See 6412093's post here.
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 20,570 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.
Dawn Chorus(ish): Even More Bird Evolution—by
matching mole: "
Part II: Structure of Avian Genomes. Take Home Message: Birds have very compact genomes. The small genome size has been accomplished in several ways. Bird genomes are also very conservative, changing very slowly over time. What I (revealing my personal bias here) think is even more interesting is the information on how bird genomes have evolved. Having 48 genomes to look at can tell us a lot about the evolution of bird characteristics. Birds have small genomes and fairly similar genomes compared to other vertebrate groups. Quite a lot of genes appear to have been lost very early in bird evolution that occur in non-avian reptiles. Many of these genes have important functions and birds appear to have used other copies of these genes to replace those functions. Also birds have very compact genomes a lot less DNA devoted to space between genes and to introns (portions of DNA within genes that are cut out of the RNA before it is used to make proteins). They also have fewer repeated elements—short sections of DNA that are present in genomes in many copies. Bird genomes are thus streamlined, smaller than any known mammal or non-avian reptile genomes."
New Arctic Report Predicts The Top Polar Risks for 2015—by
Pakalolo: "A recently released report prepared by POLARISK highlights political, geo-political, security and regulatory economic risks in the polar regions for 2015. The report tries to answer one essential question. 'How will D.C. policymakers (re)define the role that both the US and the Arctic Council should play in the Arctic?' For other Arctic players, including non-Arctic and near-Arctic stakeholders alike, much depends on America’s answer. Said differently, the coming year will be the one during which we will finally know if the US is ready to dare being an Arctic leader or keep playing their somewhat comfortable waiting game. As Ian Bremmer would say: 'the realities of a G-Zero order, a world of geopolitical creative destruction without global leadership, are evident.' 2015 will have companies and countries rethink their Arctic strategies to adapt to the changing regional geopolitical order. Overall, the Arctic and the Antarctic have close to nothing in common besides the fact that they will be HOT geopolitical flashpoints this year, yet again.'"
I am about to begin my 67th year of birding,—by
hestal: "mostly in Texas on our farm, and I have noticed a few things about some birds and some mammals that have changed over all those years. In 1948, jackrabbits were everywhere. When I took my walks in the fields, almost daily, I would see jackrabbits constantly. My father would take the family for a drive most every Sunday afternoon. We traveled the back roads to see what we could see. He would pick the route. Jackrabbits were always in evidence. In the summer, we moved our beds out into the backyard and on bright nights I could see jackrabbits down in one of the gardens eating Mother's flowers. We had no coyotes at all then. But over time, the coyotes began to move in and they ate the jackrabbits. I rarely see one now, and even the cottontails are scarce."
Cheap Gas Prices: Good or Bad?—by
Dbug: "Or could it maybe possibly be a little of both? My local gas station is selling gas for $1.89 a gallon, which is incredibly cheap. Here's a superficial analysis—off the top of my head—of why cheap gas is both good and bad, now and in the future, for people in America (and people across the world). There are several ways to think about it. Several angles. GOOD: For Poor People in America; BAD: For the Environment (Global Climate Change); GOOD: For the Environment (An Alternative Point of View); BAD: For Republicans; GOOD: For the U.S. Economy; BAD: For Alternative Energy Sources; GOOD: Because it Hurts Countries We Don't Like."
You can find more rescued green diaries below the orange garden layout.
Climate Chaos
Microbes Set To Unleash Buried Arctic Carbon Due To Rapidly Melting Permafrost—by Pakalolo: "For thousands of years, arctic plants have been taking in carbon and locking it into the soil of the tundra. Because the soil is frozen, starting at about a foot below ground, the microbes that feed on this buried carbon have had a very limited diet throughout millennia. But the microbes are now beginning to chow down on a all you can eat buffet of carbon due to melting permafrost. This is releasing more carbon and other greenhouse gases in its environment than is stored in the entire atmosphere. According to Live Science: The permafrost in some of Alaska's most iconic national parks could all but disappear this century, new research suggests. Right now, half of the ground in Denali National Park's is frozen year-round, but if global warming continues at the current pace, just 1 percent of this land could remain permafrost by the year 2100, according to new research presented here at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Not only could vast swaths of the Alaskan tundra transform into swampy bogs, but the melting ice could release troves of the climate-warming carbon locked beneath the frozen ground."
Yale study: 56% of Republicans want to curb CO2 emissions but only 44% accept climate change as real—by Meteor Blades: "The Yale Project on Climate Change Communication has published new research showing a decided split in Republican views about climate change and whether carbon dioxide emissions should be regulated as a pollutant. But, with their cognitive dissonance banner flying high, 56 percent of Republicans say they favor such curbs, while only 44 percent say they accept the scientific evidence that human-caused climate change is happening. Say what?
It seems that 56 percent saying they think CO2 should be regulated only do so in theory. When it comes down to an actual effort to do so, many fewer are on board. Only 44 percent back the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed rules on restricting emissions from electricity-generating plants,"
Greenland is Melting—by
aaraujo: "
Rivers of glacial meltwater flowing over Greenland's frozen surface may be contributing as much to global sea level rise as all other processes that drain water from the melting ice sheet combined, according to researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, and NASA. Eighty percent of Greenland, which is about the size of the United States west of the Rocky Mountains, is covered by ice, which has the potential to make a significant contribution to sea level rise as it melts. So says NASA. Read it before it is taken down because who now heads the congressional oversight of NASA now. Science-denier Ted Cruz […] has been made the chair for the Senate subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness, which oversees NASA. His counterpart at NOAA is just as bad. Science-denier Marco Rubio [who] will chair the subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard, which oversees the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)."
Deniers look to satellites for 2014's heat—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "Desperate to keep the faux pause alive as the world warms, deniers have turned to what may be the last two scientists with any official credibility: Spencer and Christy. We say "official credibility" because, while the academic community has long since lost respect for them due to their repeated errors (and Spencer's rant about "global warming Nazis"), these two still oversee the University of Alabama-Huntsville satellite record for NOAA and NASA. And because that record doesn't account for the oceans, which absorb 90% of the planet's heat, it shows 2014 as being 'only' the third warmest on record. So the Daily Caller and other usual suspects are frantically trying to distract the media and public from the complete records of NOAA, NASA, JMA and the UK Met which all seem to be saying that 2014 was the hottest year on record. Yet even the release from Christy and Spencer holds that 2014 continues the warming trend since 1978 and that the last 13 years have averaged 0.18°C (about 0.33°F) above the 30-year baseline average. (Though this doesn't stop Christy and Spencer from taking the angle in the release that 2014's heat is 'not special.')"
To 97% and Beyond—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "Deniers are particularly eager to attack the fact that there is a nearly unanimous consensus on climate change. The most recent case in point is a Forbes post by Alex Epstein, who runs a for-profit think tank that functions as a fossil-fuel PR firm. There's absolutely nothing novel or worth paying attention to in Epstein's attack, so we weren't going to bother mentioning it; however, a different Forbes contributor found a relatively new and productive way to respond to people who challenge the 97% consensus. Faye Flam's post lists four big reasons to be concerned about climate change that go beyond the consensus. She gives space to actual science and briefly discusses ocean warming, the basics of CO2's greenhouse gas properties, sea level rise and the irreversibility of climate change. So while the deniers-for-hire like Epstein will undoubtedly continue lashing out at the consensus, it's important to remember that the scientific agreement is just one of many reasons to care about climate change."
New study says U.S.'s estimates on financial impact of climate change are not even close—by Walter Einenkel: "Unless you're one of the many congressional ostriches with their heads buried in the sand, you realize that climate change is a thing. A real life thing that's happening now. The Obama administration has tried to sway more conservative opinions by showing the economic impact climate change will have on all of us (even those breathing out of straws under sand). Unfortunately, a new study—published here—has just been released that is basically saying that the dire economic prognostications reported were pie-eyed optimistic.A recent U.S. government study concluded, based on the results of three widely used economic impact models, that an additional ton of carbon dioxide emitted in 2015 would cause $37 worth of economic damages. These damages are expected to take various forms, including decreased agricultural yields, harm to human health and lower worker productivity, all related to climate change. But according to a new study, published online this week in the journal Nature Climate Change, the actual cost could be much higher. 'We estimate that the social cost of carbon is not $37 per ton, as previously estimated, but $220 per ton,' said study coauthor Frances Moore, a PhD candidate in the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources in Stanford's School of Earth Sciences."
Houston, We Have a Problem—by Bill Carney: "I didn’t own a TV in 1970, so my knowledge of the Apollo 13 tragedy-turned-triumph is pretty much limited to the Tom Hanks movie twenty-five years after the fact. But as I watch our new Republican Congress assume the controls of climate policy, I find myself repeating, in quiet desperation, 'Houston, we have a problem.' It wasn’t just that I didn’t own a TV back then. It was also that I trusted the spirit, ingenuity and tenacity of the American enterprise to pull through and save the day. That youthful confidence in America turned out to be well founded. But with climate change, I’m not so sure. Which is why I’m directing this communication primarily to my friends, relatives and countrymen in Texas—arguably Mission Control for both the oil industry driving climate change and the political climate beclouding effective action to fix this potentially catastrophic malfunction in the human stewardship of spaceship earth."
Deniers bombard West Virginia school board—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "As you may have heard, a West Virginia school board member is attempting to add some skeptical 'creditability' to the state's science standard, which has caused quite a stir in the media. Because the school board is now reviewing the changes, the deniers have started a full email assault on the school board. JunkScience has a post encouraging followers to email the board, and CFACT sent out an email to subscribers with a stock message to send the West Virginia School Board Secretary. So our sympathies go out to the recipient of these untold emails, Virginia Harris: vharris@k12.wv.us. The school board will be getting plenty of denier craziness, so it might be good to send them some sanity!"
Critters & the Great Outdoors
The Daily Bucket--Homes in the Air—by 6412093: "It's winter. The hardwoods have shed their leaves, exposing the birds' nest high in the air, that are ordinarily hidden. I try and note each visible nest while I walk near Bethany Lake, west of Portland Oregon. I hope to check those nests again this coming Spring, and confirm their occupants. I notice something else. Thorny thickets of non-native Himalayan blackberries dominate the Park's untended areas. Yet in other areas, Park staff have rooted out the blackberries and planted a variety of native species, including dogwoods and Oregon Grape. The Himalayan blackberry thickets seem vacant; no nests, no critters rustling around, and very few birds even pausing there for a rest."
The Daily Bucket--Time and Chance Happens—by 6412093: "West of Portland, Oregon, near Banks, hundreds of productive walnut trees crowded the south slope of the hills for decades. They provided food for the critters and income for the farmers. […] As the properties subdivided, a few walnut trees ended up on my golf course's side of the road. Every year I gathered a sackful of nuts for some winter roasting. But those farmers grew old as we all will, and sold the property. The north end of the Willamette River valley, west of Portland, is some of the richest farmland in earth and fetches a dear price; the farm went for millions. What happened next was not natural, but it was unusual. […] The new owners uprooted hundreds of the trees with heavy equipment, pushed them into piles and torched them. I don't know why. The trees were older, perhaps their production fell."
The Daily Bucket-Predator and Prey—by
6412093: "Often in nature, the life cycles of predators and prey sustain each other. If too-efficient predators would wipe out all the prey, the next generation of predators may starve. If too-wily prey effectively evade predators, then the prey may overpopulate or overcrowd their habitat and die of diseases or from lack of food. Often nature assists predators and prey to achieve a rough balance that sustains both populations and their habitats. This great blue heron, for instance, is a ruthlessly efficient predator who utterly outmatches the 7-for-a-dollar goldfish in my backyard pond. I've watched it catch a fish a minute. I've read many accounts of folks who've had their entire goldfish or koi pond population utterly wiped out by herons. The goldfish's best defense is its fecundity; a female fish may bear 500 young a year. However, she eats most of them herself. The goldfish in my ponds typically cluster on the very surface where they get fed. Most of them seem to stay there 24/7, just in case food arrives. And if the heron arrives instead, it has easy pickings. Thus the fish rarely grow more than about 2-3 inches long."
Wolves Twenty Years After Reintroduction - A Video Perspective—by ban nock: "In a recent video from the New York Times we are given a second look at the reintroduction of wolves to the Northern Rocky Mountains. I don't agree with all of what is said in the vid, but what is unusual is that another side to the issue is even shown. In general I'd characterize the NYT as being not supportive of rural people or hunting. It's a measure of just how far this issue has moved, that the Times would produce a video that even shows a different perspective. 'It's really unfortunate that many of us did not think harder about the potential for the backlash.' Says wolf advocate Lisa Upson Executive Director of Keystone Conservation Formerly of Natural Resources Defense Council. 'From a social experiment standpoint the wolf reintroduction has been a disaster of the greatest degree, and we're going to pay for that for years to come,' says Randy Newberg founding board member at Orion the Hunters Institute, which provides leadership on ethical and philosophical issues to promote fair chase and responsible hunting. He goes on to say, 'As a hunter you know, I thought, "we can handle this" as long as the agreements are followed this isn't the end of the world.' Ed Bangs former director of the wolf program for the US FWS 'all of a sudden you had hunters who had stayed on the sidelines saying, 'holy moly I'm not seeing any elk here all I'm seeing is wolf tracks'."
Tunnel Opponents Respond to Westlands Secret Settlement, Delta Smelt Record Low Numbers—by Dan Bacher: "When you think that things can't get worse in the toxic nightmare that is California water politics, be assured—'Yes, They Can!' Restore the Delta (RTD), opponents of Governor Jerry Brown's rush to build massive Peripheral Tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom sustainable farms, salmon and other Pacific fisheries, today responded to the prospect of a secret settlement of the debt Westlands Water District owes to US taxpayers and the near extinction presently of Delta smelt. Restore the Delta Executive Director Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla stated, 'The idea that the Westlands Water District can secretly negotiate a settlement with the Federal Government that secures Westlands’ water rights, by circumventing state water rights, and that lets Westlands walk away from hundreds of millions of dollars of debt that they owe to U.S. taxpayers is incomprehensible. Worse, Westlands is not being required to document how they will continue to farm without belching polluted discharge water back into the watershed, or how their farmers will pay for the approximate $2 billion that it will cost to fix their drainage issues.'"
The Daily Bucket - out at Harlequin Rock—by OceanDiver: "January 8, 2015. Salish Sea, PNW. It's barely above the water at high tide and has no vegetation, so this scrap of land isn't a named island. I call it Harlequin Rock since the day years ago when I first kayaked out there and saw a splendidly colorful Harlequin Duck jump off and swim around it. There's one mysterious hunk of metal embedded in the rock. Birds perch on it, like this Kingfisher. It's possible the T was used in earlier days as a reef-netting anchor; this was a major salmon fishing and processing harbor in the last century. The rock drops steeply to the sandy bottom - a good foraging spot for sea birds and marine mammals. It is small, about 10m by 5m (30 ft x 15 ft), but that's big enough for wildlife to rest on, and far enough from land so they are safe from people. I paddle out there if the wind and swells aren't too much and usually see wildlife in the vicinity. I have never landed on the rock, and wouldn't. Too steep and rocky and often waves are breaking on it. The Strait of Juan de Fuca is beyond the rock, directing wind and rough water from the open ocean into the Salish Sea. There are days when it would be dangerous out there in a kayak. Today the water was quite calm."
Energy
US Nukes in Financial Trouble—by joieau: "Bloomberg reported last week that the largest owner/operator of nuclear power plants in the United States is seeking permission from state utility regulators to double the price of electricity in order to delay the permanent shutdown of one of their nuclear facilities. Exelon racked up more than $100 million in losses since 2011 from its Ginna power plant contracted wholesale power price, and calculates it must be allowed to charge a minimum of 83% more in order to keep it running through 2016 at no profit. At which time Exelon will shut the plant down to avoid more losses. This would give the utility time to contract with other suppliers to make up the difference. […] The plant has the usual twisted history on the ownership end. Constellation Energy Group bought the Ginna plant from Rochester Gas & Electric in 2004 for the cheap, cheap price of just $401 million and contracted to sell power to the utility/former owner at $44 MWh for 10 years as part of that negotiation. Excelon purchased Constellation in 2012, thus inheriting the plant and its ongoing (through 2014) contract. Hence the more than $100 million in losses from this one plant. Now Exelon maintains that Ginna's electricity must sell wholesale at $71 MWh to earn the company 11% return, somewhere around $60 MWh just to break even this year and next."
The Fukushima Disaster and Conspiracy Theories: Ad Hoc Review of American Conspiracy Theories—by MarineChemist: "The purpose of this diary is to reflect on recent experiences related to my public outreach on the Fukushima Dai-ichi disaster (including but not limited to the DailyKos) and to report on a fine book by Joseph Uscinski and Joseph Parent entitled American Conspiracy Theories. My previous professional outreach experiences, mostly related to climate change, led me to believe that conspiracy theorizing and evidence blindless was mostly confined to the those on the more far-right end of the political spectrum. My own recent experiences indicate that this is not so. Not surprisingly this was already known by others and aspects of this interesting line of research are outlined by Uscinski and Parent in the book in question linked to above. Indeed, we all hold conspiracy theories. But which are most likely to be true? Some comments on the book and my experiences with outreach below the fold."
Emissions Control
Obama Announces Actions to Cut Methane Emissions 40-45% by 2025—by ericlewis0: "The entire fact sheet is well worth the read - although most of the initiative will be run by the EPA, it requires coordination with the Department of Energy, the Dept. of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management, and the Department of Transportation. Though ambitious, it strikes me as an extremely well thought-out plan—so many details appear to have already been worked out. According to an article in The Guardian (h/t wader), this is the first time the President has directly confronted the Oil & Gas Sector on global warming. Suffice to say the Goposaur whining and rending of garments will be pretty intense."
Texas Coal Plants Are Polluting the Air Across Several States—by Mary Anne Hitt: "The Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park in west Texas are places people visit when they want to reconnect with nature and visit rugged landscapes that remind them of what the western United States was like before our massive cities and miles of highways. The dry air in these special lands sits on top of vibrant ecosystems and allows nighttime visitors to often get views of the Milky Way that are without competition anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, in the 1970s and 1980s utilities in Texas started burning more and more coal to make electricity. In 2014 coal plants in Texas emitted more pollution than coal plants in any other state, and this pollution affects not only the health of local communities and the climate but also the million dollar views at American landmarks like the Big Bend. Tragically, this "haze" pollution also blows across state lines and it impacts wilderness areas in nearby states, like the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma and the Caney Creek Wilderness Area in the Ouachita Mountains of western Arkansas."
Renewables & Conservation
The solar energy explosion of 2015—by MessagingMatters: "Did you notice a lot more solar panels in 2014, on homes, schools, shopping malls, street lights, road signs, public lands and elsewhere? If so, you weren’t imagining things. Solar energy installations are taking off in the United States and in other countries, to the point where 2015 is shaping up to be the Year of Solar Power. Take a look at some of the recent growth in solar energy: In the U.S., the Obama administration has authorized, and in some cases granted loan guarantees to companies to construct, numerous solar power facilities on public lands. One such facility is the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in the California desert not far from Las Vegas, Nevada. Ivanpah, which is visible to motorists on Interstate 15, is a public-private partnership which powers 140,000 homes on a continuous basis, and which has created some 1,000 construction jobs. As a result of projects like these, as well as renewable energy tax credits, the amount of electricity generated by utility-scale photovoltaic power plants in the U.S. more than doubled in 2014 over 2013."
Fracking
Scientists have proven that fracking has caused earthquakes strong enough for humans to feel—by Walter Einenkel: "A new recently published study connects 77 earthquakes that hit Poland Township, Ohio for a week back in March of last year. 'These earthquakes near Poland Township occurred in the Precambrian basement, a veryold layer of rock where there are likely to be many pre-existing faults,” said Robert Skoumal who co-authored the study with Michael Brudzinski and Brian Currie at Miami University in Ohio. 'This activity did not create a new fault, rather it activated one that we didn’t know about prior to the seismic activity.'"
Keystone XL & Other Fossil Fuel Transportation
Natives Thank Obama and Prepare to Take On Keystone Contractor—by Dadamsaim: "With the new Senate taking their seats in Washington, and the House voting to put through the pipeline for the tenth time, Natives across America find themselves gearing up for another battle with the Keystone Pipeline project, pausing only long enough to feel thanks for President Obama's promise of another veto. After a brief respite to prepare for the next wave, thanks to the last veto, organizations have begun again with nationwide vigils and marches. The Rosebud Sioux Reservation leaders, of South Dakota, have publicly spoken against the pipeline, denouncing it as 'an act of war,' in spite of supposed financial 'benefits' they would incur by allowing it to pass through their lands."
Democrats plan to put Republicans on the spot with Keystone XL votes—by Laura Clawson: "President Obama has promised to veto the Keystone XL bill currently in Congress. But before he gets to do that, Senate Democrats are going to use it to make a few important points, and make Republicans take some hard votes on amendments: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), for example, plans to offer a nonbinding resolution on whether lawmakers agree with the 95 percent of scientists who say human activities contribute to climate change. Of course, for some Republicans it won't be any kind of problem to cast a vote saying they disagree with 95 percent of scientists. Some other amendments might be harder for them."
Senate Votes to Move Forward on Keystone XL Bill 63 to 32, with the Help of Some Oily Democrats—by Liberty Equality Fraternity and Trees: "Today, the Senate voted for cloture on the Keystone XL Pipeline Act (S. 1) 63 to 32. The vote would have been 65 to 35 had all senators been in attendance (Cassidy and Rubio on the Republican side; Brown, Reid, and Wyden on the Democratic side). 10 Democrats and Angus King joined the Republicans to pass it: Michael Bennet (D-CO); Tom Carper (D-DE); Bob Casey (D-PA); Joe Donnelly (D-IN); Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND); Angus King (I-ME); Joe Manchin (D-WV); Claire McCaskill (D-MO); Jon Tester (D-MT); Tom Udall (D-NM); Mark Warner (D-VA). This largely mirrored the vote from last November. The 59 votes then became 65 votes now (the 'if all were there' total) because (a) Democratic NO votes were replaced by Republican YES votes in Colorado, Iowa, and South Dakota and (b) Angus King and Tom Udall, who both voted NO before, flipped their votes to a YES here. A YES on cloture is not the same as a YES on passage, but King and Udall (especially the latter) deserve to hear from their constituents about this."
RL Miller: Keep the Oil in the Soil * No Keystone XL—by peace voter: "Long time Daily Kos environmental champion RL Miller keeps getting better. Yesterday evening, following an hour of holding No KXL signs and waving at motorists at a busy intersection in Southern California, RL laid out just how we will successfully stop TransCanada and its Republican allies' plan to build a […] pipeline in order to move filthy tar sands crude oil from Alberta down through the U.S. to the Gulf of Mexico."
Agriculture, Food & Gardening
Should We Allow GMO Food and Seeds In Our Environment?—by vlboyd53: "I have been watching this topic closely. Many extreamly wealthy multinational corporations such as Monsanto are staking their fortunes and futures on genetic engineering. The topic is an interesting conundrum. Are we willing to risk the possible negative effects to our environment in order to obtain the possible benefits? In the intetest of fairness I would like to mention that my personal bias is AGAINST all GMO products. I studied Genetics in College so my understanding of the subject is comprehensive. The truth is that without testing the effects long term, we don't have any basis for understanding how they might impact human and environmental health. That said, I would like to open this subject up for discussion here."
Oceans, Water & Drought
California toxic waters rise despite decades of regulations and expenditure of $50 Billion—by Patrick Porgan via Dan Bacher: "Public records attest to the fact that after 40 years of regulatory programs, and more than $50 billion in expenditures, the Golden State’s water bodies have increased in toxicity! Trends Include 170% Increase In CA Toxicity Listings Since 2006: Increased water monitoring data shows the number of rivers, streams and lakes in California exhibiting overall toxicity have increased 170 percent from 2006 to 2010. More of California’s waterways are toxically polluted “water quality impaired” than previously known, according to a list of polluted waterways submitted by the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and finalized by the agency in 2011. Map California’s Impaired Waters. All assessed waters in the 2010 Report are a compilation of the latest approved data. The data indicate an increase in toxicity and listing of water impaired bodies will continue to rise. The State Water Board and regional water boards administer the provisions of the CWA under an agreement with EPA. Unfortunately, the public may not know just how bad things are statewide until 2017or beyond, as government regulators failed to provide an updated assessment listing the status of the State’s waters."
DC, State & Local Eco-Politics
Woot!! Bernie Sanders Just Screwed over the Republicans—by Gwennedd: "It seems Senator Sanders knows how to mess royally with the Republicans. He's introduced an amendment to the legislation that would pass the Keystone XL Pipeline. The amendment reads thusly: 'It is the sense of Congress that Congress is in agreement with the opinion of virtually the entire worldwide scientific community that—(1) climate change is real; (2) climate change is caused by human activities; (3) climate change has already caused devastating problems in the United States and around the world; (4) a brief window of opportunity exists before the United States and the entire planet suffer irreparable harm; and (5) it is imperative that the United States transform its energy system away from fossil fuels and toward energy efficiency and sustainable energy as rapidly as possible.'"
Statewide Tour Launched to Urge Gov. Brown to Stop Fracking, Move CA to 100% Renewable Energy—by Dan Bacher: "Governor Jerry Brown has constantly touted his "green energy" and carbon trading policies at press conferences while he enthusiastically supports the expansion of fracking in California and is rushing the most environmentally destructive public works project in California history, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) to build the peripheral tunnels. As Brown and his staff continue to greenwash the Governor's abysmal environmental policies, thousands of Californians will convene over the next week as part of the 'California Crossroads Tour' calling on Governor Jerry Brown to ban fracking, stand up to Big Oil, and "move California beyond fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy," according to a news release from Californians Against Fracking. By standing up to Big Oil, anti-fracking activists are taking on the most powerful corporate lobby in California, the oil industry."
Top PepsiCo lobbyist will be Senate Agricultural Committee's new GOP chief of staff—by Hunter: "There's no point in even mocking this. It speaks for itself. A top lobbyist for food and beverage giant PepsiCo Inc. who was formerly a top aide to Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts is taking over as the Agriculture Committee's chief of staff as it prepares to rewrite federal child nutrition policy. Joel Leftwich, a native of Wellington, Kansas, worked for Roberts, R-Kan., as deputy staff director for the committee before becoming senior director for PepsiCo's public policy and government affairs team in March 2013. Expect the new guidelines to call for at least three cans of Pepsi every day to promote strong bones and iron stomachs."
NY Pro-Fracking Senator's Profanity Laced Tirade Caught on Video—by Justin Mikulka: "A newly released video of New York State Senator Thomas O’Mara interacting with an unknown person in a parking lot questioning him about a potential liquid propane gas facility on Seneca Lake reveals the Senator’s strong support for the project - and disdain for anyone who questions this support. In the video O’Mara responds to a question about the proposed LPG storage facility for the old salt caverns next to Seneca Lake with emphatic support. […] The many people who have recently been arrested opposing this project don’t agree with this idea that using old salt caverns for LPG storage is a way of 'moving forward.' At one point as the questioner says he doesn’t believe the caverns are safe for LPG storage, the Senator bluntly asks him what he’s read. 'What the fuck have you read? I haven’t been down in the cavern. Have you been down in the cavern?' One of the things 'down in the cavern' where they want to store this gas is a 400,000 ton chunk of rock that fell from the roof down into the cavern in the 1960’s. Four hundred thousand tons. One geologist has characterized regulator’s oversight of this issue as 'an incredible error.'"
Transportation & Infrastructure
Victory in Stopping the Destructive Illiana Tollway!—by Norm in Chicago: "The Illiana Tollway, a proposed 47 mile Interstate Tollway that would link I-55 and I-65 south of Chicago has long been opposed by a coalition of environmental groups. The tollway is environmentally destructive to sensitive wetlands, will bulldoze thousands of acres of prime farmland in a time of climate change and growing food insecurity. It will increase urban sprawl and C02 emissions. Studies have also failed to show that the tollway will ever attract enough traffic to pay for itself, leaving taxpayers on the hook potentially up to $1.1 billion dollars to pay for this wasteful and unnecessary boondoggle. But a first victory has been achieved. In one of his first acts, Gov. Rauner has frozen all funding for the project. It is now hoped that with the undemocratic fast-tracking of the project blocked, that it will receive much greater scrutiny during later reviews and the Illiana tollway will be cancelled for good."
Eco-Essays and Eco-Philosophy
It's not just oil that is crashing, and that's not good—by gjohnsit: " Everyone is looking at oil and how it effects Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the shale oil producers in the Midwest, but the story is a whole lot larger. Commodity prices are at their lowest since November 2002, according to the Bloomberg Commodity Index. And while the collapse in oil to below $45 a barrel has grabbed the headlines, the index tracks 26 commodities, including gold, natural gas, corn and aluminum. Copper, for one, is in a funk similar to that of crude, falling to its lowest price in more than five years. Overall commodity prices are down more than 57 percent from their 2008 peak. This article doesn't come out and say it (the article is about global deflation), but historically commodity prices crash on a global level for only one reason—lack of demand."
Trees—by soarbird: "Humans have always had a special relationship with trees. Trees are, after all, our ancient ancestral home, and even today, after several million years of adaptation to walking on the ground, we can scurry up a tree faster than you can say, 'Look at the juicy ripe peach at the end of that branch!' Most people like trees. It’s the rare house that doesn’t have a tree planted in the yard. Many people commune with trees. Others worship them. Oaks are sacred to the Druids. Visiting the California redwoods can be a religious experience. The first time I saw a redwood, I cried. Trees talk. Their leaves chatter and murmur together. The wind blows through their branches and they sing or sigh or moan. But even when trees are quiet, they give off air. Stand under a tree and you can smell the air. Pine air smells different than oak air, which smells different from willow air. We can never get enough of this air. Without it, we would die."
Forests, Wilderness & Public Lands
Let me get this straight: American public lands have been transferred to Brit/Aussie owners?—by ruby red shoes: "Unless emails from the White House go to your spam filter, which in this case is quite fitting, those of us who signed the petition to stop the Apache land grab received the following email written by Jodi Gillette, Special Assistant to the President for Native American Affairs: The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (NDAA) became law on December 19. Section 3003 of the NDAA—which the Administration opposed—provides for the exchange of thousands of acres of public land to a private company called Resolution Copper Mining. which is owned by Rio Tinto, a British-Australian multinational metals and mining corporation with headquarters in London, UK, and a management office in Melbourne, Australia. The public lands to be transferred have significant religious, cultural, historical, and archeological value to the San Carlos Apache Tribe and other tribes in the region. For these tribes, the area is sacred. and for Rio Tinto and Resolution Copper, and apparently for Congress, those private holdings I mean public lands have significant dollar signs from copper sales to China, which is crucial to the profit margins I mean to the economy, oh wait, this is a defense bill—I mean crucial to our national defense."
Miscellany
The Inoculation Project—by belinda ridgewood: "Project: Experimenting with Plants. Resources Needed: To learn about plants by reading about them in books, growing them in Root Vue Farms, and looking at the foam cross section flower that shows the parts. School Poverty Level: High. Location: Parkview Intermediate School, Bedford, Indiana. Total Cost: $451.16 Still Needed: $153.58 COMPLETED! Please see long-term project! Expires: Jan 17, 2015. Teacher's Comments from Mrs. L.: My Students: My students learn best through hands on experiences. They love doing science experiments and learn better through them. […] My Project: We need to learn about plants by reading about them in books, growing them in Root Vue Farms, and looking at the foam cross section flower that shows the parts. The students will use the books, posters and plant model to learn about plants. Then we will be doing experiments to develop a better understanding of plants."