Climate Change Causing Birds to Shrink (Links)
Navy To Conduct Warfare Training Near Right Whale Calving Grounds The training range will be constructed near the only known calving grounds for the North Atlantic right whale, a species whose total population is thought to be around 300 individuals. On the Prowl For Water-Use Scofflaws Since June, nearly 700 citations have been issued to L.A. residents caught violating the city’s tightened water laws. San Diego Company Fined $600,000 for Groundwater Contamination Regional water pollution cops fined an industrial company $600,000 and threatened to nearly double the penalty if it doesn’t meet deadlines leading up to treatment of a contaminated groundwater plume in El Cajon. Alaska’s Kensington Gold Mine Gets Go-Ahead The Army Corps of Engineers has green-lighted a controversial plan to dump millions of tons of waste into Lower Slate Lake. U.S. Military Says to Act Now or ‘Pay Later’ For Climate Change U.S. military intelligence studies have concluded that over the next 20 to 30 years, the world’s vulnerable regions will food and water shortages, and catastrophic flooding, which could demand costly American humanitarian relief or military response. Climate Change Causing Birds to Shrink Global warming is making birds smaller. Exxon Mobil vs. New York City New York City claims that Exxon Mobil knew that a certain additive used in their gasoline would contaminate groundwater, but used it anyway. ExxonMobil Pleads Guilty to Killing Protected Birds The company will pay $600,000 in fines and fees, and most of the 85 birds that died were exposed to industrial pollution. Russian Oil Rigs Just 45 Miles From Florida? Cuba will allow Russia to look for oil and gas in its territorial waters. Biologists Demystify Elusive War Zone Bacterium The bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii causes mortality rates as high as 75 percent in the Middle East. Houshold Spices Provide Eco-friendly Pesticides for Organics Well-known spices such as rosemary, thyme, clove, and mint are becoming organic agriculture’s key weapons against insect pests as the industry tries to satisfy increased demands for organic produce. How Does College Major Affect Religious Faith? College students who major in the social sciences and humanities are likely to become less religious, while those who in education are likely to become more religious. I Say Spend. You Say No. We’re in Love. When it comes to money, opposites do attract: “spendthrifts” and “tightwads” tend to marry.
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.
Mockingbirds Can Remember Faces of People to Attack (Links)
Cost of Cigarette Litter May Fall on San Fran’s Smokers A proposed fee would add 33 cents to the cost of a pack of cigarettes, helping offset the estimated $10.7 million a year spent cleaning up discarded butts. Styrofoam Ban Grows in CA Palo Alto joins 21 other California towns in prohibition of polystyrene takeout containers. Yosemite’s Giant Trees Disappearing Data collected over 60 years by forest ecologists show that the oldest and largest trees in Yosemite National Park are disappearing. Climate change appears to be a major cause of the loss. Summer Haze Cooling SE United States Some local cooling is one effect of climate change. Marine Pleads Guilty in Wildfire A Marine was sentenced to a year in prison for horseplay that started a wildfire that burned a section of California’s Camp Pendleton, prompted widespread evacuations, and caused $2 million in damage. Cactus Wren Gets Another Chance in Culver City In an effort to bring the cactus wren back to a Culver City state park, Dorsey High students are restoring the coastal sage scrub preferred by the bird. Hollywood and the Flush Factor “If it’s yellow leave it mellow; if it’s brown flush it down,” said actor Cameron Diaz. EPA Approves Most Outstanding Mountaintop Removal Permits Environmental leaders criticized the EPA for not taking a stronger stand agains the highly destructive and polluting form of mining. Where Are All the Fish? Fisheries can’t keep up with the rate of seafood consumption by humans. New Study Provides Insight into Evolution of First Flowers Charles Darwin described the origin of flowering plants about 130 million years ago as an abominable mystery, one that scientists have yet to solve. Taking Back the Catalytic Converter A new bill would allow independent repair shops to compete for the business now guaranteed only to dealer-controlled establishments. Monkeys Found To Wonder What Might Have Been Monkeys register missed opportunities and learn from their mistakes. Intoxication May Not Always Be Visible It is difficult for even trained observers to fully identify “intoxication,” given that so many factors contribute to it. Some People Really Never Forget A Face “Super-recognizers” have an extraordinary ability to recognize faces, and can easily recognize someone they met in passing, even many years later. Mockingbirds Can Remember Faces of People to Attack Scientists find that the grey and white birds common in cities can distinguish between different people and will swoop to attack those they perceive as a danger.
‘Angel’ and ‘Devil’ Parts of the Brain Battle for Supremacy (Links)
Obama Returns of Science to Endangered Species Act Interior Secretary Ken Salazar rescinded eleventh-hour Bush administration changes to Endangered Species Act regulations that allowed federal agencies to decide for themselves if their own projects—such as roads and dams—would threaten imperiled species. Fish and Wildlife Salamander Study Could Limit L.A. Sprawl If the Tehachapi slender salamander, which lives north of L.A., becomes a protected species, urban growth could be limited. Southern California Beetle Destroying Oaks A beetle that was first detected in California in 2004 has now attacked 67 percent of the oak trees in an area 30 miles east of San Diego. Why Invasive Plants Take Over New research shows that two key causes of plant invasion—escape from natural enemies, and increases in plant resources—act in concert. Stimulus Reinvigorates Underfinanced Superfund Program The Superfund program, established nearly 30 years ago to clean up the nation’s most contaminated industrial sites, has been underfinanced since a tax expired in 1995. Turtle Deformed After Being Trapped in a Six-Pack Plastic Ring A snapping turtle affectionately named Mae West suffered deformities from being trapped within a plastic ring. Fire an Overlooked Contributor to Climate Change Intentional deforestation fires alone contribute up to one-fifth of the human-caused increase in emissions of carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping gas that increases global temperature. ‘Angel’ and ‘Devil’ Parts of the Brain Battle for Supremacy People have “angel” and “devil” parts of the brain that are in constant battle over their self control a study has shown. Nuclear Tests Help to ID Fake Whisky Radioactive material is helping scientists to fight the multimillion pound trade in counterfeit antique malt whisky. Palm Oil Not a Healthy Substitute for Trans Fats Both trans fatty acids and saturated fatty acids are associated with elevated heart disease risk factors. No Natives Allowed Over the last century, the conservation movement has created some beautiful parks–and millions of refugees.
Endangered Rivers, Roadkill, Oil Sands, American Prairie (Links)
California’s 2 Longest Rivers Called Nation’s Most Endangered: The Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers have been named the country’s most endangered waterways because of outdated water management and poor flood planning. ‘Bucket Brigades’ Carry Migrating Amphibians Across Busy Roads: The black salamander with yellow spots sat on the roadside in the dark, ready to make a go of it. To Save Animals, Put a Price on Them: Rather than relying on warm, fuzzy feelings to protect animals, conservationists suggest appealing to something more reliable: greed. Investment in Oil Sands Could Threaten Millions of Migratory Birds: An anonymous tip last April alerted Canadian officials to the fact that 500 ducks had mistaken an oil extraction company’s pollutant-filled reservoir as a safe place to land. Only three birds survived. Pennsylvania Has Its First Test Over Access to Records: The PA Department of Environmental Protection was ordered to copy and mail out documents to people who request them, rather than force people to come to its offices in Harrisburg. Prairie in the City: The prairie once covered a million square miles of North America, but one of the least known scraps survives, in all places, within the city limits of St Louis, Missouri. Traffic Pollution Can Harm Babies in the Womb: Researchers believe restricted fetal growth may be linked to traffic pollution or living close to a major road.
EPA Halts New Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining Permits, Plans ‘Aggressive’ Review
Awesome news:
The Obama Administration just made a major announcement – they have directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to not issue any new mining permits until the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a chance to take a hard look at well over 100 pending permits to bury streams with mining waste, an essential part of the mountaintop removal coal mining process.
‘Thrillcraft Users Are Turning Our National Pride Into A National Tragedy’
This web site outlines the major problems with the use of thrillcraft (off road vehicles) on our state and national parks, forests, refuges, and reserves. The site provides the latest information on impacts, successful strategies used to limit thrillcraft destruction, as well as inspiration to carry on the effort to control and limit these machines and the culture that spawns this use.
Thrillcraft use has risen dramatically since the 1960s. A Forest Service report estimates that 42 million off-road vehicle users between 2003 and 2004. Since that time, the number of users has increased to the point where former Chief of the Forest Service Dale Bosworth called ORVs one of the four major threats to national forest lands. Worse yet, machines are increasing in power and mechanical ability enabling them to reach ever more remote lands.
Rattlesnake Roundups, Texans, and Other Idiots
Billy Brown, a Philadelphia naturalist, discusses a recent New York Times article that glorifies idiots Texans who participate in “brutal” rattlesnake roundups:
Every now and then, usually at a party, someone mentions a news story they heard about crazy people in Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, maybe even Pennsylvania who catch lots of rattlesnakes and then throw big festivals.
They mean this in only the nicest way, but few topics set me off like the rattlesnake roundups. At this point in the conversation I take a deep breath and kindly explain that the roundups are brutal, savage, events in which thousands of rattlers are yanked out of burrows–many flushed out of burrows with gasoline, which kills all kinds of other small wildlife and pollutes the ground–then handled roughly and frequently injured as they’re dumped into huge heaps, tossed around in bagging contests, and then in the end get their heads chopped off.
New ‘Pollution Radar’ Provides Unprecedented Smog Snapshot
Scientists and industrialists have invented a sophisticated new air quality measuring device that can act as a pollution radar over cities. The technology can be placed on satellites to provide unprecedented detail of gases in the atmosphere. Researchers are also developing ground-based instruments this year, which will be able to create 3D maps of atmospheric gases.
Indoor Air Pollution: Samples From Couch Cushions And Drywall Reveal Chemicals Used In House
One young researcher wants to help epidemiologists identify what’s triggering diseases like asthma in children. He and a colleague are using nondestructive techniques to take samples from couch cushions, drywall and even concrete to identify the concentration of chemicals that had been in the home. If successful, the technique would make it easier for scientists to reliably identify chemical causes for many diseases.
Do We Really Need Fireworks–and the Accompanying Pollution?
I have actually wondered about this for some time. It seems like more fireworks than ever are being used for non-special events. The recent construction of a minor league ballpark in my hometown came with loud, smoky fireworks after every game. The same thing goes on in San Diego (seen above) at Petco Park, except the smoke wafts out across the bay or residences near downtown.
Some argue that overuse of fireworks not only makes holidays like Independence Day less special, but it also creates a lot of unnecessary pollution. Because fireworks are special to a lot of people, this is also a tough issue to bring up. People interpret opposition to excessive fireworks as another way to take the fun out of a world already saturated with bad news.
Perhaps it would help to look at the cost.
A Collapsing Carbon Market Makes Mega-Pollution Cheap
Set up to price pollution out of existence, carbon trading is pricing it back in. Europe’s carbon markets are in collapse.
‘Roll up for the great pollution fire sale, the ultimate chance to wreck the climate on the cheap. You sir, over there, from the power company – look at this lovely tonne of freshly made, sulphur-rich carbon dioxide. Last summer it cost an eyewatering amount to throw up your smokestack, but in our give-away global recession sale, that’s been slashed to a crazy low price. Dump plans for the wind turbine! Compare our offer with costly solar energy! At this low, low price you can’t afford not to burn coal!
[ENN]
