Environmental Updates

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11/19/09 Al Gore: Earth's Interior 'Extremely Hot, Several Million Degrees' For several years as uneducated sycophants in the media gushed and fawned over every utterance from former Vice President Al Gore, NewsBusters has informed readers of just how absurd the junk science he's peddling really is. watch the video....Gore says the center of the earth is millions of degrees, when in fact: It is approximately 4000°C at the centre of the Earth. To put this in context: 1. The centre of the Sun is approximately 15 million°C 2. The surface of the Sun is 5500°C 3. Iron melts at 1535°C (when at atmospheric pressure) 4. Water boils at 100°C (when at atmospheric pressure) 5. Human skin is comfortable with temperatures up to about 60°C 6. The highest temperature recorded on the Earth's surface is 58°C (Libya 1922)   Amazing Pictures, Pollution in China Lu Guang (卢广), freelancer photographer, started as an amateur photographer in 1980. He was a factory worker, later started his own photo studio and advertising agency. August of 1993 he returned to post-graduate studies at the Central Arts and Design Academy in Beijing (now is the Academy of Arts and Design, Tsinghua University). During graduate school, he studied, traveled all over the country and carved out a career, became the “dark horse” of the photographer circle in Beijing. Skilled at social documentary photography, his insightful, creative and artistic work often focused on “social phenomena and people living at the bottom of society”, attracted the attentions of the national photography circle and the media. Many of his award winning works focused on social issues like, “gold rush in the west”, “drug girl”, “small coal pit”, “HIV village”, “the Grand Canal”, “development of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway” and so on. 10/25/09 'Freezer plan' bid to save coral The prospects of saving the world's coral reefs now appear so bleak that plans are being made to freeze samples to preserve them for the future. A meeting in Denmark took evidence from researchers that most coral reefs will not survive even if tough regulations on greenhouse gases are put in place. Scientists proposed storing samples of coral species in liquid nitrogen.   10/21/09 Toxic algae 'wiped out dinosaurs' Previous studies had claimed an asteroid impact produced devastating climate changes and rising sea levels which caused the mass extinctions over the earth's 4.5 billion year existence. But a team of American geologists and toxicologists claim algae commonly found naturally around the world could be the culprit that led to the demise of the dinosaurs. They say the current environmental conditions show significant similarities to times when previous mass extinctions occurred and warned that levels of toxic algae are increasing. ....(are they saying this is what point we also have come to and are facing extinction also? ...more at the link 10/17/09 Alarm raised anew on disappearing Lake Chad The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization is weary over the disappearance of Lake Chad in 20 years because of climate change. Found in Africa, the lake suports 30 million people in surrounding countries Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria. It was once one of the world’s largest lakes but has shrunk from 25,000 square kilometres to less than 1,500 square kilometres in 2001. It has lost around 90 percent of its water in a span of 38 years. RECOMMENDED IMAGE(S): Africa’s disappearing Lake Chad 10/12/09 Residents shocked by fire damage to Deukmejian Wilderness Park The burned, crumbling hillsides of Deukmejian Wilderness Park were an alien sight to visitors who got an inside look over the weekend at what authorities fear is a disaster waiting to happen. 9/21/09 The Aurora Beneath the Waves: a Brief Glimpse at the World of Bioluminescence As the sun is setting, people gather at beaches around the world, waiting for the ocean to come alive with displays of bioluminescence. But while they are drinking in the beauty of this living light, few know of the drama of life and death that unfolds every night at the surface of the ocean… 9/18/09 What Is Gallium At 110 ppm Doing In Phoenix Air Samples Gallium does not exist in free form in nature, and the few high-gallium minerals such as gallite (CuGaS2) are too rare to serve as a primary source of the element or its compounds. The only two economic sources for gallium are as byproduct of aluminium and zinc production, while the sphalerite for zinc production is the minor source. Most gallium is extracted from the crude aluminium hydroxide solution of the Bayer process for producing alumina and aluminium. A mercury cell electrolysis and hydrolysis of the amalgam withs odium hydroxide leads to sodium gallate. Electrolysis then gives gallium metal. 9/17/09 C.R.O.C. PSA This latest Public Service Announcement from C.R.O.C. (the Carbon Regulatory Offset Committee) explains how YOU the taxpayer are now eligible to redeem carbon offset points just a like a multi-national corporation. It couldnt be simpler: do something good for the environment, then do something bad to it! 9/14/09 The Town that wants to Disappear Welcome to Our Town. Wish We Weren’t Here. For most of the early part of the 20th century, this little city in the southeast corner of Kansas had the feel of a rollicking boom town, its prosperity coming from land rich in lead, zinc and iron ore. Part of a vast mining district where Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma meet, Treece and its twin city across the Oklahoma state line, Picher, became the unofficial capitals of a zone that in its heyday produced more than $20 billion worth of ore — much of it used for weaponry to fight World Wars I and II. But when the last of the mines closed in the 1970s, Treece was left sitting in a toxic waste dump of lead-tinged dust, contaminated soil and sinkholes. On a hot summer day, children can be seen riding their bikes around enormous mounds of chat — pulverized rock laced with lead and iron. It is the waste product left over from mining that is the cause of so many problems here. Uncontrolled, it blows in the wind. Station Fire Los Angeles August-September 2009 9/1/09 Wilson Observatory Pictures of the Station Fire LA fires:Amid weather change, firefighters express some optimism about Station fire fight [Updated] Improving weather gives exhausted crews hope Increasing humidity and slightly cooling temperatures this morning brought the first signs of hopefulness from firefighters battling the Station fire.  8/30/09 Deadly Station wildfire grows overnight it has killed two firefighters and doubled in size to 85,000 acres! Wildfire threatens TV transmitters Flames are approaching the historic solar observatory and towers that house transmitters for every major television station in Los Angeles, fire officials say. | Mt. Wilson webcam Gov. urges residents to flee evacuation areas Photo gallery of the fires in L.A. by locals 'Treacherous' fire bears down on Acton Some residents in La Cañada and parts of Glendale are cleared to return. But about 6,000 homes across the 19-mile fire line remain under an evacuation order. Station fire likely to hit historic Mt. Wilson observatory, fire officials say Los Angeles: 35,000 acres burned, more homes threatened Firefighters are predicting another difficult battle today as they try to prevent a wildfire that has already burned 35,000 acres from destroying more homes along a massive front that extends from Acton near the Antelope Valley to Altadena in the San Gabriel Valley. More evacuations. 8/28/09 BREAKING: Fire evacuations are underway in La Canada Flintridge [Updated] The Station fire prompted authorities Thursday night to begin evacuating residents in La Cañada Flintridge neighborhoods near Angeles Crest Highway.The evacuations were underway along Vista del Valle Road east of La Cañada Boulevard, the U.S. Forest Service said. An evacution center has been set up at La Crescenta High School.The blaze, which has consumed more than 500 acres of dry chaparral, reversed direction along one flank and turned toward residential areas earlier Thursday.[Updated at 10:56 p.m.: The fire has moved within three-quarters of a mile from neighborhoods in La Cañada Flintridge, where about 500 homes are under mandatory evacuation, the U.S. Forest Service said.] 8/27/09 Brush fire burns homes on the Palos Verdes Peninsula; blaze above La Canada Flintridge takes turn for worse [Updated] Dry, hot winds fueled three major brush fires Thursday night, including one on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, seen above, that damaged several homes and a second blaze in La Canada Flintridge that was moving closer to homes. Angeles National Forest fire threatens ranger station Flames from a wildfire above La Cañada Flintridge changed direction Thursday night and were threatening the Angeles Crest Ranger Station, officials said. The so-called Station fire in the Angeles National Forest was burning north toward remote areas, but one of its flanks reversed direction and was heading down a steep canyon toward the station and several surrounding structures, the U.S. Forest Service said. Two new brush fires erupt in L.A., Riverside counties A Palos Verdes Peninsula brush fire Thursday burned at least one structure and threatened several others, prompting officials to order evacuations in the Portuguese Bend area. The fire, which has charred about 30 acres, is one of two new wildfires that erupted Thursday in Southern California. 8/26/09 Smoke from wildfire causing unhealthy air quality in L.A. Basin [Updated] Smoke from a wildfire burning in the Angeles National Forest blanketed much of L.A. County today, seeping into cars and offices as people began their workday and causing itchy eyes, runny noses and sneezing. Public health officials said air quality is unhealthy throughout the county, and the top health officer recommended people take precautions when going outdoors. 8/25/09 Brush fire burning in Angeles National Forest, prompting campground evacuations [Updated] A fast-moving brush fire has broken out in Angeles National Forest near Highway 39, prompting evacuations of some campgrounds.The fire broke out about 4:40 p.m. along San Gabriel Canyon Road near Morris Dam. KABC Channel 7 showed firefighters battling tall flames on a ridge off Highway 39, which is closed in both directions.

9/1/09

Mobile towers threatening honey bees in Kerala Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 31 (PTI) Mobile towers are posing a threat to honey bees in Kerala withe electromagnetic radiation from mobile towers and cell phones having the potential to kill worker bees that go out to collect nectar from flowers, says a study.

A plunge in beehive population has been reported from different parts of Kerala and if measures are not taken to check mushrooming of mobile powers, bees could be wiped out from Kerala within a decade, environmentalist and Reader in Zoology, Dr Sainudeen Pattazhy says in his study.

Auburn residents sift through ashes of the 49 fire AUBURN – Firefighters tackled hot spots Monday as anxious residents filtered back into smoldering neighborhoods – some against fire officials' requests – the day after a hard-charging fire devoured 63 homes on a north Auburn hillside.

Thousands flee as Hurricane Jimena roars toward Mexico LOS CABOS, Mexico — Tourists fled resorts at the tip of the Baja California Peninsula as Hurricane Jimena roared their way Tuesday, but many slum dwellers concerned about looting refused to leave their imperiled shanties.Jimena, a Category 4 hurricane with winds of near 145 mph, could rake the region of harsh desert fringed with picturesque beaches and fishing villages by Tuesday evening.

8/30/09

Auburn area fire destroys 20-plus homes and businesses A wind-whipped fire Sunday destroyed more than 20 homes and businesses and forced hundreds to head to shelters, as it scorched and hopscotched through wooded neighborhoods at the north edge of Auburn. The fire left entire cul-de-sacs with nothing but smoldering hulls where once houses valued between $250,000 and $400,000 stoo

8/29/09

Mosier tensions mount as fire grows A wildfire estimated at 800 acres late Friday is threatening the town of Mosier in the Columbia River Gorge. Gov. Ted Kulongoski declared a conflagration, allowing nearby counties and other agencies to send reinforcements to fight the flames from land and air. Power was cut off, and some roads and trails in the area were closed.

8/22/09

Mountaintop Mining Legacy: Destroying Appalachian Streams The environmental damage caused by mountaintop removal mining across Appalachia has been well documented. But scientists are now beginning to understand that the mining operations’ most lasting damage may be caused by the massive amounts of debris dumped into valley streams. Laurel Branch Hollow was once a small West Virginia mountain valley, with steep, forested hillsides and a stream that, depending on the season and the rains, flowed or trickled down into the Mud River about 200 yards below. The stream teemed with microbes and insect life, and each spring it became a sumptuous buffet for the birds, fish, and amphibians in the valley.

But over the past decade, the Hobet 21 mountaintop removal coal mining operation has obliterated 25 square miles of surrounding highlands. From the air, the mine is a 10-mile-long, mottled gray blotch among the green, crisscrossed by trucks and earth movers, appended by black lakes of coal sludge.

Mercury found in all fish at 300 US streams A study of mercury contamination has found the toxic substance in every fish tested at nearly 300 streams across the US.The finding underscores how widespread mercury pollution has become.The government study, released yesterday by the US Geological Survey, tested thousands of fish from 291 streams nationwide from 1998 to 2005.

 

8/10/09

I knew bottled water was a social ill but I didn't know how damaging it was until I saw an explosive and compelling new documentary called Tapped.

7/30/09

Iraq in throes of environmental catastrophe, experts say Reporting from Baghdad -- You wake up in the morning to find your nostrils clogged. Houses and trees have vanished beneath a choking brown smog. A hot wind blasts fine particles through doors and windows, coating everything in sight and imparting an eerie orange glow. Dust storms are a routine experience in Iraq, but lately they've become a whole lot more common.

7/26/09

Poisonous gas from African lake poses threat to millions More than two million people living on the banks of Lake Kivu in central Africa are at risk of being asphyxiated by gases building up beneath its surface, scientists have warned.It is estimated that the lake, which straddles the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, now contains 300 cubic kilometres of carbon dioxide and 60 cubic kilometres of methane that have bubbled into the Kivu from volcanic vents. The gases are trapped in layers 80 metres below the lake's surface by the intense water pressures there. However, researchers have warned that geological or volcanic events could disturb these waters and release the gases.

 

 

 

7/24/09

Gov't considers 7 states for mercury site The federal government is trying to find a location to store the nation's excess mercury deposits, with seven states being considered. But the government is quickly finding out that very few people want the stuff. A Colorado woman who showed up at a public forum on the issue last week had this to say about the plan: "No, no, no, no, no. No mercury." The Idaho governor was equally emphatic in his opposition, saying "not gonna happen." The Kansas City Council already passed a resolution against the plan.

7/23/09

Dead Sea Sinkholes Swallowing Up Unwary The Dead Sea is the lowest spot of land on the planet, where the Bible says God rained fire and brimstone down on the misbehaving residents of Sodom and Gomorrah — and where now, the Earth occasionally opens up and swallows people.Geologist Eli Raz was one of those people."It happened so quickly," says Raz. "I was busy documenting, taking pictures, writing in my notebook, using my equipment, etc. All of a sudden, I found myself down. It was terrible."That scene is repeated over and over as rescuers haul hikers from subterranean misfortune. Some 3,000 sink holes have appeared on the banks of the Dead Sea — and an estimated 3,000 more are ready to burst open.

7/18/09

Are the deserts getting greener? It has been assumed that global warming would cause an expansion of the world's deserts, but now some scientists are predicting a contrary scenario in which water and life slowly reclaim these arid places.They think vast, dry regions like the Sahara might soon begin shrinking. The evidence is limited and definitive conclusions are impossible to reach but recent satellite pictures of North Africa seem to show areas of the Sahara in retreat.

Mudslide swallows house in Germany, 3 missing A mudslide undermined a house and buried it in a crater along a lake shore in central Germany on Saturday. Three people who lived in it were missing. ....why is this in environment updates? Because this lake is a former coal pit that was flooded in 1994......once again showing how we damage the environment and eventually it 'gets us!".

7/11/09

The real problem with oil is not carbon vid Who's gonna pay this "carbon tax?" Al Gore gets his knickers in a knot about global warming and carbon emissions, two propositions that are dubious at best. He splices video of polar bears swimming in the Arctic as proof the world is melting down "due to carbon." Well, polar bear populations are up in some places and carbon dioxide happens to be food for plants. But one thing that is indisputable is the calculated maliciousness of oil companies in Third World countries and the fact that crude oil and its fuel by-products are highly toxic. No mystery here, except these particular "inconvenient truths" don't merit mention in the US news media or in Gore's documentary for that matter. Could the fact that the Gore family owns a piece of Occidental Petroleum, a company that wants to drill elsewhere in Latin America have anything to do with that?

Fast-growing kelp invades San Francisco Bay A fast-growing kelp from the Far East has spread along the California coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco Bay, worrying marine scientists and outpacing eradication efforts.In May, scientists for the first time found the invasive seaweed called Undaria pinnatifida clinging to docks at a yacht harbor in San Francisco Bay, fouling boat hulls and pier pilin

7/5/09

Why I Was Arrested in Coal River, West Virginia by Daryl Hannah.Why would I fly across the country on my own dime knowing I would most likely end up in jail in one of the poorest parts of America?Well, have you ever heard of MTR? Don't feel bad, my friends are intelligent, well-read and informed people, but most of them had never heard of MTR (Mountain Top Removal) either.

Mountain Top Removal is a devastatingly destructive form of mining and has already destroyed 2,000,000 acres in the Appalachian Mountains.Coal companies have literally blown up over 500 mountain tops to access the coal seams and then dumped the refuse into the valleys below, killing over 3000 miles of headwater streams. The EPA just gave the go ahead for an additional 42 mountaintops to be blown off with another 6 permits pending.

Dead Sea peril: sinkholes swallow up the unwary EIN GEDI, Israel – Eli Raz was peering into a narrow hole in the Dead Sea shore when the earth opened up and swallowed him.After 14 hours a search party pulled him from the hole unhurt, and five years later the 69-year-old geologist is working to save others from a similar fate, leading an effort to map the sinkholes that are spreading on the banks of the fabled saltwater lake.The phenomenon, Raz said, stems from a dire water shortage, compounded in recent years by tourism and chemical industries as well as a growing population. "This is the most remarkable evidence of the brutal interference of humans in the Dead Sea," he said. Full story at the link

EPA declares health emergency in Montana town The Environmental Protection Agency for the first time has declared a public health emergency in a contaminated community, targeting a Montana town Wednesday for immediate federal attention.The declaration by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson involving Libby, Mont., will not result in an evacuation, but will require an extensive cleanup and better health protections for residents with asbestos-related illnesses.Jackson called Libby a "tragic public health situation" that has not received the recognition it deserves from the federal government for far too long.Asbestos contamination from a now-closed vermiculite mine near Libby has been cited in the deaths of more than 200 people and illnesses of thousands more. Full story at the link

MIRACLES CAN HAPPEN: Wal-Mart bans beef illegally produced in the Amazon rainforest Brazil's three largest supermarket chains, Wal-Mart, Carrefour and Pão de Açúcar, will suspend contracts with suppliers found to be involved in Amazon deforestation, reports O Globo. Greenpeace welcomed the developments. "This is an important first step towards winning a halt to further deforestation for cattle in the Amazon," stated the NGO on its blog. Full story at the link

The Great Federal Water Grab VID Senate Bill - 787 The sponsors call it the "Clean Water Restoration Act." It's kind of like calling the shredding of the Bill of Rights under Bush II, the PATRIOT Act. If the federal government takes control over all the non-navigable water in the US and the land adjoining it, then it will have the right to seize it and give it away. Give it away to who? Well, that multi-trillion dollar deficit has to be paid off somehow. Look to the Feds to to try to take control of more and more private property in the months and years to come. Just say no.Full story at the link

Fighting a fatal fungus There is an international pandemic killing off millions of amphibians, and university biology professor Karen Lips is trying to save them. Lips and her colleagues discovered an unusual fungus called Chytridiomycosis that thrives in cold, moist environments and infects the skin of amphibians, killing them by hampering their ability to absorb both oxygen and water. The effect on international ecosystems has been drastic, Lips said, and while she's not optimistic about finding a cure for the fungus, she is trying to develop a better understanding of "chytrid" to better predict where it will hit next.Full story at the link

5/9/09

40 Years After America's Biggest Nuclear Blast, the Damage Continues Echoes of Amchitka (excepts, full text at the link)

Amchitka Island sits at the midway point on the great arc of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, less than 900 miles across the Bering Sea from the coast of Russia. Amchitka, a spongy landscape of maritime tundra, is one of the most southerly of the Aleutians. The island's relatively temperate climate has made it one of the Arctic's most valuable bird sanctuaries, a critical staging ground for more than 100 migratory species, as well as home to walruses, sea otters and sea lions. Off the coast of Amchitka is a thriving fishery of salmon, pollock, haddock and halibut.

The aftershocks of those blasts are still being felt. Despite claims by the AEC and the Pentagon that the test sites would safely contain the radiation released by the blasts for thousands of years, independent research by Greenpeace and newly released documents from the Department of Energy (DOE) show that the Amchitka tests began to leak almost immediately. Highly radioactive elements and gasses, such as tritium, americium-241 and plutonium, poured out of the collapsed test shafts, leached into the groundwater and worked their way into ponds, creeks and the Bering Sea.

At the same time, thousands of Amchitka laborers and Aleuts living on nearby islands were put in harm's way. Dozens have died of radiation-linked cancers. The response of the federal government to these disturbing findings has been almost as troublesome as the circumstances surrounding the tests themselves: a consistent pattern of indifference, denial and cover-up continues even today.

The continuing cover-up and manipulation of information by the DOE not only denies justice to the victims of Amchitka, but indicates that those living near other DOE sites may be at great risk. "DOE management of the U.S. nuclear weapons complex is of the old school in which bad news is hidden," says Pamela Miller, now executive director of Alaska Community Action on Toxics. "This conflicts with sound risk management and makes the entire system inherently risky. The overwhelming threat is of an unanticipated catastrophe."

FAA CONFIRMS ONGOING MILITARY OPERATION OVER U.S. EAST COAST PORTLAND, ME -- An FAA official in charge of air traffic control over the northeastern United States has confirmed an ongoing military operation in America’s skies. In an exclusive taped interview with freelance radio reporter S. T. Brendt, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) manager said he was told on as many as four occasions in March, 2001 to re-route commercial air traffic around military aircraft taking part in an undisclosed aerial operation over the northeastern seaboard.

On her way to the interview location, Brendt observed six big jets laying brilliant white lines above a broken cloud layer. Instead of dissipating like normal condensation trails, these lingering plumes grew wider and wider, intersecting and merging.
Speaking on condition of strict anonymity as intense Chemtrail activity continued overhead, this Deep Sky federal aviation source expressed concern over the classified nature of military operations repeatedly conducted at altitudes between 37,000 and 40,000 feet. While air traffic controllers normally ignore air traffic above 10,000 feet, the ATC manager said he was ordered to divert incoming European air traffic away from the military planes.Full story at the link

3/26/09

Pharmaceuticals found in fish across U.S.Residue of allergy, cholesterol, other meds were in fish near 5 major cities. Fish caught near wastewater treatment plants serving five major U.S. cities had residues of pharmaceuticals in them, including medicines used to treat high cholesterol, allergies, high blood pressure, bipolar disorder and depression, researchers reported Wednesday. Full story at the link

 

Official: Australian oil spill worse than thought Ten times more oil than originally thought leaked from a ship to blacken miles of white sand beaches along Australia's northeast coast, a government official said Saturday.Authorities declared a disaster zone along 37 miles of some of Australia's most popular beaches in Queensland state after they were covered in a blanket of heavy fuel oil that spilled from a ship hit by rough seas on Wednesday.Queensland state Deputy Premier Paul Lucas told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio Saturday that officials originally thought between 5,300 and 7,900 gallons of oil had leaked from the ship. Lucas said it is "now apparent" that the amount of oil spilled was around 60,700 gallons . He did not explain how he arrived at that estimate or offer any further details.Full story at the link

 

 

 

This spring, old growth timber sales in roadless areas in the Tongass is scheduled to begin. Clearcutting old growth permanently damages its habitat value for old growth dependent species and building new roads will further fragment this important ecosystem.But early in its tenure, the Bush administration excluded Alaska's Tongass rainforest from roadless protections. The Tongass is our nation's largest national forest and the largest remaining old-growth temperate rainforest in the world. Tell USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to end the Bush administration's exemption of the Tongass from the roadless rule. Take action >>

 

lacda (Los Angeles Center of Digital Arts) presents: Rex Bruce "Inversions"
March 12-May 2, 2009 Reception March 12, 6-10pm
Rex Bruce gave up his car and spent two years riding public transportation recording images of the L.A. sky-scape as a meditation on the climate crisis. The camera is always aimed towards that which daily absorbs tons of greenhouse gas: the atmosphere. Stills and video are shot through dirty windows of buses traversing Hollywood and central L.A. and composited at different frame rates, compression levels, resolutions and varied states of digital degeneration. The resultant damage is visually appealing and painterly in texture and form while generating an atmosphere of technological and urban overkill, Los Angeles style.Full story at the link

Crop Scientists Say Biotechnology Seed Companies Are Thwarting Research Biotechnology companies are keeping university scientists from fully researching the effectiveness and environmental impact of the industry’s genetically modified crops, according to an unusual complaint issued by a group of those scientists. “No truly independent research can be legally conducted on many critical questions,” the scientists wrote in a statement submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency. The E.P.A. is seeking public comments for scientific meetings it will hold next week on biotech crops. Full story at the link

Fighting Forests With Fire: A Soldier's Story by Timothy Ingalsbee, Ph.D., Director, Western Fire Ecology Center
IF YOU ARE A GRUNT, YOUR JOB IS TO FOLLOW ORDERS, PERIOD. You dig a line, stand in line, hurry up and wait, or work your ass off according to the orders of your superiors. Your crew boss and foreman tell you when and where to eat, sleep, and shit. I tended to follow my orders with gusto and few gripes, and earned superior evaluations (but no medals) for my combat service. It is scary for me to look back now and see how years of playing with G.I. Joe dolls, and psychological training in school athletics, conditioned me with the ability to ignore my own anarchist instincts, pacifist principles, and anti-imperialist politics, and willingly enlist as a grunt in Uncle Sam's firefighting army. Now I deeply regret doing the many awful damn-stupid, dangerous, and destructive things that go on in firefighting. Full story at the link

Money to Burn: The Economics of Fire and Fuels Management

Toxic Sound The Soundprints Of Science
By Elizabeth F. van Mantgem
Conservation Biologist, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

2/20/09

Permafrost Is Thawing In Northern Sweden Full story at the link

 

 

 

 

 

2/17/09 Ireland scrambles over Russian navy oil spill Irish aircraft monitoring an oil spill believed to come from a Russian navy refuelling accident off Ireland's south coast have recorded 522 tonnes of fuel spreading across the sea, officials said Tuesday. Following an overfly of the spill, Irish authorities downgraded an earlier estimate of 1,000 tonnes given by the British coastguard, and said the fuel oil was now in three distinct slicks in the North Atlantic, heading east Full story at the link

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Germany Admitts chemtrails Full story at the link

 

 

 

2/10/09 US Interior Secretary breaks with 'drill-only' energy policy US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Tuesday moved away from "drill-only" energy policies as he blocked a last-minute attempt by the administration of George W. Bush to push through the sale of offshore leases to gas and oil companies.Full story at the link

Tree deaths soar in Western U.S. Tree deaths, spurred by global warming, have more than doubled in older forests across Western states, federal scientists reported Thursday. Droughts and pests brought on by warmer temperatures have killed firs, hemlocks, pines and other large trees in particular over the past 30 years without allowing replacements to sprout, the study published in the journal Science finds. Full story at the link

Antarctic ice shelf set to collapse due to warming WILKINS ICE SHELF, Antarctica. A huge Antarctic ice shelf is on the brink of collapse with just a sliver of ice holding it in place, the latest victim of global warming that is altering maps of the frozen continent.Full story at the link

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FACT: Pharmaceuticals Destroy Aquatic Life

Thyroid Toxin Taints Water Supplies for Millions in Calif. & Nationwide

Toxic Sound