Welcome to the eKos Earthship, your one-stop-shop for green diaries and series.
Beneath the fold you will find news and notes, community announcements, and our eco-diary roundup.
Peruse the eKos Library to find previously listed diaries. You can also follow eKos on Twitter.
Tonight's editor: patrickz
Please remember to rec the BP Catastrophe Liveblog Mothership: 73
All views expressed by today's editor do not necessarily represent those of eKos or eKos listed diarists.
Global Tropical Forests Threatened by 2100
Science Daily
In a new study, scientists have looked at the combined effects of climate change and land use. In short, we're going to lose a lot of diversity, and what survives will be significantly altered:
By 2100 only 18% to 45% of the plants and animals making up ecosystems in global, humid tropical forests may remain as we know them today, according to a new study led by Greg Asner at the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology. The research combined new deforestation and selective logging data with climate-change projections. It is the first study to consider these combined effects for all humid tropical forest ecosystems and can help conservationists pinpoint where their efforts will be most effective. The study is published in the August 5, 2010, issue of Conservation Letters.
"This is the first global compilation of projected ecosystem impacts for humid tropical forests affected by these combined forces," remarked Asner. "For those areas of the globe projected to suffer most from climate change, land managers could focus their efforts on reducing the pressure from deforestation, thereby helping species adjust to climate change, or enhancing their ability to move in time to keep pace with it. On the flip side, regions of the world where deforestation is projected to have fewer effects from climate change could be targeted for restoration."
Tropical forests hold more then half of all the plants and animal species on Earth. But the combined effect of climate change, forest clear cutting, and logging may force them to adapt, move, or die.
Rush Limbaugh Hates America
Climate Progress
I know, what else is new? But this time it's coming from the Governor of Michigan. To be fair, though, she didn't use the word 'hate':
At a Center for American Progress event yesterday entitled "Securing Michigan’s Clean Energy Future," Think Progress spoke with Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D-MI) about Limbaugh’s high-handed criticisms of the Chevy Volt. Granholm — a passionate advocate of clean energy as an avenue of job growth and economic revitalization — said Limbaugh’s claims are "just un-American." She also pointed out that the Volt is a "‘good’ new story" and GM has successfully paid back its loans to the public:
Q: And we know you’ve had the disaster in the Gulf, you’ve had an oil spill in your own state. You know, you guys are doing a lot in making these investments in batteries and in new care. And here you have people like Rush Limbaugh, come out and say that the Volt is an "overpriced lemon." What do you say to critics?
GRANHOLM: It’s just un-American. I can’t believe that somebody would say this about this American product. He hasn’t even driven it. He hasn’t sat in it. You know, why wouldn’t you be supportive of American manufacturers building American vehicles with American workers, who now have jobs as a result of this. Why wouldn’t you be supportive of that? It is mind-blowing to me. And of course, the public is getting paid back. You know, GM has paid back the loan — the bottom line is, is this is a "good" news story, and somebody who would twist it to be something negative obviously has another agenda. Which we all know he does.
Northeastern Bats Face Extinction
Science Daily
White-nose syndrome is being compared to the Chytrid fungus in amphibians for its lethality. Bats are an integral part of many ecosystems, providing insect control and pollinating flowering plants. Now they could face regional extinctions, in part due to human activities:
A new infectious disease spreading rapidly across the northeastern United States has killed millions of bats and is predicted to cause regional extinction of a once-common bat species, according to the findings of a University of California, Santa Cruz researcher.
The disease, white-nose syndrome, first discovered near Albany, N.Y. in 2006, affects hibernating bats and has caused millions to perish, writes lead author Winifred F. Frick, in a study published in the August 6 issue of Science.
Frick, a UC Santa Cruz graduate who is now a post-doctoral researcher in UCSC's Environmental Studies department, said the disease is spreading quickly across the northeastern U.S. and Canada and now affects seven bat species. If death rates and spread continue as they have over the past four years, this disease will likely lead to the regional extinction of the little brown myotis, previously one of the most common species in North America, she said.
"This is one of the worst wildlife crises we've faced," Frick said. "The bat research and conservation communities are trying as hard as possible to find a solution to this devastating problem."
WarrenS made a New Year's Resolution to write a letter advocating climate action every day. The result is over two hundred letters to congresspeople, newspapers, President Obama, and more. Warren has even had letters published in the New York Times and the Boston Globe.
Learn Warren's letter writing technique here. Be sure to steal his stuffand visit his blog.
Month 8, Day 6: Nasty and Short (But Not Brutish)
The New York Times had a front-page article on how Russia is getting badly whacked by drought. Any mention of “climate change” in the piece? Hah.
As Russia’s food infrastructure crumbles under the pressure of a terrible drought, it’s tempting to think of it as a problem for “them,” not for “us.” But America isn’t immune to the devastating effects of global climate change. Russia’s crisis is part and parcel of the same complex set of phenomena that gave us Manhattan’s recent heat wave — and the freak snowstorms that brought Washington, DC to a standstill last winter. If we as a nation are to undertake meaningful action on behalf of the planetary systems that sustain us, the Jeffersonian ideal of a “well-informed citizenry” is more essential than ever: the fact that the phrase “climate change” does not appear at all in an article about the Russian drought is an unfortunate abdication of journalistic responsibility.
WarrenS
Getty Images
The floods in Pakistan have killed an estimated 1400, and left 1.5 million homeless. Please help if you can. From our last Earthship:
After the worst floods in Pakistan in 80 years, the situation is desperate. Official figures now speak of more than 3 million people who have been directly affected by the floods, with more than 1,400 confirmed deaths. Millions of people have been left homeless, isolated, in desperate need of shelter, water, food and medical attention. Roads and bridges have been washed away and many of the areas are unreachable via land, leaving the inhabitants isolated and in desperate need of assistance.
The immediate challenges for MSF are to expand activities relating to the provision of clean water and to improve hygienic conditions, in order to prevent the spread of acute respiratory infections and potentially fatal epidemics of diarrhea and cholera.
MSF’s response in Pakistan relies on the donations it receives. With your help, we can dispatch more help to the millions in need. But we need you to act immediately.
TAKE 15 SECONDS TO MAKE A DONATION AND SAVE A LIFE.
THANK YOU FOR HELP.
Annoucements
If you haven't already, check out the Front Page story on climate change by Lawrence Lewis.
Advertise here!
If you would like to make an announcement for an upcoming diary or event, please e-mail us at eKos350atgmaildotcom. Please send us formatted HTML!
(All times Eastern!)
eKos diaries from Friday, August 06, 2010 |
Diary | Author | Time (Eastern) | Tags |
Pelosi: "We have a moral obligation to preserve the planet" | Laurence Lewis | 9:46:04 PM | Nancy Pelosi, climate change, eKos |
Republican Sen. candidates push policies to end the Holocene | Lefty Coaster | 5:23:00 PM | 2010 Senate Campaigns, 2010 Senate Republican Candidates, Climate Change; Global Warming, EKos, Holocene |
Gulf Oil Spill: "Nobody Knows Nothing" | mlharges | 2:21:25 PM | BP, Gulf Oil Spill, music; John Boutte, Zachary Richard, Canmore Folk Festival |
Cinque Terre: an enchanted photo journey | citisven | 11:54:54 AM | Cinque Terre, Italy, travel, ecocity, ecovillage |
To Eat or Not to Eat Gulf Seafood: The ? | War on Error | 11:31:56 AM | ekos, Corexit risks, Riki Ott, contaminated sea food, keep the kids off the beach |
Scientists say: The Oil is NOT Gone -- even if our Attention spans are | jamess | 11:14:35 AM | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Jane Lubchenco, Deepwater Horizion, Department of the Interior |
Take Action: Some In Congress Spreading Misinformation About Coal Ash | Bruce Nilles | 11:07:19 AM | Sierra Club, coal ash, EPA, eKos |
Senate Climate Change inAction: Postmortem thoughts continued ... | A Siegel | 7:19:08 AM | ekos, green groups, environmental, 350.org, global warming |
BP Catastrophe Liveblog Mothership: 73 | Gulf Watchers | 6:00:00 AM | Recommended, Oilpocalypse, BP, Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico, LMRP |
eKos diaries from Thursday, August 05, 2010 |
Diary | Author | Time (Eastern) | Tags |
eKos: The Case of the Texas Dead Zone & the Lost Oil | FishOutofWater | 11:19:25 PM | Recommended, ekos, BP oil spill, oil, environment |
Greenland Glacier Calves Mammoth Iceberg | laderrick | 9:22:12 PM | Recommended, Petermann Glacier, iceberg, Greenland, Arctic |
When does 'Mostly Gone' actually mean, 'A LOT is still There'? | jamess | 8:53:32 PM | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Jane Lubchenco, Deepwater Horizion, Department of the Interior |
Breaking -- Wolves Back on Endangered Species List | RLMiller | 7:13:21 PM | Recommended, wolves, Endangered Species Act, eKos |
California Pioneers Clean Energy Solutions W/Fun Poll! | passionateprotagonist | 7:05:42 PM | California, Climate Change, Clean Energy, Senate, EKos |
That's still a lot of oil | Jed Lewison | 5:58:04 PM | BP, oil, eKos |
Updated: Boulder, inspired by others, puts Utility in its place | citizendane | 4:05:42 PM | ekos, ekos earthship, Local, Utility, Municipalization |
News from the Arctic: Belated from weekend of 31 July | billlaurelMD | 3:34:25 PM | eKos, environment, global warming, Arctic sea ice, DK GreenRoots |
Russia is Burning | Steven D | 12:10:35 PM | eKos, Russia, Russian Wildfires, Climate Change, Global Warming |
Energy BOOKSHELF: The power of invisible energy | A Siegel | 11:35:33 AM | energy bookshelf, enegy, energy efficiency, ekos |
Scientists Call for More Transparency in the Gulf, Questions the Administrations Assessment | Ellinorianne | 10:18:19 AM | BP, Gulf, Oil Spill, Clean up, eKos |
The Many Misconceptions About Genetic Engineering and Organic Agriculture | NourishingthePlanet | 6:54:32 AM | Recommended, eKos, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Breeding, Climate Change |
BP Catastrophe Liveblog Mothership: 72 | Gulf Watchers | 6:00:03 AM | Recommended, Oilpocalypse, BP, Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico, LMRP |
I'm a __ing BELIEVER ___ing updated + observations as to comments. | LaFeminista | 12:29:32 AM | Recommended, snark, eKos |