UK study links cellphones to brain cancer

People in countries around the world could be at an increased risk of developing brain cancer due to the heavy, over-popular use of cellphones, according to a recently released British study. The study, conducted by Dr. Vini Khurana, was described in The Independent newspaper's on-line edition, and posted at the Drudge Report.
According to the study, brain cancer normally takes about a decade, or 10 years, to show signs of developing, and cellphones haven't been around for that long so no studies have documented cases that are accurate so far. So, the original safety assurances put out by cellphone companies and groups were inaccurate, he says.
The doctor also warned that if the cellphone industry doesn't reduce the amount of radiation emitted from their phones soon, in about another decade the world could see a large number of people with brain tumors, and problems that could be irreversible.
Land phones that are cordless also have increased risks to brain cancer other studies have shown and risks to children could also increase.
However, the Mobile Operators Association claims his evidence is slanted to fit his independent research and there are other studies that draw opposite conclusions.

Seal Beach naval base helped clean up

The public had a unique opportunity to help protect several endangered species March 29 as the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station hosted a major community project to clean up a remote section of beach used as a feeding and nesting area for endangered birds.
The Saturday event was sponsored by the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific and hosted by the Navy in cooperation with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the volunteer group Friends of the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge. Over 200 volunteers are expected.
Volunteers met at station’s PCH Gate at 9 am. The gate is located off Pacific Coast Highway, south of Seal Beach Boulevard and the Anaheim Bay bridge, and adjacent to the Phillips Street entrance to Surfside Colony. It is only accessible from the southbound lanes of PCH.
Volunteers brought gloves, heavy shoes, hats and sunblock, and must RSVP by calling the Aquarium of the Pacific at (562) 437-3474, extension 2.
The beach area to be cleaned is used by endangered and threatened bird species including the California brown pelican, western snowy plover, light-footed clapper rail, and the California least tern. The area has been heavily impacted by trash carried in by recent storms.
Commencing operations in 1944 as a U.S. Naval Ammunition and Net Depot, Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach is the Pacific Fleet’s premier ordnance loading and storage installation. The base services approximately 50 United States Navy vessels annually.
For more information, contact the Naval Weapons Station Public Affairs Officer (PAO), Gregg Smith, at (562) 626-7215.

Huell Howser talks bio-diesel

Drought continues despite rainfall, restrictions

Despite scattered rain fall this past winter season and efforts to curb water waste, state officials warn that California is still experiencing drought conditions and water levels could continue to fall.
Some of the state’s first restrictions on water use, such as in Long Beach and other cities where fines were handed out for overuse, have caused water consumption to fall about 8 percent below normal this year, according to state water officials.
But representatives still say that’s not enough and the decades-old infrastructure built to hold, share and import water needs to be upgraded.
Adan Ortega Jr. of GCG Rose & Kindle consulting firm for the Metropolitan Water District, the largest water district in the country, said the state is losing water because of an over-population of people, groundwater contamination, wasting water and levies drying up because of increased temperatures.
He said typically droughts last thousands of years, and states all over the country experiencing a water shortfall could continue to see a steady decline.
“We get rain, just not enough to support all those people,” he said. “We started to notice that the snow pack is getting smaller and smaller. Things are not the same.”
He said farmers, who rely heavily on imported water, are saying the state needs more storage, officials and taxpayers aren’t as willing to bank on restructuring the vast system of water flow, while global warming issues continue to affect on levies because of increasing water levels and high temperatures.
Water that households use two years, about 326,000 gallons of water, is known as one acre foot, and costs tax payers money depending on how the water is treated or where it comes from.
The three sources of water in California are the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, Colorado River, and local wells underground. Half of the water is from local resources and the other half is imported.
He said about seven states share water with California from the Colorado River.
“[State officials] don’t put enough time into education or resources into water,” he said.
“When you have political rhetoric you hear about special interests. We now have individual interests.”
Amidst increasing unstable weather conditions, Ortega Jr. said households, businesses and farmers continue to waste 25 percent of the state’s water supply.
“You’ll never see Lake Mead full again,” he said. “We waste half of all of the outside water that we use. When your customers are wasting water and they’re buying other water that is just going to be wasted again.”
In addition, the state has been increasing efforts to help bring back the Delta smelt, a small fish in the River Delta commonly used for bait that has nearly disappeared.
But Ortega Jr. said the state should be focusing on larger fish that have larger populations.
Ortega Jr. says the state should invest in upgrading its dilapidated levies and infrastructure, in addition to impose low flush toilets, and installation of satellite driven sprinkler systems for lawns.
“I think we are in a water crises of our own making,” he said. “If we don’t update operations we’re going to be in bigger trouble that before.”
Sam Pedroza, a former employee of the County Sanitation District of Los Angeles County, said there is still a lot local and state governments can do to help save water and money.
He said, due to the drought, water is costing households more and will continue to, if steps aren’t taken to limit consumption or find alternative water sources.
“Water is a natural recourse like air,” he said. “But we’re paying for the process that goes into getting it.”
Currently about 25 percent of California water comes from recycled water, which costs $200 to $300 an acre-foot, equal to an acre of water a foot high, from big tanks that pump in a reservoir that is filled up. Imported water costs about $400 an acre foot for untreated water straight from the Colorado River basin. The Santa Ana River and San Gabriel Valley percolate the water and it is treated by nature.
To receive “treated” imported water it has cost about $500 to $600 an acre-foot.
But now, Pedroza said, because of the drought the cost has risen to $800 an acre-foot.
New technology and innovations are the wave of the future, he said, and could be what helps the state with decreasing water levels and rising costs.
Such methods as desalination, where salt is extracted from water, or reverse osmosis, might cost more, but are alternatives rather than take away from the already depleting rivers and basins.
While desalination, common in Saudi Arabia or Catalina Island, costs $1,000 an acre-foot, costs for imported water are raising so high it could be the next choice.
Recycled water, another alternative, is made through treatment plants, bacteria storage, through sand a gravel and anthracite coal and a fourth way is through reverse osmosis, or micro filtration that costs about $600 to $700 an acre foot.
The state proposed a program to start treating sewage water for drinking water in the 1990s, called unattractively “Toilet to Tap.” But it failed due to its dirty connotations, and reverse osmosis systems such as in Orange County could also be the answer he said.
“We have enough water, it’s just maximizing what we have,” Pedroza said.

Giant marine species found in Antarctica

Large, and possibly new, marine sea creatures have recently been discovered from an unprecedented survey of New Zealand's Antarctic waters.
Some scientists are taken by the large size of some species, such as jellyfish with 12-foot tentacles, giant sea spiders and 2-foot starfish.
But it will take time for research to indicate whether the newly found marine life are in fact actually new species.
"The survey was part of the International Polar Year program involving 23 countries in 11 voyages to survey marine life and habitats around Antarctica," according to an Associated Press article published March 21.
The 12-mile excursion through the Ross Sea turned up a host of never before seen species, which some scientists believe the oddly large size is due to cold temperatures, a small number of predators, high levels of oxygen in the sea water and even longevity— possibly attributed global warming effects.
The Ross Sea is a bay located off of Antarctica's icy coast. The south and north islands of New Zealand are miles from the bay, but contain much of the water currents.
The find also uncovered a hidden nest of sea lilies that coat the ocean floor, and most notably, possibly eight new mollusk species.

Black abalone may be protected if endangered

Black abalone, while although considered the smallest of the large sea mollusk species, once flourished in plentiful abundance in the intertidal waters along the California coast.
But due to a combination of overfishing, disease and a sprawling otter habitat, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration proposed placing the black abalone on an endangered species list in January 2008.
NOAA Fisheries Service filed with the Federal Register Jan. 12 a proposed rule or petition to list black abalone as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The proposal comes after NOAA Fisheries Service considered the report of a scientific review team concluding that the species is at risk of extinction. Comments on this proposal must be received by April 10, according to the Federal Registry. A final approval would then come probably sometime at the end of the year, according to officials.
According to an LA Times article on a forum at fishpolitics.com, "The final decision, expected after a year of further study, would not have an immediate impact on the hunting of black abalone in California, which has been illegal here since 1993. But the listing could bring in federal money to help restore populations of the species, set aside critical habitat and impose criminal penalties for importing the mollusk from Mexico."
Decades ago, black abalone was known as the most abundant species of abalone from Northern Baja California, Mexico, to Monterey, Calif.
But "the scientific review team reported major declines in the population of black abalone, especially in the areas around the Channel Islands off Southern California," said Rod McInnis, Southwest Regional Administrator for NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service. “These proposed regulations seek federal protection for black abalone and requests input from the public in determining what areas might be included as critical habitat for the species.”
Since the 1980s, black abalone abundance has plummeted primarily from a bacterial disease known as withering syndrome.
Withering syndrome is a bacterium that affects the digestive system and causes the abalone to shrink. The bacterium increases in warmer waters (that reach 65 degrees Fahrenheit) that can be attributed to warm water currents such as from El Nino, which some say are early signs of the effects of global warming, according to an article published by National Geographic.
Other causes of the rapid population decline are likely due to historical overfishing, poaching and natural predation. NMFS has considered recent preliminary evidence which suggests a small disease resistant population may exist at San Nicolas Island. Even with this possibility, the likelihood that black abalone populations will continue to decline towards extinction (within the next 30 years) is very high.
If the listing under the ESA is passed this year, the black abalone would join the white abalone, which was placed on the endangered-species list by the National Marine Fisheries Service in May 2001.
"Estimates of where the white-abalone population stood 30 years ago run from 2.2 million to 4.2 million, but recently their population along the coast was estimated at just a couple thousand," according to an article in fishpolitics.com

Flying Fish Festival comes to Catalina Island

In celebration of the annual return of Catalina Island's famous flying fish, Catalina announces Flying Fish Festival, according to the Catalina Islander newspaper.
The inaugural event will be held May 29 - June 1, a four day festival of family fun.
From May to September every year, Catalina Island welcomes the famed flying fish that soars out of the water at heights of up to 30 feet. The fish glides for distances as long as mile.
The flying fish visits the Island for only a few months a year and best shows itself at night when lured with lights. It is only fitting that Catalina celebrates their arrival by honoring them as special guests with a four day long weekend of festivities.
The Flying Fish Festival kicks off on May 29, a Thursday night, with the Taste Around of Avalon.
It's a chance to explore some of Avalon's finest eateries and taste their most delectable menu items, all in one night.
Activities are plentiful throughout the rest of the weekend as the events and entertainment roll out to celebrate the fantastic flying fish.
Flying Fish Festival event highlights include evening Flying Fish Boat Tours aboard the Blanche W, a 98-passenger solid wood vessel built in 1924, originally made for the flying fish tours.
There will be a professional sand sculpture created by the beach, a free concert at Wrigley Stage, a Fishing Derby for kids, various flying fish and ocean craft activities for kids, a Mini Cooper Rally, an excursion to Toyon Bay, a Flying Fish Parade, the introduction of Gill, the Flying Fish and more.
For additional information about special events, accommodations, attractions, and activities, or to receive a free copy of the new 2008 Visitors Guide, contact the Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau at (310) 510-1520 or visit www.CatalinaChamber.com.

Climate change continues to be "hot" topic

Quoting Sir Winston Churchill during the presentation "The Climate Crises" at Cal State Fullerton Tuesday, former politician and now environmental activist Lance Simmens said the world is "entering a period of consequences."
Simmens is one of the first people trained by former Vice-President Al Gore and The Climate Project. Simmens has presented over 50 seminars that mirror Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth."
Toppling glaciers and brightly-colored diagrams painted a grim picture of the Earth's changing climate as Simmens encouraged a packed auditorium of students in Pavilion C to take steps toward reversing what scientists say are the effects of global warming.
The heavily attended event, sponsored by environmental groups on campus, included an introduction by Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and ended with a question and answer forum by a panel of faculty.
"We need to get the message out and we need to participate," Sanchez said. "Teachers are telling me they have been seeing students grab on to something that's so important."
Sanchez said debates over global warming continue to heat up in Washington D.C. and a panel on climate change clearly states the need to reduce emissions immediately.
Most speakers said they were concerned the United States currently doesn’t have a national policy and states are lagging behind as the country contributes 25 percent to global warming.
"I don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican, this is bigger than that. It's a global issue," Simmens said. "If you think this is a warm and fuzzy, tree-hugging issue, think again."
Global warming, Simmens said, is caused by the increasing amount of carbon dioxide (C02) in terms of parts-per-million, or increasing levels of dense greenhouse gases that trap the rays of sun in the atmosphere, causing the earth to heat up. He said the planet is currently at 380 ppm and could rise to 600 ppm if nations "continue business as usual" and don't start using alternatives to pollution-causing infrastructure, such as burning fossil fuels.
"Global warming is happening and humans are causing it," Simmens said.
Recent events have proved this theory, he said.
In 2004 Brazil experienced a groundbreaking hurricane, in 2005 the world's largest oil platform was damaged during a storm off the Gulf of Mexico and an unprecedented 37 inches of rain fell in India in just a 24-hour period during that same year, according to Simmens' statistics.
Simmens said the world will see wetter and more intense storms to come.
However, out of all the places to heat up, Simmens said the North and South Poles are leading.
Scientists are examining cracks in the ice shelf of Antarctica that did not exist five years ago, and he said polar bears are drowning and dieing off because they end up swimming long distances of 40 to 50 miles between cracks in the ice. He said glacial earthquakes are also doubling.
Normally, he said the ice glaciers have reflected the sun's rays, but due to rising temperatures, the ice has melted and has turned into an "absorber" instead.
Simmens said there have also been shifts in wind currents that have contributed to rising ocean temperatures and species loss in coral reefs.
He pointed out that if glaciers were to completely melt down, sea levels would rise and displace tens of millions of people worldwide.
Along with such information, Simmens described a few misconceptions people might have about global warming, such as whether there are disagreements among scientists, divisions over economy and the environment or whether individual participation can make a difference.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is debating whether they're 90 or 99 percent certain human beings are causing global warming, Simmens said. But he said the consensus is that we are.
"We will never be at 100 percent certainty," Simmens said. "... But I don't think it's really a question anymore."
Erin Saverio-Seibert, a member of the CSUF Environmental Studies Student Association, said some professors on campus are not entirely convinced, but have also admitted to not being well educated about it.
Vienne Vu, a geography studies CSUF grad student, said such events help to educate those who might not otherwise be exposed to the sciences.
"I think it depends on who's listening. If you're a Spanish major, you might not know as much, but if you're a geography major, it gets pounded into you every day," Vu said. "The more you know, the more you can do something."

Chinook salmon not king anymore?

If you go fishing this summer and catch a fat salmon, you might have to toss it back or else run the risk of getting fined.
Declining numbers of Chinook, or king salmon, have caused federal fishery agencies to start thinking about the possibility of closing down salmon fishing in California entirely this year, according to the Times.The Pacific Fishery Management Council unanimously approved the future vote of three options on dealing with the dilemma, closing down salmon fishing being one of those options. The council will meet next month to make a final recommendation to federal regulators. The National Marine Fisheries Service would then have to approve the closure for it to go through.
This would be the first time in the state’s history the salmon fishing season would be closed.
Salmon have dropped from a fresh normal season in 2002 of about 800,000 to about only 60,000 salmon that are expected to spawn this fall.
Mounting concerns of global warming surrounds much of the declining restaurant favorite, in addition to highly contaminated ocean waters, rising sea levels and declining fresh water, such as in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
In the past few years, the state has been increasing efforts to help bring back the Delta smelt, commonly used for bait that has nearly disappeared.
But the declining salmon numbers has caused some scientists to take another look at the approach of trying to regulate the fishing industry, that maybe such bigger fish are more of a concern and local governments should have been trying to keep an eye on rather then the tiny smelt.
Some scientists say the cause of the low number of salmon is due to changing ocean conditions that have taken away their food source. The National Marine Fisheries scientists say the winds have caused currents to shift statewide, unsettling nutrients, a possible link to global warming.
Others say it is because of urban run-off from streets, sewage waste, and pesticides from nearby farming operations in the San Joaquin valley, one of the largest farming locations in the state.
According to the Times, much of the criticism is due to exporting water from the river delta, north to south, the same cause as the smelt.
But because of the smelt, the federal government recently cut the exportation of water down to a fifth.
Check out this video of the Somona County Water Agency and how agencies didn't know about the effects of water distribution in the Russian River that has possibly been a contributing factor to the declining salmon.
In other states salmon decline has been attributed to the fish having both sexual organs, or low sperm count or testosterone levels, some say is due to chemicals from farms such as in Florida.

CSUF's Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary recovers

Walking along a path in between a barren mound of soil and a fresh cluster of dark green shrubs, Cal State Fullerton biology instructor Bill Hoese carefully watches his step.
He doesn’t want to destroy what has just started to recover.
About a year ago, the now bleak heap of earth used to be filled with native plants for students to observe at the Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary nature trail, an area of Modjeska Canyon owned and operated by CSUF.
Some of that land was scorched down to rubble in October of last year, when the Santiago Fire engulfed more than 28,000 acres, destroyed more than 14 homes and caused thousands to evacuate. Officials blamed the fire on one or more arsonists.
“Before it all burned, it looked like this,” said Hoese, as he pointed to a three-foot high healthy California scrub habitat. “But a lot of the plants are well adapted to fires.”
Fast-growing plants, such as the wild cucumber shrub, chamise and coastline oaks are reaching toward the sun first, after recent rains have allowed native vegetation to re-sprout.
Months after the fire came within 10 feet of burning down the sanctuary, ecology classes have now returned to find a recovering hillside, ripe for examining how vegetation adapts to fire destruction.
Hoese and two undergraduate students began taking photographs of two-meter plots in January, and they are documenting each plant's revival.

"Green" buildings might be gold for CSUF

When Cal State Fullerton's new Student Recreation Center opens in the next few weeks, students will be burning more calories, and, at the same time, the facility will be burning less energy.
After years of planning and designing, the two-story center, which will include a swimming pool and a rock climbing wall, might be the university's most energy-efficient building ever constructed.
“This was a student-led project,” said Kurt Borsting, Titan Student Union director. “Our student leaders have really come to make this building environmentally friendly.”
The roof is made of a white solar-reflective material to reduce the load on air conditioning units, showers and irrigation systems use low-flow water methods, a wall of windows cuts back on lighting during the day and the carpet is made of recycled material.
These points all add up to what faculty and students hope will be the university’s first building ever to receive a gold certification in Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design.
New standards are part of a widespread call for sustainability on campuses, mandated by CSU Chancellor Charles Reed in 2006, with a policy statement addressing energy conservation.
The LEED recognition is certificated by the United States Green Building Council, a federal organization that recognizes the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.
The policy states that all universities in California are required to have new buildings that are at least LEED certified. Certification is the lowest of three rankings, which are certificated, silver and gold. The number of points earned for energy efficiency determines each rank.
However, CSUF student leaders and administration have planned the building to be “green” before such policies ever hit the books.
Borsting said students have been working with maintenance and construction officials since 2000 to make the $40 million center the first of its kind in energy-saving capabilities.
With the help of such efforts, CSUF has already received accolades for the recreation center, which won first place for overall design at the CSU/UC Sustainability Conference last year. Previous projects, such as the Arboretum Visitor Center, also received recognition during a previous conference, as well as restructuring the campus’ heating and cooling systems that increased efficiency by 10 percent.
Physical Plant Director Willem van der Pol feels such recognition will push university administration to take more of a “campus-wide” approach to sustainability, instead of different departments taking the lead.
Van der Pol is a member of a developing group of students and faculty called the Sustainability Initiative Study Group, which is currently researching methods and strategies to transform the campus into a more sustainable environment for future projects. The group will be presenting their mission and goals by this summer.
The university has used various methods of conservation in the past such as using “green” cleaning products, conserving water and recycling about 60 percent of waste, including construction material.
But he said people need to make more of a "conscious" effort to save energy, as well as creating a sustainability curriculum.
“We want to encourage faculty and staff to come to the campus using alternative fuels,” he said. “It’s smart to be a little bit ahead.”
Van der Pol is as much involved in the effort on campus as he is in his own life.
In addition, he has helped to convert a majority of maintenance vehicles into electric cars, some with solar-power capabilities, to be steps ahead of a California law that requires all state agencies to have 75 percent of their vehicles powered by alternative fuels.
The benefits of such conservation can also be cost effective as well.
The physical plant is currently in the planning stages for a project to install solar panels, or photosynthetic cells, on top of the Nutwood Parking Structure, said van der Pol.
“We’ve committed to getting this underway,” van der Pol said “We hope the project will pay for itself.”
While the respect as an energy-efficient campus is received well, Mike Smith, CSUF Office of Design and Construction director, said the evaluation of each building “doesn’t come cheap.”
Adding up points for each energy-efficient component can take time and money out of the budget for already costly construction on campus, he said.
Each project is paid for through grants, bonds and student fees, and a portion of funds goes toward making sure buildings are evaluated for LEED certification, such as the new Mihaylo Hall College of Business and Economics, which may receive a top ranking as well.
However, Smith said the developer, C.W. Driver, agreed to pay for the recreation center evaluation, and results were sent to the federal council in Washington D.C. He said it looks promising that the building will receive the gold certification trophy soon.
“We’re pretty confident we’ll get it,” Smith said. “We’re really proud of that and I think the students will be proud too.”

Fireplace use banned on bad air days

During cold winter nights, residents of Los Angeles county might think twice about lighting up the fireplace if any one of those nights fell on a day of heavy air pollution.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District passed new regulations last Friday, March 7, that would impose fines for firing up the chimney during "high-pollution" days, and prohibit builders to install wood-burning fireplaces in new homes, although gas burning hearths are allowed, according to the Times.
Those exempt would be restaurants, such as California Pizza Kitchen, homes that use fire for energy and homes above 3,000 feet elevation.
Beach fires and ceremonial fires are exempt, as well as coastal homes where breezes commonly exist.
The smoke emitted from chimneys make up about 6 tones of particulate matter, according to the district, per day, and the new ban would reduce that average about 1 ton, of the 106 tones of soot put out daily by either car emissions, or coal refineries or any other sources.
The new regulations are due to the increasing number of particulates found in the LA area's air, that can travel to other regions and cause a number of respiratory illnesses for residents, and about 5,000 premature deaths each year.
The LA basin is surrounded by ports that some say are largely responsible for an out pour of particulates, nitrogen oxide and sulfur, and soot from heavy diesel-burning engines on tankers. The ships that come to the harbors are the source of heavy clouds of smog pollution that then is baked in the sun producing a low lying layer of ozone, a toxic poisonous gas that is invisible. The hard to see particulates can then enter the lungs causing asthma and other cardiovascular and respiratory problems in nearby cities and canyons where the smog ends up.
The smog and pollution has frequently caused the region to perform below federal health standards.

Vons puts out bio-diesel fueled grocery trucks

Initiatives and state mandates that could be on this year’s election ballot have pushed some California businesses to start shifting toward cleaner energy.
Vons grocery store, the third largest grocery retailer in Southern California, has recently launched many energy-efficiency campaigns, along with having its 300 fleet of grocery trucks fully converted with bio-diesel fueled engines by June. Bio-diesel produces substantially low emissions known as a carbon neutral fuel, compared to regular diesel. Most fuel mixtures are partly made from either fresh or used vegetable oil.
The grocery chain, owned by Safeway since 1994, began phasing in the bio-diesel truck models in January to promote low emissions and replace the older heavy-polluting diesel trucks that on average drive about 75,000 miles a year.
The pressure comes on the heels of measures proposed for the November 2008 ballot, such as the Renewable Energy and Clean Alternative Fuel Act. The initiative requires California utilities to generate half of their power through renewable sources by 2025 and would at the same time allow state officials to sell $6 billion in bonds for various pollution-reducing purposes and research.
The measure, also known as the Solar and Clean Energy Initiative, will require 433,971 signatures by mid-April to qualify for the ballot.
While some companies take action after a law has passed, Curt Smith, Safeway’s manager of Intex and Recycling Centers, said in many cases, Vons has tried to stay one step ahead of legislation, or at least on the same page.
“It makes good business sense, “ said Smith. “It’s a small transition from diesel to bio-diesel.”
The company’s long history of recycling efforts to turn trash into compost, has earned awards and accolades, but the business hasn’t stopped there.
Since energy efficiency can also lead to cost efficiency in some cases, Vons has started to invest in new forms of recycling, solar power and wind energy for its 300-store operating area.
He said other competitors such as grocery stores like Albertson's have not been as proactive in terms of energy efficiency and recycling.
With a $32.3 billion profit last year, Smith says Vons is familiar with stepping forward on environmental issues before laws and regulations are passed, while balancing market demand and customer needs.
“It’s not a new phenomenon,” he said. “We find out how we could turn what we are losing and make a profit.”
In the 1980s, the state passed Assembly Bill 939 requiring that by 1995 every city in California had to reduce waste by 50 percent, or receive $10,000 fines. Smith said Vons had already been working on a recycling program before the law ever hit the books. But he said it was the requirement that forced the company to take their approach one step further.
Vons initiated a program to turn waste from each store into high-grade organic compost for farms. Currently the company recycles about 90 percent of its 200,000 tons of waste each year, which means only 10 percent is trash. The process of making compost involves mixing nitrogen (fruits and vegetables that have gone bad) with carbon (cardboard, bread and paper), along with what’s called “green waste” and grinding the ingredients down into a usable fertilizer. Throughout many years, the compost has been used in Southern California farms as well as donated to schools.
“It helps give back,” said Vons spokesman Richard Garcia. “It’s the right thing to do environmentally.”
As California progresses each year in terms of clean energy requirements, state agencies such as universities are also getting in line with current legislation.
Cal State Fullerton has formed a Sustainability Initiative Study Group this year to gear up for up coming requirements before they become state law.
Willem van der Pol, director of the university’s physical plant, said sustainability has always been an issue with the campus, having been proactive in recycling waste, increasing energy efficiency and water use in the past. He said the campus currently recycles 60 percent of its waste.
But van der Pol said this year institutions should not only be implementing the practice but also teaching sustainability as a curriculum. He wants to see CSUF take more of a “campus-wide” approach to energy efficiency.
“We want to encourage faculty and staff to come to the campus using alternative fuels,” he said. “The idea of the study group is that we come up with a broad spectrum of what we hope will be approved and promoted.”
In addition to converting a majority of maintenance vehicles into electric carts, some with solar power capabilities, the plans for next semester include changes in construction, such as constructing buildings that are LEED certified, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The state certification recognizes agencies for buildings that use the most energy-saving construction.
CSUF recently filed for a silver certification for the construction of the university’s new Mihaylo Hall business center, which the campus recently received a $30,000 donation for. Once it’s open, along with a new student recreation center, which might receive a gold certification, Willem said he plans on using energy efficient lighting, water conservation and only “green” cleaning products.
“We are working on many levels of sustainability,” Van der Pol said. “It’s smart to be a little bit ahead.”

Least terns returning to nest

Flocks of endangered birds known as least terns will be making their way to the Southern California coast soon. And thanks to years of preservation, the feathered friends will have a safe place to rest.
Following many seasons of creating an inhabitable environment for these small migratory shore birds at the wildlife refuge on the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station, volunteers are no longer needed this year.
That’s a good thing.
Navy spokesman Gregg Smith said volunteers did such a good job of picking up trash and weeds in previous years at the small nesting areas on the wetlands, that the volunteers will be moving on to another section of land.
On the last Saturday in March, he said helpers are still needed to pickup trash and remove invasive plants at the Navy property north of the Surfside colony.
The birds that normally nest on beaches or other areas of bare sand should be returning by May to produce offspring until they leave in mid July.
Their endangered status is primarily due to development of beaches and other human use of potential nesting land.
While it is unknown exactly where the birds migrate to after they finish producing offspring in late summer, some have been spotted coming from Central America and Mexico.
The birds fly north every year to small pockets of land, such as on the naval base known as NASA Island. Navy biologists have been forming new ways to keep invasive plants and predators out of the 3-acre site to provide a safe nesting habitat.
The Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge holds monthly tours on the last Saturday of each month in the brightly colored Pelican Van.
The group leaves from 800 Seal Beach Blvd. in Seal Beach at 8:30 a.m. and comes back at noon.
Vans will run from 8:30 to 9 a.m. to transport visitors from the parking lot to the refuge, and will then run from 11 a.m. to noon to take visitors back.
Because the National Wildlife Refuge is located on a Naval Weapons Station, all participants must register at least two days in advance and provide their full name and phone number or they will be denied entrance.
To make an appointment call (562) 598-1024, or to volunteer at the refuge call manager Kirk Gilligan at (562) 598-1024.