E-briefing:
Energy, Economics and the Environment

I. The High Cost of Meeting Our Energy Needs

A. Worries about the wilderness
B. When the regulators leave town
C. Gasoline additive poisons our drinking water
D. High-tech solutions to a powerful problem
E. Cleaning up after coal-burners

II. The Growing Problems of Development

A. From brownfields to political mine field
B. Sustainable growth in U.S. cities
C. The high price of a growing tourist trade

III. Why Earth Day wasn't enough

A. Earth Day "spins" into obsolescence
B. Long live the Lorax

IV. E-briefing Extras

A. FLASHBACK: You heard it here first
B. Proposed missile defense plan gets thumbs up from international expert

I. THE HIGH COST OF MEETING OUR ENERGY NEEDS

A. WORRIES ABOUT THE WILDERNESS
Michael Miller, a professor of biology at the University of Cincinnati and a veteran of 27 field seasons in the Alaskan tundra says there should be no debate about the impact of drilling for oil and gas in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. He says experience has shown that it will be impossible to stop widespread ecological damage and the destruction of an important ecosystem. Miller and his colleagues actually documented the damage done by the Alaskan oil pipeline project and the impact of the Prudhoe Bay drilling project. "The expansion of the original field ... left a network of roads, pads, camp bases, pipelines that will permanently scar the landscape. Vegetation only 6" tall does not hide the structural changes of a bulldozed landscape." Miller believes the proximity of idle equipment at Prudhoe to the refuge might be the biggest factor driving the pro-drilling forces, rather than the oil itself which is only likely to amount to a few month's supply.
Contact: 513-556-9751

B. WHEN THE REGULATORS LEAVE TOWN
UC biologist Michael Miller agrees that federal regulators did a good job of safeguarding the environment when the Alaska oil pipeline was built and the Prudhoe Bay oil fields were opened for exploration. But he remains concerned about what happens when the regulators are around. "After the regulators left Prudhoe and the ALCAN highway, coming down the roads came the citizens flooding in mobile homes, in rental cars with 2-ply tires, hunters with off-road vehicles. After the regulators left, the road was not maintained. Trash was not picked up. After the regulators left, hunters would drive illegally out on the tundra to shoot game and return it to the road. After the regulators left, hunters would shoot bear and caribou from the road illegally, creating a ribbon of only the most common animals for the visitor to see." Miller agrees there is technology available to minimize the impacts of drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge, but he doesn't believe there is sufficient political will or enforcement ability to offer the long-term protection needed in such a fragile and pristine environment.
Contact: 513-556-9751

C. GASOLINE ADDITIVE POISONS OUR DRINKING WATER
MTBE is among the most dangerous compounds threatening our drinking water, even though it was first used (and widely used) to improve gasoline. Concentration levels have reached as 200 micrograms per liter which is 100 times higher than regulators would like. George Sorial, associate professor of environment engineering at the University of Cincinnati, is working on two methods to remove MTBE from drinking water in a two-part process. First, MTBE would be "stripped" out of the water into the air. Secondly, carbon-based treatment systems would scrub the chemical from the airstream for final disposal. Sorial hopes to demonstrate which method is most effective in treating MTBE-contaminated sources of water.
Contact: 513-556-2987

D. HIGH-TECH SOLUTIONS TO A POWERFUL PROBLEM
Whether it's used for military applications to open up a hillside for development, TNT and its chemical cousins leave a mess of toxic compounds in their wake. UC environmental engineer George Sorial is testing a pilot-scale reactor which can convert these dangerous compounds into less toxic byproducts. The reactor relies on a basic chemical process known as electrochemical reduction. If the work is successful, there will plenty more work ahead. Sorial estimates there are more than 1,200 sites in the United states contaminated by wastes from explosives and weapons production.
Contact: 513-556-2987

E. CLEANING UP AFTER COAL-BURNERS
UC's Air Pollution Control Laboratory is working on a new way to control carbon dioxide emissions from coal-burning power plants. The greenhouse gas has been a major concern worldwide. "We are currently investigating a method of scrubbing quantities of carbon dioxide and then producing a concentrated stream of carbon dioxide which could be sequestered," said Tim Keener, director of the laboratory and professor of environmental engineering. The heart of the system uses magnesium dioxide which can be reused and recycled. The project is funded by the Ohio Coal Development Office and Cinergy Corporation in Greater Cincinnati. Keener says "The issue of energy production and global climate change will dominate our discussions concerning the environment for the next 20 years at least. Energy usage is skyrocketing around the world, and most of the energy production will be by means of fossil fuels such as coal." Keener says developing countries will add to the demand for more electricity and power plants. "Coal usage will continue to increase because of this demand.

Significantly, more research funds will be required to develop new technologies to minimize the impact of these facilities on the global carbon dioxide atmospheric concentration. Also, we must make these technologies available at low costs to the developing countries where massive new levels of energy production are planned."
Contact: 513-556-3676

II. THE GROWING PROBLEMS OF DEVELOPMENT

A. FROM BROWNFIELDS TO POLITICAL MINE FIELD
Across the country, there are more than 500,000 abandoned and contaminated properties called brownfields. States have already begun to funnel hundreds of millions into efforts to clean up some of these sites. But UC assistant professor of communication John Delicath cautions that there needs to be greater public participation in deciding which sites will be cleaned up and what the new uses for the property will be. The state of Ohio, in particular, is drawing criticism from environmental watchdogs who say the state's Voluntary Action Program emphasizes economics over public health and gives too much leeway to those responsible for the contamination. In November, residents of Ohio approved a referendum that sets aside $200 million to clean up brownfields and $200 million for conservation. Delicath cautions that Ohio needs to do much more to make sure that communities affected by brownfields play a role in deciding which sites are selected for clean up, what levels of cleanup are established, what technologies are used to clean them up, and what the sites' future uses should be.

"Brownfields are very much tied to larger questions of urban revitalization and environmental justice" he said, noting that successful brownfield projects in California offer effective models on which to develop programs for community involvement in brownfields decision-making.
Contact: 513-556-4442

B. SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IN U.S. CITIES
Cathy McCollum, a board member of Sustainable Pittsburgh, a group devoted to conservation and sustainability, explains that the modern environmental movement is much more savvy at promoting issues that appeal to a wide variety of constituencies rather than simply relying on combativeness or emotional pleas. Today, environmental groups are linking up with preservationists, with the high tech industry, with the tourism/travel/hospitality industry, with historians and others. "For instance, what's good for city-dwelling preservationists is now seen as good for the environment, and what's good for the environment is now seen as good for urban preservation. Environmentalists are stressing the economic costs of sprawl, of pollution, of wasting existing infrastructure to build further and further out, of transportation costs," said McCollom, adding that this kind of diverse appeal is what spawned Sustainable Pittsburgh twoiyears ago. The group, focused on conservation and sustainability of the built and natural environment, now has 140 affiliate member organizations representing diverse neighborhood, grass-roots and business interests. The high-tech industry was key to spawning the liaisons between business and the environment about ten years ago. According to McCollom, high-tech companies had employees who viewed quality of life differently than their parents. "These employees were generally younger. They didn't want a big house in the suburbs. These techno-geeks were 'techno-green' and saw the value of living in the city: culture, character, energy, the ability to walk anywhere."
Contact: 412-471-5808

C. THE HIGH PRICE OF A GROWING TOURIST TRADE
Beauty can sometimes be a curse. Tourists coming to the island of Crete come to admire the beaches, mountains and ancient remains. While their vacations might be good for the economy, they are also taking a toll on the island's environment. Masses of tourists crowd Crete's beaches, jam coastal streets, cause water shortages where there once were adequate supplies. They also generate garbage often set afire in burning landfills. UC researchers, led by Crete native Michael Romanos, professor of planning, have been working for the past two summers to address some of these problems. The study will expand this summer to the city of Arhanes, where developers have been working to re-create the style of an older way of life. The travel industry has threatened to overtake older, smaller villages like Arhanes with their traditional occupations of agriculture, lace-making, wood carving and pottery.
Contact: 513-961-3780

III. WHY EARTH DAY WASN'T ENOUGH

A. EARTH DAY "SPINS" INTO OBSOLESCENCE
The first Earth Day in 1970 was marked by rallies, demonstrations and teach-ins in major cities and on college campuses nation wide. Since its 20th anniversary in 1990, however, Earth Day has become a "fairly apolitical exercise", says UC assistant professor of communication John Delicath. While Earth Day still serves as an opportunity for environmental issues and organizations to raise their visibility, some of the most pollution-intensive corporations and industries have capitalized on the event as a means of "greening" their environmental image. Delicath specializes in environmental issues and conducts research with the Center for Environmental Communication Studies. By 1995, the 25th anniversary, the event was thoroughly "corporatized," replete with programs and events sponsored by some the nation's biggest polluters and sophisticated public relations materials. Even on college campuses, the emphasis now appears to be on entertainment more than activism.
Contact: 513-556-4442

B. LONG LIVE THE LORAX
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax and its tale of saving the Truffula trees was published in 1971, one year after the first Earth Day was held in 1970. Linda Amspaugh-Corson, UC professor of teacher education, says many more of today's books for children carry an environmental message. "The Lorax is more of a fantasy story. A lot of my students are now using that book in conjunction with a book by Chris Vanallsberg, called 'Just a Dream.' It's about a child who is disparaging of a neighbor who planted a tree for her birthday, then the child has a nightmare about a place without trees and the next day helps the neighbor plant a tree." Amspaugh-Corson adds that in order for children to have a concern about the health of the environment, they need more examples than what's taught by their teachers. "You can use books as a start, but the only way you're going to make a difference is to get them physically involved with the environment. There's a book that integrates the environment with mathematics. The children go to the school cafeteria and see how much food is thrown out, or they can see how much waste is produced by collecting aluminum cans."
Contact: 513-556-3589

IV. E-BRIEFING EXTRAS

A. FLASHBACK: YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST!
The following prediction was included in an e-briefing we sent you earlier this year. Sad to say, we were "right on the money."

DRIVING TOWARD $2/GALLON GASOLINE: Despite all the ups and downs in the price of gasoline in the United States lately, one veteran observer of the oil industry predicts that the major oil companies are trying to get the price up to $2 a gallon across the nation. Independent service station owner John "Mike" Kunnen, president of the Cincinnati Gasoline Dealers Association, sold gasoline for more than 50 years.
Contact: 513-921-9000

B. PROPOSED MISSILE DEFENSE GETS THUMBS UP FROM INTERNATIONAL EXPERT
UC associate professor of political science Richard Harknett, a leading expert on the politics of missiles defense, said President George W. Bush is doing the right thing by focusing his proposal on defense rather than American interests. "The Bush team has dropped the 'national' from discussions about missile defense. This is not simple semantics but signals a different understanding of the problem and opens the path for real progress," Harknett says. "Among the many threats that exist in the 21st century, offensive missiles with weapons of mass destruction is one requiring some attention. In this world of offense, there is a place for limited defense." Harknett is a contributing author to a text due out this summer, Rockets Red Glare: Missile Defense and World Politics and will teach international relations at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna, Austria. He recently returned from another trip to Austria where he lectured on U.S. missile defense policy and met with Austrian foreign ministry and defense ministry officials, including the head of the Austrian arms control agency.
Contact: 513-556-3314

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