text:
When it comes to crime and punishment (and anything else in life), it's easy to find yourself between a rocky road and a slippery slope. For starters, there are just too many laws, rules, and regulations that exist solely as a means of revenue generation for the state. Furthermore, these laws do not prevent people from doing what seems practical at the time, yet sometimes suffering unintended consequences–like driving after a few drinks or leaving a child in the car for just a few minutes. On this episode of The Axiom Amnesia Theory, Heit & Cheri use current events as examples to illustrate how people manage to find themselves between a rocky road and a slippery slope.
Topics discussed include a group being sued by a town for topping off parking meters so that people don't get tickets, the Feds recommending that the drunk driving threshold be lowered from a blood alcohol level of 0.08 to 0.05, the difference between DWI and DUI, how alcohol-related accidents are tracked by the government, a woman who was sentenced to a year in jail for talking on the phone during an accident that led to her son's death, a one-year-old who died after being left in a car, acceptance of authority to your own detriment, the CDC finding that there is more poop in pools than you might think, the shortage of toilet paper in Venezuela, the history of toilet paper, police shooting and killing a 21-year-old female hostage, a man who hit in his attic while his house was being robbed. he said he felt like he was letting it happen because he didn't have a weapon, and more!
Listen To The Axiom Amnesia Theory Now!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:30 — 39.5MB)
Click here for more episodes of The Axiom Amnesia Theory
Help to spread independent thinking and donate $5 now!
- Be sure to check out Heit & Cheri's Album, "Improper Conduct."
- Discussion about people who are in trouble for topping off parking meters so that people don't get parking tickets.
New Hampshire residents take the "Live Free or Die" slogan on their license plates seriously. Municipal governments use every shady trick to squeeze revenue from the citizenry, but Hampshiremen are fighting back. The bureaucrats are in enough lather to shave their whiskers.
Good Samaritans in the city of Keene, styling themselves as "Robin Hood and his Merry Men," are gallantly topping off parking meters before they expire, ensuring their neighbors will be spared an expensive and unnecessary ticket.
Not unlike the Sheriff of Nottingham, Keene oppresses the locals with heavy taxation imposed by the meter maid, the modern tax collector. Those saved by the merry band of meter-feeders receive a note on their windshield encouraging more good deeds. "We saved you from the king's tariffs," says the note. "Please consider paying it forward." An address is provided for voluntary donations to help promote the effort.
The Robin Hooders have spared locals paying nearly 4,000 tickets, which so infuriated the city that it actually filed a lawsuit against the Good Samaritans, claiming something called meter-maid intimidation. The suit identifies six Robin Hooders by name and demands each be barred from coming within 50 feet of a "parking enforcement officer" — which would make it difficult to feed meters.
The lawsuit claims the group "regularly, repeatedly and intentionally taunted, interfered with, harassed, and intimidated" the officers, and insisted the meter maids were offended by being videotaped at work.
Source: Washington Times
- Discussion about why this practice might be wrong in the eyes of authority.
- The underlying issues is that the government wants to make money off of fines for infractions. This is their incentive to make things illegal–because it puts money in their pockets.
- We previously discussed the case of Texas woman who was arrested for warning motorists of a speed trap.
- Discussion about the Feds recommending that the drunk driving threshold be lowered from 0.08 to 0.05.
Federal accident investigators recommended Tuesday that states cut their threshold for drunken driving by nearly half, matching a standard that has substantially reduced highway deaths in other countries.
The National Transportation Safety Board said states should shrink the standard from the current .08 blood alcohol content to .05 as part of a series of recommendations aimed at reducing alcohol-related highway deaths.
More than 100 countries have adopted the .05 alcohol content standard or lower, according to a report by the board's staff. In Europe, the share of traffic deaths attributable to drunken driving was reduced by more than half within 10 years after the standard was dropped.
A woman weighing less than 120 pounds can reach .05 after just one drink, studies show. A man weighing up to 160 pounds reaches .05 after two drinks.
New approaches are needed to combat drunken driving, which claims the lives of more than a third of the 30,000 people killed each year on U.S highways — a level of carnage that that has remained stubbornly consistent for the past decade and a half, the board said.
"Our goal is to get to zero deaths because each alcohol-impaired death is preventable," NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said. "Alcohol-impaired deaths are not accidents, they are crimes. They can and should be prevented. The tools exist. What is needed is the will."
Source: CBS
- Discussion about the difference between DWI and DUI.
DUI means Driving Under the Influence and DWI is Driving While Intoxicated or Driving While Impaired. Sometimes the term OWI (Operating While Impaired) is used. All these terms relate to driving after consuming alcohol or drugs, and are very serious crimes. The drugs don't have to be illegal for a DUI to be issued – they can be illegal narcotics, over the counter medication, or prescription drugs.
Depending upon the state where you live, the severity of the offense may vary. In some states, the drunk driving laws differentiate between a DUI and a DWI, where the DUI is a lesser charge. In these states, a DUI usually signifies a lesser degree of intoxication, which is determined by a person's blood alcohol level at the time of arrest. Sometimes, states will allow the charges of a DWI to be reduced to a DUI. In the case of a reduction from a DWI to a DUI, certain conditions typically must be met, such as the incident being a first offense, the defendant's display of remorse for the action, and a blood alcohol level that was not drastically over the legal limit. For example, the state of New York differentiates between DWI and DUI by establishing a blood alcohol level of .08 as the legal limit for DWI. If a person has a blood alcohol level of .07, the charges may be reduced to a DUI, which carries a lesser punishment.
Source: Diffen
- The more people they charge with DUI/DWI, the more money they can make. Also, there are companies who make a lot of money offering services (counseling, etc.) to remedy these issues.
- They might start asking whether people have been drinking as a routine question when some gets pulled over. there is nothing that prevents them from asking you this question. They also pass laws that make them able to do other things if you refuse to comply.
- This will not prevent highway deaths, because people will continue to drink and drive.
- Maybe this will increase sales of home breathalyzer machines.
- Stats say that half of the people who are under the influence go undetected.
- Discussion about how alcohol-related accidents are detected. If anyone (including a passenger) has been drinking, this is considered an alcohol-related accident.
- Discussion about a woman who was sentenced to a year in jail for talking on the phone during an accident that led to her son's death.
A central Missouri woman whose son died in a car accident while she was talking on a cellphone has been sentenced to one year in a county jail.
Thirty-one-year-old Stephanie Wiebold of Meta was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to careless and imprudent driving.
Her 2-year-old son, Dallen Rackers, died when Wiebold's car went off the road and hit a rock embankment.
The Jefferson City News Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/YQUCzB ) police said Meta was on the phone when the accident occurred.
Police also said her son was unrestrained while riding in the back seat and was thrown forward by the impact. Dallen died a few weeks after the accident.
Source: KSPR
- Discussion about a one-year-old who died after being left in a car.
A 1-year-old child died after being left in a locked car in the parking lot of Frank Guzick Elementary School in Pleasant Grove. The child's mother is a teacher at the school, according to a statement from Dallas ISD.
A statement from the Dallas Police Department says that a witness observed the child unattended in a locked car around 1:20 p.m. The witness called 911, then broke a window out of the vehicle, removed the child, and started to perform CPR. Dallas Fire and Rescue arrived to taken the child to Baylor Hospital, where he or she was pronounced dead.
Although the police haven't confirmed this, FOX 4 reports that the witness was a student from a nearby school. NBC, meanwhile, reports that it was a teacher's aid.
Source: Dallas Observer
- Discussion about people leaving pets and kids in cars.
- Why doesn't it seem like we heard stories of kids baking in cars back in the day. Heit & Cheri talk about being left in the car as a child.
- Discussion about acceptance of authority to your own detriment.
- Did you ever pee in the pool as a kid?
- Discussion about the CDC finding that there is more poop in pools than you might think.
Just in time for pools to open across the state, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have come out with a new study about what's lurking in that water.
According to the CDC report, water sampled from 161 pools around the Atlanta area found 58 percent showed signs of E. Coli, which is the bacteria most commonly associated with fecal matter.
Diapered babies and children who are not properly toilet trained can easily introduce poop into the water, the report stated.
Children are not alone as culprits.
Adults are also at fault, mainly those who do not shower with soap before entering the pool and bring traces of fecal matter with them.
Number two isn't the only problem.
The report showed chlorine still isn't strong enough to break down the waste of people who decide to "number one" in the pool, along with sweat.
Source: KFOR
- Speculation about why there is crap in the pool. Maybe people are not wiping their butts properly.
- Heit theorizes that you cannot properly wipe your butt with dry toilet paper.
- Debate about the best way to wipe your @ss.
- Discussion about the shortage of toilet paper in Venezuela.
First milk, butter, coffee and cornmeal ran short. Now Venezuela is running out of the most basic of necessities – toilet paper.
Blaming political opponents for the shortfall, as it does for other shortages, the government says it will import 50m rolls to boost supplies.
That was little comfort to consumers struggling to find toilet paper on Wednesday.
"This is the last straw," said Manuel Fagundes, a shopper hunting for tissue in Caracas. "I'm 71 years old and this is the first time I've seen this."
One supermarket visited by the Associated Press in the capital on Wednesday was out of toilet paper. Another had just received a fresh batch, and it quickly filled up with shoppers as the word spread.
"I've been looking for it for two weeks," said Cristina Ramos. "I was told that they had some here and now I'm in line."
Economists say Venezuela's shortages stem from price controls meant to make basic goods available to the poorest parts of society and the government's controls on foreign currency.
"State-controlled prices – prices that are set below market-clearing price – always result in shortages. The shortage problem will only get worse, as it did over the years in the Soviet Union," said Steve Hanke, professor of economics at Johns Hopkins University.
Source: Guardian
- This is just a symptom of Capitalism.
- Perhaps rumors either started to help to fuel the shortage.
- When was toilet paper invented? What did they do before they had toilet paper? They used a wet rag. Heit points out that we think we are so sophisticated, but your @ss is dirtier than it used to be.
Today it's difficult to imagine life without toilet paper. The evolution of toilet paper is an interesting story and the toilet paper has an amazing past.
If we could travel back in time, what would we found about the first use of toilet paper? Who invented toilet paper? Who was using paper for personal hygiene? Who invented modern toilet paper roll?
Nobody is too sure when toilet paper was first used. Before the invention of toilet paper, people from different parts of the world had many different ideas for personal hygiene. Some people used stones or sponges (especially rich Romans), but a variety of other things were used also.
The first "official" toilet paper was introduced in China in 1391, but the first mention of toilet paper (paper for personal hygiene) dates back to the year 589 AD in Korea. Between 875 and 1317 AD, paper was produced in large sheets (2-foot x 3-foot sheets and even perfumed) for Chinese emperor's family hygiene.
In the Colonial America, the common means was corncobs.
Paper was a rare commodity until the 17th or 18th centuries. The first reference to paper as toilet paper was recorded in 1718. After invention of paper pages from newspapers and magazines were also commonly used (newspapers became widely available at 1700s.)
Joseph C. Gayetty invented the first packaged toilet paper in the United States in 1857. Joseph C. Gayetty is credited as the inventor of modern commercially available toilet paper. "Gayetty's Medicated Paper" was sold in packages of flat sheets, medicated with aloe and watermarked with his name. Gayety's toilet paper was available as late as the 1920's.
In 1871, Seth Wheeler (to some sources Zeth Wheeler) of Albany became the official "inventor" of toilet paper. Seth Wheeler patents rolled and perforated wrapping paper. His Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Company began selling the first toilet paper on a roll.
Rolled and perforated toilet paper was invented around 1880. In 1879, Thomas Seymour, Edward Irvin and Clarence Wood Scott founded the Scott Paper Company in Philadelphia. Scott brothers came up with the idea of customizing rolls for every merchant-customer they had. They began selling packages of small rolls and stacked sheets. Scott Paper Company began producing toilet paper under its own brand name in 1896. By 1925 Scott Company became the leading toilet paper company in the world.
The first documented use of a roll of toilet paper was in 1882 in New York State.
In 1935 Northern Tissue invented splinter free toilet paper. Simple paper making procedures often failed to remove small splinters from the finished product but Northern Paper engineers solved the problem (method called linenizing). Softer, splinter-free toilet paper then became a reality for consumers and provided an advertising slogan for Northern Tissue.
In 1942 St. Andrew's Paper Mill (England, Walthamstow, London), produced the first soft, two ply toilet tissue.
In 1954 was produced the first colored toilet tissue by Northern.
In 1964 was produced perfumed one-ply toilet tissue by Charmin
America experienced its first toilet paper shortage in 1973 because Johnny Carson's (one of America's most loved comedians) jokes.
Who invented toilet paper? So many inventors, so many contradicting historical recourses… Who do you think was the inventor of toilet paper?
Source: Toilet Paper History
- Discussion about the Dewey Decimal System.
- Discussion about the police shooting and killing a 21-year-old female hostage.
A 21-year-old university student who was taken hostage in her apartment and then shot to death during a police standoff with an armed robber on New York's Long Island was killed by a bullet fired from an officer's gun, investigators said on Sunday.
Andrea Rebello was shot in the head on Friday by one of eight rounds fired at Dalton Smith, who had the woman in a headlock with a 9mm gun pointed at her head at the time, Nassau County Police Department spokesman James Imperiale said.
Smith, 30, was struck by seven bullets and died in the apartment in Uniondale, about a half a mile from Hofstra University. Rebello, who was studying public relations at Hofstra, was taken to a nearby hospital where she later died.
Investigators determined that Smith, who had an extensive criminal history and had been released from prison earlier this year, did not fire his gun during the incident, Imperiale said.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Dale traveled to Tarrytown, New York, on Saturday to inform Rebello's parents that their daughter had been killed by an officer's bullet.
"He sat down with them and went over the findings," Imperiale said. "The whole situation is completely tragic."
Smith entered Rebello's apartment about 2:20 a.m. (0620 GMT) on Friday, brandished his gun and demanded money and valuables from the student and her three roommates, including her sister, Imperiale said.
Smith then told one of the roommates to go to an ATM and withdraw money, according to police. That roommate left and immediately called police, according to Imperiale.
When police arrived, Rebello's sister answered the door and ran out of the apartment, he said.
"He pushed the male (roommate) down the stairs. The roommate comes crashing down the stairs … and jumps behind a sofa," Imperiale said.
According to Imperiale, Smith came down the stairs with Rebello in a headlock and the gun pointed at her head, saying "I'm going to kill her. I'm going to kill her." He then used her as a human shield as he attempted to flee the rear of apartment, the spokesman said.
"He raised his weapon at the officer and officer was forced to fire," Imperiale said.
Students graduating from Hofstra on Saturday wore white ribbons in memory of Rebello, according to the local media.
"A young member of the Hofstra family has been taken from us in a senseless act of violence," Hofstra President Stuart Rabinowitz said in a statement.
The school also flew flags at half-staff to honor Rebello. A candlelight vigil was held on Saturday night at the school, located in Hempstead, about 30 miles east of New York City.
The officer who fired the shots during the standoff was on leave as the department continued its investigation, Imperiale said.
Source: Reuters
- Is it possible that these people knew each other? The story sound fishy.
- Discussion about a man who hit in his attic while his house was being robbed. he said he felt like he was letting it happen because he didn't have a weapon.
What would you do to escape armed burglars? A college student in Humble saw men with guns breaking into his home, and he had to think fast.
It happened last Friday at about 11:30 a.m. in the 17000 block of Dawn Shadows Drive in Humble.
Darrell Southworth, 20, said he wanted to fight back, but these guys had guns and he didn't.
"I hear a big pound on the door, about five times, like boom, boom, boom," Southworth said.
Southworth's family was working, and he was home alone when the criminals came knocking. First, one of the criminals knocked on the front door.
"I look down, and he had a gun about right here in his back pocket," Southworth said.
Moments later, he saw a green Ford Explorer backing into his driveway.
"They popped the trunk at first, and I could see more guns," said Southworth. "I'm thinking, I'm about to die."
The criminals walked into the backyard and began kicking in the back door. Southworth made his way up toward the attic. He said he pulled the steps to the attic down and sat there to listen.
"I didn't hear anything at first. Then I heard, 'Get it, get it," Southworth recalled.
He quickly crept up into the attic and closed himself in. Southworth said he was on the phone with 911, telling the operator the danger he was in.
Source: KHOU
Support us by ordering an Axiom Amnesia T-Shirt today!
Axiom Amnesia T-Shirt – Black ($25)
>>See Full Description<<
Product Description
This is the signature black Axiom Amnesia T-Shirt with logo. The logo is plastisol (screen printed) via heat transfer onto the garment–the kind that feels slick to the touch. This high-quality t-shirt is 100 percent, pre-shrunk cotton, and is available in sizes medium to 3XL. (More…)
If you like what we do on Axiom Amnesia, please consider making a donation to us directly or by purchasing Heit & Cheri's album "Improper Conduct."
Make a one-time donation
Make a one-time donation of as little as $1 below:


text:
Chapter 8 - Energy and the Environment
Chapter 8 - Energy and the Environment
The U.S. Department of Transportation, under its human and natural environment strategic goal, is committed to protecting and enhancing communities and the natural environment affected by transportation. The economic and societal benefits provided by transportation also generate environmental impacts, and the sector's dependence on fossil fuels is at the root of many of these environmental problems. Construction of transportation infrastructure and facilities, and vehicle manufacturing, maintenance, use, and disposal affect the environment as well.
Transportation energy use has grown an average of 1.5 percent per year for the past two decades. Still, this growth rate is slower than that of the Gross Domestic Product and passenger-miles of travel, reflecting in part a general decline in the energy intensity of almost all modes. Today, however, the transportation sector consumes a greater share of petroleum (66 percent) than it did in 1973 (50 percent). The use of alternative and replacement fuels to reduce foreign oil dependence and environmental impacts has increased, but, despite incentives in place to promote these fuels, they still accounted for only a small faction of total motor vehicle fuel use in 2000.
Growth in energy consumption is causing a corresponding increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The transportation sector emitted 1,819 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 1999, an increase of 14.9 percent since 1990. Three-quarters of GHG emissions come from the use of highway vehicles. In addition to GHG emissions, transportation remains a primary source of emissions of three of the six air pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act: carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds. However, with the exception of nitrogen oxides, these emissions have been declining since 1990.
Transportation vehicle use can result in hazardous materials and oil spills. An average of 1.5 million gallons of oil is spilled into U.S. waters each year. In 1999, 24 percent of this oil was cargo carried by marine vessels, pipelines, railcars, and tank trucks.
Transportation infrastructure and its maintenance can also be sources of environmental damage. Each year the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredges an average of 271 million cubic yards of sediments from navigation channels. Contaminated sediments are confined in various ways, while the balance may be used beneficially to nourish beaches and wetlands. Sediments become contaminated from pollutants released into the nation's waters. Similarly, petroleum stored in underground tanks has a history of leaking into soils and ultimately into surface and underground waters. By 2001, after a decade of focused effort by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there were almost 150,085 known petroleum tank releases around the country waiting to be cleaned up. The leaking of methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether (MTBE), largely from underground storage tanks, was recognized in 2000 as an issue serious enough for EPA to ask the U.S. Congress to ban or reduce its use as an additive in gasoline.
Rubber tires and lead-acid batteries are two of the few transportation wastes quantified on an annual basis. States and local governments often promote the establishment of systems to recycle these wastes at the end of their lifetime. However, while over 93 percent of the lead content of batteries was reused in 1999, only 24 percent of the 4.5 million tons of scrap tires generated were recycled. This left almost 3.5 million tons of car, truck, and motorcycle tires to be disposed of in landfills or incinerated.
Preservation of wetlands, urban sprawl, invasive species, and environmental justice are also areas of concern. The United States has an estimated 105 million acres of wetlands. An equal amount may have been lost since the 1600s, drained to develop rural and urban areas. Transportation affects wetlands when roads and railroads are built and people and cargo are moved through them and when airports and other facilities are placed in them.
Energy Use
As the economy has grown, so too has transportation energy use. From 1980 to 2000, transportation energy use grew from 19.7 quadrillion (quads) British thermal units (Btu) to 27.0 quads, an annual growth rate of 1.5 percent [1]. The overall growth rate is lower than that of the economy (as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP)) and the growth rate in passenger-miles, but not population (figure 1). It is influenced by a combination of factors, including changes in transportation intensity of U.S. GDP, vehicle fuel efficiency, and personal travel propensity.
For decades, the transportation sector has accounted for between 25 percent and 27 percent of total U.S. energy consumption (table 1). In 1999, highway vehicles accounted for just over 80 percent of transportation energy use. Passenger cars used 36 percent of the sector's total, followed by light trucks (including minivans, pickups, and sport utility vehicles) with 26 percent, and heavier trucks with 19 percent. Among the nonhighway modes, air transportation is the biggest and fastest growing energy user. The pipeline mode, which accounted for about 3 percent of total transportation energy use, is the only mode that does not depend directly on petroleum. Typically, pipelines use natural gas and/or electric pumps to move products (figure 2).
1. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 2000, DOE/EIA-0384(2000) (Washington, DC: August 2001).
Petroleum Consumption
In the United States, petroleum consumption has risen faster in the transportation sector than in any other since 1973, before the first oil embargo. Continued growth in transportation activities has contributed, in large part, to the increase in oil consumption. While the oil price shocks of 1973-74 and 1979-80 depressed demand for a while, they did little to shake transportation's dependence on oil. Only a small fraction of transportation's energy needs are met by nonpetroleum sources, such as natural gas, methanol, and ethanol. Nonpetroleum sources are used primarily as gasoline blending agents to meet requirements of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.
From 1973 to 2000, the residential and commercial buildings sector cut petroleum use in half, and the utilities sector reduced oil use by more than 60 percent. Over the same period, industrial sector oil use hovered between 4 million barrels per day (mmbd) and 5 mmbd, primarily because petroleum is an important feedstock for the petrochemicals industry. In contrast, oil use in the transportation sector rose from 9.05 mmbd in 1973 to 12.99 mmbd in 2000, an increase of about 41 percent. Due to these changes in consumption patterns among sectors, transportation today accounts for 67 percent of total U.S. petroleum demand compared with about 50 percent before 1973 [2] (figure 1).
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) expects the heavy concentration of oil demand in the transportation sector to continue. In fact, DOE projects overall petroleum demand to grow at an average annual rate of 1.5 percent through 2020, led by growth in the transportation sector. Given this, transportation's share of petroleum consumption would rise to 70 percent [1].
1. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2002, DOE/EIA-0383(2002) (Washington, DC: December 2001).
2. ____. Annual Energy Review 2000, DOE/EIA-0384(00) (Washington, DC: August 2001), table 5.12a.
Alternative and Replacement Fuels
Spurred by energy and environmental legislation, the use of alternative and replacement fuels in motor vehicles is growing, but not enough to indicate a trend away from the use of petroleum in the transportation sector. Between 1992 and 2000, estimated alternative fuel use grew by 5.9 percent annually (table 1). Nevertheless, alternative fuels comprise a tiny fraction of total motor vehicle fuel use-0.17 percent in 1992 and 0.22 percent in 2000. Alternate fuel growth is in proportion to the rise in the number of alternative fuel vehicles (table 2) [2].
Replacement fuels-alcohols and ethers (oxygenates)-are blended with gasoline to meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. They comprise a larger proportion of the motor fuel market than alternative fuels, as shown in figure 1. Unlike petroleum, which is composed entirely of hydrogen and carbon atoms, alcohols and ethers contain oxygen and are derived from energy sources other than petroleum.
In areas where carbon monoxide emissions are a problem, fuel providers have been required since 1992 to add oxygenates to gasoline to promote more complete combustion. Gasoline that contains oxygenates is referred to as reformulated gasoline (RFG). Beginning in 1994, areas failing to attain air quality standards for ozone were required to use RFG, which must contain 2 percent oxygen by weight. In 2000, oxygenates made up 3.3 percent of the gasoline pool [2].
The most popular oxygenate is methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether (MTBE), a combination of methanol and isobutylene, made from natural gas. MTBE has several attributes that favor its use over ethanol as an oxygenate. However, the substance has been discovered-first in California in 1995-leaking from pipelines and storage tanks into drinking water. While MTBE is not classified as a carcinogen, studies have shown it can cause cancer in animals, and trace amounts of MTBE in water supplies produce an unpleasant order and taste. Various efforts are underway or being considered by 13 states, the U.S. Congress, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce or ban the use of MTBE as an oxygenate. As a result, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that the amount of MTBE used by domestic refiners will be cut in half by 2004 to 123,000 barrels per day. Most of this decline in consumption results from a ban on MTBE in California due to begin at the end of 2002 [1]. However, subsequent to EIA's analysis, California decided to delay its ban until the end of 2003 because of a lack of infrastructure to assure adequate supplies of ethanol reformulated gasoline.
1. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2002, DOE/EIA-0383(2002) (Washington DC: December 2001).
2. ____. Alternatives to Traditional Transportation Fuels 1999 (revised), available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelalternate.html, as of Jan. 8, 2002.
World Crude Oil Prices
The United States imports over 50 percent of its crude oil supplies, and changes in world prices of crude oil can have significant, direct impacts on the U.S. economy. Despite volatility in these prices, however, the transportation sector is not particularly responsive (i.e., has very low elasticity of demand). The disinclination of fuel users to replace petroleum with alternative fuels is a reason for this inelasticity.
World oil prices more than tripled between January 1999 and September 2000 as a result of oil production cutbacks by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), with the cooperation of Mexico, Norway, and Russia (figure 1). This oil price hike prompted concern that oil dependence may once again have a serious effect on the transportation sector and the economy as a whole. However, in late 2000 world crude prices started to drop from their high of $32.86 per barrel, as a worldwide economic downturn began. By the end of 2001, prices had reached $18.69 per barrel, similar to the price in July 1999.
A Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) analysis conducted in mid-2000 of the economic impact of the 1999/2000 increase in fuel prices estimated that, to drive the same distance and produce the same Gross Domestic Product as in 1999, U.S. households and businesses would have to spend an additional $67 billion (28 percent more) on transportation fuel in 2000 [1]. BTS concluded that households would absorb half of the additional cost and for-hire transportation firms about one-third, with the rest of the cost absorbed by nontransportation firms.
The average motor fuel cost to consumers on a per vehicle-miles traveled basis closely follows the trend in world crude oil prices (figure 2). At the beginning of 1997, on average, it cost Americans 7.5 cents to buy fuel to drive 1 mile. Then, as the world crude oil price fell below $10 per barrel (the lowest point in recent years), the fuel cost for driving 1 mile dropped to 5.5 cents, also the lowest point in recent years. Overall, the tripling of the price of crude oil in 1999 and 2000 caused the average fuel cost per mile to increase about 70 percent. Reflecting the low elasticity of demand, vehicle-miles traveled tends to fluctuate seasonally, rather than in response to world oil prices (figure 3).
1. U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, "The Economic Impact of the Recent Increase in Oil Prices," Transportation Indicators: A Prototype, May 2000.
Energy Intensity of Passenger Travel and Freight Transportation
The amount of energy required to carry passengers and freight has declined on a per unit basis. Between 1980 and 1999, automobile energy use per passenger-mile of travel (pmt) by car fell by 13 percent (figure 1). This has occurred even though the average fuel economy of new car and light truck fleets leveled off in the 1990s [1].
Commercial air carriers reduced energy use per passenger-mile by more than 33 percent over the 1980 to 1999 period, due largely to higher occupancy [1]. Flying a full plane requires considerably less than twice the amount of fuel of a half-full one but yields twice the passenger-miles. Airlines have been increasingly successful in filling their planes; in some cases, reconfiguring seating to fit more passengers. Moreover, although newer airplanes are more efficient, this probably has less effect on energy intensity than the greater number of passengers.
The energy intensity of Amtrak intercity rail and intercity bus declined as well (-4 percent and -11 percent, respectively). At 964 British thermal units (Btu) per pmt in 1999, intercity buses are considered the most energy-efficient mode of transportation. Energy use per pmt on transit buses, however, increased 64 percent over this period to 4,610 Btu per pmt [1]. From a high of 3,828 Btu per pmt in 1994, by 1999 rail transit energy intensity had declined 17 percent to 3,168 Btu per pmt.
Because of data limitations and availability, less is known overall about the energy intensity of freight transportation, particularly the waterborne and heavy truck modes. Some data are available, however, and, in general, energy use per vehicle-mile has decreased, albeit slowly. The decrease in highway energy use per vehicle-mile combined with a general increase in truck size and weight limits suggest that truck energy use per ton-mile has also decreased. The energy intensity (in Btu per vehicle-mile) of heavy single-unit and combination trucks grew half a percent annually from 1989 to 1999. On a Btu per ton-miles basis, the energy intensity of Class I freight rail declined 1.9 percent while that of domestic waterborne commerce grew 1.3 percent annually between 1989 and 1999 [2].
It is important to note that intermodal comparisons should be considered approximations. Modal data are collected in different ways and based on different assumptions. Passenger-mile data are more relevant for passenger vehicles, while vehicle-mile or ton-mile data are more relevant for freight vehicles. Modes also perform different functions and serve different travel markets.
1. Davis, Stacy C., Transportation Energy Data Book, Edition 21 (Oak Ridge TN: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 2001), tables 2.11 and 2.12.
2. ____. Table 2.14.
Car and Light Truck Fuel Efficiency
Passenger cars and light trucks are more fuel-efficient today than they were in 1978, when fuel economy standards were first implemented. Technologies like fuel injection engines, lockup torque in transmissions, and improved rolling resistance of tires have played a major role in this change. Between 1978 and 1988, new passenger car average fuel economy shot up from 19.9 miles per gallon (mpg) to 28.8 mpg, while light trucks improved somewhat from 18.2 mpg (1979) to 21.3 mpg. Since then, fuel economy has remained flat (figure 1).
Set by legislation, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard for new cars has been held constant at 27.5 mpg since 1990 (table 1). In 2000, the U.S. Congress asked the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study, in consultation with the U.S. Department of Transportation, to evaluate the effectiveness and impacts of CAFE standards. A special National Research Council committee reported several findings and recommendations to Congress in 2001 but took no position on what the appropriate CAFE standards should be [1]. Subsequent to the release of the report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it was proceeding with rulemaking for the light truck fleet for model year 2004 and is updating its mid-1990s study on the relationship between fuel economy standards and safety [4]. The passenger car standard remains at 27.5 mpg until Congress changes the current statute.
In recent years, efficiency gains have been offset by increases in vehicle weight and power and by consumer shifts to less efficient vehicles, such as light trucks, especially sport utility vehicles, minivans, and pickup trucks. For example, the average weight of new cars (foreign and domestic) rose from a low of 2,805 pounds in 1987 to 3,126 pounds in 2000. The average weight of new cars today is still lower than the 3,349-pound weight of new cars in 1978. Furthermore, in response to consumer demand for new high performance cars, the ratio of horsepower to 100 pounds of weight increased from 3.98 in 1987 to 5.27 in 2000. For the domestic car fleet, the average is 5.26 horsepower per 100 pounds [5].
The popularity of light trucks continues to grow. Twice as many cars as light trucks were sold in the United States in 1990. However, in 2001, retail sales of light trucks (8.7 million) for the first time surpassed car sales (8.4 million) [3]. Clearly, many consumers are finding what they want in light trucks rather than cars: roominess, more carrying capacity, greater visibility, and a perception of safety (at least for themselves). However, this trend has implications for energy consumption and for emissions, because light trucks, on average, are less fuel-efficient than cars.
Using a different method of calculation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) generates fuel economy data that are lower than the official CAFE averages (reported in figure 1). For 2001 model year light-duty vehicles, for instance, EPA estimated the average fuel economy to be 20.4 miles per gallon-the lowest in 21 years-and attributes the decline to the increasing market share of light trucks, plus overall increased vehicle weights and performance. If weight and performance attributes were similar to those in 1981, the 2001 fleet could have achieved more than 25 percent higher fuel economy [2].
1. National Research Council, Transportation Research Board, Effectiveness and Impact of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001).
2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Light-Duty Automotive Technoloy and Fuel Economy Trends, EPA420-R-01-008 (Washington DC: September 2001).
3. U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transportation Indicators, May 2002.
4. U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, statement of Jeffrey W. Runge, Administrator, before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, Dec. 6, 2001.
5. U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Automotive Fuel Economy Program, "Annual Update Calendar Year 2000," July 2001, available at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars, as of August 2000.
Emissions of Greenhouse Gases
Most scientists believe that rising concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the Earth's atmosphere could cause global climate change. GHGs, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, occur naturally and can be produced by human activities. Carbon dioxide is the predominant greenhouse gas produced by human activity, accounting for 83 percent of all U.S. GHG emissions in 2000. Nearly all carbon dioxide emissions are produced by the combustion of fossil fuels. Thus, there is a high correlation between energy use and carbon emissions [1].
Today, almost all of transportation's energy needs are supplied by oil. The combustion of petroleum in the transportation sector alone is responsible for about 27 percent of all GHGs emitted in the United States. From 1990 to 2000, emissions of carbon dioxide from transportation grew 19 percent (figure 1). This growth is less than that of the residential and commercial sectors (22 and 27 percent, respectively) but six times greater than in the industrial sector (3 percent). With emissions of 515 million metric tons of carbon in 2000, however, transportation leads all sectors.
On a modal basis, highway vehicles emit almost 80 percent of U.S. transportation's GHGs, and half of those come from passenger cars (table 1). Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to which the United States is a party, a nation's inventory of emissions does not include those stemming from international aircraft and ships. Thus, under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's method of estimating U.S. GHG emissions (see box), only domestic aircraft emissions are included in the breakdown by mode. With just 6 percent of emissions attributed to aviation, this mode ranks a distant second to highway vehicles.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has projected carbon dioxide emissions from energy use to grow 1.5 percent annually to 2,088 million metric tons of carbon equivalent (mmtce) by 2020. Transportation GHG emissions are expected to grow at a rate of 1.9 percent, just above the 1990 to 2000 growth rate of 1.8 percent. DOE based the transportation rate of growth on expected increases in vehicle-miles traveled and in freight and air travel, accompanied by only small gains in vehicle efficiency [1].
The Bush Administration announced new climate change policies in February 2002 [2]. The administration plans to measure overall U.S. performance by tracking the greenhouse gas intensity of the U.S. economy (figure 2). The goal is to reduce the intensity by 18 percent by 2012. Between 1990 and 2000, the intensity declined by 17 percent, while emissions grew 14 percent and the economy grew 38 percent. To help meet its goal, the Administration has proposed two new research programs: The Climate Change Research Initiative and the National Climate Change Technology Initiative. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting, established in 1999, identifies and evaluates options to reduce GHG emissions from and impacts on transportation.
1. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2002, DOE/EIA-0383(2002) (Washington, DC: December 2001).
2. The White House, "President Announces Clear Skies & Global Climate Change Initiatives," news release, Feb. 14, 2002, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/, as of May 2002; and "Global Climate Change Policy Book," available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/02/climatechange.html/, as of May 2002.
Air Pollutants
Overall, most transportation air emissions have declined since 1980 despite significant increases in U.S. population, gross domestic product, and vehicle-miles traveled. For instance, carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOC), particulates, and lead have decreased. These reductions are due primarily to vehicle tailpipe and evaporative emissions standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency, and the ban on leaded fuel for motor vehicles.
Only nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, which contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, and ammonia remain above their 1990 level (figure 1). An increase in emissions from diesel vehicles is the leading factor in NOx growth and has led to new standards that will go into effect in 2004 [2]. For instance, NOx emissions standards for newly manufactured gasoline- and diesel-powered heavy-duty trucks will be reduced from 4.0 to 0.20 grams per brake horsepower-hour in 2007 (diesel) and 2008 (gasoline). In addition, the existing standards for diesel particulates are being reduced from 0.10 to 0.01 grams per brake horsepower-hour in 2007. Gasoline-powered heavy-duty trucks will be subject to the same standard starting in 2008 [1].
Although progress has been made in reducing pollutants, transportation still accounts for a sizable percentage of several key pollutants. In 1999, for example, transportation contributed about 57 percent of all CO emissions, 45 percent of NOx, 37 percent of VOC, and 12 percent of lead [3] (see box 2). With the exception of lead, highway vehicles were the primary transportation source of these pollutants. The use of lead in aircraft fuel is responsible for nearly all transportation lead emissions. Figure 2 shows 1999 emissions by mode.
In 1997, EPA added ammonia to its National Emission Inventory. Gaseous ammonia reacts in the air with sulfur dioxide and NOx to form ammonium sulfate and nitrate particles that are found in particulate matter of 2.5 microns in diameter or smaller. In 1999, transportation, primarily highway gasoline-powered vehicles, accounted for about 5 percent of total ammonia emissions.
See box 1 to see Data on Toxic Air Pollutants.
Oil Spills
Failures in transportation systems (vessels, pipelines, highway vehicles, and railroad equipment) or errors made by operators can result in spills of oil and hazardous materials. Better information is available about the extent of spill incidents than about the overall consequences of these spills on the environment and human health. The impact of each spill, for instance, will depend on the concentration and nature of the pollution, the location and volume of the spill, weather conditions, and the environmental resources affected.
When an oil spill occurs in U.S. waters, the responsible party is required to report the spill to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard collects data on the number, location, and source of spills, volume and type of oil spilled, and the type of operation that caused spills. Between 1996 and 2000, an annual average of 1.5 million gallons of various types of oil were spilled by all sources (figure 1).
The total amount, source, and type of oil spilled varies each year (table 1). For instance, marine vessels and pipelines were responsible for 73 percent of the spills (by volume) reported in 2000, but just 40 percent in 1991 [3]. Much of the oil spilled tends to be cargo, but that too varies by year. It amounted to 51 percent of the volume of oil spilled in 1998 but just 24 percent in 1999 [1, 2]. New research suggests that, on an annual average basis, transportation of petroleum results in only a small portion of the petroleum that enters North American ocean waters each year (see box).
The largest oil spill in 2000 (and the largest since 1996) occurred when a tanker grounded in the Mississippi River, resulting in the loss of 538,000 gallons of crude oil from one of its cargo tanks. The largest pipeline incident in 2000 was a leak of about 175,000 gallons of oil into a tributary of the Delaware River [3].
1. American Petroleum Institute, Oil Spills in U.S. Navigable Waters: 1989-1998 (Washington, DC: Feb. 22, 2000).
2. _____. Oil Spills in U.S. Navigable Waters: 1990-1999 (Washington, DC: Jan. 18, 2001).
3. U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Coast Guard, Pollution Incidents In and Around U.S. Waters, A Spill Release Compendium: 1969-2000, available at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/, as of March 2002.
Dredging Waterways
The nation's ports and navigation channels must be regularly dredged to maintain proper depths to accommodate shipping. The environment is affected in two ways by dredging. First, the dredging activity can, for instance, cause entrainment of fish eggs and larvae, resuspension of buried contaminated sediments, habitat loss, and collisions with marine mammals. To reduce the risks to biological resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers imposes "environmental windows" on 80 percent of all federal dredging projects. Dredging is allowed to proceed during these windows, periods when adverse impacts are reduced below critical thresholds [1].
The other environmental impact of dredging is disposal of dredged sediments, especially when they are contaminated. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that 3 million to 12 million cubic yards of material dredged each year are sufficiently contaminated to require special handling and disposal [5]. A more recent report on U.S. coastal waters concluded that, while it varies by region, 35 percent of the nation's total estuarine surface area contains contaminated sediments [4]. Contaminants include hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, and metals.
National data, which the Corps aggregates on an annual basis from individual dredging contracts, do not identify how much material is contaminated, although the data show how dredged material is managed (figure 1). Several of the reporting categories (especially confined, open water/upland, and mixed) may include contaminated sediments.
Dredging U.S. navigable waterways, the Corps produced 285 million cubic yards of materials at a total cost of $822 million in fiscal year 2000 [2]. Dredging costs per cubic yard remained fairly stable from 1990 to 1997 (figure 2). They rose 38 percent in 1998 but by 2000 had fallen back to about 23 percent above 1997. Environmental considerations can affect dredging costs. Environmental windows have cost implications as do disposal requirements. For instance, a rise in the proportion of contaminated materials in any one year can affect that year's total costs.
U.S. port authorities are responsible for dredging their berths and channels. They spent $117 million, 11 percent of their capital expenditures, on dredging in 2000 [3]. Data on disposal methods and the total amount of material dredged by ports are only occasionally available.
1. Transportation Research Board, Marine Board, A Process for Setting, Managing, and Monitoring Environmental Windows for Dredging Projects, Special Report 262 (Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences, 2001).
2. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Water Resources Support Center, Navigation Data Center, Dredging Information System, available at http://www.wrsc.usace.army.mil/ndc/drgmatdisp.htm, as of April 2002.
3. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, Office of Ports and Domestic Shipping, United States Port Development Expenditure Report (Washington, DC: December 2001).
4. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Coastal Condition Report, EPA-620/R-01/005 (Washington, DC: September 2001).
5. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, EPA's Contaminated Sediment Management Strategy, EPA-823-R-98-001 (Washington, DC: April 1998).
Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
Underground tanks for storing petroleum products, such as fuels for transportation, have a history of leaking petroleum into the nation's underground water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started collecting annual data on the problem and its resolution in fiscal year (FY) 1990 under the Underground Storage Tank Program.
By the end of FY 2001, EPA regions reported that there were 704,717 active underground tanks in the nation and that 1.5 million tanks had been closed [2]. Between 1990 and 2001, the number of confirmed releases1 of petroleum from underground storage tanks (USTs) climbed at an average annual rate of 21 percent, while cleanups were completed at a rate of 29 percent per year (table 1). However, cleanups had not been initiated for nearly 39,700 releases. In addition, the U.S. General Accounting Office estimated that 29 percent of the new tanks were not being maintained and operated properly to prevent them from leaking [3].
As with oil spills in U.S. waters, these data do not reveal the overall environmental impact of releasing petroleum products into underground and surface waters. Furthermore, the data gathered show the number of incidents rather than volume; thus, even the full extent of the problem is not clear. For example, the amount of water contaminated by releases from underground tanks is not known. Petroleum products are also stored in aboveground tanks. However, no national data exist on numbers of incidents or volumes released from these tanks.
In 2000, concern arose about the leaking of methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether (MTBE) from storage tanks and other sources. MTBE is a constituent of reformulated gasoline, which is used in nonattainment areas of the country to improve air quality. Once released, MTBE moves rapidly through underground water. This substance has been detected in drinking water, with the highest levels in areas of the country using reformulated gasoline. Leaking USTs appear to be a major source of groundwater contamination from MTBE, but other sources include aboveground tanks, pipelines, and recreational boats [1]. Various efforts are underway or proposed in 13 states, the U.S. Congress, and EPA to reduce or ban the use of MTBE as an oxygenate in reformulated gasoline. California has, however, delayed its ban on MTBE for one year to the end of 2003. Ethanol, the alternate oxygenate, holds a much smaller share of the current national market (see the section on Alternative and Replacement Fuels in this chapter), and the state will have to create a new infrastructure to assure a sufficient supply of this type of reformulated gasoline.
1A confirmed release is an identified incident and is not necessarily equivalent to the number of leaking underground storage tanks at any one site (e.g., a gasoline station).
1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Achieving Clean Air and Clean Water: The Report of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Oxygenates in Gasoline, Executive Summary and Recommendations (Washington, DC: July 27, 1999).
2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Underground Storage Tanks, Corrective Action Measures Archive, available at http://www.epa.gov/swerust1/cat/camarchv.htm, as of April 2002.
3. U.S. General Accounting Office, Environmental Protection: Improved Inspections and Enforcement Would Better Ensure the Safety of Underground Storage Tanks, GAO-01-464 (Washington DC: May 4, 2001).
Transportation Wastes
Transportation equipment and infrastructure eventually become wastes. For instance, over 11.6 million passenger cars and trucks were scrapped in 1999 [3]. Additional wastes are generated as equipment (e.g., vehicles, aircraft, vessels, and locomotives) and parts are repaired during their lifetime. Scrapped equipment is generally dismantled, with some parts or materials recycled and the rest disposed. Fluids, such as used motor oils and refrigerants, may be regenerated or disposed. Improper disposal of any of these materials or fluids can pose environmental problems. Used tire piles can ignite, releasing toxic chemicals into the air. Oil can contaminate water bodies.
There are few data on the extent of transportation wastes created annually. Overall, people in the United States generated an estimated 230 million tons of municipal solid waste in 1999 [4]. Tires and batteries from passenger cars, trucks, and motorcycles contributed 6.6 million tons to this total (figure 1 and figure 2). The balance of transportation wastes, such as equipment, other batteries and tires, discards from dismantling operations, and motor oils, are not included, nor are infrastructure construction debris.1
The recovered portion of lead-acid batteries and tires is reused in some form and therefore does not end up in waste landfills or incinerators. Batteries are dismantled and 97 percent of the lead content and a significant portion of the polypropylene casing were recycled in 1999. Only 26 percent (by weight) of tires were recycled, however.
The transportation sector used an estimated 1,260 million gallons of lubricants in 1999, 50 percent of the lubricants consumed by all sectors that year [2]. Motor oils become wastes throughout a vehicle's lifecycle and may be burned as fuel, placed in landfills, rerefined, or incinerated. In addition, some are illegally dumped. The amount of waste motor oils generated each year and how it is disposed are estimated only periodically. About 250 million gallons of motor oil were recycled in 1997 [1].
1The Federal Highway Administration issued a Formal Policy on the Use of Recycled Materials in highway applications in February 2002.
1. American Petroleum Institute, "Used Motor Oil: Collection and Recycling," available at http://www.recycleoil.org/Usedoilflow.htm, as of March 2002.
2. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, State Energy Data Report 1999, tables 11 and 15, available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/sedr/contents.html#PDF Files/, as of March 2002.
3. U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics 2000 (Washington DC: 2001), table 4-54.
4. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 1999 Facts and Figures, EPA530-R-01-014 (Washington, DC: July 2001).
Wetlands provide many environmental benefits. They serve as wildlife habitats and spawning grounds for fish, provide vast amounts of food for aquatic species, and help remove organic pollutants from bodies of water. Yet, it is only during the last few decades that the United States has considered wetlands a natural resource worth enhancing and preserving. This change in thinking occurred after an estimated half of the wetlands acreage believed to exist in the 1600s had been drained [5]. By 1997, the nation had an estimated 105.5 million acres of wetlands, having suffered a net loss of almost 650,000 acres of wetlands between 1986 and 19971 [3].
Transportation infrastructure and its use has contributed to the loss of wetlands, but it is unclear to what extent. For instance, when the Fish and Wildlife Service made their 1997 estimates, transportation activities were not reported separately but considered part of urban development, a category accounting for an estimated 30 percent of all wetland losses. Because federal policy requires compensatory mitigation to restore, create, or enhance impacted wetlands, developers of roads, airports, rail systems, and marine facilities must determine whether their projects will affect wetlands. If so, they may need to obtain a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The only national trend data on transportation wetlands impacts have been collected, since 1996, by the Federal Highway Administration (table 1). These data cover wetlands acreage affected by federal-aid highways, which constitute 24 percent of the total miles of public roads in this country [4]. Although the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does not collect data on wetlands impacted by airports, airport runway expansion often involves an evaluation of those effects. FAA is particularly concerned that mitigation projects do not create habitats that would attract wildlife known to affect aircraft operations.
Some of the sediments the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredges from navigation channels are used to nourish wetlands. The amount varies each year; in fiscal year 2000, the Corps applied 96 million cubic yards of sediment to wetlands [1]. This was just over 4 percent of all Corps-dredged material that year compared with 16 percent (39 million cubic yards) in 1998.
While the available data provide some insight into transportation infrastructure's relative effect on wetlands, there are no data on impacts from runoff of salt, oils, and rubber from highways and other facilities, and air pollutants emitted by vehicles, locomotives, airplanes, and vessels as they move along or through wetland areas. Furthermore, acreage data provide no information on the quality of wetlands as measured by their value to society [2].
1This amounts to an average annual rate of loss of 58,500 acres, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. An alternate source of wetlands data-the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service-has estimated an average annual loss of 32,600 acres between 1992 and 1997.
1. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Dredging Information System, available at http://www.wrsc.usace.army.mil/ndc/dcgmatdisp.htm, as of March 2002.
2. U.S. Congress, Congressional Research Service, "Wetlands Issues," Aug. 7, 2001.
3. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States: 1986 to 1997 (Washington, DC: December 2000).
4. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2000 (Washington, DC: 2001), table HM-14.
5. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, "What are Wetlands? Status and Trends," available at http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/vital/status.html, as of March 2002.
Transportation Environmental Indicators
Indicators are quantitative data that can be used to assess the magnitude of problems, help set priorities, develop performance measures and track progress toward goals, or educate stakeholders. To assess problems and measure progress, trend data are needed. The full range of environmental effects of the transportation system is extensive but few good indicators are available.
Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of the environmental effects of transportation from a lifecycle perspective. Phases (or stages) of transportation include fuel production, vehicle manufacturing, fixed infrastructure development, travel (or vehicle use), maintenance, and disposal. Activities occurring during the phases result in environmental outcomes (e.g., pollution releases and changes in wetlands acreage). Outcomes can, in turn, affect the environment and human health, creating impacts that are usually negative (e.g., cancers, birth defects, asthma, stunted tree growth, and fish kills). Impacts, which can be chronic or acute, are highly dependent on two variables: concentration and exposure.
Activity, outcome, or impact data can be the source for indicators. However, outcome indicators are most commonly used for transportation. Activities are only indirectly related to environmental consequences. Increases in passenger car vehicle-miles traveled may or may not result in increased pollutant releases. Similarly, the volume of oil transported by marine vessels is not indicative of harm caused by oil spills at sea. Most available impact data do not directly identify sources, such as transportation. For instance, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports annually on changes in the nation's air quality. These data come from monitoring stations that measure concentrations of pollutants in the atmosphere. The sources of the pollutants may be factories, powerplants, dry cleaning facilities, printing shops, storage tanks, and so on, as well as vehicles.
Readily available data for outcome indicators are not comprehensive, especially for all modes and lifecycle phases. National trend data for outcomes are estimated, modeled, or collected only for some pollutants.
The most often used transportation environmental indicator comprises six criteria air pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act (see Introduction). The data are estimated annually by EPA and show the relative outcome contribution of these pollutants by mode (except pipelines) during the travel phase. With the emergence of the global climate change issue, an additional indicator is available. EPA and the Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, now annually estimate the amount of six greenhouse gases emitted by the transportation sector.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
before it's in the papers"
Mom's obesity may affect unborn child's brain
Feb. 11, 2013
Obesity in a pregnant mother may lead to abnormal brain development in the fetus, scientists are warning, based on a finding of abnormal patterns of genetic activity in such fetuses.
Send us a comment on this story, or send it to a friend
Obesity in a pregnant mother may lead to abnormal brain development in the fetus, scientists are warning, based on a finding of abnormal patterns of genetic activity in such fetuses. Although the implications are unclear, scientists called the findings a potentially major concern, given that an estimated one in three U.S. women are obese at conception. Researchers from Tufts Medical Center in Boston plan to present the findings on Feb. 15 at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting in San Francisco. "Women won't be surprised to hear being obese while pregnant can lead to obesity in the child," said Andrea Edlow, lead author of the study. "But what might surprise them is the potential effect it has on the brain development of their unborn child." The study examined the fetal development of 16 pregnant women, eight obese and eight lean. As early as the second trimester, obese women's fetuses were found to have different patterns of gene activity, suggestive of abnormal brain development. During gestation, fetuses go through apoptosis—a normal process of programmed "suicide" by certain brain cells. This constitutes a sort of pruning, a clearing out out space for new growth, said Diana Bianchi, senior author of the study and executive director of the Mother Infant Research Institute at Tufts. Fetuses of obese women had genetic activity indicating decreased apoptosis, an important part of normal fetal brain development, she explained. It's unclear what effect this will ultimately have on the developed brain, she added, but she said maternal obesity is a rapidly growing problem in the United States and has been associated with increased rates of autism and altered appetite regulation. Bianchi and Edlow say their next step will be to use laboratory mice to study the genetic differences in more detail.


text:
Published Saturday, January 3, 2009
Calvary Episcopal Church, 123 S. Ninth St., will celebrate the services of the Holy Eucharist at 8 and 10:30 a.m. The Adult Education Forum will meet at 9:15 a.m. in Room 101 and discuss "Ancient Texts for Modern Times: A guide for reading the Bible in the 21st century," presented by Rick Cotner. All are welcome.
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Tenth and Walnut streets, will have worship services at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. John Yonker will deliver a new year's sermon, "The Right Time!" River of Life children's education at 9:30 a.m. All are welcome. www.firstchristian.org.
First Presbyterian Church, 16 Hitt St., will hold worship services at 8:30 and 11 a.m. The Rev. Richard Ramsey's sermon will be "What is Out There?" Communion will be held at both services. Get previous sermons and current newsletters at www.fpccolumbia.org.
Grace Bible Church, 1322 Paris Road, will hold worship services at 8:15 and 11 a.m. For more information, visit www.gracebiblecolumbia.org or call 449-6794.
Karis Community Church, will hold its worship gathering at 10 a.m. at the Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts, 203 S. Ninth St. Lead Pastor Kevin Larson will be preaching on God's infinitude in Karis's series "Beautiful Collision." Visit karischurch.org or call 823-4130 for more information.
Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1600 W. Rollins Road, will have worship services and installation and ordination of new elders at 8:30 and 10:45 a.m. The sermon will be "Joy and Gladness," presented by the Rev. Rim Massey. Sunday school classes will begin at 9:30 a.m. An undecorating party will be held at noon, and youth fellowship will be held at 5 p.m.
Unitarian Universalist Church, 2615 Shepard Blvd., will have worship services at 10:30 a.m. The sermon will be "Pilgrimage to the Unknown." All are welcome. Youth religious classes and nursery care are also offered at 10:30 a.m.
Next week
Calvary Episcopal Church will celebrate the services of the Holy Eucharist at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. All are welcome.
Trinity Presbyterian Church will have a Boy Scout Troop 4 meeting at 7 p.m. Monday. The evening women's circle will meet at a private residence at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Contact the church for more information. Afternoon women's circle will meet at 1 p.m. at a private residence at 1 p.m. Wednesday. Family night will be at 5:30 p.m., and choir practice is at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The Girl Scout Troop 747 meeting will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday.
The spiritual calendar deadline is noon Wednesday. Mail items to the Tribune, P.O. Box 798, Columbia, Mo., 65205, e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com or fax to (573) 815-1701. For information, call (573) 815-1700.
Copyright © 2009 The Columbia Daily Tribune. All Rights Reserved.
The Columbia Daily Tribune


text:
Wed, 04/18/12
Thu, 05/03/12
Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Seminar
8:00 am - 4:15 pm, 8:00 am - 4:15 pm
Peter Flucke of We Bike, etc. will be teaching a free two-day course for those officers that want to go further in their pedestrian and bicycle safety training.
In this seminar officers will learn about:
- the What, Where, When, How, Who & Why of walking and bicycling
- components of the Highway Safety Triangle
- pedestrian and bicycle environment audits
- how pedestrian & bicycle crashes happen
- pedestrian & bicycle laws
- crash investigating & reporting
- potential law enforcement partners
- and more.
This course is appropriate for all law enforcement officers, however, select officers (e.g., bike patrol, school liaison, FTO, training, neighborhood, shift commanders) will find it particularly useful.
Dates: April
18 - 19 or May 3 - 4
Time: 08:00 - 16:15
Place: MnDOT Central Office, Transportation Bldg
395 John Ireland Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Registration: Send an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com with participant names, departments, E-mail addresses and phone numbers.
Deadline: April 18, 2012
MnDOT Central Office, Transportation Building
395 John Ireland BlvdSaint Paul, MN 55155
See map: Google Maps
Community News
- Mon, 08/01/2016 - 3:16pmJob Posting: Sales Coordinator
- Fri, 07/29/2016 - 11:11amRanking the Saints Ushertainers
- Wed, 07/27/2016 - 3:15pmTwin City Doorways #26
- Tue, 07/26/2016 - 12:34pmReading the Highland Villager #160
- Mon, 07/25/2016 - 1:38pmEnd of the Line for The Terminal Bar's Flem Shows how Dives Are Precious
This is a blog network featuring bloggers who focus on transportation issues, especially bicycling and walking. The views and opinions expressed here are the personal views of the individuals who express them, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the site sponsors or stakeholders.


text:
The Early Bird / Press For Time
The Early Bird
Norman Wisdom plays Norman Pitkin, a milkman from the independent firm of Grimsdale Dairies - proprietor, the ubiquitous Mr Grimsdale (Edward Chapman) - in this, the first of his colour films for Rank. Wisdom and his horse Nellie find themselves up against the might of Consolidated Dairies, a huge impersonal company that wants to crush its inferior rival into the ground. Consolidated's owner is Mr Hunter (Jerry Desmonde) who, together with his senior milkman Austin (Bryan Pringle), does all he can to make the old business bankrupt. Thus it is up to Norman to save the day and show that a good family firm is more important than a vast impersonal corporation.
So much for the political ideology, how about the film itself? Well, if you like Norman Wisdom, you're going to love this one. Critical evaluation of these sorts of films is hardly necessary or worthwhile, as they were never intended to be anything more than crowd-pleasing entertainments, but at the same there's no harm in pointing out where their strengths and failings lie. The Early Bird's chief recommendation is the lush cinematography and the cartoonish, almost dreamlike, quality of many of the slapstick sequences. There is some wonderful modelwork on display, notably in the 'out of control lawnmower' scene, and although obviously unreal, the continuity in terms of colour and texture with the live action work is impressive. Cliff Culley's optical matte effects are also rather wonderful, transforming a Pinewood car park into the vast edifice of Consolidated Dairies.
An important aspect of Norman Wisdom's humour is his emphasis on silent slapstick routines. In The Early Bird we are treated to a ten-minute opening sequence in which Wisdom, Chapman and the buxom Paddie O'Neil (playing Grimsdale's landlady/ladyfriend Gladwys Hoskins) wander around their house in various stages of sleepiness. Cue falling down stairs, bumping into walls and general sleepwalking mayhem. It's a great introduction to the film, helped enormously by Ron Goodwin's catchy music score. Other slapstick routines - such as Wisdom dressing up as a vicar and causing chaos on a golf course, or dressing up as a fireman and causing chaos at Consolidated Dairies - are frenetic, noisy affairs, staged with more emphasis on their visual appeal than on their subtlety.
My favourite scene is when Wisdom and Pringle (a great character actor, inevitably playing the villain or evil henchman) face off against each other in a clever pastiche of a Western film. Six years before Bennie Hill's hit song 'Ernie', all the clichés are in place and the direction on the scene is a joy. There's a simplicity in this, and the rest of the film, that's very appealing.
On the downside - and this is a problem for most star vehicles - the film is nothing more than a series of set pieces, most of them rather clumsily linked. Unlike, say, the team efforts of the Carry Ons, Norman Wisdom storylines (such as they are) are always subservient to the comedy routines. I assume these routines, virtually self-contained sketches, were thought of first and then a story fitted around them. At least that's how it appears. The Early Bird exhibits these qualities, but not to the extent that the other film on this box set does.
In a nutshell, it's superb. Colours are vivid and bright, although not garishly so, and there is virtually no sign of print damage or wear. It's hard to believe that the print is almost forty years old. Unfortunately, just after the opening titles, the picture is zoomed in to 1.33:1 from its original slightly wider picture ratio of 1.66:1. It seems a pity to go to the effort of remastering the film and then presenting it in a truncated format - although for the most part it doesn't affect one's enjoyment, certain scenes, such as the aforementioned Western face off demonstrates that the sides of the picture have been clipped unnecessarily.
The original 2.0 Mono is perfectly acceptable for this sort of film - music, dialogue and the various comedic sound effects come across very clearly. As is the way with a lot of films made before the '70s, much of the location dialogue appears to have been re-dubbed afterwards, so the stilted delivery of these lines is to be expected.
A trailer (2m 26s, 1.85:1 Non-Anamorphic 2.0 Mono) gives away the best moments, so don't watch it before you see the film - I did, and it spoiled the best surprises. A brief Commentary Biography is just an advert for Wisdom's involvement with these new releases. As to the commentary itself, 'comedy historian' Robert Ross is the man chosen to prise the memories from the recalcitrant Wisdom, an activity that at times resembles squeezing blood from a stone. Some interesting anecdotes emerge, but generally the conversation is not scene specific; when Ross does mention something on screen, it is inevitably several minutes after it's happened and Sir Wisdom usually can't remember what he's referring to! Sadly, the star's ageing state of health (he is now 83) seems to affect his vocal delivery and his memory (or perhaps he was always forgetful?) and there are many dry patches.
Press For Time
This time Norman Wisdom plays three roles - incompetent Norman Shields; doddering grandfather, Prime Minister Sir Wilfred Shields; and - in sepia flashbacks - his suffragette mother Emily (!). Wisdom is given the job of journalist on small seaside newspaper The Tinmouth Times, the main job requirement being that it is hundred of miles away from the PM! There he falls in love with Eleanor Lampton (played by the gorgeous Angela Browne, one of the best reasons for watching this film), despite the doe-eyed infatuation of bespectacled Frances White, daughter of Lady Mayoress Mrs Corcoran (Noel Dyson) and Labour Councillor Ernest Corcoran (Derek Francis). Amidst much political wrangling - much of it caused by Wisdom - the diminutive reporter organises a beauty parade that goes spectacularly awry. But all ends well and he ends up with the right girl all along - no prizes for guessing who.
As with the previous film in this double release, Press for Time is nothing more than a series of set pieces. What makes this film less successful is that the set pieces are few and far between, with much of the film consisting of rather mawkish, slow-moving dialogue scenes, a major failing of the comedian's later efforts. Certain moments do stand out, such as the bus chase and the collapsing house, but a lot of this film I found distinctly dull. The picturesque Devon resort of Teignmouth stands in for 'Tinmouth' and, as with The Early Bird, as a social document it's an invaluable record of an older, seemingly simpler, way of life. Like a big-screen Donald McGill postcard, Press for Time is a slice of middle-class 1960s British life preserved forever in aspic. Hard to believe this is the same era in which the Mods and Rockers fought pitched battles on the seafronts of Brighton!
I found Norman Wisdom's character here less likeable than in The Early Bird; he often comes across as causing trouble just for the sake of it, an aspect hinted at in the former film but given full reign here. If I had to put my finger on why Wisdom isn't my favourite comedian, it's that his comedy comes more out of 'conscious irritation' than 'well-intended incompetence'. Laurel and Hardy always try their best despite their inevitable lack of skill, and the same goes for Frank Spencer (Michael Crawford) too - but there's always a suggestion with Norman Wisdom that he's causing mayhem and disaster in an almost wilful mood of rebellion. He means to irritate others, and as such, I find it hard to warm to his character at times.
As with The Early Bird, the colours are vibrant and clear and the film looks as clean and undamaged as if it was shot yesterday. The title sequence is particularly imaginative. There are one or two repeated frames towards the end (presumably to replace frames that contain poor film splices) which I noticed, but probably most people won't. The whole film appears to be presented in its original ratio of 1.33:1.
A trailer (2m 37s, 1.85:1 non-anamorphic 2.0 Mono) is the usual sort of affair, enlivened slightly by Wisdom taking over from the Rank gong-beater at the start - with predictable results.
As with The Early Bird, the 2.0 Mono is perfectly adequate for this sort of film, with dialogue, music and effects clear and sharp throughout.
Norman Wisdom fans will get a kick out of this double set, with the fantastic picture restoration being a big draw for film aficionados in general. Whilst not my favourite comedian, for the reasons outlined above, there is plenty of visual tomfoolery on offer and both films will no doubt amuse children of all ages.
6 out of 10
9 out of 10
7 out of 10
4 out of 10


text:
Date: 01 Jun 2009 00:00 Source: Lloyds List
Genoa based Grandi Navi Veloci has put itself forward as a potential partner for the region of Sardinia to run ferry services
to the island once state carrier Tirrenia is privatised.
Speaking after meeting regional transport director Liliana Lorettu in Sassari, GNV managing director Ariodante Valeri said he "proposed GNV as a future manager of the Tirrenia lines serving Sardinia as part of any public-private joint venture that might succeed Tirrenia".
The Italian government is considering its options as it looks to privatise Tirrenia before the end of the year, and GNV's public declaration of intent is likely to prompt further jockeying for position among the private operators eager to profit from the state carrier's demise.
The move also comes as GNV is seeking to reverse an order from the port authority of northern Sardinia to move from its long-time home in the industrial port of Porto Torres, where it expects to handle 600,000 passengers this year, to a refurbished commercial port.
Until recently, Rome had appeared to favour selling off Tirrenia en bloc to a single buyer after competitive bidding.
Recently, however, it has returned to the possibility of farming out Tirrenia's regional companies, including Saremar, which serves Sardinia, to the regional
While the likes of Sardinia and Campania had long been open to taking over local services, others such as Tuscany were opposed. Opposition has waned, however, precisely as budget cuts in Rome have threatened to bring cuts in Tirrenia's services to the islands.
For GNV, the meeting in Sassari was doubly useful as it seeks to bolster its position in the large and growing Sardinia market.
The company is furious at being forced to transfer from its long-time home in the industrial port in Porto Torres to the new commercial port near the heart of the city.
Mr Valeri says the port authority of northern Sardinia ordered the transfer unilaterally and without warning, and has refused to discuss the issue since.
In response, GNV has filed papers with a regional administrative court requesting the reversal of the port authority order and the restoration of its operating concession at the industrial port.
Corsica Sardinia Ferries has just won a somewhat similar case against the port authority before the same court, involving its right to load and unload its own ships.
Mr Valeri, who cites rudimentary facilities for passengers at the new terminal as well as its dangerous exposure to harsh weather conditions in the winter months, says Ms Lorettu pledged to investigate, adding that he hoped for a favourable
Separately, on Wednesday Mr Valeri met Porto Torres transport director Giacomo Rum, and put GNV forward as a possible partner in a consortium to operate the local cruise and ferry facilities.
Though there may be sound financial reasons for an involvement, GNV's offer is also likely to reinforce the impression locally of the company's potential financial contribution to the area.
Date: 12 April 2015 Source: Stena Line
Travel between Ireland and France with Stena Line and bring an extra person along for FREE when you book with directferries.co.uk!
Date: 17 July 2012 Source: Lloyds List
My Ferry Link, a new Dover Calais ferry service utilising the ships of former cross channel operator SeaFrance is set to launch in August.
Date: 02 July 2012 Source: BBC News
A new law has come into force in France making it compulsory for motorists to carry a breathalyser kit in their vehicles or risk an on-the-spot fine.
Date: 12 June 2012 Source: BBC
Assets of liquidated ferry operator SeaFrance have been awarded to Eurotunnel in a €65m deal that will result on three of the ferries heading back into operation.
Date: 07 June 2012 Source: BBC News
Cross Channel ferry companies have reported a rise in day trippers heading to France to take advantage of the euro weakening against the pound.
Date: 16 January 2012 Source: BBC
P&O Ferries is set to take delivery of the Spirit of France - the second of their super ferries for use on the popular Dover Calais route.
Date: 10 January 2012 Source: Lloyds List
DFDS and LD Lines are planning to launch a new Dover Calais ferry service following the demise of Seafrance.
Date: 03 January 2012 Source: Daily Echo
There'll be an increase in the number of sailings from Poole ferry port to the Channel Islands in 2012.
Date: 05 December 2011 Source: Stena Line.
Travel to Holland in 2012 with Stena Line on their Harwich Hook of Holland ferry service from just £59 each way by car.
Date: 29 November 2011 Source: BBC Kent
A second terminal at Dover ferry port, which could double the port's capacity, has been approved by the government.


text:
The Athega system contained the planet Nkllon. Because of the system's extremely hot star, the system was off-limits until Lando Calrissian, backed by the New Republic, led an expedition to Nkllon to mine its mineral rich surface.
- Heir to the Empire (First appearance)
- The Last Command
- The Force Unleashed II novel
- Heir to the Empire Sourcebook
- The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
- The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons
- ""Statue" quo à Sluis Van"—Casus Belli 89 (Mentioned only)
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 40 (Shieldship)
- Shieldship in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org)
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- The Essential Atlas (As Nkllon system)
- Star Wars: The Essential Atlas Online Companion on StarWars.com (article) (backup link on Archive.org) (As Nkllon system)


text:
3 Min Read
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House counsel Harriet Miers, whose controversial nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court was withdrawn, announced her resignation on Thursday effective at the end of the month.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said President George W. Bush had reluctantly accepted the resignation of his long-time aide after six years at the White House, including almost two years as his top lawyer.
"She put 12 years of service into six years," said Snow.
A Texan, Miers, 61, was part of the core group of loyal aides that Bush brought with him to Washington from his home state in early 2001.
"It is hard to leave the tasks at hand," Miers said in a resignation letter to the president. "They are gravely important, and I shall miss greatly the arena in which the battles of our time are being fought."
Bush nominated Miers to fill an opening on the Supreme Court in October 2005, but many of Bush's conservative allies questioned her lack of judicial experience and her independence, forcing her to withdraw her name from consideration less than a month later.
Bush ultimately filled the position with Samuel Alito, who gained Senate confirmation for the job and is currently sitting on the high court.
Snow said a search was under way for a replacement for Miers.
He said Miers had been discussing leaving with White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten for some time.
"And the two of them agreed ... that it was time for a change in the office of legal counsel, but Harriet is one of the most beloved people here at the White House," he said.
The extremely loyal Miers included gushing praise for the president in her resignation letter.
"I leave the White House with immense appreciation for your leadership of our country in the most trying of times," she wrote.
Miers' future plans were unclear. Before joining the Bush administration, Miers was a lawyer in private practice for 27 years in Dallas. She handled business cases and acted as then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush's personal lawyer.
Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria


text: Wat Phra Borom That, Nakhon Chum, Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand. The temple situated in the centre of Mueang Nakhon Chum (Kamphaeng Phet ancient town) featuring a Burmese-style Chedi. The Chedi itself is believed to originally have been a Sukhothai-type structure, its style having been altered during a restoration work financed by a wealthy Burmese about a century ago.


text:
The Ohio Utilities Protection Service (O.U.P.S.) provides a state-of-the-art call center that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to answer calls from anyone who intends to dig in the State of Ohio. Visit www.oups.org for more information on this service, or call (800) 362-2764 before you dig.
The American Public Works Association encourages public agencies, utilities, contractors, other associations, manufacturers and all others involved in excavation to adopt the ULCC Uniform Color Code using ANSI standard Z53.1 safety colors as shown below.
Red: Electric power lines, cables, conduit and lighting cables.
Yellow: Gas, oil, steam, petroleum or gaseous materials.
Orange: Communication, alarm or signal lines, cables or conduit.
Blue: Potable water.
Purple: Reclaimed water, irrigation and slurry lines.
Green: Sewers and drain lines.
Pink: Temporary survey markings.
White: Proposed excavating.


text:
A surge of energy and adrenaline pulsated through Palos Verdes girls water polo player Ellie D'Ambra as she prepared for the second half.
Palos Verdes was locked in a tense battle with Upland in the CIF Southern Section Division III quarterfinals, and D'Ambra made sure PV punched its ticket to the semifinals.
She scored four of her team-leading five goals in the second half and the Sea Kings surged to a 10-8 victory Saturday over visiting Upland.
PV (19-9) advanced to its first semifinal since capturing the 2009 CIF crown and will take on Harvard-Westlake on Wednesday at the William Woollett Center in Irvine.
D'Ambra said she had complete confidence in her team.
"We are such a fast and strong team and we're able to push through all four quarters," D'Ambra said. "We knew the game was tied, but we knew it was our time to take over."
Upland (22-9) had taken a 5-4 lead when Morgan Hage converted a 6-on-5 power play, but D'Ambra then took over.
D'Ambra scored the equalizer just 19 seconds later, then scored on a 5-meter penalty shot for a 6-5 lead.
PV then gained some separation in the final minute of the third quarter.
Kendyl Johnson took a strong outlet pass from D'Ambra and scored on a breakaway for a 7-5 lead, and Kirsten Gargas came up with a key goal for an 8-5 advantage.
D'Ambra added two goals in the fourth quarter to give PV enough of a cushion to hold on for the win.
"I didn't let what they were doing affect me," D'Ambra said. "I just took a deep breath and pushed through. We weren't tired at all. We were amped. And everyone fulfilled their role. Everyone fed off that fire."
Goalkeeper Carley Radov came up big, particularly in the first half with Upland threatening to break the game open.
Radov made eight first-half saves and finished with 11.
"You have to keep telling yourself to buy in," Radov said. "At the end of the day, believing is the difference between maybe winning CIF or even just a game."
Radov credited D'Ambra for giving PV the power to believe.
"Ellie is one of those elite kind of players," Radov said. "We're both co-captains, but she's the one who leads in the field. I like how she amped up everyone and how she can take control of the team.
"You have to put on a face for the team and she's so positive."
PV faced a 4-2 deficit in the first half as Alison Ford and Britt Harris each scored twice for Upland. But PV answered in the closing minutes of the first half with goals by Johnson and Kate Roan, who finished with two each.
PV coach Pat O'Brien liked the feistiness from his team but said it did not come as a surprise.
"These girls have been through the gambit in the regular season, playing tough teams, close games and even going quadruple overtime," O'Brien said. "They were ready for anything."
O'Brien had just led the PV boys to a semifinal in his first season this past fall. But this quarterfinal victory might have been his signature win in his three seasons as girls coach.
"This is a huge win, and this is so great for the girls because of how hard they worked," O'Brien said. "It's good for our program to be in this position, and it's nice these girls can work so hard and it pays off like this. This is why you work hard."
It carried significance for D'Ambra as well.
D'Ambra was a freshman starter on the 2009 team that won CIF. And after a pair of quick postseason exits in the rugged Division I playoffs, D'Ambra said it was validating to make this run in her senior year.
"It feels great, especially because we've had such a big gap since we've been this far," D'Ambra said. "It shows how much we've worked for this.
"Before, I was definitely part of the team, but this time I feel like I'm leading the team. It's a step up. We've had so many years of training, we were ready to take this."