This man and his hoodlums never cease to infuriate me. The Bush Administration has done it again.
His administration has announced plans to open more than 3 million acres of Alaskan forests to logging, mining and road building. More precisely, the plan will open 3.4 million acres of the Tongass National Forest. This decision effectively reverses the "Roadless Rule" protection given to the area by President Clinton.
The Forest Service said it would consult with Indian tribes to protect and maintain sacred sites in the forest. So far it is confirmed that 90,000 acres of old-growth will be off-limits to loggers which is positive news.
Trees are coming down all over the place, so what is the big deal with this? Well, Tongass is the nation's largest forest and the world's largest intact temperate rainforest. It has been deemed the "crown jewel" or "biogem" of U.S. forests.
The 12th Annual Winter X Games are making a special effort to go green this year. The initiative is wide-ranging, involving everyone from fans to the staff who work behind the scenes. There's even prizes for fans who separate cans and plastic into recycling bins.
Winter X Games 12 will build on the successful X Games Environmentality (XGE) program to reduce waste through recycling and composting and cut greenhouse gas emissions through the use of alternative fuels.
XGE is also committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and will encourage fans to use biofuel-powered RFTA shuttle buses. Biodiesel, a renewable, nontoxic and biodegradable fuel, also powers snowcats and heavy equipment used at Buttermilk. Use of biodiesel produces fewer emissions than traditional gasoline, helping to combat climate change. Kitchen grease from the staff catering facilities will also be recycled into biodiesel. To further reduce the event's carbon footprint, XGE is also planting a selection of trees on behalf of all athletes participating in Winter X Games 12.
The extreme sporting event is set to continue from now until Sunday, January 27th in Aspen, Colorado.
Yes, it's true, as part of a public project there will be a waterfall constructed underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. I'm not sure the logistics have been figured out for this...though I am sure they have figured on it being a tourist attraction.
The hope is for $55 million in extra tourism revenue for the Big Apple. Installing them will cost about $15 million, says Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, but apparently that amount will be paid by New York's Public Art Fund.
Eliasson said the "scaffolding will have a floating barrier at the bottom to stop small boats going underneath and a "shark cage" under the water to stop fish being sucked into the pumps that will take the water to the top."
My concern would be for the effect this will have on the body of water. I understand keeping the fish safe, but if you have that much water falling into the river in a location under a bridge which has never before seen such a force of water...I would be worried about where the sediment will be pushed and how that will effect water flow. In addition, can the Brooklyn Bridge support these changes or will this cause cracks in the foundation?
I have to admit I would definitely want to see and photograph the waterfalls. And I in no way want to be one of those critical, skeptical people who only sees the negative, but I do wonder how this will pan out long term.
Space news is going crazy lately. Recently, scientists found that Jupiter has rings circling it just as Saturn does. The photos are fantastic, Brian showed me some and it really is awe inspiring.
Now there is news of two hot cyclones at both poles of Saturn. We already knew the southern pole of Saturn had a hot spot, but it had always been thought that the northern pole was frigid and dark. Not so. Even though the northern pole of Saturn has been going through a "winter of sorts" since 1995, there is proof now of a hot spot residing there. This means the heat is not related to location or reach of sunlight as once determined.
The force, the cause, the reason...no one knows. Back in the 80s, NASA's Voyager 1 and 2, picked up a polar hexagon. This hexagonal feature has maintained stability all this time and as such, has remained an enigma. Early last year, Cassini's infrared cameras picked up hexagonal clouds in Saturn's atmosphere. The atmospheric pressure of Saturn is three times the pressure of Earth.
Yep, that's right. Big Belly solar-powered trash compaction systems monitor internal trash levels and compact trash to reduce and control collection cycles. Quite frankly, I think that is bloody brilliant!
This trash can system is 100% self-powered on solar energy. "The unit takes up as much space as the "footprint" of an ordinary receptacle—but its capacity is five times greater." FIVE TIMES! I am just amazed at this because I all but jump on top of our trash can to try and fit more in and it only condenses maybe an inch worth.
If you think about this in a grand scheme, you are able to compact trash and therefore worry about only one container of waste during the week until the garbage truck comes. Your overflowing trash will no longer need to be chased down the neighborhood streets after it blows out of the bin. AND the garbage man will have less of a load since everything is compacted which means they will be driving around less. See where I'm going here?
You can own a self contained aquatic ecosystem. Of course I'm not so much worried about owning it, but I think it is pretty cool that they exist. I wasn't aware, but apparently NASA has already found uses for the sphere.
"Inside each glass sphere are algae, shrimp, and micro-organism in natural sea water. They have an average life expectancy of 2+ years and require no feeding or cleaning."
Pure Modern is selling them for $55 probably a high price because not many people feel the need to buy their own and the amount need to be high to profit. This price will get you a 4-inch ecosphere, but you can inquire about larger ones by calling.
I think this is something that would be interesting to have in a classroom.
