skippy the bush kangaroo

for those stories the corporate owned media might not have mentioned this morning...

new jellyfish tells tale of global warming. - a new species of jellyfish found off israel’s coast the summer poses no threat to bathers but should serve warning to the countries bordering the mediterranean sea about the dangers posed by global warming and damage to the environment - media line

can the military go green with jet fuel? the f-15 eagle is the latest jet fighter to receive the alternative fuels treatment, flying october 22 on a 50-50 blend of conventional jet fuel and an alternative—in this case made from specially processed animal fat: beef tallow bio-jet fuel - scientific american

food safety: from mexican farm, to costco, to your plate. - american concerns about food safety in imports have created a whole new ethic among mexican farmers eager to sell in the us - christian science monitor

cholera outbreak in quake-hit haiti claims 200 lives with 2,000 more ill... and it will get worse. - the first cases of cholera have been detected in haiti's capital, port-au-prince, and the epidemic spreading in the region will get worse, according to health experts - london daily mail

water champion. - maude barlow, longtime chairwoman of the council of canadians, is a hero to the left, a tireless campaigner for social justice, environmental causes and globalization issues - edmonton journal

cruise ships cutting fumes. - black smoke trails from the carnival fantasy as the crew fires its diesels to set out of charleston harbor. the smoke and its stink are a focus of neighborhood and environmentalist concerns about pollution from cruise ships - charleston post and courier

apple snails are slowly creeping our way. - dumping specimens from an aquarium, whether it's the apple snail or the northern snakehead, is a reckless act that can have serious consequences - nola picayune

ensure what you buy doesn't harm the lives of others. - british retailers are increasingly aware of the hidden costs of cruel and unsustainable practices in food and clothing industries. conscientious shoppers have driven those changes. the same pressure must be applied to wood and paper products - london guardian

jane goodall on hope, inspiration and oilsands. - we have to find answers to three problems that seem insoluble. one is the sheer growth of human populations. two is crippling poverty where people destroy the environment and cut down trees to grow a bit more food. and thirdly, our unsustainable lifestyle. all of us in this room have more than we need - calgary herald

cop10: a meet to save life on earth? - the next time someone asks you what biodiversity is, try this: "it's about your life, life on this planet, and about what we're doing to this planet with our eyes open." - japan times

conservationist warns next big extinction will be man's fault. - richard leakey, one of the world's most famous paleoanthropologists and a conservationist, will speak in houston on thursday at the progressive forum, to discuss the possibility that human proliferation will cause the next great extinction - houston chronicle

severe drought afflicts brazilian amazon. - the brazilian government has announced $13.5m in emergency aid for amazon regions hit by the worst drought in decades. environmental groups say severe droughts are likely to become more frequent in the amazon as a result of global warming, putting further strain on the rainforest - bbc

what’s eating lake erie? - by surface area, the great lakes comprise the largest body of fresh water in the world. but for the past few years a green toxic algae has been blooming in one of the great lakes - lake erie. scientists now say it's just one of a number of toxic algae threatening the lake - living on earth

altered shoreline raises future risk. - a sea wall to hold back the rising waters of puget sound could be the next major alteration in the long history of olympia’s changing downtown shoreline. - olympia olympian

call for scotland to ditch its 'addiction' to oil and coal. - jonathon porritt, a former high-level government adviser and a star of the environment world, has condemned the scottish government for backing new oil and coal developments which will produce huge amounts of climate pollution - glasgow herald

fears for nuclear safety on clyde as mod emergency centre faces closure. - fears are growing for the future of a nuclear emergency co-ordination centre in scotland that helps deal with the aftermath of submarine accidents such as that off the isle of skye on friday. - glasgow herald

'overpopulation of tehran will cause ecological ruin.' - tehran’s population is several times higher than its ecological capacity, resulting in ailments to residents from pollution, an environmental consultant warned. tehran has an ecological capacity for three million residents but now about ten million people are living in the metropolis, he warned - tehran times

syncrude to pay $3m in penalties for dead ducks. - syncrude canada will have to pay a total of $3 million in penalties for causing the deaths of 1,600 ducks in a tailings pond at its northern alberta oilsands mine - canadian press

cost of drinking water going up. - central 0hio residents will pay more for their cities to remove pollutants from their drinking water. new health standards from the u.s. environmental protection agency that take effect in 2012 and 2013 call for tighter limits on two types of water contaminants that build up in water mains and pipes - columbus dispatch

Labels: canada, climate change, drought, environment, farmers, global warming, haiti, mexico, military, ocean, water

a 19-year old ucsb student was killed today off the coast near vandenberg air force base by what is reported to be a great white.

based on the initial investigation, lucas mckaine ransom (dob 12/05/90) of romoland, ca was boogie boarding on the break line about 100 yards off the beach with his friend when a shark suddenly pulled ransom under the water. ransom suffered a massive wound to his left leg and appeared to die shortly thereafter. - edhat


horrifying end to a bright life just beginning. our condolences to lucas' friends and family.

Labels: california, ocean, passings, shark

in santa barbara this morning. we already have a large gaggle of oligarchs (and mobsters) living here is sb already.

get a first hand look at 38 year old russian billionaire andrey melnichencko’s $300 million, 394-foot yacht which pulled up to the santa barbara this morning. the phillipe starck designed ship named simply “a” is loaded with luxuries. watch the video to learn more!

the yacht dwarfed all other boats and had to be anchored off shore. too large for sb’s harbor. the yacht dropped anchor and then a large side door opened. a smaller boat exited and sat waiting to bring people to the harbor. - santa barbarians

Labels: ocean, russia, santa barbara

abbreviated version today...as i am running "way" late.

wildfire smoke forces hospitals, merchants to lock doors. - smoke from wildfires wreaked havoc across british columbia on thursday, forcing hospitals to lock their doors and merchants to shutter their shops. - toronto globe and mail

smoke from b.c. choking eastern provinces, damaging air quality. - clouds of stinking smoke from b.c. forest fires covered much of western canada on friday, reducing visibility and sparking air-quality advisories - vancouver sun

scientists simulate terror attack on us subway. - scientists released nontoxic gases and fluorescent particles into boston's subway tunnels on friday to study how toxic chemicals and lethal biological agents could spread through the nation's oldest subway system in a terrorist attack - ap

kremlin official warns on russian water purity. - russia's lax water purity standards and wasteful use of water pose a threat to national security, the head of president dmitry medvedev's security council said in remarks published on thursday - reuters

on the frontline of climate change. - irrigated by one of the world's mightiest river systems, the murray-darling basin yields nearly half of australia's fresh produce. but the basin is ailing, and scientists fear that as climate change grips the driest inhabited continent, its main foodbowl could become a global warming ground zero - london independent

shell, basf to appeal ruling on pollution in brazil. - royal dutch shell and german chemicals maker basf plan to appeal a first instance brazilian court ruling on health injuries related to soil and ground water pollution at a former pesticide plant in paulinia - reuters

"snot otter" sperm to save giant salamander? - it may be a shot in the dark, but freezing sperm is one of the last chances to save the hellbender, north america's biggest salamander, conservationists say. the reasons for their decline is unknown, but contaminants such as pesticides are likely harming the creatures via their highly permeable skin, experts say - national geographic news

state, feds moving to require cleanup of chicago river for recreation. - in virtually every other city in the nation, it would be illegal to pump out partially treated sewage teeming with the amount of disease-causing bacteria that churns endlessly into the chicago river - chicago tribune

now atlantic is found to have huge 'garbage patch.' - a huge expanse of floating plastic debris has been documented for the first time in the north atlantic ocean. the size of the affected area rivals the "great pacific garbage patch" in the world's other great ocean basin - london independent

Labels: animals, brush fires, canada, chicago, climate change, environment, global warming, ocean, oil, pollution, rivers, russia, water

more stories that you won't hear about on the talking head shows this morning

oil spill dispersants shifting ecosystem impacts in gulf, scientists warn. - a seemingly feel-good story showed up this week on the nation's front pages and newscasts: the oil that befouled the gulf of mexico for 86 days is vanishing from the surface, leaving workers with little to clean. but scientists warn the oil's ecological impacts are shifting, not ebbing. - greenwire

global warming signs unmistakable, report says. - a new report by 300 scientists has flagged the past decade as the hottest on record and compiled 10 "unmistakable" indicators that the world is getting warmer. - cbc canada

restoring the paradise that saddam destroyed. - saddam hussein drained the unique wetlands of southern iraq as a punishment to the region's marsh arabs who had backed an uprising. two decades later, one courageous us iraqi is leading efforts to restore the marshes. not even exploding bombs can deter him from his dream - der spiegel

this just in: the earth is warming! - the evidence of a warming planet has been around about 20 years now, and despite what you hear from some quarters about global cooling, that evidence has continued to strengthen. - time magazine

making waste pay as methane project close to ok. - thousands of tons of methane billowing out from the county's landfill each year is now burned into oblivion, but could instead generate enough electricity to heat more than 4,700 homes - annapolis capital

radioactive boars on the rise. - as germany's wild boar population has skyrocketed in recent years, so too has the number of animals contaminated by radioactivity left over from the chernobyl nuclear meltdown. - der spiegel

three decades later, effects of ibm spill linger in endicott.- the chemical spill first discovered at the ibm facility more than 30 years ago continues to have a massive effect on the community the computer giant once helped build. there is no end in sight. the lawsuits, cleanup and occupational study are all years away from any kind of closure. - gannett news service

herbicide-tainted manure wilts organic crops across whatcom county.- whatcom county organic farmers and gardeners are reporting severe crop damage that appears to be linked to herbicide contamination in the manure and compost they obtain from non-organic farms and dairies for use as natural fertilizer. - bellingham herald

oil spill victims file class-action lawsuit.- gloria volstromer went to a hospital emergency room saturday afternoon with a rash, a headache and an upset stomach -- all symptoms of overexposure to benzene. now, gloria and her husband eugene are suing enbridge inc., the company responsible for last week's oil spill. - battle creek inquirer

oysters a sign of trouble from puget sound acidity.- pacific oysters in the wild on washington's coast haven't reproduced in six seasons. scientists suspect ocean-chemistry changes linked to the fossil-fuel emissions that cause global warming are helping kill these juvenile shellfish - seattle times

slime to sublime. - "green energy" is a buzz phrase heard a lot these days, but if one state legislator has his way, pennsylvania may soon become the capital of energy that is really green — as in algae. - pottstown mercury

what's happening to bird species? - a new study has provided new evidence that global warming is having a serious effect on natural systems, including the northward and inland movements of north american birds. - fond du lac reporter

farmers in denmark adjust to livestock antibiotic ban. - denmark is to hogs in europe what iowa is in the united states. so the danes can provide lessons for u.s. farmers and the obama administration when it comes to restricting the use of antibiotics on hog farms. - de moines register

floods in china: gushing. - many parts of china have been enduring the worst floods in years, but it is the flood-prone yangzi river that is causing most concern. with the downpours has come an unusual sprinkling of doubts about the ability of the colossal three gorges dam to keep the river in check - economist

u.s. house approves oil spill reform bill. - the us house of representatives on friday approved the toughest reforms ever to offshore energy drilling practices, as democrats narrowly pushed through an election-year response to bp's massive oil spill in the gulf of mexico. - reuters

uranium, not kryptonite, worries superman's hometown. - uranium, not kryptonite, has residents of superman's hometown on edge these days. the uranium can be found at the Honeywell plant, located just west of town and, as is frequently pointed out these days, just upwind. - st. louis post dispatch

gulf of mexico oil spill is just the latest blow for delacroix. - just outside the city, within earshot of the vocal crusade to save new orleans' culture after hurricane katrina, communities that were the hub of a unique wetlands culture for 200 years have quietly been slipping into history. - new orleans times picayune

alaskan fishery collapse holds important message for gulf. - the sudden and complete crash of the herring population in the wake of the exxon valdez spill holds a powerful lesson for the scientists and regulators charged with reopening the gulf of mexico's fisheries, according to two scientists who have studied the phenomenon. - mobile press register

big oil's pr machine takes a hit over celeb-backed greenwash.- the organisation behind the "be the one" video was not some cuddly-sounding environmental group, it was one that was funded by major oil companies. - london independent

leaking wellhead in bayou st. denis could be closed sunday. -officials on saturday began moving equipment into place to close a leaking oil wellhead in bayou st. denis in lower jefferson parish as soon as today. - new orleans times picayune

Labels: birds, bp, china, climate change, energy, fish, global warming, gulf coast, iraq, lawsuits, louisiana, new orleans, ocean, oil, washington

we, as a species...no matter what car you are driving or what gated community you live in...are so "pooched."

the microscopic plants that form the foundation of the ocean's food web are declining, reports a study published july 29 in nature.

the tiny organisms, known as phytoplankton, also gobble up carbon dioxide to produce half the world's oxygen output—equaling that of trees and plants on land.

....."phytoplankton productivity is the base of the food web, and all life in the sea depends on it."- scientific american

Labels: climate change, food, global warming, ocean

for those pesky little stories that don't get the attention they deserve on the talking head shows...

dust takes a toll.- dust is nothing new in the southwest. settlers and their livestock started kicking up dust in the region 150 years ago. trecent onslaught of dust in southwestern skies is affecting human health and safety - and also, as scientists are discovering, the region's climate - high country news

'downstream, death of the mighty colorado.'- overpopulation, pollution, damming, global warming and apathy are all affecting the colorado river and the communities that rely on it - marketplace

the poisoning.- capping bp's well in the gulf of mexico, even temporarily, is welcome progress, but it is not the end of the story. since the blowout in late april, up to four million barrels of oil and nearly two million gallons of toxic dispersants have been dumped into the gulf. no one has a clue yet what the longer-term effects of this catastrophe will be - rolling stone

hope you like beets, because the bee crisis could soon be hitting the u.s. food supply. - the effects of colony collapse disorder have been masked by imported bees, but a perfect storm is brewing, and it will leave no grocery store unscathed - daily green

come on in! the water's fine. -when luke borkovich has jumped into lake huron this summer, he has been able to stay in the water longer than usual. that's because the surface water temperature warmed up faster this summer than usual - port huron times herald

satellite spies vast algal bloom in baltic sea. -a potentially toxic algal bloom, covering 377,000 sq km in the baltic sea, could pose a risk to marine life in the region, warn scientists. they added that a lack of wind and prolonged high temperatures had triggered the largest bloom since 2005 - bbc

osha cuts outdated air quality rule from oil worker training. -oil cleanup workers on offshore vessels are getting additional safety training, but the training curriculum referred to air quality standards that the head of the occupational safety and health administration has acknowledged were “outrageously out of date. - propublica

usf scientists confirm underwater plumes came from bp spill. -the plumes of oil snaking through the depths of the gulf of mexico definitely came from bp's deepwater horizon gusher, scientists at the university of south florida announced friday, marking the first official confirmation of the source of the undersea oil - st. petersburg times

in gulf, epa’s water sampling found possible risk to aquatic life. -epa air sampling along the gulf coast has shown moderate pollution levels. that’s not all the epa has found. water sampling has also turned up a concentration of nickel that exceeds "chronic water benchmarks," meaning there's “the possibility of harm or risk” to aquatic life - propublica

ban sought for pesticide used widely by california farms. - two national groups sued the u.s. environmental protection agency this week in an effort to ban the use of chlorpyrifos, a chemical sprayed on wine grapes, walnuts, almonds and scores of other crops - sacramento bee

taxpayers stuck with $100 million mess - federal and state environmental agencies today list six major sources of groundwater pollution in the region northwest of delaware city. some contamination sources date back nearly 50 years - wilmington news journal

dirty little secret.- more than 33 million gallons of raw sewage entered allentown's little lehigh creek from 1999 to 2008, a morning call review of state and federal records shows. the pollution equates to someone flushing a toilet directly into the little lehigh about once every 14 seconds for nine years - allentown morning call

counties face water crisis, study warns. - a study released this month projects that one-third of U.S. counties, and all but two in arizona, face high to extreme risks of water shortages by 2050 because of climate change. the study was written by environmental consultant tetra tech corporation for the nonprofit natural resources defense council. - green valley news

ex-workers' lawsuit blames motorola for birth defects. - a group of former motorola workers and their children filed a lawsuit friday against the schaumburg-based company, claiming toxic substances used to make motorola products caused serious birth defects in at least 30 children born to workers employed by the company since the 1960s - chicago sun times

gulf fisheries' future in doubt. - many fishermen and their boats are now working with bp in the oil spill cleanup effort, and the coastal waters which provide some of the most productive fishing are still closed. even after all the oil is gone, it will likely be years before the gulf fishing industry is as productive as it once was - weekend edition

alabama shrimp season opens, but few shrimp boats on water. -maybe they were all working for bp. or perhaps the surprise opening of alabama's shrimp season caught a lot of folks off guard. either way, it was hard to find a shrimp boat working the waters of mobile bay on friday morning as an oil-delayed season began. - mobile press register

young giver sells lemonade to help pelicans. - at first, 4-year-old jonathan bush wanted to sell all of his toys to help save the oiled pelicans. at his mother's suggestion he settled for lemonade, adding that he cannot help directly with the cleanup "because (the oil will) get in my eyes and ears and nose and mouth. - new orleans times picayune

Labels: bees, bp, climate change, colorado, drought, environment, epa, food, food safety, gulf coast, new orleans, ocean, rivers, taxpayers, toxins, water

for those pesky little important stories that no one on the talking head shows this mornings really wants to talk about.

growers, environmentalists spar over proposed water quality rules. - proposed rules to clean up central coast waters could damage agriculture and put thousands of farmworkers out of work, according to growers. - santa cruz sentinel

switch off desal, say water utilities. - power-hungry desal plants should be mothballed when dams are full to protect against soaring bills, the nation's water utilities say - sydney australian

water: act now to conserve the new oil. - water is the new oil. in the same way that the 1973 oil crisis forced americans to scrutinize their reliance on fossil fuels, today's water shortages and rising occurrence of contaminated water supplies are shining a spotlight on our seemingly ubiquitous supply of h20. - fortune

bolivia wildfire threatens world's largest wetland. - a huge wildfire in bolivia threatened wednesday parts of the pantanal, the world's largest wetland which is a popular tourist attraction and home to thousands of species of plants and animals - afp

a river's reckoning. - chicago likes to think of the filth flowing in its namesake river as nobody's business but its own, and for most of the last century that might have been true. but today that dirty water has become a problem for all the great lakes - the world's largest freshwater system and a drinking water source for 40 million people. - milwaukee journal sentinel

beekeepers credit healthy hives to protection from pesticides. - the usda has released a report stating that ccd may be caused by a fungus and a group of viruses — something beekeeper phillip raines believes comes from migratory bees being exposed to numerous amounts of chemicals and pesticides - rockford register star

a truly toxic issue. - modern life is saturated with carcinogenic chemicals. but without regulation, just how are we supposed to avoid them? - london guardian

dna patent ruling hinders monsanto. - a decision by the european court of justice on a dna patent held by global seed company monsanto has caused a stir in the biotechnology industry, with concerns that the ruling could limit the protection companies enjoy on their european patents. - nature

in the panhandle, the 'summer of oil' seems endless. - in ways big and small, the deepwater horizon disaster is reshaping the gulf coast. it's doing more than damaging the tourism and fishing industries; it's permeating the air people breathe and the way they think and feel, altering habits formed over a lifetime. - st. petersburg times

attorney general hints bp's partners may face criminal investigation. - companies partnered with bp in developing the crippled macondo well in the gulf of mexico could possibly also be targeted in the sweeping criminal investigation under way in washington, according to eric holder, the us attorney general. - london independent

presidential commission seeks 'to give voice to the region.' - an independent commission formed by president barack obama to look at the root causes of the gulf of mexico oil disaster and the proper process for combating such catastrophes in the future holds its first public hearing monday in new orleans - nola times picayune

how-to limit your bpa exposure plus healthy alternatives. - for twenty plus years, scientists have proven the harmful effects of bisphenol-a, a synthetic estrogen found in everyday products - london independent

political landmark for bpa ban. - when a bill to ban a common plastic additive in feeding products for young children passed the assembly on july 1, it marked a milestone in state legislative efforts to regulate bisphenol a - contra costa times

fda nears approval of genetically engineered salmon. - they may not be the 500-pound "frankenfish" that some researchers were talking about 10 years ago, but a massachusetts company says it's on the verge of receiving federal approval to market a quick-growing atlantic salmon that's been genetically modified with help from a pacific chinook salmon. - mcclatchy

fish rescued as rivers dry up in drought. - experts say the last six months have been the driest since 1953, leaving large swathes of wales, the lake district and most of scotland in the grip of drought.

eco warrior's pacific journey shows how 'dumb plastic' is killing our seas. - david de rothschild set out on a mammoth ocean crossing aboard his recycled yacht to highlight pollution of earth's waters – but even he was shocked by what he found. - london observer

tuvalu faces uncertain future. - the tiny island nation of tuvalu is the lowest lying nation on earth and is struggling with the effects of rising sea levels and frequent storm surges. but there are plenty of other problems facing its inhabitants, whose home could be seen as the canary of the pacific. - new zealand press association

six lessons from the bp oil spill. - the tragedy of the bp oil spill has taught us about regulations, technology, and how our energy diet must change - christian science monitor

Labels: australia, bees, bp, chemicals, drought, ecology, energy, environment, fda, fires, fish, florida, great lakes, ocean, oil, plastics, rivers, water

for those pesky stories you probably won't see on the talking head shows this morning...or above the fold on the front page.

climate change is a hot issue in san luis obispo county. - san luis obispo county is emerging as a state leader in the effort to prepare for the effects of global climate change - san luis tribune

churches, nonprofits fight for survival in face of gulf of mexico oil spill. - god only knows what will happen to churches and other nonprofit organizations who say they are struggling for survival because of the gulf oil spill crisis. - ap

bacteria follow rainwater to lake michigan: when e. coli levels spike, swimmers can be at risk. - heavy rains that drenched southwest michigan last weekend acted like a giant liquid broom, officials said, sweeping surface contamination from a number of sources into tributaries and lake michigan itself - kalamazoo gazette

biologist warns of danger from rising sea levels. -peter ward paints a pretty bleak picture of how life on this planet will begin to change dramatically- as early as 2050- as sea levels continue to rise. - all things considered

photographer detained briefly by bp and local police. - a photographer taking pictures for propublica's collaboration with frontline (pbs) investigating the bp oil spill in the gulf of mexico, was detained friday while shooting pictures in texas city, texas. - propublica

low-oxygen dead zone found on seafloor off alabama coast. - recent testing by the press-register indicates that a low-oxygen dead zone is hugging the seafloor in places along the alabama coast, with levels far below the threshold required to support life. - mobile press register

apocalypse now ... niger delta’s oil exploitation tragedy. - the delta of the 2,600-mile-long niger river is one of the richest sources of oil on the planet. it has also been dubbed the world capital of pollution with thousands of recorded oil leaks in recent decades amounting to at least 15 million barrels spilled, according to best estimates. - glasgow herald

obama announces abound solar growth. - northern colorado's abound solar will receive a $400 million federal loan guarantee that will allow the company to expand its manufacturing of thin-film solar panels and create thousands of jobs in northern colorado and indiana, president barack obama announced this morning in his weekly broadcast address - fort collins coloradoan

michael grätzel: give people access to cheap solar power. - michael grätzel is a man with a mission. as the inventor of a low-cost solar cell, he wants to help the world avoid an energy crisis by harnessing the power of the sun - london observer

report: oceans' deteriorating health nearing 'irreversible.' - a sobering new report warns that oceans face a "fundamental and irreversible ecological transformation" not seen in millions of years - mcclatchy

cuccinelli leads challenge to epa finding on warming. - days after taking office, virginia attorney general ken cuccinelli filed a legal challenge to the environmental protection agency's finding that global warming poses a threat to people. a dozen other states have since joined the lawsuit - richmond times dispatch

deadly fungus threatens global wheat crop. - scientists have successfully fought plant diseases over the years, reducing crop failures that had pushed up food commodity prices and triggered hunger. but the accomplishments have led to complacency. the result? old diseases are back and the world’s agriculture is ill prepared. - london financial times

voracious tree-eating beetles invade italy. - the relatively large red palm weevil of asia arrived in southern italy about five years ago. conservationists are calling the tree-eating beetle infestation a national emergency - christian science monitor

tibetan environmentalist jailed for 5 years. - a chinese court sentenced a tibetan environmentalist who organized villagers to pick up litter and plant trees to five years in jail for inciting to split the nation on saturday, his lawyer said - reuters

firm trying to tell bp it can help gulf cleanup. - an alachua company says it has created an environmentally safe product that can remove oil from the gulf shoreline - that is, if scientists from the company could get bp officials to respond to e-mails and phone messages. earth, wind and fire technologies' denexol can break down oil, company officials say. - gainesville sun

Labels: bp, california, climate change, colorado, ecology, energy, environment, global warming, ocean, oil, science, solar

it's all about the oil these days. but let's hear from some of not "the usual corporate media suspects."

under the u.s. supreme court: squeezing bp for damages. - now that the obama administration has wrested a $20 billion recovery fund from bp to compensate economic victims of the gulf oil spill and clean up the huge mess, congress must lift the federal liability cap - upi

birds could bring gulf misery here. - gulf oil spill threatens great lakes migratory birds. "minnesota's state bird — the common loon — and the endangered piping plover are among many great lakes species that ride out the winter months along the southern coast. - traverse city record eagle

new efforts aim to keep cleanup workers safer. - a new safety program for fishermen and others cleaning up the deepwater horizon oil spill was put in place last week after officials learned that not all workers received proper training on the risks of heat stroke and other problems. - houma today

gulf oil leases get waivers. - despite president obama's promises of better safeguards for offshore drilling, federal regulators continue to approve plans for oil companies to drill in the gulf of mexico with minimal or no environmental analysis. - mcclatchy

senators want to stiffen ’90 spill law. - sens. bob menendez and frank lautenberg, both d-n.j., are leading the fight to change part of a 1990 law that they say opens the door for taxpayer bailouts of businesses and families hurt by the massive gulf of mexico oil spill. - everett herald

anxious monitoring near florida coral reefs for oil spill. - a team of scientists and divers for 20 days has been monitoring the world's third largest coral reefs at florida's dry tortugas islands for signs of the gulf of mexico oil spill. verdict: so far, so good. - afp

don't let disaster strike here. - oil refineries could dramatically increase around the great lakes as more oil is piped to and through wisconsin from the tar sands of alberta. it's time to redouble our efforts to protect the great lakes - the world's largest freshwater system - so threats are diminished before disaster can strike. - madison wisconsin state journal

drillers should earn liability protection. - the damage done to the gulf of mexico when bp's deepwater horizon blew out will rise into the billions of dollars and will be felt for many years to come. yet, under the liability caps enacted by congress in 1990, deep-water ports, have the potential to limit their owners' liability for the fallout to $75 million. - memphis commercial appeal

as our gulf painfully weeps, so do we. - one hundred years ago, communities would weep for joy upon hearing news of nearby gushers of oil. today in florida we weep with heartbreak at the news of the gusher erupting near our pristine coastline. the gulf is weeping, too. - tampa tribune

hand of god or man's mistakes? - as we find out more about this "accident," which could devastate the gulf coast's environment and economy for decades, it seems to be the inevitable result of a very human trait: greed. - lexington herald leader

new documents show bp made little progress on alaska safety issues from 2001 to 2007. - six years after a scathing 2001 internal review of jbp's alaska operations found that the company wasn't maintaining safety equipment and faced "a fundamental lack of trust" among workers, a follow-up study concluded bp had made little headway in addressing those concerns - propublica

as oil gushes in gulf, eyes are on sands to north in alberta. - even as millions of gallons of oil billow into the gulf of mexico from the bp spill, trillions lie in wait beneath the surface in northeastern alberta and western saskatchewan. canadian oil and government officials fervently deny they're trying to capitalize on the gulf crisis. - missoula missourian

seafood safety concerns take toll in restaurants nationwide. - restaurateurs, chefs and seafood suppliers across the country continue to struggle with the perception that louisiana seafood in particular and gulf seafood in general is tainted by the oil spill. - new orleans times picayune

drilling insurance costs set to skyrocket. - insurance costs for deepwater drilling are poised to rise by as much as 50 percent after the deepwater horizon disaster, and the increases are sharp enough that it could make some exploration and production projects too expensive no matter what happens with new regulations in washington - new orleans times picayune

lots of sharks, lots of oil seen off bon secour. - a two-inch layer of submerged oil hugged portions of the gulf seafloor off the bon secour national wildlife refuge on friday, a week after a smothering layer of floating crude washed ashore there - mobile press register

life aboard the drilling rig that's the gulf's last hope. - on saturday, a handful of journalists were flown from a helipad in houma, la., to the development driller 2 rig, about 40 miles offshore. it was the first media tour of one of the drilling rigs, the last hope for finally plugging the gushing underwater well. - mcclatchy

Labels: bp, canada, congress, ecology, environment, great lakes, louisiana, mississippi, ocean, offshore drilling, oil

brought to you by bp.

Labels: bp, ocean, offshore drilling, oil, pollution

post primary edition.

yes. the candidate i was working for, das williams, won the democratic nod in the primary contest for california's 35 assembly district. (and, boy, did it get ugly on the other side)...but, staying positive...onward to the november general election. so...back to the job at hand today. those pesky stories about the environment that you might not have see on the front page of the newspaper. (and, yes, virginia...there are more stories than just the disaster on the gulf.)

timor sea blowout foreshadowed disaster in gulf. - ever since the deepwater horizon rig exploded and sank, many have said that it was an unforeseeable event that could not be anticipated. yet last august, an oil well blew out off the coast of australia, dumping oil into the timor sea for 10 weeks and becoming australia's largest oil spill. - new orleans picayune

beaches turn black in baldwin county as oily waves roll in. - thousands of people lined gulf shores' beaches, but almost no one dared even put a toe in the water. large pools of black crude gathered on the shore. farther east, from orange beach to perdido pass, clumps of oil washed up on the black-speckled coast - mobile press register

surfers against sewage: the muck stops here. - when surfers against sewage first took to the waves – and airwaves – in 1990, they were dismissed as meddling hippies, and a threat to cornwall's tourism. twenty years on, even the queen has celebrated their success in cleaning up hundreds of miles of coastline - london observer

cape lobster industry faces crisis. - in what could be the first major economic blow to local fisheries pinned on global warming, regulators are contemplating shutting down the lobster industry from buzzards bay to long island sound for five years due to a drastic population drop brought on by temperature changes of just a few degrees in inshore waters - cape cod times

oil spill in red butte creek threatens waters, wildlife.- even as the bp gulf coast oil tragedy and its stumbling cleanup efforts continue to dominate the news, salt lake city awakened saturday morning to its own ecological disaster. containment of a crude oil spill into red butte creek is expected to continue through sunday - salt lake deseret morning news

connell organic farmer touts 'beetle banks' to protect crops. - organic farmer brad bailie is a believer in bugs. strips of blooming plants in a maze of colors dot his 600-acre farm. they border fields of potatoes, onions, and other crops. In each strip, insects, from wasps to flies and lady bugs, search for plant-damaging insects or larvae to eat - tacoma news tribune

lugar's climate bill taps into his hoosier roots. - could a prius-driving republican who sequesters carbon on his indiana tree farm break partisan gridlock over climate-change legislation? - jefferson evening news and tribune

warming permafrost threatens arctic ice cellars. - researchers were conducting a climate change focus study in point hope, alaska, when "right off the bat, people starting talking about this growing problem of not being able to keep their whale meat and muktuk frozen all year. - anchorage arctic sounder

lessons from the bay area's lowest point. - cities and public agencies are looking to the army corps to help them cope with the long-term threat of rising sea levels - san mateo county times

fledgling biodiesel industry fights to survive. - it's an industrial-strength irony — used restaurant fryer oil is valuable enough for environmentalist early-adopters to steal it from outdoor tanks to power their cars, but the companies that collect it and process it can't charge enough to make a profit - hartford courant

a kinder kind of paper. - for 15 years people have sniffed the tree-free paper products made by ecopaper inc. to see if they smell like the bananas they’re made from - ventura county star

5 of the world's 7 sea turtles are threatened by the bp gulf oil spill. - from the most abundant sea turtle in the world, to the world's only vegetarian sea turtle, five threatened and endangered turtles are in peril, thanks to the bp gulf oil spill - daily green

s.c. shrimpers fear oil spill impact. - if bp’s oil slick hits the gulf stream, moves up the east coast, and spreads inland, it could mean the closure of popular fishing grounds off charleston, beaufort, hilton head island, mcclellanville and georgetown, shrimpers say - columbia star

peruvian poison town. - la oroya is a mining town in the peruvian andes. it is also one of the world’s 10 most polluted places, according to the blacksmith institute - globalpost

jakarta water crisis. - the jakarta groundwater condition is very severe. according to some studies, the number of city dwellers who have access to clean water is only 6-15 percent. water as a public good, should be provided by the government, including subsidies for people living in poverty - jakarta post

the next drilling disaster? - hydrofracking has been embraced as a promising "bridge fuel" that could help smooth the transition to renewable energy sources. but a string of recent disasters – including the tva coal ash spill, the massey coal mine explosion and the deepwater horizon oil spill – have demonstrated all too vividly that failure to regulate and oversee resource extraction can lead to catastrophe - nation

Labels: animals, california, climate change, das williams, election, energy, environment, farmers, food, ocean, oil

"we set sail on this new sea because there is knowledge to be gained." - jfk

Labels: birthday, jfk, kennedy, ocean

yes, virginia, there are other environmental stories outside the gulf of mexico.

last rites in salmon country? - as california's water war grinds on, salmon fishermen gear up for a risky season. this year could not only leave them in the red, but may also jeopardize the future of struggling salmon populations. - high country news

ready to ship in hawaii: 20,000 tons of garbage. - what was supposed to be a quick fix for disposing of hawaii's garbage has turned into a long-running problem after the company that was hired to ship the trash failed to get necessary permits from the federal governmen - nytimes

two centuries of environmental woes. - as argentina celebrates the bicentennial of its first independent government, the country's natural resources are severely depleted. forests, soils, water sources, flora and fauna are all threatened to some degree - bueno aires herald

cracking down on the ocean's pirate fishermen. - the oceans are being emptied of fish. a forthcoming united nations report lays out the stark numbers: only around 25% of commercial stocks are in a healthy or even reasonably healthy state - time magazine

experts tout use of energy monitor. - americans would have an easier time conserving energy at home if they had some type of "speedometer" for their power use, energy experts said last week in phoenix. displays in all homes could show how much energy is used at particular times, such as when their air-conditioning is blasting or when drying clothes - phoenix arizona republic

tesla and toyota go for green market. -two big auto companies are nearly ready to launch electric vehicles for the american market: gm's chevy volt debuts in november, nissan's leaf rolls out a month later; but is american ready to make the transition from gasoline-fueled cars to ones powered by electric batteries? - marketplace

obama expands bid to cut vehicle emissions. us president barack obama on friday mandated a new national policy on cutting greenhouse gas emissions and increasing fuel efficiency for pollution-spewing trucks - afp

descanso gardens overhaul has water conservation at its core. - descanso has a mission, which includes irrigation of its 150 acres with locally harvested water, capturing storm water with bioswales, generating enough solar power to take descanso facilities off the electricity grid and composting all its own green waste - latimes

local colleges using biodegradable caps and gowns for graduation. - for graduates who want to leave a mark but not a carbon footprint, harper college is offering biodegradable caps and gowns - chicago tribune

slug-killing pellets blamed for scottish water contamination. - drinking water in the northeast of scotland has been contaminated by a toxic pesticide in breach of safety limits. thousands of consumers in the peterhead area have been drinking water containing hazardous levels of metaldehyde, a compound widely used by farmers to kill slugs - glasgow herald

digital era will send millions of tvs to the dump. - electronic waste is increasing three times faster than any other kind of rubbish, according to the federal government's waste management report, released last week - sydney morning herald

report: 1 in 8 swimming pools closed for code violations. - a new report from the centers for disease control and prevention says many public swimming pools are dirty. according to the report, one in eight swimming pools in 13 states in 2008 were closed after inspections for code violations - marketplace

toxic beauty. - speaking recently at a gathering of the women's business network of southeastern massachusetts, kristi marsh's focus was cosmetics and personal care products, alternatives and how to become a more vigilant consumer - attleboro sun chronicle

wisconsin lacks coal, oil, natural gas, but not biomass. - the wisconsin bio industry alliance brought its media campaign to the fox cities last week, spreading the word that green fuel isn't just a passing fad - appleton post crescent

water suppliers may need to consider the health of mussels. - the u.s. fish and wildlife service may decide by the end of the year whether 11 species of mussels are endangered. If the answer is yes, the state's river authorities might have to recalculate how much water they can distribute to industry, farmers and growing cities - austin american statesman

my posts might be light until june 8th as i have been working diligently on an environmentally friendly politicians campaign for state assembly, das williams.

Labels: cars, climate change, das williams, drought, ecology, energy, environment, epa, gas, ocean, oil, toxins, water

a little moment of musical zen with the background of santa barbara's shoreline park.

Labels: music, ocean, santa barbara, skippy's music club, youtube

the chant is supposed to read "krill, baby, krill"



we here in santa barbara know all to well what offshore drilling can do to our big, blubbery neighbors. and we will use another republican quote..."just say no!!!!!!" when it comes to offshore drilling.

Labels: ocean, offshore drilling, santa barbara, whales

since everything causing injury to americans is being labeled as "terrorist" these days and the usual term "rogue" has been absconded with by caribou barbie. anyway, mavericks is known for humungous waves but this year's surf contest is experiencing 40 foot waves, a few of which seemed to have their own agenda.

heavy surf at mavericks beach has injured several spectators this morning during the mavericks surf contest, causing at least two people to be transported to a hospital.

a series of powerful waves also swept away the awards stand and the medical and surfers' tents by around 9 a.m. the tide was expected to be at its highest around 10 a.m.

paramedics took a man in his 60s away with an ankle injury. he was bloodied, having been trampled by the crowd after he was knocked over by a surge of water. - mercury news

you can watch the gnarly surfer dude wave conquering action here.

Labels: california, ocean, santa cruz

yeah...i'm late because i was blinded by that big, bad bold "wolf" moon last night. it was so huge, i thought it might have been on steroids.

aging pipes force sewage into san francisco bay. - during the storms that howled through the bay area a couple of weeks back, a total of 630,000 gallons of raw sewage spewed into the bay at 47 spots. and that was small fry, according to environmental watchdog group san francisco baykeeper. - sfgate

what's old is new again: depression-era habits help the environment. - to save the environment, we’re told to grow our own organic vegetables, shop locally, use clotheslines instead of dryers, take public transit, recycle and don’t waste. been there, done that, say survivors of the great depression of the 1930s. - burlington free press

ed miliband declares war on climate change sceptics. - the climate secretary last night warned of the danger of a public backlash against the science of global warming in the face of continuing claims that experts have manipulated data. - london observer

fill 'er up in your own driveway. - if honda has its way, your home will soon be transformed into a service station. honda has developed a solar-powered hydrogen fuelling station in the us that can be installed in your home. - sydney morning herald

drought hits quarter of a million people in china's sugar bowl. - the southern chinese sugar-producing region of guangxi is suffering from a prolonged drought which has left almost a quarter of a million people without enough drinking water, state media said on saturday - reuters

put rainwater to work. - in southern california, storms are short and water shortages are long. and yet there have been few initiatives at either the local or state level to deal with storm water. now it's time for a more comprehensive approach - torrence daily breeze

climate change to hit public health hard. - climate change will have an adverse effect on public health -- particularly that of children -- including malnutrition, waterborne diseases, cholera, skin and eye diseases, and cardiovascular diseases, environmental health experts warned at a forum on saturday. - dhaka daily star

electric cars, the sequel: with 1,000 leafs on their way to san diego county, are evs here to stay? - the potential electric car future will get a reboot in december, when a thousand new cars are scheduled to arrive in the region, supported by the beginnings of a new recharging infrastructure - san diego north county times

hong kong pollution reaches dangerous levels. - hong kong was shrouded in smog friday as pollution hit potentially hazardous levels. - taipai china post

utahns urged to take 'clean air challenge.' - with increased efforts from utahns, gov. gary herbert and other government leaders believe the state's air-quality problems could be a thing of the past. - salt lake deseret morning news

another look at atrazine. - one of the most widely used herbicides in the u.s., atrazine, is being reevaluated by the epa. some scientists say the weed killer negatively impacts the environment and human health. but atrazine’s parent company syngenta stands behind its product - living on earth

uss stops tons of benzene from entering lake. - u.s. steel gary works treated and destroyed 10,000 pounds of benzene over three months in the fall as the company worked on preventing contaminated groundwater from leaking into lake michigan. - merrillville post tribune

the eco-warrior. - president obama has appointed the most progressive epa chief in history — and she's moving swiftly to clean up the mess left by bush. - rolling stone

Labels: cars, climate change, climategate, drought, ecology, energy, environment, epa, global warming, india, obama, ocean, public health, san francisco, science, toxins, vermont, water, weather

news that might not make it to the talking heads shows this morning...nor appear on a cover for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

vets: burn pits are killing us. - the president's promise – and the military's approach – won't change a fundamental challenge with the way the government responds to its warriors' wounds. - salt lake tribune

germany's endless search for a nuclear waste dump. - germany has been looking for a permanent storage site for its nuclear waste for over 30 years. and if opponents to the plans have their way, the search might have to start again from scratch - der speigel

haiti earthquake, deforestation heighten landslide risk. - the combination of widespread deforestation and the recent earthquake in haiti could lead to more landslides in the already hard-hit country, scientists say. - national geographic

ohio lets power plants, factories ignore federal mercury limits. - since 2004, ohio has allowed 42 treatment facilities, power plants and factories to ignore federal limits on dumping mercury into lakes, rivers and streams. - columbus dispatch

fda does about-face on exposure to bpa. - the u.s. food and drug administration on friday reversed its much-criticized position on bpa safety, saying it was concerned about the chemical's effects on fetuses, infants and children - milwaukee journal sentinal

rising sea level bringing change to coastal life. - think it's tough to operate a business or invest in real estate in this economy? just wait until that sea level comes up a few more inches. - asbury park press

an ice shelf the size of rhode island breaks up in just 24 hours. - within a 24-hour space, an area of sea ice larger than the state of rhode island broke away from the ronne-filchner ice shelf and shattered into many smaller pieces. - daily green

antarctic wind farm reduces bases' reliance on diesel. - the world's southernmost wind farm has been opened in antarctica, the first in what could be a number of renewable energy projects aimed to lower the frozen continent's reliance on diesel for power - reuters

chemical bpa linked to heart disease, study confirms. - bisphenol-a, a common, human-made chemical that enters most of our bodies every day, has been linked to heart disease, a new study says - national geographic news

caribbean at risk of more large earthquakes. - earthquake experts are warning that the devastating quake that struck Haiti on Tuesday could be the first of several in the region. historical records suggest that not all the energy that has built up in the faults running through the caribbean region was released this week - new scientist

black lung striking younger miners, jay says. - after dropping for years, the number of coal miners getting black lung disease is on the rise again -- especially for miners in their 20s and 30s. - charleston gazette

california adopts first statewide green building code. - california's building commission adopted the first statewide green building code this week. environmental groups welcomed the new standards, which mandate water use reductions and waste recycling in new buildings, but were critical of its rating system - christian science monitor

lack of yukon king salmon declared disaster. - u.s. commerce secretary gary locke declared a commercial fishing disaster for yukon river king salmon friday following two years of poor runs, fishing restrictions and bans. - anchorage daily news

nasa public relations flap follows official to tva. - tva's new spokesman brought in to help rehab its credibility after the coal ash disaster was enmeshed at his previous job at nasa in a bush administration controversy in which climate change scientists said they were censored.

osr #1: industrial chemical or autism treatment? - an industrial chemical called osr#1 that was developed to help separate heavy metals from polluted soil and mining drainage is being sold as a dietary supplement by a luminary in the world of alternative autism treatments. - chicago tribune

state popular dump site for rest of u.s. - alabama is gaining a reputation as one of the best places in the nation to dump garbage. - huntsville times

arizona decides to close most state parks. - wrestling with a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, arizona decided Friday to close nearly all of its state parks. the action represents the largest closure of state parks in the nation, although several other states are considering similar moves.

Labels: climate change, ecology, environment, fda, global warming, healthcare, nuclear power, ocean, recalls, toxins, veterans

the first posting of environmental news stories for 2010. here's hoping that this year will be far more progressive than last in terms of humans slowing the rate of the planet's destruction.

concern as china clamps down on rare earth exports. - neodymium is one of 17 metals crucial to green technology. there’s only one snag – china produces 97% of the world’s supply. and they’re not selling. - london independent

mercury warning limited in south carolina. - unlike some states, south carolina has no plan to issue statewide advisories against eating freshwater fish most likely to experience mercury pollution - columbia state

start conserving water. - the coming of the new year does not seem to bring good news about the outlook on the climate that the country will experience and the water supply metro manila will have in 2010, experts at the philippine atmospheric geophysical and astronomical services administration said - tempo

hong kong's water security. - drinking water has rarely been a concern in hong kong where the supply has historically been plentiful and affordable. but a series of droughts in china, including some earlier this year, has raised concerns that hong kong’s water supply might not be as secure as first thought. - nytimes

customer revolt may threaten rollout of smart grid. - consumer backlash and cost concerns may cause delays in the nationwide rollout of "smart" utility meters at the center of the obama administration's $8 billion push to update the u.s. electricity grid - bloomberg

pope urges lifestyle changes to save environment. - pope benedict used his traditional new year address on friday to call on people to change their lifestyles to save the planet, saying environmental responsibility was essential for global peace - reuters

xhanghai dairy shut down over tainted milk products. - a shanghai dairy was shut after its products were found to contain melamine, a substance blamed for sickening hundreds of thousands in 2008 in a scandal that prompted global worries about the quality of chinese food products. - wsj

no chestnuts roasting, no fires allowed on christmas. - there were no chestnuts roasting on an open fire allowed this christmas, due to poor air quality on the holiday. - st. helena star

does whole foods’ ceo know what’s best for you? - to the extent that a child inherits or adopts a parent’s traits, whole foods is an embodiment of many of its founder, john mackey. a whole foods store, in some respects, is like mackey’s mind turned inside out. certainly, the evolution of the corporation has often traced his own as a man; it has been an incarnation of his dreams and quirks, his contradictions and trespasses, and whatever he happened to be reading and eating, or not eating. - the new yorker

ocean dumping sewage plan stirs questions in del. - when jean miller heard that rehoboth beach officials had decided to send their treated wastewater through a pipe into the ocean, it took her back to puerto escondido, mexico - asbury park press

peru's mountain people face fight for survival in a bitter winter. - communities in peru's huancavelica region face extinction because of increasingly cold conditions in their own microclimate, which may have been altered by the rapid melting of the glaciers - london oberserver

britain must produce more food, government to warn. - a soaring global population, climate change, diminishing energy sources and depleted fish stocks mean that society can no longer be complacent about its ability to feed itself, the department for environment, food and rural affairs will say - london daily telegraph

the last penguin. - loss of sea ice in antarctica has led to steep declines in adelie penguins, which are dependent upon sea ice as a feeding platform. adelie numbers on one island have dropped from 9,000 to 1,600 - the new yorker

air quality at risk. - air quality in chittenden county, vermont, is close to violating at least one federal standard designed to protect human health according to a recent report. what can residents do to prevent dirtier air as the county grows? drive less. - burlington free press

dambusterbusters. - the destruction of new orleans by katrina in 2005 showed the importance of keeping levees in tip-top condition. in practice, though, that is hard. levees fail for many reasons, and there are so many of them - 100,000 miles-worth in the us alone. so, keeping an eye on all of them is an almost impossible task - economist

nasa study confirms warmer lake tahoe water temps. - a recent nasa study showed lake Tahoe's water is warming twice as quickly as regional air temperature - truckee sierra sun

battle to save tigers intensifies with only 3,200 left on earth. - conservationists say there are just 3,200 tigers left in the world as the future of the species is threatened by poachers, destruction of their habitat and climate change - london daily telegraph

Labels: animals, california, china, climate change, drought, ecology, environment, epa, food, food shortages, global warming, katrina, ocean, religion, south america, south carolina, technology, tiger, toxins