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Welcome to the eKos Earthship, your one-stop-shop for green diaries and series.
Beneath the fold you will find news and notes, community announcements, and our eco-diary roundup.
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Tonight's editor: Ellinorianne
All views expressed by today's editor do not necessarily represent those of eKos or eKos listed diarists.
Victory for Sea Turtles in Gulf - Burning Stopped via the Center for Biological Diversity.
Some good news from the BP front, just a little but not enough. I will take anything I can get though. And it proves that if enough people make a lot of noise, we can be heard.
I'm happy to report that there's finally a glimmer of good news for wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico.
Today, in response to heavy public criticism and facing a lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity and our partners, BP and the U.S. Coast Guard backed down and agreed to stop letting endangered sea turtles be burned alive during surface-oil cleanup operations.
This is a major stride in protecting these important, rare animals, including the highly endangered Kemp's ridley -- already under assault from the millions of gallons of toxic oil gushing into its marine and coastal environment.
Today's big announcement came just moments before a court hearing in New Orleans on our lawsuit brought with Turtle Island Restoration Network, Animal Welfare Institute and Animal Legal Defense Team. We're being represented in the suit by Meyer Gliztenstein & Crystal of Washington, D.C. The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order on oil-burning activities.
And it comes after your support earlier this week when we turned the public spotlight on BP by hand-delivering tens of thousands of petition signatures to the oil company, calling for an end to this gruesome practice. It means so much to be able to count on you when it's needed most for the imperiled plants, animals and wild spaces we work to protect. Thank you.
But it's not over yet. We'll need your continued help in supporting efforts to hold BP and the government accountable -- not only to safeguard sea turtles but to ensure that this mess is properly cleaned up and that a similar offshore drilling disaster never happens again.
BP To Relinquish Control Of Spill Web Site To U.S.
HOUSTON — The US government is expected to take over control of the central information website on the Gulf oil spill response that has been run jointly by various agencies and BP for the 2 1/2 months since the rig explosion.
The Department of Homeland Security wants a one-stop shop for information that is completely overseen by the government as it settles into the long-haul of dealing with the response to the disaster. The U.S. Coast Guard falls under Homeland Security's authority.
...
But who can post information to the site would change. Details are still being worked out.
The spokesman, Sean Smith, said the government wants to be as transparent as possible and increase Americans' access to information.
BP is helping pay for the current website. The government could still bill BP when it takes over the site.
Access to information is good, transparency is important but what about access to the actually spill sites?
But recently Anderson Cooper was denied access to report on media restrictions, sounds a little oxymoronic doesn't it? And it comes with stiff fines.
Anderson Cooper: 'We are not the enemy here'
Journalists who come too close to oil spill clean-up efforts without permission could find themselves facing a $40,000 fine and even one to five years in prison under a new rule instituted by the Coast Guard late last week.
It's a move that outraged observers have decried as an attack on First Amendment rights. And CNN's Anderson Cooper describes the new rules as making it "very easy to hide incompetence or failure."
The Coast Guard order states that "vessels must not come within 20 meters [65 feet] of booming operations, boom, or oil spill response operations under penalty of law."
But since "oil spill response operations" apparently covers much of the clean-up effort on the beaches, CNN's Anderson Cooper describes the rule as banning reporters from "anywhere we need to be."
...
"We're not the enemy here," Cooper responded in a report broadcast Thursday night. "Those of us down here trying to accurately show what is happening -- we are not the enemy. I've not heard about any journalist who's disrupted relief efforts; no journalist wants to be seen as having slowed down the cleanup or made things worse. If a Coast Guard official asked me to move, I'd move. But to create a blanket rule that everyone has to stay 65 feet away from boom and boats, that doesn't sound like transparency."
Oil Found in Gulf Beach Sand, Even After Cleanups
Geologist Ping Wang (right) points to a buried oil patty on Pensacola Beach, Florida, Thursday.
Chris Combs/National Geographic
Digging under the patchily oil-splattered white sands of Pensacola Beach, Florida (map), on Thursday, it didn't take long for scientists to strike black gold.
Oil patties and tarballs were discovered as deep as 2 feet (0.6 meter) beneath beaches dirtied by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill—the deepest oil yet found by a team of University of South Florida coastal geologists that's been studying the effects of the oil spill on Gulf beaches since early May. The previous record had been 6 inches (about 15 centimeters) deep, said geologist Ping Wang, the team's leader.
The discoveries suggest that toxic oil lies hidden under even "clean" patches of beaches along the U.S. Gulf Coast—and that oil-spill cleanup crews are only scratching the surface.
Because the buried oil is both harder to clean and slower to break down, it could be a long-lasting threat to beachgoers, both animal and human, experts say.
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Waves buried much of the oil under new layers of sand, particularly this week, when Hurricane Alex spawned rough seas around the Gulf. (See "Hurricane Alex Pushes 'Worst Oil' Ashore; Cleanup Slowed.")
Just thinking about it makes my head spin, with hurricane season in full swing this means more layers of sand and oil with tar and more clean up headaches.
Then it means that even years later anyone can dig into the sand and come across more oil or tar, an environmental nightmare for generations to come. It just will never end.
WarrenS made a New Year's Resolution to write a letter advocating climate action every day. The result is over one hundred letters to congresspeople, newspapers, President Obama, and more. Warren has even had letters published in the New York Times and the Boston Globe.
Learn Warren's letter writing technique here. And be sure to steal his stuff!
From his blog:
Month 7, Day 5: Tiny Little Glimmers. Just Tiny Little Glimmers.
The striking thing isn’t that a famous scientist thinks humanity is likely to go extinct within a century. The striking thing is that many other scientists agree with him.
Dear Senators Kerry and Reid -
The continued forward motion of climate legislation is heartening to those of us who are concerned about the Earth’s future. It is sickening to watch the obstructionist tactics of the opposition party, and those Democrats who, placing narrow interests above that of the nation as a whole, continue to support “business as usual” (BAU for short).
Because it is daily more evident that BAU is not going to work any longer. The Australian biologist Frank Fenner states baldly that continued population growth and unchecked consumption (key elements of BAU, needless to say) are going to bring humanity to extinction within the century — and other scientists nod grimly and say things like, “While there’s a glimmer of hope, it’s worth working to solve the problem. We have the scientific knowledge to do it but we don’t have the political will.”
We need to recognize the nature of the crisis and educate one another, and we have to do it in a hurry.
Which is why I’m writing, begging you: don’t capitulate any more.
Don’t capitulate to the oil interests.
Don’t capitulate to the coal interests.
Don’t capitulate to the natural gas interests.
Don’t capitulate to the financial interests.
Don’t capitulate to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Don’t capitulate to the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page.
Don’t capitulate to the Dominionist Christians who anxiously await armageddon as promised in the Book of Revelations.
Don’t capitulate to Lindsey Graham’s political exigencies.
Don’t capitulate to Glenn Beck’s conspiracy theories.
Don’t capitulate to President Obama’s accomodationist bipartisan instincts.
Don’t capitulate. Make the bill stronger. We need a price on carbon. We need to make the cost of carbon reflect its true cost to our planet and ourselves. How much will it cost to clean up the mess we’ve made? Trillions of dollars, at minimum — and the longer we go on with Business As Usual, the more costly and inconvenient it’s going to be. Those trillions need to be added to the price of carbon, as soon as possible.
We have fooled ourselves that fossil fuels are cheap. They are anything but — and the sooner our economic thinking changes to reflect the true cost of oil and coal, the more likely it is we can avoid the fate Dr. Fenner has predicted.
Yours Sincerely,
Warren Senders
I went whale watching in Santa Barbara for my Birthday last week. It was a dreary day on the Pacific ocean but the dolphins and whales were out and about and my family enjoyed spending time with them despite the cloudy weather. It was glorious.
We saw common dolphins jumping in and out of the waves along side our boat and a little baby dolphin swimming with her mother (no photo).
The other amazing thing was watching humpback whales lunge feed on the surface for the krill hanging out there. They usually don't do that as frequently but we watched them feed for an hour. It was one of the most amazing things I'd ever seen.
And Charlotte loved it as well, she was just in awe. And although we had a terrific time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium the next day, Charlotte said seeing things "in person" was so much better!
Although I know I would never get to see these gorgeous Seahorses in person, as in the wild of course, I stayed an hour just lingering over the Seahorse exhibit, entitled, "The Secret Lives of Seahorses".
They had all different kids of species of seahorses and so much information from how they mate, to how they raise their young. It was just so well done.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is such a great place for kids too, Charlotte just loved being able to touch so many things but we know we will be doing some more whale watching before we go back to an aquarium. Our local Ocean Institute is doing some special Blue Whale outings that we are going to be sure not to miss!
Please be sure to stop by the Monday night series, Ecojustice. It's a very important part of eKos and I urge you to learn more. Tonight's diary is hosted by Rb137 and is entitled EcoJustice: 'What I do' and What it Means to be Ruined.
My interest is in conflict resolution, and when I can, I volunteer my skills as an analyst and writer to help bloody circumstances in Democratic Republic of Congo. I've been writing about it a lot lately, because conflict minerals are getting some action in congress.
This is an EcoJustice issue because mineral rights are at the root of this horrible violence. And it's more than a regional war. It is a looming climate threat. Many ecology groups work to stop the conflict; the Dian Fossey Foundation was one of the first. The heart of Africa's ecology lives in the Congo basin, and it is threatened by the instability. It is our industry empowers the warlords that destablize the country. As we put wealth and technology into their hands, their power to plunder increases.
But the violence and suffering does not make the whole story. There is hope and grassroots action taking the country to a new place. One of the groups behind this excellent work is my favorite NGO, HEAL Africa.
(All times Eastern!)
Today's eKos diaries:
Author | Diary | Time | Tags |
---|
Haole in Hawaii | A Random Hawaiian Photo Diary | 07/05/10 01:00AM Eastern | Recommended, Hawaii, photography, community, pooties |
Gulf watchers | BP Catastrophe Liveblog Mothership: 41 | 07/05/10 06:00AM Eastern | Oilpocalypse, BP, Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico, LMRP |
vets74 | BP Oil Disaster v3.2: Pics & Vids & Media Lies | 07/05/10 08:30AM Eastern | Recommended, BP oil disaster, Tony Hayward, George Anderson, Sanio Radhakrishnan |
mwmwm | eco-PANIQuiz for week ending July 4: Laughing at danger | 07/05/10 11:14AM Eastern | paniquiz, environment, invasive species, methane, oil |
billlaurelMD | News from the Arctic: U.S. Independence Day 2010 | 07/05/10 12:22PM Eastern | eKos, environment, global warming, arctic sea ice, Dk Greenroots |
icebergslim | Pensacola official WRONG on re-opening the beaches | 07/05/10 12:39PM Eastern | pensacola, florida, beaches, oil spill, bp |
RogerShuler | Conditions Go From Bad to Worse Off Alabama Coast | 07/05/10 12:48PM Eastern | Recommended, BP Oil spill, Alabama Coast, submerged oil, low oxygen levels |
Jed Lewison | In 2007 review, Federal agency vastly underestimated deepwater spill risk | 07/05/10 02:16PM Eastern | BP, Oil, Blame Bush, Deepwater Horizon, MMS |
possum | Science Tidbits | 07/05/10 03:30PM Eastern | Science, Learning, Teaching, eKos |
Mike Stagg | Waritorium: The Deep Water Moratorium Threatens Two Louisiana Republican Oligarchs | 07/05/10 03:56PM Eastern | Bobby Jindal, BP Gulf Gusher, Republican Oligarchs, eKos |
jamess | Asteroid collision Averted ... with a Large Assist from the Sun | 07/05/10 04:08PM Eastern | Recommended, Desertec, 350, Wind Farms, Solar Energy Supergrid Initiative |
matching mole | Waiting for Oil in Apalachee Bay | 07/05/10 05:54PM Eastern | BP, oil, boom, Gulf of Mexico, Apalachee Bay |
beach babe in fl | Macca's Meatless Monday..."Freedom" from oil...green picnic | 07/05/10 06:07PM Eastern | eKos, meatless, vegetarian, vegan green, health |
Richard Lyon | The Natural History Of California And Its Water | 07/05/10 06:37PM Eastern | eKos, California water, climate, California, photos |
theworksanddays | Bathrooms, Idaho, NYT and BP oil | 07/05/10 07:01PM Eastern | New York Times, BP, Kempthorne, Department of Interior, Deborah Fuller |
Yesterday's eKos diaries:
Author | Diary | Time | Tags |
---|
Haole in Hawaii | A Random Hawaiian Photo Diary | 07/05/10 01:00AM Eastern | Recommended, Hawaii, photography, community, pooties |
Gulf watchers | BP Catastrophe Liveblog Mothership: 41 | 07/05/10 06:00AM Eastern | Oilpocalypse, BP, Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico, LMRP |
vets74 | BP Oil Disaster v3.2: Pics & Vids & Media Lies | 07/05/10 08:30AM Eastern | Recommended, BP oil disaster, Tony Hayward, George Anderson, Sanio Radhakrishnan |
mwmwm | eco-PANIQuiz for week ending July 4: Laughing at danger | 07/05/10 11:14AM Eastern | paniquiz, environment, invasive species, methane, oil |
billlaurelMD | News from the Arctic: U.S. Independence Day 2010 | 07/05/10 12:22PM Eastern | eKos, environment, global warming, arctic sea ice, Dk Greenroots |
icebergslim | Pensacola official WRONG on re-opening the beaches | 07/05/10 12:39PM Eastern | pensacola, florida, beaches, oil spill, bp |
RogerShuler | Conditions Go From Bad to Worse Off Alabama Coast | 07/05/10 12:48PM Eastern | Recommended, BP Oil spill, Alabama Coast, submerged oil, low oxygen levels |
Jed Lewison | In 2007 review, Federal agency vastly underestimated deepwater spill risk | 07/05/10 02:16PM Eastern | BP, Oil, Blame Bush, Deepwater Horizon, MMS |
possum | Science Tidbits | 07/05/10 03:30PM Eastern | Science, Learning, Teaching, eKos |
Mike Stagg | Waritorium: The Deep Water Moratorium Threatens Two Louisiana Republican Oligarchs | 07/05/10 03:56PM Eastern | Bobby Jindal, BP Gulf Gusher, Republican Oligarchs, eKos |
jamess | Asteroid collision Averted ... with a Large Assist from the Sun | 07/05/10 04:08PM Eastern | Recommended, Desertec, 350, Wind Farms, Solar Energy Supergrid Initiative |
matching mole | Waiting for Oil in Apalachee Bay | 07/05/10 05:54PM Eastern | BP, oil, boom, Gulf of Mexico, Apalachee Bay |
beach babe in fl | Macca's Meatless Monday..."Freedom" from oil...green picnic | 07/05/10 06:07PM Eastern | eKos, meatless, vegetarian, vegan green, health |
Richard Lyon | The Natural History Of California And Its Water | 07/05/10 06:37PM Eastern | eKos, California water, climate, California, photos |
theworksanddays | Bathrooms, Idaho, NYT and BP oil | 07/05/10 07:01PM Eastern | New York Times, BP, Kempthorne, Department of Interior, Deborah Fuller |
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