Going vroom vroom could mean doom doom!

When Frank Gonzales glances at the miles-per-gallon sticker on the Lamborghini Gallardo Spider, he scoffs at the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 11 city and 17 highway miles per gallon estimates.

“I’ll guarantee it does eight,” said Gonzales, salesman of exotic cars at Lamborghini-Miami.

“Really?” I asked, surprised.

“Not even that.”

Although a salesman may spout off some of their insights, buyers should do the homework when it comes to the mpg rating. The EPA is in the middle of recalculating estimates with current driving habits, and not all the data is updated. Here are some questions buyers may want to ask when buying a new automobile:

• Ask if they offer hybrid models, but be forewarned on pricing. The new technology equipped with the hybrid tends to have a starting price higher than its non-hybrid model.
• Ask if you’re eligible for tax breaks. Depending on the model, you could get up to $3,000.
• Ask about the vehicle’s CO2 emissions. This is estimated by how clean the fuel burned is.
• Ask for the miles-per-gallon rating for the city and highway. Some cars may have a high mpg rating, but have off-scale numbers when it comes to CO2 emissions. Try to get the numbers even.
  

- Reporting and photography by Stefania Ferro

To build green or not to build green, that is the question

It has never seemed clearer that there are always two sides -- or three or four or five -- to every story. Apparently, environmentally friendly construction can be both good for the environment and difficult for well-intentioned builders.

Some pros of “building green,” according to Rob Hink, Vice President of the South Florida Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council:

• Better indoor air quality
• Lower electric bills
• Water conservation
• Increased value of buildings over time
• Improved productivity of workers in office buildings
• Knowledge that you are having a hand in environmental conservation!

... and some cons, according to Truly Burton, Government Affairs Director of the Builders Association of South Florida:

• A 2% increase in cost of construction, which translates to higher costs for buyers
• Difficulty in reducing cooling without breaching zoning codes for the minimum amount of glass in homes
• Bulky air conditioner vents that are twice as tall and wide as older, less efficient ones
• A potential $50,000 price for certification by LEED

- Reporting by Emma Miller

Keep Fluffy safe from poisonous toads

How South Florida vets advise people to keep thier pets safe from poisonous cane toads:

• Turn off outside lights. The light attracts bugs, in turn luring toads to the area.
• Put pet food inside. Toads will come to eat it if left out, especially at night.
• Eradicate any standing pools of water if possible. Toads are attracted to it.
• Put up a thin mesh fence around your yard, sunk into the ground a few inches.
• Keep your pets inside at night

Trying to protect the Everglades

The Florida Everglades are in danger of pollution from sugar cane farms. The farmers use phosphorous in the fertilizers on their crops, which need the nutrients to thrive. But, when too much of the phosphorus is used, it seeps into the national park.

Here’s how state lawmakers have tried to protect the park through the 1994 Everglades Forever Act:

• Requires farmers to pay 100% of the cost of cleaning farm water with a special tax of up to $300 million over the next 20 years
• To treat runoff from urban areas which have significantly higher levels of pollution than farms
• Requires farmers to spend additional millions- through implementation of BMP’s (Best Management Practices) to reduce phosphorus before water leaves their farms
• Sets stringent deadlines for compliance and initiates research to determine the work that will need to be done in future phases of Everglades restoration
• More than ninety percent of the entire Everglades receive clean water that meets water quality standards

Environmental education gives LIFE to Florida

While looking for environmental youth groups and programs in Florida, I came across this article about Fort White High School’s program, Learning in Florida’s Environment. LIFE, as it’s called, is a program where students spend time in their local ecosystems and learn about them through outdoor labs. I interviewed one teacher, Janet Sweat, involved in the program through email. Here is what she says:

Is LIFE still running at White High?
The program incorporates 10 field labs where ALL 7th grade students and teachers go out during their science block and gather data relating to their unit of study. Students are given pre and post tests and keep a LIFE notebook.

How active were students when LIFE first started? How active are they now?
This was our second year of LIFE. My 8th grade students complained frequently about not having as many outdoor lab experiences as they did in 7th grade with the LIFE program. They love to perform experiments and be outdoors. They are much more aware of environmental issues than they were before the program.

Should lawmakers become more involved in "environmental education" and awareness?
Lawmakers in our area are already very involved in environmental issues and our school board is very supportive of the LIFE program and other programs that are being started as a result.

- Reporting by Priya Sridhar

Warning: Don't kiss this toad

Cane toad. King toad. Marine toad. Bufo marinus. Dog poison.

These are all names for what people have called the “perfect invasive species” that lives in most parts of South Florida but originated in South America.

The cane toad eats anything, even pet food. It has no natural predators in Florida, which is another reason for its rapid takeover of suburban streets and pools.

Also, if you were thinking about kissing one of these toads and hoping for a prince, think again Instead it will poison you. The cane toad has glands behind its eyes that secrete a milky-white toxin. The most common victims of “toading” are dogs. They bite, or even eat, the toads and then get sick or die.

How can someone get rid of these pesky toads? Here are a few options:

• Call animal control.
• Call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or more specifically, Jenny Novak at (850)926-0128. She can find the toad a home!
• Take it to a nature center or museum in case it wants to use the toad as a display animal.
• Take it to a local vet.
• Euthanize the toad. Put it in a plastic bag and stick it in the freezer for a couple days.

- Reporting by Grace Norberg; sources include Pamela Shlachtman, AP environmental science teacher at Miami Palmetto Sr. High School and Jenny Novak, wildlife biologist at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Urban journalists blog from Biscayne Bay, Fla.

Ten high school students have filled a classroom on Florida International University's Biscayne Bay campus to learn the ins and outs of journalism.

Over to the right, you can click to see what these young journalists think about their experiences at this Dow Jones Urban Journalism Workshop.