Quiche Moraine

Army corps no friend to trees; What is killing Chile’s wildlife?; Ecotopia from Anasazi Cliff Dwellings; Strange clouds; Tick population is spreading in Minnesota.

Army Corps orders thousands of trees chopped down

COLUMBIA, La. – The Army Corps of Engineers is on a mission to chop down every tree in the country that grows within 15 feet of a levee — including oaks and sycamores in Louisiana, willows in Oklahoma and cottonwoods in California.

The corps is concerned that the trees’ roots could undermine barriers meant to protect low-lying communities from catastrophic floods like the ones caused by Hurricane Katrina.
yahoo

What Is Killing Chile’s Coastal Wildlife?

First, in late March the bodies of about 1,200 penguins were found on a remote beach in southern Chile. Next came the sardines — millions of them — washed up dead on a nearby stretch of coastline in April, causing a stench so noxious that nearby schools were closed and the army was called in to shovel piles of rotting fish off the sand. Then it was the turn of the rare Andean flamingos. Over the course of approximately three months, thousands of them abandoned their nests on a salt lake in the Atacama Desert in the far north of Chile. Their eggs failed to hatch, and all 2,000 chicks died in their shells. Finally, in late May came the pelicans — nearly 60 of them, found dead on the central Chilean coast.
time

Co-Op Canyon: Ecotopia Inspired by Anasazi Cliff Dwellings

Inspired by the cliff-side villages of Anasazi Indians, Co Op Canyon is a terraced urban oasis full of vertical gardens and lush spaces that aims to create a holistic, community-centered, sustainable city block. Designed by LA-based architecture and design firm, Standard for the Re:Vision Dallas competition, the canyon harvests enough rainwater, solar energy, and agriculture to completely sustain its 1,000 residents.
inhabit

The cloud with no name: Meteorologists campaign to classify unique ‘Asperatus’ clouds seen across the world

Whipped into fantastical shapes, these clouds hang over the darkening landscape like the harbingers of a mighty storm.

But despite their stunning and frequent appearances, the formations have yet to be officially recognised with a name.

They have been seen all over Britain in different forms – from Snowdonia to the Scottish Highlands – and in other parts of the world such as New Zealand, but usually break up without producing a storm.
Mail Online

Tick population spreading in Minnesota

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) — Disease-carrying ticks appear to be on the rise in Minnesota, and spreading to parts of the state that didn’t have the bugs as recently as five years ago, state health officials say.

Melissa Kemperman, state Health Department epidemiologist, said blacklegged ticks and deer ticks — which carry Lyme disease — are spreading north and west, in Stearns, Wright and Todd counties. She said the reason for the increase isn’t clear.
Kare11

This entry was posted on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 2:12 am and is filed under Blogosphere. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.