montnews.com

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:10:40 GMT

http://nccam.nih.gov/
Delaware Valley Health And Wellness Network

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is the Federal Government’s lead agency for scientific research on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). We are 1 of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Our Mission
The mission of NCCAM is to:

Explore complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science.
Train complementary and alternative medicine researchers.
Disseminate authoritative information to the public and professionals.
What We Do
NCCAM sponsors and conducts research using scientific methods and advanced technologies to study CAM. CAM is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine.

NCCAM has four primary areas of focus:

Advancing scientific research
We have funded more than 1,200 research projects at scientific institutions across the United States and around the world.
Training CAM researchers
We support training for new researchers as well as encourage experienced researchers to study CAM.
Sharing news and information
We provide timely and accurate information about CAM research in many ways, such as through our Web site, our information clearinghouse, fact sheets, Distinguished Lecture Series, continuing medical education programs, and publication databases.
Supporting integration of proven CAM therapies
Our research helps the public and health professionals understand which CAM therapies have been proven to be safe and effective.

With economy sour, consumers sweet on herbal meds

wallyman0 — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:27:02 GMT

By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner, Ap Medical Writer – Tue Jan 13, 2:01 pm ET

CHICAGO – The choice between $75 prescription sleeping pills or a $5 herbal alternative is a no-brainer for
Cathy and Bernard Birleffi, whose insurance costs have skyrocketed along with the nation’s financial woes.

The Calistoga, Calif., couple seem to reflect a trend. With many Americans putting off routine doctor visits
and self-medicating to save money, use of alternative treatments is on the rise — even though evidence is often
lacking on their safety and effectiveness.

Climbing sales of herbal medicines have paralleled the tanking economy, according to an Associated Press
review of recent data from market-watchers and retailers.

One prominent example: Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market Inc. says its stores nationwide have
seen an increase in sales of nutritional supplements and herbal products in the past several weeks. That’s
“noteworthy” given the retail industry’s financial slump, said Whole Foods spokesman Jeremiah C. McElwee.

While winter is usually a busy time for herbal medicine sales because it’s the season for colds and flu, “more
people are value shopping” now because of the economy, McElwee said.

Cathy Birleffi says she’s among them.

“The doctors are so much higher (in cost), the insurance isn’t paying as much,” said the 61-year-old
self-employed bookkeeper and notary. Her husband, a retired dispatcher, has high blood pressure and
seizures. Recent changes in their health insurance coverage resulted in $1,300 in monthly premiums, double
what they used to be.

Until they tried herbal alternatives, including valerian for insomnia, “every time I turned around, it was $50
here, $75 there” for prescriptions, Cathy Birleffi said.

High costs of conventional health care and worries about the economy also led Kristen Kemp of Montclair, N.J., to alternatives.

“Just going to the doctor will cost me $20 per kid and I have three kids,” said Kemp, 34. Prescriptions are $20
each, too, under the family’s insurance plan, so Kemp said she’s been giving her kids tea with honey for sore
throats and various Chinese herbs for colds and stomachaches. At $10 for a big bottle, the herbs are cheaper
even than regular over-the-counter medicines, Kemp said.

“I’m trying to save money,” said Kemp, an editor for Cafe Mom, a social networking Web site for mothers. Her
husband is in the shaky banking industry.

“Just in case something bad happens to our jobs, I want more money in the bank,” she said.

Among data reflecting the trend:

_For the three months that ended Dec. 28, nationwide retail sales of vitamins and supplements totaled nearly $639
million, up almost 10 percent from the same period in 2007. That includes a nearly 6 percent increase in sales of
herbal supplements alone, according to Information Resources Inc., a Chicago-based market research firm. Its
numbers do not include Wal-Mart or club stores.

_Nationwide herbal and botanical supplement sales totaled $4.8 billion in 2007, when the recession began, up 4.3
percent over 2006. That was a marginally higher increase compared with the previous year, according to Jason
Phillips of the Nutrition Business Journal, an industry-tracking publication. Sales of animal oil supplements —
mostly fish oils — were up 29 percent from 2006. While that was a decline from the previous year, both categories
continued to show strong growth in a faltering economy.

_A government survey released in December said concerns about the cost of conventional medicine influenced
Americans’ decisions to try alternative remedies. “Nonvitamin, nonmineral natural products,” including fish oil and
herbal medicines, were the most commonly used alternatives, taken by almost 18 percent of Americans in 2007,
the report said. Among those users, roughly a quarter said they delayed or didn’t get conventional medical care
because of the cost.

Report co-author Richard Nahin of the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and
Alternative Medicine offered cautionary advice on the topic.

People taking herbal and other supplements should let their doctor know what they’re using, said Nahin, acting
director of the center’s branch that oversees outside research the agency funds.

Supplements and other alternative treatments don’t require rigorous testing and government approval. They also
can interfere with prescription drugs, and combined, can be life-threatening in rare cases, Nahin said.

His agency also conducts its own research on alternative medicine and offers information about some of the most
popular products at its Web site, http://www.nccam.nih.gov.

For example, echinacea is sometimes used for colds and flu. The agency Web site says evidence is mixed on
whether it is effective, although one rigorous federally funded study found the herb worked no better against colds
than placebo treatment. Echinacea can cause gastrointestinal upsets and allergic symptoms in people with ragweed
allergies, the NIH site notes.

Valerian, the herb the Birleffis have used for insomnia, has been shown in some studies to help people sleep better,
but evidence from well-designed research is lacking, the agency says. Using it for several weeks is generally thought
to be safe, but long-term effects are unknown.

There’s scant Western research on fritillary bulb remedies, the ancient Chinese herbal medicine that the Kemp family
uses for colds. A test sample examined in a recent Chinese study found elevated amounts of cadmium, a heavy metal
linked with cancer.

In December, an American Academy of Pediatrics task force report unrelated to the economic downturn noted
that increasing numbers of children are using alternative remedies. It advised pediatricians to get more familiar
with some of these treatments and to talk to parents about them.

PacWind Develops Vertical Wind Turbines For Ricoh

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:12:16 GMT

The vertical wind turbines for Ricoh’s Time Square billboard project were designed by PacWind of California.

PacWind, LLC is a wind energy innovator. Since 1998, its founders have been developing a proprietary series of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines that have had a transformative effect on the wind energy industry. The Company has designed wind turbines for a wide variety of applications - from turbines built for NASA to capture 400- mile-an-hour winds for a lander on Mars - to more common uses like the turbine that powers Jay Leno’s 20,000-square-foot Green Garage in Los Angeles. Unlike traditional propeller wind turbines, PacWind’s vertical axis turbines are silent, vibration free, maintenance free, cost-effective and visible to birds. PacWind turbines provide a swift financial return to their owners and users. They are suitable for use in both densely populated cities and rural areas, like wind farms. PacWind’s vertical turbines can be installed on buildings, homes, stand-alone poles and can blend into diverse landscapes.

Ricoh Builds Cylindrical Drum Wind Turbines

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:06:08 GMT

Ricoh is installing an Earth-friendly billboard at it’s Time Square location. The billboard will be powered by the sun and wind. The wind trurbines are a unique design.

There are “26 blades spinning in each of the sign’s 16 turbine drums, piled in four 45-foot-high vertical stacks. When operating at their average speed of 10 miles an hour, they put out 22 kilowatts.”

The sign will reduce CO2 output by 18 tons over the next year.

RICOH supports the Poznan Communique on Climate Change

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:50:02 GMT

Tokyo December 9, 2008, Ricoh Company, Ltd. (CEO Shiro Kondo) is pleased to announce its participation in the Poznan Communique, an initiative by 140 leading global corporations to highlight the need for action on climate change. The communiqué was developed by the Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change (managed by the University of Cambridge Programme for Industry). Its launch will coincide with the second week of climate negotiations taking place in Poznan, Poland.

The Communique states that “climate change poses global social, environmental and economic risks and demands a transformational change in how we manage our global economy” and that “we must deliver deep and rapid cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.” It adds that “any credible comprehensive agreement must include mechanisms to reduce topical deforestation” as the continuing destruction of these ecosystems accounts for up to one fifth of annual greenhouse emissions.

Ricoh is the only major Japanese corporation to have supported the Communique. A pioneer in corporate environmentalism, Ricoh was also the first Japanese company to come out in support of the Kyoto Protocol, under Masamitsu Sakurai’s leadership, Ricoh’s chief executive at the time.

Kiyoshi Sakai, Chief Technology Officer and Corporate Executive Vice President of Ricoh said: “We believe we must achieve a sustainable society where our environmental impact is limited to what the Earth can deal with, handing on our precious Earth to future generations. In order to do this, we must create a system enabling us to tackle climate change actively, and altogether – that’s why we signed the Poznan Communique.”

Federal Reserve Board: Resources for Consumers Mortgage Foreclosures

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 01:31:31 GMT

If you are having difficulty making your mortgage payment, one of the most important things you can do is seek assistance. The following resources provide information and links to agencies and organizations that may be able to help you. Specific resources are also available for stabilizing communities; Systemwide information is available from the 12 Reserve Bank Foreclosure Resource Centers.

Department of Housing and Urban Development
Guide to Avoiding Foreclosure
Housing Counseling Agencies
How to Avoid Foreclosure (82 KB PDF)
Department of Justice
Credit Counseling Agencies Approved Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 111
Federal Housing Administration
You Can Avoid Foreclosure and Keep Your Home
Federal Reserve System
5 Tips for Protecting Your Home from Foreclosure
Federal Reserve System Foreclosure Resource Centers
Putting Your Home on the Loan Line Is Risky Business
Federal Trade Commission
Credit & Loans
Credit Repair: How to Help Yourself
Foreclosure Rescue Scams: Another Potential Stress for Homeowners
Mortgage Payments Sending You Reeling? Here’s What to Do
Internal Revenue Service
Homeowners Who Lose Homes; Tax Relief Available to Many
Q&A on Home Foreclosure and Debt Cancellation
NeighborWorks® America
Center for Foreclosure Solutions
Consumer Foreclosure Resources
NeighborWorks® America Organizations Locator
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Consumer Tips for Avoiding Foreclosure Rescue Scams
http://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerinfo/foreclosure_consumers.htm

CFTC Charges Philadelphia-area Resident with Operating $50 Million Ponzi Scheme

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:20:46 GMT

Release: 5594-09
For Release: January 8, 2009

CFTC Charges Philadelphia-area Resident with Operating $50 Million Ponzi Scheme

Joseph S. Forte Confesses to Fraud Scheme and Failing to Register with the CFTC
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced today that it charged Joseph S. Forte of Broomall, Pennsylvania with operating a Ponzi scheme involving approximately $50 million in connection with the unregistered Joseph Forte, L.P. commodity futures pool. Forte recently confessed to federal authorities in the wake of the scheme’s collapse. The CFTC’s complaint charges Forte with: solicitation fraud; misappropriation of pool funds; sending customers false account statements; and failing to register with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator. In conjunction with the CFTC’s filing, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania issued a restraining order freezing assets and preserving records.

“Ponzi schemers succeed by creating an illusion of profitability through lies and deceit to lure investors to part with their money. We are committed to rooting out miscreants who, like Forte, destroy the lives of innocent victims and, ultimately, undermine the confidence of investors everywhere,” said Acting Director of Enforcement Stephen J. Obie.

The CFTC complaint alleges that from at least February 1995 through present, Forte fraudulently solicited approximately $50 million from dozens of individuals and entities to participate in a commodity futures pool to trade, among other things, S&P 500 stock index futures, foreign currency futures, and metal futures. In soliciting prospective and existing participants, Forte claimed he was a successful commodity futures trader and that his pool had a successful track record. For example, in a solicitation memorandum directed to a church, Forte represented that the eight-year annual return on the fund ranged from 18.52% to 36.19%. To conceal his ongoing fraud, Forte failed to register with the CFTC and provided quarterly account statements to pool participants showing consistently profitable returns of the pool and eventually reporting that as of late 2008, the pool had increased in value to over $154 million.

In reality, however, Forte was neither successfully trading nor making an effort to do so. When trading, Forte purportedly sustained net losses of at least $3 million trading almost exclusively the S&P 500 futures contract on behalf of the pool. However, during a 34-month period from 2004 into 2007, Forte purportedly conducted little to no trading at all.

Forte allegedly failed to deposit any funds into the trading account during a 53-month period from October 2002 to February 2007.

Instead of generating the astounding profits from high volume trading touted in solicitations and falsified in account statements, Forte used pool participants’ funds to pay off other pool participants and to pay business expenses. From the outset, Forte also paid himself purported management and incentive fees based on the falsified earnings and increased value of the pool. `While Forte confessed to taking $10-12 million of the solicited funds, information in the falsified account statements would suggest receipt of management and incentive fees totaling more than $28 million.

Efforts are ongoing to account for and locate pool participant funds.

In the continuing litigation, the CFTC seeks restitution, disgorgement, civil monetary penalties and permanent injunctions against further violations of the federal commodities laws and against further trading.

The CFTC Urges the Investing Public to Exercise Due Diligence, Watch out for the Warning Signs of Fraud, and Report Any Suspicions About Commodity Ponzi Schemes

With certain exceptions, all individuals and firms that intend to do business as future professionals must register under the Commodity Exchange Act. Registration with the National Futures Association, the industry-side self-regulatory organization for the U.S. futures industry, provides a means for screening individuals and firms for fitness to engage in business as futures professionals and identifying those whose activities are subject to federal regulation. Moreover, all individuals and firm that wish to conduct futures-related business with the public must apply for membership or associate status with the NFA and submit to rigorous background and proficiency screening do business with the public on any U.S. futures exchange. Registration and membership status may be checked via the National Futures Association website at www.nfa.futures.org.

Individuals and firms that fraudulently solicit funds from investors for commodity futures and options trading are usually not registered with the CFTC. They may operate “Ponzi” schemes in which little or none of the money sent in by investors is ever invested as promised in the commodity markets. Instead, the operator of the scam steals the funds, and creates the illusion of a successful business by using some of the money put in by later investors to pay phony “profits” to earlier investors. This tactic makes it appear to investors that the investment is actually making money, which in turn attracts additional investors. Be wary of such payouts if you do not fully understand their source. Additionally, the CFTC urges the public to watch out for these warning signs of fraud:

Get-rich-quick schemes that sound too good to be true.

Predictions or guarantees of large profits. Always get as much information as you can about a firm or individual’s track record and verify that information—even if you know the people involved or they are recommended by friends or relatives. If you can’t get solid information about your investment and the company, don’t invest. Before you invest, always check it out with someone whose financial advice you can trust.

Promises of little or no financial risk. Be suspicious if the firm or individual says there is little risk. Be suspicious if someone tells you that a written risk disclosure statement is only a routine formality. Written risk disclosure statements are important to read thoroughly and understand.

Claims of trading in the “Interbank Market.” If a firm claims that they will trade foreign currency for you in the interbank market, or that you should trade in the interbank market, be cautious. The term “interbank market” refers to a loose network of currency transactions negotiated between financial institutions, usually banks and investment banks, and other large companies.

Unsolicited telephone calls about investing. Be skeptical if someone you don’t know calls you about investment opportunities.

Someone asking you to send cash immediately. Be very cautious if someone tries to convince you to send cash or transfer money to them immediately by overnight express, the Internet, mail, or any other method.

The CFTC appreciates the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC filed a related action against Forte and the pool.

The following CFTC Division of Enforcement staff members are responsible for this case: Luke B. Marsh, Kara Mucha, Gretchen L. Lowe, and Vincent McGonagle.

Last Updated: January 8, 2009

Chicago Board of Trade Options and Futures

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:56:59 GMT

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: 23,368)
3,195 -632 11,134 6,320 10,825 20,648 21,327 2,720 2,041

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
17.9 14.2 28.4 45.7 43.9 92.0 86.5 8.0 13.5

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 297)
84 94 118 81 99 239 251

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: 29,977)
4,576 -5,183 19,529 -2,175 7,413 21,930 21,759 8,046 8,218

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
10.1 7.0 34.3 43.8 42.5 88.2 83.8 11.8 16.2

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 605)
137 146 223 236 270 499 538

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: -196)
-61 -42 -28 -124 -32 -212 -102 16 -94

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
3.7 9.3 6.6 77.5 70.3 87.8 86.1 12.2 13.9

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 43)
5 12 7 23 16 34 30

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: 16,879)
3,519 241 8,376 2,423 7,478 14,318 16,095 2,561 783

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
14.1 4.9 32.3 41.3 46.7 87.6 83.9 12.4 16.1

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 303)
94 70 120 99 111 255 257

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: -8,418)
2,257 -4,874 -4,921 -8,276 -461 -10,940 -10,255 2,521 1,837

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
7.5 12.0 26.2 55.7 53.2 89.3 91.3 10.7 8.7

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 186)
31 56 70 64 60 151 150

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: -12,255)
1,239 -22,564 7,996 -31,614 -862 -22,380 -15,430 10,124 3,175

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
6.9 18.9 6.4 70.1 55.4 83.4 80.8 16.6 19.2

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 144)
23 36 30 59 73 101 120

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: 2,517)
1,576 674 -58 -1,545 1,350 -27 1,965 2,544 552

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
15.5 5.9 21.2 44.1 58.3 80.8 85.5 19.2 14.5

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 148)
36 24 39 58 53 122 100

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: -276)
0 96 -10 -214 -145 -224 -60 -52 -216

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
17.2 8.4 6.8 61.6 64.6 85.6 79.8 14.4 20.2

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 45)
8 9 5 17 15 27 27

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: -16,605)
5,259 5,748 -1,348 -7,288 -12,501 -3,377 -8,101 -13,228 -8,504

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
12.3 16.6 2.1 72.3 67.7 86.7 86.4 13.3 13.6

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 150)
24 29 13 70 73 101 108

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: 22,309)
8,912 21,171 4,822 -4,627 -27,978 9,107 -1,985 13,201 24,294

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
11.9 10.2 10.9 61.2 58.1 84.0 79.2 16.0 20.8

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 188)
36 42 49 84 92 147 156

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: -58,205)
-46,154 232 -1,099 -9,641 -65,388 -56,894 -66,255 -1,312 8,050

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
9.7 13.5 4.7 68.8 64.9 83.2 83.0 16.8 17.0

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 140)
21 36 29 69 63 108 110

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: -194,017)
-3,615 515 -113,968 -77,105 -84,341 -194,688 -197,793 671 3,777

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
22.7 2.1 47.7 24.9 45.1 95.3 94.9 4.7 5.1

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 71)
24 12 31 32 25 67 59

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: 478)
-128 -566 -15 2,033 -197 1,890 -778 -1,412 1,255

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
28.3 35.6 0.1 54.6 21.6 83.0 57.4 17.0 42.6

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 27)
5 7 1 12 5 17 13

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: 6,566)
-1,157 1,066 -214 7,563 1,346 6,191 2,198 375 4,368

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
30.1 14.9 0.8 54.1 61.0 84.9 76.6 15.1 23.4

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 81)
27 13 4 27 24 55 40

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: 2,307)
2,082 -7 74 156 2,238 2,312 2,305 -5 2

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
57.1 22.9 0.6 41.6 76.1 99.3 99.6 0.7 0.4

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 41)
12 10 4 12 14 26 26

CHANGES FROM 12/30/08 (CHANGE IN OPEN INTEREST: -241)
-279 107 12 -53 -338 -320 -219 79 -22

PERCENT OF OPEN INTEREST FOR EACH CATEGORY OF TRADER
62.7 2.3 3.3 33.3 94.3 99.3 99.9 0.7 0.1

NUMBER OF TRADERS IN EACH CATEGORY (TOTAL TRADERS: 34)
11 8 3 11 8 23 18

——————————————————————————–

Updated January 9, 2009

CFTC Requests Public Comment on Application submitted by Cantor Fitzgerald

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:46:41 GMT

Release: 5595-09
For Release: January 8, 2009

CFTC Requests Public Comment on Application submitted by Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. for Designation of a Contract Market and Registration of a Derivatives Clearing Organization
Washington, DC – The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is asking for public comment on an application submitted by Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P., for the designation of a contract market, Cantor Futures Exchange, L.P., and the registration of a derivatives clearing organization, Cantor Clearinghouse, L.P. Comments should be submitted on or before Wednesday, January 28, 2009.

Comments may be submitted electronically to secretary@cftc.gov. All comments received will be posted on the CFTC’s website.

http://cftc.gov/newsroom/generalpressreleases/2009/pr5595-09.html

Lee Iacocca says:

wallyman0 — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:29:12 GMT

Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from its death throes? He’s now 82 years old and has a new book, ‘Where Have All The Leaders Gone?’.

Lee Iacocca Says:

‘Am I the only guy in this country who’s fed up with what’s happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder! We’ve got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we’ve got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can’t even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, ‘Stay the course.’

Stay the course? You’ve got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned, ‘Titanic’. I’ll give you a sound bite: ‘Throw all the bums out!’

You might think I’m getting senile, that I’ve gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.

The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we’re fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving ‘pom-poms’ instead of asking hard questions. That’s not the promise of the ‘America’ my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I’ve had enough. How about you?

I’ll go a step further. You can’t call yourself a patriot if you’re not outraged. This is a fight I’m ready and willing to have. The Biggest ‘C’ is Crisis! (Iacocca elaborates on nine C’s of leadership, with crisis being the first.)

Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It’s easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else’s kids off to war when you’ve never seen a battlefield yourself. It’s another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A hell of a mess, so here’s where we stand.

We’re immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving.

We’re running the biggest deficit in the history of the country.

We’re losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs.

Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble.

Our borders are like sieves.

The middle class is being squeezed every which way.

These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you’ve got to ask: ‘Where have all the leaders gone?’ Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?

We’ve spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.

Everyone’s hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn’t happen again. Now, that’s just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you’re going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when ‘The Big Three’ referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn’t elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don’t you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough? Hey, I’m not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I’m trying to light a fire. I’m speaking out because I have hope - I believe in America. In my lifetime, I’ve had the privilege of living through some of America ’s greatest moments. I’ve also experienced some of our worst crises: The ‘Great Depression,’ ‘World War II,’ the ‘Korean War,’ the ‘Kennedy Assassination,’ the ‘Vietnam War,’ the 1970’s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.

If I’ve learned one thing, it’s this: ‘You don’t get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it’s building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That’s the challenge I’m raising in this book. It’s a “Call to Action” for people who, like me, believe in America’. It’s not too late, but it’s getting pretty close. So let’s shake off the crap and go to work. Let’s tell ‘em all we’ve had ‘enough.’

Make your own contribution by sending this to everyone you know and care about. It’s our country, folks, and it’s our future. Our future is at stake!!

EPA Seeks Advice on Perchlorate in Drinking Water - Agency Issues Interim Health Advisory

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:50:31 GMT

Release date: 01/08/2009

Contact Information: Enesta Jones, (202) 564-4355/7873/ jones.enesta@epa.gov

(Washington, D.C. – Jan. 8, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking advice from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) before making a final determination on whether to issue a national regulation for perchlorate in drinking water.

The agency also is issuing an interim health advisory of 15 parts per billion (ppb) to assist state and local officials in addressing local contamination of perchlorate in drinking water and making a corresponding change to the factors it considers in cleaning up Superfund sites. States have the right to establish and enforce drinking water standards, and EPA encourages state-specific situations to be addressed at the local level. EPA expects to issue a final health advisory concurrent with the final regulatory determination for perchlorate.

“This is a sensible step for protecting public health and preserving regulatory options as the science of perchlorate is reviewed,” said Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA’s assistant administrator for water.

On Oct. 10, 2008, the agency issued a preliminary regulatory determination for public comment in the Federal Register. The notice described the agency’s decision that there is not a “meaningful opportunity for health risk reduction” through a national drinking water regulation for perchlorate. The agency received more than 32,000 comments on the notice.

After considering public comments, as well as recommendations from EPA advisory groups and offices, EPA is asking the NAS to provide additional insight on various issues. Specifically, EPA is asking the NAS to evaluate its derivation of the Health Reference Level of 15 ppb, the use of modeling to evaluate impacts on infants and young children, and the implication of recent biomonitoring studies. The agency is also asking the NAS how it should consider the role of perchlorate relative to other iodide uptake inhibiting compounds and if there are other public health strategies to address this aspect of thyroid health.

EPA is replacing the existing preliminary remediation goal of 24.5 ppb with the interim health advisory value of 15 ppb. This goal will be used as a consideration when establishing cleanup levels for perchlorate at Superfund sites.

A regulatory determination is a formal decision by EPA as to whether it should initiate development of a national primary drinking water regulation for a specific contaminant under the Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA has drinking water regulations for more than 90 contaminants. Every five years, EPA develops a Contaminant Candidate List to consider for regulation and then makes regulatory determinations on some of the contaminants based on scientific information on health effects, occurrence in drinking water and the opportunity for risk reduction.

A health advisory provides technical guidance to federal, state, and other public health officials on health effects, analytical methods and treatment technologies associated with drinking water contamination. Health advisories also contain guidance values that are concentrations of a contaminant in drinking water that are likely to be without adverse health effects.

More information on the perchlorate health advisory: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/unregulated/perchlorate.html

Stimulating Our way to Rock Bottom

wallyman0 — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:52:44 GMT

Stimulating Our Way to Rock Bottom

Dr. Ron Paul - U.S. Congress, TX, 14th District

With attention turning to the next big economic stimulus package, questions are still swirling about our economic troubles. How did we get here? How do we get out? As usual, Washington has all the wrong answers. According to many politicians, we got here by not spending enough, not consuming enough, and not regulating enough. Now government, like some mythical white knight, is going to ride in to save the day by blanketing the economy with dollars, hiring an army of new bureaucrats, creating make-work jobs, and sending everyone some form of a bailout check. The debate seems to focus on whether this will cost enough to save the economy, or if this is just a “down payment” with much more government spending to come. Talk like that would be comical, if the results weren’t going to be so tragic.

The results will be worsening economic woes until we learn our lesson. But instead Congress is behaving like drug addicts who must hit rock bottom before they are ready to face reality. They are playing foolish games with the economy now because they are thinking only of political expedience. This talk of job creation is a perfect example.

Contrary to the belief of many, the goal of the economy is not job creation. Jobs can be a sign of a healthy economy, as a high energy level can be a sign of a healthy body. But just as unhealthy substances can artificially give the addict that burst of energy that has nothing to do with health, artificially created jobs just exacerbate our problems. The goal of a healthy economy is productivity. Jobs are a positive outcome of that. A “job” could be to dig a hole one day, and fill it back up the next, or perhaps the equivalent at a desk. This does no one any good. But the value in that paycheck ultimately has to come from taxing someone productive. Some think this round-robin type of economic model is supposed to get us somewhere.

Politicians and bureaucrats have already done their fair share to ensure that jobs in the private sector are prohibitively complicated and expensive to create. They are now shocked that the economy is shedding jobs, and want to simply create hundreds of thousands of jobs to make up for the job losses, through another so-called economic stimulus package. The private sector must be permitted to do that, but instead they are massively burdened with taxes and webs of red tape and regulation. Washington’s bandaids will only prolong this agony. The Austrian school of economics teaches that only a free market economy, unencumbered by onerous government controls, creates long-term prosperity. Politicians, however, tend to be notoriously short-sighted.

I am left with these questions – who is going to be left standing to tax in the private sector to pay for all these public sector make-work jobs? Is Washington really to be considered some sort of savior for creating unproductive jobs in place of the productive jobs they eliminated?

We are at an economic dead-end and those in power are in denial. The truth is our economic problems are due to loose monetary policy, central economic planning, and the parasitic expenses of government. Unless we assess these problems honestly, we unfortunately have a long way to go until, like the junkie, we hit rock bottom.

Researchers focus on bringing bees back

wallyman0 — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:46:46 GMT

Researchers focus on bringing bees back

By GENARO C. ARMAS
The Associated Press

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The mysterious decline in honeybees has generated renewed interest into finding new ways to boost bee numbers.

Buoyed by public concern over honeybee hives afflicted with colony collapse disorder, researchers are focusing on how the habitat surrounding a hive can affect the health of the honeybees and native bees like bumblebees.

“The more of these pollinator-friendly areas we have … the more likely we are able to retain bee species,” said Karen Goodell, an ecology professor at Ohio State University whose project focuses on native bees.

Separately, scientists in labs trying to unravel the mystery over colony collapse disorder are focusing on how pesticides and other chemicals used in fields and gardens might affect honeybees, bumblebees and other insects that pollinate crops.

In both cases, researchers want to know how much of what’s outside can affect what’s happening inside the hive.

Bees are vital to American agriculture because they pollinate many flowering crops, including almonds, apples and blueberries.

But honeybees, a non-native species from Europe, are the pollinators of choice in American agriculture because they are easier to manage and are more plentiful , a single colony can contain 20,000 workers. Bumblebee colonies, for instance, may only have a couple of hundred worker bees.

The honeybees have taken a hit over the years by mites and, most recently, colony collapse disorder, in which beekeepers have found affected hives devoid of most bees. Bees that remain appear much weaker than normal.

Beekeepers in 2006 began reporting losing 30 percent to 90 percent of their hives. Since then the annual loss rate has been roughly 33 percent, according to government estimates.

The first case of colony collapse disorder was officially reported in Pennsylvania, and Penn State University has been spearheading research. Maryann Frazier, a senior extension associate at the school’s entomology department, said researchers remain concerned about the number and combination of pesticides that have been detected in decimated hives.

“We realize it’s much more complicated than what we thought a year ago,” Frazier said earlier this month. “From what we know now, it’s not something we’ll figure out very, very quickly.”

Native pollinators are also being monitored. The National Academy of Sciences in 2006 found declining populations of several bee species, along with other native pollinators like butterflies, hummingbirds and bats.

The report suggested that landowners can take small steps to make sure habitats are more “pollinator friendly,” like by growing more native plants.

And that’s what scientists appear to be doing on a larger scale across the country in hopes of bringing bees back.

One such track is at the Environmental Research Institute at Eastern Kentucky University, where apiculturalist Tammy Horn oversees an experiment in apiforestation, a term described by the school as a “new form of reclamation focused on planting pollinator-friendly flowers and trees.”
click here!

The project is in its first year. Horn is working with local coal companies to plant trees, shrubs, and native wildflowers on reclaimed lands that would be attractive to pollinators, rather than the once-typical scenario of planting only high-value hardwoods to establish a timber industry.

There are years of study still to go, though there are no signs of colony collapse disorder so far, Horn said.

Local support from residents and coal companies has been encouraging to Horn. It helps that locals have family ties to beekeeping, with parents and grandparents perhaps dabbling in the hobby before it started to become less popular locally.

The rallying point has been concern about the disappearing bees, she said.

“That’s been important for my project to succeed,” Horn said in a phone interview. “Even people who don’t care about beekeeping show up to (beekeeping workshops) in Eastern Kentucky and know it’s important. They like showing up on mine sites to see that coal mines care enough to invest in it.”

The idea is intriguing enough to draw interest for similar projects in other parts of the country, including California and Pennsylvania.

“It’s a fantastic idea,” said Dennis vanEnglesdorp, acting state apiarist for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. “It’s just a matter of finding time to do everything properly. It’s one of the ways forward for sure.”

At Ohio State, Goodell’s project is housed at The Wilds, a private, nonprofit conservation center located on nearly 10,000 acres of reclaimed mine land in rural southeastern Ohio.

“It’s not as much a scientific study as a ‘Let’s do this and see what happens,’” Goodell said.

Her work deals with native bees, rather than honeybees, though the plight of the honeybees has drawn more attention to all pollinators, she said. The goal is to find the right mix of plants and trees to build native bee populations.

“Those populations would then be contributing to colonizing areas that have lost bees because of poor management,” Goodell said. “Definitely, these bees will be playing a role in pollination services.”

It’s a tact similar to that taken by projects that focus on native pollinators promoted by Mace Vaughan, the pollinator program director at The Xerces Society, a Portland, Ore.-based nonprofit organization.

Its mission, according its Web site, is to “protect wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat.”

Vaughan worries that U.S. agriculture might be too dependent on honeybees, though, as with Goodell, programs there have drawn increased interest because of the attention on the honeybee decline.

The ups and downs of energy drinks

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:10:45 GMT

AAFES sales are high, but experts debate health effects of popular drinks
By Mark Abramson, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Mark Abramson / S&S
Worldwide sales of Red Bull and other energy drinks at Army and Air Force Exchange facilities climbed from about 950,000 units in 2006 to more than 2.47 million in 2008. Dentists and health experts worry about how those drinks can affect people’s health.
Top-selling cold beverages at AAFES for 2008
1. Monster energy drink (16 oz.)
2. Red Bull energy drink (16 oz.)
3. Coke Classic (12 oz.-24 pack)
4. Mountain Dew (20-oz. bottle)
5. Red Bull (8.3 oz.)
6. Mountain Dew Fridge Mate
(12 pack)
7. Monster low carbonated energy drink (16 oz.)
8. Pepsi Fridge Mate (12 pack)
9. Red Bull (12-oz. can)
10. Coke Classic, (20-oz. bottle)

Source: Army and Air Force Exchange Service

Sport drink sales (by container)
2006 - 2,372,620
2007 - 2,330,132
2008 - 2,287,917

Energy drink sales (by container)
2006 - 954,008
2007 - 1,777,057
2008 - 2,475,475
Servicemembers’ thirst for something with a little more oomph than a soda or cup of joe has added some kick to the Army and Air Force Exchange Service’s energy drink sales numbers. But, are those drinks good for you?

According to AAFES, its energy drinks sales worldwide rocketed from 954,008 containers in 2006 to 2,475,475 in 2008. The sales of sport drinks, such as Gatorade and Powerade have declined from 2,372,620 containers to 2,287,917 in the same time span. Energy drinks, such as Red Bull and Monster, now account for five of the top 10 cold beverage sellers at AAFES facilities. Monster energy drinks, 16-ounce sizes, are the No. 1 seller.

“New energy drink flavors seem to evolve and innovate themselves to meet changing demands,” AAFES spokesman Army Lt. Col. David Konop said via e-mail.

Although energy drinks may be healthy for AAFES’ sales figures, guzzling those drinks may not be so good for the consumer, military officials warned.

“I think there are more (health) minuses than pluses,” said Todd Hoover, director of the Army Wellness Center in Heidelberg, Germany, and replication manager for Army wellness centers in Europe. “These are just empty calories because there is no nutrient value in the drinks.”

High caffeine and other ingredients that have the same properties are part of the problem with the drinks, Hoover said.

A 2006 study in the Analytical Journal of Toxicology showed that energy drinks contain up to 141 milligrams of caffeine per serving, compared to 65 to 120 milligrams for coffee and 20 to 40 milligrams for soda.

Hoover said it is unclear what the long-term health effects are of energy drinks because there haven’t been any legitimate studies on the subject. But he said he is concerned about how popular these drinks are becoming — especially downrange.

Energy drink consumption is widespread downrange, where troops are taking coolers full of the drinks with them before they go out on missions and using them to stay awake, Hoover said. He said witnessing that after a recent trip to the Middle East was an eye-opening experience.

But some studies have shown that the drinks are good at improving reaction times, feelings of well-being and energy, Europe Regional Medical Command officials said. Studies have also shown that consuming energy drinks may cause an increased heart rate, nausea, restlessness and tremors.

Dentists worry about the sugar levels.

“Any drink that has a high sugar content, which a lot of these drinks do, could lead to an increase in tooth decay or cavities,” said Air Force Col. Blake Edinger, a doctor of dental surgery at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

“Every time you take a sip of that drink … the sugar coats the teeth and the bacteria in the mouth attacks that sugar and that forms an acid and that acid will attack the teeth for up to 20 minutes,” Edinger said.

But despite the high sugar and caffeine content, one dental expert said the jury is still out on the effects of energy drinks.

“There are still a lot of studies going on,” said Army Col. Jose Conde, chief of staff for Europe Regional Dental Command. “The energy drinks, some of them don’t have carbonation, but they are very acidic.”

Conde said he is concerned about AAFES’ eye-popping sales figures.

“It could potentially be a big problem, especially if (servicemembers) drink it during deploying status. Their oral hygiene could be a big problem.”

Dione Has Her Faults (Picture of Saturn’s Moon / NASA)

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:10:48 GMT

Dione Saturn's Moon

Saturn’s icy moon Dione has undoubtedly experienced geologic activity since its formation, as evidenced by the tectonic faults and craters on its surface.

To create this enhanced-color view, ultraviolet, green and infrared images were combined into a single black and white picture that isolates and maps regional color differences. This “color map” was then superposed over a clear-filter image. The origin of the color differences is not yet understood, but may be caused by subtle differences in the surface composition or the sizes of grains making up the icy soil.

This view looks toward the leading hemisphere on Dione.

Image Credit:NASA/JPL

COW COVER (picture) IN IRAQ

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:42:39 GMT

U.S. Army Pvt. Gregory Lloyd searches for munitions near Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq, Dec. 29, 2008. Lloyd is assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade.
U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Wendy Wyman

NOAA Gives Navy Marine Mammal Protection Measures for Sonar Training off Hawaii

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:29:21 GMT

January 12, 2009

NOAA’s Fisheries Service has issued regulations and a letter of authorization to the U.S. Navy to impact marine mammals while conducting training exercises around the main Hawaiian Islands. The regulations require the Navy to implement measures designed to protect and minimize effects to marine mammals.

The Navy requested authorization under the Marine Mammal Protection Act because the mid-frequency sound generated by tactical active sonar, and the sound and pressure generated by detonating explosives, may affect the behavior of some marine mammals or cause a temporary loss of their hearing.

NOAA’s Fisheries Service does not expect the exercises to result in serious injury or death to marine mammals, and is requiring the Navy to use mitigation measures intended to avoid injury or death. However, in a small number of cases, exposure to sonar in certain circumstances has been associated with the stranding of some marine mammals, and some injury or death potentially could occur despite the best efforts of the Navy. Therefore, the regulations and the letter allow for incidental impacts on marine mammals, including injury or death of up to 10 animals of each of 11 species over the five years covered by the regulations.

NOAA’s Fisheries Service has determined that these effects would have a negligible effect on the species or stocks involved.

Under the regulations and the letter, the Navy must follow mitigation measures to minimize effects on marine mammals, including:

establishing marine mammal safety zones around each vessel using sonar;
using Navy observers to shut down sonar operations if marine mammals are seen within designated safety zones;
using of exclusion zones to ensure that explosives are not detonated when animals are detected within a certain distance;
implementing a stranding response plan that includes a training shutdown provision in certain circumstances and a memorandum of agreement to allow the Navy to contribute in-kind services to NOAA’s Fisheries Service if the agency has to conduct a stranding response and investigation;
establishing an area of extra caution in the Maui Basin because of its high density of humpback whales.
These measures should minimize the potential for injury or death and significantly reduce the number of marine mammals exposed to levels of sound likely to cause temporary loss of hearing.

NOAA’s Fisheries Service and the Navy worked to develop a robust monitoring plan to use independent, experienced aerial and vessel-based marine mammal observers (as well as Navy watch standers), passive acoustic monitoring, and tagging to help better understand how marine mammals respond to various levels of sound and to assess the effectiveness of mitigation measures. The implementation of this monitoring plan is included as a requirement of the regulations and the letter.

The Navy has been conducting training exercises, including the use of mid-frequency sonar, in the Hawaiian Islands for more than 40 years. Exercises range from large multi-national, month-long training exercises using multiple submarines, ships, and aircraft conducted every other year, known as Rim of Pacific Training Exercises, to two- to three-day exercises to test the readiness of battle groups, known as Undersea Warfare Exercises or USWEXs, and shorter exercises that last less than a day. In addition, some exercises involve the use of explosives.

This regulation, in effect for five years, governs the incidental take of marine mammals during the Navy’s training activities, and includes required mitigation and monitoring measures. The letters of authorization, which are required for the Navy to legally conduct their activities, are issued annually, provided the Navy abides by the terms and conditions of the letter, submits the required annual reports, and shows their activities do not result in more numerous effects or more severe harm to marine mammals than were originally analyzed or authorized.

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.

NOAA’s Fisheries Service is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation’s living marine resources and their habitat through scientific research, management and enforcement. NOAA’s Fisheries Service provides effective stewardship of these resources for the benefit of the nation, supporting coastal communities that depend upon them, and helping to provide safe and healthy seafood to consumers and recreational opportunities for the American public. To learn more, visit NOAA’s Fisheries Service Web site.

NOAA Will Work With Six Identified Nations to Address Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:10:46 GMT

January 13, 2009

NOAA today submitted the first ever report to Congress identifying nations – France, Italy, Libya, Panama, the People’s Republic of China, and Tunisia – whose fishing vessels were engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in 2007 or 2008.

This opens the way for continued consultations between the U.S. government and officials of each of the six nations to encourage them to take corrective action to stop IUU fishing by their vessels.

Bluefin tuna, one of the species that are most affected by illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

High resolution (Credit: NOAA)
“Illegal fishing is a global problem that is depleting fish stocks and hurting the economies of nations and the livelihoods of people who depend on sustainable fishing,” said Dr. Jim Balsiger, NOAA acting assistant administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “Our report is part of stepped up efforts called for by Congress to work with other nations to stop illegal fishing on shared fish stocks.”

Annual global economic losses due to IUU fishing are estimated to be about $9 billion, according to an international task force on IUU fishing.

According to NOAA’s report, the identified nations had fishing vessels that did not comply with measures agreed to under various international regional fishery management organizations. In the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, fishing vessels of identified nations were using illegal fishing gear, fishing during a closed season, or not complying with reporting requirements. Failure to report catch and effort data to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas hampers the ability of that regional fishery management organization to conduct vital stock assessments used to manage and rebuild stocks, such as the severely depleted eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna.

In the Pacific Ocean, an identified nation had vessels that violated an international rule requiring any vessel fishing for tuna in the eastern Pacific Ocean be listed in the vessel register for the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, the regional fishery management organization that manages tuna stocks in that area.

Today’s identification of nations follows two years in which NOAA’s Fisheries Service, working with the U.S. Department of State, conducted extensive outreach at bilateral and multilateral meetings to inform fishing nations of the new international measures to combat IUU fishing under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act.

The act, signed into law in 2007, amends the High Seas Driftnet Moratorium Protection Act to require the U.S. to strengthen international fishery management organizations and address IUU-fishing and the bycatch of protected living marine resources. Specifically, the Moratorium Protection Act now requires the secretary of commerce to identify in a biennial report to Congress those foreign nations whose fishing vessels are engaged in IUU fishing or fishing activities or practices that result in the bycatch of protected living marine resources. The act also now requires the secretary to certify whether these identified nations have stopped IUU fishing and the bycatch of protected resources.

Today’s identification will be followed by consultations to urge nations to adopt corrective measures. Following consultations, NOAA will formally certify each of the six nations either as adopting effective measures to stop IUU fishing, or having vessels engaged in IUU fishing. If a nation is found to be engaged in IUU fishing, that nation’s vessels may be denied entry into U.S. ports and the president may prohibit imports of certain fish products from that nation or take other measures.

Today’s report to Congress also includes information on the status of living marine resources around the globe and multilateral efforts to improve stewardship of these resources.

NOAA also has just released a proposed rule that outlines the procedures for identifying and certifying nations for IUU fishing and bycatch of protected living marine resources. A draft environmental assessment of the rule is also now available. You can read the Report to Congress, the draft rule and environmental assessment online.

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.

President Bush Discusses Conservation and the Environment

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:35:31 GMT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Please be seated. Thank you for coming, and Happy New Year. Laura and I thank all of our distinguished guests, starting with members of my Cabinet — Secretary Kempthorne, Secretary Gutierrez, Administrator Johnson. Admiral, thank you for coming today. We’re proud you’re here. Mr. Secretary, thank you for being here. Other members of the administration who have joined us. Members of the conservation community, we’re glad you’re here.

Governor, I am proud you’re here. Thank you for coming. And Josie is with you. Representatives from — by the way, Northern Mariana Islands — Governor. Just in case you don’t know him. (Laughter.) We know him — and we like him. And all the representatives from America Samoa, really appreciate you all coming. Apologize for the weather, but I don’t apologize for the policy, because we’re fixing to do some fabulous policy.

It’s interesting that we’re gathered a few steps from the office once occupied by a young Assistant Secretary of the Navy named Theodore Roosevelt. Not long after he left the position, he was back on these grounds as the 26th President of the United States. And exactly a hundred years ago, he embarked on his final weeks as the President — something I can relate to. (Laughter.)

President Roosevelt left office with many achievements, and the most enduring of all was his commitment to conservation. As he once said: “Of all the questions which can come before the nation, short of the actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which compares in importance with leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us.”

That spirit has guided the conservation movement for a century; it’s guided my administration. Since 2001, we have put common-sense policies in place, and I can say upon departure, our air is cleaner, our water is purer, and our lands are better protected.

To build on this progress, I’m pleased to make several announcements today. Under the Antiquities Act that Theodore Roosevelt signed in 1906, the President can set aside places of historic or scientific significance to be protected as national monuments. With the proclamations I will sign in a few moments, I am using that authority to designate three beautiful and biologically diverse areas of the Pacific Ocean as new marine national monuments.

The first is we will establish the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument. At the heart of this protected area will be much of the Marianas Trench — the site of the deepest point on Earth — and the surrounding arc of undersea volcanoes and thermal vents. This unique geological region is more than five times longer than the Grand Canyon. It is deeper than Mount Everest is tall. It supports life in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. A fascinating array of species survive amid hydrogen-emitting volcanoes, hydrothermal vents that produce highly acidic and boiling water, and the only known location of liquid sulfur this side of Jupiter.

Many scientists — and I want to thank the scientists who have joined us today — believe extreme conditions like these could have been the first incubators of life on Earth. As further research is conducted in these depths, we will learn more about life at the bottom of the sea — and about the history of our planet.

The other major features of the new monument are the majestic coral reefs off the coast of the upper three islands in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. These islands, some 5,600 miles from California, are home to a striking diversity of marine life — from large predators like sharks and rays, to more than 300 species of stony corals. By studying these pristine waters, scientists can advance our understanding of tropical marine ecosystems not only there, but around the world.

The second new monument will be the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. The monument will span seven areas to the far south and west of Hawaii. One is Wake Island — the site of a pivotal battle in World War II, and a key habitat for nesting seabirds and migratory shorebirds. The monument will also include unique trees and grasses and birds adapted to life at the Equator; the rare sea turtles and whales and Hawaiian monk seals that visit Johnston Atoll; and some of the most pristine and spectacular coral reefs in the world. These isolated specks of land and abundant marine ecosystems are almost completely undisturbed by mankind. And as part of the Pacific Remote Islands National Monument, they will be ideal laboratories for scientific research.

The third new monument will be the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument. Rose is a diamond-shaped island to the east of American Samoa — our nation’s southernmost territory. It includes rare species of nesting petrels, shearwaters, and terns — which account for its native name, “Island of Seabirds.” The waters surrounding the atoll are the home of many rare species, including giant clams and reef sharks — as well as an unusual abundance of rose-colored corals. This area has long been renowned as a place of natural beauty. And now that it’s protected by law, it will also be a place of learning for generations to come.

Taken together, these three new national monuments cover nearly 200,000 square miles, and they will now receive our nation’s highest level of environmental recognition and conservation. This decision came after a lot of consultation — consultation with local officials, consultation with prominent scientists, consultation with environmental advocates, consultation with the United States military and the fishing community. Based on these consultations, as well as sound resource management principles, the monuments will prohibit resource destruction or extraction, waste dumping, and commercial fishing. They will allow for research, free passage, and recreation — including the possibility of recreational fishing one day. For seabirds and marine life, they will be sanctuaries to grow and thrive. For scientists, they will be places to extend the frontiers of discovery. And for the American people, they will be places that honor our duty to be good stewards of the Almighty’s creation.

The benefits of today’s decision reach far beyond nature. The monuments will preserve sites of cultural and spiritual significance to native peoples. They will ensure full freedom of navigation, and include measures to uphold training missions and other military operations. And they will open the door to new economic benefits in the Territories. After all, if travelers now, or students, or scientists, book a ticket to Saipan or Pago Pago, they will know they’re headed for a place with friendly people and a vibrant culture, and some of our country’s most treasured natural resources.

This morning I’m also pleased — today I’m also pleased to share some news about two other national treasures. One is the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, which I created in 2006. This stunning island chain is the largest single conservation area in American history, and the largest fully protected marine area in the world. And the other is Mount Vernon — the home of America’s first President and an agricultural pioneer — that would be George Washington. I’m pleased to announce the United States will soon submit a request that these two landmarks become UNESCO World Heritage sites — America’s first such submission in 15 years.

The new steps I’ve announced today are the capstone of an eight-year commitment to strong environmental protection and conservation. Look, I know that sounds contrary to the conventional wisdom of many in the news media. But let me just share a few facts about our record — and you can be the judge for yourself:

Since 2001, air pollution has dropped by 12 percent. The strictest air quality standards in American history are now in place, as are strong regulations on power plant and diesel engine emissions. More than 3.6 million acres of wetlands have been protected, restored, or improved. Millions of acres of vital natural habitat have been conserved on farms. More than 27 million acres of federal forest land have been protected from catastrophic wildfires. The maintenance backlog in our national parks has been reduced. More than 11,000 abandoned industrial brownfields are on their way back to productive use. We’ve had a new focus on cleaning debris from our oceans. Popular recreational fish like the striped bass and red drum are gaining new protection. And new marine protected areas are helping improve the health of our fisheries off the southeast coast.

At the same time, we’ve taken aggressive steps to make America’s energy supply cleaner and more secure — and confronted the challenge of global climate change. I signed two major energy bills. We raised fuel efficiency standards for automobiles for the first time in more than a decade. We mandated major increases in the use of renewable fuels and the efficiency of lighting and appliances.

We dedicated more than $18 billion to developing clean and efficient technologies like biofuels, advanced batteries and hydrogen fuel cells, solar and wind power, and clean, safe nuclear power. We’re providing more than $40 billion in loan guarantees to put these technologies to use.

We forged an international agreement under the Montreal Protocol mandating major cuts in refrigerants that are some of the most potent greenhouse gases. We built international consensus on an approach that will replace the Kyoto Protocol with a global climate agreement that calls for meaningful commitments to reduce greenhouse gases from all major economies, including India and China.

With all these steps, we have charted the way toward a more promising era in environmental stewardship. We have pioneered a new model of cooperative conservation in which government and private citizens and environmental advocates work together to achieve common goals. And while there’s a lot more work to be done, we have done our part to leave behind a cleaner and healthier and better world for those who follow us on this Earth.

And now I’d like those who have been assigned the task of standing up here to join me as I sign the national monuments. (Applause.)

Prices for rooftop solar systems fall as supply grows

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:32:20 GMT

By Paul Davidson, USA TODAY
Here’s a bright spot in an overcast economy: Solar panel prices are tumbling.

Prices for rooftop solar systems, including installation, already have fallen 8% to 10% since October and are expected to drop another 15% to 20% this year.

Fueling the trend are an oversupply of worldwide manufacturing capacity and lower demand, especially in Spain and Germany, which have been growth engines for the industry.

For U.S. homeowners, effective prices are likely to plunge by more than 50% after figuring in a bigger federal tax credit that took effect Jan. 1.

“The era of extremely expensive (solar) modules is over,” says analyst Nathaniel Bullard of research firm New Energy Finance.

Since 2004, solar prices have been propped up by a shortage of capacity to make both silicon the raw material for solar-power systems and finished panels. Meantime, the Spanish and German governments have paid system owners hefty subsidies to generate solar power, turbocharging sales in those countries.

Manufacturers responded by building a wave of factories. Then Spain and Germany slashed this year’s incentives. In the U.S., the biggest solar investors were banks such as Morgan Stanley that can no longer benefit from tax credits because of insufficient profits.

New Energy projects an oversupply of nearly 4 gigawatts of solar modules in 2009, or enough electricity to supply 2.6 million homes.

The glut is already dragging down prices. Barry Cinammon, CEO of Akeena Solar, one of the nation’s largest installers, says wholesale prices have fallen about 15% since October. Since installation accounts for about half the cost of a system, total costs are down about 8%. SunPower, one of the largest solar makers, expects its retail prices for installed systems to dip as much as 20% this year.

“Now, all of a sudden, we have module manufacturers calling us,” says Peter Rive, chief operating officer of Solar City, the No. 1 installer.

Consumers can reap even bigger gains if they can buy in a recession.

Until this year, homeowners who bought solar systems were eligible for a tax credit that shaved system prices 30%, but the credit was capped at $2,000. Last fall, Congress renewed the 30% credit and removed the cap, lopping thousands more dollars off solar price tags.

In California, which accounts for nearly 70% of the U.S. solar market, a typical 4-kilowatt, $32,000 solar energy system cost a homeowner about $23,000 last year after state and federal incentives. This year, if prices sink as expected, that system is likely to cost $10,000 to $12,000.

National Biofuels Action Plan

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:44:36 GMT

elease No. 0258.08
Contact:
USDA: Jim Brownlee 202-720-4623
DOE: Jennifer Scoggins 202-586-4940

Printable version
Email this page Email this page
FACT SHEET: National Biofuels Action Plan
October 7, 2008

In an effort to meet President Bush’s “Twenty in Ten” goal and meet the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) targets in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) the Biomass Research and Development Board (the Board)-co-chaired by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-developed the National Biofuels Action Plan (NBAP) to accelerate the development of a sustainable biofuels industry.

To meet increasing demand, we must continue to advance solutions that improve our energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions - our economic competitiveness, national security, and environmental health depend on it.

Biomass Research and Development Board

The Board determined that meeting aggressive production targets requires enhanced interagency collaboration among the senior decision makers from 10 federal agencies and the White House. The NBAP identifies key research challenges and defines clear interagency actions critical to developing the science and technology needed to make next-generation, cellulosic biofuels cost-effective so as to grow a biofuels industry and supply chain in a sustainable manner.

NBAP action areas include:

* Sustainability: A working group led by USDA, DOE, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is defining science-based national criteria, which will be established by November 2008, and indicators to assess the sustainability of biofuels production coordinated with ongoing international activities.
* Feedstock Production: A Board-commissioned interagency working group conducted a feedstock availability and cost study using EISA production targets. A separate Board working group is developing a long-term integrated feedstock research and development plan across the federal government, which will reach completion by December 2008.
* Feedstock Logistics: A working group led by USDA will facilitate collaboration to develop and deploy logistics systems that can supply cellulosic feedstocks to demonstration facilities.
* Conversion Science and Technology: A working group composed of DOE, USDA, EPA, National Science Foundation (NSF), and U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is collaborating to develop a 10-year federal science and technology research plan by December 2008 for developing cost-effective means of biomass conversion and production of cellulosic biofuels.
* Distribution Infrastructure: A U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)-led group is studying the feasibility of transporting ethanol in pipelines and assessing the availability of geographic information system (GIS) capabilities across agencies.
* Blending: The Board has approved a statement on blending ethanol with gasoline in amounts greater than 10 percent (E10) and will review results of an interagency testing program to evaluate the impact of intermediate blends on vehicle emissions and material compatibility by fall 2008.
* Environment, Health and Safety: An EPA-led working group is inventorying federal activities and areas of jurisdiction with respect to public health, safety, and environmental protection.

Commodity Forecast World Supply and Demand

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:51:25 GMT

The World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report provides USDA’s comprehensive forecasts of supply and demand for major U.S. and global crops and U.S. livestock. The report gathers information from a number of statistical reports published by USDA and other government agencies, and provides a framework for additional USDA reports.

Latest WASDE Report

The latest WASDE report is available in TXT and PDF.

2009 WASDE Release Dates:

* January 12, February 10, March 11, April 9, May 12, June 10, July 10, August 12, September 11, October 9, November 10, and December 10

Cotton Estimates
NOTE: A special EXCEL table for upland and extra long staple (ELS) cotton estimates will be posted by noon EST on WASDE report release days.

Meat Estimates
NOTE: Meat trade estimates for the May 2008 WASDE are adjusted to reflect revisions by USDA’s Economic Research Service.
See: http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/meattrade/revisions.htm.

Global warming could starve half the world by century-end

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:18:19 GMT

Sydney, Jan 12 : Global warming will severely damage crop output in tropical regions and deprive half the world of food by the century-end, according to a study.

The population of the equatorial belt will bear the brunt of unprecedented shortages, home to the poorest on earth.

Currently three billion people live in the tropics and subtropics, and their number is expected to nearly double by the end of the century. The area stretches from the southern US to northern Argentina and southern Brazil, from northern India and southern China to southern Australia and all of Africa.

In the tropics, the higher temperatures can be expected to cut yields of the primary food crops, maize and rice, by 20 to 40 percent, the researchers said. But rising temperatures also are likely to play havoc with soil moisture, cutting yields even further.

“The stresses on global food production from temperature alone are going to be huge, and that doesn’t take into account water supplies stressed by the higher temperatures,” said David Battisti, University of Washington atmospheric sciences professor, co-author of the study.

He collaborated with Rosamond Naylor, director of Stanford University’s Programme on Food Security and the Environment, to examine the impact of climate change on the world’s food security.

By combining direct observations with data from 23 global climate models that contributed to Nobel prize-winning research in 2007, Battisti and Naylor determined there is greater than a 90 percent probability that by 2100 the lowest growing-season temperatures in the tropics and subtropics will be higher than any temperatures recorded there to date.

They used the data as a filter to view historic instances of severe food insecurity, and concluded such instances are likely to become more commonplace.

Those include severe episodes in France in 2003 and Ukraine in 1972. In the case of Ukraine, a near-record heat wave reduced wheat yields and contributed to disruptions in the global cereal market that lasted two years.

The serious climate issues won’t be limited to the tropics, the scientists conclude. As an example, they cite record temperatures that struck Western Europe in June, July and August of 2003, killing an estimated 52,000 people.

The summer-long heat wave in France and Italy cut wheat yields and fodder production by one-third. In France alone, temperatures were nearly 6.5 degrees Fahrenheit
above the long-term mean, and the scientists say such temperatures could be normal for France by 2100, said a Washington release.

“This is a compelling reason for us to invest in adaptation, because it is clear that this is the direction we are going in terms of temperature and it will take decades to develop new food crop varieties that can better withstand a warmer climate,” Naylor said.

— IANS

Climate Hackers dump iron into ocean, tests global warming solution

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:13:47 GMT

Trendwatch
By Rick C. Hodgin
Monday, January 12, 2009 09:29
vote nowBuzz up!
Scotia Sea - A three month study began last Wednesday as a geoengineering expedition set sail for the waters off Antarctica. Despite UN objections, the Indian-German expedition is seeking to validate one theory on CO2 sequestering. Can iron injected into the ocean waters help a massive plankton bloom solve man’s CO2 problem and subsequent global warming?

The LOHAFEX experiment plans to spread out 20 tons of iron sulphate particles over a 300 square kilometer region of the northern Antarctica waters, a place called Scotia Sea. The particles are being added to the oceanic waters as part of a test to see if rapid plankton growth in iron-deficient waters can help absorb carbon from the atmosphere into their bodies. Theoretically, once they die they will fall to the bottom of the ocean taking the trapped carbon with them.

According to their website, the rationale behind this effort is study. The site reads, “The spreading of tonnes of iron over the southern ocean is expected to trigger oversized blooms of phytoplankton. The team of physicists, chemists, biologists and geochemists will then study for seven weeks the effects of the algal bloom on the exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2) between ocean and atmosphere as well as on the planktonic food chain and the organisms of the underlying sea floor.”

While this theory is one of the leading “global warming reversal” ideas, it is not known how much of the plankton will make it to the bottom of the ocean. In addition, it is believed the carbon will be sequestered there “for decades,” but not indefinitely. This could cause a future re-release trapping carbon back in the active environmental system.

In May, 2008, more than 200 countries agreed to a temporary ban on projects designed to fight global warming change. German’s Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel hosted the talks and was quoted as saying, “It’s a very strange idea that technology can solve everything. It’s very risky and shows what humans are ready to do. I’m glad we came to a de facto moratorium.” In October, 2008, an exception was created, signed by 88 countries, that allows “legitimate scientific study” to could be carried out.

Despite the 200 country moratorium and the general view held by the original signers, the Indian-German group is moving ahead with their plans under the allowance. This has given them the name “Climate Hackers” by many, because they will conduct a study which, despite the original UN resolution’s conclusion that man may not have yet achieved a wide enough understanding to fully realize his impact, could have unforeseen side effects in marine life.

Their project will run from January 7, 2009 through March 17, 2009. According to their white paper, the area near Antarctica was chosen due to its stability. The team also needed a place where oceanic iron concentrations were low enough to have an effect by an artificial introduction.

The team will not only study the effects of CO2 sequestering, but also dissolved oxygen and nitrous oxide. These gases are part of the natural cycle occurring in oceanic water which, through the normal course of life, are constantly absorbed from and released back into the atmosphere, according to the paper.