California islands: The bird paradise of the Farallons

SAN FRANCISCO The Salty Lady pitched and rolled, reared up to unsettling verticality and slammed down with a percussive thud. Again and again, literally ad nauseam, the boat was tossed by 30-knot winds and the rhythmic swelling of the waves, the Pacific anything but on this day. Yet, this sturdy, workmanlike 56-foot fishing boat, employed by the nonprofit Oceanic Society to show eco-minded tourists the wild and untamed splendor of the Farallon Islands 27 miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge, kept plugging along with engine belching, enduring wave after white-capped wave, trough and crest repeating like a sadistic amusement park ride Continue reading

Rugby: Islands treatment shame

Rugby’s shameful treatment of the Pacific Islands may never end – a sad fact that becomes ever harder to refute given events of recent weeks.The appetite for throwing obstacles in the path of the Island sides is insatiable. The… Continue reading

Astronomy Cast Episode 307 – Pacific Ring of Fire – Video




Astronomy Cast Episode 307 – Pacific Ring of Fire The Pacific Ring of Fire wraps around the Pacific Ocean, including countries like Japan, Canada, New Zealand and Chile. And the inhabitants within those coun… By: Fraser Cain Continue reading

Aerospace group finally has a pilot

Published: Monday, June 10, 2013, 12:01 a.m. A longstanding presence in Washington, the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance named Melanie Jordan as the organization’s executive director in February at its annual conference Continue reading

Solomon Islands Commissions Solar Home Systems Project

Solomon Islands Commissions Solar Home Systems Project With kerosene, diesel and coconut shells as sources of lighting for their homes, the residents of Kiu village on the island of Malaita in Solomon Islands were truly emotional when celebrating the completed installation of 180 solar home systems during the official commissioning of the Rural Electrification Via Solar Homes Systems in the Solomon Islands Project. The Kiu community are the first recipients of the US$3.99 million, which involves the installation of 2,000 solar home systems that will provide significant benefits to rural areas and outer islands in the eight provinces around Solomon Islands who will now have access to power for lighting and basic electrical appliances. The project, developed and implemented by the Government of Solomon Islands, is funded through the Pacific Environment Community (PEC) Fund, contributed by the Government of Japan and administered by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS). Continue reading

Editorial: Noble motives behind UW Medicine-PeaceHealth partnership

AN agreement between the University of Washingtons medical system and Catholic-sponsored PeaceHealth should not be mistaken for a merger. Mergers between secular and religious hospitals, which often dont provide abortion care or end-of-life services, has been a trend that threatens to make those services harder to access. The mission of the proposed strategic affiliation between UW Medicine and PeaceHealth is noble and deserves a chance to work Continue reading

The Employer’s Perspective on Health Care Costs and Quality – Video




The Employer's Perspective on Health Care Costs and Quality Visit: http://www.uctv.tv/) David Lansky, President and CEO, Pacific Business Group on Health, looks at health care and costs from the employer's perspectiv… By: UCTV, University of California Television Continue reading

Non-native goats and iguanas threaten Pacific islands

Feral goats and green iguanas wreaking havoc with the ecosystems in the small islands in the Pacific, biologists warn, in two separate studies published in Pacific Science last month, calling for control or elimination of these animals. The animals have been introduced there by humans, but are now threatening the survival of native wildlife. Feral goats rapidly deplete grazing lands, the first paper warns, while green iguanas threaten the local horticultural industry, according to the second study Continue reading

Parking fees possible for those accessing NorCal coast beaches

SANTA CRUZ (AP) Sunbathers flocking to Southern California beaches are used to feeding the meter or paying a parking attendant. Not so along the less developed north coast where its customary to ditch cars on the shoulder of Highway 1 to surf, swim or picnic. That sandy line that long defined the states disparate beach culture may soon fade. Continue reading

Parking fees fight at Calif. state beaches heat up

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sunbathers flocking to Southern California beaches are used to feeding the meter or paying a parking attendant. Not so along the less developed north coast where it’s customary to ditch cars on the shoulder of Highway 1 to surf, swim or picnic. That sandy line that long defined the state’s disparate beach culture may soon fade. Continue reading

Pacific's Marshall Islands facing drought emergency

MAJURO, Marshall Islands: A drought has left areas of the Marshall Islands facing “dire” water shortages with aid agencies scrambling to ship relief to affected communities, officials in the Pacific nation said Wednesday. With almost no rainfall since late last year on some of the northern islands, the government this week issued a disaster declaration as villages began rationing water to preserve supplies. Continue reading

NASA Asian American Pacific Islander History Month – Ngoc Phan Nguyen, Michoud Assembly Facility – Video




NASA Asian American Pacific Islander History Month – Ngoc Phan Nguyen, Michoud Assembly Facility Ngoc Phan Nguyen serves as the Operation and Maintenance Lead and Energy Manager at Michoud Assembly Facility. I am also an for NASA at MAF. Continue reading

NASA Asian American Pacific Islander History Month – Lein Moore, Kennedy Space Center – Video




NASA Asian American Pacific Islander History Month – Lein Moore, Kennedy Space Center Lein Moore is the project group lead for the simulation project group within the engineering and technology directorate, which provides mathematical models a… By: NASAtelevision Continue reading

NASA Asian American Pacific Islander History Month – Pauline Hwang, Jet Propulsion Laboratory – Video




NASA Asian American Pacific Islander History Month – Pauline Hwang, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pauline Hwang, has been working on the Mars Science Laboratory project since 2010 starting at design and development into the operations phase of the mission… Continue reading

NASA Asian American Pacific Islander History Month – Wayne Wong, Glenn Research Center – Video




NASA Asian American Pacific Islander History Month – Wayne Wong, Glenn Research Center Wayne Wong is the Advanced Sterling Converter Lead Engineer at Glenn Research Center. That entails is I've been working on development of the advanced sterli… By: NASAtelevision Continue reading