Happy Halloween

If you came to campus today, you probably notices pirates in the counselor's office and twihards at most of the desks waiting to help you. You're welcome.

Sad story about wolves

I have a soft spot for wolves and it has nothing to do with any movies about to come out. One of my high school friends was the son of a wolf researcher on a remote island near our town. They are beautiful and mostly mysterious creatures whose life cycles are connected with large mammals like moose and deer. In May they were taken off the endangered species list. Research following the wolves has cost the National Science Foundations thousands of dollars.


September started wolf hunting season in Montana. A few weeks later, 6 wolves, including two with radio collars for researchers, were killed just a mile from the borders of yellowstone. The 5 years of research done on the alpha female now dead has come to an end. I think it is a shame. I know hunters are glad for a chance to legally hunt the animal of their choice, but I feel bad for the scientists whose hard work will have to be cut short.

For more on this, you can read the Science article here.

Rainy Day in Crescent City

After a long summer and fall with misty morning and the occasional drizzle, rainy season has started again here is again. Late last night the rain started falling and it has not les up since. At times it has soaked people just going to their cars.

But none of this is a surprise. In fact, many people in Del Norte county are surprised it took fall this long to start. But everyone who has chosen (or been forced by parents) to live in this beautiful county knows that the rain and fog and misty mornings are all part of what makes this place so breathtaking. And sparsely populated.

So enjoy the rain, because hating it will not make it go away.

Alternative Energy ideas from John Holdren

Recently, John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, gave some suggestions on the direction our energy production needs to head in.

In a statement on September 29, 2009, his suggestions included working "together – East and West, North and South– to transform our energy technologies from polluting and wasteful to clean and efficient. " He pointed out that by doing this we will "benefit not only by avoiding the worst damages from climate change, but also by reducing our dangerous overdependence on petroleum, alleviating the air pollution that afflicts our cities, preserving our forests as havens for biodiversity and sources of sustainable livelihoods, and unleashing a new wave of technological innovation – generating new businesses, new jobs, and new growth in the course of creating the clean and efficient energy systems of the future."

Newsweek picked up on his increasing thoughts on changing the way we get our energy and pointed out that now he needs to convince all the people "who believe they know more than he does." Check out two articles and tell me what you think.

http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/28939
http://www.newsweek.com/id/216505