Leaf Litter
Raking in Notes From All Over

June, 2009

Hard Knocks for Big Box

Environmentalists scored a victory last month when a San Bernardino County Superior Court judge overturned the approval of the building of a Wal-Mart Supercenter near Joshua Tree National Park. A lawsuit had been filed by the Center for Biological Diversity because Wal-Mart officials had refused to properly consider greenhouse gas emissions that would occur during the store’s construction. In addition, the proposed project is located near a woodland habitat for the endangered desert tortoise, a federally protected species.

Who You Callin’ Shrimp?

In a life cycle directly related to the earth’s changing temperatures, the bloom of phytoplankton may have something to do with whether or not we get to partake of the occasional shrimp cocktail. According to scientists at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Nova Scotia, the water temperature of the ocean bottom determines the timing of phytoplankton growth. Shrimp eggs currently hatch when the phytoplankton is in full bloom, allowing the little guys to feast on their favorite meal. If temperatures above or below the surface increase, the timing might be thrown off, and the shrimp eggs could hatch before or after the phytoplankton reaches full bloom, directly affecting the shrimp population.

GE Brings Bad Things to Life

Don’t try to say “polychlorinated biphenyls” ten times really fast. Instead, call them PCBs, toxic chemicals that were, among other things, used as coolant for transformers and capacitors. From 1947-1977, prior to knowing the potential hazards, General Electric Company dumped an estimated 1.3 million pounds of PCBs from two GE capacitor manufacturing facilities into the Hudson River, contaminating fish and creating a health hazard for recreational and commercial fisheries. The first phase of a lengthy dredging project recently began, with the removal of 265,000 cubic yards of sediment and 20,300 kilograms of PCBs. The water will be extracted from the sediment and treated to drinking water standards, then returned to the river. It will take six years to complete the project.

Pacific Vista Dwarf Tall Fescue Blend

Combines all these fine turf advantages: Highest Heat and Drought Tolerance Available Fine Texture Dark Green Color Good Cold Tolerance Improved Disease Resistance Good Wear Ability Seeding Rate: 10 to 12 lbs/m sq ft Average Emergence: 10 to 21 days Average Establishment: 60 days S&S Seeds Inc. P.O. Box 1275 Carpinteria, CA 93014-1275 Phone: (805) 684-0436 Fax: (805) 684-2798 www.ssseeds.com

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