Radiation or Radioactivity – Whats the Difference?

Posted on May 26, 2012 by DavidEnv

Mainstream news stories almost always confuse the very different terms Radiation (like x-rays) and Radioactive (physical materials; fallout), which are significantly distinct things.

Radiation Harm Chart

Radiation (which is emitted From radioactive materials)

    only affects things locally, very locally. While —

Radioactive material (“fallout” in form of dust, water and air)

    can spread through the air, rivers and oceans emitting ionizing radiation all the way around the world.

Here are examples of correct and incorrect usage of the two terms:

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You Can’t Pave Your Way Out of Congestion !

Posted on March 29, 2012 by DavidEnv

Traffic Congestion – Kenya


“Building more lanes to cure congestion

is like loosening your belt to cure obesity.”

1) There is now overwhelming evidence, including a nationwide study of 70 metropolitan areas over 15 years (Texas Transportation Institute), and another California specific study (Hansen 1995, which included Monterey County) that when an area is congested – additional lanes or roads do not provide congestion relief.

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Posted in Environmental Science, Rationale | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Silence is Golden © Copyright David Dilworth 2002

Posted on March 21, 2012 by DavidEnv

Silence

Silence

Silence is a subject very different from noise.

Noise is unwanted sound, while Silence is a valuable positive phenomena (not a resource) which can and should be protected.

Silence can be mapped as areas enjoying continuous periods where no man-made sounds are apparent (none exceed 35 dBA).

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Encyclopedia of Life

Posted on March 14, 2012 by DavidEnv

“Global access to knowledge about life on Earth”

Biodiversity

Biodiversity

Encyclopedia of Life is a vision by E.O Wilson to document the best available science about the diversity of life on our planet.

As of this writing it includes pages on 938,658 separate species.

Working kind of like Wikipedia for Biodiversity you can look up almost any species, and those species where information is lacking – you can add it to help.

So give it a try and look up your favorite animal — or tree. Encyclopedia of Life

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Stopping Massive Needless Forest Destruction – One Voice made the Difference

Posted on March 7, 2012 by DavidEnv

Here’s an article published in the gossip column (“Professor Toro” is a pen name) of the local daily November 3, 2007

It could inspire you to see how a single person who is right and speaks out can win against “all the kings men” (Lawyers, Fire Chiefs, Elected officials and bureaucrats and their audience filled with supporters) saying “you’re wrong.”

_________________

“Well, that’s one way to prevent forest fires”

by Professor Toro

Last Updated: 11/03/2007 01:39:34 AM PDT

Local fire officials credit environmental activist David Dilworth with catching botched language in a rewrite of rural fire safety rules. Dilworth, executive director of Helping Our Peninsula’s Environment, spotted the blooper in a 24-page ordinance that went before directors of the Pebble Beach Community Services District last week to incorporate new state fire codes. As written, the new law would have required property owners to remove combustible vegetation within 100 feet of their homes or to their property lines — whichever is greater.

The way Dilworth saw it, that would lead to widespread denuding of the natural flora in the Del Monte Forest — Monterey pines, endangered flowers and the like — from property line to property line.

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Monterey Peninsula Faces Water Poisoning Threat From Anti-Science Fluoridation Activists

Posted on February 23, 2012 by DavidEnv

(c) Copyright 2001-2012 David Dilworth 

Monterey County’s so-called “Health Department” in 2003 was taking steps to put a rat poison, called fluoride, in our Peninsula’s drinking water supply as directed by a recent and extremely controversial state law that was passed rapidly with little debate.

We want you to be aware of the best available science on Water Fluoridation and have included links to four powerful articles and links to a dozen articles in mainstream media.

They illustrate four important points —

  • Fluoride is not safe. Fluoride is highly poisonous, dangerous and even deadly. Fluoride is not a nutrient or a vitamin.
  • Water Fluoridation damages teeth (mottling) in some 30% of children.
  • Drinking Fluoridated water, at its very best, has only a tiny statistical benefit on tooth decay, but likely no actual physical benefit.
  • Applying Fluoride paste to teeth is dramatically different than drinking fluoridated water.

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Death of a Single Individual of an ESA Listed Species is a Significant CEQA Impact

Posted on February 23, 2012 by DavidEnv

Death of a Single Individual of an ESA Listed Species is a Significant CEQA Impact

Copyright 2004-2012 David J. Dilworth

Ordinarily California agency planners and staff are allowed to use their personal judgment about whether a project has a “significant environmental impact” under California’s Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Due to a lack of standards and training and pervasive political pressure this results in a wide range of what is or isn’t a significant impact during preparation of CEQA documents. However, legislators in their wisdom kept a few judgments beyond the reach of politics, planners and agency whims.

One of those is decisions about endangered species which has an integer numeric threshold – that is rare in environmental law.

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Part 1: What’s the difference between a Forest Ecologist, a Biologist, a Forester, an Arborist, and a Horticulturist ?

Posted on March 21, 2011 by DavidEnv

Copyright 2003-2011 David Dilworth

  • An Ecologist is explicitly trained in the health of the interdependence of all biota in an ecosystem. A forest ecologist is trained in the health of interdependence of forest biota.

 

  • While Biologists generally care about biota, they are only trained to understand one species at a time. The exception is when they deal with diseases, such as beetles abnormally infesting a tree.

 

 

Click here to read remainder of article.
The article is not free, there is a $2 dollar charge.

You may use Paypal – and you will get the login password by email.

Thank you,
-David Dilworth

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How Ecological Interdependence Affects You

Posted on October 1, 2002 by DavidEnv

How Ecological Interdependence Affects You
or Why We Can’t Stop Holding Hands with all our Biota Neighbors
Copyright 2002-2012 David Dilworth

Sea Otters
Sea Otters and Kelp (c) Copyright 2008 David Dilworth

Here are some principles and examples of how very different species need each other to stay alive.

Species Interdependence

The life of every animal and plant depends upon other biota.1

Continue reading →

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