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 22,975 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.
When the mountain fears its deer: predators, trophic cascades, and ecological integrity - Part 1—by
Username4242: "In the Mukkaw Bay, the starfish Pisaster feeds on several species of barnacle. Where these starfish are present, the barnacles are restricted to a small band in the intertidal zone, outside of which one can find a litany of ocean dwellers, including anemones, chitons, limpets, algae, and sponges. To understand how Pisaster influences the structure of the tidal ecosystem, Robert T. Paine devised an experiment where seastars were removed from the enclosure, and the species living in the enclosure were monitored. Upon the predator's removal, barnacles surged in number, and crowded much of the available space. With the high barnacle density, the other intertidal species began to disappear. By controlling barnacle density, the sea star was the foundation of an entire intertidal ecosystem. From this research, the keystone species concept was born. Much as a keystone holds together an arch, a keystone species is one that disproportionately affects the other species in an ecosystem. When the keystone species is a predator, a 'trophic cascade' may occur, where species that the predator does not feed on change in abundance or behavior."
No Denying It: They're Deniers—by
ClimateDenierRoundup: "Media Matters interviewed New York Times Public Editor Margaret Sullivan about the paper's increasingly common use of the term 'denier' instead of 'skeptic.' Since the December letter from the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry that asked journalists to 'stop using the word "skeptic" to describe deniers,' the Times has begun to use the the more accurate descriptionmore frequently. Sullivan compared the evolving language to the change from 'enhanced interrogation techniques' to 'torture,' saying that it took a long time, but they came around to the right side of history. According to Sullivan, the Times is 'sort of in the same realm' with skeptics and deniers, and while they've started using 'denier,' Sullivan said that they 'perhaps should be doing it even more.' Which is great news, because, as Sullivan said in a past column, that the words the Times chooses to use are "something that matters.' In this case, one can hope that deniers will soon not even be part of the stories at all and that this debate won't matter for much longer. That may be wishful thinking—but then again, only a few years ago, so was the idea of the New York Times using the term 'denier.'"
sHell Documents Describe Their Awesome Arctic Prowess—by
James Wells: "A set of internal Shell Oil documents revealed how the oil giant has flawlessly executed a series of operational and public relations triumphs as they prepare for drilling in the Arctic this summer. Last week's simulation of stranding and recovering a drilling rig in the Puget Sound is just the latest addition to their winning streak. As the Polar Pioneer set out from Seattle for the Arctic Ocean, sHell personnel decided to practice recovering the rig from a potential grounding. "The calm waters of Puget Sound in the summer are a perfect match to Arctic conditions,' an internal memo notes. The drill tested out all aspects of sHell's operation including communications. 'The public relations team responded magnificently, nimbly rolling out a description of how the rig was calibrating its compass. A prompt and well-coordinated communication effort was essential to swat away nonsensical statements from extreme environmentalists that the grounding was accidental.' Other press releases celebrated sHell's use of advanced TideChart © technology to free the rig by making adept use of the rising tide. Respected environmental analyst Bill O'Reilly chimed in. 'Tide comes in, tide goes out, regular as clockwork. This is proof that God wants sHell to drill in the Arctic. There's no other explanation.'"
You can find more excerpts from green diaries below the orange spill.
Climate Chaos
EPA report shows the financial foolishness of delayers who refuse to act against climate change now—by
Meteor Blades: "The Environmental Protection Agency released a new report today that concludes thousands of lives can be saved annually in the United States if global action is taken to keep average global temperatures from rising by more than 2°C (3.6°F) by century's end. Action to ameliorate climate change now will pay off in financial gains as well, the EPA report says, something that foes of action might pay attention to since saving lives is far down their priority list. Some expert observers believe it's already too late to keep temperatures below 2°C, which ought to spur immediate action even more. The report—Climate Change in the United States: Benefits of Global Action—was a project of the Climate Change Impacts and Risk Analysis (CIRA), led by EPA in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Pacific Northwest National Lab, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and others. The report compared two scenarios: Taking actions that hold average world temperatures below that 2°C threshhold and doing nothing, which the authors say would lead to an average temperature increase of 5°C."
New EPA report estimates benefits of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions—by citisven: "The EPA just released its new report, Climate Change in the United States: Benefits of Global Action, a hugely significant piece of research that estimates the physical and monetary benefits to the U.S. of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Based on the results from the Climate Change Impacts and Risks Analysis (CIRA) project, this is a peer-reviewed study "comparing impacts in a future with significant global action on climate change to a future in which current greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.' In other words, this study gives us a clear understanding of a future in a world created by climate delayers and deniers versus a future in a world created by informed and immediate action based on scientific facts and consensus. The entire report is massive and comprehensive, ranging from Health, Infrastructure and Electricity to Water Resources, Agriculture and Forestry, and Ecosystems."
I Fell for the Global Cooling Hoax—by bnmng: "I had a post in draft for a long time about how "they used to call it Global Cooling". My post would have explained that in my opinion, just because scientists currently have a different opinion than the one they had over 30 years ago about how all the gasses and particles that we're spewing into our atmosphere are affecting our climate, doesn't mean we shouldn't pay attention to them now. If scientists once felt that pollution would more likely block out the sun like a beach umbrella than trap the heat like a greenhouse, they were still a lot smarter than anyone who felt that pollution would have no effect at all. But apparently, that point is moot because the whole idea that scientists once warned us about pollution causing the next ice age is a myth that deniers have perpetuated to discredit science."
The WaPo Jumps the Shark on Climate Change Reporting—by kindler: "Just when you thought the media might be ready to report the facts on climate change — about which 99.9% of scientists who’ve studied the issue agree – we’re cursed with another story in the Washington Post that gets it very, very wrong: 'How climate-change doubters lost a papal fight.' This piece starts with the story of Philippe de Larminat, a 'French doubter who authored a book arguing that solar activity — not greenhouse gases — was driving global warming,' who — sacre bleu! — is denied an audience with Pope Francis before the issuance of the Pope’s historic encyclical. The first problem here is that we are never given any information about de Larminat’s scientific credentials — or indeed whether he has any. (Per LinkedIn, it appears that he has a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in “the sciences,' dating from the sixties and seventies. Otherwise, he’s mostly a black hole on the Internet.) There are millions of scientists around the world, and tens of thousands in the climate field. Why focus on this one? What are his contributions to the field? The Post story then brings up the egregious Heartland Institute, which the writers generously describe as 'a free-market group that serves as a hub of skepticism regarding the science of human-caused global warming.'"
David Brooks, Wrong Again.—by OregonOak: "So, imagine my surprise when the religious leader of the major Christian Faith, the Roman Catholic Pope, comes out with an appeal to Ethical Values toward each other in economic and environmental matters to solve some intractable problems. I fully expected David Brooks to say, 'Finally! A principled Christian proposal for saving the environment and the problems of the poor at the same time!' Not so much, it turns out."
Steyn's Peer-Review of Mann Backfires—by ClimateDenierRoundup : "Mark Steyn is a conservative pundit along the lines of Rush Limbaugh (frequently filling in for Rush on the radio) who has taken it upon himself to make Dr. Michael Mann's life unpleasant. Dr. Mann is a leading climate expert who spurred deniers' ire after his graph showing the unnatural rise in present temperatures was used in Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth.' Since then, Dr. Mann has been the prime target of the climate deniers' Serengeti Strategy, a fact he talks about in his book, 'Hockey Stick and Climate Wars.' Steyn's vendetta began a few years ago, when Steyn quoted a particularly offensive attack on Dr. Mann and labeled Mann’s scientific work as fraudulent. Dr. Mann fought back by suing Steyn for defamation on the grounds that that his work is demonstrably not fraudulent and that any insinuation to that effect is harmful to his career. Most people would refrain from adding fuel to the fire if being sued by someone for attacking them. Steyn, however, is not most people. He's now self-published a book that is supposedly a collection of criticisms of Dr. Mann by other scientists. Apparently, this is Steyn’s attempt to bolster his case by showing that it is not just conservative pundits and paid spokespeople who think poorly of Dr. Mann and his hockey stick."
Will Facebook Ban Deniers?—by ClimateDenierRoundup : "Breitbart brought our attention to a petition that calls on Facebook to ban climate change denial pages. With only 3,326 signatories out of a goal of 500,000, it doesn't seem like the petition is going to accomplish its goal—and probably for good reason. As bad as climate denial is, shutting them out of Facebook would justify their persecution complex, and might engender more sympathy for their position. Really, who treats Facebook as a place to discuss science? For the most part, we think denier groups are small enough that they pretty much serve as something to point and laugh at, because they're not likely to be gain many converts when compared to the audience of Murdoch's media empire. That said, the petition actually has a point. Facebook doesn't have too many rules, but the very last one reads that, 'Pages must not contain false, misleading, fraudulent or deceptive claims or content.'"
The Pope, Climate Change and the Catholic Right—by Frank Cocozzelli: "The conservative criticism of Laudato Sii, ('Praised Be'), Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment and poverty that began even before its release, has now reached a fever pitch. It is of more than passing interest that many of the cadre of naysayers are members of the Catholic Right. And not coincidentally, many of them have strong ties to conservative Evangelicals. What is it that they truly fear about Laudato Sii? Is it the encyclical’s inconvenient discussion of the disastrous implications climate change has upon the world’s poor—or is it something else? To wit, does the Jesuit Pope Francis threaten to undermine the power of the Catholic Right-Evangelical political alliance?"
Critters & the Great Outdoors
No Fukushima Contamination Detected in Pacific Salmon Off North American Coast—by MarineChemist: "The Integrated Fukushima Ocean Radionuclide Monitoring (InFORM) project is a network involving academic, governmental, and non-governmental organizations, as well as citizen scientists. InFORM is acquiring data to support a thorough radiological impact assessment for Canada's west coast stemming from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (FD-NPP) accident, and to effectively communicate these results to the public. The measurements undertaken as part of the InFORM project to look for Fukushima derived radionculides in fish during our first of three years of monitoring are now complete. Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) and Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) (as well as some Chinook, Chum and Pink Salmon) were caught off the west coast of Canada in Summer 2014 as they were returning to 9 different streams and rivers up and down the coast of British Columbia Canada. These results add to the first 19 fish which we reported on in December of 2014. What we have found so far: None of the fish from 2014 were found to contain detectable levels of 134Cs. What this means is that radioactivity from Fukushima cannot be detected in fish caught in BC waters as of August 2014."
Summary of the amount of radioactive cesium isotopes in sockeye salmon and steel head trout harvested from BC waters in 2014 (Figure by Jonathan Kellogg jkellogg@uvic.ca)
Florida bear hunting coming to a sub-division near you—by billcate: "Whoever votes on such things will be voting this week to have a bear hunting season in Florida later this year. Right now it appears a week in October will be the time we turn loose 100s Elmer Fudds into the Florida woods to kill up to 200 bears. From what the Florida Fish and Wildlife people say we have no idea why we're doing this and we have no idea how many bears are in Florida. My guess is that our esteemed governor Rick Scott, who just got back from a air show - no, not a hair show - in Paris, has something to do with it."
The Daily Bucket: Katydid Husk—by
matching mole: "Four days ago I found the husk of this katydid on our deck. It was a female 'true' katydid, Pterophylla camellifolia. The term katydid comes from the male call in this species. In North America the term katydid is applied to all members of the family Tettigoniidae. In other parts of the English speaking world they are called Bush Crickets, Long-horned Grasshoppers, and possibly other terms of which I am unaware.
P. camellifolia is an abundant species in the eastern US and can be heard calling in the summer in areas with enough trees. In my neighborhood they can be positively deafening at their peak. However, they live their entire lives high in the trees and do not fly to lights. I have only ever seen a single live individual and a couple of dead ones previously. It has been very neat eviscerated as you can see. I wonder if that was the result of predation or parasitism or if it happened after her demise."
The Daily Bucket - Crawlers and Flutterbys!—by
Attack Gardener: "As more of our property reverts back to a, shall we say, less tended state (yeah, that's it ;) ), we've found a much more diverse crew manning the grounds. Over the last few years, we've seen all kinds of new critters - evening primrose moths, calligraphy beetles, all manner of spiders and several kinds of bumblebee, just to name a few. One thing I have looked for but not found in any quantity is butterfly caterpillars. We allow the native food plants, like milkweed and nettles, to grow unrestrained in the weedy spots and I even encouraged wild violets as a ground cover in one area. In spite of this, I've rarely seen caterpillars on them. This past weekend, I was weeding Queen Anne's Lace, a carrot relative, from a garden path when I noticed a small green worm with black stripes. After rushing for my camera and a guide book, roughly in that order, I identified my little friend as a Black Swallowtail caterpillar, Papilio polyxenes. They're also known as carrot worms for their diet of carrot leaves and other umbillifers, like fennel and dill."
The Daily Bucket: A Walk in Pennsylvania—by Lenny Flank: "The little town of Pen Argyl, PA, is nestled in the Blue Mountains. [...] Typical Pennsylvania terrain is hilly and very rocky."
Governor Appoints Two New Fish and Game Commissioners—by
Dan Bacher: "On June 18, Governor Jerry Brown announced the appointment of two new Members of the Fish and Game Commission - Erik Sklar and Anthony Williams - to replace Michael Sutton and Richard Rogers, who were appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger. Eric Sklar, 52, of St. Helena, has been appointed to the California Fish and Game Commission. Sklar has been founder and managing partner at Cs2 Wines LLC since 2012 and president at Preslar Ventures Inc. since 2001. He was founder and managing partner at Alpha Omega Winery from 2005 to 2013 and served as a member of the St. Helena City Council from 2003 to 2010 and the City of St. Helena Planning Commission from 2002 to 2003."
6,000 People In 3,000 miles, Rio Blanco County—by
ban nock: "Rio Blanco has to be one of the less visited places in Colorado, take the towns of Meeker and Rangely out of the equation and you'd have probably less than a thousand people spread over an area twice the size of Rhode Island. I didn't visit the National Forests and the almost 11 thousand foot peaks which mark the eastern boundary. Mostly Rio Blanco is BLM land, hilly and desert like with lots of rock showing through the sandy soil. Like much country where rain is infrequent the land was defined more by it's water sources than by any mountains or human constructs. It wasn't until my second day looking around that I realized the lake named Rio Blanco had the same name as the prominent river of the area except in Spanish. The White River flows east to west eventually joining the Green across the border of Utah, and the Green of course is the major tributary of the Colorado that originates in Wyoming. Draining into the White River are a few creeks flowing north off the Roan Plateau giving that portion of the plateau it's distinctive long parallel valleys topped by long low ridges of pinyon and juniper. [...] In conversation with local ranchers and the director of the Wildlife Unit I learned that the spring had been the wettest of any in memory which stretched back at least 30 years. Grasses were very high. I am intent on returning to the area mid December where many find it productive to forage for fauna. I like BLM lands, they and national forests see nowhere near the amount of visitation of Parks or Monuments or even famous Wilderness Areas. I saw no other recreationist on my trip other than a couple of fishermen at the lake along the main highway. No offroaders, no hikers or bikers, no one. And I like that."
Dawn Chorus: Open Thread (Night Herons)—by
matching mole: "Here, for your viewing pleasure are a few pictures of a couple of yellow-crowned night heron nests on the Wakulla river just south of Tallahassee. Both nests were on the edge of the river and the adults are thoroughly acclimated to the tour boats run by the state park."
Fish-Killing Delta Pumps Have Run Every Day During Drought—by Dan Bacher: "Restore the Delta (RTD) and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance today made detailed comments at the State Water Resources Control Board workshop on drought management of the Delta and the State’s water system. Both organizations charge that the SWRCB is violating key laws in its management of the system during the drought. Restore the Delta policy analyst, Tim Stroshane, pointed out to the Board that the Temporary Urgent Change Petition (TUCP) and the installation of False River Barrier, which the Board approved to lift Delta water quality standards for continued water exports, violated the Delta Reform Act of 2009."
2015 Backyard Science Yardbird Race Tally #6—by Milly Watt: "Welcome to the 2015 Daily Kos Backyard Science Yardbird Race! This is the sixth tally for 2015, and is the official place to post your sightings, ask for help, and brag some if you wish. I'm filling in this month for our fearless leader, bwren, who has been off on some out-of-town adventures (which we hope include opportunities for birding). I also want to wish everyone a Happy Summer! Here's what the race is all about: The Daily Kos Backyard Science Yardbird Race is a birding competition where, over the course of one year, participants strive to identify the most bird species—by sight and/or by sound - from the confines of their yards. Everyone is welcome—new birders, experienced birders, and anyone in between. We're a very supportive group and will help as much as we can. If you're not sure about an ID, just do your best to give us a good written description. Images, even mediocre ones, can be a great help, too."
Energy
Emissions Control
Dutch citizens win lawsuit, government has been ordered to cut carbon omissions—by Walter Einenkel: "A few months ago about 900 Dutch citizens filed a lawsuit against their government saying that the government had failed to effectively cut greenhouse gases in the pursuit of ameliorating climate change. They won:A judge in The Hague said the state must “ensure that the Dutch emissions in the year 2020 will be at least 25 percent lower than those in 1990.' The ruling was a victory for the Urgenda Foundation, an environmental group that filed the lawsuit on behalf of nearly 900 Dutch people. They said that the government has a duty to protect its citizens against looming dangers, including the effects of climate change on this low-lying country, which is threatened by rising sea levels. How about that?"
Fracking
The FRESHER Act—by Robocop: "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released a report Congress commissioned in 2010 to study the impact of fracking on drinking water, the conclusions of which are somewhat muddied. A 2004 EPA study stated that fracking posed no threat to drinking water, a conclusion that led to the exemption of the oil and gas industry from protections laid down by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1974. The strictures of the SDWA require continuous monitoring of public drinking water systems for contaminants and an issuance of an annual 'Consumer Confidence Report' to customers, which would identify the contaminants and explain potential health impacts. George Bush and Dick Cheney used the 2004 study to promote and pass legislation, widely referred to as the 'Halliburton Loophole,' to specifically exempt hydraulic fracturing from the SDWA as well as the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act. The oil and gas industry has claimed victory with the publication of the new EPA study. They point to a conclusion reached by the EPA that fracking had no 'widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water.' Environmental groups, however, also claimed victory by pointing to another part of the study that said 'fracking could contaminate drinking water under certain conditions, such as when fluids used in the process leaked water into the water table.'"
Candidates, DC, State & Local Eco-Politics
Jeb Bush Shifts on Climate after Pope Francis' Encyclical, Jindal and Santorum Remain Mum—by cgibosn : "At last week's Faith & Freedom Coalition event, 'The Road to Majority,' Greenpeace asked presidential candidates about their reactions to Pope Francis' call for solutions to climate change, as justified by science, faith and morality in his freshly released encyclical on ecology, climate change and poverty. As published by The Undercurrent, Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush surprised us. After being asked if he'd follow the lead of his father, President George H. W. Bush, on climate change, responding: 'I embrace the reduction of carbon emissions that have taken place.' As for the Pope's strong call for moral action on climate change, Bush appears more likely to follow his own father than the Holy Father: 'He has every right to have a view on it,' said Bush of Pope Francis."
Democratic Candidates Agree on Climate Science, Differ on Solutions (IL-18)—by Willinois: "The two Democrats running to replace Aaron Schock in Illinois' 18th Congressional district supported action on climate change in a recent debate sponsored by several news organizations. Both candidates mentioned a letter from Pope Francis calling on Catholics to make combating climate change a top priority. Less than a week after being issued, the pope's encyclical is already having an impact in a Congressional district with a significant Catholic population. In a question that sounded like it came from a coal industry lobbyist, the candidates were asked if they support boosting Illinois coal production. Candidate Rob Mellon immediately moved the conversation to where it belongs. 'We have to realize that climate change is real and there's no debate about that.' He took on the latest dodge of climate deniers who claim it's happening due to natural cycles, not man-made pollutants. 'The overwhelming majority of scientists are clear about that. That humans play a role.'"
Eco-Action & Eco Justice
June 22: Congressional Climate Message Day - fighting climate change—by ybruti: "The Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) has designated Monday, June 22, as Congressional Climate Message Day, when people concerned about climate change are invited to call their senators and representatives and tell them to put a price on greenhouse gas emissions. On Tuesday, June 23, nine hundred members of the CCL will go to Capitol Hill to meet their elected officials and lobby for legislation to fight climate change. The CCL believes the lobbying on Tuesday will be more successful if thousands of constituents contact their own senators and representatives the day before."
Citizens Climate Lobby tells Congress to fight climate change—by ybruti: "Nine hundred members of the Citizens Climate Lobby will go to Capitol Hill on June 23 to meet their elected officials and lobby for legislation to fight climate change by pricing greenhouse gas emissions. This legislation is necessary because 'as long as fossil fuels remain artificially cheap and profitable, their use will rise. Correcting this market failure requires their price to account for their true social costs.' The Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) explains further: 'A national carbon price...will do four things: internalize the social cost of carbon-based fuels, rapidly achieve large emission reductions, stimulate the economy and recruit global participation.' The method proposed by the Citizens Climate Lobby for pricing carbon pollution is called carbon fee and dividend. CCL proposes 'an initial fee of $15/ton on the CO2 content of fossil fuels, escalating $10/ton/year, imposed upstream at their point of extraction and collected upon entry into the economy.' By accounting for the true cost of fossil fuels, it will level the playing field for all sources of energy and inform consumers about their choices of various fuels. All of the revenue from the carbon fee will go back to every household."
Activists will rally to block offshore oil drilling expansion in Santa Barbara—by Dan Bacher: "As crews continue to clean Santa Barbara County beaches from the 100,000-gallon oil spill that began when a corroded pipeline ruptured off Refugio State Beach on May 19, environmental and community groups are urging Governor Jerry Brown and state officials to stop increased offshore drilling that would depend on the same oil pipeline that burst last month. While Governor Brown, other state officlals and the mainstream media continue to falsely portray California as a "green" state, the devastation of the oil spill shows the fragility of California's ocean waters - and exposes the failure of state and federal officials to stop a disaster like this, due to the capture of the state's regulatory apparatus by Big Oil."
Transportation & Infrastructure
Bicycles to the Rescue! Maybe ...—by enhydra lutris : "The bicycle is a grand old piece of technology and is reputedly an extremely efficient method of transportation. It can provide pleasure or be used in a purely utilitarian fashion. As a one time bike commuter I can attest to the fact that utilitarian usage can at times also be pleasurable. An increase in bicycle usage as a substitute for automobile and possibly even bus transport will bring many benefits. We can start with reduced greenhouse gas emissions and petroleum dependency. There is the reduced health care costs generated by the increase in the health of the portion of the popultaion riding. There will be a reduction in contaminated runoff from roads. Road maintenance costs should decrease. Electric bikes, bicycles with am electrical assist can reduce travel times and increase range, make difficult rides easier and facilitate cycling by the less fit among us. The time, it seems, is ripe. The younger generations are seemingly disenchanted with driving and an automobile based society. Bikes are better than ever. Bicycle infrastructure is growing. Bicycle usage seems to be up, not just for recreation and commuting, but for shopping and deliveries. The growing trend in Europe and Asia toward plug-in e-bikes will, one hopes, eventually happen here too. So What's the catch?"
Trade & Eco-Related Foreign Policy
"Hillary blind to progressive wave, she's going to lose"—by VL Baker : "That title is coming from Bill Curry, a former Clinton White House adviser, writing at Salon. He feels that Hillary is oblivious to the changes that have occurred since the Clinton White House was a thing. [...] Surprise, surprise, people don't like losing their jobs to a $73.94 per month usd Viet Nam worker. They don't like losing their hard fought environmental regulations to a corporation who will sue because they feel those regulations interfere with their profits. The TPP threatens half a century of environmental progress just to strengthen corporations pockets."
Eco-Essays and Eco-Philosophy
Stop dithering!—by SninkyPoo: "Yes, I think we're dithering. That's the short answer. But the American response to climate change so far is complex, fraught, all over the place, and deeply troubling. We are definitely arguing about it. For various reasons that include the usual suspects (campaign donations from fossil fuel companies, those companies funding shoddy research and paying a vulpine crew of amoral flaks to shill it, etc.) and what Bertie Wooster would call 'the psychology of the individual' the FACT of climate change is not widely viewed as actionable fact in America. But we are acting, sort of. And with no wide consensus that there’s anything to act UPON, much less a cogent, coherent plan of action, we take one step forward USA/China climate accord! and then an enormous step BACK (Shell can drill in the Arctic – what could possibly go wrong?!)"
Oceans, Water & Drought
Thirsty Billionaires File Complaint Alleging Illegal Diversions of "Their" Water—by Dan Bacher: "The phrase 'No good deed goes unpunished,' originally attributed to playwright Clare Boothe Luce, could accurately the current situation of farmers on the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Three weeks after the State Water Resources Control Board approved a proposal by Delta farmers to voluntarily reduce their water use by 25%, the State Water Contractors (SWC), including powerful billionaire and millionaire corporate growers in the San Joaquin Valley, filed a complaint with the same board on June 16. The group requested the board to take action to 'protect' State Water Project (SWP) releases from what it claimed were 'unlawful diversions' in the Delta. The group accused diverters south of the San Joaquin River—Delta farmers—of 'substantial, unlawful diversions' that would 'increase the burden on limited stored water supplies, affecting both the environment and other water users.'"
Federal Agencies Negotiating Secret Settlement with Westlands Water District—by Dan Bacher: "The Department of Justice and Department of the Interior have been negotiating a proposed settlement of drainage and water issues with Westlands Water District in secret. The proposed settlement would tie the hands of federal agencies, confer enormous benefit on Westlands, and would cause enormous adverse environmental effects on public waters including the San Joaquin River and the Delta. This would be done in the absence of public review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA) and other federal laws. 'This secret process is in violation of federal laws such as NEPA that require public environmental impact analysis and consideration of a range of reasonable alternatives before rather than after government action,' said Friends of the River’s Senior Counsel Robert Wright. In a status report filed by the Federal agencies in Firebaugh Canal Water District et al v. United States of America in April 2015 the government stated that 'negotiators for the United States and Westland’s have completed work on a draft proposed settlement agreement, including technical appendices, and that this draft proposed settlement agreement is now under review at the Department of Justice.' The government has kept that draft settlement agreement secret so that its provisions are unknown to the public."
Forests, Wilderness & Public Lands
Halfway Between Zion & Bryce Canyon Parks in UT- BLM Leasing 49 Million Tons of Public-Owned Coal—by LakeSuperior: "Last Thursday, the Obama Administration Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management published a notice in the Federal Register announcing publication of a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for leasing up to 49 million tons of coal at a site on DOI-BLM land just southeast of the town of Alton, UT -- about halfway between Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. PUBLIC COMMENTS DUE AUGUST 17, 2015. [See Federal Register notice for public meetings and hearings in Utah, and addresses to submitting comments.] Here is the BLM website to access the just published Draft Supplemental EIS on the Alton Development lease application expansion:.
Miscellany
Lego plans to go green and stop using plastic—by Walter Einenkel: "Our beloved Legos will be stepping into the modern age with a shift away from plastic and into more environmentally friendly materials. The toy company plans to invest $1 billion over the next 15 years as part of a broad effort to replace its iconic plastic building blocks with materials that are better for the environment. It will also make its packaging more sustainable. The company made 60 billion Lego pieces last year. So a little bit of change could go a long way to 'significantly reduce [Lego's] impact on the planet,' Lego said in a statement. The Danish company has been making more and more environmental overtures the past few years since activists began coming down hard on the company's 'suspect' environmental record. For example, the "Everything is not awesome" video that went viral, concerning Lego's deal to sell toys at Shell stations."
Flesh eating fungi—by SninkyPoo: "The more I read, the more I realize that we are about to enter territory where the rules will change, and change drastically, in ways that we may not be able to accurately predict. Writing back in December of 2012 on AlterNet, editor Tara Lohan—author of 'Water Matters: Why We Need to Act Now to Save Our Most Critical Resource'—presents five reasons that climate change is going to be more dangerous than we think. She starts with flesh eating fungi. Yes, FLESH EATING FUNGI. And this one isn't supposition. Ms. Lohan writes: After a powerful tornado hit Joplin, Missouri last May, 13 people were infected with Apophysomyces—five of them died. In other words, this isn't future fantasy—it's something that has already happened."