Teamsters Sue To Close Border To Unsafe, Polluting Mexican Trucks

WASHINGTON - The Teamsters on Wednesday sued to block the U.S. Department of Transportation from opening the U.S. border to dangerous Mexican trucks through an illegal pilot program.   "Opening the border to these dangerous, dirty trucks is an attack on highway safety, an attack on American truckers and warehouse workers, an attack on border security and an attack on our environment," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "It's outrageous enough that we've outsourced millions of jobs to foreign countries, but now we're bringing foreign workers across the border into the United States to take our jobs. This is another pressure the American middle class doesn't need." The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Public Citizen and the Sierra Club challenged the program in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The suit claims the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration breaks the following laws: It waives a law that trucks must display certain proof that they meet federal safety standards. It breaks the law requiring the pilot program to achieve an equivalent level of safety because Mexican drivers don't have to meet the same physical requirements as U.S. drivers. It breaks the law that Mexico must provide simultaneous and comparable access to U.S. trucks. Mexico cannot do so because of the limited availability of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel in Mexico. It breaks the law that the pilot program must include enough participants to be statistically valid. The FMCSA's proposal ensures that only the best Mexican trucks participate, which would allow it to justify letting any Mexican truck over the border in the future. It doesn't comply with the environment requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act. "Congress has repeatedly and overwhelmingly set tough safety conditions for any cross-border trucking program, and this one clearly doesn't meet those conditions," Hoffa said. The pilot program got off to a rocky start when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration approved trucking operator Grupo Behr from Tijuana, Mexico. The carrier owned one 20-year-old semi-tractor trailer with numerous safety issues. FMCSA had to disqualify it from the program after the Teamsters Union and others brought Grupo Behr's safety record to light. A second carrier, Transportes Olympic, of Monterrey, Mexico, started operating in the U.S. last month. Safety concerns have also been raised about Transportes Olympic.

Melvin Wylie

SustainU Opens Its First Retail Store

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - SustainU, a leading producer of apparel using fabrics made from 100% recycled materials that are manufactured in the USA, today announced the opening of its first retail store in Morgantown, WV on Tuesday, November 29th. Located in the Wharf District, the store will feature SustainU's line of t-shirts, hoodies and polos made from 100% recycled material and manufactured entirely in the United States. "We are the only apparel company in the United States that uses only recycled material and American labor to manufacture its clothing," said Chris Yura, CEO and founder of SustainU. "It is important for future generations that businesses become more sustainable. This is why we are trying to bring back jobs to the US and do it in an environmentally responsible way." Using recycled cotton scraps and plastic bottles, SustainU partners with factories like the Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind (WSIFB) to manufacture its apparel. The White House recently recognized the young West Virginia company in its blog: "Chris hoped to create a more authentic garment, one that embodied the social, environmental and economic values with which he was raised. With a small loan from his parents, he moved to North Carolina, a vibrant textile region, to learn how to make quality, affordable apparel. He brought this knowledge back to his home state of West Virginia and in June of 2009, at the age of 28, Chris founded SustainU." The SustainU retail store, located at 63 Wharf Street across from Oliverio's Restaurant, will be open weekdays from 9 am to 7 pm and Saturdays from 12 noon to 5 pm and will carry SustainU and WVU merchandise. Products can also be purchased online at SustainUclothing.com/store.

Melvin Wylie

Diseased Dogs Rescued From Dinner Plates in China

BEIJING - Hundreds of dogs who narrowly escaped the fate of being on a restaurant menu, received emergency vaccinations provided by the International Fund for Animal Welfare - IFAW (www.ifaw.org). At the same time, IFAW issued an open letter to the Chinese authorities, calling for enforcement of health and quarantine regulations to prevent the illegal, unsafe and inhumane inter-province transport of dogs for human consumption. On October 14, concerned residents intercepted a truck packed with more than 800 dogs in Zigong, Sichuan province heading to Guangxi for slaughter. The dogs were cramped into 100 cages without food or water for three to four days. Veterinarians conducted health examinations and found the dogs were not only suffering from various degrees of dehydration, fractures and trauma, but many were also infected with potentially lethal infectious diseases, such as canine distemper and Parvovirus and serious illnesses caused by fungi and mites. Twenty-seven dogs have died so far due to injury and disease. "The transport of live animals in urban and rural areas carries a high risk of spreading infectious diseases to both animals and people. It also brings great challenges to the prevention of epidemics," said Dr. Kati Loeffler, IFAW's Veterinarian Advisor. "It poses a direct threat to human health and public safety." IFAW questions the mishandling of the case by local authorities who failed to uphold existing regulations to ensure public safety. In a letter to authorities, IFAW appeals for strengthening existing regulation to protect companion animals from the illegal meat trade and advocates for the anti-cruelty legislation to protect all animals, including dogs and cats. "This is the second time this year that concerned citizens have intercepted companion animals headed for slaughter – showing that times are changing," said Grace Gabriel, IFAW's Asia Regional Director. "The Chinese public is speaking up and taking action against animal cruelty. IFAW's team on the ground will continue to call for China's laws to catch up with the growing desires of Chinese people for greater dog protection." About IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare) Founded in 1969, IFAW saves animals in crisis around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals, and advocates for the protection of wildlife and habitats. For more information, visit www.ifaw.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Melvin Wylie

Hawaii's 2012 State Teacher of the Year Receives Use of an Electric Car; Two Charging Stations

HONOLULU - With Hawaii focusing on the development of the state's abundant wind, wave, sun, geo-thermal, ocean-thermal and bio-mass energy resources, this year, an electric car (use for a year) was awarded to the 2012 State Teacher of the Year during ceremonies held at historic Washington Place, across from the State Capitol. Chad Miller, a language arts teacher at Kailua High School, received the prestigious designation as the 2012 Hawaii State Teacher of the Year during ceremonies hosted by the Hawaii State Department of Education. Miller will represent the state of Hawaii at the 2012 National Teacher of the Year program next year. The use of the Mitsubishi iMiEV was provided by Cutter Mitsubishi and was presented by Mitsubishi Motors North America president and CEO Yoichi Yokozawa, who said, "I believe the state of Hawaii is a great location for electric vehicles. The state can be an example to the world for zero emission cars. Hawaii can show others how to make it work." Two electric vehicle charging stations –one for the teacher's residence and one for the teacher's school parking space-- were provided compliments of AeroVironment, a Monrovia, California-based supplier of EV charging stations. Pat Ah You, general manager of Cutter Mitsubishi, reminded Miller that Honolulu allows free parking for electric vehicles at all City and County public parking facilities and parking meter stalls on streets and roadways throughout the island of Oahu. "The electric car presentation to the teacher is significant this year in that it demonstrates Hawaii's new car dealers' commitment to education, the new renewable energy transition, and to the next generation of young people who are customers in the future," said Ah You.

Melvin Wylie

26th Episode of GreenNews4U

Organically Grown Clothing In this episode of GreenNews4U I interview Sebastian with Right as Rain. Right as Rain is an organic piece of clothing grown and produced by mother earth. Now how can the earth produce a piece of clothing that a farmer from Scotland, now living in Italy, can harvest? Well you will have to listen to this episode to find out. You can find Right as Rain on Facebook and to purcahse their products go to their web page.

Melvin Wylie

Organica Sustainable Water on PBS (Huffington Post & National Geographic)

A few months ago I had the privilege of interviewing Melissa with Organica Sustainable Water. Since then they have been in the the Huffington Post and National Geographic. I'm sure with their publicity that many more news organizations will come forward to interview this great company that's on the cutting edge in dealing with our water crisis. This Thursday, November 17th the company will be featured and the centerpiece of PBS's Nightly Business Report. I hop you will support this great company and tune in! You can find the listings for PBS here.

Melvin Wylie

WATER: The Great Mystery

Amazing documentary about the power of the mind and the secrets of water.

Melvin Wylie