Mosquitos From Climate Change Hell Chasing Midwesterners Back Inside
Biting female mosquito. Image credit:James Gathany/CDC , via the Gazeteer Extra.
Fear of disease is such a strong motivator. And most people hate insects,. Hence, you will occasionally see reference to the risk of climate-led outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases like encephalitis or West Nile as a way to get people to pay attention to climate change. That fear-factor didn’t materialize in the political game, nor should it. (Mosquito species which spread those particular diseases do not grow more numerous with passing flood waters.)
Forty …Read the full story on TreeHugger
Urban Bedbug Onslaught Is A Curse On Dense Living, Recycling, & Energy Efficiency
Bedbug. Image credit:wikipedia
Bedbugs are are becoming quite the urban plague again, resurgent and causing much misery in US cities after decades of being a relatively rare problem. Some methods of being rid of bed bugs, these days, are pretty awful from an environmental standpoint: like cooking an entire apartment building to bake them out, repeatedly washing all cloths and linens in hot water, and paying for multiple (often ineffective) pesticide applications. It gets worse….Read the full story on TreeHugger
Pennsylvania Land Owners Take 20 Million Dollar Bite Out Of The Fracing Apple
“A natural gas rig in southwestern Pennsylvania.” Image credit:New York Times, via Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg News
The Pennsylvania natural gas ‘fracing’ royalty settlement described in the post headline is explained concisely in this opener from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette coverage: “Some 2,000 landowners in Pennsylvania will receive a share of $1.75 million and could get as much as $20 million over the next few years as part of the settlement of a federal class…Read the full story on TreeHugger
American Dream Squeezed Between 2007 And 2009: Who Knows Why?
Small vintage Las Vegas home. Image credit:VeryVintageVegas
American new-built homes have been getting smaller lately; saving energy and materials. National Association of Home Builders reports, based on recent US Census data, that: “After increasing continually for nearly three decades, the average size of single-family homes completed in the United States peaked at 2,521 square feet in 2007. It was essentially flat in 2008, then dropped in 2009, so that ne…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Russians Suffering Greatly From Weather Extremes
Drought’s expression. Image credit:Wired
In Russia, half this year’s crops are lost to drought – “Winter wheat crops are 50% of the yield, and spring crops, in some cases, are going to be virtually none.” – and hundreds of vodka pickled swimmers have drowned while seeking respite from the extreme heat. BBC has covered the impacts of extreme Russian weather extensively in the story: Russian deaths mount as heatwave and vodka mix The US media are more interested in an ineffective Rukssian spy ring being bus…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Stock Value Makes The Politics Of BP’s Gusher Local – Far From The Gulf
Recent BP stock performance. Image credit: Yahoo finance.
This post is a one sentence reality check for readers focused on environmental ethics and oil poisoned marine life in the Gulf of Mexico. From Cleveland.com: “Ohio’s five public retirement systems and the state’s injured worker fund have lost $177 million in value on BP stoc…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Inject Poison Gas & Cover Field With Tarp: The Result – California Strawberrys & Salivating Consumers
“Methyl bromide has been widely used in California — especially in strawberry production — to fumigate soil prior to planting and prevent nematodes and other soil-borne pests.”Caption & image credit:University of California at Davis.
California (and other) strawberry growers are pushing for permission to inject the soil fumigant methyl iodide (commonly called iodomethane) to produce truckloads of those luscious red berries sold in US markets, year-round. Methyl iodide is one of the most cost-effective soil fumigant substitutes for <a href…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Three Things That Will Change Radically With Climate: Drug & Alcohol Use, & FEMA’s Budget
Image credit:FloodDamage.Data.org
I probably could have listed other things that will increase commensurate with climate change: like doomsday cults, prohibitionist movements and radical political groups, for example. But I wanted to focus on investment and budget control opportunities people are overlooking. Let’s start by analyzing the latter. In their 2002 paper, The Political Economy of FEMA Disaster Payments, (pdf file) Garrett & Sobel examined whether congressional and presidential influences affect …Read the full story on TreeHugger
Chicago, Citing Benefits Of ‘Floaters’ – Tells Obama Administration To Take A Dive
Poop in the river is something Chicago can get behind. Image credit:Photobucket, scubastza
Chicago is claiming that USEPA should not force the City to separate sewers and disinfect combined storm water and sewerage discharges that otherwise will go into area river channels. EPA’s request that Chicago do these things would require significant expenditure and Chicago is resisting.
You won’t believe the reasoning that City Officials are officially citing as a basis of their opposition. Hint: it’s not about the money and it’…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Massive Orgy Tracked On Weather Radar In Wisconsin
“The bugs are showing up as bright pink, purple, and white colors along the Mississippi River mainly south of La Crosse. After the bugs hatch off the water and river areas, they are caught in the south-southeast winds while airborne for about 10-20 minutes.” Caption and Image credits:TwinCities.com
Twin Cities MN Pioneer Press reports Diminutive mayfly makes big splash on radar. “About 9:13 p.m., according to an image posted by the weather service, the newly flying bugs could be seen in the pink, …Read the full story on TreeHugger
