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Avian flue expert calls on birders to become first-alert front

Like anyone who's neither an idiot nor willfully ignorant, I've followed the avian flu issue with enough depth and interest to know that it's scary as hell. Yesterday I happened to pick up a copy of the International Herald Tribune (it was in the lobby of the Zurich hotel we stayed in after a week of skiing in the Alps; yes, I know, life is tough) and read a scary piece about how avian flu has turned up on a poultry farm in France, forcing French health authorities to quarantine a farm family. The family's young daughter was away from home when the outbreak was discovered and she's not allowed to return home, and because the local postman is afraid, he leaves the family's medicine on the road near their farmhouse.

And then I read a scary piece about how avian flu is likely to make its way around the globe, written by Laurie Garrett, who apparently has written a scary book about the topic.

Her analysis is fascinating, but so is her solution -- mainly because it relies heavily on the longtime footsoldiers of grassroots environmental activism. Writes Garrett: "One of the best untapped resources in this epic battle against influenza is bird-watchers, who are among the most fanatic hobbyists in the world."

Chuck Norris strikes again.

From your reliable online source of Chuck Norris Facts:

There is no such thing as global warming. Chuck Norris was cold, so he turned the sun up.

The hobgoblin of little minds

This NYT review of two new climate-change books is fairly good, but it's especially notable for bringing to light this delicious quote:

And [Eugene Linden] appreciates the value of complex, ambiguous data in forging roundabout paths to new discoveries. As one of his sources in oceanography says admiringly of another, "Republicans would call him a flip-flopper, but he's really just a good scientist."

The loneliness of the long distance … reporter

The situation with global warming in the U.S. media is truly strange.

In the political press, the issue is pretty much invisible. There are lots of good stories in the science and health departments, but there are very, very few daily reporters tasked with exploring all the facets of what is likely to be the biggest story of the century.

So what's it like for those few reporters that do follow it?

For a brief but fascinating glimpse, check out this post from Bill Blakemore, who covers global warming full-time for ABC News. It's about the psychological effect of understanding an enormously dangerous and consequential story before the public at large does.

It will be a relief -- albeit a sad one -- as more and more of the public begins to acknowledge and deal with the true scale and impact of this story, as seems to be happening now, so that we who cover it may come to feel less isolated.

In New Mexico, natch

Today's Dig This spotlights Earthship Biotecture,which has two websites with virtually the same information, laid out different ways. It's just one of the many quirks of the Taos, N.M.-based organization, which makes cool eco-houses and is located a mere seven hours from Roswell. I'm just saying.

The basic Earthship home prototype is made of recycled tires, packed with earth to the point of being "virtually indestructible." But they don't have to be made of tires -- in England they're made of tyres. Ha. Um, but really, each is custom made and tuned to the buyers' climate. Result? They "heat and cool themselves naturally via solar/thermal dynamics," to the point of being so energy efficient that residents don't have to pay any utility bills.

It’s time for conservationists to collaborate with an agency they’ve long demonized

In 1982, Earth First!er Dave Foreman used form letters to blitz the U.S. Forest Service with administrative appeals, blocking over 100 timber sales that threatened roadless areas in several Western states. There’s a new ray of hope among forest activists. Photo: iStockphoto. This act of paper monkeywrenching sums up the relationship conservationists had with the […]

Fin and Dandy

Low-mercury fish label debuts in Northern California If you love fish but avoid it because you’re worried about high mercury content, you may be in luck — if you live in Northern California, that is. Pacific Seafood Group, a large fish wholesaler, has partnered with Holiday Quality Foods, a chain of 19 grocery stores in […]

Americans support a gas tax if revenues go toward energy independence

A new New York Times/CBS poll contains extremely interesting results with regard to a gas tax.

Unfortunately, the write-up in the NYT is rather garbled. Best to go look at the poll itself (PDF).

If you ask people straight out, "do you favor a gas tax," the answers is overwhelmingly (85%) No. Even if you promise to reduce other taxes --payroll and income -- by the same amount, the answer is still (63%) No.

But if the question is, "would you support a gas tax if it reduced U.S. dependence on foreign oil" or "would you support a gas tax if it cut down on energy consumption and reduced global warming," the results reverse pretty dramatically. The "foreign oil" question gets 55% in favor and the "energy consumption and global warming" question gets 59% in favor.

(Even more intriguing: When the question is, "would you support a gas tax if the proceeds were used to fight the war on terror," 71% still oppose.)

Take-home message: U.S. citizens want to reduce oil use, energy consumption, and global warming. And they're willing to pay for it.

For chrissake, if we have any politicians left with a pair and the sense God gave a turkey, they would jump on this. Americans crave it. They want to be asked to sacrifice. They want to be involved. They just need an opportunity.

Bush bails on his bike, but unlike Critical Mass riders, gets away scot free

The British press is all atwitter today about what's likely the top story in cycling news. Remember back in July at the G8 summit in Scotland when President Bush, struggling to ride a bike, wave, and speak at the same time, ended up crashing into and injuring a police officer in full riot gear?

Details of the incident were sketchy until now, as Bush and the ever-faithful Scott McClellan attempted to skirt embarrassment, but the official police report of the incident has just been released and, among other things, it describes Bush, amusingly, as a "falling object." What a lovely mental image.

As the president passed the junction at speed he raised his left arm from the handlebars to wave to the police officers present while shouting "thanks, you guys, for coming."

As he did this he lost control of the cycle, falling to the ground, causing both himself and his bicycle to strike [the officer] on the lower legs. [The officer] fell to the ground, striking his head.

The president continued along the ground for approximately five meters, causing himself a number of abrasions.

This story's got just about everything a progressive cyclist could want: heads of state crashing to the ground, sweet, sweet schadenfreude, a riot-gear-clad protest-quashing cop being felled by a human-powered vehicle, and a touch of public embarrassment.

A virtual walking tour of the South Bronx

New York's South Bronx was once a getaway for the rich; now the defining landmarks of the community are power plants, landfills, and parking lots. Where some might see hopelessness, though, resident Omar Freilla sees opportunity. Freilla founded Green Worker Cooperatives to salvage reusable materials from trash and demolition waste, creating a neighborhood that is healthier both environmentally and economically. In a virtual walking tour of his community, Freilla discusses his vision of creating hundreds of jobs out of the abundance of "things that nobody else wants."