Publisher's Watch

On January 28, 1969, the Union Oil Platform A, an oil platform 5.5 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, blew out and dumped 100,000 barrels of crude oil, according to an estimate by the U.S. Coast Guard. The well was 3,500 feet below the ocean floor, and the temporary cap did not work. Additional fissures opened up soon after. Union Oil promised to have the leak plugged in 24 hours, but it took 11 days, during which the oil flowed into the Santa Barbara Channel. More than 10,000 birds and other animal life died due to the disaster. This oil spill seems almost quaint in light of the magnitude of the current BP disaster in the Gulf.

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It was not an easy decision to post an unflattering piece about New York's junior senator. I held back for several months and made the decision based, in part, by mounting frustration about our legislative process. The disconnect between voter and elected official seems to be widening, even though the digital age was supposed to make us closer. The day when one could walk into a congressional representative's office or send a letter and expect an immediate reply is far gone. The digital era, for all its promise of instant gratification, has made it nearly impossible for any elected official to respond personally given the volume of email.

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Soon after the attempted, and thankfully foiled, terrorist attack by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, aka Underwear Bomber, on Christmas Day of 2009, there was much talk about what steps need to be taken to ensure this never happens again. One of the many ideas offered did not sit well with me, mostly due to my history as a cancer survivor. This particular plan was to give full body x-rays at airports, which could certainly prove unhealthy to those of us who have had radiation therapy in the past.

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"Necessity is the mother of invention," as the saying goes. Apparently the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is taking this notion seriously in the realm of sustainability if their latest program is any indication. The USPTO issues patents to inventors and businesses as well as trademark registration for products and intellectual property. The recently launched pilot program fast-tracks the "examination of certain 'green' technology patent applications... to accelerate the development and deployment of green technology, create green jobs, and promote U.S. competitiveness in this vital sector."

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Golden State regulators have found a new toy. The California Energy Commission has just approved a measure to force television manufacturers to produce new models by 2013 that cut energy consumption by 50%. According to the commission, total household energy consumption from television sets has climbed to 10% up from 3-4% in the 1990s. There are a couple of reasons for this growth, including the new generation of flat screen sets as well as similar regulations for other household appliances, which has reduced their comparative energy use.

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One of the noblest things that any citizen can do is serve in our country's military. The only way to get in is to volunteer, and too often this debt is not repaid. The deplorable situation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, uncovered a few years ago, is just one of many examples.

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This month the state of New York enacted the State Green Building Construction Act when Governor David A. Patterson signed the legislation, which was voted on this past June. This new law mandates that all new government-owned buildings and facilities must meet strict green building guidelines; this goes for major renovations as well. The state's Office of General Services (OGS) will be responsible for drafting new green building standards for these buildings.

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Conventional wisdom dictates that states in the sunbelt should be the leaders in solar energy installations and incentives. However, conventional wisdom goes right out the window with a new study released by Global Solar Center, a New York City-based solar consulting firm servicing both residential and commercial sectors. The hands-down winner in offering solar energy incentives is none other than New Jersey, followed by Pennsylvania. New York, Delaware, and Colorado also make the top of the list. While California leads the country in total solar installations, New Jersey leads the nation per capita growth.

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What's better than being able to take your 10-year-old small truck to a car dealer and receive thousands of dollars more than it's worth in trade-in value toward buying a brand new vehicle? Seemed like a great idea to me, so I decided to try it.

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