Eco Dance

The Washington State Department of Ecology is asking people in the state not to use their woodstoves or fireplaces for the next week or so. It seems the air above the state has become stagnant, and state officials are worried about air pollution. They are also advising that people with breathing conditions or sensitivity to air conditions should stay inside as much as possible.

The US Maritime Administration is being sued by some environmental groups for letting old deteriorating warships remain in San Francisco Bay for longer than allowed by Congress. There are more than 70 old ships just floating there, part of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet - some of them dating back as far as World War II. They are no longer functioning warships, and Congress had set a deadline for their removal, which the Maritime Administration missed.

According to a recent study, the forest in the Upper Midwest of the United States have undergone major changes since the time of the settlers. That’s not surprising, what with the fact that the only people here before then were the Native Americans. But what the study is finding is that none of the tree species ecosystems are the same as they were even 200 years ago. Which, of course, effects the animal groups, too.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks is now the proud owner of a $3.2 million in grant money. The grant is for PhD level research in biology, earth science, and social sciences. The grant came from the National Science Foundation, and is a five-year grant to the Resilience and Adaptation Program.

We’ve all heard that the amount of methane gas in the atmosphere is partially attritubed to cows with gas. But now a new study is saying that methane gas released by cows into the soil is actually a good thing for the environment. You have to let the cows stay in the winter pasture, though, rather than putting them in the barn for the winter. Guess the cows don’t quite deserve the bad rap they’e gotten.