Otto Braided Hair of the Northern Cheyenne speaks at a press conference against
coal exports in the Pacific Northwest. See Mary Anne Hitt's
post. Photo courtesy of Pyramid Communications.
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
22,510 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.
New Studies: Bees Addicted to Neonicotinoids, and New Evidence of Toxicity—by
ZhenRen: "Two new studies, both published by the journal
Nature, are once again indicting the pesticide group, neonicotinoids, as having adverse affects on bee populations.
Washington Post: A pair of new studies published Wednesday in Nature are disturbing when taken separately, but so much more chilling when laid out next to each other: The first provides new evidence that neonicotinoid insecticides can have a negative effect on bees, adding weight to the theory that these chemicals could contribute to colony collapse disorder and endanger our food supply. In the second study, another group of researchers found that bees don't avoid these harmful pesticides. They may actually seek them out and get addicted to them. This class of insecticide has been highly controversial, with heated debate, but the data keeps coming in, and piling up, to the point that even the industry-coddling EPA has called for a moratorium on April 2nd, 2015, at long last joining the European Union which also placed a moratorium on the pesticide. It seems that step by step, blow by blow, the critics are being proven correct about the harmful affects of the chemical."
Larsen C ice shelf is melting from the top and the bottom and is at risk of collapse—by
Pakalolo: "Click to
view the break up of Larsen B. Of the 4 Larsen ice shelves, Shelf A became the first ice shelf to collapse in Antarctica in 1995. Shelf B collapsed in 2002. The next southern shelf C, is on the verge of collapse and even further south only Shelf D will remain for the foreseeable future. This process has taken 20 years of warming to get us to this point. Shelf C is about the area of Scotland, 'it is five times larger than the Larsen B (itself five times as large as the Larsen A), “so when Larsen C goes, it’s going to be a really big event,'
Paul Holland, a researcher with the
British Antarctic Survey, said.'"
You can find more rescued green diaries below the orange garden layout.
Climate Chaos
Spinning the Arctic Death Spiral—by climatedenierroundup: "Joe Romm at ThinkProgress explains how the Daily Caller and other deniers completely distort the findings of a new study from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography on Arctic melt by claiming to have debunked the observed Arctic sea ice death spiral. The study shows that the Arctic may go ice free more quickly than models led us to believe. In the new study, models showed a seasonally ice-free Arctic at just 2°C warming. Daily Caller, on the other hand, uses the study as the basis to claim that, '"irreversible" Arctic ice loss seems to be reversing itself.' Now, given that the Scripps press release has a similar title ('Arctic sea ice loss likely to be reversible'), this probably doesn't qualify as the most egregious spinning of a study. However, when Romm reached out to the study authors they clarified in no uncertain terms that, 'the Daily Caller article…is incorrect.' What the paper actually found was that we haven't yet hit a tipping point, so IF we reduce emissions and IF we find a way to cool the planet, then Arctic sea ice may return. Obviously, those are two very big ifs."
Largest Glacial Cave System in the Lower 48 Rapidly Melting—by
Pakalolo: "Earth just experienced the warmest winter on record. Temperatures for December–February beat the previous winter record in 2007 by 0.05 degrees, NOAA's National Climatic Data Center reported. Global temperature records go back to 1880. The State of Oregon, where Mount Hood's Sandy Glacier, experienced it's second warmest winter in 2014 and 2015. The Sandy Glacier on Mount Hood has a system of glacial ice caves that have responded to this unprecedented heat. Ice caves are temporary, but the Snow Dragon cave's roof collapsed highlighting the rapid melting process that can be seen from below the glacier."
Pope: God Will Judge Climate Denialists—by Dartagnan: "Pope Francis has warned 'the powerful of the Earth' they will answer to God if they fail to protect the environment to ensure the world can feed its population. He's not kidding, either: 'We must do what we can so that everyone has something to eat. But we must also remind the powerful of the Earth that God will call them to judgment one day,' he said. 'And there it will be revealed if they really tried to provide for him in every person, and if they did what they could to preserve the environment so that it could produce this food.' The Pope's closest advisors concur: On Tuesday, one of Francis' key advisers, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, said he was stunned by the complaints he had heard during a trip to the United States over a papal document that hasn't even been published yet. He accused those fueling it of an ideology 'that is very strongly linked to a vision of capitalism that doesn't want to renounce damaging the environment for the sake of profits.'"
If God is for us, who can be against us? Heartland.—by climatedenierroundup: "The Vatican is sounding a strong drumbeat on climate change ahead of the release of the environmental encyclical, with Pope Francis calling out "the powerful of the Earth" for their "lack of willingness to share" food resources with the poor. Meanwhile, one of the Pope's closest advisors, Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, hit back at deniers who have been criticizing the Pope's environmental efforts. Cardinal Maradiaga accurately blamed deniers' rejection of environmental concerns on self-interest, saying, 'The ideology surrounding environmental issues is too tied to a capitalism that doesn't want to stop ruining the environment because they don't want to give up their profits.' The Cardinal called the criticism over the encyclical "absurd" in light of the fact that it hasn't even been published yet. This is a not-so-subtle dig at the Heartland Institute, which sent a small group of deniers to the Vatican last month in an attempt to convert the Pope to climate denial. While yes, it is certainly absurd to criticize something no one's seen, it's not a surprising move from Heartland. And to their credit, at least they haven't (yet) put up a billboardconnecting the Pope and the Unabomber. But the outspoken nature of both the Pope and his top adviser suggests that they're not going to simply turn the other cheek when it comes to these profit-protection motivated attacks against the Vatican's faith-based environmental concerns. Nor should they."
Can't buy me love, can buy me favors—by climatedenierroundup: "wo big stories on Tuesday demonstrated a couple facts that we already know: there's a lot of money in climate denial, and much of it comes at the public's expense. At DeSmog Blog, Graham Readfearn has uncovered that Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund, two sibling organizations housed at the same address, have an income of $470 million that's completely 'dark.' What this means is—because of charity donation rules—those who gave the money didn't have to declare it. While it's been known these two groups were a conduit for hidden funding, the scale of their war chest is what makes this big news. Of the $511 million they brought in between '05 and '12, only $32 million can be traced back to funders. This means that unknown actors are using these groups to make tax-deductible donations to fund climate denial without having to risk their reputation, using hundreds of millions of dollars to finance campaigns to stave off regulations on fossil fuels. Meanwhile, Damian Carrington and Harry Davies have a piece on a Guardian investigation highlighting the power of campaign donations. They show how the world's biggest fossil fuel companies make sizable donations to politicians and reap the benefits through tax breaks and subsidies. For example, when Tom Corbett was Governor of Pennsylvania, he received over $1 million in campaign donations from oil and gas and granted Shell a tax credit of $66 million annually for 25 years."
Facing the Facts and Fictions of the Climate Change Deniers—by Judah Freed: "Tom Harris from the International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC) is touting guest editorials across North America that it is 'ridiculous' to think that only industry-funded 'deniers' are claiming that climate change is not real. What’s ridiculous is that Harris and the ICSC themselves are industry-funded climate change deniers. [...] Contending that environmentalists are dangerous, climate change deniers often label peaceful citizen activists as 'eco-terrorists.' Among the tactics too often deployed to suppress evidence-based logic and critical thinking, the misleading irrationality and fear-mongering by Harris and ICSC smacks of the McCarthyism in the 1950s that repressed progressive post-war urges for social justice and open democracy."
Scientists discover elusive hotspot, deniers to move on to theory about 'a thing they heard before'—by Walter Einenkel: "Time to get out a hanky for your climate-denying relative—researchers have found and published results confirming the existence of the 'tropospheric hotspot,' a warming in the upper troposphere predicted by many climate change scientists' models. The inability to detect this hotspot previously has been used by those who doubt man-made global warming to suggest climate change is not occurring as a result of increasing carbon dioxide emissions. 'Using more recent data and better analysis methods we have been able to re-examine the global weather balloon network, known as radiosondes, and have found clear indications of warming in the upper troposphere,' said lead author ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science Chief Investigator Prof Steve Sherwood. The sound you hear is Senator Jim Inhofe digging into his freezer for some more of his science snowballs."
Critters & the Great Outdoors
Dawn Chorus: Ecuadorian Hummingbirds—by angelajean: "Today is Mother's Day in many parts of the world, including here in Ecuador. I would love nothing more than to have my mom with me today. We would go hummingbird watching at one of the local reserves. But since she can't be in this beautiful country with me, I thought sharing one photo of every type of hummingbird I've photographed since arriving in this beautiful country would just have to do the trick!"
Wire-crested Thorntails (female to the left) seen at Wildsumaco Lodge.
The Daily Bucket: Ghost Crabs—by
matching mole: "The Atlantic Ghost Crab, Ocypode quadrata, is a fairly common crab on beaches in the Gulf of Mexico. They are fairly large crabs that live in burrows in the sand. Their name comes from their pale coloration and their extremely rapid movement. Last weekend (May 3) we visited Alligator Point, in Franklin County Florida as mentioned in a previous diary on shorebirds. I was delighted to discover an apparently thriving population of ghost crabs on the less popular (with humans) part of the shore. Although I have seen good populations of these crabs on heavily used beaches human activity is likely to collapse burrows, crush crabs, and compact the sand and render burrowing difficult. Normally they are difficult to approach closely in daylight."
The Daily Bucket - chocolate lily season in a remnant Indian prairie—by OceanDiver: "May 11, 2015. San Juan County. Maritime Pacific Northwest. This is a follow-up to Milly Watt's beautiful Olympic peninsula prairie wildflower bucket from yesterday. I hope folks are ok with yet more wildflowers! The reason I'm interested in the comparison between these two prairies directly across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from each other is the diversity of their vegetation, and what that says about the subtleties of biogeography. What do we mean by 'prairie,' especially in the forested Pacific Northwest? With our wet cool climate, trees would invariably fill in any open grassy expanse like the one in the photo below (this is Iceberg Point, a protected 80-acre portion of the San Juan Islands National Monument established by President Obama in 2013). The reason it is an open meadow rather than forest is due to millennia of land management by local resident Coast Salish Indians. They kept gardens here—particular areas maintained by families—cultivating perennial food plants like Chocolate Lilies, known to some as Rice-root, and many other plants. [...] The Seashore lupine (Lupinus littoralis) prefers steep slopes. The cream color of these is unusual for this species."
The Daily Bucket - a wet and wild swallow tale—by
Polly Syllabic: "These highly social acrobats migrate and winter together in large flocks. They often gather for a night roost in the thousands or even hundreds of thousands. I've never seen that social togetherness, but then again, they don't winter in Wisconsin. They do arrive in spring and seriously stake out the best nest sites. I did observe this scrappy bird-style, Greco-Roman knuckle lock water wrestle. It was brutal. [...] I'm not only breathless, but feel half drowned. In a moment they let go of the toe holds and ended the squabble. Winner take all!"
Check out these images of recently discovered deep sea creatures—by Jen Hayden: "This amazing footage from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration highlights some of the creatures recently discovered in deep sea dives near Puerto Rico. Scientists from around the world are able to log into a chat room to discuss the videos coming from 12 deep sea expeditions."
The Daily Bucket - Prairie, One Month Later—by Milly Watt: "At the end of March, I reported on my discovery of a local preserved patch of PNW prairie. I returned a month later on April 29th and there were some big changes. What I was hoping to see was a field of Camas such as the native peoples would nurture and harvest instead of the isolated specimens I found last time. I was not disappointed!"
Field of Common camas (Camassia quamash) with interspersed Desert Parsley
Bear Runs at Crowd in Yellowstone Video—by ban nock: "Yellowstone National Park sees 3.5 million visitors a year, most of whom come to see the habituated wildlife. The wildlife and the humans are used to getting close to each other, sometimes they get a little too close. Before anyone gets critical of the people on the bridge I'd remind you that this is why people come to Yellowstone, and the Park Service certainly encourages people to come view wildlife. In the wild, bears run from people. In areas of high concentrations of houses in the urban wildlands interface or around campgrounds and in National Parks, bears often become very comfortable around humans. People love large predators, black and grizzly bears, cougars, wolves. Ordinarily wildlife takes off at first sight of humans. Habituated wildlife has become accustomed to being in close proximity to many humans and doesn't flee. This is great for photos, and tourism."
Daily Bucket: A Walk Around Sawgrass Lake—by Lenny Flank: "Photos from a recent walk at Sawgrass Lake Park in St Pete FL":
Softshell turtle
The Daily Bucket: Magnolia You Sweet Thing—by
PHScott: "My tree book says this tree (Magnolia grandiflora) is commonly called a Bull Bay. I have never heard that; mostly we call it Magnolia and everyone knows what that is. Other trees in this family include Sweet Bay (
m. virginiana) and the deciduous members—Pyramid and Ashe's Magnolias. There's also an Umbrella Magnolia found only in a few places in the Florida Panhandle. Ditto for something called a Cucumbertree (
m. acuminata) that I have never seen. They are all impressive trees with big blooms."
The Daily Bucket - Bees in the Butterflyweed—by
foresterbob: "The larger of the two butterflyweed clusters in my yard is now in full bloom. As I have lamented before, the showy plant rarely attracts butterflies here. Bees love it, though. According to the USDA, butterflyweed can be found across a vast range including most of the lower 48 states, as well as eastern Canada. Only Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota are listed as being outside the native range. [...] Butterflyweed, or butterfly milkweed (
Asclepias tuberosa), is a favorite of many gardeners, although it can be difficult to establish. I have been able to 'cheat' by digging up plants on private land that were likely to be wiped out by activities such as road-building prior to logging. Some plants appeared to thrive a couple years, only to vanish. The plant featured in this Bucket has faithfully sprouted for about 8 years now. A week ago, the buds were ready to burst. "
Photo Diary: Suncoast Primate Sanctuary—by Lenny Flank: "The Suncoast Primate Sanctuary is located in Palm Harbor, FL, a bit north of St Petersburg. They take in primates and a few other animals that have been kept as pets and are no longer wanted. Alas, it is a pretty depressing place: while the animals are at least given an opportunity to live out their lives while being well-cared for, it was sad to see row after row of prison cages holding animals that should never have been purchased in the first place (seriously, who on earth thought that keeping a BABOON as a pet was a good idea?). The Sanctuary is currently raising money to purchase the empty lot behind them so they can expand for more space. Some photos from an afternoon at the Sanctuary."
Chimpanzee living out life in a cage.
CDFW "Celebrates" Endangered Species Day by Hastening Species Extinction!—by
Dan Bacher: "The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the same agency that has has presided over the collapse of winter run Chinook, Central Valley steelhead, Delta smelt, green sturgeon and other endangered and threatened species in recent years, on May 14 issued a press release proclaiming that 'May 15 is the 10th National Endangered Species Day.' 'The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recognizes the 10th National Endangered Species Day with a focused environmental concern,' the Department stated. 'The purpose of the Endangered Species Act is to conserve imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend to prevent extinction.' [...] Restore the Delta (RTD), opponents of Gov. Brown’s rush to build water export Tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom sustainable farms, salmon and other Pacific fisheries, responded to the CDFW's 'celebration' of 'National Endangered Species Day' by pointing out the department’s failure to protect the giant garter snake in the Delta, as well as its failure to protect dozens of fish and wildlife species."
Energy
Coal, Oil, Natural Gas & Nuclear
Heart breaking-Obama Administration gives a thumbs up to Shell drilling in the Chukchi Sea.—by Pakalolo: "Shell Oil has received permission from the Bureau of Ocean Management to drill for oil in the Chukchi. What is odd is that Obama just approved a large section of the Chukchi for protection. Any spill of oil will just slosh around in the currents and contaminate the shoal that he preserved anyways. Hanna Shoal rises from the shallow Chukchi Sea and teems with plankton, clams and marine worms that attract walrus and bearded seals. The remote area lies 80 miles off the state's northwest coast, beyond even sparsely populated subsistence whale hunting towns such as Barrow, the northernmost community in the U.S. Federal estimates, however, show that the Chukchi and Beaufort seas could hold 26 billion barrels of recoverable oil, and many Alaska leaders are eager to begin drilling in the area to create jobs and fund state government projects and services. [...] This approval comes just a month after Shell's drill ship Noble Discoverer failed inspection in Honolulu."
Adult female walruses on an ice flow with young walruses in the Eastern Chukchi Sea, Alaska.
Standing with Tribal Nations Opposing Coal Exports in the Pacific Northwest—by
Mary Anne Hitt: "'It's not too late. But I don't know how much longer I can say that.' Those were the profound words of Otto Braided Hair of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe at a press conference this week, during a historic gathering where tribes from Montana, Washington and British Columbia stood together to oppose North America’s largest coal export terminal. I was honored and inspired to stand with nine Tribal Nations from the Pacific Northwest as they as they came together in Seattle to sign a declaration urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deny a permit for North America’s largest coal export terminal—the Proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal in the Salish Sea. The Lummi Nation, the Lower Elwha, the Northern Cheyenne, the Quinault, the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation of British Columbia, the Tulalip, the Spokane Tribal Council,the Swinomish Tribal Nations, and the Yakama Nation are united against coal because they are concerned about its effects on their communities, their cultures, and our shared future."
Arctic Nightmare—by Michael Brune: "I had a terrible nightmare: President Mitt Romney approved Shell Oil's drilling plans for the Chukchi Sea off the coast of Alaska. He did it even though his own Department of the Interior calculated that the odds of a large oil spill were 75 percent. He did it even though no proven method exists to respond to such a spill. He did it even though indigenous Alaskan culture has centered on traditional harvests of marine resources for thousands of years. He did it even though all known, extractable Arctic oil and gas reserves must remain undeveloped if the world wants to avoid the worst effects of climate disruption. He did it even though such a spill would affect fish, birds from around the globe, and marine mammals such as polar bears, walruses, seals, and bowhead and beluga whales. He did it in spite of Shell's abysmal track record in the Arctic, which could inspire the next Dumb and Dumber sequel. When I woke up and realized that Romney had lost the election, I was momentarily relieved. But then the nightmare started all over again. Because everything else really did happen—only it was President Barack Obama, the man we worked so hard to put in the White House, whose Interior Department decided it would be OK to spill oil in the Arctic. How are we supposed to make sense of this?"
Shell No! Seattle council just voted to reconsider letting Shell use terminal for Arctic drilling—by VL Baker: "Seattle has launched the first salvo in the fight to stop the Obama administration decision to allow Shell to drill in Arctic. Seattle city council has just voted to advise against letting Shell use its terminal 5 as base for Arctic drilling. Council today unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Port of Seattle to reconsider its lease at Terminal 5 to host Shell Oil's Arctic drilling rigs. The action also officially put the City of Seattle on record in opposing federal permits and leases relating to Arctic drilling. [...] Seattle is in the cross hairs of Arctic drilling because Shell hopes to stage its drilling operations from terminal 5 at the Port of Seattle. Let's support Seattle in this decision. First boycott Shell. Hell, boycotting all fossil fuels is the best thing you can do. And we must put ourselves on the line to stop this insane decision by the Obama administration to allow Shell to drill in Arctic. The battle at the Port of Seattle matters everywhere, let's join them."
What's Obama really thinking on Arctic drilling?—by lawrencegoodman: "This morning comes news that Obama has permitted Shell to drill for oil in the Arctic. The New York Times piece along with every other news article I found on the story was strangely short of analysis—what are his political calculations for doing this? He has already made enemies with the oil and gas industries on his climate change positions. Does he really think this will change their view of his administration? And the Republicans are going to see this as too little, too late no matter what."
Looks like we will now foul one of two pristine oceans left on earth—by zmom: "WASHINGTON — The Obama administration gave conditional approval on Monday for Shell Gulf of Mexico, Inc. to start drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic Ocean this summer. The approval is a major victory for Shell and the rest of the petroleum industry, which has sought for years to drill in the remote waters of the Chukchi seas, which are believed to hold vast reserves of oil and gas. [...] my heart hurts from reading this; I don't know what to say except shame on our government for backing all the same players, especially in light of all our current knowledge/science, as well as ignoring these players' track records."
Taylor Swift Parody Video; Breaking up With Fossil Fuels—by Dont Just Sit There DO SOMETHING: "In what has become an annual tradition for us at Communitopia, we've put together a music video parody. 'Break It Off' is a lighthearted Taylor Swift spoof, to the tune of 'Shake It Off.' It is about breaking up - but instead of starring a handsome, desirable suitor, this video calls for an end to our souring long term relationship with the fossil fuel industry and a transition to clean energy. It is also about some pretty terrible dancing. (Look for the macarena, Gangnam style, ballet, the 'cabbage patch,' and the electric slide - with cameos from the Green Ninja and a Pittsburgh local, the Green Beanie.) Oh, and kung fu! For reasons. 'Break It Off' challenges both the 'haters' who reject the science about climate change and the naysayers who like to loudly declare that we're doomed no matter what. In the U.S., we harbor a high rate of fatalism around climate change and what we expect the future to look like, given current environmental challenges. The Yale Project on Climate Change Communication reports that about a quarter of Americans think that even though we could solve global warming, we won't. Close to half of us fall into the 'wait and see' category, unsure if we'll make the changes we need or not. This optimism gap is something we need to address, because the only way we're going to get anywhere with our problems is if we believe that we can."
BREAKING: Arctic Drilling Project Now in Jeopardy—by earthyrobot: Satire.
Resist the Exelon-Pepco Monopoly! No Consumer Bailouts for Fortune 500 Mistakes—by cgibosn: "Anyone who closely follows the world of political influence and hears the term "free markets" has come to understand that the phrase is not the sacred, concrete concept that its proponents make it out to be. [...] The utility industry illustrates this perfectly, especially here and now in Washington, DC. Exelon, a Chicago-based utility holding company valued at over $28 billion, seeks to become the nation's largest utility company by giving our smaller, regional utility, Pepco, an offer it can't refuse. Right now, the fight is focused on DC. Delaware and Maryland will also need to decide to reject or approve the proposed merger. Exelon's ultimate goal: force Pepco's customers, including the people of Washington, DC, to subsidize Exelon's expensive nuclear power plants in other states. DC residents have until May 26 to submit comments to the Public Service Commission."
Fracking
New research suggests fracking is probably poisoning the air—by Walter Einenkel: "Researchers from Oregon have concluded that the air quality around fracking operations is bad. Very bad. The researchers found that hydraulic fracturing—a technique for releasing natural gas from below-ground rock formations— emits pollutants known as PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), including some that are linked with increased risk of cancer and respiratory ailments. 'Air pollution from fracking operations may pose an under-recognized health hazard to people living near them,' said the study's coauthor Kim Anderson, an environmental chemist with OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences. The team's research was published as a part of a larger study, being co-led by public health expert Erin Haynes at Environmental Science and Technology. The study began when concerned citizens approached Haynes with questions about the potential airborne health hazards potentially posed by fracking."
100 California Officials Ask Gov. Brown for Fracking Moratorium—by Dan Bacher: "More than 100 mayors, city council members and other local officials from dozens of communities want Gov. Jerry Brown to halt fracking to protect California’s water supply from contamination during a devastating drought. In a letter being unveiled today at a press conference at the Democratic State Convention in Anaheim, officials warn Gov. Brown that fracking and other dangerous oil production techniques 'will exacerbate many of our environmental threats, particularly local air and water pollution and climate disruption.' 'Fracking pollution threatens the air we breathe and the water we drink, and Latino communities are especially at risk,' said Robert Rivas, San Benito County supervisor and supporter of San Benito County’s new fracking ban. 'Thousands of Latino children in California go to school near fracked oil wells. We need Gov. Brown to halt fracking to give every child in California a better chance at a healthy life.'"
Renewables & Conservation
Tom Udall introduces bill mandating 30 percent of U.S. electricity from renewables by 2030—by Meteor Blades: "Sen. Tom Udall, together with six other Democrats, introduced the Renewable Electricity Standard Act this week. The bill would mandate that 30 percent of the nation's electricity be generated from renewable sources 15 years from now. Currently, about 13 percent of U.S. electricity is produced from renewable sources, about half of that from hydroelectric installations. Twenty-nine states already have renewable portfolio standards in place. Another eight states have renewable portfolio goals. Topping the list is Maine, whose standard is 40 percent by 2017. California is next, with a 33 percent mandate by 2020. Currently, renewable resources account for about 25 percent of electricity produced for California. Gov. Jerry Brown wants to boost that to 50 percent by 2030."
Does 30% mean 6% ??? A brief summary of the Udall RPS—by benamery21: "Highlights: As little as 6% eligible renewables would be required to meet the 2030 target of "30%." Don’t be fooled by the “30%” headline number. This summary is for folks who want to know the details of the RPS bill proposed by Sen Udall without reading the 25 page bill. This is a rough draft with the meat only (format and verbiage will be updated). Analysis and opinion may be added later. Renewable portfolio standards—is the car a Daimler or Datsun? A renewable portfolio standard is designed to increase renewable generation construction volume by 'requiring' certain parties (usually investor-owned electric utilities) to buy minimum amounts of certain types of renewable power. However, just as a Daimler and a Datsun are both cars, not all RPS's are created equal. News coverage in the general press often has little more than the headline percentage of renewables "required." The headline number doesn't mean much unless you know the details:"
500 solar-powered street food carts to hit New York streets this summer—by Walter Einenkel: "MOVE systems plans on releasing 500 new solar-powered "street food" carts into the wilds of New York City this summer. The city grants 2,800 year-round permits, 1,000 seasonal permits, 200 borough-specific permits, and 1,000 fruit and vegetable permits a year, and there's a long waiting list, so these new carts will likely go to established vendors who have signed up to trade in their carts. The first carts should roll out after Memorial Day. From the MOVE systems website: The current standard in the food cart industry is a cramped, antiquated metal box which uses propane tanks, a dangerous source for cooking fuel in urban environments. Our revolutionary, 21st century cart includes cutting edge technology, refrigeration, more work space, a cheaper and safer fuel source, and novel revenue opportunities for the mobile food vendor."
MIT study suggests solar power technology is up to the task now, not tomorrow—by Walter Einenkel: "MIT has released a pretty comprehensive study on solar energy, appropriately titled: The Future of Solar Energy. The study explores the practicality of solar-powered energy being able to help achieve carbon emissions goals. One of the more important findings of the study was the plausibility of achieving the technological touchstones needed. In sum, there appear to be no major commodity material constraints for terawatt-scale PV deployment through 2050. This rule tends to apply generally: growth rates in production capacity for commodity materials are usually not limited by raw materials, but rather by factors such as the availability of good production sites and skilled personnel. For some commodities, such as glass, aluminum, and copper, the amount of material required to support solar PV deployment at a level sufficient to meet 100% of projected global electricity demand in 2050 (i.e., 25 TWp installed capacity) exceeds six years at current annual production levels. This result suggests that large-scale PV deployment may eventually become a major driver for these commodity markets. The potential for terawatt-sized solar plants are achievable. There are companies achieving some pretty great solar milestones already."
The Inoculation Project 5/10/15: Renewable Energy Sources & Stem Materials—by nervousnellie: The Inoculation Project, founded in 2009 by hyperbolic pants explosion, is a group of Kossacks who gather weekly to combat the anti-science push in conservative America by providing direct funding to science and math projects in red state classrooms. Our conduit is DonorsChoose.org, a fourteen-year-old organization rated highly by both Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau. [...] Project: Capture the Power: Wind, Water, and Sun! Teaching in a school with a 63% poverty level can have its challenges. More than one-third of my class speaks English as a second language. Many of my students don't have access to learning opportunities beyond our city. My students are active, creative, and musical little sponges who love learning in new ways! My Project: With these sustainable energy kits, students can build a variety of robots, machines, tools, and modes of transportation using wind, water, and solar powers. My third graders will form hypotheses as to which renewable source gives the robots more power and speed, and will even have races on the playground, all the while recording and comparing/contrasting their findings in science journals. We know that hands-on materials work best with young minds, and having these energy kits would allow students to experience green living, not just read about it."
CA Dems Could Play Huge Climate Divestment Role—by Bill McKibben: "California’s the center of the new energy revolution—if there was ever any doubt about that, Elon Musk’s announcement of his new home battery from Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne settled the question. Pushed by the goad of the state’s progressive energy policies, and pulled by the chance to lead in the planet’s greatest energy transition, Silicon Valley is seeing a clean-power goldrush. And California’s also the center of the climate crisis—one center, anyway. When the state decided not even to carry out the regular May 1 measurement of the snowpack in the Sierras because there was no snowpack to measure, it told the story of the ever-deepening drought in dramatic form. So now’s the moment for the state of California to become the center of the divestment movement—to join the Rockefellers, or the Church of England, or the Syracuse University, or even Prince Charles in selling off its coal, oil and gas stocks, and thus sending a profound message to the world: the future lies with renewable energy. Digging stuff up and lighting it on the fire is the energy of the past."
"We have this handy fusion reactor in the sky -- it just works."—by jamess: "Tesla's Elon Musk Lights Up Social Media With A TED Style Keynote. After watching the keynote, I understand why many people are impressed with it. Elon Musk introduces Tesla Energy in a format that resembles more of a TED talk than a traditional product launch. Musk’s keynote offers leaders a blueprint for how to launch a product. Here are four specific reasons why Elon Musk delivered a 'a keynote to remember.' Define the problem and solution. Musk opened his keynote with a one-sentence vision of what he hopes to accomplish: 'A fundamental transformation in how energy is delivered across the Earth.' And with that he posed the problem. Alongside a slideshow that showed pictures of smokestacks emitting gases made up largely of carbon dioxide (CO2), Musk said, 'This is how it is today. It’s pretty bad. This is real. This is how most power in the world is generated, with fossil fuels.'"
Royal Dutch Shell Invades Seattle—by Lefty Coaster: "The Mayor of Seattle doesn't want Shell's Polar Pioneer to dock in Seattle. The Seattle City Council doesn't want Shell's Polar Pioneer to dock in Seattle. The Port of Seattle doesn't want Shell's Polar Pioneer to dock in Seattle until a further legal review of its lease of the terminal that is only permitted for cargo operations. But Royal Dutch Shell and its local contractor Foss Maritime aren't about to change their plans due to the opposition of a mere major city. Just before 2:30 AM the massive Polar Pioneer accompanied by four large Foss tugs left the harbor of Port Angeles. [...] A flotilla of protesters in kayaks calling themselves Kayaktivists plan to meet the Arctic Pioneer when it enters Seattle's Elliott Bay. [...] The arrogance of Royal Dutch Shell is breathtaking. Nevermind what the city government and the port want, Shell is determined to get its way with Seattle the same way they did with the Obama Administration in gaining its approval for its very risky and potentially lucrative exploration in the Arctic."
Keystone XL & Other Fossil Fuel Transportation
Iowa man claims pipeline rep offered him teenage prostitute in bid for his land—by Jen Hayden: "Big pipeline and big oil must really want Hughie Tweedy's land. He is claiming pipeline executives have offered him some unusual incentives: Hughie Tweedy of rural Montrose told reporters Monday that a regional representative of Dakota Access LLC on three separate occasions offered “the sexual services of a woman” if Tweedy would allow the pipeline to run through his property. Not just a woman, a "$1,200 teenage prostitute." And Tweedy says he has proof: Tweedy said he recorded two of the face-to-face conversations over beers. He said his lawyer recommended he not play the recording for the media because it may be used in possible future litigation. He said he would be willing to give them to state investigators if subpoenaed. This wouldn't be the first time oil and gas executives went to great lengths to get their way. And the booming oil fields in North Dakota have created an equally booming business of prostitution and sex trafficking."
Iowa Farmer Claims He Was Offered Teen Prostitute By Oil Company Seeking Pipeline Rights—by Chris Reeves: "Negotiating with farmers for property rights can be difficult—and greasing the wheels to make sure you get the right deal can be a bit of tough negotiating. If you've ever listened to a swap-talk or tradeo on the AM dial in the midwest, you know people who value a dollar. The idea of trading sex for land rights, though, harkens back to a different era in the midwest."
Oil Pipeline Company Tries To Bribe Landowner With 'Sexual Services of a Teenage Prostitute'.—by LieparDestin: "Hughie Tweedy is (besides wonderfully named) a self described 'junkyard dog libertarian' who isn't going to be swayed by offers of sexual favors. Tweedy said he does not want the pipeline to run through his property, and as a self-described Libertarian, he does not think the government should force him to acquiesce via eminent domain. Tweedy said he has expressed his position multiple times to Dakota Access officials. Tweedy said the company’s regional representative offered 'a $1,200 teenage prostitute' in exchange for his cooperation."
another oil train burns & another pipeline spills; with oil supply down, is fracking coming back?—by rjsigmund: "After a lull of nearly 2 months, there was once again another fiery derailment of an oil train carrying Bakken crude this week, this time in North Dakota itself ... on Wednesday morning, a 109-car Burlington Northern Santa Fe train saw 10 of its cars leave the tracks and 6 of those burst into flames, about two miles outside of the small town of Heimdal, North Dakota...recalling the explosive train wreck of oil tankers in nearby Casselton, where 400,000 gallons of crude were spilled on December 30 2013, authorities evacuated the entire population of Heimdal and nearby farms while first responders fought the blaze..fortunately, this load of Bakken crude had been treated to remove the most volatile compounds, and as a result was less volatile than the mandated limit, so firefighters were able to get control of the fire within a day, allowing residents to return home ... BNSF managed to get the rails repaired and reopened for more oil trains by Friday afternoon, while the oil remaining in the derailed cars was being offloaded onto tanker trucks ... of course, the pipeline advocates think these exploding trains are just great, as it presents them with the opportunity to present legislation to expedite taking property for pipelines in energy producing states under the the guise of saving America from the bomb trains..."
Candidates, DC, State & Local Eco-Politics
How Green is that Guy?—by
jamess: "Well according to this Super Pac, who's goal is to address "greatest challenge facing ours and future generations," that GuySenator Bernie Sanders—is pretty darn Green. How Bernie Sanders can be the greenest presidential candidate ever. The Democratic presidential primary race got its second major candidate last week, and its first true climate hawk: Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, self-described democratic socialist. Sanders has one of the strongest climate change records in the Senate. In fact, according to rankings released last week by Climate Hawks Vote, a new Super Pac, Sanders was the No 1 climate leader in the Senate for the 113th Congress that ended in January. [...] 'Sanders is very much among the top leaders,” says RL Miller, founder of Climate Hawks Vote. 'He has a record of really strong advocacy for solar in particular.' Miller notes that distributed solar, which enables everyone with a solar panel to create their own energy instead of relying on a monopolistic utility company, fits especially well with Sanders’ democratic socialist philosophy. It’s bad for corporations and good for regular folks who get to own the means of production. [...]"
Which 24 Democrats Just Voted to Hobble Clean Water Regulations?—by Liberty Equality Fraternity and Trees: "Yesterday, House Republicans did one of their favorite things: attack the EPA. They did this in the form of the so-called 'Regulatory Integrity Protection Act,' a bill that would overturn an EPA rule aimed at redefining which streams, ponds, wetlands, and other waterways are under its Clean Water Act jurisdiction. The Supreme Court ordered the federal government to define its 'waters of the United States' jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act in a 2001 case. The EPA has thus been working on this rule for over a decade. And Republicans, in response to industry lobbying, want to make them start all over. [...] Brad Ashford (NE-02); Sanford Bishop (GA-02); Cheri Bustos (IL-17); Jim Clyburn (SC-06); Jim Cooper (TN-05); Jim Costa (CA-16; Henry Cuellar (TX-28); Danny Davis (IL-07); John Delaney (MD-06); Gwen Graham (FL-02); Gene Green (TX-29); Robin Kelly (IL-02); Sean Maloney (NY-19); Collin Peterson (MN-07); Cedric Richmond (LA-02); Kurt Schrader (OR-05); David Scott (GA-13); Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09); Eric Swalwell (CA-15); Bennie Thompson (MS-02)
Norma Torres (CA-35); Marc Veasey (TX-33); Filemon Vela (TX-34); Tim Walz (MN-01)."
AP: Rick Scott Is Letting Florida Drown—by Dartagnan: "Republican Gov. Rick Scott is skeptical of man-made climate change and has put aside the task of preparing for sea level rise, an Associated Press review of thousands of emails and documents pertaining to the state's preparations for rising seas found. Despite warnings from water experts and climate scientists about risks to cities and drinking water, skepticism over sea level projections and climate change science has hampered planning efforts at all levels of government, the records showed. Florida's environmental agencies under Scott have been downsized and retooled, making them less effective at coordinating sea level rise planning in the state, the documents showed. St. Augustine, Florida, America's oldest city, is submerging. It's not a mystery what's causing it, it's happening throughout the state, and local officials are very much aware that it isn't going to magically stop."
Eco-Action & Eco Justice
Guardian: FBI violated its own protocol in investigation of anti-Keystone XL pipeline activists—by Meteor Blades: "The FBI breached its own internal rules when it spied on campaigners against the Keystone XL pipeline, failing to get approval before it cultivated informants and opened files on individuals protesting against the construction of the pipeline in Texas, documents reveal. Internal agency documents show for the first time how FBI agents have been closely monitoring anti-Keystone activists, in violation of guidelines designed to prevent the agency from becoming unduly involved in sensitive political issues. The FBI, of course, has a long history of focusing attention on political activists, infiltrating dissident organizations, including totally peaceful ones, and in many instances acting as agents provocateurs to sabotage the work of perfectly legal groups established to oppose government policies, including wars of choice. From the 1950s until publicly exposed in the early 1970s, the bureau ran COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program, which infiltrated various organizations, forged documents, planted false stories in the media sometimes with the knowing assistance of 'journalists,' harassed some people and smeared others with false rumors, spurred members to commit violent acts and engaged in actions that led to the murders of some activists. All in the name of national security. As noted here in February, the bureau has made home visits to climate activists, asking them to identify other activists engaged in opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline and the extraction of bitumen from tar sands deposits. One of those groups, the documents show, was the direct-action group, the Tar Sands Blockade."
Agriculture, Food & Gardening
Has the Tide Turned On Bee-Killing Pesticides? New Bans & Scientists Warn of Ecological Damage—by ZhenRen: "The accumulating evidence that a class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids are impacting bee populations is finally being noticed by governmental departments in the United Sates, which are increasingly joining in on a ban of the pesticides. And an important group of scientists of the European Union Academies of Science has issued a report which concludes more ecological damage from the pesticides has occurred than previously understood (more below on this). It may be that with the accumulated evidence, (for examples see here, here, and here), the tide is turning against the use of this controversial pesticide. But critics say the bans in many cases don't go far enough, and the loopholes (yes, of course there are loopholes—when are there ever a lack of loopholes?) need to be closed."
Alarming news that has scientists buzzing: 42% of honeybee colonies in the U.S. died last year—by Jen Hayden: "Scientists are concerned about the troubling new data on honeybee colonies: Since April 2014, beekeepers lost 42.1 per cent of their colonies, the second-highest rate in nine years, according to an annual survey conducted by a bee partnership that includes the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 'What we're seeing with this bee problem is just a loud signal that there's some bad things happening with our agro-ecosystems,' said study co-author Keith Delaplane at the University of Georgia. 'We just happen to notice it with the honeybee because they are so easy to count.'"
Lawsuit Forces Mega-Dairies to Supply Manure-Free Drinking Water for First Time in 20 Years—by Paul Bland for Public Justice: "Huge factory-like dairies in Yakima, Washington, that confine tens of thousands of cows were storing millions of gallons of liquid manure in open air cesspools and then dumping it several feet high onto a few fields, and calling it “fertilizer.” In fact, the dairies referred to it as “liquid gold.” The best thing that can be said of that characterization would be that it was a euphemism; it might be better characterized as, metaphorically, a bigger load of shit than they were dumping into the environment. [...] But a cool thing happened: The community fought back. After twenty years of fighting for the basic right of clean water and a clean environment, local community groups and some terrific Washington state lawyers teamed up with national environmental warriors, and in February 2013 they filed a case under a great federal environmental law called the Resource Conservation Recovery Act. It gives courts the power to restrict 'solid waste' pollution that may be endangering public health or the environment. The dairies argued that no court had ever before held that cow manure can be a solid waste under RCRA, which was true. As they put it, how can 'liquid gold' be a solid waste? [...] And then a second cool thing happened: On January 15, 2015, after extensive testing had been conducted and scientific evidence gathered, Judge Thomas Rice of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington held that in this case, the mega-dairies’ use of that manure had nothing to do with fertilizer. Instead, the Judge said that, given the evidence and the dairies’ own admissions, they were essentially using their crop fields, compost piles and cow pens as a giant open dump."
USDA proposing voluntary restrictions to Big Agriculture to reduce carbon emissions. Yeah. Right.—by VL Baker: "It's essential to reduce emissions from Big Ag if we are going to meet climate goals and stop the worst effects of climate change. So this new announcement from the USDA is welcome. But... When you look at what they are proposing it certainly seems sensible enough, a lot of actions that will probably reduce emissions, all voluntary of course. They will give financial incentives to the industry to encourage complying with the restrictions. This is on top of continued subsidies because the Big Ag lobby is one of the most powerful on the planet and you certainly don't want to piss them off."
Argentina vs. Monsanto—by Robocop: "The recent announcement by the World Health Organization concerning the carcinogenic nature of glyphosate, the chief component of Monsanto’s weed killer, Roundup, has apparently encouraged a group of physicians in Argentina to demand that its government ban the substance altogether. Environmentalists and other public health advocates were already seeking to rid their country of Monsanto and their agricultural practices, and now Fresprosa, a medical organization that represents more than 30,000 professionals, has joined the chorus of voices demanding a complete ban on Roundup. Monsanto began operations in Argentina in 1996, which has become the third largest soybean producer in the world. The company promised, as they still do despite mounting evidence against such claims, higher yields and lower pesticide use."
Transportation & Infrastructure
Senate GOP killed $2 billion for Amtrak repairs in 2011—by Jon Perr: "While investigators are working to understand the causes of the deadly Amtrak train derailment in Philadelphia, the Republicans' best and brightest are adding insult to injury. On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee voted along party lines to slash $260 million from Amtrak funding. Meanwhile, David Frum, the man who brought you "the Axis of Evil," brought some evil of his own to Twitter: Awful that America's railway lines are in such bad shape. If only the country had committed $800 billion to a massive stimulus program. Leave aside for the moment that over 40 percent of President Obama's 2009 stimulus program was delivered in the form of tax cuts. In 2011, every Senate Republican voted to filibuster Obama's American Jobs Act and its $2 billion in repair and renovation money for Amtrak."
Hours after crash, House Republicans slash Amtrak budget—by DiesIrae: "Less than 24 hours after the Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia that has killed at least 7 and injured dozens more, the House Appropriations committee voted against a $1.1 billion increase to Amtrak funding. The increase was proposed in President Obama's budget, and introduced as an amendment in the committee by Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA): 'These riders deserve safe, secure, and modern infrastructure,' Mr. Fattah said. 'While it’s too early to speculate on the cause of last night’s derailment, ensuring safety and reliability on our railways requires substantial investment in Amtrak. And it is imperative we continue to prioritize our country’s investment in transportation infrastructure.' It was voted down by Republicans on the committee, who cited sequestration: 'Yes, these numbers are tough to live with,' Mr. Rogers [(R-KY)] said. 'The Budget Control Act is the law of the land, dictates what we can’t do and we’re appropriating up to the level of the law.' And now they're prepared to slash funding further: not only are they rejecting Rep. Fattah's request, but they are actually planning to CUT Amtrak funding by over $250 million—15%—from last year's funding levels."
Reinvest in America’s aging, overburdened transportation infrastructure—by Zoe Lipman via bgalliance: "The opinion piece, 'Let our Cities Move,' in Wednesday’s New York Times by Mayors Bill DeBlasio of New York City and Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City is bipartisan, inter-regional and compelling. They underscore the critical importance of reinvesting in America’s aging, overburdened transportation infrastructure of all kinds as a critical enabler of individual economic opportunity, and our global economic and business competitiveness. Modern transportation infrastructure can also greatly improve quality of life and environmental performance. The mayors also stressed the strong local support for investing in transportation in communities across the country, and the essential complementary role of long term, federal funding to make these major projects possible. Getting serious about building the modern infrastructure our country needs has an additional benefit—the chance to drive forward national manufacturing recovery and growth. The BlueGreen Alliance, working with the Environmental Law and Policy Center, released a report report earlier this year in which we mapped the manufacturing supply chain for just one part of this infrastructure: transit and passenger rail (subways, commuter rail, Amtrak)."
Tesla Motors Starts Manufacturing Chain in Michigan—by Muskegon Critic: "A few days ago Tesla Motors bought out an automobile supplier in Grand Rapids,Michigan. They purchased Riviera tool, a company just a door or two down from where I'm working these days. Teslas were driving up and down the industrial park, and from what I hear the old Riviera sign is going to be taken down and a new Tesla Motors sign is going to be put up. ... they're shuffling their current workload to other suppliers and taking on Tesla parts full time. It's a net GAIN regionally, of work! How's that for a fat slice of good news? This is the first presence Tesla Motors has in Michigan, and of course I made unmanly squealing sounds of joy when I heard about it."
Why do Republicans really oppose infrastructure spending?—by RETIII: "As the Amtrak derailment showed (again), the refusal to spend on infrastructure literally kills. Also, infrastructure spending: (i) is necessary and unavoidable (failure to timely spend on infrastructure increases the deficit in real terms), (ii) improves the gross domestic product and competitiveness, and (iii) is an obvious source for increased employment, particularly in currently hard hit segments. Moreover, infrastructure spending remains unambiguously popular. Indeed, infrastructure spending historically has had bipartisan support. So, why are modern Republicans ideologically opposed to infrastructure spending today? For example: In 2012, House Republicans introduced a transportation bill (including cuts in Amtrak subsidies and increases in truck-weight limits) that Ray LaHood, secretary of transportation during Obama’s first term, called 'the worst transportation bill I’ve ever seen during 35 years of public service.' LaHood himself had been a seven-term Republican congressman from Illinois before he agreed to serve in Obama’s cabinet."
Adventures & Misadventures of an EV in the Country (Part 2)—by joelado: "This blog is the second in a series describing my experience of owning an all electric Nissan, Leaf in the country. The distances between places are much farther apart and charging opportunities are virtually nonexistent other than at home. My thinking, my assumption prior to this experiment was that owning and using an electric vehicle in the country would be an extreme challenge. However, I had no experience living in the country or owning an EV to prove my assumption. Now that I am living in the country I thought it might be a perfect time to see if my assumption was true. My first challenge was getting the vehicle back from the dealer. The shortest route to the dealer would have been about 55 miles from my home, however, do to being directionally challenged I took a detour and ended up going 80.1 miles to get back home from the dealer. We made it, but you will have to read my first installment of this blog to get the story of that adventure."
Trade & Eco-Related Foreign Policy
President Obama don't fail us Historically...—by Wade Norris: "The TPP , if he pushes it through, against the wishes of many in his own party, it will be a terrible legacy for us in terms of Jobs, wages, and most importantly the Environment. Consider this: 'If the environment chapter is finalized as written in this leaked document, President Obama’s environmental trade record would be worse than George W. Bush’s,” said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club. “This draft chapter falls flat on every single one of our issues—oceans, fish, wildlife, and forest protections - and in fact, rolls back on the progress made in past free trade pacts.'"
We Can Act on Global Warming or We Can Have TPP But We Can't Do Both—by Lefty Coaster: "Investor oriented Free Trade under T.P.P. is NOT compatible with taking action to limit Global Warming. Why? Because T.P.P. (like the WTO) includes a poison pill mechanism to penalize any national government that's a signatory for taking action to limit Global Warming. Here are a few excerpts from Naomi Klein's book 'This Changes Everything' from chapter two titled HOT MONEY How Free Market Fundamentalism Helped Overheat the Planet. Almost a decade ago, a WTO official claimed that the organization enables challenges against 'almost any measure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.' p.80. And the WTO is far from the only trade weapon that can be used in such battles-so too can countless bilateral and regional free trade and investment agreements. p.80."
Eco-Essays and Eco-Philosophy
Bill McKibben on Obama and Shell Oil—by Cassiodorus: "Yeah, I know, maybe if I'm very lucky this will generate another Rox/ Sux piefight, just like this diary has generated one today about Hillary Clinton. I think of those piefights as opportunities -- they give you all an opportunity to share where you really stand, rather than being able to put on leftistface while using "omigod Republicans" as a backup debating strategy. I suppose that we will be reading the leftistface/ omigod Republicans shuffle until 2036, when we can expect famine, drought, and climate-change adjusted heat waves to ravage 93% America while great methane fireballs emerge from the floors of our dead oceans and explode into flames. And even then nobody will be able to figure out where the "liberal Democrats" stand on Presidents who support oil interests. At any rate, here is this diary's main course, a statement day-before-yesterday by Bill McKibben."
The War on Terror & Climate Change—by John Crapper: "The line between oil and terrorism is clear. Oil money is being systematically used to keep semi-feudal royal families in power, propagate hostility against the West, modernity, non-Muslims, and women. And that's not all. There is a line between the effects of climate change and unrest in a country due to it. Take for instance the upheaval we're witnessing in Syria. The conflict that has torn Syria apart can be traced, in part, to a record drought worsened by global warming, a new study claims. In what scientists say is one of the most detailed and strongest connections between violence and human-caused climate change, researchers from Columbia University and the University of California Santa Barbara trace the effects of Syria's drought from the collapse of farming, to the migration of 1.5 million farmers to the cities, and then to poverty and civil unrest. If the United States and it's Western allies made a concerted effort to reduce and eventually eliminate their dependence on Middle Eastern oil, funding for terrorism would be dramatically reduced and we might actually begin to eliminate the threat posed by terrorism around the world."
The problem is "psychological" not technological—by don mikulecky: "My co-author, Jim Coffman, sent me this on facebook .Ecocide: The Psychology of Environmental Destruction Here's what he said: It's good to know that other scholars have independently come to the same conclusion that Don and I came to in our book Global Insanity, which is that the wicked problem faced by humanity is largely psychological (which makes it far more difficult to solve than if it were merely technological--think of how hard it is to change an individual's psychology, then try to imagine how to do the same for billions of individuals).' The report is by Steve Taylor, Ph.D. who is a senior lecturer in psychology at Leeds Metropolitan University, UK. He is the author of Back to Sanity (link is external)."
Oceans, Water & Drought
There's a fine line between "ecological disaster" and "love potion"—by thefarleftside :
Winnemem Wintu speaker responds to Brown's "Shut Up!" comment—by
Dan Bacher: "Gary Mulcahy of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe had a response to Jerry Brown's comment during a speech in Sacramento that opponents of the twin tunnels should 'Shut Up' unless they had spent a "million hours" on the project like the administration's staff had. 'The Winnemem Wintu and California Indians have been on these rivers for over 6,000 years, praying for the water and praying for the salmon streams and fisheries all this time,' said Mulcahy at a noon program at California Rivers Day at the State Capitol in Sacramento on Monday, May 11. 'We know our rivers and salmon and what they need. So Tunnel Vision Brown, until you have been on the rivers for over 6,000 years, Shut Up.' The Tribe has been fighting for years to stop a federal plan to raise Shasta Dam, a project that would inundate many of the Winnemen Wintu's remaining sacred sites, and to restore the original run of winter run Chinook salmon, now thriving in New Zealand, to the McCloud River above Lake Shasta."
Nestlé Boss Wants To Bottle MORE Water Despite California Drought—by Timaeus: "Warning! Capitalist pig alert. The boss of Nestlé Waters has said the company wants to increase the amount of water it bottles in California despite a devastating drought across the state that has triggered demonstrations at the corporation’s bottling plant. Tim Brown, chief executive of Nestlé Waters North America, said the company would 'absolutely not' stop bottling in California and would actually like to 'increase' the amount of ground source water it uses. Asked in a local radio interview if Nestlé would consider following Starbucks’ lead and stop bottling water in California during the drought, Brown said:'Absolutely not. In fact, if I could increase it, I would.'"
Buckle up, California–scientists predict you're about to ride one hell of a long heat wave—by Jen Hayden: "As if the drought in California weren't bad enough, scientists are predicting Los Angeles temps are going to start heating up: By 2050, parts of Los Angeles County are forecast to experience triple or quadruple the number of days of extreme heat if nothing is done to control greenhouse gas emissions, placing further demand on the region’s drinking water and electricity, according to two new reports by UCLA scientists. That could mean that by mid-century, downtown Los Angeles could see an average of 22 days of extreme heat—days in which the high temperature exceeds 95 degrees—up from an annual average of six days recorded between 1981 and 2000. And if 2050 looks bad, take a look at 2100: The situation is even worse by the year 2100. By then, downtown Los Angeles could face a total of 54 days of extreme heat a year, and the San Gabriel Valley, 117 days. By then, Palm Springs could see nearly half a year—179 days—of soaring temperatures."
Nestlé CEO wants to pump more water out of drought-stricken California for bottled water business—by Jen Hayden: "Larry Mantle, host of AirTalk on KPCC, had two high-profile guests on his show this week–NASA's Jay Famiglietti, who has been making the media rounds to sound the alarm on California's increasingly desperate water shortage and Nestlé Waters North America CEO Tim Brown. The topic was the business of bottled water in California, where Nestlé pumps tens of millions of gallons of water which is bottled and sold nationwide. It's difficult to say exactly how much water they use, cities like Sacramento, where tap water is sold to be packaged as bottled water, don't even keep track how much is being shipped away for bottling. When asked whether Nestlé would follow the lead of Starbuck's and move their bottled water operations out of California, Nestlé Waters North America CEO Tim Brown gave a surprising response: 'Absolutely not. In fact, if I could increase it, I would.'"
Kitchen Table Kibitzing: Spring into Summer—by Paradise50: "I voted for this proposition as did the majority in the state. I personally voted for it hoping it would thwart the Twin Tunnel Project from happening. The Sites reservoir will hold up to 640,000 acre feet of water each year while also restoring significant watershed habitat. Had this project not been given the go ahead, the Twin Tunnel Project was a certainty, IMO. Also, the Sites Reservoir isn't a new thing as it's been in the works for decades and basically just needed the public to pass the funding of it. Well, locally farmers were outraged that any of the money is to be spent on the environment. For days in my local paper the editorial page just viciously went after that part of it stating the entire money should be for water for farmers not tree-hugging environmental crap or water for salmon and other fish. Apparently the farmers got to Jerry (they always do). He now has decided to slash the 100,000 acres of environmental improvements down to just 30,000 acres. Heck that's about the same amount of land as the 29,000 acres of new almond orchards planted in the last couple years. Sheesh!"
Amidst historic drought, Wal-Mart continues to profit by bottling Sacramento tap water—by Jen Hayden: "As California remains in an extreme drought with no end in sight, residents are questioning why Wal-Mart is making extreme profits off the Sacramento water supply: According to its own labeling, the water in the gallon jugs appears to come from Sacramento’s water supply. Sacramento sells water to a bottler, DS Services of America, at 99 cents for every 748 gallons—the same rate as other commercial and residential customers. That water is then bottled and sold at Walmart for 88 cents per gallon, meaning that $1 of water from Sacramento turns into $658.24 for Walmart and DS Services. The news comes on the heels of an announcement last month that the city is asking residents to cut water consumption by a whopping 36%."
Trash, Pollution & Hazardous Waste
Duke Energy pleads guilty to all nine Clean Water Act violations—by Walter Einenkel: "It's been a rough time for Duke Energy. That's been making hundreds of millions of dollars pulling natural resources from the grounds of North Carolina for years. And just because of one little mistake that's forced numerous environmental violations into the light, suddenly Duke Energy finds itself having to cut plea deal after plea deal. Duke, the country’s largest energy company, pleaded guilty to nine violations of the Clean Water Act and agreed to pay $102 million in fines, including $68 million in criminal fines and $34 million that will go toward environmental projects and land conservation. The plea entered in federal court in Greenville, North Carolina was expected as part of a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice announced in February. Lest you feel bad for Duke Energy don't worry, they're getting off pretty easy considering that they've seemingly poisoned most of the water they come into contact with in North Carolina."
Kenneth R. Feinberg to SCOTUS: “The BP Oil Spill Fund has been extraordinarily effective!"—by Brian J Donovan: "On September 4, 2014, Kenneth R. Feinberg filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of BP. In his brief, Feinberg asks the Supreme Court to grant cert because claim facilities, like the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, [allegedly] apply a causation requirement that parallels that of the tort system. Feinberg argues the settlement agreed to by BP does not include as strong a causation requirement, and this threatens the possibility of future compensation funds to solve mass torts. Feinberg’s argument is flawed. Yes, the BP oil spill settlement imposes a looser causation requirement than tort law requires. However, that causation requirement was agreed to by BP in order for claimants to be able to try to collect under the settlement and obtain closure for BP."
Forests, Wilderness & Public Lands
A new Group is born—by MorrellWI1983: "Hello everyone. I'm just composing this diary to announce a creation of a new group—Antiquities Act Defenders and Supporters. As the name shows it will focus on the Antiquities Act, its history as legislation, and court cases that have sprung from use of the Act by various Presidents, including Theodore Roosevelt, FDR, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. the goal of the group will be to see a restoration of Act authority to states currently exempted from the Act or have limits on Act usage in the state—specifically Wyoming and Alaska. A modernization of the act to include much stronger fines and penalties for damaging antiquities or removing artifacts, such as petrified woods, petroglyphs etc, combined with a said restoration of Presidential ability, is the ideal outcome."
Miscellany
Back to the PO Box: Lomborg Loses UWA Position—by climatedenierroundup: "Good news, everyone! The University of Western Australia has dropped Bjorn Lomborg's Consensus Centre! After a few weeks—during which the school's students and professors expressed their outrage and others called attention to Lomborg's career of contrarianism— UWA's Vice-Chancellor announced that the university ultimately decided to cancel the contract for the Consensus Centre and return the money for its creation to the Australian government. While the Vice-Chancellor's statement makes it clear he doesn't agree with the decision, he acknowledges that Lomborg's center 'lacks the support needed across the university and the broader academic community.' In less happy news, the Vice-Chancellor's letter offers plenty of red meat to Lomborg's supporters, who are using this as an excuse to trot out the 'academic freedom' argument (for example, the trifecta of a column, op-ed and editorial in the Murdoch's Australian.) UWA staff and others are praising the decision and pushing back, saying that it's 'not about censorship,' but rather "academic integrity" and '[the Australian] government's design to get someone in place…to try and suggest that climate change isn't as significant an issue as it is.'"
Lomborg Cries Censorship in the WSJ—by climatedenierroundup: "Bjorn Lomborg plays the victim card hard in his latest WSJ op-ed. In the piece, Lomborg complains of "being mugged by climate censors" who successfully convinced the University of Western Australia to reject the $4 million the Australian Government offered UWA to host a spin-off of Lomborg's Copenhagen Consensus Center. Lomborg accuses the opponents of 'making up facts' and ignoring his non-climate research, which is ironic given that there's a whole book detailing the ways Lomborg makes claims without citation and uses cherry-picked evidence. Greg Laden has a great post recounting the story, and he provides ample evidence for UWA's decision to ditch Lomborg (though you can also just look at Laden's face-palm graphic to see exactly why no one should listen to Lomborg.) That said, one thing Laden doesn't cover is Lomborg's brazen doublespeak, which Lomborg employs at the end of his piece. Given that the UWA Center was conceived and funded by the Australian government, it's hard not to laugh when Lomborg says the lesson of his censorship for young academics is to: 'Avoid producing research that could produce politically difficult answers.' What's more, when leaked documents reveal the Government was trying to use the University Center and your research to justify further policy inaction, it's a tad disingenuous to claim that your work is rejected because 'it means upsetting the status quo.'"
This video gives a clear view of our impact on earth—by Walter Einenkel: "VOX has put together a video stitching together years of satellite imagery around the globe, showing how humans have impacted the earth in a variety of ways. It is beautiful and disturbing and amazing all at once:You get to see the impact of humans on: Water. Forests. Our urban sprawls. Our energy needs. Climate change."
Stunning NASA video shows humanity's impact on Earth—by VL Baker: "Feeling paranoid? You should. NASA and The U.S. Geological Survey’s Landsat satellite program have been watching us from space for over forty years. The satellite orbits the Earth 14 times a day and takes photos of the entire surface of our planet every eighteen days. In the video, photos taken over the last four decades have been strung together to show humanity’s footprint on five different locations. From the shocking deforestation of Rondônia, Brazil (where the area’s global beef exports have mowed down enough trees to fill the state of West Virginia), to the rampant water use in the Aral Sea causing a loss of 60,000 fishery jobs due to rising salt levels. You’ll also see how the the dirty energy industry has literally stripped away Wyoming’s natural resources, and how much the Larson B Ice Shelf has collapsed due to climate change. And in the GIF above from Vox, notice how the increasing number of golf courses and artificial lakes in rapidly growing Las Vegas are an ironic harbinger of the area’s relentless drought."
Wyoming makes undercover reporting of Environmental Disasters without permission illegal.—by windsong01: "This is an interesting story that is spreading all over environmentally conscious sites like a wildfire. Most of the articles covered how environmental investigative reporting photo shoots could now get you a whopping $5,000 fine and imprisonment of not less than 10 days or up to one year or both in Wyoming. This bill was like most of the recent passed ag-gag bills that have been popping up around the country. However this one seems to have created a uproar among environmentalist because of a vague definition of meaning of “collection” and ”intention” in the bill. Section D states that "Collect" means to take a sample of material, acquire, gather, photograph or otherwise preserve information in any form from open land which is submitted or “intended” to be submitted to any agency of the state or federal government."
Amazing ideas of what to do with discarded mega oil tankers—by Walter Einenkel: "The description of The Black Gold project, which can be found on Dutch designer Chris Collaris's website, seems fanciful enough. THE BLACK GOLD project explores a new sustainable potential of a discarded mega oil tanker ship. The mega oil tanker ship can be seen as the perfect icon representing the geographic, economic and cultural history of the Arabic oil states. The concept is to repurpose the decommissioned Mega oil tankers and turn them into public building projects. Mega tankers are filled, for decades with all kinds of chemicals, and they are made (mostly) out of a whole lot of steel. They are also incredibly dangerous to break down."
The Raiders Of Your Lost Retirement: Saudi Solar, Carbon Bubble, TPP—by divineorder: "Could not find anything about divestment moves on the TRS fund like I found for other states. But the article surely makes the case for getting out of oil and minerals and into alternatives. What is the carbon bubble? Despite how it may sound, the term does not refer to a bubble of carbon dioxide gas. Instead, it refers to the idea that as the world gets serious about moving to a low carbon economy then we are going to have to leave a large quantity of fossil fuels in the ground. And leaving a large quantity of fossil fuels in the ground leaves companies that are invested in the extraction, processing, transport or use of those fuels—not to mention the individuals, banks and pension funds who are invested in those companies—vulnerable to the risk of 'stranded assets.' In much the same way as the financial crisis of 2008 rendered huge quantities of home loans largely worthless, a new energy landscape could render investments considered prudent under one set of assumptions substantially less lucrative and/or not worth the paper they are written on if those assumptions prove wrong. One would think that surely the oil and gas movers and shakers are on top of this and won't let it happen. But apparently they got so used to the megatons of profit they have made in recent years that they are not changing their business plan and hoping that the joy ride continues."