Estimate of fish killed at Flat Branch increases to 14,000 - Columbia Missourian

Estimate of fish killed at Flat Branch increases to 14,000 - Columbia Missourian

"COLUMBIA — The estimated number of fish killed in Flat Branch Creek last week has skyrocketed from an initial estimate of 1,000 to 14,000. ..."

A lot of water was used to drown a fire that involved a lot of toxic liquids (an auto parts store as well as a beauty supply store and Chinese restaurant.  The Flat Branch flows into the Hinkson Creek and ultimately to the Missouri River.

The city of Columbia is already dealing with an EPA mandate to mitigate problems with the Hinkson, but when the watershed has so much impervious surface, it is really difficult to maintain water quality standards.

It’s Now Legal to Catch a Raindrop in Colorado - NYTimes.com

It’s Now Legal to Catch a Raindrop in Colorado - NYTimes.com:

"DURANGO, Colo. — For the first time since territorial days, rain will be free for the catching here, as more and more thirsty states part ways with one of the most entrenched codes of the West.

Precipitation, every last drop or flake, was assigned ownership from the moment it fell in many Western states, making scofflaws of people who scooped rainfall from their own gutters. In some instances, the rights to that water were assigned a century or more ago. ..."

Anglers have been familiar with the morass of water laws in the western states for some time, as they deal with streams that run dry during the best months for fishing because upstream impoundments refuse to release even a minimal flow. Politics and economics clash with human and environmental needs to the point where silly laws, like the ones that were superseded by Colorado's recent action, made technical criminals of many landowners.

BBC NEWS | Eco-sailors rescued by oil tanker

Eco-sailors rescued by oil tanker:

"An expedition team which set sail from Plymouth on a 5,000-mile carbon emission-free trip to Greenland have been rescued by an oil tanker. ..."

How ironic....

And they have been gracious in expressing their gratitude.

Whooping crane count in Texas up to record 270 | Top stories | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Whooping crane count in Texas up to record 270 | Top stories | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"LAMAR, Texas — The whooping crane population has set another record with 270 of the endangered birds wintering on the Texas Coastal Bend.

The birds in the world's only wild flock spend each winter in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas before returning to Canada and the Wood Buffalo National Park.

Tom Stehn, whooping crane coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the flock size is up four from last year. The worldwide population, which includes both wild and captive birds, stood at more than 500 in September. The low for the species was 15 in 1941. ..."

My earliest memories of the whooping crane were that the count was hovering around thirty. During the same time frame, the brown pelican was on the verge of extinction because DDT applications had weakened the shells of their eggs to the point where almost no young were being born.

The whooping crane and the brown pelican recoveries are two good examples of why environmental protection and mitigation are important.

Bad back may stop cane toad invasion | Science | Reuters

Bad back may stop cane toad invasion | Science | Reuters:

"SYDNEY (Reuters) - It seems a bad back might be the only thing that can stop the relentless spread of Australia's poisonous cane toads, which are killing native animals as they hop across the nation, researchers say.

Australia's army couldn't stop the cane toads, which number around 200 million. Residents swinging golf clubs failed and so did a campaign to freeze them to death in refrigerators. ..."

Golf clubs, eh? Would you employ a wood or a wedge for this? The possibilities do not make for pleasant contemplation.

It seems that Australia has had more than its share of environmental disasters resulting from inadvertent (in this case) or deliberate introductions of exotic species to a continent with its own unique catalogue of flora and fauna.

What good news there may be is that they seem to be suffering skeletal problems due to inbreeding. They may eventually die out, but not before inflicting a lot more damage.

A Renegade Against Greenpeace | Newsweek Future Of Energy | Newsweek.com

A Renegade Against Greenpeace | Newsweek Future Of Energy | Newsweek.com:

"Patrick Moore is a critic of the environmental movement—an unlikely one at that. He was one of the cofounders of Greenpeace, and sailed into the Aleutian Islands on the organization's inaugural mission in 1971, to protest U.S. nuclear tests taking place there. After leading the group for 15 years he left abruptly, and, in a controversial reversal, has become an outspoken advocate of some of the environmental movement's most detested causes, chief among them nuclear energy. NEWSWEEK's Fareed Zakaria spoke to Moore about his sparring with the green movement, and why he thinks nuclear power is the energy of the future."

There are more and more former anti-nuclear activists who are re-evaluating their stands based on science and reality. Some interesting statistics are presented in this short interview.

It's been years since I have gotten into a discussion with anti-nuclear folks, but there seem to be fewer and fewer scientists in such groups and more and more ideologues. And it's no fun arguing with ideologues...

My wife told me that the current Discover magazine has an article on the same topic. I was not able to wrest it out of her hand, but I'll take a look later. I should also note that she pointed me to this Newsweek article.

San Jose Mercury News - Sunnyvale homeowners told to cut redwoods that block solar panels

San Jose Mercury News - Sunnyvale homeowners told to cut redwoods that block solar panels:

"Talk about a clash of cherished green values.

In a case with statewide significance, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office is pursuing a Sunnyvale couple under a little-known California law because redwood trees in their backyard cast a shadow over their neighbor's solar panels. ..."

Only in California...

A Promise Kept

Since my son -- now 15 -- was about 9, he has been asking to go hunting, and I told him to check back when he had taken the Missouri Hunter Safety Course. You have to be 11 to be certified, so this put off the day of reckoning for a couple years.

I last hunted when I lived in Kansas between 1977 and 1979. It was enjoyable, but I gravitated over the years to fishing, and specifically fly fishing. Hunting never lost its allure for me, but I just never got out to hunt. By the time my wife and I started raising a son, the time constraints just weren't conducive to getting out.

Well, when my son was 11, he took the hunter safety course, and we started shooting at target and trap ranges together. I started purchasing the annual hunting and fishing combination license, and even added the migratory waterfowl option a time or two. I still couldn't find the time, and I suspect that I was just a little daunted by passing on a tradition that I had never fully embraced. Over the past few years he dropped hints that some of his school buddies would let him come along when they went hunting with their dads, but I felt that I needed to be a part of this rite of passage.

As luck and timing would have it, a friend of many years who works for the Missouri Department of Conservation, and is a skilled sportsman offered to take my son and me out for some duck hunting. Saturday the 29th of December was the day we chose. Ordinarily it takes a crowbar to pry my son out of bed on a Saturday morning, but when he was awakened at 4:15, he got dressed and was ready to go. We met my friend at the headquarters of Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area near Columbia for the 5:00AM drawing for hunting locations. We we didn't draw a low enough number, so we went out to the Missouri River near the conservation area and tried to lure in some ducks. The river itself had a strong current, but wing dams had created a pretty quiet backwater, and we set up the decoys, and sat on overturned plastic buckets and waited for the sun to come up.

We saw plenty of ducks and geese, but most of them were flying high. Occasionally a solitary mallard or a pair of mallards came in close enough to take a quick look, but they moved on. We saw large numbers of seagulls, and couple herons working the river, and we heard crows. The closest we came to shooting was when a small flock of geese came overheard from behind, but shooting a goose in the butt is not a high percentage shot. Now if we had been facing away from the river....

Essentially, this was "catch and release" hunting. We saw plenty, but few came within range, and we chose to not take any marginal shots.

We did have a special treat about halfway through the morning. My son suddenly said "those are otters!" and we looked where he was pointing, and sure enough, there were a couple otters cavorting in the slow water. They came in and checked out the decoys, and we counted 4 of these beautiful creatures. One of them looked our way, and started snorting like a small pig. Soon they were all looking at us, and hissing and snorting, and after a few moments they swam off downstream.

Duck season ends New Years Day, and I told my boy if he wanted to get up a 4:00am again, we could try to draw a location within the conservation area. We'll see... The overnight low is forecast to be about 10 degrees with a high of 21.

This was an enjoyable morning. My son and I learned a bit about waterfowl hunting from an expert, and we had a great time. My promise of several years ago was kept, and if my son wants to continue, then this is something we can do together.

NASA - California Wildfires Continue to Grow: NASA Images Show Fire's Immense Size

NASA - California Wildfires Continue to Grow: NASA Images Show Fire's Immense Size:

"Passing over Southern California at 3:10 p.m. on October 24, 2007, NASA's Terra satellite captured this image of the massive wildfires that have devastated the area."

This low-resolution image is one of several on the page linked above that show the daily changes in the extent of the wildfires. Go to the site for higher-resolution images as well as an animation that shows the effects of the the Santa Ana wind on the smoke plumes.

Congress honors "Green Revolution" scientist | Tech&Sci | Science | Reuters.com

Congress honors "Green Revolution" scientist | Tech&Sci | Science | Reuters.com:

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 93-year-old agricultural scientist and Nobel laureate regarded as the father of the 'Green Revolution' in farming received the Congressional Gold Medal on Tuesday for a life-long battle against world hunger.

President George W. Bush was on hand at the U.S. Capitol for the presentation of the highest civilian honor to Norman Borlaug, whose advances helped nearly double the food supply in countries including Mexico, India and Pakistan.

Borlaug's efforts date back to the mid-20th century, when he developed disease-resistant, high-yield wheat varieties and worked with developing countries to grow these crops using modern farming techniques.

He has more recently focused on increasing food production in Africa and other parts of Asia.

'Without question, Dr. Borlaug, your life and your life's work ... saving more than 1 billion people from famine and starvation, are an inspiration,' said Steny Hoyer, Democratic leader of the U.S. House of Representatives.

'Hunger continues to cast its measurable shadow across much of the developing world,' Bush added. 'The most fitting tribute to this man is to continue his life's work.' ..."

Norman Borlaug is a giant among agronomists, and it is good to see him honored yet again. His comments following his 1970 Nobel Peace Prize still resonate today: "When the Nobel Peace Prize Committee designated me the recipient of the 1970 award for my contribution to the 'green revolution', they were in effect, I believe, selecting an individual to symbolize the vital role of agriculture and food production in a world that is hungry, both for bread and for peace."

Bread for the World, the ONE Campaign, and other organizations that seek to alleviate hunger through the public policy realm owe a great deal to Borlaug's pioneering work.

One of Borlaug's emphases is that by increasing food production, countries can avoid much deforestation (or at least the deforestation that occurs to increase acreage for farms). To be sure, deforestation occurs for a variety of reasons, and simply increasing agricultural productivity won't, for example, stop deforestation to build cities, malls, or housing subdivisions.

Norman Borlaug has not been without his critics, especially for his emphasis on fertilizer and large-scale mechanized agriculture. His answer is a real zinger: "some of the environmental lobbyists of the Western nations are the salt of the earth, but many of them are elitists. They've never experienced the physical sensation of hunger. They do their lobbying from comfortable office suites in Washington or Brussels. If they lived just one month amid the misery of the developing world, as I have for fifty years, they'd be crying out for tractors and fertilizer and irrigation canals and be outraged that fashionable elitists back home were trying to deny them these things."

At 93, Borlaug might be excused if he took it easy, but he remains active in research and consulting.

-- Quotations are taken from Wikipedia, which links to their primary sources

Old-Fashioned Creation Care | Christianity Today

Old-Fashioned Creation Care | Christianity Today:

"I am becoming my grandfather, and that is a good thing. Let me explain.

The more I have gotten involved in the evangelical creation-care movement, the more I have found myself drawn toward practices that my grandparents did—or would have done if they were available. Each time I 'reduce-reuse-recycle,' I become more like Grandpa Gushee from Milton, Massachusetts.

I am becoming convinced that creation care and what we evangelicals usually call 'stewardship' are basically the same thing. This discovery is slowly changing my family's lifestyle. The more that lifestyle changes, the more I skip back about 60 years to the values of an earlier generation.

These are values such as hard work, modesty in consumption, consistent giving, frugality in spending, saving for the future, and squeezing every last drop of value out of our possessions. You work hard and earn an honest living, spend your money judiciously after setting aside a generous portion for giving and saving, buy only what you need, and make it last as long as you can."

David P. Gushee makes some good points here. As parents who are constantly trying to explain the difference between "need" and "want", we can relate to Gushee's experiences. And we can relate to our parents, who tried to instill in us the same values, which may have taken years beyond age 21 to sink in, but they are sinking in. Slowly.