Scatterplot of the greater Central Valley, California calibration data showing the relationship between air quality score and the proportion of nitrophytic lichen abundance at each plot. Abstract: Lichens are highly valued ecological indicators known for their sensitivity to a wide variety of environmental stressors like air quality and climate change. This report summarizes baseline results […]
By Fran LowryMarch 1, 2011 The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and subsequent spill, which gushed uncontrollably into the Gulf of Mexico for 3 months in 2010, has left those who live along the environmentally fragile Gulf Coast with increased rates of depression and anxiety and feelings of anger, hopelessness, and despair. The […]
Wet Desert Expeditions7 February 2011 Every year around this time I start to hear comments along the lines of “I heard the lake is supposed to go up 20 feet this winter” or “I was at the lake this weekend and it was up 10 feet!” I call this period the Winter Bump, where for […]
Contact: Mark McCollough, 207-866-3344March 2, 2011 Although the eastern cougar has been on the endangered species list since 1973, its existence has long been questioned. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) conducted a formal review of the available information and, in a report issued today, concludes the eastern cougar is extinct and recommends the […]
By Staff WritersFeb 24, 2011 Sacramento (UPI) – Scientists say the water situation in California is “bleak” and the state needs to act to bolster its entire aquatic ecosystem. “Our assessment of the current water situation [in California] is bleak,” says Ellen Hanak, a Public Policy Institute of California economist. “California has essentially run out […]
ScienceDaily (Feb. 28, 2011) — Lodgepole pine, a hardy tree species that can thrive in cold temperatures and plays a key role in many western ecosystems, is already shrinking in range as a result of climate change — and may almost disappear from most of the Pacific Northwest by 2080, a new study concludes. Including […]
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune February 21, 2011 BP has reneged on promises made in November to negotiate early payments to Louisiana to help rebuild oyster beds, repair damaged wetlands and build a fish hatchery to allow the state to respond immediately to the collapse of commercial fisheries in the wake of the BP Gulf […]
By Rich Davis, Evansville Courier & PressFebruary 25, 2011 EVANSVILLE — A flood warning has been issued for the Ohio River in the Evansville area in the wake of record rainfall, including snowmelt upriver. Meanwhile, searchers have now found the bodies of all four Amish children who were swept away in a creek swollen by […]
By Mike TidwellFriday, February 25, 2011; 4:00 PM Ten years ago, I put solar panels on my roof and began eating locally grown food. I bought an energy-efficient refrigerator that uses the power equivalent of a single light bulb. I started heating my home with a stove that burns organically fertilized corn kernels. I even […]
By Leigh Coleman and Steve Gorman; Editing by Jerry NortonThu Feb 24, 2011 BILOXI, Mississippi (Reuters) – The death toll of dolphins found washed ashore along the U.S. Gulf Coast since last month climbed to nearly 60 on Thursday, as puzzled scientists clamored to determine what was killing the marine mammals. The National Oceanic and […]
