This is the 589th edition of the Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue). Here is the February 16 edition. Inclusion of a story in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
OUTSTANDING GREEN STORIES
Besame writes—Daily Bucket: Camp Fire Bobcat Healed and Released: “If we don't rehab wildlife, if we don’t take care of them today, they won't have a tomorrow,” observes Sallysue Stein, as she releases a bobcat healed of burns suffered in the Camp Fire. Stein is the founder of Gold Country Wildlife Rescue in Auburn, a group responsible for helping wildlife fire victims. Although this one bobcat was saved, two other rescued animals have died and two foxes are still being treated more than 100 days after the fire broke out on Nov 8, 2018. The injured bobcat was found three weeks after the fire began, emaciated and weighing 6 pounds (normal weight is 15-40 pounds). Last Sunday, he was released in Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve just outside the wildfire scarred area. The bobcat patient was treated by Jaime Peyton at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, who has pioneered a method of dealing with wildlife burns. Peyton used an innovative technique of applying tilapia fish skin to the burns. Rich in collagen, the sterilized fish skin helps with healing and pain. The treatment has also been applied to several pets from the burned area — and Peyton hopes it can be applied to humans in the future. The bobcat’s healing was expected to take 6 months but its skin grew back faster than expected. In addition to the fish skins, the treatment included cold laser therapy for antibacterial effects, pulse electromagnetic therapy for pain and a carefully orchestrated feeding process. But the bobcat will never have padded feet again.”
bobburnett writes—Costing the Green New Deal: “While there's been positive response to "The Green New Deal" -- outside of the Republican Party -- Mother Jones just published a poll that indicates the level of support for ‘Green New Deal’ proposals varies depending upon the perception of cost: ‘Faced with a range of possible price tags, voters’ support varied, suggesting costs could factor high into the Green New Deal’s political viability. The results showed a majority of voters would likely oppose policies with stringent mandates—rules requiring all cars be electric by 2030 and every fossil fuel power plant close by 2035.’ From a short-term perspective, this position makes sense: voters support climate-change proposals so long as they appear to be free. For example, ‘Mandates requiring the country to generate 100 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2050 enjoyed sweeping support.’ But as the possible costs increased, support fell off. This finding illustrates a fundamental problem initiating programs to tackle the effects of climate change: to some voters ‘doing nothing’ appears to have no cost or an indeterminate cost; for example, voters in areas subjected to increased temperatures have the choice of doing nothing—suffering through longer heat waves—or to renovate their residence to withstand blistering temperature increases. (Initially, the prospect of doing nothing may seem more attractive.) The key question is: What is the long-term cost of doing nothing about climate change?”
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - ground-chasing killdeer: “February 14, 2019. Salish Sea, PNW. It might be a sign of spring. Otherwise not sure why else one killdeer would be chasing another on the beach relentlessly. Sources describe this as ‘ground-chasing.’ Territorial defense? killdeer do not actually nest on the beach, rather on fields nearby, but Mundahl in his 1982 paper ROLE SPECIALIZATION IN THE PARENTAL AND TERRITORIAL BEHAVI OR OF THE KILLDEER describes that as including feeding territory: ‘Almost all feeding was done on the territory.’ There were 4-5 killdeer, spread out along the beach. As well as I could tell it was just two in particular chasing and chased. Seems odd that territories might be so narrowly defined. Or might it be practice for same?I was thinking maybe some form of courting? (it was valentine’s day) But most descriptions of those have birds echoing each other’s behavior. Or maybe one is just feeling cranky? Whatever the event, nobody got hurt in the action, and I watched them for 20 minutes or so. Lots of vocalizing.”
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - King Tides, aka the future for shorelines: “Full moon, December, January and February, winter 2018-19. Salish Sea, Pacific Northwest. Winter is the season for King Tides, when astronomical and weather conditions raise our high tides higher than usual. Around Winter Solstice the earth is closest to the sun in its orbit (perihelion) and this past midwinter the moon has been closer to the earth too (perigee), both of these configurations gravitationally raising the water level during high tides. The December full moon coincided exactly with winter solstice this winter. Tide tables use all these known astronomical configurations to make forecasts, and we were expecting maximum high tides for the year on particular days in December and January. But those gravitational forces generating King tides were amplified in December by a strong low pressure weather system that blew through just before Solstice. Lower atmospheric pressure allows sea level to rise locally, and its effect was compounded by the accompanying storm surge pushing the ocean onto shore. ”
6412093 writes—Bulldozers V. Butterflies: “Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel? Trump and his minions. Here are reproductions of posts and narratives from the website of the National Butterfly Center, covering their demonstration and march yesterday.The bulldozers have already begun site clearance to build a wall on a river levee that passes right through the middle of the Butterfly Center’s land, destroying hard-fought habitat for endangered butterflies near our Southern Border. Yesterday, during a march against the Wall’s attack on the Center, the federal cops allowed demonstrators generally to walk onto the Center’s lands, but they wouldn’t allow Center employees to walk onto their own land. Here are some of the Center’s postings”
6412093 writes—The Daily Bucket--Spring Babes: “Spring means renewal, and birth. It means baby birds chirping for food, baby ducks swimming in a row behind mom, lambies frolicking in a green field, and baby snails methodically mowing down algae. Baby snails! I bought two trapdoor snails a couple of weeks ago, to clean up the algae that was fouling my starter tank for germinating lotuses.”
sandbear75 writes—The Daily Bucket - The St. Valentine's Day Mass o'creek: “What happens when we get an inch and a half rainfall on land that isn’t supersaturated? Puddles. What happens when that same inch an half falls on snow pack up in the high country 20 miles north? The rain started around 6 AM and just came down in a slow steady pace until 9PM. By the time the sun went down, none of it had started to run off. It just soaked right in. This is what a normal winter storm does around here. But with El Nino conditions, there is a trend that leads to this,”
giddy thing writes—Dawn Chorus: Building 'Home Sweet Home' for the Birds: “Like clockwork, I heard the first Red-winged Blackbird song on Valentine’s Day. That distinctive nasally-gurgling song is a welcome reminder—along with the reams of seed catalogues clogging the mailbox—that we’re inching towards spring. In the northern latitudes, slogging through the winter purgatory months of February and March can be a bit agonizing with those brazen blackbirds singing away. My remedy is to kick-start spring indoors and one of my favorite ‘tweener season activities is building a birdhouse or two. What better way to face forward to spring than to create a nest box for the yard birds to procreate in! In case you need some convincing, I offer the following very good reasons to warm up the shop, channel your inner woodworker, and build that birdhouse. Top 10 (Very Good) Reasons to Build a Birdhouse…. [...] 6. Impresses your partner, friends, kids, neighbors....and you!Building a bird house will show your loved ones, your pals, your neighbors, even you and your dog, that you have problem-solving skills, you can probably fix other wooden things in your home, you are patient, you can make practical items, you have a teachable skill, and you love birds. Heck, your shining example may inspire someone in your orbit to build their own bird house!”
Mark Sumner writes—Some good news about bees ... where the good news is a 'giant nightmare': “Most of the stories published about bees in recent years mention that there simply are not enough of them. Around the world, honey bees, bumble bees, and other pollinators have been dying in record numbers from ‘mystery illnesses’ that have been the subject of well-nigh-infinite speculation, but all of which likely come back to a single issue: Colonies exposed to the bulk pesticides used to maintain massive commercial farms are so weakened that they’re subject to failure from numerous causes. That includes situations where the bees have simply been sprayed into oblivion. So with colonies collapsing, species under threat, and an entire insect apocalypse on the doorstep, it’s nice to have a good news story to report about bees, even if the good news does happen to include the phrase ‘giant nightmare.’ In 1859, British explorer—and underappreciated co-discoverer of evolution through natural selection—Alfred Russell Wallace collected the first example of the giant bee that was later named in his honor. The ‘giant’ part is no joke.”
GREEN NEW DEAL
Meteor Blades writes—Open thread for night owls: Young climate activists going after McConnell on 'shameless' GND vote: “Here is Sunrise's plan to pressure senators to back the Green New Deal, which will culminate in a nationwide day of action on Feb. 26: 1. Kick off the #SenateSprint this week and next. We'll write Letters to the Editor and show up at Senate offices to urge them to co-sponsor the resolution. 2. Mass action in D.C. on Feb 25th. Young people from Kentucky, McConnell's home state, are planning to confront Mitch McConnell in D.C.—we need to be there to back them. As we're flooding the Senate, we're asking hubs and allies to flood Senate offices with thousands of calls. 3.Turn up the heat on Feb 26th. All across the country, we'll be storming into offices, singing, dropping banners, rallying outside, and making it clear that young people are ready to hold our politicians' feet to the fire if they don't co-sponsor the Green New Deal.”
ReasonaBill writes—Make America Green Again: “The Republican Party is doing its best to recreate a meme using Democratic New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Saul Alinsky, for those of you who have forgotten, came after the failed attempt to link Barack Obama to terrorism by yelling Bill Ayers during his 2008 campaign, Alinsky was the 2012 thing in Obama’s past to fear. Alinsky was a native Chicagoan and is widely credited with being the father of modern community organizing. Like screaming socialism at Ms. Cortez accompanied by a furrowed brow and pursed lips, Alinsky becomes a bogey-man because his name sounded both fascist and ironically Jewish. That was enough for the know-nothing Republican Party, he became the latest catchphrase for the anti-Obama crowd. Instead of ‘pal-ing around with terrorist’ he was pal-ing around with the philosophy of Saul Alinsky. [...] The concept of a Green New Deal makes perfect sense, the discussion should be on how to pay for it not that AOC is a ‘socialist’ bent on destroying capitalism. Unfortunately, the attention span of the American voter is short and good sound bites win the day. I am willing to bet most people opposed to the Green New Deal are the same people who opposed the Affordable Care Act because ignorance breeds contempt and the Republican party has no intention of spaying or neutering their base.”
billofrights writes—Speaker Pelosi Dismisses the Green New Deal; Senators Cardin and Van Hollen to follow along? “Maybe I missed an Email, or a side discussion, but I thought our group was contemplating A Green New Deal (GND) , and then I saw the word change to ‘Resiliency.’ Now Resiliency is a fine word, and I'm all for it, but it has become, since Hurricane Sandy, employed by everyone, like the old ‘Sustainability.’ By the end of my environmental career in NJ, that is by 2001, I hated to use the ‘S’ word because of the way it lost meaning—and the way institutional players tossed it around (Governor Whitman) for greenwashing purposes. To the rich and powerful, resiliency can mean making it on your own, the environmental version of Horatio Alger, or a Hobbesian social realm, since they have no intention via institutions and politics, to do anything major or anything fast (except call a vote on the GND Resolution in the Senate)—so do we have a choice?”
DrChill writes—How to Defend The Green New Deal - First understand this...” The GND seeks to replace over 80% of our existing power sources in ten years. Over a million people are currently employed providing fossil fuel for consumption. Another million are employed by private health insurance companies and health-care claims processing. Both the GND and Medicare for all would eliminate almost all of these jobs. The GND seeks a ‘just transition’ from obsolete old jobs to new jobs including the ones required to implement the renewable energy goals. It also seeks to employ others not currently looking for jobs and those not recently employed. You may hear the words ‘All hands on Deck’ and its scope is ‘as big as the WWII effort.’ Also the technical challenges are likened to ‘the moonshot’ when JFK called for landing a man on the moon, and the technology to do it did not exist.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—GOP on GND: Solve Fossil Fuel Addiction With More Fossil Fuels! “The right’s reaction to the Green New Deal continues to provide ample fodder for mockery. While some pundits are content to play Mr. Gotcha on airlines, fearmonger about steaks, or unironically use South Park’s denial parody and cry ‘but China!,’ others offer more entertaining responses. The most bizarre attacker is Jack “they named an anti-corruption law after me” Abramoff, who is apparently fundraising for his new PAC by going after the GND. The most idiotic is occasional racist Tucker Carlson’s rant last week on Corey Booker and the GND. Note the part where Tucker asks ‘who came forward when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?’ That’s about the level of integrity and precision we’re dealing with here. Then there’s the American Action Forum, which on January 28th published a reportclaiming the GND would cost at least $1 trillion. How did AAF calculate the costs of a policy that hasn’t been released yet? Well, it made it up. AAF estimated $16.5 billion in costs for existing rules that would need to be finalized, then just guessed about the rest, justifying its guesswork by claiming the cost of bigger rules ‘are incalculable’.”
ProgressiveLabs writes—Why GREEN BANKING may help Create a GREEN NEW DEAL: “Colorado is going green in a whole new way. At a climate change conference in Poland late last year, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that the state would be implementing a Clean Energy Fund in 2019. Colorado’s the latest state to join an ever-growing list establishing green financial mechanisms. Green Banks, like the newly-formed Green Bank of Colorado, focus on funneling public and private funds into clean energy initiatives. This is a big financial step that could set into motion some of the goals of the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal, or GND, is a proposal to restructure the national economy and reduce the impacts of environmental pollution. Colorado’s new green banking strategy is part of the state’s climate plan, which commits to reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than a quarter by 2025. As even the proponents of the Green New Deal admit, widespread economic change is going to take massive public investment and policy overhaul. Green Banks are a step in that direction.”
Pakalolo writes—Amy Klobuchar downplays the Green New Deal, calls it "aspirational": “As most of you know, I am generally a green diarist at this site. A gloom and doom type of Kossack when it comes to climate change, but a believer that if we throw everything we have at the problem we might be able to make the damage a little bit less severe. The news for the climate is awful as most of you know, civilization ending calamity is on the horizon if we do not entirely restructure how we power our homes and industries and a myriad of other issues. But it is much more complicated than just energy, and cars. It includes the exploitation of our aquifers, land use issues, agriculture and the rise of authoritarianism sowing discord (but those are issues for a separate diary). [...] So I am disappointed with Senator Klobuchar’s answer to a question on the Green New Deal. To be clear, she did state that she will vote for the GND when Mitch McConnell brings it up for a vote in the Senate. But she called it aspirational. That worries me that she doesn’t get it. I understand what an overwhelming challenge it will be to reverse direction quickly. Herculean in fact. But no action or incremental action is to accept that we have chosen a mass extinction event for our future. That sounds horrific to me.”
billofrights writes—For Inspiration: Some thoughts on the First New Deal, and the Coming Green One: “Dear Citizens and Elected Officials: I wanted to share with you some thoughts I wrote out, and resources I linked to, for Green New Deal enthusiasts in Western Maryland, where we have a large physical legacy from the first one, still paying many public dividends almost a century later. I’m also hoping that Maryland’s two contemporary Senators, Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, will join the early stages of a new legacy, and back the resolution now pending in Congress, the one that three of their Maryland reps have already committed to: Jamie Raskin, Elijah Cummings and John Sarbanes. As well as six Presidential Candidates.”
xaxnar writes—Want A Solid Start for the Green New Deal? Here you go: “If you've been wondering what a Green New Deal might look like, rail has to be part of it, and not just HSR. If you want a national, big picture plan for rail in this country, I have good news. There is one and it's ready to go. If you want HSR or nothing, it won't satisfy you. HSR is only one piece of the answer to our problems: this approach looks at our situation and approaches it from multiple angles. • More rail, better rail, more frequent rail for both freight and passenger. • Trains running on clean power. • Rail corridors that are transmission corridors too, connecting rural power co-ops to paying markets in the cities. • Clean power and a smart grid, with solar and wind power that would be stranded otherwise. • Taking trucks off highways as railroads become more competitive again. • Good paying jobs that can't be off-shored, in communities that have been struggling. • Public-private partnerships to leverage the ability of the government to provide financing and leadership on a scale the private sector can't by itself. • Shifting our economy away from fossil fuels without leaving anyone behind. No more" bomb trains". It doesn't require any technological break throughs; it can be done in years, not decades; and it doesn't mean we can't do HSR too.”
Expatgirl writes—Wow. Sen. Feinstein. Your Reaction To These Kids Re Climate Change Was NOT OK. On Many Levels: “So a group of kids went to Senator Feinstein’s office to urge her to support the Green New Deal. She could not have been more rudely condescending. [...] The kids (young kids) were clearly eager to be engaged on this issue. They talked about the fact that scientists say we have 12 years to seriously attack global warming before it becomes too late. They showed up excited and full of purpose. Exactly what we want young citizens to be.”
Seashells writes—Unedited Footage Of Feinstein Shows Her Engaging Kids & Offering One An Internship: “A heavily edited clip of Feinstein talking to some kids about the Green New Deal got posted here last night. The intent was to make Feinstein look “rude, arrogant, insulting”. Well, if you click on the twitter link below it will lead you to the entire exchange posted in three parts where you can see Feinstein engaging fully with the kids, being honest, saying she MAY vote for the legislation the kids are there to talk to her about AND offering a kid an internship.”
CLIMATE CHAOS
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Delingpole: Can’t Trust Schoolkid Climate Strike Because They've Learned Things: “[James Delingpole] doesn’t consider it his role to read actual studies at all. Instead, he considers himself ‘an interpreter of interpretations,’ even once admitting that he relies on what others say to determine his opinions. And that would be fine if those on which he chooses to interpret were credible, honest, or intelligent. Of course, they’re not. This brings us to Delingpole’s latest target: 16 year old climate activist Greta Thunberg, whose protests have inspired thousands of schoolkids across Europe to strike for climate action. In the column, published last week, Delingpole attacks Thunberg and all the other youth climate activists because the things kids know are ‘largely dependent on what they’ve been fed by their teachers.’ Apparently learning things is bad. Stupid children only know things they’ve been taught, while geniuses like Delingpole are clever enough to know that a smart person acts merely as an ‘interpreter of interpretations’.”
Magnifico writes—Overnight News Digest: Climate of North American Cities Is Shifting Fast: “In one generation, the climate experienced in many North American cities is projected to change to that of locations hundreds of miles away -- or to a new climate unlike any found in North America today. A new study and interactive web application aim to help the public understand how climate change will impact the lives of people who live in urban areas of the United States and Canada. These new climate analyses match the expected future climate in each city with the current climate of another location, providing a relatable picture of what is likely in store. ‘Within the lifetime of children living today, the climate of many regions is projected to change from the familiar to conditions unlike those experienced in the same place by their parents, grandparents, or perhaps any generation in millennia,’ said study author Matt Fitzpatrick of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. ‘Many cities could experience climates with no modern equivalent in North America’.”
aurabass writes—The CLIMATE CRISIS WAITS FOR NO ONE. We're not moving fast enough: “Jeff Goodell tells his story of accompanying Barak Obama on the first trip by an American President to the Arctic for Rolling Stone. Obama candidly expresses his fears in a private conversation speaking of his concern for Sasha and Malia as the two of them walk the shoreline in Arctic Alaska. He spoke of recently having read THE SIXTH EXTINCTION by Elizabeth Kolbert and the effect that was having on his thinking. ‘Climate change is no longer some far-off problem; it is happening here, it is happening now,’ Obama said. In perhaps the starkest language he has ever used in public, Obama warned that unless more was done to reduce carbon pollution, ‘we will condemn our children to a planet beyond their capacity to repair: submerged countries, abandoned cities, fields no longer growing.’ His impatience was obvious: ‘We’re not moving fast enough,’ he repeated four times in a 24-minute speech (an aide later told me this repetition was ad-libbed).”
KPMauros13 writes—#WhatIWillMiss: Emotional Recognition of Climate Change and Loss: “I like many people my age live in a world of perpetual uncertainty and anxiety. I think about how I can afford bills, if I’m doing well at work, if I’m doing enough to make a difference. All this is paired with financial, interpersonal, and professional responsibilities that knock on the door of my active conscience. For many people the respite they seek comes in associating good emotions with past-times. Some participate or watch sports for a sense of camaraderie, some enjoy social media for connectedness with other people, and others enjoy just being alone to digest their thoughts. My ultimate respite has always been to simply go outside. A light breeze flowing through the leaves in trees always made life simple enough to take a breather and relax. A babbling brooks’ consistent trickle and pour reminds me of the consistent within the chaos. Nature was the one constant that kept my head above water, and into a place where I can function in a normal society. However over the last decade it has been a reminder of loss, and mourning. Climate change is happening now. I don’t believe that, I know it to be true based on scientific evidence from an overwhelming majority of scientists who are experts in their field. I also viscerally feel it in my bones as it slowly makes its presence known.”
A Siegel writes—Trump's Climate Science Denial: A National Security Affair: “Trump's inane rejection of climate science (and, well, fundamental statement that he is clueless about the most basic concepts of science and the scientific method) are well known, provide a comedic statement about what has become core Republican dogma, and sadly occupy the Oval Office. In all seriousness, it seemed on 5 November 2016 that there was a crowd of PMS (pale, male, and stale) somewhat irrational outliers on climate science who were truly about to be relegated to the ash heap of history -- instead, thank you to Putin, horrible media practices, GOP voter suppression (among other reasons), these deluded people have the demi-G-d in control of the Federal government and are in positions of power. With Trump about to announce a "Presidential Committee On Climate Security", it's those irrational outliers who are going to be in charge of the game. Among the PMS crowd, there are a few credentialed scientists (though very few climate scientists) who rate in the 'climate science confuser' (if not denier) space. One of those is William Happer, formerly a professor at Princeton University, a specialist on lasers (not climate science) and now a senior in the Trump National Security Council staff. Happer is to be in charge of that Presidential Committee.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—What The Hell Is Happer-ing With Trump’s Climate and Security Council? The Washington Post reported Wednesday that President Trump is creating an advisory council on climate change and national security. In theory, this is a good idea: Reuters just reported on the creation of an international climate and security panel at the Hague to deal with the ‘imminent’ threat of warming. And just in the years since Trump’s been in office, many high-ranking military officials have explained that ‘the effects of a changing climate are a national security issue,’ in the words of a recent Department of Defense report. It would seem, then, that the Pentagon’s warning was the wake-up call Trump needed to start facing reality. But instead of putting any one of the thousands of qualified climate scientists or national security experts in charge of the project, the Post reports the panel will be led by William Happer, who is in no way a climate or security expert. We’ll remind you that Happer once said that climate science’s finding that carbon dioxide causes climate change is akin to the ‘demonization of poor Jews under Hitler’.”
Pakalolo writes—We are just four generations away from a climate that caused planetary-wide extinction: ”I keep vigil. The video embed below is a comparison of human global gas emissions and warming due to greenhouse gas emissions from organic matter that caused the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), and today. If global emissions are not contained, it will take just 140 years that we earthlings will endure a climate not seen for 56 million years. Not us of course, but your great grandkids will. During the PETM ocean waters were as hot as a hot tub. There is a must watch video at the bottom of the diary. Don’t miss it. [...] The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is a period of planetary history as ominous as it sounds. Scientists have studied it for years, looking at carbon isotopes, fossils, and other clues buried in the Earth. Their findings show that carbon dioxide spiked rapidly, causing Earth to warm 5-8 degrees Celsius (9-14.4 degrees Fahrenheit). The tropical Atlantic was likely 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit), up to half of the microscopic foraminifera that inhabit the seas died, animals on land perished or shrunk, and it took 150,000 years for Earth to recover from the shock.”
Meteor Blades writes—Leader of White House climate panel compared attempts to curb CO2 with Hitler's attacks on the Jews: “Rigor. Independence. That’s certainly what we can expect from a [climate] committee to be led by NSC member Will Happer, a distinguished emeritus Princeton physics professor who was once chair of the George C. Marshall Institute, a right-wing disinformation outfit that disputes the overwhelming consensus of climate scientists. [...] Ten years ago, as reported by the Daily Princetonian, he said of climate science: ‘This is George Orwell. This is the ‘Germans are the master race. The Jews are the scum of the earth.’ It’s that kind of propaganda,’ Happer, the Cyrus Fogg Brackett Professor of Physics, said in an interview. ‘Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant. Every time you exhale, you exhale air that has 4 percent carbon dioxide. To say that that’s a pollutant just boggles my mind. What used to be science has turned into a cult. [...] Then, in 2014, as reported this week by Ed Mazza, Happer went full wacko in an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box: “The demonization of carbon dioxide is just like the demonization of the poor Jews under Hitler. Carbon dioxide is actually a benefit to the world, and so were the Jews’.”
CANDIDATES, STATE AND DC ECO-RELATED POLITICS
Lefty Coaster writes—New PAC: 'Act Now On Climate' comes out in support of Jay Inslee for President: “he group, Act Now On Climate, said it would back Inslee, who has made climate change a cornerstone of his two terms as governor. ‘Climate change is the most pressing issue of our time and the most critical issue the next president will have to address,’ said Corey Platt, a senior advisor to the new PAC. ‘It’s not simply an environmental issue, but also the nexus to jobs and national security.’ Inslee has not formally said he will run for president, but he has said repeatedly that his platform would be based on combating climate change, casting it as an economic and job-creating engine for a new economy, if he launches a bid.”
Thomas Hailey Kloecker writes—New Yorker cover to depict Trump's misplaced priorities: finish wall, not stop climate change: “Although Trump might be within an inch of drowning in rising Atlantic waters, he will still be trying to appeal to his base. Finish the wall! even though the world is close to being finished itself for humans. To listen to the most articulate human being on climate change, click here. Click below on next week's New Yorker cover by Barry Blitt to see it in its entirety.”
BYPRODUCTS, TRASH, TOXIC & RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Pakalolo writes—Grand Canyon tourists were exposed for decades to radiation in museum building, safety manager says: “This is very sad. According to the Arizona Republic, tourists, including children, were exposed to uranium ore that were contained in three five gallon buckets, one of which had so much ore in it that the lid did not fit, in the Grand Canyon Museum’s collections building. Not one tourist and, I assume NPS staff, were never advised they were exposed to unsafe levels of radiation. The buckets, held in the basement of the building for a decade or two, were for some reason, moved into the museum itself in 2000. They were stored in the taxidermy collection where young kids sat nearby for a half hour listening to presentations by NPS staff. According to the whistleblower, the children were exposed to high levels of radiation within 3 seconds, and adults would have had dangerous amounts of radiation exposure within 30 seconds. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission measures radiation contamination in millisieverts per hour or per year. According to Stephenson, close exposures to the uranium buckets could have exposed adults to 400 times the health limit — and children to 4,000 times what is considered safe.”
ENERGY
Fossil Fuels
cre8fire writes—This is the s#$% we put up with down here: “This is what we get here in Alabama when one of the worst polluting coal fired power plants in the nation gets closed down. ‘The Alabama Public Service Commission, the state government body charged with regulating Alabama Power and other utilities in the state, issued a statement blaming the closure on former President Barack Obama specifically, and liberals generally. The company has taken every possible step to keep the plant up and running, but the war on coal finally took its toll,”’PSC President Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh said in the news release. ‘Obama said he wanted to make it too expensive to run coal-fired plants, and he did. I commend President Trump for rolling back as many of the Obama mandates as he could. The problem for us here in Alabama was that Obama placed the biggest bullseye on us, and Trump’s valiant effort at finally implementing common sense came along a little too late’.”
Meteor Blades writes—Open thread for night owls: Gov't shutdown didn't stop Trump regime from processing drilling permits: “E. A. Crunden at Think Progress: New data analysis shows that the government accepted 260 oil and gas drilling permit applications during the partial government shutdown last month, even as federal agencies suffered severe staffing shortages at all levels. Those findings shed more light on the extent to which the Interior Department (DOI) favored the oil and gas industry over public lands protection during the longest government shutdown in history — a decision House Democrats now plan to probe. The research published by the Colorado-based nonpartisan nonprofit Center for Western Priorities (CWP) was based on data published on government databases. The analysis found that of the 260 applications for drilling permits accepted during the shutdown across the country, 40 permits were approved by the shutdown’s end, along with 15 oil and gas leases. An additional 162 nominations of public lands parcels were accepted with the intent of leasing for oil and gas development.”
REGULATIONS & PROTECTIONS
Michael Brune writes—Wheeler's Steal: “Andrew R. Wheeler, the acting administrator of the EPA, is Donald Trump’s nominee to succeed the disgraced Scott Pruitt. From Trump’s perspective, Wheeler’s a smart choice. Where Pruitt acted like a gung-ho commando who had parachuted behind enemy lines at the EPA, Wheeler is a methodical technocrat and veteran fossil fuel lobbyist who worked at the EPA during the first Bush administration. He knows both Washington and the agency far better than an outsider like Pruitt ever could. He’s the perfect apparatchik for the dirty job of executing Trump’s fossil fuels agenda: a shrewd and remorseless thief. What is Wheeler charged with stealing? So many things. Progress made during the Obama administration on things like climate action, clean air and water, and protecting our public lands. Years of life and health for thousands of adults and children. Don’t believe the EPA would deliberately expose innocent kids to neurotoxins? Read about Wheeler’s cynical and fraudulent attack on the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. Your blood will boil.”
ECO-ESSAYS & PROPOSALS
Angmar writes—The Daily Bucket Earth: Saving Earth Series-"More trees are the answer to cool down our cities": “Heat is produced unevenly by cities themselves, especially given the way many urban settlements have been developed to date. As detailed in the well-understood ‘urban heat island’ effect, dense building materials like concrete take longer to heat up and cool down. Metals reflect heat back into city environments. Buildings block the wind and stop the city from cooling down. Vehicles and other machinery all produce heat, including the air-conditioning that many of us rely on to cool our internal retreats. All this means that in general the outdoor environment of a city is several degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside. ‘Leafy suburbs’ have a head start when it comes to seizing the temperature controlling properties of trees. They also tend to be the older, more expensive and better built suburbs and thus inaccessible to the majority of city residents who live in hotter, more air-conditioning-dependent areas and buildings. In growing recognition of trees as an important form of public infrastructure, numerous initiatives are seeking to increase tree cover.”
ECO-ACTION & ECO JUSTICE
NHlib writes—The adult in the room speaks UPDATE $1 Trillion: “’If you think we should be in school instead, we suggest that you take our place in the streets striking from your work. Or: Join us. You can´t sit around waiting for hope to come. Then you are acting like spoiled, irresponsible children."- Greta Thunberg And it is not a required 50% reduction in CO2. For developed areas like Europe and North America the requirement is an 80% reduction. Mark your calendars for March 15, when there will be coordinated demonstrations in many countries. So far it has mostly been in Europe, every Friday, with sometimes 10,000 people participating in each event. Somebody counted how many times each 2020 candidate mentions the #GND in their tweets. The results are not inspiring, topping out at 3%. UPDATE: The EU pledges one quarter of its budget over 7 years to dealing with climate change.”
Alan Singer writes—British Students Join Climate Action Strike Wave – Global Walkout Planned for March 15 Alan Singer: “On Friday, an estimated 10,000 British students cut school to join the wave of student strikes in Europe. Students are demanding immediate government and corporate action to stem climate change. Authorities reported student walkouts in over sixty cities and towns including London, Brighton, Cornwall, Oxford, Exeter, Leeds Bristol, Sheffield, and Glasgow, and as far north as the Scottish Highlands, as students defied threats of detention and parents faced fines of as much as $100 for permitting truancy. The actions were coordinated by Youth Strike 4 Climate. Banners declared "There is no planet B" and “Climate over capitalism.” In London and Brighton roads were blocked by student protests and traffic in front of the British Parliament building was brought to a standstill until mounted police intervened. Protestors chanted “Turn off your engines” at motorists and “We want the chance for change now.” In London, police arrested two teenagers for obstructing the highway and a 17-year-old boy for a public disorder.”
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & GARDENING
sandbear75 writes—The Daily Bucket- The Curious Case Of The Florida Prince. Or A Peach Of A Tale: “I have a tree that defies all logic. Fruit trees don’t bloom in the middle of winter. Fruit or flowers that get frozen die. Not my Florida Prince Peach Tree. Ten years ago when I bought my house, one of the first things I did was plant an small orchard. Stone fruits grow very well in my area. I can make up to $500 a year with a mature tree, selling the fruit at a local farmers market. Because of our micro climates in the valley, we can get late frosts. Our average last frost has been April 15th. With climate change in the last five years, it can be as early as February. Hence, I buy what are called mid to late bloomers. If the tree doesn’t like to blossom until April, I’m safe that I won’t lose my crop. I had never heard of a Florida Prince, but there it was in the bare root section at my local Home Depot. $10, the label says mid to late bloomer, sold. I plant my trees in the fall or early winter so the roots have a chance to establish them selves before going to town in the spring. Much to my surprise, this little guy blossomed the second week of January! WTH?”
Mimer writes—Saturday Morning Garden Blogging Vol. 15.08 : Garden Writers: “We northern gardeners often drool in envy at the photos here on Saturday Morning Garden Blogging from our southern and western neighbors, who have the luxury of gardening all year, or almost all year. Sitting in our frozen igloos up here in the north, we peer out on frozen or snow covered terrain for months, our gardens hidden and dormant. No amount of ‘winter interest’ can truly substitute for living, breathing plants. So what is a Northern Gardener to do? Some go south, of course, the snowbirds who flock to Florida or Arizona, leaving their winter gardens behind. Others enjoy the cold and snow and seem to forget about gardening altogether. But what about those of us who, for one reason or another, are unable to leave, or are a little too creaky for cross country skiing? What do we do? Speaking for myself, I pore over seed and iris catalogs and renew my acquaintanceship with garden writers.”
TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
Hunter writes—Trump links California lawsuit against his 'emergency' to his yanking of state high-speed rail funds: “There has never been a modern presidency more devoted to screwing the administration's perceived enemies. After California and other states filed a lawsuit challenging Trump's declaration of a still-invisible "national emergency" on the southern border, it took only about a day for Trump's Transportation Department to respond by pulling $929 million from the California High-Speed Rail Authority, with a further threat to find some legal mechanism for requiring the state to repay the $2.5 billion in federal funds already spent.”
SouthernLeveller writes—Electric Airplanes: A Game Changer for the Green New Deal: “Over on ThinkProgress, Joe Romm has a great article titled, The Green New Deal Doesn’t Need to Choose Between Planes or Trains: Here’s Why. Fromm notes that one of the RWNJ attacks on the Green New Deal (led, in this regard, by Lynne “Spawn-of-Evil” Cheney) is that it will supposedly "outlaw air travel.” Now, as Fromm notes, nothing in the GND actually outlaws air travel, but it does propose a network of high speed rail lines (which Obama had also championed) as part of the plan to dramatically cut carbon emissions. I also support high speed rail and have for more than 30 years. But Romm’s article shows that the same breakthroughs in battery technology that have sparked the revolution in electric cars are about to spark a similar revolution in electric airplanes. We can’t use high speed rail to replace flights from here to Europe or China, so this is very welcome news.”
MISCELLANY
gizmo59 writes—Top Comments: Personhood for Lake Erie? “This story was featured in yesterday’s Midday Open Tread, but I felt it deserved a little more attention. As I live less than 20 miles from Lake Erie, this has a direct impact on me as well. From The Guardian: ...[T]he citizens of Toledo [Ohio], on the western basin of Lake Erie, will now be voting on a controversial legal bill on 26 February. What they will be deciding is whether Lake Erie has the same legal rights as a corporation or person. Toledo, Ohio, uses Lake Erie as its source for drinking water. Unfortunately, the city runs into potential public health problems when there is an algae bloom in the lake, loading the drinking water with potentially harmful bacteria. A woman who was pregnant during the bloom of 2014 is quoted as saying: My gynecologist told me: ‘Don’t even touch the water, it could make you and your baby very sick,’ and that really got to me. If the vote succeeds, and the initiative holds up in court, the citizens of Toledo could sue polluters on behalf of the lake. It may sound a little crazy, but in these days of Citizen’s United corporate personhood, it makes sense.”