Wind turbines on the Kumeyaay Indian Reservation in southern California
Many environmentally related posts appearing at Daily Kos each week don't attract the attention they deserve. To help get more eyeballs, Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue) appears twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The most recent Wednesday Spotlight can be seen here. So far, more than 19,060 environmentally oriented diaries have been rescued for inclusion in this weekly collection since 2006. Inclusion of a diary in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
Tribal protesters urge Secretary Jewell to stop Klamath River fish kill—by
Dan Bacher: "Tribal members from the Trinity and Klamath rivers, carrying an array of colorful signs, converged on a press conference in Redding, California on Tuesday, August 12 to urge Sally Jewell, Obama's Secretary of Interior, to release Trinity River water out of Lewiston Dam to stop a massive fish kill from taking place on the Klamath. Jewell met with the protesters, including Hoopa Valley Tribal Chairwoman, Danielle Vigil-Masten, outside the press conference, but made no promises, according to a press release from Got Water and the Alliance to Stop a Klamath River Fish Kill. Slogans on the signs held by tribal members included 'Free Our River,' 'Water + Fish = Life,' and 'Save the Salmon.' River advocates say releasing water from the Trinity River, the largest tributary to the Klamath, could prevent a large scale Klamath adult fish kill like the one that occurred in September 2002, when over 68,000 salmon perished, due to disease fostered by low, warm water conditions."
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Speaking to public officials about fracking—by
danps: "Several weeks ago members of the group Concerned Citizens Ohio met with a state representative to discuss fracking, injection wells, pipelines and the natural gas industry in general. Here is something I've noticed about these meetings: If you want officials to take action, figure out how to put them on the spot. For instance, when we met with township trustees about injection wells, they were pleasant if slightly exasperated. The state controls all that, our hands are tied, they assured us. But when we asked them to sign a purely symbolic statement urging the state to return siting authority for injection wells back to local communities, boy howdy did the sparks fly. When they could claim they were powerless they were very nice, but when we asked them to do something they were clearly able to—even something harmless like a nonbinding gesture to Columbus—their backs went up. Now, a heated exchange like that is not my idea of success; I'd much rather have them willing to work with us. That won't always be possible though, and getting reluctant officials on record as being unwilling to even lift a finger is useful too."
Trombe wall
—by
Lefty Coaster: "I'm editing and republishing a diary about my passive solar heated home that I first posted five years ago. Now I've lived in the home for 21 years. My place is about 8 feet above sea level with most of that elevation gained between the house and the edge of my yard. It is half a mile away from the beach, with a large salt marsh in between. That makes my side yard a likely candidate to become a beach as some point in the future. The verdant salt marsh, could transform into a mud flat. My house is a labor of love. I designed it myself, after doing extensive reading on home design, and passive solar technology. The house is designed to be very energy efficient, and it is passive solar heated. I am an avid environmentalist and I wanted a solar home since the early 80s. At an Experimental College class on solar home design in 1984, I learned that I had to have to specific home site in mind in order to tailor a home's design to that specific site. So I went shopping for a sunny building site. In 1985 I settled on one on Whidbey Island that had a fabulous view to the south of Admiralty Inlet and the whole Olympic Mountain range with Port Townsend across the water in the foreground."
You can find more rescued green diaries below the sustainable squiggle.
Climate Chaos
350.org launches a global call to action around September’s UN Climate Summit—by boatsie: "Today 350.org and its allies launched the People’s Climate Mobilisation web platform as part of a global call to action to coincide with the People’s Climate March taking place in New York City this September just before a United Nations Climate Summit. The march in New York will take place on the 21st of September, and the global mobilisation will span the full weekend of September 20-21. The NY march aims to bring hundreds of thousands of people to the streets of New York City to call on world leaders to commit to bold climate action as they arrive to attend a historic Climate Summit hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The summit is one of the last chances for world leaders to come together and spark international progress before it becomes too late to avoid catastrophic climate impacts. World leaders will be greeted with the largest mobilization on climate change in history in NY and globally. 'People from across the planet will be making sure that leaders gathered in New York know the demand for action comes from every corner,' said Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org, a global climate campaign on climate change. 'This is the first truly global problem, and it has spawned the first truly global movement!'"
UN Climate Summit: What To Expect and Why it Matters—by boatsie: "On September 23, world leaders from government, business, finance and civil society will gather in New York City—at the invitation of the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon—to attend the UN Climate Summit 2014. The aim of the Summit is to secure widespread commitment to increasing action on climate change and to build ambition among key country leadership ahead of pivotal negotiations at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP 21) in Paris, in December 2015. In Paris, countries are widely expected to build upon their respective domestic climate plans and activities with the aim of developing a new international deal to address climate change from the year 2020 forward. The litmus test for this agreement will be whether the world changes paths to keep the goal—avoiding catastrophic climate change by limiting warming to below 2°C—within reach. The Climate Summit will preview political appetite for such a course correction."
Global Warming is increasing moisture in Earth's atmosphere driving Mother of all Feedback Loops—by Lefty Coaster: "This study was based on satellite data that measures the heat the earth is radiating back into space. That level has been dropping as the earth traps more of the sun's heat. This new study confirms what climate scientists have suspected, that a very large driver of Global Warming, water vapor in Upper-Troposphere, is indeed increasing just as predicted. [...] We have long suspected that greenhouse gases which cause the Earth to warm would lead to a wetter atmosphere. The latest research published by Eul-Seok Chung, Brian Soden, and colleagues provides new insight into what was thought to be an old problem. In doing so, they experimentally verified what climate models have been predicting. The models got it right … again.The authors show that the long-term increase in water vapor in the upper troposphere cannot have resulted from natural causes—it is clearly human caused."
NewsBusters takes a swing at scientific consensus—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "Climate Depot is trumpeting a NewsBusters blog post that attempts to debunk the most recent consensus study finding there is 90% consensus about human-caused climate change among scienitsts who have published more than 10 peer-reviewed papers on climate. In the post, Marc Morano (former Inhofe spokesman and prolific denier who runs Climate Depot) is quoted saying he has a list of 1,000 scientists who dissent from the consensus, which is supposed to rebut the peer-reviewed survey. Morano claims the consensus study only shows 'it is easier to get papers published if they support the narrative of man-made global warming.' Well yes Marc, that's true. Because it's hard to get something published that's incorrect. That seems to be the substance of the 'debunking,' because the rest of the post is just about how the media has used the 97% consensus in the past to say there's no longer any debate. It then goes on to cite a number of studies finding a similarly high level of consensus, followed by rebuttals that are as flimsy and empty as you would expect. For example, the post says that even some skeptics are included in the consensus, which the author portrays as a reason not to believe it, instead of a reason to think, 'Hey, if even the 'skeptics' agree, then there really must be a consensus!'"
GOP shift on climate coincided with fall of Communism—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "A new study in the journal Social Science Research argues that a significant shift in GOP support for environmental concerns occurred after the fall of the Soviet Union. The study is based on the League of Conservation Voter's annual report cards from 1970 through 2013 tracking politicians' positions on environmental issues. Mother Jones has a write-up on the findings with illuminating graphs clearly depicting a partisan split in both the Senate and House beginning in the early 1990s. Until then, while Republicans were still less concerned about the environment than Democrats, the two parties were much more closely aligned. This makes sense when you realize some deniers have conflated environmental concern with Communism, like James Delingpole in his book, 'Watermelons: The Green Movement's True Colors' (green on the outside, red on the inside). Grist has a slightly different, much more controversial take—suggesting that the GOP started 'hating green' when the environmental movement 'started helping blacks' through regulations intended to reduce environmental impacts on minority and low income communities. In either case, the study provides further evidence that Republican denial has less to do with the state of the science and more to do with political ideology."
Extreme Weather
Energy & Conservation
Remember how companies said they 'wouldn't' be fracking into drinking sources?—by weinenkel: "Turns out that that's not so true. Some background: Fracking into underground drinking water sources is not prohibited by the 2005 Energy Policy Act, which exempted the practice from key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act. But the industry has long held that it does not hydraulically fracture into underground sources of drinking water because oil and gas deposits sit far deeper than aquifers. Well, it should probably be covered by something called the Safe Drinking Water Act but at least they've assured us that that won't happen. What's that, Stanford University science people? The study, however, found that energy companies used acid stimulation, a production method, and hydraulic fracturing in the Wind River and Fort Union geological formations that make up the Pavillion gas field and that contain both natural gas and sources of drinking water."
Fracking: My tiny home state needs some help!—by ArtemisBSG: "Join members of Burrillville Against Spectra Expansion (BASE) and regional allies as we march through Burrillville, RI to ring the alarm about the proposed Spectra Pipeline Expansion. As part of this expansion, Spectra Energy wants to nearly double the size of a fracked-gas compressor station in town—this would mean more hazardous air pollutants, more noise and greater risk of a serious accident at the station. Spectra Energy wants to keep the public in the dark about this project, join us as we shed light on the fact that the Spectra expansion is bad for Burrillville and bad for Rhode Island."
Eco-Related Candidacies, DC & State Politics
KY-Sen: McConnell Says Wife Won't Resign From Board Of Charity Seeking To Close Coal-Fired Plants—by poopdogcomedy: "Now this is getting interesting: With U.S. Sen. Rand Paul at his side, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell took his coal bus tour to Western Kentucky Wednesday, railing against the Obama administration and defending his wife from criticisms that she is anti-coal. McConnell was joined by Paul at three stops, but it was McConnell's other top surrogate — wife and former U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao — who reporters mostly wanted to ask about after each event. [...] McConnell was defiant as he was asked whether Chao would resign from the board of Bloomberg Philanthropies, saying "of course not — why should she?' 'She's pro-coal. She's in the same place I am on the NRA,' McConnell said. 'It's a big charitable board.' "
Oceans, Water & Drought
Our dying oceans can be saved: Here's the plan—by VL Baker: "There is a hero on a mission to save the oceans. She has a credible plan and the international 'creds' to accomplish this long overdue and necessary component to preserving a vital piece of our biological home which must be saved if our species and the species with whom we share our environment are to survive. Dr. Sylvia Earle has been on the leading edge of oceanic research for more than sixty years. She has spent almost a year underwater in the depths of the ocean for which she acquired the title: 'Her Deepness.' Now she has a plan and a 'Mission Blue' to get her plan to the powers that be. Dr. Earle's optimism is infectious. It needs to be. Her mission is to save the largest living body on our planet and it's difficult to get people to focus when only the surface of the ocean is visible."
Big Ag Brown will sign tunnels-enabling bond tonight—by Dan Bacher.
Governor Brown signs tunnels-enabling water bond—by Dan Bacher: "Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation Wednesday evening to put a controversial $7.5 water bond before voters this November. The Legislature passed the water bond, strongly opposed by family farmers, Delta residents, Tribal leaders, fishing groups and majority of the state's environmental groups, in spite of an intensive campaign to get key legislators to vote against it. The water bond will facilitate the construction of the most environmentally destructive public works project in California history, the $67 billion peripheral tunnels, under the ironically named 'Bay Delta Conservation Plan,' according to Delta advocates. [...] “The Governor inexplicably turned his back on 21st Century demand side strategies to embrace 19th Century supply side approaches that have brought us to the present crisis. California deserves better," [California Sportfishing Protection Alliance Executive Director Bill] Jennings concluded."
Critters & The Great Outdoors
The Daily Bucket: Nisqually Wildlife Refuge—by Elizaveta: "The Nisqually Wildlife Refuge is located two hours north of Portland, OR and just over an hour south of Seattle, WA. I live close enough and pass by it on the freeway often enough to take the place for granted. It's a treat when I finally find the time to head out there and go for a stroll. The story of the Nisqually Delta and the Wildlife Refuge is rich with the history of the Pacific Northwest--including tribal history and culture, the impact of white settlement and farming, and a not-so-traditional partnership that has led to a successful and ongoing reclamation and habitat restoration effort. Back in 1904, a farmer and entrepreneur named Brown had dikes built to hold back the water and the force of the tides of Puget Sound from some of the land in the Delta to make it more hospitable to farming. Brown eventually went bust--a few too many ventures--but farming continued in the area for decades. The Nisqually Wildlife Refuge was established 1974 and managed by U.S Fish and Wildlife. In 2009, the Refuge partnered with the Nisqually Tribe and Ducks Unlimited, and with funding from Washington's state Salmon Recovery Funding Board, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, and National Fish and Wildlife, undertook the largest estuary and tidal marsh restoration project in the Pacific Northwest. The Brown Farm dikes were removed, and the tidal waters were rejoined to over 700 acres of land."
Photography in the Wildlands - 2—by Username4242: "Second part in a series of wilderness photography."
Daily Bucket: Florida's Invaders--The Green Iguana—by
Lenny Flank: "One of the more recent of Florida's Invaders is amongst the largest lizards in the world, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. It was one of the most popular reptile pets in the US of all time. And now it has invaded Florida. It's the Green Iguana. The Iguanas are a widespread group of lizards, ranging from North and South America all the way to the Pacific islands and Madagascar. The 'true Iguanas' are in a subfamily known as
Iganinae, which includes the Chuckwalla and Desert Iguanas of the Southwest US, the Spinytail Iguanas of Mexico and Central America, the Rock Iguanas or Rhinoceros Iguanas of the Caribbean, the Land Iguana and Marine Iguana of the Galapagos Islands, and the Fijian Iguana in the Pacific. It also includes the Green Iguana, which is the most common and widespread species, ranging from Mexico and the Caribbean through Central America to southern Brazil. The scientific name, conveniently enough, is Iguana iguana. The name 'iguana' comes from the word that the Caribbean Island natives used to refer to these lizards—iwana. Green iguanas reach an adult length of six feet, and are one of the largest lizards in the world. They can live up to 15 years."
Rescue Me - Ark R.A.I.N. Wildlife Sanctuary - Brownsville, TN—by Pam LaPier: "Ark R.A.I.N. Wildlife Sanctuary Inc. (ARWS) Co-Founded by Tim and Toni Davies. Toni and I met in 1991 at my pet store in Illinois. It was love at first sight! We dated for a while but then went our separate ways. I closed my pet store and began traveling the United States to present animal education programs at schools. Toni moved so that she could study Nutrition at the University of Tennessee. We stayed in contact by phone and then married about 6 years later. I guess I’m a little slow! I moved to Tennessee to be with my bride in 1997 along with a small menagerie of exotic animals. These animals were the ambassadors of my education programs. Toni and I formed the Mobile Ark and started touring the United States together. After many years of educating the public about the rainforest destruction and the plight of endangered species, we ourselves began to learn and see firsthand the horrible things happening to animals here in the United States."
Miscellany
Well, That Explains why People Voted for Ronald Reagan—by LunkHead: "Over at MoJO, Kevin Drum has been writing an awful lot about how environmental sources of lead created many of the ills that we saw during the lat3 1960s through the late 1980s. (See here, here, here, here,and here, on violence and impulse control, and here for teen pregnancy) Well, it got me thinking, when you juxtapose poor cognitive function, poor impulse control, a predilection toward violence, poor executive function, and attention and focus issues, what other behaviors might we see? Then it hit me: Reagan voters specifically, and more generally Republicans fit this description. So my thesis is that you don't have to be brain damaged to be a Republican, but it sure helps."
Haida whale
—by
RonK: "A couple of years ago I wrote a diary concerning a fishing trip to Haida Gwaii, formerly 'The Queen Charlotte Islands,' of British Columbia. I was fortunate to be able to return in July of this year. As much as I enjoy the world-class fishing, that is only part of the draw. The seemingly primeval land appears mostly untouched by encroaching hands that plundered the lands and wildlife further south, down the pacific coast. However, this is only a relative statement. Serious cultural, social, and wildlife damage was done here too. Despite the desecration of this once pristine area and the near eradication of First Nations people, the larger culture in this island archipelago is still dominated by the legacies of the Haida culture. Their ceremonial and cultural icons are virtually omnipresent. Much of their spiritually meaningful and artistic designs depicting their natural and sacred worlds (which were largely the same) have been saved in many museums. The legacy continues to be shared with the world through the magnificent art of Haida descendents, foremost of whom are Bill Reed (see above), and Robert Davison. (If you are not familiar with their work, I highly recommend that you follow the links to see their art. They are icons to Canada's aboriginal history.)"
Dust in the Wind—by John Crapper:"I try to maintain a stoic frame of mind when contemplating all this. I know the life we share will one day come to an end. I know our love for each other matters only to us. They are our shared memories and when we are both gone they will be like dust in the wind. I try to maintain a stoic attitude when contemplating climate change too. I know humans have love for their lives here on Earth. We've had a hell of a ride. We think we've got a special relationship with Earth. We profess to care about the health of the Earth a lot. But the time sure is going fast. I can't imagine life without a healthy Earth. It means the world to me. It scares me to think of the current state of the Earth's health. It's really hard to think about. But just like I think about the possibility of having to face that fateful day when I will have to listen to "Dust in the Wind" without my wife by my side, I think about climate change and what life will be like without a healthy Earth in which to live."
