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Apr
28
State of Ohio’s Air (and Lungs): Hard to See Improvement Among All the Fs
Filed Under activism, CuyahogaCounty, Energy, Environment, leadership, Moms Clean Air Force, Politics, Science, Utilities, Writing, Youth | 4 Comments
Last week, Earth Day commemorations included a listing of the “most green” and “least green” states. As I wrote then, Ohio won the gold – or tarnished – ring and was named the most least green state in the country. Yippee.
Now comes the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report for 2011. The Columbus Dispatch reports that, relatively speaking, there’s been some improvement:
Heidi Griesmer, an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman, said the bad smog grades don’t reflect the region’s steady improvement in air quality. Mandatory pollution cuts at power plants, cleaner fuels and lower-polluting cars are driving the reductions, she said.
The bad smog grades are due in part to research indicating that even lower concentrations pose health risks. The U.S. EPA is expected to propose a tougher smog standard this year, and central Ohio is expected to fail that, too.
But when you look at the grades and information for all of Ohio and for my region, Cuyahoga County, it’s impossible to ignore the miserably low expectations we’ve set if these grades are an improvement. The Plain Dealer, the paper of record in NE Ohio, says as much not only in its headline, “Lung Association annual air pollution report marks improvement, but air still poor in Cleveland, U.S.,” and amplifies that sentiment in the article: Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:25 am April 28th, 2011 in activism, CuyahogaCounty, Energy, Environment, leadership, Moms Clean Air Force, Politics, Science, Utilities, Writing, Youth | 4 Comments
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Apr
23
Ohio: Least Green State in U.S., But That’s Still Too Green for Ken Blackwell
Filed Under employment, Energy, Environment, Moms Clean Air Force, Politics | 4 Comments
A week ago, I appeared on the local weekly television roundtable, Feagler & Friends. It unpacks local and national issues as they affect us in Northeast Ohio. (You can see the show here.)
One of the topics we tackled revolved around an energy company’s effort to get consumers to switch to compact fluorescent lighting or CFLs. But the question wasn’t related to the resistance we’re hearing about in regard to their use generally speaking. Rather, the concern we discussed was whether the mercury in the CFLs proposed enough of a risk, if and when the bulbs break or must be disposed, to outweigh their benefit.
As I wrote here before the show, the answer is an unequivocal no: the risk does not outweigh the benefit and there are safe, orderly ways to manage disposal and breakage. Again, you can go here to learn all about them. Furthermore, the Environmental Defense Fund has specifically noted that the use of CFLs reduces our reliance on and therefore the mercury-laden, polluting output of coal-fired power plants.
Sadly, even with this corporate effort at changing our electricity consumption habits, the state of Ohio came in dead, pun intended, last in this week’s Earth Day ranking of the Top 10 Most and Top 10 Least Green States. Skip the drum roll, read and weep: Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:10 pm April 23rd, 2011 in employment, Energy, Environment, Moms Clean Air Force, Politics | 4 Comments
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Apr
18
White House Seder Tonight: Will They Use Maxwell House Again?
Filed Under Barack Obama, Holidays, Judaism, Religion | 1 Comment
You can read President Obama’s greeting to those of us who start the Passover holiday this evening here. No word yet on the guest list for this third annual event, but the menu is said to include brisket, noodle kugel and macaroons. This historical review of how the Obama’s seder began says the group that attends “…is limited to those that attended the first year.”
I do question the noodle kugel, not because you can’t find Kosher for Passover noodles (or make your own) but usually? They taste…not so good. Maybe I should send Michele and Barack my mom’s apple farfel kugel and potato kugel recipes.
Here’s evidence of the Maxwell House haggadah being in the House. We’ll have to wait word for what they use this year.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:56 am April 18th, 2011 in Barack Obama, Holidays, Judaism, Religion | 1 Comment
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Apr
16
What Do Jews Do, Passover 2011: “…it’s like crack”
Filed Under Holidays, Jewish, Judaism, Politics, Recipes, Religion | Leave a Comment
For those who’ve been reading my blog for the last seven years, you may recall my What Do Jews Do series (since then there’s been Purim 2009, Tisha B’av 2009, Passover 2010). I haven’t added to it much lately, but then my prolific blogging has become far less prolific overall.
But today, I started to post a Facebook update that was just too long and decided to return to the blog to share the sentiments.
So – Passover cooking. It’s in a league of its own. But Passover baking is yet another category unto itself. And then, there’s the ultimate challenge: Passover baking for someone whose birthday is during Passover. Ah yes.
Here’s what happened the last time these events – a birthday in my house and Passover – coincided, in 2005: Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:35 am April 16th, 2011 in Holidays, Jewish, Judaism, Politics, Recipes, Religion | Please comment
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Apr
15
What Do CFLs, Mercury, Clean Air and Coal Have in Common?
Filed Under coal, Energy, Environment, Health Care, leadership, Media, Moms Clean Air Force, Ohio, Politics, Utilities | 2 Comments
Ohio! That’s what. But not through any simple word association game you’ve ever played.
First, as I wrote earlier today, I was a panelist on Feagler & Friends and one of the topics we discussed was described as follows:
Compact Fluorescents Return—FirstEnergy is again flipping the switch on a CFL give-away that was a public relations disaster two years ago. The company is delivering up to six energy-efficient bulbs to customers who ask for them. Customers are paying for them through a rate increase whether or not they receive bulbs. Compact fluorescents deliver light at a fraction of the energy cost of incandescent bulbs and they tend to last longer.
Can I tell you how excited I was when I learned that the real issue we were going to address was the mercury in CFLs and the precarious situation that creates should one break and also when you finally have to dispose them? I was very excited, because through my writing for the Environmental Defense Fund, I’ve been learning so much more about the health risks and dangers mercury – and about the role alternative energy sources play.
As much as change can be a bother for almost anyone, especially when you’re simply used to the way something has been – like the light coming from a lightbulb, the real potential bugaboo with CFLs lately has been how to dispose of them and how to clean them up if they break. Why? Because of the mercury they contain. Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:21 pm April 15th, 2011 in coal, Energy, Environment, Health Care, leadership, Media, Moms Clean Air Force, Ohio, Politics, Utilities | 2 Comments
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Apr
15
Appearing on Feagler & Friends Tonight/Sunday
Filed Under Business, Debates, Energy, Environment, Government, Health Care, Joe Cimperman, Ohio, real estate, Taxes, Transparency | 2 Comments
Newsmaker: Bill McKeown, Avon landowner—the owner of a landscaping supply business is one of dozens the city of Avon will force to help pay for a planned I-90 interchange at Lear-Nagel Road. The state of Ohio, the city and the Jacobs Group, owner of several hundred soon-to-be-prime acres, are chipping in money for the project, slated to begin this summer. City officials want smaller landowners to pay a share too, since their land values will be enhanced. But owners like McKeown say they’ll fight.
Roundtable: Brian Tucker, publisher and editorial director, Crain’s Cleveland Business; David Arredondo, vice-chairman, Lorain County Republican Party; Jill Miller Zimon, blogger, Writes Like She Talks.
Avon Interchange—the roundtable continues discussion of the controversy over the tax assessments for the I-90 interchange.
Diebold to Stay—leading maker of ATMs will build its new corporate headquarters somewhere in northeast Ohio. The company credits the Kasich administration for putting together inducements worth as much as $100-million. Otherwise, the company may have moved to another state where it has factories. Diebold has over 1000 employees in the Akron-Canton area.
No Dogs or Smokers Allowed—Cleveland may join a list of American cities banning trans fats from restaurant menus. Ordinances calling for the trans fat ban and for barring open-air smoking near the entrances to city-owned buildings and in public parks were recently introduced as part of the Healthy Cleveland Initiative. Trans fats have been implicated in heart disease and obesity.
Compact Fluorescents Return—FirstEnergy is again flipping the switch on a CFL give-away that was a public relations disaster two years ago. The company is delivering up to six energy-efficient bulbs to customers who ask for them. Customers are paying for them through a rate increase whether or not they receive bulbs. Compact fluorescents deliver light at a fraction of the energy cost of incandescent bulbs and they tend to last longer.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:55 am April 15th, 2011 in Business, Debates, Energy, Environment, Government, Health Care, Joe Cimperman, Ohio, real estate, Taxes, Transparency | 2 Comments
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Apr
11
Mandel Supports Anti-Choice Legislation Not Even Supported by Ohio Right to Life
Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment
If the utter refusal of Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel to acknowledge that his current job demands that he make his feelings publicly known about legislation that will actually affect the work voters elected him to do (for example, SB5) before it demands that he voice his support for a topic over which he has zero control (for example, the anti-woman, unconstitutional “heartbeat bill” that not even the most staunchest of staunch pro-life advocates support) continues one day longer, then that alone is reason enough to reject any argument that he is ready to run for yet another higher elected office, especially in an era when voters want none of this game-playing nonsense.
And, for the record, Mandel’s now-public opposition to supporting legal reproductive health care for women reflects his previous habit of refusing, when running for office, to answer direct questions about such topics and instead, claiming that all he’s interested in is focusing on the goals of whatever his current job happens to be.
Sounds like a phrase emitted when you pull a talking action figure’s string.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:45 am April 11th, 2011 in Politics | Please comment
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Apr
8
UPDATED: Where Republican Women Congressional Electeds Stand on Planned Parenthood Rider
Filed Under Abortion, activism, Congress, conservatives, Gender, Health Care, leadership, Parenting, Politics, Republicans, Social Issues, Women | 4 Comments
In the Senate:
Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins (both Maine) do not want to defund Planned Parenthood.
Newly elected Kelly Ayotte (New Hampshire) waffles when not emitting talking points so I construe that to be in favor of letting Planned Parenthood get defunded.
Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas) – I can’t find anything from her on this but her voting record seems to indicate that she might allow it to be defunded.
Update on Hutchison: She’s a motivator behind a military troop funding through a governtment shutdown bill in the US Senate that appears to have at least 60 supporters, including other women and other Democrats. It does not appear that there is anything connected to Planned Parenthood in it.
In the House (all the women newby Republicans):
Kristi Noem (SD): will allow defunding of Planned Parenthood (“Noem said she believes the riders and the budget cuts are “intertwined” and that she supports them.”)
Nan Hayworth (NY): supports defunding Planned Parenthood
Vicky Hartzler, (MO): supports defunding Planned Parenthood
Martha Roby, (Alabama) and Sandy Adams (FL) appear to support defunding Planned Parenthood, reportedly agreeing that $61 billion in cuts for 2011 is reasonable (the reports right now are that there’s consensus on $38 billion between Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. John Boehner)
Renee Ellmers (NC): leading the way to defund Planned Parenthood
Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA): supports defunding Planned Parenthood
Update: Left out two women (thanks to the commenter who drew my attention to that!):
Ann Marie Buerkle (NY): supports defunding Planned Parenthood
Diane Black (TN): supports defunding Planned Parenthood
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:54 am April 8th, 2011 in Abortion, activism, Congress, conservatives, Gender, Health Care, leadership, Parenting, Politics, Republicans, Social Issues, Women | 4 Comments
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Apr
8
Pitting Clean Air & Our Health Against Ideologically-driven Budgeting
Filed Under Energy, Environment, Health Care, leadership, Moms Clean Air Force, Politics, Social Issues, Utilities, Youth | Leave a Comment
It’s very difficult, living in a place like Ohio, with so many threats to the natural environment, to understand how the possible government shutdown can be entwined in disagreements about clean air. CLEAN AIR. I mean, really.
But it is. From the Washington Post:
Republicans are aiming to curb the Environmental Protection Agency’s reach, especially its role as a regulator of the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. GOP lawmakers have proposed riders that would limit the agency’s ability to oversee coal mining and enforce the Clean Air Act.
And then, with all the coal mining disasters we’ve had in recent years, how can anyone suggest, with a straight face and lucid mind, that we should be moving toward limiting oversight of the industry? Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:19 am April 8th, 2011 in Energy, Environment, Health Care, leadership, Moms Clean Air Force, Politics, Social Issues, Utilities, Youth | Please comment
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Apr
7
Miami U. Students’ Efforts Earn Agreement to Phase Out of Coal
Filed Under Energy, Environment, Illness, Moms Clean Air Force, Ohio, Resources, Science | 2 Comments
Barely two weeks ago, Miami University (of Oxford, Ohio) students were shearing off their hair for testing in order to raise awareness about the dangers of coal production and mercury:
The testing is the latest in the group’s efforts to ask Miami to close its campus coal plant and switch to renewable energy.
Miami’s plant is located on western campus and uses about 24,000 tons of coal annually.
“We’re trying to get the administration to retire the plant,” said freshman Dan Ward, a member of the Beyond Coal group.
…
According to the group, “coal-fired power plants emit toxic mercury into our air, where it rains down into our rivers and streams and then makes its way to our bodies via contaminated fish.”
And then, this past Monday evening, the president of the university announced plans to phase out the plant entirely by 2025 . The student group, Beyond Coal, was even given a specific hattip by the university’s administration: Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:44 pm April 7th, 2011 in Energy, Environment, Illness, Moms Clean Air Force, Ohio, Resources, Science | 2 Comments
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