1. Open positions: Vegetation Mgt Project Leader/SF Urban Forest Council (unpaid)
2. Scientific observations from Copernicus, Kepler, Venerable Bede
3. Draft Yerba Buena Island Habitat Mgt Plan to be released Dec 21
4. Good comments on Sharp Park Golf Course
5. Another charity-rating organization
6. Feedback
7. Failing states: 17 or 20 have high population growth rates
8. Coyote-killing 'tournament' in Maine
9. "explain a facet of modern life in the style of Dr. Seuss" ... and the winner is:
10. Accurate and detailed knowledge of even a small area lifts the possessor out of the commonplace
11. Tulare Lake redux?
12. From the horse's mouth: eradicating broom in the East Bay Ridgelands - Jan 8
13. Join the Xerces Society: "We protect the spineless"
14. Why was the climate conference held in Denmark around the solstice?
15. East Bay Municipal Utilities District Director and Sierra Club California Chair is in Copenhagen
16. Last minute Christmas gifts: Bay Nature and SaveNature.org
17. Legal action taken to save bison, 143 other species
18. Orchid conservation
19. Houston elects lesbian mayor
20. Southwest desert lands being trashed by off-road vehicles/No more silence, no more aloneness?
21. Portrait of a multitasking mind/Do bidets save forest and water resources?
22. Dan Quayle lives
1. Open Positions
Audubon Canyon Ranch
Audubon Canyon Ranch is hiring a vegetation management Project Leader, a newly-created position within their Habitat Protection & Restoration program.
San Francisco Urban Forestry Council
The Urban Forestry Council has a vacancy due to a resignation. Click here for application instructions and additional requirements. Contact Mei Ling Hui, Council Coordinator at 355-3731 for information.
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2.
In the middle of everything is the sun. For in this most beautiful temple, who would place this lamp in another or better position than that from which it can light up the whole thing at the same time? For, the sun is not inappropriately called by some the lantern of the universe, by others, its mind, and its ruler by others still…Thus indeed, as though seated on a royal throne, the sun rules the family of planets revolving around it.
Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543)
The sun alone appears, by virtue of his dignity and power, suited for this motive duty (of moving the planets) and worth to become the home of God himself. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)
Since Britain lies far north toward the pole, the nights are short in summer, and at midnight it is hard to tell whether the evening twilight still lingers or whether dawn is approaching, since the sun at night passes not far below the earth in its journey round the north back to the east. Consequently the days are long in summer, as are the nights in winter when the sun withdraws into African regions.
Bede, English monk/scholar (673? – 735)
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3. The DRAFT Yerba Buena Island Habitat Management Plan is expected to be released on December 21. Please check TIDA's website for a link to download the draft plan.
There will be (2) public presentations of the Draft Plan in January.
Treasure Island/Yerba Buena Island Citizens' Advisory Board (CAB)
January 5, 2010,
6 -8 pm
City Hall, Room 305
Treasure Island Development Authority Board
January 13, 2010
1:30-4:30 pm
City Hall, Room 400
If you wish to submit comments you may do so at either of the meetings, or submit written comments anytime during the public comment period, which ends
February 2, 2010. Any comment received by January 21 will be addressed at the CAB meeting on February 2.
Written comments should be mailed to:
Michael Tymoff
Office of Economic and Workforce Development
City Hall, Room 448
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
You may also send comments electronically to: michael.tymoff@sfgov.org
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4. Excellent comments on Sharp Park Golf Course issue:
http://natureinthecity.org/SharpParkcomments_NTC.pdf
or just natureinthecity.org
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5. I recently posted an item about a charity-rating organization, American Institute for Philanthropy: charitywatch.org
Here is another:
Charity Navigator accepts no funding from the charities that we evaluate, ensuring that our ratings remain objective. Furthermore, in our commitment to help America's philanthropists of all levels make informed giving decisions, we refuse to charge our users for this trusted data. As a result, Charity Navigator, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization itself, depends on support from individuals, corporations and foundations that believe we provide a much-needed service to America's charitable givers.
This is how they arrive at ratings: http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=48
http://www.charitynavigator.org/
Name a charity in the search engine *****************************
6. Feedback
Dan Gluesenkamp:
Also saw the SF manzanita press release that Wild Equity had issued. I just wanted to give credit where it is due –Lew Stringer and Mark Frey identified the plant. After I drove by the plant three times, trying to get a better look, I left a message on Lew’s answering machine telling him about it. The message was garbled with excitement, and was cut off before I completed the story, but no matter; when I called Lew again 15 minutes later he had already recruited Mark for a trip to the site. Lew and Mark didn’t ignore the report. They didn’t add it their list of things to do if they ever have extra time. They went directly to the site, drove past again, and then sprinted across lanes of traffic to identify an extinct plant. Lew and Mark are conservation heroes. Without their quick response the plant would have been lost once again. Forever.
Jim Houillion:
Jake, Lech, Good to let the everyday members of these big enviro organizations at least have a chance to know what their leaders might be up to. I don't think most get that this gambling development would be as gigantic as anything on the Las Vegas strip.
I'm stressing that Richmond and the Bay Area deserves better because many in the Richmond community are captured by the "thousands of jobs" promises. It's not a completely false promise, but an overblown one.
A NY times article (from awhile back, but still prescient) reports how casino jobs are not good for families. A lot of divorce, drug abuse, and depression is associated with them.
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/14/nyregion/for-casino-employees-pace-takes-a-personal-toll.html?scp=1&sq=2/14/89%20Casino%20employees&st=cse
I'm in favor of a better development that also conserves access to incredible quality bay open space . (These folks are skilled and I know they will try to pit poor families against enviros if there is no come back that it's not just about a beautiful natural place.) There's a lot better things for the Bay Area that could go on this real estate. Plus, an Ok would open the legal gates for wealthy casino tribes to move into every California metropolitan area....that's not what we voted for.
Thank you, maybe we can nibble away the glittered veils behind this artful, but false goliath.
Jeanne Koelling:
Hi Jake: More news on recycling opportunities at UCSF: I was at UCSF Parnassus Campus yesterday and found out that the campus has expanded its hard plastic (i.e. CD, DVD, etc) recycling THROUGHOUT the campus buildings, not just Millberry Union. The CDs, etc. go into the bin labelled "recyclables and have small icons depicting what goes in there. (This bin is usually situated between a bin for garbage and a bin for paper). No doubt all the UCSF locations throughout the City have this program.
Glad they're finally doing something. I'm shocked by the number of events I go to in various places where there is no attempt to recycle anything. Glass, cans, paper, food, everything goes into the same place. Our institutions of higher learning have been some of the worst offenders. Duh.
Dennis McCormick-Kovacich wrote:
Hey Jake, I'm catching up on my email and had a question about Betelgeuse. First, you quote James Kaler as saying "If placed at the Sun, the star would go 55% of the way to the orbit of the planet Jupiter." Then, you quote Science News as saying "The star, a red supergiant, has a radius roughly the distance between the Sun and Jupiter." If its diameter when its center is placed at the Sun's center goes 55% of the way to Jupiter, then its radius would be roughly half the distance between the sun and Jupiter. This matches what I've heard and read before about Betelgeuse. My question is whether you misquoted the Science News or they suddenly doubled the width of the star, which does who-knows-what to its total size!
Dennis: Nice to hear a response about an astronomical subject, especially Betelgeuse. I can think of few things that are more fascinating than astronomy and physics...well, there's biology, of course.
I was aware of the discrepancy, but decided to post as is rather than try to concoct an explanation. However, I think I do know at last part of the reason. For one thing, estimates of Betelgeuse's distance vary wildly; 425 light years, 527 light years--and that probably isn't the full range, only what I remember. That would make a great deal of difference in its diameter estimate. Also, what I print is what I had in my computer files, taken over a sizable time span. Astronomy is evolving so fast that even a year can bring dramatic shifts in knowledge. Kaler and Science News information may be separated by ten years or more. I am not able to keep up with the pace of research. Whether it's 55% or 100% of the way to Jupiter, it's still pretty dramatic. Kaler's information is older, so my assumption is that Science News reflects more recent research.
On a related subject--and one closer to home--is the fate of our Sun about five billion years from now, when its nuclear engine has run out of hydrogen and is fusing helium into carbon, nitrogen, silicon and other heavier elements. When hydrogen stops fusing into helium the Sun can no longer hold up all the weight of its outer layers, and it begins to collapse and die. But the increased compression caused by the shrinking provides the heat and pressure needed to start helium fusion, and that provides the energy necessary to hold up all those outer layers. But the compression prevents it from transferring the energy to the surface through convection, as it did when hydrogen was fusing. That inability causes the Sun to swell up into a red giant. Some accounts talk about it incorporating Mercury and Venus and frying Earth. Other accounts say that it swallows Earth also. So science's understanding of stellar workings is very incomplete. Either way, all life is long gone from Earth.
Although the Sun will become a red giant, it is nowhere near the size of the red supergiant Betelgeuse. The Sun's death will be relatively undramatic. It will puff off its outer layers and only the superhot core will remain--ie, it will become a white dwarf. That's another story. The much larger Betelgeuse will not die quietly; it will go out in super-spectacular fashion--as a supernova. That, too, is another story. Stay tuned.
Come to think of it, I wonder what creationists have to say about this? Even the universe evolves? What lies will evolutionists concoct next?
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7. Population
From www.earthpolicy.org/index.php?/press_room/C68/pb4_ch1_datarelease
Each year, the Fund for Peace and Foreign Policy magazine rank 60 “failing states,” countries which on some level fail to provide personal security or basic services, such as education, health care, food, and physical infrastructure, to their people.
Failing states have much in common. Seventeen of the top twenty have high population growth rates (several close to 3 percent per year or twenty-fold per century); these countries have seen enough development to reduce mortality but not fertility. In fact, birth rates in five of these seventeen states exceed six children per woman. Soaring population growth puts strain on educational facilities, as well as food and water supplies. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that almost half of the top twenty failing states depend on food from the UN World Food Programme or that in fourteen of them, at least 40 percent of the population is under fifteen.
As breeding grounds for conflict, terrorism, drugs, and infectious disease, failing states represent a threat to global order and stability. In 2004, only seven countries had scores of 100 or greater. In just four years, the number of states in this category doubled.
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8. COYOTE-KILLING ‘TOURNAMENT’ IN MAINE
Right now in Northern Maine, predator hunters are killing coyotes as part of a contest “tournament.” Sponsored by the Jackman-Moose River Region Chamber of Commerce, the “kill” runs from December 16th through January 30, 2010. Prizes are awarded for those hunters who kill both the most coyotes and the largest individuals. Ethics aside, random coyote killing will do nothing to protect Maine’s deer herds, as tournament sponsors contend. A copious and growing body of literature shows that coyote population reduction efforts through lethal control are futile, given the species’ resiliency and ability to biologically rebound.
If you want to express your thoughts:
Jackman-Moose River Region
Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 368
Jackman, Maine 04945
Email: mooserus@jackmanmaine.org
Phone: (207) 668-4171 or 1-888-633-5225
(Good grief, I'm in a time warp. I was brought up to think this way on our ranch in Montana in the 1930s and '40s. We were taught to kill everything that moved. I thought this kind of thinking had died two or three decades ago.)
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9. "explain a facet of modern life in the style of Dr. Seuss" ... and the winner is:
"I mail, I text, I tweet, I blog,
I build a Facebook for my dog,
I speak no words, I shake no hands,
I am at last a modern man."
by Twitterer@smacbuck, recounted in AARP magazine Jan/Feb 2010
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10. "The lack of popular interest in the natural history sciences, failing some other cultivated interest, is unfortunate both for the individual and for the community....The natural surroundings of Californians are singularly rich and varied. A scientific interest in at least certain features of our natural environment, as for example the trees, shrubs or herbaceous plants, directs one to useful and agreeable intellectual activity. Accurate and detailed knowledge of even a small area lifts the possessor out of the commonplace and enables him directly or indirectly to contribute to the wellbeing and happiness of his community."
-Willis Linn Jepson, Trees of California, 1923
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11.
The ghost of Tulare
Steve Haze is determined to restore California's long-vanished Tulare Lake, and now it seems that his dream might finally come true.
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12. ERADICATING BROOM IN THE EAST BAY RIDGELANDS
Featured Speaker: Ken Moore, Wildland Restoration Pioneer
Co-Sponsors: East Bay Regional Park District and Claremont Canyon Conservancy
January 8, 2010, 7-9 p.m.
Trudeau Center, 11500 Skyline Boulevard, Oakland MAP
(There is plenty of free parking in the Trudeau Center's parking lot and on Skyline Blvd.)
Ken Moore is a pioneer in habitat restoration and invasive species control in California with some 40 years of in the field experience behind him. In 1990 he founded the Wildlands Restoration Team, a volunteer program which has been widely recongized for its accomplishments. Ken is also known for his innovative knowledge of tools and methodologies that enable workers to efficiently control invasive species on a large scale. He is a key field instructor for the California Invasive Species Council and a popular speaker at restoration conferences throughout the state.
Mr. Moore will make a presentation focused on the long term and large scale management of broom in the East Bay. There will also be a discussion period.
In this era of declining resources, and advancing invasives, it behooves all wildland/parkland stewards and interested citizens to understand and practice techniques of control and eradication that are field-tested for efficiency, maximum utility, and genuine restorative results. Mr. Moore can speak to all of this and perhaps we can learn how to combat the broom invasion with a well-educated like-minded cadre of stewards and citizens.
(Ken is a long-time friend of mine and ally in the weed wars, and he is the horse's mouth on the subject, as he has had more practical on-the-ground experience than anyone. In addition he is resourceful and creative. JS)
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13. The Xerces Society--named after a butterfly last seen in San Francisco in 1941--is a national (and somewhat active internationally) organization dedicated to preservation of that very-much-overlooked group of organisms, invertebrates. And what a group! Invertebrates are not confined to bees, butterflies and other lepidoptera. It includes creepy-crawlies, a myriad of organisms that live underground, and strange and bizarre life forms seldom encountered by humans. How important are they? Listen to E.O. Wilson:
“So important are insects and other land-dwelling arthropods that if all were to disappear, humanity probably could not last more than a few months.”
"Quite simply, the terrestrial world is turned by insects and a few other invertebrate groups: the living world would probably survive the demise of all vertebrates, in greatly altered form of course, but life on land and in the sea would collapse down to a few simple plants and microorganisms without invertebrates."
You can help preserve our life-support system by becoming a member of Xerces. Every little bit helps, and clicking on the pollinator hyperlink below will put you in contact with information you can incorporate into your backyard.
NEW POLLINATOR CONSERVATION RESOURCE CENTER ONLINE
The Xerces Society’s Pollinator Conservation Resource Center is now on-line! Containing a wealth of information, the resource center gives access to all you need to complete a pollinator conservation project in any region of the United States. When you visit the resource center, select your region from the map to access plant lists, details of creating and managing nest sites, pesticide protection guides, and practical guidance on planning and implementing habitat projects on farmlands, gardens, golf courses, parks, and wildlands.
“The evidence is overwhelming that wild pollinators are declining. Their ranks are being thinned not just by habitat reduction and other familiar agents of impoverishment, but also by the disruption of the delicate “biofabric” of interactions that bind ecosystems together. Humanity, for its own sake, must attend to these pollinators and their countless dependent plant species.” Edward O. Wilson
“Our species and its ways of thinking are a product of evolution, not the purpose of evolution.” -Edward O. Wilson
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14. Why was the climate conference held in Copenhagen--around the winter solstice?
For one thing, Denmark has the best record in the world for concrete actions already taken to reduce emissions. Because they were concerned about climate change? Partly. But after the first oil embargo in 1973 the government slapped on steep taxes on gasoline and oil--and kept them, even after oil and other fuel prices came back down. Copenhagen is one of the most transit-friendly cities in the world. Why did the electorate not insist on repeal of the taxes after oil prices went back down to the basement? Because the government made heavy investments in every form of transit and alternative forms of energy. As a consequence, the Danish economy is healthy and the least affected by high oil and gas prices.
(Hastily-scribbled notes from commentary heard on NPR's Marketplace)
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15. East Bay Municipal Utilities District Director and Sierra Club California Chair Andy Katz is in Copenhagen:
I have been in Copenhagen this and last week for the International Climate Negotiations Conference. Check out my blog at http://www.andykatz.net, where I am writing about my perspective on the negotiations and activities at the Conference as events progress.
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16. Bay Nature - We've Got You Covered For That Last Minute Gift
Still wondering what to get your family and friends for the holidays? It’s not too late to give the gift of Bay Nature (baynature.org) and take advantage of our great holiday discount price. With this gift subscription your loved ones can learn about local hikes, trails, wildlife, parks, native plants, and much more. Each holiday gift subscription starts with the January 2010 issue, which features the following articles:
Beyond Jaws: What we're learning about great white sharks, the Bay Area's top marine predators.
Public Transit and Other Endangered Species: A local artist aims to drape MUNI buses with the images of some of the critters that used to live here.
The Improbable Transformation of the Concord Naval Weapons Station: With its munitions gone, this wide open landscape will soon become a major park and wildlife corridor.
On the Trail: Climbing the Waves at Castle Rock State Park: Get introduced to this Santa Cruz Mountains mecca for climbers and hikers alike.
________________________
SaveNature.Org's Gifts for Nature
Protect the rain forest or coral reef by choosing from four great gift packages!
Earth Saver - 1/4 acre, deed only, $4.95 s&h
Earth Explorer - 1/4 acre + one holiday treat, $9.95 s&h
Earth Crusader - 1/2 acre + one holiday treat, $9.95 s&h
Earth Hero - 1 acre + two holiday treats, $9.95 s&h
Choose from our holiday treat selection of See's Candies or Martha & Bros. Coffee!
To order your gift and help save the planet go to www.savenature.org or call SaveNature.Org at 415-648-3392.
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17. Legal Action Taken to Save Bison, 143 Other Species
To save scores of imperiled animals and plants before they succumb to extinction, this Monday the Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal "notice of intent to sue" the Department of the Interior for failing to protect 144 imperiled species -- including the plains bison, California golden trout, black-footed albatross, cactus ferruginous pygmy owl, Tehachapi slender salamander, and giant Palouse earthworm. These species have been waiting years (some up to nine) for federal protection, but have been systematically ignored.
This legal action is part of a larger campaign launched by the Center to protect the 1,000 most imperiled U.S. species in 2010.
Read more in The New York Times.
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18. I am on all sorts of email lists. Here is another conservation cause:
1% for Orchid Conservation Update 17
Feel free to pass this update on to anyone who may be interested.
1. The Greater Cincinnati Orchid Society is participating in 1% FOC
2. Orchid Conservation Donation Requests
3. Severe burn of main habitat and type site of Rhizanthella slateri
4. Note on AOS Conservation Committee
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19. Houston's new mayor
Leading lady
Dec 17th 2009 | HOUSTON, From The Economist print edition
Time for tight budgets and eating vegetables
“SOMEHOW in the United States, we’re almost an afterthought,” said Annise Parker, the Houston city controller, the night before the city’s mayoral election. “I don’t care. I think our future is international.” That kind of blunt talk is central to Ms Parker’s appeal, and the next day, on December 12th, Houston elected her as its next mayor in a run-off.
Houston, America’s fourth-biggest city, is now its largest ever to have elected an openly gay mayor. And Ms Parker is one of the two most prominent gay elected officials in the country alongside Barney Frank, an influential congressman from Massachusetts...At that point some right-wing groups circulated homophobic flyers, but voters seemed not to care. A more remarkable fact is that Ms Parker will become the only woman to lead one of America's ten largest cities...
(And now, the first openly-gay speaker of the California Assembly):
PEREZ-IDING OVER THE ASSEMBLY: NEW LEADER COULD BE CHAMPION FOR ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH
Last week, the Assembly Democratic Caucus elected John Pérez, a freshman from Los Angeles, to be the new Speaker of the Assembly.
While Mr. Pérez did not earn a 100% score from either the California League of Conservation Voters or Sierra Club California during his first year in office, he has built close ties to the environmental community. For example, he successfully championed legislation that will help ensure that residents of Maywood in Southern California have access to clean drinking water.
We're hopeful that Pérez will use his power as Speaker to protect California's environment and public health. With the growing attacks on California's most fundamental environmental and public health protections, we need leaders in both the Senate and Assembly who understand the importance of clean air and water, smart and sustainable land use choices, and fighting global warming.
Planning & Conservation League
(Another shibboleth falls. We've got an African-American president; now to get a female president, then a homosexual (a lesbian would give us 2 in 1). We still wouldn't be there, though--can you imagine us electing an atheist? That would indicate that at last we've grown up. Wouldn't it be great to choose a leader based on ability? What a concept!)
"The Equal Rights Amendment is part of a feminist agenda that is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians."
Reverend Pat Robertson
"They're trying to prove their manhood." Ross Perot, on two women reporters who asked him tough questions.
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20. From Center for Biological Diversity
Right now, healthy, intact lands in the Southwest are being thoughtlessly trashed by off-road vehicles. The Center for Biological Diversity needs your help now to put a stop to the destruction and protect wildlife.
Over the recent Thanksgiving holiday, off-road vehicle riders illegally rampaged through sensitive riparian areas and damaged historic sites on our public lands in the Mojave Desert -- while the agency charged with protecting those lands did nothing.
This out-of-control behavior trashes irreplaceable wilderness and also spills over onto adjacent private property. Despite recognition by Congress and the courts that the Mojave Desert and other wild places owned by the American people suffer from virtually unconstrained access by off-road vehicles, no concerted law-enforcement presence was on hand to stop the destruction and ticket offenders.
Please submit a letter to elected officials and other decision-makers demanding they take action to protect our public lands and wildlife from off-road vehicle damage.
Click here to find out more and take action.
(I can personally attest to the horror of the off-road vehicles in our deserts, particularly at Thanksgiving. The Algodones Dunes (aka Imperial Dunes) is one of the very special magic places on the planet that I can't describe in a few words. They are huge hills of sand that are sculpted daily by the winds, which repair the damage to the formation done by the hundreds of dune buggies. But the winds are unable to bring back to life the plants which have--magically--adapted to this strange and demanding environment. Many of the plants are listed as Endangered by both the federal and state governments, so the Bureau of Land Management is mandated to protect them. Such is the power of the off-road vehicle lobby that this is problematic to BLM. Meager budgets don't help.
Off-road vehicle horror? Drunkeness is rife; in fact there probably isn't a sober person there. Every year people get hurt, some intentionally, and murders occasionally happen. Loss of participants' life is no loss, but the loss of irreplaceable natural resources is. JS)
Joseph Wood Krutch:
How many more generations will pass before it will have become nearly impossible to be alone even for an hour, to see anywhere nature as she is without man’s improvements upon her? How long will it be before—what is perhaps worse yet—there is no quietness anywhere, no escape from the rumble and the crash, the clank and the screech which seem to be the inevitable accompaniment of technology? Whatever man does or produces, noise seems to be an unavoidable by-product. Perhaps he can, as he now tends to believe, do anything. But he cannot do it quietly.
Perhaps when the time comes that there is no more silence and no more aloneness, there will also be no longer anyone who wants to be alone.
(Krutch wrote that last sentence many decades ago--1960s or before. [Those were separate quotations that I elided into one.] The time he feared is largely upon us. I took that quotation from Time and the River Flowing, a book about the Grand Canyon, and published by the Sierra Club during the 1960s' battle to prevent the construction of two dams in the Canyon. The battle was successful, but shortly after that, ironically, silence--part and parcel of the Canyon's assets and personality--was beginning to disappear, violated by hundreds of flights by tourist helicopters. Money uber alles.
Another illustration of disappearing silence was provided when I was camping near the base of Mt Everest in 1975. I thought at the time that this had to be one of the areas safe from human clangor. I was disabused: the sound of a generator was very remote, but audible, and it ran all night. We couldn't even tell the direction it was coming from. Even the local Sherpas, our guides, didn't know where it came from, and we never found out.)
Hotel brochure, Italy:
"THIS HOTEL IS RENOWNED FOR ITS PEACE AND SOLITUDE. IN FACT, CROWDS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD FLOCK HERE TO ENJOY ITS SOLITUDE."
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21. Scientific American
(Multitasker? Don't brag about it - get over it)
MIND MATTERS: Portrait of a Multitasking Mind
What happens when you try to do three things at once?
http://cl.exct.net/?qs=6876977c1cdd98f29fcc05f06969fec3369a00d3bf73cc07298bcf37102b992e
EARTHTALK: Wipe or Wash? Do Bidets Save Forest and Water Resources?
Popular everywhere except North America, where Americans use 36.5 billion rolls of toilet paper annually, switching to bathroom bidets could save some 15 million trees
http://cl.exct.net/?qs=cc95729750871f08d12bc66683a5044a3ec74b4a60ce8c3c639a2dccc9908fd3
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22. Dan Quayle lives
Roadside sign seen near Mitchell, South Dakota:
"Suddenly It's Like New!"
DICK'S Body Shop
24 Hr. Toe Service
(For those emergency pedicures, I guess.)
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
NATURE NEWS from Jake Sigg
1. San Mateo County coast wildflowers video - try again
2. California Native Plant Society annual plant sale of San Francisco natives
3. San Francisco ballot propositions
4. Pacifica Land Trust assembles stewardship team for Pedro Point Headlands
5. Brisbane Full Moon walk Sunday 3.45
6. Can you assist some young minds in a long-term conservation activity?
7. The largest environmental restoration project in human history? Big, anyway. And we could use your help. Nov 5
8. Friends of Edgewood Docent Training 2010
9. Nature in the City's first-ever gala fundraiser November 14
10. Restore habitat on San Bruno Mtn, learn to grow native plants--new Mission Blue Nursery
11. Golden Gate Audubon Society events - many!
12. What is the Real Cost of Power Production?
13. Toulouse - another dark-sky city, but first of its kind
14. Fraud in the Marketplace: Greenspan, Summers, Rubin again
15. Where Keynes Went Wrong - his quack system refuted?
16. Mini book reviews: Lawyers on water, Forests Forever, Darwin's Armada
17. Science miscellany
18. The diplomacy of water: The Colorado River Compact past its limits?
19. Feedback
20. Climate warming news: House and Senate prevent "Cow Tax" - flatulence to remain unregulated. No shit
1. Regarding the video of San Mateo coast wildflowers in last newsletter:
Here is the link to the YouTube of the TV show.
http://www.youtube.com/user/PacificaCurrents#p/c/7AE35E6A53D58355/0/Ru4j5dNjECw
If it says: "video not available", Just click on the 3 tours to the right.
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2.
CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY 15TH ANNUAL SALE OF SAN FRANCISCO NATIVEPLANTS
NOVEMBER 5, THURSDAY, 7.30 PM
San Francisco County Fair Bldg, 9th Avenue & Lincoln Way
This is your opportunity to find some of the native plantspecies that aren�readily available at garden centers. Most ofthe plants are propagated from seeds and cuttings which havebeen collected in San Francisco, or Montara and San Brunomountains. They are grown by chapter volunteers. There willbe a few California native plants offered which are not native tothe chapter area but are valuable to insects and birds, and arehorticulturally-proven. These will be on a separate table fromthe plants of local origins. Plants will be organized according totheir plant community of origin. There will be a large selectionof plants whose flowers attract pollinators, including native bees,butterflies, moths, and birds. These include host and nectarplants for the Green Hairstreak butterfly. For each plant, therewill be signage with a photo of the flower/form as well asinformation as to its type, habit, size, and wildlife interest.
Severalexperts in native plant horticulturewillbe available at the sale for consultation. In addition, books, posters, andother print materials will be available for reference at the sale.On our website, you will find manyarticles and links about gardening with natives to inspireand assist you with your garden planning, as well as more detailsabout our plant sale. Cash, checks, and memberships will bewelcomed. Anyone who renews a lapsed membership or joins as new member will receive a free plant.
We will also have a few bird boxes and bee blocks.
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3. (I paste here San Francisco ballot recommendations of Denise D'Anne. Her comments mirror my sentiments.)
NO ON PROP A: Would establish a two-year budget cycle.
Some features are good, such as adopting a five-year financial plan or fixed two years budget cycles for department but these do not need a charter amendment.
YES ON PROP B: This would delete the requirement that each member of the Board of Supervisors has just two aides.
Argument for this proposition: Staffing levels in City offices should be set according to need and availability of funding, not by some arbitrary figure in the City Charter.
NO ON PROP C: Renaming of Candlestick Park stadium. This stadium was paid for my taxpayer money. We are already over-corporatized. It would be like naming the Statue of Liberty after Coors Beer. Can we please break away from relying on corporations and their control of all facets of our life? If we need money the best way is to make sure the corporations pay their fair share of taxes. The Voter Pamphlet states naming rights in the past only brought in enough money to run the City for one hour per year.
NO ON PROP D: Mid-Market Special Sign District. This proposition would create the most intrusive of billboard technologies. From nearby hotels and apartments as well as vantage points like Twin Peaks, one would see ads for commercial products blinking every few seconds, blazing away 24 hours a day. Only commercial interests could love this proposition not people on the ground that have to suffer under these massive billboards.
YES ON PROP E: This proposition would prohibit further advertising signs.
We need less commercialization of our society not more. We are inundated with products we do not need but feel compelled to purchase because of advertising. Small revenue but high costs in detracting from San Franciscos attractiveness to tourists and from the pleasant surroundings for our residents.
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From San Francisco Beautiful:
And Proposition D should be of particular concern to anyone who cares aboutlight pollution.
This proposition would permit enormous digital billboards to be installedalong a section of Market St. Many think this is a slippery slope that willsoon lead to digital billboards and other forms of gaudy outdoor advertisingthroughout the city.
SF Beautiful has more on their position statement. See http://sfbeautiful.org/billboards/No_on_D.pdf
Digital billboards pose a new and difficult issue for light pollutionreduction advocates for 2 reasons:
(a) unlike most outdoor light sources where a rational argument can be madefor using full shielding, turning off when not in use, etc, digitalbillboards are specifically designed to shine their light output sideways,thus a large proportion of their light is directed at the low upward anglesthat most intensely contribute to artificial sky glow over vast areas.
(b) moneyed interests desire to make them as big and bright as possible, andcan easily hire numerous propagandists, lobbyists, and lawyers to imposetheir will on the public.
Golden Gate Audubon Society has recommended a No on D because of the night lighting issue, which disorients birds, causing them to crash into buildings.
The SF Chronicle and SF Weekly both recommend No on D
SF WEEKLY TAKES A LOOK AT PROPOSITION D
Columnist Matt Smith writes from his own perspective on the motivations behind Proposition D. Here is a highlight from his piece:
"It's preposterous to assert that the main thing holding back the slummy part of downtown San Francisco is a lack of computer-controlled LED billboards. An entrenched antigentrification ethos and a cacophony of nonprofits that treat Skid Row as their political fiefdom, combined with city laws and policies making it difficult to convert single-room-occupancy buildings to hotels, have discouraged investors from the neighborhood for decades."
But you can read Matt Smith's entire column here.
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4.
Join the Pedro Point HeadlandsStewardship Team
Saturday, November 7th - 10:00 am
Have you always loved the Pedro Point Headlands? Have you enjoyed hiking there and appreciated the native plants and wildlife? Perhaps you've wanted to learn more about these special speciesorto be more involved. The Pacifica Land Trust, in partnership with the Pedro Point Community Association, has received a California Coastal Commission grant to watch over the public land portion of the Headlands and has been tasked with preserving the Headlands.
We can't do this without your help. If you are interested in helping with the Headlands and connecting with other interested parties, please join us at a Volunteer Workshop on Saturday, November 7th. We'll discuss various possibilities for the future of the Headlands and how Pacificans can be a part of that future. We'll organize the four workgroups (described to the left) and look for volunteers to participate in those workgroups.
Joinus - Saturday, November 7th, at 10:00 am to 12:00- Pedro Point Firehouse,1227 Danmann, Pacifica Ca 94044
10:00 to 10:15 Introductions
10:15 to10.30 The future of the Headlands Presentation of the work groups
10:30 to 11.30 Breakout into the four workgroups
11:30 to 12:00Conclusions, present ideas, &wrap-up
12:00 to 12:30 ---- Break for lunch ---- (BYOL)
12:30 to ??? (Optional) Hike to the Headlands by group
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5. Brisbane Full Moon walk Sunday, 3.45 pm
The moon is full on Monday, but that's the day of the Dia de los Muertos festival in San Francisco, so we're going to have our moon walk the night before,Sunday, November 1starting at3:45 PM. That looks early, but it is the right time. We set our clocks back the night before. And since it's the night before the actual full moon, the moon will rise before sunset; the sun sets that night at 5:10.
As always, the walkwill start at the Quarry Road Entrance Park by the Brisbane Post Office and Community Garden. The Brisbane Post Office is at 280 Old County Road, Brisbane. These quarry walks are fun, a companionable walk with friends and neighbors. Come join us. Children and dogs are most welcome.
Round trip distance is about two miles on a nearly flat road. Dress in layers. It can be cold and/or windy. Heavy rain cancels, but a bit of fog or a few clouds won't stop us. Right now, they're predicting clear weather in Brisbane on Sunday.
When you trace it back through the twists and turns of history, you find that Dia de los Muertos has some astronomical roots. The organizers of the festival point out -http://www.dayofthedeadsf.org/history.html- that it is a hybrid of Aztec and Spanish culture. The Aztecs honored their dead during their summer month of Miccaihuitontli. The Spanish brought with them their own feast of the dead, the Catholic feast of All Saints and All Souls held the first two days of their month of November. The conquerors imposed their dates and the conquered preserved their rituals in the feast of the dead now celebrated at Dia de los Muertos. But the Catholic feast the Spanish brought with them itself has roots deep in pre-Christian Europe. Something like what happened in 16th century Mexico,including a shift in dates,happened a millennium earlier in northern Europe. All Saints and All Souls correspond to the Celtic feast of Samhain, the start of winter, the death of the old and the beginning of the new year. There is evidence at Newgrange in Ireland that Samhain, along with the other cross-quarter days, was celebrated there at least 4,000 years ago. But there, the dates were determined by the rising sun. Each cross quarter day marked the day the sun reached the half-way point in its journey from its rising positions at the solstices to its rising position at the equinoxes. The sun 'moves' faster near the equinox, so these dates are closer to the equinoxes than the solstices. Samhain was October 24. Jo Coffey
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6. Alan Fleming here wondering if you could assist some young minds in a long term conservation activity. I'm a Board member and Green committee member at my children's school-- Synergy (25th & Valencia). Our 4th and 5th graders would like to participate in a outdoor classroom- habitat restoration, conservation education, or green business. I was hoping youmight know of some on-going projectsor could point me in the right direction.
Respond to: asfnative@yahoo.com
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7. RESTORE HETCH HETCHY-Please join usto learn about the exciting 2010 campaign to win approval to remove thereservoir from Yosemite National Park and to bring the Hetch Hetchy Valley back to life. This will be the largest environmental restoration project in human history--andwe need your help!!
Thursday, November 5th,5:30 - 7:00 pm -Sierra Club Headquarters,85 2nd Street @ Mission
14,5,9,71,6 MUNI -Mongomery BART/MUNI Station
Pizza served. BRING A FRIEND!
RSVP: volunteer@hetchhetchy.orgor 415.956.0401
FEATURING: "Discover Hetch Hetchy"With Harrison Ford
An award winning 26 minutedocumentary about the historical fightto restore the Hetch Hetchy Valley.
&
Mike Marshall,Executive Director, Restore Hetch Hetchy
Mike will provide an overview of the campaign to remove the reservoirfrom Yosemite National Park andto bringtheHetch Hetchy Valley back to life.
It's time to finish John Muir's final battle. It's time to Restore Hetch Hetchy!
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8. Friends of Edgewood Docent Training, 2010
Edgewood is a wonderful small park/preserve located at the junction of 280 and Edgewood Road in Redwood City. Friends of Edgewood offer docent-led Wildflower Walks through its serpentine grasslands and other plant communities. In order to do so, FoE trains docents to lead these 3-hour and 3-mile hikes. Docents are vital to our ability to attract people to Edgewood Natural Preserve and to educate them about preservation and restoration projects as well as the bright serpentine flowers they see as they drive past on 280 in April.
This spring, train to lead Wildflower Walks! Docent training classes for 2010 will begin Jan. 20 and continue to Apr. 11. Each training week, a trainer will give a Wednesday evening class followed by a Saturday morning hike at Edgewood Natural Preserve. Training materials cost $25. The training schedule is below. To register or to get more information, email Mary Wilson at docent-trainer@friendsofedgewood.org or leave a phone message at 1(866) GO EDGEWOOD.
2010 Docent Training Schedule -Veterans Memorial Senior Center,Redwood City
Wednesday- SaturdayTopics,7 9:15 p.m. 9:30 1 p.m. .
Jan. 20 Jan. 23 Introduction & History
Feb. 03 Feb. 06 Geology of Edgewood
Feb. 17 Feb. 20 Chaparral
Mar. 03 Mar. 06 Oak Woodlands
Mar. 17 Mar. 20 Serpentine Grasslands
Apr. 07 Apr. 11 Leading Hikes
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9.
Nature in the City Gala Fundraiser
Saturday, November 14, 2009,6:00 - 10:00 pm -San Francisco County Fair Building -Golden Gate Park,9th Avenue and Lincoln Way
Live music, dinner by Radio Africa & Kitchen, dancing, silent auction, raffle, and more! All proceeds benefit Nature in the City, a local non-profit dedicated to the restoration of local biodiversity and wildlife habitat by connecting people and nature where they live. All ages welcome - Kids 12 and under get in for $20.
Cost: Ticket prices start at $35
More Info: Go to http://natureinthecity.org/growing_NTC.php for more information and to buy tickets!
Contact: Ellie Billings, Program Associate, 415-564-4107, ellie@natureinthecity.org
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10. Mission Blue Nursery Volunteer Day - help restore habitat on San Bruno Mountain, learn to grow native plants
Nursery work has begun. We will be doing a mixture of planting and continuing to set up the nursery. Join Joe Cannon and other volunteers as we begin the gratifying work of bringing this nursery to life.
10 AM, Wednesday, October 28, at the Nursery. We will meet weekly.
Directions: From the intersection of Old County Rd (in Brisbane) and Bayshore Blvd., go South on Bayshore Blvd. After about 25 yards, turn right on the access road, which goes over a little bridge and runs parallel to Bayshore. Just beyond the fire station is the Mission Blue Nursery.
Join Our Mailing List!
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11. GOLDEN GATE AUDUBON SOCIETY EVENTS
AN EVENING WITH THE AUTHOR OF THE OWL AND THE WOODPECKER
Join Golden Gate Audubon for wine, cheese, and dessert, followed by a presentation by Paul Bannick, author of The Owl and the Woodpecker: Encounters with North Americans Most Iconic Birds. This event will take place on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 7:00 p.m. at ACLU of Northern California, 39 Drumm Street, SF. Tickets are $25 a person. Please RSVP to Rue Mapp, 510.843.7295 by October 30. All proceeds support the ongoing work of Golden Gate Audubon.
SIGN UP FOR CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
Join your friendsor meet new onesby taking part in Golden Gate Audubons 2009 Christmas Bird Counts: in Oakland on Sunday, December 20, and in San Francisco on Tuesday, December 29. Not only will you have an enjoyable day of birding, but you can cap it off with a delicious dinner where area leaders report results from the field, including the whereabouts of unusual species found that day. Sign up at www.goldengateaudubon.org.
IMPORTANT NEWS: SEABIRDS CAUGHT IN DEADLY ALGAL BLOOM IN OREGON
Former GGA Board Member Beth Slatkin wants to get the word out to other bird lovers about the deadly algal bloom on the Oregon coast. Oregon and Washington wildlife rescue centers are overwhelmed with epidemic numbers of wet, cold, and dying sea birds soiled by unusual sea slime. The first group of 150 of the slimed sea birds were driven Saturday from Portland, Oregon by van to International Bird Rescue's (IBRRC) Fairfield, CA bird center for treatment. Read more at: www.ibrrc.org/algae-slime-response-2009.html.
NOVEMBER FIELD TRIPS
Upcoming: Lincoln Park and Lands End,San Francisco
Sunday, November 1, 1 4 p.m.
Dominik Mosur, polskatata@yahoo.com
Join local birder Dominik Mosur for an afternoon of birding his favorite spots. Some notable birds found here in the last couple years at this time include vagrant warblers such as Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, and Palm; Tropical Kingbird; and Townsends Solitaire, along with most of the commonly expected western migrants. Depending on the weather, this is also a great place to see raptors flying in from Hawk Hill. The trails have some brief, semi-strenuous uphill sections, so bring comfortable shoes and drinking water. Trip is limited to 15 participants; contact Dominik in advance to reserve a spot. Meet in the parking lot at Fort Miley in the Presidio.
Take Geary St. west until it becomes Point Lobos. Turn right on El Camino del Mar and follow it to Fort Miley west parking lot. If coming from the Great Highway, go past the Cliff House and Merrie Way, then turn left onto El Camino del Mar.
Updated: San Francisco Botanical Garden
Sunday, November 1, 8 10:30 a.m.
Alan Ridley, allanrid@pacbell.net; Helen McKenna, 415.566.3241; Ginny Marshall
Meet at front gate of the botanical garden in Golden Gate Park, 9th Ave. at Lincoln Way. This delightful section of the park has several micro-habitats that attract an array of resident, migrant, and vagrant birds. This monthly trip is oriented toward helping beginning birders develop their skills in spotting and identifying birds.
Experience inland and shoreline birding with Golden Gate Audubon volunteers on our monthly field trips: www.goldengateaudubon.org/html/fieldtrips/fieldtrips_main.htm. Know of a good spot to start a field trip? Interested in becoming a field trip leader? Let us know!
UPCOMING FALL CLASSES
To view our list of upcoming classes on birds and butterflies, please visit: http://www.goldengateaudubon.org/html/speakerclass/classes.htm.
UPCOMING VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
Saturday, November 7, 9 a.m. noon: Pier 94 wetlands restoration workday. As part of our ongoing efforts to restore wetlands along San Franciscos southern waterfront, we will continue weeding the Pier 94 wetlands and working on the new upland plots. Join us and see what birds have come to use this habitat. Refreshments provided.
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12. Scientific American:
GREENWIRE: What is the Real Cost of Power Production?
Market prices don't reflect hundreds of billions of dollars in hidden costs of energy production to human health and the environment
http://cl.exct.net/?qs=d7d804521c90937b600e00228b5e87ffce7a4ef17b2d1b7001f58ebf60746329
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13. Toulouse saves on city lights
The lights have gone down in Toulouse. Early-rising residents of the Allee Camlle-Soula in the southwestern French city have set out to work with the morning gloom held at bay by new technology that turns on streetlights only when pedestrians pass.
Installed on a 500-metre section of pavement, the lampposts double the strength of the light they cast when they detect human body heat. Ten seconds later they revert to normal.
"Nothing like this exists anywhere in the world. We pretty much built the technology ourselves," said the deputy mayor. The aim is to cut energy consumption by 50%, first on the busy street which runs between a sports stadium and university halls, then more widely. If it is a success, it will be rolled out across the city of 450,000, France's fourth-largest.
The technology has attracted interest across France and overseas. Last month Toulouse received a deputation of councillors from Osaka.
There is a growing campaign in France against nocturnal light pollution. Last weekend saw countrywide demonstrations against the contamination of the night sky by urban lighting. "Concern started just among astronomers and other specialists but is now getting much more mainstream attention."
Guardian Weekly29.10.09
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14. The power of Greenspan, Rubin, Summers et al:
Last week I carried an item about the warnings of a high Clinton administration official regarding fraud in the marketplace: http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/10/20/pm-frontline-the-warning/. Here is the New York Times version of the story:
Joe Nocera's a reporter with the New York Times. He says fraud came up during Born's first meeting with the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan.
JOE NOCERA:He (ie, Greenspan) said something to the effect that, "Well, Brooksley, we are never going to agree on fraud. You probably think there should be rules against it." And she said, "Well, yes, I do." He said, "You know, I think the market will figure it out and take care of the fraudsters."
Instead of taking the hint, Born began investigating. She immediately ran up against opposition from the president's Working Group on financial markets. She even got an angry call from Larry Summers, the Deputy Treasury Secretary.
BORN: They were totally opposed to it. That puzzled me. You know, what was it that was in this market that had to be hidden? So, it made me very suspicious and troubled.
Summers, his boss at the Treasury Robert Rubin, and Alan Greenspan were big believers in letting the markets look after themselves.
Mark Brickell is a former derivatives banker at JPMorgan Chase, and an industry lobbyist. He says Greenspan wanted to regulate over-the-counter derivatives as little as possible.
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/10/20/pm-frontline-the-warning/
("Morality represents the way that people would like the world to work--whereas economics represents how it actually does work." Steven Levitt)
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15. Where Keynes Went Wrong, by Hunter Lewis
"Just what the world needs, and just in time. Keynes is demolished and his quack system refuted. But this wonderful book does more. It restores clear thinking and common sense to their rightful places in the economic policy debate. Three cheers for Hunter Lewis!" James Grant, editor of Grant's Interest Rate Observer
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16. FromIn Brief,newsletter of Earthjustice
Unquenchable, by Robert Glennon
The number of law professors who write accessible and entertaining books is short: Joe Sax, Ollie Houck, and Bill Rogers come to mind. And here's a splendid addition: Robert Glennon...He has put together a magnificent examination of water in the U.S., how it's used and abused and how the system must be adjusted before we get more deeply in trouble. He's not a privatizer, by the way, but a very thoughtful and compelling thinker. And a damn fine writer.
Forests Forever, by John J. Berger
This lovely book is many things--history, science, policy analysis, a primer on how to restore our wounded forests and protect those that are still intact. Plus, it's a gallery of historic and modern photographs, beautifully reproduced, both beauty shots and old chestnuts. I suspect it will be a hit in colleges (Berger had degrees up one side and down the other, including a PhD in ecology), and in the trade as well. Very valuable and useful.
Darwin's Armada by Iain McCalman
The theory of evolution, almost universally accepted by scientists and still challenged and derided by creationists and religious fundamentalists, is generally credited to Charles Darwin, as it should be. But in this engrossing addition to the Darwin literature, Iain McCalman, an Australian historian, fleshes out the story with tales of three of Darwin's collaborators--Joseph Hooker, Thomas Huxley, and Alfred Russel Wallace--who conducted studies across the globe that confirmed the theory and provided ample evidence to prove it. Part history, part science, part adventure story, this is a winner.
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17. Scientific Observations
"Surveys show that only about a third of U.S. respondents have a problem with evolution and religion. These are fundamentalists, and there is no need to convert or argue with them. But another 40-50 percent of mainstream Americans would be open to evolution, except that they get all this creationist misinformation. It seems obvious that if we spent more time in our textbooks talking about how tetrapods came up on land, how birds evolved from dinosaurs, how whales went back into the oceans, the average American would not be so vulnerable to the claims of creationists."
Paleontologist Kevin Padian of the University of California, Berkeley in the Sept. 15 Current Biology
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From Science News:
"Becoming Human" is premiering on Nov. 3, 10 and 17.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/becominghuman/
(I expect there was wailing and gnashing of teeth when the Ardipithecus research results were released after they'd finished making this film.)
_______________
www.sciencenews.org:
"Finding flu meds in rivers has fueled fears of a drug-resistant virus. See "Excreted Tamiflu found in rivers."
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18.
The diplomacy of waterReview-From the October 26, 2009 issue ofHigh Country Newsby Matt Jenkins
Water and the West: The Colorado River Compact and the Politics of Water in the American West (Second Edition)Norris Hundley Jr.
Norris Hundley's bookWater and the Westhas long stood as the classic account of the epic negotiations to divide up the Colorado River's water. First published in 1975, the book quickly went out of print. Yet it is such an essential history of the river's politics that, for the last several years, it's been hard to find a used copy for less than $150.
Now,Water and the Westis back, in a second edition with a new preface and epilogue. Many good books on the topic have followed in its wake, butWater and the Westremains the single most important source for understanding the origins of (and the seemingly incomprehensible political gyrations behind) the 1922 Colorado River Compact. Hundley's painstakingly assembled account of the Compact negotiations was drawn, in part, from a long-lost set of minutes that he rediscovered. It was like unearthing the Dead Sea Scrolls of the Colorado.
Hundley calls the negotiations "a pioneering venture in interstate diplomacy" that yielded "an alleged peace treaty" between the seven Southwestern states. That peace treaty was important in its own right, but it was also a significant departure from the way water had traditionally been "done" by white Westerners. Since the mid-1800s, the doctrine of prior appropriation -- i.e., the first to put water to use gets the right to it -- largely reigned supreme. But prior appropriation is a crude system, little more than a legally sanctioned version of the old playground dictum: I was here first, so I win.
The Compact was an effort to find an alternative, because prior appropriation would likely have left the majority of the seven states bone-dry and sniffling like bullied second-graders. Back in 1922, California gave every indication that it might use all the water in the river. Through the Compact negotiations, the six other states managed -- using equal measures of coercion and persuasion -- to reach a negotiated division of the river's water.
It was a remarkable achievement, and yet, as Hundley demonstrates, the Compact was also an imperfect agreement that sparked "the beginning of a special kind of war," marked by subsequent disagreement and legal fights. Today, as climate variability and global warming threaten to push the Compact past its limits,Water and the Westis more important than ever.
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19. Feedback
Alice Moseley:
Dear Jake,I, too, had my doubts about water purification methods that either relied on relatively high energy use, or wasting water to provide pure water. I contacted the Sierra Club, even got in touch with Mr Green!, as well as asking everyone I knew. Eventually, after many months, years (?), I opted for the Wellness Kitchen filter, which lasts a long time, and provides high quality water which is not stripped of its minerals. The only reservation I had about it is that it does not remove fluoride. Apparently the only method of doing that is through reverse osmosis (much water is wasted this way, and possibly it consumes more energy, though I'm not certain about that) - OR, not having it added by the local water authority(!).
We're quite happy with the Wellness water system, and I notice, checking again online, that it seems to be available for less than we paid for it (the under-sink system).
Time.com has postedBrian Malow'svideo interview withNorm Gershenz, Director of SaveNature.Organd co-founder of the Insect Discovery Lab.
Click on the following link to see this exclusive clip and learn more about SaveNature.Org's educational outreach efforts:
www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,45603812001_1931361,00.html
SaveNature.Org has consistently conducted more than 700 hands-on Insect Discovery Lab presentations annually since its inception, bringing to classrooms and communities live, exotic insects and an unforgettable and unique learning experience. The Insect Discovery Lab's success can be attributed to the kind and helpful contribution of donations and grants.
Help SaveNature.Org provide scholarship for bringing its signature Insect Discovery Lab to underserved children and schools in the Greater Bay Area. We are in great need during these trying financial times. Your contribution, partnership, and support can help inspire children and adults alike to take an active stance in environmental awareness and wildlife conservation.
For more information about supporting SaveNature.Org and the Insect Discovery Lab or to book a presentation, please call (415) 648-3392 or go online to www.savenature.org
Which automatically segues into:
Ze digs deep into the history of the 'Graveyard of Empires' to offer a condensed timeline of Afghanistan from Genghis Khan to 9/11.
(This is guaranteed to be the shortest and the quickest history--and the quickest-delivered--of Afghanistan or any country since time began.)
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20. House and Senate Prevent "Cow Tax" -Flatulence to remain unregulated
http://cl.exct.net/?qs=b2762668226e7bb120646fb040d1dfb95bb44ee8a987676315db42c8e59aed6f
House and Senate conferees on the appropriations bill funding U.S. EPA for fiscal 2010 approved an amendment yesterday to block agency efforts to requireClean Air Actpermits for greenhouse gases emitted by livestock.
The amendment was agreed to last night as part of the $32.2-billion HouseSenate conferencepackageto fundEPA, theInterior Departmentand theForest Servicefor fiscal 2010.
Both chambers had already adopted amendments to their versions of the bill that would have prevented EPA from using funds to implement rules requiring livestock producers to obtain Clean Air Act operating permits for the biologicalemissionsof carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases.
The conference package includes the Senate provision, introduced bySen. Sam Brownback(R-Kan.); the House had adopted a similar amendment fromRep. Todd Tiahrt(R-Kan.).
Politics is the art of the possible. Adage
Politics is the art of choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable. John Kenneth Galbraith
2. California Native Plant Society annual plant sale of San Francisco natives
3. San Francisco ballot propositions
4. Pacifica Land Trust assembles stewardship team for Pedro Point Headlands
5. Brisbane Full Moon walk Sunday 3.45
6. Can you assist some young minds in a long-term conservation activity?
7. The largest environmental restoration project in human history? Big, anyway. And we could use your help. Nov 5
8. Friends of Edgewood Docent Training 2010
9. Nature in the City's first-ever gala fundraiser November 14
10. Restore habitat on San Bruno Mtn, learn to grow native plants--new Mission Blue Nursery
11. Golden Gate Audubon Society events - many!
12. What is the Real Cost of Power Production?
13. Toulouse - another dark-sky city, but first of its kind
14. Fraud in the Marketplace: Greenspan, Summers, Rubin again
15. Where Keynes Went Wrong - his quack system refuted?
16. Mini book reviews: Lawyers on water, Forests Forever, Darwin's Armada
17. Science miscellany
18. The diplomacy of water: The Colorado River Compact past its limits?
19. Feedback
20. Climate warming news: House and Senate prevent "Cow Tax" - flatulence to remain unregulated. No shit
1. Regarding the video of San Mateo coast wildflowers in last newsletter:
Here is the link to the YouTube of the TV show.
http://www.youtube.com/user/PacificaCurrents#p/c/7AE35E6A53D58355/0/Ru4j5dNjECw
If it says: "video not available", Just click on the 3 tours to the right.
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2.
CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY 15TH ANNUAL SALE OF SAN FRANCISCO NATIVEPLANTS
NOVEMBER 5, THURSDAY, 7.30 PM
San Francisco County Fair Bldg, 9th Avenue & Lincoln Way
This is your opportunity to find some of the native plantspecies that aren�readily available at garden centers. Most ofthe plants are propagated from seeds and cuttings which havebeen collected in San Francisco, or Montara and San Brunomountains. They are grown by chapter volunteers. There willbe a few California native plants offered which are not native tothe chapter area but are valuable to insects and birds, and arehorticulturally-proven. These will be on a separate table fromthe plants of local origins. Plants will be organized according totheir plant community of origin. There will be a large selectionof plants whose flowers attract pollinators, including native bees,butterflies, moths, and birds. These include host and nectarplants for the Green Hairstreak butterfly. For each plant, therewill be signage with a photo of the flower/form as well asinformation as to its type, habit, size, and wildlife interest.
Severalexperts in native plant horticulturewillbe available at the sale for consultation. In addition, books, posters, andother print materials will be available for reference at the sale.On our website, you will find manyarticles and links about gardening with natives to inspireand assist you with your garden planning, as well as more detailsabout our plant sale. Cash, checks, and memberships will bewelcomed. Anyone who renews a lapsed membership or joins as new member will receive a free plant.
We will also have a few bird boxes and bee blocks.
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3. (I paste here San Francisco ballot recommendations of Denise D'Anne. Her comments mirror my sentiments.)
NO ON PROP A: Would establish a two-year budget cycle.
Some features are good, such as adopting a five-year financial plan or fixed two years budget cycles for department but these do not need a charter amendment.
YES ON PROP B: This would delete the requirement that each member of the Board of Supervisors has just two aides.
Argument for this proposition: Staffing levels in City offices should be set according to need and availability of funding, not by some arbitrary figure in the City Charter.
NO ON PROP C: Renaming of Candlestick Park stadium. This stadium was paid for my taxpayer money. We are already over-corporatized. It would be like naming the Statue of Liberty after Coors Beer. Can we please break away from relying on corporations and their control of all facets of our life? If we need money the best way is to make sure the corporations pay their fair share of taxes. The Voter Pamphlet states naming rights in the past only brought in enough money to run the City for one hour per year.
NO ON PROP D: Mid-Market Special Sign District. This proposition would create the most intrusive of billboard technologies. From nearby hotels and apartments as well as vantage points like Twin Peaks, one would see ads for commercial products blinking every few seconds, blazing away 24 hours a day. Only commercial interests could love this proposition not people on the ground that have to suffer under these massive billboards.
YES ON PROP E: This proposition would prohibit further advertising signs.
We need less commercialization of our society not more. We are inundated with products we do not need but feel compelled to purchase because of advertising. Small revenue but high costs in detracting from San Franciscos attractiveness to tourists and from the pleasant surroundings for our residents.
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From San Francisco Beautiful:
And Proposition D should be of particular concern to anyone who cares aboutlight pollution.
This proposition would permit enormous digital billboards to be installedalong a section of Market St. Many think this is a slippery slope that willsoon lead to digital billboards and other forms of gaudy outdoor advertisingthroughout the city.
SF Beautiful has more on their position statement. See http://sfbeautiful.org/billboards/No_on_D.pdf
Digital billboards pose a new and difficult issue for light pollutionreduction advocates for 2 reasons:
(a) unlike most outdoor light sources where a rational argument can be madefor using full shielding, turning off when not in use, etc, digitalbillboards are specifically designed to shine their light output sideways,thus a large proportion of their light is directed at the low upward anglesthat most intensely contribute to artificial sky glow over vast areas.
(b) moneyed interests desire to make them as big and bright as possible, andcan easily hire numerous propagandists, lobbyists, and lawyers to imposetheir will on the public.
Golden Gate Audubon Society has recommended a No on D because of the night lighting issue, which disorients birds, causing them to crash into buildings.
The SF Chronicle and SF Weekly both recommend No on D
SF WEEKLY TAKES A LOOK AT PROPOSITION D
Columnist Matt Smith writes from his own perspective on the motivations behind Proposition D. Here is a highlight from his piece:
"It's preposterous to assert that the main thing holding back the slummy part of downtown San Francisco is a lack of computer-controlled LED billboards. An entrenched antigentrification ethos and a cacophony of nonprofits that treat Skid Row as their political fiefdom, combined with city laws and policies making it difficult to convert single-room-occupancy buildings to hotels, have discouraged investors from the neighborhood for decades."
But you can read Matt Smith's entire column here.
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4.
Join the Pedro Point HeadlandsStewardship Team
Saturday, November 7th - 10:00 am
Have you always loved the Pedro Point Headlands? Have you enjoyed hiking there and appreciated the native plants and wildlife? Perhaps you've wanted to learn more about these special speciesorto be more involved. The Pacifica Land Trust, in partnership with the Pedro Point Community Association, has received a California Coastal Commission grant to watch over the public land portion of the Headlands and has been tasked with preserving the Headlands.
We can't do this without your help. If you are interested in helping with the Headlands and connecting with other interested parties, please join us at a Volunteer Workshop on Saturday, November 7th. We'll discuss various possibilities for the future of the Headlands and how Pacificans can be a part of that future. We'll organize the four workgroups (described to the left) and look for volunteers to participate in those workgroups.
Joinus - Saturday, November 7th, at 10:00 am to 12:00- Pedro Point Firehouse,1227 Danmann, Pacifica Ca 94044
10:00 to 10:15 Introductions
10:15 to10.30 The future of the Headlands Presentation of the work groups
10:30 to 11.30 Breakout into the four workgroups
11:30 to 12:00Conclusions, present ideas, &wrap-up
12:00 to 12:30 ---- Break for lunch ---- (BYOL)
12:30 to ??? (Optional) Hike to the Headlands by group
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5. Brisbane Full Moon walk Sunday, 3.45 pm
The moon is full on Monday, but that's the day of the Dia de los Muertos festival in San Francisco, so we're going to have our moon walk the night before,Sunday, November 1starting at3:45 PM. That looks early, but it is the right time. We set our clocks back the night before. And since it's the night before the actual full moon, the moon will rise before sunset; the sun sets that night at 5:10.
As always, the walkwill start at the Quarry Road Entrance Park by the Brisbane Post Office and Community Garden. The Brisbane Post Office is at 280 Old County Road, Brisbane. These quarry walks are fun, a companionable walk with friends and neighbors. Come join us. Children and dogs are most welcome.
Round trip distance is about two miles on a nearly flat road. Dress in layers. It can be cold and/or windy. Heavy rain cancels, but a bit of fog or a few clouds won't stop us. Right now, they're predicting clear weather in Brisbane on Sunday.
When you trace it back through the twists and turns of history, you find that Dia de los Muertos has some astronomical roots. The organizers of the festival point out -http://www.dayofthedeadsf.org/history.html- that it is a hybrid of Aztec and Spanish culture. The Aztecs honored their dead during their summer month of Miccaihuitontli. The Spanish brought with them their own feast of the dead, the Catholic feast of All Saints and All Souls held the first two days of their month of November. The conquerors imposed their dates and the conquered preserved their rituals in the feast of the dead now celebrated at Dia de los Muertos. But the Catholic feast the Spanish brought with them itself has roots deep in pre-Christian Europe. Something like what happened in 16th century Mexico,including a shift in dates,happened a millennium earlier in northern Europe. All Saints and All Souls correspond to the Celtic feast of Samhain, the start of winter, the death of the old and the beginning of the new year. There is evidence at Newgrange in Ireland that Samhain, along with the other cross-quarter days, was celebrated there at least 4,000 years ago. But there, the dates were determined by the rising sun. Each cross quarter day marked the day the sun reached the half-way point in its journey from its rising positions at the solstices to its rising position at the equinoxes. The sun 'moves' faster near the equinox, so these dates are closer to the equinoxes than the solstices. Samhain was October 24. Jo Coffey
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6. Alan Fleming here wondering if you could assist some young minds in a long term conservation activity. I'm a Board member and Green committee member at my children's school-- Synergy (25th & Valencia). Our 4th and 5th graders would like to participate in a outdoor classroom- habitat restoration, conservation education, or green business. I was hoping youmight know of some on-going projectsor could point me in the right direction.
Respond to: asfnative@yahoo.com
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7. RESTORE HETCH HETCHY-Please join usto learn about the exciting 2010 campaign to win approval to remove thereservoir from Yosemite National Park and to bring the Hetch Hetchy Valley back to life. This will be the largest environmental restoration project in human history--andwe need your help!!
Thursday, November 5th,5:30 - 7:00 pm -Sierra Club Headquarters,85 2nd Street @ Mission
14,5,9,71,6 MUNI -Mongomery BART/MUNI Station
Pizza served. BRING A FRIEND!
RSVP: volunteer@hetchhetchy.orgor 415.956.0401
FEATURING: "Discover Hetch Hetchy"With Harrison Ford
An award winning 26 minutedocumentary about the historical fightto restore the Hetch Hetchy Valley.
&
Mike Marshall,Executive Director, Restore Hetch Hetchy
Mike will provide an overview of the campaign to remove the reservoirfrom Yosemite National Park andto bringtheHetch Hetchy Valley back to life.
It's time to finish John Muir's final battle. It's time to Restore Hetch Hetchy!
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8. Friends of Edgewood Docent Training, 2010
Edgewood is a wonderful small park/preserve located at the junction of 280 and Edgewood Road in Redwood City. Friends of Edgewood offer docent-led Wildflower Walks through its serpentine grasslands and other plant communities. In order to do so, FoE trains docents to lead these 3-hour and 3-mile hikes. Docents are vital to our ability to attract people to Edgewood Natural Preserve and to educate them about preservation and restoration projects as well as the bright serpentine flowers they see as they drive past on 280 in April.
This spring, train to lead Wildflower Walks! Docent training classes for 2010 will begin Jan. 20 and continue to Apr. 11. Each training week, a trainer will give a Wednesday evening class followed by a Saturday morning hike at Edgewood Natural Preserve. Training materials cost $25. The training schedule is below. To register or to get more information, email Mary Wilson at docent-trainer@friendsofedgewood.org or leave a phone message at 1(866) GO EDGEWOOD.
2010 Docent Training Schedule -Veterans Memorial Senior Center,Redwood City
Wednesday- SaturdayTopics,7 9:15 p.m. 9:30 1 p.m. .
Jan. 20 Jan. 23 Introduction & History
Feb. 03 Feb. 06 Geology of Edgewood
Feb. 17 Feb. 20 Chaparral
Mar. 03 Mar. 06 Oak Woodlands
Mar. 17 Mar. 20 Serpentine Grasslands
Apr. 07 Apr. 11 Leading Hikes
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9.
Nature in the City Gala Fundraiser
Saturday, November 14, 2009,6:00 - 10:00 pm -San Francisco County Fair Building -Golden Gate Park,9th Avenue and Lincoln Way
Live music, dinner by Radio Africa & Kitchen, dancing, silent auction, raffle, and more! All proceeds benefit Nature in the City, a local non-profit dedicated to the restoration of local biodiversity and wildlife habitat by connecting people and nature where they live. All ages welcome - Kids 12 and under get in for $20.
Cost: Ticket prices start at $35
More Info: Go to http://natureinthecity.org/growing_NTC.php for more information and to buy tickets!
Contact: Ellie Billings, Program Associate, 415-564-4107, ellie@natureinthecity.org
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10. Mission Blue Nursery Volunteer Day - help restore habitat on San Bruno Mountain, learn to grow native plants
Nursery work has begun. We will be doing a mixture of planting and continuing to set up the nursery. Join Joe Cannon and other volunteers as we begin the gratifying work of bringing this nursery to life.
10 AM, Wednesday, October 28, at the Nursery. We will meet weekly.
Directions: From the intersection of Old County Rd (in Brisbane) and Bayshore Blvd., go South on Bayshore Blvd. After about 25 yards, turn right on the access road, which goes over a little bridge and runs parallel to Bayshore. Just beyond the fire station is the Mission Blue Nursery.
Join Our Mailing List!
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11. GOLDEN GATE AUDUBON SOCIETY EVENTS
AN EVENING WITH THE AUTHOR OF THE OWL AND THE WOODPECKER
Join Golden Gate Audubon for wine, cheese, and dessert, followed by a presentation by Paul Bannick, author of The Owl and the Woodpecker: Encounters with North Americans Most Iconic Birds. This event will take place on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 7:00 p.m. at ACLU of Northern California, 39 Drumm Street, SF. Tickets are $25 a person. Please RSVP to Rue Mapp, 510.843.7295 by October 30. All proceeds support the ongoing work of Golden Gate Audubon.
SIGN UP FOR CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
Join your friendsor meet new onesby taking part in Golden Gate Audubons 2009 Christmas Bird Counts: in Oakland on Sunday, December 20, and in San Francisco on Tuesday, December 29. Not only will you have an enjoyable day of birding, but you can cap it off with a delicious dinner where area leaders report results from the field, including the whereabouts of unusual species found that day. Sign up at www.goldengateaudubon.org.
IMPORTANT NEWS: SEABIRDS CAUGHT IN DEADLY ALGAL BLOOM IN OREGON
Former GGA Board Member Beth Slatkin wants to get the word out to other bird lovers about the deadly algal bloom on the Oregon coast. Oregon and Washington wildlife rescue centers are overwhelmed with epidemic numbers of wet, cold, and dying sea birds soiled by unusual sea slime. The first group of 150 of the slimed sea birds were driven Saturday from Portland, Oregon by van to International Bird Rescue's (IBRRC) Fairfield, CA bird center for treatment. Read more at: www.ibrrc.org/algae-slime-response-2009.html.
NOVEMBER FIELD TRIPS
Upcoming: Lincoln Park and Lands End,San Francisco
Sunday, November 1, 1 4 p.m.
Dominik Mosur, polskatata@yahoo.com
Join local birder Dominik Mosur for an afternoon of birding his favorite spots. Some notable birds found here in the last couple years at this time include vagrant warblers such as Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, and Palm; Tropical Kingbird; and Townsends Solitaire, along with most of the commonly expected western migrants. Depending on the weather, this is also a great place to see raptors flying in from Hawk Hill. The trails have some brief, semi-strenuous uphill sections, so bring comfortable shoes and drinking water. Trip is limited to 15 participants; contact Dominik in advance to reserve a spot. Meet in the parking lot at Fort Miley in the Presidio.
Take Geary St. west until it becomes Point Lobos. Turn right on El Camino del Mar and follow it to Fort Miley west parking lot. If coming from the Great Highway, go past the Cliff House and Merrie Way, then turn left onto El Camino del Mar.
Updated: San Francisco Botanical Garden
Sunday, November 1, 8 10:30 a.m.
Alan Ridley, allanrid@pacbell.net; Helen McKenna, 415.566.3241; Ginny Marshall
Meet at front gate of the botanical garden in Golden Gate Park, 9th Ave. at Lincoln Way. This delightful section of the park has several micro-habitats that attract an array of resident, migrant, and vagrant birds. This monthly trip is oriented toward helping beginning birders develop their skills in spotting and identifying birds.
Experience inland and shoreline birding with Golden Gate Audubon volunteers on our monthly field trips: www.goldengateaudubon.org/html/fieldtrips/fieldtrips_main.htm. Know of a good spot to start a field trip? Interested in becoming a field trip leader? Let us know!
UPCOMING FALL CLASSES
To view our list of upcoming classes on birds and butterflies, please visit: http://www.goldengateaudubon.org/html/speakerclass/classes.htm.
UPCOMING VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
Saturday, November 7, 9 a.m. noon: Pier 94 wetlands restoration workday. As part of our ongoing efforts to restore wetlands along San Franciscos southern waterfront, we will continue weeding the Pier 94 wetlands and working on the new upland plots. Join us and see what birds have come to use this habitat. Refreshments provided.
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12. Scientific American:
GREENWIRE: What is the Real Cost of Power Production?
Market prices don't reflect hundreds of billions of dollars in hidden costs of energy production to human health and the environment
http://cl.exct.net/?qs=d7d804521c90937b600e00228b5e87ffce7a4ef17b2d1b7001f58ebf60746329
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13. Toulouse saves on city lights
The lights have gone down in Toulouse. Early-rising residents of the Allee Camlle-Soula in the southwestern French city have set out to work with the morning gloom held at bay by new technology that turns on streetlights only when pedestrians pass.
Installed on a 500-metre section of pavement, the lampposts double the strength of the light they cast when they detect human body heat. Ten seconds later they revert to normal.
"Nothing like this exists anywhere in the world. We pretty much built the technology ourselves," said the deputy mayor. The aim is to cut energy consumption by 50%, first on the busy street which runs between a sports stadium and university halls, then more widely. If it is a success, it will be rolled out across the city of 450,000, France's fourth-largest.
The technology has attracted interest across France and overseas. Last month Toulouse received a deputation of councillors from Osaka.
There is a growing campaign in France against nocturnal light pollution. Last weekend saw countrywide demonstrations against the contamination of the night sky by urban lighting. "Concern started just among astronomers and other specialists but is now getting much more mainstream attention."
Guardian Weekly29.10.09
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14. The power of Greenspan, Rubin, Summers et al:
Last week I carried an item about the warnings of a high Clinton administration official regarding fraud in the marketplace: http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/10/20/pm-frontline-the-warning/. Here is the New York Times version of the story:
Joe Nocera's a reporter with the New York Times. He says fraud came up during Born's first meeting with the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan.
JOE NOCERA:He (ie, Greenspan) said something to the effect that, "Well, Brooksley, we are never going to agree on fraud. You probably think there should be rules against it." And she said, "Well, yes, I do." He said, "You know, I think the market will figure it out and take care of the fraudsters."
Instead of taking the hint, Born began investigating. She immediately ran up against opposition from the president's Working Group on financial markets. She even got an angry call from Larry Summers, the Deputy Treasury Secretary.
BORN: They were totally opposed to it. That puzzled me. You know, what was it that was in this market that had to be hidden? So, it made me very suspicious and troubled.
Summers, his boss at the Treasury Robert Rubin, and Alan Greenspan were big believers in letting the markets look after themselves.
Mark Brickell is a former derivatives banker at JPMorgan Chase, and an industry lobbyist. He says Greenspan wanted to regulate over-the-counter derivatives as little as possible.
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/10/20/pm-frontline-the-warning/
("Morality represents the way that people would like the world to work--whereas economics represents how it actually does work." Steven Levitt)
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15. Where Keynes Went Wrong, by Hunter Lewis
"Just what the world needs, and just in time. Keynes is demolished and his quack system refuted. But this wonderful book does more. It restores clear thinking and common sense to their rightful places in the economic policy debate. Three cheers for Hunter Lewis!" James Grant, editor of Grant's Interest Rate Observer
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16. FromIn Brief,newsletter of Earthjustice
Unquenchable, by Robert Glennon
The number of law professors who write accessible and entertaining books is short: Joe Sax, Ollie Houck, and Bill Rogers come to mind. And here's a splendid addition: Robert Glennon...He has put together a magnificent examination of water in the U.S., how it's used and abused and how the system must be adjusted before we get more deeply in trouble. He's not a privatizer, by the way, but a very thoughtful and compelling thinker. And a damn fine writer.
Forests Forever, by John J. Berger
This lovely book is many things--history, science, policy analysis, a primer on how to restore our wounded forests and protect those that are still intact. Plus, it's a gallery of historic and modern photographs, beautifully reproduced, both beauty shots and old chestnuts. I suspect it will be a hit in colleges (Berger had degrees up one side and down the other, including a PhD in ecology), and in the trade as well. Very valuable and useful.
Darwin's Armada by Iain McCalman
The theory of evolution, almost universally accepted by scientists and still challenged and derided by creationists and religious fundamentalists, is generally credited to Charles Darwin, as it should be. But in this engrossing addition to the Darwin literature, Iain McCalman, an Australian historian, fleshes out the story with tales of three of Darwin's collaborators--Joseph Hooker, Thomas Huxley, and Alfred Russel Wallace--who conducted studies across the globe that confirmed the theory and provided ample evidence to prove it. Part history, part science, part adventure story, this is a winner.
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17. Scientific Observations
"Surveys show that only about a third of U.S. respondents have a problem with evolution and religion. These are fundamentalists, and there is no need to convert or argue with them. But another 40-50 percent of mainstream Americans would be open to evolution, except that they get all this creationist misinformation. It seems obvious that if we spent more time in our textbooks talking about how tetrapods came up on land, how birds evolved from dinosaurs, how whales went back into the oceans, the average American would not be so vulnerable to the claims of creationists."
Paleontologist Kevin Padian of the University of California, Berkeley in the Sept. 15 Current Biology
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From Science News:
"Becoming Human" is premiering on Nov. 3, 10 and 17.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/becominghuman/
(I expect there was wailing and gnashing of teeth when the Ardipithecus research results were released after they'd finished making this film.)
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www.sciencenews.org:
"Finding flu meds in rivers has fueled fears of a drug-resistant virus. See "Excreted Tamiflu found in rivers."
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18.
The diplomacy of waterReview-From the October 26, 2009 issue ofHigh Country Newsby Matt Jenkins
Water and the West: The Colorado River Compact and the Politics of Water in the American West (Second Edition)Norris Hundley Jr.
Norris Hundley's bookWater and the Westhas long stood as the classic account of the epic negotiations to divide up the Colorado River's water. First published in 1975, the book quickly went out of print. Yet it is such an essential history of the river's politics that, for the last several years, it's been hard to find a used copy for less than $150.
Now,Water and the Westis back, in a second edition with a new preface and epilogue. Many good books on the topic have followed in its wake, butWater and the Westremains the single most important source for understanding the origins of (and the seemingly incomprehensible political gyrations behind) the 1922 Colorado River Compact. Hundley's painstakingly assembled account of the Compact negotiations was drawn, in part, from a long-lost set of minutes that he rediscovered. It was like unearthing the Dead Sea Scrolls of the Colorado.
Hundley calls the negotiations "a pioneering venture in interstate diplomacy" that yielded "an alleged peace treaty" between the seven Southwestern states. That peace treaty was important in its own right, but it was also a significant departure from the way water had traditionally been "done" by white Westerners. Since the mid-1800s, the doctrine of prior appropriation -- i.e., the first to put water to use gets the right to it -- largely reigned supreme. But prior appropriation is a crude system, little more than a legally sanctioned version of the old playground dictum: I was here first, so I win.
The Compact was an effort to find an alternative, because prior appropriation would likely have left the majority of the seven states bone-dry and sniffling like bullied second-graders. Back in 1922, California gave every indication that it might use all the water in the river. Through the Compact negotiations, the six other states managed -- using equal measures of coercion and persuasion -- to reach a negotiated division of the river's water.
It was a remarkable achievement, and yet, as Hundley demonstrates, the Compact was also an imperfect agreement that sparked "the beginning of a special kind of war," marked by subsequent disagreement and legal fights. Today, as climate variability and global warming threaten to push the Compact past its limits,Water and the Westis more important than ever.
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19. Feedback
Alice Moseley:
Dear Jake,I, too, had my doubts about water purification methods that either relied on relatively high energy use, or wasting water to provide pure water. I contacted the Sierra Club, even got in touch with Mr Green!, as well as asking everyone I knew. Eventually, after many months, years (?), I opted for the Wellness Kitchen filter, which lasts a long time, and provides high quality water which is not stripped of its minerals. The only reservation I had about it is that it does not remove fluoride. Apparently the only method of doing that is through reverse osmosis (much water is wasted this way, and possibly it consumes more energy, though I'm not certain about that) - OR, not having it added by the local water authority(!).
We're quite happy with the Wellness water system, and I notice, checking again online, that it seems to be available for less than we paid for it (the under-sink system).
Time.com has postedBrian Malow'svideo interview withNorm Gershenz, Director of SaveNature.Organd co-founder of the Insect Discovery Lab.
Click on the following link to see this exclusive clip and learn more about SaveNature.Org's educational outreach efforts:
www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,45603812001_1931361,00.html
SaveNature.Org has consistently conducted more than 700 hands-on Insect Discovery Lab presentations annually since its inception, bringing to classrooms and communities live, exotic insects and an unforgettable and unique learning experience. The Insect Discovery Lab's success can be attributed to the kind and helpful contribution of donations and grants.
Help SaveNature.Org provide scholarship for bringing its signature Insect Discovery Lab to underserved children and schools in the Greater Bay Area. We are in great need during these trying financial times. Your contribution, partnership, and support can help inspire children and adults alike to take an active stance in environmental awareness and wildlife conservation.
For more information about supporting SaveNature.Org and the Insect Discovery Lab or to book a presentation, please call (415) 648-3392 or go online to www.savenature.org
Which automatically segues into:
Ze digs deep into the history of the 'Graveyard of Empires' to offer a condensed timeline of Afghanistan from Genghis Khan to 9/11.
(This is guaranteed to be the shortest and the quickest history--and the quickest-delivered--of Afghanistan or any country since time began.)
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20. House and Senate Prevent "Cow Tax" -Flatulence to remain unregulated
http://cl.exct.net/?qs=b2762668226e7bb120646fb040d1dfb95bb44ee8a987676315db42c8e59aed6f
House and Senate conferees on the appropriations bill funding U.S. EPA for fiscal 2010 approved an amendment yesterday to block agency efforts to requireClean Air Actpermits for greenhouse gases emitted by livestock.
The amendment was agreed to last night as part of the $32.2-billion HouseSenate conferencepackageto fundEPA, theInterior Departmentand theForest Servicefor fiscal 2010.
Both chambers had already adopted amendments to their versions of the bill that would have prevented EPA from using funds to implement rules requiring livestock producers to obtain Clean Air Act operating permits for the biologicalemissionsof carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases.
The conference package includes the Senate provision, introduced bySen. Sam Brownback(R-Kan.); the House had adopted a similar amendment fromRep. Todd Tiahrt(R-Kan.).
Politics is the art of the possible. Adage
Politics is the art of choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable. John Kenneth Galbraith
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Jake Sigg's Nature News Special to Bayview Hill Association
Nature News from Jake Sigg
1. Job opportunity in Watsonville
2. Governor Schwarzenegger needs to hear from you on a raft of bills
3. Historian Greg Gaar will be presenting a slide show on the natural history of San Francisco October 13
4. Pacifica disgraces itself on Sharp Park
5. Ecology 101
6. Mixed signals from Washington on Bay-Delta/Dianne Feinstein sells out endangered species
7. Ken Burns' magnificent national park series/Hetch Hetchy
8. Food and farming: Wendell Barry's wisdom
9. Conservation grazing technical workshop October 30
10. Siemens: Used slave labor in Third Reich, now aiding Holocaust denier
11. Nutrition items: Importance of potassium-rich foods
12. Feedback
13. The Rebirth of Environmentalism
14. Dammed Crazy: What Do California's Water Woes Teach Us?
15. Newly-discovered waterfall in Pacifica: field trip this Saturday 10
16. Ospreys in action
17. This year's Ig Nobel Prizes
18. The problem with government conspiracies is that bureaucrats are incompetent and people can’t keep their mouths shut
19. However, the Moon landings were faked, and Daylight Savings Time is responsible for climate warming
20. Is our galaxy running out of gas?
21. Park steward CD being sold at SF Symphony Store
22. It's against the law in Tennessee to....
1. Watsonville Wetlands Watch seeks Environmental Education Specialist
Watsonville Wetlands Watch seeks an Environmental Education Specialist to coordinate and facilitate outdoor wetland-based activities for youth of the Pajaro Valley. The ideal candidate will be bilingual in English and Spanish, have experience coordinating and providing environmental education to youth ages 8-18 and will have a background in wetland ecology and inquiry-based learning. Watsonville Wetlands Watch provides a fun and supportive work environment and we are looking for a team player who is creative, passionate about the environment, and loves working with children. Desired qualifications include bachelor’s degree in an environmentally-related field plus two years experience, excellent organization and teaching skills, the ability to take initiative and work independently, and experience designing student activities. Work will include recruiting program participants, scheduling and coordinating activities, leading field trips, training and supervising teen staff and volunteer docents, and maintaining program files. This position requires own transportation and insurance and must be able to drive a minimum of three students to field trip sites. This is a part-time 20 hours/week position and pays $16/hour- sick, vacation and holidays. To view the full job description please go to http://www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org. Please send a cover letter and resume by October 6th to Noëlle Antolin at noelle@watsonvillewetlandswatch.org or by mail to P.O. Box 1239 Freedom, Ca 95019
Noëlle Antolin Education Director Watsonville Wetlands Watch t (831)728-1156 f (831)728-6944
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2. From California League of Conservation Voters
Key legislation is now on the governor's desk that, if signed into law, would reduce global warming pollutants in the state, guarantee access to clean drinking water, reduce our exposure to toxins, safeguard our state parks, and more.
These bills will have little to no cost to the state but will contribute to a safer, cleaner, greener future for Californians.
When faced with decisions on environmental legislation in past years, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has landed squarely in the middle of the road by siding with industry nearly as often as not. Since 2003, he has signed little over half of our priority legislation -- a record that he can improve this year.
You can help us overpower the deep pockets of industry lobbyists by adding your grassroots voice to ours. Please take action and urge Governor Schwarzenegger to sign high-priority environmental bills by next Sunday, October 11 (the deadline for him to sign bills passed in 2009 into law).
Take action today:
Please call or fax Governor Schwarzenegger, urging him to sign the following bills (click for more info on each):
• AB 1404, to reduce global warming emissions at home
• SB 757, to reduce our exposure to toxic lead
• AB 1242, to guarantee Californians access to healthy water
• SB 372 & SB 679, to protect California's state parks
• SB 14 & AB 64, to strengthen California's Renewable Energy Standard.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841, ext. 0
Fax: (916) 558-3160
Note: A call is one of the most valuable ways to make your voice heard. Though hold times can be up to a few minutes, the immediate public feedback to the governor's office makes a big difference and receives more consideration than an email.
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3. Historian Greg Gaar will be presenting a slide show on the natural history of San Francisco at the Glen Park Association Fall Meeting, Tuesday, October 13, 7:00pm, Glen Park Recreation Center. His presentation will show historic photos of the native sand dunes, grasslands, trees, lakes, creeks and bay shore with emphasis on Glen Park, Mt. Davidson and Twin Peaks.
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4. Ellen Edelson reports:
This Thursday,evening Oct 8, at the SF Naturalist Society's meeting (http://www.sfns.org), Brent Plater, environmental lawyer and director of Restore Sharp Park, will give a talk called "Twain's Frog & the Beautiful Serpent"--on the history of and current concerns about Pacifica's Sharp Park golf course and its endangered resident red-legged frog and SF garter snake. The talk will be held at the Randall Museum in SF (www.randallmuseum.org) and starts at 7:30 pm.
I urge all of you to attend and bring others with you. He has new material and it is important that we keep up with this important issue. Moreover, after the experience of last Friday night in Pacifica, we need to show Brent a massive outpouring of support and appreciation for his hard and dedicated work to save those imperiled animals from "extinction by a thousand cuts".
I attended the talk by Brent and Dr Carlos Davidson at the Pacifica Community Center last Friday night, hosted by the Santa Clara Valley CNPS. I was not surprised by the presence of the golfers,but their unruliness and disrespect was taken to new heights. Worse, Pacifica city councilman (and former mayor), Jim Vreeland was there drunk and most belligerent. CNPS host, Arvind Kumar, had to turn on the lights three times during the presentation to ask the thugs to behave or please leave. The heckling got such that Arvind suggested a peace officer may need to be called in. The current mayor sat on her hands and was utterly useless as a leader.
We got through the presentations eventually, but nerves were certainly frayed. I would like to see the house packed on Thursday in a show of support and appreciation for Brent and his hard work for this cause.
I doubt the golfers or the city officials of Pacifica will make the trek to the Randall Museum, but I forewarned Patrick Schlemmer, the SF Naturalist Society leader, just in case.
Let's show that SF can attend a talk on a controversial subject (although not so much here, admittedly) and present ourselves in a courteous and respectful manner. Several (well-behaved!) Pacificans will be there to show their support as well!
Here are some email excerpts post-Friday evening:
From myself (ie, Ellen Edelson):
The heckling and other rude, disruptive behavior by the handful of golfers should also be publicly chastised. I applaud Brent, Carlos and Arvind for keeping their cool and countering the disrespectful outbursts with unreciprocated courtesy and professionalism.
From Ron Maykel;
Thanks for the invite (to the Randall). I must confess the conduct was one of the worst experiences of a public meeting I have had. The out-of-character conduct is not uncommon in this town. I have lived in this town for nearly 40 years and find their to be a paucity of well mannered and sensitive people. But that's another story.
From Brent Plater:
Make sure to get the word out about the unacceptable behavior last night on Riptide, the Tribune, etc. When a city councilmember shows up drunk and truculent at a community lecture, people need to know about it.
I will share my letter to the editor of the (Pacifica) Tribune with any of you who ask.
See you Thursday. (Whether or not you can attend, check out the website: restoresharppark.org,for information.)
_________________
Here is the Pacifica Tribune story: http://www.mercurynews.com/pacifica
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5. Ecology 101
Three hundred trout are needed to support one man for a year. The trout, in turn, must consume 90,000 frogs, that must consume 27 million grasshoppers that live off of 1,000 tons of grass. G Tyler Miller, Jr, American chemist (1971)
“It’s the tiger salamander
And the red-legged frog
Yellow-legged frog
And all the legged frogs
For it’s them that I love
And it’s them that I owe
For it’s their getting by
That’s my getting by.”
Bruce Delgado sung at Cal-IPC Symposium 2007
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6. MIXED SIGNALS FROM WASHINGTON ON FATE OF BAY-DELTA
While the California Legislature continues to work on a comprehensive package of Delta bills, the Obama Administration entered the fray on Tuesday with six federal agencies signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a Federal Bay-Delta Leadership Committee.
Over the next several months, the Leadership Committee will coordinate with the state and key stakeholders to develop a federal action plan. The plan will look at habitat restoration, climate change mitigation, water efficiency and recycling, and land stewardship programs that benefit the Delta ecosystem.
However, California Senator Dianne Feinstein may hamper the attempt more than help, since she's suggesting that the Endangered Species Act should be waived "as fast as we can" to temporarily transfer Delta water to Central Valley agribusinesses. She has also called for a National Academy of Sciences review of the recent Endangered Species Act Biological Opinions that have helped protect Delta smelt and salmon fisheries.
“Man, biologically considered...is the most formidable of all the beasts of prey, and, indeed, the only one that preys systematically on its own species.” William James
“They have poisoned the Thames and killed the fish in the river. A little further development of the same wisdom and science will complete the poisoning of the air, and kill the dwellers on the banks...I almost think it is the destiny of science to exterminate the human race.” Thomas Love Peacock, Gryll Grange, 1860
“To me the question of the environment is more ominous than that of peace and war. We will have regional conflicts and use of force, but world conflicts I do not believe will happen any longer. But the environment, that is a creeping danger. I’m more worried about global warming than I am about any major military conflict.”
Hans Blix, head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission, 12 March 2003
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7. To those who missed Ken Burns' magnificent series on our national parks: beg, borrow, or steal a copy. It was rich and multi-dimensional: not only excellent research and filming of unbelievable--yes, unbelievable, and always will be--phenomena and scenery, but also a history of human actions and interactions. Some may be surprised at the difficulties faced--including extreme hostility--and how much chance came into play, including the maneuvering that brought about San Francisco's shameful drowning of Hetch Hetchy Valley.
We owe so much to so few--but isn't it always that way in human affairs?
Letters to the Chronicle: Friday, October 1, 2004 S.F. scolded for seizing a national treasure
Editor -- Your editorial ("The Hetch Hetchy fantasy," Sept. 29) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein's comments sorely miss a central issue: Yosemite National Park, which includes Hetch Hetchy Valley, was established by Congress in 1890 "for all to enjoy." The entire park legally belongs to the people of the United States, not just San Franciscans.
While politically driven and legally manipulated in 1913 by the likes of Gifford Pinchot, John Raker, Mayor James Phelan and others, the establishment of O'Shaughnessy Dam was clearly a grave mistake, which is not "easy to look back" on. Now is the best time in 80 years to take a hard look forward toward correcting an enormous wrongdoing and finally restoring this once-pristine valley to its rightful owners, the people of the United States.
As Environmental Defense and others have shown the answers are out there, but it will only happen if we have the collective vision and goodwill to find them.
STEPHEN ATTELL, Burlingame
Editor -- Your editorial regarding the restoration of Hetch Hetchy was one-sided. The Chronicle should be providing a comprehensive look at all options.
After the failure of the press over Iraq, you should not fall into place so quickly behind current political leaders.
BART WRIGHT, Oakland
Editor -- Hetch Hetchy Valley does not belong to San Francisco -- it is part of Yosemite National Park, which belongs to all of us.
We would not build a refinery in the Everglades, or an outlet mall at the foot of the Statue of Liberty. A dam does not belong in Yosemite.
Shall we let it be said that people of the Bay Area are in favor of environmental conservation only when it does not inconvenience them? How long will it take before the first charge of "hypocrite" is made?
Saying that the dam was a mistake, but we can't correct it now, is not good enough. If feasible and practical, this is a chance to restore an unmatched scenic treasure to the nation.
MAUREEN FITZPATRICK
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8. From Garden for the Environment newsletter/website:
Wendell Berry's Wisdom
Michael Pollan, The Nation
"The national conversation unfolding around the subject of food and farming really began in the 1970s, with the work of writers like Wendell Berry..."
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090921/pollan
This article is adapted from Michael Pollan's introduction to Bringing It to the Table, a collection of Wendell Berry's writings out this fall from Counterpoint.
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9. The Natural Resources Conservation Service and the San Mateo Resources Conservation District are partnering with Peninsula Permaculture to bring to you a very interesting conservation grazing technical workshop.
Don't miss the opportunity to join us October 30th from 10-4 at TOTO ranch in San Gregorio, CA to learn about carbon sequestration, conservation ranching and more.
Agriculture operations can build soils that increase crop and pasture production and help address the growing opportunity for carbon sequestration. This one-day workshop will describe how you can improve your soils and increase the ability to harvest rainwater where it falls using a range of integrated regenerative agriculture techniques such as Keyline Design, Holistic Management, Soil Food Web, Integrated Agroforestry and other carbon farming strategies.
Toto Ranch is located at 20080 Cabrillo Hwy S. Half Moon Bay, CA 94019. The ranch is 9 miles south of Half Moon Bay, on the east side of hwy 1. It is the only driveway between Tunitas Creek Rd. and Stage Rd. There is a large gravel turn out on the west side across from Toto ranch.
For more information visit:
Workshop Details or Contact Susan Osofsky 650.938.9300 x18
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10. "...A textbook example of what democracies should not do was provided last year by a joint venture between Siemens and Nokia. This sold the Iranian regime a sophisticated system with which it can monitor the internet: emails, internet phone calls and social-networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, much used by Iranian protesters. So a German company, Siemens, which used slave labour during the Third Reich, sold a Holocaust-denying president the instruments with which he can persecute young Iranians. Think of that every time you buy something made by Siemens." Excerpt from Timothy Garton Ash article in Guardian Weekly 02.10.09
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11. From Agricultural Research, October 2009
Hairy Vetch Boosts Tomato Phytonutrients
Members of the Vicia genus known as “hairy vetch” are viny, moderately winter-hardy legumes that are often grown to stabilize roadbanks or to serve as forage for grazing animals. Since they fix atmospheric nitrogen, they are a rich source of that critical plant nutrient.
Now research has shown that planting tomatoes in fields of killed and rolled hairy vetch, which serves as a mulch, activates some of the metabolic pathways and genes that make tomato plants more vigorous—and their fruit more tasty and nutritious. The effect is similar to that obtained by inserting the ySAMdc gene into tomato plants, which is known to increase production of polyamines.
How the fruit of regular tomatoes grown in hairy vetch mulch becomes so nutritionally similar to fruit produced by ySAMdc-modified tomatoes isn’t yet understood. But when both modified and unmodified tomatoes were grown in hairy vetch mulch, a buildup of amino acids, choline, and other nutrients and antioxidants was seen to occur in the fruit, and the ySAMdc-modified tomatoes contained even more nutrients—and at much higher levels—than unmodified ones.
Researchers think that the polyamines may act as signaling molecules and steer metabolic pathways so fruits produce more phytonutrients.
Potassium-Rich Foods Preserve Muscle Mass
The typical American diet generates tiny amounts of acid each day. As people age, they develop a mild metabolic acidosis that increases slowly over time and appears to trigger a muscle-wasting response. So researchers looked at links between lean body mass and diets relatively high in potassium-rich, alkaline-residue-producing fruits and vegetables to see whether these foods could influence lean tissue mass. They conducted a cross-sectional analysis on a subset of nearly 400 male and female volunteers aged 65 or older who had completed a 3-year osteoporosis-intervention trial.
The volunteers’ physical activity, height and weight, and percentage of lean body mass were measured at the start of the study and at 3 years. Their urinary potassium was measured at the start of the study, and their dietary data was collected at 18 months.
Regression model results indicated that volunteers with potassium-rich diets could expect to have 3.6 more pounds of lean tissue mass than volunteers with half the higher potassium intake. According to the study’s authors, this almost offsets the 4.4 pounds of lean tissue that healthy men and women 65 and over typically lose in a decade. (See next item for potassium-rich foods. JS)
The following item is from Agricultural Research March 2007
Nutrient-loaded mushrooms
Who'd have though that the often-overlooked culinary mushroom offered consumers key nutrients like copper, potassium, folate, and niacin? That's what nutrient analysis of seven varieties of mushrooms--crimini, enoki, maitake, oyster, portabella, shiitake, and white button--has shown. Samples gathered from markets countrywide have been analyzed for their carbohydrate, fat, fiber, protein, vitamin, and mineral contents, along with ergosterol, a precursor to vitamin D.
Four varieties were analyzed raw, but portabella, shiitake, and white button mushrooms were analyzed after cooking--to determine the effect of cooking on their nutrient content. Most nutrients were fully retained, while a few dropped to 80-95 percent.
All mushrooms were found to provide a significant amount of copper, a trace element that helps the body produce red blood cells and drives a variety of chemical reactions that are key to human health. They also provide significant amounts of potasssium, which helps maintain normal heart rhythm, fluid balance, and muscle and nerve function.
(One portabella mushroom contains more potassium than a banana, another food famous for its potassium, according to another Agricultural Research article. JS)
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A dollar spent in a locally owned business is worth three times as much to the local economy as one spent in a chain store. Sierra, Mar-Apr 2007
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12. Feedback
Ted Kipping:
Dear Jake. Thank you for your Sisyphean environ/blog. As a student in New York at Columbia University, I gave walks about the campus celebrating "Great Moments Revealed In Stone" visible in the facing stone of the buildings as well as the foyer and lobby pavers. Including some fancy fossils as well. A great idea to revitalize for SF!
Re the Ribbon Gum, like yourself, I too am an admirer of the genus and also especially of Eucalyptus viminalis. From a tree huggers viewpoint and especially a climber/arborist's it is a more refined tree in every respect when compared to E. globulus. The latter is in nature an understory tree and therefore an opportunist. That is why it gets greedy in both growth (180-220 feet tall) and reproduction. It's always looking over its shoulder expecting to be overgrown and shaded out by E. regnans ( 300-400+ feet). Ribbonbark is its own climax species and so is not in a big rush to get what it can while it can. I do love many individuals of E. globulus but not the species in the same categorical way I do E. viminalis. Ted Kipping
Thanks, Ted; encouragement is always appreciated. I need it I need it.
I feared that I might get some indignant mail because of praising ribbon gum. It's good to hear from someone who shares my enthusiasm for it. I may yet get mail.
Burton Meyer:
Regarding No. 23 military spending, Not only would we speak German, but Hitler and possibly Stalin and their descendants would be ruling. Many of us would be dead.
Clark Natwick:
Hi Jake, Thanks to one of the postings in Nature News I am receiving relief from severe knee pain. I went to the Blue Bucket Eco Fair for the free compost and visited all the info booths. One booth offered free acupuncture - the Health & Enviroonmental Resource Ctr.
I have had 3 sessions of free acupuncture. All three sessions were helpful. I also received 3 bags of free compost & I am utilizing that also.
Thank you for the amazing Nature News and all its benefits.
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13. Dr. Douglas Bevington has released his new book: The Rebirth of Environmentalism. The book tells the story of the small but highly effective grassroots groups that have achieved remarkable success in protecting endangered species and forests in the United States. Filled with inspiring stories of activists, groups, and campaigns that most readers will not have encountered before, The Rebirth of Environmentalism explores how grassroots biodiversity groups have had such a big impact despite their scant resources, and presents valuable lessons that can help the environmental movement as a whole—as well as other social movements—become more effective.
“The environmental movement is an ecosystem of its own, and Douglas Bevington does a fine job examining the understory that flourishes in the shade of the big green groups. This will be a useful text for those trying to figure out how to build the global warming movement in the years ahead.” —Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature
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14. Dammed Crazy: What Do California's Water Woes Teach Us?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lori-pottinger/dammed-crazy-what-do-cali_b_307160.html
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15.
Saturday, 10 October 10 am
Pacifica's least-known waterfall (San Mateo County)
Leaders: Ian Butler and Jake Sigg
A spectacular 60' waterfall in the midst of a metropolitan area of a million people--and unknown? Hello?
An occasional fisherman or other curious people may have visited it, so it wasn't completely unknown. But it wasn't until Ian Butler chanced upon it and decided the world should take notice that it was "discovered". Jake was delighted that such a gem existed and has joined Ian in introducing the world to it.
The descent to the bottom of the fall--the only place from which it can be viewed--is very steep and requires a modicum of physical agility. The water flows about 300' to the ocean, and the beach is small, isolated, and frequented by sea birds. The stream and the cliffs harbor at least 26 species of native plants in good health, including liverworts and mosses. A few of the plants are locally rare.
RSVP, and for meeting instructions: jakesigg@earthlink.net 415-731-3028, or Ian Butler, ianbutler@netzero.net.
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16. ospreys in action: http://www.miguellasa.com/photos/sspopup.mg?AlbumID=1001578
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17. 60-SECOND SCIENCE PODCAST: Ig Nobel Prizes Awarded
On the eve of the Nobel Prize announcements, the Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded at Harvard, for studies into knuckle-cracking and other vital medical and scientific research
http://cl.exct.net/?qs=c31bd168922ec77988c64020e72eee757a40c695ec378ed853214ea0af8375c5
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18.
….“Just because you’re paranoid don’t mean they’re not after you.”
But as former Nixon aide G. Gordon Liddy once told me (and he should know!), the problem with government conspiracies is that bureaucrats are incompetent and people can’t keep their mouths shut. Complex conspiracies are difficult to pull off, and so many people want their quarter hour of fame that even the Men in Black couldn’t squelch the squealers from spilling the beans. So there’s a good chance that the more elaborate a conspiracy theory is, and the more people that would need to be involved, the less likely it is true.
Why do people believe in highly improbable conspiracies? In previous columns I have provided partial answers, citing patternicity (the tendency to find meaningful patterns in random noise) and agenticity (the bent to believe the world is controlled by invisible intentional agents). Conspiracy theories connect the dots of random events into meaningful patterns and then infuse those patterns with intentional agency. Add to those propensities the confirmation bias (which seeks and finds confirmatory evidence for what we already believe) and the hindsight bias (which tailors after-the-fact explanations to what we already know happened), and we have the foundation for conspiratorial cognition.
Examples of these processes can be found in journalist Arthur Goldwag’s marvelous new book, Cults, Conspiracies, and Secret Societies, which covers everything from the Freemasons, the Illuminati and the Bilderberg Group to black helicopters and the New World Order. “When something momentous happens, everything leading up to and away from the event seems momentous, too. Even the most trivial detail seems to glow with significance”.
…What should we believe? Transcendentalists tend to believe that everything is interconnected and that all events happen for a reason. Empiricists tend to think that randomness and coincidence interact with the causal net of our world and that belief should depend on evidence for each individual claim. The problem for skepticism is that transcendentalism is intuitive; empiricism is not. Or as folk rock group Buffalo Springfield once intoned: Paranoia strikes deep. Into your life it will creep ...
Excerpts from Michael Shermer’s Skeptic column in Scientific American September 2009
As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand. Josh Billings (1818-1885)
The wish to believe, even against evidence, fuels all the pseudosciences from astrology to creationism. Isaac Asimov
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19. Reason and science
Some 15 million Americans believe the moon landings were faked. They never drank the Tang. Millions more are convinced that Elvis lives and that the sun revolves around the Earth, which is approximately 6,000 years old.
Reason and science have their fans, but many Americans find faith more appealing. For example, the National Academy of Sciences has decreed the evidence for climate change unmistakable, but that won't stop Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, R, from declaring it a hoax, and he's not alone.
"I don't think the human effect is significant," says Harrison "Moon Rock" Schmitt, the last astronaut to (allegedly) explore the lunar surface. Global warming skeptics have many crackpot theories. My favorite came from a housewife in Arkansas, who insists that daylight savings is to blame: "It's that extra hour of sunlight." From Randy Udall, High Country News 17 August 2009
(Dont' worry, dearie; Daylight Savings will end in three weeks.)
And an Arizona state senator has faith: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtzJhTfQiMA
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Here we have a baby. It is composed of a bald head and a pair of lungs. Eugene Field, American poet/humorist 1850-1895
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20. Is our galaxy running out of gas?
New results suggest the Milky Way is creating so many stars that it may run out of gas in a billion years.
To the most casual observer, the night sky gives the impression that it hasn’t changed since time immemorial. A closer look, however, reveals the Milky Way Galaxy’s ongoing cycles of cosmic death and rebirth.
The plane of our Milky Way is chock full of star-forming regions. Astronomers estimate that, all told, those regions add some 5 solar masses of new stars to the galaxy per year. But that figure may soon have to be ratcheted up…Of the approximately 6,000 stars visible to the naked eye on a dark night, most have significantly more mass than the Sun and are intrinsically luminous. These high-mass stars live fast and die young, exploding as supernovae less than 50 million years after their births. Yet the vast majority of the Milky Way’s estimated 400 billion stars are middle-aged or older and have less mass than the Sun. These cool, reddish stars don’t radiate much visible light. Instead, they generate invisible infrared radiation (heat). So, to learn the details of Milky Way star formation, astronomers need to expand their vision beyond the visible.
That’s just what they’ve done…Results…have started to change scientists’ view of star formation in the Milky Way. Early results hint that the galaxy’s current frenzy of star birth can’t be sustained for more than a billion years.
Excerpt from Astronomy, January 2009
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21. Browsing through the CD/DVD section of the SF Symphony Store, I was pleasantly surprised to find an album by one of our park stewards, Gary Schwantes--the Ultra World X-tet. We've even infiltrated the Symphony!
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22. It's against the law in parts of Tennessee:
To lasso a fish
To sing "It ain't gonna rain no more no more"
For frogs to croak after 11 pm
Scribbled notes from saysyou.net; details may be wrong. I missed the towns that declared these illegal.
1. Job opportunity in Watsonville
2. Governor Schwarzenegger needs to hear from you on a raft of bills
3. Historian Greg Gaar will be presenting a slide show on the natural history of San Francisco October 13
4. Pacifica disgraces itself on Sharp Park
5. Ecology 101
6. Mixed signals from Washington on Bay-Delta/Dianne Feinstein sells out endangered species
7. Ken Burns' magnificent national park series/Hetch Hetchy
8. Food and farming: Wendell Barry's wisdom
9. Conservation grazing technical workshop October 30
10. Siemens: Used slave labor in Third Reich, now aiding Holocaust denier
11. Nutrition items: Importance of potassium-rich foods
12. Feedback
13. The Rebirth of Environmentalism
14. Dammed Crazy: What Do California's Water Woes Teach Us?
15. Newly-discovered waterfall in Pacifica: field trip this Saturday 10
16. Ospreys in action
17. This year's Ig Nobel Prizes
18. The problem with government conspiracies is that bureaucrats are incompetent and people can’t keep their mouths shut
19. However, the Moon landings were faked, and Daylight Savings Time is responsible for climate warming
20. Is our galaxy running out of gas?
21. Park steward CD being sold at SF Symphony Store
22. It's against the law in Tennessee to....
1. Watsonville Wetlands Watch seeks Environmental Education Specialist
Watsonville Wetlands Watch seeks an Environmental Education Specialist to coordinate and facilitate outdoor wetland-based activities for youth of the Pajaro Valley. The ideal candidate will be bilingual in English and Spanish, have experience coordinating and providing environmental education to youth ages 8-18 and will have a background in wetland ecology and inquiry-based learning. Watsonville Wetlands Watch provides a fun and supportive work environment and we are looking for a team player who is creative, passionate about the environment, and loves working with children. Desired qualifications include bachelor’s degree in an environmentally-related field plus two years experience, excellent organization and teaching skills, the ability to take initiative and work independently, and experience designing student activities. Work will include recruiting program participants, scheduling and coordinating activities, leading field trips, training and supervising teen staff and volunteer docents, and maintaining program files. This position requires own transportation and insurance and must be able to drive a minimum of three students to field trip sites. This is a part-time 20 hours/week position and pays $16/hour- sick, vacation and holidays. To view the full job description please go to http://www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org. Please send a cover letter and resume by October 6th to Noëlle Antolin at noelle@watsonvillewetlandswatch.org or by mail to P.O. Box 1239 Freedom, Ca 95019
Noëlle Antolin Education Director Watsonville Wetlands Watch t (831)728-1156 f (831)728-6944
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2. From California League of Conservation Voters
Key legislation is now on the governor's desk that, if signed into law, would reduce global warming pollutants in the state, guarantee access to clean drinking water, reduce our exposure to toxins, safeguard our state parks, and more.
These bills will have little to no cost to the state but will contribute to a safer, cleaner, greener future for Californians.
When faced with decisions on environmental legislation in past years, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has landed squarely in the middle of the road by siding with industry nearly as often as not. Since 2003, he has signed little over half of our priority legislation -- a record that he can improve this year.
You can help us overpower the deep pockets of industry lobbyists by adding your grassroots voice to ours. Please take action and urge Governor Schwarzenegger to sign high-priority environmental bills by next Sunday, October 11 (the deadline for him to sign bills passed in 2009 into law).
Take action today:
Please call or fax Governor Schwarzenegger, urging him to sign the following bills (click for more info on each):
• AB 1404, to reduce global warming emissions at home
• SB 757, to reduce our exposure to toxic lead
• AB 1242, to guarantee Californians access to healthy water
• SB 372 & SB 679, to protect California's state parks
• SB 14 & AB 64, to strengthen California's Renewable Energy Standard.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841, ext. 0
Fax: (916) 558-3160
Note: A call is one of the most valuable ways to make your voice heard. Though hold times can be up to a few minutes, the immediate public feedback to the governor's office makes a big difference and receives more consideration than an email.
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3. Historian Greg Gaar will be presenting a slide show on the natural history of San Francisco at the Glen Park Association Fall Meeting, Tuesday, October 13, 7:00pm, Glen Park Recreation Center. His presentation will show historic photos of the native sand dunes, grasslands, trees, lakes, creeks and bay shore with emphasis on Glen Park, Mt. Davidson and Twin Peaks.
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4. Ellen Edelson reports:
This Thursday,evening Oct 8, at the SF Naturalist Society's meeting (http://www.sfns.org), Brent Plater, environmental lawyer and director of Restore Sharp Park, will give a talk called "Twain's Frog & the Beautiful Serpent"--on the history of and current concerns about Pacifica's Sharp Park golf course and its endangered resident red-legged frog and SF garter snake. The talk will be held at the Randall Museum in SF (www.randallmuseum.org) and starts at 7:30 pm.
I urge all of you to attend and bring others with you. He has new material and it is important that we keep up with this important issue. Moreover, after the experience of last Friday night in Pacifica, we need to show Brent a massive outpouring of support and appreciation for his hard and dedicated work to save those imperiled animals from "extinction by a thousand cuts".
I attended the talk by Brent and Dr Carlos Davidson at the Pacifica Community Center last Friday night, hosted by the Santa Clara Valley CNPS. I was not surprised by the presence of the golfers,but their unruliness and disrespect was taken to new heights. Worse, Pacifica city councilman (and former mayor), Jim Vreeland was there drunk and most belligerent. CNPS host, Arvind Kumar, had to turn on the lights three times during the presentation to ask the thugs to behave or please leave. The heckling got such that Arvind suggested a peace officer may need to be called in. The current mayor sat on her hands and was utterly useless as a leader.
We got through the presentations eventually, but nerves were certainly frayed. I would like to see the house packed on Thursday in a show of support and appreciation for Brent and his hard work for this cause.
I doubt the golfers or the city officials of Pacifica will make the trek to the Randall Museum, but I forewarned Patrick Schlemmer, the SF Naturalist Society leader, just in case.
Let's show that SF can attend a talk on a controversial subject (although not so much here, admittedly) and present ourselves in a courteous and respectful manner. Several (well-behaved!) Pacificans will be there to show their support as well!
Here are some email excerpts post-Friday evening:
From myself (ie, Ellen Edelson):
The heckling and other rude, disruptive behavior by the handful of golfers should also be publicly chastised. I applaud Brent, Carlos and Arvind for keeping their cool and countering the disrespectful outbursts with unreciprocated courtesy and professionalism.
From Ron Maykel;
Thanks for the invite (to the Randall). I must confess the conduct was one of the worst experiences of a public meeting I have had. The out-of-character conduct is not uncommon in this town. I have lived in this town for nearly 40 years and find their to be a paucity of well mannered and sensitive people. But that's another story.
From Brent Plater:
Make sure to get the word out about the unacceptable behavior last night on Riptide, the Tribune, etc. When a city councilmember shows up drunk and truculent at a community lecture, people need to know about it.
I will share my letter to the editor of the (Pacifica) Tribune with any of you who ask.
See you Thursday. (Whether or not you can attend, check out the website: restoresharppark.org,for information.)
_________________
Here is the Pacifica Tribune story: http://www.mercurynews.com/pacifica
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5. Ecology 101
Three hundred trout are needed to support one man for a year. The trout, in turn, must consume 90,000 frogs, that must consume 27 million grasshoppers that live off of 1,000 tons of grass. G Tyler Miller, Jr, American chemist (1971)
“It’s the tiger salamander
And the red-legged frog
Yellow-legged frog
And all the legged frogs
For it’s them that I love
And it’s them that I owe
For it’s their getting by
That’s my getting by.”
Bruce Delgado sung at Cal-IPC Symposium 2007
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6. MIXED SIGNALS FROM WASHINGTON ON FATE OF BAY-DELTA
While the California Legislature continues to work on a comprehensive package of Delta bills, the Obama Administration entered the fray on Tuesday with six federal agencies signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a Federal Bay-Delta Leadership Committee.
Over the next several months, the Leadership Committee will coordinate with the state and key stakeholders to develop a federal action plan. The plan will look at habitat restoration, climate change mitigation, water efficiency and recycling, and land stewardship programs that benefit the Delta ecosystem.
However, California Senator Dianne Feinstein may hamper the attempt more than help, since she's suggesting that the Endangered Species Act should be waived "as fast as we can" to temporarily transfer Delta water to Central Valley agribusinesses. She has also called for a National Academy of Sciences review of the recent Endangered Species Act Biological Opinions that have helped protect Delta smelt and salmon fisheries.
“Man, biologically considered...is the most formidable of all the beasts of prey, and, indeed, the only one that preys systematically on its own species.” William James
“They have poisoned the Thames and killed the fish in the river. A little further development of the same wisdom and science will complete the poisoning of the air, and kill the dwellers on the banks...I almost think it is the destiny of science to exterminate the human race.” Thomas Love Peacock, Gryll Grange, 1860
“To me the question of the environment is more ominous than that of peace and war. We will have regional conflicts and use of force, but world conflicts I do not believe will happen any longer. But the environment, that is a creeping danger. I’m more worried about global warming than I am about any major military conflict.”
Hans Blix, head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission, 12 March 2003
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7. To those who missed Ken Burns' magnificent series on our national parks: beg, borrow, or steal a copy. It was rich and multi-dimensional: not only excellent research and filming of unbelievable--yes, unbelievable, and always will be--phenomena and scenery, but also a history of human actions and interactions. Some may be surprised at the difficulties faced--including extreme hostility--and how much chance came into play, including the maneuvering that brought about San Francisco's shameful drowning of Hetch Hetchy Valley.
We owe so much to so few--but isn't it always that way in human affairs?
Letters to the Chronicle: Friday, October 1, 2004 S.F. scolded for seizing a national treasure
Editor -- Your editorial ("The Hetch Hetchy fantasy," Sept. 29) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein's comments sorely miss a central issue: Yosemite National Park, which includes Hetch Hetchy Valley, was established by Congress in 1890 "for all to enjoy." The entire park legally belongs to the people of the United States, not just San Franciscans.
While politically driven and legally manipulated in 1913 by the likes of Gifford Pinchot, John Raker, Mayor James Phelan and others, the establishment of O'Shaughnessy Dam was clearly a grave mistake, which is not "easy to look back" on. Now is the best time in 80 years to take a hard look forward toward correcting an enormous wrongdoing and finally restoring this once-pristine valley to its rightful owners, the people of the United States.
As Environmental Defense and others have shown the answers are out there, but it will only happen if we have the collective vision and goodwill to find them.
STEPHEN ATTELL, Burlingame
Editor -- Your editorial regarding the restoration of Hetch Hetchy was one-sided. The Chronicle should be providing a comprehensive look at all options.
After the failure of the press over Iraq, you should not fall into place so quickly behind current political leaders.
BART WRIGHT, Oakland
Editor -- Hetch Hetchy Valley does not belong to San Francisco -- it is part of Yosemite National Park, which belongs to all of us.
We would not build a refinery in the Everglades, or an outlet mall at the foot of the Statue of Liberty. A dam does not belong in Yosemite.
Shall we let it be said that people of the Bay Area are in favor of environmental conservation only when it does not inconvenience them? How long will it take before the first charge of "hypocrite" is made?
Saying that the dam was a mistake, but we can't correct it now, is not good enough. If feasible and practical, this is a chance to restore an unmatched scenic treasure to the nation.
MAUREEN FITZPATRICK
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8. From Garden for the Environment newsletter/website:
Wendell Berry's Wisdom
Michael Pollan, The Nation
"The national conversation unfolding around the subject of food and farming really began in the 1970s, with the work of writers like Wendell Berry..."
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090921/pollan
This article is adapted from Michael Pollan's introduction to Bringing It to the Table, a collection of Wendell Berry's writings out this fall from Counterpoint.
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9. The Natural Resources Conservation Service and the San Mateo Resources Conservation District are partnering with Peninsula Permaculture to bring to you a very interesting conservation grazing technical workshop.
Don't miss the opportunity to join us October 30th from 10-4 at TOTO ranch in San Gregorio, CA to learn about carbon sequestration, conservation ranching and more.
Agriculture operations can build soils that increase crop and pasture production and help address the growing opportunity for carbon sequestration. This one-day workshop will describe how you can improve your soils and increase the ability to harvest rainwater where it falls using a range of integrated regenerative agriculture techniques such as Keyline Design, Holistic Management, Soil Food Web, Integrated Agroforestry and other carbon farming strategies.
Toto Ranch is located at 20080 Cabrillo Hwy S. Half Moon Bay, CA 94019. The ranch is 9 miles south of Half Moon Bay, on the east side of hwy 1. It is the only driveway between Tunitas Creek Rd. and Stage Rd. There is a large gravel turn out on the west side across from Toto ranch.
For more information visit:
Workshop Details or Contact Susan Osofsky 650.938.9300 x18
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10. "...A textbook example of what democracies should not do was provided last year by a joint venture between Siemens and Nokia. This sold the Iranian regime a sophisticated system with which it can monitor the internet: emails, internet phone calls and social-networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, much used by Iranian protesters. So a German company, Siemens, which used slave labour during the Third Reich, sold a Holocaust-denying president the instruments with which he can persecute young Iranians. Think of that every time you buy something made by Siemens." Excerpt from Timothy Garton Ash article in Guardian Weekly 02.10.09
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11. From Agricultural Research, October 2009
Hairy Vetch Boosts Tomato Phytonutrients
Members of the Vicia genus known as “hairy vetch” are viny, moderately winter-hardy legumes that are often grown to stabilize roadbanks or to serve as forage for grazing animals. Since they fix atmospheric nitrogen, they are a rich source of that critical plant nutrient.
Now research has shown that planting tomatoes in fields of killed and rolled hairy vetch, which serves as a mulch, activates some of the metabolic pathways and genes that make tomato plants more vigorous—and their fruit more tasty and nutritious. The effect is similar to that obtained by inserting the ySAMdc gene into tomato plants, which is known to increase production of polyamines.
How the fruit of regular tomatoes grown in hairy vetch mulch becomes so nutritionally similar to fruit produced by ySAMdc-modified tomatoes isn’t yet understood. But when both modified and unmodified tomatoes were grown in hairy vetch mulch, a buildup of amino acids, choline, and other nutrients and antioxidants was seen to occur in the fruit, and the ySAMdc-modified tomatoes contained even more nutrients—and at much higher levels—than unmodified ones.
Researchers think that the polyamines may act as signaling molecules and steer metabolic pathways so fruits produce more phytonutrients.
Potassium-Rich Foods Preserve Muscle Mass
The typical American diet generates tiny amounts of acid each day. As people age, they develop a mild metabolic acidosis that increases slowly over time and appears to trigger a muscle-wasting response. So researchers looked at links between lean body mass and diets relatively high in potassium-rich, alkaline-residue-producing fruits and vegetables to see whether these foods could influence lean tissue mass. They conducted a cross-sectional analysis on a subset of nearly 400 male and female volunteers aged 65 or older who had completed a 3-year osteoporosis-intervention trial.
The volunteers’ physical activity, height and weight, and percentage of lean body mass were measured at the start of the study and at 3 years. Their urinary potassium was measured at the start of the study, and their dietary data was collected at 18 months.
Regression model results indicated that volunteers with potassium-rich diets could expect to have 3.6 more pounds of lean tissue mass than volunteers with half the higher potassium intake. According to the study’s authors, this almost offsets the 4.4 pounds of lean tissue that healthy men and women 65 and over typically lose in a decade. (See next item for potassium-rich foods. JS)
The following item is from Agricultural Research March 2007
Nutrient-loaded mushrooms
Who'd have though that the often-overlooked culinary mushroom offered consumers key nutrients like copper, potassium, folate, and niacin? That's what nutrient analysis of seven varieties of mushrooms--crimini, enoki, maitake, oyster, portabella, shiitake, and white button--has shown. Samples gathered from markets countrywide have been analyzed for their carbohydrate, fat, fiber, protein, vitamin, and mineral contents, along with ergosterol, a precursor to vitamin D.
Four varieties were analyzed raw, but portabella, shiitake, and white button mushrooms were analyzed after cooking--to determine the effect of cooking on their nutrient content. Most nutrients were fully retained, while a few dropped to 80-95 percent.
All mushrooms were found to provide a significant amount of copper, a trace element that helps the body produce red blood cells and drives a variety of chemical reactions that are key to human health. They also provide significant amounts of potasssium, which helps maintain normal heart rhythm, fluid balance, and muscle and nerve function.
(One portabella mushroom contains more potassium than a banana, another food famous for its potassium, according to another Agricultural Research article. JS)
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A dollar spent in a locally owned business is worth three times as much to the local economy as one spent in a chain store. Sierra, Mar-Apr 2007
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12. Feedback
Ted Kipping:
Dear Jake. Thank you for your Sisyphean environ/blog. As a student in New York at Columbia University, I gave walks about the campus celebrating "Great Moments Revealed In Stone" visible in the facing stone of the buildings as well as the foyer and lobby pavers. Including some fancy fossils as well. A great idea to revitalize for SF!
Re the Ribbon Gum, like yourself, I too am an admirer of the genus and also especially of Eucalyptus viminalis. From a tree huggers viewpoint and especially a climber/arborist's it is a more refined tree in every respect when compared to E. globulus. The latter is in nature an understory tree and therefore an opportunist. That is why it gets greedy in both growth (180-220 feet tall) and reproduction. It's always looking over its shoulder expecting to be overgrown and shaded out by E. regnans ( 300-400+ feet). Ribbonbark is its own climax species and so is not in a big rush to get what it can while it can. I do love many individuals of E. globulus but not the species in the same categorical way I do E. viminalis. Ted Kipping
Thanks, Ted; encouragement is always appreciated. I need it I need it.
I feared that I might get some indignant mail because of praising ribbon gum. It's good to hear from someone who shares my enthusiasm for it. I may yet get mail.
Burton Meyer:
Regarding No. 23 military spending, Not only would we speak German, but Hitler and possibly Stalin and their descendants would be ruling. Many of us would be dead.
Clark Natwick:
Hi Jake, Thanks to one of the postings in Nature News I am receiving relief from severe knee pain. I went to the Blue Bucket Eco Fair for the free compost and visited all the info booths. One booth offered free acupuncture - the Health & Enviroonmental Resource Ctr.
I have had 3 sessions of free acupuncture. All three sessions were helpful. I also received 3 bags of free compost & I am utilizing that also.
Thank you for the amazing Nature News and all its benefits.
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13. Dr. Douglas Bevington has released his new book: The Rebirth of Environmentalism. The book tells the story of the small but highly effective grassroots groups that have achieved remarkable success in protecting endangered species and forests in the United States. Filled with inspiring stories of activists, groups, and campaigns that most readers will not have encountered before, The Rebirth of Environmentalism explores how grassroots biodiversity groups have had such a big impact despite their scant resources, and presents valuable lessons that can help the environmental movement as a whole—as well as other social movements—become more effective.
“The environmental movement is an ecosystem of its own, and Douglas Bevington does a fine job examining the understory that flourishes in the shade of the big green groups. This will be a useful text for those trying to figure out how to build the global warming movement in the years ahead.” —Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature
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14. Dammed Crazy: What Do California's Water Woes Teach Us?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lori-pottinger/dammed-crazy-what-do-cali_b_307160.html
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15.
Saturday, 10 October 10 am
Pacifica's least-known waterfall (San Mateo County)
Leaders: Ian Butler and Jake Sigg
A spectacular 60' waterfall in the midst of a metropolitan area of a million people--and unknown? Hello?
An occasional fisherman or other curious people may have visited it, so it wasn't completely unknown. But it wasn't until Ian Butler chanced upon it and decided the world should take notice that it was "discovered". Jake was delighted that such a gem existed and has joined Ian in introducing the world to it.
The descent to the bottom of the fall--the only place from which it can be viewed--is very steep and requires a modicum of physical agility. The water flows about 300' to the ocean, and the beach is small, isolated, and frequented by sea birds. The stream and the cliffs harbor at least 26 species of native plants in good health, including liverworts and mosses. A few of the plants are locally rare.
RSVP, and for meeting instructions: jakesigg@earthlink.net 415-731-3028, or Ian Butler, ianbutler@netzero.net.
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16. ospreys in action: http://www.miguellasa.com/photos/sspopup.mg?AlbumID=1001578
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17. 60-SECOND SCIENCE PODCAST: Ig Nobel Prizes Awarded
On the eve of the Nobel Prize announcements, the Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded at Harvard, for studies into knuckle-cracking and other vital medical and scientific research
http://cl.exct.net/?qs=c31bd168922ec77988c64020e72eee757a40c695ec378ed853214ea0af8375c5
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18.
….“Just because you’re paranoid don’t mean they’re not after you.”
But as former Nixon aide G. Gordon Liddy once told me (and he should know!), the problem with government conspiracies is that bureaucrats are incompetent and people can’t keep their mouths shut. Complex conspiracies are difficult to pull off, and so many people want their quarter hour of fame that even the Men in Black couldn’t squelch the squealers from spilling the beans. So there’s a good chance that the more elaborate a conspiracy theory is, and the more people that would need to be involved, the less likely it is true.
Why do people believe in highly improbable conspiracies? In previous columns I have provided partial answers, citing patternicity (the tendency to find meaningful patterns in random noise) and agenticity (the bent to believe the world is controlled by invisible intentional agents). Conspiracy theories connect the dots of random events into meaningful patterns and then infuse those patterns with intentional agency. Add to those propensities the confirmation bias (which seeks and finds confirmatory evidence for what we already believe) and the hindsight bias (which tailors after-the-fact explanations to what we already know happened), and we have the foundation for conspiratorial cognition.
Examples of these processes can be found in journalist Arthur Goldwag’s marvelous new book, Cults, Conspiracies, and Secret Societies, which covers everything from the Freemasons, the Illuminati and the Bilderberg Group to black helicopters and the New World Order. “When something momentous happens, everything leading up to and away from the event seems momentous, too. Even the most trivial detail seems to glow with significance”.
…What should we believe? Transcendentalists tend to believe that everything is interconnected and that all events happen for a reason. Empiricists tend to think that randomness and coincidence interact with the causal net of our world and that belief should depend on evidence for each individual claim. The problem for skepticism is that transcendentalism is intuitive; empiricism is not. Or as folk rock group Buffalo Springfield once intoned: Paranoia strikes deep. Into your life it will creep ...
Excerpts from Michael Shermer’s Skeptic column in Scientific American September 2009
As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand. Josh Billings (1818-1885)
The wish to believe, even against evidence, fuels all the pseudosciences from astrology to creationism. Isaac Asimov
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19. Reason and science
Some 15 million Americans believe the moon landings were faked. They never drank the Tang. Millions more are convinced that Elvis lives and that the sun revolves around the Earth, which is approximately 6,000 years old.
Reason and science have their fans, but many Americans find faith more appealing. For example, the National Academy of Sciences has decreed the evidence for climate change unmistakable, but that won't stop Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, R, from declaring it a hoax, and he's not alone.
"I don't think the human effect is significant," says Harrison "Moon Rock" Schmitt, the last astronaut to (allegedly) explore the lunar surface. Global warming skeptics have many crackpot theories. My favorite came from a housewife in Arkansas, who insists that daylight savings is to blame: "It's that extra hour of sunlight." From Randy Udall, High Country News 17 August 2009
(Dont' worry, dearie; Daylight Savings will end in three weeks.)
And an Arizona state senator has faith: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtzJhTfQiMA
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Here we have a baby. It is composed of a bald head and a pair of lungs. Eugene Field, American poet/humorist 1850-1895
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20. Is our galaxy running out of gas?
New results suggest the Milky Way is creating so many stars that it may run out of gas in a billion years.
To the most casual observer, the night sky gives the impression that it hasn’t changed since time immemorial. A closer look, however, reveals the Milky Way Galaxy’s ongoing cycles of cosmic death and rebirth.
The plane of our Milky Way is chock full of star-forming regions. Astronomers estimate that, all told, those regions add some 5 solar masses of new stars to the galaxy per year. But that figure may soon have to be ratcheted up…Of the approximately 6,000 stars visible to the naked eye on a dark night, most have significantly more mass than the Sun and are intrinsically luminous. These high-mass stars live fast and die young, exploding as supernovae less than 50 million years after their births. Yet the vast majority of the Milky Way’s estimated 400 billion stars are middle-aged or older and have less mass than the Sun. These cool, reddish stars don’t radiate much visible light. Instead, they generate invisible infrared radiation (heat). So, to learn the details of Milky Way star formation, astronomers need to expand their vision beyond the visible.
That’s just what they’ve done…Results…have started to change scientists’ view of star formation in the Milky Way. Early results hint that the galaxy’s current frenzy of star birth can’t be sustained for more than a billion years.
Excerpt from Astronomy, January 2009
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21. Browsing through the CD/DVD section of the SF Symphony Store, I was pleasantly surprised to find an album by one of our park stewards, Gary Schwantes--the Ultra World X-tet. We've even infiltrated the Symphony!
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22. It's against the law in parts of Tennessee:
To lasso a fish
To sing "It ain't gonna rain no more no more"
For frogs to croak after 11 pm
Scribbled notes from saysyou.net; details may be wrong. I missed the towns that declared these illegal.
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