Santa Barbara Sues California

In an ironic twist of fate, the State of California - which recently sued the federal government to force a decision about whether it can impose tougher emission standards for cars and light trucks – is now being sued by the City of Santa Barbara for a related issue.

According to Marty Blum, the Mayor of Santa Barbara, community leaders listened to a speaker talk about the need to become more energy efficient. They were so energized by the talk that they went right out and changed city building codes to require a higher standard than that required by the State. Here’s the problem: the State of California has a law on the books that locks in the building code as the defacto standard.

To go above it, the City must sue. What’s wrong with this picture?

Here’s another warped picture. Some of the best athletes in the world are making plans to attend the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer; however, a win could also mean a loss. An early drop out may be Haile Gebreselassie, the star of Ethiopia’s track team who won two gold medals in the 10,000 meters and holds the world record in the marathon. Says Haile’s manager Jos Hermens, it’s great if he wins, but it could also mean the end of his career.

Because Olympic level athletes breathe in so much oxygen, a victory gained in Beijing’s polluted air could be like walking away with Miner’s Lung. According to Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, a Boulder bicyclist, who competed in a 30-mile race in Beijing, only eight of the 47 contestants in the men’s race finished. Like him, they suffered from breathing problems and dropped out.