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Great News For Whales! 19 y
National Resources Defense Council (NDRC) helps protect the world's last unspoiled gray whale nursery at San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja, Mexico.
From: National Resources Defense Council
Great news for the environment is rare these days, so it’s all the more
important to celebrate when we get some.
I’m thrilled to report a big leap forward in our ambitious campaign to
save the world’s last unspoiled gray whale nursery at San Ignacio Lagoon in
Baja, Mexico.
Yesterday, an historic agreement was signed that will permanently
protect 120,000 undeveloped acres on the banks of the gray whale lagoon. This
breakthrough deal is the first phase in our visionary plan to protect
one million acres surrounding the greatest whale bre ... read more Amazon Deforestation 19 y
Brazilian police crack down on illegal logging in the Amazon. Drop in soy bean prices contributes to less logging.
Amazon ’illegal loggers’ arrested
By Tom Gibb
BBC News, Sao Paulo
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4381040.stm
Illegal logging has devastated large areas of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest
Brazil has cracked down on a network in the Amazon that allegedly forged permits to transport millions of dollars worth of illegal timber.
Federal police arrested at least 34 people in connection with the case.
The dawn raids were carried out in five different states across the Amazon.
Environmental groups have praised the crackdown, but said it was not enough to stop the illegal des ... read more Bad Day for Environment 19 y
U.S. House Resources Committee approved a measure that would weaken the federal ban on new offshore gas and oil drilling. Both House and Senate resource committees approved provisions that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. And the House Resources Committee approved language intended to spur a sell-off of public lands to mining companies.
October 27, 2005 latimes.com : Science : Environment
House Panel Favors Expanded Drilling
The vote increases the prospects of arctic refuge oil exploration. A provision to allow searches off U.S. coasts faces greater opposition.
By Richard Simon, Times Staff Writer
WASHINGTON — In the latest sign of the political jitters on Capitol Hill over high gasoline prices, a House panel voted Wednesday to relax a long-standing federal ban on new oil and gas drilling off most of the U.S. coast and to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to energy exploration.
The action by the Hous ... read more Doggone Smart! 19 y
Dogs have far greater mental capabilities than scientists had thought. They can imitate human behavior, and learn by paying attention to people.
Christian Science Monitor
Environment
from the October 26, 2005 edition
Why your dog is smarter than a wolf
By Colin Woodard | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – At Eotvos Lorand University’s Department of Ethology, visitors are usually greeted not by a security guard, but by a delegation of friendly mongrels, tails wagging. Dogs have the run of the place. They play in classrooms, visit faculty members in their offices, or nap in the laboratories. Animals here are no surprise - ethology is the zoological study of animal behavior - but the total ... read more Cuban Disaster Averted 19 y
Cuba has an excellent preparedness plan for hurricanes. Not a single Cuban life was lost to Hurricane Wilma. Americans would benefit from adopting similar measures for disaster preparedness. Don't wait for the government to help--why not start preparedness in our own neighborhoods!
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/12999384.htm
Posted on Wed, Oct. 26, 2005
Wilma floods Havana but kills none
VANESSA ARRINGTON Associated Press HAVANA - Dozens of city blocks in the Cuban capital were immersed in sea water after Hurricane Wilma swept past the island en route to Florida - but not a single death was reported.
Around the Caribbean, Wilma was blamed for at least 22 deaths - five in Florida, 12 in Haiti, at least four in Mexico and one in Jamaica.
Part of the country’s good fortune could be because Wilma never made landfall here, but many also cr ... read more "Dirty Air" Bill Fails! 19 y
"Dirty Air" bill, that would have provided subsidies to energy industry, defeated in committee
"Dirty Air" Refinery Bill Stopped in Committee!
A huge victory for clean air and our nation’s public health -- thanks to you and all who took action to help kill this bill!
Yesterday, we warned you Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) was trying to pass legislation that would have provided a taxpayer giveaway to cash-rich oil companies, while rolling back clean-air protections for millions of Americans. We wanted you to hear the good news: this morning, the "Dirty Air" measure failed to pass the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee on a vote of ... read more Welfare for Rich 19 y
Welfare for the Rich: Two articles from Grist Magazine: Multi-millionaire "family farmers" continue to receive millions in agriculture subsidies. The five largest oil firms make record billions in earnings this quarter, while continuing to collect oil subsidies from U.S. government. Meanwhile, consumers pay more at the pump and California's water supply is being depleted.
NEW IN GRIST Barbarians at the Irrigate Big Ag wins, fish and wildlife lose in California’s water wars
Thanks in part to a recent public-relations blitz and some crucial assistance from the Bush administration, Big Agriculture seems to have won California’s decades-long water wars. Irrigation districts in California’s Central Valley are signing federal contracts that ensure taxpayer-funded water supply for the next 25 to 50 years. Meanwhile, multi-millionaire "family farmers" -- many of whom live in mansions miles from their mega-farms -- continue to receive ... read more Soy vs. Meat 19 y
Grist Magazine posted an article about the environmental benefits of eating soy over meat. Grist readers respond to the article in very interesting ways...I didn't know, for instance, that soy crops are a major cause of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon--thought this was attributable to raising cattle!
Say It Ain’t Soy!
Readers talk back about vegetarianism and soy
21 Oct 2005
Write your own letter.
Umbra’s column on the environmental impact of soy vs. that of meat inspired readers of all stripes -- OK, mostly the stripes that are anti-soy -- to share their opinions. Here’s a sample of the deluge that hit our inbox, and there’s a whole lot more posted in Gristmill, our blog.
Dear Editor:
What a disappointment your defense of soy vs. meat is! You dismiss soy’s harmful effects in one subordinate clause: "Despite c ... read more Wind Power! 19 y
As costs for electricity from coal and gas-fired power plants continues to soar, alternative energy sources like wind power will be in greater demand.
latimes.com : A Section http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-power15oct15,1,610783...
October 15, 2005
Windfall? No, but Savings Ahead
The soaring costs of coal- and gas-fired power plants will allow wind-energy customers to pocket other benefits of their investment.
By Nicholas Riccardi, Times Staff Writer
DENVER — Tom DeMoulin was not expecting a bargain when he began buying his electricity from wind farms in the late 1990s. In fact, the community college instructor paid an extra $5 a month to his local utility to strike a blow against the coal- and g ... read more Fuel Cells 19 y
Japanese electronics firms are developing miniature fuel cells to generate and store electricity in small electronic gadgets. This technology may lead to fuel cell use in cars and homes.
All Features Great, and Small
Teensy fuel cells offer greener power sources for small gadgets
Yes, yes, your new iPod nano is very cool. But wouldn’t it be just that much cooler if
you could recharge it with a small bottle of clear liquid? It might happen: Toshiba
and other Japanese electronics firms are developing itty-bitty fuel cells to juice up
portable gadgets. Unlike batteries, fuel cells contain few hazardous chemicals and
metals and generate rather than just store electricity. Toshiba says its fuel cells for
cell phones will run about ... read more Chimps Speak! 19 y
Chimps may be even smarter than we thought. There is evidence that their grunts are a rudimentary form of "speech" which can be understood by other chimps.
Chimpanzee Ricky (right) eats an apple as Kindia looks on at Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo. Researchers studying the zoo’s chimps say they have developed different sounds for different types of food. What’s more, the apes appear to understand each other when they make these sounds. Photograph by Katie Slocombe/University of St Andrews
Chimp ”Dinner Conversation” Proof of Ape Speech?
Adrianne Appel for National Geographic News
October 20, 2005
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/1020_051020_chimps_talk.html
Scientists say they have discovered the first evidence ... read more Protect Whales! 19 y
Every year, Japanese fishermen, with the support of the Japanese government, slaughter more than twenty thousand dolphins. And now Japan plans to extend the hunt to include humpback whales! TAKE ACTION!
Fishing boats in Japan are now putting to sea to herd pods of dolphins, pilot whales and other whale species into bays where they will be brutally slaughtered for meat or taken into a lifetime of captivity. Take Action to Stop this Hunt!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/391762699?z00m=59719&z00m=59719... This practice is killing magnificent, feeling animals, and endangering dolphin and whale populations. Furthermore, this hunt is also hurting the people of Japan. Dolphin and whale meat sold to the Japanese public contains high levels of toxic heavy metals ... read more Evacuate Pets! 19 y
Pets provide unconditional love to their owners. Don't let them die as an after-thought to poor evacuation planning. Cuba's evacuation plans include taking pets and livestock to higher ground when hurricanes threaten. If Cuba can do it, why can't the United States? TAKE ACTION!
Tell Congress: don’t abandon pets in disasters! A tearful Eugene Kaufman, New Orleans resident, cradles his 20-year-old dog Samantha before handing her over to a rescue team with The Humane Society of the United States. The team treated Samantha’s eye condition, gave her a bath, and had her fully checked by veterinarians.
We might not be able to predict when or how the next disaster strikes the United States, but we can prepare to protect our pets today. What if it were your beloved animal left behind? Please urge your representative to support the PETS ... read more LAST CHANCE!Arctic Refuge! 19 y
ECO-ACTION ALERT! The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is in peril and there is not a minute to spare. Your help is needed right now to keep oil rigs out of the Refuge's unmatched wilderness!
Protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge! Polar bear cubs, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Photo courtesy of the USFWS.
We can do better than to sacrifice the Arctic Refuge to our gas-guzzling economy. Urge Congress to do everything in their power to keep oil rigs out of our Arctic Refuge
Please click here to take action! http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/273529837?z00m=59723&z00m=59723... As you read this, the oil industry’s allies in Congress are very close to passing a budget bill that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. U ... read more 2ND Chance Solar! 19 y
ALL CALIFORNIANS! TAKE ACTION! Second Chance for Million Solar Roofs! Tell California Public Utilities Commission you support their implementation of a solar program of its own!
ALL CALIFORNIANS! TAKE ACTION!
Second Chance for Million Solar Roofs! http://ucsaction.org/campaign/10_21_05_CPUC_Solar_Roofs/step1.tcl
This summer, as the Arctic melted and energy prices jumped to unprecedented highs, the California Legislature missed a historic chance to pass the Million Solar Roofs bill. Now, the California Public Utilities Commission has a chance to implement a similar solar program of its own for all the electric utilities it regulates (which excludes LA, Sacramento, and several other cities, but includes the state’s largest electricity provide ... read more Say NO to GMO'S! 19 y
Californians for GE-Free Agriculture is a coalition committed to ecologically responsible and economically viable agriculture. The coalition provides education, training and resources in support of the rights of farmers and communities to protect themselves from the environmental, human health and economic risks of genetic engineering in agriculture.
Californians for GE-Free Agriculture NEWSLETTER NUMBER 16, October 2005
NEW! ‘Proud to be GE-Free’ display signs available for GE-Free producers or vendors! Contact Cal GE-Free for more information: becky@calgefree.org
NEWS
Sonoma Campaign heats up – Farming community shows vote of support With only a few weeks remaining until the November 8th vote on Sonoma County’s Measure M - a ballot initiative that will place a ten-year moratorium on genetically engineered crops in Sonoma County - some 50 farmers from throughout Sonoma County gathered on October 15th at the Santa Rosa Farmer ... read more Eye of the Hawk/Poem 19 y
Yesterday, while walking at the El Dorado Nature Center, I observed three hawks circling overhead. I was mezmerized as I watched them dive and swoop. Eventually, all three settled into a large nest high up in the trees; I figure it was a family of male, female, and offspring. What a glorious sight to see!
Adult Red-Tailed Hawk, Santa Teresa Park, Santa Clara County, California
January 2001 © Peter LaTourrette from: http://www.birdphotography.com/
Eye of the Hawk
Fierceness of gaze
Strength of talon
Powerful flap of wings
Soaring, diving
Killing of prey
...In your eyes I see
a vision of dinosaur ancestors
Liora Leah
Spirit Sends Hawk: http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=356&i=25
10/18/05
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