Pretty. Images of aurora borealis more intense this year due to “cracks in the earth’s magnetic shield.” From National Geographic.
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About High Country News
March 5, 2012
March 1, 2012
Interactive map showing herbicide resistant weeds worldwide. Go to http://www.weedscience.org/ to learn more.
February 28, 2012
Dangerous winds, made beautiful by NOAA
High Winds Creating Fire Hazards in the Southwest
The NOAA Storm Prediction Center has issued critical fire weather alerts for many areas in the southwestern U.S. from Arizona through Kansas. High winds are generating extremely dry conditions, ripe for wildfire outbreaks and rapid spreading. This image shows the maximum sustained wind speeds expected over the next 24 hours (starting 1800z on February 27, 2012) using output from the NOAA North American Model.
February 27, 2012
Location, Location, Location, 700 Million Times.
A new study identifies locations that would be suitable for various types of power plants, weighing considerations like population density, the availability of water and vulnerability to quakes. Red color indicates more obstacles to development.
February 22, 2012
Images from the Mountain Gazette annual dog photo contest, where people take pics of themselves and their dogs in the outdoors. View the winners here.
February 22, 2012
Yosemite waterfall, seemingly on fire.
If you head to Yosemite National Park this time of year and stop by Horsetail Fall at just the right time, you might see something spectacular: As the sun sinks low in the sky, the waterfall glows with streaks of gold and yellow — and it looks just like molten lava.
Photographers like Michael Frye flock to the park every February to try to capture the phenomenon. Frye, author of The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite, describes the sight to NPR’s Audie Cornish.
(via From Waterfall To Lavafall: Yosemite’s Fleeting Phenomenon : The Picture Show : NPR)
(via npr)
February 22, 2012
From NASA’s Earth Observatory:
“The coastal Pacific Northwest of the United States has the tallest trees in North America, averaging as much as 40 meters (131 feet) in height. It has the densest biomass—the total mass of organisms living within a given area—in the country. But for centuries, it also has been a much-tapped resource for lumber; land-clearing for agriculture and development have also trimmed the woodlands. Both the lumber companies and forest managers have an interest in measuring the health of these forests.
The maps above are a subset of that nationwide mapping project. The top map shows one of 66 mapping zones across the country; in this case, Washington state and a sliver of Oregon. The inset map (lower) shows the fine scale of that forest (the image is roughly 20 kilometers wide), which allows researchers to see the regular patterns of logging and development, and the more erratic shape of areas lost to fires and pests.”
February 17, 2012
"More than 22 percent of the water consumed worldwide is imported as virtual water, meaning that water is used elsewhere to produce an Imported commodity. Shades of green indicate water-exporting nations; lighter shades and slimmer arrows signify smaller volumes. Other colors highlight nations importing virtual water, with red nations importing the most."
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NYTimes Green Blog: “Tracking How the World Guzzles Water,” By Joanna M. Foster
February 16, 2012
"Rather than continue to fight, we’d much prefer to work on a mutually beneficial solution – collaborating on a wolf and wildlife-friendly beef labeling program that would offer livestock producers who embrace conservation the opportunity to realize the significant economic and marketing benefits from doing so. … We would welcome the opportunity to sit down with you, and other stakeholders, in February to discuss this concept."
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An excerpt from a letter by Oregon Wild Conservation Director, Steve Pedery, sent to the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association with a proposal to bind the two loggerheads with a single common interest of wolf-friendly beef.
(Source: ecotrope.opb.org)
February 15, 2012
“As part of the fiscal year 2013 budget [PDF] released on Feb. 13, President Obama proposed to eliminate $40 billion in tax breaks for oil and gas producers over the next 10 years. Yesterday, theYale Project on Climate Change reiterated its recent finding that Americans of all political stripes oppose subsidies for “coal, oil, and natural gas companies.” They oppose these subsidies by 70 percent to 30 percent — better than two to one.” (Courtesy of Grist/Climate Progress)
(Source: grist.org)
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Finding the Photogenic Side of Big Data
via the New York Times:
Massive rivers of digital information are a snooze, visually. Yet that is the...
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“A federal judge in Oregon denies a motion for new trial in a case that...
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Forbes worked with Bitly to suss out where Americans get their news state by state.
Mapped above are the favorites.
Jon Bruner explains how...
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EnviroFact1. What do you propose to do? [20 words]
Provide fact-based evidence to verify environmental news claims by leveraging the Society of...
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Redon’s works are as difficult to describe as last night’s inscrutable dream, clearly emblazoned in the mind but impossible to relay to another. The...
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In Focus: The 2012 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Today, the leaders of the 2012 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will depart...
