News bits
WHAT MAKES EUROPE GREENER THAN THE U.S.?-> According to a Sept. 28th Yale/Environment 360 article by Elisabeth Rosenthal, "...Europe, particularly northern Europe, is far more environmentally conscious than the United States, despite Americans' sincere and passionate resolution to be green. Per capita CO2 emissions in the U.S. were 19.78 tons according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, which used 2006 data, compared to 9.6 tons in the U.K., 8.05 tons in Italy, and 6.6 tons in France...
"Part of the problem is that the U.S. has had the good fortune of developing as an expansive, rich country, with plenty of extra space and cheap energy. Yes, we Americans love our national parks. But we live in a country with big houses. Big cars. Big commutes. Central Air. Big fridges and separate freezers. Clothes dryers. Disposable razors..."
Source: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ybvcotk">http://tinyurl.com/ybvcotk</a>;
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD: WILL THAT ROAD MAKE YOU SICK?
-> According to a Sept. 28th Washington Post article, "[Montgomery County, Maryland,] officials on Tuesday will propose requiring health studies before major roads are approved. They want to gauge how vehicle exhaust will affect minors, seniors, women who might have children, heart patients and others.
"'If one lives close to a major highway, it can have real impacts on respiratory function and lung capacity,' said council member Duchy Trachtenberg (D-At Large), who is introducing the idea with four of her colleagues. 'If a project is going have a negative impact on the population...we have an obligation as public servants to work with that information and make sure we protect the public's health and well-being.'
"The regulation would require predicting pollution levels near proposed roads and their effects decades into the future. Major state and county roads within 1,000 feet of parks, schools, day-care centers, retirement homes or hospitals would be affected. Federal highways would get a pass..."
Source: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ybbho7p">http://tinyurl.com/ybbho7p</a>;
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Title: "Montgomery Wants to Know: Will That Road Make You Sick?"
Author: Michael Laris
-> "Be an Ambassador for Cycling: Just because there's some road rager out there who wants to mix it up with cyclists doesn't mean that we have to dance to his tune. The most powerful things we can do to effect positive change in the road environment are proactive, not reactive. You have the power to bring a positive influence to your road environment, just as you have the power to bring a negative influence to your road environment..."
-- Bob Mionske, Bicycling Magazine
Source: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/lc5kcf">http://tinyurl.com/lc5kcf</a>;
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