| Erosion-control holdouts being sought for project
In the Lake Tahoe Basin, the letters "BMP" can bring about various reactions.
Short for "best management practices," BMPs are methods prescribed by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to help developed properties function more like natural, undisturbed forest and meadowland. The TRPA believes that water conveyed to a lake by an undisturbed watershed usually is quite pure, because the watershed's soils and plants act as a natural water-purification system.
BMPs prescribed for residential properties usually fall into the following categories: vegetating and mulching bare, disturbed soils; infiltrating stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces; paving dirt driveways and roads; and stabilizing or retaining steep slopes and loose soils.
But for some of the 38,000 property owners in the basin who have not retrofitted their land for BMPs, the requirements can be harsh and expensive.
A fight for orca's freedom
Lolita was one of 80 orcas herded into Penn Cove on Whidbey Island on Aug. 8, 1970. That day, six whales were captured, and five were killed in the process. According to the National Marine Fisheries Services, at least 47 southern resident orcas were killed or captured between 1965 and 1973. While capturing orcas is not illegal in Washington waters, no permits have been granted since San Diego's SeaWorld netted some in 1976. They were later released after SeaWorld lost a court case related to the capture. Stardom on the wane When Lolita arrived at Miami Seaquarium, she was just a few years old. Hugo, an orca captured from her extended family, greeted her. Lolita became a performer and earned her stage name, the Star of Miami. Today, that star is fading.
Business in Bali
After all, emissions are related to wealth and power. Who will rock this boat? It is convenient to play the cop and villain game. The rich nations know the Chinese, Indians, Brazilians, South Africans and the rest are all in the race to become rich and powerful. They want to be on the same boat. Sinking it then is just not possible. It is a mock fight. But we are all getting hurt. Energy is the key It is the world's need for energy-to run everything from factories to cars-that is the cause of climate change. After years of talk, no country has been able to delink growth from a rise in CO2 emissions. No country has shown how to build a low carbon economy or re-invent the growth path-as yet. This then is the challenge. After years of talk, new renewable energy-wind, solar, geothermal, biofuels-comprises just about 0.5 per cent of the world's primary energy supply.
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