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Tonight's editor: patrickz
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This is a repeat of a diary I posted two and a half weeks ago as part of my Sunday evening biodiversity series. For reasons foot-noted below* I am 'publishing' this diary again.
Just about a month ago I was privileged to attend, as a guest (rather than a participant) a conference devoted to developing a coordinated research program to measure the impact of the BP oil disaster on Gulf of Mexico coastal ecosystems. I'm going to attempt to give you an overview of the main points and show you some pictures to go along with them.
Beach in Panama City, Florida in fall 2008. This was the easternmost point (that I know of) where oil came ashore during June 2010.
Last night I attended the incredible debate between Billy Kennedy and the hateful representative Virginia Foxx at the Ashe Civic Center in West Jefferson, North Carolina.
The place was packed to capacity with late-comers still trying to get in the door and "Billy Kennedy for Congress" Tee-shirts. We came to watch this:
In this week’s episode, Nourishing the Planet research intern, Elena Davert, introduces a counter-intuitive method of cleaning water. In 2004 Peter Njodzeka founded the Life and Water Development Group Cameroon (LWDGC) with a rather simple goal. “ I wanted to see the people in my area have clean water,” he said. “And we kept expanding. That’s how it started.” Now, LWDGC, with support from Engineers without Borders (EWB) and Thirst Relief International, is teaching households how to use dirt and bacteria to clean their water, greatly improving the quality of drinking water and all but eliminating diseases caused by contaminated water.
Here is the link: http://bit.ly/...
Climate science is a major front in the Republican war on science. In fact, rejection of climate science is a policy requirement to be a Republican running for elected office. Ronald Brownstein nicely summarizes the zealotry of Republicans in climate change denial in the National Journal.
Indeed, it is difficult to identify another major political party in any democracy as thoroughly dismissive of climate science as is the GOP here.
Virginia provides a perfect example for how extreme Republicans have become in their war on climate science. Last Monday, Virginia Attorney General Cuccinelli announced that he was continuing his witch hunt against climate scientist Michael Mann. A funny thing happened a few days later. George Mason University finally admitted publicly that a misconduct investigation was underway on Edward Wegman whose 2006 report to Congress is the basis for Cuccinelli's harassment of Michael Mann.
American Indians have lived in and have utilized the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River for thousands of years. The Havasupai, whose farms are in the bottom of the canyon, were visited by the Spanish under the leadership of the missionary Francisco Garces in 1776. The Spanish followed a narrow trail into Cataract Canyon, a tributary to the Grand Canyon. The trail was narrow, steep, and perilous with a thousand foot drop-off. Some of Garces’ men finished the journey on their hands and knees as they were afraid to stand up. At the bottom of the canyon they encountered the Havasupai who were cultivating about 400 acres of land.
The choices facing us are stark. One option, the one I favor, is to free ourselves of both fossil fuels and the political influence bought with fossil fuel money.
We must invest in new technology and renewable energy because new American jobs depend on it. China has now jumped ahead to become the world's largest manufacturer of wind turbines and solar panels - they are adding 100,000 new jobs a year in renewable energy as a result.
We could have what China has, too, but not going at things the way we have been.
You are in the current BP Catastrophe Morning Edition - AUV #408. ROV #407 is here.
The digest of diaries is here.
Please RECOMMEND THIS DIARY, the motherships have been discontinued.
Bookmark this link to find the latest Gulf Watchers diaries.
Please be kind to kossacks with bandwidth issues. Please do not post images or videos. Again, many thanks for this.
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!
I can't help but feel like our pro-wind-farm movement in West Michigan helped to expedite Muskegon County's decision to proceed with a 150 MW wind farm in its massive waste water treatment facility. Fifty wind turbines the county hopes to begin construction on by 2012. (Thank you, Muskegon County commissioners!)
Muskegon County ready to move forward with wind farm
MUSKEGON COUNTY — By the end of this calendar year, a wind-energy developer could be in place and Muskegon County officials likely will be considering specifics of the proposed wind farm for the county’s wastewater site.
County officials are planning to move rather quickly over the next couple months in setting up and selecting a wind developer for the planned project that would result in large turbines generating 150 megawatts of power.
Oh but that's not all...