Many environmentally related posts appearing at Daily Kos each week don't attract the attention they deserve. To help get more eyeballs, Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue) appears twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The most recent Wednesday Spotlight can be seen here. So far, more than 18,750 environmentally oriented diaries have been rescued for inclusion in this weekly collection since 2006. Inclusion of a diary in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
Mysterious Siberian Crater Found at "End of the World" May Portend Methane Climate Catastrophe—by
FishOutofWater: "A mysterious crater almost the size of a football field discovered in a remote part of Siberia's Yamal peninsula known as the end of the world may have profound implications about the stability of Arctic methane and catastrophic climate change. [...] The Russian expert's suggestion of a gas explosion is consistent with the missing mass in the deep pit. Gas would have escaped to the atmosphere but water would have likely filled the pit. For all those who are skeptical of the possibility of a natural gas eruption or explosion creating this mystery crater, look at this National Geographic photo (
Click link for video) of Turkmenistan's methane-burning Darvaza crater. The Darvaza crater was caused a blow out of a gas well. It caught fire years later. They mystery crater in Russia could have been caused by a natural blow out, when melting weakened its icy cover, without catching fire."
Spread Of Palm Oil Production Into Africa Threatens Great Apes—by
Pakalolo: "The popcorn we eat while watching the absurd antics of the GOP on so many issues is tasty, but it is one of many products that we consume causing grave danger to the tropics, the life that it supports and to our climate in general. Most of us are familiar with palm oil production in Indonesia and Malaysia where most of the deforestation and habitat destruction has been the greatest. The result has been significant acreage losses of the natural habitat of the orangutan, of which both species are endangered; one species in particular, the Sumatran orangutan (as well as the Sumatran white tiger), has been listed as "critically endangered. Rolf Skar, a senior forest campaigner with Greenpeace, is quoted as saying 'People don't realize that when you look at the global greenhouse gas emitters, there's China and the U.S. at the top ... but the third is Indonesia,' He says the clearing and burning of forests for more and more palm oil facilities releases massive amounts of greenhouse gases."
Honk If You Love CO2—by
DocDawg: "With a name like Friends of Science, even before you read the rest of their billboard you just know they're anything but. I assume that even more shamelessly cynical names, such as Widows and Orphans United for Unicorns, were already taken. But wait! There's still more good news! Not only are you and your smog-spewing classic Hudson Land Tuna not responsible for drowning the polar bears, it turns out that it's all good."
You can find more rescued green diaries below the sustainable squiggle.
Climate Chaos
CO2 Tax Repeal a Victory for Denial—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "In a move celebrated by deniers and denounced by greens, Australia has become the 'First Developed Nation to Repeal [a] Carbon Tax.' While some are looking at winners and losers, others are expressing disappointment at the lack of any credible alternative. In exchange for bucking the rising tide of climate action, Australia's electricity bills are set to fall – but not necessarily to pre-carbon price levels. A spokesperson for Australia's consumer advocate organization acknowledged: "This does not mean that prices will go back to pre-carbon price levels, because both gas and electricity have increased for a range of reasons, of which the carbon price is only one." Interesting- perhaps extreme weather and aging, inefficient coal infrastructure could be playing a role?"
Registered Voters Want Candidates Supporting Reducing Global Warming, Some Favor Civil Disobedience—by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse: "A recent national survey on registered voters shows support for candidates who want to address global warming. The Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication issued a July 15th study on Politics and Global Warming to focus on the role of our government to fight global warming and also what actions citizens should take to address the failure of government to take action. This report shows that people have really been thinking about global warming, and how it interconnects with other issues, such as public health and the quality of life for future generations. The study shows that many Americans are so committed to our government addressing global warming that they favor engaging in political actions in addition to voting for candidates, such as civil disobedience, volunteering for campaigns, donating money to candidates, as well as their own personal boycotts against companies who refuse to take steps to reduce global warming. The report implicitly shows voter opposition against GOP positions and lies, such as the GOP trying to scare people away from taking action as being too costly."
Food, Agriculture & Gardening
1 potato, 2 potato, 3 potato, 4...—by jencke: "More than 2,800 varieties of potato originated in the high Andes, coaxed from the earth, tested and preserved, in every form possible, by women. These Guardians of the Potato have been selecting seeds, experimenting with soils, trading knowledge between communities and passing that knowledge on to their daughters for 1,000s of years. The seeds are selected and stored for a variety of traits: "organoleptic properties that confer taste, color, palatability and texture; resistance to pests and diseases; adaptation to soil and agro-climatic conditions and so on," used not just for nutrition, but for healing; conferring not just antioxidants, but intergenerational and intercommunity bonding and trust, women's high status, historical knowledge, cultural pride. One Quechuan woman proudly stated that her community does 'not have many illnesses because there are different types of potato for every sickness.' And what may prove more important in the coming years, the vast diversity of the high Andean communities' potatoes has meant that they have never suffered a major agricultural disaster like the late 19th century Irish Potato Famine. This vast history of planting, testing, sharing, and perfecting, was partnered with one of the most sophisticated farming systems in the world, the Incan terraces, whose remnants you can see snaking across the mountainsides everywhere you look in the Peruvian Andes."
AK-Sen: Mark Begich (D) Pushes The FDA To Label GMO Food Like "Frankenfish"—by poopdogcomedy: "Received this e-mail today from Senator Mark Begich (D. AK): We’re approaching the height of fishing season in Alaska, and there’s nothing quite like catching, cooking, and enjoying fresh Alaska salmon. If it’s a fish you caught, you know exactly where it came from. Most American families don’t have that opportunity, because they don’t live here. They have to buy their salmon from the store, and they view the 'Alaska salmon' label as a sign of quality. But that could change if Washington makes the wrong move. Right now, Washington is considering approval of 'Frankenfish'—genetically engineered salmon that grow faster than natural salmon. And since Washington doesn’t require labeling of genetically modified foods, these engineered fish could wind up on dinner plates without consumers knowing it. That could change the meaning of 'Alaska salmon' in a way that hurts fishermen and consumers. The FDA should require that genetically modified foods (GMOs) be labeled."
Censorship or Journalism?—by ClimateDenierRoundup : "" In response to a recent report recommending that the BBC stop giving air time to deniers, Liz Peek has a column at the Fiscal Times where she complains that, "Media Bias Censors the Debate on Climate Change." She puts forward the usual denier distractions and manufactured scandals to try and convince readers that skeptics are actually victims persecuted by the scientific-media-complex. Peek points to the BBC, LA Times, and Popular Science as examples of media outlets that have started refusing to publish letters that challenge the scientific consensus on climate change. She then finds it ironic that Americans remain unconvinced, as though the the outsized influence of deniers in the media weren't a major contributor to peoples' uncertainty! Katrina vanden Heuvel approaches the issue of false balance from the opposite angle.
Saturday Morning Garden Blogging Vol. 10.21—by Frankenoid: "It seems like this year the season were thrown into a paper bag then vigorously shaken—and this week we had October in July, catching the edge of that non-polar polar vortex that decided to vacation in the Midwest. Highs in the mid-70s, and lows in the mid-50s, do not belong in July in Denver. No, in July I should be dreaming of that first night in September when the temperatures drop below 60. We also got a shit-ton of rain out of the collision of the cold to the east of us, and the hot to the west. There was some serious flooding in the burn areas surrounding Colorado Springs, and localized street flooding here in Denver."
Energy & Conservation
WTF? Obama opens East Coast to oil search—by Pakalolo: "I am too stunned at the moment and will need some time to digest this horrible news. A lot of us have been focusing like a laser on trying to ensure that Interior understood the wide opposition to this proposal. Coastal communities have been voting one after the other to ban seismic air-gun blasting, which locates oil and gas reserves in the deep depths of the ocean. The most immediate concern is attempting to stop what is the essential massacre of dolphins, whales and other marine life that will occur because of these blasts. [...] Jeebus, President Obama, tell me this is not true.Opening the Eastern Seaboard to offshore oil exploration for the first time in decades, the Obama administration on Friday approved the use of sonic cannons to discover deposits under the ocean floor by shooting sound waves 100 times louder than a jet engine through waters shared by endangered whales and turtles."
Germany wins an even more important World Cup—by AdirondackForeverWild: 'So I just received a news release from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), revealing the results of their 2014 International Energy Efficiency Scorecard. They have referred to this year's version as the 'World Cup' of Energy Efficiency. Follow me below the fold for a quick summary. Spoiler alert: Germany beat the U.S. To give some background on the study, I pulled the following quote from the ACEEE website: In this second edition of the International Energy Efficiency Scorecard, we analyze the world’s 16 largest economies, comprising more than 81% of global gross domestic product and about 71% of global electricity consumption. We looked at 31 metrics, divided roughly in half between policies and quantifiable performance, to evaluate how efficiently these economies use energy Needless to say, this is pretty important."
Critters
The Daily Bucket - bird water reflections—by
OceanDiver: "In the Bucket yesterday one comment thread on shorebirds wound around to the reflections these birds create, KenBee showing us an egret, a dowitcher and (I think) a cormorant on a branch. I was going to post a pic or two of mine, and then got sidetracked, stuff to do. But I love the idea, so for the Bucket today, I'm offering a few images of aquatic birds in my neighborhood reflecting their beautiful lines and colors in ripply nearshore water. Sometimes birds are still, or drifting and watching."
Daily Bucket - Fleabane Wilderness—by
Attack Gardener: "Something I've become fascinated with is the small world of insects. It is all around us but, unless we look very closely, it goes unseen. I recently spent some time with just one type of wildflower, the fleabane,
Erigeron sp, to see what I could see. [...] How cool is that?? This wonderful, small creature is known as the wavy-lined emerald caterpillar,
Synchlora aerata. The Wiki link shows the adult moth it turns into - beautiful! It lives on various composite flowered plants, clipping the petals off and gluing them to its back for camouflage. The first time I saw one, it was on a yarrow plant. This time, a fleabane."
Eco-Related State and D.C. Politics
FL-Gov: Crist (D) Agrees To Meet With Climate Scientists Who Scott (R) Doesn't Want To Talk To—by poopdogcomedy. "Smart move: Democratic candidate for governor Charlie Crist fueled the climate wars Friday and called Florida State University oceanography professor Jeff Chanton offering to meet with the scientists who asked to meet with Gov. Rick Scott. Scott said this week that someone in his administration would meet with the 10 climate scientists from universities and colleges across the state, but after Crist agreed to meet, them, the governor also agreed. 'I would be happy to meet with them. We have a great record on the environment and restoration projects in Florida,' Scott said in a statement released by his campaign."
The Oceans, Water & Drought
Roll back the 20th Century: Clean Water Edition—by RockyMtnHigh: "It sometimes seems like the GOP wants to roll back all the progress made on behalf of the public good during the 20th Century - removing women's rights to make their own health decisions, eliminating protections for workers and the ability to earn a living wage, allowing monopoly power to corrupt the free market and buy politicians, concentrating wealth at Gilded Age levels .... Now they’re working to add "Clean Water" to the list. The EPA wants to clarify rules that restore Congress’ original intent behind the Clean Water Act, but GOP opponents in Congress continue to muddy the waters with lies. You’ve likely heard about this debate, but you may not be familiar with the background. The arc of the story will sound familiar."
Mining
EPA to Block Pebble Mine—by MorrellWI1983: "According to multiple sites, the EPA is planning to impose restrictions on Pebble Mine as part of section 404C of the Clean Water Act, that will, basically, kill the mine. As readers who have read my diaries on Pebble and on Alaska as part of my national park series, I firmly believe Bristol Bay should be a national monument, so that a project like Pebble can never be attempted in the region again. Since most of the lands around the bay itself are federal, that would make the monument a massive one, likely over 10 million acres, when the submerged lands and waters of the bay are included. protecting the salmon requires that the bay itself, and its watershed be withdrawn permanently from mining and oil drilling. While the Bay itself is withdrawn from oil and gas until 2017, that withdrawal should be made permanent."
Transportation & Infrastructure
The Ass-backward RV—by John Crapper: "There is no more perfect an example of ass-backward super-consumerism than the American recreational vehicle better known as the RV. Averaging roughly 4-18 miles per gallon these behemoths of the road cater to the super-consuming spoiled tourist encouraged to exist and actually admired in this country. You see them every day of the summer on our nation's freeways and highways. The mobile home on wheels with the car or truck and dirt bikes in tow. It is the 'don’t leave home without it' ideal summer vacation aspired to in the good old USA! The recreational vehicle industry symbolize everything wrong with the United States of America's energy policy."
Eco-Philosophy, Eco-Essays & Eco-Poetry
Whale Poop—by Karen Hedwig Backman : "I weary of the festering sores of testosterone-induced violence throughout the globe. Festering sores in Gaza, Iraq, Syria, the Ukraine, the Sudan, Nigeria, undoubtedly countless other locations. Men are so tiresome with their inexhaustible need for admiration, adoration, status, power, recognition, dominance, etc. blah blah, the boring Alpha Male. [...] One is suddenly beguiled by whale poop, the possibly global-saving properties of humble whale poop. By helping the plankton and krill populations grow, whales play a huge and beneficial role in maintaining ocean ecosystems, on commercial fishing and even on climate change. The discovery is especially timely now, as whale populations have begun to recover after they were heavily exploited in the early 20th century. What a contrast! Alpha Males destroying the world with their selfishness, whales saving the world by simply pooping."
Miscellany
Farewell Ancient Forest. Thanks SO much Christy Clark!—by
Gwennedd: "This is the town I live in. Beautiful, no? This is Port Alberni, B.C. A town in the center of Vancouver Island, build at the end of a long narrow inlet, surrounded by thousands of miles of forests and mountains. Home also of the famous Salmon Derby. Everywhere you look there is wilderness and glorious vistas. But there is something bad happening in paradise. [...] One of the forestry companies that operate in BC is Island Timberlands and they don't practice selective logging. They have just logged a 300ft wide area of McLaughlin Ridge, an area of old growth Douglas Fir ... trees that have stood there for hundreds of years. The Port Alberni Watershed-Forest Alliance and Ancient Forest Alliance have urged the BC government—which deregulated the land in 2004—to work toward conservation of McLaughlin Ridge and other endangered old-growth forests jeopardized by Island Timberlands. 'This magnificent old growth forest is being reduced to stumps, logs and huge amounts of waste that will most likely end up in massive burn piles,' said Port Alberni Watershed Forest Alliance coordinator Jane Morden."