Elizabeth Mortimer

November 10, 2007

Senate Overrides Bush and Enacts Water Bill

This week both the Senate and the House overwhelmingly surpassed the two-thirds majority vote needed to override the President's veto of a $23 billion water resource bill. This marked the first time in his six-year presidency President Bush was defeated by Congress on a veto measure. This bill funds various projects undertaken by the Army Corp of Engineers that are important to local communities and their representatives across the nation.

Senate Overrides Bush Water Projects Veto, First Time in a Decade Congress Has Passed Bill Over Presidential Rejection, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21691324/ (last visited Nov. 8, 2007).

David Stout, In First Bush Veto Override, Senate Enacts Water Bill, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/washington/08cnd-spend.html?hp (last visited Nov. 8, 2007).

Efforts Launched to Green the Nations Schools

On Wednesday, November 7, former President Clinton, at the world's largest green building exposition, announced the kick-off of the national Green Schools campaign. This is a joint commitment between Earth Day Network and the U.S. Green Building Council that promises to green all school structures within a generation. The campaign will also build healthier play areas as well as ensure that the food provided in schools is healthier.

Paul Schaefer, Bill Clinton, Green Building Council Launch Effort to Green U.S. Schools

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/spotlight/24318 (last visited Nov. 8 2007).

County Air Quality Program is Too Stringent to Keep Regulating

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has had some of the worst air quality in the country. After World War II, Allegheny County tried to change this by developing an Air Quality Program. Attempting to clean up some of the nation's dirtiest air, the program wrote and enforced some of the nation's toughest air pollution regulations. Now, the county wants to shutdown the agency and turn the regulatory duty over to the state because the program is too slow in giving out permits.

Don Hopey, Last Gasp for Allegheny County's Pollution Program, http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07308/831053-113.stm (last visited Nov. 7, 2007).

Africa Faces the Worst of Global Warming

The head of the U.N.'s Environment Program announced that Africa's coastal infrastructure faces increasing danger from rising sea levels. The IPPC projected that global warming could effect up to one-third of Africa's coastline by the end of this century as well as worsen the droughts and floods felt across the continent. Scientists have said this damage will be the worst felt if the world fails to stop global warming.

Bate Felix, Rising Seas Threaten Africa's Coastline, http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL0881646620071108?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&rpc=22&sp=true (last visited Nov. 9, 2007).

Foreign Species Banned By British

Invasive species are the second biggest threat to flora and fauna and the British government recently took steps to stop the invasion. The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs moved toward a ban of the sale of some foreign species within the UK. They hope these bans will stop invasive species from ever making it into the wild.

Robert, UK Government Bans Non-Natives, http://www.enn.com/animals/article/24336 (last visited Nov. 9, 2007), also available at http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/?p=444 (last visited Nov. 10, 2007).