We should do this all over Southern California

Thursday blues

Water shortages and drought worse than predicted.

Facts about the Zika virus... and did Monsanto have a hand in it?  (Apparently, no.)  But it will cost a lot to fight. And what about sex changes for mosquitoes?

Obama saves more land in California.

4 Commonly Prescribed Drugs That May Not Be Safe

Income inequality and how to fix it.

New California National Monuments.  Thanks, Obama!  Really.  Thank you!

Warnings to all federal employees and law enforcement because of backlash over the Malheur arrests.

Now you know where your missing socks go.

Being colorblind is not the point.

Stalking women, drought, voting fraud, and guns.

Ben Carson's view of women.  Stalking is not romantic.

How to understand and end California's drought.

Lion cub learning how to swim.

Dealing with the radiation fears about Fukushima.

Have self-compassion.

Kansas voting is manipulated.

President Obama is a class act.  Dealing with Native Americans.

Understanding China's economic slowdown.

Ideas for dealing with oceans filled with plastic.

Stating the obvious: The States With The Most Gun Laws See The Fewest Gun-Related Deaths

Bangkok is one example to show what will happen with climate change

Bangkok is running out of water.  Good explanation of the dangers we face with climate change:

Drought and flooding are two sides of the same climate change coin. As temperatures increase worldwide, water evaporates more quickly and dry spells become worse. At the same time, warm air can hold more water vapor, so rains can be heavier. In the past five years, Thailand has experienced its worst droughts and floods of the past few decades. 

As if that weren’t enough, Bangkok, built on marshland and originally crisscrossed with canals — which are now mostly filled in — sinks nearly 4 inches each year, according to the Climate Institute. Coupled with rising sea levels, this means Bangkok could be underwater within 10 to 15 years, the group reported. 

And cycles of intense drought and flooding can exacerbate that process. Just last week, Thai newspaper the Nation reported that roads are sinking and collapsing in the drought-stricken province just north of Bangkok. 

While drinking water in the capital is running low, the whole country is facing damaging effects of drought. Thailand is the rice capital of the world, and the crop is expected to be low this year, after farmers have already been asked to delay their planting in central Thailand. The disruption could lead to protests and economic woes, farmers have said. 

Thailand’s electricity system also depends on water supplies. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) issued a warning this week that the letting too much water out of dams would be problematic.

Slow drip

Because it's Wednesday, have a laugh with this cute punkin discovering dandelions.

Saving California water and saving the Colorado River.

Fascinating look into the lives of the Ku Klux Klan.

Eco-friendly stoves help save lives.

Asteroids to trash to drought. What's not to love?

Huge asteroid will pass close to Earth Monday... can be seen with 'strong binoculars'.

A Dutch man decides to pick up plastic trash on his way to work.  A 20 year old tells us he can get the plastic out of our oceans.

Racism defined by a self-described redneck.

How we can address gun violence and gun safety.

It's not just California having an epic drought.

New mandatory water restrictions in place in California

To lower the state-wide usage of water by 25%.

(Update 4/3: more on California's drought. And the draining of our ancient and irreplaceable aquifers.)

It's about time.  Because our state is beginning to look like this:




I wrote this post in 2008 but it still applies now:

Turn off your taps!



Finally!  The California Gropenator has declared a drought.  You know... not enough snow pack, no rain, no water:

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.)—Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a statewide drought after two years of below-average rainfall, low snowmelt runoff and a court-ordered restriction on water transfers.

Schwarzenegger warned that residents and water managers must immediately cut their water use or face the possibility of rationing next year if there is another dry winter.
"We must recognize the severity of the crisis that we face," the Republican governor said Wednesday at a news conference.
He signed an executive order directing the state's response to unusually dry conditions that are damaging crops, harming water quality and causing extreme fire danger across California. Many communities already require water conservation or rationing.
The statewide drought declaration is the first since 1991, when Gov. Pete Wilson acted in the fifth year of a drought that lasted into 1992.
[snip]
Snow measurements last month found that the Sierra held just 69 percent of an average winter. Runoff into California rivers was at 55 percent of a normal year. The state's major reservoirs are at 50 percent to 63 percent of their capacity at a time when they ideally would be full.
Conditions could be even worse next year if there is another dry winter, Water Resources Director Lester Snow said.
"We need at least above normal in terms of our snowpack, and then we're still going to be tight," Snow said. "The idea is to put programs in place now to soften the impact in 2008 and to prepare for a potential third year of drought in 2009."
California's population has mushroomed since the last drought, while the water supply has dwindled, he said.
An eight-year drought in the Southwest means California can't depend on Colorado River water to help supply Southern California. And a federal judge's order last year requires that more Northern California water be left in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to aid declining fish populations.
"We're suffering the perfect storm, if you will," said Timothy Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies. "The purpose of the governor's declaration is to send a wake-up call."
California has never resorted to statewide rationing during droughts, Quinn said.
Worst-hit so far is the San Joaquin Valley, which could soon merit an emergency declaration because of crop damage, Snow said.
What people can do immediately:

# For indoor conservation High-Efficiency Toilets: EBMUD customers can receive rebates for purchasing qualifying WaterSmart High-Efficiency Toilets, which use less water and remove waste effectively. For toilets using 3.5 gallons per flush or more, devices such as displacement bags, toilet dams, or adjustable flappers save water and are a less expensive alternative to replacing your toilet.

# Shower head: Install a water-efficient shower head that uses no more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute. A standard shower head uses 5 to 10 gallons per minute.

# Energy Efficient Washing Machines: A high-efficiency machine uses 30 percent less water and 40 percent to 70 percent less energy. EBMUD customers can get rebates for purchasing and installing approved high-efficiency washing machines from a list of qualifying washers.

# Install Aerators: Low-flow aerators can limit flow rates of 2.2 gallons per minute for kitchen faucets and 1.5 gallons per minute for bathroom faucets. EBMUD provides its customers with free devices.

# Replace worn washers on faucets and look for hidden leaks. Check the reading on your water meter. Don't use any water for 30 minutes, then read the meter. If it shows water used, then you have a hidden leak that needs repair.

For outdoor conservation

# Water yards less frequently but more deeply. Watering to the root depth of your plants creates a healthier and more efficient garden. This means applying a half-inch of water to moisten the soil to a depth of 6 inches.

# Routinely check your irrigation system for leaks. Drip irrigation systems apply water more accurately and at a much lower rate than overhead spray. EBMUD offers rebates to customers who install drip irrigation systems.

# Adjust your irrigation controller according to the seasons. Add days to your watering schedule for the summer season and reduce the number of days as fall approaches.

Source: East Bay Municipal Utility District
Recalling the last time we went through a drought, I can add some simple suggestions:

# Don't automatically serve water at restaurants, make the customers ask for a glass.

# Turn off your faucet while you brush your teeth.

# Shorter showers or use the Navy Shower technique:

A navy shower (or "sea shower") is a method of showering that allows for significant conservation of water and energy. The steps in a basic navy shower are:

turn on the water

immediately wet the body

turn off the water

soap up and scrub

turn the water back on and rinse off the soap

The total time for the water being on is typically under two minutes.
[snip]
A ten-minute shower takes as much as 230 L (60 U.S. gallons) of water, while a navy shower usually takes as little as 11 L (3 U.S. gallons); one person can save 56,000 L (15,000 U.S. gallons) per year.^[1]
# Do only full laundry loads, full dishwasher loads.

# Skip washing your car, and when you must, invest in a spray control for your hose or use buckets. Park your car on your lawn and use biodegradable soap.

# In more severe droughts, fine people for running water down gutters or late night extravagant watering.   Let your lawn die.  Better yet, pull up the grass and put in drought resistant plants.   Start taking rinse water out to your garden.   Make new housing complexes have some sort of gray water reuse system and restrict the building of pools.

This is the new reality, guys, not Bush's reality.  We can do it, we just need to be wise.  There's lots of ideas out there that will help us cut back our usage.

Because water wars are coming and we should be ready.

crossposted at American Street.

Fukushima'd Monday

The horror of Fukushima keeps on giving.

Immigrant children who were sent back are being killed.

How lizards regenerate their tails: researchers discover genetic 'recipe':

By understanding the secret of how lizards regenerate their tails, researchers may be able to develop ways to stimulate the regeneration of limbs in humans. Now, a team of researchers from Arizona State University is one step closer to solving that mystery. The scientists have discovered the genetic “recipe” for lizard tail regeneration, which may come down to using genetic ingredients in just the right mixture and amounts 

Lizards?... might want to be careful...

George Bush.

Bank of America gets to pay back 17bn over questionable mortgages.  Do they get to go back and help those people they drove out of their houses and into poverty, too?

Bigger spiders a good thing?  I don't think so....

A cop discusses Ferguson and the behavior of the police.

Oh please, let this be true! The Twilight of Antonin Scalia

One half-hour to change a governor's mind about climate change.  And they don't think it worked.

How much you can save when you stop buying shit.

How amazingly transparent the CIA is....

How do you pronounce pecan?

California drought, before and after comparisons.

Dry and getting drier...

And warm.  I used the air conditioner in the car a few days ago because it was over 85 degrees F.  The governor declared a drought emergency.  (Although apparently the oil companies can still use tons of water to frack.)  And it looks like we're settling in for the long term.

The Water Wars are here.

Cold and dry

Cold enough for ya?  It is actually global warming in action.  Science.

Curiosity making tracks on Mars.

California is dry.  I mean really dry.

From West Point to Frankenfoods....

West Point cadet left because of religious oppression.

Pesticide Action Network.

Right-wing extremism:  armed and dangerous.

Sunportal makes pipes that bring sunlight inside buildings.  And a nanomesh triples solar cell efficiency.

The drought will be worse than Hurricane Sandy...

A good doggie and his charge:



How to be clear about what the 'Right to Work' means:



Exxon hates your children:



Ed Asner explains our failing economy:



Bill Maher and Frankenfoods:

Scattershot news

Americans throw away 40 percent of their food every day

Less government...

Someone who is very displeased with Windows 8.

Why Pennsylvania's Voter ID Law Is Unconstitutional

But will the pharmaceuticals let this kid ruin their business?  I bet no.

Depression comes from eating too much trans-fats.

Never insult an Irishman:

Michael D. Higgins (who was elected president of Ireland last year) is fed up with over-the-top Tea Party rhetoric, and he isn't afraid to show it. Listen to him call out radio host Michael Graham on everything from health care to foreign policy in this heated exchange from 2010. Trust me, you don't want to miss this one.

The Drought Map.  And those who make money off of food shortages caused by drought.

The Problem with Men Explaining Things.

From Florida to Arizona

Drought.

Don't waste water!

Besides knocking off waterboarding, here are some ideas:

...there are plenty of behavioral changes that can be made to reduce your family's water footprint.

* Turn off the water when you're washing dishes by hand, brushing your teeth or shaving.
* Only run the clothes washer or the dishwasher when you've got a full load.
* Avoid baths and take shorter showers.
* Plant drought-resistant lawns, shrubs and plants in your yard, and put down mulch wherever you can to help water from evaporating too quickly.
* If you must water your lawn, be sure to place your sprinklers in such a way that no water will fall on sidewalks or driveways, and only water in the early morning or evening, when the weather is cooler.
* Use a broom, and not a hose to clean your driveway and sidewalks.
* Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects and other such waste in the trash rather than the toilet.
* Use the garbage disposal less and the garbage more (or better yet compost!) and you could save 50 to 150 gallons a month.

And yes, just because we've had some glorious rain in California does NOT mean we're out of the drought season. In fact, I doubt in the foreseeable future we will ever return to extravagant water usage. Drought mentality is here to stay.

More or less

Here or there, rapid climate change is everywhere.... (click the pics to embiggen)

Lack of water = lack of fish = lack of jobs= lack of food

The effects of drought bring disaster on so many levels:

The once free-flowing Manaquiri River, which runs through the state of Amazonas in northwest Brazil, is in the fight of its life against a spell of dry weather - and it appears to be losing the battle.

Thousands of dead fish are rotting on the river banks and hundreds more float on its surface, turning the area into a toxic cesspool.

Vultures circle overhead, picking away at the rotting carcasses. Even an alligator - one of the fiercest reptiles of the Amazon - floats belly up in the river.

Local fishermen say it has not rained in more than 25 days, leaving the large surrounding rivers in recession. This has in turn choked off the tributaries that provide fresh water to the Manaquiri.

With no fresh water coming in, oxygen levels in the river have dropped, leaving the fish to suffocate to death.

"One week the river water levels dropped, the next week all the fish died," Bruno dos Santos, a fisherman, told Al Jazeera.

"In five days all the fish were dead. We have nothing left, only this ugly water."

There will be more of these stories in the future.

Headlines

So when we all boil, we boil together?

• The climate denial industry is out to dupe the public. And it's working

I always knew vegetables were out to kill me!

• Killer Petunias and Murderous Potatoes Revealed


• Massive TSA Security Breach As Agency Gives Away Its Secrets


• Copenhagen: Your Quick And Dirty Guide

Being from Southern California and in a relentless drought, this headline struck me as painfully obvious:

• Water meters 'help cut usage'

• America Without a Middle Class

Blog sprinkles

US Drought meter.

Tengrain: The day Bush got the memo titled Bin Laden Determined to Attack US. We will never forget.

Bryan warns us about the crow/squirrel cabal.

Go Rick Sanchez!

A CNN anchor today tore down Rick Scott, the founder of an organization that's been funding anti-health care reform protests and the former CEO of a hospital company that, as Sanchez pointed out, paid $1.7 billion to settle charges of overcharging Medicare and Medicaid.

It was brutal.

Brutal but delicious!



Camping with vampires...

Eli posts the map that proves only 4 states are now solidly Republican. Maybe if we can get the birthers and the screechers calling for lynchings to keep it up, we may even get those states....

Garbage, the next frontier!

Biomass is a word that’s new to most people, and you aren’t likely to hear it tossed around over Sunday dinner at Auntie Myrtle’s. But you can bet you will be exposed to it plenty in coming years.

Although the term has several definitions, here it is used to mean piles or containers of organic matter that can be tapped for energy. The list of biomass materials is long—agricultural and food waste, wood chips, yard clippings, microorganisms, animal byproducts and many other things.

Among the prime fodder of biomass scientists are hundreds of substances that aren’t bashful about giving off sinus-clearing scents. Yes, many of today’s biomass pioneers just love castoffs that reek. These men and women dance through a universe of aromas that are not welcome in the better parts of town. The stink from cow pies. From chicken dirt. From festering mountains of garbage. And, hold on to your tear glands, even rivers of onion juice.

KBR poisoned our troops and doesn't give a shit.

At the hearing, the Senators heard about an incident at a facility in Qarmat Ali where several hundred troops from the Oregon National Guard (and some from Indiana and West Virginia) were exposed to a chemical called sodium dichromate. (Seen the movie Erin Brockovich? That's the stuff that got all those folks so sick.)

Buddhist treasures found again in Gobi desert.

Mudflats of Alaska cringes at the teabagging over the stimulus.

Murdock demands payment for news....

News Corp is set to start charging online customers for news content across all its websites.

The media giant is looking for additional revenue streams after announcing big losses.

The company lost $3.4bn (£2bn) in the year to the end of June, which chief executive Rupert Murdoch said had been "the most difficult in recent history".

News Corp owns the Times and Sun newspapers in the UK and the New York Post and Wall Street Journal in the US.

... and people go elsewhere. Bye!

Update insert: Newsy is an interesting new media site offering many different viewpoints for the same news story. Excellent idea!



Avendon celebrates a fiery liberal.

Cookie Jill posts the list: Top 20 Largest Cases of Companies Caught For Committing Fraud Against the Government

Distributorcap NY notes the theme of old bags on airplanes.

Athenae: Just how many kids have faced the wrong end of a gun?

Mars has proof of ancient lakes and rivers

And still has ice. And now apparently Venus had them....

Our solar system really went through a major drought and didn't recover, didn't it?



Update:
Mars Flight Simulation: 6 Men Endure 105 Days Of Isolation In Simulated Flight

MOSCOW -- Russian engineers broke a red wax seal and six men emerged from a metal hatch after 105 days of isolation in a mock spacecraft, still smiling after testing the stresses that space travelers may face on the journey to Mars.

Sergei Ryazansky, the captain of the six-man crew, told reporters at a Moscow research institute near the Kremlin on Tuesday that the most difficult thing was knowing that instead of making the 172-million mile (276-million kilometer) journey they were locked in a windowless module of metal canisters the size of railway cars.

The men, chosen from 6,000 applicants, were paid euro15,000 ($20,987) each to be sealed up in the mock space capsule since March 31_ cut off almost entirely from the outside world.

They had no television or Internet and their only link to the outside world was communications with the experiment's controllers -- who also monitored them via TV cameras -- and an internal e-mail system. Communications with the outside world had 20-minute delays to imitate a real space flight.

The problem is...

I do all these things already...

More Water Conservation Tips for Your Home

WAYS TO SAVE INDOORS AND OUTDOORS

• Check your toilet for leaks. Put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank. If the coloring begins to appear in the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a wasteful leak that should be repaired at once. Even a small leak can waste thousands of gallons of water each month. When replacing the toilet flapper valve, make sure to select a model designed for your toilet.

• Replace all non-water saving toilets with new ultra-low-flush toilets.

• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and save up to 3 gallons each time.

• Turn off the water while you're shaving. Just fill the sink with a little water and rinse your razor. You can save up to 3 gallons.

• Check faucets and pipes for leaks. Even a small drip can waste hundreds of gallons per month.

• Use your dishwasher for full loads only. Every load uses about 15 gallons.

• Use your clothes washer for full loads only. It uses up to 60 gallons per load.

• Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. Instead rinse them in a sinkful of clean water.

• Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator, so you won't have to run the tap to cool it.

• If you wash dishes by hand, don't leave the water running for rinsing.

• Water your lawn deeply and less frequently. Avoid over watering and runoff. Adjust sprinklers to water the lawn, not the pavement.

• Water early in the morning or late in the evening.

• Change watering schedule seasonally.

• Repair leaks immediately.

• Use a broom instead of the hose.

• Do not allow the hose to run as you wash your car. Use a self-closing hose nozzle, or turn off the water, between rinses.

I should dig up my lawn and plant cacti and native plants....