Friday, February 4th, 2011
, - Agence France-Presse (France)
Stephan: I hate these stories, they make me so sad. I grew up on the Chesapeake Bay in a house that was built in 1653. Diaries from that time describe oysters as big a dinner plates, routinely found in those waters, 'one enough for a stout man's supper.' When I was a boy they were about as big as a man's hand. Now they are almost gone -- and Virginia is one of the 'good' areas. We are like spoiled children smashing our toys. And we will have to live with the consequences of our actions.
A survey of oyster habitats around the world has found that the succulent mollusks are disappearing fast and 85 percent of their reefs have been lost due to disease and over-harvesting.
Most of the remaining wild oysters in the world, or about 75 percent, can be found in five locations in North America, said the study published in BioScience, the journal of the American Institute of Biological Sciences.
An international team of researchers led by Michael Beck of the Nature Conservancy and the University of California, Santa Cruz, examined the condition of native oyster reefs in 40 ecoregions, including 144 bays.
‘Oyster reefs are at less than 10 percent of their prior abundance in most bays (70 percent) and ecoregions (63 percent),’ said the study.
‘They are functionally extinct — in that they lack any significant ecosystem role and remain at less than one percent of prior abundances in many bays (37 percent) and ecoregions (28 percent) — particularly in North America, Australia and Europe.’
By averaging the loss among all regions, the researchers came up with an estimate that 85 percent of oyster reef ecosystems have been lost, but said that figure was likely low because some areas lacked historical records for comparison.
The study […]
No Comments
Friday, February 4th, 2011
HELENE COOPER and MARK LANDLER, - The New York Times
Stephan: We have spent hundreds of billions of dollars constructing a vast intelligence network. Hundreds of thousands of people are employed, enormous technological resources are in place, civil rights are hardly considered, yet once again the whole system appears to have been caught flatfooted.
It is very important we do everything we can to assist a smooth transition in Egypt. A radicalized Egypt is a monster not to be dreamed of.
WASHINGTON – The Obama administration is discussing with Egyptian officials a proposal for President Hosni Mubarak to resign immediately and turn over power to a transitional government headed by Vice President Omar Suleiman with the support of the Egyptian military, administration officials and Arab diplomats said Thursday.
Even though Mr. Mubarak has balked, so far, at leaving now, officials from both governments are continuing talks about a plan in which Mr. Suleiman, backed by Lt. Gen. Sami Enan, chief of the Egyptian armed forces, and Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, the defense minister, would immediately begin a process of constitutional reform.
The proposal also calls for the transitional government to invite members from a broad range of opposition groups, including the banned Muslim Brotherhood, to begin work to open up the country’s electoral system in an effort to bring about free and fair elections in September, the officials said.
Senior administration officials said that the proposal was one of several options under discussion with high-level Egyptian officials around Mr. Mubarak in an effort to persuade the president to step down now.
They cautioned that the outcome depended on several factors, not least Egypt’s own constitutional protocols and the mood of the protesters on the streets […]
No Comments
Friday, February 4th, 2011
, - Cornell University/Newswise
Stephan: We know how to make it work, so the real question is what else is a higher priority than rearing healthy children capable and trained to express their full potential?
Growing up poor increases a person’s likelihood of health problems as an adult, but a new study led by a Cornell University environmental psychologist shows that being raised in a tight-knit community can help offset this disadvantage of poverty.
The study, ‘Loosening the Link Between Childhood Poverty and Adolescent Smoking and Obesity : The Protective Effects of Social Capital
No Comments
Friday, February 4th, 2011
SAHIL KAPUR, - The Raw Story
Stephan: If someone told me they had control of my body I would be outraged. 'Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), the vice chair of the DNC and an outspoken voice on women's issues, told Raw Story that the bill amounted to 'a violent act against women.' I agree and find it very significant that large numbers of women don't agree.
WASHINGTON — Engulfed by criticisms from women’s advocates, House Republicans have reportedly given up on legislative language that would deny some rape victims the ability to seek federally-assisted abortion coverage.
But according to the leading abortion rights group NARAL, a new version of a related bill would allow hospitals to deny abortion care to a woman even if her life is in danger. (NARAL obtained an advance copy of the new markup.)
A spokesperson for NARAL told Raw Story that Republicans have added a provision to H.R 358, the ‘Protect Life Act,’ sponsored by Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA), to amend the Affordable Care Act in a way that could preclude women in life-threatening situations from receiving an abortion.
‘Anti-choice politicians have gone from redefining rape to denying abortion care to women who will die without it,’ NARAL president Nancy Keenan said in a statement. ‘When it comes to attacking women’s freedom and privacy, these politicians know no bounds. This debate is just getting started. Any member of Congress who has signed his or her name to this agenda must be held accountable for such extreme attacks against women’s reproductive-health services.’
Politico reported Thursday that Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the sponsor of the ‘No Taxpayer […]
No Comments
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011
Stephan: Approximately 1.7 million people listen to Glenn Beck -- a declining number, true, but still a significant one -- and take what he says seriously. What I infer from this is that it is another manifestation of Willful Ignorance. A large group of Americans have simply decided to commit to a fantasy, rather than deal with the reality. I urge you to click through and actually watch his performance.
It took a few days for right-wing opportunists to figure out exactly how to deal with the popular uprising against Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, but they’ve caught up. Most of the world has watched the massive, peaceful demonstrations with deep admiration, hopes for a peaceful outcome, and uncertainty about where it will end up, especially with the emergence of violent Mubarak thugs Wednesday. Some Republicans, including John Boehner and even Mitt Romney, have actually managed to praise President Obama’s cautious but increasingly firm statements demanding change. Despite the confusion, some right-wing fear-mongers are galloping to wildly false conclusions that serve them politically.
Naturally, Glenn Beck is the worst. We know he’s losing his audience — his January ratings were his lowest since his show began two years ago — and he may be losing his mind. Monday night Beck outlined his grand vision of three dominant world powers, as a result of the Egyption turmoil. In case you missed it: ‘One, a Muslim caliphate that controls the Mideast and parts of Europe. Two, China, that will control Asia, the southern half of Africa, part of the Middle East, Australia, maybe New Zealand, and God only knows what else. And Russia, which will […]
No Comments
