North Carolina's Endangered Warbler Elicits 'Jolt' from Dominion Power

Birds perching on power lines have hundreds of thousands of volts flowing under their feet, yet are not electrocuted because they have not created a closed circuit. However, power surges, or spikes in voltages in the lines, can cause an arc to occur between transmission lines wherein a closed circuit is created. Instances have been documented in which power surges caused thousands of perching birds to be simultaneously electrocuted and dislodged from power-lines. In one tragic instance, Mathew Boydstun, 28 was killed after his car was pummeled with hundreds of bird carcasses and lost control, careening into one of the towers. EPA officials have recently demanded that power companies install a dummy line in certain critical habitats, especially those which harbor the endangered Kirtlands Warbler (Dedroica kirtlandii) that would allow birds to perch in safety. In a power surge incident in March 2007, 37 of the estimated 2,700 remaining Kirtlands Warbers were electrocuted. The proposed installation of dummy perch lines would prevent both bird fatalities and potential human accidents.

State ecologist Erik Island has noted that the Warblers prefer to perch on the highest lines for visibility while traveling on their yearly migration. In these critical migration routes, dummy lines would need to be installed as the highest point on the towers. The estimated cost for this endeavor is 15.6 million dollars in the state of North Carolina alone, and the installation would also cause local power disruptions as the perch lines are installed. Dominion Power CEO Jeffery Gisham has demanded that the state subsidize such an effort, "We are very concerned about this risk to our consumers, the birds, and our equipment however, we're in the business of power, not birdhouses." Appeals have been made to the North Carolina supreme court with the case to be heard late this fall.

Vaseline Shortage

As a result of recent increases in crude oil prices, profit margins for companies making products derived from petroleum have declined. Many of these companies are looking for alternative solutions. The Unilever Corporation, for example, the makers of Vaseline, are looking towards alternative, non-petroleum bases for their popular product.

Between March 2006 and December 2007, quarterly earnings for the Vaseline line dropped 16.5% prompting the company to research switching to a soy-based product. In June of 2007, a report in the Wall Street Journal leaked that the company was researching alternatives bases for the Vaseline line. The news sparked a panic that instigated regional stockpiling of vaseline. Many people were fearful of losing a product they had used for years. Minnesota, which is the highest per capita user of Vaseline, due to both the cold temperatures as well as social reasons, was hit the hardest. Vaseline could not be found anywhere in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area. As a result, tanker trucks were brought in and people filled any containers they had to stockpile.

In the coming months, with crude oil prices expected to continue to rise, other companies may reach similar thresholds with their products, making it cost effective to search for substitute ingredients or to stop production entirely on certain lines. Products including Neutrogena's cream-based and Avalon's aloe-based moisturizers have raised record earnings this quarter as people turn to these more affordable alternatives.