Welcome to the eKos Earthship, your one-stop-shop for green diaries and series.
Beneath the fold you will find announcements, today's eco-diary roundup, a news item, and our environmental images of the day.
You can also follow us on Twitter!
Tonight's editor: ellinorianne
"Singing for the Planet"
If you haven't heard, WarrenS (whose climate letters we sometimes post in the Earthship) has organized a concert to benefit 350.org to be held on Saturday, June 12 at 7:00 pm. The location will be Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury Street, Boston, MA. For more details, check out this diary by WarrenS!
Thanks to the Natural Resource Defense Council, we have the best of Tony Hayward, in video. He's said so many things that have made many of us not just angry, but beyond pissed. His denial of under water plumes, repeatedly and the use of technologies that don't mix, like oil and water (ekos pointed out an article on May 17th that Boom and Dispersants aren't compatible and yet, guess what, they're still doing both with little success).
He's so out of touch, so out of step with what is happening here there has to be something wrong with this man to be as blatantly dissociated from reality. But the level of deceit, cover up and subterfuge from this company is so deep, I don't believe we will ever see the end of just how far they will go to cover up their negligence and their greed.
They withheld high resolution video that would have made estimating the flow of the oil much easier to estimate from almost day one.
A University of California researcher and member of the Obama Administration's Flow Rate Technical Group said Monday June 7 that BP's leaking Gulf oil well could be leeching 20 times as much oil as the company originally claimed. Ira Leifer, noted that even BP itself estimated the worst-case flow of an oil leak in the Gulf could reach 100,000 barrels a day.
"In the data I've seen, there's nothing inconsistent with BP's worst case scenario," Leifer was quoted as saying.
Leifer cited satellite data that appeared to show the leaking well's flow was increasing over time. He also noted that BP's decision to drill open a pipe in an effort to place a "hat" on the damaged well had substantially increased the amount of oil that may be spewing into the sea.
The new number is 100,000 barrels - 200,000 barrels per day.
...
Also today Wednesday, BP's chief operating officer, Doug Suttles, continued to insist on NBC's "Today" show that no underwater oil plumes in "large concentrations" had been detected from the spill, saying that it "may be down to how you define what a plume is here."
Are we doing the right thing by cleaning oiled birds? That's what one expert is asking regarding the birds in the gulf that are being cleaned and set free. Kill, don't clean is the recommendation of A German biologist. It's a tough question and one mired in our own guilt because this catastrophe is 100 percent man made.
Of course the question, I think begs more questions, then don't we have a responsibility to do more for the birds rather than just clean them and send them back to the wild?
How can we not act and yet the cost to clean the birds is astronomical, up to $32,000 a bird in the Exxon Valdez spill. The argument is that the money and manpower could be used to help prevent further damage elsewhere and prevent oil from going where it shouldn't (maybe some boom training? But obvious if there is no one actually skimming the oil after it's been boomed, that doesn't do any good either).
Less Than 1% of Oil-Soaked Birds Survive
Cleaning Birds Worse than Letting Them Die?
Capturing and scrubbing the birds is a traumatic experience, and is incredibly stressful for the birds. Gaus also says that forcing birds to ingest coal solutions like Pepto Bismol as rescue workers are doing in the Gulf is ineffective, and that the birds will die from liver and kidney damage anyways. Birds ingest the toxic oil while attempting to clean their feathers.
According to a British Study cited in the report, the average bird released after cleaning in other spills only survived for seven days. Even the World Wildlife Fund agrees that cleaning is largely futile: "Birds, those that have been covered in oil and can still be caught, can no longer be helped. ... Therefore, the World Wildlife Fund is very reluctant to recommend cleaning."
Which is why Gaus advocates a quick clean death for the birds, to end their suffering. It's an unfortunate recommendation, and one that goes against our better instincts, but what if Gaus and those who side with her are right? If scrubbing oiled birds only increases their trauma -- and they still die, painfully, shortly after -- are such bird-cleaning operations providing any service other than to make a public show of BP's 'response' efforts? It's indeed depressingly grim to consider, but perhaps conservationists are doing more harm than good by 'saving' birds from the BP Gulf spill.
The other side of the argument says there is worth in cleaning the birds and they have success rates as high as 78% to 100% (Context is everything I think).
Russell said there was once a long-running debate over whether the stress of rehabilitation does the birds more harm than good. (Research shows that it doesn't.) Even now, there's a debate over whether the resources spent on wildlife rehabilitation should be directed instead toward rebuilding the tarnished environment left behind by an oil spill. The way Russell sees it, cleaning up the animals is part and parcel of cleaning up the ecosystem. Keeping wildlife populations as healthy as possible will make the recovery easier. "This isn't a 'this-or-that' situation," Russell said.
To be sure, life-or-death decisions have to be made in the field. Steiner told me that oiled birds have a "decent chance" of surviving if they're brought in during the first 24 hours of exposure to oil. But as any veterinarian will tell you, sometimes the decent thing to do is to let the animals go ... and learn a lesson.
"There is a point at which, obviously, they are suffering needlessly, and certainly they should be euthanized," Steiner said. "Some are so far gone when you're capturing them for rehab, that the best thing is to leave them there and let them die in their natural habitat. ... It pulls at the heartstrings, but this is how people get the idea behind our oil addiction, by looking at these oil-soaked birds."
In California news, the State poised to OK supertoxic pesticide. Yes, you read that right. Sounds yummy doesn't it, especially since we know that pesticides are already wreaking so much havoc on the environment as it is, from colony collapse disorder to the wonders it does for our watersheds. I guess we just thought, why not, lets just go "all in".
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has proposed registering methyl iodide as a pesticide in California to the dismay of scientists and environmental groups, who say it is so toxic that even chemists are reluctant to handle it.
The chemical will become legal for growers to use after a 60-day comment period ending June 29 unless there is some kind of public outcry.
"This is one of the most egregious pesticides out there," said Sarah Aird, the state field organizer for Californians for Pesticide Reform, a coalition of watchdog groups opposed to the use of potentially harmful chemicals. "It is really, really toxic. It is actually used in the laboratory to induce cancer cells."
Methyl iodide was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2007 for use as a fumigant over the protests of more than two dozen California legislators and 54 scientists, including five Nobel laureates, who signed a letter opposing registration of the chemical.
They are calling this a Bush-era decision because it is being used to replace another banned pesticide, methyl bromide, which has been proven to affect the ozone. And the argument is that because it is used only in the case of a few varities of produce, mostly strawberries, and only on the soil before they are planted, that it does not pose an issue. It just kills everything in the soil since, as we know, strawberries are very susceptible to pests, etc. It has also not been tested much either of course and when it has...
This stuff just kills everything," said Kegley, a chemist, who pointed out that even low doses have caused neurological damage and fetal death in laboratory animals. "It is a known carcinogen."
Methyl iodide has been linked to thyroid disease, including cancerous tumors that can also affect the lungs and brain, she said. If tarps typically used to cover the treated soil were to blow off, she said, the substance could waft into the air.
Want to stop this pesticide in the State of California? Send comments.
Public comments may be sent to the Pesticide Registration Branch, Department of Pesticide Regulation, P.O. Box 4015, Sacramento, CA 95812. E-mail: mei_comments@cdpr.ca.gov.
With so much going on in the Gulf, so much death for animals, this is the last headline I wanted to see today, 12,000 endangered saiga antelope found dead in Kazakhstan.
Nearly 12,000 critically endangered saiga antelope have been found dead within a 17 square-mile area of the Ural region of western Kazakhstan, according to the World Wildlife Fund. The cause of the mysterious mass loss is still unclear, though initial investigators believed the animals may have been poisoned.
"This is a tragic and shocking event. It's particularly unfortunate that the population was just emerging from an unusually harsh winter, and that those struck down are mostly females and this year's calves," said professor E.J. Milner-Gulland, chair of the Saiga Conservation Alliance.
The event is being called a conservation catastrophe, as the losses amount to a nearly 50 percent drop in population for the Ural group and a 15 percent drop for the entire species in Kazakhstan. Listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, the saiga population as a whole has declined by 95 percent since 1995.
What can one say about something this, to something so senseless, so wrong and without reason. We will have to wait and see what the cause of death is before jumping to conclusions.
And on a much lighter note, conservationists may have mixed feelings about the use of charismatic species for conservation efforts but that doesn't mean that those species, like the Mountain Gorilla still don't need our help. Treehugger documented this celebration that took place on World Environment day and how it's used to bring awareness to the plight of the Mountain Gorilla. It's something that not only brings awareness to Gorillas it brings the community together for a common cause around protecting not just a species but the habitat that many depend upon.
Saving Mountain Gorillas by Naming Them, on World Environment Day
For the sixth year running, Kwita Izina, or the baby gorilla naming ceremony, has been held in Rwanda, in the shadow of the Virunga mountains in Volcanoes National Park. Fourteen baby mountain gorillas were named this year during the festivities, which were held in conjunction with UNEP's World Environment Day. (One of the adorable little newborns is seen at left.) TreeHugger hosted a blogging contest with UNEP, who sponsored the winner, Tuesday Phillips of Ecolutionist, and one TreeHugger writer on the trip.
"Every birth is an important step towards achieving our vision to see the mountain gorillas move from being one of the the world's most endangered species to being some of the world's most protected animals," said CEO of Rwandan Development Board John Gara, who gave the opening remarks. Intense transboundary collaboration in law enforcement with Uganda has helped increase the mountain gorilla population by 17% during the past 15 years; however, gorillas remain endangered, with roughly 700 living the Virunga region.
About 30,000 people were in attendance. Along the roads on the way up the mountain, local villagers strung flowers for miles in preparation.
Another of the 14 babies that was named.
Eco-series line-up:
(All times Eastern!)
Today's eKos diaries:
Author | Diary | Time | Tags |
---|
Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse | EcoAdvocates: Fossil Fuel "Bombing" of Wildlife & Oceans | 06/09/10 08:03PM Eastern | EcoAdvocates, environment, BP, marine mammals, teaching |
citisven | Bye Bye Plastic Bags | 06/09/10 08:45PM Eastern | Recommended, Plastic bags, California, AB1998, Pacific garbage patch |
Crashing Vor | Hey Tony, I Want My Life Back, Too | 06/09/10 03:28AM Eastern | Recommended, New Orleans, Louisiana, Gulf of Mexico, oil spill |
Fishgrease | Fishgrease: For Rachel | 06/09/10 03:50AM Eastern | Gulf Oil Spill, Rachel Maddow, BP, dkos booming school, deepwater horizon |
shpilk | Inexorable melting of Arctic continues | 06/09/10 12:01PM Eastern | arctic, arctic ice, eKos, environment |
jamess | Underwater, the Water's Fine -- Anyone want to take a Dip? | 06/09/10 12:15PM Eastern | Rich Matthews, Rachael Maddow, Anderson Cooper, Reporting, Flow Rate Technical Group |
gulfgal98 | Oilpocalypse and the Importance of the Apalachee Bay | 06/09/10 01:01PM Eastern | Oilpocalypse, Apalachee Bay, Apalachicola River, seafood industry, oystermen |
Cedwyn | OFA: Urgent action needed on clean energy | 06/09/10 01:49PM Eastern | Lisa Murkowski, greenhouse gasses, energy, LNG, eKos |
Eclectablog | ACTION: OFA urges supporters to fight Murkowski Resolution | 06/09/10 01:57PM Eastern | Murkowski Amendment, Murkowski Resolution, S.J. Res. 26, OFA, Organizing for America |
RLMiller | Why the Vote on Murky Air Act Matters. Call Today. Please. | 06/09/10 03:55PM Eastern | eKos, climate change, Clean Air Act, Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) |
LaughingPlanet | This week in climate change: Wise-cracker Graham | 06/09/10 04:12PM Eastern | Climate change, global warming, This week in climate change, Twicc, Clean Air Act |
matching mole | Northeast Gulf Coast: A Photodiary (warning - lots of photos) | 06/09/10 05:21PM Eastern | BP, Oil, Apalachee Bay, Emerald Coast, Forgotten Coast |
WarrenS | Boston Area Kossacks: Come to Saturday's Climate Concert! | 06/09/10 06:35PM Eastern | benefit concert, eKos, DK greenroots, music, jazz |
Yesterday's eKos diaries:
Author | Diary | Time | Tags |
---|
A Siegel | Smudged Green ... | 06/08/10 07:19AM Eastern | ekos, environmental, green, meta |
Liveblog | BP Catastrophe Day 49 - Liveblog Mothership Day 14 | 06/08/10 08:18AM Eastern | Oilpocalypse, BP, Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico, LMRP |
Steven D | Humans Destroying Major Food Source: Fish | 06/08/10 08:45AM Eastern | Climate Change, Ocean Acidification, BP, Fish stocks, Marine life |
RLMiller | Reid Abandons Climate Bill, Wastes Crisis | 06/08/10 10:16AM Eastern | eKos, climate change, Harry Reid (D-NV), American Power Act, American Clean Energy Leadership Act |
Something the Dog Said | On Taking Down British Petroleum, Do We Really Want That? | 06/08/10 10:16AM Eastern | BP Oil Disaster, Fines, EPA, Legal Action, Clean Up |
soothsayer99 | Bhopal 25+ Years Later: A Cautionary Tale | 06/08/10 12:18PM Eastern | Bhopal, Union Carbide, environmental disasters, ship of fools, eKos |
Gorette | BP crims advised: say 'goodnight," hire nastiest lawyers | 06/08/10 12:50PM Eastern | BP, environment, Deepwater Horizon, Gulf Oil Spill, criminality |
jamess | Gulf Citizens take matters into their own hands -- Updated | 06/08/10 05:15PM Eastern | BP, Deepwater Horizon Response, Gulf Coast, Coast Guard, Unified Command |
mark louis | Renewable Energy Round-Up | 06/08/10 05:33PM Eastern | Renewable Energy Round-Up, eKos, solar energy, hydrogen, biofuels |
Christian Dem in NC | Oilmageddon survivors: Safety was a four-letter word on rig | 06/08/10 06:18PM Eastern | BP, Transocean, Deepwater Horizon, eKos |
Unenergy | "I don't ever remember doing this" - Rig Survivor | 06/08/10 07:31PM Eastern | Recommended, Gulf Gusher, BP, CNN, Anderson Cooper |
papicek | BP's Oil Bomb: Looking Back At Sick Salt Marshes, 40 Years Later & A Decade After Exxon Valdez | 06/08/10 09:00PM Eastern | BP, oil splt, Wild Harbor Salt Marsh, Buzzards Bay, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution |
About eKos
The Idea
This project was inspired by the Earth Day @ DKos Blogathon. In case you missed it, we had 31 participating environmental diaries, all of which were linked to in the Mothership. During the event we had several requests for an eco-mothership diary series in the mould of the Earth Day effort.
The Mission
eKos is all about promoting community eco-diaries. Daily Kos already showcases several series, but sometimes the work of dedicated green diarists pass off the recent diary list hardly noticed. Our goal is to make these diaries more accessible. In the process we hope to build community and bring in a broader audience to the exceptional environmental writing here at DK.
How eKos Works
If you want a diary included in the list, please let us know by leaving a comment. We'll do our best to search out green diaries, but are bound to miss a few. For eKos to live up to it's full potential, eco-diarists should post a link to the Earthship, or place the widget at the end of their diary. This will provide readers with easy access to other recent environmental diaries.
Tag Rules
If you want to help out with tagging, here are a few simple rules to follow:
- If you see an eco-diary or front page story, tag it 'eKos'. and inform the diarist.
- Fix the tag if it is wrong (e-kos or ecos tags won't help).
- Watch out for tag abuse. eKos is meant to be inclusive, but if you see writing that is clearly not friendly to environmental causes, or which breaks site rules that has been tagged, please remove it.
- Don't tag diaries that call-out or in any way directly criticize other Kossacks or diaries. It is fine if it addresses a meme or argument, but it cannot specifically mention or link to any comment or diary.
- If someone removes the tag without justification, please put it back. If they persist, report them.
- If there are any issues, please e-mail ekos350atgmaildotcom.
Contact
You can follow us on Twitter
If you are interested in becoming an eco-ranger for eKos, or just want some more info, e-mail ekos350atgmaildotcom
eKos Rangers
In no particular order:
Regina in a Sears Kit House
boatsie
Hopeful Skeptic
RLMiller
patrickz
Earthfire
Ellinorianne
A Siegel
dRefractor
SolarMom
Please give them some mojo if you see them, they deserve it!
Get the eKos widget code!