Chicago Tribune - Good outweighs mercury in compact fluorescent bulbs
Filed under: Earth 911 - February 25, 2007
Beth Botts, Tribune staff reporter
Chicago Tribune
February 25, 2007 Sunday
After our article “5 things to know about compact fluorescent light bulbs” [Feb. 18, 2007] we received more than a dozen e-mails pointing out that, like all fluorescent bulbs, CFLs contain small amounts of mercury.
Here’s one example:
Do you know anything about the pollution they cause when they are discarded? I have heard that they contain mercury and that the long-range danger of mercury pollution from these discarded bulbs outweighs any advantages they offer. — Mike Manley, Chicago
H&G says:
“When you weigh the pros and cons of compact fluorescents, the mercury issue is important, but it shouldn’t deter anyone from going out and buying them because the benefits far outweigh the potential risks,” says Jeff Deyette, an energy analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists, a Washington-based environmental group (www.ucsusa.org).
The very small amount of mercury in a CFL — about 5 milligrams, compared to an old-fashioned home thermometer, which had about 500 milligrams — is safe while the bulb is in operation and poses little risk even if it breaks, ac-cording to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (see the fact sheet at www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotion s/change(underscore)light/downloads/Fact (underscore)Sheet(underscore)Mercury.pdf).
“That doesn’t diminish the importance of proper disposal of compact fluorescents,” Deyette says. If CFLs are sent to landfills — or worse, incinerated — the mercury can end up in waterways. There, it accumulates through the food chain until it builds up in the tissue of fish. If people eat enough contaminated fish, mercury can cause developmental problems in children and neurological damage in adults.
That’s bad, but “it’s important to look at the tradeoffs,” Deyette says. Consider this: 40 percent of mercury emissions in the U.S. comes from coal-fired power plants. So by lowering electrical demand, using CFLs can actually cut mercury emissions, Deyette says, as well as reduce greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.
Here’s the problem:
Though the mercury can be recaptured if the CFLs are recycled, so far it is nowhere near as easy to recycle them as it is to buy them. The EPA, which promotes the use of compact fluorescents through its Energy Star conservation program, has been criticized for encouraging, rather than requiring, that CFLs be recycled. And though an effort is under way to establish a larger-scale collection system through big-box stores, it hasn’t happened yet.
There are a few options in the Chicago area, though.
Household hazardous waste collection days:
Check with municipal officials to see if they have scheduled a collec-tion by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. The schedule for 2007 has not yet been posted at www.epa.state.il.us/land/hazardous-waste /household-haz-waste/hhwc-schedule.html
Household hazardous waste collection sites:
- Household Products and Electronics Collection and Training Center, 1150 N. North Branch St. Call: 311
- Fire Station No. 4, 1971 Brookdale Rd., Naperville, 630-420-6700, press #7559
- IKEA stores: 800 E. McConnor Pkwy., Schaumburg, 847-969-9700; 750 E. Boughton Rd., Bolingbrook, 630-972-7900.
Other fluorescent recycling agencies and companies: Go to www.earth911.org, click on “Household hazardous waste” and then on “Fluorescent bulbs.”
ebotts@tribune.com
Sun-Sentinel: Oh Where, Oh Where Can He BE?
Filed under: Pets 911 - February 11, 2007
Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Broward Metro Edition
February 11, 2007 Sunday
HIGH-TECH PRECAUTIONS ABOUND, BUT SOMETIMES THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY WORKS BEST WHEN FAMILY PETS GO MISSING.
More pet owners are outfitting their furry friends with the latest in high-tech identification devices, including implantable information-encoded chips and GPS tracking tags that can beam an animal’s location to a cell phone or computer.
But new research has found that low-tech approaches — buckling on inexpensive old-fashion collars and tags, coupled with posting “lost pet” fliers and frequent visits to local animal shelters — still work best when Fido or Kitty go missing.
“We found that having some kind of collar on, and visiting or calling the shelters, is what made the difference,” said Dr. Linda Lord, an assistant professor at Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, who supervised two lost pet studies in southwestern Ohio. The results were published in the Jan. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Most animal welfare groups approve of microchips, the most common form of new pet ID, that veterinarians have injected into in millions of animals nationwide over the past decade. But South Florida animal-welfare advocates caution consumers that the chips aren’t foolproof — and that scanners in local veterinarians’ offices and animal shelters may not be able to read all chips, as different manufacturers use different radio frequencies.
They praised Lord’s studies for promoting collars and tags, which they say immediately signal an animal is lost and not a stray.
“The more you do, the better off you are,” said Mary Bart Houston, director of operations for the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League in Palm Beach County. Her agency recommends using both tags and microchips, and implants them for $22 per pet.
Owners also should draft emergency plans for lost pets as they do for natural disasters, Lord said. Know the local shelters and lost pet Web sites, she said, and keep a current photo of your pet to use for signs and identification.
The Humane Society of the United States recommends microchipping over tattooing an identifying number on an animal’s thigh, as the number can fade and tattoo registries have been inconsistent. Global positioning tracking devices, such as the Global Pet Finder, can also be used to beam information directly to the owner. But they cost several hundred dollars and snap onto a collar, making them easy to lose.
Tamara Merrill filed reports immediately when her two dogs, Sweet Pea and Buster, escaped from her Palm Beach Gardens yard two years ago. So workers at the Peggy Adams shelter recognized them when they were brought in. Merrill had the shelter vets put microchips in both dogs when she reclaimed them, just in case.
Then last month, Merrill came home to find her pups had broken free of their collars and both dogs gone again. She posted signs and got phone calls from people who said they had seen the pair. “But they had no collars and nobody hung onto them,” said Merrill. “I think the collar does make a difference.”
Buster, a pit bull, eventually showed up at a neighbor’s house with bruises and a broken tooth. But Sweet Pea, a terrier, still is missing. Merrill keeps her collar, with Sweet Pea’s ID tag, in hopes she will need it to claim her.
The majority of the 325 missing pets in Lord’s two studies — 52 percent of 187 dogs and 81 percent of the 138 cats — had no identification or microchip at the time they were lost. While almost three-fourths of the lost dogs eventually were found, only about half of the cats were.
Among the dog owners recovering their pets, more than a third were found by calling or visiting a local animal shelter, and a quarter were identified through their tag.
Two out of three recovered lost cats simply returned home on their own, but only 7 percent were found at a shelter. Neighborhood fliers led to recovering 15 percent of the lost dogs, and 11 percent of the cats.
The study comes as some pet health organizations are pushing to improve microchips. The Coalition for Reuniting Pets and Families, which includes professional veterinary associations and animal welfare groups, has asked the federal government to standardize chip frequencies, their scanners and databases so that all vets and animal shelters can easily retrieve the information.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture held meetings on microchips last year, and forwarded comments to Congress. But it’s unclear what agency would require standardization, USDA spokesman Jim Rogers said, as the agriculture department doesn’t regulate private pet ownership.
Microchipping costs an average of $45, according to an industry survey. The two major manufacturers are Digital Angel Corp., whose chips are used by the HomeAgain program, and American Veterinary Identification Devices, or AVID. Both maintain databases that vets and animal care workers can access when they scan the microchip.
The Humane Society suggests consumers check to see what chips their local shelter’s scanners read before they buy.
Alan Davis, director of Broward County Animal Care and Regulation, said his two shelters use the new HomeAgain universal scanner that is supposed to read all chips. But he knows new chips are on the market and doesn’t know if his scanners will pick up those radio frequencies.
HomeAgain spokesperson Julie Lux said the new scanners can detect, but not read, chips using International Standards Organization technology. The company, which claims its chips reunite 7,000 pets and owners monthly, is not commenting on possible universal standards, Lux said.
About three-quarters of the 24,000 animals taken in by Broward’s county shelters are lost, Davis said, and more than half have no identification. And 18,335 of the 26,799 animals taken in by Palm Beach County’s Animal Care and Control Division had no tags, tattoos or microchips.
Owners can also protect their animals by having them spayed or neutered, which prevents roaming, and keeping them indoors, Davis said.
Diane Lade can be reached at 561-243-6618 or dlade@sun-sentinel.com.
FINDING LOST PETS
If your pet is lost
Immediately file a lost pet report with every shelter within a 60-mile radius of your home. Check shelters closest to you every day, if possible.
Ask neighbors if you can look in their garages or sheds, as cats can slip inside these places and get locked in.
Immediately post “lost pet” signs with your contact information and your pet’s picture.
Consider placing a “lost pet” ad in a local newspaper and on pet Web sites, such as www.petfinder.com or www.pets911.com.
Leave out one critical identifying characteristic on your signs or in your postings. Ask about that characteristic if someone claims to have found your pet. Local animal shelters
In Broward County: Broward County Animal Care and Regulation Division at www.broward.org/animal or call 954-359-1313. Humane Society of Broward County at www.browardhumane.com or call 954-989-3977.
In Palm Beach County: Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control Division at www.pbcgov.com/PubSafety/animal or call 561-233-1200. Tri-County Humane Society at www.tricountyhumane.org or call 561-482-8110. Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League, go to www.animalrescueleague.com or call 561-686-3663.
– Diane C. Lade
TO PROTECT YOUR PET
Always make sure your dog or cat is wearing a collar and ID tag with your name, and current address and telephone number, as well as a backup phone number.
Consider having your pet implanted with an information-encoded microchip in addition to wearing a collar and tag. Not all microchip scanners are universal, so ask your local animal shelters what their scanners can read before you buy a chip.
Keep your pets indoors, especially if you are not home.
Padlock your gates so people can’t take your pets.
Neuter or spay your pet, which can prevent roaming.
Prepare a lost pet “emergency kit” in advance, including contact information for local shelters, copies of your pet’s license and ID information, and a current photo.
Sun-Sentinel: Oh Where, Oh Where Can He Be?
Filed under: Pets 911 - February 11, 2007
Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Broward Metro Edition
February 11, 2007 Sunday
HIGH-TECH PRECAUTIONS ABOUND, BUT SOMETIMES THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY WORKS BEST WHEN FAMILY PETS GO MISSING.
More pet owners are outfitting their furry friends with the latest in high-tech identification devices, including im-plantable information-encoded chips and GPS tracking tags that can beam an animal’s location to a cell phone or com-puter.
But new research has found that low-tech approaches — buckling on inexpensive old-fashion collars and tags, cou-pled with posting “lost pet” fliers and frequent visits to local animal shelters — still work best when Fido or Kitty go missing.
“We found that having some kind of collar on, and visiting or calling the shelters, is what made the difference,” said Dr. Linda Lord, an assistant professor at Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, who supervised two lost pet studies in southwestern Ohio. The results were published in the Jan. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Most animal welfare groups approve of microchips, the most common form of new pet ID, that veterinarians have injected into in millions of animals nationwide over the past decade. But South Florida animal-welfare advocates cau-tion consumers that the chips aren’t foolproof — and that scanners in local veterinarians’ offices and animal shelters may not be able to read all chips, as different manufacturers use different radio frequencies.
They praised Lord’s studies for promoting collars and tags, which they say immediately signal an animal is lost and not a stray.
“The more you do, the better off you are,” said Mary Bart Houston, director of operations for the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League in Palm Beach County. Her agency recommends using both tags and microchips, and implants them for $22 per pet.
Owners also should draft emergency plans for lost pets as they do for natural disasters, Lord said. Know the local shelters and lost pet Web sites, she said, and keep a current photo of your pet to use for signs and identification.
The Humane Society of the United States recommends microchipping over tattooing an identifying number on an animal’s thigh, as the number can fade and tattoo registries have been inconsistent. Global positioning tracking devices, such as the Global Pet Finder, can also be used to beam information directly to the owner. But they cost several hundred dollars and snap onto a collar, making them easy to lose.
Tamara Merrill filed reports immediately when her two dogs, Sweet Pea and Buster, escaped from her Palm Beach Gardens yard two years ago. So workers at the Peggy Adams shelter recognized them when they were brought in. Merrill had the shelter vets put microchips in both dogs when she reclaimed them, just in case.
Then last month, Merrill came home to find her pups had broken free of their collars and both dogs gone again. She posted signs and got phone calls from people who said they had seen the pair. “But they had no collars and nobody hung onto them,” said Merrill. “I think the collar does make a difference.”
Buster, a pit bull, eventually showed up at a neighbor’s house with bruises and a broken tooth. But Sweet Pea, a ter-rier, still is missing. Merrill keeps her collar, with Sweet Pea’s ID tag, in hopes she will need it to claim her.
The majority of the 325 missing pets in Lord’s two studies — 52 percent of 187 dogs and 81 percent of the 138 cats — had no identification or microchip at the time they were lost. While almost three-fourths of the lost dogs eventually were found, only about half of the cats were.
Among the dog owners recovering their pets, more than a third were found by calling or visiting a local animal shelter, and a quarter were identified through their tag.
Two out of three recovered lost cats simply returned home on their own, but only 7 percent were found at a shelter. Neighborhood fliers led to recovering 15 percent of the lost dogs, and 11 percent of the cats.
The study comes as some pet health organizations are pushing to improve microchips. The Coalition for Reuniting Pets and Families, which includes professional veterinary associations and animal welfare groups, has asked the federal government to standardize chip frequencies, their scanners and databases so that all vets and animal shelters can easily retrieve the information.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture held meetings on microchips last year, and forwarded comments to Congress. But it’s unclear what agency would require standardization, USDA spokesman Jim Rogers said, as the agriculture de-partment doesn’t regulate private pet ownership.
Microchipping costs an average of $45, according to an industry survey. The two major manufacturers are Digital Angel Corp., whose chips are used by the HomeAgain program, and American Veterinary Identification Devices, or AVID. Both maintain databases that vets and animal care workers can access when they scan the microchip.
The Humane Society suggests consumers check to see what chips their local shelter’s scanners read before they buy.
Alan Davis, director of Broward County Animal Care and Regulation, said his two shelters use the new HomeA-gain universal scanner that is supposed to read all chips. But he knows new chips are on the market and doesn’t know if his scanners will pick up those radio frequencies.
HomeAgain spokesperson Julie Lux said the new scanners can detect, but not read, chips using International Stan-dards Organization technology. The company, which claims its chips reunite 7,000 pets and owners monthly, is not commenting on possible universal standards, Lux said.
About three-quarters of the 24,000 animals taken in by Broward’s county shelters are lost, Davis said, and more than half have no identification. And 18,335 of the 26,799 animals taken in by Palm Beach County’s Animal Care and Control Division had no tags, tattoos or microchips.
Owners can also protect their animals by having them spayed or neutered, which prevents roaming, and keeping them indoors, Davis said.
Diane Lade can be reached at 561-243-6618 or dlade@sun-sentinel.com.
FINDING LOST PETS
If your pet is lost
Immediately file a lost pet report with every shelter within a 60-mile radius of your home. Check shelters closest to you every day, if possible.
Ask neighbors if you can look in their garages or sheds, as cats can slip inside these places and get locked in.
Immediately post “lost pet” signs with your contact information and your pet’s picture.
Consider placing a “lost pet” ad in a local newspaper and on pet Web sites, such as www.petfinder.com or www.pets911.com.
Leave out one critical identifying characteristic on your signs or in your postings. Ask about that characteristic if someone claims to have found your pet. Local animal shelters
In Broward County: Broward County Animal Care and Regulation Division at www.broward.org/animal or call 954-359-1313. Humane Society of Broward County at www.browardhumane.com or call 954-989-3977.
In Palm Beach County: Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control Division at www.pbcgov.com/PubSafety/animal or call 561-233-1200. Tri-County Humane Society at www.tricountyhumane.org or call 561-482-8110. Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League, go to www.animalrescueleague.com or call 561-686-3663.
– Diane C. Lade
TO PROTECT YOUR PET
Always make sure your dog or cat is wearing a collar and ID tag with your name, and current address and telephone number, as well as a backup phone number.
Consider having your pet implanted with an information-encoded microchip in addition to wearing a collar and tag. Not all microchip scanners are universal, so ask your local animal
shelters what their scanners can read before you buy a chip.
Keep your pets indoors, especially if you are not home.
Padlock your gates so people can’t take your pets.
Neuter or spay your pet, which can prevent roaming.
Prepare a lost pet “emergency kit” in advance, including contact information for local shelters, copies of your pet’s license and ID information, and a current photo.
Star Ledger: Keeping Cat Population in Check
Filed under: Pets 911 - February 4, 2007
JOAN LOWELL SMITH, FOR THE STAR-LEDGER
The Star Ledger (Newark, New Jersey)
February 4, 2007 Sunday
Keeping cat population in check
FEWER CATS are being euthanized these days because more responsible owners are spaying and neutering, and keeping cats indoors.
Parsippany Animal Supporters Society is an exceptional example of a group with both an active spay/neuter pro-gram for household cats, plus a trap, neuter and return policy for ferals (stray cats). While much more needs to be done to lower the number of cats euthanized every year for lack of homes, the ASPCA says significantly fewer cats are need-lessly euthanized. However, statistics vary from state to state and city to city, which makes it difficult to cite a general percentile.
HSUS says about every eight seconds a cat or dog is euthanized in a U.S. shelter, some due to illness or injury, but most are victims of human failure to provide proper care. The cost of pet overpopulation is a staggering $1 billion each year. It is timely that Feb. 27 signals the official Spay Day USA 2007, with more than 400 events scheduled during the month. Initiated by the Doris Day Animal League in 1995, more than a million animals have been altered - 140,000 in 2006 alone. HSUS, in partnership with PETS-911, lists events at www.spaydogusa.org or call (888) PETS911.
Low-cost spay/neuter clinics have helped enormously to diminish the increase in the cat population. Our state’s Animal Population Control Fund, established in 1984, has ameliorated the cost of sterilization through participating veterinarians, who will spay and neuter cats for $35, including vaccines. To prevent irresponsible breeding practices, most reputable breeders of purebreds insist that a buyer offer proof a kitten has been spayed or neutered - or no deal. Many shelters and rescue groups include spaying and neutering in the purchase price.
I hear from readers who want to turn in ferals, but are turned down by shelters already overloaded with cats, more so than dogs. Some individuals take it upon themselves to set up their own rescue operation which can lead to “hoard-ing.”
Wrong route
We’re not talking about hoarding provisions in case of war, pestilence or natural disasters. Cat hoarders are defined as individuals with no connection to established shelters or rescue groups, who on their own volition, try to save any homeless cat that crosses their path. They start with a few, don’t have them altered and soon find themselves overrun with cats.
You’ve seen coverage of odd people whose homes are filled with wall-to-wall cats - hundreds of them. The scenario usually goes something like this: The hoarder dies and there’s no one to take over, or a neighbor reports the pungent odors emanating from the home. Once reported, cats are summarily removed, many too sickly to save. Few find homes.
Randy Lockwood, vice president of HSUS, was quoted in the November 2001 issue of Cat Fancy in an article on hoarders by Arden Moore: “What these people are doing by amassing large numbers of animals is not love . . . (It) is a pathological attachment. It is wrong to characterize hoarders as people who simply love animals too much. These animals are getting sick and dying under their so-called care.”
Sensible strategy
Conversely, TNR offers an infinitely more sensible way to save feral/stray cats, but the option is not without its de-tractors. Some in animal welfare think it preferable to euthanize feral cat colonies. Many landlords threaten to evict ten-ants who feed ferals.
Successful TNR statistics from Parsippany Animal Volunteers Society speak volumes. PASS president Suzanne Griffin reported that a cat colony her group learned about two years ago was clustered near a boarding home in Boon-ton. She described the 16 cats in the colony as “quite sickly and the kittens were thin as pencils.”
Now, there are six healthy cats remaining. Four were adoptable and the other died by natural attrition. “Now, there are no more sick cats digging through garbage and no more howling, since we spay and neuter all ferals,” Griffin said. “ACOs have told us that fewer nuisance calls come in, fewer cats become road kill and there’s less intake of stray cats.”
Spay/neuter crusade
The Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees cooperates with PASS to perform 60 spay/neuters - at a cost of $25 for cats and $50 for dogs, including rabies and distemper shots - five times a year for cats that are owned. “Our February spay/neuter day is already filled and we have a waiting list for April,” said Griffin, who explained they’ve had to limit clients to Morris County pets only because of the initial widespread demand.
PASS started 3 1/2 years ago with 15 members. Today, the group boasts 175 members, all volunteers. Last year alone, PASS spayed and neutered 400 animals, including 206 ferals. “We’ve sterilized at least 700 animals since we started,” Griffin said. “Our volunteers feed them and some boarding home residents like to become feeders.
“We provide all the food from our food drives,” she said. “When I explain TNR to someone in local government and they hear the positive results, they change their attitudes because TNR benefits the entire community.”
Want to know more? Go to www.pass4pets.org.
People for Animals in Hillside uses TNR and attempts to find new homes for adoptable ferals through its shelter. Partially funded by the state Animal Population Control Fund, PFA spay/neuter charges are similar to the Parsippany group. PFA provides detailed information on how to trap cats. Call PFA at (908) 654-6887 or go online at www.pfa.org.
Another excellent source for spay/neuter information and locations of facilities is Alley Cat Allies (www.alleycat.org), the national organization that also provides details on TNR. Contrary to the myth that feral cats are unhealthy and carry infectious diseases, Alley Cat Allies states: Cats in feral cat colonies cared for by volunteers “are generally in good health.”
To learn how to manage a feral cat colony, the ASPCA offers “The Neighborhood Cats TNR Kit,” available online at www.aspca.org/tnrkit for $24.95.
* Next week: Tips to protect pets from the ravages of winter.
Contact Joan Lowell Smith at P.O. Box 302, Garwood, N.J. 07027 or e-mail her at jsmith@starledger.com.
Natural Health Magazine - Smart driving tips; vital nature
Filed under: Earth 911 - February 1, 2007
Samano, Simone
Natural Health
February 1, 2007
Follow these simple car-maintenance and driving tips to help save money and reduce your impact on the planet.
* ACCELERATE AND BRAKE GRADUALLY–instead of aggressively–and you’ll improve your gas mileage by 33 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Stick to the speed limit too: The DOE estimates that once you hit 60 mph, every additional 5 mph of speed costs you an extra $.20 per gallon.
* CLEAR THE CLUTTER from your car and trunk to improve your mileage: According to the DOE, carrying an extra 100 pounds in your car will cost you $.03-$.06 per gallon.
* KEEP YOUR TIRES PROPERLY INFLATED and you’ll save up to $.07 pergallon. Using the recommended grade of motor oil for your engine also improves your mileage; if you change your own oil, Earth 911 (www.earth911.org) can help you locate proper disposal locations.