The volume of Arctic sea ice hit the record minimum this September according to Mark Serreze, director of the U.S. National Snow and Ice data Center (NSDIC).
The volume - extent and thickness - of ice left in the Arctic likely reached the lowest ever level this month, Serreze told IPS.
"I stand by my previous statements that the Arctic summer sea ice cover is in a death spiral. It's not going to recover," he said.
Source: Polar Science Center, Univ. of Washington
So what's the last beautiful thing that you experienced? Here's mine:
I've been learning about monarch butterflies this year, actually took a class on them. They are fascinating and beautiful beings, and my next ambition is to start up a classroom-based monarch program, where kids get to watch monarchs go from egg through 6 caterpillar instars, to chrysalis, watch the butterfly break out, and set it free. The Monarch Teacher Network is a great resource for putting together a program, all I need to do is queue up a grant and partner with a school. Doable. But I am a lazy soul.
Almost too lazy to bother to describe all the things that make Monarch Butterflies so awesome. The 2nd longest insect migration in the world (they were recently preempted by a dragonfly in the Indian Ocean). All monarchs east of the Rockies overwinter in one small area close to Mexico City, which means that in September, the great-grandchildren of the butterflies that flew north in the spring, fly more than a thousand miles, back to a place they've never known. http://en.wikipedia.org/..., for the curious.
Many people participated in the discussion on bobtmn's diary, University of Minnesota Cancels Agriculture Documentary. The story was horrible - an environmental documentary from a respected university seemingly cancelled because of corporate influence within the University of Minnesota. If you didn't read the diary, I urge you to do so.
But there is good news here in the heartland. It turns out that "Troubled Waters" will be shown after all. More on the flip side...
2010 has been a year of missed opportunities for the environment. From no progress or worse on the international climate action stage, to a clean energy bill in the U.S. Senate that is still on ice despite the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, it’s enough to make you want to throw up your hands and buy beach-front property on the Bering Sea.
Here ye! Here ye! Bring your torches and stacks of wood. The practitioners of the dark arts of science will be harassed by an angry mob, defamed, and driven to their knees to confess their lack of respect for our beloved corporate overlords.
In June, Darrell Issa announced that he planned to hire dozens of subpoena-wielding investigators to target the Obama administration if the Republicans regain control of the House. Yesterday, he announced that he also planned to apply the proverbial thumbscrews, strappado, and iron maiden to climate scientists.
National fishing and conservation groups recently announced their support for a single, community-supported marine protected area (MPA) proposal adopted by Tribal, fishing and environmental stakeholders for California’s North Coast as part of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative.
Jim Martin, West Coast Regional Director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), on September 9 announced that the RFA has endorsed a resolution in support of the "Unified Array" for marine protected areas on California's North Coast Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative process.
The resolution has been submitted for the consideration of local governments, tribes and tribal communities, fishing associations and conservation groups. It asks the Governor's MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) to approve the network of MPAs approved by the local regional stakeholder group, including the need to allow traditional tribal gathering.
When we heard about 350.org's 10/10/10 project a couple of months ago, we struggled to find one that was appropriate to our own project.
Last week we had an epiphany, and we've launched an 11th-hour experiment, to gather 350 jokes about environmental collapse by 10/10/10, and then make that database freely available for nonprofit use.
Why jokes? Because by laughing, we understand differently.
And because environmentalists are, according to most conservative pundits, a humorless lot, too serious by half, and we want to prove them wrong.
Below are the 40 jokes we've collected so far (only 310 to go!), in descending order of recency, not quality. There are some good ones!
If you'd like to participate, please do, either in the comments (I'll copy and paste 'em!) or directly, on the 350jokes page on our site.
Think like a stand-up comedian!
Gulf Watchers are currently discussing when and how we will change from the current Mothership format. Please join in if you have any ideas or preferences.
The current ROV DIARY: Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #391 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Talking about Change - khowell
The digest of diaries is here
Rules of the Road
PLEASE visit Pam LaPier's diary to find out how you can help the Gulf now and in the future. We don't have to be idle! And thanks to Crashing Vor and Pam LaPier for working on this!
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Christine O'Donnell is fast becoming the face of the Republican Party. Her campaign slogan is -- to put it in Marxist language -- power to the people. Or, something like that. To quote an oft-used phrase on the internet(s) and one used frequently on this blog, "Teh stoopid! It burns."
Time permitting, I will try to post Part II of this diary later on this week.
