1. Butterfly talk Monday/Albany Hill, Cerrito Creek events
2. Backyard bird count/population impacts on wildlife/bird-drawing classes/FlywayFestival
3. Improve paths to city parks - Feb 15
4. Install, maintain low-water gardens at Sunset Elementary Feb 11
5. Perfumes, pigments, and poisons - the chemistry of plants
6. YouTube on plant chemistry experts: butterflies and beetles
7. Famed Fleming house and native garden for sale in Berkeley
8. Don't take the bait - starve rats instead
9. LTE: Tasing defended
10. Feedback
11. Restoration project walks on Hawk Hill, Presidio Feb 11
12. February in Claremont Canyon
13. Murderous nature of a worm-eating plant
14. SciAm potpourri/crab spider mimics ant
15. Project Vote Smart takes democracy seriously
16. UCSF dentistry school offers free services to kids Feb 18
17. Debtors' merry-go-round - interactive map
18. Humans as masters of planet Earth - a stark reality
19. Dearth of Rare Earths threatens global renewables industry
20. Rememberance by Rainer Maria Rilke
21. Notes & Queries
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Beware the irrational, however seductive. Shun the 'transcendent' and all who invite you to subordinate or annihilate yourself. Distrust compassion; prefer dignity for yourself and others. Don't be afraid to be thought arrogant or selfish. Picture all experts as if they were mammals. Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence. -Christopher Hitchens, author and journalist (1949-2011)
1. Butterfly talk Monday, Feb. 6
Don’t miss “Bay Area Butterflies 101” at Friends of 5 Creeks' meeting Monday, Feb. 6, 7-9 PM at Albany Community Center.
Liam O’Brien, lepidopterist and illustrator, will give a beautifully illustrated talk on the role these winged jewels play in our environment. Liam also will tell us about the project he founded, aimed at saving San Francisco’s Green Hairstreak butterflies by creating a “habitat corridor” with a chain of home-garden plantings.
Free, all welcome, refreshments!
Help discover “What Lives on Albany Hill and Cerrito Creek.”
Share you photos and sightings of animals and plants from Albany Hill and adjacent Cerrito Creek! By joining our new citizen-science project, you will build up knowledge that will help in managing this amazing "urban wilderness." At the same time, you contribute a worldwide database on biodiversity!
It's easy; instructions are on the site. You upload a photo if you have one, and tell us where and when you saw the animal or plant and what it was doing. You don't have to know the name! The community at iNaturalist -- the software that powers this and many other citizen-science projects -- will help you identify it.
Among this project's goals are to acquire needed knowledge about the Monarch butterflies that use the hill. We'd welcome a volunteer who wants to "curate” this!
Sat., Feb. 11, early spring work party at the foot of Albany Hill
Rains have been sparse this winter, but they brought a crop of weeds -- plus time to plant a few more natives. Please join other Friends of Five Creeks volunteers 10 AM – 12:30 PM Sat., Feb. 11, as we continue to give nature a hand along the Cerrito Creek and in the historic willow grove below Albany Hill.
Meet at El Cerrito’s Creekside Park, south end of Santa Clara Ave. (3499 Santa Clara on Internet maps; AC Transit 72 and 25 stop nearby). Snacks, water, tools, and gloves provided. All ages welcome; this work party has light or heavy tasks for all. Dress in layers in clothes that can get dirty; wear closed-toed shoes with good traction. We work in a drizzle, but heavy rain cancels.
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2. Golden Gate Audubon
1. Great Backyard Bird Count
The annual Great Backyard Bird Count takes place from Friday Feb. 17 through Monday Feb 20. Join national Audubon, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and birders throughout North America in creating a real-time snapshot of bird numbers and locations.
For details, see the GBBC web site.
2. GGAS Speaker Series: Human Population Impacts on Wildlife
On Thursday Feb. 16, John Seager, president and CEO of Population Connection, will share his insights on the causes of rapid population growth, its impacts on wildlife, and our options to deal with this challenge. Mr. Seager served in the EPA in the Clinton administration and was chief of staff for former U.S. Rep. Peter H. Kostmayer.
Date: Thursday Feb. 16
Time: 7 pm for refreshments, 7:30 for program
Place: GGAS office, 2530 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley
Cost: Free for GGAS members, $5 for non-members
3. Bird Drawing Class & Fundraiser
Improve your bird-drawing skills through a master class on Saturday Feb. 11 taught by celebrated naturalist John ("Jack") Muir Laws. Most of the suggested donation of $250 is tax-deductible, and all of it supports Golden Gate Audubon's advocacy, educational and restoration work on behalf of birds. Class is from 5 to 7 pm in San Francisco. For more information or to RSVP, call (510) 843-7295 or email lowensvi@goldengateaudubon.org.
4. SF Bay Flyway Festival - Mare Island
On Feb. 11-12, the 16th annual Flyway Festival on Mare Island (Vallejo) offers over 60 guided walks, tours and activities for all ages. This is a great opportunity to explore birds and shorelands of the North Bay! For details, see the SF Bay Flyway Festival web site.
There are many more events and volunteer opportunities at goldengateaudubon.org
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3. Join us for the Green Connections kick-off event to help improve the paths to the City’s parks!
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012
5:30 to 7:30 PM
@ the LGBTCommunity Center, Rainbow Room
1800 Market Street, San Francisco.
Green Connections will increase pedestrian and bicycle access to parks, open space and the waterfront, by re-envisioning City streets and paths as ‘green connectors’that can be built over time.In the first year of the project, the focus will be to map a citywide network. The second year will build on this framework to design green connections in the following six neighborhoods: Bayview-Hunters Point, Chinatown, Potrero Hill, Tenderloin, Visitacion Valley and Western Addition.
Get involved! We will host many public events to engage communities in developing Green Connections. Visit the project web site below for project information, events and meetings. Also, sign up for the Green Connections mailing list to keep receiving future e-mail announcements.
http://greenconnections.sfplanning.org
########################
4. As part of our That's the Tuolumne in my Tap environmental education program, we have partnered with Sunset Elementary School in San Francisco to help install and maintain their low-water gardens. Join us next weekend to help make a difference in our school and community!
Mark your calendars - we will have one more workday at Sunset Elementary this year, on Saturday, April 14.
Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10 am - 3 pm
Sunset Elementary School
1920 41st Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122
We have a wide variety of garden tasks to accomplish at Sunset Elementary, all focused on water conservation.
Volunteer activities will include maintaining the school's new dry creekbed, removing sections of lawn and replacing them with more water-friendly landscaping, and providing general garden maintenance such as weeding, mulching and planting.
Please free to come by for just part of the day (or the whole thing!)
To RSVP or for more information, please karen@tuolumne.org.
##########################
5. Excerpts from the ever-wonderful newsletter of the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden, February 2012
Perfumes, Pigments, and Poisons
Have you ever wondered what makes the petals of California poppy so brightly colorful, what gives the blossoms of cow parsnip a slight off-odor that attracts flies, what makes pine cones sticky, or what adds the sharp taste to mustard seeds? While we can experience the smells, the colors, and the tastes, we cannot see with our own eyes the amazing molecules that compose the many different plant substances. We can imagine instead that we have the use of a microscope with such enormous magnification that we can view, beyond cell structures or the shapes of pollen, even minuscule structures like molecules. This leads us to the chemistry of plants!
2. Backyard bird count/population impacts on wildlife/bird-drawing classes/FlywayFestival
3. Improve paths to city parks - Feb 15
4. Install, maintain low-water gardens at Sunset Elementary Feb 11
5. Perfumes, pigments, and poisons - the chemistry of plants
6. YouTube on plant chemistry experts: butterflies and beetles
7. Famed Fleming house and native garden for sale in Berkeley
8. Don't take the bait - starve rats instead
9. LTE: Tasing defended
10. Feedback
11. Restoration project walks on Hawk Hill, Presidio Feb 11
12. February in Claremont Canyon
13. Murderous nature of a worm-eating plant
14. SciAm potpourri/crab spider mimics ant
15. Project Vote Smart takes democracy seriously
16. UCSF dentistry school offers free services to kids Feb 18
17. Debtors' merry-go-round - interactive map
18. Humans as masters of planet Earth - a stark reality
19. Dearth of Rare Earths threatens global renewables industry
20. Rememberance by Rainer Maria Rilke
21. Notes & Queries
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Beware the irrational, however seductive. Shun the 'transcendent' and all who invite you to subordinate or annihilate yourself. Distrust compassion; prefer dignity for yourself and others. Don't be afraid to be thought arrogant or selfish. Picture all experts as if they were mammals. Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence. -Christopher Hitchens, author and journalist (1949-2011)
1. Butterfly talk Monday, Feb. 6
Don’t miss “Bay Area Butterflies 101” at Friends of 5 Creeks' meeting Monday, Feb. 6, 7-9 PM at Albany Community Center.
Liam O’Brien, lepidopterist and illustrator, will give a beautifully illustrated talk on the role these winged jewels play in our environment. Liam also will tell us about the project he founded, aimed at saving San Francisco’s Green Hairstreak butterflies by creating a “habitat corridor” with a chain of home-garden plantings.
Free, all welcome, refreshments!
Help discover “What Lives on Albany Hill and Cerrito Creek.”
Share you photos and sightings of animals and plants from Albany Hill and adjacent Cerrito Creek! By joining our new citizen-science project, you will build up knowledge that will help in managing this amazing "urban wilderness." At the same time, you contribute a worldwide database on biodiversity!
It's easy; instructions are on the site. You upload a photo if you have one, and tell us where and when you saw the animal or plant and what it was doing. You don't have to know the name! The community at iNaturalist -- the software that powers this and many other citizen-science projects -- will help you identify it.
Among this project's goals are to acquire needed knowledge about the Monarch butterflies that use the hill. We'd welcome a volunteer who wants to "curate” this!
Sat., Feb. 11, early spring work party at the foot of Albany Hill
Rains have been sparse this winter, but they brought a crop of weeds -- plus time to plant a few more natives. Please join other Friends of Five Creeks volunteers 10 AM – 12:30 PM Sat., Feb. 11, as we continue to give nature a hand along the Cerrito Creek and in the historic willow grove below Albany Hill.
Meet at El Cerrito’s Creekside Park, south end of Santa Clara Ave. (3499 Santa Clara on Internet maps; AC Transit 72 and 25 stop nearby). Snacks, water, tools, and gloves provided. All ages welcome; this work party has light or heavy tasks for all. Dress in layers in clothes that can get dirty; wear closed-toed shoes with good traction. We work in a drizzle, but heavy rain cancels.
############################
2. Golden Gate Audubon
1. Great Backyard Bird Count
The annual Great Backyard Bird Count takes place from Friday Feb. 17 through Monday Feb 20. Join national Audubon, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and birders throughout North America in creating a real-time snapshot of bird numbers and locations.
For details, see the GBBC web site.
2. GGAS Speaker Series: Human Population Impacts on Wildlife
On Thursday Feb. 16, John Seager, president and CEO of Population Connection, will share his insights on the causes of rapid population growth, its impacts on wildlife, and our options to deal with this challenge. Mr. Seager served in the EPA in the Clinton administration and was chief of staff for former U.S. Rep. Peter H. Kostmayer.
Date: Thursday Feb. 16
Time: 7 pm for refreshments, 7:30 for program
Place: GGAS office, 2530 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley
Cost: Free for GGAS members, $5 for non-members
3. Bird Drawing Class & Fundraiser
Improve your bird-drawing skills through a master class on Saturday Feb. 11 taught by celebrated naturalist John ("Jack") Muir Laws. Most of the suggested donation of $250 is tax-deductible, and all of it supports Golden Gate Audubon's advocacy, educational and restoration work on behalf of birds. Class is from 5 to 7 pm in San Francisco. For more information or to RSVP, call (510) 843-7295 or email lowensvi@goldengateaudubon.org.
4. SF Bay Flyway Festival - Mare Island
On Feb. 11-12, the 16th annual Flyway Festival on Mare Island (Vallejo) offers over 60 guided walks, tours and activities for all ages. This is a great opportunity to explore birds and shorelands of the North Bay! For details, see the SF Bay Flyway Festival web site.
There are many more events and volunteer opportunities at goldengateaudubon.org
########################
3. Join us for the Green Connections kick-off event to help improve the paths to the City’s parks!
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012
5:30 to 7:30 PM
@ the LGBTCommunity Center, Rainbow Room
1800 Market Street, San Francisco.
Green Connections will increase pedestrian and bicycle access to parks, open space and the waterfront, by re-envisioning City streets and paths as ‘green connectors’that can be built over time.In the first year of the project, the focus will be to map a citywide network. The second year will build on this framework to design green connections in the following six neighborhoods: Bayview-Hunters Point, Chinatown, Potrero Hill, Tenderloin, Visitacion Valley and Western Addition.
Get involved! We will host many public events to engage communities in developing Green Connections. Visit the project web site below for project information, events and meetings. Also, sign up for the Green Connections mailing list to keep receiving future e-mail announcements.
http://greenconnections.sfplanning.org
########################
4. As part of our That's the Tuolumne in my Tap environmental education program, we have partnered with Sunset Elementary School in San Francisco to help install and maintain their low-water gardens. Join us next weekend to help make a difference in our school and community!
Mark your calendars - we will have one more workday at Sunset Elementary this year, on Saturday, April 14.
Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10 am - 3 pm
Sunset Elementary School
1920 41st Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122
We have a wide variety of garden tasks to accomplish at Sunset Elementary, all focused on water conservation.
Volunteer activities will include maintaining the school's new dry creekbed, removing sections of lawn and replacing them with more water-friendly landscaping, and providing general garden maintenance such as weeding, mulching and planting.
Please free to come by for just part of the day (or the whole thing!)
To RSVP or for more information, please karen@tuolumne.org.
##########################
5. Excerpts from the ever-wonderful newsletter of the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden, February 2012
Perfumes, Pigments, and Poisons
Have you ever wondered what makes the petals of California poppy so brightly colorful, what gives the blossoms of cow parsnip a slight off-odor that attracts flies, what makes pine cones sticky, or what adds the sharp taste to mustard seeds? While we can experience the smells, the colors, and the tastes, we cannot see with our own eyes the amazing molecules that compose the many different plant substances. We can imagine instead that we have the use of a microscope with such enormous magnification that we can view, beyond cell structures or the shapes of pollen, even minuscule structures like molecules. This leads us to the chemistry of plants!
California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) with its bright carotenoid pigments. Cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum) has a faint off-odor. Resinous cone of bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva).
During many years of teaching a plant chemistry course for nonchemists and of leading docent tours and field trips, I found that people interested in plants were fascinated by plant chemistry tidbits, yet often did not have enough knowledge of chemistry basics to appreciate plant molecules. My love for plants and my training as an organic chemist (another passion of mine) made me collect materials for an understandable introduction to plant chemistry. This was assembled in a book,The Chemistry of Plants: Perfumes, Pigments, and Poisons, to be published in summer 2012 by RSC in Cambridge. It is a paperback and is amply illustrated by plant photos that accompany chemical structures and explanations.
The Chemistry of Plants is not a coffee table book, but requires careful reading. It is designed to be useful both for readers who proceed chapter by chapter in order to increasingly build an understanding of organic plant compounds and for those readers who decide to select chapters of special interest. It is a book for plant enthusiasts who want to gain more in-depth knowledge of plants. Knowing more about the amazing molecules in plants gives us even more appreciation and admiration of nature in general! --Greti Sequin
http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=01091d83e4aa193c78a888704&id=e0d9e3adb1&e=dc1584429c
JS: Why would the layperson be interested in plant chemistry? Reasons clamor for attention:
1. Plant chemistry is intensely interesting in itself, and the workings of nature a never-ending source of fascination. It is another window on the universe.
2. From a plant's point of view its compounds are a way of defending itself from predators that could eat it out of existence. From a human perspective, we are dependent on plants for most of our drugs. We now synthesize most of these drugs, but we had to have plants to first produce them. And there is an appreciable percentage of drugs that we are unable to synthesize, and continue to depend on plants to produce them.
3. We are wholly dependent on plants for our food; even our meat comes from plants.
4. We get not only carbohydrates from them but also the healthful benefits of chemical compounds such as antioxidants and vitamins.
#####################
6. Speaking of plant chemistry, butterflies and beetles are experts on the subject: http://www.opb.org/programs/ofg
YouTube video
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7.
The Fleming House and Garden Is for Sale
Scott and Jenny Fleming's house and historic native plant garden on Shasta Rd. in Berkeley is now up for sale. We're sending out this message to the Friends in the hope that the Fleming garden will come into the care of a native plant lover. The Flemings were among the founding members of the Friends of the Regional Parks Botanic Garden and the California Native Plant Society. The garden is one of the oldest private native plant gardens in the state and was documented in 2010 as part of the Historic American Landscape Survey, which is stored at the Library of Congress: http://www.halsca.org/ala_fleming.htm. For specific details about the house and sale contact the realtor Susie Schevill. Her website and the listing for the house are http://www.susieschevill.com/susielistings.html
--Luke Hass
The Flemings were pioneers in protecting the state's native plants and in employing them for horticulture. This garden is famous as the most illustrious of its kind. If you have the money, you could scarcely buy a better house and garden--with also spectacular views of the Bay. JS
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8. Don't Take the Bait
The San Francisco Department of the Environment is asking City retailers and consumers to avoid buying or selling certain kinds of common rat & mouse baits, which the US Environmental Protection Agency has determined pose an “unreasonable risk” to children, pets, and the environment.
Rats reproduce in relation to their available food supply. If rat control is in your future, here is information from the Department of the Environment to help you find safe solutions. http://www.sfapproved.org/rodents
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9. LTE, San Francisco Chronicle
Tasing defended
All hail the ranger with the Taser (Dog walker gets zapped by ranger," Jan. 31)! Finally, a national park employee doing her job.
The problem is not the Taser; the problem is the entitlement that dog owners have in thinking that rules don't apply to them and walking away when asked to stay.
Those of us trying to protect the remaining native habitat could all tell numerous stories of dog owners letting their creatures wreak havoc on the environment. They do what they want to do because it's a known fact that the Park Service never gives them consequences for their illegal choices (spend five minutes in that dog park called the Presidio).
We should build a bronze statue of this ranger. I hope that one electrical shock makes all dog owners think.
Liam O'Brien, San Francisco
Liam: The craziest thing was after writing it, I had a meeting with a staff person from the Presidio Trust and as we were meeting at the new restoration at EL POLIN SPRINGS in the Presidio, he had to stop and go over and ask a guy to get his off-leash dog out of the new plantings. Maybe we take the tasers out of the rangers hands and...electrify the fences?
And (Name Withheld) sent me a thumbs up
Liam,
Thank you so much for saying out loud what so many people are afraid to voice. In Pacifica we are fighting the same fight over threatened snowy plovers on the beach. Off-leash dog owners feel totally entitled to freely disregard the law. One city council member has been threatened and walkers on the beach bitten. Recently the police got a new ATV, so they now dare to venture out onto the sand. Of course, they are entirely visible, and people leash up and argue when they approach. The battle goes on.
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10. Feedback
Michael Alexander:
Hi Jake,
Whatever it was, it's been removed from You Tube. Perhaps the bird violated someone's copyright?
Don French: (re Crowboarding--the guy who forwarded said "I think the bird is a jackdaw")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI_b-ao7djQ&feature=player_embedded:
Damien Raffa:
Hi Jake: Just a quick word of gratitude for the gift of your Nature News...gracias~ DR
On Jan 31, 2012, at 5:18 PM, Jake Sigg wrote:
“There is nothing so American as our national parks. The scenery and wildlife are native. The fundamental idea behind the parks is native. It is, in brief, that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us. The parks stand as the outward symbol of this great human principle.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
Wilderness preservation is an American invention--a unique contribution of our nation to world civilization. As we mark the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act (1964), Americans should renew their pride in and commitment to the National Wilderness Preservation System. It is one of the best ideas our country ever had.
One place to start the celebration is with the recognition that wilderness is the basic component of American culture. From its raw materials we built a civilization. With the idea of wilderness we sought to give that civilization identity and meaning. Our early environmental history is inextricably tied to wild country. Hate it or love it, if you want to understand American history there is no escaping the need to come to terms with our wilderness past. From this perspective, designated Wilderness Areas are historical documents; destroying them is comparable to tearing pages from our books and laws. We cannot teach our children what is special about our history on freeways or in shopping malls. ..Protecting the remnants of wild country left today is an action that defines our nation. Take away wilderness and you diminish the opportunity to be American.
Roderick Nash, Yosemite, Fall 2004
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11. Significant habitat restoration efforts are underway at Hawk Hill and the coastal bluffs on the western edge of the Presidio. The National Park Service and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy invite you to join us for two public walks on Saturday, February 11 to learn more about planned restoration activities and volunteer opportunities that will follow the recent non-native invasive tree and vegetation removal work.
Please feel to participate in one or both of the walks. Learn more about both the natural and historic qualities these two headland habitats share and what makes them distinct.
For meeting locations and to sign up, please write trailsforever@parksconservancy.org<mailto:trailsforever@parksconservancy.org> or call 415-561-3054.
Saturday, February 11
Hawk Hill - 10am - noon
Presidio Bluffs - 1pm - 3pm
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12. February in Claremont Canyon
Tuesday, February 7: Habitat restoration in Garber Park. Winter stewardship continues. We will remove French Broom and Cape Ivy in specific spots along the loop trail, continue clean-up at the fireplace plaza area and search for and flag and cage oak, big leaf maple and buckeye seedlings to prevent them from becoming a tasty treat for deer. We'll also continue our "Map the Garber Park Oaks" project. 10 AM til Noon. Meet at the park entrance at the end of Evergreen Lane. For further information, call 510-540-5261, email garberparkstewards@gmail.com or visit www.garberparkstewards.blogspot.com.
The City of Oakland Measure DD Creek Stabilization and Habitat Enhancement Project has been completed! Come and tour along Harwood Creek to see what's been accomplished. For information and pictures visit our blog.
Sunday, February 12: Broom busting event with East Bay MUD and the Cal Rowing Team. Our monthly stewardship activity will be on SUNDAY this month as we work with EBMUD and the Cal rowing team to remove French Broom from the EBMUD property at the top of Claremont Canyon. Removing the broom will help enable native plants to reestablish. We will meet at 9 AM (instead of 10) and work til Noon. Meet at 5170 Grizzly Peak Blvd. and park in the turnout 200 yards past the KPFA tower road. Please RSVP to Virginia Northrop at EBMUD so enough bags of snacks will be on hand, vnorthro@ebmud.com. Should there be rain on the 12th, this event will be rescheduled on the 19th.
Saturday, February 18: Attacking invasives, preserving natives and mapping in Garber Park continues. We will remove French Broom and Cape Ivy in specific spots along the loop trail, continue clean-up at the fireplace plaza area and search for and flag and cage oak, big leaf maple and buckeye seedlings to protect them from deer. We'll also map the location of signature oaks with GPS technology. Meet at 10 AM at the park entrance at the end of Evergreen Lane. For further information, call 510-540-5261, email garberparkstewards@gmail.com or visit www.garberparkstewards.blogspot.com.
For hikes, stewardship and restoration work, please remember to wear long pants, long sleeves, gloves and sturdy boots or shoes.
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13. A Murderous Plant
If you were skipping along, you might admire this delicate little plant, and perhaps pick the flowers to put in your hair. But Academy botanist Peter Fritsch would certainly know better. Last month, he and his colleagues published a paper about the underground, murderous nature of this worm-eating plant, whose scientific name is Philcoxia.
Keep reading about the discovery...
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14.
NEWS: Thanks to Plants, We Will Never Find a Planet Like Earth
Earth's flora is responsible for the glaciers and rivers that have created this planet's distinctive landscape
http://links.email.scientificamerican.com/ctt?kn=36&ms=Mzg3ODM4OTMS1&r=NTM5NzIzNTA1NgS2&b=2&j=MTI5MDg1Mzg0S0&mt=1&rt=0
OBSERVATIONS: Climate Change Has Helped Bring Down Cultures
http://links.email.scientificamerican.com/ctt?kn=66&ms=Mzg3ODM4OTMS1&r=NTM5NzIzNTA1NgS2&b=2&j=MTI5MDg1Mzg0S0&mt=1&rt=0
NEWS: Volcanoes May Have Sparked Little Ice Age
New simulations show that several large, closely spaced eruptions (and not decreased solar radiation) could have cooled the Northern Hemisphere enough to spark sea-ice growth and a subsequent feedback loop
http://links.email.scientificamerican.com/ctt?kn=37&ms=Mzg3ODM4OTMS1&r=NTM5NzIzNTA1NgS2&b=2&j=MTI5MDg1Mzg0S0&mt=1&rt=0
CLIMATEWIRE: New Study Calculates Years of Life Lost to Extreme Temperature
The analysis of health data from Brisbane suggests humanity may struggle with the heat waves and cold snaps brought on by climate change
http://links.email.scientificamerican.com/ctt?kn=39&ms=Mzg3ODM4OTMS1&r=NTM5NzIzNTA1NgS2&b=2&j=MTI5MDg1Mzg0S0&mt=1&rt=0
_____________________________
From SciAm
From: An Enemy in the Ranks by Alex Wild at Compound Eye
Source: Alex Wild Photography
The rear end of the ant-mimic crab spider Amyciaea albomaculata has two black spots that are spaced so they could easily be mistaken for the eyes of the weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina. The spider uses this disguise to hide in plain day and pick off unsuspecting ants who venture too close. Photographer and entomologist Alex Wild captures this behavior in a stunning photo essay he took while in Australia.
#################################
15. A hopeful sign - someone takes democracy seriously
PROJECT VOTE SMART
Dear Supporter,
Tens of thousands of Americans have put their effort, their support, even their reputation into building Project Vote Smart and as a result, it has won every award imaginable. However, because of the mess politicians have steered us into, it is clear most Americans are still unaware of our work to change this country’s course.
I’m not asking you for a donation. What I am asking for is something far easier and more influential. I am hopeful that with a push from our board, our members, our volunteers, and lastly, the millions of citizens who have simply used our resources, we will be able to turn the corner and really reach our fellow Americans.
What I’m asking is that you watch, and then forward this message and video (see below) to your entire email list, or, at the very least, a dozen friends or colleagues who you know would be interested in helping us change our country’s future if they only knew what is being built here at Vote Smart.
Watch Video Now
The Founding Fathers’ greatest fear was that in the end, people would simply form factions, and rather than fight for the common good, they would form selfish interests and fight over the gifts they could vote themselves from the public treasury. That day has come, and without what we have built at Vote Smart, reason and civility can not regain the advantage.
Our free and accessible database found at votesmart.org is just the tiniest tip of the iceberg. Think of what we could accomplish if we could only get our friends and family to understand the importance of Vote Smart. We could bring an end to the abuse and enable again honorable citizens to offer themselves for public service and survive a political campaign.
You should know Vote Smart does not accept contributions from lobbyists, special interest groups or PACs, and instead we rely on concerned citizens like you for growth and support. Real change never comes from above. It always starts with a groundswell from below.
You should also know in a democracy, knowledge is power. If we all simply pull our oars together we can create a movement strong enough to re-shape our nation’s future where voters choose fact over fiction. Let's no longer keep Vote Smart a secret! Not when the stakes are so high. Give those you know a chance to join us, to harness this powerful game changer we call Vote Smart.
Please watch this short video and share it with all you know.
Find me on Twitter and on Facebook too!
During many years of teaching a plant chemistry course for nonchemists and of leading docent tours and field trips, I found that people interested in plants were fascinated by plant chemistry tidbits, yet often did not have enough knowledge of chemistry basics to appreciate plant molecules. My love for plants and my training as an organic chemist (another passion of mine) made me collect materials for an understandable introduction to plant chemistry. This was assembled in a book,The Chemistry of Plants: Perfumes, Pigments, and Poisons, to be published in summer 2012 by RSC in Cambridge. It is a paperback and is amply illustrated by plant photos that accompany chemical structures and explanations.
The Chemistry of Plants is not a coffee table book, but requires careful reading. It is designed to be useful both for readers who proceed chapter by chapter in order to increasingly build an understanding of organic plant compounds and for those readers who decide to select chapters of special interest. It is a book for plant enthusiasts who want to gain more in-depth knowledge of plants. Knowing more about the amazing molecules in plants gives us even more appreciation and admiration of nature in general! --Greti Sequin
http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=01091d83e4aa193c78a888704&id=e0d9e3adb1&e=dc1584429c
JS: Why would the layperson be interested in plant chemistry? Reasons clamor for attention:
1. Plant chemistry is intensely interesting in itself, and the workings of nature a never-ending source of fascination. It is another window on the universe.
2. From a plant's point of view its compounds are a way of defending itself from predators that could eat it out of existence. From a human perspective, we are dependent on plants for most of our drugs. We now synthesize most of these drugs, but we had to have plants to first produce them. And there is an appreciable percentage of drugs that we are unable to synthesize, and continue to depend on plants to produce them.
3. We are wholly dependent on plants for our food; even our meat comes from plants.
4. We get not only carbohydrates from them but also the healthful benefits of chemical compounds such as antioxidants and vitamins.
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6. Speaking of plant chemistry, butterflies and beetles are experts on the subject: http://www.opb.org/programs/ofg
YouTube video
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7.
The Fleming House and Garden Is for Sale
Scott and Jenny Fleming's house and historic native plant garden on Shasta Rd. in Berkeley is now up for sale. We're sending out this message to the Friends in the hope that the Fleming garden will come into the care of a native plant lover. The Flemings were among the founding members of the Friends of the Regional Parks Botanic Garden and the California Native Plant Society. The garden is one of the oldest private native plant gardens in the state and was documented in 2010 as part of the Historic American Landscape Survey, which is stored at the Library of Congress: http://www.halsca.org/ala_fleming.htm. For specific details about the house and sale contact the realtor Susie Schevill. Her website and the listing for the house are http://www.susieschevill.com/susielistings.html
--Luke Hass
The Flemings were pioneers in protecting the state's native plants and in employing them for horticulture. This garden is famous as the most illustrious of its kind. If you have the money, you could scarcely buy a better house and garden--with also spectacular views of the Bay. JS
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8. Don't Take the Bait
The San Francisco Department of the Environment is asking City retailers and consumers to avoid buying or selling certain kinds of common rat & mouse baits, which the US Environmental Protection Agency has determined pose an “unreasonable risk” to children, pets, and the environment.
Rats reproduce in relation to their available food supply. If rat control is in your future, here is information from the Department of the Environment to help you find safe solutions. http://www.sfapproved.org/rodents
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9. LTE, San Francisco Chronicle
Tasing defended
All hail the ranger with the Taser (Dog walker gets zapped by ranger," Jan. 31)! Finally, a national park employee doing her job.
The problem is not the Taser; the problem is the entitlement that dog owners have in thinking that rules don't apply to them and walking away when asked to stay.
Those of us trying to protect the remaining native habitat could all tell numerous stories of dog owners letting their creatures wreak havoc on the environment. They do what they want to do because it's a known fact that the Park Service never gives them consequences for their illegal choices (spend five minutes in that dog park called the Presidio).
We should build a bronze statue of this ranger. I hope that one electrical shock makes all dog owners think.
Liam O'Brien, San Francisco
Liam: The craziest thing was after writing it, I had a meeting with a staff person from the Presidio Trust and as we were meeting at the new restoration at EL POLIN SPRINGS in the Presidio, he had to stop and go over and ask a guy to get his off-leash dog out of the new plantings. Maybe we take the tasers out of the rangers hands and...electrify the fences?
And (Name Withheld) sent me a thumbs up
Liam,
Thank you so much for saying out loud what so many people are afraid to voice. In Pacifica we are fighting the same fight over threatened snowy plovers on the beach. Off-leash dog owners feel totally entitled to freely disregard the law. One city council member has been threatened and walkers on the beach bitten. Recently the police got a new ATV, so they now dare to venture out onto the sand. Of course, they are entirely visible, and people leash up and argue when they approach. The battle goes on.
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10. Feedback
Michael Alexander:
Hi Jake,
Whatever it was, it's been removed from You Tube. Perhaps the bird violated someone's copyright?
Don French: (re Crowboarding--the guy who forwarded said "I think the bird is a jackdaw")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI_b-ao7djQ&feature=player_embedded:
Damien Raffa:
Hi Jake: Just a quick word of gratitude for the gift of your Nature News...gracias~ DR
On Jan 31, 2012, at 5:18 PM, Jake Sigg wrote:
“There is nothing so American as our national parks. The scenery and wildlife are native. The fundamental idea behind the parks is native. It is, in brief, that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us. The parks stand as the outward symbol of this great human principle.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
Wilderness preservation is an American invention--a unique contribution of our nation to world civilization. As we mark the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act (1964), Americans should renew their pride in and commitment to the National Wilderness Preservation System. It is one of the best ideas our country ever had.
One place to start the celebration is with the recognition that wilderness is the basic component of American culture. From its raw materials we built a civilization. With the idea of wilderness we sought to give that civilization identity and meaning. Our early environmental history is inextricably tied to wild country. Hate it or love it, if you want to understand American history there is no escaping the need to come to terms with our wilderness past. From this perspective, designated Wilderness Areas are historical documents; destroying them is comparable to tearing pages from our books and laws. We cannot teach our children what is special about our history on freeways or in shopping malls. ..Protecting the remnants of wild country left today is an action that defines our nation. Take away wilderness and you diminish the opportunity to be American.
Roderick Nash, Yosemite, Fall 2004
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11. Significant habitat restoration efforts are underway at Hawk Hill and the coastal bluffs on the western edge of the Presidio. The National Park Service and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy invite you to join us for two public walks on Saturday, February 11 to learn more about planned restoration activities and volunteer opportunities that will follow the recent non-native invasive tree and vegetation removal work.
Please feel to participate in one or both of the walks. Learn more about both the natural and historic qualities these two headland habitats share and what makes them distinct.
For meeting locations and to sign up, please write trailsforever@parksconservancy.org<mailto:trailsforever@parksconservancy.org> or call 415-561-3054.
Saturday, February 11
Hawk Hill - 10am - noon
Presidio Bluffs - 1pm - 3pm
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12. February in Claremont Canyon
Tuesday, February 7: Habitat restoration in Garber Park. Winter stewardship continues. We will remove French Broom and Cape Ivy in specific spots along the loop trail, continue clean-up at the fireplace plaza area and search for and flag and cage oak, big leaf maple and buckeye seedlings to prevent them from becoming a tasty treat for deer. We'll also continue our "Map the Garber Park Oaks" project. 10 AM til Noon. Meet at the park entrance at the end of Evergreen Lane. For further information, call 510-540-5261, email garberparkstewards@gmail.com or visit www.garberparkstewards.blogspot.com.
The City of Oakland Measure DD Creek Stabilization and Habitat Enhancement Project has been completed! Come and tour along Harwood Creek to see what's been accomplished. For information and pictures visit our blog.
Sunday, February 12: Broom busting event with East Bay MUD and the Cal Rowing Team. Our monthly stewardship activity will be on SUNDAY this month as we work with EBMUD and the Cal rowing team to remove French Broom from the EBMUD property at the top of Claremont Canyon. Removing the broom will help enable native plants to reestablish. We will meet at 9 AM (instead of 10) and work til Noon. Meet at 5170 Grizzly Peak Blvd. and park in the turnout 200 yards past the KPFA tower road. Please RSVP to Virginia Northrop at EBMUD so enough bags of snacks will be on hand, vnorthro@ebmud.com. Should there be rain on the 12th, this event will be rescheduled on the 19th.
Saturday, February 18: Attacking invasives, preserving natives and mapping in Garber Park continues. We will remove French Broom and Cape Ivy in specific spots along the loop trail, continue clean-up at the fireplace plaza area and search for and flag and cage oak, big leaf maple and buckeye seedlings to protect them from deer. We'll also map the location of signature oaks with GPS technology. Meet at 10 AM at the park entrance at the end of Evergreen Lane. For further information, call 510-540-5261, email garberparkstewards@gmail.com or visit www.garberparkstewards.blogspot.com.
For hikes, stewardship and restoration work, please remember to wear long pants, long sleeves, gloves and sturdy boots or shoes.
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13. A Murderous Plant
If you were skipping along, you might admire this delicate little plant, and perhaps pick the flowers to put in your hair. But Academy botanist Peter Fritsch would certainly know better. Last month, he and his colleagues published a paper about the underground, murderous nature of this worm-eating plant, whose scientific name is Philcoxia.
Keep reading about the discovery...
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14.
NEWS: Thanks to Plants, We Will Never Find a Planet Like Earth
Earth's flora is responsible for the glaciers and rivers that have created this planet's distinctive landscape
http://links.email.scientificamerican.com/ctt?kn=36&ms=Mzg3ODM4OTMS1&r=NTM5NzIzNTA1NgS2&b=2&j=MTI5MDg1Mzg0S0&mt=1&rt=0
OBSERVATIONS: Climate Change Has Helped Bring Down Cultures
http://links.email.scientificamerican.com/ctt?kn=66&ms=Mzg3ODM4OTMS1&r=NTM5NzIzNTA1NgS2&b=2&j=MTI5MDg1Mzg0S0&mt=1&rt=0
NEWS: Volcanoes May Have Sparked Little Ice Age
New simulations show that several large, closely spaced eruptions (and not decreased solar radiation) could have cooled the Northern Hemisphere enough to spark sea-ice growth and a subsequent feedback loop
http://links.email.scientificamerican.com/ctt?kn=37&ms=Mzg3ODM4OTMS1&r=NTM5NzIzNTA1NgS2&b=2&j=MTI5MDg1Mzg0S0&mt=1&rt=0
CLIMATEWIRE: New Study Calculates Years of Life Lost to Extreme Temperature
The analysis of health data from Brisbane suggests humanity may struggle with the heat waves and cold snaps brought on by climate change
http://links.email.scientificamerican.com/ctt?kn=39&ms=Mzg3ODM4OTMS1&r=NTM5NzIzNTA1NgS2&b=2&j=MTI5MDg1Mzg0S0&mt=1&rt=0
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From SciAm
From: An Enemy in the Ranks by Alex Wild at Compound Eye
Source: Alex Wild Photography
The rear end of the ant-mimic crab spider Amyciaea albomaculata has two black spots that are spaced so they could easily be mistaken for the eyes of the weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina. The spider uses this disguise to hide in plain day and pick off unsuspecting ants who venture too close. Photographer and entomologist Alex Wild captures this behavior in a stunning photo essay he took while in Australia.
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15. A hopeful sign - someone takes democracy seriously
PROJECT VOTE SMART
Dear Supporter,
Tens of thousands of Americans have put their effort, their support, even their reputation into building Project Vote Smart and as a result, it has won every award imaginable. However, because of the mess politicians have steered us into, it is clear most Americans are still unaware of our work to change this country’s course.
I’m not asking you for a donation. What I am asking for is something far easier and more influential. I am hopeful that with a push from our board, our members, our volunteers, and lastly, the millions of citizens who have simply used our resources, we will be able to turn the corner and really reach our fellow Americans.
What I’m asking is that you watch, and then forward this message and video (see below) to your entire email list, or, at the very least, a dozen friends or colleagues who you know would be interested in helping us change our country’s future if they only knew what is being built here at Vote Smart.
Watch Video Now
The Founding Fathers’ greatest fear was that in the end, people would simply form factions, and rather than fight for the common good, they would form selfish interests and fight over the gifts they could vote themselves from the public treasury. That day has come, and without what we have built at Vote Smart, reason and civility can not regain the advantage.
Our free and accessible database found at votesmart.org is just the tiniest tip of the iceberg. Think of what we could accomplish if we could only get our friends and family to understand the importance of Vote Smart. We could bring an end to the abuse and enable again honorable citizens to offer themselves for public service and survive a political campaign.
You should know Vote Smart does not accept contributions from lobbyists, special interest groups or PACs, and instead we rely on concerned citizens like you for growth and support. Real change never comes from above. It always starts with a groundswell from below.
You should also know in a democracy, knowledge is power. If we all simply pull our oars together we can create a movement strong enough to re-shape our nation’s future where voters choose fact over fiction. Let's no longer keep Vote Smart a secret! Not when the stakes are so high. Give those you know a chance to join us, to harness this powerful game changer we call Vote Smart.
Please watch this short video and share it with all you know.
Find me on Twitter and on Facebook too!
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16.
Students from the UCSF School of Dentistry will be offering free dental services-screenings, sealants, fluoride treatments-for kids (ages 4-17) on Saturday, February 18th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. This service will occur at the UCSF Dental School-located at 707 Parnassus Avenue, which is in the Inner Sunset neighborhood. See attached flyer and please circulate as widely as you can; we want to be able to serve as many kids as possible. Flyers are also available in Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese. Please email me directly if you need any of those versions.
First Come First Serve so please ask people to come earlier rather than later.
What: Give Kids A Smile Day
Where: UCSF Dental School 707 Parnassus Avenue, 94122
When: Saturday, February 18, 2012 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Questions: smilesforkids@gmail.com
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17. The debtors' merry-go-round
Jan 19th 2012, 17:59 by The Economist online
Our interactive overview of comparative debt
(UNABLE TO PASTE INTERACTIVE MAP)
Wealth ebbs away a lot faster than debt. Our interactive guide shows levels of debt as a % of GDP for a selection of rich countries and emerging markets. With a few exceptions, such as Germany and Japan, most rich countries saw a huge rise in debt levels in the years running up to the crisis. Unwinding these dues will take a lot longer. In many rich countries the process of debt reduction hasn’t even started. Research by the McKinsey Global Institute shows that America has begun to pare its debt burden, although the drop is small compared with the build-up in 2000-08. But many European countries are more, not less, in hock than they were in 2008. There the hangover could last another decade or more.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2012/01/daily-chart-8
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18. Whether or not the International Commission on Stratigraphy eventually adopts Crutzen’s suggestion, human beings will continue to exert a powerful influence on the Earth. As Crutzen and Schwägerl observe:
For millennia, humans have behaved as rebels against a superpower we call “Nature.” In the 20th century, however, new technologies, fossil fuels, and a fast-growing population resulted in a “Great Acceleration” of our own powers. Albeit clumsily, we are taking control of Nature’s realm, from climate to DNA. We humans are becoming the dominant force for change on Earth. A long-held religious and philosophical idea — humans as the masters of planet Earth — has turned into a stark reality.
Like it or not.
From Californians for Population Stabilization newsletter
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19. Rare minerals dearth threatens global renewables industry
China's near-exclusive access to terbium and yttrium sent prices soaring in 2011, potentially hobbling clean energy industry
Rare earth minerals - at a port in Lianyungang, east China - are widely used in the manufacture of wind turbines, solar panels, electric car batteries and energy-efficient lightbulbs. Photograph: STR/AFP/Getty Images
Shortages of a handful of rare minerals could slow the future growth of the burgeoning renewable energy industries, and affect countries' chances of limiting greenhouse gas emissions, business leaders were told at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week.
Last year, prices of many scarce minerals exploded, rising as much as 10 times over 2010 levels before dropping back, said PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
Terbium, yttrium, dysprosium, europium and neodymium are widely used in the manufacture of wind turbines, solar panels, electric car batteries and energy-efficient lightbulbs. But because these "rare earths" are mined almost exclusively in China, it is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to source them in the required quantities.
In a survey of some of the largest clean energy manufacturers, 78% told PwC said they were already experiencing instability of supply of rare metals, and most said they did not expect shortages to ease for at least five years. Currently, 95% of the rare earth minerals needed by clean tech industries come from China which has set strict export quotas. Last year China reserved most for its own for its domestic wind, solar and battery industries, shifting costs to the US and Europe which do not mine any of the minerals.
Scarcity of the mineral resources could affect disrupt entire supply chains and countries' attempts to meet emissions targets, said PwC. "The energy sector could face very great problems if the world turns to [renewables] in a big way. In the short term, there will be major supply problems. The availability of these metals will define the growth of these industry sectors. There are so far not many alternatives," said Rob Mathlener, author of a report that urged companies to build future strategies around recycling and reusing resources.
Last December, Janez Potočnik, the EU commissioner for the environment, warned that the waste of valuable natural resources threatens to produce a fresh economic crisis.
None of the minerals is likely to physically run out, but it can take 10 years for countries to open new mines. In the US there has been growing concerns that China dominates the supply of the materials considered crucial for the expansion of the US defence, computer and renewable energy sectors.
A series of US government reports have urged an immediate increase in production of rare minerals. By mid-2012, US mining company Molycorp Minerals aims to produce 20,000 tonnes a year of nine of the 17 rare minerals, or about 25% of current western imports from China.
Malcolm Preston, PwC's global sustainability leader, said: "It's a time bomb. Many businesses now recognise that we are living beyond the planet's means. If these industries, supply chains and economies are disrupted by shortages in supply, then the 'luxury of choice' lifestyle many in the Western world have become accustomed to, will also be affected."
Six other core manufacturing industries, including aerospace, automotive and chemicals, were all found to be experiencing shortages. According to the US Congress report published last September, world demand for rare elements is estimated at 136,000 tonnes per year, with global production around 133,600 tonnes in 2010. It is projected to rise to at least 185,000 tonnes a year by 2015.
From NPR's Marketplace
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20.
Rememberance
And you wait, keep waiting for that one thing
which would infinitely enrich your life:
the powerful, uniquely uncommon,
the awakening of dormant stones,
depths that would reveal you to yourself.
In the dusk you notice the book shelves
with their volumes in gold and in brown;
and you think of far lands you journeyed,
of pictures and of shimmering gowns
worn by women you conquered and lost.
And it comes to you all of a sudden:
That was it! And you arise, for you are
aware of a year in your distant past
with its fears and events and prayers.
~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~
(The Book of Images, trans. by Albert Ernest Flemming)
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A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Few things are more satisfying than seeing your children have teenagers of their own. -Doug Larson, columnist
21. Notes & Queries, Guardian Weekly
Fear the paper aeroplane no longer
Teacher under assault from paper aeroplane. Photograph: Leander Baerenz/Getty Images
Apart from making animals out of folded Woodbine packets, what other skills have been lost in the last 60 years?
• Filling fountain pens, securing back-collar studs, doing up fly buttons, throwing your cap on to the hook on the hall hatstand, typewriting, cobbling, swing-starting motorcars, kick-starting motorcycles ...
Dick Hedges, Nairobi, Kenya
• Making cigarette lighters out of spent ammunition cartridges.
John Marbrook, Auckland, New Zealand
• Walking to school.
Alan Williams-Key, Madrid, Spain
• Making an aeroplane out of a sheet of writing paper.
Philip Stigger, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
• The skill of meeting up with a friend without making two mobile phone calls and sending a text message/SMS to make it happen.
Margaret Wilkes, Perth, Western Australia
• Tuneful whistling.
Sue Graczer, Opua, New Zealand
It's a very dirty business
Why is soil dug from a hole never enough to refill the hole from which it was taken?
As a civil engineer with a lifetime of digging trenches for pipelines behind him, I can assure the questioner that the opposite is true. The bulking of soils is a well-known phenomenon, and pricing of excavation commonly allows for some 30% increase in volume of the spoil. The particles get a coating of water due to surface tension and entrain air, which keeps the particles apart. After refilling a trench and compacting it, an amount of soil considerably greater than the volume of the pipe inserted must be trucked away.
Ted Webber, Buderim, Queensland, Australia
• Because a hole is never wholly hole.
Mike Sharp, Kivik, Sweden
Any answers?
Are cats the only animals that go into ecstasies over being stroked?
David Bye, Göd, Hungary
Why do we, in English, usually append an "h" in words like Sssh!, Brrrh!, Mmmh!, Aah! and Oh!?
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