Moray eel has bad reputation for no good reason.
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) appears twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The most recent Saturday Spotlight can be seen here. So far, more than 19,210 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.
The World's Most Ambitious Disaster—by
Michael Brune: "I've long known how wasteful, destructive, and dangerous the process of extracting oil from tar sands is. To get one barrel of oil, you have to dig up four tons of dirt and rock. Beautiful old-growth boreal forest becomes a wasteland. And that single barrel of oil? It creates three times as much climate pollution simply to produce it as a barrel of conventional crude. So, yes, I knew that tar sands were bad news. That's why I was willing to go to jail for protesting the Keystone XL pipeline. But it's impossible to really comprehend the brutal reality of tar sands mining without seeing it firsthand. I spent four days in Alberta with filmmaker Darren Aronofsky and First Nations leaders. We met with officials from Suncor Energy, one of the companies most involved in extracting tar sands, and walked through the dismal wreckage of what the company calls a "reclaimed" area. We took a tour of the massive open-pit mines that spread across the landscape, and received a sobering briefing from Erin Flanagan at the Pembina Institute. We also visited with leaders from the Athabasca Chipewyan and Mikisew Cree First Nations, whose communities have been devastated by the immediate environmental consequences of tar sands extraction."
97 Hours of Consensus—by
ClimateDenierRoundup: "The Skeptical Science team has a new project called the 97 Hours of Consensus. For 97 hours beginning on 9/7, they're releasing a new cartoon each hour of a climate scientist featured alongside a quote from him or her about climate change. Meanwhile, the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) put out yet another (not peer-reviewed) attack paper on the 97%. It makes the same claims, from the same actors that we've seen before, so there's not much worth looking at. However, it is interesting to note the GWPF repeats outlier economist Richard Tol's criticism of the 97% but fails to mention that even Tol admits to a 90% consensus! You can catch up on the 97 tweets at the Skeptical Science twitter, share it on Facebook, and find even more graphics on Imgur."
Protests, activism, the NYC climate rally, and why big greens can't stop climate change—by
Willinois: "There's no harm in having a big climate march in New York City, other than the event's carbon footprint. It may give a burst of motivation and camaraderie to the movement. Perhaps it will be noticed by world leaders. But is it going to get much more press coverage than the largely ignored 200,000+ people I rallied with in DC right before the Iraq War started? Will it have any more impact on the direction the world is headed, which is to say, none at all? Isn't it passed time to move beyond "raising awareness" tactics with climate change? And is the big green focus on this rally motivated by the fact that 501c3 tax exempt funds can be utilized? Let's face it, at least half the reason there was so much focus on the Keystone XL pipeline is that 501c3 grant funds could be used since approving the pipeline is an administrative decision by the state department, as opposed to non-tax-exempt activity like lobbying Congress to pass a decent energy bill. That, plus somebody's desire to make Obama the main target because, goodness knows, the President is an all powerful figure who can make everything happen if we just convince him to. Now the oil industry has found other ways to move tar sands without Keystone XL and it turns out that Congress is an even bigger barrier to progress than Obama."
Tom Steyer vs. the Koch Brothers: Obliterating the False Equivalency—by
kindler: "The latest fashion among right-wing trolls? Attempt to halt all criticism of the Koch Brothers by bringing up the name of environmentalist billionaire Tom Steyer. We have our billionaire political donors, you have yours – what’s the difference? Ah, false equivalency, the last refuge of the simple mind. Well, in case you need some troll repellent, here are four fun facts demonstrating the enormous differences between Steyer & the Kochs:
1) Making money vs. losing it: As Steyer puts it, the Kochs’ priorities “line up perfectly with their pocketbooks—and that’s not true for us.' If you want to know why the Koch brothers went to the bother of spending hundreds of millions of dollars to create a vast infrastructure for casting doubt on climate science, well, it’s not too hard to find a motive. Just check out their stake in oil and petrochemicals, investments whose value is likely to go down the moment we put a price on carbon dioxide emissions."
You can find more rescued green diaries below the sustainable squiggle.
Critters & the Great Outdoors
Audubon Society: Nearly half of North American bird species 'severely threatened' by global warming—by Laurence Lewis: "No mincing words from the Audubon Society: The numbers are stark: Of the 588 species Audubon studied, 314 are likely to find themselves in dire straits by 2080. Unless, that is, the oil boomers in the Bakken—and everyone else—start to consider the future. Unless we begin to reduce the severity of global warming and buy birds more time to adapt to the changes coming their way. Global climate is changing in ways not seen for millennia, and we know humans bear at least part of the responsibility. We also know that these changes are affecting animals large and small. For years scientists have been telling us that the ranges of bears, butterflies, and many other species are shifting north and toward the poles; that bird migrations are changing time and course; and that pollinators are trying to adjust to new flowering schedules. These alarming observations are only the beginning."
Reports: Birds are at risk unless we act to save them—by WonkyNewsNerd: "According to a pair of studies published Tuesday, climate change and habitat loss have the potential to be very bad for bird populations in the continental United States and Canada in the years ahead – even among many species not previously considered to be at risk. The National Audubon Society’s Birds and Climate Change Report, finds that '314 species—nearly half of all North American birds—[are] severely threatened by global warming.' Those include well-loved and 'iconic' species such as bald eagles, common loons, Baltimore orioles, brown pelicans, mountain bluebirds and purple finches. After studying 30 years of North American climate data and tens of thousands of historical bird observation, Audubon projects that 126 bird species will lose more than half, or even all, of their current ranges by 2050 'with no possibility of moving elsewhere if global warming continues on its current trajectory.' Another 188 species 'face more than 50 percent range loss by 2080 but may be able to make up some of this loss if they are able to colonize new areas.'"
When the birds sing no more—by Onomastic: "I woke this morning to the release of a seven year long study by The National Audubon Society. If birds are our canaries in the coal mine, we are in serious trouble. Of course they are much more than that. They are pollinators, seed bearers, flashes of scarlet against the winter snow, harbingers of spring and the coming of winter, the cry of the Loon echoing down the lake, and always the song singing up the sun. Birds speak to our hearts, souls, and imaginations in ways few other species do. There is something about them that calls us to life and its beauty."
Daily Bucket - Mystery Bird—by Attack Gardener: "Just a quick one today, folks. I need your help. Hubby and I went on vacation in the Berkshires over the Labor Day weekend (more complete diary coming later this week). While touring a lovely historic site, a mysterious raptor hovered over us. I was able to get several good shots but have not been able to come up with an identification I'm happy with. What do you guys think?"
Red Wolf Recovery Program Endangered in North Carolina—by
wordwraith: "The purpose of this diary is to put the high beams on a review of the Red Wolf Recovery Program being conducted by the Wildlife Management Institute, a private consulting organization hired for this purpose by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The review was requested by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, later joined by the N.C. Farm Bureau and the NC Sportsmen's Caucus. This is a special review which falls outside the usual 5-year review for Endangered Species programs. It follows a ruling by U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle in May of 2014, stopping by injunction all hunting of coyotes in the five-county red wolf recovery area in eastern North Carolina. During 2013, 9 red wolves, or about 10 percent of their total population in the wild on Planet Earth, all on the Albemarle Peninsula, were killed by gunshot. The North Carolina Wildlife Commission had relaxed rules for coyote hunting, allowing nighttime spotlight hunting of coyotes in the red wolf recovery area. The Motion for Emergency Relief was filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center."
Daily Bucket: Wild Florida--Moray Eels—by Lenny Flank: "For decades, moray eels have had a bad reputation that they don't deserve--even serving as "the bad guy" in the post-Jaws Hollywood thriller The Deep. In reality, morays are shy and retiring and not dangerous to humans, and don't go around looking for scuba divers to eat. Moray eels belong to the Muraenidae family, which contains about 200 species, found in virtually every tropical coast in the world (one species, Gymnothorax polyuranodon from the Indo-Pacific, is sometimes even found in freshwater). They range in size from the 4.5 inch Snyder's Moray to the 13 foot Slender Giant Moray. They all have the typical elongated snakelike body typical of marine eels. All morays are carnivorous, and feed mostly on fish (a few species are adapted to eat crabs and shellfish). They are unusual among all animals in having two separate sets of jaws--one in their mouth like normal, and a second pair, known as 'pharyngeal jaws' deep in the back of their throats, made from modified gill arches. When the eel seizes a fish, the pharyngeal jaws are thrust forward into the mouth to grasp the prey with its teeth, then pull it back into the throat to help in swallowing."
The Daily Bucket - guillemot vs gunnel—by
OceanDiver: "That would be a Pigeon Guillemot and a Saddleback Gunnel doing battle in the eelgrass bay near my house. Usually Guillemots are farther out, in deep water and swift currents. That's true with alcids in general, the Murres, Murrelets and Rhinos too. I saw quite a few Guillemots in the last couple of days bringing the boat down from Vancouver Island, in pretty rough tidal rips. So it was fun to see them from a kayak in relatively still water near shore for a change. Guillemots are small seabirds that can fly more easily under water than above, able to dive 150 feet deep for fish if need be. In this shallow bay there's no need for that: this is an eelgrass bed no more than 20' deep. And there are gunnels galore among the strands below."
Blue Whales Rebounding—by Jamess: "U.S. Pacific Blue Whales Seen Rebounding Close To Historic Levels. Decades after the threat of extinction led to them being protected from whalers, there are now about 2,200 blue whales off the West Coast, according to a new study. That's roughly 97 percent of historical levels, say researchers at the University of Washington who call their findings a conservation success story. 'This is the only population of blue whales known to have recovered from whaling,' according to a university news release, 'blue whales as a species having been hunted nearly to extinction.'"
Climate Chaos
UN Climate Summit: A Demand For "Actions, Not Words"—by boatsie: "As New York City prepares for the historic September 21 "People's Climate March", where tens of thousands are expected to demand rigorous and rapid action in the battle to curb climate change, details about the historic Ban Ki-moon UN Climate Summit two days later are swiftly coming into focus. While over 100 world leaders and/or their top negotiators are expected in New York that Tuesday, the Summit is also well on track to deliver on its major goal of assembling leaders from civil society, business and indigenous groups to share visions and plans to grease the wheels on the official UNFCCC Climate Talks. In a Climate Nexus telephone briefing this morning, Selwin Hart, director of the U.N. climate team, predicted the Summit will initiate 'a major turning point in the way the world is approaching climate change.'"
Bill McKibben: Fracking may be worse than burning coal—by VL Baker: "In his new brilliant piece for Mother Jones, Bill McKibben connects the dots showing the evidence why fracking for natural gas (methane) may be even worse in building carbon emissions than our current Earth killing use of coal. He disputes the use of natural gas as 'the bridge' to a sustainable energy future. He accuses the Obama administration of moving us in the wrong direction by supporting natural gas fracking. If you're a politician, science is a bitch; it resists spin. And a new set of studies—about, of all things, a simple molecule known as CH4—show that President Obama's climate change strategy is starting to unravel even as it's being knit. To be specific: Most of the administration's theoretical gains in the fight against global warming have come from substituting natural gas for coal. But it looks now as if that doesn't really help. There are so many problems with fracking for natural gas, but the one Bill McKibben is focusing on in this article is the massive problem with methane leaks. They are so numerous and so potent that they make fracking for natural gas more of a problem then a solution to sustainable energy."
Now is the time to act on global climate change says Ban Ki-moon—by HoundDog: "Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon says Now Is the Time to Act on Climate Change. Climate change has been one of my top priorities since the day I took office in 2007. I said then that if we care about our legacy for succeeding generations, this is the time for decisive global action. I have been pleased to see climate change rise on the political agenda and in the consciousness of people worldwide. But I remain alarmed that governments and businesses have still failed to act at the pace and scale needed. Time is running out. The more we delay, the more we will pay. Climate change is accelerating and human activities are the principal cause, as documented in a series of authoritative scientific reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The effects are already widespread, costly and consequential—to agriculture, water resources, human health, and ecosystems on land and in the oceans. Climate change poses sweeping risks for economic stability and the security of nations. ... Later this month, on September 23, I am convening a Climate Summit at the United Nations in New York. The Summit has two goals: to mobilize political will for a meaningful universal agreement at the climate negotiations in Paris in 2015; and to catalyze ambitious action on the ground to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen resilience to the changes that are already happening."
Bárðarbunga: Icelandic for "Can you hear me now?" (Image)—by GreyHawk: "If you've been following Rei's excellent series of updates about Bárðarbunga, and also managed to catch the rather ominous above-the-fold quote by Bill McKibben in the recent Open Thread for Night Owls, then you'll have seen the basic ingredients for the graphic I created":
Updated Senate Minority Report on Climate—by
ClimateDenierRoundup: "Climate Depot is pushing the U.S. Senate Minority's new report titled, 'Critical Thinking on Climate Change.' As one would expect, the report is a litany of repeatedly debunked claims; each section ends with 'questions' that are just the usual tired talking points, thinly veiled as 'Questions for Critical Thinking.' The irony is that these questions, purportedly meant to develop critical thinking, are preceded by industry pseudoscientists like Patrick Moore and David Legates maligning independent science. This updated version of the July 2013 report features new sections on the benefits of CO2 (which fail to mention that even outlier economist, Richard Tol, now admits there are no net benefits to warming), as well as sections on wildfires, European policies, polar bears and the National Climate Assessment. To properly set the tone, the report's introduction features a quote from a beloved fiction author, the late Michael Crichton. This is appropriate because the report is pushing an argument that certainly wouldn't qualify as non-fiction. At least not according to 97% of climate scientists."
Ridley's Ridiculousness in the WSJ—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "Serial climate misinformer, Matt Ridley, has a new oped in the Wall Street Journal making the predictable, just plain wrong argument that global warming has stopped. The news hook for this piece is McKitrick's study that, while new, has already been debunked by multiple sources as a prime example of working backwards from a desired conclusion. Ridley's argument hinges on evidence suggesting there have been "16, 19 or 26 years"—depending on which part of the atmosphere you look at—in which atmospheric temperatures have "paused." This ignores the fact that global air and ocean temperatures have been rising, with all 13 of the 14 hottest years on record happening in the 21st century. What this means is we've repeatedly broken warm temperature records during the same time period that Ridley claims there's been no global warming. Climate Science Watch has a full rebuttal."
Truly Scary Numbers—by LaFeminista: "How much longer will the heads in the sand continue? In 2013, concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere was 142% of the pre-industrial era (1750), and of methane and nitrous oxide 253% and 121% respectively. The ocean cushions the increase in CO2 that would otherwise occur in the atmosphere, but with far-reaching impacts. The current rate of ocean acidification appears unprecedented at least over the last 300 million years, according to an analysis in the report. At the current rate of increase, the global annual average CO2 concentration is set to cross the symbolic 400 parts per million threshold in 2015 or 2016. Atmospheric methane reached a new high of about 1824 parts per billion (ppb) in 2013, due to increased emissions from anthropogenic sources. Since 2007, atmospheric methane has been increasing again after a temporary period of leveling-off."
2013 carbon dioxide concentrations grew at the fastest rate since reliable global records began—by HoundDog: "Greenhouse Gas Levels In Atmosphere Surged To New High In 2013, World Meteorological Organization Reports. The World Meteorological Organization said 'carbon dioxide concentrations grew at the fasted rate since reliable global records began.' 'We know without any doubt that our climate is changing and our weather is becoming more extreme due to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels,' said WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud in a statement accompanying the WMO's annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. 'Past, present and future CO2 emissions will have a cumulative impact on both global warming and ocean acidification. The laws of physics are non-negotiable,' Jarraud said. 'We are running out of time.'"
Extreme Weather & Natural Phenomena
Bárðarbunga: The Greatest Subsidence Ever Monitored In Iceland—by Rei: "Let's get some figures for perspective. 15 meters: Height of a five story building. Three times the height of an adult giraffe. 850 meters: A bit taller than the Burj Dubai. Over double the height of the Empire State Building. Nearly 3 times the height of the Eiffel Tower. 0.25 cubic kilometers: 100 times the volume of the Great Pyramid. 16 times the volume of the Three Gorges Dam. 2.5 times the volume of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption. Now let's use those figures. 850 meters of ice lie atop the caldera of Bárðarbunga, Iceland's largest volcano. And yesterday's radar measurements show that underneath it, the caldera has subsided by 15 meters, dropping by a volume of 0.25 kilometers. And a caldera eruption is now considered more likely than ever."
Bárðarbunga: The Worst Pollution Ever Measured In Iceland—by Rei: "Iceland prides itself on its clean air and water. Icelanders are famous for asking tourists what they think of the water, and complaining about the water when overseas (primarily because our water here doesn't require chlorination so most people have never adjusted to the taste of chlorine). Likewise, most common types of air pollutants are rare here. The most common complaints you hear about concern hydrogen sulfide, which Iceland has a very strict limit on and which isn't even regulated in a large chunk of US states or by the US government ambient air standards. Unfortunately, no matter how much we restrict industry, sometimes nature throws you a curve ball. Because in the entire Icelandic history of monitoring air pollution, never before have conditions been as bad as what is being experienced in the Eastfjörds now."
Bárðarbunga: How Low Can It Go?—by Rei: "Picture a place that you visit regularly. Now imagine that every day you show up, it has plunged downwards 90 centimeters, about three feet. Every day for weeks on end, each plunge associated with earthquakes in a swarm never before seen in your area. That'd be pretty concerning, right? Now picture that the place we're talking about was many kilometers across and on top of a known huge active volcano. For such is the case: as much as Bárðarbunga's caldera has already collapsed, new data shows that it keeps collapsing more. And the collapse is accelerating."
Meanwhile, down in New Guinea, BOOM! Mount Tavurvur Explodes: Video—by xxdr zombiexx: "While we're all watching Bardabunga up in Iceland, down in New Guinea, a volcano called Tavurvur has been active and people filming in a boat caught it exploding. Phil McNamara filmed Mount Tavurvur blowing its cap off in Papua New Guinea last week, sending a plume of debris and smoke into the air. The film even captured a shock wave ripping through the clouds before the sonic boom slams into the tourist boat with a ear splitting bang."
Energy & Conservation
Coal use worldwide—by indycam: "U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). I doubt they are blowing hot air. I bet they have a pretty good handle on the subject. World coal consumption rises at an average rate of 1.3 percent per year, from 147 quadrillion Btu in 2010 to 180 quadrillion Btu in 2020 and 220 quadrillion Btu in 2040. World coal production parallels demand, increasing from 8.0 billion tons in 2010 to 11.5 billion tons in 2040. The coal industry isn't in a death spiral. It is growing."
Fracking
After earthquake, Ohio suspends two wells for fracking wastewater—by Jen Hayden: "It's only temporary, but the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has suspended fracking operations at two wells: State regulators suspended operations at two deep-injection wells for fracking wastewater in northeastern Ohio yesterday after discovering possible evidence that the operation caused a 2.1-magnitude earthquake last weekend. Officials downplayed the severity of the quake, but suspended operations anyway: 'Due to the seismic array proactively placed in the area, ODNR was able to determine that possible evidence exists linking the American Water Management Services' injection well operation to a recent 2.1 seismic event. This is a relatively minor event, but out of an abundance of caution, ODNR issued chiefs orders to the company to suspend injection operations while a full investigation takes place. The company has cooperated with our request and the two injection wells on site remain closed. We will continue to evaluate all the data to determine what exactly happened and will share more information as it is available.'"
Mother Jones: How HRC's State Department Sold Fracking To The World—by Phoebe Loosinhouse: "The story opens with a descriptive passage of a trip HRC took to Bulgaria in order to sell fracking to a Bulgarian public who had protested in the streets by the thousands against an agreement reached the previous year between Bulgaria and Chevron. Those protests were successful in that they culminated in the Bulgarian government passed a fracking moratorium. The neighboring Romanian public was also fractious about fracking and a possible Romanian moratorium was also under consideration. It was into this environment that Clinton endeavored to educate both the Bulgarian masses about the benefits of fracking as well as their leaders. In addition to her initial trip, Clinton followed up with more lobbying, envoys and education efforts for both countries and would be able to consider her mission a success as it resulted in the overturn of the Bulgarian moratorium and the Romanian one losing its vote and never being enacted."
Keystone XL & Other Fossil Fuel Transportation
Canada's Trans Mountain Tar Sands Pipeline Expansion is "Keystone XL 2.0"—by Lefty Coaster: "Bloomberg news compares Kinder-Morgan's proposed expansion of the existing Trans-Mountain to the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline and its an appropriate comparison. The expansion of Trans-Mountain would provide about 75% of Keystone XL capacity to move Bitumen from the Alberta Tar Sands to deep water ports for shipment overseas. Keystone 2.0: How mounting opposition is threatening Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain project. The next fight over oil pipeline development in Canada is starting to look like Keystone XL version 2.0. This time the target is a US$4.9 billion project by Houston billionaire Richard Kinder energy empire. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners expansion of the Trans Mountain conduit linking the oil sands to the Pacific is facing the same kind of backlash that turned TransCanada Corp. proposed line to the Gulf Coast into a proxy battle against climate change. As with Keystone, Trans Mountain opponents argue it would boost development of the oil sands, Canada fastest-growing source of carbon emissions. Vancouver, with its declared goal of becoming the world's greenest city by 2020, took Canada's energy regulator to court last month over the exclusion of climate impact from the Trans Mountain review. Aboriginal groups meanwhile are challenging the board's right to make a decision affecting their lands, and the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby's attempt to prevent a land study contributed to a seven-month delay that pushed the estimated startup into 2018."
Getting Ready to Build a Pipeline from the Alberta Tar Sands to New Arctic Shipping Lanes—by th0rn: "Is it any wonder the oil industry isn't concerned about climate change? The melting of the ice in the Arctic is something they look forward to while cackling evilly and rubbing their hands together in glee: Sending oilsands bitumen north through N.W.T. to a port in the Arctic is feasible, according to a study commissioned last year by Alberta. Dubbed the Arctic Gateway Pipeline, the proposed link would ship bitumen along the Mackenzie Valley to a port in Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T. It says shipping of bitumen through Tuktoyaktuk could start as early as next summer, using freight trains to Hay River, N.W.T., then barges the rest of the way down the Mackenzie River and on to Tuktoyaktuk. The recently released study is the next step in efforts to get Alberta's oil sands bitumen to market by any means necessary."
Agriculture, Food & Gardening
Food Babe: Call Her Out With Facts, Not Sexism & Misogyny—by ksenapathy: "Here’s a quick rant: As many of my readers would vehemently agree, Food Babe is one of the most annoying and pseudoscience-promoting, fear-mongering public figures of late. For those of you not familiar with Food Babe, she’s a self-proclaimed food 'investigator,' an anti-GMO, natural-is-better fallacious, non-evidence-based, pro-organic shill. She bullies companies into succumbing to public distaste for scary-sounding yet benign additives, and then declares inconsequential victory against 'Big Food.' [...] Truly, I have empathy for the fleeting temptation to name call. After all, Food Babe’s antics are frustrating, and unlike her foes’ food additives, her actions are far from benign. Her fear-mongering detracts from the value and promise of GMO technology, and promotes the appeal to nature fallacy. In turn, Food Babe perpetuates one of the most daunting perils of modern society, far more frightening than preservatives, artificial colors or GMO-ffffscientific illiteracy. My one request is this: Please do continue to combat the self-important drivel spouting from the likes of Vani Hari and her cronies. But let’s call her out for what she is: an anti-science, bullying, and seemingly disingenuous fear-mongering pied-piper. Let’s lay off gendered slurs like slut and bitch. She isn’t either of those."
Transportation & Infrastructure
Help Pull Transit out from Under the Bus—by wjhamilton29464: "On September 23rd. the last in a series of Public Meetings on SC plan for transpiration for the next 25 years will be held on Daniel Island. The meeting is being held on an Island that has virtually no public transit access and can't be reached on bicycle or on foot. We're going anyway because Charleston needs to be sure the progress and energy behind making the car optional here gets communicated to our autocentric State Government. We'll be providing rides from CARTA Superstop in Charleston to the meeting. Details on the meeting and plan can be found on the Hungryneck Straphangers Website: The SC Coastal Conservation League has generously offered to help fund the cost of the shuttle. Offers of support have come in from all sorts of environmental and mobility organizations to help promote and support the effort, which will include a press event the previous day on Charleston's historic Market Street with horses and carriages in the background."
Eco-Related Candidacies, DC & State Politics
The only part of Florida's environment Rick Scott hasn't tried to destroy is the sun—by VL Baker: "The Tampa Bay Times is standing up to the newly minted green image Rick Scott is trying to portray. In a scathing editorial the Tampa Bay Times relies on the facts of Scotts record to uncover the blatant hypocrisy of his new green promises. The nonprofit TBT's doesn't pull any punches with our tin-man governor. If I were Rick Scott I wouldn't want to be caught in a dark alley with the editorial board of the Tampa Bay Times."
Bill Moyers: 'Corporate America Pays to Send Global Warming Deniers to Capitol Hill'—by Lefty Coaster: "Corporate America Pays to Send Global Warming Deniers to Capitol Hill. If you wonder why so many members of Congress are in denial when it comes to climate change, follow the money. This week, Forecast the Facts and SumOfUs, two grassroots groups working to sway public opinion about global warming, took a step toward holding legislators accountable with the release of a new report exposing the companies that since 2008, according to FEC data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, have bankrolled the 'Climate Denier Caucus' to the tune of $641 million in campaign contributions. Many of these companies claim to be working to fight global warming, even as their dollars help send climate change ”skeptics” to Capitol Hill. The report not only names names, but also highlights the apparent disconnect between political spending and corporate public relations efforts. Google CEO Eric Schmidt told an audience that gathered to laud the company’s efforts to build 'a better web that is better for the environment' that 'you can lie about the effects of climate change, but eventually you’ll be seen as a liar.' At the same time, the company whose motto is 'do no evil' has kicked in almost $700,000 for Congressional climate deniers since 2008.That was far less than the $3.3 million AT&T has showered on the science deniers in that same period, a figure that represents 'more than 25 percent of its total campaign funding' during that time."
35 Democrats Join House GOP to Weaken the Clean Water Act—by Liberty Equality Fraternity and Trees: "Yesterday, House Republicans made their latest effort to weaken environmental regulations. This time, it was with a bill to prohibit the EPA from using a new rule proposed in March for. The rule was designed to clarify which bodies of water, such as wetlands and streams, are subject to the EPA's authority under the Clean Water Act. Republicans, unsurprisingly, viewed this as a massive federal overreach. [...] The so-called Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act passed 262 to 152. 227 Republicans and 35 Democrats voted for it. 151 Democrats and 1 Republican (Chris Smith of New Jersey’s 4th) voted against it."
Eco-Justice & Eco-Activism
Unprecedented: Prosecutors side with coal blockaders, dismiss case—by VL Baker: "In an extraordinary case,which I wrote about here, prosecutors have dismissed charges against the lobster boat coal blockade citing sympathy for the blockaders, reports Climate Central. Local prosecutors in Massachusetts expressed alarm about the grave 'crisis' of climate change on Monday, as they dropped criminal charges in a high-profile case involving anti-coal campaigners. Ken Ward and Jay O’Hara were facing the threat of jail time after they anchored a lobster boat in the path of a coal-hauling ship last year, preventing it from unloading at a power plant. The protest was designed to draw attention to coal and other fossil fuels, the primary cause of global warming. Their attorneys planned to use the 'necessity defense'—an extraordinary strategy that would have pointed to the urgency of climate change in justifying their clients’ actions. But, in the end, such a defense wasn’t needed. Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter said the decision to drop criminal charges was made with concerns for “the children of Bristol County and beyond” in his mind. He also announced that he planned to join the People’s Climate March in New York later this month."
Oceans, Water & Drought
Round and round the California Drought goes -- just where it will Stop, Does anybody know?—by jamess: "U.S. Pacific Blue Whales Seen Rebounding Close To Historic Levels. Decades after the threat of extinction led to them being protected from whalers, there are now about 2,200 blue whales off the West Coast, according to a new study. That's roughly 97 percent of historical levels, say researchers at the University of Washington who call their findings a conservation success story. 'This is the only population of blue whales known to have recovered from whaling,' according to a university news release, 'blue whales as a species having been hunted nearly to extinction.'"
Water and Human Sustainability—by StewartAcuff: "We know that global climate change threatens the earth’s supply of water. We know that natural gas fracking threatens our aquifers and surface water. The Coast Guard is protecting our surface water now by preventing the fracking, gas, and oil industry from transporting fracking waste by barge on our rivers. We also know that water supplies are threatened by corporate industries trying to buy up water supplies to sell, and trying to privatize water and sewer systems. It is so critical that we develop and win support for those issues, which once were progressive issues. We need a larger and more active base. We need to keep telling the truth, reaching out to all, agitating, organizing, and mobilizing. Social change in America is a long fight. We win if we stay in the game and keep pounding on the truth and fundamental human values."
Dam the Indians Anyway - War Dance at Shasta Dam—by Dan Bacher: "Below is the news release announcing the Winnemem Wintu Tribe's War Dance at Shasta Dam beginning September 11, 2014: Redding, CA. September 11, 2014—The Winnemem (McCloud River) Wintu Tribe will hold a “War Dance” at Shasta Dam, north of Redding, Calif., beginning September 11th through September 15th. The War Dance is in response to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s proposal to raise the dam, which threatens to submerge many Winnemem sacred sites and village areas. The Winnemem lost much of their homelands and their salmon when the dam was first constructed. “Any raising of the dam, even a few feet, will flood some of our last remaining sacred sites on the McCloud River – sites we still use today,” says Caleen Sisk , Winnemem Chief and Spiritual Leader. "We can't be Winnemem any place else but the McCloud River. The dam raise is a form of cultural genocide.' The Winnemem invoked the War Dance in 1887 against a fish hatchery on the McCloud River that threatened the salmon and the Winnemem way of life. . Again The Winnemem held a War Dance at the dam in 2004 to commit themselves to the protection of their land and their salmon. Now, the Winnemem face even more of their sacred sites and culture being submerged by the dam “We gave up a lot of our homeland for the sake of the California people, and got nothing in return. Now the government wants to take our sacred places, and again we get nothing in return. How is this fair, over and over again?” “This is not right Chief Sisk said. 'This is too much to ask of a people.'"
Big Oil money defeated bill to ban drilling in marine protected area—by Dan Bacher: "Only in a Big Oil state like California would an oil industry lobbyist chair a task force to create so-called 'marine protected areas'—and then strongly oppose a oppose a bill to ban oil drilling in a marine protected area. Only in a Big Oil state like California would a Legislator have to author a bill to ban offshore oil drilling in a 'marine protected area.' And only in a Big Oil state like California would the Legislature vote against a bill to stop oil drilling in a state marine reserve."
Lower Klamath River Anglers Reach Adult Salmon Quota—by Dan Bacher: "The increased releases on the Trinity River below Lewiston Dam, the result of intense political pressure by the Hoopa, Yurok and Karuk Tribes, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations and grassroots river advocates, are responsible for the cooler water temperatures and improved conditions for salmon on the lower Klamath that anglers enjoyed recently."
Forests, Wilderness & Public Lands
Global-warming denier Beauprez joins Republican candidates eager to seize national parks from feds—by Meteor Blades: "Bob Beauprez, the Republican Party's nominee for the governorship of Colorado, made clear last week that he wants the state to grab national parks, forests and other public lands from federal control. In his first debate with Democratic incumbent John Hickenlooper Friday, he said 'This is a fight we have to wage.' Such ideas are not new. Nor are they constitutional. In the 1970s, Colorado was one of several Western states where right-wing politicians backed the so-called Sagebrush Rebellion, an effort by big polluters funded initially by beer baron Joseph Coors to get states to take over federal lands with the notion of eventually selling millions of acres to private buyers. The effort didn't succeed, but it has continued to echo over the decades in campaigns like the Orwellian-named Wise Use Movement. One of the leading proponents of note was James G. Watt, first head of the rightist Mountain States Legal Foundation—also funded by Coors. He later served as the crooked Secretary of Interior under Ronald Reagan, who said during his 1980 presidential campaign: 'I am a Sagebrush Rebel.'"
Miscellany
The Daily Bucket - And Now The News—by enhydra lutris: "An assortment of news items and such, some of which aren't really news."
Trash, Pollution & Hazardous Waste
How Much Radioactive Material Was Released by Fukushima?—by MarineChemist: "The results of this intercomparison were as follows and are reported on pg. 50-51 of the study: 1. The study estimated the atmospheric release of 137-C[esium] of 19.4 +- 3.0 PBq through the end of March 2011 which is in between previous high and low estimates. 2. Best estimates of direct ocean discharge of 137-Cs to the Pacific in addition to atmospheric deposition are 2.3 to 26.9 PBq and the panel could not determine which model provided the most robust estimate. 3. About 19.5 +- 5% of releases were deposited to land while about 80% ended up in the Pacific Ocean. 4. The distribution of 137-Cs in the ocean can't be reproduced without atmospheric deposition and direct ocean releases to the Pacific. These 137-Cs releases from Fukushima compare with the ~100 PBq released by the Chernobyl disaster in 1986."
Eco-Essays & Policy Proposals
The War on Science: A Canadian Horror Story—by Agathena: "Of all the nefarious things that our Conservative government has done to our Country, possibly the worst is its war on Science. We have witnessed it for years. Recently a report (pdf in French) studying 12 countries by the French National trade Union of Scientific Researchers (SNCS-FSU) has zeroed in on Canada for the way it has treated its scientists. i have included a link and review of the book The War on Science and the top-rated CBC documentary The Silence of the Labs (43 min). Surprisingly, it was shown on the public tv station. And the CBC was punished for it with massive budget cuts that forced them to lay off 1,500 employees. [...] Since 2006 the Harper government has introduced strict communications procedures that prevent scientists from speaking freely about—and at times even publishing -- their research. Federal scientists are required to gain upper-level bureaucratic approval before they speak with journalists about their work, leading the international scientific community to call for the 'unmuzzling' of Canada's scientists. 'The findings should be very concerning to the public,' he said, adding a full 50 per cent of scientists said they were aware of cases of political interference in the communication of scientific research."
Hung for a sheep as for a lamb—by Cassiodorus: "Jason W. Moore proposed an alternative to the 'anthropocene'—the 'capitalocene.' Here's the gist of Moore's argument: the Anthropocene argument obscures, and relegates to context, the actually existing relations through which women and men make history with the rest of nature: the relations of power, (re)production, and wealth in the web of life. So it's these relations, the relations of power, that developed over the last 250 or 300 years to create the global warming world in which we currently live. The global warming world isn't the outcome of human nature, or even of history—but merely that of capitalist history. This is so because capitalist relations, the relations of people as workers and consumers to capital as a globally predatory force, relations of nation-states locked in struggle for planetary domination, and relations of 'development' and 'administration,' characterize our current predicament."
David Keeps Winning: 10 Recent Victories That Will Give You Hope for the Planet—by Mary Anne Hitt: "Wow. That’s the word I repeated over and over this summer, as news rolled in of one clean energy victory after another. These are David and Goliath campaigns, led by community groups fighting for the health of their families, for clean air and water, and for a safe climate. Over and over, against all odds, from the deep South to Oregon and everywhere in between, David keeps winning. Each one of these campaigns represents a major victory for local families, who point to these coal projects as threats to the safety of their kids and communities. They also add up to a sea change in how we make electricity in America: 178 coal plants and 505 coal boilers, one-third of U.S. coal plants, are now retired or slated to retire. On top of that, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission just reported that 100 percent of new electricity on the U.S. grid in July was renewable, mostly wind and solar. If you find yourself falling victim to despair or cynicism about the fate of our planet, look no further. These 10 recent clean energy victories will give you hope for the planet. These were made possible by the work of dozens of allies, big and small."
We Should Sell Some Oil to Boost the Economy—by mastergardener2k: "Everybody is in a bad mood. Maybe what we need is to use favorable circumstances to change the whole narrative. My proposal is that the US government should sell off one third of the strategic oil reserves over a period of a couple of years. Oil production in the United States is rapidly increasing and we are importing less oil. So why do we need such a large strategic reserve of government owned oil? Consider the economic consequences. Just talk of dumping crude oil on the market will reduce gas prices—one of the most important factors in how consumers feel about the economy."