Weekly reader: Multiplying jellyfish, wood shortages, a 'green' session

Three articles from this weekend caught this reader's eye:

1. The rise of the jellyfish, the cockroach of the ocean. Fouled and warming ocean waters are two reasons given for their multiplication -- and consquent rise in stings to humans by the faceless maurauders. That's according to this article in today's New York Times.

2. Peak buying for cord wood in northern New England is generally March or April, but it began spiking in June this year because of high heating oil prices anticipated this winter. Now there are shortages appearing, even with the price for a cord (128 cubic feet) of wood nearly $200 -- twice what it was three years ago. Click on the full article here.

The article notes that even at $240 per cord, wood costs about $25 per million BTUs produced, compared with $43 for the same BTUs with electricity (at 15 cents per kilowatt hour) and $50 with fuel oil (at $4.50 per gallon). So the orders for wood, pellets, and wood-burning stoves keep rising.

"I think people who wait until September or October are going to have an unpleasant surprise," the article quoted Tom Morrissey, president of West Lebanon, N.H.'s Woodstone Soapstone Co., as saying.

3. The Massachusetts legislative session that just ended was the best ever for environmentalists, they said. Here are six accomplishments, recorded in this article today by the AP's Steve LeBlanc:

-- The Oceans Act of 2008. The new law makes Massachusetts the first state in the nation to create a single document to cover a myriad of ocean activities, from wind farms and ocean fishing to whale watching and environmental conservation.

-- Green Jobs Bill. The bill, now on Gov. Patrick's desk, would spur the growth of jobs in the green economy in part by funneling $13 million a year over the next five years into a new Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center to develop the renewable energy sector.

-- Green Communities Bill. The initiative is intended to help Massachusetts wean itself off fossil fuels and other polluting forms of energy while cutting down on emissions that lead to global warming in part by requiring utilities and other electricity suppliers to procure an increasing percentage of their energy from renewable sources.

-- Global Warming Bill. The bill requires the state over the next dozen years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 20 percent below 1990 levels. By 2050, the goal is to have emissions drop 80 percent below 1990 levels.

-- Biofuels Law. The measure, signed by Patrick last week, gives preferential tax treatment to non-corn-based alternatives to ethanol. It also requires biofuel content in all the diesel and home heating fuel sold in the state.

-- Environmental Bond Bill. The bill authorizes the state to borrow $1.7 billion in part to help conserve green spaces and rebuild parks. It also includes tax credits to private landowners who permanently protect their farms or forest lands from development.

What do you think about these developments? Have your say in our comments section below.