Desdemona Despair

Blogging the End of the World™

Clownfish swim toward predators as CO2 levels rise

If you think the stars of Pixar’s Finding Nemo had it rough, spare a thought for the plight of real clownfish. These popular fish may struggle to survive in oceans that are becoming enriched with carbon dioxide. High levels of CO2 dissolved in the water can muddle a clownfish’s sense of smell, preventing it from […]

As the world’s ice melts, the US Navy’s role grows

By Derrick Z. JacksonBoston Globe Columnist / July 7, 2010 WHEN THE chief of naval operations of the United States starts rattling off global fishing statistics without notes and frets about climate change like an MIT scientist, we should all stand at attention. If Admiral Gary Roughead had his way, it would be full speed […]

In Congo forest, bushmeat trade threatens Pygmies

By TODD PITMAN, Associated Pressupdated 7/3/2010 9:39:02 PM ET THE ITURI FOREST, Congo — They emerge from the stillness of the rainforest like a lost tribe of prehistoric warriors forgotten by time — a barefoot band of Mbuti Pygmies wielding iron-tipped spears. The men come first, cloaked head to toe in coiled hunting nets shaved […]

Louisiana state and scientists spar over how to stop oil

By JOHN COLLINS RUDOLFPublished: July 6, 2010 With oil hitting Barataria Bay, a vast estuary in southeast Louisiana that boasts one of the most productive fisheries in the country, local parish officials hatched a plan in May to save the fragile ecosystem: they would build rock dikes across several major tidal inlets between the bay […]

AP investigation finds 27,000 abandoned oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico

By JEFF DONN and MITCH WEISS (AP) – 6 July 2010  More than 27,000 abandoned oil and gas wells lurk in the hard rock beneath the Gulf of Mexico, an environmental minefield that has been ignored for decades. No one — not industry, not government — is checking to see if they are leaking, an […]

How Halliburton is profiting from the Gulf oil spill

Shortly before the Deepwater Horizon blowout, Halliburton bought an oil spill prevention firm. The oil-services industry is consolidating, which is not necessarily good news for quality, experts say.   By Matt Rocheleau, Contributor / June 18, 2010 Eleven days prior to the April 20 Deepwater Horizon blowout, Halliburton Co., the contractor in charge of cementing […]

US climate scientists receive hate mail barrage in wake of UEA scandal

Vitriolic campaign targets American scientists following leak of climate unit emails By Leo Hickmanwww.guardian.co.uk, Monday 5 July 2010 17.25 BST Climate scientists in the US say police inaction has left them defenceless in the face of a torrent of death threats and hate mail, leaving them fearing for their lives and one to contemplate arming […]

Oil found in Gulf crabs raises new food chain fears

By Geoff Pender | Biloxi Sun Herald BILOXI, Miss. — University scientists have spotted the first indications oil is entering the Gulf seafood chain — in crab larvae — and one expert warns the effect on fisheries could last “years, probably not a matter of months” and affect many species. Scientists with the University of […]

Invasive cane toads set to thrive under global warming

Provided by Society for Experimental BiologyJuly 1, 2010 As global warming threatens many animal species with extinction, the cane toad is set to flourish with increasing temperature. This is a major cause for concern as the cane toad, once introduced to Australia as agricultural pest-control of the cane beetle, is an already highly invasive species […]

Desdemona's 6-Step Cycle of Doom

This occurred to Desdemona in the shower:  1. Environmentalists propose protections.2. Industry dominates the debate and compromises government.3. Inevitable catastrophe occurs.4. Environmentalists are blamed.5. Industry shifts all costs of remediation to government.6. Repeat Step 1. Technorati Tags: doom,corruption,oil production,oil spill,pollution

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