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CNN Live Today
White House Candidates Mark Earth Day With Speeches; Interview With Jean-Michel Cousteau
Aired April 22, 2004 - 11:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's take a look at latest developments "At This Hour."
We're following reports of a disastrous train collision in North Korea. According to South Korean media reports, two trains carrying oil and gas collided. Witnesses are quoted as saying the area around the station was reduced to ruins by that massive explosion.
Other headlines today, "At This Hour," celebrations at Fort Hood as soldiers from the 4th I.D. return home from Iraq. They've been deployed for about a year now.
There's also a celebrity contingent there, including Jessica Simpson, Country star Tracy Bird and Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd. They are performing a 14-hour concert at the base.
The coalition may soften rules and allow some former members of the Ba'ath Party to serve in government posts in Iraq. U.S. officials say that would allow more minority Sunnis in pivotal positions and perhaps weaken the insurgency.
And officials cannot account for two spent fuel rods at The Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant. A spokesman says the rods are most likely still on site and have not been stolen. The Department of Homeland Security is keeping an eye on that situation.
And have we had a chance to say happy Earth Day to you? President Bush in Maine today to make election year note of his environmental accomplishments. Our White House correspondent John King, going back to his New England roots, traveling with the president today. Good morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. A bit early for chowder, but I can tell you it's quite good here in Maine.
The president due here this morning. As you noted, not only Earth Day, and every president traditionally marks Earth Day with an environmental event. But this year, of course, being an election year, the Kerry campaign already out criticizing the president's record on the environment today.
Mr. Bush will be here at the Wells Reserve in coastal Maine. He will make the case that his administration has done quite a bit on the conservation front and on the environmental front. And he will announce a new initiative that the president says over the next five years will increase by 1 million acres at least the amount of environmentally sensitive wetlands here in the United States and preserve and protect perhaps as many as 2 million more acres of wetland.
The president will take a tour here first at the Wells Reserve. And then he will deliver a speech here on Earth Day. Again, the president making his case that he does have a very good record of protecting the environment. We expect the president here any moment now.
And as the president makes his case, he knows he will be criticized by the Kerry campaign. Iraq and the economy obviously the dominant issues in the campaign. But on this day there will be a bit of sparring over the environment.
And, Daryn, we should tell you, as the president makes his case here today, he is certain to be on his best behavior. Among those in the audience to listen to the president, his mother, former first lady Barbara Bush who of course lives a short distance away in Kennebunkport, Maine.
KAGAN: Well if Mom's in the audience, well then you better be good.
Let me ask you though about this choice of picking Maine. And I know a lot of thought goes into their sites. But Maine is one place in particular that a number of cities have come across with some severe air problems. And a big criticism of the Bush administration is the Clean Air Act and how it hasn't been upholding that part of environmental policies.
KING: Well the president will make the case that he is upholding the Clean Air Act and other environmental policies. But you are tight. This is one of the states where the environmental movement in the United States grew up, if you will. And first got momentum.
The president is here, obviously, because you have pretty pictures, you have a great backdrop for Earth Day. He will make the case that he is working to protect the environment, especially on conservation efforts. He knows there are many critics. We passed some protesters on the way into the event site here.
And let's also be honest. In this election year this is the state that the president is testing a little bit. He lost it 49 percent to 44 percent back in the 2000 campaign. Some Republicans think it could possibly be in play this year.
So you test states like this early in the campaign year and make those final targeting decisions a bit later in the year -- Daryn.
KAGAN: John King in Maine. We'll testing later to see if you remember to say your R's or if you slip back into your...
KING: Never. KAGAN: ... your New England accent there. Thank you so much.
We will, by the way, have live coverage of the Bush address on Earth Day. Today, President Bush from Maine just a few minutes from now. And you'll see that live. And then we'll hear Senator Kerry from Houston later in the day.
Democratic challenger John Kerry will be in Houston today for his election year Earth Day speech. He's going to outline environmental policy differences between himself and President Bush. That rally to take place at the University of Houston. Live coverage of the Kerry Earth Day rally, 1:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN LIVE TODAY.
Earth Day, also a time to think about oceans. I'll have a chance to sit down and talk about the state of the world's oceans with famed oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau. He has swum into our studios right here in CNN. And he'll be with us in just a second.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau is spending Earth Day with us land lubbers. Joins us here in Atlanta to talk about the environment as well as his new under water projects.
Good to see you out of the water. I know that's a bog sacrifice for you to make.
JEAN-MICHEL COUSTEAU, OCEAN EXPLORER: No, it's not a sacrifice. But it's nice to see you in person rather to be so far, remote.
KAGAN: Absolutely. We have talked via satellite many times, but not in person.
Big news about the world's oceans coming out this week from the U.S. government. There's a U.S. Commissions on Ocean policy. They made a number of proposals. Up there is doubling the nation's investment in ocean research.
When you just make a simple comparison between how much is spent, let's just say, on space exploration versus exploring our oceans it really is remarkable.
COUSTEAU: I was invited to testify on the Commission. I'm only amazed that it took four year to come to the conclusions, which are pretty obvious.
And doubling the research -- you know, we do research, research, research. What about -- what are we going to do to protect the ocean? And that's really what counts.
We know what the problems are. We know what the solutions are. Now we need to go forward with it, to pass -- get into action.
KAGAN: The nature of your job and your career lets you see firsthand what damage can be done. And it was particularly interesting -- we talked to you when you were at that faraway Hawaiian -- Atoll. You were -- this tiny little island, the far end of the Hawaiian islands. And tell us again about what you saw, evidence about how basically we're all connected.
COUSTEAU: Well, we're in the middle of the Pacific where virtually nobody goes. And in that part of the world, we can find on these desert islands, in the middle of endangered species, and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) species, both on land and in the water, all the trash that we dump into the ocean.
We're still using the ocean as a garbage can, a universal sewer, using our water ways and ultimately it ends up there.
And it's very, very shocking, if you like that, in the middle of nowhere, where nobody lives, nobody goes, you have the objects, the refuse, that we have dumped into our waters.
And it's not just the coastline people. It's all of us, the scale of the planet. I identified 52 nations there.
KAGAN: Fifty-two nations, pieces of trash?
COUSTEAU: That's right.
KAGAN: So everyone's kicking in in a way.
COUSTEAU: That's right.
KAGAN: You're trying to get people to kick in, in a different way.
COUSTEAU: Well, I think the public has a role to play. But we need to know what it is.
KAGAN: And what is it?
COUSTEAU: So we're teaming up today with industries, Coca-Cola, with the plastic industry, the Plastic Council. We're working with these people so they have more and better information to pass on to their customers, and ultimately, to the consumers, which we are.
So I think education is a very, very important part of our activities today, not only with the decision makers, with the industries, but also with young people, children. We need to go in school.
KAGAN: And light the fire early on about what the ocean's all about.
COUSTEAU: Yes. Yes. Well, children are amazing, you know. I think they educate their parents. They go home and tell them, stop smoking, recycle, I mean, all these things, which we did not used to do 50 years ago or 40 years ago.
KAGAN: Interesting, I was watching the "Finding Nemo" CD with my nephew, and you popped up. COUSTEAU: That's right, that's right. That was Such a wonderful thing. You know, that little piece -- they gave me seven minutes on the CD. That little piece, which was very difficult to do for me, because I'm not an actor, but they made me act, and I had to do it again and again and again. But finally, it's extremely well received. And when you realize that in this country only, they're going to have distributed 40 million DVDs...
KAGAN: Think of all the kids that's reaching.
COUSTEAU: And they keep playing it again and again and again. I run into kids today who never knew of me. They never see my shows, but they've seen the DVD.
KAGAN: And so you kind of planted the seed.
COUSTEAU: That's right.
KAGAN: We're just a month or two away from families all over the country heading to the beach for perhaps a week's vacation. Let's give them a little thing they can do as they head and enjoy the ocean, whether it's on the East Coast, the Gulf, or on the West Coast, when they go on that vacation.
COUSTEAU: Well, think whether you're on the coastline or whether you're along the side of a lake, it's all the same thing -- don't dump anything. I mean, it will end up in the ocean. It will kill an edge endangered seal, or green sea turtle or the sea birds. And no people benefit from that. So recycle, put things away, make sure there's no fertilizers, or no insecticides that is unnecessarily going into the drain.
We're not talking about sewage, we're talking about runoffs, uncontrolled runoffs. That is one of the major problems. And when you get to the coastline, and you see the marsh land the mangroves, the wetlands, all of those are affected by what we do upstream. So if you can even protect the wetland, the marsh land, if you -- impacting it all the time it's going to die anyway. Those are very important for reproduction of fish. They are important for predators who are looking for food. They're very important for birds on their migration and also for nesting.
KAGAN: So we can all do a little part. Thanks for planting the seed today, the seaweed seed, we should say.
Jean-Michel Cousteau, where's the next great water place you get to go?
COUSTEAU: Right now, we are with our team on the West Coast, following four whales, mother whales, whom we have tagged with satellite tag and radio tags, and we want to know what's happening to them on their obstacle course along the coastline as they run into abandoned nets, drift nets, gill nets, they run into horrible sounds, which affect their hearing, and they -- some of them will die. We have starving orcas that are feeding upon them. There are all kinds of problems, and the food, which they're looking for, may be affected by our runoffs and our pollution.
KAGAN: And if I know you, they'll be cameras involved, and you must come back when that project is completed and share that information with us.
COUSTEAU: We'll do that, absolutely.
KAGAN: Jean-Michel Cousteau, great to have you here with us.
COUSTEAU: Thank you. I'm glad to be here.
KAGAN: We are standing by. President Bush will be speaking any moment from Maine. This is Earth Day. And listen to his comments live right here on CNN.
Right now, a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: To health news now. Researchers think that they have determined how the deadly SARS virus spread through a Hong Kong apartment complex last year. They say the virus spread through microscopic airborne water droplets. The aerosol-like spray was generated by the plumbing system when people flushed their toilets. The study says that exhaust fans helped spread that contaminated air.
Getting medical supplies to U.S. troops in Iraq can mean the difference between life and death.
Our Beth Nissen takes a look behind the scenes of a major supply center in our "Daily Dose" of health news.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BETH NISSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The United States Army material center in Germany is 3,000 miles from the fighting in Fallujah and Najaf. But those who work here say they are a vital part of U.S. operations in Iraq.
MAJ. BRAD SNOW, CHIEF OF DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSPORTATION: This is an important part of the battlefield as far as we're concerned. When we see the reports about another soldier injured or something, we know that the medical supplies that those guys are being treated with came out of here.
NISSEN: The material center handles medical supplies for U.S. military services throughout Europe, Asia and parts of Africa. But it is the field hospitals, battalion aid stations and combat medics in Iraq that are foremost on everyone's mind.
COL. JETTAKA SIGNAIGO, COMMANDER, USAMMCE: Our failure to deliver could mean the difference between life and death. If you have got a young 18-year-old who has been traumatically injured out in the middle of the desert, the minute that surgeon turns to a nurse or a medic and says, hand me this, and they say, we don't have that, I don't want to be on the end where I've got to knock on that mother's door to tell her that her son didn't make it because we didn't have a simple product for them in the desert.
NISSEN: The center can send any of 40,000 medical products to doctors and medical officer and medics down range in Iraq.
LT. COM. BYRON OWENS, CHIEF CUSTOMER SUPPORT: They can range anywhere from batteries that are used in medical equipment to medical gloves, pharmaceutical, narcotics. Just about anything that deals with the medical world, we pretty much carry.
NISSEN: The center's 400 Army, Air Force and Navy troops and U.S. and German civilians fill as many 4,000 supply orders a day, are working night shifts to assemble medical kits, including combat lifesaver bags carried by combat medics. Controllers try to adjust production and shipping to anticipate battlefield needs. But it is more art than science.
OWENS: Once they're on the ground and they start receiving casualties, that's when we find out what it is they really need.
NISSEN: Emergency orders can be shipped in 24 hours if requested supplies are among the 9,000 in warehouse stock.
SNOW: They call us up and say, look, I gotta have this in X hours or else I'm going to lose this patient, we want them to have the confidence that, when they call us, we're going to make it happen.
NISSEN: With every escalation in fighting, demand for medical supplies spikes. The center's command says that, on one Saturday this month, workers processed 586 high-priority requests for trauma supplies, more than they normally process in a month. They have to work fast, concentrate, carefully pack and check thousands of items, from pressure bandages to temperature-sensitive medications.
MAJ. THOMAS WIECZOREK, CHIEF OF RECEIVING AND STORAGE: We have things that require special handling. Things have to be double- checked before we ship it. Sending the wrong item could mean literally the difference between life and death.
NISSEN: So can getting the right items from the warehouse by cargo plane and convoy to the troops in the sand.
SIGNAIGO: There are never enough transportation resources. The toughest mile is always the last mile to the unit in the front lines to get the materiel forward.
NISSEN: Those in support operation far from the forward lines get little glory. They shrug off colleagues who refer to them somewhat dismissively as the box kickers.
SPC. TYRONE VERBELL, U.S. ARMY: We're not looked at as what people see on the TV and, oh, they're heroes, they're doing this and they're doing that. We're in the background. SNOW: We don't get a lot of recognition. People kind of take it for granted that the food, fuel, beans and Band-Aids are always going to be there.
NISSEN: In the right quantity, in the right place, at the right time.
Beth Nissen, CNN, Pirmasens, Germany.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: To get your daily dose of health news online, check out our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library and much. The address is CNN.com/health.
CNN LIVE TODAY will be back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
KAGAN: That's going to do it for me, Daryn Kagan. Still standing by for President Bush. He'll be speaking from Maine on this Earth Day. Then later, Senator John Kerry speaking from Houston.
I'm out of here. I'll see you right back here tomorrow morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired April 22, 2004 - 11:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's take a look at latest developments "At This Hour."
We're following reports of a disastrous train collision in North Korea. According to South Korean media reports, two trains carrying oil and gas collided. Witnesses are quoted as saying the area around the station was reduced to ruins by that massive explosion.
Other headlines today, "At This Hour," celebrations at Fort Hood as soldiers from the 4th I.D. return home from Iraq. They've been deployed for about a year now.
There's also a celebrity contingent there, including Jessica Simpson, Country star Tracy Bird and Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd. They are performing a 14-hour concert at the base.
The coalition may soften rules and allow some former members of the Ba'ath Party to serve in government posts in Iraq. U.S. officials say that would allow more minority Sunnis in pivotal positions and perhaps weaken the insurgency.
And officials cannot account for two spent fuel rods at The Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant. A spokesman says the rods are most likely still on site and have not been stolen. The Department of Homeland Security is keeping an eye on that situation.
And have we had a chance to say happy Earth Day to you? President Bush in Maine today to make election year note of his environmental accomplishments. Our White House correspondent John King, going back to his New England roots, traveling with the president today. Good morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. A bit early for chowder, but I can tell you it's quite good here in Maine.
The president due here this morning. As you noted, not only Earth Day, and every president traditionally marks Earth Day with an environmental event. But this year, of course, being an election year, the Kerry campaign already out criticizing the president's record on the environment today.
Mr. Bush will be here at the Wells Reserve in coastal Maine. He will make the case that his administration has done quite a bit on the conservation front and on the environmental front. And he will announce a new initiative that the president says over the next five years will increase by 1 million acres at least the amount of environmentally sensitive wetlands here in the United States and preserve and protect perhaps as many as 2 million more acres of wetland.
The president will take a tour here first at the Wells Reserve. And then he will deliver a speech here on Earth Day. Again, the president making his case that he does have a very good record of protecting the environment. We expect the president here any moment now.
And as the president makes his case, he knows he will be criticized by the Kerry campaign. Iraq and the economy obviously the dominant issues in the campaign. But on this day there will be a bit of sparring over the environment.
And, Daryn, we should tell you, as the president makes his case here today, he is certain to be on his best behavior. Among those in the audience to listen to the president, his mother, former first lady Barbara Bush who of course lives a short distance away in Kennebunkport, Maine.
KAGAN: Well if Mom's in the audience, well then you better be good.
Let me ask you though about this choice of picking Maine. And I know a lot of thought goes into their sites. But Maine is one place in particular that a number of cities have come across with some severe air problems. And a big criticism of the Bush administration is the Clean Air Act and how it hasn't been upholding that part of environmental policies.
KING: Well the president will make the case that he is upholding the Clean Air Act and other environmental policies. But you are tight. This is one of the states where the environmental movement in the United States grew up, if you will. And first got momentum.
The president is here, obviously, because you have pretty pictures, you have a great backdrop for Earth Day. He will make the case that he is working to protect the environment, especially on conservation efforts. He knows there are many critics. We passed some protesters on the way into the event site here.
And let's also be honest. In this election year this is the state that the president is testing a little bit. He lost it 49 percent to 44 percent back in the 2000 campaign. Some Republicans think it could possibly be in play this year.
So you test states like this early in the campaign year and make those final targeting decisions a bit later in the year -- Daryn.
KAGAN: John King in Maine. We'll testing later to see if you remember to say your R's or if you slip back into your...
KING: Never. KAGAN: ... your New England accent there. Thank you so much.
We will, by the way, have live coverage of the Bush address on Earth Day. Today, President Bush from Maine just a few minutes from now. And you'll see that live. And then we'll hear Senator Kerry from Houston later in the day.
Democratic challenger John Kerry will be in Houston today for his election year Earth Day speech. He's going to outline environmental policy differences between himself and President Bush. That rally to take place at the University of Houston. Live coverage of the Kerry Earth Day rally, 1:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN LIVE TODAY.
Earth Day, also a time to think about oceans. I'll have a chance to sit down and talk about the state of the world's oceans with famed oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau. He has swum into our studios right here in CNN. And he'll be with us in just a second.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau is spending Earth Day with us land lubbers. Joins us here in Atlanta to talk about the environment as well as his new under water projects.
Good to see you out of the water. I know that's a bog sacrifice for you to make.
JEAN-MICHEL COUSTEAU, OCEAN EXPLORER: No, it's not a sacrifice. But it's nice to see you in person rather to be so far, remote.
KAGAN: Absolutely. We have talked via satellite many times, but not in person.
Big news about the world's oceans coming out this week from the U.S. government. There's a U.S. Commissions on Ocean policy. They made a number of proposals. Up there is doubling the nation's investment in ocean research.
When you just make a simple comparison between how much is spent, let's just say, on space exploration versus exploring our oceans it really is remarkable.
COUSTEAU: I was invited to testify on the Commission. I'm only amazed that it took four year to come to the conclusions, which are pretty obvious.
And doubling the research -- you know, we do research, research, research. What about -- what are we going to do to protect the ocean? And that's really what counts.
We know what the problems are. We know what the solutions are. Now we need to go forward with it, to pass -- get into action.
KAGAN: The nature of your job and your career lets you see firsthand what damage can be done. And it was particularly interesting -- we talked to you when you were at that faraway Hawaiian -- Atoll. You were -- this tiny little island, the far end of the Hawaiian islands. And tell us again about what you saw, evidence about how basically we're all connected.
COUSTEAU: Well, we're in the middle of the Pacific where virtually nobody goes. And in that part of the world, we can find on these desert islands, in the middle of endangered species, and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) species, both on land and in the water, all the trash that we dump into the ocean.
We're still using the ocean as a garbage can, a universal sewer, using our water ways and ultimately it ends up there.
And it's very, very shocking, if you like that, in the middle of nowhere, where nobody lives, nobody goes, you have the objects, the refuse, that we have dumped into our waters.
And it's not just the coastline people. It's all of us, the scale of the planet. I identified 52 nations there.
KAGAN: Fifty-two nations, pieces of trash?
COUSTEAU: That's right.
KAGAN: So everyone's kicking in in a way.
COUSTEAU: That's right.
KAGAN: You're trying to get people to kick in, in a different way.
COUSTEAU: Well, I think the public has a role to play. But we need to know what it is.
KAGAN: And what is it?
COUSTEAU: So we're teaming up today with industries, Coca-Cola, with the plastic industry, the Plastic Council. We're working with these people so they have more and better information to pass on to their customers, and ultimately, to the consumers, which we are.
So I think education is a very, very important part of our activities today, not only with the decision makers, with the industries, but also with young people, children. We need to go in school.
KAGAN: And light the fire early on about what the ocean's all about.
COUSTEAU: Yes. Yes. Well, children are amazing, you know. I think they educate their parents. They go home and tell them, stop smoking, recycle, I mean, all these things, which we did not used to do 50 years ago or 40 years ago.
KAGAN: Interesting, I was watching the "Finding Nemo" CD with my nephew, and you popped up. COUSTEAU: That's right, that's right. That was Such a wonderful thing. You know, that little piece -- they gave me seven minutes on the CD. That little piece, which was very difficult to do for me, because I'm not an actor, but they made me act, and I had to do it again and again and again. But finally, it's extremely well received. And when you realize that in this country only, they're going to have distributed 40 million DVDs...
KAGAN: Think of all the kids that's reaching.
COUSTEAU: And they keep playing it again and again and again. I run into kids today who never knew of me. They never see my shows, but they've seen the DVD.
KAGAN: And so you kind of planted the seed.
COUSTEAU: That's right.
KAGAN: We're just a month or two away from families all over the country heading to the beach for perhaps a week's vacation. Let's give them a little thing they can do as they head and enjoy the ocean, whether it's on the East Coast, the Gulf, or on the West Coast, when they go on that vacation.
COUSTEAU: Well, think whether you're on the coastline or whether you're along the side of a lake, it's all the same thing -- don't dump anything. I mean, it will end up in the ocean. It will kill an edge endangered seal, or green sea turtle or the sea birds. And no people benefit from that. So recycle, put things away, make sure there's no fertilizers, or no insecticides that is unnecessarily going into the drain.
We're not talking about sewage, we're talking about runoffs, uncontrolled runoffs. That is one of the major problems. And when you get to the coastline, and you see the marsh land the mangroves, the wetlands, all of those are affected by what we do upstream. So if you can even protect the wetland, the marsh land, if you -- impacting it all the time it's going to die anyway. Those are very important for reproduction of fish. They are important for predators who are looking for food. They're very important for birds on their migration and also for nesting.
KAGAN: So we can all do a little part. Thanks for planting the seed today, the seaweed seed, we should say.
Jean-Michel Cousteau, where's the next great water place you get to go?
COUSTEAU: Right now, we are with our team on the West Coast, following four whales, mother whales, whom we have tagged with satellite tag and radio tags, and we want to know what's happening to them on their obstacle course along the coastline as they run into abandoned nets, drift nets, gill nets, they run into horrible sounds, which affect their hearing, and they -- some of them will die. We have starving orcas that are feeding upon them. There are all kinds of problems, and the food, which they're looking for, may be affected by our runoffs and our pollution.
KAGAN: And if I know you, they'll be cameras involved, and you must come back when that project is completed and share that information with us.
COUSTEAU: We'll do that, absolutely.
KAGAN: Jean-Michel Cousteau, great to have you here with us.
COUSTEAU: Thank you. I'm glad to be here.
KAGAN: We are standing by. President Bush will be speaking any moment from Maine. This is Earth Day. And listen to his comments live right here on CNN.
Right now, a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: To health news now. Researchers think that they have determined how the deadly SARS virus spread through a Hong Kong apartment complex last year. They say the virus spread through microscopic airborne water droplets. The aerosol-like spray was generated by the plumbing system when people flushed their toilets. The study says that exhaust fans helped spread that contaminated air.
Getting medical supplies to U.S. troops in Iraq can mean the difference between life and death.
Our Beth Nissen takes a look behind the scenes of a major supply center in our "Daily Dose" of health news.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BETH NISSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The United States Army material center in Germany is 3,000 miles from the fighting in Fallujah and Najaf. But those who work here say they are a vital part of U.S. operations in Iraq.
MAJ. BRAD SNOW, CHIEF OF DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSPORTATION: This is an important part of the battlefield as far as we're concerned. When we see the reports about another soldier injured or something, we know that the medical supplies that those guys are being treated with came out of here.
NISSEN: The material center handles medical supplies for U.S. military services throughout Europe, Asia and parts of Africa. But it is the field hospitals, battalion aid stations and combat medics in Iraq that are foremost on everyone's mind.
COL. JETTAKA SIGNAIGO, COMMANDER, USAMMCE: Our failure to deliver could mean the difference between life and death. If you have got a young 18-year-old who has been traumatically injured out in the middle of the desert, the minute that surgeon turns to a nurse or a medic and says, hand me this, and they say, we don't have that, I don't want to be on the end where I've got to knock on that mother's door to tell her that her son didn't make it because we didn't have a simple product for them in the desert.
NISSEN: The center can send any of 40,000 medical products to doctors and medical officer and medics down range in Iraq.
LT. COM. BYRON OWENS, CHIEF CUSTOMER SUPPORT: They can range anywhere from batteries that are used in medical equipment to medical gloves, pharmaceutical, narcotics. Just about anything that deals with the medical world, we pretty much carry.
NISSEN: The center's 400 Army, Air Force and Navy troops and U.S. and German civilians fill as many 4,000 supply orders a day, are working night shifts to assemble medical kits, including combat lifesaver bags carried by combat medics. Controllers try to adjust production and shipping to anticipate battlefield needs. But it is more art than science.
OWENS: Once they're on the ground and they start receiving casualties, that's when we find out what it is they really need.
NISSEN: Emergency orders can be shipped in 24 hours if requested supplies are among the 9,000 in warehouse stock.
SNOW: They call us up and say, look, I gotta have this in X hours or else I'm going to lose this patient, we want them to have the confidence that, when they call us, we're going to make it happen.
NISSEN: With every escalation in fighting, demand for medical supplies spikes. The center's command says that, on one Saturday this month, workers processed 586 high-priority requests for trauma supplies, more than they normally process in a month. They have to work fast, concentrate, carefully pack and check thousands of items, from pressure bandages to temperature-sensitive medications.
MAJ. THOMAS WIECZOREK, CHIEF OF RECEIVING AND STORAGE: We have things that require special handling. Things have to be double- checked before we ship it. Sending the wrong item could mean literally the difference between life and death.
NISSEN: So can getting the right items from the warehouse by cargo plane and convoy to the troops in the sand.
SIGNAIGO: There are never enough transportation resources. The toughest mile is always the last mile to the unit in the front lines to get the materiel forward.
NISSEN: Those in support operation far from the forward lines get little glory. They shrug off colleagues who refer to them somewhat dismissively as the box kickers.
SPC. TYRONE VERBELL, U.S. ARMY: We're not looked at as what people see on the TV and, oh, they're heroes, they're doing this and they're doing that. We're in the background. SNOW: We don't get a lot of recognition. People kind of take it for granted that the food, fuel, beans and Band-Aids are always going to be there.
NISSEN: In the right quantity, in the right place, at the right time.
Beth Nissen, CNN, Pirmasens, Germany.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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KAGAN: That's going to do it for me, Daryn Kagan. Still standing by for President Bush. He'll be speaking from Maine on this Earth Day. Then later, Senator John Kerry speaking from Houston.
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