High Country News

The effect of climate change on Washington State could be $10...

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:47:13 -0600

The effect of climate change on Washington State could be $10 BILLION per year.

motherjones: The most heavily polluted waterways in the United...

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:00:42 -0600

motherjones:

The most heavily polluted waterways in the United States, broken down by state. Happy Monday, folks:

From NASA: Saudi Arabia is drilling for a resource possibly...

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:42:00 -0600

From NASA:

Saudi Arabia is drilling for a resource possibly more precious than oil.

Over the last 24 years, it has tapped hidden reserves of water to grow wheat and other crops in the Syrian Desert. This time series of data shows images acquired by three different Landsat satellites operated by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey

A cool map illustrating the different ways we refer to water...

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:29:04 -0600

A cool map illustrating the different ways we refer to water bodies, which reflects settlement patterns by people with different cultural backgrounds.

Lime green bayous follow historical French settlement patterns along the Gulf Coast and up Louisiana streams. The distribution of the Dutch-derived term kill (dark blue) in New York echoes the colonial settlement of “New Netherland” (as well as furnishing half of a specific toponym to the Catskill Mountains). Similarly, the spanish-derived terms rio, arroyo, and cañada (orange hues) trace the early advances of conquistadors into present-day northern New Mexico, an area that still retains some unique cultural traits. Washes in the southwest reflect the intermittent rainfall of the region, while streams named swamps (desaturated green) along the Atlantic seaboard highlight where the coastal plain meets the Appalachian Piedmont at the fall line.

Sad motherjones: A species of lizard native to the Hawaiian...

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:59:39 -0600

Sad

motherjones:

A species of lizard native to the Hawaiian Islands—the copper striped blue-tailed skink is now officially extinct.

Summer in Winter? A huge, lingering ridge of high pressure over...

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:57:32 -0600

Summer in Winter?

A huge, lingering ridge of high pressure over the eastern half of the United States brought summer-like temperatures to North America in March 2012. The warm weather shattered records across the central and eastern United States and much of Canada. From NASA’s Earth Observatory.

Street artist Jetsonorama tries a new kind of healing on the...

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:16:23 -0600

Street artist Jetsonorama tries a new kind of healing on the Navajo Nation, wheatpasting giant artworks across the sometimes desolate reservation.

"It sounds like a shot in the arm with no downside"

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:42:47 -0600

“It sounds like a shot in the arm with no downside”

- City council president Blair Patton in Choteau, Montana, whose town is gearing up for an economic boom coming from a new equipment plant supplying machinery to Canada’s tar sands. Quoted in the Billings Gazette.

Time lapse in Joshua Tree National Park.

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:42:01 -0700

Time lapse in Joshua Tree National Park.

The U.S. Geological Survey has photographs that rock. The old...

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 10:56:41 -0700

The U.S. Geological Survey has photographs that rock.

The old ones are especially cool. From Scientific American.

Pretty. Images of aurora borealis more intense this year due to...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:04:03 -0700

Pretty. Images of aurora borealis more intense this year due to “cracks in the earth’s magnetic shield.” From National Geographic.

Interactive map showing herbicide resistant weeds worldwide. Go...

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:52:00 -0700

Interactive map showing herbicide resistant weeds worldwide. Go to http://www.weedscience.org/ to learn more.

Dangerous winds, made beautiful by NOAA High Winds Creating Fire...

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:44:13 -0700

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.

Location, Location, Location, 700 Million Times. A new study...

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:07:36 -0700

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.

Images from the Mountain Gazette annual dog photo contest, where...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:35:00 -0700

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.

Yosemite waterfall, seemingly on fire. wfplnews: If you head to...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:51:18 -0700

Yosemite waterfall, seemingly on fire.

wfplnews:

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.

Listen to the interview.

(via From Waterfall To Lavafall: Yosemite’s Fleeting Phenomenon : The Picture Show : NPR)

From NASA’s Earth Observatory: “The coastal Pacific...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:49:03 -0700

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.”

"More than 22 percent of the water consumed worldwide is imported as virtual water, meaning that..."

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:51:46 -0700

““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

"Rather than continue to fight, we’d much prefer to work on a mutually beneficial solution –..."

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:33:05 -0700

““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.

“As part of the fiscal year 2013 budget [PDF] released on Feb. 13, President Obama proposed...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:11:31 -0700

“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)