Tracking Giant Anacondas in Brazil!

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Common or Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus)

No matter that Titanoboa the Great (Titanoboa cerrejonensis) is the biggest, baddest, greatest snake that ever lived. Titanoboa is extinct. The anaconda is alive and well in South America, even though a garter snake compared to the long-gone king of snakes. The issue at hand is the anaconda is not such a small fry compared to humans.

The modern anaconda can be longer than 20 feet and weigh over 200 pounds. Therein lies the problem in "human encounters anaconda". This snake is a formidable predator living in and near water for most of its life. Let's go below the surface of a Brazilian river and see for ourselves!

Anacondas: Tracking Elusive Giants in Brazil Legend has it these Amazonian giants drag off children and pets in the night.



Anaconda Swallows a Giant Capybara Whole Never-before-seen footage shot by Juka, an Amazon savannah guide from near Bonito, Brazil.





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Global Ecological Footprint: Humanity has exhausted nature's budget for 2012

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The Ecological Footprint

August 22nd Is Earth Overshoot Day: Humanity has exhausted nature’s budget for the year

(Global Footprint Network, Oakland, CA, 8-22-12) Humanity has surpassed nature’s budget for the year, and is now operating in overdraft, according to data from Global Footprint Network, an international research organization with offices in California and Europe.

Earth Overshoot Day (from a concept devised by the UK think tank new economics foundation) helps conceptualize the gap between what nature can regenerate, and how much is required to support human activities. Similar to the way a bank statement tracks income against expenditures, Global Footprint Network tracks humanity’s demand for, and supply of, natural resources and ecological services. Global Footprint Network’s calculations show that in just over eight months, we have used up the resources and CO2 sequestration that the planet can sustainably provide this year.

For the rest of the year, we will maintain our ecological deficit by depleting resource stocks and accumulating carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

“Nations around the world, and particularly in the south of Europe, have started to painfully experience what it means to spend more money than what they earn,” said Dr. Mathis Wackernagel, President of Global Footprint Network. “The resource pressure is similar to such financial overspending, and can become devastating. As resource deficits get larger, and resource prices remain high, the costs to nations become unbearable.”

Our ecological overspending has become a vicious cycle, in which we draw down more and more principal at the same time our level of consumption, or “spending,” grows. The social and economic costs could be staggering.

“From soaring fossil fuel prices to crippling national debts partly due to rising natural resource prices, our economies are now confronting the reality of years of spending beyond our means,” Dr. Wackernagel said. “If we are to maintain stable societies and productive lives, we can no longer sustain a widening budget gap between what nature is able to provide and how much our infrastructure, economies and lifestyles require.”

For most of human history, humanity has used nature’s services—to build cities and roads, provide food and create products, and absorb the CO2 generated by human activities—at a rate that was well within Earth’s budget. But sometime in the 1970s, we crossed a critical threshold. Human demand began outstripping what the planet could renewably produce, and we went into ecological overshoot.

What is Ecological Overshoot? The video is made available courtesy of the Pachamama Alliance and its Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium.




Global Footprint Network

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Living Planet Report 2012: Resource Demand Increasing, Biodiversity Decreasing

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Biodiversity continues to be lost on planet Earth

We may not recognize it, but virtually every decision we make comes with a price to our planet—a small, but not insignificant, withdrawal of the earth’s resources. Added together, these withdrawals represent our environmental footprint.

WWF’s 2012 Living Planet Report highlights the cumulative pressure we are putting on the planet and the resulting decline in the health of our forests, rivers and oceans.

We are living as if we have the resources of an extra planet at our disposal. We’re using 50 percent more resources than the Earth can provide, and unless we change course that number will grow very fast—by 2030, even two planets will not be enough.

The Living Planet Report finds:

• Biodiversity continues to be lost: Populations of species continue to decline, with tropical and freshwater species experiencing the biggest declines.

• The U.S. has the fifth largest ecological footprint in terms of the amount of resources each person annually consumes. We rank only behind Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Denmark in the global rankings of the Ecological Footprint.

• Resource scarcity is already being experienced across the globe, as 2.7 billion people around the world already are forced to cope with water scarcity during at least one month a year.

A View from Space Listen to European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut André Kuipers talk about the health of the planet. Learn more about WWF's 2012 Living Planet Report at http://www.worldwildlife.org/lpr





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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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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 6 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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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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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.

Nation & World | Montana governor rips Exxon's spill reaction | Seattle Times Newspaper

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