GreenClips.6 08.31.94 EPA DENIES WETLAND DEVELOPMENT The US EPA will allow new development on only120 of 2,476 acres of wetlands at the edge of the Everglades owned by developer Arvida/JMB Partners. The 1,200 acres Arvida wants to develop have been drained, mowed, and used for cattle over the years. According to the EPA, preserving the remaining Arvida marshes is important because the developer has destroyed so many similar wetlands. Wetlands cleanse polluted water, recharge underground drinking water supplies, hold flood water during severe storms, and provide valuable habitat for wildlife. -The Miami Herald, August 24, 1994, p. 1BR, by Cyril T. Zaneski. MARKET-BASED CREDIT SYSTEM FOR CLEAN AIR Alfred C. DeCrane, Chief Executive officer of Texaco, proposes tradeable nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission credits for power plants. Steam-electric power plants and vehicles are the two main sources of NOx. While automobiles operate under NOx controls, most steam-electric power plants do not. DeCrane's proposal comes as the deadline approaches for twelve states in the Northeast to submit plans for cleaner air to the EPA . Other strategies such as mandatory car pooling would be too constraining to DeCrane who believes market-based programs are cost effective, clean the air faster, and tread lighter on the fragile Northeastern economy. -The Christian Science Monitor, August 25, 1994, p. 18, by Alfred C. DeCrane. RAIN FOREST SAVED West Fraser Timber Co. has given up its right to log Kitlope Valley in British Columbia, the largest rain forest outside the tropics. Kitlope Valley, with trees over 800 years old, will be turned back to its original inhabitants, the Haisla Nation. The company is not seeking direct compensation, but is urging the government to set goals for commercial forest use as it sets environmental goals. -San Francisco Chronicle, August 17, 1994, p. A2, by Elliot Diringer. LAND SWAP The Irvine Company, a private developer, owns 10,000 acres of pristine land in Orange County CA. To preserve it, Friends of Tecate Cypress propose swapping some of the soon-to-be-closed El Toro Marine Corps Air Station land for it. Although a complicated concept, the US Department of Interior has identified at least two dozen sites where military base closure lands could be used to benefit nearby conservation projects. -The Christian Science Monitor, August 17, 1994, p. 4, by Scott Armstrong. TREE SAVING ORDINANCE BROADENED The Wheaton IL City Council expanded a tree preservation ordinance to cover residential subdivisions and developments as well as commercial developments. The ordinance requires developers to preserve wooded areas, replacing trees in proportion to the number removed. -Chicago Tribune, August 29, 1994, p. 3, by Bob Goldsborough. GRAYWATER Americans use approximately 400 billion gallons of water everyday. With demand for water outpacing supply, graywater systems are a solution. Graywater, collected from the bath, shower, and bathroom sink, is treated and reused for industrial purposes, crop irrigation, car washing, and lawn car. The State of California wrote guidelines for graywater use in 1992, and the 1994 Uniform Plumbing Code includes graywater guidelines for 22 western states. -Sierra, September/October 1994, p. 18, by Ray Carter. ORGANICALLY GROWN COTTON Christine Nielson's Marin County CA based Coyuchi creates interior textiles made from organically grown, naturally colored cotton. Using Fox Fiber cotton-grown without pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, and untreated with bleaches or dyes-Coyuchi offers 7 oz. plainweave to 15 oz. cotton-wool blend upholstery fabric. -Interiors, August,!994, p. 66, by Michael Wagner. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRUCTION OUTFITTERS Located in New York City, Environmental Construction Outfitters (ECO) provides one-stop shopping for building materials which meet recyclable, renewable, and nontoxic criteria. Other products at ECO include water and energy-efficient appliances, energy-efficient lighting and nontoxic maintenance supplies. -Interiors, August, 1994, p. 53, by Karin Tetlow. NEW BOOK "Green Gold" by Curtis Moore and Alan Miller." Curtis Moore and Alan Miller go behind the scenes in Germany, Japan, and elsewhere to show how nations are staking their economic futures on the proposition that world competitive success will depend on developing technologies aimed at protecting the environment." -From the cover flap.