Which Bird Seeds Are Best?

Which Bird Seeds Are Best?

Quote of the Day

"If when I die there are no dogs in Heaven, then I want to go to where the dogs went." Will Rogers

iSad

Wall Street Journal  

iSad: Digital titans, gadget junkies mourn Jobs

Quote of the Day

In a statement, President Obama described Mr. Jobs as one of “the greatest of American innovators” who exemplified the country’s ingenuity. “There may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented,” Mr. Obama said.

New York Times

At an Apple store in the meatpacking district in New York, someone left an apple, with one bite taken out of it, mimicking the Apple logo. A note read: “iThankYou.” There were also flowers outside of Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.

New York Times

Wildlife Art at the High

The Sculpture of Grainger McKoy
McKoy's exquisitely detailed and skillfully rendered work redefines the idea of wildlife art. Featuring more than 30 sculptures and drawings, the exhibition presents works of stunning realism and virtuosity.September 25, 2011 - January 08, 2012

http://www.graingermckoy.com/

Jefferson City, MO, USA    JEFFERSON CITY, MO, USA

This photo shows Highway 54 just north of Jefferson City, MO, submerged by the Great Flood of 1993. Scientists expect severe floods to become more frequent in many regions during this century because of climate change, with devastating effects on people's lives, including their homes, and on transportation and commerce.1

Jefferson City, the capital of Missouri, has experienced two catastrophic floods in the past 20 years.4 In coming decades, scientists expect more precipitation in winter and spring, when the risk of flooding is already high.4

Heavy downpours in Jefferson City now occur about twice as often as they did a century ago.3

If our carbon emissions continue to rise at today's rates, spring rainfall is projected to increase 25 percent or more by the end of this century.9,10

The so-called 100-year flood is likely to become more frequent,4 and heavy downpours that now occur once every 20 years are projected to occur every four to 15 years in many parts of the United States by the end of this century.5

Mushroom Picking Day

Syracuse, NY, USA   SYRACUSE, NY, USA

Snowfall in Syracuse, NY, has increased an average of 0.75 inch (1.9 centimeters) every year since 1915. Since Syracuse is the economic and educational hub of central New York State, increasing lake-effect snowfall and extreme weather can at times wreak havoc on transportation and commerce throughout the region.1

Syracuse, NY, is already one of the snowiest cities in the United States, and is paradoxically becoming snowier due to global warming (specifically because of warmer surface waters and decreased ice cover on the Great Lakes).6 Increasingly heavy snowfalls in Syracuse could disrupt transportation and commerce throughout central New York State.

Over the past century, snowfall in Syracuse has increased an average of 0.75 inch (1.9 centimeters) per year.4

The 1990s were the snowiest decade of the twentieth century, with five of the highest seasonal snowfalls ever recorded.4

A roughly 30 percent decrease in Great Lake ice coverage from 1973 through 2008 has created conditions conducive to heavier snowfalls.8

In one 10-day period in February 2007, more than 10 feet of snow fell in western New York State.6

Bolinao, Philippines    BOLINAO, PHILIPPINES

Dead corals litter a beach in Bolinao, Philippines. Global warming -- which causes ocean acidification and contributes to coral bleaching -- is compounding the threats posed by destructive fishing techniques, coastal development, forest destruction, and aquaculture. These stresses are putting hundreds of coral and fish species and millions of people dependent on Filipino reefs at risk.1

The coral reefs of the Philippines -- the second-largest in Southeast Asia -- support hundreds of species of corals and fish.2,3,4,5 Already endangered by direct human activity, these reefs are under additional pressure from global warming.2,3,6,18

The Philippines lies within the Coral Triangle, which includes more than 75 percent of all coral species and 35 percent of the world's coral reefs.5 The region's reefs are worth more than U.S.$2 billion annually because of the fishing, tourism, and storm protection they provide.5

Some 98 percent of Philippine reefs are classified as threatened, with 70 percent at high or very high risk.2,5 Unsustainable practices such as blast fishing and cyanide fishing are thought to be the largest contributors to reef degradation.2,6

Climate change is increasing both the temperature and the acidity of the ocean. Rising temperatures increase the risk of coral bleaching. When the Philippines suffered its first mass coral bleaching at the end of the twentieth century, 80 percent of the corals around Bolinao were affected. If we continue on a path of high heat-trapping emissions, acidity levels could begin to deprive corals of the ingredients they need to build skeletons by mid-century.2,3,8,12,18

Arctic Amplification, Chukchi Sea

  ARCTIC AMPLIFICATION, CHUKCHI SEA

One of the many places scientists are finding evidence of "Arctic amplification" is in the ice floating on the Chukchi Sea off Alaska's north coast. Amplification refers to sea ice retreat that leads to enhanced warming in the Arctic, even thinner sea ice, changes in marine life dependent on sea ice, and permafrost degradation in adjacent land areas.1

The degree of warming observed in the Arctic is greater than that observed in the rest of the Northern Hemisphere -- a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification.2,3,4,5 The resulting effects of faster Arctic warming may be felt well beyond the Arctic Ocean.6

The area of Arctic sea ice extent fell in 2007 to the lowest level recorded since satellite measurements began in 1979; 2008 and 2010 saw the second- and third-lowest levels, respectively.7,8,9

Decreases in the bright, reflective sea ice expose areas of dark ocean, increasing absorption of solar radiation. In turn, this warmer ocean water releases heat back into the air as the season changes to autumn.10

Warmer air extends over adjacent land, thawing permafrost and allowing bacteria to decompose plant and other organic matter that had long been frozen -- amplifying global warming by releasing more heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere.6,10

be there or be square

Climate Reality Project

LINK

English: http://climaterealityproje​ct.org/the-event/

Chicago, IL, USA     CHICAGO, ILL, USA

Scientists expect Chicago to face life-threatening heat waves more often as the planet warms. This graph shows projections that extreme heat waves could hit Chicago three times a year, on average, by the end of the century if we do nothing to curb our carbon emissions.1

Chicago is projected to face severe heat waves more often as the climate changes. The effects on residents of the third-largest U.S. city are likely to be deadly1,13 -- unless we take steps now to reduce heat-trapping emissions and develop adaptation strategies.

A 1995 heat wave took the lives of more than 700 Chicagoans,1 and emergency room visits spiked by 3,300.3

If we do nothing to curb our carbon emissions,13 scientists project that heat-related deaths are likely to quadruple by 2050,1,13 and an event like the deadly 1995 heat wave could occur three times a year by the end of this century.1,11,12

Even if we make significant efforts to reduce our emissions,12 deaths caused by extreme heat and high humidity could still more than double by 2050,1,13 and a 1995-type heat wave could hit Chicago nearly every other year by the end of the century.1,11,12