Declarations

The Earth isn’t flat

“It’s not that they’re bad investigators or there’s been any conspiracy to promulgate erroneous conclusions — it’s just the way it was. How many years did we think the Earth was flat?”

— Richard Custer, former associate director for the National Fire Research Laboratory and a principal editor of the 1992 guide, “NFPA921: Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations” that used new scientific evidence to describe how fires start and spread. The new scientific research called into question previous assumptions about how fires started and spread. And the new evidence is being used to question previous arson convictions.

Commissioner take II

“California is not prepared for the financial consequences of a major disaster. Many homeowners and businesses do not carry insurance for specific catastrophes such as flooding and earthquakes. The cost of rebuilding from a natural catastrophic event would be enormous and perhaps crippling.”

— Outgoing California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi speaking at his final Capitol news conference on issues that remain a concern in the state. Garamendi was a champion for creating a national disaster solution, to assist consumers in all parts of the country to recover from disasters, without total reliance on the federal government’s emergency response.

Worst winter storm

“This was the worst wind storm to strike the Pacific Northwest since the 1993 Inauguration Day storm. The wind speeds observed from last week’s storm were similar or a bit higher than those of the 1993 storm but were more widespread, extending south to Oregon and east to Montana, so total damage is likely to be higher.”

— Peter Dailey, director of atmospheric science for research and modeling at AIR Worldwide, assessing the damage caused by the winter wind storm that struck the Pacific Northwest region of the United States around Thanksgiving. The storm included wind gusts of more than 90 mph, heavy rains that caused flash flooding, and blizzard conditions. AIR estimates the losses, when all settled, could total more than half a billion dollars.

You are what you eat

“I think we have to show the consuming public as well as government officials that we can manage this.”

— Bryan Silbermann, president of the Produce Marketing Association, noting his and other food associations are working to improve food safety. In particular, the PMA and the United Fresh Produce Association, that together represent thousands of U.S. growers, processors, distributors, restaurants and supermarkets, have worked to hasten revised guidelines for preventing contamination of leafy greens.

The E. coli outbreak in spinach earlier this year killed three people and sickened more than 200. In addition, two salmonella outbreaks blamed on tomatoes made about 400 people sick in October and November.

The federal government, states and food groups are working on establishing new guidelines to prevent contamination throughout the food chain before it reaches the dinner table. (AP)