The headlines shriek that the national treasure that is Yosemite is threatened by wildfires.
This is July, when it’s fairly early in the fire season here in the Western U.S. But look at the Drought Severity map at http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/palmer.gif
The precipitation is way below normal in large swaths of the United States. In a word, there is NO WATER. (more…)
Yep, you heard that talking points from all drill-drill-drill enthusiasts, including John McCain and Mitch McConnell, that ‘not a drop’ of oil was spilled during the Hurricane Rita and Katrina disasters.
What a load of horse-pucky!
Of course what got spilled wasn’t just a drop — it was more like 9 million gallons, which almost reaches the record set by the Exxon Valdez disaster when 10.8 million gallons of oil were spilled in the pristine coastal waters of Prince William Sound in Alaska. But the Katrina/Rita spills didn’t come from one big source, like a leaking supertanker. The Katrina/Rita spills came from multiple sources and were spread over the entire Gulf coastal region, impacting not only wildlife but also homes, businesses and schools. (more…)
Ah, the ubiquitous plastic bag — clutched in the the hands of shoppers across the United States as they wend their way home with purchases of all types. Groceries, shoes, light bulbs, screws and toys — all get stuffed into thin-film plastic sacks that get discarded as soon as the shopper reaches their destination.
Conscientious environmentally senstitive shoppers may make the effort to recyle these pernicious petroleum products — but only one per cent of these “free” shopping bags actually do get recycled — the other 99 per cent suffer a different fate, ending up in landfills, washing up on ocean beaches and killing wildlife. (more…)
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