The Loma Prietan
July/August 2002
Meandering
by John Maybury
No nukes
"As someone with a background in the effects of nuclear weapons, I assure you that the Pentagon has no idea about the long-lasting effects of nuclear weapons, especially when exploded at or near ground level. In spite of extensive nuclear testing in Nevada and elsewhere, critical information apparently has not filtered up to the brass. Nuclear-contaminated soil from nuclear blasts makes square miles uninhabitable for decades. As we learned at Chernobyl, farming and grazing of animals should be prohibited also. Nuclear material, strontium 90 from blasts in China, has shown up in cows' milk in Sonoma County.
"There are no safe levels of nuclear contamination. All nuclear materials, no matter how small in quantity, increase the possibility of cancer. Some contaminants such as plutonium and radioactive uranium are extremely long-lived and very, very toxic." (Tom Dickerman)
Waste not, want not
Interesting piece by James Surowiecki in the May 6 New Yorker about William McDonough, architect and product designer. McDonough's new book, "Cradle to Cradle," argues against the idea of a growth/no-growth conflict. McDonough believes there is nothing wrong with growth and wealth, only with waste produced in pursuit of them. So his solution is not to produce less but to produce differently, using biodegradable, natural, nonpolluting materials, plus manmade materials that are reusable (more than just recyclable, which is expensive and inefficient). McDonough thinks the environmental movement is bogged down in fighting big business with costly legislation and regulation that only spur business to spend vast sums fighting the restrictions. Instead, he would like to see both sides agree to create wealth, growth, and progress for all without fouling the environment. Sounds like a nice dream.
Goldman green
This year's Goldman prizes, known as the environmental Nobels, have been awarded to grassroots environmentalists in Somalia, Thailand, Poland, Puerto Rico, Guyana, Canada, and the United States. San Francisco-based Goldman gives each winner $125,000, no strings attached, to continue his or her work. Winning projects include resource protection, eco-tourism, and indigenous land rights.
Totally tubular
Caltrans engineers are showing off their pretty pictures of the proposed design for the Devil's Slide tunnels. Yes, tunnels with an "s"! Two tubes. And a 100-foot-high bridge over Shamrock Ranch to connect the tunnel to Highway 1. Eco-activist Rich Meade boasts he will bungee-jump from the bridge to rescue red-legged frogs from the construction site.
Really bad idea
Have you heard about the Feds' plan to cut down 3,800 trees in the Presidio to save some little-known native weed called lessingia? Well, we are all for eradicating invasive, nonnative plants, but this Presidio proposal really stinks. Write to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, W-2605, Sacramento, CA 95825.
Back on track
Once again, Congress has come to the rescue of Amtrak. Several bailout bills, bumping along like boxcars, are working their way through committee, notably S-1991 by Senator Ernest Hollings (D-South Carolina). It looks like Amtrak's cross-country trains will survive to run another year, but it will be tight, as usual: equipment shortages, reduced hours, deferred maintenance, cost-cutting measures. Still, railroad passenger groups are thrilled that scenic train trips will continue. Now, legislators and rail advocates go back to work on Amtrak's future sustainability, so that next year the national passenger railroad might not find itself again at the end of the line.
Cleanmobiles
Hybrid gas-electric cars are rolling out. Honda's hybrids, Insight and Civic, get 40 to 50 miles per gallon. Honda plans to crank out 2,000 Civic hybrids a month, while Toyota hopes to increase Prius sales to 1,500 a month. These cars are super-clean and never need to be plugged in; the battery
recharges when the car is in fuel-efficient cruise mode. Info: Clean Car Campaign at www.environmentaldefense.org.
Endangered Brisbane
Brisbane is feeling growth pains, and David Schooley of San Bruno Mountain Watch proposes a cure: no more growth, please, and keep the small-town atmosphere. But land-hungry developers are warming up their bulldozers and advancing on the northeast ridge, the quarry, the commercial zone, and Brisbane Acres above town. To get a better sense of what's at stake, explore Buckeye Canyon, Owl Canyon, Devil's Arroyo, Wax Myrtle Ravine, and other wild areas of the biologically diverse San Bruno Mountain. Hike it on your own or with David Schooley as a guide. Info: 415/467-6631 or www.mountainwatch.org
Caltrans threatens Mono Lake
Friends of Mono Lake are concerned about Caltrans' plan to widen and "improve" U.S. Highway 395 near the lake. June 28 is the deadline for letters to Governor Gray Davis about the state project. Info: 760/647-6595 or actionalert@monolake.org.
Saving farmworkers' lives
Farm labor vans now must be equipped with standard factory seating. The new state law came in response to recent deadly accidents in the Central Valley and other produce growing areas of California. In one of the worst accidents, 13 tomato pickers died in 1999 in the crash of a van equipped with wooden benches but no seat belts.
Keep in touch with Meandering John Maybury, Mayburrito@mindspring.com