On July 29, President Obama unveiled the largest adjustment to American fuel efficiency standards since 1985. The new standards apply to cars and light trucks for Model Years 2017-2025, requiring the national performance average of new cars to rise from the current 30.2 miles per gallon to 54.5 mpg in 2025. According to the Obama Administration, the duration of the program will cut consumer spending on gas by $1.7 trillion, save 12 billion barrels of oil, and eliminate 6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution. Check it out on the Administration's own infographic:
For an additional fee, the program will also pick up your dry cleaning and walk the dog.
As car fuel efficiency standards were largely untouched for 25 years before President Obama took office, the historical importance of these new standards is considerable. (To learn more about the recent history of fuel economy standards, scroll to the bottom of page 2 here.) Obama called the agreement, "The single most important step we've ever taken as a nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil."
But are the standards realistically achievable? That's debatable. Says Fadel Gheit, a senior oil and gas analyst for Oppenheimer, "Can we do it? Well, we put a man on the moon; of course we can do it." But other experts aren't so certain, including Sarah Emerson, President of Energy Security Analysis, Inc. who says, "I'm not entirely sure it's possible. The number implies a huge increase in the number of electric, hybrid, and diesel cars in the vehicle fleet."
Easier said than done.
(Image by Neil A. Armstrong)
And even if they are achievable, are the standards enough? Sander Cohan, another analyst at ESAI, explains that, "The vehicle fleet only turns over once every 10 to 12 years. If they achieve this, we'll start seeing the biggest impact around about 2030." Michelle Robinson, Director of the Union of Concerned Scientists cautions, "If [certain parts of the plan] aren't implemented correctly, they could turn into loopholes,... [and] the program's overall benefits would be eroded." Representatives from Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz point out, respectively, that the standards place "a high burden on passenger cars" and "favor large SUVs and pickup trucks."
Some of cars are just worthy of special treatment.
Only time can tell if the new standards are beneficial and achievable, but the International Council on Clean Transport can tell you that (surprise!) the USA is still way behind it's international counterparts in the development and use of cleaner, greener cars. Get the picture with this narrated slideshow. (You can skip to 3:06 for the quick version.)
Whatever our international ranking, Obama's new regulations are certainly a step in the right direction. We'll find out eventually if the step is big enough. In the meantime, go ride a bike.
There is a family farm in central Virginia that, in addition to providing me with gainful summertime employment, serves as a small patch of paradise for all insects that buzz and bumble. To the average field hand, the fruits and flowers of this farm guarantee another day of laboring in the sun for salable produce. To the average honeybee, however, these plants offer a sticky sweet smorgasbord of pleasure. The lavender induces a state of bee-zen, so that the harvester can gently push aside a bee with her hand without fear of being stung. The sage bushes host a buzzing, bacchanalian revelry, and the deep orange squash blossoms invite a pollen-to-pollenator embrace that is nothing short of erotic. It's 50 acres of honey heaven.
Sage and squash plants: everything's PG from a distance.
(Fields at Manakintowne Specialty Growers,
image by Staige Davis)
Sadly, not all of America's bees live such vibrant and blissful lives. In fact, the last few decades have seen astounding loss in the U.S. bee population, as high as 96 percent. Investigation into the cause of such wide-scale death is complicated by the fact that there are a great number of things that can wipe out a whole colony of bees, and few of these causes are straightforward.
Wanted: preferably alive.
(Apis mellifera, image by John D.)
A few culprits are easy enough to identify. The vampiric Varroa jacobsoni mite has proven particularly damaging to the European honeybees (Apis mellifera) that were established in North America with the colonists. Tracheal mites (Acarapis woodi) inhabit the bees' respiratory system and slowly suffocate bees from the inside out. Most bees that are infested with these parasites technically die from viruses that take advantage of the bees in their weakened state.
Scientists call it the Varroa destructor. Seriously.
Tracheal mites give new meaning to
the term "a tickle in your throat."
Other culprits are more complex. Monoculture crop production, which dominates American agriculture, eliminates weeds and other crops that serve as both valuable foraging plants and natural habitat for wild and domesticated bees. Additionally, conventional agriculture relies on heavy pesticide application, which kills beneficial pollinators as well as pest insects. The irony is that many of these crops cannot develop without the assistance of pollination by bees, so farmers are forced to import bee hives from all corners of the country and globe to pollenate their crops. (It's a nerdgasm-inducing global exchange of ecological resources. Read more about the migratory beekeeping industry and California almond production here. Check out a documentary here.)
Think of the bee as almond flower Viagra.
*Call your entomologist if pollination lasts longer than 4 hours.
But the most mysterious of all bee killers may also be the most worrisome. 2006 saw particularly high declines in bee population. Beekeepers reported finding their hives completely devoid of all adult bees with no explanation. No dead bees on the ground. No signs of infestation. The bees simply gone. This veritable bee-Rapture was christened "colony collapse disorder" (CCD) in 2007, and scientists continue to investigate the causes with no definitive answers. It's a tragedy that evokes the sort of mournful folk tunes my grandfather used to sing.
Bee-Rapture is a serious threat.
(Image by Lenin and McCarthy)
The folk tune and biblical billboard may seem melodramatic, but one-third of food eaten in America depends on bee-pollenation. The list probably includes some of your favorite fruits and veggies such as apples, oranges, cherries, blueberries, cranberries, plums, avocados, raspberries, blackberries, almonds, anything that grows on a vine- squash, zucchini, watermelon, pumpkins, cantaloupe, and on, and on, and on. If you're getting anywhere near your recommended 5 to 7 daily veggie servings, then you eat bee-pollenated foods. To learn more about CCD and the disappearance of America's bees, check out these resources from Ohio State University, join The Honeybee Conservancy, or consider a do-it-at-home project like a bee garden. Or take it from someone who really knows his stuff, and check out this idea worth spreading from Dennis vanEngelsdorp.
The meadow he talks about at the end of his presentation? That's otherwise known as a freedom lawn! Maybe we can't all offer the honeybees a conjugal bed of tender squash blossoms, but perhaps we can all agree that no one in their right mind needs to mow their lawn in July. It's flippin' hot out there.
It's no secret that modern America is one of the most overweight nations in all of recorded history. The question many still grapple with is how and why?
The website-turned-coffee-table-book This Is Why You're Fat offers one explanation of how the citizens grew their paunch. The brilliantly simplistic book displays photographs of extraordinary junk foods to the tune of bacon cheeseburgers on glazed-doughnut "buns" and gravy-smothered pizza. (Recipes are kindly provided.) The text is minimal, but the social commentary is painfully apparent. Whether a book of photographs that literally glisten with grease is worth your money is entirely up to you.
A fresh take on the sweet-and-salty combo.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust For America's Health have taken a slightly less stomach-turning approach to tackling the obesity question. The eighth annual edition oftheir nation-wide obesity studyF as in Fat: How Obesity Threaten's America's Future was released earlier this month, and the results are alarming. Currently, two-thirds of adults and almost one-third of children and teens in America are overweight or obese. (Obesity is defined as having a BMI of 30 or greater.)
The shape of the nation. Round is a shape.
(Image by Alexander Gerl)
If you're the type of person who occasionally spends time in public places, this statistic might not surprise or upset you. The report repeatedly emphasizes that to understand the gravity of America's obesity epidemic, you must consider obesity trends over time. Just twenty years ago, not one state had an obesity rate above 15 percent. Today, twelve states have obesity rates over 30 percent, Mississippi topping the list with a hefty 34.4 percent. Additionally, only one state has a rate below 20 percent: Colorado at 19.8. What exactly happened to Americans in the past two decades?
Everyone's bigger in Mississippi.
The 121-page report parses and presents state-by-state obesity data in every combination imaginable- by sex, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, location, activity level, religion, etc. It also raises serious political and ethical questions that need to be addressed. Is it ethical to deny someone a job because of their weight? Can insurance companies establish fees to "punish" those who do not take steps to reduce their weight? What regulations should be placed on food served in public schools? Who should pay for the increased healthcare costs?
Mystery Veggie: Your tax dollars at work.
(Image by Beau Wade)
What I like most about this report is how it shows that obesity is a national epidemic, rather than a sign of personal failure. If you don't believe me, watch this CDC animation, which tracks the spread of obesity across the nation since 1985. It gives you a sense of just how severe and widely-spread the problem is.
This is not the result of hundreds of millions of Americans just deciding that they'd rather be lazy and gluttonous. It's the result of fundamental changes in the way our society moves, eats, and thinks, and it's going to take more fundamental changes to get us back on the right track.
Eerily similar to the spread of bubonic plague.
What are the right changes? Well, I wish I knew for sure. The report offers some basic policy prescriptions (see page 4.) Michelle Obama has some good ideas for the kids. Stopping the spread of obesity in America will require personal struggles, family and community support, medical research, national legislation, and who knows what else. This is one epidemic that won't be cured with a quick vaccination, but it is undoubtedly one worth fighting.
Rest easy, kids! No shots this time.
Reports also indicate that long periods of time spent in front of your laptop screen increase the likelihood of your backside becoming one with your chair. I think I'll go outside and play now.
According to our homepage, "TableTalk is the hub for a small network of undergraduate journalists seeking to make your wildest dreams come true with your morning cup of coffee." That's not a money-back guarantee, but, if you provide the coffee, we'll give it our best shot. Our current team is captained by the illustrious Chelsea Jack, who calls it how she sees it on A Blog With A View, and rounded out by Nick Styles, politico extraodinaire on Considerable Evidence, and myself. Our technical guidance and support comes from the endlessly talented Paul Blake.
Strongly recommended.
The Freedom Lawn will focus on all things environmental and health-related. I seek to be sometimes serious, sometimes amusing, and hopefully always informative. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think! Differing opinions and constructive suggestions are especially welcome.
So pull up a lawn chair, grab your coffee (or a milkshake), and enjoy!
Even better than your favorite shag. (Image by Bluescan)
Have you ever read the book We’re Going On A Bear Hunt? The adventurous family in this childhood classic traipses through a deep cold river, a big dark forest, and other obstacles, all the while reciting, “We’re going on a bear hunt. We’re going to catch a big one. What a beautiful day! We’re not scared.” The family eventually finds their bear in a narrow gloomy cave, but I won’t spoil any more of the ending for you. (If you want to see something really unsettling, check out this recitation by googly-eyed author Michael Rosen.)
We're not scared.
(Cave of the Mounds, Wisconsin, image by ClockFace)
As it turns out, however, this summer your adventurous family need not journey over the river and through the woods to catch sight of a bear. You don’t even need to leave your car.
Prime bear hunting territory: Grand Teton National Park* (Image by Michael Gäbler)
In Grand Teton National Park, a grizzly bear clan has made headlines for its frequent roadside appearances. Catching a glimpse of the famous bears- two adult females and their cubs- is exciting for tourists, scientists, and park rangers alike, but such a close interaction between bears and humans can create bigger problems than mere traffic jams of camera-happy tourists.
Photogenic grizzly cubs.
Last Wednesday July 6, a man was killed by grizzly bear attack in Yellowstone Park for the first time in 25 years. Two people died in the summer of 2010 from grizzly attacks in surrounding areas. The circumstances surrounding each attack are different, but there’s no question that they are more likely to occur when bears and humans occupy the same territory. Encroaching development results in habitat loss for the widely roaming bears and a decline in their natural food supply, pushing bears into human territory.
The adult grizzly appears considerably more fearsome. They grow up so fast....
(Image by Jean-Pierre Lavole in Denali National Park)
Unsurprisingly, grizzlies fare far worse than people in human-ursine interactions. Last year, grizzly deaths hit record highs, and, according to U.S. Geological Survey biologist Chuck Swartz, “Eighty-five-plus percent of… bears that die, die because of people.” Overall, however, the vulnerable grizzly bear population has recovered since their official listing as threatened in 1975. Woodland and mountain regions in northwestern United States and adjacent Canadian provinces now hold an estimated 1,500 bears.
Yellowstone National Park, home to some of America's remaining grizzlies.
Many consider the slow rebound of the grizzlies to be a rare ecological success story. But last week’s tragedy indicates that this story is not over. The bear population is slowly increasing, and so is the human population, perhaps not as slowly. The only thing not growing seems to be America’s wilderness area. U.S. Citizens are facing major decisions regarding future land use and development and the importance of America’s wildlife.
In the meantime, if you and your family are going on a bear hunt in the Grand Tetons this summer, be sure to pack your camera. You just might catch a big one.*
*Please do not actually hunt grizzlies in the lower 48 states. It's illegal.
Joel Salatin is a Renaissance man of the 21st Century. Salatin is the chief operator of Polyface Farms, a beef-, pork-, and poultry-producing farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia that has belonged to the Salatin family since 1961. Salatin is a gifted farmer whose talents extend far beyond the field. He is a shrewd businessman who remains committed to a set of core values, an ecologist who understands the intimate connection between plants and their soil, the author of seven books, a speaker invited to give lectures nation-wide, and a committed family man. Salatin is a self-described “Christian libertarian environmental capitalist,” and, according to the New York Times is “Virginia’s most multi-faceted agrarian since Thomas Jefferson.” He also is undoubtedly more than a little crazy.
Michael Pollan featured Salatin and Polyface prominently in his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma as a paragon of sustainable and locally oriented food production. The Omnivore’s Dilemma was named one of the ten best books of 2006 by the New York Times, and its publication marked both an explosion in support for sustainable and local food systems, and the skyrocketing of Salatin’s status, who became the rock star of the alternative food movement. When I heard that he would be speaking at an event in Charlottesville, I couldn’t stay away.
Virginia’s first bilingual business journal, Forward/Adelante, sponsored the event held at C’ville Coffee as a benefit for the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund and a networking opportunity for local businesses. A smorgasbord of Charlottesville favorites including Baja Bean Co., Mas Tapas, and Hot Cakes provided food for attendees. I am neither bilingual nor a local business employee, but fifteen dollars seemed reasonable for dinner and a show, so I enlisted a friend with an appetite for adventure and went anyway.
After we had nibbled and giggled and politely applauded the jazzy musical opener, Joel finally took the stage, sporting a cheesy opening line and the type of glasses my grandparents wore in the 90s. He took a moment to recognize the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund and then launched into perhaps the most disorderly and bizarrely entertaining tirade I have ever witnessed.
There’s no question that Salatin knows what he’s talking about and is indeed quite accustomed to talking about it. He rattled alarming statistics off the top of his head and hardly took a breath as he confidently slid between topics including the origin of germ theory, Obama’s food czar, and farms bordering Italian highways. He employed pithy, crowd-pleasing catchphrases such as, “a nation can only be as healthy as its soil,” and generally captivated the audience with palpable passion and energy.
But after listening to Salatin speak nonstop for over an hour, I’m not sure that I really knew what he was talking about. His metaphors seemed profound (“we are disconnected from our ecological umbilical”), and his accusations righteous (“the inspectors are all in bed together”), but if I were my English professor, I would say that his speech lacked a clear thesis and was rife with tangents. Certainly, an informal speech is not an essay and does not need to be constructed as such, but if a speaker cannot concisely express want it is he wants his audience to take away from his address, then the room starts to fill with hot air.
Lack of organization was not the only bemusing aspect of Salatin’s speech. He tended to drop vague “facts” such as, “according to MIT, people are only 15% human,” and then move on without explaining their meaning. Several times, he used the exaggerated voices of a children’s puppeteer, imitating hoity-toity food snobs, evoking 19th century French scientists, and, most bizarrely of all, enacting a subterranean drama involving a worm, a millipede, and a tusked narwhal. He gestured grandly and widened his eyes behind those coke-bottle lenses. Amusing? Yes. Enlightening? No.
Don’t mistake my criticism for Salatin’s presentational manner as doubt for the worth of his cause or disdain for his work. Salatin has an unparalleled wealth of knowledge about and uncanny intuition for food production that is also responsible land stewardship. Moreover, he works tirelessly for a cause that most only discuss in a grandiose and abstract way. In all of this, I have enormous respect for Joel Salatin. His fiery passion and inexhaustible energy are essential to driving forward the movement for a more sustainable and locally oriented food system in America. But these are the qualities to look for in a courageous and somewhat crazy army captain, not an unruffled general who steers the master plan.
