December 2002

Eating for a Healthy Planet

Jack Harper

We often talk about eating for our own health, but what would we eat to keep the planet healthy, and would we like it? First, we must take a good, hard look at meat in our diets because of the enormous environmental impacts of its production. Rather than being produced on the integrated family farms of an earlier era which allowed for low intensity grazing, most livestock production today is intensive, confining animals to feedlots and cages supplied with grains and legumes. A hog has just 6 to 8 square feet, which is not enough in which to turn around, and a steer has but 14 square feet.

In general, raising animals for our food requires about five times the resources, water, energy, land, and pesticides than does the production of plant food, resulting in the degradation of ecosystems, air, and water. Today there are more than 20 billion cattle and even more hogs and poultry on the planet resulting in deforestation, topsoil erosion, and species loses. Each westerner's yearly meat consumption requires the production of a ton of grain. When you sit down to eat a steak, remember that the grain needed for it could feed 45 to 50 people with bowls of cooked cereal according to Francis Moore Lappe, author of "Diet for a Small Planet".

Meat production in the United States consumes more than one-third of all the fuels and raw materials used, driven in large part by the $110 billion fast food industry. Whereas the production of a pound of wheat takes 60 pounds of water, a pound of meat requires 2500 to 6000 pounds. The amount of manure produced from factory farms in the United States each year comes to over 20 tons per household causing major water pollution problems in groundwater and streams. Methane production from manure is a significant contributor to greenhouse gases which lead to earth warming. Hog waste spills in North Carolina caused the spread of the microbe Pfiesteria, killing a billion fish. Unfortunately, manure often makes a poor agricultural fertilizer because of its nutrient mismatch and presence of heavy metals.

The crisis in marine fishing has come about due to overfishing and environmentally destructive fishing methods. Eighty percent of oceanic fisheries are in decline or are at maximun production. Fully a quarter of the fish harvested is throw away as 'bycatch'. Turtles, dolphins, and seabirds are needlessly destroyed due to poor fishing methods.

Aquaculture is the fastest growing segment of global food production, filling in for depleted oceanic stocks. Aquaculture now accounts for 31 percent of global food fish, but not without great environmental cost. In southeast Asia environmentally valuable mangroves are destroyed and coastal areas polluted. Carnivorous fish such as salmon and shrimp are fed fish meal pellets which impose a heavy burden on oceanic fish stocks.

The indictment against intensive factory farm meat production, destructive aquaculture, and oceanic overfishing on environmental grounds alone is strong enough, even without broaching the subjects of animal cruelty and the health aspects of eating meat.

So, what does an environmentalist eat? It is possible to find free range meat raised sustainably, not on feedlots or in cages, without growth hormones, and without pesticides, but at a premium price. Of the eighty percent of Americans who call themselves environmentalists only two or three percent are vegetarians.

Many environmentalists, like myself, forego meat except for fish which we choose carefully to avoid overfished or endangered stocks. Environmental Defense and the Audubon Society both have on-line aids to help the consumer choose environmentally sound fish. For example wild salmon from Alaska is a wise choice; farmed Salmon and Atlantic Salmon are not; trap-caught shrimp and northern shrimp from Newfoundland are environmentally sound; farmed shrimp and most wild shrimp are not.

Then there is the world of vegetarianism which I explored one spring in Europe with my family, remembering fondly my favorite vegetarian restaurant in the downtown market of Stockholm. Having once been a meat eater, I was astounded at the variety of vegetarian dishes served up by different world cultures. The vegetarian who eats a varied diet of grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables need not be concerned about getting enough protein. Only the vegan, who eats no animal products, has to take vitamin B-12 supplements.

Eating lower on the food web can relieve pressures on ecosystem services, save natural resources, help those who are truly hungry, save endangered species, improve air and water quality, protect recreational spaces, reduce greenhouse gases, not to mention improving our health and reducing animal cruelty.

November 2002

Greener Cars

Jack Harper

Now that my Honda Civic is beginning to age, I began thinking about trading it in for a greener car, like the 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid automatic, which is essentially a Honda EX without the moon roof but gets 48 miles per gallon in the city and 47 on the highway. Its Ultra Low Emission rating results from the coupling of a 13 horsepower electric motor with a 1.3 liter gasoline engine and sophisticated electronics which allow the two spark plugs per cylinder to fire together or singly or not at all when coasting.

Although hard to get, the local Honda dealer brought 20 Honda Civic Hybrids from out-of-state and had 9 left on the lot as of October 14th. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $21,600, but you get a $2000 federal income tax write-off as well as unlimited access to HOV lanes in Virginia. Between 1500 and 2000 are expected to be sold in the Washington Area in the 2003 model year, not bad considering that the best selling compact car in the country, the Honda Civic, sold 330,000 last year nationwide.

The 2003 Toyota Prius is also a consideration. This four-door, five-passenger hybrid can switch between its 1.5 liter gasoline engine and electric motor or run on both when needed yielding 41 miles per gallon in mixed driving (2002 CR rating). It is a Super Ultra Low Emissions vehicle. Consumer Reports rated the 2002 Prius outstanding for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction. Acceleration was judged adequate, ride comfortable, and handling secure. The local Toyota Dealer had 15 Prius hybrids on the lot as of October 15th with manufacturer's suggested retail prices between $20,600 and $23,500 depending on options like cruise control, navigation system, and side air bags. As of last March Toyota had captured 90% of the world hybrid car market by selling nearly 103,000 vehicles, mainly the Toyota Prius.

The Honda FCX fuel cell car was the first fuel cell car to be certified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a Zero Emissions Vehicle in July. Just this month the City of Los Angeles received five Honda FCX cars for carpooling, commuting, and evaluation. But don't expect to buy one until about 2010 because of the monumental infrastructure problems to be solved, particularly refueling stations, already in the works for California.

A fuel cell is similar to a battery in that there are two electrodes in an electrolyte. Oxygen passes over one electrode and hydrogen over the other producing electricity, heat, and waste water vapor. Any hydrocarbon - natural gas, methanol, or gasoline - can supply the fuel but hydrogen obtained from the electrolysis of water would be the most environmentally sound. Emissions are very small since the fuel cell is driven by chemistry, not combustion.

The Honda FCX gets about 220 miles per tank of compressed hydrogen which combines with oxygen to produce electricity. It is not only pollution free, emitting only water vapor, but is noiseless as well, making it easy to understand how a hydrogen powered economy could solve many of our environmental pollution problems. Urban life would become healthier and more pleasant.

October 2002

Sprawl in Northern Virginia

Jack Harper

When I first visited Washington in 1939 at the age of six, Arlington still had dairy farms. Today farming is largely absent from Arlington and Fairfax Counties. In Prince William County only 458 people worked in agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, and mining in 2000 as these occupations are pushed further from the east coast megalopolis.

The remarkably beautiful landscape in Northern Virginia is being transformed into wall to wall houses, shopping centers, parking lots, and car-filled roads. The process of sprawl has gone on for the last half century unchecked, resulting in a culture dependent on the automobile for work, school, church, outdoor activities, shopping, friendships, and medical services. Surely, the quality of life is diminished by this daily need for long solitary car trips on an overcrowded road network. Quality time with family members is cut short as the work week becomes an endless drain.

Has the old solution of building new roads solved the problem in Northern Virginia? Not here, nor elsewhere. The Los Angeles experience has shown that for every new freeway mile, nine-tenths of it is quickly filled, perpetually extending sprawl. An outer beltway for Northern Virginia may mean a better quality of life for the growth lobby but not for the rest of us who will spend the equivalent of a two week vacation each year stuck in traffic.

Solutions. The new 12 billion dollar Metro plan which offers several mass transit alternatives including Metro rail, light rail, and rapid transit bus is a good starter. This could be complemented by bike and walking paths and trails. Many of our suburbs need to be redesigned so that every trip is not in an automobile. We need walkable town centers and more basic services located near Metro and VRE stations.

We must stop subsidizing development. At present we are subsidizing developers at more than $30,000 per new house for infrastructure like roads, schools, and sewer lines. All tax payers are burdened with these costs which should be fully paid by the developers before any construction is allowed. Adequate Public Facilities Ordinances should be passed in these jurisdictions as an aid to stem sprawl.

Protective zones and green belts are one tool in controlling sprawl as shown by Portland, Oregon, which protected 25 million acres of farms and forests outside of designated urban growth boundaries. Although Portland's population has grown by 50% since 1970, the land area for urban growth increased by only 2%. The National Park Service has proposed a ten mile protective strip similar to that around London for the Washington metropolis to protect existing open space, farms, and forests. This beltway would give easy access to open spaces and help protect the environment of the metropolitan area.

National population policies must be revisited by Congress to control immigration which is responsible for making the United States the fastest growing of the developed countries. Will the addition of 125 million people forecast for the United States by 2050 mean the loss of the rest of Northern Virginia to sprawl

September 2002

Climate Change in Virginia

Jack Harper

Temperatures in Virginia could increase by 3 degrees F in winter, spring, and summer (with a range of 1 to 6 degrees), and 4 degrees in fall (with a range of 2 to 8 degrees) by the year 2100 based on the projections of the UK Hadley Centre climate model and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Precipitation could increase by 20% for all seasons with a range of 10% to 30%. An increase in the frequency and severity of winter storms is possible.

Virginia's barrier islands, many now protected by the Nature Conservancy, could disappear if the sea level were to rise by three feet. Spartina marshes would face severe erosion. Virginia's extensive coasts would be threatened by increased storm surge and salt-water intrusion. Depending on how the climate changes, agricultural crops and pasture yields could increase by 19% or decrease by 36 %.

The hardwood forests of northern and western Virginia would gradually be replaced by southern pines and oaks. Climate change would add stresses to the forests making them more susceptible to fire, pests, and diseases. Threatened are the high-elevation Appalachian sites containing the remnants of northern forests such as red spruce and Fraser fir trees and associated birds such as the Canada and Blackburnian warblers.

Children, the elderly, and those without air conditioning and safe drinking water would be more at risk. Water borne diseases such as Cryptosporidiosis would become more widespread.

The climatic changes that you, your children, and grandchildren will experience in this century will not necessarily be gradual. Abrupt and unexpected changes may occur. Extreme weather will become more common. The reaction of ecosystems to these stresses is difficult to predict.

August 2002

Deer Ticks and Lyme Disease

Jack Harper

Deer me. As I sit here writing this in front of my meadow-to-be, there are three does and two fawns eating everything in sight. It's the Serengeti out there, but without predators. Where are all the cougars and grizzlies when you need them?

These brazen vegetarians can be seen throughout the neighborhood cropping and trimming. Browse lines are developing. Fairfax County has held deer hunts in some areas but not in our neighborhood because of the danger of discharging firearms. And there are those kindly neighbors who feed the deer, regularly.

Unfortunately, deer (as well as rodents and other mammals) may carry the deer tick Ixodes scapularis, which sometimes transmits a bacteria to us humans causing the disabling arthritic and neurological Lyme disease. The other day on the Bull Run - Occoquan Blue Trail we stopped to talk with a park employee who told us of encounters with deer ticks. Both he and his wife had found deer ticks attached in their groins which resulted in antibiotic treatment for his wife.

In Virginia Lyme disease is not the major problem that it is from Maryland to Maine, but Northern Virginia has the most reported cases in the state. Latest data shows Loudoun County with 29 cases, Fairfax 28, Prince William 4, and Fauquier 1, though not all of these cases were contracted in these areas.

The deer tick is much smaller than the common dog tick, only as large as a poppy seed. Long shirts and trousers should be worn. DEET can be sprayed on clothing and skin to repel ticks. Careful body searches should me made after each outing. Ticks should be carefully removed with tweezers. The tick needs to be attached for about two days for the bacteria to be transferred. Even so, the chances for the deer tick to have the bacteria are usually quite low. For more information search for Lyme disease at the Center for Disease Control web site www.cdc.gov and at the Virginia Department of Health web site at www.vdh.state.va.us .

July 2002

Environmental Justice

Jack Harper

The environmental justice movement began 20 years ago as a protest to the siting of a waste dump for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s) in a low-income, predominately African-American community in Warren County, North Carolina. Residents claimed that the siting for the landfill was unsound ecologically, was politically motivated, and represented environmental racism. Among the 500 protesters arrested were D.C. Congressional Representative Walter Fauntroy and Benjamin Chavis, Executive Director of the United Church of Christ Commission on Racial Justice. Although unsuccessful, this effort spurred studies into on-going environmental racism.

A 1983 study by the Government Accounting Office showed that three out of every four commercial hazardous waste landfills in the southeastern United States were sited near predominately minority communities. A study by the United Church of Christ’s Commission for Racial Justice in 1987 supported the case that race is the most consistent factor correlated with hazardous waste facility siting. It was found that three out of every five African-American or Hispanics lived in a community with an unregulated toxic waste facility.

In 1992 the Environmental Protection Agency created the Office of Environmental Justice to coordinate compliance in each federal agency which must develop an Environmental Justice Strategy to address these concerns. The EPA definition states “that no group of people, including a racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic group, should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or the execution of federal, state, local, and tribal programs and policies.”

In Prince William County the 2000 census listed white persons at 68.9%, blacks at 18.8%, Latinos at 9.7%, and Asians at 3.8%. Minorities represented 31.1% and faced a greater exposure to environmental threats according to Environmental Defense’s www.scorecard.org : 69% greater exposure to toxic chemicals, 6% more cancer risk from hazardous air pollutants and 118% greater potential exposure to the four Superfund sites.


June 2002

Shall We Adopt the Refuge?

Larry Underwood

The process of becoming a Green Sanctuary asks us to undertake a community-wide environmental project. Several possible projects involve the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, near the southeast corner of our county. Officially, the area has been a refuge for only a few years. For over 40 years, prior to being transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1994, the U.S. Army managed the facility, most recently as a top-secret military laboratory. Environmentally, the Army was a “good steward of the land.” Chain length fences and regular perimeter patrols kept the public at bay, while most of the Army’s research activities were restricted to a complex of buildings. Forests and wetlands were left virtually alone and approximately 150 acres of grasslands were mowed annually for security reasons. Under this regime, wildlife flourished. Over 650 species of plants have been identified on the refuge and this week we recorded its 224th species of bird. Not bad for an area just less than one square mile in extent.

As development overwhelms Prince William County such “islands of diversity” will become increasingly important to wildlife. In fact, it is already important, especially to birds. Over-wintering raptors, migrating songbirds, and an impressive list of residents, including endangered bald eagles, make extensive use of its resources. Under the Fish and Wildlife Service, management of the facility as wildlife habitat has intensified, as what was a laboratory has become a Refuge. The FWS also recognizes the important role that this refuge can play for our community. Truly, it is a place, in our own back yard, where citizens of Prince William County can come to learn about and enjoy wildlife. As a congregation working to become a Green Sanctuary, we have the opportunity to contribute to that process. How?

There are several possibilities. Ideally, any such project will either improve wildlife habitat, improve public understanding of wildlife, or both. Of course, anything we might plan to do would have to be acceptable to the Refuge Manager, but here are some specific projects to think about:

1) Signage: The Service plans, in the near future, to purchase several interpretive signs to be put up along the existing system of walking trials throughout the refuge. These signs would explain the overall mission of the FWS, the purposes of specific management strategies, and assist the public in identifying key wildlife and plants that they might encounter while visiting the refuge. Our involvement might be in working with refuge staff to erect the signs.

2) Improving the view: During the ensuing years, tangles of vines, bushes, and small trees have grown up in the chain-length perimeter fence. Mostly, this is not a bad thing. Not only does the vegetation hide the fence from view, it provides habitat to a surprising variety of animals and plants. But along the southeastern edge of the refuge, plants block the view of Occoquan and Belmont Bays. In winter, these waterways are often chock full of waterfowl. At low tide, one can peak out and see shorebirds. At all seasons and times, terns, gulls, eagles, and smaller birds fly-by in steady progressions. Here, our project would be to remove the vegetation from several ten to twenty foot sections along the fence to open up the view.

3) Enhance butterfly habitat: Recently, we have begun to survey butterflies on the refuge and have found surprising diversity. All butterflies need nectering plants on which to feed, and brood plants on which to lay eggs and feed young. Some butterflies require specific plants. For example, Hackberry Emperors require hackberry trees and Monarchs require milkweeds. Our project would be to obtain and plant “butterfly friendly” plants close to the refuge’s walking trails.

These are only a few of the projects in which we might get involved. Do any of them appeal to you? If so, let Jack Harper or Larry Underwood know. If we undertake one of these projects, we become a Green Sanctuary and our local wildlife refuge benefits.

May 2002

Earth warming has begun to affect plants and animals

Jack Harper

Even though Earth’s temperature has risen only one degree Fahrenheit, so far, the effects on some ecosystems and species have been devastating. Further warming over the next few decades may add an additional 10 degrees. Many species are unable to adapt or migrate due to the rapidity of the Earth warming and lack of natural corridors. Here are some examples taken from the scientific literature and media:

Coral Reefs. Earth warming has destroyed 16% of the world’s coral reefs primarily during the El Nino episode of 1998. Added to the 11% destroyed by direct human activity, the total destroyed as of the survey of 2000 was 27%. Under normal conditions about half of bleached coral reefs recover in 20-50 years, but the intensity and frequency of El Nino events makes this unlikely. El Nino is the periodic warming of waters of the equatorial Pacific from Indonesia to Ecuador. The present development of another El Nino in the Pacific is now bleaching much of the Great Barrier Reef off Australia.

Amphibians. Global warming has been linked to some amphibian declines. Studies of Western toads in the Cascade Mountains in Washington State for over ten years have shown that in periods of less snow, linked to El Nino, pools have less water which exposes toads to more ultraviolet radiation making them susceptible to disease. Eighty percent of toad embryos that developed in less than eight inches of water developed infections and died.

Minke whales. Minke whale numbers have fallen 50% in less than a decade in Antarctica apparently due to a sharp contraction in sea ice due to Earth warming. Krill, small shrimp-like crustaceans on which the minke whales feed, depends on the algae living on the edges of the sea ice.

Zooplankton. Zooplankton numbers in the North Atlantic have dropped by 80-90% since the last survey in 1963. Marine life from fish to whales is dependent on zooplankton, tiny marine animals. Increasing sea temperatures due to Earth warming have reduced zooplantton numbers or caused them to be located further northward. A 70% drop in zooplankton numbers has been reported off the coast of California. Warmer waters and changing ocean currents off California have meant less plankton for marine animals, which may account for the disappearance of harbor seals, stellar sea lions and sea birds.

Species Behavior. A study recently found 370 species of plants and animals on four continents had behaviors consistent with Earth warming. This included birds laying eggs earlier in the spring and butterflies expanding their ranges to the north. The Cape May warbler has shifted its range to the north. Birds in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are returning earlier in spring. Earth warming is disrupting relationships between plants and animals that have co-evolved over thousands of years. Changing those relationships can have far-reaching consequences. For example, several Eastern warblers that specialize in eating spruce budworms may abandon spruce forests to the budworms as they move northward.

Penguins. Antarctic penguins have been impacted by Earth warming since the 1970’s. Emperor penguins, three feet tall and weighing 65 pounds, have dropped in numbers by 50% since 1952. The smaller Adelie and Chinstrap penguins have decreased by up to 40% since 1989. The loss of one quarter of Antarctica’s sea ice this century has led to a reduction in algae production, resulting in less krill which penguins and other marine organisms require.

Polar Bears. Polar bears are being threatened with starvation due to a shorter hunting season according to the Canadian Wildlife Service. Earth warming is causing the polar bears’ main food source, the ringed seal, to become less accessible. The ice around Hudson Bay is breaking up sooner giving the polar bear less time to hunt causing weight declines in both males and females.

Vegetation Density. NASA reports that vegetation density in the northern hemisphere north of 40 degrees latitude increased by 12% in the last 20 years due to longer growing seasons. The increase in photosynthesis was most pronounced in Russia, less in North America, but significant in the grasslands of the Upper Midwest and the forests of the East. Pennsylvania had a vegetation density increase of 13% since 1982 due to a 12-day longer growing season.

Gray Whales. A dramatic increase in the death of gray whales may be linked to starvation due to lack of mud-dwelling organisms in the Bering and Chukchi seas feeding grounds due to warming waters. The hard-shell worm-like amphipods that live in the mud on the ocean floor receive less organic material drifting down from the surface because of the lower algal production.

Winter Flounder. Warmer temperatures in Narragansett Bay may have resulted in a 10-16% lower survival rate for winter flounder larvae. The winter-spring algal bloom that is larval food has been affected by the warmer waters in recent years.

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