A river runs through a controversy that has brewed for 20 years, but is now coming to closure. Historically, the Klamath River (map, left) was the third most productive salmon river in the lower 48 states, behind the Columbia and Sacramento rivers, Wikipedia says (here). During the 1850s, gold seeke[...]
Archive for the ‘Environment’ Category
October 29th, 2022 - 10:29 am § in Environment
Does the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker still exist?
It might be a snipe hunt, but true believers aren’t giving up. After all, if it’s not a real bird, it once was. And that’s the question; last seen in 1944 for sure, North America’s most elusive bird may not be around anymore, except for stuffed specimens in museums (photo bel[...]
October 27th, 2022 - 2:42 am § in Environment
PHOTOGRAPHY: Penitentes
These high-altitude ice formations are caused by solar erosion. Return to The-Ave.US Home Page[...]
October 22nd, 2022 - 1:00 pm § in Environment
Anti-oil protests, meh
Back in the 1970s, when people fretted over “peak oil” and freaked out about long gas lines caused by Arab oil embargoes, Ralph Nader said “the world is awash in oil.” He was right, of course; much more oil has been found, and technological advances (e.g., fracking) have unlo[...]
October 22nd, 2022 - 11:38 am § in Environment
How to make fish without oceans
Human invention never ceases to amaze. Somebody has figured out how to grow fish like corn and wheat. It’s fish farming on dry land. You can take fish cells from a fish, then cultivate more cells from it, and get fish fillets that didn’t come from live fish. It looks and tastes like fish[...]
October 20th, 2022 - 6:45 pm § in Environment
PHOTOGRAPHY: Owls
Whoooooo’s looking at you? Return to The-Ave.US Home Page[...]
Why do Republicans hate electric cars?
“The Biden administration has made support for EVs a top priority,” Huffington Post says (here), and that’s probably enough reason right there. In today’s tribal politics, at least on the Republican side, “if they’re for it, we’re ag’in it.” But [...]
September 29th, 2022 - 1:56 pm § in Environment
Dining in Venice
This photo is a bit unfair, because St. Mark’s Square isn’t always underwater, only during the seasonal high tides. And the flooding isn’t solely caused by sea level rise due to climate change; the ground under the city is sinking. Read why here. But what you see here is perhaps sy[...]
September 15th, 2022 - 2:58 pm § in Environment, Politics
Why nobody respects Congress
To keep this post readably short, I won’t go over the long history of colorful and vile characters who’ve served in Congress at one time or another. I’ll just say voters can elect anybody they want to, and sometimes do, and let it go at that. And also that polls through the years h[...]
September 14th, 2022 - 3:52 pm § in Business, Environment
Patagonia founder gives company to environmental causes
Back in the 1960s, Yvon Chouinard was a leading Yosemite rock climber, who soon would be doing world-class alpine climbs. The equipment for this kind of climbing largely didn’t exist, so he invented and made it, revolutionizing both techniques and gear. In those days, he made his “Lost A[...]