Blue Marble

Moot Science

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| Wed Jun. 13, 2007 4:31 PM PDT

A few headlines on studies that, somehow, don't seem to need study:

Daddies' girls choose men who look like their fathers

Patient Care Improves when Medical Residents Work Fewer Hours

Catastrophic Events Can Affect A Person's Sleep

The American Academy of Sleep Disorders is a treasure trove of research into the obvious, including "Sleep Disorders Highly Prevalent Among Police Officers," "Sleep Restriction Affects Children's Speech," "Children With Sleep Disorder Symptoms Are More Likely To Have Trouble Academically," "Sleep Deprivation Affects Airport Baggage Screeners' Ability To Detect Rare Targets" ... Yawn. --JULIA WHITTY

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Logging Increased Wildfire Severity

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| Mon Jun. 11, 2007 7:04 PM PDT

The Biscuit Fire of 2002 burned more far more severely in areas that had been salvage logged and replanted compared to similar areas that were also burned in a wildfire that was left to regenerate naturally. The new study from Oregon State University and the Pacific Northwest Research Station of the USDA Forest Service found that fire severity was 16 to 61 percent higher in logged and planted areas, compared to those that had burned severely and were left alone in a fire 15 years earlier. The study seems to debunk the working but untested hypothesis that salvage logging and replanting make fewer future wildfires. Hmm. Seems that trees, forests, and their atmosphere-scrubbing services might be happier without our [mis]management… --JULIA WHITTY

Environmental Fact of the Day

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| Mon Jun. 11, 2007 3:21 PM PDT

suvs4.jpgAmerican drivers burn 380 million gallons of gas per day, up nearly 20 percent from a decade ago. American cars are less and less fuel efficient, and Americans are driving more—despite the increasingly absurd cost of gasoline. The average driver logged 15,000 miles last year (that's 3 trillion total miles of car travel). In 1985, the average driver covered less than 12,000 miles.

I didn't drive 15,000 miles last year and my ride is a Honda Civic, but I'm guilty of automobile addiction, too. Driving seems so easy and convenient, but when you factor in traffic, road rage, gas prices, and, uh, life on Earth as we know it, it's not really such a great deal, is it?

Shift Happens

—By

| Mon Jun. 11, 2007 2:16 PM PDT

--JULIA WHITTY

Green Goods: Sprig Makes Consumerism (Almost) Guilt-Free

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| Thu Jun. 7, 2007 5:08 PM PDT

HILO_gravyboat.jpgTo anyone who's browsed the "green" issues of Domino and Dwell, it's no surprise that you can now buy beautifully designed, environmentally sound products that don't involve hemp. For those with a modern aesthetic, the new Sprig.com offers a plethora of elegant glasses, aprons, drawer pulls, and other must-have accessories for the stylish environmentalist.

Sprig was created by the Washington Post folks, back in April, but its staff has a solid history working for high-end, consumerist glossies like Vanity Fair and In Style Home and it shows in the site's design. The pretty site easily guides shoppers through categories—home, food, fashion—featuring trendy goodies from eco-friendly manufacurers, who range from the large and well known (Muji, Pottery Barn) to the gal who hand sews vintage-style aprons in her home studio.

Another key feature of the site is that it tells you exactly why each product is "green" and allows you to search by how the product helps the environment, whether it's vegan, resource-saving, sustainable, or recycled. My faves: the classic, hand-made British 28" suitcase by GlobeTrotter and the Emma Gardner fair trade, hand-knotted rug with the gold/cerulean blossom pattern.

And even their tagline aims to make green consumerism fun: Sassy People are Into Green.

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Weird Weather Watch: Cyclone in the Middle East

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| Thu Jun. 7, 2007 1:29 PM PDT

oman_cyclone.jpg

Oman, a country in the Middle East, was hit by a cyclone (another name for a hurricane) yesterday, killing 23 and causing severe flooding and the evacuation of 60,000 residents. Although it was not an especially powerful storm in absolute terms, Cyclone Gonu was the strongest to hit Oman since record keeping began in 1945. That's because Oman is usually where storms limp off to die after wreaking havoc on Southeast Asia.

Iran will likely be hit today, but the storm has weakened significantly. Nonetheless, its threat to oil pipelines caused a spike in gas prices, which are already at record highs. These are the kind of ironies that global warming will continue to deliver—you get to chuckle at fossil-fueled climate change unsettling the oil market, but, in the end, high prices and 60,000 displaced people aren't really that funny.

Amnesty International Adopts Powerful Technology To Protect Darfur

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| Thu Jun. 7, 2007 12:27 PM PDT

Amnesty International USA is using powerful satellite cameras to monitor highly vulnerable villages in war-torn Darfur. This is the first-ever technological capability by human rights defenders to track possible targets of attack, prevent new atrocities, and save lives, says Amnesty. The human rights organization is inviting ordinary people worldwide to help protect 12 villages by visiting the Eyes on Darfur project website (www.eyesondarfur.org) and put Sudanese President al-Bashir on notice that the areas are being watched around the clock. Check it out. --JULIA WHITTY

Weird Weather Watch: Killer Algae Bloom

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| Wed Jun. 6, 2007 1:15 PM PDT

sea_lion.jpgSea lions (pictured) and elephant seals are sick and dying off the coast of California due to a record algae bloom. Algae produces domoic acid, which is toxic to sea mammals in large doses. "In over 22 years of marine mammal rescues, I've never seen such distress of marine mammals," said Peter Wallerstein of the Whale Rescue Team, a private marine mammal rescue group. Researchers aren't sure what caused the massive bloom, but their suspects include climate change, pollution, and shifting nutrients in the water.

For Mother Jones' coverage of the effects of climate change and pollution on the ocean, click here.

Noah's Ark Of 5,000 Rare Animals Floating Off China

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| Tue Jun. 5, 2007 2:18 PM PDT

Five thousand of the world's rarest animals have been found drifting in a deserted boat near the coast of China. The Guardian reports the cargo included 31 pangolins, 44 leatherback turtles, 2,720 monitor lizards, and 1,130 Brazilian turtles, as well as 21 bear paws wrapped in newspaper. Photographs showed other animals, including an Asian giant turtle. They were found crushed inside crates on a rickety wooden vessel that had lost engine power. Most were still alive. The haul came from one of the world's most lucrative and destructive smuggling routes between the threatened jungles of southeast Asia and the restaurants of southern China. The animals were found when local fishermen noticed a strange smell emanating from the vessel, which did not have any registration plates. Coastguard officials boarded the deserted craft and found more than 200 crates of animals, many so dehydrated in the tropical sun they were close to death. The 13 tons of animals were taken to port, doused with water, and sent to an animal welfare center. "We have received some animals," said an office worker at the Guangdong Wild Animal Protection Centre. "We are waiting to hear from the authorities what we should do with them"...What to do with them? Another seriously bad day for any faith in human nature. --JULIA WHITTY

Photo Essays + Slideshows

kids smoking

Glamorous Photos of Kids Smoking

Frieke Janssens' images of kids and (fake!) cigarettes capture the ugliness and the not-quite-bygone glamour of smoking.

Slideshow: "Enjoy an Ice Cream Cone Shortly Before Lunch"

10 classic ads from the sugar and cereal industries.

Portraits of Addiction

A Manhattan banker shoots portraits of drug abuse, sex work, and homelessness in the Bronx.

Garry Winogrand, John F. Kennedy, Democratic National Convention, Los Angeles, 1

Never Before Seen Photos From Legendary Street Photographer Garry Winogrand

Fourteen amazing scenes of life in America—and hundreds more where that came from.

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