Hurricane Alex; first of the season.

Hurricane Alex, the first hurricane of the 2010 season, has come and gone, hitting at night on June 30th and dissipating over Mexico. The maximum sustained winds for Hurricane Alex were 100 mph, making it a Category Two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. It was moving west at 10 mph, a movement that was expected to continue for the next day or so. The minimum central pressure was 947 millibars or 27.96 inches. Hurricane-force winds extended up to 35 miles from the center, and tropical storm-force winds extend up to 205 miles.



Unfortunately six-foot waves from Alex have damaged a new, $4.6 million system meant to prevent oil from flowing into Perdido Bay.

The structure is composed of more than 3,000 feet of steel piping that is strung together in Perdido Pass between dozens of pilings in Orange Beach to guard against the oil spill. Though they said Thursday that about 800 feet of the protective system began coming apart when thick bolts started shearing off in heavy seas. Workers took apart other sections to prevent further damage to the system, which wasn't yet finished. It was said the steel booms should be back in place with thicker bolts by Saturday. He said not much additional oil entered the bay because of the failure.

Flooding and overflowing of rivers killed two men in Mexico on Thursday, July 01, before Alex finally made it's leave over Mexico's borders.

Texas' Strikes Out on Air Quality Permits

The Environmental Protection Agency has officially struck down air quality permits the state of Texas issued to industrial plants because they violate the federal environmental safety standards, the agency said. (read more here )

On december 9th, 2009 the commission had proposed changes to the public notice/public participation rules for the air quality permits. TAC, Title 30, Capter 39, Public Notice, proposed rule making revises the public notice procedures for the air quality permits. However now the Texas Commission on Enviromental Quality has issued flexible permits that set emission caps for all plants incorporated into the permit ruling.

The goals of putting forth such stipulations is hoping to reduce the highly reactive volatile organic (carbon-based) compounds (HRVOCs) and reducing the NOx, including improving the control over the large about of emissions being put into our atmosphere. Hopefully enabling them to improve the monitoring of specific sources to our ozone layer. The air quality has been a problem, especially centered around the Houston area.

Since 1999, Huston had been battling it out with Los Angeles to claim the title of "most polluted air in the United States" which is defined by the number of days each city violates federal smog standards. To better define what an emission, or smog, standard is we dive a little deeper. Emission standards are requirements that set specific limits to the amount of pollutants that can be released into the environment. The United States emission standards are set forth and maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and both state and local governments play a subsidiary role.

"EPA has determined that the "Texas' Air Quality Permits" do not meet the several national Clean Air Act requirements that assures the protection of health and environment," the EPA said when asked about striking down the quality permits. The Clean Air Act is the law that defines the EPA's responsibilities for protecting and improving our nations air quality and the stratospheric ozone layer. It is just one of a number of pieces of legislation relating to the reduction of smog and air pollution in general. The use of such legislation to enforce clean air standards has helped increase the human health overall as well as increase the lifespan.

This decision made by the EPA will not be closing down any plants in the Texas area, but stricter guidelines will be put in place which will have to be followed in the future.

Not So PetSmart After All

Thinking about buying from Petsmart lately? Think again.

An investigation done by PETA has turned up the cold-hearted truth about Petsmart. Undercover investigators put in a documented report on their 2006 investigation. Though little of this reached the general public, which to me is both sad and disappointing.

PetSmart had assured PETA for quite awhile that those poor innocent animals were receiving proper treatment for their sicknesses and injuries. However the recent dive into the truths about the stores have left us with a bad taste in our mouth. Not only are these poor animals left to suffer, but it appears the general knowledge of the stores employees are extremely lacking.

Small animals cost the multibillion-dollar company next to nothing in costs and they make up a minute percentage of the company's total sales. So why do they continue to buy these poor creatures, produced in the thousands, only to leave them to die from diseases and injuries? The sad truth is, we as consumers can't deny the cute fuzzy faces staring back at us, or the feathery friend who is just singing his heart out. Believe me folks those supplies vs. demands build up, and profits become well worth the torment of those animals that we can't resist having.

The better question is, where do these adorable little fuzzy and feathery beings come from? Well the answer might make you feel a little queasy. They are bred in horrid conditions in warehouses, much like that of a puppy mill. They are massed produced, thousands upon thousands of these creatures kept in unlivable conditions with no vet care or even so much as a monitoring breeder to keep an eye on their well-being. They are shipped in trucks to their desired location, many don't make it.

The dying, or dead, creatures are stacked on top of one another in cramped quarters. Many others are sick, or injured 100s upon thousands of these little animals never even make it to the floor. PETA has documented more then 100 small animals, including but not limited to hamsters, domestic rats, lizards, chinchillas, and birds who were deprived of the proper veterinary care. Petsmart cares so little about the animals in their care, their focus is simply on making a quick buck at the suspense of animals.

Why don't you see these horrid conditions, and dying animals? Because Petsmart takes great care to make sure they never leave the hidden back rooms, out of your sight as a consumer. If that isn't bad enough the same pet store that sells small animals also admitted to using GLUE TRAPS. That's right, these horrid contraptions trap the animal, ripping patches of skin, fur, and feathers off when they struggle to escape. Sometimes the animal is so desperate for freedom they even chew off their own limbs.

So, for a store that prides itself on lying to you with its "outstanding pet care teams," and "exceptional pet care record," it doesn't even take the time to make sure suffering animals get taken care of. Please rethink before buying anything from your Petsmart store, who knows what poor animals life you've just ended by buying one of their cute little fuzzy, or feathery animals.