EARTHTALK®: IS CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTING THE HEALTH OF RIVERS
E – The Environmental Magazine Written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss January 7, 2013 (San Diego)–Dear EarthTalk: How is it that climate change is negatively affecting the health of rivers and, by extension, the quality and availability of fresh water? — Robert Elman, St. Louis, MO Global warming is no doubt going to cause many kinds of problems (and, indeed, already is), and rivers may well be some of the hardest hit geographical features, given the likelihood of increased droughts, floods and the associated spread of waterborne diseases.For one, rivers are already starting to lose the amount of water they channel. A 2009 study at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) found that water volume in the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest declined by 14 percent since the 1950s. This trend is similar in major rivers all over the world. “Many communities will see their water supplies shrink as temperatures rise and precipitation patterns shift,” reports the nonprofit American Rivers, adding that a rise in severe storms will degrade water quality and increase the risk of catastrophic floods. “Changes in the timing and location of precipitation combined with rising levels of water pollution will strain ecosystems and threaten the survival of many fish and wildlife species.” These shifts will have dramatic impacts, threatening public health, weakening economies and decreasing the quality of life in many places. In the U.S., the number of storms with extreme precipitation has increased 24 percent since the late 1940s—and the trend is expected to continue. Another certain impact on rivers is more pollution as more frequent and powerful storms increase runoff from urban and agricultural areas that contain fertilizers, pesticides, chemicals and motor oil. “In older communities where storm water and sewage are transported together in one pipe, heavy storms can overwhelm the system and send raw sewage and polluted storm water into nearby streams and rivers,” says American Rivers. “These combined sewer overflows will grow more frequent as extreme storms increase.” Lower water flows and rising temperatures compound problems caused by more runoff. “More frequent droughts and shifting precipitation patterns lower water levels in rivers, lakes and streams, leaving less water to dilute pollutants,” says the group. “Higher temperatures cause more frequent algal blooms and reduce dissolved oxygen levels, both of which can cause fish kills and do significant harm to ecosystems.” American Rivers reports that the health of our rivers in the face of increasing warming will depend largely on community preparedness. Municipalities that fail to address aging infrastructure “will experience greater increases in storm water runoff and sewer overflows.” And communities that have damaged their wetlands, forests, streams and rivers will have fewer natural defenses to protect against the effects of climate change. There is much we can do to protect rivers besides reduce our carbon footprints. American Rivers is promoting green infrastructure—an approach to water management that protects, restores or mimics the natural water cycle—as the way to bolster the health of rivers. “It means planting trees and restoring wetlands rather than building a new water treatment plant. It means choosing water efficiency instead of building a new water supply dam. It means restoring floodplains instead of building taller levees.” CONTACTS: NCAR, ncar.ucar.edu; American Rivers, www.americanrivers.org.EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E – The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe. Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.
GOOD MONEY: HAPPY 2013—TRUE MEANING OF WEALTH, PLUS“FISCAL CLIFF” DEAL HIGHLIGHTS
A column written for the East County Magazine “Your guide to financial planning & socially responsible investing” By: Judith L. Seid, CFP ® President, Blue Summit Wealth Management TRUE MEANING OF WEALTH FOR 2013 Happy New Year from all of us at Blue Summit Wealth Management. Our wish for 2013 is that this will be your best year ever!! We hope that you will consider recognizing what true wealth means to you. The true meaning of wealth is not the abundance of possessions and property as Merriam-Webster or modern society might lead us to believe. Let us and our children not be misled towards an illusory desire for personal consumption. We would rather measure wealth as being able to find fulfillment in one’s life. This for us means having the self-determination to control those aspects that will lead to happiness including having successful quality relationships, an enriching social life, opportunities for intellectual & creative development, physical health & fitness, a richness of love with deep emotional connections, and an avenue in which to help others who are needy or less fortunate. Please remember that how we chose to define wealth is what we will model and pass on to our children and what they will desire and strive for in life. So as we enter 2013, we hope that you will ponder what true wealth means to you and that you will strive to achieve more of that this year. FISCAL CLIFF AVERTED Approved by Congress an hour before midnight on 12/31/12 and by the Senate a couple hours after 2013 had begun, the “American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012” gives us the first permanent set of estate, gift, and income tax provisions in 12 years. Permanent that is, until Congress decides to change it again. Due to the fact that the Bush tax cuts were made to expire at the end of 2010 and were only temporarily extended during Obama’s first term through the end of 2012, it appears as though there is nothing like a deadline to spur Congress into action. So we will start you out this year with an overview and highlights of the “American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.” The first big plus of the “American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012” is that it has a better acronym (ATRA) than the earlier Bush-era tax cuts, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA) of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (JGTRRA) of 2003. Obama had promised that we would change the tax code that was too skewed towards the wealthy at the expense of the working class. According to Obama, “Under this law, more than 98 percent of Americans and 97 percent of small businesses will not see their income taxes go up,” and “Millions of families will continue to receive tax credits to help raise their kids and send them to college. Companies will continue to receive tax credits for the research that they do, the investments they make, and the clean energy jobs that they create. And 2 million Americans, who are out of work but out there looking, pounding the pavement every day, are going to continue to receive unemployment benefits as long as they’re actively looking for a job.” In this legislation, there were compromises made on both sides of the political spectrum, but most of the so-called “Bush tax cuts” have now been made permanent. We have pulled together some of the most relevant facts that you need to know: Income Tax Rates – As the President promised, income tax rates for middle-class families will stay low permanently. Rates are raised for the top 2%, those with income above $450k for joint filers and $400k for single filers, higher than the much discussed level of $250k. Earnings above those amounts would be taxed at a rate of 39.6 percent, up from the current 35 percent. Those with income under $400k will generally not be affected. Itemized Deductions/Personal Exemptions – The phase-out of personal exemptions and itemized deductions is restored, but for itemized deductions the threshold is reset to $300k (joint) and $250k (indiv), whereas it would have been about $180,000 in 2013 under normal indexing. Capital Gains – Taxes on capital gains and dividend income for those with income exceeding $400k (indiv) and $450k (joint) increase from 15 percent to 20 percent. Those with income under $400k will generally not be affected. Estate Tax – A new flat 40% rate, up from the 35% rate of 2010 but less than the 45% rate of 2009, applies to the taxable portion of an estate. This is reached after an estate exceeds the $5.0 million gift, estate, and GST tax exemption amount, plus inflation adjustments going forward. It appears the inflation-adjusted amount in 2013 will be approximately $5.25 million per person. For married couples in 2013, the aggregate exemption will be twice this amount (i.e., approximately $10.5 million). Future years will likewise have similar inflation adjustments. The 2012 Act also provides for a flat 40% tax rate for any transfers in 2013 and future years that exceed the $5.25 million gift, estate, or GST exemption amount. In addition, the 2012 Act also makes permanent the “portability” concept whereby the unused estate tax exemption amount of the first spouse to die can be passed to the surviving spouse for later use by the surviving spouse (either during life or at death). For example, if the first spouse passes away in 2013 with $2.25 million of assets, that deceased first spouse will have a $3 million “unused estate tax exemption amount,” which can be passed to the surviving spouse. This would give the surviving spouse a total of $8.25 million of gift and estate tax exemption going forward, subject to further limitation if a later marriage occurs. Annual Gifts -The annual gift tax exclusion has been increased to $14k from $13k per donee. This means that a married couple can gift up to $28k to any number of persons
READERS CALENDAR FOR JANUARY 7-14, 2013
For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to www.SDWriteWay.org January 7, 2013 (San Diego)–The San Diego Public Library’s 47th Annual Local Authors Exhibit: The Library is going to display it in the exhibit, which will run the entire month of February 2013 in the lobby of the Central Library downtown. January 11 (Friday, 7:00 pm) — James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell sign at the Mysterious Galaxy. The Order of the Sanguines series ushers in a new era of vampires in the first collaboration between James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell. The Blood Gospel tells of an ancient cryptic order and the hunt for a miraculous and forbidden book— a book rumored to have been written by Christ’s own hand, in His own blood, a tome that is said to hold the secrets to Christ’s divinity and miracles, tied to a mysterious sect of the Catholic Church. For additional information, go to http://www.mystgalaxy.com/. January 12 (Saturday, 2:00 pm) — Timothy Zahn sign at the Mysterious Galaxy. The team of Scoundrels – Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Lando Calrissian – is back in action and on the run when they are tasked with stealing from a crime lord in Timothy Zahn’s new interstellar heist adventure, set in the classic “Han Shot First” era of George Lucas’s Star Wars universe. Tim’s Thrawn trilogy, written 20-some years ago, was the first introduction for many readers to the expanded universe. Members of the local 501st will attend in costume, and we anticipate a lively discussion of the plans to continue the movie franchise. For additional information, go to http://www.mystgalaxy.com/. January 15 (Tuesday, 7:00 pm) — “Jewish Poets – Jewish Voices” will continue in the Astor Judaica Library for the fifth year with three Tuesday evenings beginning today in the Astor Judaica Library at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center (JCC), 4126 Executive Drive in La Jolla, with readings by three local poets: Rabbi Patti Haskell, Ysmael Escudero Tisnado II, and Joni Gurstein. There is no charge for these programs. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP to the JCC Library at (858) 362-1150. Writers Workshops, Classes, Seminars, Book Festivals, Contests and Authors Exhibits www.SDWriteWay.org * * * ATTENTION AUTHORS: Have your book featured in Local Authors Books. Go to Local Writers Lounge for details. Sam Warren is the publisher and editor of www.SDWriteWay.org. Visit the site for additional news and calendar events for both Readers and Writers.
CONFIGURATION OPENING RECEPTION JANUARY 19
January 6, 2013 (La Mesa) – Biz Center Art is hosting a reception and sale of new artworks on January 19 at 6:30 p.m. at 7317 El Cajon Blvd., La Mesa. The show will include a bonus from some creative student artists a JCS San Diego Academy that will be showing work from their Monuments Project using symbols representing their goals in life. The reception, which runs from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m., will also feature food from Haritna Restaurant. Visit www.bizcenterart.com for more information.
ROBERT TAPP, PH.D. TO SPEAK AT EAST COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CLUB ON JAN. 17
January 6, 2013 (El Cajon) — At the next meeting of the East County Democratic Club on January 17, Robert B. Tapp, Ph.D. will discuss “Those Other Elephants,” issues that were not discussed during the Presidential debates and campaigning, such as the unprecedented income inequality, science denial and the overpopulation crises. Professor Tapp is Professor Emeritus of Humanities, Religious Studies and South Asian Studies at the University of Minnesota. He is an author and editor of several books including “Religion Among the Unitarian Universalists”, and was co-sponsor of the 2011 SDSU sponsored conference “Toward A Reasonable World.” The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at Coco’s Restaurant, 1025 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon. Socializing begins at 6 p.m. when dinner and/or dessert may be purchased. The meeting is free and open to the public. For further information visit www.ecdcweb.net or call 619-447-8986.
ACOUSTIC SHOWCASE CONCERTS IN EAST COUNTY DURING JANUARY
January 6, 2013 (San Diego) – The winter series of the San Diego County Library Acoustic Showcase continues in January with concerts taking place throughout the month. The series offers a wonderful variety of some of San Diego’s vest singer/songwriters, folk music performers and story tellers. All concerts are free to the community. Following are upcoming concerts: The Yes Team featuring Kinnie Dye, Jonathan Walsh and TJ Moss will be at the Julian Branch on January 8 at 6 p.m. Dwight Worden & Prairie Sky, a group with roots firmly in bluegrass that borrows from all musical genres and era’s will be at the Poway Branch on January 12 at 2 p.m. Peter Bolland, a San Diego native who conjures up a melancholic America will be at the El Cajon Branch on January 13 at 2 p.m.
SNOW LEVEL DROPPING TO 3500 FEET TONIGHT
Photo by Julie Salmon January 5, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Rain is forecast for our region tonight and early in the morning, with snow in East County’s mountain areas. Snow levels are forecast to drop down to 3500 feet tonight—reaching communities along I-8 such as Descanso and Pine Valley. Two to four inches of snow are forecast at higher elevations. High winds are also expected in mountains and deserts, with gusts up to 45 mph. Thunderstorms and hail are also possible. CHP reports that chains are required at South Grade Road and Highway 76, on Palomar Mountain, and at the junction of S6 and S7. If you must drive in the mountain areas, be sure to carry chains as well as warm clothes, extra food, and water.