Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Great Bear Rainforest Threatened by Oil Pipeline (Video) *Home of the Spirit Bear*

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Spirit Bear (Ursus americanus kermodei)


Great Bear Rainforest The pristine Great Bear Rainforest is in British Columbia and mostly accessible by aircraft via water or by water. This untouched ecosystem is threatened by a proposed oil pipeline running from Alberta to British Columbia. National Geographic calls this the pipeline through paradise. The oil pipeline would run through Great Bear Rainforest plus the oil terminal would be on this wild coast of British Columbia, a bay of the forest. The proposed twin pipeline would be 1,200 kilometers in length. Oil tankers would load the oil on the coast and transport it to China. Ian McAllister, Director of Pacific Wild, says, "The idea of a supertanker in a place like this would destroy it forever."

Photographing the Rainforest Wildlife and landscape photographers of the International League of Conservation Photographers are converging on the Great Bear Rainforest to assist in saving this unpolluted ecosystem through photos documenting the magnificent scenery and diverse wildlife. Paul Nicklen, of National Geographic, photographed the iconic Spirit Bears. To locate these elusive bears, Nicklen says, "You have to have patience and passion. There are very few Spirit Bears. You have to put in 18 hour days for 6 weeks at a time just to get a few glimpses of this white bear". Ian McAllister adds, "Our hope is that this place will be illustrated in images so that we can show the world what's really at stake here".

Spirit Bears Marvin Robinson is a guide, tracker, and member of the Git’gat First Nations, which is native to the Great Bear Rainforest. His tribe considers the Spear Bear as sacred and until recently only spoke of the bear in whispers. The Spirit Bear is a subspecies of the American Black Bear and some, estimated at 10%, have a white or cream coat due to a recessive gene. The Spirit Bear with a population of less than 500 is more rare than Panda Bears and is sometimes called "Canada's Panda". The Git’gat First Nations is among tribes that are opposing the "pipeline through paradise". BC’s Coastal First Nations have declared a unified opposition to oil tankers in their traditional territories, including the Great Bear Rainforest.

Pipeline Defender Some say the pipeline would skirt the Great Bear Rainforest and only travel through the region in double-hull oil tankers, guided by tugboats. John Carruthers, President of Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines, says, "We believe the potential of a spill is remote. We'll also put in very thorough plans as to what we would do in the event of a spill. The public needs to understand that we can respond effectively, if there is an incident". However, an Enbridge pipeline burst in Michigan, spilling a million gallons of oil into a river that flows into the Great Lakes.

The Hunt for the Rare Spirit Bears Searching for spirit bears, a rare white bear species revered by locals. After 3 days of searching, led by Git’gat guide Marvin Robinson, the ABC News team sees a spirit bear. The Great Bear Rainforest, one of the "last truly wild places on Earth".



Slide Show: Spirit Bears and the Great Bear Rainforest Conservationists hope photo spread will bring attention to pipeline proposal. Click here to see photos of the awe-inspiring Great Bear Rainforest.




Pacific Wild is a non-profit conservation organization that is committed to defending wildlife and their habitat on Canada’s Pacific coast.


International League of Conservation Photographers
To further environmental and cultural conservation through communication initiatives aimed at creating vital content and disseminating conservation messages to a wide variety of audiences.



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Monday, July 18, 2011

Tea Party Opposes Protecting Endangered Florida Manatees (Video) *Safe haven is against Bible & Bill of Rights plus a UN Conspiracy???*

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Florida Manatee: Mother and Child


Endangered Florida Manatee The St. Petersburg Times is reporting, "Kings Bay, famed as the one place in Florida where humans can swim with and even touch the manatees, is facing a renewed battle over how much protection for manatees is too much. That argument has been going on there since Jacques Cousteau featured Kings Bay's manatees in his 1972 documentary Forgotten Mermaids". The Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostrus) is a gentle, slow moving aquatic relative of the elephant and is listed as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act and on the IUCN Red List. The Defenders of Wildlife reports, "Threats to manatees include destruction and degradation of their coastal and freshwater habitat. The leading known cause of death is by boat strikes; propellers and hulls inflict serious or mortal wounds. Most manatees have a pattern of scars on their backs or tails after surviving collisions with boats. Scientists use these patterns to identify individuals. Manatees are also vulnerable to cold water. They have also been found crushed or drowned in flood-control gates and suffer harm from exposure to toxic red tide."

Protecting Endangered Manatees Against the Bible??? The Citrus County Tea Party Patriots are against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service placing boating and other activity restrictions near Crystal River, Florida to protect the Florida Manatee. The USFWS wants to eliminate the "summer water sports zone" where high-speed boats are allowed plus establish a permanent sanctuary for the Florida Manatee. Edna Mattos, leader of the group, and Barbara Bartlett, a member, provided reasons the Citrus County Tea Party Patriots should be able to do what they want, how they want, when they want, and where they want, regardless of the consequences to habitat, heritage, history, ecosystems, wildlife, or the consideration of other people. No mention of Christian stewardship of God's Creation on this list!
1) "We cannot elevate nature above people" because "that's against the Bible and the Bill of Rights".
2) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has no business sticking its nose into Citrus County.
3) The new regulations will be bad for the local economy.
4) The new regulations will erode private property rights along the waterfront.
5) This all ties to Agenda 21 of the United Nations to impose world government.
6) Agenda 21 of the United Nations is designed "to make humans into livestock".
7) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service aim is to "control the fish and wildlife, in addition to the use of the land that surrounds this area, and the people that live here and visit".
8) "If some of these environmental movements had been around in the days of the dinosaurs, we'd be living in Jurassic Park now."

Tea Party "Dead Wrong" Pat Rose of the Save the Manatee Club says people whose property sits on a manatee sanctuary - where boat traffic is not allowed - may have to get stickers on their boats allowing them exclusive access, but that's it, he said. "I don't know of a more dangerous place for manatees in the summer". The St. Petersburg Times notes, "When the first sanctuary rules were put in place in 1980, there were about 100 manatees there. Now federal officials estimate that more than 550 manatees use the bay year-round, and in the winter more than 100,000 people show up in Crystal River to see them". Also, regarding manatees being killed by boats, "But of the 16 boat-related deaths that have occurred in Kings Bay, 13 happened in the past decade, and half of those were in the summer".


Citrus County Tea Party Patriots
Finalist for "Most Delusional Worldview" Trophy sponsored by Mountain Seer and Neo Solomon
Category: Justifying Pride and Greed through Disingenuous Bible Interpretation



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Thursday, July 7, 2011

Montana Governor to Exxon: Clean Up, Pay For It! (Video) "Virtually everything they've said to me turned out to be not true"

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The Yellowstone River is home to large numbers of rainbow trout. “If fish get oil on them, if they break the surface and get oil on them, it tends to plug up their gills and it often is fatal,” said Bob Gobson, of the Billings Fish, Wildlife and Parks Program.


Exxon Yellowstone River Oil Spill At least 42,000 gallons (1,000 barrels) of oil spilled into the flooding Yellowstone River from an Exxon pipeline on Friday, July 1. Exxon now says the oil is 25 miles downstream but citizens and the Department of Transportation are saying 200+ miles. Big Oil aka Exxon Mobil is being vague and using the old BP confusion tactic, understating the magnitude of the disaster by falsely minimizing the extent of the damage and scope. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer says the Oil Giant, Exxon Mobil, will clean up its mess and pick up the tab.

Yellowstone River Status Governor Schweitzer noted the Yellowstone River is running a "full crest" as a "huge torrent" that is "racing out of the glaciers of the continental divide". "It is bringing trees down the size of the house you live in". This is when the Exxon pipeline that goes under the river burst. The river is over its banks and has taken the oil with it, into the flood plains and wetlands. The problem is the water is evaporating and draining back into the river, but the oil stays behind. This oil needs to be cleaned up. Schweitzer noted the Yellowstone River is pristine and "the longest un-dammed river in the United States". "We are going to ensure that Exxon Mobil and the Environmental Protection Agency stay here until it is cleaned up to the satisfaction of the people of Montana and for this generation and for the generations to follow. And when it is done, we will let them know".

Oil Pipeline Emergency Preparedness Governor Schweitzer said over a year ago he called together all the resources of the State of Montana. He said, "I wanted to be ready in case there was a pipeline emergency in any of our rivers". There are about 88 pipeline crossings of rivers and streams in Montana. A mock emergency of a pipeline bursting in the Yellowstone River was conducted in 2010. Regarding the actual Exxon Yellowstone River Oil Spill, "our performance has been lacking". "We were told that oil companies and pipeline companies would band together, that they had regionally stockpiled supplies to respond to any of these emergencies, and we were told there were automatic shutoff valves that made it impossible to even run for a couple of minutes into the river before it would be shutoff". Schweitzer continued, "Exxon Mobil said it would only run for 6 minutes and it was controlled out of Houston, Texas". The shutoff response turned out to be close to an hour or about 10 times longer than Exxon Mobil represented.

Montana Governor Leaves Joint Spill Command The Wall Street Journal is reporting that "Governor Brian Schweitzer has pulled out of a joint oil spill command center directed by the Environmental Protection Agency to fight the Exxon Mobil Corp. oil spill on the Yellowstone River, alleging that the center was secretive and largely run by the Texas oil giant". In addition, he "accused Exxon of withholding documents and information from the press and other officials. "Our state people told (ExxonMobil officials) for quite some time, 'I don't know how you're used to doing business, but in Montana, we have open government requirements". Schweitzer said in an interview. "We just cannot be involved in secret meetings with ExxonMobil." The governor pulled his staff from the center, based at a Billings hotel, and set up shop at a state building across the city. Finally, "I'm a citizen of Montana and (ExxonMobil) hasn't been open and transparent with me," he said. "Virtually everything they've said to me turned out to be not true."

Montana Governor Becomes Cleanup Crusader Governor Brian Schweitzer and panel discuss Exxon Mobil's handling of the oil spill on the Yellowstone River.



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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Exxon Yellowstone River Oil Spill: Discrepancies Begin (Video) *Exxon understates response time & scope*

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Rancher Alexis Bonogofsky's summer pasture was flooded with oil-contaminated Yellowstone River waters Saturday morning. Bonogofsky said she was nearly overwhelmed by strong fumes when she went to check flood conditions. / Photo Courtesy Alexis Bonogofsky


Exxon Yellowstone River Oil Spill Still no definitive assessment from federal, state, or local officials as to the the extent of the environmental and crop damage from at least 42,000 gallons of oil that spilled into the flooding Yellowstone River. The ruptured pipeline supplies 40,000+ barrels a day to a refinery in Billings, Montana. Keith Olbermann discusses the discrepancies of Exxon reports of the Yellowstone River Oil Spill with Kate Sheppard of Mother Jones in the video below. Big Oil aka Exxon Mobil is being vague and using the old BP confusion tactic. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer stated, "I am absolutely sure that I am the only governor in America who is also a soil scientist. There ain't nobody going to blow smoke up the south side of this north-facing governor."
● The Department of Transportation stated the pipeline was not shutdown for 56 minutes, while Exxon Mobil Pipeline President Gary Pruessing originally said minutes!
● Exxon has been vague on the total amount of oil spilled. Was it 1,000 barrels? No, wait, it was 750 barrels. Hmmn, we'll figure this all out later...
● Exxon now says the oil is 25 miles downstream but citizens are saying 240 miles.
● The cause of the pipeline rupture and resulting spill is unknown.
● Exxon had been cited for safety violations for this pipeline, including emergency preparedness.

How Bad Is Exxon's Montana Mess? It turns out Exxon Mobil took nearly twice as long as they'd earlier revealed to fully seal a pipeline that leaked roughly 1,000 barrels of crude oil into Montana's Yellowstone River. Keith talks with Countdown Contributor and Mother Jones writer Kate Sheppard to discuss how this could happen so soon after the BP spill... and who deserves a sticky coat of shame.



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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Exxon Yellowstone River Oil Spill: Cleanup Begins (Video) *Extent of environmental damage being assessed*

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Oil swirls in the Yellowstone river after an Exxon Mobil pipeline ruptured near Billings, Montana. Photograph: Larry Mayer/AP


Exxon Yellowstone River Oil Spill As noted in a prior post, the extent of the environmental and crop damage from at least 42,000 gallons of oil that spilled into the flooding Yellowstone River is unknown. Damage assessments are underway. A break in an Exxon Mobil pipeline near Laurel, Montana on Friday, July 1, fouled miles of riverbank and forced municipalities and irrigation districts to close intakes across eastern Montana. Exxon reports that over 200 workers are cleaning up the oil spill, including using booms to protect the river banks. The Montana landowners are concerned about the long-term effects. Exxon Mobil Pipeline President Gary Pruessing has assured the public the oil will be cleaned up and efforts are underway. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer has promised landowners that he will ensure Exxon Mobil continues the cleanup until all the oil is removed.

Exxon Cleanup Expands on Yellowstone An Exxon Mobil official said Monday the company still does not know the cause of a pipeline leak that sent tens of thousands of gallons of oil into the Yellowstone River. NBC's George Lewis reports.




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Sunday, July 3, 2011

Exxon Spills Estimated 42,000 Gallons of Oil Into Yellowstone River *Criticized for downplaying disaster*

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Oil swirls in a flooded gravel pit in Lockwood, Montana after a pipeline break Saturday, July 2, 2011. The Exxon Mobil pipeline that runs under the Yellowstone River near Billings in south-central Montana ruptured and dumped an unknown amount of oil into the waterway, prompting temporary evacuations along the river. Billings (Montana) Gazette


LAUREL, Mont. (AP) July 3, 2011 - Authorities struggled Sunday to gauge the environmental and crop damage from tens of thousands of gallons of oil that spilled into the Yellowstone River, as Montana's governor criticized Exxon Mobil for downplaying the possible scope of the disaster.

A break in a company pipeline near Laurel fouled miles of riverbank and forced municipalities and irrigation districts to close intakes across eastern Montana.

Exxon brought in more cleanup workers to mop up crude at three sites along the flooded river that were coated with thick globs of crude. Yet there was no clear word on how far the damage extended.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spokeswoman Sonya Pennock said the agency's staff had seen oil at least 40 miles downstream. There were other reports of oil as far as 100 miles away, near the town of Hysham.

Exxon Mobil Pipeline President Gary Pruessing said flyovers had shown most of the damage was limited to a 10-mile stretch of river, but Gov. Brian Schweitzer dismissed the claim as premature.

Exxon estimated that up to 1,000 barrels, or 42,000 gallons, spilled Saturday before the flow from the damaged pipeline was stopped. An EPA representative said only a small fraction of the spilled oil was likely to be recovered.

Pruessing also said that the 12-inch pipeline had been temporarily shut down in May because of concerns over the rising waters on the Yellowstone. He said the company restarted the line after deciding the risk was low.

The U.S. Department of Transportation, which oversees pipelines, warned Exxon last year, citing seven safety violations along the ruptured pipeline. Two of the warnings faulted the company for its emergency response and pipeline corrosion training.

Transportation Department spokeswoman Patricia Klinger said Exxon had responded and the case was closed.



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Saturday, July 2, 2011

The Michael Vick Fighting Dogs (Video) *From cruelty to rescue to salvation*

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Frodo seen here with his foster mom, Kim Ramirez
Frodo was a Michael Vick fighting dog and was shy and scared when rescued


Michael Vick In 2007, a pit bull fighting ring and operation was discovered at a house in Virginia owned by Michael Vick, the quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. In December 2007 Vick pleaded guilty to "Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture" and went to Leavenworth federal prison. Pit bulls not only fought at this location, but were killed by electrocution or beating if they did not perform satisfactorily in the fighting ring. More dogs were known to be killed by drowning and hanging in this pit bull fighting network. Jim Gorant, who studied and wrote about pit bull fighting, estimates there are 40,000 people, "dog fighters", involved in the United States.

The Fighting Dogs Normally fighting dogs in a case like this would be considered too dangerous and be euthanized. Both the Humane Society of  the United States and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) recommended euthanasia for the Michael Vick pit bulls. Dr. Stephen Zawistowsky, an advisor to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, convinced the prosecutor to allow him to assemble a team to evaluate the dogs. Donna Reynolds and Tim Racer, who operate a pit bull rescue organization called Bad Rap, were on this team. The team went to Virginia in September 2007 to evaluate the approximately 50 dogs and assumed each dog was potentially violent. The dogs were run through a series of interactions: 1) could the dog be touched? 2) did the dog show aggression? 3) how did the dog react to another dog? 4) how did the dog respond to a life-size doll of a child?. Several of the dogs were timid, a few were aggressive towards other dogs, and almost none were aggressive towards people. In fact, most seemed eager for human affection. Ultimately the team decided 47 dogs were candidates for rehabilitation. Of those, 25 were deemed appropriate for foster care, to be adopted, and 22 were appropriate for sanctuary, of which most went to Best Friends Sanctuary in Utah, a no-kill shelter. Only one dog was deemed beyond help and was euthanized.

The Rescue In his book, The Lost Dogs, Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption, Jim Gorant said, "For possibly the first time in a legal setting, dogs were viewed not as the implements of a harsh and brutal undertaking, but as the victims of it". Money, Michael Vick's, was set aside by the court to care for the dogs. Donna Reynolds and Tim Race of Bad Rap took 13 of the dogs to California and eventually found homes for them. Frodo was shy and scared but is coming out of his shell and progressing. Audie would cower but is now "a fantastic little dog". Jonny Rotten, now Jonny Justice, is a certified therapy dog, works with kids, and "Jonny doesn't have bad days anymore, his bad days are over". The 25 pit bulls deemed appropriate for foster care have not had any behavioral problems subsequently. The 22 pit bulls evaluated as appropriate for sanctuary have mostly done well and some have been adopted. However, 2 of these did escape their pen one night and were involved in killing another dog. Hector, a scarred fighting dog with missing teeth and a notch out of his tongue, was adopted and has "never shown a trace of aggression to anyone or any dog". Once he was given another option, besides fighting, Hector showed who he really was. "All of the Vick's dogs who were given other options have shown who they are".

Postscript Positive changes include the Humane Society of the United States now supporting individual evaluations of fighting dogs and saving those that can be saved. HSUS also teamed up with Michael Vick to educate school children about the cruelty of dog fighting. One northern California library would not allow pit bulls, that is Jonny Justice, in the facility to work with kids. Cris Cohen left the program in protest as Jonny Justice has passed all behavioral tests and has never been a threat.

The Dogs Are (Still) Alright  Most of the time, dogs that are seized from fighting rings are considered far too dangerous to be kept alive and they are euthanized. But in the case of the Michael Vick dogs, tens of thousands of people spoke out and asked that the dogs be given a second chance. Inspired by Jim Gorant’s book “The Lost Dogs,” Need to Know’s William Brangham tells the story, first reported back in January.



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