An Overrun Florida Looks to Python Bounty Hunters (Links)
Tyranny for the Commons Man Six billion people are now sharing one planet, one water supply, and limited energy resources with a grab-first-ask-questions-later mentality. 10 People Guiding Science for Humanity Ten researchers, politicians, executives, and philanthropists who are working to assure that the benefits of new technologies and knowledge will accrue to humanity. Competitive Altruism: Being Green in Public What if environmentalism didn’t really involve sacrifice? California Beaches Face a Rising Ride of Pollution Ten percent of water samples at California beaches last year contained more human fecal bacteria than the state allows. Joshua Trees Vanishing The Joshua Tree is expected to vanish entirely from the southern half of California within a century. An Inconvenient Talk A guide to the end of the fossil fuel age. Exxon Owes $500 Million Interest for Valdez Spill Exxon Mobil Corp. must pay victims of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill $480 million more in interest on their delayed punitive damages awards, a U.S. appeals court has ruled. Arctic Tundra Undergoing Major Changes As it Warms, Studies Show Several recent studies show that the rapid warming of Arctic tundra is leading to a host of sweeping changes, including more extensive fires, the growth of larger vegetation, more absorption of solar energy, melting permafrost, and substantially larger releases of greenhouse gases. Hunters Depleting Lion and Cougar Populations Sport hunters are depleting lion and cougar populations as managers respond to demands to control predators that threaten livestock and humans. An Overrun Florida Looks to Python Bounty Hunters Of all the ideas floated to get a grip on pythons and other exotic imports creeping and crawling through America’s undergrowth, only one stands out to Florida snake experts as having a real impact: bounty hunters. Sustainability: Solution to Fermi’s Paradox? If civilizations can’t grow exponentially, that might explain why we don’t see any signs of ET. Environmentalism and Religion Jonathan Zasloff, an environmental law professor at UCLA, is skeptical of the idea that religion can add much to environmental policy debates. Couples Who Cohabit Before Engagement are More Likely to Struggle Couples who live together before they are engaged have a higher chance of getting divorced than those who wait until they are married to live together, or at least wait until they are engaged.
Exxon Valdez, 20 years later
From SFGate.com: After two decades, the memory of the spill persists for the commercial fishermen and Alaska natives whose livelihoods were destroyed by Exxon’s recklessness. Sadly, the oil persists, too: A 2007 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration study showed that 26,600 gallons of crude oil from the spill are still lingering below the surface of Alaska’s beaches.
What has the oil industry learned since the spill? Not much. Oil spills are still a regular occurrence. Just weeks ago, a tanker off the coast of Australia crashed, spilling more than 50,000 gallons of oil and shutting local fisheries…Since 1993, U.S. offshore drilling has sent an average of 47,800 barrels of oil a year into the sea, according to data from the Minerals Management Service. Offshore drilling platforms are particularly vulnerable to storms: The Coast Guard estimates that roughly 9 million gallons of oil were spilled during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita alone…Contrary to what the oil industry would like us to believe, there is no effective method for cleaning up an oil spill. And where there are tankers and offshore drilling, there always will be spills.
ESA, UCS, SEX (Links)
Hot on the heels of the Bush Administration’s order to remove science from the Endangered Species Act, a new government report has found more interference with ESA decisions. The EPA has released a ‘most wanted’ list. Maryland State Police used their anti-terror powers to spy on peaceful environmentalists. The UCS has released a guide to low-carbon vacations. Diesel trucks in California must meet new pollution guidelines. Chemicals are killing your sex drive. A group of students ages 9-18 have found a way to stop curb 90% of roadkills. Researchers are trying to find a way to meet golfers and enviros halfway. CSM explores America’s Great Lakes. Ocean fish farming spreads infection to wild fish. A deep sea expedition in the Gulf of California found unprecedented biodiversity and a troubling breadth of human impact. Recyclables are currently worth the same as trash—and aren’t being recycled. After almost 20 years, Exxon Valdez victims have received their first settlement payments. Enviros ‘counter’ clean coal oxymorons. Soldiers returning to the Middle East can look forward to breathing smoke from open air incinerators burning human remains and toxic waste. CNN has laid off its entire environmental, science, and technology news staff.
