Volume 4, Number 22

Thursday, November 9, 2006

Circulation: 4,700

When one tugs at a single thing in nature; he finds it attached to the rest of the world.

-- John Muir

 

Please Note: The Ask Audubon section is our newest addition to Newswire. You can submit your questions about consumer choices and how they affect the environment to cblayer@audubon.org. Please continue to send your news and updates to Sally Montgomery at smontgomery@audubon.org

In this issue:

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ASK AUDUBON

Audubon Says Congressional Results Bring Balance and Opportunity

New York, NY, November 9, 2006 - Though some Congressional races remain too close to call, it appears that voters rejected extremism in national policy and restored the balance that promises full and open debate on crucial issues, including environmental protections. That bodes well for the health of resources we all depend upon.

To read more about Audubon's thoughts on the 2006 election, please visit: http://www.audubon.org/Vote_Dems%20House%20OR%20Senate%20B_Qualified.html

Audubon Partners with Brooks Brothers to Promote Conservation

New York, NY, November 9, 2006 - The National Audubon Society and Brooks Brothers have partnered to promote the protection and conservation of birds and other wildlife and the habitats that support them. Paintings by renowned wildlife artist John James Audubon are presented in the Brooks Brothers collection of china, silk scarves and neckties. The images lend the collection precious historic value, and pay tribute to a legendary artist and an important cause.

Brooks Brothers' Audubon Collection is featured in their 2006 holiday gift book. It will also be promoted in both Audubon and the New Yorker magazines, and can also be found in stores and at http://www.brooksbrothers.com.

Audubon Arizona Newsletter Helps Organization Win 30k Grant

Phoenix, AZ, November 9, 2006 - Audubon Arizona has been presented with the Crystal Vision Award, a $30,000 grant from the Employees Community Fund (ECF) of Boeing Mesa, which will be used to help them add a cultural component to their environmental education of children by engaging elders from the Latino, Native American, and African American communities in their programs. Children will meet twice with elders, once in a story-telling session that draws on the elders' memories of experiences in nature and again in a hands-on nature discovery session at the Rio Salado habitat in South Phoenix.

Audubon Arizona, who recently adopted National Audubon Society's state newsletter template, used the newsletter as support for their presentation to the ECF committee. Rick Hobby, an ECF director, noted that the Audubon Arizona newsletter was "gorgeous and full of good information" and mentioned that Audubon was the only agency to provide Boeing with such information quality, a definite factor in their decision-making process.

For more information about Audubon Arizona, please visit http://az.audubon.org/.

For more information about National Audubon Society's state newsletter template, please contact Kirsten Major at kmajor@audubon.org.

Audubon Officially Recognizes Virginia's Lower James River as an Important Bird Area

Hopewell, VA, November 9, 2006 - The National Audubon Society's Virginia Important Bird Areas (IBA) program announced the official recognition of the Lower James River as an Important Bird Area during a ceremony held on Presquile National Wildlife Refuge.

The Lower James River IBA is one of Virginia's 14 recently identified IBAs and is a part of a global network of sites that provide essential habitat for birds. The IBA's 118,000 acres stretch from just west of Hopewell east to the mouth of the Chickahominy River and encompass pristine forested wetlands, river habitat, and rural farmlands. The IBA contains several large conservation lands, including both the James River NWR and Presquile NWR, which provide prime habitat for Bald Eagles and other high-priority species.

For more information about the Virginia IBA Program or to see how you can get involved go to http://www.audubon.org/bird/iba/index.html or contact Aimee Weldon, Virginia IBA Coordinator, at 804-752-5850 or aweldon@audubon.org.

Audubon Names State Botanical Gardens/Whitehall Forest Georgia's Newest Important Bird Area

Athens, GA, November 9, 2006 - Georgia's Important Bird Areas Technical Committee has named the State Botanical Garden/Whitehall Forest, as Georgia's newest IBA. This site, which encompasses 1053 acres that are located along the Middle Oconee River where it meets the North Oconee River, is owned by the University of Georgia and located immediately south of its campus. Its riparian habitat is very attractive to migrant and nesting warblers, particularly in the spring.

For more information about the Georgia IBA Program, or to see how you can get involved, go to http://www.audubon.org/bird/iba/index.html or contact Jim Wilson, Georgia IBA Coordinator, at 770-602-1679 or gaiba@bellsouth.net.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

PBS Special to Feature Audubon California's Kern River Preserve - An entire week of Huell Howser programming will be devoted to Kern County, CA, and on Friday, November 17, 2006 at 6:00 pm, Los Angeles' PBS affiliate, KCET, will be featuring a Huell Howser Special on Audubon California's Kern River Preserve. Those in the Los Angeles area can tune to KCET to learn more about the Kern River preserve. Those interested in learning more about "Visiting With Heull Howser" can visit http://www.calgold.com/.

Fall 2006 Chapter Networker Now Online - The Fall 2006 Chapter Networker is now available on the Chapter Resources Web site. The quarterly e-newsletter for Chapter leaders is full of tips, stories and new products. Read all about it at http://www.audubon.org/local/index.html (see link in top right corner).

ASK AUDUBON

"I try to recycle by re-using, such as the Chinese delivery plastic soup tubs, the plastic tupperware like containers some deli meat comes in, and recently learned I shouldn't microwave them. Is it ok to wash them in a dishwasher repeatedly or will they eventually "go bad" from the pressure and heat?" -- Submitted by Kim C. of New York, NY.

You're certainly doing the right thing by reusing as much as you can, but you are wise to have health concerns about plastic. Hot liquid and scrubbing can cause the plastic surface to degrade, with possible health implications. There are several types of plastic, each the subject of environmental and/or health issues.

Plastics are organized into six general categories. A triangle enclosed number from 1 to 7 can be found on the bottom of many plastic containers. Types 1, 2, 4 and 5 are generally considered to be the safer plastics. Plastic type 3, PVC, contains pthalates, ingredients which make the plastic flexible, but are known to be carcinogenic. Styrene, a suspected endocrine disruptor as well as a possible carcinogen, is a component of type 6, polystyrene. Plastic type 7 contains the hormone disrupter bisphenol A.

Hot foods or liquids can cause plastics to leach or give off bits of component materials. Scrubbing vigorously or scraping the food from a plastic container with a utensil can cause particles to leach. Since plastic is a pliant material, small scrapes and indentations occur easily and can become a breeding ground for bacteria from embedded food or liquid. Much as I hate to see more plastic added to the waste stream, many experts recommend that you err on the side of caution and not reuse these items. Recycle what is allowable under your local regulations. Glass or ceramic containers are a better alternative for food storage, lasting indefinitely and posing no health threats. Glass is readily recyclable, which is not the case with many types of plastic.

Submit your questions about consumer choices and how they affect the environment to cblayer@audubon.org.