This is the 495th edition of the Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue) usually appears twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Here is the April 5 Green Spotlight. More than 26,835 environmentally oriented stories have been rescued to appear in this series since 2006. Inclusion of a story in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
OUTSTANDING GREEN STORIES
cwillis writes—100th anniversary of the radium paint industry, in photos: “In April 1917, the United States entered World War I, and a massive industrial demand immediately arose for a product that had existed only as a scientific curiosity: paint that glowed in the dark. Powered by the radioactive decay of radium, this toxic paint has a special prominence in the history of workplace safety regulation and workers’ compensation law in the United States. The radium paint episode lies at the nexus of competing American traditions of corporate greed and progressive social justice. It is a cautionary, Promethian tale of commercial technological advances outpacing deliberate exploration of the relevant hazards. Its lessons underlie the modern practice of workplace radiation safety central to my career as a nuclear engineer. In this post commemorating 100 years of the American radium paint industry, I will illustrate some of the landscapes associated with the nascent radium industry of a century ago, taken with my own camera (and there are historical photos thrown in for then-and-now comparisons).”
Besame writes—Daily Bucket: aerial catfish bombs in for a swim: “Some guy in Florida was chillaxing at home watching TV when CRASH BAM behind the house startled him. He ran out and saw that the screen roof of his patio was torn open. Below the ripped roof a catfish he’d never seen before swam laps in his pool. Who ya gonna call? The police of course, and amazingly they believed him (what goes on in Florida?). A cop actually came out and said ‘yeah wow, that’s a catfish in your swimming pool, and helped capture the visitor.’ It took 10 minutes to trap the 12-18 inch fish in a bucket. The cop took the bucket away and released the vagrant catfish at a nearby lake. How did a fish end up falling from the sky, through the patio roof, and into the swimming pool? After capture, the men noticed talon scrapes on the fish’s body and sagely decided an owl or hawk must have dropped the fish. I’m betting on osprey or bald eagle. This is Florida, however, where police respond to calls about itinerant catfish and I can’t begin to guess what all goes on there.”
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
enhydra lutris writes—The Daily Bucket - April(ish) Yard Report: “This is part of my ongoing project to document the changes in our yard from month to month. [...] We took a trip down the coast for 10 days in late March, and the changes were enough on our return that I decided to document them, so most of this is really March 25. However, we arre now going through daily change, so the latest ones are from April 2. So here we go.”datadata writes—Alien Green ... identify the ground cover: “OK. What’s this stuff, which is plentiful around here? My ability to describe plants verbally is nil, so here are a couple of photos. One farmer said it’s a variety of mint. Is it? I’ve grown mint (as in julep mint) before and this ain’t it, but it could be related.”
VeganMilitia writes—The Dosewallips Elk Herd and the SmileMobile, April 10: “As with many here on this site, I was hanging out reading comments this evening. Then the elk herd stopped by to graze outside the fence (which is far preferable to last week when one ended up inside the fence). The SmileMobile is visible parked at the school. Please always remember to smile.”
Angmar writes—The Daily Bucket: Northeast woodlands and bulbs in the snow: Photo diary.
RonK writes—The Daily Bucket: Herring Spawn Brings on the Birds: “Point Roberts, Salish Sea.Herring spawn is an exciting time for sea birds and other critters of the near shore ecosystem in the Salish Sea. I was tipped off by one of our local birders that there was a herring spawn going on with a great deal of ado involving thousands of birds. So, off I went. Although the sighting was in our county, I had to drive north through British Columbia and then back south into US territory to see this spectacle. But it was worth it. [...] Point Roberts is a little jut of US land nestled on the edge of the Georgia Strait, part of the Salish Sea. Across to the West and South are the Gulf Islands, Canada’s extension of our San Juan Island group with Vancouver Island further to the west. This particular Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) stock is one of 21 localized stocks in Puget Sound but this one is genetically diverse from the other twenty. Until the 1970s, this stock was the most prolific herring fishery in Puget Sound. This one might be the proverbial canary in the coal mine.”
Dan Bacher writes—Record low Klamath salmon run spurs Tribal, commercial and sport fishery closures: “Fishery scientists are expecting a record low return of fall-run Chinook salmon to the Klamath River this year, due to a combination of several years of drought, water diversions in the Klamath Basin and to the Sacramento River and the continued presence of the PacifiCorp dams. [...] The pre-season numbers released by Michael O’Farrell of the National Marine Fisheries Service in March estimate only 54,200 Klamath River fall Chinook adults and 230,700 Sacramento River fall Chinook adults will be in the ocean this year. Commercial fishermen and families and sport anglers are facing an “unmitigated disaster” in the Klamath Management Zone (KMZ) of the ocean extending from Humbug Mountain, Oregon to Horse Mountain, California, according to Noah Oppenheim, Executive Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations.”
MTmofo writes—A bald eagle landed on the branch of a tree: “outside my window this afternoon. No more than 100 feet away. He landed as some birds do, talons forward, body almost perpendicular and with a quick reverse thrust of his wings. He perched there for some time. He surveyed his realm, the forested land to his left, the still lake to his right. After a while, he began to preen. First scratching the left side of his face and neck with his talons. Then the right talons on the other side. Then he gave his head a vigorous shake. He swiveled his head to his back and ruffled and pecked at his back. Then he did the same across his chest. He sat quietly again, peering about. Then he started to lean forward, his wings hunching up like a person shrugs, his head was thrust forward, perhaps to take flight. Then he shat. Then he straightened back up, gave his tail feathers a vigorous shake and resumed his survey.”
owktree writes—Daily Bucket: Q is For… “Welcome to the seventeenth entry in our Backyard Science “Alphabet” series. Today’s Bucket is brought to you by the letter ‘Q’.”
Kestrel writes—Dawn Chorus: What are Your Colorful Birds? “So many birds are so colorful — and others are not — and research has shown that birds use color in different ways. They also see color differently than humans. What a great topic for a diary! Alas, that diary is not today’s. I just don’t have time and will save that as a future topic. Still, I thought we could use this edition of Dawn Chorus to share some of the colorful birds we have in our midst and use this as an open thread. Listed below are some of the more colorful birds I’ve seen from time-to-time. Spring is here, mating season is upon us, and some bird species are showing their finest colors at this time of year. What’s in your backyard, neighborhood or habitat? A few of mine are below to get us started.”
Michael Brune writes—A Matter of Wildlife and Death: “Last Monday, President Trump signed H.J. Res. 69, a joint House/Senate resolution that nullifies a Fish and Wildlife Service rule published last year. The overturned rule banned ‘predator control’ on or near federal wildlife refuges in Alaska unless, per the Fish and Wildlife Service, ‘it is determined necessary to meet refuge purposes; is consistent with Federal laws and policy; and is based on sound science in response to a conservation concern.’ Right off the bat, any rule mentioning ‘sound science’ is in trouble under a Trump administration. Add intense opposition from the National Rifle Association, and it’s amazing that it took Congress and Trump this long to attack it. So what kinds of practices will the Trump administration now allow on our federal wildlife refuges? Activities that include shooting or trapping wolves while in their dens with pups, killing bear cubs or mothers with cubs, hunting for grizzly bears from airplanes, baiting grizzly bears with food, and trapping bears with cruel leg-hold traps or wire snares.”
Wagatwe writes—Trump officially ends ban on hunting bears and their cubs during hibernation: “The GOP really has a knack for supporting policies that promote death: worse healthcare, fewer environmental protections, and now...killing hibernating bears. This Monday, Trump signed a law that rolled back Obama’s ban against hunting hibernating bears—because nothing says ‘FREEDOM!’ like killing defenseless animals. HuffPo reports: Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who introduced the measure, argued that states’ rights were being infringed upon by the rule. ‘We have to recognize this is not about the little polar bears, the little grizzly bears or wolves on television, this is about the state’s right to manage — not allowing the federal government to do so,’ Young said in testimony in February. ‘We want to be able to take and manage our fish and game for the sustainable yield — so that our fish and game will be there forever’.’”
enhydra lutris writes—The Daily Bucket - New spider species discovered in Baja: “ OK, I will not include any spidey pictures here but … This is based on a picture and film containing article here. The article is titled: Baseball-sized spider discovered in Baja California mine. Everybody got that? If you're arachnophobic, take a pass on the linked article. It appears that scientists from the San Diego Museum of Natural History (a pretty cool museum, btw) were poking around in a mine shaft in Baja, California when they came across one big motha spider. (big motha is an entomological term or art, or endearment, I forget which).”
CLIMATE CHAOS
FishOutofWater writes—Arctic Sea Ice March Volume Has Collapsed in 2017 after the Two Warmest Arctic Winters: “The annual volume of sea ice in the Arctic peaks every year around the end of April, but this year the peak will be 8% to 10% below the previous record low, based on the stunning record low volume at the end of March, 2017. The cause of the drop is both obvious and complicated. The obvious cause is the record warm weather of the past two cold seasons in the Arctic. The changes in the weather patterns causing this record warmth are complicated. Simply stated, ocean storms have carried record amounts of heat from both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans into the Arctic. Storm tracks the past two winters have repeatedly blown warm humid air northwards from the oceans to the Arctic. A feed back between record low sea ice amounts and warm storms may have developed over the past decade because open water supports the intensification and northward movement of storms. Research studies have found that huge bubbles of warm air called blocking highs are more likely to develop as sea ice retreats in the seas on the Atlantic side of the Arctic. The blocking highs weaken the polar vortex, allowing cold air to escape from Siberia and warm air to enter the Arctic from over the Atlantic ocean. This winter the blocking patterns were exceptionally strong on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the Arctic, bring record warmth to the region from 80º N to the north pole.”
AndySchmookler writes—It's Time for Corporate America to Speak Up on Climate Change: “It has been established beyond a reasonable doubt – by thousands of scientists across the globe -- that our destabilized climate poses what is quite possibly the greatest threat to human civilization we’ve ever faced. But on this issue most of mighty corporate America remains silent. Of course, one part of the corporate world has been anything but silent. The fossil fuel corporations – among the richest entities in the world – have engaged in a decades-long campaign of public disinformation, trying to sow great doubt where the science leaves vanishingly little room for doubt.”
tapu dali writes—Keeling curve: “No comment: the facts speak for themselves. As I said 2 years ago, we’ll never see < 400 ppm CO2 again.”
alterego55 writes—200K Scientists Profess Man Made Climate Change; A Few Dozen From the Fossil Fuel Industry Disagree: “There are over 200 professional scientific organizations around the world, mostly funded by membership dues from hundreds of thousands of member scientists. Overwhelmingly, these organizations profess the anthropocentric influence on climate change. On the State of California website, you can link to a list of 197 worldwide scientific organizations that agree with the position that mankind has significant influence over climate change. The following is just a sample list of a few predominant American institutions and professional organizations that have made public statements affirming the anthropocentric causes of climate change: National Aeronautics and Space Administration; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; American Association for the Advancement of Science; American Chemical Society; American Geophysical Union; American Medical Association; American Meteorological Society; American Physical Society; The Geological Society of America; U.S. National Academy of Sciences; Union of Concerned Scientists. Contrast that with the dozen or so opposition ‘think tanks’ which are funded primarily by the fossil fuel industry — The vast majority of the climate change ‘scientific research’ performed by these think tanks is funded by Koch Industries or ExxonMobil or both.”
Pakalolo writes—World's largest glacier, Jakobshavn, more vulnerable to ice loss then previously thought: “Jakobshavn Glacier drains 6.5% of the Greenland ice sheet and produces around 10% of all Greenland icebergs. Some 35 billion tons of icebergs calve off and pass out of the fjord every year, but a new study says the glacier loss could increase by 50%. This is horrible news for coastal cities as they face rising sea levels. And the Trump Administration plans to eliminate the ability of coastal cities to adapt. The EPA is reportedly closing down a unit focused on preparing for the effects of climate change, such as sea-level rise. Scott Pruitt, Donald Trump’s EPA Secretary justified the decision by saying that adaptation should be conducted at the local, not federal, level.”
ybruti writes—‘We’re scared’: Sea-level rise prompts Senate hearing in West Palm Beach: “On April 10 in West Palm Beach, the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, Bill Nelson, chaired a hearing on sea level rise and extreme weather. More than 200 people attended the hearing. Senator Nelson, accompanied by U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Boca Raton) and the mayors of West Palm Beach Mayor and Palm Beach County, explained the reason for the hearing: ‘While there are some who continue to deny that climate change is real, South Florida offers proof that it is real and it’s an issue we’re going to have to confront in the decades ahead…. we sit at Ground Zero for the impacts of climate change in the United States.’ Noting that three-quarters of Florida’s residents live near its 1,200 miles of coastline, Nelson said Florida is more vulnerable than any other state in the continental U.S. to rising sea levels, which are already causing frequent flooding.”
Queries writes—Bernie TV - Bernie Sanders Interviews Bill Nye on Climate Science: "’There is a lot of sentiment that enough is enough, that we need fundamental changes, that the establishment — whether it is the economic establishment, the political establishment or the media establishment — is failing the American people’."
ClimateDenierChange writes—Friday Flashback: Lamar’s Laments, Website Woes, ExxonKnew About Icebergs: “The future is scary. Instead of facing it, let’s look backwards for a minute! Remember that House Science committee hearing last week, where even deniers acknowledge that the single representative of sanity, Dr. Mann, outperformed the three fringe witnesses? Well, the debunkings continue to roll in. Dana Nuccitelli at the Guardian has a fun takedown of a less-than-fun hearing by playing up the pop culture references (themselves something of a flashback). Then there’s the newest Evidence Squared podcast by George Mason University’s Dr. John Cook (of 97% fame) and Peter Jacobs. The podcast’s theme is the social science of communicating scientific evidence (thus the name, evidence about evidence), and for this episode they look at the hearing as a vessel for promoting anti-science ideas. Remember when the federal government was a trusted source of scientific information and data? When Americans could be proud of our national parks and celebrated international diplomacy? Those were the days, right?”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Delingpole Defends Racist, Koch Group Co-opts Feminism for Fossil Fuels: ”From Pepsi’s protest ad blunder to United’s “re-accomodation” nightmare to Sean Spicer’s four-times-clarified comments yesterday, PR missteps seem to be the hot new thing. Never wanting to miss a terrible trend, the Koch-funded ‘Independence Institute’ is holding an art contest for Earth Day, Think Progress reported this week. But instead of celebrating technologies that are good for the planet the Institute instructs that submissions should ‘showcase the awesomeness of fossil fuels.’ Amy Cooke, the group’s executive vice president and director of the Energy Policy Center, told Think Progress the contest is ‘rooted in inclusivity.’ Cooke continued: /As an energy feminist — pro-choice in energy sources — I feel it’s important to have hydrocarbons equally represented.’ Yes. Because promoting products whose pollution disproportionately impacts women is totes super feminist.”
birches writes—Calling All Science Teachers: “From Frontline comes an article detailing how The Heartland Institute is sending copies of Why Scientists Disagree About Global Warming, with an accompanying DVD, to 25,000 public school science teachers every 2 weeks until every teacher has a copy. Unsurprisingly, The Heartland Institute publication rejects: ‘the human role in climate change ... arguing instead that rising temperatures have been caused primarily by natural phenomena.’You can find the entire Frontline article here. The Heartland Institute is sending these books out now, and science teachers are already starting to get this junk mail at their schools. But there’s a tried and true way to deal with unwanted junk mail! The U.S. Post Office FAQ regarding unwanted/unsolicited mail states: If you have not opened the mailpiece, you may mark it ‘Return to Sender,’ and the United States Postal Service will return it with no additional charge to you.”
Extreme Weather & Natural Phenomena
Wagatwe writes—After devastating wildfires destroyed livelihoods in the Midwest, ranchers ask 'where's Trump?' “Ranchers and their families are living under the threat of losing their livelihoods thanks to wind-driven wildfires in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The fires have been so bad that seven lives and homes were lost—and big chunks of ranchers’ cattle herds. According to the New York Times, the lack of attention from the media and, more specifically, President Trump has left his devastated supporters feeling pretty bitter (emphasis mine): Beyond the toll of the fire, a frustration also crops up in conversation after conversation. Ranchers said they felt overlooked amid the tumult in Washington, and were underwhelmed by the response of a new president who had won their support in part by promising to champion America’s ‘forgotten men and women.’ ‘This is the country that elected Donald Trump,” said Garth Gardiner, driving a pickup across the 48,000-acre Angus beef ranch he runs with his two brothers. They lost about 500 cows in the fires. “I think he’d be doing himself a favor to come out and visit us.’ I’m not going to say ‘I told ya so’—they’re already going through enough and they clearly are seeing the true, selfish Trump in action.”
OCEANS, WATER, DROUGHT
Idontknowwhy writes—An enormous loss’: 900 miles of the Great Barrier Reef have bleached severely since 2016: “Oh we have so screwed ourselves. Scientists just back from a 5,000 mile aircraft survey of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef pronounced a dire verdict Sunday: Warm waters have severely bleached large swaths of its corals for the second year in a row in a deadly one-two punch. In 2016, two thirds of corals in the northern sector of the reef died after severe bleaching from unusually warm waters. Now this year, researchers with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Queensland, who reported the previous findings, say that the reef’s central sector has been hit by another year of damaging warmth.”
Dan Bacher writes—Feds Adopt West Coast Salmon Seasons: “The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) at its meeting in Sacramento today adopted ocean salmon season recommendations that offer some recreational and commercial opportunities for most of the West Coast. Due to low ocean abundance forecasts, the Klamath Management Zone (KMZ) from Cape Falcon, Oregon, to Horse Mountain, California, will be completely closed to the take of Chinook salmon this season. The recommendations will be forwarded to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for approval by May 1, 2017. This year’s run of Klamath River fall Chinook salmon is projected to be the smallest in history- 11,000 fish, about 10% of average for the last 3 decades. "Before colonization, scientists estimated that over 1.2 million salmon returned to the Klamath annually," according to Craig Tucker, Natural Resources Policy Advocate for the Karuk Tribe.”
gmoke writes—One Way to Protect and Regenerate Coral Reefs: “Coral Survival On Biorock Reefs After Severe Bleaching In Indonesia. Time to try it on the Great Barrier Reef too? Maybe the Global Coral Reef Alliance would know.”
CANDIDATES, STATE AND DC ECO-RELATED POLITICS
A Siegel writes—#TX21: Another sign of why @GOP is running scared ... (w/serious #climate/#science element): “Texas' 21st congressional district, part of horrific GOP gerrymandering to deny Austin-area Texans true Democracy and real opportunities for political choices, is one of those districts. Currently occupied by the rabidly anti-science Lamar Smith, who has essentially coasted for victory, prospects are that Smith will face a very serious challenger come 2018. In addition to a likely effort by his 2016 challenger Tom Wakely, Army veteran and clean-energy advocate Joseph Kopser is (very openly) toying with throwing his hat in the ring. Kopser is explicitly making Smith's maniacal anti-climate science crusade core to his messaging: defeat one of the most anti-science politicians in Congress. I want to help move this country forward, which means supporting science and business while taking climate change seriously.”
Jen Hayden writes—Congressman leaves stage to a chorus of boos after saying the jury is still out on climate change: “One constituent asked [Arizona Rep. Andy] Biggs — a member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee — about his climate change denials and when Biggs stuck by his stance that the jury is still out, the chorus of boos grew louder: In a halting answer frequently interrupted with boos, Biggs said he read reports from people who believe in climate change as well as those who don’t. ‘I think that what they say is actually valid and is something that maybe you should look at as well,’ he said. ‘There are credible scientists who say climate change exists; we aren’t sure why. There are credible scientists who say that. There are credible scientists who say it doesn’t.’”
WILDERNESS, NATIONAL FORESTS AND PARKS & OTHER PUBLIC LANDS
Dan Bacher writes—Jerry Brown to meet with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke about water, fire & public lands: “Governor Jerry Brown will meet with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in Sacramento this Thursday — and many opponents of the Delta Tunnels fear that that one of the major points of discussion will be the controversial California WaterFix project. In an an email to me this afternoon, Heather Swift, Department of Interior spokesperson said, ‘The Secretary plans to discuss water, fire and public lands priorities’ during his meeting with Brown. The meeting will take place before Zinke travels to Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks on Thursday and Friday.”
ENERGY
Fossil Fuels
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Just Another Manic Monday: Offshore Drilling EO Teased, as are Tech Fixes for Trolls: “Interior Secretary Zinke told an industry conference last week that President Trump is in the process of reading an executive order to facilitate offshore drilling, according to Bloomberg’s Jennifer Dlouhy. Details are still scant, but word is that Trump will put millions of acres of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans up for lease, and may take a shot at undoing President Obama’s December decision to put 125 million acres of the Arctic ocean off limits. The 1953 law invoked in that decision has no provision for revocation, so this would be uncharted territory for Trump that would undoubtedly end up in court.”
CwV writes—Big Coal wants to stay in the Paris Accords?!?! “I heard, in passing on NPR this AM, that Peabody Energy and Cloud Peak (two massive coal companies) were urging the tRump misAdministration to reverse their plan to pull out of the Paris Accords. WHAT!?!?! They want a seat at the energy table in international negotiations, not to be outside the window watching the rest of the world move away from their rapine practice. And they want (presumably government money and) research into ways to reduce coal’s carbon dioxide footprint (good luck wit dat).”
Renewables, Efficiency & Conservation
SouthernLeveller writes—Trump Can't Stop the (Green Energy) Revolution! “Coal is dying everywhere, including right here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky where coal jobs are lower than at any time since 1898! As Robert Reich recently pointed out, coal only employs 56,000 people nationwide in 2016 (down from 185, 000 in 1985). Even in West Virginia, as Paul Krugman reminded us, coal mining is only 3% of the state’s jobs—and WV is the heart of coal country in the USA. Apparently, irony is also dying since the Kentucky Coal Museum is now run on solar power to save money. In 2012, the National Coal Museum of Wales also switched to solar power. And Saudi Arabia (yes, SAUDI ARABIA!) now uses solar power to pump the Kingdom’s oil! Trump can work his heart out to destroy Obama’s Clean Power Plan, but he can’t stop the Green Energy revolution. His god, the MARKET, has ruled against him. The costs of renewable energy sources, especially solar and wind, have fallen so sharply that, even without subsidies, they are the cheapest forms of energy anywhere.”
fandorka writes—How Dumb Is Florida Power And Light? This Dumb: “You might think Florida Power & Light (FPL) would have at least learned how to leave no fingerprints when they try to mess with the rooftop-solar industry in the state. You would be wrong. Oh, SO wrong. Reporting in this morning’s Tampa Bay Times by the indispensable Mary Ellen Klas indicates that FPL has once again tried to kill the rooftop-solar industry in the state by ‘suggesting’ language for House Bill (HB) 1351 that would impose onerous and nearly unworkable restrictions on third-party solar installers hoping to capitalize on Florida residents’ desire to control their own electricity choices.”
REGULATIONS & PROTECTIONS
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—It Takes All Kinds of Fruit To Make Fruit Salad (Just Eat Around The Rotten Ones): “To stave off the depression and alcoholism that’s plaguing the EPA (and the rest of us), let’s find some good news! Here’s something that, while not fun, is at least a little punny. Last week, a couple of protesters brought oranges to a Scott Pruitt event to protest his decision to ignore the EPA’s own science and decline a ban on the pesticide chlorpyrifos. Rachel Leven for Bloomberg BNA ended her short write-up with the perfect kicker: ‘No word yet on whether they consider their protest to be fruitful.’ Then there’s the somewhat surprising good news that Congress is apparently having some trouble drumming up the votes to repeal a regulation requiring the fossil fuel industry to stop wasting methane that is a byproduct of the drilling process. So that’s nice, since a repeal would mean that there couldn’t be any similar methane regulation in the future. Hopefully, this will go down as a lemon.”
Mark Sumner writes—EPA ending program to prepare for climate change: “The Trump regime is halting all efforts to prevent climate change, eliminating programs to monitor climate change, even forbidding agencies from using the phrase climate change. So it’s only logical that they should also close down the only program directed at helping states deal with the inevitable collision with this freight train they’re not even attempting to slow. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is shutting down a program at its headquarters that helps states and localities adapt to the effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels. Because there’s no need to prepare for a Chinese hoax. And also because fighting rising sea levels and changing weather conditions is much easier when it all comes as a surprise.”
Mark Sumner writes—EPA staff 'in the dumps,' situation at agency 'bleak': “One of the few benefits of leaving a job is that you get to tell the truth to the people you’ve worked for: ‘I, along with many EPA staff, are becoming increasing alarmed about the direction of EPA under your leadership … ‘ [Mike] Cox said in a letter to Pruitt. ‘The policies this Administration is advancing are contrary to what the majority of the American people, who pay our salaries, want EPA to accomplish, which are to ensure the air their children breath is safe; the land they live, play, and hunt on to be free of toxic chemicals; and the water they drink, the lakes they swim in, and the rivers they fish in to be clean.’The thing about an agency like the EPA, is that when you staff a place to enforce environmental laws, it tends to attract people with an interest in … enforcing environmental laws. Those people also tend to be knowledgeable in environmental science and prone to acting based with the real, scientific data that their jobs produce. So when a new regime comes along that doesn’t value the environment, doesn’t value science, doesn’t value facts, and doesn’t value them, the resulting attitude in the agency can be a bit less than peak.”
Mark Sumner writes—Scott Pruitt cuts other programs at EPA to fund his own personal guard: “Nothing says secure in your own position like being followed around by a team of your own special guards. While the draft budget for the EPA obtained by the Washington Post this month shows massive cuts to environment, health, and climate change programs—including the elimination of a program to prevent childhood exposure to lead paint—it also includes a request to hire 10 additional security guards to create an around-the-clock personal security detail for Pruitt, The New York Times reports. This Pruitorian Guard would be a first for an EPA director. In fact, it would be twice the size of the security staff for the whole agency. Just who is Pruitt worried about?”
ECO-ACTION & ECO JUSTICE
boatsie writes—Week of Action Precedes 4/29 People's Climate March: “It’s been almost three years since an estimated 400,000 participated in the historic Peoples Climate March on the eve of the UN Climate Change Summit in New York City. 2014 represented a pivotal shift in US climate change policy in the run up to the signing of Paris Agreement. We wake up in an unrecognizable world today. In less than 100 days of the new administration, we’ve witnessed an heretofore unimaginable assault on our values, accomplishments, and dreams. Beginning on Earth Day, April 22, The March for Science kicks off a week of action dedicated to: Resisting the policies of the new administration and the attacks on science and evidence. Building momentum to encourage civic engagement. Rising as a powerful movement to ‘protect science, people ,and the planet.’ The week culminates with the second People’s Climate March on April 29th, the 100th Day of the Trump administration.”
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & GARDENING
jayden writes—Saturday Morning Garden Blogging: Non-Chaotic Random Spring Edition: “=It’s hard to believe we’re into the second week of April already. Spring is just flying by which isn’t all that surprising considering here in Central Texas it began in mid-January. The temperatures have been consistently well-above average for months on end but fortunately we’ve also had slightly above-normal rainfall as well so everything is green and lush. Thankfully this past week was blissfully seasonal with warm (but not-too-hot) bright and sunny days. Recent nights have had just enough chill in the air to remind you that it’s not quite summer yet; it’s definitely preferable to having overnight lows reaching the 70s in March! My work in the garden has been somewhat sporadic and relatively unstructured this year. I do what needs to get done when the mood strikes. It’s turning out more successful than I anticipated and I’m finishing projects in a timely manner.”
TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
committed writes—Trump Wants 99 Percent Cut In Fuel And Emission Testing Budget: “Automakers are concerned the cut could delay new vehicle certifications. If President Donald Trump’s proposed budget gets a green light, it would pretty much wipe out vehicle emissions and fuel economy testing done by the Environmental Protection Agency. In budget documents recently posted online by the Washington Post, the Trump Administration is proposing a $48 million cut in federal funding for EPA vehicle and fuel testing certification. That equates to a 99 percent cut in the program’s funding. To offset at least some of that, the proposal would require automakers and engine manufacturers to pay more for required testing. There is no official word on just how much those fees would be, but automakers are said to have concerns over certification delays and getting new vehicles to customers.”
Walter Einenkel writes—Trump's infrastructure plan and budget cuts will eliminate trains for 220 American towns and cities: “Donald Trump doesn’t take trains. He takes cars and planes. About a month ago, Trump’s new secretary of transportation Elaine Chao halted the grant allowing California to proceed with a commuter rail electrification project. That move, along with Trump’s proposed budget cuts, forced a very serious response from the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP), who represent 40 million passenger train users—let’s call them ‘American citizens.’ ‘It’s ironic that President Trump’s first budget proposal undermines the very communities whose economic hardship and sense of isolation from the rest of the country helped propel him into office,” said NARP President Jim Mathews. “These working class communities—many of them located in the Midwest and the South—were tired of being treated like ‘flyover country.’ But by proposing the elimination of Amtrak’s long distance trains, the Trump Administration does them one worse, cutting a vital service that connects these small town economies to the rest of the U.S. These hard working, small town Americans don’t have airports or Uber to turn to; they depend on these trains.’ ‘What’s more, these proposed cuts come as President Trump continues to promise that our tax dollars will be invested in rebuilding America's infrastructure,’ continued Mathews. ‘Instead, we have seen an all-out assault on any project—public and private—that would advance passenger rail.’”
MISCELLANY
Eric Nelson writes—TRMS exclusive on Trump/Pruitt memos: EPA must answer to PetroChemical/Insecticide "stakeholders": “Rachel Maddow and team dug into the two memos that new EPA head and republican Scott Pruitt circulated as his response to Trumps recent executive order: Pr*sidential Executive Order on Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda. Pruitt’s response was addressed to all EPA officials from top to bottom. Maddow obtains apparent EPA memos on plan to eliminate regulations— April 4th, 2017/ Rachel Maddow reports on a pair of memos believed to be from the EPA describing the new system and schedule for eliminating environmental regulations.”
Desert Scientist writes—Earth! “The microorganisms of soils are legion and very poorly studied, especially in the tropics. E. O. Wilson once remarked [...] that if he could start his life over he would concentrate on microbial ecology, and I believe that soil organisms would certainly be at the front in this effort. Dry soils have less to offer than wet soils, which can harbor diatoms, various other protists, rotifers, molds, and many other creatures, but even dry soils may contain seeds, eggs of Triops and related brine shrimp and many microorganisms as spores or desiccated resting stages. We simply are not as aware of the complex biodiversity of soils as we are of the forests and deserts on and above the ground level. Earth also, of course, contains rock and some areas are covered with a rocky surface, either as solid outcrops, lava beds, and flat bedrock, or as boulders, rocks and pebbles. Parts of deserts are often covered with ‘desert pavement’ or surfaces of medium to small-sized rocks with a dark patina or ‘desert lacquer’ caused by years of exposure. Volcanoes form vast areas of lava beds (igneous rocks), and these are common in the western United States. Here in the Pacific Northwest our skylines are dominated by Cascade stratovolcanoes like Mount Baker and Rainier. Many rock layers were deposited by rivers, lakes and seas as sedimentary rocks, and both main rock types can be changed by heat and pressure into metamorphic rock.”
Tankman36 writes—Political Limerick - Abolish Clean Air:
”We must show the Dems that we won
That life is about to get fun
Abolish clean air
What do we care
If lots of smog blots out the sun?“
Meteor Blades writes—Center for Biological Diversity, Grijalva sue Trump regime over eco-damage border wall could cause: “A couple of days ago, Eliza Barclay and Sarah Frostenson at Vox took a look at the ecological damage that might be caused if Pr*sident Trump’s proposed border wall with Mexico gets built. On Wednesday the Center for Biological Diversity and Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, sued the Trump regime and called on federal agencies to undertake a comprehensive probe into the proposed wall’s negative environmental impacts.”