Wednesday, March 31, 2004

SLU student and his chemistry adviser may have the spark for something big
By Shera Dalin
03/29/2004

magine powering up your cell phone's battery with vodka and having the charge last for a week.

An area seed-money group was so taken with the idea of turning hooch into juice that it invested $400,000 in cash and in-kind services with the St. Louis company that is developing the technology. BioGenerator, a new seed-capital company, signed a deal Friday with Akermin Inc.

Potential uses for Akermin's technology include powering a cell phone or laptop computer using vodka, beer or any other ethanol-based substance. Cooking oil, sugar and many other organic substances will work, too, but ethanol is more efficient, Akers said.

(Full Story)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 30, 2004
7:42 PM
CONTACT: Kucinich.US
Matt Harris 216.403.3980

Kucinich Blasts Outsourcing Remarks by Treasury Secretary


WASHINGTON - March 30 - Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich labeled as "outrageous" statements made this morning by Bush Treasury Secretary John Snow that outsourcing is good for the American economy.

"Three million Americans have lost their jobs, and the Bush Administration tells us - again - that's a good thing?" Kucinich said. "Their insensitivity to the economic devastation that their trade policies have inflicted on American workers is staggering. The only thing more outrageous is that they are so insulated from everyday Americans that they may actually believe what they are saying- because they keep saying it."

Kucinich pointed to the remarks a few weeks ago by N. Gregory Mankiw, chairman of President Bush's Council of Economic Advisers, that shipping U.S. service jobs overseas was good for the economy. Mankiw was forced to apologize for his comments and retract his statement.

In an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer this morning, Snow is reported to have said outsourcing is "part of trade. You can outsource a lot of activities and get them done just as well, or better, at a lower cost."

"Better? Lower cost?" Kucinich shot back. "That's an insult to American workers. It's also a governmental pat-on-the-back for U.S. corporations that have put millions of Americans out of work and enslaved millions of other workers in foreign countries to boost profits and increase stock value so corporate officers can reap huge incentives and bonuses."

"It's obscene," Kucinich said.

Kucinich has called for the repeal of the North American Free Trade Agreement, as well as other similar trade pacts, and for the U.S. withdrawal from the World Trade Organization. Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee, voted for NAFTA and other trade agreements and has not called for their repeal.

"As soon as the voters unemploy Secretary Snow and the rest of the Bush team in November," Kucinich said, "maybe then we can begin to put the rest of Americans back to work."

###
March 27, 2004

Kucinich brings his campaign to Eugene

By Greg Bolt
The Register-Guard


Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich brings his battle for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party to Eugene this weekend, but he's making no bones about his chances of ending up on the party's ticket.

"I have no trouble acknowledging that John Kerry has the number of delegates needed to get the nomination and that the nomination is a fairly settled question," he said from Washington, D.C. "But the direction of the Democratic Party is not a settled question."

Kucinich, a four-term Ohio congressman, is still on the campaign trail because he wants to change that direction by pushing the party back toward what he feels are its progressive roots. He's speaking out strongly against the war in Iraq, calling for affordable health care, pledging to work toward fair trade and seeking restoration of civil liberties by sinking the USA Patriot Act.

He arrived in Oregon on Friday and will hit Eugene on Sunday, sitting for an interview on radio station KLCC at noon and then speaking at Lane Community College in the Center for Meeting and Learning, Rooms 102 to 104 in Building 19.

(Full Story)
KUCINICH DRAWING HUGE CROWDS IN OREGON


When Dennis Kucinich spoke Saturday night in Corvallis, Oregon at the Old World Deli, Oregon Media Coordinator Patty Kuderer reported that with an estimated 400 people crammed inside and another 100 supporters outside waiting to get in, the fire marshal was having fits. Kucinich spent the weekend in Oregon and was met by maximum capacity or overflow crowds at events throughout the state, proving that even though the nominee seems to be determined, many Oregon voters agree with Kucinich on issues such as peace, universal health care, civil liberties and fair trade.

The issues which are going to frame the debate in 2004 are going to be decided here because you happen to be at the end of the primary cycle," Kucinich told an Oregon crowd. "The Democratic Party needs to represent the broad-based concerns of the American people if it has any chance or hope to win the White House."

[Photos, audio, video, and stories about Kucinich on the Oregon Trail ]

ALASKA RESULTS FINALLY FINAL

Final results from Alaska's March 20 caucuses were tallied over the weekend showing Dennis Kucinich with 26.53% of the vote and John Kerry with 47.81%. Kucinich earned five delegates. The remainder of the state's caucus votes, about 26%, will be up for grabs at the Alaska Democratic Convention, May 21 - 23 in Anchorage, because no other candidate, nor the uncommitted delegates, achieved the 15% threshold.

In some of Alaska's 36 voting districts, notably those around Juneau, Fairbanks, and the Kenai Peninsula, Kucinich did exceptionally well against Kerry. In one, the margin was 83% Kucinich, 17% Kerry. In four others, Kucinich won a majority of the votes, with percentages in some as high as 63%, 64%, and 62.5%.
[Read the Press Release] [Alaska photos]

DO YOU STAND WITH DENNIS? SHARE YOUR REASONS WITH OUR READERS

Dennis Kucinich stands strong in his quest to bring positive change to the Democratic Party. In Oregon last weekend he stated, "We need to wake the town and tell the people about what's going on with respect to the direction this country's going in.". Do you agree? Tell us why you stand with Dennis at http://www.kucinich.us/standsfor_form.php

Many supporters have visited the new "I Stand with Dennis" webpage and typed in the reasons that they continue to stand with Dennis. [Read the responses]



KUCINICH LIVE ON VCD


Like seeing Dennis fire up a crowd about the issues you care about? Want to own some of these memorable moments on tape? We now have Video Compact Discs (VCDs) from many of Kucinich's public appearances. The VCDs are inexpensive and can be played on your computer or a DVD player. Order from our wide selection of VCDs now available at http://www.kucinich.us/video/sales.php . All proceeds count as a campaign contribution. Order today and your contribution will go toward our fundraising total for the quarter.

NEXT KUCINICH MEETUP THIS THURSDAY, APRIL 1 at 7 PM


The next Kucinich MeetUp is Thursday, April 1st at 7 p.m. We are focusing both on the remaining primaries and caucuses and on preparing for the Democratic Convention to be held in Boston at the end of July. See the MeetUp Agenda page for more information.

DENNIS ON CNN'S INSIDE POLITICS WITH JUDY WOODRUFF
Don't miss Kucinich on CNN's Inside Politics with Judy Woodruff Thursday at 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time. Check local listings.

WILLIE NELSON VIDEO - WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO PEACE ON EARTH


Just released - video of Willie Nelson's world premier of the inspirational song he wrote last Christmas day - "What Ever Happened to Peace on Earth." The video was recorded in Austin, Texas in January, 2004 and features Dennis and Willie singing together at the end. See the video, hear the mp3 of "What Ever Happened to Peace on Earth", read the lyrics to the song and see photos of the Austin show on our website at http://www.kucinich.us/nelson_poe_song.php



https://www.kucinich.us/contribute.php

Contact us:
Kucinich for President
11808 Lorain Avenue - Cleveland, OH 44111
216-889-2004 / 866-413-3664 (toll-free)
http://www.kucinich.us
ENN Environmental News Network
E-mail Edition 03/31/2004

Office Depot to incorporate conservation science into paper-procurement decisions
Office Depot has announced a five-year, $2.2 million strategy to develop the information, standards, and tools needed to advance the company's forest and biodiversity conservation policies.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-31/s_22291.asp

Bush mining regulatory change denounced by coal company neighbors
Tales of floods and flattened peaks and of homes swept away or devalued in central Appalachia were laid out Tuesday by opponents to the Bush administration's plan to ease a buffer-zone regulation protecting streams from coal mining operations.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-31/s_22343.asp

U.N. tackles link between war and environment at global forum
The United Nations was examining ways environmental problems trigger war with the hope of developing an early warning system to avoid conflict, at a global summit that closes Wednesday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-31/s_22342.asp

Arid Saudi Arabia is struggling to cut water use
The parched desert kingdom of Saudi Arabia will launch a major water conservation drive this summer aiming to halve consumption in a million homes, a senior official said on Tuesday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-31/s_22336.asp

Environmentalists sue over approval of Columbia River dredging
Environmentalists went to court Tuesday to try to block a $136 million government project to deepen the Columbia River shipping channel, saying the dredging could harm salmon and other wildlife.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-31/s_22344.asp

Garbage is threatening beauty of paradise islands
Garbage and untreated sewage threaten the beauty of small island nations that rely on tourism, environmental officials said Tuesday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-31/s_22337.asp

German industry to cut greenhouse gas output in emissions trading deal
The German government agreed on an emissions trading system designed to trim industry emissions of greenhouse gases Tuesday, settling a clash between key ministers over environmental and economic goals.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-31/s_22345.asp

Judge cuts Alabama verdict against Exxon Mobil to $3.6 billion
Attorneys for Alabama say a judge's decision to reduce a record $11.9 billion verdict against Exxon Mobil Corp. could ultimately help the state's case survive appeals.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-31/s_22347.asp

Iraq war diverts key aid from devastated Afghanistan, minister says
Afghanistan's environment minister warned Tuesday that the war in Iraq has diverted badly needed funds from restoring his devastated country, still reeling from air pollution, water shortages, and deforestation.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-31/s_22348.asp



Environmental Marketplace Updates (Become a Member)

We'd like to encourage you to visit our Environmental Marketplace where you'll learn about some amazing environmentally-focused businesses. A few examples:

American Clay Enterprises, committed to protecting the environment and our quality of life. American Clay Enterprises presents Clayote, an Earth Plaster veneer made in the United States that is 100% natural earth plaster, providing an environment that is wholesome for your friends and family. Learn more about American Clay Enterprises

Earth Tones, The Environmental Internet & Phone Co., the only long distance service or Internet company to donate 100% of its profits to environmental organizations. Learn more about Earth Tones, The Environmental Internet & Phone Co.

Green Pet Products Inc., specializing in environmentally-safe pet products from renewable and readily available resources. Learn more about Green Pet Products Inc.

Pax World Funds, enabling investors to align their financial goals with their personal values through a selection of professionally-managed socially-responsible mutual funds. Learn more about Pax World Funds





Today's Press Releases (Become an Affiliate)
Direct from non-profit environmental and educational organizations.

Pennsylvania IPM Program :
Popular Children's Publication About Pests Now Available in Spanish

Sustainable Forestry and Certification Watch:
MEDIA ADVISORY: ForestLeadership initiative to be announced on April 1st in Vancouver

Fluoride Action Network:
Groups challenge EPA's approval of Dow's Sulfuryl fluoride

United Nations Environment Programme:
Dead Zones Emerging as Big Threat to 21st Century Fish Stocks

United Nations Environment Programme:
Methyl bromide approved for temporary uses after Montreal Protocol phase-out deadline

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society:
Senator urges immediate expansion of Nahanni National Park Reserve and World Heritage Site to protect the entire South Nahanni Watershed

World Resources Institute:
Fueling Malawi's Environmental Challenges

Pennsylvania IPM Program :
Penn State Insect Integrated Pest Management Publications Available in Spanish

Mangrove Action Project:
Late Friday News #134

Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Accounting:
Free newsletter on greenhouse issues

United Nations Environment Programme:
Throw Away Society New Threat to Island Paradises

International Policy Network:
Kyoto stumbles at first European hurdle

Center for Biological Diversity:
Petition filed to protect the yellow-billed loon under the ESA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3/30/2004
CONTACT: Sean P. Palecek, (608) 262-8931, palecek@engr.wisc.edu; Juan de Pablo, (608) 262-7727, depablo@engr.wisc.edu

MAKING THE MOST OF STEM CELLS
NEW STORAGE METHOD AMPLIFIES CELLS AVAILABLE FOR SCIENCE


ANAHEIM - Like many other kinds of cells used in biomedical research, human embryonic stem cells are stored and transported in a cryopreserved state, frozen to -320 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of their liquid nitrogen storage bath.

But when scientists thaw the cells for use in the lab, less than 1 percent awake from their frigid slumber and assume their undifferentiated state. This 'blank slate' form is characteristic of stem cells and essential for the basic science required before the promising cells are ready for the clinic. So scientists are required to place the few survivors in culture and painstakingly tend to them for weeks before new colonies are abundant enough to conduct experiments.

"Human embryonic stem cells have a very low survival rate following cryopreservation, which causes several problems," says Sean Palecek, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of chemical and biological engineering.

Not only does that low rate make working with human embryonic stem cells time and labor intensive, but - because so few survive freezing - it may also mean that natural selection is altering the stored cells in unknown and undesired ways, he says.

But now Palecek, along with colleagues Juan de Pablo and Lin Ji, are putting the finishing touches on a new method for preserving and storing the finicky cells. The work, presented today (March 30) at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, promises to greatly amplify the number of cells that survive their enforced hibernation, that remain undifferentiated and that are more readily available for research. What's more, with more survivors, genetic variability becomes less of an issue.

By freezing the cells attached to a gel matrix instead of suspended in solution, and adding the chemical trehalose - a disaccharide or sugar that some animals and microbes produce to protect cells and survive in dry, low-temperature conditions - the Wisconsin team was able to increase stem cell survival rates by more than an order of magnitude, with as many as 20 percent of a cell culture surviving the freezing-and-thawing process.

"By using the gel and adding the disaccharide to cells, you can increase their chances of survival," notes de Pablo, also a UW-Madison professor of chemical and biological engineering. "Twenty percent survival doesn't sound like much, but that's a huge improvement. Taking the few survivors from current methods and growing them takes weeks. It's a real bottleneck in the field.

"Also, the amount of uncontrolled differentiation is reduced drastically."

The ideal system for preserving and storing valuable cells and other biological materials, says de Pablo, would be one where the cells are freeze-dried, and that's the ultimate goal of this line of research.

The Wisconsin group has already successfully developed methods for freeze- drying bacterial cultures used to make cheese and yogurt. Their method, now in use commercially, reduces storage and transportation costs for food processors.

"The idea now," explains de Pablo, "is to extend the technology to mammalian cells."

He cites blood products as an example of cells that could potentially be freeze-dried for easy long-term storage, and blood products have become a new focus for his research group.

"If you can freeze-dry these types of cells, you can store them for indefinite amounts of time" and costs would be greatly reduced, he says. Such a technology would also help alleviate the chronic shortages of blood products. Some blood products are perishable and must now be discarded after a certain amount of time in storage. Freeze-dried blood products would have no such liability. Moreover, it would make blood products more readily available for emergencies and mass casualty events, and in remote and difficult settings such as a battlefield environment.

The work by Palecek, de Pablo and Ji, which was supported by a grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is also scheduled for publication in an upcoming issue of the journal Biotechnology and Bioengineering. A patent for the technology has been applied for through the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.
###
- Terry Devitt (608) 262-8282, trdevitt@wisc.edu




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University of Wisconsin-Madison
27 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706

Phone: (608) 262-3571
Fax: (608) 262-2331
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Great Lakes News: 30 March 2004
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/

Liberals face new crisis over security flaws
----------------------------------------
Auditor-General Sheila Fraser will not only question the efficiency of
Canada's intelligence-sharing apparatus, she will reveal today that this
country's airports aren't secure and its passport controls are dangerously
weak. Source: The Toronto Star (3/30)


More water shortages forecast for communities across nation
----------------------------------------
Despite Canada's vast water resources, many communities have faced shortages
and the problem will likely get worse with climate change, an Environment
Canada report says. Source: The London Free Press (3/30)


Officials have big plans for award-winning port
----------------------------------------
Every year, the Port of Green Bay organizes a meeting for its users,
terminal operators and elected officials to discuss the year past and what's
going to happen. Source: The Green Bay News-Chronicle (3/30)


Land set-aside agreement reached
----------------------------------------
A compromise that appears to resolve a dispute over a popular
land-conservation proposal was announced Monday by Gov. Tim Pawlenty, U.S.
Rep. Gil Gutknecht, R-Minn., and agricultural and conservation
organizations. Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press (3/30)


COMMENTARY: Chasing frozen waterfalls
----------------------------------------
Around Munising Michigan, March and early April is a great time to go
chasing frozen waterfalls. Source: Mountain News Corp (3/30)


Report on water use patterns incomplete?
----------------------------------------
A new report says that Americans are using less water now than 15 years ago,
but environmental groups say the report paints an incomplete picture.
Source: Great Lakes Radio Consortium (3/29)


Dumping of construction debris from out of state raises concerns
----------------------------------------
The increased amount of out-of-state construction debris being dumped in
Ohio landfills, particularly in the Mahoning Valley, is worrying state and
federal environmental officials who say they don't know what's being buried.
Source: The Vindicator (3/29)


$8.9 million Bayfield area treatment plant approved
----------------------------------------
The city of Bayfield and the Pike's Bay Sanitary District (PBSD) signed an
inter-municipal agreement Friday outlining each party's responsibilities and
costs involved with the construction of a new $8.9 million Greater Bayfield
Wastewater Treatment Plant. Source: The Ashland Daily Press (3/29)


EDITORIAL: Ohio's standards on fish provide better protection
----------------------------------------
Ohio's testing seems to be stricter than other states the environmental
group studied, so perhaps Ohioans can place greater trust in what Ohio
agencies say about consumption of fish from Lake Erie. Source: The Marion
Star (3/29)


Cicada Invasion: Eastern U.S. Braces for Bug Swarm
----------------------------------------
This May billions of black, shrimp-size bugs with transparent wings and
beady red eyes will carpet trees in the U.S. from the eastern seaboard west
through Indiana and south to Tennessee. Source: National Geographic News
(3/29)


Ratepayers may benefit from new energy market
----------------------------------------
A new Midwest energy market could save state electric ratepayers $51 million
to $64.7 million a year, a study released Monday said. Source: Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel (3/29)

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/

Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html


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ENN Environmental News Network
E-mail Edition 03/29/2004


EarthTalk: How many rainforests are protected worldwide?
Determining how much rainforest land is protected worldwide depends on how you define "rainforest." Researchers at the Worldwatch Institute in Washington, D.C., have identified three different types of rainforests.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-30/s_14032.asp

Firm pleads guilty in Massachusetts oil spill
A New York company whose barge spilled thousands of gallons of oil off the Massachusetts coast last year has pleaded guilty to criminal charges and will pay a $10 million fine, a federal prosecutor said Monday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-30/s_22295.asp

U.N. environment summit opens, targets ocean dead zones
The United Nations opened a global environment summit Monday, warning about the growing number of dead zones in the world's oceans but painting a picture of a greener planet with an increase of vegetation in many regions.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-30/s_22302.asp

Raw milk cheese: Scapegoat or sacred cow?
Blessed are the raw milk cheese makers! But only if fear doesn't line the guts of American policy wonks.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-30/s_22293.asp

Pinprick attacks on global warming gain popularity
When Helen and Michael Allen got married in England last year, the wedding bill included an unusual item: about US$220 to clean up gases blamed for causing global warming.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-30/s_22298.asp

Health officials say tests would detect Rocky Flats pollution
State health officials looking into allegations of environmental misdeeds at the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant said Monday their tests would detect any signs of dangerous pollution levels lingering at the site.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-30/s_22303.asp

As natural gas prices rise, utilities plan new coal-fired plants
Coal, spurned for decades by power plant builders, is enjoying something of a renaissance as natural gas prices drive up the cost of generating electricity.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-30/s_22306.asp

Dust storm blankets Chinese capital
One of the worst dust storms to hit northern China in years swirled into Beijing on Monday, turning the skyline of the sprawling capital into a monochrome of gray and prompting afternoon commuters to put on surgical masks.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-03-30/s_22297.asp



Environmental Marketplace Updates (Become a Member)

We'd like to encourage you to visit our Environmental Marketplace where you'll learn about some amazing environmentally-focused businesses. A few examples:

American Clay Enterprises, committed to protecting the environment and our quality of life. American Clay Enterprises presents Clayote, an Earth Plaster veneer made in the United States that is 100% natural earth plaster, providing an environment that is wholesome for your friends and family. Learn more about American Clay Enterprises

Earth Tones, The Environmental Internet & Phone Co., the only long distance service or Internet company to donate 100% of its profits to environmental organizations. Learn more about Earth Tones, The Environmental Internet & Phone Co.

Green Pet Products Inc., specializing in environmentally-safe pet products from renewable and readily available resources. Learn more about Green Pet Products Inc.

Pax World Funds, enabling investors to align their financial goals with their personal values through a selection of professionally-managed socially-responsible mutual funds. Learn more about Pax World Funds





Today's Press Releases (Become an Affiliate)
Direct from non-profit environmental and educational organizations.

United Nations Environment Programme:
Methyl bromide approved for temporary uses after Montreal Protocol phase-out deadline

Sustainable Forestry and Certification Watch:
MEDIA ADVISORY: ForestLeadership initiative to be announced on April 1st in Vancouver

Pennsylvania IPM Program :
Popular Children's Publication About Pests Now Available in Spanish

Fluoride Action Network:
Groups challenge EPA's approval of Dow's Sulfuryl fluoride

United Nations Environment Programme:
Dead Zones Emerging as Big Threat to 21st Century Fish Stocks

Pennsylvania IPM Program :
Penn State Insect Integrated Pest Management Publications Available in Spanish

Center for Biological Diversity:
Petition filed to protect the yellow-billed loon under the ESA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3/29/2004
CONTACT: John Yin, (608) 265-3779, yin@engr.wisc.edu; Hwijin Kim, (608) 265-3781, hwijinkim@wisc.edu

STUDY: MIMICKING VIRUSES MAY PROVIDE NEW WAY TO DEFEAT THEM

MADISON - Viruses, often able to outsmart many of the drugs designed to defeat them, may have met their match, according to new research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The findings show that the introduction of a harmless molecule that uses the same machinery a virus needs to grow may be a potent way to shut down the virus before it infects other cells or becomes resistant to drugs. The results are published in the March issue of the journal, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

"When a virus encounters a susceptible cell, it enters and says, 'I'm now the boss,'" explains John Yin, a UW-Madison associate professor of chemical and biological engineering and senior author of the paper. "It pirates the cell's resources to produce virus progeny that, following release from the host cell, can infect other cells."

The current technique to stop a virus in its tracks is to develop drugs that bind to and block the function of virus proteins - molecules the virus produces, with the aid of host cells that help the virus replicate, or make copies of itself. The drugs, says Yin, are like hammers that knock out key functions that the virus uses for growth and reproduction.

But, he points out, this antiviral approach cannot always outsmart the virus: "When a virus reproduces, it doesn't do so perfectly. Sometimes, it inserts genetic typos, creating variations that may allow some versions of the virus proteins to develop an evolutionary advantage, such as drug resistance."

While improvements in molecular biology and chemistry have led to new drugs that precisely target virus proteins, they have not been able to stop viruses from producing drug-resistant strains.

"Despite advances in the development of antiviral therapies over the last decade, the emergence and outgrowth of drug-resistant virus strains remains problematic," says Hwijin Kim, a UW-Madison graduate student in the chemical and biological engineering department, and co-author of the March paper.

Given that drug-resistant virus mutants can arise, Kim and Yin wondered if there might be some antiviral strategies that are harder for a virus to beat. An unexplored approach came to mind.

Rather than designing a drug molecule that inhibits virus proteins, the UW-Madison researchers created a molecule that acts just like the parasitic virus: It enters the cell and hijacks the very machinery the virus requires for its own growth. But unlike the virus, the diversionary molecules are much smaller, meaning they can grow a lot faster and steal away even more resources from the virus. Plus, they don't encode any virus proteins, which renders them powerless inside a cell, says Yin.

Although the diversionary molecules do need resources from the cell to work, Yin clarifies, "they essentially shut down virus growth while expending only a small fraction of the resources that the virus would normally use."

Yin and Kim analyzed the potency of this parasitic antiviral approach in computational models where E. coli had been infected with a particular virus. For the diversionary molecule, they introduced a short piece of RNA that competes for the same resources as the infectious virus to replicate. The researchers note that the models are based on experimental data and decades of biophysical and biochemical studies.

The analysis shows that when the parasitic molecule was absent, the virus had produced more than 10,000 copies of itself in less than 20 minutes after infection. In the presence of the parasitic molecule, however, no new progeny of the virus existed. The analysis, says Yin, also shows that the diversionary molecules had grown in number by more than 10,000-fold just 10 minutes after infection, further suggesting that the molecule successfully stole away resources from the virus.

"The parasitic strategy outperformed the non-parasitic strategies at all levels," says Kim. "It inhibited viral growth, even at a low dose, placed minimal demands on the intracellular resources of the host cell and was effective when introduced either before or during the infection cycle." One other important finding, he adds, is that the strategy created no obvious way for the virus to develop drug-resistant strains.

"Our calculations suggest that this antiviral strategy is a very effective approach and one that is very difficult for a virus to overcome," says Yin. "There are definite technical challenges to implementing this approach, but the findings do open the door to a broader way of thinking about antiviral strategies."

Yin says the next step is for researchers to test these ideas inside living cells.
###
- Emily Carlson (608) 262-9772, emilycarlson@wisc.edu




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University Communications
University of Wisconsin-Madison
27 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706

Phone: (608) 262-3571
Fax: (608) 262-2331
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Great Lakes News: 29 March 2004
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/

IJC calls on Congress to protect the Great Lakes first
http://www.ijc.org/rel/news/040325_e.htm
Source: International Joint Commission (2004-03-25)

May 3-6: 2004 Great Lakes Sustainability Conference and Great Lakes
Commission Semiannual Meeting
http://www.glc.org/meeting/
Source: Great Lakes Commission (2004-03-25)

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/

Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html


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Great Lakes News: 29 March 2004
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/

Tapping nature's cupboard for cleanup
----------------------------------------
Instead of creating new chemicals to clean up contaminated areas,
researchers are trying to use what Mother Nature already provides. Source:
Great Lakes Radio Consortium (3/29)


EPA declares Love Canal clean
----------------------------------------
The Environmental Protection Agency says cleanup work is finished at the
infamous Love Canal dumpsite near Niagara Falls. Source: Great Lakes Radio
Consortium (3/29)


Restoring the Kankakee wetlands
----------------------------------------
More than a year after the federal government gave up on a wildlife refuge
program along Northwest Indiana's portion of the Kankakee River, officials
believe they have found a more politically palatable way to re-establish
wetlands along the waterway. Source: Merrillville Post-Tribune (3/29)


Study takes lakeshore changes one step closer
----------------------------------------
A plan to revitalize Northwest Indiana's Lake Michigan shoreline is one step
closer to fruition, but even the sponsor agrees it's a long, rough road
ahead. Source: Merrillville Post-Tribune (3/29)


Michigan officials elated over Saginaw Bay fish
----------------------------------------
Michigan DNR officials say they are finding record numbers of young walleye
in Saginaw Bay this sprng. Source: Detroit Free Press (3/28)


Les Cheneaux island cormorants targeted
----------------------------------------
In a pilot program, the USDA's Wildlife Services Division will attempt to
control the burgeoning cormorant population in the Les Cheneaux Islands.
Source: The Sault Ste. Marie Evening News (3/28)


Coal generating more interest
----------------------------------------
As the cost of natural gas continues to rise, utilities in Illinois and
elsewhere are turning back to coal to fuel power plants, to the dismay of
environmentalists worried about increased pollution. Source: Chicago Tribune
(3/28)


Ferry a Great Lakes pioneer
----------------------------------------
Fast ferries for carrying people and vehicles across large bodies of water
are commonplace in many parts of the world, but are just now coming to the
Great Lakes. Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (3/28)


Company's mining project stirs fears for sensitive watershed
----------------------------------------
Plans for a proposed sulfide copper and nickel mine in the backcountry of
Michigan's Upper Peninsula are drawing objections from area residents and
environmental groups. Source: The Detroit News (3/27)


U.S. head of seaway dismisses critics
----------------------------------------
The head of the U.S. portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway says
environmentalists are misleading when they denounce a proposed study of
potential improvements to the waterway. Source: The Montreal Gazette (3/26)

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/

Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html


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From GREENBUZZ:

Taking Care of Business

This week, reporter Penny S. Bonda takes a hard look at the health care industry and its efforts to create healthier indoor environments for patients, employees, and the larger community. "Putting the 'Healthy' Back in Healthcare" examines how for over 40 years Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente has made environmental issues a top priority at its facilities throughout the Bay Area. Kaiser has gone on to win numerous awards for its forward-thinking approach to healthcare.

Also this week: sustainability-minded MBAs scheduled to graduate in a couple months get some useful career tips from our resident experts, Steve Rice and Richard MacLean.


--------------------------------------------------------


Headlines
The Latest News on Business and the Environment

CCX Members Commit to Cutting Emissions
Members of the Chicago Climate Exchange have committed to cutting their carbon emissions by 4% by 2006.

Mazda's Three Layer Wet Paint System Receives Prize
Mazda Motor Corporation has been awarded the "Prize for Promoting Machine Industry" for developing a new paint application system that emits fewer volatile organics compounds (VOCs).

Office Depot to Incorporate Conservation Science into Paper Procurement Decisions
Office Depot has announced a five-year, $2.2 million strategy to develop the information, standards, and tools needed to advance the company's forest and biodiversity conservation policies.

Good Call: ReCellular Accelerates Recycling of Used Cell Phones
ReCellular Inc., which trades, refurbishes, and recycles used cell phones and other electronic devices has added 30,000 drop off recycling locations in the U.S. and expanding into Latin America.

Small Businesses Win Big with Energy Savings
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is honoring five small businesses across the country for their outstanding achievements in energy efficiency.

Put GreenBiz news on your site for free! Learn more...

More Headlines...


---------------------------------------------

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Wanna write for GreenBiz? Let us know if you'd like to write a guest column or feature reflecting your experiences or opinions in the environmental business world. Send a brief query to Editor@greenbiz.com | Read our editorial guidelines

Posted on Tue, Mar. 30, 2004

Presidential Hopeful Kucinich Brings His Message to Oregon

By Paul Fattig, Mail Tribune, Medford, Ore. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Mar. 30 - Larry Roven couldn't give a whit that Democratic candidate Dennis Kucinich cannot possibly win the race for the party's primary delegates nationally.

"I will definitely vote for him in the (Oregon) primary," stressed the gray-haired Ashland resident. "It's a matter of expressing party strength, of focusing on what the Democratic Party should stand for."

Roven was among some 300 people gathered outside the Stevenson Union at Southern Oregon University in Ashland early Monday afternoon to hear the four- term Ohio congressman speak on why he is still in the race against Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, who has locked up the party's presidential nomination.

Eight Democrats have dropped out of the race, leaving only Kerry and Kucinich, the former with a commanding lead of delegates.

"I'm impressed by the depth of his understanding of what the world really needs," Roven said of Kucinich. "I'm also impressed by his courage, of being willing to stand up and express clearly what his goals are.

"It's not a matter of him being elected."

Portland resident Janell Jures, who volunteered to help the Kucinich campaign after hearing him speak in Portland late last week, agreed.

"I want him to stay in the race because I want the Democratic Party to speak for me," Jures said. "I think John Kerry needs Kucinich."

The reason is that Kerry will "cut right" as soon as he can to be in the mainstream, she said.

"But if Kerry doesn't bring in the progressive vote then he won't win the race (in November)," she said. "I need Dennis Kucinich to broaden the expanse of the party."

In his speech, Kucinich made it clear what he wants the party to stand for: ending the war in Iraq by bringing in United Nations peacekeepers; creating a national health care system; repealing the North American Free Trade Agreement; providing free college tuition for all Americans; doing away with the Bush administration's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans; repealing the Patriot Act; closing down the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba; and stopping the federal government from spying on its people with "total awareness" computer program

(Full Story) *There's a good bit more*
Outsourcing and the sad little movement to stop it
The Jobs of the Future Are a Thing of the Past

by Rick Perlstein
March 30th, 2004 11:25 AM

WHEATON, ILLINOIS?"In the beginning of a change, the Patriot is a scarce man?brave, hated, and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him. For then it costs nothing to be a patriot." That's the epigram by which the leader of the Rescue American Jobs Foundation, created last June to fight the exporting of service jobs overseas and the importing of foreign workers to do service jobs here, signs off her e-mails, and by that standard, the people meeting at this suburban coffee shop are patriots indeed.

Nine people are present by the time the head of Rescue American Jobs' Illinois chapter, Charlene Clingman, brings up an idea inspired by the example of Mothers Against Drunk Driving many years ago: grassroots lobbying of state politicians. "We would research the problem and come up with a solution," she suggests. "So if anyone is interested in volunteering, we need volunteers."

You wonder who she's asking. Of the nine people present, six are representatives of the press. Char has just taken some of them on a driving tour of the grandiloquently named "Illinois Research & Development Corridor"?gleaming office parks whose construction was subsidized by the state but which now, years after the waning of the technology boom, are emptying out. Char used to work in one of those office parks as a communications technician for AT&T; she was laid off two and a half years ago. Since then she has applied for over 1,000 positions.

"These people have sent all our jobs out of the country," she says, as the two other people actually attending the meeting as participants nod along. One is her husband, who still works at AT&T; another is one of her former co-workers.

(Full Story)
Kucinich asks Oregon voters for support

Democratic Presidential candidate speaks to groups of supporters in Corvallis, hoping to influence party platform

By Dan Traylor
The Daily Barometer

Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich knows he won't be the nominee, however, the Ohio congressman refuses to suspend his campaign and instead hopes to earn votes and influence the party platform.

With those goals in mind, Kucinich brought his campaign to Oregon over the weekend, holding two events in Corvallis after stops in Portland and Salem.

"While the nomination has already been figured out, the direction of the democratic party has not," Kucinich said, after speaking to a standing room only crowd at Burton's restaurant on Sunday morning.

"Oregonian's are in a position, particularly young people, to say that we ought to stand up for peace, we ought to stand for education and for health care and for jobs," he added, explaining the goal of his Oregon trip.

OSU student Sean Rea, the vice-president of the College Democrats, said that he plans to vote for Kucinich in Oregon's May 17 primary.

"Kerry already has the nomination. This is a chance to send someone I agree with strongly to the national convention," Rea said after Sunday's event.

Kucinich, talking about issues important to college students, said that he would like to see every young person in the country be able to go to college with government paid tuition.

(Full Story)
March 29, 2004

Kucinich's stands draw an audience

By Jim Feehan
The Register-Guard

Connie Brown wears her politics on her lapel.

The 86-year-old retiree, who lives in the Cerro Gordo community east of Cottage Grove, proudly wore her Dennis Kucinich lapel button at Sunday's rally in Eugene for the long shot Democratic presidential candidate.

"He stands for what the Democratic Party has always stood for: health care for everyone and jobs for those willing and able to work," she said.

Brown and about 800 diehard Kucinich supporters gathered at Lane Community College on Sunday to witness the Ohio congressman's quixotic bid for president.

Kucinich concedes that U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts has enough delegates to sew up the Democratic nomination. He said he is most interested in pushing the party toward adopting some of his positions. Progressives should not be shunned by the party, Kucinich said.

"The direction of the Democratic Party has yet to be decided and that's why the Oregon primary is so important," he said.

(Full Story)
Kucinich Blasts Outsourcing Remarks by Treasury Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2004

Contact: Matt Harris (216) 403-3980, press@kucinich.us; Terre Lundy, (515) 988-5534

Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich labeled as "outrageous" statements made this morning by Bush Treasury Secretary John Snow that outsourcing is good for the American economy.

"Three million Americans have lost their jobs, and the Bush Administration tells us -- again -- that's a good thing?" Kucinich said. "Their insensitivity to the economic devastation that their trade policies have inflicted on American workers is staggering. The only thing more outrageous is that they are so insulated from everyday Americans that they may actually believe what they are saying -- because they keep saying it."

Kucinich pointed to the remarks a few weeks ago by N. Gregory Mankiw, chairman of President Bush's Council of Economic Advisers, that shipping U.S. service jobs overseas was good for the economy. Mankiw was forced to apologize for his comments and retract his statement.

In an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer this morning, Snow is reported to have said outsourcing is "part of trade. You can outsource a lot of activities and get them done just as well, or better, at a lower cost."

"Better? Lower cost?" Kucinich shot back. "That's an insult to American workers. It's also a governmental pat-on-the-back for U.S. corporations that have put millions of Americans out of work and enslaved millions of other workers in foreign countries to boost profits and increase stock value so corporate officers can reap huge incentives and bonuses."

"It's obscene," Kucinich said.

Kucinich has called for the repeal of the North American Free Trade Agreement, as well as other similar trade pacts, and for the U.S. withdrawal from the World Trade Organization. Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee, voted for NAFTA and other trade agreements and has not called for their repeal.

"As soon as the voters unemploy Secretary Snow and the rest of the Bush team in November," Kucinich said, "maybe then we can begin to put the rest of Americans back to work."

For information about the National campaign: http://www.kucinich.us

For Congressman Kucinich's Schedule: http://www.kucinich.us/schedule.htm.

To schedule an interview with Kucinich or a spokesperson: jonathans@kucinich.us


Contact us:
Kucinich for President
11808 Lorain Avenue - Cleveland, OH 44111
216-889-2004 / 866-413-3664 (toll-free)
Kucinich: Draft would compound the cruelty of the Iraq war
March 28, 2004

While in Juneau, Alaska last week, Congressman Dennis Kucinich responded to a question about the possibility of bringing back the military draft. "We have to be very concerned that there will be a draft," Kucinich told a group of government students from Juneau-Douglas High School. "They're not going to talk about it before the election, they'll keep it quiet. But there is legislation in to create a draft, and it's wrong. The whole thing about this war is just a nightmare; to follow it up with a draft would be to compound the cruelty," Kucinich said.
[Dennis talks about the draft]

Tuesday, March 30, 2004

W I R E D N E W S Top Stories - 09:15AM 29.Mar.04.PST
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

How E-Voting Threatens Democracy (Machine Politics 2:00 a.m. PDT)
http://go.hotwired.com/news/evote/0,2645,62790,00.html/wn_ascii

Electronic voting is supposed to streamline the process and rid us of
the hanging chad. But the technology is rife with problems, creating
the specter of botched returns and deliberate election rigging.
Although many election officials defend the system, e-voting still
can't be trusted. Nor, apparently, can many of its more ardent
boosters. By Kim Zetter.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 29, 2004
4:00 PM
CONTACT: Kucinich.US
Matt Harris 216.889.2004
Terre Lundy, 515.988.5534

Kucinich Takes 26.53 Percent in Alaska


WASHINGTON - March 29 - Final results from Alaska's March 20 caucuses were tallied over the weekend showing Dennis Kucinich with 26.53% of the vote and John Kerry with 47.81%. It was the second second-place showing for Kucinich, who captured about 31% of the caucus votes in Hawaii earlier this month.

The remainder of the state's caucus votes, about 26%, will be up for grabs at the Alaska Democratic Convention, May 21 - 23 in Anchorage, because no other candidate, nor the uncommitted delegates, achieved the 15% threshold.

In some of Alaska's 36 voting districts, notably those around Juneau, Fairbanks, and the Kenai Peninsula, Kucinich did exceptionally well against Kerry. In one, the margin was 83% Kucinich, 17% Kerry. In four others, Kucinich won a majority of the votes, with percentages in some as high as 63%, 64%, and 62.5%.

"I want to thank the Democratic voters in Alaska for their strong show of support for the principles of peace, universal health care, the Patriot Act, and unfair trade policies that are costing us millions of jobs while diminishing workers rights and environmental protections everywhere," Kucinich said. He pointed out that Alaska Democrats voted for him even though electoral projections indicated that Sen. Kerry apparently had enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination.

"The voters of Alaska voted their consciences. They voted for the issues that they believe in. They voted because they want their voices to be heard as a way of shaping the direction of the Democratic Party," Kucinich said.

He also pointed to the fact that millions of other voters in 16 other primaries and caucuses still have a chance to do what Alaska did: vote for Kucinich and send a message. "Even though the nomination may be decided, why should millions of Democrats in these sixteen voting areas be denied a chance to affect the direction of our party?" Kucinich said. Voters still have sixteen chances "to register their concerns and support issues that have not yet been embraced by the Democratic Party and its presumptive nominee, Sen. John Kerry," he noted.

The final results, as reported by the Alaska Democratic Party, are as follows:

John Kerry 47.81%

Dennis Kucinich 26.53%

Uncommitted 11.95%

Howard Dean 11.08%

John Edwards 2.62%

http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/0329-14.htm
March 28, 2004

Kucinich still hopes to influence Democrats

JOHN SOWELL

When coordinators for Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich first began looking for places for the Ohio congressman to speak in Oregon, Roseburg probably wasn't on the list.

That changed, however, after local Kucinich supporters spoke up and noted Roseburg's location on Interstate 5 between Eugene and Medford, both places likely for speeches to be scheduled.

While others lobbied for cities along the coast and farther inland, the campaign decided sticking to the I-5 corridor made the most sense for arranging the most stops in the least amount of time. Roseburg was one of seven cities chosen.

Kucinich will speak and answer questions from the audience during an appearance tonight at the Douglas County Library. He will begin speaking at 7 p.m.

"We're pretty excited," said Karma Clarke-Jung of Winston.

Clarke-Jung hadn't been involved in a political campaign before, but she became energized by Kucinich's views against the war in Iraq and on other issues. She became involved in a group of Kucinich supporters that began meeting regularly last fall. Kucinich said he would turn Iraq over to the United Nations and bring troops home within 90 days. He supports universal health care and would pull out of free trade agreements with other countries. He also wants to stop logging, mining and grazing on public lands.

(Full Story)
March 28, 2004

Roseburg no stranger to presidential hopefuls

Dennis Kucinich isn't the first presidential candidate to visit Roseburg.

"Lots of people have come through Roseburg campaigning for president. There's a long tradition," said Fred Reentsjerna, former reference librarian at the Douglas County Museum who now works at the county library.

Both Democrat Bobby Kennedy and Republican Richard Nixon spoke in Roseburg during the 1968 campaign. Ted Kennedy also spoke on behalf of his brother during a speech at Umpqua Community College.

Nixon had also campaigned in Roseburg during the 1960 campaign against John F. Kennedy. John Kennedy also came to town that year.

(Full Story)
March 29, 2004

Passionate Democrat

Dennis Kucinich visits Roseburg: Presidential nomination is clinched, but former Cleveland mayor stil pressing ideas

U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich knows that Sen. John Kerry has enough delegates to win the Democratic Party nomination for president. That didn't stop the Ohio native and former Cleveland mayor, however, from coming to Roseburg on Sunday evening and addressing a standing-room-only crowd at the Douglas County Library on issues that he feels should shape the party platform. In doing so, Kucinich said there is still plenty up for grabs in Oregon's May 18 primary.

"New Hampshire and Iowa helped to decide the nomination. The direction of the Democratic Party is far from settled. The vote Oregonians have is important to the direction of the Democratic Party," Kucinich said in addressing more than 250 people who crammed into the Ford Community Room.

Kucinich advocates universal health care for all Americans. More than 43 million residents do not have health insurance, Kucinich said, and basic medical, dental and vision treatment can cost several thousand dollars.

(Full Story)
March 29, 2004

Kucinich feels comfortable campaigning in Oregon

JOHN SOWELL

When he was mayor of Cleveland in the late 1970s, Dennis Kucinich fought against the private takeover of the city's public-owned power company. Later, banks that would have benefited from a partnership with the company that would have taken over the utility drove the city into default.

Later, Kucinich was defeated in his re-election bid and he found himself blackballed in trying to find another job. He applied for a position to head the Emerald People's Utility District outside Eugene.

Out of more than 200 people to apply for the job, Kucinich was one of the candidates interviewed for the position. He was runner-up to the person eventually selected for the job, but that didn't discourage him from liking Oregon. He's come back to the state several times for vacations.

"This is a state where I feel right at home," Kucinich said, during an interview after his speech Sunday in Roseburg.

(Full Story)

Monday, March 29, 2004

*** Note from Windpower 2004 ***

As I write this, I am standing at a terminal on the main exhibit floor at Global Windpower 2004. The event is well attended, with many excellent exhibits and presentations. I'm having a wonderful time and have met a few interesting contacts. Hopefully I will have more for all of you later. For right now, I'm going to get back to the conference - and share the terminal. Thank you for stopping by!

Dan Stafford
LAND COVER CHANGES AFFECT U.S. SUMMER CLIMATE
---------------------------------------------
While climate may be impacted by carbon dioxide emissions, aerosols and
other factors, a new study offers further evidence land surface changes
may also play a significant role.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0403/27climate/
Kucinich rallies Demos in Corvallis

By BECKY WALDROP
Staff Writer

CORVALLIS - The only challenger to John Kerry's Democratic presidential nomination is in town this weekend, building support for issues that will shape the party's platform this election year.

When four-term Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich arrived at the Old World Deli on Saturday evening he was met with cheers from hundreds of supporters.

There wasn't enough room in the restaurant for all the people who came to see him. People stood shoulder-to-shoulder, and the crowd spilled out the back exit and onto the Second Street sidewalk.

(Full Story)
March 28, 2004

Dennis Kucinich Campaign

By Anny Hong

Eugene -

Dennis Kucinich made a stop in Eugene Sunday, as his trek through Oregon continues.

Kucinich spoke to a standing room crowd only at Lane Community College Sunday.

(Full Story)
Out to sway Kerry, Kucinich makes his case in Portland

The underdog aims for a strong showing in Oregon's primary to bolster his priorities, including pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq

03/28/04
JEFF MAPES

The vegan menu at the Dennis Kucinich fund-raiser Saturday morning in Portland -- multigrain pancakes, potatoes and tofu scramble -- provided just one hint that the Democratic congressman from Ohio is not your typical presidential candidate.

It was also clear when the question-and-answer session veered from such standard political topics as trade and foreign policy into a discourse about whether people should avoid using violence-laden language as a first step toward creating a more peaceful world.

"Each one of us needs to find that -- a way to clear our anger," Kucinich advised his audience. "Anger is very hard to let go of sometimes."

On his call to withdraw from free-trade treaties . . .

"We cannot continue these huge trade deficits without it having a dramatic negative effect on our national economy, at which point the borrowing we're doing is not going to be sustainable. . . . We could be looking down the road at our children living under the structural readjustment policies of the International Monetary Fund if we don't get a handle on our trade. . . .

"There's a practical expectation that we need to have that if people sell to us, they buy from us. Then the next question is, what are the conditions under which we do business? The North American Free Trade Agreement, the World Trade Organization (and other trade agreements) came about because of the desire of corporations to have access to cheap labor. Trying to get cheap labor is one of the oldest stories in humanity. . . .

"We need to create an alternative international trade structure where we put ethical principles in commerce, and those ethical principles are workers' rights, human rights and the environment.

"The president of the United States -- and most people don't know this -- has the ability to withdraw from both Nafta and the WTO, and we could set an alternative trade structure in place. We can first begin with bilateral trade, where we put in these conditions.

"Everybody wants access to our market. How do we know? We have a $550 billion trade deficit. . . . Everybody wants to sell to us; they just don't want to buy from us."

(Full Story)
Doug Moss
Publisher & Executive Editor
*****************************************
***Week of 3/28/04 EARTH TALK installment***:

EARTH TALK
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: I heard that sea turtles are developing cancerous tumors at an alarming rate. What’s going on? -- Brendon Hunt, New York, NY

Sea turtles have long endured the pressures of hunting, intensive fishing practices and habitat degradation, including loss of nesting beaches due to human encroachment. In the last 20 years, marine turtles have also been the victims of a deadly tumor called Fibropapilloma, a bulbous growth that primarily affects the skin but also appears in the turtles’ mouths, on their eyes and on internal organs.

The tumors can grow as large as a head of cauliflower, making it difficult for the animals to swim and find food. Internally, they can constrict the lungs and heart and affect the kidneys. In the 1980s, the disease began to reach epidemic proportions in shallow, near-shore waters off Hawaii, Florida and Barbados. The disease is now also present in Australia and the Pacific coasts of Mexico and Costa Rica.

The tumors have mostly been found on both young and adult green turtles, but have recently showed up on the Loggerhead, Hawksbill and Olive Ridley species. Sue Schaf of Florida’s Turtle Hospital, which treats and performs surgery on afflicted turtles, says, “We were seeing 50 percent of green turtles with tumors, but now it is closer to 70 percent and getting worse.” In Hawaii, some 60 percent of the turtles are affected.

While progress is being made to understand Fibropapilloma, scientists are still puzzled as to what is causing the tumors. Their high prevalence in marine habitats near areas of heavy human use would lead one to believe that some form of pollution is the cause, such as runoff from fertilizer or farm waste, but research has been inconclusive. Some scientists speculate that a virus might be giving turtles the disease. Other marine experts blame the tumors on global warming, with increased water temperatures weakening the turtles’ immune systems.

CONTACT: Turtle Hospital, (305) 743-6509, www.turtlehospital.org; Florida Marine Research Institute, (727) 896-8626, www.floridamarine.org; National Marine Fisheries Service, www.nmfs.noaa.gov.

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EARTH TALK,
c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881;
or submit your question at: www.emagazine.com, or e-mail us at: earthtalk@emagazine.com.

******************************************************************************************************************
EARTH TALK
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Are there prepared lunches comparable to Oscar Mayer “Lunchables” that are healthier and more environmentally friendly? -- Carla Bahun, Marietta, GA

Oscar Mayer’s Lunchables are a hit with youngsters because of their bright packaging and fun-to-eat snacks. However, like much of the junk food marketed to children today, behind those colorful boxes and tasty treats lies a spectrum of potential health disasters. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) offers 10 tips in creating a nutritional lunch, and one of them is “Don’t send Lunchables,” because the snacks derive “two-thirds of their calories from fat and sugar.”

CSPI also includes Lunchables among their list of the “Top 10 Foods to Avoid” because, “It would be hard to invent a worse food than these combos of heavily processed meat, artery-clogging cheese and mostly-white-flour crackers. The regular (non-lowfat) line averages 5 1/2 teaspoons of fat (that’s 60 percent of calories) and 1,734 milligrams of sodium.”

Moreover, Lunchables’ form of attractive packaging is environmentally unfriendly. It consists of a plastic tray cut into various compartments, which is then sealed with a transparent and flexible film. This tray is then placed in an outer cardboard box. All this makes it very difficult to recycle, so much so that the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG) gave Lunchables a “Lifetime Waste Maker Achievement Award” in 1999

Currently, as there are not many known alternatives to such prepared foods, CSPI suggests packing one’s own lunch and snacks, which would be more environmentally friendly and far healthier for your children. If your kids insist on Lunchable-style meals, a simple alternative would be to whip up your own collection of healthy, low-fat snack replacements. In addition, CSPI offers tips on preparing a healthy lunch, such as leaving out the cheese altogether (or using low fat of fat-free cheese), adding vegetables to sandwiches, using low-fat crackers, using whole-grain bread instead of white bread, including fruit or juice (100% juice only), and using one percent or fat-free milk.

CONTACT: Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), (202) 332-9110, www.cspinet.org; Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG), 617-292-4800, www.masspirg.org.

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EARTH TALK,
c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881;
or submit your question at: www.emagazine.com, or e-mail us at: earthtalk@emagazine.com.

EarthTalk
Questions and Answers About Our Environment
A Weekly Column

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Saturday, March 27, 2004

Kucinich rallies troops, envisions party of peace

The presidential hopeful tells voters in Portland his continuing candidacy can sway Iraq policy and Kerry's platform

03/27/04
JEFF MAPES

Dennis Kucinich brought his presidential campaign to Oregon on Friday night, telling voters they have a chance to push the Democratic Party toward sharper opposition to U.S. policy in Iraq.

In his speech, Kucinich also called for cuts in Pentagon spending, an end to free-trade policies, universal health coverage and the repeal of the Patriot Act.

Sporting a blue suit and yellow tie that set him apart from the casually dressed audience, Kucinich paced the stage as he tossed out lines alternately provoking laughter, cheers and hisses at targets such as the Republican president.

"We have $10 billion for a missile system that can't pass a test," said Kucinich, referring to the proposed missile-defense program, "and yet we tell our school districts that if the children don't pass tests, they're not going to get funded. . . . Figure it out -- no missile system left behind."

Kucinich argued that the United States spends enough on health care to provide coverage for everyone in the country -- if it adopted a system similar to Canada's in which the government finances medical services. Kucinich said this would strip away the costs now spent in the United States for marketing, corporate profits and other expenses he said take too much away from health care. However, when asked how such a system would be funded, he glancingly answered by saying that businesses that provided health care for their workers would generally pay less.

(Full Story)
Kucinich asks Oregonians to set new agenda for Democratic party

03/27/2004

By SARAH LINN / Associated Press

Long-shot presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich on Friday called on Oregonians to set a new agenda for the Democratic party.

The four-term Ohio congressman spoke Friday evening at Lincoln High School, launching four days of campaigning in the state in advance of the May 18 primary.

"You have the ability to set a new agenda for our party and our nation," Kucinich told hundreds of enthusiastic backers seated on gymnasium bleachers and folding chairs.

"The field is now clear for the Democrats to make a change," said Kucinich, the only remaining challenger to John Kerry for the Democratic presidential nomination. "Unless we show we really stand for something, the people aren't going to come out and vote."

Kucinich touched on most of the issues that have marked his presidential race ? including peace, universal health care and fair trade. He called for turning Iraq over to the United Nations and bringing U.S. troops home, and urged lawmakers to repeal the federal Patriot Act, aimed at combating terrorism by giving more powers to investigators.

But Kucinich skirted the issue of his own candidacy, pausing only to criticize what he sees as centrism in the presidential race.

"Eventually, the differences will get harmonized and people will be asked to choose Pepsi and Coca-Cola," he said, citing similarities between Kerry and Republican President George Bush.

Kucinich supporters acknowledged that their candidate is unlikely to wrest the nomination away from Kerry. But they say the Ohio Democrat could still influence how Democrats handle policy.

"He's not bought by corporate America, so of course he's not going to win," said Melinda Mentrum, attending the speech with her husband, Bayard. The Portland couple sported matching blue "Elect Dennis Kucinich" T-shirts sprinkled with white stars.

(Full Story)

Friday, March 26, 2004

"I Stand with Dennis"

Yesterday our web video crew spent the afternoon in the Kucinich for President national headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. Watch and listen as these employees and volunteers tell you why they continue to stand with Dennis Kucinich. This one-minute video stars members of the Kucinich for President campaign crew and features National Campaign Manager Dot Maver.
Watch the video or hear the audio - "I Stand With Dennis"


- Speak Out about why you stand with Dennis


ALASKANS STAND WITH DENNIS

Results are not yet final from Saturday's Alaska primary, but with 85% of precincts reporting, Kucinich is expected to draw 5 delegates from the state. Kucinich received overwhelming support in several of Alaska's 41 caucus voting districts, notably in the Juneau area and the Kenai Peninsula. In one district, the margin was Kucinich 83% - Kerry 17%.

In several others, he received more than 60% of the vote, compared with votes for Kerry ranging from 19% to 37%. And, in the Fairbanks area, Kucinich captured about 50%, while Kerry received about 36%. Kerry received his best results in and around Anchorage, the state's most heavily populated area. Alaskans responded to Kucinich's positions on civil liberties, medical marijuana, jobs, and health care.

For video of Dennis' recent trip to Alaska, please see the topics "Fear", "the Draft", and "Tax Cuts" on our "Dennis Talks About" page: http://kucinich.us/video/issues_video.php

OREGONIANS STAND WITH DENNIS

The Oregonian newspaper ran a story yesterday on the enthusiasm for Kucinich in Oregon despite what some would call a finished race. ?We have a candidate who is not going to be elected," said Barry Marks, a retired lawyer who is Kucinich's local campaign spokesman, "but we're gung-ho." Why? Because Kucinich is offering to the millions of voters in the remaining Democratic primaries and caucuses in 16 states and U.S. territories a chance to influence the direction of the Democratic Party by registering their concerns about peace, universal health care, the Patriot Act, and trade policies. Read article from The Oregonian: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1080219666314051.xml

Read press release about remaining states: http://www.kucinich.us/pressreleases/pr_032504a.php

STAND WITH US

We need you to stand with us as we bring critical issues to the Democratic National Convention in Boston this July. Your help is needed now more than ever. Please contribute or volunteer now so we can continue to stand strong as we bring positive change to the Democratic Party. It's up to us.

Contact us:
Kucinich for President
11808 Lorain Avenue - Cleveland, OH 44111
216-889-2004 / 866-413-3664 (toll-free)
http://www.kucinich.us
Illinois PIRG asks you to help protect the Great Lakes

Dear Illinois PIRG supporter,

The Great Lakes are a national treasure critical to the public health, economy and quality of life in Illinois. However, the Lakes are threatened by serious ecological threats resulting in beach closings, fish that are unsafe to eat, lower water levels, and the loss of healthy shorelines.

Right now, Congress and the Bush administration have a historic opportunity to restore the health of the Great Lakes by funding Great Lakes restoration. It is critical that we generate public support from Great Lakes states like Illinois to convince our leaders to invest in the future of our region.

Please take a moment to urge EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt to fund Great Lakes restoration. Then, ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this e-mail to them.

To take action, click on this link or paste it into your web browser:
http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=687&id4=ES


Background

The health of the Great Lakes is of critical importance to public health, the environment, and the economies of Illinois and the nation. The Great Lakes hold 90 percent of the nation's supply of fresh surface water, and one-fifth of the world's supply; supply drinking water for 40 million people; and support a multi-billion dollar tourism industry.

Although the health of the Great Lakes has improved in some respects over the past several decades, there is clear and convincing evidence that the ecosystem is deteriorating: beaches closed to swimming, fish unsafe to eat, the invasion of nuisance species like zebra mussels, lower water levels, and the loss of healthy shorelines.

The Everglades faced a similar threat in the mid 1990's, and Congress responded with a massive restoration effort. Likewise, the Great Lakes need a national commitment to restore these critical resources. In response, Congress has introduced two bills that would fund Great Lakes restoration with $600-800 million each year starting in 2005, and totaling $6-8 billion over five to ten years.

The Bush administration has not yet included funding for Great Lakes restoration in its budget for 2005. We need to act quickly to let the administration know that we demand meaningful restoration of the Great Lakes.

Please take a moment to urge EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt to fund Great Lakes restoration with at least $600 million in 2005. Then, ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this e-mail to them.

To take action, click this link or past it into your browser:
http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=687&id4=ES

Sincerely,

Diane E. Brown
Illinois PIRG Executive Director
DianeB@illinoispirg.org
http://www.IllinoisPIRG.org

P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends.
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Great Lakes News: 26 March 2004
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/

Great Lakes advocates push for stricter water ballast rules
----------------------------------------
Great Lakes advocates told lawmakers Thursday that international standards
designed to stop ships from carrying invasive species into U.S. waters will
take too long to implement and aren't strict enough. Source: Duluth News
Tribune (3/26)


Great Lakes Environmental Indicators project
----------------------------------------
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is one of eight universities that joined
the federal Environmental Protection Agency in the Great Lakes Environmental
Indicators project, a multiyear effort to assess the condition of the
coastal margins of all five Great Lakes. Source: Green Bay Press-Gazette
(3/26)


Michigan widens emerald ash borer's quarantine area
----------------------------------------
The Michigan Department of Agriculture has expanded the state's emerald ash
borer quarantine in an effort to more effectively prevent the spread of the
pest, which has destroyed or damaged nearly 6 million ash trees in
southeastern Michigan. Source: Detroit Free Press (3/26)


Ferry riders often gamble
----------------------------------------
The Spirit of Ontario wouldn't be the first ferry to offer gambling on board
if New York approves a new proposal to allow video lottery terminals on the
ship. Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (3/26)


Ice run-in forces detour for ore ship
----------------------------------------
One of the largest ships on the Great Lakes returned to port briefly
Wednesday and Thursday for repairs after hitting ice in the waters of
northern Lake Michigan. Source: Green Bay Press-Gazette (3/26)


Michigan county team to lure Wisconsin tourists
----------------------------------------
Muskegon County tourism officials and the state of Michigan will launch a
marketing campaign to convince Wisconsin residents to board the new
cross-lake ferry and vacation here. Source: Muskegon Chronicle (3/25)


Hamilton Port presses for cargo ferry link to New York
----------------------------------------
The Hamilton Port Authority and provincial government officials met
yesterday to discuss the possibility of a cross-lake, cargo trailer ferry
service between Hamilton Harbour and Oswego, New York. Source: Today's
Trucking News (3/25)


St. Lawrence Seaway opens despite Mohawk challenge
----------------------------------------
The 2004 navigation season opened despite a challenge by the St. Regis
Mohawks, who filed a lawsuit seeking to delay the reopening because of
environmental concerns over icebreaking on the St. Lawrence River. Source:
Newsday.com (3/25)


St. Lawrence Seaway sees strong current
----------------------------------------
The head of the St. Lawrence Seaway predicted a strong year for the inland
waterway as the 2004 season officially got underway with the opening of the
Montreal-Lake Ontario section. Source: The Toronto Star (3/25)


Walker OKs talks of ship museum
----------------------------------------
County Executive Scott Walker said veterans deserve a chance to make the
case for anchoring the World War II cruiser on Lake Michigan off the
county's Veterans Park. Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (3/25)

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/

Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html


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