WaterWired

Elaine Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geosciences; 2) Environmental Science; 3) Coastal Zone Management - 29 July 2024

It's @Water_MDPI, Volume 16, Issue 14 (July-2 2024) – 136 articles - 27 July 2024 https://tinyurl.com/3v2ys45n

Do you know of a colleague and/or student who would be interested in receiving these Bulletin Boards? Please forward to them.
A quick email to [email protected] with the word “subscribe” in the subject line and the email address will be added
to the email listing.

The entries below are solely those of Dr. Elaine J. Hanford:  

*************************************************************************************

Geoscience Bulletin Board – 29 July 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Small crater formed during minor hydrothermal explosion in April 2024 at Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone 

• https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/a-small-hydrothermal-explosion-norris-geyser-basin \

Hydrothermal explosion in Biscuit Basin in July in Yellowstone

• https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2024/07/update-hydrothermal-explosion-rocks-corner-yellowstone-national-park 
• https://www.sciencealert.com/the-ground-just-exploded-in-front-of-tourists-at-yellowstone-heres-why 
• Explanatory Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8K1STQijrM 
• Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbdZujDCgnQ 
• Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO199yyfNoU 

Yellowstone hydrothermal explosion is likely not indicator of larger eruption

• https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/media-center-blog/2024/07/25/expert-pitch-wvu-geologist-says-yellowstone-hydrothermal-explosion-is-not-an-indicator-of-a-larger-eruption 

Enhanced geothermal requires use of the same fracking technology used for O&G drilling – includes use of toxic chemicals that can contaminate groundwater

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2024/fracking-geothermal-energy-plant-technology/ 

Food for thought:  Does Adventist Flood Geology Make Sense?  Part 2:  Can a flood explain geological results? And Part 3:  Of YEC & Miracles

• Part 2:  https://atoday.org/does-adventist-flood-geology-make-sense-part-2-can-a-flood-explain-the-geological-results/ 
• Part 3:  https://atoday.org/does-adventist-flood-geology-make-sense-part-3-of-yec-miracles/ 
• Part 1:  https://atoday.org/does-adventist-flood-geology-make-sense-part-1-the-two-small-ark/

Applying machine learning to early Plate Tectonics

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-machine-secrets-early-plate-tectonics.html 
• Paper:  https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2405160121

First map of Te Riu-a-Māui (Zealandia) 

• https://www.indy100.com/news/earth-lost-continent-zealandia-2668788237 
• Paper:  https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/289178116.pdf 

Search for missing geologist Daniel Robinson still not resolved after three years

• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13621239/missing-geologist-daniel-robinson-arizona-disturbing-theories.html 

US DOE completed outdoor shake table testing of pair of full-scale dry storage cask systems for spent nuclear fuel – part of above-ground consolidated interim storage facility project 

• https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/doe-completes-earthquake-testing-spent-nuclear-fuel-storage-systems
• interim storage:  https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/department-energy-moves-forward-consolidated-interim-storage-facility-project-spent 

Seeking the future of geothermal energy in Iceland – Iceland Geothermal Conference

• https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/geothermal/magma-and-hot-rocks-iceland-seeks-the-future-of-geothermal-energy 

Re-writing the evolution of snakes – Hibernophis breithaupti – new Early Oligocene species found in Wyoming

• https://www.sci.news/paleontology/hibernophis-breithaupti-13121.html 

Electroscincus zedi – 99 myo mid-Cretaceous newly-discovered species of skink found in Burmese Amber

• https://www.sci.news/paleontology/electroscincus-zedi-13119.html 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-66451-w

Late Cenozoic fossil record in East African Rift System adds to record of human evolution

• https://www.sci.news/othersciences/anthropology/hominin-evolution-eastern-africa-13124.html 

Deadly mudslides in Ethiopia triggered by heavy rains

• https://www.dailynews.com/2024/07/23/mudslides-have-killed-more-than-200-in-ethiopia/ 

Eruption of Mt Etna prompted closure of Catania Airport in Sicily

• https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/sicilys-catania-airport-closed-after-etna-volcano-in-southern-italy-began-spewing-ash-lava/3283354 

History of earthquakes in Dallas County in Texas

• https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/largest-earthquakes-felt-in-dallas-after-texas-quake-rattles-region-19927237 

Destruction of Pompeii in AD 79 due to catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius & massive earthquake

• https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2024/07/18/pompeii-skeleton-discovery-earthquake 
• https://www.science.org/content/article/two-pompeii-victims-survived-first-wave-eruption-then-earthquake-hit 
• Paper:  https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/earth-science/articles/10.3389/feart.2024.1386960/full 

Swarm of nearly 40 earthquakes centered beneath Lake Tahoe along Stateline Fault

• https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/two-score-temblors-rattle-middle-of-lake-tahoe/ 

Rocks preserve climate details at time of carbonate formation

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240723123338.htm 
• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016703724001984 

Saharan dust regulates hurricane precipitation – dust as condensation nucleii

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1052188 
• Paper:  https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adn6106 

Investigating impact of wind turbines on intensity of lightning – Lake-Effect Electrification (LEE)

• https://new.nsf.gov/news/when-lightning-strikes-check-wind-turbines 
• Abstract:  https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2212177&HistoricalAwards=false 

El Niño forecasts extended to 18 months in advance using XRO model

• https://new.nsf.gov/news/scientists-extend-el-nino-forecasts-18-months 

New geochronology technique now places age of Hamersley iron deposits in Australia at 1.4 and 1.1 byo

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240722175859.htm 

Mining sites worsen risks from wildfires by releasing arsenic

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240723123513.htm 
• Paper:  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ad461a 

Giant armadillo-like mammals butchered by humans in Argentina 21,000 years ago during Last Glacial Maximum

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240717162440.htm 
• Paper:  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0304956 

Systematic changes in tectonic stress state & reduction in fault reactivation potential near salt walls in Paradox Basin

• https://eos.org/editor-highlights/faults-along-salt-walls-are-less-stressed-in-the-paradox-basin 
• Paper:  https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JB028891’’

Raindrops grow with turbulence in clouds – rain formation bottleneck

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-raindrops-turbulence-clouds-weather-climate.html 

Major earthquake (M7 – M8) around 2,500 years ago caused significant shift in course of Ganges River delta – seismites – liquefaction & avulsion

• https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ancient-earthquake-changed-ganges-river 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-47786-4 

Magnetite and methane-producing bacterial abundant in sediment cores in South China Sea

• https://eos.org/research-spotlights/microbes-likely-form-magnetite-in-the-south-china-sea 
• Paper:  https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023JB028312 

July 2024 landslides in Gofa Zone, Ethiopia

• https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/gofa-zone-landslide
• Update:  https://eos.org/uncategorized/gofa-zone-ethiopia-2 

Low frequency of rock avalanches in NE Baffin Island

• https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/baffin-island-1 
• Paper:  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10346-024-02315-8 

Assessing potential risk to worldwide mineral commodity supplies from seismic activity

• https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/first-study-quantify-global-earthquake-risk-mineral-supplies 
• USGS OFR 2024-1028:  https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1028/ofr20241028.pdf 

Global variability of composition & temperature at the 410-km discontinuity

• https://www.usgs.gov/publications/global-variability-composition-and-temperature-410-km-discontinuity-receiver-function 
• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012821X24003224 

Vesicularity influence on grain morphology in basaltic pyroclasts from Mauna Loa & Kīlauea

• https://www.usgs.gov/publications/influence-vesicularity-grain-morphology-basaltic-pyroclasts-mauna-loa-and-kilauea 
• Paper:  https://appliedvolc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13617-024-00145-w 

Integrating gaging station data with image archives for remote sensing of river bathymetry

• https://www.usgs.gov/publications/integrating-depth-measurements-gaging-stations-image-archives-spectrally-based-remote 
• Paper:  https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024WR037295

Whale falls concentrated off the coast of Los Angeles, California

• https://hakaimagazine.com/news/more-whale-falls-found-off-los-angeles-than-in-the-rest-of-world-combined/ 

LANDSAT views of the pits of the Telfer Gold Mine in the Great Sandy Desert of Australia

• https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/153079/peering-into-the-pits-of-telfer-mine

Last Sunday was “hottest day in all recorded history” – unless you consider the geologic history of Earth which shows it was relatively cool

• https://apnews.com/article/hottest-day-climate-change-heat-wave-warming-71e3e9d1fbfdc8503ef36eabec9390bd 

Elsevier investigation Geoscience Frontiers journal for allegations of “peer” review by frequent co-authors

• https://retractionwatch.com/2024/07/23/elsevier-investigating-geology-journal-after-allegations-of-pal-review/ 

Next “big one” could hit New Madrid area in the central US – USGS estimates 25-40% chance of >6.0 in next 50 years & 10% chance of repeat of 1811-1812 earthquake sequence – preparedness has begun

• https://www.zmescience.com/science/geology/the-central-u-s-is-up-for-a-major-earthquake-and-no-ones-really-ready/ 

Stable mantle chemistry dates back to early geologic history of Earth and continued over prodigious evolution

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1051883 

Solar radiation linked to activity in deep interior of Earth

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1052225
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-50337-6 

Lake Kivu is saturated with CO2 & methane at depth – potential for imminent limnic explosion

• https://whttps://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/lake-kivu-the-ticking-time-bomb-that-could-one-day-explode-and-unleash-a-massive-deadly-gas-cloud/ar-BB1qGpJd 
• Lake Nyos disaster:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nyos_disaster 

M5.1 earthquake in West Texas

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/magnitude-5-1-earthquake-strikes-texas-the-second-in-less-than-a-week/ar-BB1qGZtl 
• https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/tx2024ophu/executive 

Tis the season for the time-honored field camp experience at Montana Tech 

• https://mtech.edu/news/2024/07/students-learn-hands-on-skills-have-lots-of-fun-in-montana-techs-field-geology-course.html 

Size of dinosaurs should be population based rather than using a single fossil specimen – Just how big was T. rex?

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/what-jurassic-park-got-wrong-study-finds-the-t-rex-was-much-bigger-than-we-first-thought/ar-BB1qxBb0 
• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240724123027.htm 
• Paper:  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.11658 

Record winter snowfall events cannot counteract human-induced declining groundwater levels in Western US

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/scientists-make-troubling-discovery-while-studying-effects-of-record-snowfall-in-drought-affected-region-i-expected-that-would-really-help/ar-BB1qKj7k
• Paper:  https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023GL107913 

Odaraia alata - Taco-shaped mandibulate from the Burgess Shale

• https://www.sci.news/paleontology/odaraia-alata-13129.html 
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/odaraia-alata-fossil-1.7271424 

Note the headline is wrong – clues to disappearance of megafauna in North America around 10,000 to 15,000 years ago

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/clues-to-mysterious-disappearance-of-north-america-s-large-mammals-50-000-years-ago-found-within-ancient-bone-collagen/ar-BB1npfzp 
• Paper:  https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/mammal-science/articles/10.3389/fmamm.2024.1399358/full 

**************************************************** 

Despite all the media hype, man-made CO2 has essentially no impact on the climate – peer-reviewed paper reaffirms “the madness bestowed upon humanity by a despicable cohort of greedy souls”

• https://thehighwire.com/editorial/new-peer-reviewed-study-co2-has-zero-impact-on-climate-change/ 
• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666496823000456 

EV sales dropped 4.7% to 36.2% for various car brands in California

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/19/tesla-sales-drop-17-in-california/ 

Biden administration finally recognizes plastic pollution “crisis” and wants phase out of single-use plastics by 2035 – too little, too late

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/19072024/biden-administration-acknowledges-plastic-pollution-crisis/ 

Some realities of the Hyundai Metaplant in Georgia – promises already broken

• https://thecurrentga.org/2024/07/18/as-workers-train-hyundai-metaplant-salary-picture-takes-shape/ 

Commemorating the 1979 Church Rock spill nuclear disaster in New Mexico – uranium mill tailings dam failed & contaminated Navajo Nation with 94M gallons of radioactive waer & 1,100 tons of uranium waste

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/20072024/new-mexico-walk-commemorates-navajo-nation-nuclear-disaster/ 

Warning:  dozens of illnesses and possible death linked to “microdosing” of gummies & chocolate bars

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/dozens-of-illnesses-across-28-states-are-now-linked-to-a-company-s-microdosing-gummies-and-chocolate-bars/ar-BB1qmryz

Idaho agriculture pumping massive amounts of water from East Snake River Plain Aquifer & causing water shortages – Idaho issuing red curtailment notices to pumps – 2016 mitigation plan calls for managing river & groundwater aquifer as one entity

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/20072024/idaho-snake-river-aquifer-water-shortages/ 

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, outlining rules for redeveloping site containing 46,000 tons of coal ash – 2013 draft cleanup plan failed to adequately protect the public from arsenic, cobalt & other toxic metals – Brownfields site

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/21072024/north-carolina-chapel-hill-toxic-coal-ash/ 

Enhanced geothermal requires use of the same fracking technology used for O&G drilling – includes use of toxic chemicals that can contaminate groundwater

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2024/fracking-geothermal-energy-plant-technology/ 

Relocated “nuisance” beavers restore wetlands and watersheds – beavers are foundation species that produce and maintain habitats

• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/nuisance-beavers-relocated-1.7268057 

125,000-gallons of raw sewage spilled & entered Lake Tahoe – forces closure of two beaches

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/2-tahoe-beaches-close-after-85-000-gallon-sewage-spill-at-carnelian-bay/ar-BB1qrrNn

US District Court orders sales of O&G leases to proceed – BLM failed to adequately link tie environmental impacts to decision to hold auction – BLM has until 25 Jan 2025 to finalize environmental assessment

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22072024/wyoming-public-land-oil-gas-leases-to-proceed/ 

Variation of excess all-cause mortality during the pandemic 2020-2023 – biological stress due to draconian mandates, medical interventions & vaxxing

• https://correlation-canada.org/covid-excess-mortality-125-countries/ 
• Report:  https://correlation-canada.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-07-19-Correlation-ACM-World-125-countries-Rancourt-Hickey-Linard.pdf 

Global Technological Hazard:  CrowdStrike software caused Microsoft Windows to crash

• https://www.supplychainbrain.com/articles/40066-worldwide-transportation-chaos-after-widespread-software-crash 

EPA announces it will throw another $4.3 Billion into “climate” projects – all in the name of the mythical “man-made global warming”

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/07/22/biden-epa-local-climate-projects/ 

Outbreak of Nippah virus in India

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/if-it-passes-easily-from-human-to-human-we-are-in-for-a-big-problem/ar-BB1qxhhl

Azerbaijan calling for $1B contributions from at least 10 countries & corporations to Climate Finance Action Fund to address “man-made global warming” – a joke? A “distraction” from COP29 – “climate washing”

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/23/azerbaijan-calls-for-1-billion-fund-to-address-global-warming-is-this-a-joke/ 

US DOE completed outdoor shake table testing of pair of full-scale dry storage cask systems for spent nuclear fuel – part of above-ground consolidated “interim” storage facility project 

• https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/doe-completes-earthquake-testing-spent-nuclear-fuel-storage-systems
• interim storage:  https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/department-energy-moves-forward-consolidated-interim-storage-facility-project-spent 

Is cleaning up bacteria in the Seine River for the Olympics a model for cleaning up other urban rivers?

• https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-07-23/how-paris-cleaned-up-the-seine-ahead-of-2024-olympics-and-where-to-swim 

Fire is necessary for Sequoias seeds to sprout but megafires resulting from human fire suppression are killing mature trees

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23072024/california-sequoia-groves-impacted-by-wildfires/ 
• Paper:  https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.4789
• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378112724002287 

Fire ants are invading Montecito, California

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-true-california-hot-spot-fire-ants-invade-town-loved-by-celebrities/ar-BB1qvN4X

USEPA opens investigation into ASPECT failures in East Palestine, Ohio – delayed use and misuse

• https://whistleblower.org/press/epa-opens-investigation-into-aspect-failures-in-east-palestine/ 

Norwegian company blames milder temperatures for 4% drop in Q2 profits

• https://www.offshore-technology.com/news/equinor-has-seen-a-fall-in-q2-profit-2/?cf-view 

Cattle painkiller diclofenac, vulture population & human deaths in India

• https://www.sciencealert.com/shift-in-indias-vulture-population-linked-to-half-a-million-human-deaths 
• Paper:  https://bfi.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/BFI_WP_2022-165.pdf

Inflation driving up home prices – visualizing salary needed to buy a home in 50 US Cities in 2024

• https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-salary-needed-to-buy-a-home-in-50-u-s-cities/ 

Deforestation to curb illegal drug activities threatens many resident & migratory species of birds

• https://theconversation.com/counter-drug-strategies-in-central-america-are-worsening-deforestation-threatening-many-species-of-birds-232368 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-024-01365-z 

Visualizing the resting heart rates of 15 different animals

• https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualized-the-resting-heart-rates-of-15-different-animals/  

Visualizing countries with the highest adult obesity rates in 2022 – US is number 15

• https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-countries-with-the-highest-adult-obesity-rates/

Understanding the complex processes that make cheese – a living, fermented food

• https://theconversation.com/cheesemaking-is-a-complex-science-a-food-chemist-explains-the-process-from-milk-to-mozzarella-230829 

4 other ways humans can get pregnant:  

• https://www.sciencealert.com/humans-can-get-pregnant-through-bizarre-ways-here-are-4-of-them 

Understanding the chemical process of removing caffeine from coffee (or tea) – 3 common methods

• https://theconversation.com/retaining-flavor-while-removing-caffeine-a-chemist-explains-the-chemistry-behind-decaf-coffee-233196 

14 cases of West Nile virus confirmed in Clark County, Nevada, so far this year

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/14-west-nile-virus-cases-found-in-clark-county-so-far-in-2024/ar-BB1qySOB 

Hantavirus is endemic to the United States – typically fatal in about 36% of cases

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/officials-issue-health-warning-over-incurable-rodent-disease/ar-BB1qyAKO 

Reality TV contestant killed and ate a weka (Maori hen) which is a protected species

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/rare-bird-killed-and-eaten-on-reality-tv-show-by-contestant/ar-BB1qxNJA 

Hydrothermal explosion of Biscuit Basin geyser in Yellowstone is little known hazard in the National Park

• https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/surprise-yellowstone-geyser-eruption-highlights-hazard-popular-park-112237859 

National flood risk models are not very reliable at predicting local scale impacts

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1052490 
• Paper:  https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024EF004549 

Older adults want to cut back on medication – de-prescribing since many older adults are over-medicated

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1052488 

Ford loses $47,600 on every EV – Company on track to lose $5B by end of this year

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ford-loses-50-000-on-every-electric-car/ar-BB1qBrG8 

100-year-old reservoir east of Evergreen Way in Everett, Washington, to be replace by two smaller ones – concrete cover is sinking & concerns exist over collapse during potential earthquake – estimated cost $80M

• https://www.heraldnet.com/news/with-looming-earthquake-threat-everett-breaks-ground-on-80m-reservoirs/ 

Book review:  “After 1177 BC – The survival of civilizations”

• https://www.sciencenews.org/article/1177-bc-bronze-age-societies-review 

WHOI releases strategy for addressing harmful & toxic algal blooms that threaten human health, economies, marine & freshwater ecosystems as well as inland waters – blaming climate change for Lake Erie

• https://www.whoi.edu/press-room/news-release/habs-report-2023/
• Strategy report:  https://hab.whoi.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/HARRNESS-2024-online-1.pdf 
• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26072024/lake-erie-harmful-algal-blooms-climate-change/ 

OCED awarded $27.5M for Pacific NW Hydrogen Hub – part of $7B federal subsidies

• https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/electric-power/072424-pacific-northwest-hydrogen-hub-awarded-275-mil-to-begin-projects-first-phase

What is wrong with this picture?  Squatter sentenced to 40 years in prison for taking over condo in Florida but illegals who stampeded US Border were released

• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/squatter-gets-40-years-illegally-210526878.html 
• https://www.foxnews.com/us/illegal-migrants-accused-border-stampede-released-el-paso-judge-easter-sunday 

Texas WDB authorized $3+B for water & wastewater projects including expanding reservoir in Brazoria County

• https://theconstructionbroadsheet.com/texas-officials-award-b-to-state-water-projects-p1825-175.htm 

Klamath Dam Removal project ahead of schedule

• https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/klamath-dam-removal-19585388.php 

10-year $1.9B Westchester County Water Tunnel project begins construction – Kensico-Eastview Connection

• https://patch.com/new-york/pleasantville/10-year-1-9b-westchester-county-water-tunnel-project-breaks-ground 

New federal rule requires safety measures for storm drain openings – people were getting sucked in

• https://www.propublica.org/article/new-hud-rule-storm-drain-safety-flooding 

Biden administration increases subsidies by $371M to accelerate permitting of 20 high-voltage interstate transmission projects  

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/25/biden-harris-administration-invests-371-million-in-20-projects-to-accelerate-transmission-permitting-across-america/ 

Perspective:  US should pay for & help build nuclear power plants in other countries – ADVANCE Act permits exporting US nuclear technology to countries not on “123 Agreements” list

• https://www.iwf.org/2024/07/22/america-should-emulate-south-korea-on-nuclear-energy/

Efforts to repeal BLM Conservation Priority Land Rule

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26072024/western-states-industry-groups-unite-to-block-blm-land-policy/ 

Oh, No!  Federal government wants to get involved in efforts to “safeguard” groundwater supplies

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/25072024/federal-safeguards-for-dwindling-groundwater-supplies/ 

Main stream media created all the “man-made global warming hype” forcing therapists to develop “climate psychology” to address “eco-anxiety” & address distorted cognition

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26072024/eco-anxiety-is-rational-response-climate-psychology/ 

US Bureau of Reclamation Draft Environmental Assessment says Salton Sea lake bed is not a source of significant environmental pollution

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27072024/california-salton-sea-exposed-lakebed/ 
• Draft EA:  https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g2000/envdocs/IID/00_FinalDraftEAIID_508ADAFinal.pdf 
• Paper:  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ajae.12472 

Technological hazard:  impending cyber apocalypse

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/27/the-cyber-apocalypse-may-be-just-one-software-update-away/ 

Add stupid humans to the ‘perfect storm” conditions in California and massive wildfires erupt

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/california-s-fire-luck-just-ran-out/ar-BB1qJxXw 

Flooded water cistern in Houston collapsed beneath luxury housing development plaza – homes evacuated

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/luxury-homes-evacuated-as-large-crater-emerges/ar-BB1qLBOX?\ 

********************************************************** 

Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board – 29 July 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford 

Memorializing WWII Port Chicago Naval Magazine disaster along shores of Suisun Bay, California, & role it played in civil rights movement as segregated workers non-violent civil disobedience – Thurgood Marshall Regional Park & calls for exoneration of workers who were court-martialed & convicted of mutiny 

• https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/07/17/port-chicago-disaster/

Promoting more structural “control” to “protect” nuclear power plants from tsunamis & severe flooding

• https://www.neimagazine.com/analysis/protection-from-tsunamis-and-flooding/ 

Cocaine in coastal waters near Rio de Janeiro, Argentina, may be changing behavior of sharks – enters waters through discharge of human urine and feces by sewage outfalls, from illegal drug labs or dumped overboard by smugglers

• https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/07/22/cocaine-sharks-throng-brazilian-waters-drug-in-ecosystem/ 
• https://www.science.org/content/article/cocaine-sharks-found-waters-brazil 
• https://www.sciencealert.com/cocaine-sharks-discovered-in-brazil-raise-alarm-over-ocean-pollution 

Sunset Beach in Port Waikato, New Zealand, closed “until further notice” due to coastal erosion

• https://www.nzherald.co.nz/waikato-news/news/sunset-beach-port-waikato-closed-until-further-notice-due-to-coastal-erosion/WH7PHGH34JCH5J22GJHI2AVFNE/

Concern increases as blue land crabs sighted along South Atlantic coast in Georgia, South & North Carolina

• https://www.wtoc.com/2024/07/23/sighting-blue-land-crabs-cause-concern-coastal-georgia/ 

Increasing demand of sand fuels lucrative & dangerous illegal industry – coastal sand mining destroys complex ecosystems, affects water quality & depletes groundwater

• https://www.resilience.org/stories/2024-07-23/coastal-restoration-saving-sand/ 

Sandy beaches succumbing to coastal erosion in Tunisia

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-tunisia-sandy-beaches-eaten-coastal.html 

Monster oyster weighing 5.5 pounds harvested off coast of Mersea Island, Essex

• https://www.kulr8.com/news/national/monster-oyster-weighing-over-5-pounds-harvested-off-coast/article_85134e08-0d05-509c-bda3-456339d9a262.html 

NWS conducting study to improve understanding of coastal flooding in Tampa Bay, Florida

• https://www.aol.com/news/study-aims-analyze-coastal-flooding-031426124.html 

Residents debate impacts of planned offshore wind port on Sears Island in Maine

• https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/wind/offshore-wind-port-siting-stirs-debate-among-coastal-mainers 

Proponents of $3B Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project to restore part of SE Louisiana coastline tout expected economic benefits – legal disputes have disrupted construction

• https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-coastal-renovation-project-e772d9ef5e9c8bdb842fd4ed469eaac0 
• Study:  https://mississippiriverdelta.org/diversionconstructionreport2024/ 

Proposal to relocate capital city away from flooding, overcrowding, garbage & poorly managed Monrovia, Liberia, 

• https://www.voanews.com/a/flooding-drives-liberia-to-mull-capital-city-move/7707654.html 

Yes, there are marshes in New York City but they are plagued by sewage runoff & lack of sediment

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24072024/new-york-city-marshes-threatened-by-sea-level-rise-storm-surges/ 
• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24072024/new-york-city-marshes-plagued-by-sewage-runoff-lack-of-sediment/ 

Ongoing restoration of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse 

• https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2024/07/brick-brick-prism-prism 

British Geological Survey coastal erosion data

• https://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/spotlight-on-bgs-coastal-erosion-data/ 

Oyster sanctuaries and restoration of Chesapeake Bay

• https://scitechdaily.com/biological-beacons-how-oyster-sanctuaries-are-guiding-ecological-restoration-in-chesapeake-bay/ 

MT Terra Nova tanker carrying 1,400,000 liters (370,000 gallons) of fuel capsized in Philippines causing massive oil spill

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/oil-tanker-capsizes-spilling-1-400-000-litres-sparking-fears-of-environmental-disaster/ar-BB1qAsIT 

Media scare tactics predicting “vanishing islands” not based in reality – growth of islands has been recognized for a number of years contrary to media hype – but “fact checkers” disagreed in support of climate change agenda

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/researchers-stunned-after-analyzing-nearly-1-000-vanishing-islands-i-m-not-sure-we-really-knew-what-we-would-find/ar-BB1pUnui 
• 2018:  https://phys.org/news/2018-02-pacific-nation-bigger.html 
• 2018 Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-02954-1 
• 2020:  https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/06/asia/pacific-islands-growing-intl-dst-hnk/index.html 
• 2021:  https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/programs/pacificbeat/pacific-islands-getting-bigger-despite-sea-level-rise/13035520 
• 2022 fact checkers:  https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.32F42UX 

**********************************************

"Our retention plan for junior faculty is to overburden them with service work so they can’t publish their way out of here."- @ass_deans

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geosciences; 2) Environmental Science; 3) Coastal Zone Management - 22 July 2024

Californians' water usage is down 9% — and other takeaways from the updated @latimes water tracker, by@seangreene89

Do you know of a colleague and/or student who would be interested in receiving these Bulletin Boards? Please forward to them.  A quick email to [email protected] with the word “subscribe” in the subject line and the email address will be added to the email listing.

The entries below are solely those of Dr. Elaine J. Hanford:  

Geoscience Bulletin Board – 22 July 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Total electron content data in Yellowstone part of network monitoring Coronal Mass Ejections

• https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/total-electron-content-data-three-gps-stations-yellowstone-national-park 

Groundwater flow model for the Des Moines River alluvial aquifer in Iowa

• https://www.usgs.gov/publications/groundwater-flow-model-des-moines-river-alluvial-aquifer-near-des-moines-iowa
• USGS SIR 2024-5059:  https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2024/5059/sir20245059.pdf 

Paleostress modeling of Andean Plateau over 20 million years

• https://eos.org/research-spotlights/tracing-millions-of-years-of-geologic-stress-in-the-andean-plateau 

Discovery of the “Pontus Plate” 

• https://www.good.is/geologists-stunned-at-discovery-of-earths-ancient-mega-plate-they-didnt-know-about-at-all 
• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1342937X23002617 

Crocodile species reveals coastal living in Nevada during the Middle Triassic

• https://www.earth.com/news/benggwigwishingasuchus-eremicarminis-new-triassic-crocodile-species/ 

Volcanic loads and flexure of the Pacific Plate at the Hawaiian Ridge – but no magmatic underplating

• https://eos.org/editor-highlights/a-strong-pacific-plate-bends-under-the-hawaiian-volcanic-chain 
• Paper 1:  https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023JB027218 
• Paper 2:  https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023JB028118 

Impacts of 13 July 2024 landslide in Ha Giang in Vietnam

• https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/vietnam-roads-1 

Impacts of 12 July 2024 landslide in Simaltal in Nepal

• https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/simaltal-1 

Drone footage of 6 July 2024 landslide in unlicensed gold mine at Tulabolo in Sulawesi

• https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/tulabolo-landslide-1 
• Paper:  https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/18/6774 

Areal extent of Great Salt Lake impacts precipitation – 25% decrease in area translates to 10% decrease in total precipitation during storm event

• https://eos.org/articles/the-size-of-the-great-salt-lake-affects-storm-precipitation 

Ash from 2022 eruption of Hunga decimated slow-moving species on seafloor

• https://eos.org/articles/the-tonga-eruption-left-deep-sea-life-buried-in-ash 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01411-w 

BRICS roundtable on geology held in Moscow, Russia – Iran attended

• https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/501262/Iran-attends-BRICS-roundtable-on-geology 

Food for thought:  Does Adventist Flood Geology Make Sense?  Part 1:  The Too-Small Ark

• https://atoday.org/does-adventist-flood-geology-make-sense-part-1-the-two-small-ark/ 

Solvang Library free workshop focus on understanding the field of geologic map reading – Thomas Dibblee & historic mapping of the Santa Barbara, California, area terrain

• https://www.noozhawk.com/plot-your-course-to-understanding-the-field-of-geologic-map-reading/ 

Global ecosystems could be threatened by declining groundwater levels – mapping groundwater-dependent ecosystems on a global scale

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1051597 
• Interactive map:  https://codefornature.projects.earthengine.app/view/global-gde 

Improved understanding of river dynamics & cutoff regimes

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1051607 

Will geologic hydrogen become a viable alternative energy source?

• https://gritdaily.com/geologic-hydrogen-energy-addresses-climate-change/

Largest methane leak ever recorded in an oil well located in Karaturun East field in Kazajistan

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-largest-methane-leak-oil.html 
• Paper:  https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.4c00399

Ground surface conditions impact speed & distance of leaking methane from underground pipelines

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-ground-surface-conditions-impact-distance.html 
• Paper:  https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.estlett.4c00039

UNESCO Geopark assessment of the Niagara Region

• https://www.thoroldtoday.ca/local-news/regions-geology-showcased-to-unesco-geopark-evaluators-9234680 

Geologists searching for fragments of woolly mammoth bones along Buzău River valley in Romania

• https://www.romania-insider.com/geologists-look-mammoth-bone-fragments-romania-buzau-river-valley-2024

Does “climate change’ (i.e., the mythical man-made global warming) play a noticeable role in affecting the rate of Earth rotation and length of day?  AI algorithms suggest it is an “unprecedented” rate – yeah, right, it will exceed the 2.40 milliseconds per century due to changes in lunar gravitational forces 

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/How_melting_icecaps_impacts_the_rotation_of_Earth_999.html 
• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Oh_my_long_days_Melting_ice_caps_slow_Earths_spin_999.html 

The Moon continues to increase orbital distance from Earth, slowing Earth rotation & increasing hours in a day – 1.4 byo a day lasted just over 18 hours & will increase to about 25 hours in another 200 million year

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/the-moon-is-slowly-drifting-away-from-earth-and-it-s-beginning-to-impact-us/ar-BB1qm6Yp 

Probabilistic assessment of post-fire debris-flow inundation relative to forecasted precipitation

• https://www.usgs.gov/publications/probabilistic-assessment-postfire-debris-flow-inundation-response-forecast-rainfall 
• Paper:  https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/24/2359/2024/ 

66 million years of mammalian diversity reflected in the fossil record of North America – functional diversity

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240717121128.htm 

Gravity waves sparked pair of perfect cloud ripples above uninhabited Crozet Islands in 2023

• https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/weather/earth-from-space-gravity-waves-spark-pair-of-perfect-cloud-ripples-above-uninhabited-islands 

New Jersey salt marsh sediments evidence history of hurricanes to the 1500s

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1051875 
• Paper:  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jqs.3622 

Sulfur may have key to the first water on Earth

• https://www.sciencenews.org/article/sulfur-key-first-water-earth 

Nördlingen, Germany, is built over and from material, including diamonds, in the Nördlinger Ries crater

• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-13636443/german-town-covered-diamonds-asteroid-nordlingen.html 

If geology were easy, anyone could do it!  Visible Geology online tools aim to help students understand “geological ideas, like stratigraphic stuff”

• https://magazine.cim.org/en/news/2024/online-educational-tool-aims-to-simplify-geology-en/ 

OMG!  I always thought geologists were scientists – now, to find out someone is saying white supremacy is embedded in geology and paleontology!!!  All I can say to that author is: get a real life and get over yourself but first, apologize to all geologists!

• https://www.thecollegefix.com/white-supremacy-embedded-in-geology-pale-ontology-professor/ 

*************************************************** 

Environmental Science Bulletin Board – 22 July 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford 

UN now says world human population will peak at 10.3 billion in the 2080s – that is not a good thing as it will be 10 times the carrying capacity for humans on Earth

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/UN_says_world_population_to_peak_at_103_billion_in_the_2080s_999.html 
• https://sdg.iisd.org/news/global-population-to-peak-this-century-world-population-prospects-2024/ 
• https://www.un.org/en/UN-projects-world-population-to-peak-within-this-century 

Holocene flooding & sedimentation history of the Nile River focused human society

• https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-024-01499-x 

History of Santa Susanna Field Lab in California with partial meltdown of nuclear reactors in 1959

• https://www.dailynews.com/2024/07/12/activists-mark-65-years-since-partial-meltdown-at-santa-susana-field-lab/ 

FDA underreported adverse side effects of covid vaxxing to prevent ‘vaccine hesitancy’ – pushed false “safe & effective” narrative – mRNA “never should have been mandated”

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/12/former-cdc-director-says-fda-underreported-adverse-side-effects-of-covid-injections-to-prevent-vaccine-hesitancy/ 

Some truths about the very expensive ($42.45B) federally funded Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program – funds delayed and hijacked for other projects

• https://www.capacitymedia.com/article/2d39xkexn1gy9gmppxjwg/industry-voices/the-5-uncomfortable-truths-of-the-broadband-equity-access-and-deployment-program-bead 
• https://www.mackinac.org/blog/2024/why-government-funded-internet-isnt-happening-again 

20 Starlink satellites put into wrong orbit will become space junk falling back to earth

• https://www.dailynews.com/2024/07/12/spacex-rocket-accident-leaves-companys-starlink-satellites-in-wrong-orbit-2/ 

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and the endangered species list may help battle proposed lithium mine in Nevada

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15072024/nevada-community-fights-lithium-mine-near-wildlife-refuge/ 

New York enacted Green Amendment in 2021 to protect the environment – took Supreme Court judge to say “complying with the Constitution is not optional for a state agency”- battle over Seneca Meadows landfill

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15072024/new-york-climate-activists-march-for-green-amendment/ 

Kentucky allows self-driving vehicles on the road – will that be a good thing or a bad thing as a legislative framework for the future?

• https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article289862749.html 

Groundwater may be “forever” tainted by PFAS chemical contamination – 4 major hot spots correlate with areas of high population density, groundwater use & specific industrial activities

• https://www.environmentenergyleader.com/2024/07/groundwater-at-risk-as-pfas-pollution-spreads-west-virginia-university-finds/ 
• Paper:  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0299789 

Holistically approaching mounting waste challenges in India

• https://www.environmentenergyleader.com/2024/07/holistic-waste-management-india/ 

Illegal wildlife trade is booming – threatens biodiversity & balance of ecosystems

• https://www.npr.org/2024/06/10/1198910180/animals-illegal-wildlife-trade-trafficking 

Should you worry about invasive Juro spiders across the East Coast?

• https://www.npr.org/2024/06/14/1198910262/joro-spiders-invasive-species-east-coast 

Romancing the River:  The Desert River

• https://sibleysrivers.com/romancing-the-river-the-desert-river/

6 people in Grand Hyatt hotel in Bangkok found dead of cyanide poisoning

• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/six-people-found-dead-hotel-141325137.html 
• https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thai-police-say-cyanide-killed-6-foreigners-bangkok-hotel-2024-07-17/ 

Significant number of college students lack even rudimentary grasp of American history & political system

• https://www.goacta.org/2024/07/acta-releases-alarming-new-survey-showing-dangerous-level-of-civic-illiteracy-among-college-students/ 
• Survey:  https://www.goacta.org/resource/losing-americas-memory-2-0/ 

Humboldt County, California, animal shelter is “out of space” & reducing adoption fees

• https://www.times-standard.com/2024/07/16/im-out-of-space-humboldt-county-animal-shelter-cuts-adoption-fees/ 

Ongoing California war on solar – restrictions on community & rooftop solar – NEM 3.0 

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/16/california-continues-its-war-on-solar-to-please-investor-owned-utilities/ 

Technological hazard – possible design “mess up” when high rise window bursts & falls from 13th floor in Boston – to report on cause and plans for repairs

• https://whdh.com/news/civil-engineer-says-someone-may-have-messed-up-on-design-installation-after-boston-window-falls/ 

Dubai plans 40-mile-long “High Line” filled with 1M trees – Dubai Green Spine

• https://www.fastcompany.com/91154458/dubais-plans-for-a-40-mile-long-high-line-will-transform-the-desert-city-into-something-much-more-livable 

Alerts on “imminent failure” of 90-year-old Nashville City Reservoir Dam in Illinois – residents evacuated

• https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/nashville-dam-failure-cause-revealed-illinois-top-water-official/63-cfceb0dc-0cb1-4bfd-b907-ffac837382d1 

IAEA conference on nuclear knowledge management & human resources development

• https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/sustainability-through-capacity-building-iaea-hosts-conference-on-nuclear-knowledge-management-and-human-resources-development

Planned mining for chert in Alabama is already impacting bald eagles

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17072024/alabama-lake-guntersville-unexpected-chert-mine/ 

The social costs of carbon credits in Senegal – not a good thing

• https://hakaimagazine.com/features/the-social-cost-of-carbon-credits/ 

Native American Tribes & environmental activists hoping to stop uranium mining near the Grand Canyon & prevent transportation on state and federal roads across Navajo Nation lands

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17072024/arizona-activists-press-officials-to-stop-uranium-mining-near-grand-canyon/ 

Enduring legacy of pulling out of Paris Accord which supports myth of man-made global warming & rolling back more than 100 regulations that allowed government over-reach 

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/16072024/trump-environmental-impact/ 

For past 100+ years has been illegal to swim in the Seine due to health concerns – now trying to cleanup for Olympic swimmers by cutting bacterial content by 75%

• https://theconversation.com/for-a-century-its-been-illegal-to-swim-in-the-seine-will-pariss-clean-up-make-the-river-safe-for-olympic-swimmers-231705 

Hidden health costs of replacing lead pipes with cheaper plastics in urban water supply systems

• https://theconversation.com/lead-water-pipes-created-a-health-disaster-in-flint-but-replacing-them-with-cheaper-plastic-as-some-cities-are-doing-carries-hidden-costs-232252 

Comparing additional taxes versus water quotas to manage agricultural consumption of water in agriculture in Guadalquivir River Basin in southern Spain

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-additional-taxes-quotas-consumption-agriculture.html 
• Paper:  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11269-024-03865-1

Deep carbon storage in Montana is not without controversy

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18072024/montana-deep-carbon-storage-controversies/ 

Dragonflies help improve understanding of source & environmental fate of mercury pollution

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-local-dragonflies-expose-mercury-pollution.html 
• Paper:  https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.4c02436

Global apparel industry leaks millions of tons of plastic pollution into environment every year

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-apparel-industry-leaks-millions-tons.html 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-49441-4 

Biden administration announces $325M housing subsidy to build 6,500 housing units & impose rent controls that are a “counter-productive policy idea that ultimately harms renters by distorting market pricing, discouraging new construction & degrading the quality of rental housing”

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/map-shows-where-joe-biden-wants-to-build-more-houses/ar-BB1q6tdJ 

Nepal recovering more bodies from 12 July 2024 landslide in Simaltal in Nepal

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Nepal_retrieves_more_bodies_from_buses_swept_away_by_landslide_999.html 
• https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/simaltal-1 

US F&W seeking public comment on Alliant Wind Interstate Wind Project Habitat Conservation Plan

• https://www.fws.gov/press-release/2024-07/seeking-public-comment-alliant-wind-interstate-wind-project-habitat 

Once again, the fully vaxxed & boosted gets covid & tests positive – gives him reason to hide in the basement!

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/president-joe-biden-tests-positive-221548982.html 

8th Circuit Court one-sentence ruling blocked the entire “SAVE” student-loan repayment plan – need to repay entire loans & not have loans forgiven – they have a moral & legal obligation to repay loans

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/a-federal-court-has-now-blocked-biden-s-new-student-loan-repayment-plan-in-full-prohibiting-borrowers-from-getting-cheaper-payments-and-debt-cancellation/ar-BB1qemrw 

Impact of marijuana on drivers should not be underestimated

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/after-crash-that-killed-6-teens-ntsb-chief-says-people-underestimate-marijuana-s-impact-on-drivers/ar-BB1qdIpY 

US DEA began probe of allegations that drug cartels financed campaign of Mexican President Lopez Obrador -  shut down by US AG Eric Holder – evidence of high-level corruption 

• https://www.propublica.org/article/mexico-amlo-dea-probe-cartel-campaign-donations 

Government quandary:  loss of fuel tax revenues is a global issue

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/17/replacing-fuel-tax-a-government-quandary/

HALT Act aimed at reducing drunk driving

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/17/as-we-recognize-40-year-anniversary-of-drinking-age-law-usdot-must-act-on-lifesaving-auto-tech/ 

Mining & processing lithium for EV batteries & storage projects depletes & contaminates surface waters

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18072024/lithium-crital-to-energy-transition-at-expense-of-water/ 

Technological hazard:  Global tech outage grounds airline flights & disrupts businesses & emergency services

• https://www.reuters.com/technology/global-cyber-outage-grounds-flights-hits-media-financial-telecoms-2024-07-19/ 

Removing hydroelectric dam at Fooses Reservoir near Salida, Colorado – too expensive to maintain

• https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/xcel-energy-removing-hydroelectric-dam-at-fooses-reservoir-near-salida 

Wadsworth landfill fire south of Pyramid Lake in Washoe County, Nevada, may burn for days

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/wadsworth-landfill-fire-may-burn-for-days/ar-BB1qfrY0 

********************************************************** 

Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board – 22 July 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford 

Scientists from WHOI want to dump 60,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide (lye) into ocean off Cape Cod – “safe”– messing round with forces beyond their ability to grasp – all in the name of mythical man-made global warming promise to "operate within a pH range considered safe for aquatic life (and) maintain strict environmental monitoring protocols"

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-cape-cod-scientists-dump-gallons.html 

Oceanic upwelling is driven to seafloor topographic features

• https://www.newsgram.com/research/2024/07/11/globally-significant-upwelling-is-driven-by-topographical-features-on-seafloor 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07411-2 

Debris recovery team mobilized on Nantucket beaches to survey for recovery of debris from offshore Vineyard Wind turbine damage incident - Nantucket beaches shut down by fiberglass debris washing ashore – now under federal investigation & suspension order

• https://renews.biz/94549/vineyard-wind-mobilises-debris-recovery/ 
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ruined-by-negligence-dave-portnoy-blasts-nantucket-wind-farm-after-broken-blade-shuts-down-beaches/ar-BB1qc7K2 
• https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/07/17/nantucket-beaches-reopen-after-vineyard-wind-debris-removal-feds-issue-suspension-order-for-wind-energy-company/ 
• https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/vineyard-wind-incident-was-not-first-time-ge-vernova-wind-turbine-came-apart-2024-07-18/ 

US Coast Guard says ships losing power/control are not uncommon – documented more than 200 just since 26 March – more than 100 in Chesapeake Bay since 2010 – not all incidents recorded

• https://wjla.com/features/i-team/baltimore-key-bridge-collapse-chesapeak-bay-bridges-cargo-ship-ships-power-control-repairs-us-coast-guard-ntsb-investigation-dali-records-operations

The complex task of rebuilding coastal communities after hurricanes – the important questions is WHY rebuild in hurricane prone area? – throwing good money after bad & changing character of place

• https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-idalia-florida-rebuilding-coastal-communities-ffefd72ade9706f70f2941aee08cf866 

Plan to triple aquaculture production needs sustainable phosphorus management in Norway

• https://www.environmentenergyleader.com/2024/07/norways-phosphorus-predicament-balancing-sustainability-and-growth-in-aquaculture/

Land subsidence in coastal cities can significantly reduce value of homes - video

• https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/07/11/sinking-land-could-cost-some-us-homeowners-8point1percent-of-their-home-value.html 

7 unforgettably scenic coastal road trips in the US

• https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/story/7-unforgettable-coastal-road-trips-in-the-us-121205905.html 

Seldovia Village Tribe first in Alaska to get tsunami preparedness certification – located in southern Kenai Peninsula on Kachemak Bay

• https://nativenewsonline.net/environment/seldovia-village-tribe-becomes-first-in-alaska-to-get-tsunami-preparedness-certification 

Baby bull sharks thriving in bays of Texas & Alabama 

• https://theconversation.com/baby-bull-sharks-are-thriving-in-texas-and-alabama-bays-as-the-gulf-of-mexico-warms-228353 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-54573-0 

“Beach Report Card” for Southern California Beaches indicates 38 M gallons of raw sewage flowed in the Pacific 

• https://www.dailynews.com/2024/07/17/heal-the-bays-2024-beach-report-card-highlights-link-between-rain-ocean-health/ 
• https://healthebay.org/water-quality-at-california-beaches-dips-in-2023-24/ 

Construction begins on Long Island Sunrise Wind offshore wind farm to have 84 turbines to generate 924 MW– will it be completed? On-time? On-budget?

• https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/long-island-offshore-wind-farm-sunrise-wind-orested-smith-point-park/ 

Science of tides was crucial for D-Day invasion

• https://www.npr.org/2024/06/05/1198910140/d-day-ocean-tides-floods-climate 

Testing effectiveness of reactive barriers in preventing nitrate in groundwater from entering the Atlantic

• https://eos.org/articles/reactive-barriers-could-keep-nitrate-out-of-the-atlantic
• Abstract:  https://agu.confex.com/agu/hydrology24/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1501676 

Projecting new $1B Port of Baltimore Terminal at Sparrows Point will have $1.54B economic impact

• https://www.ttnews.com/articles/baltimore-terminal-impact
• https://www.ttnews.com/articles/tradepoint-terminal-maryland 

Principal environmental approval by Northern Territory EPA in Australia for massive Powell Creek solar project, new battery storage project & HVDC transmission via 800 km of overhead transmission lines to Darwin and 4,300 km submarine cables to Singapore – approval allows to “progress the development, commercial & engineering activities to advance project to final investment decision, targeted for 2027”

• https://eandt.theiet.org/2024/07/17/major-australian-solar-project-2671-mile-undersea-cable-singapore-gains-environmental 

Houston, Texas, power grid & lessons learned this time from Hurricane Beryl – fossil fuel microgrids kept power on at critical facilities

• https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/distributed-energy-resources/houstons-post-beryl-outages-highlight-benefits-of-distributed-energy 

Tijuana River set all time flow of contaminated water laced with raw sewage – 44B gallons in 2023 – more in 2024

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/tijuana-river-sewage-flows-last-year-broke-all-records-since-2000-it-s-on-track-to-do-it-again/ar-BB1qeItN 

Technological Hazard:  Global vulnerability of submarine cables

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/19/global-vulnerability-to-the-disruption-of-undersea-cables-exposed/

"The strong do what they can and the weak do what they must" - Thucydides (heard @FareedZakaria with @carlbildt)

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geosciences; 2) Environmental Science; 3) Coastal Zone Management -15 July 2024

All items below this are obtained by Dr. Hanford.

Geoscience Bulletin Board – 15 July 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Wyoming State Geological Survey issues new pamphlet on geology of the South Pass area

• https://county10.com/new-wsgs-pamphlet-shares-geology-of-south-pass-area/ 
• Pamphlet:  https://www.wsgs.wyo.gov/products/wsgs-2024-ip-24.pdf 

Kansas Geological Survey assessing potential for new sources of critical minerals

• https://news.ku.edu/news/article/kansas-geological-survey-assesses-potential-for-critical-minerals-in-eastern-kansas 

Drill core samples help reveal geologic & climate history of Antarctic Ice Sheet beginning about 34 myo with expansion toward West Antarctic coast about 7 myo

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-recovery-unique-geological-samples-formation.html 

Planetary geology:  impact flux on the Moon

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1049975 
• Paper:  https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/space.0148

Role of seawater in the formation of gold deposits

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-treasures-beneath-ocean-floor-seawater.html 

New NSHM map shows probability of damaging earthquakes in the next 100 years

• https://www.snexplores.org/article/where-earthquakes-most-likely-us-risk-map 
• Paper:  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/87552930231215428 

Paper:  Automated rock image classification & feature visualization 

• https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/earth-science/articles/10.3389/feart.2024.1364209/full 

All about sinkholes

• https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/interviews/what-are-sinkholes 

Subsurface deformation imaging using surficial mapping data

• https://scitechdaily.com/deformation-imaging-revolutionizing-our-view-of-earths-subterranean-mysteries/ 
• Paper:  https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adl4264 

The “Pearlette volcan ash” in Kansas and Nebraska represented multiple eruptions in Yellowstone:  the Huckelberry Ridge Tuff, Mesa Falls Tuff & Lava Creek Tuff

• https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/solving-mystery-pearlette-volcanic-ash 

Micro-stratigraphy of pedogenic carbonates helps determine age of fossil soils via U-Pb dating

• https://eos.org/editor-highlights/unlocking-earths-terrestrial-sedimentary-record-with-paleosols
• Paper:  https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GC011488

Guide to fossil hunting on the coast of Maine

• https://www.penbaypilot.com/article/fossil-hunter-s-guide-coastal-maine-s-ancient-offerings/183677 

Giant Rock in the Mojave Desert – some moments in history

• https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-06-23/giant-rock-a-century-of-stories-in-the-mojave-desert 

New Zealand has open-access essentially complete database of fossil record dubbed FRED

• https://eos.org/articles/new-zealand-has-a-unique-fossil-record-named-fred
• FRED:  https://www.gns.cri.nz/data-and-resources/fred-the-fossil-record-electronic-database/ 

Anisotropic tomography using P-waves provides glimpse of inner structure of Mount Etna

• https://eos.org/research-spotlights/improved-imaging-offers-new-insight-into-mount-etna 
• Paper:   https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GL108733

Application of distributed fiber optic sensing for detection of soil desiccation cracking behavior & soil crack breathing

• https://eos.org/editor-highlights/new-observations-provide-insight-into-soil-desiccation-cracking
• Paper:  https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023JF007318

310 fatal landslides have killed 2,315 people as of 30 June 2024 – most in Northern Hemisphere summer monsoons

• https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/2024-fatal-landslides-june-update 

Aerosols increase size of cloud cells & cause greater radiative cooling under polluted conditions

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-aerosols-shown-size-cloud-cells.html
• Paper:  https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/24/6455/2024/

Quaternary geochronological study using electron spin resonance & paleomagnetism analysed oldest sedimentary levels at Galeria Complex in Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos), Spain

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-geochronological-ancient-sedimentary-galera-site.html 
• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1871101424000797 

Carbonate compensation depth adjusting to ocean acidification

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-ocean-surfaces-acidify-deep-sea.html 
• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025322723001330

AI analysis of zircons from Australia suggest Plate Tectonics began more than 4 byo

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-ai-analysis-zircons-australia-earlier.html
• Paper:  https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2405160121

Evolution of damage in large rock slope failures – La Praz Landslide in France

• https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/la-praz-landslide
• Paper:  https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2024GL109139

Antigorite (type of serpentine) that may be main carrier of water into deep subduction zones – polysomatism may affect volume of water and affect distribution of intermediate depth earthquakes

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1050394 
• Paper:  https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2023JB028060

Planetary geology:  Debate on existence of garnet in the lunar mantle

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1050382 
• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012821X24002255

Sediment cores from Nile Delta reveal precipitation & flooding record from about 9,200 to 8,600 years ago

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1050343
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-024-01471-9

Giant salamander-like Gaiasia jennyae was top predator in late Paleozoic ice age on Gondwana

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1049937 

Living during the 6th mass extinction event

• https://particle.scitech.org.au/people/living-in-a-mass-extinction/ 

Perspective on studying origins of life on Earth

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/UC_Riverside_Study_Offers_Insights_into_Early_Life_on_Earth_999.html 

Incompletely rifted micro-continent identified between Greenland & Canada 

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-incompletely-rifted-microcontinent-greenland-canada.html 
• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1342937X24001023

A reminder that we are living in an inter-glacial time of limited duration

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/scientists-issue-stark-day-after-tomorrow-warning-after-major-change-in-gulf-stream/ar-BB1pNhLk 

Assessment of undiscovered conventional O&G resources in the Black Sea area

• https://www.usgs.gov/publications/assessment-undiscovered-conventional-oil-and-gas-resources-black-sea-area-2023 
• USGS Fact Sheet 2024-3018:  https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2024/3018/fs20243018.pdf 

Sangay Volcano in central Ecuador spews ash cloud

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Ecuador_volcano_rumbles_spews_ash_cloud_999.html 

Documentary film on Baffin Bay Deglacial Experiment team investigating changes in Greenland Ice sheet over 15,000 years ago towards the end of the last Ice Age

• https://new.nsf.gov/news/new-film-baffling-baffin-bay 
• Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUsbDKFs7Og 

Toward improved understanding of how marine life adapted to varying environmental conditions

• https://new.nsf.gov/news/deep-sea-discovery-opens-ocean-potential 

Benggwigwishingasuchus eremicarminis – new species of crocodile relative discovered in Triassic Favret Formation in Nevada – coastal representative from Panthalassan Ocean

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240710195436.htm 
• Paper:  https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0136 

Freeze-dried 52,000-year-old scrap of woolly mammoth skin reveals 3D structure of genome

• https://www.livescience.com/animals/mammoths/52000-year-old-scrap-of-woolly-mammoth-skin-reveals-3d-shape-of-its-dna-for-1st-time-ever
• https://www.sciencenews.org/article/drying-woolly-mammoth-dna-3d-glass 
• Paper:  https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00642-1

Trees descended from Gondwana being protected as a “living seed bank” in Australia

• https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/plants/rainforest-of-super-trees-descended-from-lost-supercontinent-gondwana-being-created-in-australia 

Thick sea ice flowing from Arctic Ocean shortened ice-free shipping season in Northwest Passage 2007-2021

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1050634
• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-thick-sea-ice-arctic-ocean.html
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01477-6 

The geological origins & formation of Red Rocks Amphitheatre 

• https://kdvr.com/denver-guide/places-to-visit/red-rocks-geology-how-the-worlds-only-natural-amphitheater-was-formed/

New relative geological dating technique based on paleomagnetism used to date hominids in Iberia

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-geological-dating-techniques-european-hominids.html
• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001282522400182X

Evidence of 3 July eruption of Kilauea Southwest Rift Zone

• https://bigislandnow.com/2024/07/11/hawaiian-volcano-observatory-geologists-revisit-eruption-site-discover-cracking-more/ 

Origin of the “Dragon’s Eye” in rocks along the NW coastline of Norway

• https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/geology/norways-dragons-eye-the-fantastical-pothole-that-emerged-from-ice-16000-years-ago 

*************************************************** 

Environmental Science Bulletin Board – 15 July 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford 

Peer-reviewed study concludes that all cause deaths were higher for the vaxxed than the un-vaxxed – hazard ratios increased with increasing vaxxing/boosters

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/05/peer-reviewed-study-shows-all-cause-death-risks-higher-for-vaccinated-vs-unvaccinated/
• Paper download link:  https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/7/1343 

Such hubris!  To think it a “right” to a stable climate!!!  Montana High Court to make ruling – need to remember that stable or static conditions are not the norm for Nature & humans do not have any ability to control climate

• https://www.nature.chttps://insideclimatenews.org/news/11072024/montana-supreme-court-youth-climate-change-lawsuit/om/articles/s43247-024-01477-6 

Chinese swimmers who tested positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs won Olympic medals

• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/world-aquatics-confirms-us-government-232006215.html 

BLM plans to roundup 1,373 wild horses & 356 burros on Blue Wing Complex near Lovelock, Nevada – will use helicopters – will release most to adoption & sales programs in Nevada & Utah

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/blm-plans-to-gather-more-than-1-300-horses-in-new-gather/ar-BB1phYXl 

Ten cases (2 in intensive care) of botulism near Fresno, California, traced to home-canned nopales

• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/2-california-sisters-icu-botulism-225813971.html

Public free-market rejects EV mandates – Virginia exits mandates issued by unelected California ARB:  “unworkable and out of touch with reality”

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/06/the-free-market-rejects-ev-mandates/

Landslide election of Labor Party in Britain will have huge impact on policy and spending – “voters have rejected anti-net zero rhetoric and chosen cheaper, cleaner, more secure energy” – will be interesting to see whether “green economy” works out for them

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/07/labour-and-climate-celebrate-big-wins-in-uk/ 

Is “repurposing coal power plants” just another mythology in the making?

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/08/demystifying-coal-repurposing-in-the-global-energy-transition/ 

“Clean energy” manufacturing surge in Georgia is product of at least $87B in federal subsidies

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/09/georgias-clean-energy-manufacturing-surge-is-a-by-product-of-federal-investments/ 

Technological hazard:  2021 Executive Order established Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) to probe SolarWinds cyberattack - CSRB never conducted probes

• https://www.propublica.org/article/cyber-safety-board-never-investigated-solarwinds-breach-microsoft 

The $7.5B half-million EV charger charade – if actually built would cost $400B

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/09/the-nationwide-500000-ev-charger-charade/

Perspective:  Politics may not be the world’s oldest profession but it is the dirtiest – aided by persistent media gaslighting

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/09/they-lied-to-you/ 

Technological hazard:  Social media echo chamber in which social media algorithm favor singles viewpoint (i.e., censoring) – half of all adults get their “news” from social media 

• https://thecurrentga.org/2024/07/03/are-you-trapped-in-a-social-media-echo-chamber/

Average global temperature has warmed 1.64 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels exceeding Paris Accord limit – now changing conditions for breach of Paris Accord since the Earth has not boiled – Accord ‘target’ – current excursion driven in part by recent El Niño – what happened to CO2 emissions & man-made global warming? 

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/09072024/average-global-temperatures-above-pre-industrial-levels-for-12-months/ 

Nigeria announces transition from asphalt to concrete in highway construction due to longer life-span

• https://dailypost.ng/2024/07/05/nigerian-govt-transitioning-from-asphalt-to-concrete-in-road-construction-minister-umahi/ 

Half-mile long pilot project on Tribal lands near Phoenix, Arizona, will construct solar cover over canal – Casa Blanca installation

• https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/the-us-is-about-to-get-its-first-solar-covered-canal 

Refurbishing existing building much more affordable & effective than building new “green” structures

• https://www.businessnhmagazine.com/article/green-building-becomes-more-affordable-and-more-common 

Now you, too, can buy insurance for damage caused by “underground climate change”

• https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2024/07/09/324807.htm 

How humans recognized how to begin undoing the damage they caused to the ozone layer – the 1987 Montreal Protocol and impacts of CFCs – but that does not apply to the presence of CO2 in the atmosphere

• https://nautil.us/how-we-solved-the-hole-in-the-ozone-695664/ 
• Recovery:  https://scitechdaily.com/unprecedented-recovery-ozone-layer-heals-ahead-of-schedule/ 

Multiple PFAS forever chemical contamination hot spots in the US

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-multiple-chemical-contamination-hot.html 
• Paper:  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0299789

PFAS forever chemical contamination hots spots in Wisconsin identified by testing foams & water surface microlayers

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-lake-river-foams-reveals-high.html 

PFAS forever chemicals contaminate drinking water in Europe

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-europe-contaminated-chemical-ngos.html 

Lithium-ion batteries used in EVs and electronics are growing source of PFAS forever chemical pollution

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-lithium-ion-batteries-source-pfas.html 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-49753-5 

Monsoon floods in NE India drowned 6 threatened rhinos & other wildlife in Kaziranga National Park

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-india-swamp-national-rhinos.html 

Developer likely caused Barn Pond & surrounding wetlands to become a mud flat in Twin Lakes, Colorado

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-beloved-colorado-mountain-pond-mud.html

Bullock County Commissioners approved water & sewer services & well mitigation program – 4 wells will draw 6.625M gallons/day from Floridan aquifer – Hyundai Plug Power green hydrogen plant will use 1.1M gallons/day

• https://thecurrentga.org/2024/06/28/bulloch-oks-hyundai-related-water-agreements-despite-public-concerns/ 

Dingo fossil found on Balmoral Beach in Australia – DNA shows descended from ancient dogs & wolves of China & Tibetan Plateau, arriving in Australia between 3,000 & 8,000 years ago

• https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/09/modern-day-dingoes-already-established-across-australia-thousands-of-years-ago-research-finds 

WEF created coalition to suppress & demonetize conservative views – censoring the media

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/10/house-judiciary-committee-report-reveals-how-global-advertiser-cartel-colludes-to-censor-and-demonetize-conservative-influencers/
• Testimony:  https://judiciary.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings/collusion-global-alliance-responsible-media 

Solar power is relatively young industry but already having to thing about re-powering old systems

• https://www.powerengineeringint.com/solar/the-story-isnt-over-for-legacy-solar-repowering-is-the-next-era-of-clean-energy/ 

Technological hazard:  Bitcoin mines consume massive amounts of power 24/7 threatening to “crash” the Texas electrical grid & cause excessive noise pollution that impacts human health

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/10072024/texas-bitcoin-mining-threatens-power-grid/ 

“Nukey Poo” – portable nuclear reactor contaminated Antarctica – designated Historic Site & Monument

• https://theconversation.com/remembering-antarcticas-nuclear-past-with-nukey-poo-99934 

Man caught smuggling 104 snakes into China in pockets of his pants – included snakes native to Texas

• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/cm/man-stopped-customs-100-live-094707212.html

Seneca Nation sues City of Olean after wastewater treatment plant overflowed into Allegheny River for second time this year

• https://nativenewsonline.net/environment/seneca-nation-sues-city-for-wastewater-overflow 
• https://nativenewsonline.net/environment/seneca-nation-waters-flooded-with-wastewater-from-nearby-city 

A reminder that we are living in an inter-glacial time of limited duration

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/scientists-issue-stark-day-after-tomorrow-warning-after-major-change-in-gulf-stream/ar-BB1pNhLk 

US House passes SAVE Act to prevent non-citizens (i.e., illegal aliens) from voting – no-brainer that it should apply to all federal, state and local elections

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/10/u-s-house-passes-save-act-to-prevent-non-citizens-from-voting-in-federal-elections-with-198-dems-voting-against/ 

Touron trampled to death by elephant after leaving vehicle to take pictures of the breeding herd in Pilanesberg National Park in South Africa

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Spanish_tourist_killed_by_elephants_in_South_Africa_999.html 

Colorado confirms human case of plague (Yersinia pestis) which is now endemic in the mountains of the West – was introduced in 1900 by infected rats aboard ships

• https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/plague-strikes-person-in-colorado 
• https://county.pueblo.org/public-health-department/public-health-officials-confirm-first-human-plague-case-pueblo-county 
• CDC Map & Stats:  https://www.cdc.gov/plague/maps-statistics/index.html 

Switching ships from diesel to ammonia fuel poses health risks – could result in more than 600,000 premature deaths per year 

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1051089 
• Paper:  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ad5d07 

FEMA finalized rule mandating projects built must take into account local future flood risk

• https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/investing/2024/07/10/biden-administration-raises-fema-bar-for-flood-resilience/ 

FEMA finalized rule mandating projects built must take into account local future flood risk

• https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/investing/2024/07/10/biden-administration-raises-fema-bar-for-flood-resilience/ 

 Biden administration announces yet another federal subsidy of $1.7B for EVs – this time it is $1.7B

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/11/biden-harris-administration-announces-nearly-2-billion-to-support-american-auto-workers-convert-facilities-for-electric-vehicles/ 

COP28 growth of renewables will not be achieved at current average growth rate of 10% for 2017-2023 due to  14% jump in 2023

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/11/tripling-renewables-by-2030-requires-a-minimum-of-16-4-annual-growth-rate/ 

Current under-construction high-speed rails projects are over-budget & behind schedule but planning on yet another project connecting to Las Vegas – High Desert Corridor High Speed Rail engineering challenges – pushing for 4-year $200B American High-Speed Rail Act to subsidize boondoggles

• https://www.ktnv.com/news/another-high-speed-rail-project-would-connect-las-vegas-to-additional-california-stops 
• https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/bright-side-brightline-and-nations-first-high-speed-rail-line 

Warning that H7 bird flu could put Black Swans in “significant peril” in Western Australia (podcast)

• https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-breakfast/iconic-black-swan-at-risk-of-significant-peril-/104088926 
• https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2023/01/avian-flu-could-decimate-australian-black-swans
• Paper:  https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13059-022-02838-0

Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) killing owls and other wildlife in rural & urban areas in Australia – banned in Canada, US & EU

• https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/conservation/common-product-banned-around-the-world-is-killing-our-owls-20240710-p5jslp.html

Cause for concern:  US EIA still does not know how much electricity is used by cryptocurrency miners as major (and rapidly growing) consumer – use estimated at up to 2.3% of all electricity per year

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/11072024/us-energy-information-agency-bitcoin-mining-electricity-usage-data/ 

EU Court of Justices rules economic reasons (e.g., preventing loss of livestock) are not enough to allow wolf hunting

• https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/economic-reasons-not-enough-to-allow-wolf-hunting-says-eu-court-of-justice/ 

US BLM sued for failing to protect endangered species by allowing illegal livestock grazing along Big Sandy River in western Arizona

• https://esconservsite.org/esa40/ 

********************************************************** 

Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board – 15 July 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford 

Migratory birds face habitat loss due to development, predation & human disturbance on Harbor Islands of NY

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/06072024/new-york-harbor-islands-heron-habitat-loss/ 

Louisiana wants to line its entire Gulf shore with segmented rocks – geology and natural forces limit effectiveness – not consistent with state “science-based” Coastal Master Plan

• https://www.fox8live.com/2024/07/09/louisianas-top-coastal-official-wants-rock-coast-mississippi-texas/ 

Philippines receives coastal surveillance radar system from Japan under Official Security Assistance 

• https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/07/09/2368895/philippines-receive-coastal-surveillance-radar-system-japan

Homeless forced out of encampments in woods along Coastal Highway in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

• https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2024/07/08/during-major-housing-crisis-homeless-forced-to-leave-rehoboth-woods/74208735007/ 

Population of Pilosocereus millspaughii tree cactus declining in Key Largo due to habitat destruction due to development, saltwater intrusion, hurricanes, soil depletion & herbivores – 6 salvaged for cultivation

• https://www.earth.com/news/sea-level-rise-claims-its-first-coastal-plant-victim-in-the-u-s/ 

Daiichi Meta Maru launching ceremony – coastal tanker uses methanol fuel and automated handling systems

• https://safety4sea.com/mol-introduces-ai-and-iot-enhanced-methanol-fueled-coastal-tanker/ 

Rising construction costs causing an average 15% increase in coastal home insurance premiums in Maine

• https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/local/2024/07/09/maine-insurance-surge-coastal-storms-home-costs-drive-up-premiums/74322622007/ 

Deaths of federal listed sea turtles in canal leading to Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant cooling system intake prompted govern review – one turtle transferred to Rescue & Rehabilitation Center

• https://coastalreview.org/2024/07/sea-turtle-deaths-lead-to-federal-review-for-nuclear-plant/ 

North Carolina DEQ Division of Coastal Management accepting public comments on proposed NOAA amendments to North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule

• https://islandfreepress.org/fishing-report/state-coastal-agency-accepting-public-comments-regarding-noaas-proposed-amendments-to-the-north-atlantic-right-whale-vessel-strike-reduction-rule/

• Proposed Amendment links:  https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/amendments-north-atlantic-right-whale-vessel-strike-reduction-rule 

Hurricanes prune mangroves in Gulf of Mexico – down tallest trees & stunt growth of others

• https://eos.org/articles/hurricanes-may-prune-gulf-mangroves 

• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969724024276

Complicated explanation of who has access to coastal areas of Nova Scotia

• https://www.dal.ca/news/2024/07/09/expert-coastal-access-nova-scotia.html

Model quantifies polar amplification of global climate variability caused by Milankovitch cycles during hyper-thermals - Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (~56 Ma) & Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 (~54 Ma)

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-polar-underestimated-climate-million-year.html 

• Paper:   https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/20/1303/2024/

Status of pending, under construction, cancelled & not yet in commercial operation US offshore wind farms – 30% cancelled

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/09/us-offshore-wind-farm-progress-chart/ 

Court ruling could permit construction of new reservoir to feed water into Panama Canal locks

• https://apnews.com/article/panama-canal-new-reservoir-drought-shipping-restrictions-cd037f15bc52c23e19b0b5a0f15330fc

Cleaning up Narragansett Bay

• https://thepublicsradio.org/possibly-podcast/how-did-the-narragansett-bay-get-so-much-cleaner/ 

• https://www.golocalprov.com/news/2-Billion-Investment-Cleaning-Up-Narragansett-Bay-Hits-Milestone 

Centuries-old traditional whale hunt in Faroe Islands versus animal rights activists

• https://hakaimagazine.com/features/blood-in-the-water-food-on-the-table-protestors-on-the-shore/ 

Caution:  dig safely when building sand castles – collapsing sand holes can be deadly

• https://theconversation.com/dig-safely-when-building-sandcastles-and-tunnels-this-summer-collapsing-sand-holes-can-cause-suffocation-and-even-death-224704 

Impacts of stormy weather in Cape Town region of South Africa – maritime rescue & carbo ship abandonment

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Stormy_weather_wreaks_havoc_in_SAfricas_Western_Cape_999.html 

Construction slated to begin on first phase of $2.3B South Shore of Staten Island (SSSI) project to add interior drainage areas, seawalls & other stormwater infrastructure

https://theconstructionbroadsheet.com/triumph-set-to-start-m-staten-island-coastal-risk-project-p1814-175.htm

************************************************

"Actually, these are the two best candidates for university president we could find. You need to lower your expectations." - @ass_deans

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geosciences; 2) Environmental Science; 3) Coastal Zone Management - 8 July 2024

Submit a brief article (800-1500 words) on 'Hydrophilanthropy' @AWRAHQ's Watr Resources IMPACT!  Check out: https://bit.ly/3VUZEMX 

All items below this are obtained by Dr. Hanford.

Geoscience Bulletin Board – 8 July 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Role of silica in Yellowstone – rhyolite, geyser cones, petrified tress & algae

• https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/hot-and-cold-journey-silica-begins-yellowstones-rhyolite-and-ends-geyser 

Analysis of seismic waves provides insight into material convective flow in lowermost mantle

• https://eos.org/editors-vox/seismology-helps-us-understand-how-material-flows-in-earths-deepest-mantle 

Seismic shear along major lineament of Sikkim Himalaya diagonal to main thrusts

• https://eos.org/editor-highlights/a-seismogenic-shear-zone-diagonal-to-the-main-himalayan-thrusts 
• Paper:  https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023GC011363

Reactivation of El Kherba landslide in 2020 by M4.9 Mila earthquake

• https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/el-kherba-landslide 

Watershed scale may be more significant in determining timing of alpine flooding than topography

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-watershed-scale-mountainous-river-topography.html

Core sampling of sediments in Salmon River estuary to assess geologic history of tsunamis

• https://www.opb.org/article/2024/06/27/all-science-no-fiction-oregon-coast-diatoms-fossils-soil-cores-marshland-tsunamis/ 

Retrospective on 1974 Quebrada Blanca landslide in Colombia

• https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/quebrada-blanca-landslide 

Massive avalanche near Kedartha Dham, near Chrabari glacier in India

• https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/massive-avalanche-near-kedarnath-dham-none-hurt-6004959 

Increase in seismic swarm activity on Kilauea – no signs of imminent eruption – alert level raised

• https://kauainownews.com/2024/06/30/big-islands-kilauea-rocked-by-500-plus-quakes-with-escalation-of-sesmic-unrest/ 
• https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/kilauea/news/245736/Kilauea-volcano-Hawai-i-alert-level-raised-as-new-seismic-swarm-occurs-under-upper-East-Rift-zone.html 

Recent seismic activity of Mount St Helens

• https://mynorthwest.com/3963290/mount-st-helens-seismic-activity-brewing-350-earthquakes-februrary/

Sinkholes emerging in Turkey

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-sinkholes-turkey-parched-breadbasket.html 
• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Sinkholes_spread_fear_in_Turkeys_parched_breadbasket_999.html 

Lewotobi Laki-Laki and Mount Ibu volcanoes both erupt twice in same day in Indonesia

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Indonesias_Lewotobi_Laki-Laki_volcano_erupts_twice_in_a_day_999.html

Computational method using surface mapping & GPS to map subsurface features – “deformation imaging”

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-imaging-technique-earth-warped-surface.html 
• Paper:  https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adl4264 

Humans played key role in extinctions of megafauna during last 50,000 years – only 11 of 57 species survived

• https://www.sci.news/paleontology/humans-megafauna-extinctions-13068.html 
• Paper:  https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-prisms-extinction/article/latequaternary-megafauna-extinctions-patterns-causes-ecological-consequences-and-implications-for-ecosystem-management-in-the-anthropocene/E885D8C5C90424254C1C75A61DE9D087 

“Snowball Earth” provided environmental conditions for evolution of multicellular organisms

• https://www.sci.news/paleontology/snowball-earth-multicellularity-13063.html 
• Paper:  https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2023.2767

Prehistoric rock art is hidden throughout the Grand Canyon

• https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/prehistoric-rock-art-lies-hidden-throughout-the-grand-canyon 

Argyle Mine in NE Western Australia produced 191 tons of rough diamonds during 37 years of operation

• https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/geology/argyle-mine-earths-treasure-trove-of-pink-diamonds-born-during-a-supercontinents-break-up 

Green River “Labyrinth Canyon” viewed from space

• https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/geology/earth-from-space-green-river-winds-through-radioactive-labyrinth-of-shadows 

Moosehead Lake in Maine owes orgins to geology – ice & volcanoes

• https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/07/03/special-sections/guide_to_moosehead_region_2024/moosehead_lake_owes_everything_to_geology_ice_and_volcanoes-0vzoa9n507wn-2/ 

Book Release:  “Geology of the Lake Tahoe Basin”

• https://yourtahoeguide.com/2024/06/book-exposes-secrets-of-tahoes-geologic-past/

Toadstool Geological Park in NW Nebraska

• https://www.forbes.com/sites/karthikagupta/2024/07/01/prehistoric-exploration-comes-to-life-in-nebraska/ 

Plate tectonics may explain why we are alone in the universe

• https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2024/07/03/this-new-theory-on-why-we-are-alone-in-the-cosmos-may-surprise-you/ 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-54700-x

Dog-sized sea scorpions were top predator 400 myo

• https://ca.news.yahoo.com/dog-sized-sea-scorpions-roamed-060420800.html 

Tourmaline records geologic history

• https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/Articles/2024/July/Tourmaline 

Hadrosaur remains found in Mississippi

• https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2024/07/02/dinosaur-bones-82-million-years-old-found-in-ms-what-was-it/74243898007/ 

Exploring earthquake history at Skilak Lake, Alaska

• https://www.usgs.gov/centers/whcmsc/news/unveiling-earthquake-history 

Present is the key to the past & and vice versa – what happened 56 myo in the Southern Pyrenees of Spain?

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/geological-archives-may-predict-our-climate-future/ar-BB1oQVe4 

Fountains of diamonds erupt from the crust

• https://www.indy100.com/science-tech/geological-event-earth-crust-diamonds-2668651944 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06193-3 

Two new minerals discovered at largest rare earth mine in northern China – niobium-scandium minerals named Oboniobite and Scandio-fluoroeckermannite 

• https://pune.news/international/chinese-geologists-unearth-novel-minerals-at-worlds-largest-rare-earth-mine-197273/ 

Complex glacial history shaped the St Croix Valley near Osceola, Wisconsin

• https://www.stcroix360.com/2024/06/geologists-uncover-new-clues-about-how-glaciers-shaped-the-st-croix-valley/ 

Exploration drilling focused on shallow gas projects in Mpumalanga Province in South Africa

• https://www.proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/1050875/kinetiko-energy-gas-exploration-drilling-in-south-africa-reveals-strong-gassy-geology-1050875.html 

Pilbarra gold mine project placed in receivership – collapsed under debt despite record-breaking gold market

• https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-03/warrawoona-gold-mine-calidus-resources-recievership/104052630 

Retrospective on Ridgecrest earthquakes of 5 years ago

• https://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/ridgecrest-earthquakes-first-responders-and-seismologists-reflect-5-years-later 

Paper:  Island of Palawan in Philippines not quite seismically stable 

• https://temblor.net/temblor/earthquakes-rattle-palawan-philippines-stable-region-16264/ 

Looping networks exhibited in deltas – “Goldilocks fluctuations”

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1050334 

Palos Verde landslides – movement accelerated by heavy rains – exploratory boreholes to locate pockets of water

• https://laist.com/brief/news/climate-environment/rainfall-accelerating-land-movement-in-rancho-palos-verdes 
• https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/palos-verdes-landslide-drilling-operation-could-hit-a-geyser-of-water-next-week 
• https://laist.com/brief/news/climate-environment/rancho-palos-verdes-takes-first-big-step-towards-possibly-slowing-portuguese-bend-slide 
• https://patch.com/california/palosverdes/local-emergency-extended-due-unprecendented-land-movement

Resources, reporting & fraud at Red Pine Exploration

• https://www.geologyforinvestors.com/what-went-wrong-at-red-pine-resources-reporting-and-fraud-in-mining/ 

*************************************************** 

Environmental Science Bulletin Board – 8 July 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Human obsession with growth is killing the planet

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/04/our-obsession-with-growth-is-killing-the-planet-un-report/ 
• https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/jul/02/obsession-with-growth-is-enriching-elites-and-killing-the-planet-we-need-an-economy-based-on-human-rights-olivier-de-schutter 
• Report:  https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g24/069/70/pdf/g2406970.pdf?token=xV57KqwCiuT93NCCUY&fe=true 

APHIS enforcement summaries for 2023

• https://www.aphis.usda.gov/mission/enforcement-summaries 

Baltimore files lawsuit & declares epidemic of “toxic litter” targeting plastic makers & packaging – getting into water supply & puts residents at risk of ingesting toxic chemicals found in plastic

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24062024/baltimore-lawsuit-targets-plastic-maker/

Tractor Supply eliminating DEI activism & will focus on selling its products & focusing on “rural America priorities” such as ag education, animal welfare & veteran causes – more companies likely to follow 

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/06/28/tractor-supply-drops-dei-apologizes-following-customer-feedback/ 

Wait a minute, aren’t they proclaiming that EVs are non-polluting?  Tesla orders by Bay Area AQMD to correct ongoing air quality violations – “frequent, recurring emissions”

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/06/28/tesla-gets-order-to-stop-polluting-excessively-in-california-112-notices-of-violation-since-2019/ 

Colorado announces Dark Sky Month – but what is needed is not just a month but very long-term reduction in light pollution or else this will be as effective as “Earth Hour” & “Earth Day” in reducing human degradation and impacts on the environment

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/06/30/colorado-aims-to-reduce-light-pollution-with-dark-sky-month/ 

“Plastic Free July” is waste of time if only some consumers participate

• https://theconversation.com/plastic-free-july-is-a-waste-of-time-if-the-onus-is-only-on-consumers-233436

Natural immunity in humans to covid is real – despite what Fauci & others proclaimed!

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/why-are-some-people-seemingly-immune-to-covid-19-scientists-may-now-have-an-answer/ar-BB1oO510 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07575-x

Las Vegas municipal water is “safe” but “hard”

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-las-vegas-hard-alarm.html 

Benzodiazepines (tranquilizers) & anti-chololinergic (neurotransmitter blockers) drugs linked to higher dementia risk & memory problems – proscribed for many conditions

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/two-popular-classes-of-drugs-linked-to-higher-dementia-risk-and-memory-problems-possible-alternatives/ar-BB1iBv7i 

US FDA has history of approving dangers & deadly drugs

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/these-are-some-of-the-most-dangerous-and-deadly-drugs-the-fda-has-ever-approved/ar-BB1lu0v9 

Despite known adverse side effects & relative low virulence of the virus, CDC pushing yet another vaxxing booster along with flu shots

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/cdc-recommends-americans-get-new-covid-shots-here-s-what-to-know/ar-BB1pemqX

USFS to begin mechanical forest thinning for fuels reduction on West Shore of Lake Tahoe

• https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/mechanical-forest-thinning-project-to-begin-on-the-west-shore/ 

US Government to pay Moderna $176M to develop bird flu mRNA vaxx – prepping for the next plandemic that they will try to once again force upon the country

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/the-us-will-pay-moderna-176-million-to-develop-an-mrna-pandemic-flu-vaccine/ar-BB1phvI1

Visualizing the most endangered animals in the world

• https://www.visualcapitalist.com/most-endangered-animals-in-the-world-ranked/ 

Six tonnes of illegal ‘drug precursors’ from China are seized in Italy – street value exceeds 630M euros

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Italy_says_seizes_six_tonnes_of_drug_precursors_from_China_999.html 

US DOI rejected proposed 221-mile Ambler Road across federal lands to mineral mining areas – ROD chose no-action plan from Final Supplemental EIS

• https://nativenewsonline.net/environment/department-of-interior-rejects-ambler-access-project-in-alaska 
• EIS document links:  https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2018002/510 

Use of laser & sonar technology reveals less reservoir capacity in California since 1960 due to sedimentation

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-laser-sonar-technology-northern-california.html 

Impact of 4th of July fireworks on air quality

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-reveals-fireworks-impact-air-quality.html 
• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0883292724000118 

What motivates people to watch disaster & extreme weather footage

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-explores-people-footage-disasters-extreme.html 
• Paper:  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17477891.2024.2324058 

Significant flaws found in current climate risk assessment techniques

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-crucial-gaps-climate-methods.html 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48820-1 

China Three Gorges Renewables Group plans $11B expansion of solar & wind

• https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/china-three-gorges-invests-11-billion-in-desert-power-projects-1.2090680

Proposed nuclear power plant expansion at Hanford Site near Richland, Washington – 12 reactors

• https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/jun/30/more-nuclear-power-in-the-tri-cities-northwest-ene/ 

New York City – traffic congestion (worst in the world) – congestion pricing in Manhattan – pause?

• https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-25/nyc-has-the-world-s-worst-traffic-congestion-costing-9-billion
• https://www.freightwaves.com/news/federal-judge-rejects-arguments-against-manhattan-congestion-pricing-plan
• https://www.amny.com/transit/congestion-pricing-federal-report-hochul-manhattan-tolls/ 
• https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/06/26/mta-board-vote-confirms-hochul-congestion-pricing-pause/ 

Technological hazard:  Excessive energy demand of data centers will overwhelm US power grid

• https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/30/failure-to-meet-surging-energy-demand-will-jeopardize-economic-growth-utility-execs-warn.html 

SCOTUS decision to overturn Chevron doctrine puts law-making clearly back in the hands of Congress

• https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/06/26/mta-board-vothttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/supreme-court-decision-upends-biden-administration-s-rules-for-evs-and-emissions/ar-BB1piX89 

Aftermath of covid pandemic – hopefully lessons will be learned from lockdowns & pressuring to accept experimental vaxxing

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/03/the-aftermath-of-covid-four-years-later/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=act_eng&seyid=7179 

Perspective:  California is self-destructing – Newsom portrayal of state is remarkably misleading – turned $98B surplus into $45M deficit, rising crime, homeless capital, businesses closing

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/03/california-is-self-destructing/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=act_eng&seyid=7179 

Book Review:  “The True Believer: The Psychology of Mass Movements” – interchange allegiance to ideologies – “too easy for people to be misled and for totalitarian politics to take hold”

• https://humanjourney.us/development/our-digital-world/the-true-believer/ 

In California Public Safety Power Shutoffs begin - shutting off power to residents in northern counties in high fire risk

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/california-shuts-off-power-to-thousands-of-people/ar-BB1pmi01 

FDA to no long allow use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food products – was not on GRAS list

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-fda-will-no-longer-allow-this-potentially-harmful-additive-found-in-some-sodas/ar-BB1pib9b 

Testing for covid exercise in futility since “symptoms” could be caused by many illnesses– false positives can result

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/are-false-positve-covid-tests-common-doctors-explain/ar-AA1gBVjD 

You are what you eat – diet high in sugar & low in fiber increases risk of colon cancer for those under age 50

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/deadly-diet-combo-theory-behind-colon-cancer-rise-in-young-people/ar-BB1nz29n 

Courtesy of Biden open-border policy – in just the month of June US confiscated enough fentanyl to kill 27M – equal to the combined population of CA, TX, FL, NY & PA 

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/04/u-s-confiscated-enough-fentanyl-to-kill-population-of-5-biggest-states-just-in-june/

Resolutions passed against expansion of Seneca Meadows Landfill in Finger Lakes Region of New York

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02072024/new-york-town-resolutions-opposing-landfill-expansion/

Average American spends $1,200 on prescription medications every year including painkillers, anti-nausea, diabetes & cholesterol, hypertension, arthritis & infections – drugs can change your moods and behaviors

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/the-medications-that-change-who-we-are/ar-AA1lZ3hp 

Man-made global warming is more like a fringe theory

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/04/is-it-right-to-call-anthropogenic-climate-change-a-theory/ 

Another bridge – the 10th bridge in 14 days - collapses in Bihar, India

• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/another-bridge-in-bihar-collapses-10th-in-a-fortnight/articleshow/111500037.cms 

Lake Livingston Dam in Houston under repair as “failure watch” ordered by Trinity River Authority continues

• https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/infrastructure/2024/07/03/492621/lake-livingston-dam-repairs-underway-amid-failure-watch/ 

***************************************************** 

Environmental Science Bulletin Board – 8 July 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford 

Human obsession with growth is killing the planet

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/04/our-obsession-with-growth-is-killing-the-planet-un-report/ 
• https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/jul/02/obsession-with-growth-is-enriching-elites-and-killing-the-planet-we-need-an-economy-based-on-human-rights-olivier-de-schutter 
• Report:  https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g24/069/70/pdf/g2406970.pdf?token=xV57KqwCiuT93NCCUY&fe=true 

APHIS enforcement summaries for 2023

• https://www.aphis.usda.gov/mission/enforcement-summaries 

Baltimore files lawsuit & declares epidemic of “toxic litter” targeting plastic makers & packaging – getting into water supply & puts residents at risk of ingesting toxic chemicals found in plastic

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24062024/baltimore-lawsuit-targets-plastic-maker/

Tractor Supply eliminating DEI activism & will focus on selling its products & focusing on “rural America priorities” such as ag education, animal welfare & veteran causes – more companies likely to follow 

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/06/28/tractor-supply-drops-dei-apologizes-following-customer-feedback/ 

Wait a minute, aren’t they proclaiming that EVs are non-polluting?  Tesla orders by Bay Area AQMD to correct ongoing air quality violations – “frequent, recurring emissions”

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/06/28/tesla-gets-order-to-stop-polluting-excessively-in-california-112-notices-of-violation-since-2019/ 

Colorado announces Dark Sky Month – but what is needed is not just a month but very long-term reduction in light pollution or else this will be as effective as “Earth Hour” & “Earth Day” in reducing human degradation and impacts on the environment

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/06/30/colorado-aims-to-reduce-light-pollution-with-dark-sky-month/ 

“Plastic Free July” is waste of time if only some consumers participate

• https://theconversation.com/plastic-free-july-is-a-waste-of-time-if-the-onus-is-only-on-consumers-233436

Natural immunity in humans to covid is real – despite what fauci & others proclaimed!

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/why-are-some-people-seemingly-immune-to-covid-19-scientists-may-now-have-an-answer/ar-BB1oO510 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07575-x

Las Vegas municipal water is “safe” but “hard”

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-las-vegas-hard-alarm.html 

Benzodiazepines (tranquilizers) & anti-chololinergic (neurotransmitter blockers) drugs linked to higher dementia risk & memory problems – proscribed for many conditions

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/two-popular-classes-of-drugs-linked-to-higher-dementia-risk-and-memory-problems-possible-alternatives/ar-BB1iBv7i 

US FDA has history of approving dangers & deadly drugs

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/these-are-some-of-the-most-dangerous-and-deadly-drugs-the-fda-has-ever-approved/ar-BB1lu0v9 

Despite known adverse side effects & relative low virulence of the virus, CDC pushing yet another vaxxing booster along with flu shots

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/cdc-recommends-americans-get-new-covid-shots-here-s-what-to-know/ar-BB1pemqX

USFS to begin mechanical forest thinning for fuels reduction on West Shore of Lake Tahoe

• https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/mechanical-forest-thinning-project-to-begin-on-the-west-shore/ 

US Government to pay Moderna $176M to develop bird flu mRNA vaxx – prepping for the next plandemic that they will try to once again force upon the country

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/the-us-will-pay-moderna-176-million-to-develop-an-mrna-pandemic-flu-vaccine/ar-BB1phvI1

Visualizing the most endangered animals in the world

• https://www.visualcapitalist.com/most-endangered-animals-in-the-world-ranked/ 

Six tonnes of illegal ‘drug precursors’ from China are seized in Italy – street value exceeds 630M euros

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Italy_says_seizes_six_tonnes_of_drug_precursors_from_China_999.html 

US DOI rejected proposed 221-mile Ambler Road across federal lands to mineral mining areas – ROD chose no-action plan from Final Supplemental EIS

• https://nativenewsonline.net/environment/department-of-interior-rejects-ambler-access-project-in-alaska 
• EIS document links:  https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2018002/510 

Use of laser & sonar technology reveals less reservoir capacity in California since 1960 due to sedimentation

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-laser-sonar-technology-northern-california.html 

Impact of 4th of July fireworks on air quality

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-reveals-fireworks-impact-air-quality.html 
• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0883292724000118 

What motivates people to watch disaster & extreme weather footage

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-explores-people-footage-disasters-extreme.html 
• Paper:  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17477891.2024.2324058 

Significant flaws found in current climate risk assessment techniques

• https://phys.org/news/2024-07-crucial-gaps-climate-methods.html 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48820-1 

China Three Gorges Renewables Group plans $11B expansion of solar & wind

• https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/china-three-gorges-invests-11-billion-in-desert-power-projects-1.2090680

Proposed nuclear power plant expansion at Hanford Site near Richland, Washington – 12 reactors

• https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/jun/30/more-nuclear-power-in-the-tri-cities-northwest-ene/ 

New York City – traffic congestion (worst in the world) – congestion pricing in Manhattan – pause?

• https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-25/nyc-has-the-world-s-worst-traffic-congestion-costing-9-billion
• https://www.freightwaves.com/news/federal-judge-rejects-arguments-against-manhattan-congestion-pricing-plan
• https://www.amny.com/transit/congestion-pricing-federal-report-hochul-manhattan-tolls/ 
• https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/06/26/mta-board-vote-confirms-hochul-congestion-pricing-pause/ 

Technological hazard:  Excessive energy demand of data centers will overwhelm US power grid

• https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/30/failure-to-meet-surging-energy-demand-will-jeopardize-economic-growth-utility-execs-warn.html 

SCOTUS decision to overturn Chevron doctrine puts law-making clearly back in the hands of Congress

• https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/06/26/mta-board-vothttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/supreme-court-decision-upends-biden-administration-s-rules-for-evs-and-emissions/ar-BB1piX89 

Aftermath of covid plandemic – hopefully lessons will be learned from lockdowns & pressuring to accept experimental vaxxing

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/03/the-aftermath-of-covid-four-years-later/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=act_eng&seyid=7179 

Perspective:  California is self-destructing – Newsom portrayal of state is remarkably misleading – turned $98B surplus into $45M deficit, rising crime, homeless capital, businesses closing

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/03/california-is-self-destructing/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=act_eng&seyid=7179 

Book Review:  “The True Believer: The Psychology of Mass Movements” – interchange allegiance to ideologies – “too easy for people to be misled and for totalitarian politics to take hold”

• https://humanjourney.us/development/our-digital-world/the-true-believer/ 

In California Public Safety Power Shutoffs begin - shutting off power to residents in northern counties in high fire risk

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/california-shuts-off-power-to-thousands-of-people/ar-BB1pmi01 

FDA to no long allow use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food products – was not on GRAS list

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-fda-will-no-longer-allow-this-potentially-harmful-additive-found-in-some-sodas/ar-BB1pib9b 

Testing for covid exercise in futility since “symptoms” could be caused by many illnesses– false positives can result

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/are-false-positve-covid-tests-common-doctors-explain/ar-AA1gBVjD 

You are what you eat – diet high in sugar & low in fiber increases risk of colon cancer for those under age 50

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/deadly-diet-combo-theory-behind-colon-cancer-rise-in-young-people/ar-BB1nz29n 

Courtesy of Biden open-border policy – in just the month of June US confiscated enough fentanyl to kill 27M – equal to the combined population of CA, TX, FL, NY & PA 

• https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/04/u-s-confiscated-enough-fentanyl-to-kill-population-of-5-biggest-states-just-in-june/

Resolutions passed against expansion of Seneca Meadows Landfill in Finger Lakes Region of New York

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02072024/new-york-town-resolutions-opposing-landfill-expansion/

Average American spends $1,200 on prescription medications every year including painkillers, anti-nausea, diabetes & cholesterol, hypertension, arthritis & infections – drugs can change your moods and behaviors

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/the-medications-that-change-who-we-are/ar-AA1lZ3hp 

Man-made global warming is more like a fringe theory

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/07/04/is-it-right-to-call-anthropogenic-climate-change-a-theory/ 

Another bridge – the 10th bridge in 14 days - collapses in Bihar, India

• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/another-bridge-in-bihar-collapses-10th-in-a-fortnight/articleshow/111500037.cms 

Lake Livingston Dam in Houston under repair as “failure watch” ordered by Trinity River Authority continues

• https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/infrastructure/2024/07/03/492621/lake-livingston-dam-repairs-underway-amid-failure-watch/ 

***************************************************** 

Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board – 8 July 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford 

 “Amerigo Vespucci” – stunning Italian tall ship with 26 traditional canvas sails in Port of Los Angeles

• https://www.dailynews.com/2024/06/28/most-beautiful-italian-tall-ship-open-for-tours-next-week-in-port-of-la/ 

Pier Road rehabilitation connects Cape Porpoise in Kennebunkport, Maine, to Bickford Island

• https://www.wgme.com/news/local/kennebunkport-town-leaders-say-climate-change-threatens-important-causeway-governor-janet-mills-maine-global-warming 

Sharks in East Coast waters – Tybee Island, Georgia – attacks in Florida - Massachusetts

• Tybee Island:  https://www.wjcl.com/article/tybee-island-georgia-shark-sighting/61428082 
• https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/man-recovering-shark-bite-florida-coast-states-attack-111563451 
• https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/accident/2024/06/28/shark-attacks-man-in-floridas-nassau-county/74249232007/   
• https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/06/25/shark-species-massachusetts-cape-cod 

CCC approval given for multi-million-dollar 1.25-mile coastal trail connecting Morrow Bay & Cayucos 

• https://www.ksby.com/morro-bay/a-multi-million-dollar-coastal-trail-connecting-morro-bay-and-cayucos-has-been-approved-for-construction \

North Carolina DEQ warning issued to Oak Island beachgoers to avoid pumped floodwaters in North Carolina

• https://coastalreview.org/2024/07/oak-island-beachgoers-urged-to-avoid-pumped-floodwaters/ 

Latest episode in the on-going saga of the train tracks and the bluffs at Del Mar, California – alternate routes – California has already designated $300M for project planning & deign

• https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/plans-to-move-train-tracks-off-the-coastal-bluffs-in-del-mar-may-hit-legal-snag/3554800/

Recognizing that coastal environment of Cape Cod is dynamic – using new technology to monitor

• https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/very-dynamic-coastal-environment-new-technology-used-track-cape-cod-beach-erosion/XPSWKYWEW5GRFOJMXZHP5KPB5Q/ 

Perspective:  Optimistically suggesting that reforming landmark California Coastal Act could restore balance between housing & environment 

• https://www.marinij.com/2024/06/30/reforming-californias-landmark-coastal-law-can-restore-balance-between-housing-and-environment/ 

Corpus Christi issues notice of potential impacts of Saharan Dust 

• https://news.cctexas.com/news/saharan-dust-expected-in-coastal-bend-this-weekend 

Flying lots and lots of flags on the Jersey Shore

• https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/30/style/jersey-shore-flags.html 

Two rare sea otters spotted near Cannon Beach in Oregon

• https://www.kptv.com/2024/06/29/conservation-volunteers-spot-rare-sea-otters-near-cannon-beach/ 

Greece prosecutes Kazahk charter yacht passengers for “moral complicity in arson” for wildfire on Hydra Island

• https://maritime-executive.com/article/greek-prosecutors-charge-kazakh-oligarchs-in-megayacht-fire-scandal 

Studying sting ray behavior in California coastal waters

• https://undark.org/2024/07/02/step-forward-stingray-science/ 

Rip currents can be deadly in US coastal waters

• https://nypost.com/2024/06/26/us-news/fifth-tourist-in-4-days-dies-in-waters-off-panama-city-beach/ 
• https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/missouri-woman-dies-vacation-panama-city-beach/63-cfa5aee7-9842-4aff-afda-aa4d314cf99c 
• https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2024/jun/26/lifeguard-saves-seven-rip-current/

Sand boil develops on Main Beach on Gold Coast of Australia

• https://nypost.com/2024/06/28/world-news/mysterious-hole-opens-up-on-australian-beach/ 

New historical marker commemorating early colonization of North Carolia coastal region

• https://www.wtkr.com/news/in-the-community/virginia-beach/virginia-historic-highway-marker-unveiled-on-shore-dr 

Potential impact of tsunamis on structures

• https://www.structuremag.org/?p=27521 

Growth of “green hydrogen” in Magallanes of Tierra del Fuego, Chile, poses high risk to bird sanctuaries & ecosystems – in general wind farms lack planning on gigantic scale

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/03072024/south-america-hydrogen-plan-threatens-bird-sanctuary/ 

Damages to fishing fleet in Barbados from Hurricane Beryl

• https://www.africanews.com/2024/07/04/more-than-26-boats-sink-due-to-hurricane-beryl-in-barbados/ 
• https://time.com/6994896/hurricane-beryl-impact-damage-photos/ 

*****************************************************

"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards." - Soren Kierkegaard (quoted in @CanadaFP via @TheWeek)

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geosciences; 2) Environmental Science; 3) Coastal Zone Management - 1 July 2024

Hurricane Beryl is the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season. Glad I left Honduras in mid-May. 

 Read about it here.

 

***********************************************************************************
Elaine is solely responsible for the entries below. 

Geoscience Bulletin Board – 1 July 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

“Beachball” earthquake focal mechanisms at Yellowstone

• https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/earthquake-focal-mechanisms-lifes-a-beachball 

Future asteroid strike – limited readiness to prevent impact – methods to inform the public not fully developed

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/nasa-predicts-an-asteroid-has-a-72-percent-chance-of-hitting-earth-here-s-when/ar-BB1oOcpG 

New interpretation & mapping off offshore sedimentary basins of New Zealand reveal clues to continental evolution

• https://eos.org/articles/sedimentary-basins-tell-zealandias-ancient-story 

Tracing anthropogenic radionuclides in helps reveal pathways & timing of mingling of Atlantic & Arctic currents

• https://eos.org/research-spotlights/radioactive-isotopes-trace-hidden-arctic-currents 

• Paper:   https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023JC020813 

Distinguishing atmospheric and oceanic tsunami waves from 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption

• https://eos.org/editor-highlights/dual-tsunami-generation-from-atmospheric-and-oceanic-sources 

Experimental model may explain volcanic processes that carbonatite could transport green metals upward to the surface of the Earth in magmatic sulfide systems

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-mantle-crust-green-metal-mystery.html 

• Paper:  https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adl3127

Magnitude of horizontal & vertical displacements in December 2020 Petrinja earthquake in Croatia

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-magnitude-displacements-december-petrinja-earthquake.html 

• Paper:  https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/12/2112 

Toward improved understanding of dust source in Gurbantunggut Desert in Junggar Basin in China

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-gurbantunggut-source.html 

• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921818124001292 

Reservoir of dissolved organic matter in the ocean

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-explore-vast-reservoir-dissolved.html 

Large plume of Saharan Desert dust to reach the Atlantic Coast

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/massive-cloud-of-saharan-dust-is-set-to-reach-the-us-this-week/ar-BB1oOEzt 

Oil-sands production in Canada among most carbon-intensive sources of oil

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/forget-shale-canada-s-oil-sands-are-having-their-moment/ar-BB1oQSlw 

Suggesting that Tunguska event was caused by black hole but evidence is lacking

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/atom-bomb-sized-blast-in-russia-may-have-been-caused-by-a-black-hole/ar-BB1oW68T 

2D hydraulic model for Chain of Lakes on Fox River in McHenry County, Illinois

• https://www.usgs.gov/publications/two-dimensional-hydraulic-model-chain-lakes-fox-river-near-mchenry-illinois 

• USFS SIR 2024-5056:  https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2024/5056/sir20245056.pdf

Predicting depth to bedrock in Delaware River Basin using noisy data on multiscale performance

• https://www.usgs.gov/publications/a-spatial-machine-learning-model-developed-noisy-data-requires-multiscale-performance 

• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364815224001853 

Dissolved arsenic concentrations of upper Klamath River Basin waters in Oregon & California

• https://www.usgs.gov/publications/dissolved-arsenic-concentrations-surface-waters-within-upper-portions-klamath-river 

• USGS SIR 2024-5029:  https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2024/5029/sir20245029.pdf 

Impact of seamounts on ocean circulation due to intense turbulence

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-underwater-mountains-impact-ocean-circulation.html 

Direct measurement (using fluorescent dye) of cold deep water upwelling via turbulent mixing along slope of submarine canyon in Atlantic Ocean - observed rate was 10,000+ times the predicted global average 

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-ocean-paradox-gallons-fluorescent-dye.html 

• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07411-2

Active eruption cycle on Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland may continue for decades

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-iceland-volcano-eruptions-decades.html 

• Paper:  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ter.12733 

New model of “missing” aerosols and cloud condensation nuclei

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-aerosol-cloud-condensation-nuclei.html 

• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07547-1

Water transport in subduction zones includes nominally anhydrous minerals (NAMs) and water-bearing minerals – stishovite (SiO2) may retain large amounts of water but has limited stability deep in the mantle

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-high-pressure-silica-mineral-deep.html 

• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012821X24002231 

New method for visualization & prediction of sedimentation in soft-ground drilling

• https://techxplore.com/news/2024-06-method-visualization-sedimentation-soft-ground.html 

• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123024005280?via%3Dihub 

100-foot diameter sinkhole opens up beneath soccer field in Alton, Illinois– video

• https://weather.com/news/video/massive-sinkhole-swallows-part-of-illinois-soccer-field 

Deformation on Mauna Loa

• https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/news/volcano-watch-beyond-lava-mauna-loas-deformation-story 

Heap leach landslide at Eagle Mine in Canada

• https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/eagle-gold-mine-1

Possible causes of Sorte debris flow in Switzerland

• https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/sorte-debris-flow-2 

Upwelling mantle plume created ocean basin in Mongolia 410 myo

• https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/geology/boiling-rocks-from-earths-crust-tore-an-ocean-into-mongolia-410-million-years-ago 

• Paper:  https://danielpastorgalan.com/publication/2024-zhu-grl/2024-ZHU-GRL.pdf 

Why the US has so many tornadoes – all about convergence & contrast

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-tornadoes-earth-scientist.html 

Reconstruction of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1049726 

• Paper:  https://www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.1073/pnas.2408502121 

Ammonites were not in decline prior to Late Cretaceous event

• https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1049643 

• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-49462-z 

Growth mechanism for golf ball & even grapefruit size hail

• https://theconversation.com/hail-the-size-of-golf-balls-and-even-grapefruit-the-science-of-how-tiny-ice-crystals-grow-dangerously-large-231587

“Expert” opinions on the global methane budget

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-fifty-experts-global-methane.html 

• Paper:  https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023EF004234 

Planetary geology:  lower-temperature hydrothermal vents could create conditions that support if on “ocean worlds” in the Solar System

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Hydrothermal_Vents_on_Ocean_Worlds_Could_Support_Life_UC_Santa_Cruz_Study_Finds_999.html 

• Paper:  https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023JE008202 

Klondike gold rush history from Seattle, Washington, to Skagway

• https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2024/06/seeking-gold-rush-history-seattle-skagway 

Exceptionally well-preserved assemblage of Cambrian trilobites in High Atlas of Morocco

• https://www.sci.news/paleontology/cambrian-trilobites-13054.html 

• https://www.sciencealert.com/never-before-seen-trilobite-anatomy-preserved-by-pompeii-like-ash-in-morocco 

Geomyth - debunking popular claim that Protoceratops inspired legend of the Griffin

• https://www.sci.news/paleontology/protoceratops-griffin-link-13039.html 

• 1989 Paper:  https://www.academia.edu/531069/Paleocryptozoology_A_Call_for_Collaboration_between_Classicists_and_Cryptozoologists 

• Paper:  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/03080188241255543 

Visualizing Saudi Aramco oil reserves

• https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-saudi-aramcos-massive-oil-reserves/ 

Yeah, this is a brilliant idea:  $60M scheme to pump carbon to bottom of the ocean to “solve” non-existent climate crisis

• https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-a-radical-plan-to-pump-carbon-to-the-bottom-of-the-ocean 

El Niño forecast for 18 months using physics-based model – explainable predictability

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-el-nio-months-physics-based.html 

Inbreeding did not cause extinction of Wooly Mammoth – lack of genetic evidence to support inbreeding concept

• https://www.sciencealert.com/inbreeding-not-to-blame-for-wooly-mammoth-extinction-surprising-study-finds 

• Paper:  https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00577-4 

*************************************************** 

Environmental Science Bulletin Board – 1 July 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford 

Targeting pests with pesticides using RNA – that’s like forcing mRNA vaxx on people – what could possibly go wrong?!  No such thing as a “perfect pesticide” as there will be collateral damages

• https://www.science.org/content/article/perfect-pesticide-rna-kills-crop-destroying-beetles-unprecedented-accuracy

SCOTUS to hear case on States rights to prohibit use of puberty blockers & hormones for teens

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-decide-states-may-134325707.html 

Wyoming announces move forward on multi-phase contract to deploy small-scale nuclear reactors

• https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/wyoming-takes-another-step-toward-nuclear-energy/article_757419c8-2f46-11ef-8055-db9161a558f9.html 

South Korea plans to create small modular nuclear reactor industrial hub in Gyeongsang Province

• https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/South-Korea-plans-SMR-industrial-complex 

Large-scale underground infrastructure project in Summerlin completed as Las Vegas sprawl increases

• https://csengineermag.com/platinum-contracting-completes-major-underground-infrastructure-project-for-summerlin-west-expansion/ 

Romancing the River:  Back to Basics?

• https://sibleysrivers.com/romancing-the-river-back-to-basics/

Third bridge collapse in Bihar, India, in past week – police are investigating

• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/third-bridge-collapses-in-bihar-in-one-week/articleshow/111213019.cms

Colorado law bans sales of dental floss, clothes & household products containing PFAS forever chemicals

• https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/new-colorado-law-ban-sales-dental-floss-clothes-household-products-containing-toxic-forever-chemicals/ 

Lawsuits challenge EPA rule that limits PFAS forever chemicals in drinking water

• https://www.wfae.org/2024-06-21/the-epas-new-limits-on-pfas-in-drinking-water-face-legal-challenges 

Rapidan Dam resulted in downstream flooding in Minnesota – full failure imminent as debris accumulates

• https://www.fox9.com/weather/live-updates-rapidan-dam-suffers-partial-failure-home-danger 
• https://www.startribune.com/dam-near-mankato-in-danger-of-imminent-failure/600375733/ 
• https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/rapidan-dam-fails-evacuation-blue-earth-county/ 

At least 22 killed by explosion and fire in lithium battery factory in South Korea

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/22-workers-killed-after-single-malfunctioning-lithium-battery-sets-off-disastrous-chain-reaction/ar-BB1oNeqi 

Carbon offsets are not a solution – they are part of the larger problem of setting bad policy for all the wrong reasons

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/new-analysis-uncovers-major-problem-with-companies-climate-contributions-we-can-t-offset-our-way-to-a-safe-climate-future/ar-BB1oNOw7

Perspective:  Pitting “clean” energy & conservation against each other is a zero-sum game – balance is not possible – battle for lithium also occurring in Argentina where water is critical resource

• NV:  https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/pitting-clean-energy-and-conservation-against-each-other-is-a-zero-sum-game/ar-BB1oNcal 
• Argentina:  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/battle-lines-redrawn-as-argentina-s-lithium-mines-ramp-up-to-meet-electric-car-demand/ar-BB1oRpnH

17 commonly used PFAS forever chemical are absorbed through human skin – dermal bioavailability

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-chemicals-absorbed-human-skin.html 
• Paper:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024003581 

Widespread flooding prompts Dubai to commit to $8B plan for stormwater runoff system

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-dubai-bn-stormwater-runoff.html 

Man found guilty of diverting national park river to ease boat access to Lake Michigan - probation

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/man-found-guilty-of-diverting-national-park-river/ar-BB1oURDk 

Since 1980s particulates from burning fossil fuels have offset (i.e., reduced) warming caused by GHG – now as air pollution is slashed, warmer temperatures result – “inadvertent geoengineering” produces substantial heating

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/we-ve-been-accidentally-cooling-the-planet-and-it-s-about-to-stop/ar-BB1oQVS3 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01442-3 

Ironic:  new book “Proven Climate Solutions…How to Accelerate Change” as “inadvertent geoengineering” consequences are now being acknowledged (see above listed paper) – messing around with forces beyond their ability to grasp 

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/06/24/proven-climate-solutions-a-new-book-on-accelerating-change/ 

California may provide up to $14,000 in incentives (i.e., subsidies) for low-income EV buyers

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/06/25/california-could-provide-up-to-14000-in-incentives-for-low-income-ev-buyers/ 

Buyer Beware:  “gas certification” is greenwashing to promote premium price for low-carbon fuel

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/25062024/low-emission-gas-certification-is-greenwashing-climate-advocates-conclude-in-a-contested-new-report/ 
• Report:  https://earthworks.org/resources/certified-gaslighting-how-gas-certification-has-gained-a-policy-foothold-even-as-it-fails-to-prove-it-can-accurately-detect-emissions/ 

Audacious scheme in India to re-route number of streams to build a mega-river – no transparency for the river-linking project as data is state secret - how could that possibly go wrong?!

• https://hakaimagazine.com/news/the-audacious-scheme-to-reroute-indias-water/ 

Gas emissions from many municipal landfills contain PFAS forever chemicals

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-landfill-burps-airborne-pfas.html 

New analysis suggests Rapa Nui (Easter Island) supported a small resilient population – but then why did they disappear?

• https://theconversation.com/rocks-on-rapa-nui-tell-the-story-of-a-small-resilient-population-countering-the-notion-of-a-doomed-overpopulated-island-232935 

No big surprise! 20% (177,000) of almost a million immigrants released in the US cannot be found again – terrorism threats heightened

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/feds-can-t-find-foreign-nationals-released-into-us-as-terrorism-threats-heightened/ar-BB1oSWrG 

 

Illegal immigrants crossing our Northern Border also pose significant threat to America

• https://dailycaller.com/2024/06/24/1300-increase-northern-illegal-migrant-crossings-reported/ 

Technological hazard:  Large chunk of debris from SpaceX rocket landed in North Carolina 

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/elon-musk-s-spacex-debris-narrowly-misses-hikers-as-nasa-confirms-it-s-re-entry-in-nc/ar-BB1oVWXM 

The Yakima Nation & the Goldendale “green energy” project – need to protect sacred spiritual teachings

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/in-a-push-for-green-energy-one-federal-agency-made-tribes-an-offer-they-had-to-refuse/ar-BB1oUPi6 

Campaign donations under Biden reap huge profits (billions of dollars) for Arizona solar company

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/a-signature-biden-law-aimed-to-boost-renewable-energy-it-also-helped-a-solar-company-reap-billions/ar-BB1oVnCS 

Charges of unethical conduct & inappropriately aggressive response to probe of East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment – report says sensors failed

• https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/25/norfolk-southern-east-palestine-investigation-00164840 
• https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4738815-east-palestine-ohio-train-crash-rail-sensors-failed-national-transporation-safety-board/ 

SCOTUS to consider reviving critical approval for railroad project to transport crude oil & boost fossil fuel production in eastern Utah

• https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-utah-uinta-basin-railway-oil-d6dfb030e7176d8bfed30906ad839981 

Lifespan of a nuclear power plant?  Average worldwide is 32 years & has never reached 60

• https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jun/24/coalition-nuclear-policy-peter-dutton-power-plants-100-years-run-time 

$87M in funding approved by Migratory Bird Conservation Commission to conserve, restore or enhance 316M acres of critical wetland & associated upland habitat

• https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-announces-more-87-million-wetland-conservation-projects-and 

San Antonio River Authority will re-introduce freshwater mussels into the river – more to come

• https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2024/05/17/sara-reintroduces-freshwater-mussels-in-first-in-texas-conservation-effort/ 

More federal subsidies for solar power through WAP and LIHEAP programs

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/06/27/bridging-the-solar-energy-gap-through-federal-assistance-programs/ 

EPA formally asked US Army to sample & test Kendaia & Reeder Creeks for PFAS chemicals that may have migrated from decommissioned Seneca Army Depot into Seneca Lake in New York

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26062024/seneca-new-york-epa-army-pfas-testing/ 

Technological hazard:  transportation cybersecurity over the past decade

• https://highways.dot.gov/public-roads/summer-2024/01 
• Cybersecurity language:  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/73792 
• US DOT research program:  https://www.its.dot.gov/research_areas/cybersecurity/ 

Another $375M in federal subsidies committed to renewable “clean energy” projects - PACE

• https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4741588-biden-administration-puts-375-million-toward-rural-renewables/ 

Brigham City, Utah, applied “Lace Guard Oxy” treatment to Mantua Reservoir to kill algal bloom – hydrogen peroxide-based algaecide – questions about impacts on birds, bees & insects

• https://www.fastcompany.com/91145726/utah-toxic-algal-blooms-lakeguard-oxy 

Life is what happens when you are offline

• https://www.fastcompany.com/91146404/gallup-emotions-report-2024-happiness-internet 
• Global Emotions Report link:  https://www.gallup.com/analytics/349280/gallup-global-emotions-report.aspx 
• Global Happiness Report summary & link: https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2024/happiness-of-the-younger-the-older-and-those-in-between/ 

Connecticut starting the reverse trend – abandoned requiring all new cars sold to be EVs – other states will likely soon follow

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/autos-hybrids/connecticut-reverses-course-on-new-ice-car-ban-after-2035/ar-BB1p0tmp 

Tourons learn the hard way – need to leave the grizzly bears & other wild animals alone!

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/tourist-learns-the-hard-way-never-to-approach-a-grizzly-bear-for-photos-no-matter-how-cute-it-looks/ar-BB1oZHpZ 

Scientists injected radioactive chips into live rhino horns in attempt to curb poaching – yeah, right, “the best idea I’ve ever heard”

• https://www.sciencealert.com/world-first-scientists-make-live-rhino-horns-radioactive-to-fight-poaching-in-south-africa 

****************************************************** Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board – 1 July 2024 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanfor

BOEM gives final approval for Construction & Operation Plan for 924 MW Sunrise Wind offshore project

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/06/25/924-megawatt-sunrise-wind-project-receives-final-approval-from-u-s-department-of-the-interior/ 

Harpswell harbor master looking toward steps to dispose of whale carcass floating offshore

• https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/life/animals/wildlife/dead-whale-carcass-harpswell-bailey-island-orrs-island-wills-gut-floating-offshore-harpswell-maine-disposal-wildlife/97-153babcf-c304-4172-9d14-7041f8522344 

Multi-well drilling program in Block 50 off coast of Oman competed 

• https://www.offshore-energy.biz/jack-up-rig-sets-the-seal-on-drilling-campaign-offshore-oman/

Presence of glauconite may preclude one-third of Massachusetts offshore wind site from construction

• https://franklinobserver.town.news/g/franklin-town-ma/n/265042/report-says-13-key-offshore-wind-site-may-be-unbuildable 

Merger of interests in Nigerian deepwater oil site to produce light to medium sweet crude

• https://www.offshore-mag.com/business-briefs/company-news/article/55091027/africa-oil-btg-agree-to-nigerian-deepwater-merger 

Conflict between enforcing laws to protect marine life and the Eastern Shore Jubilee in Alabama

• https://1819news.com/news/item/coastal-alabama-lawmakers-want-fishing-laws-to-change-during-jubilees-after-man-arrested-by-game-warden 

Questioning logic of groin bill on Bald Head Island – costs & impacts on marine life

• https://coastalreview.org/2024/06/bald-head-island-conservancy-questions-groin-bill-logic/ 

Dolphins in SE US have elevated mercury levels – highest concentrations found in Florida between St Joseph & Choctawatchee Bay – dolphins are “sentinel species”

• https://www.earth.com/news/elevated-mercury-levels-discovered-in-dolphins/ 
• News release:  https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2024/06/research-finds-dolphins-elevated-mercury-levels-florida-and-georgia 
• Paper:  https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/5/327 

Comprehensive & precise mapping of coastal dunes for conservation – “coastal squeeze” phenomenon

• https://phys.org/news/2024-06-dunes-decoded-comprehensive-precise-coastal.html 
• Paper:  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01431161.2024.2354135 

Lifeguard “pirate” death caused by shark attack off Iaekahana Beach on Oahu, Hawaii

• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/pirates-caribbean-actor-dies-shark-102833957.html

University of Maine designed floating wind turbine failed to advance in US DOE “FLOWIN Prize” competition – UMaine received $7.1M federal grant via 2009 Recovery Act & $10M grant to study offshore wind structures – wasted money

• https://www.themainewire.com/2024/06/umaines-floating-wind-turbine-scheme-fails-to-advance-in-biden-admin-offshore-wind-contest/

Reintroduction of Eastern indigo snakes in Conecuh National Forest in Alabama may result in improvement of coastal species range 

• https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/eastern-indigo-snakes-alabama-reintroduction-forest/ 

Connections between tourism industry & coastal ports in Oregon

• https://www.tillamookheadlightherald.com/news/oregons-coastal-ports-pillars-of-our-tourism-ecosystem/article_e43d2e36-26c0-5e9a-96bd-647e617bc11f.html 

New multi-billion-dollar coastal Calabar-Lagos highway in Nigeria is modeled after PCH in California – only one of the problems – mired in controversy

• https://www.fastcompany.com/91142139/nigeria-coastal-highway-modeled-after-californias-pch-thats-only-one-of-its-problems 

Estimated surface-water flows using gradient-related discharge in Everglades network

• https://www.usgs.gov/publications/representation-surface-water-flows-using-gradient-related-discharge-everglades-network 
• USGS SIR 2024-504:  https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2024/5041/sir20245041.pdf 

Chesapeake Bay Program failing in progress toward 2025 cleanup goals under 2014 Watershed Agreement

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26062024/chesapeake-bay-program-flunked-2025-cleanup-goals/ 
• Paper:  https://www.eli.org/sites/default/files/files-pdf/54.10470.pdf
• 2014 Agreement:  https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/what-guides-us/watershed-agreement 

Icon of the Seas – Newly-delivered, largest cruise ship sustained fire & lost power in port at Costa Maya, Mexico

• https://maritime-executive.com/article/small-fire-breaks-out-aboard-world-s-largest-cruise-ship

Sewage treatment plants release wastewater into swamps in Louisiana that drains into Lake Pontchartrain & the Gulf – rely on “wetlands assimilation” to treat wastewater

• https://www.nola.com/news/environment/dozen-louisiana-sewage-plants-discharge-to-swamps-does-it-help-or-hurt/article_eb1b4248-29b3-11ef-b44d-e74746210bcd.html 

Panama Canal Authority (ACP) warns waterway will continue to face water shortage

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Panama_Canal_agency_warns_water_shortage_is_not_over_999.html 

UNESCO issues urgent call for Australia to protect Great Barrier Reef

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Urgent_for_Australia_to_protect_Great_Barrier_Reef_UNESCO_999.html 

But, after trillion tons of CO2, Great Barrier Reef hits record coral cover for 3rd year in a row – “60% of man-made CO2 emissions have occurred since 198 but today corals are healthier than ever”

• https://joannenova.com.au/2024/06/after-a-trillion-tons-of-co2-the-great-barrier-reef-hits-record-coral-cover-third-year-in-a-row/ 

$16.7M in funding available for technologies & partnerships focused on coastal resilience

• https://cleantechnica.com/2024/06/27/16-7-million-for-marine-technology-innovation-through-the-inflation-reduction-act/ 

Lots of gray whales are swimming into San Francisco Bay – at least 71 different whales confirmed

• https://www.times-standard.com/2024/06/25/wildlife-mystery-why-are-gray-whales-are-swimming-into-san-francisco-bay-in-increasing-numbers/ 

Falkland Islands began public consultation of environmental impact of Sea Lion Field Northern Development Area based on floating production storage & offloading vessels

• https://www.offshore-technology.com/news/falkland-islands-begins-environmental-consultation-on-sea-lion-field/ 

Engineers crafting $34B plan to protect Galveston coastline & Houston from the next big hurricane – right, structural controls will work this time

• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/galveston-texas-plan-stop-next-big-storm-hurricane-ike-180984487/ 

North Carolina coast starts summer with 150+ rip current rescues, alligator scare & shark bite report

• https://www.cbs17.com/news/north-carolina-news/summer-starts-at-nc-beaches-with-150-water-rescues-a-shark-bite-report-and-a-scary-alligator/

******************************************************

"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." - Winston Churchill