CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
OceanDiver writesThe Daily Bucket - old friends at the bay: Paddled around my local bay a couple of afternoons recently while Mr O was working on the boat. Its finally gotten partly sunny after our unusually cold wet spring in the Pacific Northwest. It was very pleasant..short-sleeved shirt and dawdling around, meeting up with old friends there. Its been many months since Friendly Seal has played with us. Ive seen her frequently but shes been super busy hunting. On one of the afternoons she met up with us after Mr O had gotten back in his kayak. She swam right up to me and gave me a big hug! My kayak that is. Arm (front flipper) wrapped around the side. All I could see was big claws since she was behind me as usual, but I could feel her below the kayak. No pics of that but she swam around and under our boats, being quite as sociable as before.
m2c4 writesTrump administration gets rid of new protections for West Coast whales, dolphins, and sea turtles: On Monday, the Trump administration ended a new rule that was aimed at protecting endangered marine life off the West Coast from the fishing industry.Economically, the new rule would have had "a much more substantial impact on the fleet than we originally realized," said Michael Milstein, a spokesman with the federal fisheries service, which killed the rule. The rule would have applied to fewer than 20 fishing vessels that use mile-long fishing nets to catch swordfish off California and Oregon. The change would have shut down the drift gillnet fishing for swordfish for up to two seasons if too many of nine groups of whales, sea turtles ordolphinswere getting caught in the nets.According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, the fishing industry has proactively taken many steps towards lessening the chances of hurting these animalsincluding creating underwater pinging devices that can warn off some of the marine animals from getting too close and tangled into the nets.
6412093 writesThe Daily Bucket--When Swamp Plants Attack! Several years ago, I flooded an excavation for what was supposed to be a house remodel, and turned it into a backyard pond. I put cattails, which are tall plants, in the south end to hide the black plastic pond liner from view.This Fall and Spring I pulled up a couple of the cattails, and trimmed a couple of others. In response they spread to the northwest, taking over 2/3rds of the Pond. They encroach into the lilies. That is forbidden. I even found a baby cattail growing in the unconnected Frog Mitigation Area pond, twenty feet away. How did it get there? Did a rhizome pull itself out of the water and slither across land to the other pond, one rainy night? The Cattails also have accomplices; the Bullrushes.
Besame writesDaily Bucket: Canadians take nature selfie to celebrate the nation's 150th birthday: I dont cry over ecosystem devastation, losses, and threats (much). That news stiffens my resolve and I commit to doing more. But hearing about a nationwide bioblitz, seeing people exploring, taking photos, uploading them to iNaturalist, and documenting the natural world of their everyday lives this brings tears because its personal, precious, and precarious. The video announcing Canadas nature selfie made me cry. Over 10,000 Canucks are bioblitzing their country this summer to celebrate Canadas 150th birthday. BioBlitz Canada 150involves 35+ different bioblitz events (map). Volunteers and expert naturalists are photographing and documenting Canadas natural biodiversity to celebrate and to collect data used in tracking wildlife and ecosystem changes over time. The events began in April and will continue into September (calendar). Most of the bioblitzes mingle community members with scientists. But ten science-intense events in remote areas are closed to the public and involve only specialists. All participants will use theiNaturalist.caapp to upload photos,locations, and notes. Canadian Wildlife Federation organized thenature selfie bioblitz.
Walter Einenkel writesTrump administration gets rid of new protections for West Coast whales, dolphins, and sea turtles: On Monday, the Trump administration ended a new rule that was aimed at protecting endangered marine life off the West Coast from the fishing industry. Economically, the new rule would have had a much more substantial impact on the fleet than we originally realized,said Michael Milstein, a spokesman with the federal fisheries service, which killed the rule. The rule would have applied to fewer than 20 fishing vessels that use mile-long fishing nets to catch swordfish off California and Oregon. The change would have shut down the drift gillnet fishing for swordfish for up to two seasons if too many of nine groups of whales, sea turtles ordolphinswere getting caught in the nets.
RonK writesThe Daily Bucket: A trip to our 100 Aker Wood*:*With apologies to A. A. Milne and Christopher Robin. This is a short story with a bunch of photos about our 100 Acre Wood that, like Milnes is loaded with critters scurrying about and singing. This one is an urban forest in Bellingham, WA that was saved by a 2010 bank crash from becoming a housing development. The wood is now a rusticity community park but almost wasnt. As with most areas in close proximity to an urban center, it was a primal forest until about 150 years ago when it was logged for its ancient Douglas fir and Western Red Cedar. The undergrowth of salal, ferns, numerous flowering plants and various berry vines covered huge deposits of50 million year oldChuckanut Sandstone. After logging, portions of this area became a gravel pit that has since closed and is recovering from those ugly scars to its landscape. It now boasts a curtain of huge Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar, Black Cottonwood, Alder, Big Leaf and Vine Maple and more. The wood is laced with hiking and biking trails and is home to numerous critters including chipmunks, squirrels, deer, frogs, turtles, possum, raccoon, and birds of all kinds.
Agelbert writesBiological Extinction Conference Video #11: The video in this post covers a lot of ground that will help the viewer to begin to objectively assess the importance and severity of the present Sixth Mass Extinction, its causes, and what governments can do to lessen the damage. In the [...] video, you can learn from eminent scientists, economists and scholars about the limits of the stability of biological systems, negative feedbacks, positive feedbacks, population trends,ocean acidificationand the veryimportant issue of increasing anoxic (oxygen starved) conditionsin the oceans directly caused by the continued burning of fossil fuels. [...]The geological record shows that there have been five major extinction-events in the past, the first of them about 542 million years ago, and suggests that 99% of the species that ever lived (5 billion of them?) have become extinct.The last major extinction event occurred about 66 million years ago,at the end of the Cretaceous Period, and, in general, the number of species on earth and the complexity of their communities has increased steadily until near the present.
CLIMATE CHAOS
rktect writesA Growing Rift: In a new international rift, Larsen C, an Ice Shelf the size of Delaware, is about to leave Antarctica. Larsen C ice is the leading edge of one of the world's largest glacier systems. A single large crack in the ice shelf has grown in spurts since 2010, lengthening to about 120 miles. But sometime between January 1 and May 1, the crack forked in two directions. One fork continued traveling parallel to the Southern Ocean, while the other turned northward toward the water. That 6-mile fork has increased by another 11 miles, leaving precious little ice holding back a catastrophic calving event. When it calves, the Larsen C ice shelf will lose more than 10% of its area to leave the ice front at its most retreated position ever recorded,Luckman and O'Leary wrote in a blog post on May 1. They say that the slab's breaking off "will fundamentally change the landscape of the Antarctic Peninsula."
Pakalolo writesStudy: Russia's Arctic cities could begin to collapse as early as the 2020's: Thomas Nilson writing for The Independent Barents Observerin January of 2017 on a US-Russianstudythat was funded by the Russian Science Foundation, the US Science Foundation and the George Washington University. The study(Russian text) found a A significant (at least 25%) climate-induced reduction in the urban infrastructure stability throughout the Russian permafrost region should be expected by the mid-21st century.A worst-case scenario could lead to a 75-95% reduction in bearing capacity throughout the permafrost region by 2050, the researchers write in the publication. Last autumn, theBarents Observerreported that Russias Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) issued a warning claiming by the year 2050, the extension of the permafrost in Russia might be reduced by 25% and be the end of the century by up to 56%. This will imply growing risk for a breakdown of buildings, transport infrastructure and pipelines, Acting Head of the Ministrys Center of Emergency Monitoring and Prognosis, Konstantin Moskin said.
Michael Brune writesMeanwhile, in the Real World: President Trump may have decided he wants to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, but the rest of the country isnt ready to give up quite so easily.More than 270 U.S. mayors representing 58 million Americanshave now announced that they remain committed to the goals of the Paris Agreement, and 30 cities across the nation have upped the ante by officially committing to transition to using 100 percent clean, renewable energy. Last week, the Los Angeles Department of Public Works announced that it wouldput new gas-fired power plants on holdas it considered cleaner alternatives. In another major Southern California victory, the California Energy Commission announced last Friday that it would study ways toavoid building a new gas plantin the city of Oxnard. At the state level, California, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Delaware, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Hawaii have all joined aU.S. Climate Alliancecommitted to both uphold in U.S. commitments under the Paris Agreement and to meet or exceed the goals of the Clean Power Plan.
Meteor Blades writesOpen thread for night owls: For the climate fightless PowerPoint, more POWER: Steve Kretzmanat Oil Change International writes:Less PowerPoint. More Power.After that paranoid, delusional babble in the Koch-sponsored Rose Garden last week, it has been truly impressive and relieving to witness the diversity and depth of support for the Paris Accord, and for strongclimateaction across the board. As many have observed, Trump has united and energized the globalclimatemovement like never before. Incredibly, but not surprisingly, we are told thatclimatescience was not a factor in Trumps decision. While this is obviously dismaying, its also quite revealing. For decades,climatepolicy fights have often boiled down to dueling spreadsheets and PowerPoints. Now, in an accidental moment of clarity, Trump has confirmed what an increasingly large section of theclimatemovement has been saying for a while now: dont bring a spreadsheet to a knife fight.
Meteor Blades writesIn London speech, Al Gore says Trump will not wreck the Paris agreement or sustainability revolution: Former Vice President Al Gore gavean upbeat speechat the Ashden Awards 2017 before the Royal Geographic Societyin London Thursday night. The awards are financial prizes given to groups that provide practical assistance to organizations that promote renewable energy, cleaner air and sustainable transportation. So far, those awards have gone to 200 groups serving 80 million people. Gore told those present that the climate movement is akin to great movements of the pastsuch as the abolition of slaverywhich encountered fierce, long-lasting resistance along the way to ultimate triumph. [...]No one person can stop the climate movement or the sustainability revolution we are going to win no matter what President Donald Trump says.The Paris Agreement, I believe, is actually stronger today. I say that with all sincerity and conviction.
ClimateDenierRoundup writesNew Denier Study So Bad Even Deniers are Somewhat Skeptical: Most recently, Daily Callers Michael Bastasch,our favoriteKoch operativemasquerading as a reporter, covered a new study by veteran statistician Stan Youngclaiming to expose huge flaws in EPA science.Surprisingly, Bastasch included a number of reasons to question the accuracy of the study. The post starts with an indication that Youngs study had been shopped around for three years before being peer-review published. Bastasch also includes a quote from reviewers who rejected the study from other journals, and a surprisingly lengthy section about the EPAs decades-old establishment of the lethality of PM 2.5 pollution.
ClimateDenierRoundup writesContinuing Trend, Watts Takes Break from Blogging While Paid Posters Continue Apace: We cant say were surprised to what depths fossil fuels have permeated the administration. But what is surprising is the growing malaise among the climate denial blogosphere. Were sensing that instead of feeling rejuvenated, bloggers appear to be slowing down in the Trump era. Most recently and notably,Anthony Watts announced on Tuesdaythat after ten years of near-constant denier nonsense, hes taking a month-long break from Watts Up With That (and asking for donations to fund a vacation). He has been relying on others to keep up a steady stream of content, and those guest contributors will continue posting, so the site isnt going dark. But the announcement is interesting as a benchmark, since Watts is one of the biggest blog names in the denier space. However, he is far from the only one weve noticed slowing down. Beyond Judith Currys retirement from Georgia Tech, Roger Pielkes halfhearted attempts to stay away from the climate debate and the retirement of Steve McIntyre (andhis ClimateAudit blog) that Watts mentions in his post, a number of blogs that were once main drivers of denial have quieted considerably.
AmericaAdapts writesCan Evangelical Christians adapt to Climate Change? Faith is evidence of what we dont see; science is evidence of what we do see. We are deliberately told by people we trust.that global warming is a false religion, requiring worshipping the earth Regarding climate changeif you only look for negative information, thats what youll find.In episode 44 ofAmerica Adapts, Doug Parsons talks with world famous climate scientist Dr.Katharine Hayhoe,professor in theDept. of Political Scienceand director of theClimate Science Centerat Texas Tech University! Katharine and Doug dig deep into the issue of religion and what are some solutions in reaching out to skeptical audiences on the issue of climate change.
kennethpouchet writesThe future might be rainier that expected: Here is an interesting input from NASA (I am a massive fan of their climate repots). Eventhough many observers and specialists suggest coming days will be warmer and dry, an interesting fact has been addressed by Hui Su of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Below article has been written by Carol Rasmussen from NASA. A new study suggests that most global climate models may underestimate the amount of rain that will fall in Earth's tropical regions as our planet continues to warm. That's because these models underestimate decreases in high clouds over the tropics seen in recent NASA observations, according to research led by scientist Hui Su of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Wait a minute: how can fewer clouds lead to more rainfall? Globally, rainfall isn't related just to the clouds that are available to make rain but also to Earth's energy budget incoming energy from the sun compared to outgoing heat energy.
Extreme Weather & Natural Phenomena
ARodinFan writesRecord High Temps Forecast For the Southwest This Week - Where and when was your hottest day? In the summer of 1964 my midwestern family of six took a summer vacation camping in national parks in the western US and Canadian Rockies. The Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff, Jasper. On our return drive east to Ohio at the end of that trip we drove across South Dakota on a bright sunny 106 degree day. There was no AC in our Dodge station wagon and in my brief experience that seemed awfully hot. That remained by personal high for the next 30 years, until June of 1990. [...] This weekend high temps across wide swaths of the Southwest may rise above 115 Notorious hot spot Death Valley, home to the world's all-time hottest temperature of 134 degrees, will soar to 123 degrees by Sunday. Nights won't provide much relief: the low temperature will drop to only the low 90s.www.usatoday.com/...if youre working outside or travelling in this heatwave stay hydrated, keep plenty of water on hand, be extra careful and watch out for people in distress. So, where and when was your hottest day?
OCEANS, WATER, DROUGHT
Jen HaydenwritesMichigan's public health director charged with manslaughter relating to the Flint water crisis: A Michigan district judge has given a green light to new charges in relation to the lead-poisoned water in Flint:Michigan's public health director and chief medical executive have been charged with criminal wrongdoing related to the Flint water crisis, moving an investigation by state Attorney General Bill Schuette closer than ever to Gov. Rick Snyder. Genesee District Judge David Guinn authorized charges Wednesday, June 14, for Department of Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon and Chief Medical Executive Dr. Eden Wells. Lyon, appointed by Snyder to lead DHHS in April 2015, was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, a 15-year felony. He also faces a single count of misconduct in office.
rflctammt writes So Colorado Groundwater Contaminated; CO GOP Rep. Lamborn pens "Pro-life" ACHA letter to Senate ???: Colorado health authorities have stopped monitoring the plume of groundwater contaminated with PFCs at levels exceeding a federal health advisory limit that is spreading south from Colorado Springs toward Pueblo, state and federal officials confirmed. This widensthe challengeof dealing with the perfluorinated chemicals, or PFCs, whichdo not break downand have been linked to birth defects,cancersand other health harm. [...] This is tragic, disturbing, and frightening...if you read the article you will see that Petersen Field Air Force Base in Southern Colorado Springs is likely the source of the poison...but the 65,000 affected residents are in the dark, and the investigation is not only not moving forward its being shut down. So how is the Republican Congressman who represents this area stepping up to protect his constituents?
Dan Bacher writesDecision on Jerry Brown's Delta Tunnels anticipated in September: Since 2007 when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger revived the plan to build a peripheral canal or tunnels around or under the Delta, fishermen, Tribal leaders, conservationists, environmental justice advocates and Delta residents have been fighting to stop this plan pushed by corporate agribusiness interests and Southern California water agencies. After Jerry Brown became Governor for a third term, he embraced the revived plan, reincarnated as two 35 mile long tunnels under the Delta, as his environmental legacy,along with the completion of the privately funded Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative to create so-called marine protected areasin California. In the latest saga in the California water wars, Delta and public trust advocates are gearing up for a heated battle against the continuation of planning for the Delta tunnels this summer,according to a statement from Restore the Delta (RTD). Next week the official official biological opinion necessary for the operation of the tunnels will be released. To date, every federal panel that has examined the tunnels plan has concluded that the tunnels plan will devastate salmon and other fish species.
CANDIDATES, STATE AND DC ECO-RELATED POLITICS
aleurophile writesCLIMATE CHANGE! Blue tidal wave to wash away woman-shaming, NRA-loving, poor-hating DOCTOR (VA-73): Dr. John M. O'Bannon III, a Richmond neurologist, is the Republican incumbent for House district 73. He hasn't had a challenger in years, but the rising blue tide is lapping at his feet: The 73rd went for Clinton-Kaine by SEVEN points and FOUR Democrats took the plunge to oppose O'Bannon. Dr. Debra Rodmanemerged as the winner of the firehouse caucus, and we in the district are psyched. With Democratic energy on the rise, the Trump scandal turning away rational Republicans increasingly by the day, and primary turnout for Ed Gillespie gaspingly flaccid, this district is FLIPPABLE. [...] Not that we won't have a battle: O'Bannon has the reputation of being a nice guy and he gives off a moderate vibe. But when you dig into his voting record - not so much. I was shocked at what I found, and other voters will be, too. For example, O'Bannon voted tocriminalizeself-inflicted abortions and to make it possible to bring a wrongful death civil cause of action when a fetus dies because of the mother's [alleged] negligence. And these are just two examples (see below).
ENERGY
Fossil Fuels
Mark Sumner writesDonald Trump just keeps lying about coal: From the way Donald Trump keeps talking about coal, you would think hes spent years underground with a pickax. But Trumps connection to coal is simply that talking about it worksfor him. It provides a faux, working-man connection through an industry that most people associate with images theyve only seen in films and the idea of industrial decline. At Mondays televised cabinet meeting, Trump against referenced big stories about a new mine opening. He also included this minein his morning tweets. Not surprisingly, the tweet connects to a story onFox News.What does that story sayabout the new mine? Dethlefsen told Leland Vittert that for the 70 positions available in the mine, 400 people applied.Seventy jobs. Thats the news Trump is crowing about. Its the first new mine of the Trump era according to the Fox story. However, is not thefirst news about mine jobsin the Trump era.In April, US coal production wasup 17%compared to a year ago. At the same time, however, coal mining jobs weredown 8%(about 6,000 jobs).
Jen Hayden writesEPA and Dept. of Interior held a private briefing with 45 gas and oil CEOs at Trump's D.C. hotel: The Big Oil fix is in. EPA Chief Scott Pruitt held a private briefing with the chief executive officers of 45 gas and oil companies. The topic? No doubt it was coming up with plans to deregulate their industry, roll back pollution and air quality controls, all those things that cost money and get in the way of even bigger profits for Big Oil and Gas. The kicker? Donald Trump himself was enriched by the private swamp meeting, which was held at Trumps D.C. hotel. Because of course it was. [...]Only weeks later, Donald Trump made it a whole lot easier for oil companies to drill in National Parks.
workingwords writesUnderstanding Coal Miners' Concerns: I hear a lot of liberals talking about how stupid Trump supporters in "coal country" are. I think it's important to think about this. Granted: There aren't going to be a lot of coal jobs created. Granted: Coal is dangerous to the climate. Granted: Coal jobs are unhealthy. [...]Coal miners need real alternatives. Guarantee every coal miner an equally-well paying job or an equally-paying pension, and you'd get less resistance. When the government takes away a person's property using eminent domain, it's not supposed to simply give the homeowner a class on finding a new home. The homeowner should be paid a fair price for the property which will allow them to get a similar home. Coal miners have done hard, dangerous work which society has previously told them was necessary for society. If society wants them to leave behind that source of income and benefits, the government should offer them a comparable income and benefits - not just a class which might lead to another job. Is that too high a price to save the climate?
Renewables, Efficiency & Conservation
Mark Sumner writesDOE closing office that works with other countries to develop clean energy technology: Trump announced that he was taking the United States out of the Paris agreement, under the pretense that a program in which America got to set its own goals and define its own path to reach them was actually a draconian attempt at One World Government. But the Department of Energy still has a section dedicated to reaching out to other countries on the climate. Clearly thats something thatneeds to change.The Energy Department is closing an office that works with other countries to develop clean energy technology, another sign of the Trump administrations retreat on climate-related activities after its withdrawal from the Paris agreement this month.Wind energy is thefastest growingenergy source. Thefastest growing jobin America is wind turbine service technician. Together, wind and solarreached 10 percentof Americas energy production last month for the first time. So clearly this is the ideal time todestroy the office that develops clean energy technology.
Meteor Blades writesGood news department: U.S. generated 10 percent of March electricity from solar and wind power: Data in a publication of the U.S. Energy Information Administrationshow that for March, monthly generation of electricity from wind and solar in the United States exceeded 10 percent of the total generation for the first time. This includes utility-scale facilities as well as smaller-scale systems. At the same time, EIAsElectric Power Monthlyreports that wind and solar made up 7 percent of total U.S. electric generation in 2016.[...] While saying that wind and solar should be part of the U.S. energy mix, right-wingers (including prominent members of the Trump regime and the man squatting in the White House himself) support policies that favor fossil fuel sources, including coal. A slight majority of states, however, have adopted policies favorable to the growth in renewable sources. Key among these are so-called renewable portfolio standardsthat set deadlines for generating a certain percentage of electricity from renewables by a certain date. Californias RPS leads the pack, calling for 50 percent renewables generation by 2030.
Pipelines & Other Fossil Fuel Transport
Meteor Blades writesDakota Access Pipeline ruling favoring Standing Rock Sioux a victory, but the battle is not over: The91-page decisionissued Wednesday by a federal court ruling against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for violating the law with an inadequate environmental review of the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline garnered some long-delayed activist hurrahs this week. But it is a victory with caveats. [...]In his ruling D.C. Circuit Court JudgeJames Boasberg, an Obama appointee, stated: Although the Corps substantially complied with NEPA in many areas, the Court agrees that itdid not adequately consider the impactsof an oil spill on fishing rights, hunting rights, or environmental justice, or the degree to which the pipelines effects are likely to be highly controversial. To remedy those violations, the Corps will have to reconsider those sections of its environmental analysis upon remand by the Court. [...]Even though a spill is not certain to occur at Lake Oahe, the Corps still had to consider the impacts of such an event on the environment.
Back Porch philosopher writesJust heard: Standing Rock wins "major victory" in court. Trump's hasty permits violated law: Fantastic News! Those BRAVE Water Protectors who are facing the racist kangaroo court right now might at least take heart that their cause carries on!!! Here is the email I just got from EarthJustice: The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe won a major victory today in their ongoing battle to protect their drinking water and ancestral lands from the Dakota Access Pipeline.This victory is the result of the Tribes inspiring and courageous fight, supported by hundreds of thousands of people like you who spoke up and made your voices heard.Just days after President Trumps inauguration, his administration hastily issued federal permits authorizing construction of the pipeline across the Missouri River, just upstream of the Standing Rock Reservation.Today a federal judge ruled that those permits violated the law.
TOXINS, AIR POLLUTION, RADIOACTIVE AND OTHER HAZARDOUSWASTE
MarineChemist writesWhat is the optimum level of ionizing radiation exposure for Life? An interestingopen access, peer-reviewed study was published earlier this year in Frontiers in Microbiologythat examined how lower than background doses of ionizing radiation affected the growth of bacteria. [...]Life emerged on our planet billions of years ago when levels of environmental radioactivity were about5-fold higher than they are today. On average living organisms experience a background ionizing radiation dose of ~1-2 milliSievert(mSv) per year although there is significant geographical variation across the globe given local geology (radioisotope content of rocks and minerals) and altitude (exposure to cosmic radiation). Deviations from background occur due to proximity to medical exposure or nuclear energy or weapon related events that only act toincreasethe dose livings things must tolerate. Castillo and Smith (2017)conducted experiments to understand how bacteria responded when they were grown inlowerthan background ionizing radiation dose conditions. How did they do this and what did they find?
REGULATIONS & PROTECTIONS
Earthjustice writesRESISTING TRUMPS ENVIRONMENTAL ROLLBACKS, LOCALLY: The New York City Council recentlypassedthe most comprehensive environmental justice legislation ever achieved in any U.S. city. The breakthrough marked a major win for the Harlem-based organizationWE ACT for Environmental Justice, which recently boosted its local and state advocacy efforts. WE ACT is not alone. Many environmental justice groups are redoubling their efforts at the local level given thebacksliding on the federal levelunder President Trump. The new legislation gives communities the tools to fight for equitable environmental policies, said WE ACT Deputy Director Cecil Corbin-Mark. Furthermore, the city now has a legal mandate to alleviate environmental problems in communities of color and low-income neighborhoods that are disproportionately impacted by pollution known as environmental justice communities.Now theres going to be a requirement that the city conduct its own study or aggregate existing studies so that residents who live in environmental justice communities have clarity around issues impacting their own communities,Corbin-Mark said.
ClimateDenierRoundup writesPruitts Back to Basics EPA Will Send Americans Back to Sick Bay: According to a report from former EPA employeescovered by Rebecca Leber at MotherJones, Trumps proposed budget would cut the EPAs science programs by 47 percent, while also cutting the state grants for air and water programs by a third. Overall, the EPA is looking at a slash of 3,800 jobs - a quarter of its staff. Pruitts Back to Basics rhetoric jibes with Trumps nostalgia, and like Trumps slogan, Pruitt evokes a past that never was. Because the basicsof the EPA are protecting the environment and public health, and Trumps budget will destroy the programs (and jobs) that keep America safe and healthy. EvenRepublican-appointed EPA administratorsthink so. But we will give credit where its due - Trump is creating tremendous, fabulous, absolutely phenomenal number of jobs in coal mining. The first coal mine to come online in the Trump Era (even though its technically been in the works since before he was elected) is certainly delivering on Trumps jobs promise by employing 70 individuals! (Which for reference, is fewer employees than an average supermarket, which employs 92 people.) Now cutting 3,800 EPA jobs and creating 70 coal jobs for a netlossof 3,730 jobs seems like a great deal to us, but then again, we arent fantastic, incredible, truly blessed businesspeople who turned tens of millions of dollars from daddy into a string of failed companies, so what do we know.
WILDERNESS, NATIONAL FORESTS AND PARKS, OTHER PUBLIC LANDS
Walter Einenkel writesTrump's secretary of the Interior suggests we 'trim' down national monuments: Utahs Republican Renfield Jason Chaffetz has already made it clear that the Republican agenda, when it comes to privatizing public lands, knows no boundsand can even begin in his state. Specifically, Republicans are looking to trim downBears Ears National Monument in Utah. Trumps Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has left the confines to Montana and has been wining and dining theoil and gas industry over at Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.Dont worry, Trumps hotel is totally in a trust with his sons so theres no conflict of interest theresays nobody with even half a brain. Today theAPreports that Zinke will be recommending that Bears Ears National Monument be reduced in size, and that Congress should step in and designate how the various areas get categorized.
Meteor Blades writesPitiful 'report' urges shrinking of Bear Ears Nat'l Monument. American Indians screwed again: From the moment in April that Donald Trump put a 45-day deadline on a report on the Bears Ears National Monument, it was obvious that a skimpy document the likes of thedraft that Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke released Monday would be forthcoming. Its essentially a four-page boilerplate preface with a one-page reportand set of recommendations that will presumably be spelled out more fully when the full review of Bears Ears and the other 26 monuments is done 72 days from now. Bottom Line: The 1.35-million-acre monument designated by President Barack Obama is too damned big and should be downsized. The amount of acreage in this proposed shrink job is yet to be determined. [...] E&E News (paywall) reported that Arizona Rep. Ral Grijalva, who is the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, labeled Zinkes report nonsense.
durrati writesdrumpf's Forest Service Seeks to Allow Coal and Methane Leases in Sunset Roadless Area in Colorado: EarthjusticeThe Forest Service is attempting to give Arch Coal, the nation's second largest coal company, the right to expand its mining into 1,700 acres of the Sunset Roadless Arealands that belong to all Americans.A rolling landscape of aspen and spruce-fir forests and beaver ponds,the Sunset Roadless Areais within Gunnison National Forest, 40 miles from Aspen, Colorado. The lush, wild forest is public landprime habitat for goshawk, black bear, elk, cutthroat trout and the imperiled lynx, and enjoyed by hikers and recreationists visiting from near and far. Some of the spruce may be centuries old.
officebss writesSave America the Beautiful - National Parks Under Attack!With so many Right-Wing attacks on so many fronts, its hard to focus and choose what battle to fight next. But this week, Im working on saving our National Parks and Monuments. I live in California, and Public Comments are open concerning the reviewof our National Parks and Monuments, which is doublespeak for preparing to sell off parts of them to the lowest bidder for drilling and mining. Heres my letter to the Secretary of the Interior [...] Preserving the special beauty of our country is one of the greatest ideas that the U.S.A. ever came up with, and it has sparked national preservation movements in many other countries. The world is indebted to thinkers like John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt and so many other Americans who have nurtured and continued to expand our National Parks and Monuments. If ever there was an example of American exceptionalism, this is it.
Ojibwa writesPublic Lands: A Small Urban Park (Photo Diary): Public landsare lands which are set aside for public use.Public landscan range from large areas of undeveloped, rural landsnational parks, wilderness areasto small urban areas. In general, wealthy people and aristocrats dislike the idea ofpublic landssince these lands are not generating more wealth for them. For other people, however,public landsprovide them with space, with a sense of community, and a refuge from the daily world. One example of a small urban park is the C.W. Moore Park in Boise, Idaho. It provides a nice, quiet place to sit, to visit, and to view pieces of Boises history.
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & GARDENING
Missys Brother writesSaturday Morning Garden Blog V.13.24: gardening hodgepodge: This diary contains photographs of what is going on around my yard this week, a couple of old house photos, an attempted cat rescue in Kentucky and a side trip to the Berkshires Mountains in MA in other words a hodgepodge of things. I am very late planting this season as I am still putting in my vegetable garden! Yet my tomato plants that are already in the ground have really put out a lot of green fruit this week because of a northeast heat wave we just had. Perfect weather now as the high yesterday was lower 70s with the low being lower 60s. Connecticut Governor Malloy on Thursday lifted the statewide drought advisory as our water levels are back to normal. The last three years were the worst drought that Connecticut has had since the 1960s.
gmoke writesCity Agriculture - June 13, 2017: InFarm for supermarkets who want to grow their own food. Editorial Comment: This may be my favorite of the shipping container farms now as they seem to be thinking most seriously about reducing energy and water requirements. Forest cities to fight air pollution in China.Greenhouse for the Moon and Mars[...]
lowt writesSo Long Whole Foods, Long Live...As everyone knows by nowAmazon has agreed to buy Whole Foods. Depending on what Amazons intentions are, this could lead to an important transformation or a critical disaster for those of us who depend on Whole Foods for our staples. Just to get it out of the way, I know that most people likely have a basic dislike for Whole Foods. This is especially true if one is on the traditional American diet. I get it, Whole Foods is a niche store, just like Traders Joe. If you have a bad first impression, as I did with Joes, it doesnt become your go to shop. In my case, I saw the fruits and vegetables wrapped in plastic in styrofoam trays, and thought who would do that int he 21st century with plastic piling up in the ocean, the I tried the two buck chuck and wonder who is desperate enough to drink this swill. Saint Genevieve can be had for four bucks, and it is at least two time less disgusting. So everyone has a least favorite. I also understand that Whole Foods is now large national chain, which is why it was difficult to manage costs, which is why it was difficult to increase profits, which is why it was ripe for a buyout.I dont like chains either.
m2c4 writesDemocrats Need To Oppose Amazon/Whole Foods Merger On Strong Antitrust Grounds: Amazon announced today that it has agreed tobuy Whole Foods for $13.4 billionas Jeff Bezos retail monopolistic predator moves into the grocery business in the biggest way. Whole Foods stock rose by around 25% at one point in the day, essentially meaning that Amazon was buying it for virtually nothing and implying that the price of this deal may have to rise. In addition to merging Amazons delivery capabilities with a large grocer, the Whole Foods acquisition provides Amazon with nearly 500 brick-and-mortar outlets for its other retail products. The announcement of this deal also drove the stock of other competing grocery chains and retail outlets down by anywhere from 5%-10%. This is almost a perfect merger for Democrats to vociferously oppose on antitrust grounds and use it as a teaching moment to explain the inadequacies of our current antitrust law and lay the groundwork for reforming those laws in the future. I am under no illusion that the Trump administration will do anything to stop this merger. But fighting this admittedly losing battle is important if we are to win the war in the future.
LiberalTexan11 writesBrazil approves Insect Resistant Sugarcane GMO: Reutersreports, Brazil has approved the commercial use of genetically engineered sugarcane. Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira developed it and made the application seeking approval in December of 2015, Chief Executive Officer Gustavo Leite told Reuters. The crop was bred to be resistant to the insect Diatraea saccharalis, known locally as the cane borer. According to Reuters, the cane borer is responsible for an estimated $1.52 billion in annual losses for producers. The cane has been modified with genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (or BT). This adds sugarcane into the list of GE crops that have been modified with BT genes. It will likely take some time before the sugarcane is widely adopted by sugarcane growers.
TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
Mike F Morales writesCould Self-Driving Cars Be A Bust For Industry-Driven Trump Administration?From the start, President Trump has been largely focused on American industry, from coal mining to car manufacturing. Since he was elected, confidence in the economy hasreached a nine-year high.Trump has made some lofty promises about economic investment, so its no surprise that self-driving cars would be of interest to the administration. If America became the first country to put self-driving vehicles on the market, it could mean big things for our economys growth. However, it may not have the effect many are hoping. Sure, it would mean a huge commodity for the United States. But at what risk? How will it affect the auto industry, including the sale of autos and anyaccessories people would normally buy? There are some potential negative side effects that we cant pretend to understand at this stage in the game.
MISCELLANY
GreenpowerCA writesThis Week in the Environment 6.15.17: Sea Change: Hello, and welcome back for another edition of Greenpowers This Week in the Environment. As always, these storiesloosely focused this time on a theme of cause and effect (no surprise:currentconditions suggest the Trump Administrations new climate policies will make things worse for land and sea)have been meticulously curated by our environmental scientist, Dr. Jon Conway. This set of stories may not be as dramatic as in recent weeks, but the essential narrative remains the same: the red flags are flying, thanks in no small part to our presidents determination to please fossil fuel interests.5.Trump is handing the federal government over to fossil fuel interestsVox[...] 3.April marked the 388th month in a row that the global temperature was warmer than averageDiscover Magazine.
See the article here:
Spotlight on green news & views: NY Council votes for environmental justice; Al Gore optimistic - Daily Kos
