Check out tgypsy's post here.
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) normally appears twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The most recent Wednesday Spotlight can be seen here. More than
21,930 environmentally oriented diaries have been rescued for inclusion in this weekly collection since 2006.
This is the 350th diary rescue in that that series.
Inclusion of a diary in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
Obama’s Trade Agenda Smacks Down the Climate—by
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy: "This week 40 groups—many of them focusing on rural and community-based responses to climate change—wrote Congress calling for the rejection of Fast Track trade authority, which would speed through two mega trade deals without fully assessing their impacts on the climate. The letter is timely. The letter outlines how trade rules established in NAFTA and at the World Trade Organization (WTO) have contributed to: • the expansion of the tar sands in Canada • the undermining of green job creation linked to locally-sourced energy • establishing the right of multinational corporations to legally challenge the ability of countries to set their own energy policy • the weakening of the rights of local communities to prohibit fracking."
You can find more rescued green diaries below the orange garden layout.
Climate Chaos
A Major Surge in Atmospheric Warming Is Probably Coming in the Next Five Years—by Pakalolo: "My heart stopped for a few moments when I read this article from Motherboard. I pay attention to what is happening with our precarious position that we are in when it comes to climate change. I pay so much attention that at times I can't sleep due to what is happening to our air conditioners, the Arctic and Antarctica. I want to know and I need to know just as much as some of my health issues need to be known so that I know what I am up against and can either adapt or die. But still, I was hoping we would have more time to try to put the brakes on this slow moving train wreck. Instead, all hell is going to break loose I fear."
Are we experiencing irreversible changes?—by don mikulecky: "The answer seems clear: These are the impacts of climate change we will never be able to fix. The IPCC's latest report states: 'Warming caused by CO2 emissions is effectively irreversible over multi-century timescales unless measures are taken to remove CO2 from the atmosphere,' meaning unless we find a way to suck huge quantities of carbon out of the atmosphere—still a pipe dream at this point—the planet will be running hot for a very long time. This is an understatement at best. There still are a lot of people with the misguided belief in technology that hope for it to save us. Unfortunately that's a little bit like opening the refrigerator door to cool the house."
Short, funny video on climate change and wildfires—by Dont Just Sit There DO SOMETHING: "Writing to let you know about the release of the first Don't Just Sit There—Do Something! video of 2015! This one is about climate change and wildfires (and includes a summary of the most important climate news since our last video) —with a healthy dose of humor and ridiculous antics, as usual! The series is created and produced by Communitopia. Actions this episode: HELP MAKE SURE KEYSTONE XL NEVER GET BUILT (350.org letter), and HELP TO REDUCE PLASTICS WASTE IN YOUR COMMUNITY (Plastic Pollution Coalition)."
Soon Responds to Funding Exposure—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "Moving on: Willie Soon has issued a statement about his failure to properly disclose the nature of his funding. He claims that he always follows disclosure rules, but since he described some studies as 'deliverables' to funders but didn't disclose that relationship, that seems unlikely. Ironically, Soon makes the claim defending his integrity in spite of fossil fuel funding through the discredited and fossil fuel-funded Heartland Institute, who issued a statement on his behalf and put together a whole page 'Debunking the Left's Attack on an Innocent Climate Scientist.' Heartland's president Joseph Bast keeps it classy, saying that Soon's 'critics are all ethically challenged and mental midgets by comparison.' So Soon goes to a group funded by fossil fuels to tell everyone that even if he is paid by fossil fuel corporations, that isn't why his science's primary use has been as a lobbying tool to protect fossil fuel profits from climate change policies."
There's Good News and there's Bad News when it comes to that Global Warming 'Slowdown'—by jamess: "Global Warming Has Paused But This Slowdown Is Not The Reason For Celebration. Global warming appears to have paused since the turn of the millennium, however climatologists think this slowdown is not the reason for celebration. The Pacific Ocean is cooling, which could be balancing some of the warming caused by the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses into the environment, scientists say. El Niño cycles in the Pacific Ocean warm the water, and the last of these cycles occurred somewhere around 1997 and 1998. Since that time, the world’s biggest ocean has shown a cool phase. On the other hand, these conditions won’t last, and once the cycle upturns its trend, global warming will once again instigate to heat the planet, scientists note. [...]
Ugh! And there's the Bad News: this 'pause' in Global Warming is decidedly short-lived. So says one highly respected climate expert ..."
Turn off the PDO Trade Winds -- and Turn up the Heat in the Atmosphere—by jamess: "Or so that's the bottom-line conclusion of what the latest research is telling us, about the relationship between the PDO cycle [Pacific Decadal Oscillation], and the global-caching of the Global Warming warmth, deep within the reservoirs of the western Pacific Ocean. Turn off the PDO Trade Winds -- and watch out for all that latent GW Heat, rising up out of the Ocean -- into the 'ocean of air' otherwise known as our Atmosphere. And those Trade Winds are due to 'turn off' ... right. About. NOW. (... ie. soon.)"
Al Roker says weather phenomenon is the result of climate change—by Walter Einenkel: "Al Roker was on Larry King's new interview show: Roker: We've been in a pattern five weeks in a row where there's a storm that comes up and then forms and then reforms on the coast of New England, the mid-atlantic New England coast and dumps a ton of snow. And so Boston at this point is in it's number two snowiest winter. King: Is this all part of climate change? Roker: I think it is. Look, you can't point to any one event and say 'this is climate change' but what climate change opens the door for and allows for are more extreme swings of weather. Roker has always been an advocate for the theory of climate change and this isn't a surprise but considering the lack of serious coverage of climate change, this is nice to see."
Open thread for night owls: Eastern Seaboard saw sea level rise of 5 inches in two years—by Hunter: "In just two years, 2009 and 2010, sea levels along the Atlantic coast north of New York City jumped up by more than 5 inches, according to a paper published this week in the journal Nature Communications. That might not seem like much on its own, but consider that, according to the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global sea levels are rising at a rate of less than a half an inch each year, and that’s causing all sorts of havoc. [...] The researchers behind the study, from the University of Arizona and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, looked at data from tide gauges up and down the Atlantic coast dating back to 1920. Their conclusion: the 2009-2010 event was “unprecedented during the entire history of the tide gauge records.' One theory is that as the currents colloquially known as the Atlantic conveyer belt weaken (an effect predicted by climate change models), additional water builds up along this point of the coastline. Whatever the cause, the result was 'persistent and widespread flooding without a storm or hurricane.'"
Unprecedented sea level rise along the NE coast in 2009-2010—by Pakalolo: "The heat generated by Climate Change is not causing sea level rise (SLR) rates evenly across coastal areas. Coastal regions north of New York have shown a dramatic rise of 4 inches in 2009-2010. Figure 2: NOAA's graph shows yearly sea level rise along the northeast North American coast in millimeters per year. The red bar shows how extreme the spike was in 2009. The extreme spike lasted into 2010. Credit: Paul Goddard/University of Arizona Department of Geosciences. According to NOAA, fluctuations in sea level rise do occur, and trends of sea level rise are occurring globally. But NOAA emphasizes that what it has observed is that regional impacts are the most important way to determine the impact to society."
Extreme Weather & Natural Phenomena
Bárðarbunga is no longer erupting…—by By Choice: "Yesterday, at noon Icelandic time, the Scientific Advisory Board announced 'The eruption in Holuhraun, [...] has come to an END.' Unfortunately, Other lava eruptions have taught that the lava field continues to emit gas for a long time yet and without the thermal rise from an open vent, the volcanic gases will tend to follow the ground. Therefore, even higher values of more polluting gas may be expected now than in recent weeks. So, no immediate relief for those breathing Icelandic air, but I hope that in the not-too-distant future, Rei can continue her work in comfort."
Critters & the Great Outdoors
The Daily Bucket: Unabashedly Spring—by
PHScott: "Good Morning! Just a few photos taken the last few days around my yard in the woods west of Tallahassee. Native Azaleas are starting to bloom. These are down in the bottom where it's been so wet this winter. They flower from the top down - these are about 12' up. Farther up the slope is a Eastern Hophornbeam. These are developing male catkins. The female will be shorter. This is new to me, how they pollinate and form the fruit that looks like hops so it's something I'll be checking on the next few weeks. I'm also watching for the Red-shouldered Hawk I hear all the time and sometimes see as it circles my woods. The day before (the day after my Pensacon weekend and so happy to be home) I spotted a nest as the hawk flew up to it, Kee_yar all the way."
Corals are ingesting plastic which gums up their digestive tracts causing starvation.—by Pakalolo: "The world's oceans are becoming very acidic due to the burning of fossil fuels. In the Florida Keys and the Hawaiian islands corals are bleaching at terrifying rates by hot ocean water. It has now been confirmed by an Australian Study that corals are ingesting plastic micro beads leading to blockage of their intestinal tracts. Corals eat zooplankton and the estimated 5 trillion pieces of floating plastic in the oceans are being consumed as well. 'Corals get energy from photosynthesis by symbiotic algae living within their tissues, but they also feed on a variety of other food including zooplankton, sediment and other microscopic organisms that live in seawater,' lead study author Nora Hall, a researcher at James Cook University Masters in Australia, explained in a press release. 'We found that the corals ate plastic at rates only slightly lower than their normal rate of feeding on marine plankton,' Hall added.'"
Dawn Chorus: Brazil's Pantanal - The Jaguar Zone—by tgypsy: "In October 2012 and again in October 2014, I had the great good fortune to visit the Pantanal in southern Brazil. The Pantanal is a world-wide destination for wildlife lovers known for its diversity of birds - nearly 100 species of herons, ibis, egrets, storks that weigh more than a pound, plus hundreds of species of passerines - and also for the charismatic big cat, the jaguar. For very good reason, the central portion of the Pantanal, accessible by boat on the Cuiaba, Piquiri, and Tres Irmaos Rivers, is dubbed "The Jaguar Zone" by our tour operator. (Note that most of the photos and narrative in this diary are from the 2014 trip.) [...] Our goal was to see birds, otters, maybe some bats or snakes. We weren't in 'The Jaguar Zone' yet. But, to our amazement, we came upon a gorgeous female jaguar lounging on the river bank. She's pictured in the photo at the beginning of this diary. She was remarkably tolerant of our presence, lolling on the beach for quite a few minutes."
The Daily Bucket: An Eagle Visits the Library—by
Lenny Flank: "So I was at the library on Tuesday working on some manuscripts when I happened to glance outside and see a Bald Eagle perched there, peering inside. Maybe he forgot his library card. He hung around just long enough for me to grab my camera and snap a few shots. As you can see, the weather was overcast and dark, which is why I was inside working. So how the heck am I supposed to get any work done if things like this keep happening? I may have to sit with my back to the windows from now on... ;)"
Our Relationship with Animals Could Save the Earth—by
wearethegypsies: "What if a bond with animals gave humans the wisdom to reinvent ourselves as protectors of the planet rather than its users? What if that relationship with animals could awaken the power to recognize our own species as the weak link in the planet’s welfare? And what if a friendship with only one animal could change the way we see and care for the world? It can. It’s the reward for our human compassion, the ability to think outside ourself, our family, our country, our religion and yes, our species. The bond with an animal is the way we humans begin to comprehend our individual effect on each other and all beings of the earth. That awareness can expand our connection to all living things, giving humans the ability to rethink what is healthy for our planet rather than what is profitable."
Arctic Nightmares—by Subankhar Banerjee via TomDispatch: "Here’s a Jeopardy!-style question for you: “Eight different species of whales can be seen in these two American seas.” Unless you’re an Iñupiaq, a marine biologist, or an Arctic enthusiast like me, it’s a pretty good guess that you can’t tell me what those seas are or what those whales are either. The answer: the Chukchi Sea and the adjacent Beaufort Sea, off Arctic Alaska, and you can commonly spot bowhead, beluga, and grey whales there, while fin whales, minkes, humpbacks, killer whales, and narwhals are all venturing into these seas ever more often as the Arctic and its waters continue to warm rapidly. The problem, however, is that the major oil company Royal Dutch Shell wants to drill in the Chukchi Sea this summer and that could, in the long term, spell doom for one of the last great, relatively untouched oceanic environments on the planet. Let me explain why Shell’s drilling ambitions are so dangerous. Just think of the way the blowout of one drilling platform, BP’s Deepwater Horizon, devastated the Gulf of Mexico. Now, imagine the same thing happening without any clean-up help in sight."
The Daily Bucket - blackbird romance?—by OceanDiver: "Tis the beginning of the season for bird romance in the Pacific Northwest. I first heard the chorus of Red-winged Blackbirds singing in the marshes a month and a half ago (!) which is much earlier than usual, but that may have something to do with our warm winter this year. They've been singing and chirping ever since, mostly invisibly, but lately out in the open, perched up high, showing off. [...] Brightly colored males are staking out territories and alerting all comers. I recently saw a brief encounter...a flirtation, or ? We all have Red-winged Blackbirds, so perhaps you have seen courting behavior where you live. What think you about this pair?"
The Daily Bucket - fruiting Frog Pelt—by
OceanDiver: "Frog Pelt (Peltigera neopolydactyla) is a lichen common in shady forest areas of the maritime Pacific Northwest. It's that grayish leafy stuff in a bed of moss. [...] I've been restricted to walking lately in my nature excursions but one upside of that has been looking at what's along my local route one day after the next. Because of that I caught the brief fruiting interval of Frog Pelt. The bright orange lobes along the margin of the lichen 'leaf' are fruiting bodies (or 'apothecia') of the fungal partner in the lichen. After spores are released from the orange structure there's a critical moment for them out on whatever forest surface they land on:
The spores come only from the fungal partner and do not contain any algal cells. They may germinate after being shed from the fruiting body, but they will only be able to form a new lichen if they happen to make contact with a suitable algal partner. Without the alga, the germinating spore will die, as the fungus cannot survive on its own. —Lichens."
Squirrels of Winter—by not4morewars: "Could not leave out the feeder thieves that hang around in winter here. Don't know about anybody else but I'm ready for spring..."
The Daily Bucket: LBFOBW—by
matching mole: "Once upon a time, the owners of the house across the street must have decided they didn't like trees. Odd, I know but the result is that we are the only house in the neighborhood that isn't actually on the water that has a substantial view of Lake Jackson. From our bedroom window we are high enough to actually see the shore of the lake behind our neighbors' house. Using the spotting scope we can see wildlife a long way off although smaller animals are usually too small to see clearly. Here are a few images (often dark and slightly out of focus) from the last few weeks. This bald eagle was an ideal subject. He or she was relatively close, very large and sedentary. Even under dim light you could get not entirely horrible photos."
Buy tuna today? You might be supporting slavery.—by foresterbob: "I will keep this brief. Today I came across an AP story about slave labor in the Thai fishing fleet. I urge you to read the entire article: OVERFISHING DRIVING SLAVERY ON THAILAND'S SEAFOOD BOATS. Here are some sobering excerpts: ... overfishing and the use of illegal and undocumented trawlers have ravaged Thailand's marine ecosystems and depleted fish stocks. Boats are now catching about 85 percent less than what they brought in 50 years ago, making it 'one of the most overfished regions on the planet.'"
Birds of Winter—by
not4morewars: "Cold clear day here in IA."
The Daily Bucket--Mark of the Beast—by
6412093: "I work part time at a golf course, raking the sand bunkers. These are shallow depressions partly filled with fine sand. We rake the bunkers almost every day to insure a consistent surface. But this routine also means that the bunkers momentarily preserve a record of the footprints, paw prints, claw prints, and slither markings of every creature, great and small, that passes through it. I often find sandy evidence that herons, eagles, killdeer, coyotes, ducks, coots, snakes, and critters unknown have trod through the bunkers in the preceding days and nights. [...] When I looked at this picture of suspected coyote prints later, I noticed other claw prints, probably killdeer or other robin-sized songbirds."
Walking catfish.
Daily Bucket: Florida's Invaders--Walking Catfish—by
Lenny Flank: "Florida is the land of invasive species. Because of our status as a center for the importing of exotic pets and houseplants from overseas, and our neo-tropical climate, we have been invaded by everything from kudzu plants to Burmese pythons. And one of our invaders is a seeming impossibility--a fish that breathes air and walks on land. [...] OK, so the Walking Catfish, Clarias batrachus, doesn't actually have legs and doesn't really walk. But it is pretty good at scrambling across dry ground on its fins, it can gulp air to breathe, and it has invaded Florida. The Clariid family contains about 100 different species of catfish, organized into 14 different genus names. All of them are freshwater fish, and they can be found in many areas of Africa and southern/southeastern Asia. They are inhabitants of stagnant pools and shallow slow-moving streams, where they dine happily on smaller fish and invertebrate prey as well as aquatic plants and organic matter strained from the bottom muck. During the dry times of the year the stagnant ponds inhabited by the catfish often dry up and disappear, leaving the fish high and dry. As a result, they have become adapted to moving overland in search of a new pool."
Energy
The Race for Fusion - 2015—by Frank Paine : "Research projects to harness fusion energy date back to the 1950s. After the oil embargo in the 1970s, a proposal was sent to the President in 1976 claiming fusion research was decades and billions of dollars away. Since then, advances in other technologies such as metallurgy, manufacturing precision, and even digital technology have reduced the finances for advancing fusion energy research. Funding nearing almost half a billion dollars have been invested in various fusion projects. While the cost of developing fusion technology might have been in the billions in the previous century. Laboratories can now demonstrate basic technology for a few million dollars or less. The IEEE Spectrum Magazine refers to startups building prototype systems for tens of millions of dollars. These independent teams are developing different approaches to harness fusion energy."
Introducing: BigOilTalkingPoints.com—by dturnbull: "If you’re like us, by this point in the Keystone XL saga you probably feel like you are listening to a broken record when it comes to Big Oil’s talking points. With each passing milestone along the road towards a decision on the dirty tar sands pipeline, new press releases are sent with the same tired lines about imaginary jobs, elusive energy security, dubious safety records, and miraculously disappeared climate impacts. You’ll have to forgive us for not being able to let all that BS pass by unanswered. We help separate the myths from the facts as best we can. But TransCanada and their friends in the oil industry have spent millions of dollars pushing these talking points over the years and we’re starting to (almost) feel sorry for them. After all, when the facts aren’t on your side, the battle is that much harder. So, being the generous souls that we are, we thought we’d save the industry a few million dollars and create a website that can generate their requisite talking points for them! We are proud to introduce: BigOilTalkingPoints.com!"
Safer Nuclear Energy That Eats Nuclear Waste—by mauderocks: "And why are we not pooring tons of money and energy into this? Just the possibility of a constructive solution to the nuclear waste problem alone...not to mention Chernobyl, Fukushima, 3 Mile Island... It's time we got our head out of our collective asses, stood up to big money, the oil and gas industry, and the morons in office lining their pockets or just picking their collective noses! I mean really! Is their any common sense left out there?"
Coal Waste Tsunami—by The Rick Smith Show: "On this day in labor history the year was 1972, marking the day of the Buffalo Creek Flood in West Virginia. The Pittson Coal Company’s coal waste impoundment dam failed during heavy rain causing more than 130 million gallons of water and coal waste to flood the valley below.
Shirley Marcum of Lundale, described what happened, “The only warning we had was just a neighbor woman had spotted it and just pulled in front of our house, and hollered, ‘Run! The dam has broken!’” The flood killed 125 people, including some whole families. Seven bodies, six of them children, were never found. The flood caused some $50 million in damages and 4,000 residents lost their homes. Government officials suggested building 750 units of public housing for those affected. Only 17 homes and 90 apartments were ever built.The Pittson Coal Company declared the disaster an 'act of God.'"
Dramatic Decrease of Fukushima Derived Radionuclides in the Northwest Pacific Ocean 2011-2012—by MarineChemist: "The purpose of this diary is to report on a recently published (Jan 2015) open-access, peer reviewed study which examined the activities of 137Cs (half life 30.2 yr), 134Cs (half life ~2.1 yr) and 90Sr (half life ~28.8 yr) in the northwest Pacific off the coasts of Japan and China. The diary is part of a ongoing effort to communicate the results of scientific research into the impact of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster on environmental and public health. Men and colleagues report on how activities of these fission produced isotopes changed between three research expeditions in June 2011, December 2011 and June 2012. Activities in seawater decreased dramatically through time for all three isotopes consistent with very high release rates measured from the Fukushima site in March-April 2011 followed by ongoing but many orders of magnitude (10,000 - 100,000 fold) lower releases from the site thereafter. By 2012 the impact of the Fukushima releases could be still be detected in most samples for Cs isotopes however 90Sr distributions were much more uniform with the highest measured activity only slightly above the pre-Fukushima background."
TEPCO conceals major leak for 10 months—by
patbahn: "The Fukushima reactor incident continues as an on going crisis, heading into it's 5th year now, many people would like to erase the disaster from the memories of global citizens. [...]
The operator of Japan's tsunami-stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant admitted it failed to report a radioactive rainwater leak from the facility for about 10 months. [...] 'This was part of an ongoing investigation in which we discovered a water puddle with high levels of radiation on top of the Reactor No. 2 building' [...] The puddle of contaminated rainwater contained cesium levels as high as 23,000 becquerels per liter, more than 10 times as high as radiation levels in sample water taken from other parts of the roof, according to TEPCO. It would implement measures to prevent further contamination by, for example, placing sandbags that absorb radioactive material in the area, TEPCO said."
Renewables & Conservation
National Bank of Abu Dhabi: "fossil fuels can no longer compete with solar technologies on price"—by VL Baker: "We are living in amazing times; witnessing the green revolution growing exponentially before our eyes. It's game over for fossil fuels and it can't come fast enough. [...] Now a new report (pdf) from the National Bank of Abu Dhabi, as you can imagine, a big player in oil & gas, says that "fossil fuels can no longer compete with solar technologies on price", and that the majority of the $US48 trillion needed to meet global energy demand over the next 20 years will come from renewables. 'Cost is no longer a reason not to proceed with renewables,' the NBAD report says. In some instances, the price of renewables are remarkably low. 'The latest solar PV project tendered in Dubai returned a low bid that set a new global benchmark and is competitive with oil at US$10/barrel and gas at US$5/MMBtu.' This was a 200MW bid by ACWA Power at $US0.0584/kWh (5.84c/kwh), without subsidies. Of course, sunnier countries will have lower costs, but over time even cloudier places will see solar eclipse dirty sources."
The Eiffel Tower just got even cooler—by Jen Hayden: "In 2007, the city of Paris introduced a Climate Action Plan to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, all while bolstering green energy projects. Last week they completed changes to their most iconic landmark—the Eiffel Tower: The 125-year-old structure is partially powering itself thanks to two new wind turbines that were just installed. Located above the second level, the turbines will produce over 10,000 kWh of electricity per year, offsetting the annual consumption of commercial activity on the Eiffel Tower’s first floor, which thanks to a larger refurbishment project now includes two panoramic pavilions with meeting and conference spaces, plus a new glass floor. The upgrades didn't end there: In addition to the wind turbines, other green enhancements include roof mounted solar panels–whose output will meet approximately 50 percent of the water heating needs of both new pavilions–plus a rainwater recovery system that provides flushing water to the toilet facilities, and also reduces the amount of energy needed to power the booster pumps used to pump water to the higher levels of the vertiginous tower."
Google is investing $300 million into fund for residential solar paneling—by Walter Einenkel: "Google has agreements to fund well over a billion dollars in renewable energy projects. They have just stepped even deeper into the renewables game with their largest single investment to date: Google Inc. is making its largest bet yet on renewable energy, a $300 million investment to support at least 25,000 SolarCity Corp. rooftop power plants. Google is contributing to a SolarCity fund valued at $750 million, the largest ever created for residential solar, the San Mateo, California-based solar panel installer said Thursday in a statement."
Hot Stock Tip: "Buy Solar"—by jamess: "Now is the time to invest in solar, because people are stupid, by Ben Adler at grist.org. Normally, declining stock prices would reflect weak growth or a shaky outlook for an industry. But solar energy is growing by leaps and bounds. In the first three quarters of 2014, 3,966 megawatts of solar capacity were installed in the U.S., compared to 2,647 MW in the first three quarters of 2013. Solar deployment is not only expanding, but the pace at which it’s growing keeps accelerating. In 2014, according to a new report from the Solar Foundation, an independently funded think tank, the solar industry added workers almost 20 times faster than the overall U.S. economy, accounting for almost 1.3 percent of all jobs created.
So why are solar stock prices not keeping pace? Because American investors are uninformed, apparently. It turns out that the free market and its crowd-sourced opinions are not always so wise after all..
Wave-generated power has been supplied to the electricity grid.—by Drewid: "Three 240 kw peak wave generators were brought online in Australia supplying power (and fresh water) to their largest naval base. They send pressurized water to an onshore hydroelectric plant and also send water to a desalination plant, supplying both energy and fresh water [...] larger units in order to achieve four times the capacity of the current units. Sounds awesome. The units are submerged so no eye sore (looking at you Cape Wind), not sure of the enviro impact of a large farm of these, but interesting."
Fracking
The Shape of Things to Come with Fracking—by billofrights: "In 2014, I did some research on major fracking incidents in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Here’s what I found: there is no completely safe way to frack for gas; every stage of the process is subject to explosions and fires. There were mechanical failures of parts as well as human failures such as not having gas meters and detectors on the production rigs and on the workers themselves. From Texas experience with both oil and gas fracking, the longest and most extensive in the nation, covering some 250,000 wells, comes this warning: expect 'one major blowout for every one thousand wells.' That’s because the well pads are almost like small city outposts: they have generators of different types, extensive floodlights, pumps, trucks coming and going; in other words, many, many sources of ignition to trigger problems with the unpredictable levels of gas flow."
Keystone XL & Other Fossil Fuel Transportation
Vetoing the Keystone XL Pipeline: Moral Leadership for the Environment—by mbenefiel: "President Obama vetoed the Keystone XL pipeline Tuesday. He also forged a historic agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November to reduce carbon emissions in the U. S. by 26-28% from 2005 levels by 2025. He has worked with the auto industry to put into place historic fuel economy standards. When he wasn’t able to convince Congress to pass environmental legislation, he worked behind the scenes, using the Clean Air Act of 1970 to set tougher environmental standards. All of these actions give him points for moral leadership. At the same time, some have criticized Obama for not doing enough. In 2011, Al Gore published an article in Rolling Stone magazine, saying Obama had 'thus far failed to use the bully pulpit to make the case for bold action on climate change.' During the first two years of his administration, many environmental activists expected more legislation to slow climate change. Cole Stangler argues that, even given legislative obstacles, Obama could have done more through federal agencies. I would argue that President Obama has indeed turned a corner on the environment, that he sees the urgency of the issue, and that he is now exercising moral leadership on behalf of the planet and the life it supports."
Senate falls short of votes needed to override Obama's veto of Keystone XL approval bill, 62-37—by Meteor Blades: "As expected, the Republican leadership couldn't attract enough Democratic votes to override President Obama's veto of S. 1, the bill passed Jan. 29 to approve the Keystone XL pipeline by circumventing a decades-old executive process. The override vote was 62-37. Two-thirds of those present and voting were required. Eight Democrats joined the Republicans in favor of overriding. They were Michael Bennet of Colorado, Tom Carper of Delaware, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Jon Tester of Montana and Mark Warner of Virginia. This was the same group of Democrats that voted in favor of approving the pipeline in the first place except for Joe Donnelly of Indiana, who did not vote."
Keystone XL story definitely not over. Nebraska lawsuits could delay permit decision for years—by Meteor Blades: "You wouldn't have guessed it from some of the reporting, blog commentary and comment thread talk about President Obama's veto earlier this week, but the Keystone XL pipeline is far from dead. Foreign Policy, for instance, headlined its story on the subject 'Obama Kills the Keystone Pipeline to Nowhere.' No, he didn't. What Obama did do on Tuesday was veto the bill Congress passed to circumvent executive authority for approving that pipeline originating in Alberta. Tellingly, that bill would not have taken away authority for deciding on other pipelines that cross international boundaries. Wouldn't want to remove executive authority from the next Republican president. So while there's been encouraging evidence in Obama's statements since June 2013 that he will nix a construction permit for the northern leg of the pipeline, that is not a sure thing. Keystone XL has not been killed."
The Suncor tar-sands processing plant near Fort McMurray, Alberta, in September. In 1967, Suncor helped pioneer the commercial development of Canada's oil sands, one of the largest petroleum resource basins in the world.
Conservative property rights advocacy groups silent on taking of land to build Keystone XL—by
Meteor Blades: "Josh Israel and Katie Valentine at ThinkProgress have taken note of how organizations like the Institute for Justice and Heritage Foundation that are normally at the forefront of property rights advocacy have been dead silent about TransCanada's taking of people's land to build the Keystone XL pipeline:
'I have not seen a single group that would normally rail against eminent domain speak up on behalf of farmers or ranchers on the Keystone XL route,” said Jane Kleeb, founder of the anti-Keystone group Bold Nebraska. That’s surprising to Kleeb, whose organization is supporting the efforts of a group of Nebraska landowners along the pipeline’s proposed route who have held out against giving TransCanada access to their land. She had thought that at least a few conservative or pro-lands rights groups would have voiced their general support for Keystone XL, but still denounced the use of eminent domain to get it built. That hasn’t happened, Kleeb said — not among property rights groups nor among most pro-Keystone lawmakers. 'If this were a wind mill project or a solar project, Republicans would have been hair-on-fire crazy supporting the property rights of farmers and ranchers,” she observed. “But because it’s an oil pipeline, it’s fine.'"
60% of new US oil output is being exported; 200 of us will die by bomb train so that can continue—by rjsigmund : "before we get to this weeks news, we're going to add a postscript to last week's coverage of the oil bomb trains....in all the excitement of reporting about trains & refineries blowing sky high in various parts of the country and Canada, we forgot to point out that a lot of that fuel being hauled cross country isn't even intended for our use; it's for export...in tracking the trade report for years, i've noticed that while fracking increased, our exports of refined products have been increasing, but because the data in the monthly trade reports from the Commerce Dept is reported in dollars and prices change continuously, it's been difficult to get a handle on how much ... however, the reports from the energy Department give us the data on production and exports in barrels of oil and refined product, so we can check their records and discover exactly what has been going on under the guise of drilling our way to energy independence ..."
DC, State & Local Eco-Politics
ICYMI: Inhofe's Snowball Rebutted—by xaxnar: "Just a quick post picked up via Scientific American. When Climate Change Denier Senator James Inhofe (R Oklahoma) showed up with a snow ball on the Senate Floor to 'prove' Climate Change is a hoax, he may have gotten some headlines (and more idiocy) but he did not go unanswered. Steve Mirsky at Scientific American picked up on a response from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D Rhode Island), who has been fighting the good fight for some time."
Senator James Inhofe disproves climate change by bringing snowball in from outside and throwing it—by Walter Einenkel: "If you want to know how dumb the position of climate denier is you need go no further than watch Senator James Inhofe, R-OK and chair of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, put together this little piece of political theater yesterday. On the floor of the United States Senate, little Jimmy Inhofe pulled a snowball some poor staffer packed for him in a ziplock freezer bag, held it out, and had this to say: You know what this is? It's a snowball, from just outside here. So it's very very cold out, very unseasonable (sic). here Mr. President, catch this. He threw the snowball, smiled to himself like he 'nailed it' and proceeded to talk about ... who cares what. If this was your child and they were in elementary school, you would be angry at their teacher for allowing this kind of silly-billyness to go on. Republicans continue to show that they are not serious people with either the intelligence or the attitude to handle serious work."
Fossil Fuel Funding Soonami Continues—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "After Rep. Grijalva sent letters requesting funding information for seven scientists (or climate confusers) in response to the uncovering of Willie Soon's undisclosed conflicts of interest, Senators Markey, Boxer and Whitehouse are instead targeting a large number of funding groups. The senators announced yesterday that they sent letters to 100 different fossil fuel companies, trade groups, and NGOs to ask if 'they are funding scientific studies designed to confuse the public and avoid taking action to cut carbon pollution, and whether the funded scientists fail to disclose the sources of their funding in scientific publications or in testimony to legislators.' Basically, they're asking if the Soon model of denier-for-hire has been used more widely to influence policy. Obviously it has, as a 2013 study has shown. But this is a direct challenge to these companies and groups to provide transparency and accountability for their indirect lobbying-through-pseudoscience."
Pielke unsatisfied by Grijalva's softened stance—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "In response to the academic outcry over the letters of investigation Rep. Grijalva (D-AZ) sent to seven GOP witnesses after the Soonami, the representativeis now saying that his request for personal communication 'was an overreach.' Grijalva reiterated that his main focus is on the funding disclosure, and that as long as he gets a response about that "everything else is secondary and not necessary.' But Grijalva's statement didn't exactly assuage the annoyed Pielke, who responded by tweeting, 'A member of Congress drags academics through the mud and then say [sic] 'never mind'. Unacceptable.' Then, in a blog post, Pielke oddly points out that for Grijalva's investigation to have merit, you'd either have to believe there's 'a shadowy conspiracy of fossil fuel interests' giving money for researchers to produce specific results, or that there's no conspiracy but Pielke and others need to be smeared to be removed from the debate. Given that this Soonami kicked off with clear evidence of fossil fuel interests giving money to a scientist whose research promised to undermine the consensus on climate change, it's pretty obvious that the investigation has merit. And if that's not enough, there's the study showing $120 million has gone to anti-climate groups to engage in this type of work. If that's still not enough, there are multiple books detailing how the fossil fuel and other industries have perpetrated exactly the type of conspiracy Pielke describes."
Soonami splash-back on legitimate scientists—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "In the wake of the Soonami, Graham Readfearn has a 'Where Are They Now?' piece that looks at the dozen operatives behind a 1998 plan by fossil fuel interests to confuse the public on climate change. It's an interesting read, even though most of the people covered declined to comment. Meanwhile, in response to the inquiries Rep. Grijalva sent to universities housing other deniers who testified before Congress, the litigation-focused climate denial group known as the Energy & Environmental Legal Institute (EELI) has filed FOIA requests with Georgia Tech, and the Universities of Arizona, Colorado and Delaware, looking for information on researchers' funding as well as the schools' policies on conflict of interest. Aside from Georgia Tech, these are the same Universities to which Rep.Grijalva sent letters, making this an obvious retaliation (which EELI more or less admits by crediting the congressman in the title of their press releases). At Georgia Tech, EELI targeted Marilyn Brown. At the University of Colorado the Institute chose David Noone; at Arizona it called out Jonathan 'Overpack' [sic] and Malcom Huges; and John Byrne was the pick for Delaware."
The Soonami rolls on—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "In the wake of the Soonami, Graham Readfearn has a 'Where Are They Now?' piece that looks at the dozen operatives behind a 1998 plan by fossil fuel interests to confuse the public on climate change. It's an interesting read, even though most of the people covered declined to comment. Meanwhile, in response to the inquiries Rep. Grijalva sent to universities housing other deniers who testified before Congress, the litigation-focused climate denial group known as the Energy & Environmental Legal Institute (EELI) has filed FOIA requests with Georgia Tech, and the universities of Arizona, Colorado and Delaware, looking for information on researchers' funding as well as the schools' policies on conflict of interest. Aside from Georgia Tech, these are the same universities to which Rep. Grijalva sent letters, making this an obvious retaliation (which EELI more or less admits by crediting the congressman in the title of their press releases). At Georgia Tech, EELI targeted Marilyn Brown. At the University of Colorado the Institute chose David Noone; at Arizona it called out Jonathan 'Overpack' [sic] and Malcom Huges; and John Byrne was the pick for Delaware."
LA Times eviscerates 'Meet the Press' over climate change jokes—by Jen Hayden: "Climate change denier Sen. James Inhofe, who also happens to chair the Committee on Environment and Public Works, got a lot of attention last week after he pulled a moronic stunt on the Senate floor by throwing a snowball to somehow disprove climate change. While discussing the stunt on 'Meet the Press,' Chuck Todd and guests had a good laugh (seen here around the 48 min mark of the show) about Inhofe's stunt. Watching a key member of the Senate, who has absolutely no understanding of climate science, make a mockery of the serious issue of climate change is oh-so-funny! Well, LA Times columnist Michael Hiltzik took note and let loose on Chuck Todd: 'Meet the Press' likes to swank around as though it's our premier network public affairs program. Yet somehow its producers and host think it's all right to treat a manifestly ignorant statement about climate change as "a fun moment" involving a 'fun little prop'—and to pander to American anti-intellectualism by implying that the global warming debate is just too serious and boring to waste time on, like high school kids grousing about having to go to math class. One can almost hear the producers of "Meet the Press" going, "What, climate change again? Cue up the escaping llamas.'"
Inhofe throws snowball on Senate floor, finally proves Climate Change is a hoax.—by Eileen B: "Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) threw a snowball on the Senate floor Thursday in an effort to disprove what he sees as alarmist conclusions about man-made climate change. Inhofe, chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, said the snowball was from outside in Washington, which he used to argue against claims that the earth’s temperature is rising due to greenhouse gas emissions. 'In case we have forgotten, because we keep hearing that 2014 has been the warmest year on record, I ask the chair, do you know what this is,' Inhofe said to Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who was presiding over the Senate’s debate, as he removed the snowball from a plastic bag."
Eco-Action & Eco Justice
Meet the 72-year-old grandmother who walked 3,000 miles across the U.S. for climate awareness—by Jen Hayden: "Kathe Thompson just completed a 3,000 mile walk from Los Angeles to Washington, DC in the hopes of bringing attention to the serious issue of climate change. Her introduction to nature and her passion for the environment started later in life, but that isn't slowing her down: 'I didn't get involved in the glory of the outdoors till I was 60,' Thompson said. 'Then I did two things: One, I jumped out of an airplane, and two, I walked the Appalachian Trail.' That was just the beginning. As she learned more about climate change in her home state of Florida, it sparked an intense desire to do and learn more. So, she set out on her 3,000-mile journey, meeting with people affected by climate change, collecting their stories and visiting schools to bring awareness."
Why the Environmental Battle at the Port of Seattle Matters Everywhere—by E Johnston: "Last month, the Port of Seattle stumbled into a drama it did not expect; a few days before one of their public meetings, they announced that their tenant, Foss Maritime, was going to sign a sub-lease with Shell to host its Arctic drilling rigs in the off-season. Mere days before that, the journal Nature had come out with a report detailing which fossil fuels need to be left in the ground if we want to have any hope of not going past the 2°C temperature rise limit, beyond which catastrophe awaits. (Many scientists, including James Hansen, are now arguing, in fact, that anything above about 1.2°C will be disastrous, but for the sake of argument, we'll stick with the internationally agreed-upon and greatly less stringent 2°C maximum.) The article indicated that drilling in the Arctic—any drilling in the Arctic—is 'inconsistent' with this goal: the goal of avoiding planetary catastrophe. In a sane world, this would be the last word on it."
Children’s Crusade for Climate Recovery—by occupystephanie: "Out of the wide range of issues that my 29-year-old daughter and I discuss, one thing I never bring up is Climate Change. We raised her essentially outdoors in Oregon’s mountains, forests and rivers which she regularly seeks out for spiritual sustenance. How can I speak of Climate Change in the face of predictions that her beloved forests will be gone during her lifetime? In my helplessness, I am struck silent. Yet, I know that she is aware of these terrible things coming. We try to shelter our children, yet they listen at the door and fear. Last night, my feelings of utter hopelessness were dispelled by two words: climate recovery. Nick Caleb, Local Climate Law Fellow with Our Children’s Trust, spoke to a small crowd at an event sponsored by our local chapter of the Sierra Club. Caleb outlined how organizers are working with local facilitators to educate and empower local youth who then lead their own campaigns right into their town councils, legislative chambers, and the courts."
Indigenous Nations Rally to Protect Medicine Lake from Geothermal Desecration—by Dan Bacher: "On Thursday, March 12, 2015 a federal appeals court will hear arguments in a legal battle to protect the sacred Medicine Lake Highlands from threats of geothermal desecration. The Medicine Lake Highlands are held sacred by Pit River, Wintu, Karuk, Shasta and Modoc nations. From time immemorial, Indigenous people have made pilgrimages to the Highlands for healing, religious ceremony, and tribal gatherings. However, for more than 25 years, Calpine Energy Corporation, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and United States Forest Service have attempted to desecrate and destroy this precious place of deep religious significance, with five proposed geothermal power projects. At issue are 26 geothermal leases, originally executed by BLM in the 1980s with only cursory environmental review and no tribal consultation. On July 30, 2013 a lower court decided against environmentalists and Indigenous peoples in their legal challenge of geothermal lease renewals affecting the sacred Medicine Lake Highlands. The Stanford Environmental Law Clinic, which represents Native Tribes and environmental groups in the case, has appealed this adverse decision to the Ninth Circuit Court. The previous Ninth Circuit Court decision resulted in revoking the lease renewals for the first of two 49-megawatt projects."
Agriculture, Food & Gardening
No more bacon: Whistleblowers tell a pretty gross tale about the USDA—by Walter Einenkel: "Mother Jones breaks down the recent exposé the Government Accountability Project did about three Hormel-related pig slaughterhouses. Four affidavits (three anonymous) from USDA inspectors outline a pretty dark situation in today's food protection and regulation services.Their comments focus on three Hormel-associated plants, which are among just five hog facilities enrolled in a pilot inspection program run by the USDA. In the regular oversight system, USDA-employed inspectors are stationed along the kill line, charged with ensuring that conditions are as sanitary as possible and that no tainted meat ends up being packed for consumption. In the pilot program, known as HIMP (short for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points-based Inspection Models Project), company employees take over inspection duties, relegating USDA inspectors to an oversight role on the sidelines. [...]"
Smoke and Mirrors - Sustainable Palm Oil—by Robocop: "On the heels of writing about how the food industry is suddenly responding to consumer demand that our food supply be sustainable, I stumbled upon an article about how Unilever and Cargill, the two leading exporters of palm oil, were in the process of sourcing only sustainable oil. I wrote a small piece nearly two years ago examining the destructive properties of large-scale palm oil production in Indonesia, and was encouraged to believe that something had changed. Indeed, the Union of Concerned Scientists issued a 'Palm Oil Scoreboard,' which evaluated the efforts of several large companies, declaring that most of them were making a concerted effort to source palm oil that 'protects both High Conservation Value and High Carbon stock forests.' But in a concentrated effort to locate these sustainable palm oil plantations in Indonesia I was stymied; the reason being that little has changed except the spin. The exact same 'safeguards' are in place just as they have been since 2004, and they are inadequate at best."
Everglades To Be Killed This October by Florida's Own Koch Brothers—by SemDem: "John Ellis Bush (JEB), Rick Scott, and other GOP politicians kowtow to this family like no other. They were a top donor for W. And they are almost singlehandedly destroying our Everglades. Welcome to Keeping up with the Fanjul family of Palm Beach. The Fanjul family is synonymous with the term "Big Sugar" here in Florida. They control 1/3 of our nation's raw sugar. This family collects over 60 million a year in Federal subsidies. As a result, you pay an artificially high price for raw sugar, but of course that's not all. You not only support their hedonistic lifestyle (such as Casa De Campo, their 7000 acre multimillion resort), horrible labor practices, and right-wing politics: you support the killing of our Everglades National Park. I am not being hyperbolic. The Park is actually going to die, along with Miami's fresh water supply."
There is no such thing as 'sustainable beef'—by VL Baker: "Everywhere there is talk of sustainable meat and how environmentally and ethically correct it is. Nowhere is this more discussed than by the retail fast food giants who are feeling the heat as more are learning about the meat industries mega contribution to climate change and resource depletion and degradation. It’s widely agreed that beef has a sustainability problem. According to the latest assessment from the UN, livestock production accounts for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions. This is more than all global transport combined and farmed livestock is also responsible for a staggering 30% of global biodiversity loss."
McDonald's pledges to stop buying chicken with antibiotics—by Jen Hayden: "Hallelujah! McDonald's has announced a huge change: McDonald's Corp's U.S. restaurants will gradually stop buying chicken raised with antibiotics vital to fighting human infections, the most aggressive step by a major food company to force chicken producers to change practices in the fight against dangerous 'superbugs.' The world's biggest restaurant chain announced on Wednesday that within two years McDonald's USA will only buy chickens raised without antibiotics that are important to human medicine. McDonald's policy will begin at the hatchery, where chicks are sometimes injected with antibiotics while still in the shell. Scientists have been raising the alarm for years on the issue."
Saturday Morning Garden Blogging Vol. 11.1: Tenth Anniversary Edition!—by Frankenoid: "I have headed Saturday Morning Garden Blogging for a full ten years. During that time my kids have gone from elementary school, through high school, and now are now on to jobs and college (but not yet out of the house). The Mister has retired, and I have moved on to self-employment. And my garden has grown. I have ten years of photos and observations of Denver's climate. Through you, I've been introduced to new plants to try growing both inside and out. And best of all, I've made friends, both on-line and in meat space. After the fold there are several of my favorite photographs from over the years; I did manage to take a few memorable ones. And now, Saturday Morning Garden Blogging is now under new management: I turn it over to you to carry on for the next ten years."
Transportation & Infrastructure
Amtrak's SCOTUS case might be a sleeper hit—by terrypinder: "The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA) changed the law governing Amtrak. In the past, Amtrak was at the mercy of freight rail companies because most of its trains run on tracks owned by freight rail corporations, despite the fact that Amtrak does have priority over freight trains. With PRIIA, Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration could then create binding standards, and penalize freight rail corporations who did not comply. This would increase Amtrak’s notably abysmal on-time performance. It worked too. Thanks to the new rules created by Amtrak in conjunction with FRA, delays plummeted on many routes, such as the Texas Eagle and the Missouri Flyer for example. Ridership increased as a result (although some of both the increased on-time performance and ridership may be functions of the then declining economy and high gas prices.) A trade group representing the freight rail industry has said “what gives?” and they have sued. They won their suit in 2013 in the DC Circuit Court and the case then moved on to SCOTUS, where it was argued on December 8, 2014. Does Amtrak have the right to write standards for the performance of passenger trains that are binding on the freight industry? Because in the trade group’s view, Amtrak is not an arm of the Federal government (or Congress) but is a profit-seeking private entity. The DC Circuit agreed. (There was a 5th Amendment Due Process issue here as well.)"
A working test track of Elon Musk's Hyperloop track is being built starting next year—by
Walter Einenkel: "Welcome to the future.
A full-scale version of the Hyperloop concept is to be built in central California next year, using magnets and fans to push passenger pods through five miles of depressurised tubes at speeds of up to 200 mph. This model will be slower and shorter than the full-sized system described by Mr Musk but will be used to test the concept and its safety. Elon Musk set down the idea a while back that he then put out to the public and private to work on.
In Musk’s design, Hyperloop pods would be mounted on top of thin skis, and air would be the key to the whole system. Air would be pumped into the skis in order to make a kind of “air cushion.” This would allow the system to travel without any friction. An electric turbo compressor would be responsible for taking air from the front and routing it to the skis. There would also be “reboosting motors” along the route, which would keep the pod moving at just below the speed of sound (which is 761 mph/1,225 kmh)."
Museums 101: Alternative Fuel Cars in America's Car Museum (Photo Diary)—by Ojibwa: "When Karl Benz patented the Benz Patent Motorwagen in 1885, it was patented as an “automobile fueled by gas.” From the beginnings of the automobile in the late nineteenth century and into the twenty-first century, there have been alternatives to the internal combustion engine as a means of propulsion. A few of these alternatives are on display at the LeMay America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington. Shown [below] is a 1919 Stanley Steamer. This car could reach an amazing speed of 75 miles per hour, but its range was limited to only 50 miles. The Stanley Motor Carriage Company manufactured steam-engine cars from 1902 to 1924."
Eco-Essays and Eco-Philosophy
Back to the land, literally.—by FredTedTucker: "So I've been taking a really close look at energy efficiency over the last couple years and trying to find the simplest and least expensive option(s) out there. I've also been really interested in gardening methods and I guess overall self sustainability though that is a very general term as I've come to find out. I don't want to address self sustainability too much but lets just say there will always be advantages to having a civilized society and being able to rely on one another and work together to achieve things beyond the scope of ones own capability. Self sustainability sounds nice on the surface but the isolationism and libertarian aspects of pure, absolute self sustainability are a bit off putting if not hostile. Having said that, I'm going to stick to energy efficiency as the focus here."
GMO refusers and vaccine deniers cross–call Big Pharma and Monsanto—by SkepticalRaptor: "Those of us who are on the political left want to believe that it's only the right wing (Republicans in the USA, but other countries have their political parties of the same general sentiment) that are science deniers. One of the memes that I use is that those liberals who deny vaccines or think that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are dangerous, really aren't all that much different than climate change deniers, who deny basic science, cherry pick only the data that supports an a priori conclusion, or ignore the consequences of their beliefs. But it appears that the vaccine and GMO deniers are cut from different political cloths."
Cooking and Global warming; is there some analogy?—by don mikulecky: "The earth system is a very complex self organizing system. Human activity on earth has been a factor that has created a need for the system to respond and we are seeing that response. A lot of time and effort on the part of very good scientists has produced an array of predictions from models. All of these are necessarily incomplete and have to be modified as new aspects of the earth system's response kick in. The human factor is a multifaceted one. Carbon emissions have been a focus of attention but there is a lot more. Cutting trees, agriculture by factory methods, fracking, and so many more. These activities can not be studied in isolation since they all interact. That's why a look at what cooking is all about might provide an analogy for the way we might better understand the problem."
Is Rupert Murdoch A Climate Change Denier Or A Senile Old Schmuck?—by News Corpse: "It would be hard to portray Rupert Murdoch as an ignorant man. He is a billionaire who built a small Australian billboard advertising company into an international news and entertainment conglomerate. So what would possess him to tweet this chunk of hogwash yesterday? 'Just flying over N Atlantic 300 miles of ice. Global warming!' The inherent stupidity of that thought transcends reason. Murdoch, it is assumed, knows that it is currently winter, a seasonal phase that generally produces icy conditions in the northern hemisphere. The fact that some portion of the ocean is frozen over in February is not particularly surprising to most people with an IQ higher than the temperature."
Oceans, Water & Drought
Kitchen Table Kibitzing — 3.2.15 Water and Oil and Gas, oh my—by paradise50: "The latest snow pack measurements have been recorded in the Mt. Lassen National Forest very near where I live in Northern California. In the state at large we had the driest January ever recorded. In the Mt. Lassen area they recorded the 2nd driest January on record though they've only been keeping records there since 1894 (121 years). Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) checks the snow pack there every month for the purposes of knowing how much water there will be to generate electricity via hydroelectric dams which make juice without emitting green house gases. The news is sorta good. There is 85% of normal snow pack there. The caveat is that part of the Sierra Mountains gets the most snow of anywhere in the state (and you thought it was around Mount Shasta). 67 hydroelectric power plants are in this service area providing 15% of California's electrical power. The bad news is the total mountain snow pack in all of California is 20% of normal. During the past couple years, the underground aquifers were drained like never before as farms and orchards used that water to grow crops since there wasn't enough surface water to do so. California has never regulated underground water and is in the process of doing that for the first time, finally."
Dry times—by Carlton: "The “water year” for measurement purposes started at the beginning of October, and for some weeks toward the end of last year the numbers were looking good, even on the high side. But in the last couple of months there’s been a gradual drop. They’re still not terrible, and if they maintain where they are now into summer Idaho would have ample water. The Spokane River basin, at this writing, was 90 percent; the Salmon River, 97 percent; the Little Wood River basin 80 percent. Some are lower, like the Medicine Lodge area (64 percent) and Bear River Basin (76 percent). These are areas not usually awash in water to start with. The problem is that so far this year, week after week, the numbers have been falling. The omens are not especially good."
Water Works: The Human Impact on Global Water Supply (Part 1)—by GregWright: "The industrial sector, like the agricultural, uses water in a number of environmentally irresponsible ways. Using the production of cotton as an example will help make this apparent. Only 2.4 percent of the world's fertile land is planted with cotton, yet cotton accounts for 24 percent of the world's insecticide use and 11 percent of the sale of global pesticides (WWF, 2003). About 80 percent of these nitrate rich compounds are taken up by the plant. The remaining 20 percent leaves the field by leaching into the groundwater, surface runoff, or denitrification (a process by which microbial bacteria break down the nitrates into N2 gas) into the atmosphere. The leaching nitrates and surface runoff pose their own troubles to the water supply, as high nitrogen concentrations can lead to problems of algae growth and increased cost of purification in case of water used for drinking. The water requirement to produce 1 ton of cotton textiles after bleaching, dyeing, printing and finishing is over 132,000 gallons of water. In other words, the equivalent of a pair of jeans and a t-shirt can use around 5,300 gallons of water to produce."
Poll reveals most California voters oppose Brown's 'big government projects'—by Dan Bacher: "A Field Poll released on February 24 revealed that Governor Jerry Brown continues to receive "strong approval" from California voters, but the same voters oppose his big government spending projects, including the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) to build the twin tunnels. The poll results find nearly 56% of the state's voters approving of Brown's performance in office, while 32% disapprove. However, then asked to consider three negative statements that have been made about the Governor, a 57% majority agrees with one of them—'favors too many big government projects that the state cannot afford right now.'"
Drought Shows Folly of Tunnels—by Dan Bacher: "As strange as it sounds, officials from the Westlands Water District, Stewart Resnick's Paramount Farms and Southern California water agencies should be profusely thanking Restore the Delta (RTD), fishermen, environmentalists and Tribes for opposing the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) to build the twin tunnels. Why? Well, in responding to the Bureau of Reclamation's announcement Friday that it will curtail water deliveries to Central Valley Project water contractors, Restore the Delta pointed out how the current drought exposes the 'big folly' of the Delta tunnels plan. 'It is lucky for the South of Delta agricultural Central Valley Project contractors (and Kern County Water Agency) that the tunnels were not already built,' said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of RTD. 'If so, they would have had to pay hundreds of millions of dollars with no water supply.'"
Reclamation releases Central Valley Project water allocation—by Dan Bacher: "The Bureau of Reclamation today released its preliminary data on the water allocations for Central Valley Project contractors. Snowpack and precipitation in the Sierra Nevada are historically low and the snow water content statewide stands at 19% of average for this time of year, according to David Murillo, Regional Director for the Bureau's Mid-Pacific Region. Without heavy precipitation over the next few months, NOAA forecasts extreme drought conditions continuing in both the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. 'Unfortunately, many agricultural water contractors may face a second year of receiving no water from the project—an unprecedented situation,' according to the Bureau."
Trash, Pollution & Hazardous Waste
Christie Settles $9 Billion NJ Pollution Case Against Exxon for $250 Million—by ericlewis0: "I just caught this on Maddow and found a late-breaking article in The New York Times: A long-fought legal battle to recover $8.9 billion in damages from Exxon Mobil Corporation for the contamination and loss of use of more than 1,500 acres of wetlands, marshes, meadows and waters in northern New Jersey has been quietly settled by the state for around $250 million. The lawsuits, filed by the State Department of Environmental Protection in 2004, had been litigated by the administrations of four New Jersey governors, finally advancing last year to trial. By then, Exxon’s liability was no longer in dispute; the only issue was how much it would pay in damages. Rachel said her show submitted several questions to the Christie Administration about this sham of a deal, but so far has heard NOTHING from anybody. She rightly pointed out that this amounts to a settlement that is a mere 3% of the original damages. She also suggested that this could become a 'scandal.'"
Court Ruling Means Cleaner Air for Millions of Americans—by Mary Anne Hitt: "In the U.S., sulfur dioxide pollution comes overwhelmingly from coal-fired power plants. Some of the worst areas for this pollution are in Texas, Alabama, and across the Midwest, where massive, outdated coal plants still emit huge quantities of sulfur dioxide every year. To help protect families from this harmful pollution, in 2010 the Environmental Protection Agency issued a new health-based air standard for sulfur dioxide. When fully implemented, the health standard is expected to prevent 2,300-5,900 premature deaths and 54,000 asthma attacks annually, and save tens of billions of dollars from reduced hospital admissions, emergency room visits, work days lost due to illness, and cases of aggravated asthma and chronic bronchitis, among other benefits. However, issuing and implementing the standard are two different things."
Kitchen Table Kibitzing, Feb. 27, 2015: Recycling—by Sara R: "I live in Portland, OR, a city known for some efforts toward sustainable living. For example, one is allowed to keep up to three hens without a permit here—and more, if you get a permit from the County. Why hens? They eat kitchen scraps, keeping them out of the garbage. They eat pests. And their droppings are very fertilizing. Got dandelions in your yard? Turn them into delicious eggs by feeding them to your hens! Portland also rearranged garbage collection. Now, every week we put yard debris (leaves, clippings, twigs, etc.), kitchen scraps (what doesn't go to the hens) and certain paper products like paper towels into the green colored bin. The City turns all this green stuff into mulch which you can then buy for your garden. We also have a blue bin for cans, cardboard, scrap paper and the like. Glass goes into a smaller yellow bin. Finally, all other household trash goes into a gray bin which is only collected every other week. That's right—recyclables get picked up every week. The stuff for the landfill only every two weeks."
Even though a lot of plastic is not recycled yet, a tremendous amount of it is!—by john972: "When I buy groceries I usually ask for paper grocery bags, some of which I reuse for my recyclables and extra ones I save for the local food pantry, for their clients to put their food in. Since we have single stream recycling, they don't need us to sort anything. They do it at the recycle center and are able to get more recycled, because they know what they are looking for. I save plastic grocery bags and other plastic bags, which we get from other stores to put garbage in. Then when I get too many, the local grocery store collects them. Not sure if they are actually getting recycled or if they go to the landfill, but at least they are not blowing around outside. I buy zip lock freezer bags, use them once and when I am done with them, wash them out and use them for sloppy scraps. I can put the sloppy scraps in them, seal them and can either put them in my kitchen garbage or take them to the garbage dumpster, so my kitchen waste basket don't smell as bad."
Forests, Wilderness & Public Lands
Expanding the National Parks System- #28 Nevada—by MorrellWI1983: "This is the twenty-eight diary in my Expanding the National Park Series. Prior Diaries in the Series are listed at the bottom of the Diary This time I'm In Nevada, the Silver State. In terns of percentage of land, Nevada has more land owned by the feds than any other state-84.5%. currently, Nevada has 2 national parks, 1 national monument, 3 national forests, 9 wildlife refuges,and 5 historic sites and other NPS units. I will be proposing adding 5 additional monuments to Nevada's tally."
Expanding The National Parks-#27 Nebraska—by MorrellWI1983: "This is the twenty-seventh diary in my expanding the National Parks System. Prior diaries are listed at the bottom of the diary. This week I'm visiting Nebraska the Cornhusker State. Nebraska only has 1.4% of its territory protected federally, good for 44th in the country, slightly ahead of Kansas and slightly behind Ohio. Currently, Nebraska has 3 national monuments, 2 national forests, 9 wildlife refuges, and 3 historic sites and other NPS Units. I will propose adding 4 additional monuments to Nebraska's tally."
Mining
Wis Friday News Dump (Some Great News Finally) Update—by Puddytat : "It's been a depressing time here in Wisconsin, but I have good news today at last. No Massive Strip Mining in Wisconsin. Thank you, Environmental Protection Agency! Due to the fear of having the EPA step in, foreign corporation Gogebic Taconite has put its plans to build an enormous strip mine in northern Wisconsin on hold. In statement, President Bill Williams said that the company would continue to investigate the possibility of developing the mine, 'but cannot justify maintaining an office in Hurley without a prospect of immediate action.' Yeah! Opposed by concerned citizens and Native American tribes, this is a big win. This was the mining corporation that recently released John Doe Probe documents revealed contributed $700,000 to Wisconsin Club for Growth, a dark money group that was coordinating with Scott Walkers campaign. Shortly after the contribution they were allowed to write legislation that literally eliminated environmental laws in Wisconsin paving the way for open pit mining."
Wisconsin finally wins one: GTAC is pulling out of the Penokees—by OldJackPine : "WisPolitics is reporting on a press release from Bill Williams, President of Gogebic Taconite, LLC saying that they are shutting down their office in Hurley. GTac will be closing our office in Hurley, Wisconsin effective March 1. We will continue to investigate the possibility of pursuing a permit to mine the Upson site but cannot justify maintaining an office in Hurley without a prospect of immediate action. Our extensive environmental investigation and analysis of the site has revealed wetland issues that make major continued investment unfeasible at this time from both a cost perspective and given the uncertainty of recent US EPA actions, such as the events concerning the Alaskan Pebble Mine."
Occupy Oak Flat asks Obama to declare site a national monument—by Mother Mags : "In our day, President Obama has exercised his power to establish or enlarge 16 National Monuments, the most recent being Browns Canyon in Colorado, a former internment camp in Hawaii, and Chicago's Pullman neighborhood. Now protesters occupying the environmentally and spiritually significant area called Oak Flat, which is part of Tonto National Forest about 60 miles northeast of Phoenix, have called on President Obama to use his pen once again, in order to protect thousands of acres that are about to be desecrated by a copper mining company. Many love Oak Flat because of the hiking, camping, and rock climbing the area offers. It really is in one of the most beautiful parts of Arizona, that high desert between Phoenix and the Mogollon Rim. Other environmentalists want to protect Oak Flat because it is a rare desert riparian area and home to several endangered species, including mammals, birds and reptiles. For the San Carlos Apache Tribe, Oak Flat is a sacred site, a pastoral setting that was the center of Apache life long before written records. It is also a burial ground, the location of Apache Leap, where approximately 75 Native men jumped to their deaths rather than surrender to the invaders. For years after this bloody engagement, Apache skeletons could be seen wedged in the crevices of the cliffs over which they had leaped in a desperate attempt to escape ... For all of these reasons—ecological, recreational, cultural, religious—in 1955 the Eisenhower administration designated the 760 acres that constitute Oak Flat as a 'Withdrawal Area' within Tonto National Forest, which specifically prohibited mining."
Miscellany
The Incredible Human Odyssey—by Gwennedd: "I just finished watching an an absolutely wonderful series of 3 documentaries produced for The CBC's Nature of Things, with David Suzuki, and hosted and directed by Niobe Thompson (anthropologist). The series The Great Human Odyssey explores , through the use of actors, real life tribes, drones and painstaking camera work, the long and awe-inspiring journey that homo sapiens travelled to inhabit every corner of our world. The first documentary of the series takes us through our species evolution within Africa. How we overcame the odds to survive in a harsh environment and learned to adapt to our surroundings and express ourselves. Like other kinds of human who once shared our world, homo sapiens should have died away. Discover how our species faced near extinction in Africa, and then found a place to rebuild. Explore the birth of language and art at archeological excavations scientists are now calling 'the cradle of the human mind.'"
Sustainability and data transparency business model according to Esther Dyson—by Earth Accounting: "When consumers can easily get information they trust about the environmental and social footprint of products, they will become part of the solution. In our past diaries we published many links to studies that conclude that between 30 to 80% of consumers will buy more sustainable products and even pay more for them if they trust the information they receive. We have been working on this vision for years and we plan to launch as soon as possible. Others had the same vision of the future. Perhaps the most prominent of them is Esther Dyson who thought about it in 2009; Can Transparency Be a Business Model? The idea is pretty simple: Develop a website full of product content so that anyone can go into a store—or his neighbor's house, for that matter—scan an item's barcode, send the scan to Barcode Wikipedia, and get back a full account of the product. The data would not be just the manufacturer's ingredients, warranty policy, corporate statements and the like (though that would be interesting in itself), but also third-party ratings for carbon content, labor policies, nutritional quality, social correctness or even stylishness. All points of view are welcome; the user can filter what she's interested in. It would be much like Wikipedia, but (for now) focused on tangible products and with more structured data."
Climate Action Hub: Flying Solo—by boatsie: "For a few weeks now, I succeeded in rallying some of DK's finest eco writers to experiment with the idea of running the Climate Action Hub as a regular Sunday night series. The hope was that perhaps we would have better luck in gathering followers and building a powerful coast-to-coast community of climate activists. The short term plan was to focus on the campaigns which sprung directly from the success of the People's Climate March; most specifically #Action2015, #ActOnClimate and the #SDGs campaigns. We began work collaborating with other regular Sunday series to support the regular lineup and were truly graced when 2thanks stepped in and began working his organizational acumen to help promote CAH. After discussions with some of those who volunteered to help with this series, I have concluded The Hub does not have the support to continue as a team effort. The Hub will, therefore, no longer function as a team and will not publish on a regular basis. I will not be seeking assistance or looking for volunteers to post or promote. I do intend, however, to continue using The Hub personally, posting when I have the time as news on campaigns and mobilizations filters in through listservs and personal emails."
Jon Stewart: Climate Science Won't Endorse GOP Ideology, So They Hate It—by TheGreenMiles: "On last night's Daily Show, Jon Stewart put the Republican war on science into context: This is their genius: They purport to want to fix things, but conservatives aren't looking to make education more rigorous and informative, or science more empirical or verifiable, or voting more representative, or the government more efficient or effective. They just want all those things to reinforce their partisan, ideological, conservative viewpoint. Because in their minds, the opposite of bad isn't good. The opposite of bad is conservative. The opposite of wrong isn't right ... well, OK, but you get my point. It's right wing. Republicans don't critique climate science because of its methods - they hate it because its conclusions reveal the limits of their free-market ideology. If the invisible hand can't solve carbon pollution and government regulations are needed, what's next? Once you admit government can be a force for good, don't you need to admit you also need some taxes to pay for those good things?"