2008: March 13th Good News ( EPA imposes tighter smog regulations, WWF Earth Hour March 29, 8pm, more...)

Good Morning everyone,
Well today I noticed the EPA tightened its standards for emmissions. This is great news. It made me want to focus solely on green issues today. As you will see, that is exactly what I did. I also found out, through my green search this morning that on 29 March there is a global Earth Hour planned for 8pm (wherever you are local) in which the World Wild Life Foundation is asking people to turn off their electricity for 1 hour. (See below for one of many articles related to this topic).
There was also an interactive article put out by MSNBC (viewable here: (the article) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23596727/ ; and here (the survey) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23358591/ )
which I did not include, but which some of you may wish to check out.

Anyway, I encourage everyone to do their part in helping the world go greener. I have included several articles about eco-friendly actions we are all doing or about to do (events) presently. :) Enjoy the articles and I'll be back with more tomorrow.




Today's Top 5 Environmental Articles:
1. Environmental Agency Tightens Smog Standards (New York Times)
2. WhiteWave Foods Company Greens Natural Products Expo West for Third Consecutive Year (Earth Times)
3. CollaborateMD Announces Annual ``Plant a Tree by Going ASP'' Program (Earth Times)
4. Seattle's Taxis Going Green? (Seattle Times)
5. Earth Hour Promotion Turns Heads in Brisbane (Brisbane Times)




Honorable Mention Environmental Articles:
1. Office Depot Joins with Delray Beach to Host City's First-Ever ''GREEN'' St. Patrick's Day Parade (Earth Times)
2. Fines of up to $500 for Motorists Possible Under New Chicago Bicycle Ordinance (Chicago Tribune)
3. Free Bra Fittings to Aid Cancer (Seattle Times)
4. Kanu Project Planting Trees in Public Settings (Honolulu Advertiser)
5. Saving Energy is a Bright Idea (San Francisco Chronicles)







1. Environmental Agency Tightens Smog Standards
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/washington/13enviro.html?_r=1&oref=sloginEnvironmental
By MATTHEW L. WALD
Published: March 13, 2008

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency announced a modest tightening of the smog standard on Wednesday evening, overruling the unanimous advice of its scientific advisory council for a more protective standard.
Skip to next paragraph Enlarge This Image Monica Almeida/The New York TimesTens of millions of people live in counties that do not meet the federal requirements for air quality. Smog over Los Angeles. The administrator, Stephen L. Johnson, said that by law he was forbidden to consider costs in setting the standard, but urged Congress to change the law so future administrators could do just that.
The standard, stated in terms of average concentrations of ozone at ground level over an eight-hour period, is now 84 parts per billion. Mr. Johnson’s decision, if it survives court review, would lower that to 75, although implementation could be decades away. Late last year a scientific advisory panel recommended 60 to 70 parts per billion.
“I’ve made the most health-protective eight-hour ozone decision in the nation’s history,” said Mr. Johnson. The Clean Air Act requires periodic review, and the announcement Wednesday updates a standard from 1997.
But John M. Balbus, a physician and the chief health scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, said, “Clearly at some point you get to a level where additional benefits just aren’t worth it, but I don’t think we’re there at 75.”
“The E.P.A.’s own risk estimates show that between 75 and 70, there will be hundreds more deaths and thousands more visits to emergency rooms, and hundreds of thousands of more lost school days,” he said.
Regardless of which figure was chosen Wednesday, tens of millions of people live in counties that do not meet the current standard of 84. And the timetable for meeting the new one could be decades, depending on the severity of the problem, city by city.
Places that violate the current standards include Southern and Central California, the Houston, Dallas and Atlanta areas, and a swath of counties from the Washington, D.C., area through central Massachusetts.
E.P.A. figures for 2004 to 2006 show there were 166 counties around the country that could have met a standard of 75 parts per billion but not 70. They include populous ones, like Miami-Dade in Florida, King County in Washington, and the Bronx in New York.
In all, 345 counties now violate the standard of 75 parts per billion. Bringing them into compliance would prevent 900 to 1,100 premature deaths a year, according to the agency, and result in 5,600 fewer hospital or emergency room visits. Reaching the standard will cost $8.8 billion a year, according to the agency, but the figure does not take account of health benefits.
Counties that cannot meet the standard face the threat of limits on new highways and industries. Technically the administrator set a standard on ground-level ozone, which is the main ingredient of smog. Ozone is formed by the action of sunlight on two kinds of pollutants, volatile organic compounds, which come from gasoline and various industrial processes, and nitrogen oxides, which are produced in cars and power plants. Ground-level ozone is also a greenhouse gas.
While many groups and elected officials complained, not all the complaints were in the same direction. The Edison Electric Institute, the trade association of the investor-owned utilities, said in a statement that the precise relationship between ozone and human health was still the subject of scientific dispute.
“E.P.A. is promising health benefits that people may never receive, even though they’ll end up paying for them at the pump and through higher energy bills,” said a statement from John Kinsman, the utility group’s senior director for the environment. “Hundreds of counties haven’t been able to meet the current standard set a decade ago, and moving the goal posts again will inflict economic hardship on these areas without speeding air quality improvement.”
But others said the Bush administration was setting its sights too low.
“It will be close to a decade from now before the first ounce of pollution is reduced by any industry,” said S. William Becker, executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, whose members are state and local officials.
“That decade is an eternity in terms of technological advancement,” Mr. Becker said.
The debate in coming days is likely to center on why Mr. Johnson chose a number outside the range recommended by his 23-member scientific advisory board.
Representative Henry A. Waxman, Democrat of California and head of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, told Mr. Johnson in a letter that the decision was similar to one in 2006 to overrule a recommended standard on fine particles. The decisions “suggest that science is not the primary basis for your decisions,” he wrote, asking for an explanation.




2. WhiteWave Foods Company Greens Natural Products Expo West for Third Consecutive Year
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/whitewave-foods-company-greens-natural-products-expo-west-for-third,313753.shtml
Posted : Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:27:42
GMT Author : CO-WHITEWAVE-FOODS

BROOMFIELD, Colo. - (Business Wire) WhiteWave Foods Company (WWFC), maker of Horizon Organic® and Silk® Soymilk, announced today that, in partnership with New Hope Natural Media, it will offset the environmental impact of The Natural Products Expo West with wind energy for the third consecutive year. To do so, WWFC is purchasing enough Green Tags, or renewable energy certificates, from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) to cover all of the energy used to power the 300,000-square-foot Anaheim Convention Center.
Green Tags help “green the grid” by replacing the power produced from burning fossil fuels like coal and natural gas with clean, renewable wind energy. Wind power is an affordable energy source that does not cause pollution, generate waste, or deplete natural resources. With the purchase at Expo West, which totals 690 megawatt-hours of wind energy, WWFC will offset more than 517 tons of climate-altering carbon dioxide emissions.
Greening Expo West is one way in which WWFC honors its commitment to sustainability. WWFC also uses clean wind energy to offset 100 percent of the power used at its corporate headquarters and both Silk Soymilk and Horizon Organic purchase wind energy credits to help offset the energy used to produce their products. To date, the company’s renewable energy purchases are the environmental equivalent of eliminating nearly 150,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions or taking 38,059 cars off the road for one full year.
“At WhiteWave Foods, we want to create a new, sustainable business model for the food industry. Greening Expo West is an initiative that aligns with that goal,” said Joseph E. Scalzo, President and CEO of WWFC. “We’re always looking to make better, more sustainable choices in everything we do. As regular attendees of Expo, and long-time supporters of renewable energy, we feel it’s fitting to continue to make this commitment and are proud to do so.”
Both Silk and Horizon Organic have maintained a rich tradition of nurturing the body while also nurturing the planet. This spring, Silk will bring back its very successful “Green Caps for Green Energy” program. “Green Caps” is a simple way for people to actively participate in creating a cleaner environment. Consumers who purchase Silk products with green-colored caps visit SilkSoymilk.com to enter the Universal Product Code (UPC) number. For every number entered, Silk will donate 30 kilowatt-hours in Green Tags. Over the course of the three-month program, the brand hopes to provide enough wind energy to power 20,000 homes for an entire year.
Horizon Organic nurtures the planet with its use of sustainable organic farming practices. Since it was founded in 1991, Horizon Organic has converted 250,000 acres of land to organic production. In 2007, the brand’s use of organic agriculture prevented the use of more than 17 million pounds of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Horizon Organic, a pioneer in the organic movement, currently works with nearly 450 family farms and is helping another 100 farms convert to organic.
This year at Expo West, Horizon Organic will sample three new lowfat yogurt flavors – Maple, Blackberry and Vanilla Bean – as well as Lactose-Free Milk, and Silk will be offering a tasting bar of its entire product line-up.
ABOUT SILK
Silk Soymilk was launched in 1996 and is the best-selling soymilk brand in the country. Not only do Silk products taste delicious, a cup of Silk contains as much calcium as a cup of milk and is loaded with soy protein, which when consumed as a part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. Silk is available in virtually all major supermarket chains and the complete product line includes a number of varieties and flavors to meet specific tastes and nutritional needs. For more information, visit http://www.silksoymilk.com/.
ABOUT HORIZON ORGANIC
Horizon Organic, founded in 1991, was the first certified organic dairy to distribute products nationally in the United States. The company remains true to its vision for a more organic planet, purchasing milk from 450 certified organic dairy farms and providing certified organic dairy products to natural foods retailers and supermarkets across the country. Horizon Organic products are produced without the use of antibiotics, added growth hormones or harmful pesticides and always will be. That’s the organic promise from our farmers to consumers. For more information on the growing world of organic, visit http://www.horizonorganic.com/.
About the Bonneville Environmental Foundation
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation, a non-profit organization, was established in 1998 to restore watershed ecosystems and further the development and use of new renewable energy resources. Through revenues generated from the sales of green power products, BEF funds projects that restore damaged watersheds and support new renewable energy projects from solar, wind and biomass. BEF pioneered the sale of Green Tags in 2000 and has helped establish national standards for certification and trading. More information is available on the web at http://www.greentagsusa.org/.
WhiteWave Foods CompanyLuana Hancock, 303-635-4448luana.hancock@whitewave.com




3. CollaborateMD Announces Annual ``Plant a Tree by Going ASP'' Program
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/collaboratemd-announces-annual-plant-a-tree-by-going-asp-program,313740.shtml
Posted : Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:23:47
GMT Author : FL-COLLABORATEMD

ORLANDO, Fla. - (Business Wire) CollaborateMD, a leading provider of Internet-based medical billing software for physician offices and medical billing services, today announced their “Plant a Tree by Going ASP” program. The program is being conducted in cooperation with American Forests, the nation’s oldest nonprofit citizen’s conservation organization.
“Our customers are already saving money on electricity and excess paper and are helping reduce carbon emissions from servers by using our Web-based system, but we wanted to go one step further to help the environment,” said Douglas Kegler, president and founder, CollaborateMD. “Of course, the trees are not only an effective means for absorbing and storing the carbon we emit, they also help cool the environment, produce oxygen, and provide a home for birds and other wildlife.”
CollaborateMD will begin the program by donating money to American Forest to purchase 3,000 trees, one for each active user on its system. In addition, CollaborateMD will purchase another 500 trees to help offset the company’s estimated carbon dioxide output this year. CollaborateMD will repeat the program at the beginning of each year.
Since 1875, American Forests has been working to protect, restore and enhance the natural resource of trees and forests, planting trees in over 500 projects that span every state in the U.S. as well as 21 countries worldwide. Every dollar donated will pay to plant one tree in one of the many projects American Forests has underway and will help the organization reach its goal to plant 100 million trees by 2020. For more information on American Forests or to donate, go to http://www.americanforests.org/.
For more information on the “Plant a Tree by Going ASP” program visit www.collaboratemd.com/plantatree.
About CollaborateMD
Established in 1999 and headquartered in Orlando, Fla., CollaborateMD provides physicians and medical billing services with a HIPAA-compliant, Internet-based medical billing software and electronic medical records application that have the speed of a local PC and the “use anywhere” flexibility of a Web browser application. CollaborateMD products are 100 percent Java applications utilizing Sun Microsystems Java Platform. CollaborateMD offers physician offices and medical billing services the opportunity to become more efficient and flexible. For more information, visit: http://www.collaboratemd.com/ or call 888-348-8457.
CollaborateMD, OrlandoJP Underhill, 407-404-5297pr@collaboratemd.com





4. Seattle's Taxis Going Green?http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004279314_greentaxi13m.htmlBy Sharon Pian ChanSeattle Times staff reporterThursday, March 13, 2008 - Page updated at 12:31 AM
Greg Nickels' proposal includes switching to fuel-efficient taxis.
To reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels proposed Wednesday that all of the city's taxis get at least 30 miles per gallon.
Most of the 643 cabs in the city average 18 miles per gallon, and the mayor said upping fuel efficiency could cut the cabs' carbon emissions by 40 percent.
"It doesn't matter if your cab is orange, yellow or gray. We think they should be green," Nickels said.
City Council approval is required to make the change, and council President Richard Conlin said he likes the proposal.
Ford Crown Victorias make up most of Seattle's cabs, and as taxis they last three to seven years. As the cars are retired, the city would only issue new licenses for fuel-efficient vehicles. Nickels wants the switch to take place by 2013.
Nickels is not proposing a specific type of car, although he featured a Toyota Prius hybrid at his news conference under the Space Needle. He said cities such as Chicago, San Francisco and New York already have made their taxi fleets more green.
Nickels also wants to increase the number of cabs in Seattle by 50 percent. The current cap on taxi licenses is 667, and he proposed raising it to 1,000.
Cab owners criticized the mayor's proposal, saying it would hurt the small-business owners.
Driver Gurminder Kahlon, who owns his taxi, said, "It is very difficult for a driver to buy a $25,000 car."
"There is a recession, and Sound Transit opens next year." He was referring to the start of light-rail service between downtown and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which could cut into the taxi business.
Nickels said the city would work with banks to provide special lending programs for cab owners as they buy new vehicles. He also said he would discuss raising fares to help offset the cost of new cars.
City officials estimated taxi owners could save $10,000 in gas over three years if they make the switch. Kahlon said the savings may not cover higher maintenance costs for hybrid vehicles.
Several taxi drivers at the news conference who lease their cars said they supported the proposal. They said issuing more licenses would expand opportunities for them to own and license cabs, and the legislation would prohibit owners from shifting costs to drivers.
Nickels emphasized the importance of the cab industry as an economic foothold for immigrants. Eighty-nine percent of the city's cab drivers were born outside the U.S., he said.
Bashi Hassan, a driver who leases his cab, said the mayor's proposal is a "fabulous idea for economics, the environment" and driver protection.
King County started a program to protect the cab drivers' right to form a labor union and to promote green technology, but it was stopped in February by a restraining order after the license-bidding process was challenged. The county is seeking new proposals for licenses.
Sharon Pian Chan: 206-464-2958 or schan@seattletimes.com



5. Earth Hour Promotion Turns Heads in Brisbane
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland/earth-hour-promotion-turns-heads-in-brisbane/2008/03/13/1205126070740.html
March 13, 2008 - 11:45AM

Two weeks before the inaugural Earth Hour arrives in Brisbane, the climate change initiative, led by the World Wildlife Fund, is turning heads throughout the city’s CBD.
A sea of black flags has sprung up at various locations from the Regatta Hotel through to the Story Bridge, urging people to take part in the unique worldwide event.
Earth Hour asks Queenslanders to turn off their lights for one hour at 8pm on March 29.
The event is part of a campaign to encourage businesses, communities and individuals to take simple steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
To date, more than 100,000 people have signed up as Earth Hour supporters, with 7000 businesses pledging to switch off their lights on the night.
In Queensland, about 2500 individuals are official supporters of the initiative, along with about 250 businesses.
Those numbers are expected to increase rapidly as the night draws nearer.
“We must increase our efforts in addressing climate change and the time to act is now,” said WWF spokesman Nick Heath said.
“Reducing the world’s emissions is a shared responsibility. Each city needs to commit to reducing its carbon output and every single person has a role to play.”
Many of Australia’s most treasured natural wonders are threatened by climate change, including Queensland’s iconic Great Barrier Reef.
“We need ongoing and broad community support to make a real difference to the problem of global warming and to protect special ecosystems such as the reef,” Mr Heath said.
Last year, more than two million Sydney residents joined Earth Hour, resulting in an impressive 10.2 per cent drop in energy usage across the usually glittering CBD.



Honorable Mention:

1. Office Depot Joins with Delray Beach to Host City's First-Ever ''GREEN'' St. Patrick's Day Parade
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/office-depot-joins-with-delray-beach-to-host-citys-first-ever,313616.shtml
Posted : Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:50:54 GMT
Author : FL-OFFICE-DEPOT

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. - (Business Wire) Office Depot® (NYSE:ODP), a leading global provider of office products and services, is partnering with the City of Delray Beach to highlight ways to “be green” this St. Patrick’s Day. Office Depot, a 20-year plus South Florida neighbor with its global headquarters in Delray Beach, is the presenting sponsor of the 40th annual Delray Beach St. Patrick’s Day GREEN Parade on Saturday, March 15. The parade and surrounding festivities will take place on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach with the GREEN parade beginning at 1pm.
“Office Depot and the City of Delray Beach have a long history of partnering with each other for the betterment of the community,” said Delray Beach Mayor Rita Ellis. “I am proud to stand beside Office Depot to once again offer the residents of this great city something innovative, educational and, now, environmentally sustainable. Office Depot is a great global corporate citizen, and one that we are honored to call our neighbor.”
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade, a tradition in Delray Beach since 1968, will, for the first time, have an environmental focus and showcase the many ways that businesses and consumers can be green. Office Depot is an industry leader in “green” product and service offerings and has an environmental vision to “increasingly buy green, be green and sell green.” In fact, Office Depot is bringing a variety of environmentally friendly activities to this year’s St. Patrick’s Day GREEN Parade, including:
-- Office Depot will drive its fuel-efficient Sprinter delivery truck in the parade. The vehicle is 40% more fuel efficient than the typical “box” truck and, on average, gets 15 or more miles to the gallon. In 2005, Office Depot began transitioning the Company’s fleet of delivery vehicles to Sprinter trucks and subsequently reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 9.4%, while cutting costs.
-- Office Depot’s Director of Environmental Strategy Yalmaz Siddiqui will speak during the parade and provide attendees with tips and product recommendations to help them create a Greener Office™ and a greener home.
-- A wide array of environmentally-preferable products from the Company’s new Office Depot Green brand will be on display in the parade’s exhibit area. A complete overview of Office Depot’s environmental initiatives is available online here (http://mediarelations.officedepot.cc/environment/factsheet.asp), and an assortment of Office Depot Green products is available at www.officedepot.com/buygreen.
“South Florida is our home and Office Depot has been taking care of business here for more than twenty years,” said Office Depot Regional Vice President of Florida Stores Ken Feher. “We are excited to partner with Delray Beach and sponsor the St. Patrick’s Day GREEN Parade and we look forward to a wonderful event that will help showcase the importance of preserving the environment.”
About Office Depot
Every day, Office Depot is Taking Care of Business for millions of customers around the globe. For the local corner store as well as Fortune 500 companies, Office Depot provides products and services to its customers through more than 1,600 worldwide retail stores, a dedicated sales force, top-rated catalogs and a $4.9 billion e-commerce operation. Office Depot has annual sales of approximately $15.5 billion, and employs about 49,000 associates around the world. The Company provides more office products and services to more customers in more countries than any other company, and currently sells to customers directly or through affiliates in 43 countries.
Office Depot’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Additional press information can be found at http://mediarelations.officedepot.com/. Background materials specific to Office Depot’s environmental initiatives are available at http://mediarelations.officedepot.cc/environment.
Office Depot, Delray BeachPublic Relations:Melissa Perlman, 561-438-0704Melissa.Perlman@officedepot.com



2. Fines of up to $500 for Motorists Possible Under New Chicago Bicycle Ordinance
Council outlaws 'dooring,' among other hazards
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-chicago-bicycle-law-webmar13,0,4966178.story
8:52 PM CDT, March 12, 2008
By Azam Ahmed and Gary Washburn Tribune reporters

The Chicago City Council approved an ordinance Wednesday to levy big fines on motorists who turn left or right in front of someone on a bicycle; pass with less than 3 feet of space between the car and a bike; or open a vehicle door into the path of a cyclist. Fines for violations range from $150 to $500.
When a motorist flings a door open in front of a cyclist passing in the bike lane, Chicago bikers call it a "dooring" and often just charge it to the cost of riding in a big city.
As of Wednesday, the City Council calls it illegal and will charge motorists anywhere from $150 to $500 for each violation.
The anti-dooring legislation joined a pack of other bike-friendly laws passed by the council Wednesday.
The laws impose fines on motorists who turn left or right in front of someone on a bicycle; pass with less than 3 feet of space between car and bike; or park in or otherwise obstruct marked bike lanes.
"We are committed to making Chicago the most bicycle-friendly city in the country, and safety is a very critical part of the plan," Mayor Richard Daley said after the council passed the measure. "More than 6,000 crashes between bicycles and motor vehicles were reported in Chicago between 2001 and 2005. Unfortunately, 30 bicyclists were killed. These new laws will help prevent injuries and save lives."
As the measure passed without debate, some bikers and motorists had questions. Chief among them: Outside of the parking ordinance, how does the city enforce the new laws if a police officer doesn't witness a violation and there is no accident to report?
Bike enthusiast Amy Peurrung posed the bikers' quandary: "What are you going to do? Make a citizens' arrest?"
"It's hard to enforce unless there is an actual incident, because you really don't have any proof," Police spokeswoman Monique Bond acknowledged. "It's more to raise an awareness to take bicycle safety seriously."
For that, the measure was roundly applauded by biking organizations, bike shops, bikers and even a few motorists.
"This ordinance is so exciting because in many of the cases the laws aren't there," noted Rob Sadowsky, executive director of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation. "These are really important changes that we think will make it safer for bicyclists."
Daniel Corn, who helps organize the monthly Critical Mass biking event, has been riding in Chicago for 10 years and knows what the sharp edge of a vehicle's door feels like.
Corn said he doubts police will be writing many tickets over the bike ordinance, but he likes "the fact that the city is recognizing the dangers for bikers and doing something to raise public awareness."
Several bicyclists and their supporters questioned the usefulness of the new laws.
The law banning cars from making turns in front of bikes "seems, honestly, kind of marginal," said Mark Mattei, owner of the Cycle Smithy bicycle shop in Lincoln Park. "That means if a car is making a right turn on a red light, the driver has to watch the traffic passing, watch for pedestrians crossing and then sort of look back over his shoulder to see if a bike is coming anywhere from 2 to 22 miles per hour."
Mattei questioned the provision that states no car can pass a bike within less than 3 feet of space between them.
"That seems like a difficult thing," he said. "Who can measure the distance between two moving objects in a second?"
Mattei also said the law should call for shared responsibility among cyclists too, though all-in-all he felt its passage was a good thing.
"If they're totally draconian about it, they'll get an uprising from motorists," he said. "But if they're laissez-faire, they won't be protecting bicyclists."
Meta Rose Torchia, who works in real estate and is constantly in the car, said she felt the city needed more bike laws. Though not an avid bike rider herself and never a city cyclist, she said she understands the need for legislation.
"It will make people more careful, which they should be," Torchia said. "I usually look behind me when I open the door. But I've had a couple of close calls."
The issue of bike safety was highlighted in February when a cyclist was hit and killed by a sport-utility vehicle during an unofficial street race. Witnesses said the accident took place when a group of riders competing in the "Tour Da Chicago" attempted to ride through an intersection against a red light.
After passage of the new laws, Daley, who said cyclists and drivers must "respect one another," was asked about the controversial behavior of some bike messengers.
"The bike messengers are a breed unto themselves," Daley said, smiling as he spoke. "I got to meet a lot of them so I know a lot of them. They've got a job to do, and like anything else, they are respecting the laws on the road and all that, and the rules."
After his defense of messengers, the mayor added: "You have to be careful if you are reckless."




3. Free Bra Fittings to Aid Cancer Fundhttp://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004279236_here13m.html
Thursday, March 13, 2008 - Page updated at 12:00 AM

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world's largest grass-roots network of breast-cancer survivors and activists, will benefit from an event Friday and Saturday at the Bellevue Square Nordstrom. Women are invited to receive a complimentary fitting for a bra from a Wacoal fit specialist for bras made by Wacoal, DKNY Underwear or Donna Karan Intimates. Wacoal will donate $2 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for every woman who participates and $2 for every bra purchased at the event.
Participants can also sign up for a monthly e-mail reminder to do a breast self-exam. The fittings are Friday and Saturday.





4. Kanu Project Planting Trees in Public Settings http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Mar/13/ln/hawaii803130333.htmlPosted on: Thursday, March 13, 2008In an effort to raise awareness about climate change and the need for native plants in public settings, Rep. Cynthia Thielen is planting trees throughout her district.The Kanu Project has planted two milo trees so far at St. John Vianney and at Kainalu Elementary schools this month. Thielen, R-50th (Kailua, Kane'ohe Bay), said she wants to plant one tree at each school in her district and hopes to broaden the program's reach beyond Kailua and Kane'ohe.Kanu means to plant, and the project is working with a Native Hawaiian plant nursery that has identified trees best suited for Thielen's district. They are kou, kukui and milo."Planting trees is an excellent way to teach children about the importance of offsetting carbon reductions," she said. "By focusing on native plants and educating students on their care, usage and mythological associations, we help to strengthen our community's Hawaiian heritage."Anyone wishing to participate in the program should call Thielen's office at 586-6480.


5. Saving Energy is a Bright Idea
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/12/BA29VI795.DTL
Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Hamlin School fifth-grader Gabi Alias holds a compact fluorescent lightbulb over her head Tuesday as her class gives away energy-saving bulbs in front of San Francisco's Ferry Building to support the World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour, which asks people worldwide to turn off lights at 8 p.m. March 29.