Hummer Drivers Believe They’re Defending America’s Frontier Against Anti-American Critics (Links)
Krugman: ‘most widely respected climate models’ show ‘hurtle toward catastrophe’ These days, dire warnings aren’t the delusional raving of cranks. Our relationship to the natural world is a Ponzi scheme Beyond the illegality of Madoff’s scam, why didn’t he consider his responsibility to his clients, to their future, and even to his own? Give birds a break. Lock up the cat Free-ranging felines do a lot of damage to the baby bird populations in neighborhoods. Gila National Forest threatened by off-road vehicles The well-funded off-road vehicle lobby is pressuring forest managers to add unnecessary roads and permit other destructive practices in the forest. Hummer drivers believe they’re defending America’s frontier against anti-American critics Hummer drivers believe they are defending America’s frontier lifestyle against anti-American critics, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, which researched attitudes toward owning and driving Hummers, which have become symbols to many of American greed and wastefulness. Children who are spanked have lower IQs Children who are spanked have lower IQs worldwide, including in the United States, according to groundbreaking new research. Pennsylvania gun nuts shoot, kill each other A car parked in the driveway bore a badge-shaped sticker that read “NRA law enforcement.” Boing Boing offers ‘nourishing soup and sandwiches’ to Ralph Lauren’s deathly ill models “Dude, her head’s bigger than her pelvis.” Ted Williams’ frozen head abused in cryogenics lab Workers at an Arizona cryogenics facility mutilated the frozen head of baseball legend Ted Williams—even using it for a bizarre batting practice, a new book claims.
Biodiversity and the True Significance of the Human Species (Links)
Lessons From the Reverse Engineering of Nature The importance of biodiversity and the true significance of the human species. Most Damaged Ecosystems Recover in Decades Nearly 75 percent of damaged ecosystems fully or partially recover within decades. Obama team calls a timeout on logging in roadless areas Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says no new activity can begin in roadless areas of national forests without his permission. What Are Zoos For? Behind the rusting gates of Wroclaw Zoo, ivy is claiming the walls of the ramshackle gothic administration building. Recipe for a Resurrection Bringing extinct species back to life is no longer considered science fiction. Why Coral Reefs Around The World Are Collapsing An explosion of knowledge in the last few is helping to explain why coral reefs around the world are collapsing and what it will take for them to survive mounting threats. Toxin Is Accelerating Demise of Prehistoric Chinese Sturgeon A chemical applied to ship hulls is robbing Chinese sturgeon of their eyes and causing other deformities. How to clean up a lake? Man-made floating islands may be the answer. The Luxury City vs. the Middle Class The sustainable city of the future will rest on the revival of traditional institutions that have faded in many of today’s cities. Deer Heaven Humans invented suburbia, but it is deer who may be its most enthusiastic residents. Where’s the Environment Section on Google News? Visit Google News’s home page and you’ll see lots of important stories: elections in India, armed conflict in Pakistan, and the US debate over torture, to name just a few. Is Unesco Damaging the World’s Treasures? Is the “gold standard” project harming the very places it seeks to protect? You Are Here The world’s eco-disasters up close. Why Health Warnings Can Be Bad Researchers warned potential participants that electrodes would be strapped to their temples, and could cause serious headaches. Despite this, 34 students came forward. Recycling Mysteries: #5 Plastics If you’re trying to be more eco-conscious, you might wonder about what to do with yogurt cups, hummus tubs or cottage cheese containers. The Human Influence Index A measure of direct human influence on terrestrial ecosystems using the best available data sets on human settlement (population density, built-up areas), access (roads, railroads, navigable rivers, coastline), landscape transformation (land use/land cover) and electric power infrastructure (nighttime lights). The Human Footprint Index The percentage of relative human influence in each terrestrial biome. percentage the relative human influence in each terrestrial biome.
‘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.
