The week that was, 6/13-19/2010
Posted on | June 19, 2010 | 1 Comment
'Tanker Traffic' by Kathryn Altus, 2010. Water based oil on canvas, 36" x 24" and part of the "Some seas" exhibit at the Lisa Harris Gallery in Seattle. Click on the image to be taken to the gallery.
'Tanker Traffic 2' by Kathryn Altus, 2005. Oil on canvas, 24 x 20" oil on canvas. Click on the image to be taken to the artist's website.
Approximately 40 percent of the coastal wetlands of the lower 48 states is located in Louisiana. — “Watermarks,” LaCoast / USGS*
Oil has been observed on approximately 503 total miles of U.S. coastline. –– Florida update, Gov Monitor, June 19, 2010
“… simply protecting the shore and the nesting habitat is not protecting the birds that forage out over the water.” — Melanie Driscoll, director of bird conservation for the National Audubon Society’s Louisiana Coastal Initiative, Yale Environment 360, June 15, 2010
Sea turtle specialist Peter Lutz. Click here for his obituary in The Journal of Experimental Biology.
Three of [the top five oil companies BP, Exxon, Conoco Phillips, Chevron and Shell] listed the phone number for the same University of Miami marine science expert, Peter Lutz, who died in 2005. — “Lawmakers attack plans oil companies had in place to deal with a spill,” The Washington Post, June 16, 2010
Thinking about your Florida beach vacation and about what’s happening in the Gulf? Here’s what you need to know. Florida has 825 miles of beaches, 1,260 miles of coast line. There are plenty places in Florida where you can enjoy crystal clear waters and a great beach vacation. See for yourself in real time at FloridaLife – webcams, daily video, beach updates and real photos to help you find your own Florida beach! Get the Facts. Go to FloridaLife and visit Florida.com. — “Visit Florida launches new ad in oil spill marketing response campaign,” VisitFlorida — pitchengine.com, June 16, 2010
If oil seeps deeply enough into the marsh, it will not only kill the grass above ground but also the roots. Those roots are what hold the marsh together, keeping bright green land from collapsing into the Mississippi River delta and the Gulf of Mexico. — Naomi Klein, “Gulf Oil Spill: A hole in the world,” London Guardian, June 19, 2010
Slick as of June 19, 2010. Source: NASA. Click on the image to be taken to the Earth Observatory.
Sperm whales live in deep water where there are layers of subsurface dispersants and oil, and they feed on squid, which also could be contaminated by the oil and chemical dispersants. — “NOAA finds dead whale south of spill,” McClatchy, June 18, 2010
“Bob” finished fourth in its group. — “BP CEO’s yacht outing infuriates Gulf residents,” Associated Press, June 19, 2010
“I don’t think BP’s accident will be driving anyone away from China deep water.” — Consultant Changlin Wu, “China to step up exploring in deep water,” Financial Times, June 18, 2010
It’s as if the Earth has been smoking two packs of cigarettes a day.” — Australian marine scientist Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, “Ocean choking on CO2,” Scientific American / Reuters, June 12, 2010, via Aquafornia
Flooding in Nebraska on June 16. On June 11, Gov. Heineman declared a statewide state of emergency in response to strong thunderstorms, high winds, tornados, flooding, rain and hail. Click on the image to be taken to a photo gallery of his aerial flood survey.
As of 10:00 a.m. Saturday, downpours that began pounding southern China Sunday had left 88 people dead, 48 missing, and forced the evacuation of 757,000 residents from their homes. — the Ministry of Civil Affairs, “China raises emergency response level for floods as 88 confirmed dead,” Xinhua English, June 18, 2010
“The season is finished.” — Regis Fardoux, director of a campsite near Fréjus, France, “Worst floods in centuries kill dozens in Côte d’Azur,” France24.com, June 18, 2010
“Water is pretty much everywhere. We are concerned about the entire state.” — Nebraska Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Jodie Fawl, “Governor surveys storm damage” Lincoln Jounal Star, June 14, 2010
“I thought they were lying when they said a house was under the water.” — Scranton, PA resident Raymond Newton, “Heavy rains cause flash flooding,” Times-Tribune, June 14, 2010
Right now, Sandy Maslen pays $348 a year for flood insurance. Her renewal bill, due next month, initially topped $1,300. — “Insurance reprieve is delayed,” Stockton Record, June 19, 2010
“He got one side right.” — Public works official from Stoughton, Wisconsin, “Town’s name misspelled on water tower,” Associated Press, June 18, 2010
Spring Valley ranch and target of the Las Vegas pipeline. Photo: Emily Green
The Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday reversed its earlier ruling that could have derailed a multibillion-dollar water pipeline for the Las Vegas Valley. — “Dual win claimed in water fight,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, June 18, 2010
It’s back to square one for the Southern Nevada Water Authority in its efforts to pump thousands of acre feet of water from rural Nevada to serve the Las Vegas area. — “Supreme Court rules on Las Vegas water applications,” Las Vegas Sun, June 17, 2010
“You don’t want to jump in and then find there’s a weir 200m around the corner.” — Outdoor swimmer Michael Worthingon, “Swimming the Thames,” Financial Times, June 19, 2010
“When we’re done, tap water will be relegated to showers and washing dishes.” — Susan Wellington, president of the Quaker Oats’ beverage division in 2000 quoted by Peter Gleick, “U.S. water system needs better enforcement, smart investment to ensure quality,” Washington Post, June 15, 2010
“Not adding screenwash to windscreen wiper fluid is a previously unidentified risk factor and appears to be strongly associated with community acquired sporadic cases of legionnaires’ disease.” — Authors of a study in the European Journal of Epidemiology, “Legionnaires’ disease ‘in windscreen water‘,” Daily Mail, June 15, 2010
Cartographer: Philippe Rekacewicz, UNEP/GRID-Arendal. Click on the image to be taken to GRID-Arendal, an educational arm of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
A river formed by the convergence of the Euphrates and Tigris no longer has the strength to keep the sea at bay. — “Lifeline in Iraq is withering away,” New York Times, June 12, 2010 / International Herald Tribune, June 14, 2010
“In some states, companies are totally banned from returning any drilling waste water to streams.” — Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger, “Vote today could curb Marcellus pollution,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, June 17, 2010
“We’ve had two basic rights taken from us – clean water and the ability to vote [for] who represents us on this issue.” — Robin Judkins, Coast to Coast organizer, “Large rally protests over water,” The Press, Christchurch, June 14, 2010
“Our board basically said, if there’s no reason for restrictions, why are you going to ask people to conserve?” — Charles Hardy, a spokesman for the East Bay Municipal Utility District, “Water crisis over? Everywhere in the Bay Area but Santa Clara County,” Mercury News, June 16, 2010
For water coverage of California, go to Aquafornia, the newsfeed of the Water Education Foundation, and UC Berkeley’s On Water. For San Diego water news, try Groksurf’s San Diego.
*from the March 2010 issue
This post has been updated. The segment about the Florida ad campaign was added late Sunday.
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North American Native Plant Societies
After the lawn
Garden blogs
June 21st, 2010 @ 12:32 pm
Great (exceptionally sobering) quotes Emily! You’ve distilled (pun intended) the essence of a terrible week for water in the world. Keep it coming but hopefully we come up for air soon (gasp!)
Rob