TOP STORY
The Beetles Revolution
Mountain pine beetles fueling climate change via tree deaths
Ravenous populations of mountain pine beetles in Canada's forests are contributing significantly to climate change through killing off large numbers of trees, according to a study in the journal Nature. So far, the beetles have killed trees in over 50,000 square miles of forests in western Canada, and hundreds of thousands of square miles in the western United States. "When trees are killed, they no longer are able to take carbon from the atmosphere. Then when dead trees start to decompose, that releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere," said study coauthor Werner Kurz. The study estimates that by 2020, beetle-killed trees in Canada could release some 270 megatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. "This is the kind of feedback we're all very worried about in the carbon cycle -- a warming planet leading to, in this case, an insect outbreak that increases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which can increase warming," said Andy Jacobson of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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sources: Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse
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TODAY'S NEWS
Now We've Heard Udall
Green groups announce support for Senate campaigns
A coalition of large green groups has pledged to support Mark Udall, Tom Udall, and Jeanne Shaheen in their campaigns to become U.S. senators in 2008. Colorado Representative Mark Udall and his cousin, New Mexico Representative Tom Udall, will run for Senate seats in their respective states; Shaheen is the former governor of New Hampshire, and will run there. All three are Democrats. The green groups, including the Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, and Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, feel confident about the effect that their support will have, pointing to the 2006 defeat of Sen. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) as evidence of previous decisive victory.
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source: Sierra Club
By a Whisker
Northwest sea lions granted stay of execution
Sea lions all set to gobble their last salmon supper at a Northwest dam have been granted a stay of execution by a U.S. appeals court. Judges granted an injunction, requested by the Humane Society, that a lower court had denied last week. It's only a partial victory for the Humane Society, however, as the court did OK the transfer of the whiskery rascals to zoos and aquariums; state officials planned to nab and relocate eight sea lions on Thursday.
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sources: The Columbian, The Oregonian, Reuters, Associated Press
Time to Move to Mars
Desperate efforts to fix climate problem could hurt ozone layer
A geoengineering scheme to solve climate change could hurt the Antarctic ozone layer, while recovery of the ozone hole could increase Antarctic warming, new research suggests. A study published Thursday in Science decries suggestions to solve climate change by spewing sulfur into the atmosphere, saying that such a scheme would wipe out the Arctic ozone layer and delay the healing of the ozone hole over Antarctica for up to seven decades. But hey, maybe that's not all bad (except, you know, for people living in the Arctic): A paper to be published in Geophysical Research Letters suggests that a full recovery of the Antarctic ozone hole could amplify warming in that region. So ... basically, we've just really screwed things up.
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source: MSNBC
In Brief
Snippets from the news
• Airline slows down flights to help climate.
• Wal-Mart rations rice.
• Nalgene sued for allegedly downplaying health risks.
• National parks and coal plants may get cozy.
• Arctic ice melting faster than anticipated.
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GRIST COLUMNS AND FEATURES
Drawing on Experience
Architect R.K. Stewart on building the future of sustainable design
If breathless media reports are to be believed, green building is sweeping the nation. But how much are architecture students, real-estate lenders, and communities really latching on to the trend, and where will it go from here? Sarah van Schagen talked with former American Institute of Architects prez R.K. Stewart to find out.
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new in Grist: Architect R.K. Stewart on building the future of sustainable design
Coming Monday: Advice columnist Umbra Fisk on hauling goods by bike
Grist: Environmental News and Commentary
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