See OceanDiver'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 Saturday Spotlight can be seen here. More than 22,100 environmentally oriented diaries have been rescued for inclusion in this weekly collection since 2006. Inclusion of a diary in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
Dead Zone: Massive Loss of Ocean Biodiversity From Warming May Take Millennia to Recover—by
Steven D: "How bad is Ocean Warming caused by anthropogenic climate change? "To answer my question, the effects of the current rise in temperatures of our oceans is worse than you or I could have imagined. It's so bad that it may take thousands of years for ocean life to recover. That's a recovery time measured in millennia, for those who prefer polysyllabic Latinate words:
A study has found that it might take thousands of years for the ocean to recover from climate change. Researchers studied more than 5,400 fossils from a 30-foot-long core sample taken from the Pacific Ocean floor near Santa Barbara, California, and found that it can take millennia for ocean ecosystems to recover after periods of deoxygenation and warming waters. [...] 'In this study, we used the past to forecast the future,' Peter Roopnarine, curator of invertebrate zoology and geology at the California Academy of Sciences and co-author of the study, said in a statement. 'We don't want to hear that ecosystems need thousands of years to recover from disruption, but it's critical that we understand the global need to combat modern climate impacts.' [...] The basic cause of the loss of biodiversity in the oceans is that warming oceans lose oxygen, which results in a die-off of invertebrate life, the foundation on which our complex ocean ecosystems are based. Once you wipe out entire species of invertebrates it can take a very long time for a complex system such as the Earth's oceans to recover. These impacts stretch far beyond our short time-scale concerns regarding the effects of climate change on human civilization in this century."
Illinois Poll Shows Strong Opposition to Fracking—by
willinois: "Nearly half of Illinois voters oppose fracking, according to a new poll by the Simon Institute. The statewide poll reveals 48.6% oppose fracking while only 31.8% believe it should be encouraged, even if there are economic benefits. Opponents outnumber supporters an all regions of the state, including downstate where fracking is promoted as a jobs plan. The numbers reinforce that fracking is one of the issues which cost Governor Pat Quinn support among Democrats and independents in his losing re-election campaign. Illinois Democratic voters overwhelmingly oppose fracking with 61.9% against and 19.7% in favor. Independents oppose it as well, with 48.3% against and 30.6% in support. Any Illinois candidate looking for support from young voters should stand against fracking. A whopping 74% of 18-24 year-olds don't want it. A solid 54% majority of Chicago residents are opposed. That's a bad sign for Rahm Emanuel who claims his aggregation deal is a clean energy victory, even though it powers Chicago with natural gas from the Marcellus shale fracking fields."
You can find more rescued green diaries below the orange garden layout.
Climate Chaos
Will Republicans write a letter to Mother Earth telling her Obama's climate plans will be reversed?—by Meteor Blades: "But first a few words from the Republicans in the form of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's suggestion to the rest of the world that it should not count on the United States to cut its emissions. The crux of this saboteur's remarks: 'Considering that two-thirds of the U.S. federal government hasn't even signed off on the Clean Power Plan and 13 states have already pledged to fight it, our international partners should proceed with caution before entering into a binding, unattainable deal.' Or said another way: You cannot be sure that Obama's global warming proposal won't be reversed when we Republicans get hold of it. Because, snowballs."
White House chart on proposed emissions.
Mitch McConnell Tells Other Countries Not to Trust President Obama's Climate Plan—by
ericlewis0: "In an effort to undermine international negotiations aimed at combating climate change, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is telling other countries not to trust President Obama’s promise to significantly reduce the United States’ carbon emissions.
In a statement released Tuesday, McConnell warned other countries to “proceed with caution” before pledging any carbon emissions reductions to the United Nations, saying the U.S. would likely not be able to meet its own climate goals. The statement came shortly after Obama announced the official U.S. plan to slash the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions as much as 28 percent as part of an international agreement brokered by the U.N."
Obama sets a target of 26 to 28 percent cut in Greenhouse Gas emissions by 2025—by Lefty Coaster: "As the Catastrophic, Effects of Global Warming continue to come to light President Obama has announced that the US will cut its Greenhouse Gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent by the year 2025. The White House on Tuesday morning unveiled President Obama’s blueprint for cutting United States greenhouse gas pollution by nearly a third over the next decade. Mr. Obama’s plan, part of a formal submission to the United Nations ahead of efforts to forge a climate change accord in Paris in December, detailed the United States side of an ambitious joint climate change pledge the president made in November in Beijing with the Chinese president Xi Jinping."
Obama Offers Refuge On US Land To Nine Climate Threatened Nations—by AKSteve: "President Obama today announced that the US would provide new homelands for the nine most climate-change endangered island nations in the world (see table below). Here is part of the text of the president's speech: 'These nine nations, with a total land size of 1300 square miles (almost the size of Yosemite National Park, 4/5 the size of Rhode Island, and 2/3 the size of Anchorage, Alaska) with a total population of just under 900.000 (less than 1/3 of one percent of the US population), are severely threatened by sea level rise caused by global warming. These are independent nations whose very existence is threatened by changes in the world's climate caused, in large part, by the side effects of our great prosperity. We have a moral obligation to the people of these nations, an obligation to assure them that the world will not only find space for them to live, but will also respect their cultures and sovereignty. There are many different ways the world can react to the crisis faced by these nations. The world has shown, time and again, its generosity to nations suffering from natural disasters. But the nations of the world often take a long time to assist in human caused disasters. Thus, today I am guaranteeing that if, by 2020, the United Nations or other international bodies have not found a fair and suitable way to relocate these nations, the United States will find federally owned land in the United States."
35 Senators and 84 Representatives Affirm Support for Emissions Target Obama Submitted to the UNFCC—by Liberty Equality Fraternity and Trees: "Earlier today, the White House submitted the US's 2025 emissions target to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in preparation for the climate talks in Paris later this year. The co-chairs of the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change---Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Ed Markey (D-MA) and Representatives Chris Van Hollen (MD-08), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), and Bobby Rush (IL-01)--led a group of 35 senators and 84 representatives today in a letter to President Obama affirming their support."
Buy an "Award" for Your Denier Today!—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "Remember last October, when the Denier Roundup won the 'First Annual Denier Roundup Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence' for mocking Heartland's self-congratulatory promotion of speakers who won Heartland 'awards'? Well, if you'd like to buy an award for a climate change denier who can't win any legitimate awards because his or her science is awful, now's your chance. Heartland has sent out an email (rehosted here) soliciting nominations as well as sponsorships for awards. So if your organization would like to 'sponsor' some meaningless feel-good award to pad out your spokesperson's credentials, Heartland has the perfect opportunity. One detail particularly stands out as unusual. Apparently the 'winners' of these 'awards' don't just get a trophy or plaque, but also a cash stipend. Meaning that this may just be another way for industry to funnel money to deniers without having to contend with any of that pesky disclosure business … And on that note, any guesses as to what award Willie Soon will win this year?"
Extreme Weather & Natural Phenomena
Fix the F**king Weather!—by MisterbadExample: "NY State friends of mine (who have been fried by the winter of 2015, aka the 'Freddy Krueger of Winters') sent me pictures of snowfall. from the weekend. A day that NYC is a good 10-15 degrees off seasonally normal temperatures in a year when virtually every week since January has seen a snowstorm. Last week, at least for one or two days, Antarctica was a good 30 degrees warmer than Brooklyn. [...] You want to fix the weather? Then you and I need to get out from behind the farkin’ internets machines and get out on the streets. Start laying serious guilt on your red-state cousins who keep returning people like Jim Inhofe and Rick Scott to political office. And don’t let President Obama and the Democrats off the hook–at the SOTU speech, Obama said that Climate Change was a serious issue and then bragged about the fact that the US was the world’s #1 Oil extractor in the world(and everybody in attendance cheered). We can have lots of oil or we can have a livable climate. Winter has never been my favorite season, but I can't take another year of the kind of pounding we've had in this Freddy Krueger of winters."
Critters & the Great Outdoors
Feds fund captive breeding program for endangered Delta smelt—by Dan Bacher: "Delta smelt, once the most abundant fish in the Bay Delta Estuary, are now on the precipice of extinction in the wild. Sadly, there’s only one place where the fish can be found by the thousands—the Fish Conservation and Culture Laboratory (FCCL) of the University of California, Davis. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation awarded the UC Davis lab’s captive breeding program, located in Byron near Discovery Bay, a total of $10 million over a four-year period to continue and improve its work preserving the species. This is a critical time for the survival of the smelt. The latest trawl survey by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) found just six smelt. That survey follows the fall midwater trawl survey, when biologists recorded the lowest number of smelt ever documented, 8, at a total of 100 sites sampled from September through December."
Dawn Chorus - offshore in spring, on the Salish Seaz—by OceanDiver: "It was over a month since I was last out in the boat (long story) and even though the day was cloudy, we took a jaunt around the offshore rocks near my home in the Salish Sea up in the northwest corner of Washington state. Photography per se was not that great, but at least I was able to document what's happening out there at this time of year. Hall island is a wildlife preserve for nesting birds. It's been empty all winter but Glaucous-winged gulls are starting to stake out nesting sites now. One of the many eagles I saw this afternoon perched on top as they commonly do. Eagles prey on gull eggs and young."
The Daily Bucket - newest backyard native flowers—by OceanDiver: "March 29, 2015. Maritime Pacific Northwest. As a fellow Bucketeer noted yesterday, in the Pacific Northwest, March came in like a lamb and is going out like a lion. We've had a series of storm fronts lately bringing wind and spitting rain at intervals. However it has been warm throughout, unseasonably warm. Spring flowers continue to emerge, and so far the natives have been flowering pretty much as usual. Here's what I saw yesterday."
The Daily Bucket: Jeepers, creepers...—by
Elizaveta: "On the bathroom wall, according to my son. I was weeding in the herb garden yesterday afternoon when he came out of the house to show me what he found when he was getting ready to take a shower. He set it free after a quick photo-shoot and went back in to wash off some of that animal magnetism. The nights have been full of the songs of the peepers (also known as Pacific chorus or tree frogs) in the wetland for several weeks now, and I hear them off and on around the house. It's almost impossible to actually find one--they show themselves when they want to--and where they want to, evidently. On another note, I disturbed a woolly bear caterpillar while I was weeding, and it immediately curled up to protect itself. I set it under the sage bush, out of the way, to recover--when I looked back to check on it and maybe get a photo, it was gone. It's not unheard of to see them this time of year, but they're more common in the autumn."
Energy
fracking and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, et al—by rjsigmund: "last week, in reporting on the push in the Senate to overturn the 40 year ban on crude oil exports, we stated that if there's one policy change that will bring fracking back with a vengeance, it would be to allow domestic drillers to sell their crude overseas, and then cited the two trade deals currently being negotiated in secret by the Administration as the greatest threat that that might come about, because not only will these agreements allow for oil and gas exports, they effectively mandate those exports, giving the signatories equal claim to our oil and gas resources as our own citizens, and superseding domestic energy policy and protections currently in place...it was pure coincidence that a draft chapter of one of those secret agreements, the Trans Pacific Partnership (usually just 'the TPP'), being negotiated with Japan and 12 other countries was released by Wikileaks this past week, with the NY Times acting as their media agent in the US..."
Greenpeace on the Case to Stop Shell -- I Hope you support this work!—by e2247: "I wrote before about halting Shell actions to drill in the Arctic here, here, here, and here. Below here Greenpeace says, 'We plan to bring as many people along with us as possible. Because the end of this journey is important, not just to Greenpeace, or to those of us sailing on-board the Esperanza right now, but to all of us who want the chance to avoid the consequences of disastrous climate change. If Shell moves ahead with drilling in the Arctic we are losing that chance. If Shell causes an oil spill in the Arctic we will lose important wildlife habitat and local traditional lifestyles dependent on a healthy ecosystem. These are not risks that we can take...'"
An Anniversary of Sorts—by Joieau: "Sociology professor Caline-Marie Pascale of the American University in Washington, D.C. has published a research analysis of U.S. news media coverage of the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi. Her analysis of more than 2,000 news articles from four major U.S. outlets from March 11, 2011 through March 11, 2013 found that only 6 percent of the coverage focused on health risks to the public in Japan or elsewhere. From the article on the university's website, News Coverage of Fukushima Disaster Found Lacking... 'It's shocking to see how few articles discussed risk to the general population, and when they did, they typically characterized the risk as low,' said Pascale, who studies the social construction of risk and meanings of risk in the 21st century. 'We see articles in prestigious news outlets claiming that radioactivity from cosmic rays and rocks is more dangerous than the radiation emanating from the collapsing Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.'Focusing on print articles, editorials and letters from The Washington Post and The New York Times as well as Politico and The Huffington Post online, Pascale identified three primary ways by which risks of radioactive contamination were minimized for public consumption. These sources were chosen because they are the most cited sources by television news and talk shows, other newspapers, blogs and social media."
Emissions Control
Covert Koch Campaign Criticizes EPA Climate Plan—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "The ever-vigilant Media Matters has noticed that, over the past few months, chapter and deputy directors at Americans for Prosperity (AfP) have authored at least 16 op-eds asking states to fight back against the EPA's Clean Power Plan. Each op-ed is remarkably similar, suggesting AfP is shopping around a template to different outlets, while crossing their fingers that the editors don't do a quick google search to see if the pieces are even remotely original. This isn't exactly unexpected, but what's worth noting is that none of the papers fully disclosed AfP's bias. While one paper described AfP as a 'conservative political action group,' none of the papers mentioned the group is "run by the oil baron Koch brothers,' as described by Media Matters. What's more, the op-eds are (predictably) problematic. They rely on a fossil fuel industry-funded 'study' that the Washington Post Fact Checker has judged as 'misleading.' A network of undisclosed actors peddling mad-libs style interchangeable op-eds in order to mislead the public should be a big deal, but for the Kochs, that's just business-as-usual."
Renewables & Conservation
Solar Impulse - Flying Around the World on Solar Power, as Renewable Energy Takes Off—by xaxnar: "The BBC has been doing a nice job following Solar Impulse 2 on the different legs of its journey, flying around the world on nothing but solar power. The Solar Impulse project is not just about setting flying records—it's about making a statement about clean energy from the sun. [...] The four motor electric airplane has a longer wingspan than a 747 (72 meters versus 68.5) but quite a disparity in weight (2.3 tonnes versus 300). 17,000 solar cells in the wings power the electric motors and also charge batteries to allow the plane to fly at night. The legs of the flight are highly dependent on favorable wind and weather—and the endurance of the pilot. As it is a single seater, Bertrand Piccard is sharing the flying duties with his business partner, Andre Borschberg. It's a real challenge."
Fracking
Nebraska man challenges Oil & Gas Commission to drink fracking wastewater—by Jen Hayden: "Last week the Nebraska Oil & Gas Commission held a public hearing to discuss a proposed permit for an out-of-state company that wants to inject toxic fracking wastewater into a well in Nebraska. The permit would allow them to inject 10,000 barrels a day, until they are permitted for more. The commission seemed to get more than they bargained for when more than 100 residents turned up to protest the T-Rex Energy Corporation's plans. One Nebraska farmer brought a container of water he said was from a fracking disposal and asked—would you drink this? Apparently someone on the commission had previously assured him it was safe to drink and they would do so themselves. He took them up on the challenge and returned with fracking wastewater."
Witness to Injustice—by DaveElder: "Welcome to the latest episode in the ongoing campaign by Cabot Oil and Gas to keep Vera Scroggins from showing the world what they and other frackers are actually doing in her slice of northern PA. Even if I didn't know Vera personally, I know who I would be inclined to believe in this case, but honestly, I wasn't in Susquehanna County on that cold January day, so I don't actually know what happened there. I do know what innocent until proven guilty actually means, though, and what happened on the morning of February 25th in that courtroom in Montrose, PA, did not even remotely resemble that phrase. Absent from the proceedings, as I recall, was any discussion of motive. As Perry Mason reminded us a few decades ago, motive, or lack of one, does not constitute evidence in a trial, but it can fill in a lot of the blanks, if properly understood. In this case, the company man had a much stronger reason to lie (keeping his job) than Vera's friendly witness could have had (friendship). Or, as that friendly witness put it to me shortly after the hearing, he knew that no matter what he said on the stand, he would still have a job the next day, and the same could not realistically have been said about the company man."
Californians’ fracking health risks exposed, ignored—by EARTHWORKS: "Earthworks, in partnership with Clean Water Action, recently published California’s first infrared analysis of oil & gas air pollution’s impact on communities. When we began research for this report nearly a year ago, we discovered a disturbing lack of data specific to California on the health effects from oil & gas in our state. With a production of nearly 200 million barrels of oil in 2013 alone, this lack of data raises serious questions about our state’s priorities when it comes to protecting the health of its citizens. We examined two communities. Our analysis found that residents living along with oil & gas production in Lost Hills (Kern County), and Upper Ojai (Ventura County), are at increased risk for health impacts from exposure to oil and gas air emissions."
DC, State & Local Eco-Politics
Al Gore's “Scientific Freedom Restoration Act”—by gloriasb: "Former Vice President Al Gore will meet with Congressional leaders today to propose the Scientific Freedom Restoration Act. The purpose of the bill is to ensure that science, scientific research, and evidence-based policies receive the same consideration given to ideas, school lesson plans, laws and policies based on religious teachings and beliefs. Since beginning his crusade against human-created climate change, Gore has been repeatedly criticized by climate-change deniers, who claim that the Earth is only 5,000 years old and that God alone is responsible for all climate events."
Eco-Action & Eco Justice
Big News! Guardian Media Group to divest it's £800m portfolio from fossil fuels!—by VL Baker: "GMG becomes largest fund yet known to pull out of coal, oil and gas companies in a move chair Neil Berkett calls a ‘hard-nosed business decision’ justified on ethical and financial grounds! Amazing news which will resound globally. Stating that's it's also for financial reasons sends a message that the fossil fuel bubble is about to burst! Good riddance fossil fuels! When you lose the investors you lose the game."
Tonight @ 8:30 pm join me and the rest of the world for 'Earth Hour' action for Climate Change—by VL Baker: "Tonight join me for a little party in the dark. Everyone will be there so get out your candles, beer, wine or join an event in your area. It's going to be a blast! On Saturday, 28 March 8:30 p.m. local time, individuals, businesses, cities and landmarks around the world will switch off their lights for one hour to focus attention on climate change. As the lights go out, Earth Hour supporters will also be contributing real climate solutions to combat the globe’s biggest environmental challenge. This year, Earth Hour is set to be a record-breaking celebration of our planet with an unprecedented 172 countries and territories having confirmed their participation, including nations on the climate frontlines like the Philippines, Maldives and Madagascar and key climate actors such as Brazil, the United States and China."
Guardian Media Group divesting all fossil fuel assets out of its +$1 billion fund—by FaithGardner: "In that largest divestment out of oil and gas companies yet, the Guardian Media Group announced it is selling 100 percent of their assets in fossil fuels out of their investment fund of over £800 million, or nearly $1.2 billion. They didn't do it entirely out of the goodness of their hearts—according to Guardian Media Group Chair Neil Berkett, it turns out divesting funds from fossil fuels is a smart business decision. Berkett said fossil fuel assets had performed relatively poorly in recent years and were threatened by future climate change action, while an ethical fund already held by GMG had been a 'stellar' performer and renewable energy was growing strongly. 'This means we can adopt socially responsible investment criteria without putting at risk the core purpose of GMG’s investment funds: to generate long-term returns that guarantee the financial future and editorial independence of the Guardian in perpetuity,' he said."
Agriculture, Food & Gardening
Arkansas state rep who tried to get CA wine banned pulls bill because he didn't want CA wine banned—by Walter Einenkel: "Needless to say, many people were surprised when the initiative made it out of the legislature with a 57-19 vote. Republican braintrust Dan Douglas was the most surprised because state Rep. Dan Douglas had no intention of letting adults actually see his bill. Douglas told the Associated Press Monday he wouldn't present the bill before the Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee because it has already delivered an anti-regulation message to California lawmakers. Oh Dan. Were you wasting taxpayers' money and time pretending to be angry about stuff?"
"I'd drink a quart of Roundup! Then again, no I won't. I'm not stupid!"—by newmexicobear : "Drinkin' the KoolAid? How about some Roundup. Dr. Patrick Moore, speaking for chemical giant Monsanto, was interviewed on French TV channel Canal+ for a program about the safety of glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup. As occupystephanie wrote on Friday, "Monsanto is demanding a sit-down with members of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This international scientific body is being called on the carpet for reporting that Monsanto’s most widely sold herbicide, which is inextricably linked to the majority of their genetically engineered products, is probably carcinogenic to humans.' Well, it seems that in the interview with Dr. Moore didn't go so well. When Dr. Moore said 'You can drink a whole quart of it and it won’t hurt you,' the interviewer called his bluff and said,'You want to drink some? We have some here.'"
The Daily Bucket - Land of Eternal Winter—by Attack Gardener: "Well, I'm told spring has arrived. I'm having a hard time believing it. See, there's still all this snow. The fish say it might be getting warmer, but they're fish. What do they know? I'm not convinced. Mom Nature seems to be messing with us up here in the Great Northeast."
Eco-Essays and Eco-Philosophy
The Elephant in the Room—by Desert Scientist: "Population increases and the resulting demand for land, water and other resources, especially for the affluent developed countries and the up and coming countries like China, are the cause of our problems with climate change. The system almost requires us to use gasoline, plastics, and on and on, unless you are able to retire on a backwoods acreage with no electricity from the power company, your own water supply and a very large garden and storage barn. Even then you would probably need a car and visits to the doctor as well. Bicycles requite metals and plastics, as do solar panels and wiring. In addition, as population increases, there are more and more demands for places to dump solid wastes and much is dumped into the sea and along back roads. In essence we are trapped in a never ending capitalistic pyramid scheme that will result in our complete ruin unless we modify or replace it. The current political push to curtail abortion and even birth control also works against our future. In many cases women in the developing world are left with few alternatives, but few right to life politicians have any sympathy. Whether that is because they have some religious bias, are misogynistic, want to promote the production of more consumers and workers to feed the system, believe in the ultimate perfectibility of the human species, or are clueless, or a combination of those reasons, is a question for debate, but the results are the same."
Going Green Ain't Just About Gas—by justinbohrer : "Responding to public pressure to clean up their acts, technology industry leaders such as Facebook, Apple and Google have committed to sweeping renewable electricity programs that promise to change the data landscape for the better. These reforms put them at the cutting-edge of green technology today; but these steps, while positive, only highlight the need for further widespread reform. 'We know at Apple that climate change is real,' said Apple CEO Tim Cook at a recent conference in San Francisco. 'The time for action is now.' Cook followed this statement with the announcement that Apple will spend $850 million to supply the company’s data centers as well as stores, offices and headquarters in California with solar power from First Solar, the largest solar farm developer in the US. This makes them one of the first major US companies to get their power from a 100% renewable source; music to the ears of people at Greenpeace. But as a comprehensive report from Greenpeace published last spring points out, not every IT company in the US or Europe is embracing green operating practices when it comes to their data centers; Amazon topped the list of worst offenders just last spring."
What Does The Future Of Capitalism Hold for Us?—by KantV420 : "Another unrelated question I pose to Capitalists is this, if our economic system requires constant population growth, than how exactly are we supposed to support such a large population? As Climate Change has begun to rear its ugly head, it seems as though the earth itself is reaching a tipping point for overpopulation. So maybe the time has come for, not just Americans, but the entire world to begin rethinking the Global Economic System. If constant growth and constant urbanization continues, how much longer can we continue to feed, water, cloth and shelter the world's population? We often daydream about some new technology saving the human race, like a cheap 70's Sci-FI movie, but in the end, it won't be technology that saves or kills off the human race. It is up to each and every one of us to find solutions that are unique to our time and our place on this earth. Already the stress of the human race is taking a huge toll on our planet. It's past time we start rethinking the way we impact the planet and how our systems of governance, economy and trade affect the planet."
Oceans, Water & Drought
Massive Glacier Melt and Fresh Water are Pouring into the Gulf of Alaska—by pakalolo: "The world is changing before our very eyes yet most of us choose to ignore it. There has been a lot of horrible news lately regarding the rapid melting of the planets snow and ice. Irreversible melt in Antarctica, ice free arctic ocean in summer, and massive ice shelves that have held back Antarctica's glaciers for tens of thousands of years are now cracking. In Alaska, land based melting glaciers are rapidly retreating under the pressure of their own weight and the forces of gravity. [...] Alaska's southern coast glaciers that once terminated in the ocean, have now retreated far up Alaska's valleys. A recent study shows that fresh water and glacial melt from these retreating glaciers are 'pouring into the Gulf of Alaska accumulating more water than is seen in some of the world's great rivers.' The collective fresh water discharge of this region is more than four times greater than the mighty Yukon River of Alaska and Canada, and half again as much as the Mississippi River, which drains all or part of 31 states and a land mass more than six times as large. 'Freshwater runoff of this magnitude can influence marine biology, nearshore oceanographic studies of temperature and salinity, ocean currents, sea level and other issues,' said David Hill, lead author of the research and an associate professor in the College of Engineering at Oregon State University."
California Bay Area's tap water is starting to taste like metal—by
Walter Einenkel: "NBC News is reporting that California Governor Jerry Brown just issued an executive order that specifies water use to be cut by 25 percent statewide to deal with the state's relentless drought. 'Today we are standing on dry grass where there should be five feet of snow. This historic drought demands unprecedented action,' Brown said in a statement. 'Therefore, I'm issuing an executive order mandating substantial water reductions across our state. As Californians, we must pull together and save water in every way possible.' Similar measures were considered during California's 1970s drought but were never implemented, according to the governor's office. This comes after recent reports that California's 'snowpack' is at record lows this spring."
Trash, Pollution & Hazardous Waste
Water Works Part 2: A brief rundown of industrial water pollution—by GregWright: "For humans the idea of any resource being finite is a relatively new concept, especially water. We often think of water as something we can get from the sink at anytime rather than something that can vanish quickly and result in famine or war. As smart as humans are, we take a long time to come around to new ideas, especially when the impacts aren't immediately perceptible. The concept of extinction wasn’t widely accepted until the 1800s; well after scientific inquiry and industrialization had developed and even well after humans had a direct hand in the extinction of several species. Our ancestors built civilizations near water out of necessity for survival. When water wasn’t available in an other-wise ideal living environment we became increasingly skilled at routing water there. Humans had been constructing irrigation systems in China as early as 3rd century BCE. Following generations of industrialized and modernized societies increasingly took for granted that freshwater was a given."
Forests, Wilderness & Public Lands
This land is our land? Not if Republicans have their way—by Joan McCarter: "One of the 43 amendments passed by Senate Republicans in Thursday's vote-a-rama was a sop to extremist state legislatures in the west who have been pushing states' rights bills that would allow the states to sell off the federal public lands within their borders. That's right, congressional Republicans—federal representatives—want to allow states to seize and sell off the nation's heritage. U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski’s (R-AK) amendment, which passed by a vote of 51 to 49, is now part of the Senate’s nonbinding budget resolution. The proposal would support and fund state efforts—which many argue are unconstitutional—to seize and sell America’s public lands. These include all national forests, wildlife refuges, wilderness areas, historic sites, and national monuments. Murkowski’s amendment, which would need further legislation to become law, follows a similar proposal from House Natural Resources Committee Chair Rob Bishop (R-UT) to spend $50 million of taxpayer dollars to fund the sale or transfer of U.S. public lands to states. That's right—they want to use our money to fund the loss of million and millions of acres of public land. That's not a popular position out here in the West, where 59 percent of voters are opposed to this transfer."
National Parks have $11 billion worth of delayed maintenance—by Joan McCarter: "While congressional Republicans slashed and burned through draconian budget resolutions, and put their stamp of approval on state efforts to have a fire sale of our public lands, the National Park Service released a report detailing how budget cuts have resulted in a backlog of more than $11 billion worth of maintenance.The park service said it delayed an estimated $11.5 billion worth of needed maintenance projects last year due to funding shortages, with the total growing nearly 2 percent compared to 2013. The backlog has reached its highest point since President Obama took office, expanding nearly 13 percent during that time. […] The National Park Service has asked Congress for $243 million in new funding over the next 10 years to restore its non-transportation facilities to good condition. President Obama's 2016 budget proposal requests an additional $150 million to pay for major transportation projects on federal lands, including national parks."