AUSTRALIA'S POPULAR STORE VILLA & HUT OPENS ITS FIRST U.S. LOCATION IN PHILADELPHIA

Jon Spivak, a Philadelphia native, has opened the first Villa and Hut in the U.S., which is at 1105 Frankford Avenue (between Delaware & Girard Avenue) in Philadelphia, PA.
Villa & Hut, which is based in Australia, is the seventh fastest growing retail business in the continent and thrives throughout Australia, Europe and Southeast Asia.
Villa & Hut is in a converted 8,000-square-foot factory which Spivak has transformed into a warmly lit, Zen-like labyrinth. Shoppers are guided through the space by stone Buddhas, antique Java doors, and mahogany/rattan bureaus. Original oil paintings, which conjure up Modigliani, adorn the walls, and an indoor patio boasts functional, beautiful handmade garden furniture.
In separate showrooms, shoppers will find chaise lounge sets and platform bed frames, made from authentic teak and mahogany.
Villa & Hut is committed to the environment, the craftspeople and fair trade practices-buying at a fair price, selling at a fair price, and reinvesting in the communities in which they work.
Villa & Hut products are largely made by individual craftspeople using recycled timber from doors, beams, bridges and buildings that may be up to 100 years old.
"A factory there can be eight people in their backyard", explains Spivak of the organic process behind the companies' products.
Any new wood used is taken from timber plantations, where teak, mahogany and nyatoh timbers are planted for the purpose of furniture crafting, whose harvests are abundant, and whose larger function is the continued development of the fourth most populated country in the world-Indonesia.
The prices, sizes and selection of Villa & Hut's items vary greatly, catering to those looking to enhance their home or apartment with a unique piece of furniture, homeware or art. Every piece carries the flavor of something exotic and genuine.
For more information on Villa & Hut and their products visit www.villaandhut.com.

Villa and Hut specializes in eco-friendly, individually handcrafted furniture and housewares from around the world
Villa and Hut is at 1105 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19125
(215) 425-1014 www.villaandhut-us.com
Store Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday & Saturday 11am-7pm.
Thursday & Friday 11am-9pm Sunday 11am-5pm

Join the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy Wednesday evening, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. at the conservancy’s historic brownstone barn on the corner of Route 73 and Haldeman Road, just outside of Schwenksville. Timothy Block, director of botany at the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, will be the guest speaker and share his perspective on the future of Pennsylvania’s forests. To better understand our forested ecosystems Block will take you on a historical journey linking the past with the present. He will begin with the practices of the Native Americans of Pennsylvania, examine the perspective of the first Europeans, describe the changes that took place by 1900, and highlight challenges which face us today. Pre-registration is required. Fee: $7 for members/$10 for non-members.
For more information or to register call (610) 287-9383.

Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy
1 Skippack Pike
Schwenksville, PA 19473
Web site:
www.perkiomenwatershed.org

White House cut warming impact testimony

By H. JOSEF HEBERT, Associated Press

The White House severely edited congressional testimony given Tuesday by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the impact of climate change on health, removing specific scientific references to potential health risks, according to two sources familiar with the documents.

Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Atlanta-based CDC, the government's premier disease monitoring agency, told a Senate hearing that climate change "is anticipated to have a broad range of impacts on the health of Americans."

But her prepared testimony was devoted entirely to the CDC's preparation, with few details on what effects climate change could have on the spread of disease. Only during questioning did she describe some specific diseases that likely would be affected, again without elaboration.

Her testimony before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee had much less information on health risks than a much longer draft version Gerberding submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review in advance of her appearance.

"It was eviscerated," said a CDC official, familiar with both versions, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the review process.

The official said that while it is customary for testimony to be changed in a White House review, these changes were particularly "heavy-handed," with the document cut from its original 14 pages to four. It was six pages as presented to the Senate committee.

The OMB had no comment on Gerberding's testimony.

"We generally don't speculate and comment on anything until it is the final product," said OMB spokesman Sean Kevelighan. He added that OMB reviews take into consideration "whether they ... line up well with the national priorities of the administration."

The CDC is part of the Department of Health and Human Services and its congressional testimony, as is normal with all agencies, is routinely reviewed by OMB.

But Gerberding, who could not be reached late Tuesday for comment, was said to have been surprised by the extensive changes. Copies of the original testimony already had been sent to a number of associated health groups representing states, county and city health agencies that the CDC routinely coordinates with, a CDC official said.

CDC spokesman Tom Skinner sought to play down the White House changes. He called Gerberding's appearance before the Senate panel "very productive" and said she addressed the issues she wanted during her remarks and when questioned by the senators.

"What needed to be said as far we're concerned was said," said Skinner in a telephone interview from Atlanta. "She certainly communicated with the committee everything she felt was critical to help them appreciate and understand all the issues surrounding climate change and its potential impact on public health."

The deletions directed by the White House included details on how many people might be adversely affected because of increased warming and the scientific basis for some of the CDC's analysis on what kinds of diseases might be spread in a warmer climate and rising sea levels, according to one official who has seen the original version.

Gerberding seems to have tried to address some of those issues during questioning from senators.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., the committee's chairman, produced a CDC chart listing the broad range of health problems that could emerge from a significant temperature increase and sea level rise

They include fatalities from heat stress and heart failure, increased injuries and deaths from severe weather such as hurricanes; more respiratory problems from drought-driven air pollution; an increase in waterborne diseases including cholera, and increases vector-borne diseases including malaria and hantavirus; and mental health problems such as depression and post-traumatic stress.

"These are the potential things you can expect," replied Gerberding when asked about the items listed. "... In some of these areas its not a question of if, it's a question of who, what, how and when."

Peter Rafle, a spokesman for Boxer, said the senator knew nothing about changes that might have been made to Gerberding's testimony by the White House.

Now is the perfect time to do some decluttering at your home or office.

Students Against Violating the Earth (known as SAVE) of Souderton Area High School is holding a Community Recycling Day at the West Broad Street Elementary School parking lot, 342 W. Broad St., Franconia, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 27. Student volunteers will assist in unloading the following collected items: paper, cardboard, scrap metal, car batteries, computer ink cartridges, tires ($3; $4 with rim). Contact Ken Hamilton, SAVE coordinator, at (215) 723-4989 for additional information.

Health officials study Pa. waste dump

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM, Associated Press

More than 30 years ago, an abandoned mine in Pennsylvania coal country was turned into a dump for toxic waste. Lots of it.

When government officials finally shut down the site in 1979, they found nearly 7,000 storage drums, and dead birds and animals. Many of the drums were badly corroded and leaking dangerous chemicals. The Environmental Protection Agency called it the state's worst environmental hazard, placed it on the Superfund list and began a cleanup.

Years later, officials say the site does not pose a health hazard. But residents who live nearby are skeptical. They say they seem to be getting cancer and other serious diseases in startling numbers. By one unofficial estimate, 70 of 100 homes within a half-mile of the site have been touched.

This week, the government will report on a possible cluster of polycythemia vera, or PCV, a rare blood disease that has sickened dozens of people. Dr. Peter Baddick, an internist who grew up near the Superfund site and has sounded the alarm about PCV, said he expects the number of cases to be three or four times higher than what would be expected for the region.

Clusters are difficult to prove. Investigators must establish an unusually high number of cases of a specific disease within a given population and then figure out whether it can be attributed to something in the environment. Most reported clusters are found to be due to chance.

Thomas Burke, a professor of public health at Johns Hopkins University, said cluster investigations rarely yield a definitive cause. "Most clusters, even those that are significantly elevated, have not been successfully investigated to find a particular environmental link," he said.

But residents hope the report will force a re-evaluation of the safety of one of the worst toxic waste dumps in the nation — and, perhaps, focus attention on people who not only contracted PCV but also suffer from cancer, multiple sclerosis, lupus and other serious illnesses.

Is there a link to the Superfund site? The government has consistently said no. But there is no question this hardscrabble region 80 miles northwest of Philadelphia has endured one environmental headache after another.

For now, government epidemiologists are focusing on polycythemia (pah-lee-sy-THEE-mee-ah) vera, an acquired genetic mutation that thickens the blood and can result in heart attacks and strokes.

The condition, whose cause is unknown, only became reportable to state cancer registries in 2001. The government estimates it occurs in one in every 100,000 people, although some scientists believe it is even more rare. The disease, which is treatable, is more prevalent in older people and men.

The U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry began looking into PCV in August 2006 after 97 cases in Schuylkill, Carbon and Luzerne counties were reported to the state cancer registry between 2001 and 2005 by doctors, hospitals and labs. Based on its population, the region should have reported about 25 cases.

Meryl Wertman, 62, is among those looking for answers.

After his PCV diagnosis in 2003, Wertman was forced to retire early from his job as a prison guard. He stopped officiating basketball and baseball games and had to give up hunting, one of his passions, after an episode in the woods in which he was overcome with exhaustion and barely made it back to his house.

Wertman's days now are largely spent in front of the TV. "No pep," he said.

Like many, Wertman suspects there is something in the water. His house in Tamaqua is served by the 2.7-billion-gallon Still Creek Reservoir, about a mile downhill from the chemical dump. Federal and state officials say water from the reservoir is treated and safe to drink.

North of Wertman's house, along Interstate 81, there is a nondescript field surrounded by barbed wire, with several wellheads poking up out of the ground. This is where a company called McAdoo Associates began operating in 1975, its purpose to extract and recycle metals from chemical wastes.

The company accepted hundred of thousands of gallons of paint sludge, waste oils, used solvents, PCBs, cyanide, pesticides and many other known or suspected carcinogens. Four years later, when the EPA stepped in, McAdoo Associates had stockpiled enough chemicals to nearly fill an Olympic-size swimming pool.

And that was just on the surface. Jim Leber, a former state mine inspector, said he routinely saw tanker trucks pouring their contents directly into an abandoned mine shaft on the site. The ground became so saturated with chemicals that it was spongy underfoot, he said. A chemical smell hung in the air.

But the EPA says that because of the geology of the region, the contaminated groundwater beneath McAdoo Associates does not pose a risk to either private wells or public water supplies. Residential wells, for example, tap into a deeper aquifer, authorities say.

Lester and Betty Kester live across the street from the reservoir. They also live downhill from McAdoo Associates. And they both have PCV — an extreme rarity.

"Almost as rare as her husband getting pregnant," said Baddick, who knows the couple. The Kesters' neighbors also report a variety of cancers, and at least one more case of PCV.

Betty, 79, is perpetually weak, exhausted and itchy, symptoms of a disease she believes she got "from them drums" up the hill.

"It's sad, it's sad," she said. "Because you don't expect this in your life. Now is when we should be having a good time, right? Instead, we're having a kick in the bum."

In collaboration with Equal Exchange, Red Tomato and Oke USA, White Dog
Community Enterprises presents the "Faces of Fair Trade: Uniting the Global
and Local".

Banana farmers from Costa Rica, a pecan farmer from Georgia, and a local fruit and vegetable farmer may seem worlds apart, but they are all part of the same movement to build a fair and sustainable food system. Join us to hear these farmers tell their stories and to taste the fruits of their labor!

They will discuss the challenges they face, their experiences in the market, and the impact of consumer support for fair trade and family farms.

Date: Tuesday, October 30th 2007
Time: 6:00PM - Local food tasting provided by the Fair Food Farmstand
6:30PM- Panel discussion with the farmers moderated by Ann Karlen,
founding director of Fair Food, a program of White Dog Community Enterprises
Place: Tabernacle United Church, 3700 Chestnut St., Philadelphia

Carlos Vargas and Yocser Godoy are Costa Rican
banana farmers who belong to Coopetrabasur,
the co-operative of Workers from the South.
Learn more at www.okeusa.com

Diann Johnson is a pecan farmer from southwest
Georgia and a member of Southern Alternatives
Agricultural Co-operative.
Learn more at www.equalexchange.coop/dft

Local Northeast Farmers in partnership with
Red Tomato are working to rebuild diverse,
local family farming.
Learn more at www.redtomato.org

For more details, please visit www.equalexchange.coop/faces-of-fair-trade
White Dog Community Enterprises’ site is www.whitedogcommunityenterprises.org

STORY HOUR FOR PRE-SCHOOLERS

Bring your children ages 2-5 to enjoy nature stories at the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust on Thursday, November 8, from 10 – 11 a.m. A special activity will follow the storytelling. Pre-register by calling the Trust at 215-657-0830. Free.

FREE-A-TREE CORPS

Join the Free-A-Tree Corps at the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust and help rescue Pennypack’s native trees by removing strangling exotic vines on Saturday, November 10, from 10 a.m. – noon. Bring leather work gloves and pruning shears (or borrow ours) and wear layered clothing – you’ll work up a sweat! Pre-register by calling the Trust at 215-657-0830.

BIRDWALK

Enjoy an early morning birdwalk led by an expert birder on Saturday, November 10, from 8 – 11 a.m. at the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust. Novices and experts alike are welcome. Bring your binoculars and field guide. Meet in parking lot. Free.

TRAIL TREK

Explore the newest trail at Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust on Saturday, November 17, from noon – 2 p.m. on a walk guided by one of the Trust’s staff members. The trail winds through open meadows and young woodlands as it encircles the headwaters of the cleanest stream in the preserve. Pre-register by November 16 by calling the Trust at 215-657-0830. Free.

BIRDWALK

Enjoy an early morning birdwalk led by an expert birder on Saturday, November 24, from 8 – 11 a.m. at the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust. Novices and experts alike are welcome. Bring your binoculars and field guide. Meet in parking lot. Free.

Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust is at 2955 Edge Hill Road, 1/3 mile east of Terwood Road, in Huntingdon Valley, Pa.

Fall Programs for Children & Adults

“Animal Adventure Hours ™ ” (3-6 year olds)

October 18 “Rollicking Reptiles” 1-2:15 pm
At Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy, Schwenksville, PA
Fee: $7 members, $10 non members. Pre-registration Required.

Botany Section Walk

White’s Mill in Salford Township
Date: Saturday, October 20, 2007
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Check our Web site for a map and written directions to this location. Walks are usually 90 minutes to 2 hours in length. Additional questions, please contact the Conservancy by phone.

“Halloween Harvest Party” for 3-6 year olds

Join us in costume for delightful stories, whimsical songs, giggly games and special picnic treats on this most playful day!
Date: October 25, 2007
Time: 1-2:30 pm
At Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy, Schwenksville, PA 19473
Fee: $10 members, $13 non members. Pre-registration required.

Kid’zArt™ ‘Animal Masks!’

For 7-12 yr. olds Bat, fox, owl, or eagle? Choose your favorite animal and make your own facemask Saturday, October 27 from 1-2:30 pm at the Conservancy’s historic brownstone barn located just outside of Schwenksville. Using fabric and cardboard frames, students will make their own animal face masks as they learn about a variety of animals and how they have influenced the creation of masks used by Native American tribes. Fee: $10 members, $13 non members. Pre-registration Required.

Saving the Forest … And the Trees

Join Dr. Tim Block, of the Awbury Arboretum, as he takes a look at the future of Pennsylvania’s forests linking past practices with those of today.
Wednesday, November 7, 7 pm
$7 Members/$10 Non-Members
At Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy, Schwenksville, PA 19473

“Thanksgiving Table Decorations”

(7-12 yr. olds) Combines Science with Art!
November 17 Class meets 1-2:30 pm
At Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy, Schwenksville, PA
Fee: $10 members, $13 non members. Pre-registration Required. All materials included.

Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy
1 Skippack Pike
Schwenksville, PA 19473
Phone: 610.287.9383

Web site: www.perkiomenwatershed.org

Austria to host global warming meeting

By VERONIKA OLEKSYN
Associated Press
Oct 15, 2007

Innsbruck — home to two Winter Olympics — is hosting a conference on how to cope with the warm winters and lackluster snowfall caused by global warming.

Some 400 people from 20 countries are in the Austrian winter sports mecca for three days of discussions on the future of the Alps. Discussions will focus on eight core themes related to mountains, including ecology, natural hazards, health and spatial planning and development.

A much-anticipated session Tuesday focuses on the impact of climate change on tourism.

The conference takes place just days after former Vice President Al Gore and the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to spread awareness of man-made climate change and lay the foundations for counteracting it.

"We have to do something ... we're in the midst of climate change," said Eric Veulliet, head of the alpS-Centre for Natural Hazard Management GmbH, which is organizing the conference along with the University of Innsbruck and the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

He said officials in the Alps — and in other mountain communities around the world — must recognize climate change, take action and come up with strategies for adapting to the future.

"It is too late for prevention," Veulliet said Monday at an opening news conference.

Securing a sustainable future for the Alps is of particular interest to countries such as Austria that have much to lose if winter sports enthusiasts take their business elsewhere because of snow-free slopes.

Christian Schoenwiese, a professor at the University of Frankfurt's Institute for Atmospherics and the Environment, predicted that, in years to come, the Alps would likely see either colder winters with less precipitation or warmer winters with more rain instead of snow.

"Tourism venues have to rethink. ... It will get more difficult for those who like to go skiing," Schoenwiese said in an interview with The Associated Press Monday evening.

Schoenwiese also said he expected weather to become more extreme and marked by greater variability.

Last season's unseasonably warm weather and lackluster snowfall caused concern not only among hotel owners and ski resort managers but also politicians. An annual tourism report recently revised by Austria's parliament contained a special section devoted to climate change.

Climate change already has had a huge impact on the economy, tourism industry and environment of the Austrian province of Tyrol, said Elisabeth Zanon, Tyrol's deputy governor.

She said "prevention" is the wrong word to use because climate change is already in full swing.

"That there's a change in the climate — that's a fact, we don't need a question mark there," she said.

___

On the Net:

http://www.alpinefuture.com

Montgomery County will hold two free tire collections this fall so residents can get rid of the hard-to-dispose-of items.
On Saturday, Oct. 20, from 9 am. to 3 p.m., a tire collection will be held at the Pottstown Municipal Parking Lot on South Hanover Street, between High Street and College Drive.
This is for county residents only. A maximum of four tires per vehicle will be allowed and no tires from commercial activities will be accepted.
On Saturday, Nov. 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Municipal Building, 801 Loch Alsh Ave., Fort Washington, a second collection will be held for county residents only.
The rules are the same, with a maximum of four tires accepted.
For more information, call Art Feltes at (610) 645-7081 or e-mail afeltes@wsaemc.org.

In his opening remarks at Dickinson College's convocation, President William G. Durden '71 reaffirmed the campuswide commitment to environmental sustainability. This committment takes a variety of forms, from energy conservation to recycling to bicycling. Fifty percent of the electricity used on the campus, which is in Carlisle, Pa., now comes from wind power sources and solar panels above Kaufman Hall are generating electricity.

Another environmental initiative is the Dickinson College Farm, located in nearby Boiling Springs. Student volunteers help harvest vegetables, which are served in the dining hall and donated to a local food bank. Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff visited the farm last month to learn about its use of alternative energy, including solar panels and biodiesel.

President Durden (second from right) pitches in during a visit to the farm.

Sweden 'must act on climate'

1st October 2007
The Local in Sweden

Sweden will be badly hit by the effects of climate change, and should act without delay to adapt to the new reality. That was the stark message in a report presented to the government on Monday.

The author of the report, Bengt Holgersson, painted a depressing picture of the future when he spoke to journalists in Stockholm.

Sweden will see more heatwaves, with diseases spreading more rapidly as a result. Reindeer herding will become more difficult as temperatures rise.

On the plus side, forests will grow more quickly, thereby becoming more profitable. This, however, could lead to increased conflict in northern Sweden between forest owners and reindeer herders.

"There is naturally great uncertainty in our calculations, but we want to show how important it is to take steps now to prevent Sweden from being hit unnecessarily hard," Holgersson said.

Every county should appoint a climate adaptation committee, the report proposes. These committees would try to identify how climate change will affect the county in question, and propose ways to deal with the consequences.

Holgersson also wants a new national agency, the Institute for Climate Research to be created from parts of existing government agencies, such as weather service SMHI.

One major effect of climate change would be an increase in erosion in large parts of the country, particularly along the coasts. Around 1,800 km of coast is in the danger zone, with 150,000 properties at risk of losing the ground from under their foundations. A further 150,000 homes are at risk of being affected by landslides.

Increased rainfall would put pressure on drains, and would lead to lower water quality. This will require more advanced water purification technology, Holgersson argues.

The winners from climate change will be forestry and agriculture. By the end of the century the growing season in Sweden will be three months longer than at present. The Mälardalen region near Stockholm will in one hundred years have roughly the same average temperature as northern France today, although rainfall in Sweden will be higher.

Forestry in Sweden, while benefiting on balance from the temperature changes, will experience increased wind damage. This will be due in part to damper conditions and younger trees. Holgersson said it was so far unclear whether Sweden would be windier in the future.