prevention using mosquito repellants and nets appears to be the primary control strategy. Transmission requires the mosquito vector. Human to human transmission is not possible.

Given the very large number of Canadians that travel to Florida, the northward movement of the dengue mosquito and hence of the disease is likely to increase the number of Canadians who acquire the disease while traveling. This could eventually increase workplace absenteeism rates and health care costs.

One case is not enough to prove anything but models of the impacts of climate change indicate that northward movement of tropical disease is an anticipated risk factor.

See http://www.orchd.com/absolutenm/templates/westnile.aspx?articleid=419&zoneid=29 for more details.

Canadian government medical information about dengue fever is at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/tmp-pmv/info/dengue-eng.php and http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/ccdr-rmtc/09vol35/acs-dcc-2/index-eng.php

The Alberta environment minister has announced that responsibility for environmental monitoring will be transferred to a new agency which is arm’s length from government. While details are still sketchy, the concept of  undertaking environmental monitoring through an agency which is free of political interference and data gerrymandering is one that GallonDaily heartily supports. In this Alberta instance it is apparently also supported by the petroleum industry.

Alberta Environment Minister Diana McQueen has appointed a board to develop an implementation plan for the new agency. Disappointingly, she has given no firm time line for the work but she has announced that the agency will begin with environmental monitoring in the oil sands region and will subsequently expand its reach to the entire province.

GallonDaily would encourage a system in which environmental enforcement would also be moved away from the hands of meddling politicians into an independent agency but the independent monitoring agency concept is a very good first step.

The Alberta government announcement and more information can be found at http://environment.alberta.ca/03379.html under the heading Environmental monitoring agency.

Health claims, particularly recent claims for ‘superfoods’, are becoming so common that one has to wonder how long it will be before potato chips, french fries, and everyday soft drinks are marketed as good for one’s health. GallonDaily considers that public health is as important a part of sustainable development as environmental health – hence this article.

It is not often that superfood health claims are debunked but the Cochrane Collaboration has just debunked one of the older claims with high public recognition: cranberry juice helps to prevent urinary tract infections. The Collaboration is a UK based international democratic network of 28,000 researchers that accepts no industry funding and provides open advice to the public and to governments on health care issues. In a paper published earlier this month the Collaboration states that “Cranberry juice does not appear to have a significant benefit in preventing UTIs and may be unacceptable to consume in the long term.” Interestingly the cranberry claim is one of the few health claims accepted by a government, the government of France, for use in marketing.

Companies responsible for product claims, especially health and environmental claims, need to be especially diligent not only in verifying claims but also in monitoring activities around the world that may lead to a valid challenge to the claim. The Cranberry Institute is still fighting to maintain the UTI claim: time will tell whether governments and the public go with the Cochrane Collaboration research or the industry-serving research promoted by the Cranberry Institute. There is little doubt in our mind as to which group has the greater credibility!

The Cochrane Collaboration paper can be found at http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD001321/cranberries-for-preventing-urinary-tract-infections
The Cranberry Institute view is at http://www.cranberryinstitute.org/healthresearch.htm

Cambridge Consultants, a product development and technology consulting firm based in the US and the UK, has developed a product that illustrates how design for waste reduction and energy efficiency can provide more sustainable products and lifestyles in the most unexpected areas. One of the featured products is a blood glucose monitor. According to Cambridge Consultants, more than 346 million people worldwide have diabetes and many of them use blood glucose monitors that use disposable needles and test strips.

The new blood glucose monitor developed by the company reduces the lifecycle environmental impact of the monitor by 65% through a unique 28-test cartridge based design. Not only does the new monitor have a significantly reduced environmental footprint but it is also said to be more convenient and discrete for the user. Cambridge calls its approach to new product design ‘Ecovation’.

More details of the more environmentally responsible blood glucose monitor can be found at http://www.cambridgeconsultants.com/news/pr/release/102/en

Cambridge Consultants have also developed a vacuum cleaner that it says  that would use 43% less energy than the average vacuum cleaner, whilst maintaining the same cleaning performance. Details of the vacuum cleaner at http://www.cambridgeconsultants.com/news/pr/release/14/en

The Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a liberal leaning think tank exists to broaden discussions about economic policy to include the needs of low- and middle-income Americans.

Earlier this month EPI published a report on the green economy. Among the findings:

• Greener industries grow faster than the overall economy. For every percentage-point increase in an industry’s green intensity (the share of employment in green jobs), annual employment growth was 0.034 percentage points higher. Projections for the next 10 years suggest continued jobs benefits from green intensity.
• States with greater green intensity have generally fared better in the current economic downturn.
• Green jobs are accessible to workers without a college degree. For every one percentage-point increase in green intensity in a given industry, there was a corresponding 0.28 percentage-point increase in the share of jobs in that industry held by workers without a four-year college degree.
• Manufacturing plays a strong role in the green economy. Although it represents only 10.8 percent of total private employment, manufacturing accounts for 20.4 percent of green jobs.
• Green jobs go beyond the renewable energy industry. For example, nearly 50 percent of jobs in the water industry are green jobs, and the sector has opportunity to grow not just overall but in green intensity.

The US Government Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the following definition of green jobs:

• jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources, or
• jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or ensuring that they use fewer natural resources.

EPI discusses the limitations of this definition and of the green jobs concept while analyzing green jobs in a number of sectors, public and private, including:

1. Energy from renewable sources.
2. Energy-efficiency equipment, appliances, buildings and vehicles, and goods and services that improve the energy efficiency of buildings and the efficiency of energy storage and distribution.
3. Pollution reduction and removal, greenhouse gas reduction, and recycling and reuse.
4. Organic agriculture; sustainable forestry; and soil, water, and wildlife conservation.
5. Government and regulatory administration; and education, training, and advocacy related to green technologies and practices.

The full paper is well worth detailed review by anyone interested in the green jobs concept and the opportunities which it presents. The full paper is available at http://www.epi.org/publication/bp349-assessing-the-green-economy/

Global insurer and reinsurer Munich Re has published a report which shows that North America has been more affected by extreme weather in terms of insurance loss events than any other major part of the globe.

For the period 1980 to 2011 the overall loss burden in North America from weather catastrophes was US$ 1,060bn (in 2011 values).The insured losses amounted to US$ 510bn, and some 30,000 people lost their lives due to weather catastrophes in North America during this time frame.

The Munich Re study states that “Nowhere in the world is the rising number of natural catastrophes more evident than in North America. The study shows a nearly quintupled number of weather-related loss events in North America for the past three decades, compared with an increase factor of 4 in Asia, 2.5 in Africa, 2 in Europe and 1.5 in South America. Anthropogenic climate change is believed to contribute to this trend, though it influences various perils in different ways.”

Munich Re operates in all lines of insurance, with around 47,000 employees throughout the world and has premium income of about $35 billion from reinsurance alone. A detailed summary of the study is available at http://www.munichre.com/en/media_relations/press_releases/2012/2012_10_17_press_release.aspx

A review of the antimicrobial action of silver ions and silver nanoparticles recently published in Environmental Health Perspectives emphasizes that use of silver nanoparticles requires some care to minimize environmental risks and improve product efficacy. Silver in various forms is widely used to provide a persistent antimicrobial surface on items ranging from surgical tools to shopping totes.

The review article focuses on research from Rice University designed to improve knowledge of how silver works in its role as an antimicrobial.

The research found that silver nanoparticles are a more effective delivery mechanism for the antimicrobial effects of silver than silver ions derived from such substances as silver nitrate.  The research found that it is silver ions that have the antimicrobial effects but nanoparticles can more effectively deliver the ions to the place where they are needed than free ions themselves. Silver nanoparticles have a much smaller antimicrobial effect but are much less easily disrupted by other chemicals in the environment than silver ions.

Silver is an environmental contaminant and the study reinforces that care needs to be taken in any use of silver as a disinfectant to avoid collateral environmental damage.

Future studies could lead to more regulation of use of silver as a disinfectant.

The review article is available at http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/2012/10/understanding-the-germicidal-effects-of-silver-nanoparticles/