This is the 511th 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 July 12 Green Spotlight. More than 27,390 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
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket ~ "green tide," an excess of algae this summer: “We’ve all heard about red tides, those sudden population explosions of algae in lakes or seas that can cause serious health problems for aquatic wildlife and people who eat them. Red tides are composed of microscopic planktonic algae, usually dinoflagellates, and currently most of the shorelines in Washington state are closed to shellfish harvest due to dinoflagellate biotoxins (fortress.wa.gov/...). These days a better term for red tide is Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB), a term that is both more accurate (since those phenomena aren’t usually red and they have nothing to do with the tide) and also more inclusive (www.eopugetsound.org/...). ‘Green tides’—while they may sound more benign—are also considered an HAB because proliferations of green macroalgae present problems for shallow aquatic ecosystems too, even if they don’t generate toxins. We’ve been seeing a lot of excessive green algae this summer in the Salish Sea. [...] We have several kinds of ‘green tide’ algae proliferating right now simultaneously. One is Ulva aka Sea Lettuce (soundwaterstewards.org/... ) the translucent vivid green sheets piling up on rocks as in the title photo above, and in drifts along the shoreline (photo below).”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Want to Fight Climate Change? Don’t Kid Yourself: “It’s no secret that pollution is a function of population. The more people there are, the more resources consumed and waste generated. So we weren’t surprised to see Damian Carrington’s new Guardian story with the headline ‘Want to fight climate change? Have fewer children.’ However, we did roll our eyes. It’s not that the study is factually wrong to compare emissions saved from not having children to getting energy efficient lights, or not eating meat, or driving an electric vehicle. It’s just somewhat pointless to add kids to the list. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that a whole new person to eat meat and turn on lights and drive a car will produce more emissions than whatever one aspect it’s compared to. It’s like asking what’s more expensive: buying a shirt, a pair of pants, or an entire Baby Gap?”
ChrisPerri writes—Lamar Smith goes to Greenland to see 'non-existent' climate change with his own eyes: “Reportedly, he and eight or more other members of the House Science Committee talked to the very climate change scientists that Lamar spent the last several years defaming. He called them ‘so-called self-professed climate scientists,’ he challenged their research, questioned their integrity, repeatedly subpoenaed their emails, and voted to gut their funding. What did he learn? Well, since transparency isn’t really his thing, I’m certain he ‘publicly’ learned whatever Trump wants him to say — that’s just the kind of guy Lamar is. Afterall he does believe you should, ‘get your news directly from the [Republican] President.’ According to Rep. Jerry McNerney, a California Democrat also on the trip, he and Lamar did discuss the economics tied to climate change. McNerney is quoted saying, ‘[Lamar] believes you can’t do anything if it’s going to hurt the economy.’ But this makes no sense.”
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
PHScott writes—The Daily Bucket: Sea Turtles Return to St George Island, FL: “Hard to miss the flags, signs and fencing but then that is the point. Don't step here, don’t dig or play in the sand. Seems like folks visiting the Forgotten Coast have learned this much. Any sighting of a sea turtle coming ashore attracts a crowd of well-wishers and voyeurs. The Lights Out campaign — turn off your outdoor light so it doesn’t disorient hatchlings using the moon to find the sea — certainly helps but more awareness is needed. St. George Island is one of three barrier islands near the mouth of the Apalachicola River. It often hosts the largest nesting population of Loggerhead Turtles in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Occasional Green or even rarer, Leatherback, turtles have been sighted.”
foresterbob writes—The Daily Bucket - Northeast Oregon Photo Diary, Part 1: “Every year during my travels, I accumulate dozens of pictures (sometimes hundreds) that are worth sharing. [...] My intention is to post at least two diaries from the northeastern corner of Oregon. This is my third working trip to the area (the others were in 2010 and 2014). The valleys are full of irrigated farms interspersed with small towns. The highlands are forested, and have their own separate character. Today’s diary concentrates on the valleys and foothills located along Oregon Highway 82 between the towns of La Grande and Wallowa. I’m partial to the Deep Dark Woods, of course. The farms and populated regions, while picturesque, have their environmental issues. That doesn’t stop me from taking pictures. So here goes, some scenes from the valleys and foothills, from photos taken over the past eight years.”
CLIMATE CHAOS
Pakalolo writes—2,240-square mile iceberg from Larsen C Ice Shelf is now spiraling in the Weddell Sea. What's next? “There are a lot of new discoveries about Antarctica’s peninsula lately that are raising worrying concerns about the region. The land area is greening rapidly giving invasive plants and the common housefly (most of which have been brought to the area by tourists and scientists equipment and/or clothing) a foothold which will upend a very delicate and fragile eco-system. In addition, Hairdryer winds a/k/a Foehn winds, has an effect on the ice that pushes east from the Peninsula out over the Weddell Sea. These warm winds produce great ponds of brilliant blue melt water at the surface. It is these blue ponds that caused the rapid collapse of Larsen B ice shelf. Scientists do not believe, at this point in time anyway, that Larsen C will share the same fate as it is larger and colder. Scientists will be studying the ice shelf in the years and decades ahead.”
torilahure writes—Media Coverage of Iceblock Breaking off from Larsen-C Iceshelf in Antarctica: “A piece of ice broke off from an iceshelf in Antarctica. It made news in many places usually cited by Kossacks. Most stories went with geographical size comparisions. I found the comparisions interesting enough to write up about it. Here is a summary of the stories and their geographic comparisions. Only using sites Kossacks in my dailykos stream are fond of quoting in their multitudes. So if your favourite place is not listed I apologize, but drop me a kosmail and I will think about it. Usual Suspects: Guardian went for Luxembourg → Iceberg twice size of Luxembourg breaks off Antarctic ice shelf. [...] Rolling Stone diligently refused to make size based geographic comparisions. and I am personally delighted by it. It also makes a point of why this not so news worthy event by itself is making the news. The Larsen C Crack-Up in Antarctica: Why It Matters.”
Darksyde writes—Mammoth iceberg calves off Antarctic ice shelf: “A giant iceberg has broken free of the Larson ice shelf in Antarctica. But the term iceberg may not be adequate to describe this monster. More like a mega-berg or tera-berg, because this sucker is bigger than some countries: Scientists announced Wednesday that a much anticipated break at the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica has occurred, unleashing a massive iceberg that is more than 2,200 square miles in area and weighs a trillion tons. In other words, the iceberg — among the largest in recorded history to splinter off the Antarctic continent — is close to the size of Delaware and consists of almost four times as much ice as the fast melting ice sheet of Greenland loses in a year. It is expected to be given the name ‘A68’ soon, scientists said.
Michael Brune writes—From Paris to the Rocky Mountains: “At the G20 summit in Europe, President Trump figuratively sulked in a corner while all nineteen other nations (including Saudi Arabia and, ahem, Russia) reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris climate agreement. Not one to mince words, German chancellor Angela Merkel said she ‘deplored’ the U.S. exit from the agreement. But has the U.S. really left? Donald Trump and his designated environmental saboteurs like Scott Pruitt and Rick Perry would like to think so. This week, though, brought more proof that the real United States of America isn’t ready to abandon the historic goals agreed to in Paris. On Monday, Denver mayor Michael Hancock used his State of the City address to lay out a bold vision for powering his city with 100 percent clean, renewable energy like wind and solar, adding that ‘If Washington won’t stand by the Clean Power Plan or Paris Climate Accord, we will.’ Denver is the 19th-most-populous city in the U.S., as well as the fastest growing major city. Once the the mayor’s comment becomes a firm commitment, Denver will be the 37th U.S. city to commit to transition entirely to clean and renewable energy. What’s great about Mayor Hancock’s vision is that it looks toward a future that embraces not only clean power but also clean transportation that would benefit all of the city’s residents.”
Extreme Weather & Natural Phenomena
Electrical Storms Increasing in Number and Season Length Are Threatening the World's Largest Biome: “A new NASA study shows how lightning is driving forest fires and pushing it north. NASA confirms a likely link to climate change. The world’s largest biome is named after Boreal the Greek goddess of the North Wind. The boreal forest is nearly a continuous belt of coniferous trees circling across North America, Europe and Asia. The trees grow on areas that were formerly glaciated, and in areas of patchy permafrost on all three continents. The region has 30 percent of the Earth’s forests and they store about 30 percent of the carbon found on the Earth’s surface. The conditions are very harsh so there is not much diversity of life. Plant life is limited because most species can’t survive the extreme cold that lasts 6 months or more. Plant species, such as lichens and mosses will grow there as well as coniferous trees such as pine, spruce and fir which form the vast majority of the plant life that exists. The animals that do call the Boreal home tend to be predators like lynx, wolverines, bobcats and minks.”
CANDIDATES, STATE AND DC ECO-RELATED POLITICS
Chris Reeves writes—KS-R announces run for US Congress by declaring: "I stand against international global warming scam": “With Lynn Jenkins, Kansas Republican representative for district 2 stepping down, Republicans have struggled to find the right voice to represent them. Now, State Senator Steve Fitzgerald has risen up to challenge likely Democratic candidate Paul Davis, a candidate who won this district in vote totals during his 2014 race for governor. While the announcement of a Republican is certainly no surprise, Steve Fitzgerald survived a state senate contest by roughly 500 votes, and would be seen as ultra-conservative by almost all within the party. In his announcement today, Steve Fitzgerald made the case that if elected, he would protect the Trump agenda and.. stand against the international global warming conspiracy. [...]This wouldn’t be the first time that Senator Fitzgerald has used interesting phrasing to tackle major issues. In 2016, constituent donated to Planned Parenthood in his honor, which resulted in him issuing tirades on social media and elsewhere, saying Planned Parenthood was ‘worse than Dachau’ the famed Concentration Camp.”
News Corpse writes—46 Republicans Join Democrats to Slap Trump in the Face With Huge Climate Change Concession: “That reprehensible record of extremist anti-environmentalism notwithstanding, many of Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress just told him to frack off. An amendment to the Pentagon's budget sought to eliminate language that addressed the threat of climate change. But the amendment failed with the help of some Republicans and most Democrats. As reported by Axios: ‘Forty-six House Republicans joined Democrats Thursday to protect language in defense policy legislation that calls climate change a 'direct threat' to national security and requires new Defense Department analysis of its effect on the military. The House voted 185-234 against GOP Rep. Scott Perry's amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have stripped the language.’ The bill's author argued that the military has more important matters to deal with and should leave climate change to other agencies. But others pointed out that rising sea levels are already threatening existing military installations. Even more troubling is the fact that global weather patterns are creating disasters that exacerbate regional conflicts.”
Jeff Singer writes—Disgraced coal exec Don Blankenship confirms interest in Senate bid as Republican or an independent: “In response to reports that he's interested in a bid against West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, disgraced former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship confirmed to a local radio station that he is looking at a campaign. Blankenship said a run against Manchin was ‘always a possibility,’ and said that if he did jump in, he may run as a Republican or an independent. Blankenship himself said that he assumes that Manchin ‘would love to see me get in the race because he would probably think I would be more easily beatable than the others,’ and he's probably not wrong. [...] A May 2016 Public Policy Polling survey gave Blankenship a horrible 10-55 unfavorable rating, and found that 60 percent of respondents agreed that Blankenship's prison sentence was too short.”
ENERGY
Fossil Fuels
Dan Bacher writes—California's Love Affair With Big Oil: From Marine 'Protection' to Cap-and-Trade Bill: “My long series of articles investigating the power of Big Oil in California, including my recent coverage of legislation brokered by Governor Jerry Brown to extend California’s cap-and-trade program past 2020, began at the Annual Legislative Fisheries Forum at the State Capitol in March of 2009. As I listened to testimony from the public about the controversial Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative to create ‘marine protected areas’ in California, my ears perked up when John Lewallen, an author, longtime North Coast environmental leader and seaweed harvester, complained that an oil industry lobbyist, was strategically placed on the panel overseeing the creation of marine protected areas. I was stunned. After he spoke, I asked Lewallen, a Mendocino County resident, ‘What’s the lobbyist's name?’ He told me, ‘Catherine Reheis-Boyd, President of the Western States Petroleum Association. Look it up on the DFG website.’ I looked up her name — and saw that she was on the MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force for the North Central Coast, as well as for the South Coast. I was appalled by the fact that an oil industry representative with such an enormous conflict of interest was on a task force to “protect” the ocean, along with a coastal real estate developer, marina corporation executive and others with big conflicts of interests.”
jeremybloom writes—Naturally, if Trump approves new Arctic drilling, it's got to be a Russian-connected oil company: “The new drilling approval goes to a tiny US subsidiary of an Italian company, Eni, which I somehow doubt has more resources than Shell to bring to this picnic. What could go wrong? Remember the disastrous BP oil spill? It took MONTHS to get that dumpster fire under control, and that was in the Gulf of Mexico, deep in the heart of one of the world's most over-drilled regions, and right next door to the US oil-patch nirvana of Texas. It still took them weeks to get the equipment they needed to the site, and even longer to figure out how to make the bleeding stop. They're still not sure they ever really got it under 100% control. And that was for a global giant oil company with an experienced clean-up team on call. Now imagine how that disaster would have played out in the Arctic.”
Emissions Controls & Carbon Taxes
Dan Bacher writes—Jerry Brown's cap-and-trade bill passes through Senate Environmental Quality Committee: “Assembly Bill 398, Governor Jerry Brown’s legislation extending California’s controversial cap-and-trade program, passed the Senate Environmental Quality Committee by a five- to-two party line vote today. It will head to the Senate floor on Monday, July 17. [...] ‘A lot of you people are going to be alive, and you’re going to be alive in a horrible situation,’ Brown said in the hearing as he turned to the big crowd. ‘This isn't for me, I'm going to be dead. This is for you, and it's real!’ [...] The bill is opposed by many environmental justice, consumer and conservation groups, although supported by some “Big Green” NGOs, including the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and the California League of Conservation Voters and billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer.”
Pipelines & Other Fossil Fuel Transport
Dan Bacher writes—Young Activists to Protest Liquid Natural Gas Pipeline in Medford, Oregon: “Youth climate justice leaders from Oregon and California, including members of the Hoopa Valley, Yurok, and Siletz tribes, will challenge the Liquid Natural Gas Pipeline as a threat to climate, water and communities today, July 14, at 12:30 pm in Vogel Plaza in downtown Medford, Oregon. The young activists, including plaintiffs in the famed Juliana v. US. lawsuit supported by Our Children’s Trust, Civil Liberties Defense Center and other supporting organizations, will be participating in they describe as a “lively demonstration” that will feature speakers and art. ‘Fifty multicultural youth leaders will gather in a lively demonstration in downtown Medford, Oregon for climate and racial justice by marching to U.S. Senators Merkley and Wyden’s offices,’ said Malea Goza, Youth Justice Leader.”
Walter Einenkel writes—Activists are putting up solar panels in an effort to stop the Keystone pipeline: “Inside Climate News is reporting on an effort by many ranchers and activists to hamper TransCanada’s plans to run their Keystone pipeline through the United States. Using the example of Nebraska rancher Bob Allpress’s efforts to protect his land from eminent domain seizures by the government, Inside Climate News explains Allpress’s plans to build solar paneling along his property—property that falls within the planned pipeline path. ‘Not only would they have to invoke eminent domain against us, they would have to tear down solar panels that provide good clean power back to the grid and jobs for the people who build them,’ Allpress said. The project, known as ‘Solar XL,’ is the latest example in a growing number of demonstrations against pipelines where opponents festoon proposed corridors with eye-catching obstructions. Nuns recently built a chapel along the path of a proposed natural gas pipeline that would cross their property in Pennsylvania.”
REGULATIONS & PROTECTIONS
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Regulatory Resistance Ramps Up as Red/Blue Team Regulation Emerges: “As we pull our hair out about the ridiculous red/blue team effort Scott ‘Hi Hungry, I’m Dad’ Pruitt has begun, the legal types have begun strategizing. That was the thrust of Maria Hegstad’s InsideEPA story yesterday, which highlights a little-known (but soon to be important) law regulating administrative advisory panels. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) provides guidance on how advisory panels are staffed and operated. Pruitt’s desire to stack boards with industry voices and put on a red/blue team dog and pony show will have to be very carefully arranged if he hopes to avoid legal challenge. FACA stipulates that advisory panels must not be ‘inappropriately influenced’ by either the political leadership (in this case, Pruitt) or special interests (Pruitt’s fossil fuel friends). Unfortunately, the law is hard to enforce, in part because litigants would have to prove that they’ve been injured by the decisions made. That’s why there is little precedent to gauge whether or not this will really be an effective avenue of resistance. But it is something to keep an eye on.”
WILDERNESS, NATIONAL FORESTS AND PARKS, OTHER PUBLIC LANDS
Walter Einenkel writes—Rep. Chaffetz's public land grab bill he pretended to end has a new lead Utah Republican sponsor: “Before Utah’s Republican Renfield Jason Chaffetz gallops off into the burning hellscape of right-wing media, he will leave behind numerous awful legacies. One of those is the bill he proposed and then lied about when faced with across-the-board protests that would allow public lands to be parceled off to the highest environmental exploiter bidder. House Bill 622, the one that Rep. Chaffetz said was “withdrawn,” has continued to move around the dark and smoky hallways of Republican backrooms, and now has a new lead sponsor—Utah Republican Chris Stewart. It’s not a big surprise that Rep. Stewart has taken over the burning baton of corruption from Rep. Chaffetz. Rep. Stewart’s been carrying septic tank water for Rep. Chaffetz for a few months now.”
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & GARDENING
estreya write—Saturday Morning Garden Blogging, Vol. 13.28: Eine Kleine Gartenmusik: “We're finally entering our ‘summer drought’ phase here in the Pacific Northwest, and the garden is pretty much on auto-pilot. Once the summer solstice is in the rear view mirror and the soil turns to concrete, i tend to focus my energies on little more than basic garden maintenance. Oh sure, i could work myself to the bone out there. Goodness knows, there's no shortage of things that need doing. But there's something to be said for kicking back with a glass of chilled tea on a gorgeous summer day; breezes dancing and a little music playing in the distance. Speaking of music, shall we refill our beverages of choice and simply enjoy eine kleine Gartenmusik? Who doesn't love a little garden music on a lazy Saturday morning ...”
AuntieB writes—Pasture and Poop, Ducks and Beetles: “Before starting this adventure of trying to grow what we eat and eat what we grow, I was a city person. One thing that I never knew was that a self-sustaining farm is based on the two ‘P’s: Pasture and Poop. If you want to grow vegetables, you need to tame a portion of your pasture for it. Then you will want poop to fertilize it. To get the poop you need animals. To feed the animals you need pasture. To grow pasture, you need poop. Its a never ending cycle. You can skip the ‘having animals’ portion by composting, but you’ll still need plant matter to compost. And compost just doesn't give you that immediate nitrogen boost that poop does.Today I raked out the chicken yard, and cleaned out some of the rabbit cages. They weren’t that dirty, but I needed the poop.”
MISCELLANY
GreenpowerCA writes—This Week in the Environment 7.13.17: Resistance Works! “They say that for every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. We’re glad to say that maxim seems to apply quite nicely when it comes to The Donald and his catch-all approach to deregulation and climate shenanigans. The exception may be Turkey, where a strongman leader is ironically weakly following a bad example; otherwise, the more our president tries to mess with the bull, the more he’s getting the horns of resistance. From the press, from lawmakers, and from citizens like you and me. And so we fight on. And we hope you’ll read on. Thanks, as always, to Dr. Jon Conway for his good work finding and encapsulating this week’s top five. 5. The Deep Industry Ties of Trump’s Deregulation Teams; 4. Domino Effect: Turkey Won’t Ratify Paris Climate Accord, Citing Trump’s Exit; 3. Rebuking Trump on Climate, the G20 Proved “Soft Power” Works; 2. Cheap Wind and Solar Mean US Will Meet Paris Targets Despite Trump; 1. Trump's Environmental Rollbacks are Hitting Major Roadblocks.”
Mark Sumner writes—Blame Scotland: The reason Trump is tearing up the environment can be found on the golf course: “Donald Trump doesn’t have a philosophy. He just has grudges. When Trump cheers for more oil and coal, it’s not because he has some deeply held belief about the relative merits of fossil fuel and renewables. It’s not even because he’s applying some conservative principle about land ownership and the freedom to pipe unlimited smoke into the if-no-one-owns-it-it-doesn’t-count atmosphere. Nope. There are no principles. Except the principle that says once an enemy, always an enemy. The reason Donald Trump is wearing a hardhat and cheering on Bob Murray in his effort to squash as many miners as he can before he dies, goes back to a single incident. In short: Trump decided to build a golf course on the Scottish coast. The Scots had already approved an offshore wind farm for the same area. Trump was annoyed that the turbines would spoil the view. So he spent years fighting the wind project in the courts and lambasting Scottish political leaders on Twitter, building up more and more frustration at turbines generally to oppose this specific project.”
TheAlternativeFacts writes—"It's a Wonderful Life" -- a musical tribute to Scott Pruitt and all the climate change deniers: Music and lyrics.