August

Demand Increases for Automotive Fuel Cells: Ballard Power Systems reported receiving orders totaling $2.1 million for the Ballard Mark 900 Series Fuel Cell Power Modules and support services." Business Wire, 8/1/00

Shell Oil Chief Will Co-Chair Renewable Energy Task Force: Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, chairman of Shell Oil has agreed to assume leadership of a new global task force on renewable energy. "In their communiqué… the world leaders said they want increased use of renewable energy sources to improve the quality of life, particularly in developing countries [and in doing so] will prepare concrete recommendations… to better encourage the use of renewables in developing countries." ENS, 8/2/00

Heat Prompts Stage II Emergency: "The heat… prompted another call to conserve electricity- and a Stage II Emergency… including 'rotating blackouts.'… High temperatures in the inland and valley areas are expected to top the century mark again." Demand is expected to top 46,245 megawatts, breaking last year's record of 45, 884 MW, set on July 12, 1999. MSNBC, 8/1/00

Military Joins Battle Against Wildfires: Army soldiers will be helping out in the fight against wildfires in ten [U.S.] western states. "This year is shaping up to be the worst fire season since 1988, when 7.4. million acres were burned nationwide." MSNBC, 8/1/00

EPA Finalizes Diesel Truck Rule: The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a final rule for its first phase regarding diesel emissions from heavy-duty trucks and buses. The first phase to take effect in 2004 "orders a 40 percent cut in vehicle emissions in all new trucks and buses." The second phase requires cleaner diesel fuels and to cleaner engines by 2007 and "will reduce air pollution from trucks and buses by another 90 percent." ENS, 8/2/00

Clean Air Trust Blasts Six Diesel Engine Companies: The "Villain of the Month" award given by the nonprofit organization Clean Air Trust, went to Caterpillar Inc., Cummins Engine Co., Detroit Diesel Corp., Mack Trucks Inc., Renault and Volvo Truck Corporations. Clean Air charges that these six companies who had previously signed a consent decree with the Justice Department of California admitting that their engines had been rigged with illegal emission control defeat devices that allowed them to pass pre-sale emissions tests, but then turned off these devises during highway driving, resulting in the emission of 1.3 million tons of NOx - an amount equal to the emissions of 65 million cars, have managed to weasel out of much of the $83 million settlement and gotten a reprieve from having to meet tougher emissions standards until 2007. " ENS, 8/2/00

U.S. Proposes Using Agriculture to Fight Global Warming: "[T]he United States is proposing that countries get [equal] credit for using forests and farmer's fields to [absorb] carbon dioxide… as they would for cutting emissions from smokestacks and tail pipes… [Some] estimates are that it [would] be cheaper for a country to absorb pollution than to reduce the output." Andrew C. Revkin, New York Times, 8/2/00

Ford and Purdue Join Forces to for Cleaner Air: "Purdue University and Ford Motor Company are teaming up to develop an advanced, onboard electronic system designed to monitor the health of aging engines and keep cars in compliance with exhaust emission standard." ENS, 8/2/00

Solar Project Goes Online in Oregon: "The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) joined with the City of Ashland Oregon and other partner in dedicating the Northwest's newest and largest solar photovoltaic generation project… The system will produce enough energy to fully power the Ashland police station, and parts of the University and Festival. Surplus will flow into the Ashland electric grid where it is being purchased by 250 Ashland residential and business consumers who have signed up for the solar service." ENS, 8/2/00

Water and Power Board of Commissioners Approves DWP Purchase of New
Wind Energy: "The Board of Water and Power Commissioners approved a contract… for the purchase of new renewable wind energy under the Green for a Green LA program." This allows the DWP to purchase power from clean renewable natural sources instead of those generated by burning fossil fuels. Business Wire, 8/3/00

Dry Heat Predicted to Continue Into October: "Dry windy conditions are expected to continue into October, prompting federal fire bosses to gird for a record fire season in Idaho and the rest of the West." Rocky Barker, Idaho Statesman, 8/3/00

Tornado-Ravaged Tower Too Expensive to Restore: A 35-story office tower, valued at $35 million, ravaged by a tornado on March 28, 2000, has proven to be too expensive to restore, and so is up for sale. Stephen Hawkins. AP, 8/3/00

Heavy Rains Flood Homes in Russian Far East: "Several rivers in the Russian Far East have overflowed following four days of heavy rains, flooding hundreds of homes and surroundings farmland." AP, 8/3/00

Clinton Orders Electricity Measures in California: "President Clinton… ordered federal agencies in California to cut their power use by an estimated five percent and told the Federal Power Marketing Administrations to maximize the amount of electricity available in the state… He told managers of federal buildings in the state to reduce power consumption [in order to] minimize power use in all government buildings." Reuters, 8/3/00

More Unusual Summer Weather: "It's been cool in the Northeast where its should be sweltering, and sweltering in the upper Midwest where it should be cool." Deer are dying in the fields of Texas, striped bass have disappeared from the upper channel of the Flint River, both Georgia and Alabama have been declared agricultural disaster areas and "dry winds and weeks without rain have created a tinderbox so dry [in the West, creating] the worst fire season since 1988… Washington D.C., which is usually… humid… had the coolest July since 1918." Typically high temperatures began in the late spring, hitting the West in May, and rising above 100 degrees for the first time in that month since 1970."[These] are [all] in line with predictions that have been coming for years that global warming will affect the weather," according to Kert Davies of the Ozone Action group in Washington D.C. Laura Parker and Jessie Halladay, USA Today, 8/3/00

Western Wildfires Costly to U.S. Federal Government: The worst wildfire season in 30 years has cost the federal government $15 million to contain. Cat Lazaroff, ENS, 8/3/00

Deforestation in Himalayas Blamed for Killer Flood: "[A]n unprecedented wave of flash floods swept across the banks of the Sutleg River in northern India… For four hours the Sutleg rose about 45 feet above normal and washed away everything in is path, changing the face of the riverbanks permanently… The floods are believed to have been caused by a cloud burst in Tibet. Environmentalists say that massive deforestation in the hills is the main reason for the severe flooding [as well as summer monsoon landslides]." Tara Chand Malhotra, ENS,8/3/00

Morocco Stakes Energy Future on Wind Power: In an effort to develop a solar, wind and other renewable energy sources, Morocco is seeking bids to build two wind farms on the west coast of Africa, a 140-megawatt in Tangiers and a 60-megawatt in Tarfaya. "[Another] 50 MW farm at Koudia el Beida, expected to be operational this year, represents Africa's and the Arab world's first major wind farm, according to the Office National De l'Electicite." ENS, 8/4/00

Thirst Grips Half the Population of Iran: "The Islamic Republic of Iran is facing a severe drought that has affected… about half the country's population… '[I]t is estimated that over 60 percent of the rural population might be forced to migrate to cities which are already experiencing the drought,' said Donato Kiniger-Passigli, spokesman of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs." ENS, 8/4/00

Wind Energy Predicted to Increase: "The total generating capacity of wind power plants in the United States will increase by 30 to 50 percent by the end of next year [according to] the American Wind Energy Association… The cost of utility scale wind energy… dropped by more than 80 percent… allowing new wind farms to generate electricity at $0.04/kWh, a price… competitive with many conventional energy technologies." ENS, 8/4/00

Republican Presidential Nominee Ignores Environment: "In his nomination acceptance speech…at the Republican Convention, Texas Governor George W. Bush, mentioned the environment only twice." ENS, 8/4/00

NASA Satellite Exposes Thin Snow Cover in North America: "The thinnest snow cover since 1966, a harbinger of flood or drought appeared across North America during the winter of 1999-2000, according to data recorded by NASA's Terra Satellite. 'Low snow cover can result in drier soil conditions, affect crop production and lead to wildfires,' said Dorothy Hall of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. [T]he cover in 1999-2000 was lower in every month from November through April." Robinson Shaw. ENN, 8/4/00

Maritime Group Adds Hydrogen Powered Water Taxis and Mobile Dockside Hydrogen Fuelling Stations: "Maritime Hydrogen Technology Development Group is working with several private and public organizations to integrate and operate a hydrogen powered water transportation system utiliz[ing] both the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell and hydrogen turbine technology." PRNewswire, 8/4/00

Pollution Rules Tighten Squeeze on Power Supply: "California's already severe electricity squeeze could tighten further… The states 1,000 power plants… have been running so hard and long… that many are close to spewing as much pollution as they are allowed for the year under their permits." Nancy Vogel, latimes.com, 8/5/00

World Resources Institute, Business for Social Responsibility and Business Leaders Collaborate to Help Develop Green Power Markets: "Eleven major U.S. businesses announced… they are working with the WRI, and BSR, to develop corporate markets for 1000 megawatts of new 'green' energy capacity over 10 years… The partnership, calling itself the Green Power Market Development Group (GPMDG)… believes that [green] markets are essential to provide competitively priced energy that also protects the Earth's climate and reduces… air pollutants… [These] eleven companies account for about seven percent of industrial energy use in the United States… By working together, the GPMDG hopes to foster market demand for environmentally and economically sound energy." Business Wire, 8/7/00

Fires Look Like Worst in 50 Years: More U.S. military are joining Canadian firefighters in "the worst fire season in a haf-century" in the West. "These conditions will only worsen," said Governor Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho. "[T]hey will not [be able to] extinguish them - not until [the snows of ] October or November." MSNBC, 8/7/00

Pistachio Shells Helpful in Absorbing Mercury Emissions: "Pistachio shells may help clean the environment according to Massoud Rostam-Abadi, professor of environmental engineering at the University of Illinois… Tests show that pistachio shells work as well if not better than current commercial products such as activated carbon, [used to absorb mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants], and are also less expensive to produce." Lucy Chubb. ENN, 8/7/00

Man Killed as Desperate Animals Escape Kenyan Parks: "The severe drought parching the range sections of Kenya is bringing wildlife into dangerous conflict with human beings… [A] 52 year old farmer was trampled to death by marauding elephants Loitoktok, about 170 miles south of Nairobi… [T]hirsty and famished elephants, zebras, buffaloes and monkeys are breaking down fences to forage on farms in search of food and water." Tervil Okoko, ENS, 8/7/00

Midges Thrive on Global Warming: "Global warming is threatening to trigger an explosion in Scotland's midge population… The hotter weather could enable midges [a type of mosquito] to breed three times a year instead of two [increasing] the number of super midges, which have longer lifespans than before." Helen Daniel, The Times, 8/7/00

Millions Homeless as Floods Ravage India: "A two-week monsoon deluge has left about 2.5 million people homeless, hundreds dead or missing and many others facing disease as floods sweep through India's north and east, and neighboring Bangladesh and Bhutan… [T]he Kamlabalan, Kosi, Mahananada and Adhwara group of rivers, all originating from Nepal, were flowing above the danger mark… the Ganges and Bagmati rivers were… dangerously high." Reuters, 8/7/00

Business Leaders Collaborate to Help Develop Green Power Markets: "Eleven major U.S. businesses announced … they are working with the World Resources Institute (WRI) and Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) to develop corporate markets for 1000 megawatts of new "green" energy capacity over 10 years." The corporate members of the Green Power Market Development Group (GPMDG) include Dupont, General Motors, IBM, Interface, Johnson & Johnson, Pitney Bowes and Kinko's. "We're beginning to see a trend in corporate America's willingness to participate in competitive electric markets," remarked Energy Secretary Bill Richardson. ENN, 8/7/00

EPA and Gemtek to Collaborate on Green Laundry Detergent: "The EPA and Gemtek Products have signed an agreement to collaborate on the manufacture of a laundry detergent and a general purpose cleaner… formulated with compounds that will quickly biodegrade into nonpolluting byproducts, [without] strong solvents, bleaches, builders, or phosphorous." The integrity of such products as SC-Laundry and SC-1000 will be assured through continuous, thorough testing. ENS, 8/7/00

EPA Air Quality Report Good, but not Great: According to the EPA's most recent air quality report, for the 10 year period (1990-1999), carbon monoxide concentrations decreased by 26 percent, lead concentrations decreased by 60 percent, nitrogen dioxide concentrations decreased by 10 percent, particulate matter concentrations decreased by 18 percent, sulfur dioxide concentrations decreased by 36 percent while smog concentrations decreased by only 4 percent. E-Wire, 8/7/00

UN Low on Funds to Feed Drought Victims Worldwide: "The United Nations say today it had only half the $700 million needed to provide food aid to the soaring number of drought victims worldwide, mainly in the Horn of Africa and Asia, [and] will have to reduce food distribution in Kenya… due to poor donor response." Reuters, 8/8/00

Deep Sea Current Could Influence Global Warming: "'The equatorial undercurrent-a deep sea river originating in the Antarctic Ocean- exerts substantial control over marine life activity almost halfway around the globe near the equator,' says Paule Loubere, a professor of Geology and Environmental Geosciences at Northern Illinois University… Loubere believes the undercurrent may also provide a key to unraveling mysteries of climate change, including global warming. `My research… demonstrates how the climates of different regions of the earth-in this case the South Pole and the Pacific equator- are intrinsically linked.'" ENS, 8/7/00

Watchdog Companies on Trail of Own Emissions: "A new report sponsored by the Pew Climate Center singles out 13 companies… making voluntary efforts to track their greenhouse gas emissions… 'An Overview of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Issues,' [by a team from] Arthur D. Little Inc… presents a set of principles for greenhouse gas emissions inventory and reporting [with] credible approaches by major companies… 'It's really a reflection of a changed attitude about environmental reporting and public disclosure,' said Chris Loreti, a senior manager at ADL and co-author of the report." Robinson Shaw, ENN, 8/8/00

Hydrogen Powered Boats on the Horizon: "DCH Technology's Maritime Hydrogen Technology Development Group … is working with other companies to develop and operate a hydrogen powered water transportation system… Partners include the California Air Resources Board, [a] part of the California Environmental Protection Agency. The Group aims to operate the first useful hydrogen powered vessel of its type in the U.S. [offering] a clean and efficient alternative to the use of… fossil fuels." ENS, 8/8/00

Anchorage Mail Processing Center Launches Own Fuel-cell Power System: "Alaska U.S. Senator Ted Steven and U.S. Postmaster General Bill Henderson inaugurated service of a one-megawatt fuel cell system now generating power at the the postal facility. It is the nation's largest assured-power commercial fuel cell system to date." E-Wire, 8/8/00

Heavy Rains Threaten Further Flood Devastation in India, Bhutan: "Heavy rains… threatened to worsen the flood situation which has claimed at least 180 lives and left 3.5 million homeless in eastern India and the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan." AP, 8/9/00

North Carolina Ends Resistance to Federal Clean Air Rules: "North Carolina has decided not to continue its challenge of a federal mandate for reducing ozone forming emissions… By working with the EPA, the state hopes to create an integrated approach to address air quality." ENS, 8/9/00

Tens of Thousands of Firefighters Battle Blazes: "Tens of thousands of firefighters battled blazes raging across the western United States as evacuations and cost both mounted in the worst U.S. fire season to date in half a century." Reuters, 8/10/00

Greenpeace Forms Unit for "Green" Technology: "The environmental group Greenpeace [is] forming a unit to spur the creation of "green" technologies. 'The objective… is to influence the development of technology towards sustainable solutions and promote their entry into the market,' Greenpeace Executive Director Thilo Dodes said." Reuters, 8/10/00

Greenpeace Develops Greenfreeze: Greenpeace has announced that it has convinced Coca Cola to replace their refrigerants in their worldwide operations with "Greenfreeze," which uses hydrocarbon gases such as propane instead of hydrochlorofluororcarbons." Reuters, 8/10/00

Wildfires Spread in Western U.S., Canada: "Wildfires raged across 13 western U.S. states and into western Canada on Monday, as tinder-dry conditions and high winds kept whipping up more blazes… 'When the fires get so big, they create their own weather, sucking oxygen and pushing winds around,' said E. Lynn Burkett of the National Fire Information Centre." Reuters, 8/14/00

Arctic Warming Gather Pace: "U.S. researchers say they have found evidence of rapid warming in parts of the Arctic over the last 30 years. At the end of the 20th Century… Arctic temperatures were the warmest for four centuries… [F]indings support climate models which predict… the Arctic will be one of the first regions to respond to a global warming trend." Alex Kirby, BBC, 8/14/00

Religious Groups Urge Action on Global Warming: "In a groundbreaking move, a statewide coalition of religious organizations [Texas Impact] is joining environmental groups in an historic call for Texas action on global warming. [The group] is partnering with the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Coalition and Public Citizen's Texas office as the "Cool Texas Network." PRNewswire, 8/15/00

Global Warming: Bad for Allergies: "Higher carbon dioxide (CO2) levels associated with global warming may have doubled the amount of pollen that ragweed produces, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said… The doubling has occurred over the past four or five decades, and another doubling could occur by the end of this century." ENS, 8/16/00

Fires Sparked by Global Warming, or Just a Cycle?: Environmentalists and Scientists are debating the source of the recent record-breaking fire season. Some, like Stephen Corrick of Garden Earth Enterprise, argue the recent spate of fires was not the result of "lightning, lazy campers and a lush buildup of trees" which fueled more than 65 wildfires across 11 states, but rather "the warmest spring ever recorded in North America," which allowed early blooming foliage to dry out sooner than usual. Others, like Professor Richard Johnson of Colorado State University, chalk the season up to a cyclical change. According to Johnson there is a twenty year cycle of above-normal rainfall followed by drier than normal conditions. Tipping the scales of this argument is Corrick's observation that though the warm-dry season may be cyclical, effects of global warming create extremes in each swing; the wettest of the wet followed by the driest of the dry. Bill Briggs, Denver Post, 8/16/00

Global Warming May Worsen Allergies: "Global warming could bring more hay fever, according to government research that show ragweed produces significantly more pollen as carbon dioxide increases. The… weed makes nearly twice as much pollen now as it did 100 years ago and will likely double its production again over the coming century with predicted increases in carbon dioxide levels, the Agriculture Department study suggests." Philip Brasher, AP, 8/16/00

CSIRO - 30 Million Trees for Car Fuel, Greenhouse Cuts: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), an Australian national science enquiry and referral service, "used a computer model to show that 30 million hectares of trees planted over the next 50 years could produce [enough] methanol to gradually replace liquid fuels currently produced from crude oil and its derivatives," reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide by "400 million tons a year within the next 50 years." M2 Communications, 8/17/00

Clean Coal Research Sponsored by Electric Power Institute: The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is sponsoring a clean coal research project, "The Global Coal Initiative. It will promote research and development on "cleaner burning coal and advanced power plants that generate electricity from coal with almost no air pollution. 'It is imperative that we burn coal more cleanly and efficiently with minimal carbon dioxide emissions to avoid the risk of global climate change,' said Stephen Gehl, director of strategic technology and alliances for EPRI." ENS, 8/17/00

Lake Levels Continue to Drop as Drought Persists: Due to severe drought conditions, water levels of Alabama's Power's storage reservoirs will most likely remain well below normal through the Labor Day weekend. "Without significant, sustained rainfall, most of these lakes will be near their winter levels before October-about two months earlier than normal." Alabama Power Press Release, 8/18/00

India and UK Partner to Explore Global Warming Impact: "India and the United Kingdom launched a joint three year study into the effects of global warming. Home to more than a billion people, many of whom depend on the land or the ocean for their survival, India needs to know how it will be affected by climate change." ENS, 8/18/00

Wildfires Send Montana into Statewide Disaster: "Montana Governor Marc Racicot has declared a state of disaster across his entire state due to wildfires that have scorched tens of thousands of acres… More than 2,000 fires have burned 457,000 Montana acres this year." ENS, 8/18/00

Starvation Claims Children Firs in Drought Stricken Kenya: A worsening drought in addition an inadequate response to appeals for aid in Kenya, "have led to a sharp rise in malnutrition among [its] children." The fourth consecutive failure of the rainy season has aggravated an already scarce supply of water an pasture." ENS, 8/21/00

Cutting Trees to Save the Forest: "[T]he U.S. government is proposing to protect 40 million National Forest acres from devastating flames-by chopping down some of their trees." The United States Forest Service and the Clinton administration "are expected to propose a massive 'thinning' project, intended to increase the distance between trees and clear underbrush to reduce the risk of wildfire." Cat Lazaroff, ENS, 8/24/00

Greece and Southern Europe Under Siege by Wildfires: "[G]reek fires, fuelled by the prolonged heatwave, have engulfed the north-western provinces of Epirus and Arcadia in southern Peloponnese… Neighboring countries were unable to respond to Greek pleas for help because they were struggling with their own brush fires… As a heatwave continues in southern Europe, there have been wild fires in Italy, Bulgaria, Croatia and Corsica." BBC, 8/26/00

Numbers Up for U.S. Wildfires: "[W]ell over 25,000 men and women are involved in the firefighting [across the Western U.S.], including more than 4,000 military personnel from the Army, Maines and the National Guard… [W]ith 1.4 million acres still burning… the current force is not nearly enough… and… cannot prudently be reinforced because of a shortage of trained supervisors… Across the United States, nearly six million acres of land have burned this year, and with hot, dry weather in the West showing no sign of abating, the devastation is on track to become the worst in at least half a century." Douglas Jehl, NY Times, 8/27/00

Corfu Fires Prompt State of Emergency: "A state of emergency has been declared on the Greek island of Corfu after strong winds and high temperatures sparked a number of major forest fires… Greece [is suffering] its worst fire season for decades." BBC, 8/27/00

Joined Fires Gaining Western Ground: "Wildfires have burned together in southwestern Montana's Bitterroot Valley and along the Continental Divide, forming the nation's largest fire group, a federal official said." AP, 8/27/00

Heavy Rains Leave 136 Dead in Southern Indian State: 'Four days of torrential monsoon rains have left 136 people dean and 100,000 homeless in what authorities are calling the heaviest 24-hour downpour in nearly half a century." Omer Farooq, AP, 8/28/00

Unseasonable Rains Flood South Korea: Four days of heavy rains have soaked South Korea, "engulfing rivers and causing landslides… The unseasonable rain storms… drenched most of [the area], especially the country's southwestern region where rainfall measured up to 22.8 inches." AP, 8/28/00

Typhoon Costs 500 Million Yuan Losses in South China: "Typhoon Bilis and torrential rains caused 500 million yuan in direct economic losses… in eastern Guangdon Province, south China… [T]orrentail rains inundated farmland, collapsed houses and disrupted traffic the area [for five days]." Xinhua News, 8/28/00

Green Mountain Energy Advocates Building Renewable Power Meet Energy Supply Demands of California Market: Julie Blunden of Green Mountain Energy said of the construction of a 132kW solar array, completed with the support of its California energy customers, "This facility is a real example of the benefit resulting from the power of customer choice in a deregulated market… Our future economic security and environmental quality can be shaped by the commitment we make today to transitions our power supply to cleaner renewable sources." PRNewswire, 8/28/00

Texas to Use Gas from Landfills: "Waste Management Inc. and Reliant Energy have [agreed] to develop 12 landfill gas projects in Texas. Electricity produced from the landfill gas projects will be sold to the state's power grid, rural electric cooperatives and other retail energy providers." ENN, 8/28/00

Fuel-Cells for Cel Phones: "Aluminum-Power of Toronto has successfully tested fuel-cell technology that can provide up to eight hours of [talk-time] on a cellular telephone." ENN, 8/28/00

New Feature of Energy Bills Could Increase Greenhouse Gas Awareness: Engineers at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) have created a method to convert the numbers on an energy bill to so that they reflect the emission of greenhouse gases with the production of that energy. Awareness of how energy use contributes to greenhouse gas production could help consumers take proactive steps in combating climate change. Cat Lazaroff. ENN, 8/28/00

Engine Additive Could Increase Efficiency, Decrease Pollution: "A gasoline additive that may be able to increase mileage and engine power with less pollution was described… at the 220th national meeting of the American Chemical Society. 'The additive, polyisobultylene… can produce a 10 percent increase in horsepower, a 20 percent increase in mileage, and a 70 percent decrease in emissions of… carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides,' said Paul Waters, Ph.D., a professor emeritus at American University in Washington, D.C." ENS, 8/28/00

World's Largest Solar Parking Lot Opens in California: "The electric utility in Sacramento has commissioned the largest parking lot solar system in the world. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has installed almost 14,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) modules in the main parking lot of the California State Fair… The 540 kilowatt (kW) solar system captures the sun's energy to generate sufficient electricity for 180 residential homes," and provides shade to the parked cars on the asphalt blacktop. ENS, 8/28/00

Record-tying Dry Spell Hits Texas: "A 59-day dry spell surpassing the Dust Bowl days of the Great Depression has turned Texas lawns crispy brown, evaporated reservoirs and cost farmers and ranchers an estimated $595 million." The north Texas dry spell began July 1st has set a record. "Monday was [also] the year's 36th day of 100-degree temperatures in Dallas-Fort Worth." AP, 8/29/00

Huge Ozone Hole Expected: "The hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic is expected to increase in size this year… early measurements show significant ozone depletion, [according to] the United Nations Weather agency… 'We cannot be optimistic with these latest measurements,' said Taysir Al-Ghanem, spokesman for the World Meteorological Organization. 'We're expecting that the ozone hole this year is going to be quite large, probably more than last year.'" Even with the elimination of ozone depleting chemicals such as chlorine and bromine, by-products of chlorofluorocarbons, "it could be 20 twenty years before ozone levels recover noticeably." AP, 8/29/00

Global Warming Threatens One Third of All Habitat: "[E]xtinction is the forecast for vulnerable animals and plants across more than a third of the Earth's natural habitat, researchers report in a sweeping new study released today… 'Global Warming and Terrestrial Biodiversity Decline,' was released by [the] World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada), the David Suzuki Foundation and the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC), [and] warns that many species of plants and animals will be unable to migrate fast enough to keep up with [the] changing habitat. 'In large areas, species would have to move 10 times faster than they did during the last ice age merely to survive,' said Dr. Jay Malcolm, assistant professor of forestry at the University of Toronto, and co-author of the report." ENS, 8/30/00

Texas Withering Under Record Breaking Drought: "Texas is suffering through one of the worst droughts in the state's history [with a] record 61 continuous days without rain [in the] Dallas-Fort worth area." This is the first time the previous record of 58 consecutive days set in 1934 was surpassed. Cat Lazaroff, ENS, 8/30/00

La Nina Exits Pacific but Effects Linger: "NASA scientists have concluded …even though El Nino and La Nina have finally dissipated, their impact… will likely continue for some time to come. 'It appears that the global climate system is finally recovering from the past three years of dramatic swings from the extra-large El Nino of 1997/98,' said William Patzert, an oceanographer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. 'Unfortunately, in the longer term, the reality is that the PDO (Pacific Decadal Oscillation) pattern still dominates the Pacific… the atmosphere is acting as though La Nina remains." Reuters, 8/31/00

Drought, 100-degree Temperatures Take Toll in the U.S.: "Unrelenting triple-digit temperatures were roasting the U.S. Plains states… continuing a weather pattern that is devastating crops [and] threatening livestock… In Kansas City, the thermometer climbed to at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit every day for more than a week." Carey Gilliam, Reuters, 8/31/00