1. The 2,800 square-foot four-bedroom house will be built on a concrete foundation.
2. Carlton, owner of Palouse Synergy Systems, believes Eastern Washington could be transformed into a renewable energy leader if people understood the benefits.
3. “I got a double with a full bath,” said John Gardner, WSU Vice President of Economic Development and Global Engagement. “I lived in Gannon-Goldsworthy for two years, and then I switched over here — [this is a] huge difference.”
4. PCEI leaders are hoping to offer workshops like the artists’ studio roof, so locals value and know how to (implement sustainable techniques)[what does this jargon mean], she said.
5. “The new dorm is likely to receive the silver rating,” Gardner said.
“Everything we do has a consequence,” Englund said about sustainability methods, consumption and ecological footprints. “We just have to be aware of the butterfly effect.”
6. He also raises money for student scholarships.
7. She said she has been ostracized in her dorm, and if things keep going like they are she might move to another hall.
8. Though helping to improve Pullman’s atmosphere, SEL does not make Pullman immune from the recession.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Palouse Synergy Systems helps homeowners reduce energy costs (Revised)
From the mangrove-choked shores of Liberia to the wheat fields of Eastern Washington, Michael Carlton’s attempts to provide the public with energy-efficient homes and renewable energy have encountered resistance.
Carlton, owner of Palouse Synergy Systems, believes Eastern Washington could be transformed into a renewable energy leader if people understood the benefits.
“There is not enough of a market, because people don’t know what an energy audit or renewable energy would do for them,” Carlton said.
A home retrofit market that could help Americans reduce energy bills has been hindered by the lack of financing, quality information and workers like Carlton, according to a report released Oct. 18 by the White House.
His passion for helping others find sensible solutions for their energy problems started far from the rolling hills of Palouse, Wash. In 2007, while working as an internal affairs officer for the United Nations in Africa, Carlton tried to convince American diplomats to build wind turbines off the coast of Liberia. His request was greeted with skepticism. Instead, Carlton watched the shores of Liberia become proliferated with oil derricks.
“It would have been perfect, perfect,” Carlton said.
Seeing an unstable country suffer under the brutal reign of warlord Charles Taylor as it continued down the path of oil dependence was disconcerting for Carlton.
When he returned to his home in Palouse in June 2007, he decided a career change was needed.
After spending more than two decades as a police officer, he retired and started to read extensively about renewable energy.
“I was coming up on 50 years old," Carlton said. "I didn’t want to walk foot beats anymore.”
He built a wind turbine and started talking to neighbors about their energy needs. What started as a hobby quickly grew into a new business.
As the owner and operator of Palouse Synergy Systems, Carlton works closely with customers to locate wasteful energy habits and design flaws in homes. After an initial inspection, he makes recommendations that may include replacing windows or purchasing a solar hot water system.
“For a fraction of the cost of a renewable energy system, you can fix the house,” Carlton said. It’s easier to fix the house than it is to throw more energy at it.”
An energy audit performed by Palouse Synergy Systems can isolate enough energy problems in a home to reduce electricity costs by 25 to 40 percent, he added.
Though Carlton emphasizes conservation, he admits that wind energy is becoming more practical and that he would like to diversify his business by becoming a certified wind turbine installer.
His interest in wind energy is apparent to local residents when they drive south of town. Perched on a hill overlooking Palouse is Carlton’s home and a 120-foot tall Jacob’s wind turbine that generates 2,000 kilowatt hours of electrical power annually. For an average residence that uses 11,000 kilowatt hours every year, a wind turbine similar to Carlton’s could reduce electricity costs by 18 percent. Carlton also retrofitted his home with a solar water heating system that can reduce water heating bills by as much as 80 percent.
Avista Utilities spokesman Hugh Imhof said Avista has very few customers who can afford to retrofit their homes like Carlton.
“It takes 20 or 25 years before a $40,000 solar panel starts to save the customer money,” Imhof said.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided tax incentives for individuals to invest in energy-efficient products. According to the Internal Revenue Service, homeowners can now earn a $1,500 tax credit for making energy efficient improvements to their home.
Gwen Nolan, co-owner of Nolan’s Heating and Air, said residential home retrofits, including wind turbines, are becoming more popular because customers are using the federal stimulus money to defray costs.
Carlton is one step closer to erecting more wind turbines on the Palouse because the Whitman County Planning Commission approved a wind energy ordinance on Oct. 8.
“There are those who want to keep the status quo,” Carlton said at a Sept. 17 meeting of the county commissioners. “People who think we can just keep on keeping on, and people who think that because this is not a perfect step, we should not take it at all. History shows us that not only should we move beyond this type of thinking, but that we must.”
Though he was glad to see the wind ordinance pass, Carlton knows he still has work to do.
Watching the blades of his wind turbine slice through the air, Carlton explained why he became an advocate for wind energy.
“We can ask that others level mountains, drill holes and crawl through tunnels in the Earth to bring us energy or we can bear the very slight burden of turbines on our Palouse,” he said.
Carlton, owner of Palouse Synergy Systems, believes Eastern Washington could be transformed into a renewable energy leader if people understood the benefits.
“There is not enough of a market, because people don’t know what an energy audit or renewable energy would do for them,” Carlton said.
A home retrofit market that could help Americans reduce energy bills has been hindered by the lack of financing, quality information and workers like Carlton, according to a report released Oct. 18 by the White House.
His passion for helping others find sensible solutions for their energy problems started far from the rolling hills of Palouse, Wash. In 2007, while working as an internal affairs officer for the United Nations in Africa, Carlton tried to convince American diplomats to build wind turbines off the coast of Liberia. His request was greeted with skepticism. Instead, Carlton watched the shores of Liberia become proliferated with oil derricks.
“It would have been perfect, perfect,” Carlton said.
Seeing an unstable country suffer under the brutal reign of warlord Charles Taylor as it continued down the path of oil dependence was disconcerting for Carlton.
When he returned to his home in Palouse in June 2007, he decided a career change was needed.
After spending more than two decades as a police officer, he retired and started to read extensively about renewable energy.
“I was coming up on 50 years old," Carlton said. "I didn’t want to walk foot beats anymore.”
He built a wind turbine and started talking to neighbors about their energy needs. What started as a hobby quickly grew into a new business.
As the owner and operator of Palouse Synergy Systems, Carlton works closely with customers to locate wasteful energy habits and design flaws in homes. After an initial inspection, he makes recommendations that may include replacing windows or purchasing a solar hot water system.
“For a fraction of the cost of a renewable energy system, you can fix the house,” Carlton said. It’s easier to fix the house than it is to throw more energy at it.”
An energy audit performed by Palouse Synergy Systems can isolate enough energy problems in a home to reduce electricity costs by 25 to 40 percent, he added.
Though Carlton emphasizes conservation, he admits that wind energy is becoming more practical and that he would like to diversify his business by becoming a certified wind turbine installer.
His interest in wind energy is apparent to local residents when they drive south of town. Perched on a hill overlooking Palouse is Carlton’s home and a 120-foot tall Jacob’s wind turbine that generates 2,000 kilowatt hours of electrical power annually. For an average residence that uses 11,000 kilowatt hours every year, a wind turbine similar to Carlton’s could reduce electricity costs by 18 percent. Carlton also retrofitted his home with a solar water heating system that can reduce water heating bills by as much as 80 percent.
Avista Utilities spokesman Hugh Imhof said Avista has very few customers who can afford to retrofit their homes like Carlton.
“It takes 20 or 25 years before a $40,000 solar panel starts to save the customer money,” Imhof said.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided tax incentives for individuals to invest in energy-efficient products. According to the Internal Revenue Service, homeowners can now earn a $1,500 tax credit for making energy efficient improvements to their home.
Gwen Nolan, co-owner of Nolan’s Heating and Air, said residential home retrofits, including wind turbines, are becoming more popular because customers are using the federal stimulus money to defray costs.
Carlton is one step closer to erecting more wind turbines on the Palouse because the Whitman County Planning Commission approved a wind energy ordinance on Oct. 8.
“There are those who want to keep the status quo,” Carlton said at a Sept. 17 meeting of the county commissioners. “People who think we can just keep on keeping on, and people who think that because this is not a perfect step, we should not take it at all. History shows us that not only should we move beyond this type of thinking, but that we must.”
Though he was glad to see the wind ordinance pass, Carlton knows he still has work to do.
Watching the blades of his wind turbine slice through the air, Carlton explained why he became an advocate for wind energy.
“We can ask that others level mountains, drill holes and crawl through tunnels in the Earth to bring us energy or we can bear the very slight burden of turbines on our Palouse,” he said.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Ideas for Public Records Requests
1.Toxic Release Inventory
The EPA collects data from companies concerning what pollutants they emit in a given year. Though not every company complies with the EPA, these reports exist on the federal and state level and could illuminate what pollutants are entering the environment and where they are coming from.
Contact Info: Diane Fowler Toxics Release Inventory Coordinator Washington State Department of Ecology Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program
P.O. Box 47659Olympia, WA 98504-7659
Office: (360) 407-6171
2.Possible documents that could be obtained concerning the Hanford radioactive waste clean up:
A. The Washington Department of Ecology has conducted several studies concerning the clean up of Thorium along the Columbia River.
B. The Government Accountability Office released a report earlier this month outlining why the clean up costs have exceeded original projections. Acquiring a copy of this report could be used to find out why the clean up has lasted so long.
The EPA collects data from companies concerning what pollutants they emit in a given year. Though not every company complies with the EPA, these reports exist on the federal and state level and could illuminate what pollutants are entering the environment and where they are coming from.
Contact Info: Diane Fowler Toxics Release Inventory Coordinator Washington State Department of Ecology Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program
P.O. Box 47659Olympia, WA 98504-7659
Office: (360) 407-6171
2.Possible documents that could be obtained concerning the Hanford radioactive waste clean up:
A. The Washington Department of Ecology has conducted several studies concerning the clean up of Thorium along the Columbia River.
B. The Government Accountability Office released a report earlier this month outlining why the clean up costs have exceeded original projections. Acquiring a copy of this report could be used to find out why the clean up has lasted so long.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Blog Fun Times
1. a. Under Top Searches, identify the most frequent records searches in July, August and September of this year.
July 2009:ufo
August 2009: ufo
September 2009: guatemala
b. Lithuania
2. Drastic swings in test scores lead to questions of cheating
Historical records used to identify forgotten lead smelter
3. SPLC’s Automated FOI Law Request Generator
4. NO
5.2008 Inspector General’s report on unethical behavior at the Interior Department
July 2009:ufo
August 2009: ufo
September 2009: guatemala
b. Lithuania
2. Drastic swings in test scores lead to questions of cheating
Historical records used to identify forgotten lead smelter
3. SPLC’s Automated FOI Law Request Generator
4. NO
5.2008 Inspector General’s report on unethical behavior at the Interior Department
Palouse Synergy Systems helps homeowners reduce energy costs
From the mangrove-choked shores of Liberia to the wheat fields of Eastern Washington, Michael Carlton’s attempts to provide the public with energy-efficient homes and renewable energy have encountered resistance.
Carlton, owner of Palouse Synergy Systems, optimistically speaks about how Eastern Washington could be transformed into a renewable energy leader if people understood the benefits.
Carlton said, “There is not enough of a market, because people don’t know what an energy audit or renewable energy would do for them.”
A home retrofit market that could help Americans reduce energy bills has been hindered by the lack of financing, quality information and workers like Carlton, according to a report released Oct. 18 by the White House.
His passion for helping others find sensible solutions for their energy problems started far from the rolling hills of Palouse, Wash. In 2007, while working as an internal affairs officer for the United Nations in Africa, Carlton tried to convince American diplomats to build wind turbines off the coast of Liberia. His request was greeted with skepticism. Instead, Carlton watched the shores of Liberia become proliferated with oil derricks.
“It would have been perfect, perfect,” Carlton said.
Seeing an unstable country suffer under the brutal reign of warlord Charles Taylor as it continued down the path of oil dependence was disconcerting for Carlton.
When he returned to his home in Palouse in June 2007, he decided a career change was needed.
After spending more than two decades as a police officer, he retired and started to read extensively about renewable energy.
“I was coming up on fifty-years old, Carlton said.” I didn’t want to walk foot beats anymore.”
He built a wind turbine and started talking to neighbors about their energy needs. What started as a hobby quickly grew into a new business.
As the owner and operator of Palouse Synergy Systems, Carlton works closely with customers to locate wasteful energy habits and design flaws in homes. After an initial inspection, he makes recommendations that may include replacing windows or purchasing a solar hot water system.
“For a fraction of the cost of a renewable energy system, you can fix the house,” Carlton said. It’s easier to fix the house than it is to throw more energy at it.”
An energy audit performed by Palouse Synergy Systems can isolate enough energy problems in a home to reduce electricity costs by 25 to 40 percent, he added.
Though Carlton emphasizes conservation, he admits that wind energy is becoming more practical and that he would like to diversify his business by becoming a certified wind turbine installer.
His interest in wind energy is apparent to local residents when they drive south of town. Perched on the top of a hill overlooking Palouse is Carlton’s home and 120-foot tall Jacob’s wind turbine that generates 2,000 kilowatt hours of electrical power annually. For an average residence that uses 11,000 kilowatt hours every year, a wind turbine similar to Carlton’s could reduce electricity costs by 18 percent. Carlton also retrofitted his home with a solar water heating system that can reduce water heating bills by as much as 80 percent.
Avista Utilities spokesman Hugh Imhof said Avista has very few customers who can afford to retrofit their homes like Carlton.
Imhof added, “It takes 20 or 25 years before a $40,000 solar panel starts to save the customer money.”
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided tax incentives for individuals to invest in energy-efficient products. According to the Internal Revenue Service, homeowners can now earn a $1,500 tax credit for making energy efficient improvements to their home.
Gwen Nolan, co-owner of Nolan’s Heating and Air, said residential home retrofits, including wind turbines, are becoming more popular because customers are using the federal stimulus money to defray costs.
Carlton is one step closer to erecting more wind turbines on the Palouse because the Whitman County Planning Commission approved a wind energy ordinance on Oct. 8.
Speaking to the commission on Sept. 17, Carlton said: “There are those who want to keep the status quo. People who think we can just keep on keeping on and people who think that because this is not a perfect step, we should not take it at all. History shows us that not only should we move beyond this type of thinking, but that we must.”
Though he was glad to see the wind ordinance pass, Carlton knows he still has work to do.
Watching the blades of his wind turbine slice through the air, Carlton explained why he became an advocate for wind energy.
Reiterating the speech he gave to the commission, he said, “We can ask that others level mountains, drill holes and crawl through tunnels in the Earth to bring us energy or we can bear the very slight burden of turbines on our Palouse.”
Sources
In-person interview: Michael Carlton (509) 338-5889
Gwen Nolan -(509) 397-6944
Hugh Imhof -(509) 495-4264
Attempted to contact Paul Kimmel (Avista Regional Manager for the Pullman/Moscow area)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Beat Update Week 9
E.P.A. Clears Way for Greenhouse Gas Rules
Lede: "The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday formally declared carbon dioxide and five other heat-trapping gases to be pollutants that endanger public health and welfare, setting in motion a process that will lead to the regulation of the gases for the first time in the United States."Obama Administration Will Remove Barriers to Home Energy Retrofits
Lede: "The emergence of a home retrofit market that would increase energy efficiency and cut home energy bills has been hampered by lack of access to reliable information, financing and skilled workers, finds a new report released today by Vice President Joe Biden."
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Public Records
Page 1. On June 16, 2006, the Seattle P-I requested records on Enrique Fabergas. Who is Enrique and what records did the journalists find?
Fabregas was a convicted sex offender who was able a foster parent.
Social services should have a file
Page 2. In February of 2005, The Spokesman-Review requested access to something called BART, which was overseen by something called the “Mitigating Circumstances Review Board.” Find the news story that resulted from this request.
Page 3. This is an internal records release form. How is this different from a public records request?
It is not a public records release form because it concerns a private entity.
Page 4. This is the agency’s response to a records request. What does RCW 13.50.100 say about public records?
It covers "records not relating to commission of juvenile offenses — Maintenance and access — Release of information for child custody hearings — Disclosure of unfounded allegations prohibited."
Page 5 through 9. Review the pages.
a. It’s actually the same two-page report with two copies in the state records system. Why two copies?
b. What is the priest’s account of how the boy lost a 4-inch clump of hair?
c. What are the alleged and acknowledge forms of corporal punishment at the home?
d. Why are notes written on the page but not included in the body of the report? Can you use those if they aren’t in the official report?
Yes, they can be used.
e. The ‘Incident Report’ page has been labeled ‘draft.’ Why was it released?
f. Why is a routing slip included in the report? Find the RCW that requires the release of this slip. All notes are incorporated into the report.
g. Who or what precipitated this investigation?
The mother filed a complaint and a counselor at Morning Star made allegations concerning abuse at the facility.
h. Finally, here’s the story that resulted in 1978. Why did the state refuse to release the report in 1978? The state refused because of confidentiality.
Fabregas was a convicted sex offender who was able a foster parent.
Social services should have a file
Page 2. In February of 2005, The Spokesman-Review requested access to something called BART, which was overseen by something called the “Mitigating Circumstances Review Board.” Find the news story that resulted from this request.
Page 3. This is an internal records release form. How is this different from a public records request?
It is not a public records release form because it concerns a private entity.
Page 4. This is the agency’s response to a records request. What does RCW 13.50.100 say about public records?
It covers "records not relating to commission of juvenile offenses — Maintenance and access — Release of information for child custody hearings — Disclosure of unfounded allegations prohibited."
Page 5 through 9. Review the pages.
a. It’s actually the same two-page report with two copies in the state records system. Why two copies?
b. What is the priest’s account of how the boy lost a 4-inch clump of hair?
c. What are the alleged and acknowledge forms of corporal punishment at the home?
d. Why are notes written on the page but not included in the body of the report? Can you use those if they aren’t in the official report?
Yes, they can be used.
e. The ‘Incident Report’ page has been labeled ‘draft.’ Why was it released?
f. Why is a routing slip included in the report? Find the RCW that requires the release of this slip. All notes are incorporated into the report.
g. Who or what precipitated this investigation?
The mother filed a complaint and a counselor at Morning Star made allegations concerning abuse at the facility.
h. Finally, here’s the story that resulted in 1978. Why did the state refuse to release the report in 1978? The state refused because of confidentiality.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Census data
I. State and local
a. Using the online resource www.census.gov, answer the following questions:
1. What’s the population of Whitman County? 41,664
2. Percent white? 86.6%
3. Percent with bachelor’s degree? 44.0%
4. Median household income? $36,538
5. Persons below poverty? 26.7%
II. Drilling down into Census data: Housing
1. Find the annual construction costs for building permits for Pullman from 2004 to 2008. Report it for each individual year.
2008-$14,007,013
2007-$31,922,839
2006-$34,549,367
2005- $40,062,508
2004- $21,793,767
2. What’s the most current construction cost for 2009? (Obviously the annual report isn’t yet available so look for the most recent month.)
August 2009- $7,170,166
IV. Health Care in Whitman County
’
1. Which two counties have the highest percent of uninsured people?
San Juan County, Whitman County,
2. What’s the percentage in Whitman County? 29.2%
V. Population
Is Whitman County’s population growing? Let’s look at population trends.
1. Type “Whitman County population” into Google Uncle Sam. Which federal or state agency comes up first in the Google list?
2. Click on the first listing, which takes us to the Office of Financial Management’s profile of the county.
3. On the profile page, click on “Population, Change, Marriages and Divorce.”
a. What’s the total population change in Whitman County from 2000 to 2007, according to OFM?
1,960
b. What’s the natural increase?
1,324
c. Explain the difference between “total change” and “natural change.”
Natural change is the difference between the number of births and deaths in a year
5. Choose the second result, which should take you to Whitman County page.
6. Under General Information, click on “Whitman County Overview from the Choose Washington website.” (Should be Web site, right?)
7. Under “County Data,” click on Population.
a. Based on this projection, how many people will live in Whitman County in 2025?
Whitman County Agenda
1. The Web site www.whitmancounty.org provides the agendas and minutes for the meeting of the county’s commissioners. Navigate to the commissioners’ page.
2. Open the current agenda.
a. According to the agenda, what meeting will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m.? Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee meeting.
3. Review the minutes from the Sept. 21, 2009, meeting. Find the H1N1 report.
a. How many confirmed cases in Whitman County? 4
b. How many doses of vaccine will be available in Washington state?
360
c. How many in Whitman County?
d. What is Dr. Moody’s suggestion on how to distribute?
Moody suggests
e. Write a lede based on this information.
a. Using the online resource www.census.gov, answer the following questions:
1. What’s the population of Whitman County? 41,664
2. Percent white? 86.6%
3. Percent with bachelor’s degree? 44.0%
4. Median household income? $36,538
5. Persons below poverty? 26.7%
II. Drilling down into Census data: Housing
1. Find the annual construction costs for building permits for Pullman from 2004 to 2008. Report it for each individual year.
2008-$14,007,013
2007-$31,922,839
2006-$34,549,367
2005- $40,062,508
2004- $21,793,767
2. What’s the most current construction cost for 2009? (Obviously the annual report isn’t yet available so look for the most recent month.)
August 2009- $7,170,166
IV. Health Care in Whitman County
’
1. Which two counties have the highest percent of uninsured people?
San Juan County, Whitman County,
2. What’s the percentage in Whitman County? 29.2%
V. Population
Is Whitman County’s population growing? Let’s look at population trends.
1. Type “Whitman County population” into Google Uncle Sam. Which federal or state agency comes up first in the Google list?
2. Click on the first listing, which takes us to the Office of Financial Management’s profile of the county.
3. On the profile page, click on “Population, Change, Marriages and Divorce.”
a. What’s the total population change in Whitman County from 2000 to 2007, according to OFM?
1,960
b. What’s the natural increase?
1,324
c. Explain the difference between “total change” and “natural change.”
Natural change is the difference between the number of births and deaths in a year
5. Choose the second result, which should take you to Whitman County page.
6. Under General Information, click on “Whitman County Overview from the Choose Washington website.” (Should be Web site, right?)
7. Under “County Data,” click on Population.
a. Based on this projection, how many people will live in Whitman County in 2025?
Whitman County Agenda
1. The Web site www.whitmancounty.org provides the agendas and minutes for the meeting of the county’s commissioners. Navigate to the commissioners’ page.
2. Open the current agenda.
a. According to the agenda, what meeting will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m.? Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee meeting.
3. Review the minutes from the Sept. 21, 2009, meeting. Find the H1N1 report.
a. How many confirmed cases in Whitman County? 4
b. How many doses of vaccine will be available in Washington state?
360
c. How many in Whitman County?
d. What is Dr. Moody’s suggestion on how to distribute?
Moody suggests
e. Write a lede based on this information.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Profile Story Ideas
1. Business Profile: Plummer Forest ProductsPlummer, Idaho is a quaint, rustic community highly dependent on Plummer Forest Products. More than 10,000 logs pass through the mill everyday, keeping the town's economy alive. An article depicting the daily operations of Plummer Forest Products and the lives of its employees would serve as a representation of the hundreds of other local businesses struggling to weather the economic decline.
2. Business Profile: Boyer Park Marina
The Boyer Park Marina is located only a few hundred yards from the Lower Granite Dam, which has been singled out for possible dam breaching. Talking to the owners and finding how changes in the flow regime of the river would affect their business would provide another angle to my previous works on dam removal.
3. Business Profile of Palouse Synergy Systems and its owner Michael Carlton.
Palouse Energy Systems has received media attention due to its involvement with the recent Whitman County wind ordinance. Finding out why Carlton started his business in Eastern Washington and how he hopes to make local communities more environmentally sustainable would shine light on the ever growing green movement.
2. Business Profile: Boyer Park Marina
The Boyer Park Marina is located only a few hundred yards from the Lower Granite Dam, which has been singled out for possible dam breaching. Talking to the owners and finding how changes in the flow regime of the river would affect their business would provide another angle to my previous works on dam removal.
3. Business Profile of Palouse Synergy Systems and its owner Michael Carlton.
Palouse Energy Systems has received media attention due to its involvement with the recent Whitman County wind ordinance. Finding out why Carlton started his business in Eastern Washington and how he hopes to make local communities more environmentally sustainable would shine light on the ever growing green movement.
Beat Update Week 8
Oregon dam's demise lets the Rogue River run
The removal of the Savage Rapids Dam on the Rogue River near Grants Pass, Ore. could be the first in a series of dam breachings in the Pacific Northwest. If the 20th century was the era of dam building, then the 21st century might be the era of dam breaching.
Alternative Energy Projects Stumble on a Need for Water
The residents of Amargosa Valley, Nev. always had to work to maintain their water supply. Living in a rural corner of one of the nation's driest states, Amargosa Valley residents were elated when Solar Millennium, a German energy company, decided to build two large solar farms in their community. However, the town fell prey to its Achilles' heel: no water.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
"Is it libelous?"
1. “Up until the day he died, he was a brilliant writer. But the drugs made him a thief, a pimp and a liar,” said friend Karen Smith, who was with Johnson at the time of his death.
No, this is not libelous. The reporter is merely incorporating someone's opinion into the article.
Some corroborating evidence would have to be used, but because the man is dead and was probably a public figure makes it difficult for his estate to sue the writer for libel.
2. “Megan Fox is a man!” Headline on Weekly World News Web site
Though the headline is a slightly malicious attack, the Weekly World News Wed site is a tabloid and most people do not take these stories seriously.
3. “In my opinion, Kevin is a murdering rapist.”
This could be proven libelous in a court of law. Prefacing the remark with "in my opinion" does not shield the reporter from libel claims.
No, this is not libelous. The reporter is merely incorporating someone's opinion into the article.
Some corroborating evidence would have to be used, but because the man is dead and was probably a public figure makes it difficult for his estate to sue the writer for libel.
2. “Megan Fox is a man!” Headline on Weekly World News Web site
Though the headline is a slightly malicious attack, the Weekly World News Wed site is a tabloid and most people do not take these stories seriously.
3. “In my opinion, Kevin is a murdering rapist.”
This could be proven libelous in a court of law. Prefacing the remark with "in my opinion" does not shield the reporter from libel claims.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Beat Update Week 7
Apple quits U.S. Chamber of Commerce over global warming views
By Dana Hall
Lede: "Adding momentum to the revolt against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Apple on Monday resigned from the business group because of its opposition to federal efforts to limit greenhouse gases."
Obama Gives Federal Agencies 90 Days to Set Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets
By Stacy Morford
Lede: "For the first time, the U.S. government is under orders to do what scores of businesses and cities have already done to bolster their bottom lines: Set targets for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions."
By Dana Hall
Lede: "Adding momentum to the revolt against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Apple on Monday resigned from the business group because of its opposition to federal efforts to limit greenhouse gases."
Obama Gives Federal Agencies 90 Days to Set Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets
By Stacy Morford
Lede: "For the first time, the U.S. government is under orders to do what scores of businesses and cities have already done to bolster their bottom lines: Set targets for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions."
Colton farmers fear dam removal
COLTON, Wash. -- Like many farmers in Eastern Washington, the words “dam removal” bring a look of unease to Mike Sodorff’s face.
Staring at land that has been in his family for more than four generations, Sodorff said, “It is just crazy to think of taking out the dams.”
At times, he said he wishes the issue would just go away.
However, when he heard the Obama administration had ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct studies last month on removing the four dams on the lower Snake River, his worries returned.
Sodorff is one of many farmers in the rural farming community of Colton who are held hostage by the omnipotent threat of dam removal. With a population of approximately 394 people and an economy reliant on Washington State University and agriculture, the well being of many families in Colton rises and falls with fluctuating grain prices.
In the rolling wheat fields of the Palouse, the Snake River is more than just a river: It is a direct route to world markets. Barges shuttle grain downriver to Portland at rates that cost the average farmer half as much as hauling it by rail, according to analysis conducted by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Charlie Keller, communications director for Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash, said the loss of barge traffic caused by removing the dams would have to be made up elsewhere.
Farmers, like Sodorff, who transport their wheat to Lewiston where it is loaded on barges and hauled to Portland, would have to find a different way of getting their crops to market. If the dams were breached, farmers said it would increase shipping costs, reduce land values, bankrupt smaller farms and turn some farming communities into ghost towns.
Despite strong wheat prices in recent years, farmers said dam removal would be detrimental to their business. According to a highly debated 1999 study by the Army Corps of Engineers, shipping costs would increase by as much as 35 cents per bushel. Such increases would cut earnings from a typical 2,500-acre dry land wheat farm by 44 percent.
Finding alternative methods of getting their product to market would prove problematic for farmers. Without the dams, grain would have to be trucked or carried by rail to Pasco or all the way to Portland, placing an extra burden on farmers who said they are not prepared for the change.
“It already costs us too much to get our crops to Lewiston,” Colton farmer Robert Bauer said, “Our roads are not very good anyway.”
The rows of perfectly manicured lawns in Colton are filled with yard signs for local realtors and District 9 State Representative Republican candidate Susan Fagan.
Sodorff said he had never placed a candidate’s sign in his front yard before, but made an exception for Fagan. The Republican candidate has made numerous statements against dam breaching.
When it comes to protecting his business interests, Sodorff said, “You cover your ass and try to elect the right people.
“I don’t think the westsiders understand what it takes to raise a bushel of wheat and get it to market,” he said. “If they need a loaf of bread or a bag of noodles they just go to the store.”
As his dog Dixie curls around his legs, Sodorff added,“I would have loved to have my sons take over, but I’m not sure what will happen.”
Sources
Mike R. Sodorff: (509) 595-2501
Robert G. Bauer: (509) 710-9700
Charlie Keller (Communications Director for Rep. Doc Hastings): (202) 225-3251
Outline:
1. Describe Sodorff on his farm. (Details)
-Use one his quotes early
2.Explain why dam removal is being considered
3.Describe Colton and the local farmers
4. Transportation costs
5. Adverse effects on farmers
6. Alternatives
7. Work back to Colton and Bauer's quotes
8. Mention fisherman by the Lower Granite Dam.
9. Ending: Close with Sodorff's comments about his farm
Staring at land that has been in his family for more than four generations, Sodorff said, “It is just crazy to think of taking out the dams.”
At times, he said he wishes the issue would just go away.
However, when he heard the Obama administration had ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct studies last month on removing the four dams on the lower Snake River, his worries returned.
Sodorff is one of many farmers in the rural farming community of Colton who are held hostage by the omnipotent threat of dam removal. With a population of approximately 394 people and an economy reliant on Washington State University and agriculture, the well being of many families in Colton rises and falls with fluctuating grain prices.
In the rolling wheat fields of the Palouse, the Snake River is more than just a river: It is a direct route to world markets. Barges shuttle grain downriver to Portland at rates that cost the average farmer half as much as hauling it by rail, according to analysis conducted by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Charlie Keller, communications director for Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash, said the loss of barge traffic caused by removing the dams would have to be made up elsewhere.
Farmers, like Sodorff, who transport their wheat to Lewiston where it is loaded on barges and hauled to Portland, would have to find a different way of getting their crops to market. If the dams were breached, farmers said it would increase shipping costs, reduce land values, bankrupt smaller farms and turn some farming communities into ghost towns.
Despite strong wheat prices in recent years, farmers said dam removal would be detrimental to their business. According to a highly debated 1999 study by the Army Corps of Engineers, shipping costs would increase by as much as 35 cents per bushel. Such increases would cut earnings from a typical 2,500-acre dry land wheat farm by 44 percent.
Finding alternative methods of getting their product to market would prove problematic for farmers. Without the dams, grain would have to be trucked or carried by rail to Pasco or all the way to Portland, placing an extra burden on farmers who said they are not prepared for the change.
“It already costs us too much to get our crops to Lewiston,” Colton farmer Robert Bauer said, “Our roads are not very good anyway.”
The rows of perfectly manicured lawns in Colton are filled with yard signs for local realtors and District 9 State Representative Republican candidate Susan Fagan.
Sodorff said he had never placed a candidate’s sign in his front yard before, but made an exception for Fagan. The Republican candidate has made numerous statements against dam breaching.
When it comes to protecting his business interests, Sodorff said, “You cover your ass and try to elect the right people.
“I don’t think the westsiders understand what it takes to raise a bushel of wheat and get it to market,” he said. “If they need a loaf of bread or a bag of noodles they just go to the store.”
As his dog Dixie curls around his legs, Sodorff added,“I would have loved to have my sons take over, but I’m not sure what will happen.”
Sources
Mike R. Sodorff: (509) 595-2501
Robert G. Bauer: (509) 710-9700
Charlie Keller (Communications Director for Rep. Doc Hastings): (202) 225-3251
Outline:
1. Describe Sodorff on his farm. (Details)
-Use one his quotes early
2.Explain why dam removal is being considered
3.Describe Colton and the local farmers
4. Transportation costs
5. Adverse effects on farmers
6. Alternatives
7. Work back to Colton and Bauer's quotes
8. Mention fisherman by the Lower Granite Dam.
9. Ending: Close with Sodorff's comments about his farm
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Bishop Welsh
The release of a 16-year-old police report reveals Bishop Lawrence Welsh, whom
According to the report, Catholic Bishop Lawrence Welsh was investigated in September 1986 for involvement in an alleged sex crime that occured in a Chicago hotel. Welsh admitted to being in Chicago at the time of the incident, but initiallly denied any wrongdoing. Upon further questioning, Welsh admitted to engaging in a sexaul act, but denied using force against the man.
According to the report, Catholic Bishop Lawrence Welsh was investigated in September 1986 for involvement in an alleged sex crime that occured in a Chicago hotel. Welsh admitted to being in Chicago at the time of the incident, but initiallly denied any wrongdoing. Upon further questioning, Welsh admitted to engaging in a sexaul act, but denied using force against the man.
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