Leopard, The microbiome and human health, Everglades and Madagascar forests on Unesco danger list

Leopard.

How Microbes Defend and Define Us

Dr. Khoruts mixed a small sample of her husband’s stool with saline solution and delivered it into her colon. Writing in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology last month, Dr. Khoruts and his colleagues reported that her diarrhea vanished in a day. Her Clostridium difficile infection disappeared as well and has not returned since.

The procedure — known as bacteriotherapy or fecal transplantation — had been carried out a few times over the past few decades. But Dr. Khoruts and his colleagues were able to do something previous doctors could not: they took a genetic survey of the bacteria in her intestines before and after the transplant.

Which may sound gross to some people, but a fascinating article at the NYT. If the subject sounds like an obtuse science story and maybe something that belongs in the odd news of the day section, think of microbes and mammals as live sustaining partners. Mysterious partners at that. As George Weinstock of Washington University in St. Louis notes in the story, the human body has 10 times more microbes than human cells. Every year we have an outbreak of E. coli poisoning, yet we all have a harmless type of E. coli living in our guts right now. The foreign E.coli is bad for us, even life threatening, but our own E. coli helps with digestion.

Everglades and Madagascar forests on Unesco danger list

A UN panel has added Florida’s Everglades National Park and Madagascar’s tropical rainforest to a list of world heritage sites at risk.

Unesco’s World Heritage Committee said development in the Everglades had caused water flow to fall 60% in the wetland, a major wildlife sanctuary.

The pollution level there was so high it was killing marine life, it added.

Illegal logging and poaching following last year’s military coup has meanwhile imperilled Madagascar’s rainforests.

The good news is the Galapagos Islands – made famous by Charles Darwin’s journey on the Beagle – has been removed from the list as Ecuador has made some progress towards their ecological recovery.

U.S. nuclear front-runners begin to slow spending

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved the Obama administration’s request to add $36 billion to the loan guarantee fund as part of the president’s goal to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, create jobs and pare greenhouse gas emissions. The Senate has not acted on the request for new money yet.

Still, the DOE still has $10 billion in existing funds it can allocate. Three project hopefuls remain on the DOE loan short-list — Constellation Energy Group’s Calvert Cliffs expansion in Maryland, NRG Energy’s South Texas Project two-unit addition and SCANA Corp’s Summer project in South Carolina.

One still frequently hears the objection to alternative/renewable energy as not economically feasible because it relies on subsidies. So does nuclear energy. We also subsidize the oil and natural gas industries. We also subsidize the coal industry. When coal companies Massey Energy blows the tops off mountains that has associated costs. Many of which are picked up by tax payers.

First Lake Sierra Nevadas wallpaper, US food waste contains more energy than offshore drilling, Trees cultivate their own good bacteria

First Lake Sierra Nevadas wallpaper

US food waste worth more than offshore drilling

Recent estimates suggest that 16 per cent of the energy consumed in the US is used to produce food. Yet at least 25 per cent of food is wasted each year. Michael Webber and Amanda Cuellar at the Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy at the University of Texas at Austin calculate that this is the equivalent of about 2150 trillion kilojoules lost each year.

I wonder what percentage of the food we eat and waste is processed food, always seemingly loaded with corn syrup, is wasted. That we eat so much food out of a box – dried or processed and frozen is amazing. The figures above do not include the 8 and 23 per cent of fish caught in the world’s fisheries – killed – than thrown back in the ocean as unusable by-catch. That by-catch includes marine mammals like dolphin.

Some trees ‘farm’ bacteria to help supply nutrients

Some trees growing in nutrient-poor forest soil may get what they need by cultivating specific root microbes to create compounds they require. These microbes are exceptionally efficient at turning inorganic minerals into nutrients that the trees can use. Researchers from France report their findings in the July 2010 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

…Certain microbes are efficient at breaking down inorganic minerals into nutrients. This process, called mineral weathering, is especially important in acidic forest soils where tree growth can be limited by access to these nutrients. Mineral-weathering bacteria can release necessary nutrients such as iron from soil minerals. This gives trees with increased concentrations of mineral-weathering microbes an advantage over other trees.

I found out very quickly in my tree planting that acid loving pines and spruces are exactly that. I could give them the water and compost to get them off to a good start, but they didn’t fare too well if I let the soil around them become too alkaline.

Scientists Find Evidence That Oil And Dispersant Mix Is Making Its Way Into The Foodchain

Scientists have found signs of an oil-and-dispersant mix under the shells of tiny blue crab larvae in the Gulf of Mexico, the first clear indication that the unprecedented use of dispersants in the BP oil spill has broken up the oil into toxic droplets so tiny that they can easily enter the foodchain.

Marine biologists started finding orange blobs under the translucent shells of crab larvae in May, and have continued to find them “in almost all” of the larvae they collect, all the way from Grand Isle, Louisiana, to Pensacola, Fla. — more than 300 miles of coastline — said Harriet Perry, a biologist with the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.

And now, a team of researchers from Tulane University using infrared spectrometry to determine the chemical makeup of the blobs has detected the signature for Corexit, the dispersant BP used so widely in the Deepwater Horizon..

We’re not seeing the giant oil slicks from a few weeks ago, but there is still floating around in large plumes. Crab larvae are not cute and many may find it difficult to work up any concern about them, but these zooplankton are in the food chain of larger ecologically and commercially important fish and shrimp.

Young Grizzly using mom as a pillow

Soaring Over The Ocean wallpaper, Plants at the base of ocean food chain in decline, Unlimited fusion energy a step closer with ITER funding agreement

Soaring Over The Ocean wallpaper

Plants at the base of ocean food chain in decline, study finds

Microscopic phytoplankton that form the foundation of the marine food chain are declining, according to a new Canadian study that indicates that the ocean’s ecosystem and fisheries could be changing.

Researchers at Dalhousie University conducted the first global study of the populations of these microscopic organisms in the past century and found the declines – averaging about 1 per cent a year, and approximately 40 per cent since 1950 – are correlated with increases in sea surface temperatures. The study, a three-year analysis, is being published Thursday in the journal Nature.

While most individual phytoplankton are too small to see with the naked eye – though many might appear as a small speck – they account for half of all the photosynthetic activity on earth. An obvious correlation is they also produce about half or more of the earth’s oxygen. It doesn’t matter what your race, religion, national origin or gender, the importance of phytoplankton does not discriminate. If there is not a healthy population of phytoplankton it means a very low probability of human life on earth. Some of the intermediate consequences include decimating the populations of larger sea creatures like fish and marine mammals. Fish consumption alone accounted for over 16 kg per person worldwide in 2005.

Unlimited fusion energy a step closer with ITER funding agreement

The European Union and six other states agreed on an updated plan to finance and establish a timetable for the ITER project, an experimental fusion reactor which could lead towards the development of unlimited and clean fusion energy.

…While critics had prophesied the failure of the project, construction is now already on its way, extended funding is secured and even the first core component was successully manufactured a few weeks ago.

Japan finished the first of 18 superconducting coils making up the Toroidal Field magnet system at the heart of the ITER “tokomak” — a doughnut-shaped chamber, in which very strong magnetic fields generated by superconducting coils hold together the nuclei of light atomic elements in a super-heated plasma. This creates similar physical conditions as inside the sun and allows the fusion of atomic cores of hydrogen to heavier elements, in this case helium, thereby releasing high amounts of energy in the process.

While there is no guarantee that it will be possible to develop this process to a state where it can be used to build commercially viable fusion power plants, there is also no fundamental technical obstacle to prevent this. The result would be an unlimited, safe and completely clean energy source. The fuel is simply hydrogen, which exists everywhere on the planet in essentially unlimited supply. In this regard, a price of 30 billion dollars, spread over many years and among the richest countries of the world seems very low indeed.

The U.S.A. is doing fusion research and some of the funds that have been disbursed by the Obama administration for alternative energy have been allotted to fusion.

Wetlands Front Group Funded by Big Oil Wants Taxpayers to Foot the Bill for BP’s Gulf Destruction

A group of oil companies including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Citgo, Chevron and other polluters are using a front group called “America’s WETLAND Foundation” and a Louisiana women’s group called Women of the Storm to spread the message that U.S. taxpayers should pay for the damage caused by BP to Gulf Coast wetlands, and that the reckless offshore oil industry should continue drilling for the “wholesale sustainability” of the region.

The full article is fairly long and just as disgusting as the head-line suggests. As crazy as these groups sound don’t be surprised if there are more of them – astroturf groups with pro-environment sounding names working on behalf of the interests of oil companies.

Big Oil Apologist Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour’s (R)Raises More Than $2 Million In Oil Money For RGA

Thanks to Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour’s (R) prodigious fundraising, which continued apace even the very same day the oil slick reached Mississippi, the Republican Governors Association was able to raise an astonishing $19 million last quarter. A ThinkProgress review of RGA documents recently filed with the Internal Revenue Service reveals that a significant portion of last quarter’s haul—more than $2,000,000—came from oil and gas industry interests…

..As BP’s oil rolled onto the beaches of the Gulf Coast and the cash rolled into the RGA, Barbour consistently and conspicuously downplayed the significance of the BP disaster. After skipping two meetings with President Obama, he went on to argue that the Obama administration’s common-sense moratorium on deepwater drilling was worse than the spill itself.

Between lost revenue from the seafood industry and tourism the Gulf states are expected to lose in the 10s of billions over the next few years. Needless to say the wells that are in the Gulf are still producing oil.

Wet Maple Leaves wallpaper, Recycled Wood Flooring Expands Green Interior Design, Sarah McLachlan Designs Recycled Jewelry for Lilith Fair

Wet Maple Leaves wallpaper

Recycled Wood Flooring Expands Green Interior Design to New Heights

Interior designers benefit from using Staybull Flooring™ in their Modern & Contemporary designs due to:

·         The fusion of recycled wood creates a multi-faceted surface

·         Superior durability – Edge-glued planks ensure that the floor won’t cup, twist, or crown

·         Wider planks and longer boards lower buying cost & decreases install time

·         Can be installed over concrete for expanded design flexibility

·         VOC Free – No formaldehydes, benzene, or any other toxic solvents are used

·         Eco-Shield™ Floor Finish – offers high abrasion resistance and meets Europe’s REACH standards

About Staybull Flooring™

Staybull Flooring™ is an eco friendly wood flooring alternative to bamboo, engineered and other hardwood flooring. The Staybull Flooring™ lines of recycled flooring are produced through an innovative reclamation and manufacturing process that fuses strips of wood together.

Traditional wood flooring has been known to cusp or twist. Staybull is said to be resistant to that phenomenon. They also claim it is made from non toxic glues that emit no VOC’s.

Trash Boat: ‘Plastiki’ Ship Made of Recycled Bottles Completes Voyage Across Pacific Ocean

A 60-foot catamaran made out of plastic bottles completed a four-month journey across the Pacific Ocean today, an unusual adventure to raise awareness about the widespread problem of plastic pollution.

Singer Sarah McLachlan Designs Recycled Jewelry for Lilith Fair

Designed by McLachlan herself and made locally in Vancouver, the recycled sterling-silver earrings ($100) and necklace ($90) come simply engraved with the word, “Lilith.” With a touring family made up of music greats such as Carly Simon, the Indigo Girls, Cat Power, Emmylou Harris, Heart, The Bangles—we could go on for days—we’re hoping these lady-giants will catch onto the green wave, too.

Lilith Fair  donates a dollar from every ticket sold to socially conscious charities and business start-ups. Some of those recipients include Grameen America, a microfinance bank that metes out loans to entrepreneurs living below the poverty line and To-Go Ware, which makes reusable food carriers and bamboo utensils.

These are hard times and few of these Kelvin LED Table Lamps, at $396 are going to be flying out the door, but high-end designer stuff like this, if successful, does tend to filter down to more affordable versions for the rest of us,

* The best of both worlds: warm, soft light and energy-efficient LEDs.
* Swiveling head contains 30 LEDs (total power consumption 8.4 watts).
* ON/OFF switch is built into the diffuser head.
* Using special Flostouch technology, this switch needs only a slight touch to turn the lamp on or off, or toggle between two levels of light intensity.

Kelvin LED Table Lamp

Shame on Fox News, Fox News’ long history of race-baiting

Howard Dean and Joan Walsh recently called out Fox News, criticizing what they called its “racist” handling of the deceptively edited Shirley Sherrod video clip. Indeed, Fox News and its personalities have a long history of aggressive race-baiting and racially charged commentary.

Planets and Meteors wallpaper, About those earth-like planets, Another monarch mystery solved

Planets and Meteors wallpaper. In light of the following story I should mention this is an artist’s rendering.

Claims of 100 Earth-Like Planets Not True

Despite overzealous news headlines this week, NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has not identified more than 100 Earth-like planets in the galaxy.

The planet-hunting telescope, launched in April 2009, has so far confirmed only five alien planets beyond the solar system, mission scientists told SPACE.com.

Kepler co-investigator Dimitar Sasselov gave a talk in which he said there were a hundred “candidates” for earth-like status. It will require a lot of further observation before there any are more than the five identified thus far. Five seems like a substantial discovery until someone thinks they hear something they didn’t, then suddenly by comparison to a 100,  five doesn’t sound like a big deal. That there are likely five planets out there which might have some kind of carbon based life on them is exciting to ponder.

Canadian researchers solve Monarch migration mystery

A new Canadian study has apparently solved a mystery involving the migration habits of one of North America’s most recognizable insects and may aid conservation efforts.

Scientists have been trying to understand why monarch butterflies east of the Appalachians showed up later in the year than those found west of the mountain range, which runs roughly from Atlantic Canada to Alabama.

Researchers from the University of Guelph and Environment Canada have proved monarch butterflies migrate eastward over the Appalachians as they repopulate.

The butterflies recolonize “multigenerationally,” meaning the generation that winters in Mexico flies northward, laying eggs west of the Appalachians, which then hatch into butterflies that head toward the eastern coast of the U.S.

The finding is unusual because most recolonization patterns follow a more simple south to north pattern.

Monarch larvae feed exclusively on a beautiful white flowering plant with the common name milkweed. Miller was able to determine where a monarch  was born because of the unique isotope signatures from the milkweed.

The remains of the largest rat to ever roam the Earth have been discovered in a remote cave in East Timor

The huge rodent, which died out about 2,000 years ago, was three times as big as its modern cousins and weighed more than 13lbs, about the same as a small dog.

Australian archaeologists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) found the bones of the giant rat alongside 11 new species of rat, eight of which weighed more than 2lbs.

The largest modern rats get up to about 1.8kg(4 lbs) and live in the rainforests of New Guinea and the Philippines.

How the Gulf Spill’s Devastation Works Its Way From Plankton to Pelicans