See OceanDiver's post about these swans.
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) normally appears twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The most recent Saturday Spotlight can be seen here. More than 20,000 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.
Shell Oil loses big. U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals throws out pre-emptive lawsuit—by
Pakalolo: "Poor Shell Oil can't get any relief in their quest to destroy the Arctic Ocean for shareholder profit. EcoWatch has reported that Shell Oil's preemptive lawsuit against environmentalists to block any potential lawsuits against groups who oppose its drilling operations was thrown out of court.
Two years ago, Shell filed a preemptive lawsuit against 13 environmental, indigenous and community groups to prevent them from possibly suing Shell at some time in the future over its plans to drill for oil in the Arctic. The 9th Circuit Court panel yesterday called the legal maneuver 'novel' and said that it was unconstitutional. 'Big News! David has taken down Goliath!' the Alaska Wilderness League posted on their Facebook page. 'Shell tried to bully environmental groups like the Alaska Wilderness League by preemptively suing us to silence our voice. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, however, has officially told the oil giant: Shell NO! That behavior won’t fly!'"
Keep People from Freezing, by slashing Home Heating Assistance?—by
benamery21: "It's a simple concept. Instead of letting people freeze by not funding heating assistance fully, instead of throwing money away by paying for energy waste, instead of increasing fuel prices and driving up carbon emissions by subsidizing fossil fuel use year after year, there is a simple alternative. We can assist in meeting the heating/cooling needs of all of the poor, spend less money annually, put more people to work in the near term, and reduce fuel use and carbon emissions simultaneously via one simple policy. It currently costs the federal government, on average, less than 1% per year in real terms to borrow money. The cost of weatherizing an eligible U.S. home averages $6500. Present value of savings from weatherization average 2.2X that over the lifetime of the weatherization. The cost of weatherizing 45M homes would thus be less than $300B, the financial benefits to the poor would be about 12X LIHEAP, and the annual real interest cost would be roughly equivalent to the cost of LIHEAP."
If Congress votes for the Keystone XL pipeline, President Obama must make history by vetoing it—by
Laurence Lewis: "While most of the major media rely on the usual political operatives, the usual pundits, and the usual false equivalencies when discussing climate change, The Guardian routinely publishes actual scientists, and John Abraham is a regular contributor. He makes a powerful case for President Obama to lead in opposing the Keystone XL pipeline:
These past years have cemented Obama’s legacy as a climate-aware president. They have also cemented the opposition (as if more cement was needed) as either too weak-minded to understand basic physics or too cowardly, favoring political expediency over the fate of future generations. This is one of those issues on which history books hinge. This was the time the USA took a leadership role to simultaneously reduce carbon pollution, adapt to the unavoidable changes in the pipeline, and build the energy infrastructure to lead in the future’s energy economy. Abraham points to such Obama efforts as increased vehicle fuel efficiency standards, new and significant actions to limit emissions from coal power plants, modernizing the electrical grid, an international agreement on hydrofluorocarbons that proved that when the United States leads other nations follow, and last week's groundbreaking agreement with China to ramp up their use of renewable energy and reduce their use of dirty sources of energy, the latter putting pressure on Canada, Australia, Brazil and India to follow suit. And then Obama announced that the U.S. would contribute billions of dollars to help developing nations develop along clean energy lines, so they will be ahead of the game in their very process of industrializing. And now comes Keystone."
Can the US and China be trusted to deliver on their Climate Agreement?—by
koNko: "Since the announcement of the US-China agreement on GHG emissions reduction, there has been much debate on Daily Kos about the prospects of this leading to concrete changes as well as questioning China's motives and Mr. Obama's judgement. Some skepticism is well-grounded and reasonable in the sense it recognizes the political roadblocks Mr. Obama faces with a Congress opposed in majority to making national commitments on GHG reductions and Clean Energy targets that will only get worse in the near term, and on the significant technical and economic challenges both the US and China face to make good on their commitments. But other criticisms seem to be informed more by misconceptions, misinformation and prejudice rather than facts. In particular, the ideas that Mr. Obama has somehow foolishly given away the store to China, or that Chinese are dishonest, misleading and playing games with no intention of meeting commitments, seems to have infected the popular narrative on both the Right and Left."
One big policy difference between Dems and Rethugs: infrastructure spending—by
NBBooks: "And here's the doozy: what we need to seriously address climate change, according to a report in Scientific American in November 2009: $100 trillion. Yes, you read that right: one hundred trillion dollars. That amount may seem preposterous - but only because we have internalized the decades of propaganda promoting neo-liberalism by the one percent and the banksters. It is actually well within our capability, considering that the entire world economy produces around $71 trillion in goods and services each year (of which the U.S. economy produces around $16 trillion). $100 trillion over 15 years is just under $7 trillion a year. That's just a ten percent increase in world output, right now! That would make for the longest sustained world economic boom since the rebuilding of Europe and Japan after World War Two."
You can find more rescued green diaries below the orange garden layout.
Keystone XL & Other Fossil Fuel Transportation
House Republicans vote to force President Obama's hand on Keystone XL pipeline—by Joan McCarter: "The House voted 252-161 on Friday to approve the Keystone XL pipeline that will transport Canada's dirty tar sands oil across the United States to the Gulf of Mexico, where it will be shipped overseas, creating about 50 permanent jobs in the U.S. This bill is an attempt to circumvent the need for presidential authorization for the project. More than that, since this is Rep. Bill Cassidy's bill, it's an effort to blunt any advantage Sen. Mary Landrieu hopes to gain on the issue by getting the Senate to vote on the bill, since the two are still locked in a battle for the Senate seat in a run-off that will be held next month. Which makes Senate Democrats' big bail out of Landrieu even more stupid."
Introducing the Dirty Thirty - House Democrats who voted for Keystone XL—by Lefty Coaster: "The 31 House Democrats that voted for the Keystone XL pipeline, mapped. Thirty-one Democrats broke ranks with the rest of their caucus on Friday to vote in favor of approving the Keystone XL pipeline, a project that would shunt a type of oil from Alberta, Canada, to the Gulf Coast. It's an interesting political calculus, but one that largely doesn't affect the future of the pipeline. As it always has, the final decision will rest with the president. How he balances the considerations at play remains to be determined."
Senate to vote today on dreadful Keystone XL pipeline bill that House has already passed—by Meteor Blades: "So, what Carper and all the rest of the Democratic senators lined up behind Landrieu and Hoeven are telling Nebraska and the tribes is 'We're driving Keystone XL on through no matter what happens in the state Supreme Court review of the route.' And telling President Obama, "Mr. President, screw the process of half a century of executive orders on cross-border pipelines. We're okaying the building of this sucker.' Expectations are that the bill will collide with an Obama veto, not on the merits or demerits of the pipeline itself but over who has authority in this matter generally, the same fight over Keystone as we've already seen multiple times in Congress."
Senate fails to get needed 60 votes to bypass presidential authority on Keystone XL approval—by Meteor Blades: "After six hours of debate Tuesday, the U.S. Senate voted 59 to 41 for authorizing what Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer called the "Keystone Extra-Lethal" pipeline and Sen Ed Markey called the "Keystone Export Line." That was one vote short of the 60-vote threshold needed to approve the legislation pushed by Louisiana Democrat Mary Landrieu and North Dakota Republican John Hoeven, senators from two states with major oil industries. [...] Whitehouse said Republicans have touted the pipeline as a major creator of jobs, something in great dispute. But even if one accepts builder TransCanada's much-disputed claims of 42,000 direct and indirect jobs being created, the senator said, when Republicans talk about jobs in Congress, it is only about oil pipeline-related jobs. Where, he asked, was concern about clean jobs when the Jeanne Shaheen/Rob Portman energy efficiency legislation was rejected despite the estimate it would create up to 190,000 jobs? It died, Whitehouse said, because Scott Brown, Shaheen's opponent, didn't want her to have an accomplishment she could point to in this year's election."
Despite earlier signs Obama would okay the Keystone XL, evidence is rising that he may reject it—by Meteor Blades: "Political scuttlebutt has it that Keystone XL will come up again in January when Republican senators will have a majority of 54 if Landrieu loses (an increase of nine) and at least 244 representatives (up 10 from the current House GOP majority). But there is still the matter of the veto stamp in President Obama's drawer. While Obama might ultimately favor the XL, he's almost certain to veto any legislation that tries to circumvent the half-century-old method of approving international pipelines. A method tweaked but kept in place by his immediate predecessor just a decade ago. But, even though some presidential critics in environmental and leftist circles have said all along that Obama would approve the pipeline while less acerbic others said he probably would do so, there's increasing evidence that he may not."
Gulf-Bound Tar Sands for Export? Follow the Oiltanking Trail—by Steve Horn: "President Barack Obama, when queried by the press about the latest Keystone congressional action, suggested tar sands exports are the KXL line’s raison d’etre. Obama’s comments struck a nerve. Bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and supporter U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) both stood on the Senate floor and said Keystone XL is not an export pipeline in the minutes leading up to the bill’s failure. 'Contrary to the ranting of some people that this is for export … Keystone is not for export,' said Landrieu, with Hoeven making similar remarks. But a DeSmog probe into a recent merger of two major oil and gas industry logistics and marketing companies, Oiltanking Partners and Enterprise Products Partners, has demonstrated key pieces of the puzzle are already being put together by Big Oil to make tar sands exports a reality. And both Keystone XL and Enbridge‘s 'Keystone XL Clone' serve as key thoroughfares for making it happen."
Congress Commits an Act of War Against the Great Sioux Nation—by Doctor Jazz: "When Congress voted to approve the Keystone Pipeline they committed an act of war against the Great Sioux Nation. Apparently they completely forgot to check with the Sioux who live on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, who in February adopted tribal resolutions opposing the Keystone XL project. Or maybe Congress didn't forget but rather chose to ignore them. Tribal president Scott articulated the position of his people quite clearly. 'The House has now signed our death warrants and the death warrants of our children and grandchildren,' Scott said. 'We are outraged at the lack of intergovernmental cooperation. We are a sovereign nation and we are not being treated as such. We will close our reservation borders to Keystone XL. Authorizing Keystone XL is an act of war against our people,' he said."
Martha Raddatz Practices Journalism with Interview of TransCanada CEO on Keystone XL—by Doctor Jazz: "Russ Girling, TransCanada CEO, the company building the Keystone Pipeline, was on ABC's This Week this morning and Martha Raddatz actually ventured into the territory of real journalism—mostly. She pressed him on the issues articulated in Obama's statement that the Canadian oil would be offloaded in New Orleans and sent elsewhere, having no effect of the price of gas in the U.S. 'Understand what this project is,' President Barack Obama said Friday. 'It is providing the ability of Canada to pump their oil, send it through our land, down to the Gulf where it will be sent everywhere else. It doesn’t have an impact on U.S. gas prices.' Citing the State Department's "thousands and thousands of pages' on the subject, Girling maintained that 100 per cent of the oil transported by Keystone would be 'used in the Gulf Coast.' He then adds 'that 100% of our shippers continue to say that the oil will come out of Canada and be delivered to the Gulf Coast ...'"
CEO of TransCanada Concedes just 50 permanent jobs from Keystone XL Pipeline—by Mugsy: "Seeming overlooked during yesterday's (11/16/14) interview on ABC's 'ThisWeek,' Russ Girling, current CEO of 'TransCanada'... the company behind the Keystone XL Pipeline ... conceded a claim by Reuters last year that, once constructed, the Keystone XL would produce as few as 'FIFTY permanent jobs.' But, he went on to argue, that the number did not take into account the nearly "9,000 temporary construction jobs" or the estimated '42,000 "indirect" jobs (from new businesses along the construction route).'"
The Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Bill FAILED in the Senate—by Mark Lippman: "The Keystone XL cheerleaders insistently deny that Canada's product is destined for export. The one key fact to know is that American crude is prohibited from export by law. Canada's tar sands crude is eligible for export and there's a market for it in the European Union as North Sea production is exhausted and continues to decline. Against this background that points to tar sands exports, there's an aggressive lobbying campaign in DC to lift the ban on the export of US crude. Currently, crude oil producers can apply for a waiver from the ban at the Department of Commerce, headed by Secretary Penny Pritzker. The approval is anything but a transparent process."
Keystone XL Pipeline Rejected by 1 vote—by Agathena: "Keystone XL pipeline bill rejected by U.S. Senate Bill shot down by vote of 59-41. This is good news, but not the end of the story. It will come up again in 2015. It does slowdown extraction of tar sands bitumen and anything that does that is welcome. Investors were waiting with baited breath for the outcome of this vote. Anything that slows down this is welcome news."
CEO of TransCanada Concedes just 50 permanent jobs from Keystone XL Pipeline—by
mugsy: "Seeming overlooked during yesterday's (11/16/14) interview on ABC's 'ThisWeek,' Russ Girling, current CEO of "TransCanada"... the company behind the Keystone XL Pipeline ... conceded a claim by Reuters last year that, once constructed, the Keystone XL would produce as few as 'FIFTY permanent jobs.' But, he went on to argue, that the number did not take into account the nearly '9,000 temporary construction jobs' or the estimated '42,000 "indirect" jobs (from new businesses along the construction route).' Seriously? These are the 'jobs, jobs, jobs' Republicans have been promising? The very thought that this country may risk certain environmental disaster to create fewer jobs over TWO years than it needs every TWO weeks just to keep up with population growth, is unfathomable. Tell me we’re not being ruled by people THAT dumb!"
A Discussion of what Keystone XL is Really about...—by Xaxnar: "Keystone XL will do one thing for certain. It's not just about how many temporary or permanent jobs it will create. It's not just what it will do to the price of gasoline at the pump. It's about how it will make conditions shown in the below video worse. [...] The Senate narrowly avoided passing a bill to push Keystone through - but KXL will be back. Boehner and McConnell have promised it. They are oblivious to the long term consequences of going after some of the dirtiest fossil fuel out there (as is Mary Landrieu) The NASA video above, courtesy of this Scientific American article explaining it, shows we can not pretend this isn't a global phenomenon, or ignore who is responsible."
Call Your Senator Now To Vote Against The Keystone XL—by pollwatcher: "We now have a situation where the Republicans want something really bad, and the Democrats might just give it to them, without getting a damn thing in return! So even if you don't know the environmental reasons for opposing the Keystone pipeline, but you really are concerned about the strategic planning and the toughness of our party, there is no better issue than this pipeline for you to call your senator and tell them to quit being strategically STUPID, and start acting like you understand that the Republicans have been running legislative circles around you for years."
Mary Landrieu Is One Vote Short on Keystone—for Now—by windsong01: "Mary Landrieu, a Democrat, who is still trying to secure her position in a state that is heavily dependent on refinery jobs is one vote short away from getting a filibuster-proof majority to approve the Keystone XL pipeline when a bill that she has sponsored authorizing the project comes to the Senate floor as early as next Tuesday. The White House has signaled Obama won't be forced on issue. So we are looking at the first clash of the Republican majority Congress for the new year. With the lame duck administration over a climate-destroying project that for the most part will be of no economic benefit to America. The tar sands aren’t taxed as they pass through United States territory to a refinery in Louisiana which is in a Foreign Trade Zone again not taxed as it is for export to Europe and Latin America. Keystone XL will increase gas prices for Americans—Especially Farmers."
Which 31 Oily Democrats Just Voted to Force the Approval of the Keystone Pipeline?—by Liberty Equality Fraternity and Trees : "Just now, the House voted 252 to 162 to force the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. Justin Amash (MI-03) voted present as he has frequently done with KXL bills because, while supporting the construction of the pipeline, he opposes the process by which his fellow Republicans have been going about to force its approval. Which 31 Democrats are so bought by the oil industry that they voted with the Republican caucus? John Barrow (GA-12); Sanford Bishop (GA-02); Bob Brady (PA-01); Jim Clyburn (SC-06); Jim Cooper (TN-05); Henry Cuellar (TX-28); Mike Doyle (PA-14); Al Green (TX-09); Gene Green (TX-29); Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15); Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18); Dan Lipinski (IL-03); David Loebsack (IA-02); Sean Maloney (NY-18); Jim Matheson (UT-04); Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04); Mike McIntyre (NC-07); Patrick Murphy (FL-18); Rick Nolan (MN-08); Donald Norcross (NJ-01); William Owens (NY-21); Colin Peterson (MN-07); Nick Rahall (WV-03); Cedric Richmond (LA-02); David Scott (GA-13); Terri Sewell (AL-07); Albio Sires (NJ-08); Bennie Thompson (MS-02); Marc Veasey (TX-33); Filemon Vela (TX-34); Tim Walz (MN-01)."
POTUS Makes Strongest Statement Yet Against Keystone XL Pipeline—by ericlewis0: "The President, in Myanmar earlier today, in response to a reporter's question: ...I have to constantly push back against this idea that somehow the Keystone pipeline is either this massive jobs bill for the United States, or is somehow lowering gas prices. Understand what this project is. It is providing the ability of Canada to pump their oil, send it through our land, down to the Gulf, where it will be sold everywhere else. That doesn't have an impact on U.S. gas prices. You know what does have an impact on U.S. gas prices is the incredible boom in U.S. oil production and natural gas production that's taken place under my administration. And if my Republican friends really want to focus on what's good for the American people in terms of job creation and lower energy costs, we should be engaging in a conversation about what are we doing to produce even more homegrown energy. I'm happy to have that conversation."
Updates: Call your Senators about their vote on the Keystone Pipeline—by Onomastic: "Lets burn up the phone lines! At least some Senators are keeping a running tally of phone calls and emails. It's time to jam the lines!"
The pipe line fails in the Senate. Some democrats were repugs—by don mikulecky: "The pipeline failed by a small margin. It could have been larger if some democrats had not been bought out. I can't prove that that is the reason but why else? The vote: Senate Democrats, by a single vote, stopped legislation that would have approved construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, one of the most fractious and expensive environmental battles of the Obama presidency."
State Dept. Keystone XL North Contractor ERM Approved Project Now Melting Glaciers—by Steve Horn: "A controversial government contractor once again finds itself in hot water, or in this case, melting glacier water. TransCanada chose Environmental Resources Management Group (ERM) as one of its contractors to conduct the environmental impact statement for Keystone XL on behalf of the U.S. State Department. ERM Group also happens to have green-lighted a gold mining project in central Asia that is now melting glaciers. ERM Group has a penchant for rubber-stamping projects that have had tragic environmental and public health legacies. For example, ERM formerly worked on behalf of the tobacco industry to pitch the safety of its deadly product. A January 2014 study about Keystone XL's climate change impacts published in the journal Nature Climate Change paints a drastically different picture than ERMGroup's Keystone XL tar sands study."
Boehner dishonest about KXL Bill—by StarbucksGirl51: "I'm sick of hearing about the KXL being a 'Jobs Bill.' 1. It will NOT create "thousands of jobs". it will create 30-50 permanent jobs in the US. The bulk of jobs will be in Canada. And as much as I like Canada, why are we creating jobs for them? 2. It will NOT lower our energy bills. We won't be keeping any of this in a stockpile. It will be drilled, sent via Pipeline to Canada (and the Gulf of Mexico), and shipped off to China. 3. Boehner has not mentioned his financial gains if it's built. According to HIS financial filings, he invested between $106,000 and $365,000 in companies that would benefit from the pipeline's approval. His purchases conveniently began in 2009, when the Keystone XL project was in the early stages, and when he was on the verge of becoming Speaker of the House. He also hasn't mentioned the money he's gotten from ConocoPhillips, Chevron, Marathon Oil, Koch Industries, etc, which are well over 6 figures."
Keystone DOES Demonstrate Why the Dems Lost—by johnnygunn: "Point of disclosure - I am not a fascist, mass murderer, or shill for Big Oil - although I have been accused of such for supporting continued use of fossil fuels. In fact, my support for the construction of Keystone XL dovetails with the majority of Democrats who support KXL, labor unions such as the Laborers International Union of North America and Democrats such as those senators who wrote to President Obama this past spring urging approval, four of whom lost. And that is the crux of the problem. Despite deeply held beliefs in opposition to KXL, many here at Daily Kos and in the Democratic leadership simply cannot understand why an overwhelming majority of Americans supports KXL in poll after poll."
People Are Dying on the Rosebud Rez—by johnnygunn: "I will let the numbers speak for themselves. Diabetes, often alcohol related - 4 times the national average. Liver disease, often alcohol and drug related - 6 times the national average. Vehicular accidents, often alcohol and drug related - 7 times the national average. Suicide, often alcohol and drug related - 5 times the national average. Homicide, often alcohol and drug related - 4 times the national average. Mean age of death is 59 - 23 years less than the national average. Comparable to Liberia or Sierra Leone. Then there's crushing poverty, unemployment, fetal alcohol syndrome. No, Keystone XL is not the problem."
Climate Chaos
President Obama's climate agreement already paying off, as China announces cap on coal use by 2020—by Laurence Lewis: "The Chinese government announced Wednesday it would cap coal use by 2020. The Chinese State Council, or cabinet, said the peak would be 4.2 billion tonnes, a one-sixth increase over current consumption. This is a staggering reversal of Chinese energy policy, which for two decades has been centered around building a coal plant or more a week. Now they’ll be building the equivalent in carbon-free power every week for decades, while the construction rate of new coal plants decelerates like a crash-test dummy. This was an historic moment, and it also puts pressure on other large polluters to do their part. But China already is stepping up. And of course, the Republicans were furious that the agreement was even made."
The Climate Change "Debate": The Media Only Reports On The Spectacular—by LaFeminista: "A story in the twenty four hour news extravaganza has the life expectancy of an adult mayfly. There was much media coverage of climate change early in the 2000s, with events like sea ice loss in the Arctic making the headlines. But disaster narratives can only be sustained for so long. Soon after the UN’s Copenhagen talks in 2009, there was a sudden silence, with coverage in 2010 down 70% on the previous year. Fossil fuel lobbyists and others took advantage of the need for constant, instant news to silence the issue. Even when we turn out in numbers the media misses the goddamned point The problem with all this coverage was that mainstream media focused on the event, the celebrities, size and spectacle, rather than using the coverage to begin (or continue) a deeper discussion of climate change and its consequences. And those in the front lines of the march barely figured in the pictures and video footage."
Sh*t the coal lobby is the message from youth to the G20—by VL Baker: "The winding down of the G20 summit in Brisbane, Australia brought out youth fighting for their future and trying to stop the branding of the summit by the fossil fuel industry. They laughed in the face of the lies being peddled by coal giant Peabody Energy. In the corporatised and coal-company sponsored cocoon of a pre-G20 talkfest in Brisbane, the burst of vocal protest came like a sudden jolt of the reality of life outside. 'Peabody – we don’t want your coal,' came the loud but brief interlude from seven young climate change campaigners who rose to their feet to shout down Glenn Kellow, the chief operating officer of Peabody Energy, the world’s biggest privately owned coal company."
Will climate agreement with China change 2016 dynamic?—by nicoleweddington : "The climate change agreement with China that has the United States cutting carbon pollution by an additional 25 percent by 2025 and China capping its carbon pollution by 2030, is being hailed by Democrats in Washington as a ‘game changer’ after the devastating mid-term election results. The Obama administration is hoping that public sentiment will force Republicans in Congress to approve the agreement or alienate the voter base and lead to a reversal of their current political fortunes. Republicans, on the other hand, are already making the case that the climate change agreement will hurt the economy and cause the loss of even more jobs."
Denier Derides New Climate Denial Course—by ClimateDenierRoundup : "Among the Massive Online Open Courseware (MOOC) offerings at EdX — a non-profit initiative created by Harvard and MIT — there is a new class offered by The University of Queensland called, "Making Sense of Climate Science Denial." The class, which begins in March 2015 and is taught by Skeptical Science's John Cook, promises to teach potential students the critical thinking needed to identify the fallacies associated with climate change myths and the psychology of misinformation. Predictably, denier blogger JoNova takes the course description and attempts to discredit it point-by-point, largely appealing to peoples' ignorance of the issue to make bold, unsubstantiated claims that at best represent partial truths. In response to the course description's mention of the 97 percent consensus, JoNova dramatically states that, actually, 'in the wider scientific community there is so much controversy that skeptics outnumber believers, scientific associations have had revolts about climate change' and 'scientists have quit their failing institutions.' These cherry-picked examples are completely insufficient to discredit the IPCC's assessment (and that of its manifold contributors), which states unequivocally that, 'Human influence on the climate system is clear,' and in fact that the majority of recent warming was caused by humans."
Tired Cold Arguments Rehashed—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "tories on the unseasonably wintry weather — with snow covering 50 percent of the nation on November 17—are making the rounds in the deniersphere. Steve Milloy over at JunkScience, never missing an opportunity to make a fuss about cold temperatures, has a particularly comical post. Writing from Texas, which 'usually has a mild fall and then short winter,' Milloy goes into detail about previous years where he was able to 'water ski into late October,' or 'take a dip in his pool way into December.' Despite the anecdotal nature of his 'evidence' against climate change, Milloy says it's the 'warmers' who fail to have perspective on the issue. He criticizes climate realists saying they will undoubtedly 'find someplace where high temp records are being set.' Leaving aside the fact that globally averaged temperature is how scientists track warming, unseasonably cool temperatures like those we're experiencing may themselves be connected to global warming. One theory suggests that the difference between cold temperatures in the Arctic and warmer temperatures in the mid-latitudes may lead the cool Arctic jet stream to dip down into the US more frequently."
Climate Change: Adaptation needs attention—by Mattias: "A new analysis from the European environmental organization, EEA, shows that the majority of European countries are in the process of developing plans for how they can adapt to climate change, including new construction plans based on future sea level rise and flooding. But the effects of climate change we see in Europe are still relatively small, compared to the situation in many developing countries. A constant state of emergency The effects of rising global temperature is different in the world's regions, and in some countries, people live already today in more or less constant state of emergency due to drought, hurricanes and floods."
Extreme Weather & Natural Phenomena
Global Warming = More Lightning and More Wildfires; Deniers Dig In—by xaxnar: "A recent paper in Science is getting a lot of attention: Projected increase in lightning strikes in the United States due to global warming Researchers have discovered a correlation between certain weather conditions, and the likelihood of lightning - and global warming is going to change those conditions in ways that will increase that likelihood. [...] A number of media outlets have picked up this story, not surprisingly. As Tim McDonnell at Mother Jones observes, Does this mean an increase your odds of getting struck by lightning? Technically yes, I guess, but I wouldn't worry about that. Instead, the increase matters because lightning strikes are the principle cause of wildfires, which are already predicted to become more severe due to global warming. In one 24-hour period in August, lightning in Northern California started 34 wildfires. The study doesn't make any specific predictions about wildfire activity, but knowing about future lightning conditions is an important part of that equation."
Energy & Conservation
550 $billion World Wide Subsidies For Fossil Fuels, And Rand Paul—by pollwatcher: "From an article in the Washington Post comes word of the huge subsidies the world continues to give to fossil fuels, while Alt-energy, not so much. The report does note, however, that governments around the world are still subsidizing dirty fossil energy much more than they're subsidizing renewables. As of 2013, reports IEA, world fossil fuel subsidies totaled $550 billion, four times the amount devoted to clean energy. But even without the earth moving subsidies of the fossil fuel industry, Alternative energy is growing rapidly. But to overcome the subsidy advantage that the fossil fuel industry has had for decades, much more needs to be done for Alt-E. We have some 1000 gigatonnes of carbon left to emit to the atmosphere before locking in a dangerous amount of warming above 2 degrees, and on the current course we'll use it all up by 2040, says the IEA. In order to stop that, we'll need four times the current investment in renewable energy—an increase up to $ 1.5 trillion annually around the world. The oil industry alone gets enormous subsidies thanks to the Grand Oligarch Party, and our bluedog Democrats."
Republican oil mogul: Government, protect me from the free market!—by Mr K: "Saudi Arabia is quietly telling the oil market it would be comfortable with much lower oil prices for an extended period ... Saudi officials ... will accept oil prices below $90 per barrel, and perhaps down to $80, for as long as a year or two, according to people who have been briefed on the recent conversations. When they play that oil game - they play hardball..."
The nuclear industry's Nuclear Matters drifts further from reality—by nirsnet: "The very creation by Exelon earlier this year of Nuclear Matters, an astroturf group devoted to keeping existing nuclear reactors operating at any cost, was a sign of the desperation that characterizes much of the nuclear power industry today, especially those utilities that bet the most on nuclear power several years back and are now faced with the reality that their bets were a fool’s hand. These utilities got played--by an environment in which competing energy sources, especially cleaner renewable energy sources--have become cheaper than the nuclear electricity provided by obsolete 20th century atomic reactors. And that environment is only going to become less hospitable to the nuclear utilities in the years to come."
Renewables
Only 659 miles²—by jamess: "Allow me to expound on a little noticed technical footnote, initially proclaimed on the insightful site thinkprogress.org: A recently released study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory [NREL], estimates that the technical potential of photovoltaic cells and concentrated solar power (CSP) in the United States is as much as 200,000 Gigawatts, enough to generate about 400,000 TWh of energy annually [TeraWatt-Hr]."
Coal Company CEO and Politician Koch calls to vandalize PV Panels—by patbahn: "Imagine a Coal Company CEO, a Major Right wing politician and a Guy named Koch all calling on people to destroy Solar Power PV Panels, to end the boom? Well it is true and it's all one guy. Roland Koch, No Kidding, ran a coal power equipment company, Bilfinger AG and was a high-ranking right-wing politician serving as President of the Bundesratt. This guy is Mitch McConnell in 5 years or David Koch if he had won office, and he was calling for people to throw stones at PV Panels. [...] The former prime minister of Hesse and current CEO of the construction company Bilfinger has called at a public event to throw stones on photovoltaic systems to complete(end?) the solar boom. A photovoltaic system operator then presented a complaint against Koch.
Agriculture, Food & Gardening
In Iowa, Chris Christie promises to veto animal cruelty bill?—by Hunter: "[New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie], who traditionally backs off from declaring how he’ll act on pending legislation when asked by reporters, made his intentions clear on a pig gestation crate bill when asked last month about it during a visit to Northwest Iowa, according to a pork producer. 'He indicated to us that he was going to veto the bill,' said Bill Tentinger, an Iowa pork producer and former president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association. [...] The bill would direct the state Department of Agriculture to prohibit “the confinement, in an enclosure, of any sow during gestation in a manner that prevents the sow from turning around freely, lying down, standing up, or fully extending the limbs of the animal. Christie is now in trouble with many in New Jersey, the state he currently governs, for two reasons. First, the bill is popular in the state, which is why it's currently sitting on his desk waiting for a signature."
McDonald's says NO to GMO Frankenfries!—by VL Baker: "Victory! Food and Water Watch has issued a statement with the good news that activism works! This week McDonald’s, one of the largest fast food chains on the planet, told an agriculture news service that it would not use the J.R. Simplot Company’s Innate GMO potato. This victory for consumers is another indication that the food industry recognizes that consumers do not want to eat GMO foods. Many parents are already limiting the amount of fast food that their children eat, and GMO french fries would give them another reason to pass by the golden arches. Over the past year, Food & Water Watch submitted over 90,000 petitions urging McDonald’s to reject GMO potatoes."
Oregon GMO labeling may still win, one voter at a time—by jqjacobs: "What an interesting development, in the middle of November if enough people go to the polls to validate their mail-in ballots the outcome of the GMO labeling initiative will be reversed. This situation is not only of interest to political activists, the outcome is reliant on them. And you might be one of them. Follow the link to participate in this potentially historic political moment."
Saturday Morning Garden Blog Version 10.38 - Chihuly at Denver Botanic Gardens—by
Merry Light: "The weather in Colorado this fall has been just amazing. Warm and golden, and just what an autumn should be. I knew it wouldn't last forever, and I decided I'd better get to Denver to visit my family before the weather decided to turn into winter. So last weekend I planned a three day weekend, and drove down to Denver on Friday morning. My mom suggested we go to the Denver Botanic Gardens for the afternoon on Friday. I hadn't been there for many many years. Living 170 miles away, I don't pay too much attention to what is going on in the big city, so I had no idea of what to expect, even though my mom had told me there was an art exhibit. When we got there and paid our entry fees, I received a map of the gardens on a brochure with one word on the front - CHIHULY. Little did I know what kind of treat I was in for! We were greeted at the entrance with this fabulous glass sculpture [...] A hawk flew up and landed on a light fixture just then with a mouse in his beak, and had a little snack. Then, as we all oohed and ahhed and snapped photos with phones and cameras, he turned this way and that, posing for the crowd."
Eco-Related Candidacies, DC & State Politics
Nobody Should Shed A Single Solitary Salty Tear Over Senator Mary Landrieu—by LeftHandedMan: "Senator Mary Landrieu is likely about to lose her powerful political job in a crushing defeat. Because of how the Senator operated while she was in a position to do that important job. Not because of Hippies. Or Purity Trolls. Or The Media. Or Somebody Wanting a Pony. Or Hollywood Elites. Or anyone's Favorite Liberal Fenemy Online. No. Not at all. Mary Landrieu is to blame for Mary Landrieu's upcoming likely blow-out loss. Yes, it sucks that we are about to lose another Democratic Senator. So be mad at her. Because it's her own fault. Hers. Not mine. Not yours. Not her Peers in the Senate. Or the DSCC who pulled the plug on pissing away millions for nothing. Not environmentalists. Or Native American activists. Or MSNBC hosts. Nope. It's all on the Senator. She has spend a long time working hard to earn a lonely political end in a humiliating blow-out by how she governed and what she thought was smart and persuasive politics."
What On Earth Were They Thinking? Rachel Maddow On The Democratic Party—by LaFeminista: "Vote on Keystone XL or confirm Loretta Lynch? Which makes more sense? [...] What on Earth were they thinking? [...] By far the silliest part of it all is that Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) looks weaker than before. Tell me how any of this was actually a win? They fooled me, I thought they at least would have known if it was going to pass before they made a failed attempt. You make bloody sure before you make fools of yourself type of thing."
What shall we yell at these Senators about? Cowardice, lies, heartlessness or stupidity? A rant.—by Fiona West: "Because poor Mary Landrieu of Louisiana came in first in her run for re-election to the Senate, but narrowly first out of 8 or so candidates, with far less than 50% of the vote. There will be a run-off in January. She decided that if the Democrats just gave her a big juicy plum of a present, she could convince her state’s voters that she’s really a great Senator and they’ll send her back to Washington, where she will vote with the Dems more often than not, though not by a great margin. She wants the Democrats to give her the Keystone XL pipeline. Or give it to the GOP and the Oil Barons as a kind of indirect ransom on her behalf."
What would the vote yesterday have gained Mary XLandrieu?—by akadjian: "Does anyone think the vote yesterday on the Keystone XL pipeline would have gained Mary Landrieu anything even if she had won? If you're fighting for your opponent's stronger position, aren't you just validating your opponent? [...] Mary Landrieu surprised the Democratic Party last week when she went to the floor to ask for consent to debate the Keystone XL bill. The House of Representatives, in a deft political move, immediately turned around and passed a version of the bill with Landrieu's opponent Bill Cassidy as the lead sponsor. This effort made Cassidy look strong and Landrieu weak regardless of whether Landrieu won or lost."
Yesterday’s Keystone vote kills hope for filibuster reform—by cjo30080: "I oppose the proposed Keystone pipeline. However, yesterday 59 senators sought to vote on legislation that would authorize its construction. 41 senators blocked this vote. Again, those with the fewest votes won. I opposed the filibuster, at least in its current form, when the Democrats were in the majority. I still oppose it with the Republicans taking over. In my view, the progressive community can’t genuinely complain about the filibuster when the Republicans use it in the normal course of doing business and then remain silent when Democrats do the same. All Democratic senators who didn’t want to participate in an actual standing filibuster should have voted for cloture yesterday. And then all Democratic senators should have turned around and voted to oppose the legislation that would authorize the pipeline."
what is your plan to defeat the 9 Dem Senators who voted "wrong" on Keystone XL yesterday?—by pasuburbdem1: "14 Democratic Senators voted to approve the Keystone XL pipeline yesterday. 5 of the 14 have been defeated or will likely be defeated (Landrieu). What is the plan to defeat those other 9 Democratic Senators? Many of them come from generally red or light purple states—so they will likely be replaced by hard right (and pro-pipeline) Republicans? That could take the Democrats down to 35 Senators, but at least the remaining 35 would be pure and uniformly against the Keystone XL pipeline. A number of posters in the last days and weeks (if not years) have asked why continue to vote for Senators who support the Keystone XL. Some have threatened to not vote for them. What's your plan? P.S. This is snark."
GOP Uses Lame Duck Session to Launch New Attacks on the EPA--with Some Dem Help—by Liberty Equality Fraternity and Trees: "Now that the election is over, it's time for the House Republicans to go back to one of their favorite pastimes: attacking the EPA. Yesterday, the House voted on the so-called EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act. The bill is designed to weaken scientific authority, increase corporate influence over EPA rulemaking, and burden the Science Advisory Board with more work to do on its already limited funds. Under this bill, the EPA would be required to select members for the SAB that represent a 'balanced' view of scientific issues, regardless of the legitimacy of those views – exposing the Board to potentially politically motivated beliefs not grounded in actual science. Additionally, the bill would allow up to 90% of SAB members to be private-sector scientists with direct ties to the industries—opening the door for corporations to hold powerful influence over its decisions and recommendations to the EPA."
Keystone Is A Reality Check For Democrats On The Senate Filibuster Rule—by Gary Norton: "Yesterday, Democrats cheered when the Senate filibustered a bill that would have granted approval to construction of the Keystone pipeline. A majority of Senators voted for the bill. In fact 59 senators voted for the bill. But since the Senate has a filibuster rule that allows 41 Senators to keep a bill from coming to the floor the bill was defeated. This vote really presents Democrats with a reality check on the use of the filibuster. For years, Democrats have decried the use of the filibuster by Republicans, and rightly so. In fact, on the same day that the Senate blocked the Keystone bill, Republicans used the filibuster to block a Democratic proposal to overhaul the NSA's program for the bulk collection of telephone data. During President Obama's years in office countless bills have been blocked by a minority of Senators and Democrats have rightly been critical. But now, the shoe is on the other foot and in the next two years we will see more and more bills proposed by Republicans that the Democrats will filibuster."
The New Congress and Planetary Disaster—by Michael Klare via TomDispatch: "Pop the champagne corks in Washington! It’s party time for Big Energy. In the wake of the midterm elections, Republican energy hawks are ascendant, having taken the Senate and House by storm. They are preparing to put pressure on a president already presiding over a largely drill-baby-drill administration to take the last constraints off the development of North American fossil fuel reserves.The new Republican majority is certain to push their agenda on a variety of key issues, including tax reform and immigration. None of their initiatives, however, will have as catastrophic an impact as their coming drive to ensure that fossil fuels will dominate the nation's energy landscape into the distant future, long after climate change has wrecked the planet and ruined the lives of millions of Americans. It’s already clear that the new Republican leadership in the Senate will make construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, intended to carry heavy oil (or “tar sands”) from Alberta, Canada, to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast, one of their top legislative priorities. If the lame-duck Congress fails to secure Keystone's approval now with the help of pro-carbon Senate Democrats, it certainly will push the measure through when a Republican-dominated Senate arrives in January."
Unopposed Republicans and the Conservation Vote: Losing Ground in Pennsylvania—by ruby red shoes: "Of PA's 67 counties, only 9 win gold stars for having full races: Crawford, Warren, Jefferson, Elk, Union, Montour, Lycoming, Tioga, and Monroe counties. That means the following election "winners" listed below had no contest, no one running against them. This includes 4 Senate seats, a Congressional seat, more than 1/4 (!!!) of House seats, and 7 people who call themselves Republican / Democrats (WTF?). There were also several Democrats running unopposed—some counties with no-contest candidates had only Democratic incumbents. I did not list them here, but this is only assuming from a conservation voter’s point of view, Democrats may be voting in 'ecologically sound' ways—may not be, most notably in regard to fracking. Here is a link to PA's confusing district maps, and here is a link to county-by-county voting. If Pennsylvania's progressives and 'conservation voters' and Democrats want a better chance at having a voice and vote in government, RUN a candidate."
Eco-Justice & Eco-Action
"We need action and we need it now" Pacific Islanders call for justice at G20 Australia—by cmanning: "Voices from the 85 million strong global Anglican Communion are joining the call for climate change to be added as an urgent agenda item to this weekend’s G20 summit in Brisbane. Representatives of the Pacific Anglican Church are in Brisbane to reinforce the message of a global petition signed by Anglicans from more than 40 countries that calls on the Australian Government to make discussion about climate change a high priority. The Oceans of Justice petition was sent to the Australian Government by the Right Reverend Nicholas Holtman, Bishop of Salisbury and the Church of England’s Advisor for the Environment, accompanied by a letter requesting that the Australian Government show leadership on such a crucial issue. 'We applaud your recent decision to grant some acknowledgement of the importance of climate change at the summit,' said Bishop Holtman. 'As the Church of England’s lead Bishop for the environment, backed by so many thousands of signatures from around the Anglican Communion, I implore you to do more' [...]"
Tiny home village for homeless opens in Wisconsin—by Jen Hayden: "Out of the Occupy Madison protests, a cool idea was hatched—building 98-square-foot homes for those without. The homes have a bed, kitchen, bathroom, storage and propane heat. Future residents take part in building the homes: The homes cost just $3,000 to construct, most of it funded by community donations. A revolving crew of volunteers provided the labor, including Betty Ybarra. Previously homeless, she now resides in the home she helped construct. 'It’s exciting. I’ve never even owned my own house,' Ybarra told WMTV. After getting shuffled around the city while they figured the best place to build the village, they finally settled on a location and the village officially opened this week."
Pearson removes climate change denial from its textbooks, now McGraw-Hill must follow suit—by Paul Hogarth : "On the eve of submitting science textbooks for approval by the Texas State Board of Education, McGraw-Hill publishing has removed climate change denial from its books—after Pearson Education (the largest textbook publisher in the world) did so last week. This is a huge victory against right-wing bullies who have tried to pressure book publishers into misleading students about climate change. Daily Kos and the Texas Freedom Network collectively gathered 116,582 petition signatures to the book publishers requesting this change."
Eco-Essays and Eco-Philosophy
FROG IN A BEAKER—by Mark Lester Whitney: "If you take a frog out of a pond and put him in a beaker half full of water, set that beaker on a Bunsen burner and fire it up on low, that frog will cook and hardly move a muscle as its happening. Remind you of anything? As climate scientists have been predicting, very strange things are happening. Massive Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina happened... Floods, droughts, wild fires, ocean acidification/rising temps, alarming rates of extinction... and the climate as a whole is warming, exactly as predicted might happen 25 years ago. All happening today, and everyday somewhere and unfolding much quicker than predicted. The pentagon is very worried about this. The United Nations put out a very dire report earlier this week. These are all facts."
Oceans, Water & Drought
Erin Brockovich speaks out against oil industry's use of unlined disposal pits—by Dan Bacher: "Erin Brockovich, the legal clerk and environmental activist who was instrumental in building a case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company in 1993 for its contamination of drinking water in the Southern California town of Hinkley, is speaking out against the use of unlined pits to dispose of the massive volumes of wastewater produced by oil and gas companies conducting fracking and other oil extraction methods in the Central Valley. On her Facebook page, she points out the irony of the oil companies employing this environmentally unsound practice that threatens precious groundwater and surface water supplies during the time of a historic drought in California: "I am thankful California has so much water to spare it can just waste it in our oil fields. Unlined pits are a commonly used disposal method for an unknown, yet potentially significant, portion of the 130 billion gallons of wastewater produced annually from oil and gas operations.'"
Reducing air pollution, saving water, and saving public funds: LA DWP gets one right in Owens Valley—by benamery21: "In a historic settlement, the LADWP (Los Angeles Department of Water and Power) and the GBUAPCD (Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District) have agreed on terms by which Los Angeles will be able to withdraw significantly more water from the Owens Valley again. In recent years, the LA Aqueduct water supply which historically has provided the majority of DWP water, has provided much less due to drought and legal restrictions related to a long litany of lawsuits to mitigate the various severe impacts of the water withdrawals. One of these restrictions has related to dust control, which has consumed as much as 75kaf of water in the Owens, reducing diversions by similar amounts."
Urgent Action Alert: Stop Salmon-Killing Drought Relief Bill—by Dan Bacher: "Your immediate attention is required regarding a federal 'drought relief' bill in the Senate that will harm the Delta and economy significantly. The passage of this legislation could lead to the extinction of Central Valley salmon and Delta smelt, as well as imperiling the salmon and steelhead populations of the Trinity and Klamath rivers. Members of Congress are manipulating the impacts of drought conditions to serve wealthy special interests, including corporate agribusiness, Southern California developers and oil companies conducting fracking and steam injection operations. The House of Representatives recently passed drought legislation that seeks to accelerate massive water transfers from the SF Bay Delta to special interests in the arid regions of the South and West San Joaquin Valley. This bill will override environmental protections in order to provide 'drought relief' for special interests."
Secret Feinstein drought relief bill will eviscerate fish protections—by Dan Bacher: "Restore the Delta (RTD) today blasted Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) for pushing a secret 'drought relief' measure to allow more water for Westlands' and Kern Water Districts' mega-growers in the midst of a severe drought. 'Senator Feinstein is carrying water for industrial growers who have planted tens of thousands of acres of almonds and other permanent crops in the midst of the past several very dry years,' said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta, a group opposing Governor Jerry Brown’s rush to build Peripheral Tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom salmon and other Pacific fisheries. 'Sen. Feinstein is rushing through legislation to aid these growers at the expense of the rest of California,' she said. 'Right now, the head of Westlands Water District is helping write legislation for a massive water grab sponsored by Sen. Feinstein. Californians should be on red alert.'"
At last. One politician is getting real about California's water crisis—by VL Baker: "The one California politician getting real about California's drought and water issues is Tony Cardenas CA-29. He seems to understand that California's position as agriculture powerhouse is unsustainable without major adjustments. Not only does he have an understanding about the urgency of California's water crisis, but he is also offering some simple solutions to alleviate the crisis. Representative Cardenas has written an Op-Ed for the Los Angeles Daily News sharing his recommendations: With the state producing nearly half of the fruits and vegetables grown in the United States, attention has been placed on the amount of water it takes to grow certain foods. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, it takes approximately 500 gallons of water to produce one pound of chicken and 4,000 to 18,000 gallons to produce a pound of beef. These numbers are staggering, especially when compared to the water resources required for vegetables, fruits and grain — just 26 gallons for a pound of tomatoes or 220 gallons for a loaf of wheat bread, according to the Water Footprint Network. Not only is Rep. Cardenas talking the talk but he is doing what most pols rarely do and that is walk the walk. In that spirit my staff and I have taken on the Meatless Monday Challenge. Taking off one day a week from eating meat is a small way to cut down our water use and consumption while reducing our water footprint. Going meatless one day a week is also good for the environment and our need to combat global warming."
Critters & the Great Outdoors
The Daily Bucket - and now the swans!—by OceanDiver: "A few days ago on my usual late afternoon bike ride along the beach road I heard a strange call echoing across the valley. It sounded sort of like the flock of geese that live in the bay here year round, but not quite right. I looked up and saw why [...] Swans! I hadn't heard their hoarse trumpeting since last spring. Like the ducks who have been repopulating the county over the last few weeks, the swans have returned after their sojourn north/inland for breeding over the summer. I threw down my bike and snapped my first sighting of Trumpeter Swans for the season, then followed them in the direction they landed. There is a small tidal pond on the other side of the beach road the swans are particularly fond of on the island where I live. It is surrounded by private property though, so I can't get very close (and that's probably just as well, for their own peace and privacy). I glimpsed four swans swimming amidst geese and ducks."
The Daily Bucket: Climate and Seasonality—by matching mole: "Here on the Daily Bucket we are charged with the study of phenology - which is the science of seasonal occurrences. When are flowers blooming, birds arriving and leaving, leaves appearing in the spring, and so on. Indirectly we are also looking at this over the broad geographic scale of North America as we all live in different places with different climates. As I just finished lecturing about this it is convenient (and appropriate on this chilly day) to discuss variation in climate and habitat both generally and more specifically right here in Florida."
Daily Bucket: Butterflies I Have Met—by Lenny Flank:
Shrimp Cook, Wimps Wilt: Media Doesn't Connect Dots to Climate—by
TheGreenMiles: "From moose to puffins to lobsters, global warming is devastating Maine's wildlife, seafood and economy. Why is it so hard for media to say so? The latest bad news is hitting Maine's shrimp fishermen:
Federal regulators shut down the commercial fishing season for northern shrimp in the Gulf of Maine for a second straight year on Wednesday, citing concerns about the declining population and warmer ocean temperatures. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Northern Shrimp Section voted to cancel the upcoming season, a year after the section closed this year's season for the first time in more than 30 years. A technical committee that advises the section recommended extending the moratorium for another year."
Taiga Bean Goose
Dawn Chorus: What's In A Name? (With Poll!)—by
Kestrel: "Black Noddy? Taiga Bean Goose? Yellow-faced Grassquit? No, these aren't the names of the latest rock bands coming to you on Spotify, though it would be easy to be confused about that. These are, in fact, bird names. Yes, there really is a Taiga Bean Goose. And a Tundra Bean Goose, too. Just in case you're not sure which bean goose you're looking at. I've long been fascinated by bird names, some of which are downright goofy (see poll). Does the goose in question eat beans? Is it shaped like a bean? Does it live in bean fields? (
Wikipedia says the name derives from its habit of grazing in bean field stubbles. But hey ... Wikipedia.)"
Quota on Endangered Bluefin Tuna raised—by enhydra lutris: "The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (the international body that putatively oversees said fisheries with an eye to preserving minimum safe stocks) has increased the quotas for Atlantic Bluefin tuna (already extinct in the Black Sea). This has upset a lot of conservationists who feel that this will put population recovery at risk. This comes at a time when the Pacific Bluefin Tuna is also at risk (currently listed as vulnerable by the IUCN)."
Study Identifies Pathogen Responsible For Sea Star Mass Die Offs Along Pacific Coast—by
MarineChemist: "This diary summarizes a newly published paper by Hewson and colleagues in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA which investigated the cause of sea star die offs along the west coast of North America. [...] Northeast Pacific sea stars have experienced a mass die off recently and have disappeared from certain coastal ecosystems as a result. The Hewson, et al., paper presents evidence that the cause of the wasting disease can be transmitted between affected to healthy individuals. The disease-carrying agent is virus-sized and likely sea star-associated densovirus (SSaDV) which is found in greater numbers in diseased versus healthy sea stars. They also detected SSaDV in museum specimens of sea star dating from 1942 indicating that the virus has had a long-term presence along the North American west coast."
Salish Sea & Bluff—by
Lefty Coaster: "It's getting late and all the other hikers have already descended to their cars. The only sounds are the lapping of waves on the beach hundreds of yards below, and the occasional call of a Loon."
Wolves Killing Unsustainable Number of Minnesota Moose—by ban nock: "Last winter I saw an interesting report on the web pages of the Minnesota Division of Natural Resources (DNR). What made the report interesting was that they showed in a pie chart, what my "back of the envelope" tally of data from an ongoing study was also showing. The precipitous and supposedly mysterious decline in Minnesota moose was being caused by wolves. Over half of adult mortality and two thirds of calves. [...] The story was always the same. Big mystery, maybe space aliens, or .... da ta da! climate change. Wolves hardly got a mention, usually "predators" mentioned as an afterthought. Or, 'as with all science things move slowly and more information is needed, we only have one year,' blah blah blah. Google moose and climate change and Minnesota. Everyone did an article. Al Jazeera, Salon, Mother Jones, regular scientific detectives at work they were. Sometimes I think Journos brains are made entirely of moose turds. Careful reading revealed carefully chosen words on the part of the DNR spokesperson. No one can say they mislead the journos, except that's what I'm saying."
The Daily Bucket - shells in water—by OceanDiver: "Walking along the edge of the water, gentle wavelets ruffling the surface turn old spent shells into vivid impressionistic streaks of color, patterns shifting with the ebb and flow. [...] In the islands of the Pacific Northwest, the persistent dry cold ridge of high pressure is breaking down, moisture seeping into the air, we're seeing a few thin high clouds. Temp's up to 42ºF, the ground is softening from its freeze."
Sustainability
Sustainable Building: A Milestone Reached (Photo Diary)—by
LeftOfYou: "We had such high hopes for a 1924 Craftsman Bungalow, as featured in the post last weekend about our quixotic quest for a sustainable home for our retirement years. But another buyer got in ahead of us and, anyhow, our inspectors eventually concluded that water damage and other serious problems made a rehabilitation impractical. However, the contacts we made pursuing that house have born fruit, hopefully the sweet kind. Yesterday, we made an offer, sight unseen, on the 119 yo historical home, pictured above, to begin a project that will help stabilize a recovering neighborhood while improving the sustainability of the home to a level far, far better than the average new American home. For an update on this saga, along with more details about the house and the marvelous features we may be able to preserve, continue out into the tall grass."
Forests, Wilderness & Public Lands
Mining
Why isn't Don Blankenship charged with manslaughter?—by Christian Dem in NC: "The biggest news about the long-awaited indictment of former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship is the charge that he isn't facing. To be precise, manslaughter for the deaths of the 29 miners killed in the Upper Big Branch explosion. After reading the indictment, I'm left wondering why he isn't being charged with killing those miners. After all, there's no doubt that his blatant disregard for the safety of those miners led to the explosion."
Miscellany & Products
Leanwashing and Consumer Choice—by Earth Accounting: "False and misleading claims have been around just as long as we have been trading with other humans. Most societies evolve mores regarding trade in order to prevent the bloodshed that results from rampant swindling. But even those mores and even laws are pushed aside when economic interests are able gain sufficient economic control of the State's economy. Tobacco companies were able to make some quite outlandish claims for quite some time due to insufficient controls on their marketing."
Thrive Solar®—by gmoke: "Thrive is making 2 million lights per year at a price as low as $2 per lamp and are projecting 4 million per year production soon. They do not sell directly to consumers but through the different agencies with which they work. Nearly half of India still uses 12 lumen candles and 40 lumen kerosene lamps which can be replaced with 60 lumen solar lights. Currently, the Indian government subsidizes kerosene and paraffin prices by $6 billion per year. Thrive says it can provide solar lights to every Indian family now for about $1 billion."