Tarsiers, 'organic' standards, opened lands, more new rules

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

California's governor ordered his state's utilities to be using 33% renewable power by 2030, and is trying to promote development of such power by addressing obstacles to it--including environmental regulations (GreenTechMedia)
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/schwarzenegger-renewable-energy-permitting-process-too-complicated-5198.html

Pygmy tarsiers were recently seen for the first time since 1921, which could impact use of their Indonesian rainforest home [Check this out if only for the photo--they look so weird!] (LiveScience)
http://news.aol.com/article/gremlins-discovered-after-85-years/252936?icid=100214839x1213667800x1200811873

Bark beetles continue to kill off pine trees across the western US and Canada [I've seen this in New Mexico...it's really depressing.] (New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/science/18trees.html?pagewanted=1&ref=science

The BLM opened 1.9 milion acres of formerly-closed land around Bristol Bay, Alaska, to mining and oil drilling, despite the area's focus on salmon fishing (Bristol Bay Times)
http://thebristolbaytimes.com/news/show/3871

The USDA drafted rules setting minimum requirements of pasture access and grass intake for cows producing certified-organic milk. The public comment period ends Dec. 23 (Associated Press)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2008-11-18-organic-milk-cows_N.htm

Washington Post
They also drafted standards, to which many people object, for "organic" farmed fish.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/19/AR2008111903787_pf.html

The EPA is easing restrictions on point-source air pollution near national parks.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/18/AR2008111803813_pf.html

New rules and imperiled species: lots of both

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

This week's news seemed better sorted by subject than source. I've named the publisher if it isn't evident from the URL.

The Bush Administration is making a lot of last-minute changes to environmental policies and regulations
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/11/4/105841/607

A less flagrantly biased version of the above, if you insist
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/30/AR2008103004749_pf.html

Among these changes:
Waiving requirements for pollution discharge permits to farms (including factory feedlots) that "claim" not to pollute water.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27521859/

Officially opening 360,000 more acres of eastern Utah to oil and gas leasing (Salt Lake Tribune)
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10902372

Designating two huge new marine reserves in the south Pacific, which Cheney and some others don't like [Great political move--pleasing environmentalists without threatening the lands or livelihoods of continental Americans]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/03/AR2008110303042_pf.html

Endangered species were also discussed muchly this week:
Ten thousand smuggled sea-turtle eggs were confiscated in Malaysia, and some "may still hatch in a conservation area." [Would they just be buried and left there?] (San Francisco Chronicle/Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/11/04/international/i000940S21.DTL

A fungal disease was blamed for winter die-offs of little brown bats in parts of the northeastern US
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/science/04obbats.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin

On three seriously-declining species and current attempts to save them: axolotls (giant, awesome-looking Mexican salamanders) Mississippi gopher frogs and Tasmanian devils (all from Associated Press)
http://news.aol.com/article/mexican-water-monster-nears-extinction/235275

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27502386/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27522837/

"Big Ethanol" (to quote Grist) is struggling. [OK, not a "species" but I threw it in here anyway]
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/business/05ethanol.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Ivory auction, amphibians, Utah, final candidate comparison

brought to you by Sasha Paris  

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Human Ecology in Action.

The BLM proposed leasing designated-"wilderness" areas in eastern Utah for oil and natural-gas drilling (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/30/AR2008103004662.html

BBC News
*Four southern African nations are holding a huge, once-a-decade legal auction of ivory to China and Japan. Debate is ongoing on whether this will help or hurt elephant populations. [It began on Tuesday and, according to Grist, raised $1.2 million by Friday]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7693816.stm

Study: Yellowstone's amphibians are declining rapidly as local wetlands dry out.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7693381.stm

Grist
On the impacts of corporate-driven biofuel developments in Mozambique and elsewhere.
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/10/29/71244/835

McCain (& Palin) and Obama on endangered-species issues [I'm sure you're tired of election-related news, but these topics are rarely mentioned.]
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/10/29/84235/424