Uncategorized

Salmon fishing season in California and Oregon may be canceled

So few salmon are swimming in California and Oregon that salmon fishing season is likely to be canceled completely unless an emergency exemption is granted, according to the federal Pacific Fishery Management Council. The states’ salmon season, which traditionally runs from April to mid-November, has never been entirely canceled before. Even with a complete closure, […]

Folks with ties to the Earth Liberation Front indicted in Michigan blaze

The Earth Liberation Front has made the news yet again: Four people tied to the radical group have been indicted on arson charges for a 1999 blaze at Michigan State University.

Gulf War syndrome likely caused by chemical exposure, says research

Fatigue, dizziness, rashes, memory loss, and other symptoms of Gulf War syndrome are likely tied to a combination of chemicals that veterans were exposed to during the war, says new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The review of studies on Gulf War syndrome supports the theory that pesticides used […]

A fun traffic simulator and lessons learned

Via Brad Plumer: a traffic jam in in a bottle.

To me, it's pretty remarkable how closely the real-world experiment above matches up with this java-based computer traffic simulator.

Warning: if you click the last link, and you're at all geeky, prepare to lose your afternoon!

Bush talks up nukes at renewable-energy meeting, Grand Canyon flood released, and more

Read the articles mentioned at the end of the podcast: Everything Old, and Nukes Again Leave Us a Loan A River Runs Through It A Climate of Fear Murrelet My Habitat Go Read the articles mentioned at the end of the podcast: Cash and Carroty The Bees’ Needs The Company He Keeps

Feds decide not to list wolverine as threatened or endangered

Photo: iStockphoto The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided not to list wolverines in the Lower 48 states as threatened or endangered. The agency concluded that wolverines didn’t need Endangered Species Act protections in the Lower 48 since viable populations exist in Canada and Alaska. The FWS said the Lower 48 wolverine population “is […]

China will maintain one-child policy

Recent speculation that China was rethinking its one-child-per-family policy has been refuted by the country’s top population official, who says the family planning policy will not be altered for at least another decade.

Pollution is on Vatican’s updated list of mortal sins

The Vatican has put a modern twist on the seven deadly sins, announcing a list of “social sins” — including pollution and genetic manipulation. (And just when we had successfully rid ourselves of lust, gluttony, avarice, sloth, anger, envy, and pride.) The nature of sin itself has changed, says Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti, head of the […]

Observation of the day

There aren’t two sides, and you aren’t in the middle.

Australia military will kill hundreds of kangaroos

Australia’s military will cull up to 500 wild kangaroos on a military base in the capital city of Canberra after authorities determined Friday that it would be too costly to relocate them. Officials say overgrazing ‘roos are endangering native grassland, a local lizard, and the threatened golden sun moth. A plan to shoot the animals […]