Green diary rescue: Transcanada's BS, the cost of Arctic methane, O'Malley's climate change plan

Every week Daily Kos diarists write dozens of environmentally related posts. Many don't get the readership they deserve. Helping improve the odds is the motivation behind the Green Diary Rescue. In the past seven years, there have been 235 of these spotlighting more than 13,276 eco-diaries. Below are categorized links and excerpts to 73 more that appeared in the past seven days. That makes for lots of good reading during the spare moments of your weekend. [Disclaimer: Inclusion of a diary in the rescue does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.]

Green Diary of the Week

TransCanada’s distorted “view of the facts” on Keystone XL—by dturnbull: "TransCanada’s view of oil use would equal disaster for the climate. The first of their assertions in the letter is regarding the oil market. The letter states, 'global crude oil demand is static.' This statement is not only inaccurate in the current market, but also reveals a view of a future oil market that would lock in dangerous climate change. Below is a graph from the International Energy Agency that lays out what oil demand must look like if we are to stay below 2 degrees C of global warming (the globally recognized 'safe limit'), found in our recent report on Keystone XL’s associated greenhouse gas emissions.

As the graph shows, global oil demand in a future in which the world lives up to its commitment to keep global warming below 2 degrees C must decline steeply and not remain static."

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The Styrofoam Hummer, by Andrew Junge

"They're making art out of recycled crap!"—by citisven: "'They're making art out of recycled crap!' was just one of many expressions of appreciation overheard on a recent tour of the Art of Recology exhibition in Terminal 3 of San Francisco's International Airport. Open through October 2013, the myriad of artworks displayed — including a whale tail made from discarded ropes, a gown made from newspaper delivery bags, and a life-sized Styrofoam Hummer — is expected to be viewed by more than 2.5 million people. Having a reputation as one of San Francisco's most trashy, wasted, and rotten reporters, I was kindly invited by the composting conglomerate to go on an artist-led tour of the exhibition, an offer I just couldn't throw away refuse."

••• ••• •••

Sen. Coats (R-IN) hates wind power—by Mokurai: "Coats Notes: Misguided EPA Agenda Damaging to Indiana. Translation: Long-overdue EPA regulations will help Hoosiers instead of out-of-state coal interests by advancing low-cost wind power generation. Sen. Dan Coats (R-Not actually as insane as Richard 'Rape babies are God's will' Mourdock) has again blasted out his anti-science, anti-human, anti-sense Tea Party bloviations from what should be the upper house of the people's business. Fortunately, I am learning to point and laugh at him rather than let my blood pressure go up, even though for many other victims of Republican policy it isn't so funny."

The remainder of the rescued green diaries can be found below the fold.

Eco-Activism & Eco-Justice

Climate Change Event: Saturday, July 27 at 10:00 a.m. at Boise Farmers Market—by The Book Bear: "Idaho farmers and food producers from across the state will speak at the Boise Farmers Market about the impacts of extreme weather and drought on Idaho agriculture and the need for a plan to address climate change. Growers, businesses, and concerned citizens will come together for 'Producing Food, Reducing Carbon: An Event for People Who Grow and Eat Food,' encouraging Idahoans to act on climate and support President Obama’s initiatives to limit carbon emissions."

Don't Frack Ohio starting this weekend: three days of education and activism—by danps: "Activists across Ohio are preparing for a weekend of activities in the northeast part of the state. On Saturday and Sunday, July 27th and 28th, at the First Congregational Church in Ravenna, there will be two days of trainings designed to give us the tools we can use to build a powerful movement that will achieve our right to clean air and water and democracy.  At the "Don't Frack Ohio 2" Rally in Warren on July 29th we will tell our policymakers that we do not want to be a fracking wasteland. Music and info at 11:30 and the rally starts at 1:30 at the Trumbull County Courthouse in Warren."

Something You Can Do Right Now About Global Climate Change—by Matt Browner Hamlin: "With a massive heat wave sweeping the country, people's electric usage is shooting up to keep up with the weather. Unfortunately, most Americans get our electricity from dirty sources like coal, fracking and oil - and with this heat wave, we're burning even more fossil fuels to stay cool. I work for Ethical Electric because I have to fight catastrophic climate change. Ethical Electric is America's only progressive energy supply company. We power as many American homes and businesses as possible with 100% clean energy from renewable sources like wind and solar. And we take 1% of every bill and use it to fund progressive organizations like UltraViolet, Demand Progress, the League of Conservation Voters, Daily Kos, USAction and many others."

Small Businesses Support President Obama's Climate Plan—by Marcia G Yerman: "In the widening post-Obama “Climate Plan speech” conversation, small business owners are becoming vocal on what their needs and beliefs are. I was on two press calls this month about the intersection of the environment and the economy. [...] The second dialogue featured Celia Canfield, Chair of the Board of Directors of Small Business Majority, and David Foster, Executive Director of the BlueGreen Alliance. They spoke about a new climate analysis that was done for NRDC by Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. The findings showed that the country could “significantly cut carbon pollution from power plants while adding thousands of new jobs and saving families on the cost of the electric bills.” The projection date of 2020 showed a national addition of 210,000 new jobs, with a reduced average monthly bill of -$0.90. Fourteen states were chosen for deeper analytics. They comprised nearly every region—in order to represent different energy mixes. Included were states that rely significantly on coal-fired power (Ohio, Pennsylvania) to those that have a more diverse energy mix (New Hampshire, Oregon, Maine)."

Climate Change

Arctic methane release due to climate change creates 'economic time bomb' with costs of $60 trillion—by VL Baker: "With the news that the Arctic is melting at unprecedented levels and faster than expected; a new study (pdf) coming from the journal Nature states that dealing with the release of methane from Arctic melting could cost the global economy over $60 trillion usd which exceeds the value of the entire global economy. [...] Most of the economic talk revolving around the melting Arctic refers to opportunity; such as Russias plan to use the melted Arctic as a shipping route to speed natural gas and other resources to China.  And the rogue, petrostate Canada is considering shipping its tar sands crude over the Arctic to China and bypassing the beleaguered Keystone XL pipeline through the United States."

Arctic Cyclone: Happening Now—by jbalazs: "I initially read about this earlier this week in a post by a University of Ottawa professor. The title of his blog post, The Great Arctic Flush, was enough to cause concern. Reading his post only served to deepen that concern. There is potential that we could see major loss in sea ice over the next week... Here is what he said then: Within 2 weeks the Arctic Ocean will be completely transformed. The cyclone that appears 6 days out on both the US and European ten day forecasts will massacre the sea ice in what I call 'The Great Arctic flush.' Now it appears the cyclone has begun and, as usual, is barely being covered by the media. I found one source discussing it today, Scientists watch Arctic cyclone chew up sea ice, and while this cyclone isn't as strong as the one that caused so much damage last year, the ice is much weaker than it was last year. So we could be in for a fairly major arctic event in the coming days."

Reuters Managing Editor a Climate Skeptic distorts climate coverage killing 1/2 the stories—by Lefty Coaster: "Those of us who blame the Main Steam Media for the poor job they've done on covering Climate Change now have a scandal to point to at Reuters. A Media Matters study finds that Reuters' coverage of climate change declined by nearly 50 percent under the regime of the current managing editor, lending credence to a former reporter's claim that a 'climate of fear' has gripped the agency. David Fogarty, a former Reuters climate change correspondent, wrote that Managing Editor Paul Ingrassia, then serving as deputy editor-in-chief, identified himself as 'a climate change sceptic' in 2012."

Pat Robertson's guest claims Climate Change is good for Civilization & CO2 will "Green the Planet"—by Lefty Coaster: "Steve Goreham:...the periods in history show that warmer periods have actually been better for civilization, we seem to have less extreme weather, we have longer growing seasons, and we have more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere now which is actually greening the planet. Pat Robertson: Its greening the planet? Steve Goreham: Its greening the planet! Pat Robertson:  That's good! Steve Goreham: Yes it is! Steve Goreham: The problem is though we haven't had warming for 16 years, and all the climate models are wrong. People should be rejoicing in Bangladesh, and the Maldive Islands, and New York City and San Francisco. Its unlikely that we'll see catastrophic ocean level rise. Those celebrations and rejoicing will never take place. It's complete fiction. Every single claim Steve Goreham made on Robertson's show is complete nonsense and without any foundation in fact. Steve Goreham also claims that 'our leaders have been captured by the false ideology of Climatism!'"

Food & Agriculture & Gardening

Pickling a peck of Eiseley peppers.

New Day What do you do with all the stuff you grow in summer?—by paradise50: "Right now our Eisley Peppers are ready. But like most things, it's all ready to pick at once. I want to share a very, very simple way to save them for future use. This is my quick, safe and fool proof canning method. Normal canning takes planning and effort. You have to make sure the jars you use are sterile which requires placing them in boiling water for 20 minutes if you want to be 100% all bacteria and any bacterial cysts (some bacteria do that) are killed. Once your canning jars are sterilized you need to get to canning in a hurry. Seasoned canning pros usually have a whole strategy for a lengthy canning session lasting hours. Well, there is a way to can veggies of all sorts without that hassle. How? You pickle them in vinegar. This doesn't require sterile jars...just clean ones are fine. No need to boil them prior to canning."

NAFTA is making Mexico sick—by VL Baker: "NAFTA is making Mexico sick. Literally. Since the implementation of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) in 1994 and the influx of unhealthy processed food, sugary drinks, and raw soy and corn imports—the latter two products used to make highly processed foods and feed livestock—Mexico has had a spike in lifestyle diseases including diabetes, heart disease and obesity and has surpassed the United States as the most obese nation in the world."

AR-Sen: Mark Pryor (D) Joins Forces With Tom Harkin (D. IA) Calling On Congress To Pass A Farm Bill—by poopdogcomedy: "As I've stated before, I am not a fan of Senator Mark Pryor (D. AR) and I'm not crazy about the Senate's version of the farm bill.  But Republicans wanting to cut food stamps completely while screwing over farmers is just wrong.  A farm bill needs to be passed and Pryor has been true blue on that issue."

Food for Body, Food for Thought, Food for Justice People’s Grocery in Oakland, California—by Bev Bell: "The neighborhood of West Oakland in California has long been without a large grocery store, let alone one that offers healthy, fresh food. With unemployment at about 10% and nearly half the population of 30,000 residents living at or below the poverty line, West Oakland is a neighborhood that grocery store chains have claimed isn’t able to sustain a full-functioning store. But the logic that West Oakland lacks buying power isn’t sound. Its residents spend almost $42 million a year on food outside their community. 'The math is simple,' said local activist and cofounder of the organization People’s Grocery, Brahm Ahmadi. 'In West Oakland, we assessed a $60 million market. There’s a very affluent neighborhood nearby with a $60 million market. It’s the same aggregate spending power. You actually have parallel markets. They just look different.' It was vital to prove that this was true because, said Brahm, 'The number one cause of death in West Oakland is heart disease. It’s not gunshots. It’s food, the way people eat.'"

Macca's Meatless Monday: Sexy Salad—by VL Baker: "Just one hog farm in Utah, for example, produces more sewage than the city of Los Angeles. These megafarms are proliferating, and in populous areas their waste is tainting drinking water. In more pristine regions, from Indonesia to the Amazon, tropical rain forest is being burned down to make room for more and more cattle. Agriculture is the world's biggest cause of deforestation, and increasing demand for meat is the biggest force in the expansion of agriculture."

Meal that killed 23 kids in India was tainted with pesticide—by Christian Dem in NC: "Yesterday, police confirmed that the school lunch that killed 23 kids and sickened 25 more in northern India was indeed contaminated with pesticide.   Police said 'very toxic' levels of the pesticide monocrotophos had been detected by scientific tests. Vegetable oil used to prepare the food was revealed to be highly contaminated. 'It was the high quantity of monocrotophos insecticide found in the food which proved fatal for the schoolchildren,' said Ravindra Kumar, a top police official in Bihar state capital Patna."

Ractopamine in Smithfield Foods and other Animal Products Raises Import Barriers—by Lynne Vogel: "FDA Black Box Warning: Ractopamine hydrochloride, is a beta-adrenergic agonist. Individuals with cardiovascular disease should exercise special caution to avoid exposure. Not for use in humans. Keep out of the reach of children. Russia, China, the E.U. and various other countries prohibit the use of ractopamine, a weight-enhancing synthetic supplement in livestock production, because the drug has critically sickened animals—remains in product—and thus may expose consumers to similar health risks. The ractopamine feed additive provides notable returns, an expected 10-20% gain in marketable meat. Ractopamine, an over-the-counter status drug, does not require veterinary supervision."

Saturday Morning Garden Blogging Vol. 9.23—by Frankenoid: "Denver's monsoonal weather panel has continued to make late July extremely pleasant this year.  This week although we did hit the mid-90s early on, by later in the week we were down to the lower 80s.  And we've had our daily evening cool down, even if my yard received less than a quarter-inch of actual rain.And, in contrast to the front flower beds, in the back yard I'm having a stellar year."

Eco-Related DC & State Politics

Google Holds Fundraiser for James Inhofe—by JoeDemocrat: "We all know James Inhofe believes climate change is a hoax. He wrote a book 'The Greatest Hoax' saying climate science is 'the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.' In an interview, James Inhofe stated that in his crusade against climate science he was 'doing the Lord's work.' He has tried to criminalize the actions of and prosecute leading climate scientists. He has referred to the EPA as a 'Gestapo Bureaucracy.' And Google, a huge corporation that boasts how it wants to do something about climate change, hosts a big fundraiser for him? If Google disagrees with his position on climate change, what political positions of James Inhofe do they agree with to justify a big fundraiser? Do they agree with his staunch opposition to marriage equality? His strong opposition to women's reproductive rights? His trickle down, race to the bottom economic policies? His endorsement of birther nonsense? "

Maryland Gov. O'Malley lays out stellar climate change plan—by VL Baker: "Speaking this morning, Maryland Gov. O'Malley has upped the ante for reduction of statewide greenhouse gases. Stating that 'we trust in the fierce urgency of now' he proposes that Maryland reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020. The plan's emission reduction goals surpass California and all other states except Massachusetts, and its policy proposals include accelerating state clean energy and efficiency goals. In his inspiring speech, Gov. O'Malley laid out the agenda for greenhouse gas reductions across the board stating: 'We move forward, not back.' Maryland is one of many U.S. states at high risk for sea level rise. To achieve a 25 percent reduction in Maryland’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, the state, through its implementation of the 150-plus programs and initiatives described in the plan, must reduce Maryland’s greenhouse gas emissions by 55 million metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent annually. This reduction includes offsetting growth that is expected to occur between 2006 and 2020 (called the 'business-as-usual' forecast)."

Way to lose the youth vote, Republicans—by VL Baker: "In a new  Climate Poll: three-quarters of young, independent voters describe climate deniers As ‘ignorant, out of touch or crazy’. Congress is quickly losing favor among young voters, both Republican and Democrat according to the poll which was conducted by Democratic and Republican firms for the League of Conservation Voters. • Among those unfavorable to the president, 56 percent still supported him taking action on climate change. • 79 percent said they were more likely to vote for a candidate who supported taking action on climate change; similarily, 73 percent they were less likely to vote for someone who opposed climate action plans like the president’s. The [R]epublican party is divided with the majority of republican congresspersons denouncing climate change. Unless they are able to confront their base on climate they risk losing the youth vote for a generation."

CA Freshman Congressman gets First House Bill passed by 113th!.. protecting environment yet—by LOrion: "A NorCal freshman Representative, Jared Huffman, San Rafael, just tweeted out that his very first bill passed the House and moves on to the Senate, H.R. 1411[...] 'This is a spectacular stretch of coastline, and it deserves the highest level of protection we can provide. By bringing this land into the National Monument system, we will provide an accessible way for visitors to see all that the Mendocino coast has to offer. The Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands are a national treasure and the House of Representatives is right to protect it,' said Thompson."

Mr. Climate Change Goes to Washington—by Rolandz: "You can understand - if not forgive - anti-science politicians for ignoring or denying the reality of global warming when it's just some island in some godforsaken corner of the world being threatened with inundation as a result of the changing climate, but when the evidence shows up in their own Goddamn back yard, you'd think they might finally stand up and take notice. Oh well, I'm sure they'll be back out there this winter declaring how the latest blizzard is evidence that climate change is a hoax!"

OK-Sen: Climate Scientists & Environmental Group Go After Google For Jim Inhofe (R) Fundraiser—by poopdogcomedy: "The Daily Beast also notes that Inhofe is staunchly against Net neutrality, equality for gay Americans and comprehensive immigration reform, all issues Google supports. So why is Google fundraising for Inhofe? Because of Inhofe's support for lowering the corporate tax rate. Now a Google spokesperson did have this to say about the fundraiser: 'We regularly host fundraisers for candidates, on both sides of the aisle, but that doesn't mean we endorse all of their positions. And while we disagree on climate-change policy, we share an interest with Senator Inhofe in the employees and data center we have in Oklahoma.'"

Appropriations subcommittee whacks EPA budget below 1978 levels—by Meteor Blades: "Protection Agency any way they can, Republicans on the Appropriations Interior and Environment subcommittee voted along party lines Tuesday to chop $2.9 billion off the agency's 2014 budget, leaving it with $5.5 billion next year. The 35 percent cut in H.R. 1582 would leave spending for EPA at what it was more than 35 years ago. The spending bill introduced by subcommittee chairman Mike Simpson of Idaho also includes a big tub of restrictions on climate change initiatives by the agency. President Obama has vowed to veto the bill if it arrives on his desk in its current form."

Amendments: The House Hates Nature, Human Rights, and Humanists--But At Least They Don't Hate Puppies—by Liberty Equality Fraternity and Trees : "[Defense Appropriations amendments]: Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) proposed an amendment to restore funding for environmental restoration (cleanup and remediation of former defense sites) to fiscal year 2013 levels. It failed on a vote of 176 to 242. 172 Democrats and 4 Republicans supported it. 23 Democrats and 219 Republicans opposed it."

House Republican Vote to Block EPA from Regulating Coal Ash--39 Dems Join Them—by Liberty Equality Fraternity and Trees : "This morning, the House passed legislation (H.R. 2218, the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act) that takes the authority to regulate coal ash away from the EPA and gives it to the states. [...] The EPA has been hedging on coal ash regulations throughout the Obama administration, likely because of industry pressure.  However, independent studies have proven that coal ash regulation—like many other EPA regulations—would create jobs. [...] Henry Waxman offered an amendment to require assurances that state permit programs protect human health and the environment. Waxman's amendment failed 185 to 231 on a largely party line vote. Two Republicans defected and supported the amendment. Eight Democrats defected and opposed it."

New report exposes billions in fossil fuel handouts—by dturnbull: "Today Oil Change International has released a new report with Earth Track that exposes some $4 billion per year in new fossil fuel subsidies which have gone unaccounted for in previous estimates. And what’s worse? It’s growing. Our new analysis dives into a shady corporate structure called “Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs)” and seeks to do a more thorough job of quantifying the value of tax avoidance the fossil fuel industry is able to enjoy by utilizing these structures. MLPs were largely ruled out by the IRS for most US industries some 25 years ago, but special rules continue to provide eligibility for fossil fuels, and have allowed a growing range of oil and gas activities to escape corporate income taxes entirely."

HI-Sen: Al Gore Fundraises For Fellow Climate Hawk, Brian Schatz (D)—by poopdogcomedy: "Fortunately, we have a few strong leaders on climate change and clean energy in Congress, including my friend, Senator Brian Schatz from Hawaii. Fighting climate change and developing America's clean energy economy are more than just goals for Brian--they're his passion. And we're going to need Brian's strong, outspoken leadership in Congress for many more years to get the job done."

The Great Outdoors

The Daily Bucket --- A Volcano in my Backyard—by RonK: "As the snow melted sufficiently for the snow cats and plows to cut through, one of the most scenic spots in the North cascades, Artist Point was opened recently and afforded us its  dramatic 360 degree view. At an elevation of 5,100 feet, Artist Point is situated between Mt. Baker, the live volcano and its neighbor, Mt. Shuksan, a non-volcanic, faulted behemoth. This area is rich in geologic history and features and as the authors of Hiking Washington’s Geology state: Standing in the parking lot at Artists Point, you can see as much geology in the 360 degree sweep as in almost any other location in the world."

The Daily Bucket - Harvesting Pears—by enhydra lutris: "Wednesday, July 24, 2013, Picked pears, fully stripping the tree. As they get ripe, critters raid them and we've been finding a lot of them knocked to the ground and/or partially eaten for a week or so. So we pick them all and hold them indoors to finish ripening, canning as we go. It seems a bit early for this, but not too much so. First of August is usually more like it, I think."

Animals

Black Swallowtail

The Daily Bucket:Backyard Butterfly List—by billybush: "Last week was a decent week for butterflies in my backyard, with seven butterflies and one skipper recorded, including 4 new records for the year. Still, I considered not doing a butterfly diary for the week as the only photo I had was the rather pathetic Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus) [...] It wasn't interested in landing on any plants or flowers, where it would contrast nicely. Instead, it landed on the shaded, inside rim of a decaying tree stump. Fortunately, as I went out to mow the lawn last evening, I spotted the Black Swallowtail [...] hanging out on some weeds near a patch of dill, its host plant.  It was late in the day and the butterfly did not seem at all interested in flying away, even after I brushed against it while mowing the lawn. After I finished with the lawn I went out to check it and it was still there and had folded its wings, giving me a chance to photograph the underside. By this time it was pretty dark so I had to use a flashlight and the camera flash. I checked on it this morning and it was still there."

Gulls and black-footed albatrosses

Dawn Chorus: Come With Me, See Birds of the Sea!—by Kestrel: "Last Sunday I went on the Sacramento Audubon Society's 23rd Annual Pelagic Tour to the Farallon Islands, about 30 miles out in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Francisco. Our Dawn Chorus host, lineatus, has written about the islands a couple of times, but this was my first trip. Contrary to Thomas Friedman, hot, flat and crowded it was not. Cold, wet and rocky is a better description of being on a chartered boat with 35 other people. We see-sawed and pitched our way from Sausalito Harbor out to the great rocks in the hopes of seeing some interesting pelagic ("open ocean") birds -- including, we hoped, a Northern Gannet that had been seen there off and on over a period of weeks. I didn't expect a troupe of entertainers to join us on the voyage, but all it took was a little popcorn tossed into the air behind the boat to draw a sizeable contingent of gulls to accompany us most of the way."

Lamprey Mouth

The Daily (Chum) Bucket: Observations from R'lyeh: An Elasmobranchinomicon (a diary about sharks)—by matching mole: "Sharks are members of that inchoate and unsettling group of ichthyian beings known as the Chondrichthyes or cartilaginous fishes. These are the most ancient living group of jawed vertebrates. The jawless vertebrates are a more ancient and thoroughly noxious pair of lineages whose vermiform modern representatives are the vampiric lampreys and necrophagic hagfish. Both of which are long overdue for their place in the annals of fiscally restrained cinematic horror."

Shooting Barred Owls To Save Spotted Owls—by ban nock: "In a great example of choosing winners and losers in the competition of species the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has decided to start shooting the barred owl to protect the spotted one. A classic example of bias of spots over stripes. [...] I do know that barred owls have been slowly moving westward for decades. They are more aggressive and outcompete their poor spotted cousins. I'm not at all sure it's worth trying to save the spots. Unless there is a place where they are more suited to live than barred owls I see it as a futile endeavor, only delaying the inevitable."

Feds plan to release Trinity water to prevent Klamath River fish kill—by Dan Bacher: "The federal government plans to release water down the Trinity River to stop a potential fish kill from taking place on the lower Klamath River this August and September. In a year a drought like this one, the memories of the fish kill of September 2002, when over 68,000 salmon perished due to a disease outbreak in the low, warm water condititions, are fresh in the minds of many."

"Cuddly" fruit bats

The Daily Bucket: Fruit Bats by the Sea—by OceanDiver: "Oakridge Cay, Roatan Island, Honduras July 2013—It was my privilege to share occupancy of a small seaside diving-lodge, where I stayed on Roatan Island recently, with a vigorous population of fruit bats. I saw them every day. Mostly they were sleeping in a coconut palm tree, latched onto the underside of leaves in cuddly groups. It looked like a light sleep, since they periodically spread their wings, yawned and wiggled about. These were fruit bats, and fed on the abundant tree fruits in the yard of this lodge and elsewhere on the cay."

Salmon Apocalypse Looming in California—by Dan Bacher: "Recent reports of a pending salmon die-off on the Klamath River don’t address the full measure of this rapidly evolving and potentially catastrophic story. 'A record run of salmon are at risk on the Klamath unless anticipated flows from Trinity Reservoir are provided to cool the Lower Klamath River,' said Tom Stokely, an analyst for the California Water Impact Network (C-WIN), a statewide water advocacy group.  “But we have another disaster unfolding on the Sacramento River. We had a dry winter, the reservoirs are low, and federal and state officials are draining them rapidly to pump water to the corporate farms of the western San Joaquin Valley. If the current releases continue, we’re not going to have enough cold water in the Sacramento system to keep fall-run Chinook salmon eggs alive in the gravel this fall.'"

Magpies in northern New Mexico.

* New Day * — The Magpie Diaries—by Aji: "[W]e had a family reunion of sorts here yesterday. No, not our families of two-leggeds. Feathered ones: Magpie Clan. The equivalent of six families or so, camping out in the treetops, flying overhead, letting the younger generation get to know each other, exploring the culinary options on offer here. I've mentioned in comment threads that we had three separate magpie nests this summer, one unusually close to us. A month or so ago, the first round of hatchlings had turned into fledglings, and I passed by their nest every day on my way out t the round pen to feed Miskwaki. One morning, both parents were yammering at me nonstop from the weeping willows at the pond; oddly, they weren't trying to chase me away, which, when it happens, can't be misinterpreted. They wanted something."

The Daily Bucket: Coastal Observations—by matching mole: "The other surprise for me was seeing several young alligators (i would guess hatched out a few months ago) by the St. Marks NWR visitor's center. Small alligators are usually pretty inconspicuous but these guys were hanging out in full view. I guess they figured that the human traffic would keep them safe."

The Daily Bucket: ferry dock nestlings—by OceanDiver: "According to Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) construct nests
placed on narrow ledges on high, steep, inaccessible rocky cliffs, facing the sea... The Pelagic Cormorant is among the least gregarious or social of the cormorants, nesting on steep cliffs along rocky and exposed shorelines, either in loose colonies or far from nearest neighbors. That's true, unless it has an artificial structure available much like a cliff face, with an abundant source of fish nearby, as is the case at the Anacortes ferry dock. The two slips there have ferries coming and going all day long, transporting cars, trucks and people to and from the San Juan Islands, our "road" to the mainland (and tourists to Vancouver Island, in season). Wingwalls (V-shaped structures at the landing) and dolphins (structures unconnected to shore) are positioned in the seabed to guide the ferries into the slips, especially in rough weather and tidal conditions. Over the last 15 years, Washington State Ferries has been gradually replacing the old wooden piling dolphins with steel dolphins, and these have provided lots of nesting spots for the cormorants, as well as places to perch."

Energy

Uncappable underground blowout spills thousands of barrels of tar sands oil in Cold Lake, Alberta—by Meteor Blades: "Tar sands spills of bitumen—a dirty form of petroleum—at four locations in Alberta is no BFD, according to Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. The company says it's managing the spills and cleaning up "bitumen emulsion" in Cold Lake at its Primrose South operation. But since the Calgary-based company has restricted access by media and others to the spill site, its claims are unverifiable."

Another Drilling Rig Explodes in The Gulf Of Mexico—by Dartagnan: "[I]n addition to the Chair of Louisiana State's Petroleum Engineering Department, it seems that everyone is falling over themselves to tell us this is no big deal: Federal inspectors saw no sheens near the well during flyovers Wednesday morning, which indicates the gas is burning off without releasing oil or other hydrocarbons – which are sometimes found in gas wells – into the water. While it's not clear if the well in Tuesday's blowout contained any crude oil, officials and scientists agree that the latest mishap shouldn't be nearly as damaging as the BP oil spill that famously sent crude oil oozing ashore in 2010. That's kinda reassuring, huh?  "Shouldn't be nearly as damaging." And don't worry, the company has everything under control."

Latest Chapter from Methane Nation - Gulf Rig Burns—by jamess: "When you decide, as a nation, that Natural Gas is the key component of your 'procrastination energy future' -- well sometimes you're just going to have to live with the inevitable fallout. It's Industry Behemoths running the gas-land show, you understand, right methane consumers? Sometimes there will be an 'environment surcharge' ... to tapping those profits: Fire breaks out on evacuated Gulf of Mexico oil rig after natural gas blowout."

Hercules 265 jack-up rig has caught fire—by UnaSpenser.

Fracking

UTAH GOV determined to DESTROY UTAH: Tar Sands, Oil Shale & Fracking CHALLENGED—by War on Error: "THE PLANS DWARF ALBERTA!  Eastern Utah is a desert, so UTAH Gov grants 1000s of licences for tar sands, oil shale, and fracking. The only water available for this water sucking processes for extracting bitumen oil and gas require millions, yes, millions of gallons of water. Therefore, Utah Government is determined to Destroy Utah, the Green River, The White River, and the Colorado River. I've been following this insanity for a while now. Here's what I have learned that has me convinced that the Utah Government is determined to destroy Utah."

Obama Admin. Suing Exxon for Fracking Pollution in PA—by ericlewis0: "Yet another clear sign that fracking for natural gas is not a viable solution to the planet's energy challenges: Having settled one water pollution case, an Exxon subsidiary is now facing a federal lawsuit alleging its hydraulic fracturing operations contaminated water supplies in Pennsylvania. XTO Energy is accused of polluting groundwater with fracking waste from its natural gas well pad and storage facility in Hughesville, Lycoming County, according to the lawsuit."

Keystone and Other Fossil Fuel Transportation

Keystone XL on the Executive Climate Table -- Climate Experts weigh in—by jamess: "President Obama has unveiled a proposal to combat global warming that would, for the first time, regulate carbon dioxide emissions from all U.S. coal-fired power plants. Yale Environment 360 asked a group of experts to assess the president’s climate strategy. [...] Michael Mann, climate scientist and director of the Penn State Earth System Science Center: 'Ultimately, we need a comprehensive energy and climate policy that prices carbon pollution and levels the playing field for renewable sources of energy that are not degrading our climate and planet. But given that we have an intransigent Congress (the current House Science Committee leadership continues to deny even the existence of human-caused climate change), the president has been forced to turn to executive actions. His call for carbon emission limits on all coal-fired power plants, not just newly built plants, is a bold step forward. It will go some way to stemming our growing carbon emissions and the impact they are having on our climate. The president's comments about the Keystone XL pipeline are also encouraging. He indicated that he will block the pipeline if it is going to lead to increased carbon emissions.[...]'"

Bogus State Department Keystone XL Climate Study the Basis of David Petraeus’ CUNY Seminar—by Steve Horn: "Former CIA-head David Petraeus’ City University of New York (CUNY) Macaulay Honors College seminar readings include several prominent Big Oil-funded 'frackademia' studies, a recent DeSmogBlog investigation revealed. Further digging into records obtained via New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) also reveals “a survey of the global economy to set the stage for the course' – as stated in an email from Petraeus to an unknown source due to redaction – utilizes the U.S. State Department’s Keystone XL environmental review written by Environmental Resources Management (ERM Group) to argue that Transcanada’s tar sands export pipeline deserves approval."

New Report Another Blow to Keystone Pipeline Supporters—by KGrandia: "A new report out today finds that enforcement of environmental infractions by companies in the Alberta oil sands are 17 times lower than similar infractions reported to the United State's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The report [...] authored by the environmental non-profit Global Forest Watch, looked at more than fifteen years of data on recorded environmental mishaps by oil sand's companies, tracking the follow-up actions taken and the final verdict on fines. [...] Of the more than 4,000 infractions reported, less than 1-percent (.09 to be exact) received an enforcement action (that would be less than 40 of 4,000). Compare this the US Environmental Protection Agency, who has an enforcement rate of 16% for similar infractions by companies under their Clean Water Act."

3 scandals in 3 months, the latest on Keystone XL—by JesseC: "The potential builders of the Keystone XL have been caught in scandal after scandal in their attempts to get government and popular approval for the pipeline. The last few months have revealed the lengths that TransCanada (the company building the pipeline) and other Keystone proponents will go to secure approval for Keystone. 1) The State Department doesn't know where the Keystone XL pipeline will be located; 2) The private contractors hired to gauge the environmental impact of the Keystone XL for the State Department work for TransCanada and other oil companies that would benefit from building the pipeline, a major conflict of interest that the State Department tried to hide. 3) Obama Administration insiders have significant ties to TransCanada, which the company has tried to exploit."

Water

Protecting Our Water from Coal Pollution—by Mary Anne Hitt: "Today the Sierra Club joined a coalition in releasing a report (PDF) that highlights the critical need to clean up power plant water pollution. I'm being joined at the press conference by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., president of the Waterkeeper Alliance, and other environmental leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina, one of many places in the U.S. where this pollution is endangering clean water and public health. • Of the 274 coal plants that discharge coal ash and scrubber wastewater into our rivers, lakes, streams and bays, nearly 70 percent have no limits on the toxics most commonly found in these discharges (arsenic, boron, cadmium, lead, mercury, and selenium). • Of these 274 coal plants, more than one-third have no requirements to monitor or report discharges of these toxic metals to government agencies or the public. • A total of 71 coal plants surveyed discharge toxic water pollution into rivers, lakes, streams and bays that have already been declared impaired due to poor water quality. • Nearly half of the coal plants surveyed are operating with an expired Clean Water Act permit."

Alternatives to the tunnels for Governor Brown's legacy?—by Dan Bacher: "California Governor Jerry Brown has made it clear many times over the past couple of years that he wants to build the peripheral tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta as a Pharaoh-like monument to his 'legacy.' During his press conference unveiling the tunnel plan in July 2012, Brown proclaimed, 'Analysis paralysis is not why I came back 30 years later to handle some of the same issues. At this stage, as I see many of my friends dying — I went to the funeral of my best friend a couple of weeks ago — I want to get s--t done.' Fortunately, Robert Ramsdell has written to me revealing a creative solution to how Governor Jerry Brown can build a gigantic monument to his legacy without building the enormously costly and environmentally destructive peripheral tunnels."

Pollution

Halliburton to Plead Guilty to Destruction of Evidence in Deepwater Horizon Spill—by ericlewis0: "Halliburton has signed a cooperation and guilty plea agreement with the government in which Halliburton has agreed to plead guilty and admit its criminal conduct. As part of the plea agreement, Halliburton has further agreed, subject to the court’s approval, to pay the maximum-available statutory fine, to be subject to three years of probation and to continue its cooperation in the government’s ongoing criminal investigation. Kinda makes you wonder if Dick Cheney (former Halliburton C.E.O.) was involved in the decision to destroy evidence—it would make a blanket guilty plea preferable to having something like that come out in a trial. Just speculating here, of course."

Whoop-de-do. Halliburton to pay fine for destroying evidence that is 0.03% of 2nd quarter profits—by Meteor Blades: "The amount of that fine? $200,000. In the second quarter of 2013, the oilfield products and services giant, the world's largest supplier of hydraulic fracking services, earned profits of $679 million. Conditions of Halliburton's probation were not announced."

BP Oil Spill Litigation: Reply to PSC’s Response to Open Letter—by Brian J Donovan: "On December 21, 2012, subsequent to your receipt of the open letter, Judge Barbier granted final approval to the E&PD class settlement agreement. Notwithstanding this fact, all victims of the BP oil spill and the 'Delay, Deny, Defend' strategy employed by Kenneth R. Feinberg, et al. have a right to clearly understand how and why they were represented by the PSC in MDL 2179. The PSC's clients are not being 'argumentative and disingenuous' when they demand to know why they have not been fully compensated for their damages."

How Oil Spill Fund Limits BP's Liability and Guarantees Its Operation in the Gulf of Mexico—by Brian J Donovan: (A reprise of a piece written in 2010.)

BP Oil Spill Litigation: An Open Letter to the MDL 2179 Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee—by Brian J Donovan.

Mining, Hazardous Wastes & Trash

Gigantic open-pit mine: Good! But nearby camp site: Bad! Bad!—by rlegro: "In northern Wisconsin, where environmentalists and native tribes are doing political and legal battle with Walkerite Republicans who have deregulated the state's mining review laws, an odd juxtaposition occurred this week. Gogebic Taconite, a Florida firm, is planning to dig a ginormous open-pit iron ore mine miles long and a thousand feet deep in the Lake Superior watershed, slashing through absolutely stunning forests dotting the Penokee Hills in Iron County. Now here's the juxtaposition: First, we have the privately owned woodlands the mine would replace. Those woodlands are open to the public thanks to a Wisconsin law that cuts the owner's property taxes drastically in exchange for allowing taxpayers to hike through, which is exactly what citizens are doing in droves as they inspect what the mining company is up to, and this placid, lovely place of nature the firm intends to destroy. Evidently, such traipsing about the controversial mine site can't be allowed by the elites, so state legislators are pledging to pass a law preventing the public from going on the property -- tax breaks perhaps even to be retained."

The Daily Bucket: Beach Balloons—by PHScott: "One day of pleasure, trash forever. [...] big waves wash lots of litter and trash around. Walking the beach early the next morning to see what came ashore, I was struck by the number of party balloons and ribbons. From the Dune Coalition (where my mom was a founding member long ago): On the southern section of Lakeview Wildlife Management Area (WMA), primarily accessible by boat, litter that washes ashore doesn't take very long to accumulate. One litter item that might be over-looked is the occasional balloon and piece of ribbon. However, this week one steward decided to see just how many balloons and ribbons had washed up on a small half mile section of beach at Lakeview WMA. When all the ribbons and balloons were tied together the result created a visual impact that shocked visitors to the area. Ribbon poses a large threat to fish, waterfowl, and other wildlife who can easily become entangled. Mylar balloons are a non-biodegradable product that will remain as part of the landscape for generations to come. Releasing balloons into the air after a celebration may be beautiful, but those balloons will fall somewhere, changing the natural landscape."

Wisconsin pro-mine group uses my diary to make death threats toward anti-mine activists—by DownstateDemocrat: "Remember this diary that I wrote about a group of Republican activists, who support a proposed open-pit iron ore mine in the Penokee Hills region of Wisconsin, creating a Facebook page and using it to make death threats toward four activists who are opposed to the proposed mine? Now, they've linked to my diary and used it to make a blanket death threat toward anyone who opposes the proposed Penokee Hills mine and travels to the site of the proposed mine to protest it."

Transportation & Infrastructure

Who got an electric car? Me!—by Ammo Hauler: "I am now the proud owner of my first electric car - the newly released 2014 Chevy Spark EV. And yes, the car featured at the preceding link looks exactly like the one I got. I think the blue is close to a Carolina or UCLA blue with metallic sparkles. It's an electrified version of the gasoline powered Spark which has been sold in the US for 3 years. The Spark (and Spark EV) are assembled in Korea. The electric drive system and batteries are US designed and made and shipped to Korea for integration into the the Spark chassis. The Spark is built in a Daewoo plant (the Spark is sold in Korea as the Daewoo Matiz). It's a tiny car but designed well for maximum passenger space. It seats 4 adults comfortably."

Electric car sales ramping faster than hybrids!!—by Brainwrap: "I've shortened the actual headline, "Electric Cars Sell Faster Than Hybrids Did At Same Point", but it's the same point: Check out the graph. Now, I realize that there were about 14.5 million light vehicles (cars/trucks) sold in the U.S. in 2012, so even 100,000 = less than 1% of the total...but things are moving in the right direction. And as for my personal fave-rave, the Chevy Volt, after a bit of trouble earlier this year, they're back in the game again."

Eco-Philosophy & Essays

A Complex and Inconvenient Reality—by Desert Scientist: "Right now, it seems to me and to a lot of other scientists, that the human species is at a crossroads in regard to our longterm survival. The earth really cannot support 11 billion people, as the UN now projects as the world population in 2100.  This is not just because of crowding or food resources, but because of numerous predictable and unpredictable factors. Water, as I said in an earlier diary, is a big issue in arid lands, but also potable safe water is a problem in places where fresh water is plentiful, such as the Niger River in Africa."

Sunday Train: Net Energy Yield and the Steel Interstate Energy Revolution—by BruceMcF: "Just as the Big Oil funded Heritage, Cato and Reason foundations churn out reports on why providing Americans with any freedom of choice to pick an alternative to gasoline fueled cars and diesel fueled buses is a bad thing ~ since they are self-identified libertarians, and nothing says "liberty" like denying Americans choice ~ there seems to be a cottage industry in pushing the idea that a fully sustainable, renewable energy economy is an impossibility. Google for "Can the World Run on Renewable Energy" and "negative case" and you'll find several different revisions and country-specific versions of one of these arguments."
A Brief Look at Typical Arguments Against Anthropogenic Global Warming—by NearlySomebody: "According to Dunlap and McCright’s Challenging Global Warming as a Social Problem: An Analysis of the Conservative Movement's Counter-Claims the conservative movement and its think tanks play a large role in "denying the reality and significance of anthropogenic global warming.' Shortly after James Hansen’s 1988 testimony to Congress that the science was fairly certain and that we needed to start taking action to prevent the worst effects of manmade climate change, the campaign to undermine the science began. The denial machine is a sophisticated, pro-business, politically active, and well-funded network of thinktanks, lobbyists, editorialists, and bloggers."

The Scientific Method, the History of Global Warming, and Groupthink—by NearlySomebody: "Back in the 1850s or so, a French scientist named Joseph Fourier asked a really important question that apparently no one had thought to pursue before: 'What determines the average global temperature of a planet like earth?' In other words, if light from the sun comes down to earth and warms it up, that’s great, but why doesn’t it just keep on heating up? His theory was that when the light hits the earth it turns into infrared radiation and bounces back into space. But when he tested it and ran the numbers, he found that the earth should be well-below freezing. So he realized that he had to go back to the drawing board. And that is the scientific method in a nutshell."

Miscellany & Products

Senate hearings July 23: "Should Banks Control Power Plants, Warehouses, and Oil Refiners?"—by NBBooks: "Why are prices basic foodstuffs, oil, and other commodities so high? Because Wall Street banksters have been allowed to rig the commodity futures markets in their favor AND buy control of crucial nodes of physical markets as well. In 2010, JPMorgan Chase bought one of the largest metal warehouse companies in the world - despite a 2005 agreement with the U.S. Federal Reserve that it would not do so. There has already been some excellent reporting on how the banksters have driven up the price of oil, and thus gasoline, such as Goldman Sachs Turns Global Hunger Into Wall Street Profit, and How Wall Street Fuels Global Hunger Food Speculation. The hearings [Tuesday] could give new life to the story."

Climate Scientist Michael Mann Takes the Bad Guys to Court—by LeftOfYou: "Dr. Michael Mann of Penn State University is one of America's foremost hero climate scientists. This has made him a lightning rod for right wing conspiracy theories from the climate change Hoaxers.. But Dr. Mann is tired of being a Hoaxer whipping boy.  He has been a favorite target for fact-free ridicule spewing from climate change deniers since long before Ken Cuccinelli took Dr. Mann and Penn State to Court in 2010 on a fishing expedition for Dr. Mann's emails with other scientists. Now, however, Dr. Mann has turned the table on the Hoaxers. Wielding the mighty Code of Civil Procedure, Dr. Mann has declared war against the evil forces of climate change denialism, dragged the climate change denialists into court, and has demanded strict proof of their bullshit. So far, he is winning."

Michael Mann v. CEI/National Review -- The DC Court gives the defendants the "Judge Judy" treatment—by caerbannog: "The Court's decision regarding Dr. Michael Mann's standing to sue has been issued, and it's a doozy [...] The CEI Defendants’ persistence despite the EPA and other investigative bodies’ conclusion that Plaintiff’s work is accurate (or that there is no evidence of data manipulation) is equal to a blatant disregard for the falsity of their statements. Thus, given the evidence presented the Court finds that Plaintiff could prove 'actual malice.'"

A threat made against a climate scientist, and how we should deal with it—by martianexpatriate: "Michael Mann is a well known scientist who works for Penn State.  About a year ago a blogger for the Competitive Enterprise Institute suggested that because of the scandal in the athletics department, the university might be covering up malfeasance by Michael Mann. These accusations were then repeated at the National Review. Comparisons were made between an accused pedophile at Penn State and Michael Mann himself, and they went on to accuse him of scientific fraud.  They included phrases such as "data manipulation," and "scientific misconduct." In short, they didn't just say he was wrong. They said he was lying. Michael Mann sued for defamation last year. The National Review moved that scientific fact is elusive and amounts to opinion and attempted to have the suit thrown out of court.  On July the 22, the judge denied their motion, and he did so in such a way that suggested that he considers Michael Mann's case to be pretty strong."

Banning the Plastic Bag in San Francisco—by Edmund Xu: "Bay Area governments have been zealously pursuing these plastic bag bans. Why is this? I do not claim to know the answer to the question that I offered above. But I will say this: California has always been ground zero for environmental activism in the United States, even back when it was a reliably Republican state. Democrat or Republican, our governors have always championed the sustainability cause. The culture of the state, and specifically, the state's urban core, most likely has something to do with it. In 2006, the state legislature passed, and Gov. Schwarzenegger (R) signed, the 'Global Warming Solutions Act,' which purports to fight climate change through a variety of sources from within the state. In 2010, the petroleum industry sponsored Proposition 23, which would have suspended the law until the state unemployment rate fell below 5.5% for four consecutive quarters (read: never). In the midst of a terrible economic climate and a Republican wave year, Californians defeated this initiative by an astounding 23 points, and with both gubernatorial candidates in opposition. All nine Bay Area counties voted against it. Clearly, Californians don't take kindly to outside corporations meddling with it sustainability initiatives."

Rip Currents Kill. Visitors: Take the Great Lakes Seriously—by Muskegon Critic: "Today the body of a young woman was found along Pere Marquette beach in Muskegon, on Lake Michigan, after two days of searching. My friends...............if you are going to visit West Michigan, I want you to be aware that the Big Lake is something to take seriously. There are plenty of folks in the area who drown in the Big Lake. But more often than not, it's visitors who get themselves killed in Lake Michigan when visiting our fine beaches. I see this year after year. Year after year. I think there's a belief that since the Great Lakes aren't oceans, they're generally benign. Here's the thing............rip currents are actual things in the Great Lakes. They will suck you out into the deep where the water is so cold your body freezes up and even if you're a great swimmer, it doesn't matter. You cramp and you sink."