Looks like seals in Alaska may get the protection that they deserve. Ribbon seals are facing dire circumstances for their survival as the ice sheets they use to birth and molt in the spring are melting. Lets all hope that these animals get “listed” so that they can be protected.
Well, as if it isn’t bad enough that our summers last for like 6 months and we get way too many days of 100 plus degree weather, a recent study reports that the West -which obviously includes us here in AZ- is showing a higher rise n temperature than any other place int he world. Fabulous! With global warming this is only going to get worse and this drought we’ve been having? — Yeah it’s going to be with us for a really long time.
The Gray Wolf has been delisted and for those of us who have even the tiniest understanding of wildlife protection, this basically means we will start to see the end of these majestic animals. We have animals in this country that will always need protection because without them, people will hunt them to extinction. With this action, the Gray Wolfs fate will now be in the hand of individual states, who are already wanting to approve wolf hunting. The argument for delisting is that the population has grown successfully, which is obviously a great thing, but let’s be real, really what they are saying is “hey- the population is big enough we can start shooting at them.”
Wow! I had to blink rapidly and rub my eyes when I read that Phoenix is one of the flagship cities in th US to participate in this years Earth Hour. The concept is totally cool and well-worth it. But as someone living in Phoenix, it just seems too good to be true. I am very happy to hear the city wants to be more Earth friendly and to make changes to minimize global warming. We are int he desert here so we should be able to do way more to promote Earth friendly things such as say, solar energy. That way when it’s 118 degrees out, we can say “yeah it’s hot, but look at all the solar power we’re creating.” As for this event, I think it is a great statement to have downtown blackout for an hour. It makes a statement and I hope it is one that the citizens ill listen to. We use electricity like it is going out of style, without thought to the impact it has on the environment. Good start Phoenix. Let’s keep up the momentum.
Well, I guess the real danger isn’t all that partying that ASU is known for but instead the dorm rooms themselves. Best Hall is becoming a wealth of health issues lately. The issues range from asbestos to weird growing goo puddle in the carpet. Hmmmm…..somethings rotten in Denmark…or in this case dorm life. I lived int he dorms for a year and a half and luckily never had anything to worry about. Or did I?! Who can really be sure that all those old dorms are not full of mold and other unhealthy things. I think it is wrong that ASU doesn’t immediately refund rooms to those who have legitimate complaints, such as the mysterious goo puddle that turned out to be hazardous. Really? A goo puddle is hazardous? Not really rocket science there. For those of you planning to live in the dorms at ASU, my advice would be “STAY AWAY FROM THE OLD ONES!”
Thanks to Dooce, I had a chance to read this letter to Mother Nature. No truer words were ever spoken. I may not live in a cold weather state anymore, but I remember what it’s like as I lived most of my first 18 tears of life in Massachusetts. Living in Arizona for the past 13 years, I can just change some words here and there and the sentiment fits us in the hot desert as well.
As a mental health professional in Arizona, it is not new news that there are a lot of issues with our system. There are never enough inpatient beds and sometimes getting ongoing counseling services is a trial as well. But it really is frustrating to know that insurance companies don’t really want to pay for mental health help. It is a battle that seems never-ending. The mentality is that if we can’t see your illness or “handicap” then we don’t need to deal with it. It is very disheartening to know that insurance companies do not see mental health as a necessary component to cover treatment for. While I hope this changes in Arizona, the likelihood is very slim.
Two Arizona inmates gave a little something back to the community by crafting a headstone to be used for a woman’s daughter whom she lost in a car accident. One of the inmates was in prison for the very same reason this woman’s daughter is dead: drunk driving. While the two inmates are imprisoned for reasons unrelated to the death of the young girl, when given the opportunity to give something back, an atonement if you will, they jumped at the chance. While I am a believer in punishments for crimes, I am also a believer that people can give something back to the community that they took something from. I hope the state continues to utilize prisoners time in this fashion and maybe put a little bit of humanity back in their lives.
The museum director who destroyed the diorama that Highland High students spent 3.5 years and thousands of hours of labor on deserves to have disciplinary action enforced. It is ridiculous that he destroyed the diorama instead of contacting the school and requestion any inaccuracies fixed. What I find most interesting is that he was released from other museums for not following agency policies. Maybe he has an authority complex.
An artic seed fault opened its doors today to house seeds from all over the world in an attempt to maintain food crops in case of extreme climate change due to global warming. Very interesting concept. Glad to see something like this in place.