Gagging order for scientists probing dolphin deaths By Daily Mail Reporter Updated: 12:39 GMT, 26 March 2011 Scientists probing the deaths of baby dolphins in the area affected by last year's BP oil spill have been ordered by the government not to speak about the project. Wildlife biologists who have been contracted by the National Marine Fisheries Service to investigate a huge rise in dolphin mortality this year must keep their findings confidential. The gagging order was imposed because the review of the deaths is part of the federal criminal investigation into last year's BP disaster. Death on the sands: Evidence from the spike in deaths in the last three months is being collected for a criminal case, civil litigation and a detailed study of the environmental effects of last year's mammoth oil spill About 90 dolphins died last year, but this year the toll has jumped to 200 already. 'The chain of custody is being closely watched. Young victims: Up to 200 carcasses have been washed up along the Gulf's shores since mid-January
Trouble Sleeping? Make Sure You Turn Glowing Gadgets Off After Sunset There's growing concern among experts that the proliferation of glowing gadgets like computers may fool your brain into thinking that it's still daytime after the sun has gone down. Exposure during the night can disturb sleep patterns and exacerbate insomnia. Such concerns are not new -- Thomas Edison may have created these problems when he invented the light bulb. But the problem has grown worse thanks to the popularity of Apple's new slate computer, the iPad. Many consumers use an iPad to read at night, and unlike paper books or e-book readers like the Amazon Kindle, which does not emit its own light, the iPad's screen shines light directly into your eyes from a relatively close distance. According to CNN: "That makes the iPad and laptops more likely to disrupt sleep patterns than, say, a television sitting across the bedroom or a lamp that illuminates a paper book, both of which shoot far less light straight into the eye, researchers said." "J.D. Daytime Light Exposure Matters as Well
BP gets OK to dump mercury into Lake Michigan By Bobby Carmichael, USA TODAY A BP (BP) refinery in Indiana will be allowed to continue to dump mercury into Lake Michigan under a permit issued by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. The permit exempts the BP plant at Whiting, Ind., 3 miles southeast of Chicago, from a 1995 federal regulation limiting mercury discharges into the Great Lakes to 1.3 ounces per year. The BP plant reported releasing 3 pounds of mercury through surface water discharges each year from 2002 to 2005, according to the Toxics Release Inventory, a database on pollution emissions kept by the Environmental Protection Agency that is based on information reported by companies. The permit was issued July 21 in connection with the plant's $3.8 billion expansion, but only late last week began to generate public controversy. The action was denounced by environmental groups and members of Congress. Indiana officials said the amount of mercury released by BP was minor. Share this story:
Quake hits Mexico, minor damage reported MEXICO CITY—A magnitude-6.5 earthquake shook a wide area of southern and central Mexico on Thursday, sending people fleeing into the streets, but causing only minor reported damage. The epicentre was located near Las Choapas, a town of about 83,000 residents about 600 kilometres southeast of Mexico City. It swayed buildings for several seconds in the capital, and in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, people ran from their homes and schoolchildren assembled on playgrounds. Near the epicentre, cracks in walls forced the evacuation of one elementary school, said Bernabe Hernandez Perez, head of civil protection in Las Choapas. Gov. Javier Duarte de Ochoa said earlier that he had no reports of damage in the oil-producing state. “Veracruz is completely quiet without problems,” he told state television. The temblor also was felt strongly in the state of Chiapas, bordering Guatemala, where there also were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, as well as the Pacific coast state of Guerrero.
DFO Shilling for Salmon Farmers: Outrageous Briefing Note Over the years, starting in earnest with the Kemano Completion Project fight in 1993, I’ve been highly critical of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and its politicization by the Mulroney government of that day. I was hit with a massive lawsuit by former Minister Tom Siddon which my insurers stupidly settled (I made that comment publicly immediately upon the news release). I had support from many former DFO scientists and I’m satisfied that my statements were accurate. When the KCP was approved in 1986 this was because the politicians told DFO to do as it was told. Now we have proof of DFO working on behalf of salmon farmers via a document filed at the Cohen Commission. It’s styled as a “BRIEFING NOTE FOR THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF HABITAT MANAGEMENT” It goes on to say, “As lead federal department for aquaculture, DFO has explicitly committed to improving public confidence in aquaculture. Can you believe this? Ponder that: a “Communications and Aquaculture Management staff”???
Bolivia Set to Pass ‘Law of Mother Earth’ // Current To Our Faithful Current.com Users: Current's run has ended after eight exciting years on air and online. The Current TV staff has appreciated your interest, support, participation and unflagging loyalty over the years. Your contributions helped make Current.com a vibrant place for discussing thousands of interesting stories, and your continued viewership motivated us to keep innovating and find new ways to reflect the voice of the people. We now welcome the on-air and digital presence of Al Jazeera America, a new news network committed to reporting on and investigating real stories affecting the lives of everyday Americans in every corner of the country. Thank you for inspiring and challenging us. – The Current TV Staff Clothianidin: a neonicotinoid pesticide highly toxic to Honeybees and other pollinators Posted by JT on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 · 16 Comments This is a continuation of the honeybee problem facing the United States and other countries right now: Here is a link that is provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The link in PDF format is a fact sheet for a pesticide called Clothianidin which is in a subclass of pesticides known as neonicotinoids. The major US producer of this chemical is the Bayer Corporation which also produces for Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, New Zealand, and the UK, which uses this pesticide to treat seeds for corn and canola. This is the same company that makes Aleve, Alka Seltzer, and of course Bayer Aspirin. Colony Collapse Disorder is also being reported in Canada and in Europe…go figure. Quoted from the Bayer Corporation web site’s News Release in 2003: “Clothianidin is a new active ingredient in the chemical class of neonicotinoids. Poncho offers a new dimension in pest control in maize.
Canadian Nuclear Plant Leaks Radioactive Water Into Lake Ontario – Planetsave.com: climate change and environmental news With all the focus placed on the Japanese radiation leak as well as the toxic plume of radioactive particles (possibly containing uranium and plutonium) heading for the United States, another potential disaster is receiving virtually no attention. Of course, attention should be paid to the Japanese situation. Nevertheless, it seems the continent of North America is being hit from two sides in terms of radiation danger. No doubt this is an attempt to hush concern over another radioactive accident amid anxiety over the catastrophe in Japan. So they can push the “Nuclear is safe” agenda, just like coal, oil and gas companies do. John Luxat, an “expert” on radiation from McMaster University claims the water that found its way into Lake Ontario Monday is actually not radioactive at all. Apparently, the nuclear industry was unable to get its story straight this time around. According to Mr. Read More: CBC News Related Articles: Photo Credit: Eyeline-Imagery via Flickr
Levitating nanoparticles may make for better geoengineering A recent analysis of geoengineering options indicated that, while pumping chemicals into the upper atmosphere would work, the approach comes with significant risks. Since the chemicals would gradually come back out of the atmosphere, these schemes would require constant input to remain effective. A paper released in PNAS this week suggests there might be a lower-effort alternative: nanoparticles that are structured in a way that helps them control their altitude. Even if CO2 emissions are eventually reduced, we may have put enough in the atmosphere by then to ensure that some form of geoengineering may be needed to lower the global temperature. The main advantage of the proposed nano-structures over chemical areosols is their ability to control their altitude. The authors propose constructing a disk five microns in diameter and 50 nanometers thick.
Honeybees 'entomb' hives to protect against pesticides, say scientists | Environment 'Entombed' pollen is identified as having sunken, wax-covered cells amid 'normal', uncapped cells. Photograph: Journal of Invertebrate Pathology Honeybees are taking emergency measures to protect their hives from pesticides, in an extraordinary example of the natural world adapting swiftly to our depredations, according to a prominent bee expert. Scientists have found numerous examples of a new phenomenon – bees "entombing" or sealing up hive cells full of pollen to put them out of use, and protect the rest of the hive from their contents. "This is a novel finding, and very striking. But the bees' last-ditch efforts to save themselves appear to be unsuccessful – the entombing behaviour is found in many hives that subsequently die off, according to Pettis. Bees are also sealing off pollen that contains substances used by beekeepers to control pests such as the varroa mite, another factor in the widespread decline of bee populations.
Newly Discovered Wasp Species Enslaves Spiders Spiders spend a lot of time crafting their webs in hopes of making a meal out of all manner of winged insect--but a recently discovered species of wasp is found to use the spider's engineering prowess to its own advantage. Through a not yet understood chemical process, the wasps are able to, quite literally, enslave the unsuspecting spiders to build a nest for their larva, and after all that hard work, become their first meal. Sure, it seems pretty dastardly, but researchers say it's evolution.According to a study published by a Brazilian team in the Journal of Natural History, and reported by Correio Braziliense, the newly discovered wasp species, a member of the Hymenoptera family, is able to control some spiders through a chemical process that remains a mystery. How the Wasp Enslaves the SpiderA female wasp will target a spider and immobilize it with an unknown venom injected into its mouth--at which point the wasp lays its eggs on the spider's abdomen. An Evolutionary Advantage?
The Bioplastic Revolution: 9 Crazy, Cool Products Made from Plants Not Plastic The world's addiction to plastic is filling up landfills, clogging the oceans, and even becoming a food source for birds -- but finding another material that's as durable, heat-resistant, light, and useful hasn't been easy. One alternative: bioplastics, which have similar end properties to the plastics you already know and love (or hate) but which are made from natural sources like corn, potatoes, tapioca, and sugar. (That's the resin in its pre-product form above.) The bioplastics industry is growing steadily -- here, we've tracked down some of the most useful, most surprising, and most ingenious uses for the biodegradable, compostable plastics. Photo: Cereplast
LeafSnap: Identify Plants And Trees With Your iPhone If you are a nature enthusiast and want to know which types of trees you encounter every day, you will have a tough time doing so. Thankfully however there is a new tool available that will help you easily identify plants and trees. This tool is called LeafSnap. LeafSnap is a free to use service that catalogues high definition pictures of tree leaves, flowers, and even fruits. Visitors to the site can browse the pictures, learn their common and scientific names, and read about their habitat and bloom time. The site also offers an iOS application that helps recognize plants through their leaves. Demo video: Features: A user-friendly web service.Contains interesting information on plants and leaves.Provides quality images for tree leaves, flowers, and fruits.Offers an iOS application to detect tree leaves.Similar tools: ThePlantList, Garden Pest Detective, SproutRobot, and MyPlantId. Check out LeafSnap @ www.leafsnap.com