Welcome to the eKos Earthship, your one-stop-shop for green diaries and series.
Beneath the fold you will find news and notes, community announcements, and our eco-diary roundup.
Peruse the eKos Library to find previously listed diaries. You can also follow eKos on Twitter.
Tonight's editor: patrickz
All views expressed by today's editor do not necessarily represent those of eKos or eKos listed diarists.
Steven Chu: Energy Secretary by day, brilliant physicist by night
It helps to have grad students and postdocs, but still wondering where he finds the time...
Rotating Few-body Atomic Systems in the Fractional Quantum Hall Regime
Authors: Nathan Gemelke, Edina Sarajlic, Steven Chu
(Submitted on 15 Jul 2010)
Abstract: Topologically-ordered matter is a novel quantum state of matter observed only in a small number of physical systems, notably two-dimensional electron systems exhibiting fractional quantum Hall effects. It was recently proposed that a simple form of topological matter may be created in interacting systems of rotating ultra-cold atoms. We describe ensemble measurements on small, rotating clusters of interacting bosonic atoms, demonstrating that they can be induced into quantum ground states closely analogous to topological states of electronic systems. We report measurements of inter-particle correlations and momentum distributions of Bose gases in the fractional quantum Hall limit, making comparison to a full numerical simulation. The novel experimental apparatus necessary to produce and measure properties of these deeply entangled quantum states is described.
International Law Failing to Protect Coral Reefs and Tropical Fish, Experts Argue
from Science Daily
As if coral reefs didn't have it bad enough already:
"Our actions have a big impact on what happens in these coral reef ecosystems, which are already hit hard by other forces like global warming, ocean acidification and overfishing," said Tissot, lead author and professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at WSU Vancouver.
Using data from the United Nation's conservation monitoring program, the authors say trade in coral and coral reef species is substantial and growing, removing 30 million fish and 1.5 million live stony corals a year. The aquarium industry alone targets some 1,500 species of reef fishes. Many die in transit, leading collectors to gather even more animals to compensate for their losses.
eKos Update
As most of you know, the eKos widget died. I'm still working on finding, or creating, a suitable replacement. However, we've made progress on a couple of other fronts:
We have new software that allows us to produce diary tables without the hassle of updating a database every day. My end goal is to create a website to make this process even easier for eKos Earthship editors, but the new code works well enough on its own for now.
I've completed new software for the Library, which has now been updated. I've discovered a couple of restrictions to blogger posts while I was investigating their API. I transport the tags from eKos diaries as labels in Blogger. Blogger does not allow certain characters (like "&" and "!"), and has a 200 character limit overall for the tags. I've written the code to handle these issues automatically, but in the end it means that some tags will get left behind, and others may be missing symbols.
eKos Library stats:
891 diaries
255 recommended
1964 tags
eKos Twitter stats:
408 followers
following 950
1562 tweets
WarrenS made a New Year's Resolution to write a letter advocating climate action every day. The result is over one hundred letters to congresspeople, newspapers, President Obama, and more. Warren has even had letters published in the New York Times and the Boston Globe.
Learn Warren's letter writing technique here. And be sure to steal his stuff!
From his blog:
Month 7, Day 21: A Pound For A Brown on The Bus
Continuing to write to Senators this week.
Dear Senator Brown,
The CBO scores are in, and it's been confirmed that the Kerry-Lieberman climate bill will reduce the deficit by nineteen billion dollars.
Which means that "deficit hawk" arguments against the bill are irrelevant.
Meanwhile, July 2010 is on track to be the hottest July ever recorded in the world. Scientists at Perdue University just concluded a study which predicts a significant increase in so-called "killer heat waves" in the American Southwest. The lobster population in Southern New England has diminished so much because of climate change that a five-year moratorium on lobster fishing may be necessary. Lake Superior is twenty degrees warmer than usual for this time of year. Arctic glaciers are breaking apart, and mountain glaciers that provide water for billions of people around the world are vanishing rapidly.
It was in the early 1960s that scientists began predicting problems brought about by global warming. We have had fifty years' worth of warnings, and we've chosen not to act. Senator, if we don't act now, the problems we're going to see a few years from now will make many of our current crises seem trivially insignificant. Since the deficit argument has been rendered moot by the CBO scoring, you have only a few possible reasons to vote against a climate bill:
- You're afraid of what Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and James Inhofe will say;
- You think scientists are just making it up because they like scaring people;
- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the big oil companies will pay you well to help scuttle climate/energy legislation;
- You really don't understand the problem — after all, didn't it snow heavily last winter?
Whereas there is one overwhelmingly good reason to vote for climate legislation: our future and the future of our children and our world depend on it.
Please, Senator Brown. Do the right thing. Vote for a strong climate bill.
Yours Sincerely,
WarrenS
From NASA (link has a high res image):
Using NASA satellite data, scientists have produced a first-of-its kind map that details the height of the world’s forests. Although there are other local- and regional-scale forest canopy maps, the new map is the first that spans the entire globe based on one uniform method.
The work -- based on data collected by NASA's ICESat, Terra, and Aqua satellites -- should help scientists build an inventory of how much carbon the world’s forests store and how fast that carbon cycles through ecosystems and back into the atmosphere. Michael Lefsky of the Colorado State University described his results in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Advertise here!
If you would like to make an announcement for an upcoming diary or event, please e-mail us at eKos350atgmaildotcom. Please send us formatted HTML!
(All times Eastern!)
eKos diaries from Wednesday, July 21, 2010 |
Diary | Author | Time (Eastern) | Tags |
Exxon continues funding climate denial, 3 years after promise not to | Keith Pickering | 7/21/2010 3:19:40 AM | climate change denial, Exxon, Exxon-Mobil, funding, eKos |
BP Catastrophe Liveblog Mothership: 57 | Gulf Watchers | 7/21/2010 6:32:36 AM | Oilpocalypse, BP, Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico, LMRP |
Poisoning the World | Karen Hedwig Backman | 7/21/2010 12:50:56 PM | EKos, Environment, Asbestos, Carcinogens, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists |
BP Ecocide v14.0: Fake Command Center Pics Admitted | vets74 | 7/21/2010 3:12:22 PM | BP oil disaster, BP ecocide, ecocide, Greenpeace, John Aravosis |
Harry Reid: "Coal makes us sick!" | A Siegel | 7/21/2010 4:28:43 PM | senator harry reid, coal, pollution, t boone pickens, energy |
Macca's Meatless Monday..Oil Woman, Oil Why | beach babe in fl | 7/21/2010 7:57:58 PM | eKos, climate change, global warming, green, environment |
ug99 | mem from somerville | 7/21/2010 8:39:56 PM | ug99, plant biology, science, GMOs, environment |
eKos diaries from Tuesday, July 20, 2010 |
Diary | Author | Time (Eastern) | Tags |
BP Catastrophe Liveblog Mothership: 56 | Gulf Watchers | 7/20/2010 6:00:01 AM | Oilpocalypse, BP, Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico, LMRP |
Conservative Columnist Rejects Climate Denial Party Line | A Siegel | 7/20/2010 10:13:07 AM | Recommended, ekos, jonathan kay, climate denial, dk greenroots |
Worse than the Oilpocalypse | LaughingPlanet | 7/20/2010 2:52:20 PM | Recommended, global warming, Climate Change, Florida, carbon emissions |
BP kept drilling after report of leak near blowout preventer | Christian Dem in NC | 7/20/2010 4:12:39 PM | BP, oil spill, Deepwater Horizon, eKos |
A Wingers Guide to the Greatest Hoax known to MANKIND | TCG | 7/20/2010 4:34:44 PM | AGW, Snark, Climate, ekos, joe barton |
Animal NUZ #3 (repost): A DKos Exclusive Comic Strip | ericlewis0 | 7/20/2010 7:13:48 PM | animal nuz, Dick Cheney, ekos |
BP Ecocide v13.2: New Pollution & Leaks from "Stack" | vets74 | 7/20/2010 9:13:09 PM | BP oil disaster, BP ecocide, ecocide, Greenpeace, President Obama |
Gulf Citizens show their 'Signs of Trouble' | jamess | 7/20/2010 9:24:52 PM | BP, Oil Spill, Gulf Coast, Road Art, Free Speech |
UTE Tribe gives rapacious energy company what for | Zappatero | 7/20/2010 10:36:02 PM | Ute Tribe, Utah, Colorado, Interior Department, Ken Salazar |
What is eKos?
The eKos project is an effort to distribute environmental content on Daily Kos to a broader audience. When a diary has the 'eKos' tag, its information is collected in a database, which is then published in eKos Earthships and the eKos Library. We also Tweet all eKos diaries using the @eKos350 account, and distribute an RSS widget for use in Daily Kos diaries and comments. Diaries listed on eKos do not necessarily represent the views of the eKos Rangers or any other participating diarist. Participation in eKos is strictly voluntary, please let us know if you do not want the eKos tag!
Tag Rules
If you want to help out with tagging, here are a few simple rules to follow:
- If you see or write an eco-diary or front page story, tag it 'eKos'. and inform the diarist. Use of the tag is strictly voluntary, so always defer to the wishes of the diarist.
- Fix the tag if it is wrong ('e-kos' or 'ecos' tags won't work).
- Watch out for tag abuse. If someone other than the diarist removes the tag without justification, please put it back, and explain to them very politely why you did so. If there is still a disagreement, please contact us. If you see eKos tagged writing that is clearly not friendly to environmental causes, or which breaks site rules, please alert us via e-mail.
- Site rules prohibit calling out other Kossacks by name or user handle in the title of a diary. Don't tag diaries whose focus is to 'call-out' or directly criticize other Kossacks or diaries in an insulting or inflammatory way. It is fine if the diary addresses a meme or argument, as long as it sticks to substantive issues.
- If there are any other questions, comments, or issues, please e-mail ekos350atgmaildotcom.
Contact
You can follow us on Twitter
If you are interested in becoming a ranger or editor 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!