At Conservation Magazine, Douglas Fox writes:
People construct fences, sometimes across whole continents, on the poetic assumption that good fences make good neighbors. Unfortunately, for wildlife, gated communities are rarely tranquil.
A three-meter fence, anchored by sections of railroad track driven like stakes into the ground, cuts across South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province.
On one side sits Addo Park, a thriving slice of wilderness containing the largest elephant population in the region. These beasts, with their rare tuskless females, represent a gem of biodiversity unique among Africa’s elephants. Just meters away on the other side of the fence stands row upon row of orange trees sagging heavily with fruit.
This fence might as well separate an oil refinery from a raging brush fire—such is the notorious appetite of elephants for citrus that they would long since have raided those orchards. Only the fence, packing 8,000 volts of gentle persuasion, has protected those trees.
By keeping citrus trees alive, this fence has also kept the elephants alive. It was conflict with farmers and trains which nearly extinguished Addo’s elephants 80 years ago. The construction of the fence between 1931 and 1954 saved these pachyderms from farmers’ guns and from themselves. Since 1931, the population has grown from 11 animals to over 400. "Good fences make good neighbors," goes the Robert Frost poem—and this African parable seems to confirm it.
But within this quiet gated community called Addo Elephant Park lurk the beginnings of a crisis. Confinement created an ecological echo chamber which transformed the mix of species, the topography of the land, and even the fundamental nature of elephant society. Elephant-on-elephant homicide has soared in recent years, and the fat pads on these beasts’ rumps have deflated. The slow-moving crisis threatens to turn these keystone herbivores into malnourished paupers. It’s just one example of how well-intended fences can exert unintended effects. |
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The diary rescue begins below and continues in the jump.
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gmoke gave us the skinny on 2008 Energy Use in the USA: "According to Lawrence Livermore National Lab, energy use in the USA declined in 2008: The estimated U.S. energy use in 2008 equaled 99.2 quadrillion BTUs ("quads"), down from 101.5 quadrillion BTUs in 2007. ... Of the 99.2 quads consumed, only 42.15 ended up as energy services. That's a gross efficiency of 42.49%. We waste more energy than we use. Tell me again why we shouldn't be concentrating our efforts on energy efficiency and resource conservation?"
rb137 GreenRoots: Be safe, leave no trace.: "What is here contains some quick tips and hints for new hikers and backpackers -- many are things that a hiker needs to know for safety, but some are things that worry new hikers, and others will keep them out of a tough spot. There are a few comfort tips, too. Much is specific to overnight camping, but a lot of it applies to day trips, as well. [Example:] Hike with a buddy: It is true that many hikers take to the woods alone -- my husband is one who likes solo trips, and has taken several long treks by himself. While this is great adventure for a seasoned backpacker, let me suggest that going into the wilderness alone is a risk. And that risk is greater with lack of experience. Ask me about how we almost lost my husband to a bog in Scotland."
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The Overnight News Digest is posted. Included is the story, Roadside Dope Tester Promises To Make You Even More Paranoid.
In a thorough explanation of his favorite project, Stranded Wind talked about his namesake Stranded Wind: Problem Defined, Solved: "Stranded wind, as a concept, is simple enough: it’s a wind energy resource found in an area that lacks the population to consume the energy produced and also lacking the transmission resources to get the energy to a market. ... So the upper plains are the Saudi Arabia of wind, but we’ve got no way to get it to market, at least not on power lines. We went looking for things that could be done locally and ammonia jumped right out as the best choice. We use eighteen million tons a year in the U.S. with 90% of it going for fertilization, primarily for the corn and wheat crops. Our thinking in this area culminated in the National Renewable Ammonia Architecture, but we didn’t draw a solid connection between ammonia production and wind energy."
Unhappy with an administration ruling, caldreaming wrote EPA Approves Reduced Farmland Refuge for New Genetically Engineered Corn: "This really sucks. Earlier this week, Monsanto and its partner, a division of the Dow Chemical Company, received registration from the EPA and regulatory authorization from CFIA. The decisions allow a reduction of structured farm refuge from 20 percent to 5 percent for SmartStax in the U.S. Corn Belt and in Canada. The refuge reduction in the U.S. Cotton Belt would drop from 50 percent to 20 percent. We are disappointed that the Obama EPA has caved to industry pressure like this. We think that Genetically Engineered foods are a threat to our health and environment. While it is nice that Michelle Obama has planted an organic garden, we really want to see more from the Obama administration in terms of food policy, and we think that this cave is a move in the wrong direction."
greenman3610 posted another Climate Denial Crock of the Week - Creepy at the EP(a): "In june of 2009, a story surfaced about the alleged suppression by the US EPA of information related to climate change. The source of the information was reported to be one Dr. Alan Carlin, who, although a real EPA analyst, was in fact, an economist, not a scientist. Distortions of the story, from the usual sources, began almost immediately."
winterbanyan talked about Going Green and Going Insane: "Okay. So I live on future beachfront property. Considering the recent nose-dive in property values, I sometimes hope the oceans rise thirty feet in the next five years just so I can get out of here. (Note to investors... help me break even and you can own the future beachfront property yourself. It has charm now, it'll have even more then, even if we lose our Florida panthers, turkeys, deer, bobcats, armadillos and alligators...all of which reside now in my backyard. But heck, they'll be replaced with gulls, terns, sandpipers, sea oats and... oh, manta rays. Fair trade!) But back to the grocery store. I've always made a kind of effort to buy stuff in containers that I can recycle. Despite my efforts, however, 'waste not, want not' is counter corporate. At least to judge by what I face."
the fan man took a professional's look at Blight and the limits of Organic Farming: "(A quick note of introduction: I've worked with owners of over a hundred small to mid-sized conventional, sustainable and organic farms in the northeast over the last thirty years. I’ve helped manage an organic nfp farm, picked bugs off of green beans and picked apples alongside Jamaican migrant workers and two guys I’d swear were the real life studies for Beavis and Butthead.) This has been a difficult growing season in the northeast. Record cold in both June and July has kept crops from maturing, record rains have caused flooding and disease. As a farmer down the road from me put it, 'It's enough to make you start talking to yourself.' The mother of all fungal diseases, late blight, is making headlines this year. [It's] is a killer of members in the solanum family, including tomatoes and potatoes though it attacks everything from papaya to avocado. It moves quickly and can destroy a crop in a matter of days."
Eclectablog reported on Carol Browner on Detroit Automakers: "So Much Optimism!": "Former head of the EPA and Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, Carol Browner, was in Michigan yesterday to talk to Detroit vehicle manufacturers about the future of the industry. She was invited by freshman Representative Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield) who has recently introduced legislation called ADVANCED VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY ACT that will inject $550 million into the Dept. of Energy for research and development of the next generation of energy efficient vehicles."
A Siegel announced Now I'm outraged ...: "The breaking news in the lobbying world last Friday: lobbying firm Bonner & Associates had forged letters from minority organizations to send to Representative Tom Perriello (D-VA) in opposition to the American Clean Energy & Security Act. Now, of course, it is all an intern's fault (or is it a temp worker ... or a contract employee ... oh, it really doesn't matter since this goes againstBonner's long-standing practice of, well, engaging in deceptive and questionable lobbying practices.)"
Josh Nelson was also irked that 3 Members of Congress Received Fraudulent Letters Paid for By Coal Companies: "Six forged letters, all sent to Congressman Perriello, had been acknowledged previously. While Congressman Perriello remained unswayed by the letters, and voted in support of the legislation, Reps. Dahlkemper and Carney both did not. This raises the very real possibility that Members of Congress were influenced by fraudulent letters paid for by the coal industry, and voted against environmental regulation as a result of this influence. Given the razor thin margin and last-minute negotiations surrounding the House vote, this was a clear attempt by both Bonner and Associates and ACCCE to subvert the Democratic process."
Neighbor2 pondered The luxury of not knowing: "Denial of the implications of climate change has its charms, most especially perhaps for those who are most knowledgeable about the science.
To understand why, consider the experience of Robert Sabbag, a writer who survived an air crash and was interviewed yesterday on radio about his book Down About Midnight. The crash occurred thirty years ago in dense fog."
bklynarch offered some worries about Another Climate Rubicon: "While we dither in driving down our carbon emissions there was always some comfort in the fact that while India's and China's emissions are rapidly growing, on a per capita basis they were still low. And they are low. Yet an ominous milestone seems certain to be reached quite soon.
A ton of "cash for clunkers" diarists weighed in on Tuesday, and not all of them had good things to say about the program.
For instance, in a diary filled with a couple of hundred angry commenters, Athena Sword labeled the program A despicable waste.: "See, there are lots of people – like me – who have to make do with older vehicles simply because there is no way we can afford a new one. And, frankly, I was envious of some of the ‘clunkers’ on the lot, including a sweet little BMW – yes a BMW. While there were a few lumbering, beat-up Chevy Suburban-type rides, the majority of the ‘clunkers’ were better than what I currently drive: a 1999 Ford Explorer which is on the certified clunker list. My Explorer has been a great vehicle that has given me nearly 170.000 fairly trouble-free miles ... so far. According to my MPG i-Phone app it gets between 19-20 MPG. According to the government numbers it gets 16 MPG. ...Besides the waste of decent cars that could be given to poor people driving around the wrecks held together with bailing wire and duct tape – you know ones that are really spewing exhaust – there’s the environmental impact. Vehicles are filled with all kinds of toxic stuff that must be safely disposed of. Plus, there are things like plastic parts that simply have to taken to the landfill. Add to that the transportation costs in fuel to move the clunkers the fuel to power the furnaces that melt them down ... I mean how much "benefit" are we talking about except for the stockholders of auto companies ... which would be the government in the case of those bailed out?"
And firenze explained why s/he is pissed off about Cash for Clunkers: "I'm getting shafted because I didn't buy a gas-guzzling pig. Because my car didn't contribute enough to pollution and global warming. So, I'm not eligible for thousands of dollars in government subsidies when I buy my new car. Because I made a somewhat socially responsible choice last time. Because my car gets more than 18 mpg. You know what? That sucks. Tax dollars from all of us who didn't damage the environment enough to qualify, will go to help those who didn't give a rat's ass about getting good mileage. So I can help those who made the most selfish of choices better afford their shiny new fuel-efficient vehicles."
Most diarists, however, think the program is a good idea.
ZachPruckowski gave us Three Great Reasons to Extend Cash for Clunkers. HairyTrueMan likes it because it means his girlfriend, emerging from a divorce, will be able to afford a fuel-efficient car she couldn’t buy otherwise.
bigtimecynic explained The Misunderstood Math of the program: "The Bottom Line – Now sure, the best upgrade of all would be to go from the 17 mpg clunker right up to the hybrid. That's obvious. But that's not the point here. ... [T]he Cash for Clunkers program for people who like larger vehicles can yield serious reductions in gasoline use on par with upgrading from a conventional car to a hybrid... and I sure don't hear many complaints around here about hybrid car tax incentives."
jbigss urged Obama and allies to use "Cash for Clunkers" to attack GOP Senators: "My hunch is that the Senate is likely to approve the money for this program even without Obama going on offense, and even without John McCain's vote. But why not take advantage of the situation by naming Republicans who are dragging their feet? McCain deserves no better, especially after coming out against Sotomayor yesterday."
And pixelpusher had an idea for some ammo to use in this offensive in Remember "Cash for SUVs?": "While John McCain rants about how the new Cash for Clunkers program is going to bankrupt his children and grandchildren, it might be interesting to recall that under the Bush administration, there was another kind of cash for clunkers program available. It was, of course, a subsidy for the rich to buy the most inefficient vehicles possible ..."
Davidsfr let us know that the Senate Will Save Cash for Clunkers: "Harry Reid has publicly stated that the Senate will vote to continue the CARS program before they recess. This is confirmed by Mitch McConnell, as repubs appear to be smart enough not to try to block this popular program. Here is the article. One thing that is of some concern is this sentence at the very end: But their agreement depended on whether Reid would allow them to make changes to a House-passed bill to infuse the program with $2 billion.