Thirsty in Suburbia blog: Water obsession support group forming now!
Posted by: Maven on January 18, 2012 at 7:27 amFrom Thirsty in Suburbia:
“Water, water everywhere… consuming your thoughts and dreams, driving your actions and decisions. Dictating your choice of friends, how you spend your time, your money, your goodwill. You have water on the brain, and you may have gone off the deep end, figuratively speaking. You, yes YOU, may be obsessed with water! … “
Find out what to do about your water obsession at the Thirsty in Suburbia blog by clicking here.
‘Flyboard’ water jet pack takes to the air at Lake Las Vegas
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:22 pmNow here’s a story that’s just a few days late … I’d have put this on my Christmas list for sure! From the Las Vegas Sun:
“With a quick squeeze of the throttle, Franky Zapata shot out across Lake Las Vegas Wednesday afternoon and began dipping and diving as he floated as high as 20 feet above the water using a specially built piece of equipment he calls a “flyboard.”
Zapata was showing off his patented invention to dozens of people who gathered to watch as part of a demonstration near the Montelago Casino at Lake Las Vegas.
The flyboard is powered by jets of water that are generated by a Sea-Doo watercraft and forced through a tube connected to a platform that Zapata straps his feet into. … “
Continue reading from the Las Vegas Sun by clicking here.
Better yet, check it out here:
Delta smelt: Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Sears has you covered – and just in time for the holiday season!
Posted by: Maven on October 31, 2011 at 7:15 am
Just in time for your holiday shopping … Sears has you covered for the Delta smelt lover or hater on your gift giving list! Seriously … !
Baby bibs, key chains, even a snuggie for a beer can … and everything is surprisingly affordable.
Check out all the Delta smelt merchandise from Sears by clicking here.
Hat tip to John Fleck of Inkstain’s twitter feed!
Water crisis? Dutch artist to make ice in desert
Posted by: Maven on October 26, 2011 at 7:17 amFrom ABC News:
“Is it a piece of art, or a groundbreaking water experiment in the desert?
Take the design of a leaf — nature’s master at absorbing the sun’s energy — and cover its 200 square meter (2,153 square feet) surface with solar cells. Under the face of the elm leaf-shape structure are cooling condensers that soak up humidity from the desert air. Even in the hottest conditions, it will produce a layer of ice on the leaf’s ridged underside — so the theory goes. … “
Continue reading from ABC News by clicking here.
Delta smelt go to Hollywood …
Posted by: Maven on October 11, 2011 at 7:57 amFrom the Reno Gazette-Journal, news that the Delta smelt play a supporting role in a new film currently under production:
” … “Dam California” revolves around a Central Valley town struggling with a water company to preserve its way of life. Piché, 25, grew up in the California’s Central Valley, known for the large amount of vegetables and fruits that is produced. He was inspired to write the 98-page script because he saw how the endangered Delta smelt has affected farmers.
“It resonated pretty deeply that theses farmers weren’t getting water because these fish were getting stuck in these pumps back in the delta,” Piché said. “They were losing crops, orchards and their way of life.” … “
Could make for an interesting show on the red carpet … Continue reading from the Reno Gazette-Journal by clicking here.
Iceberg harvesting can end third-world drought, scientist says
Posted by: Maven on August 8, 2011 at 7:00 amFrom Fox News:
“A French entrepreneur backed by a software company claims to have proved that he can tow giant icebergs across the world to end drought conditions.
Georges Mougin, 86, has championed his plan to harvest icebergs to solve water shortages for 40 years — and a computer simulation now shows that the ambitious project might be possible, The (London) Sunday Times reported. … “
Continue reading from Fox News by clicking here.
Berkeley: Beach trash to yard art on Colusa Ave.
Posted by: Susan Lauer on August 5, 2011 at 7:37 amFrom the San Francisco Chronicle
Tanya Smith, your hard hat is in Mark Olivier’s front yard.
Anyone missing a catamaran? That’s in Olivier’s yard, too. Or at least big chunks of it.
Umbrella handles? Fishing poles? Ironing boards? They’re all there, along with thousands of other items that have washed up on East Bay beaches.
But what was once trash is now art.
Continue reading from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.
Photo of man in Ceres storm drain makes Letterman’s Top 10 List
Posted by: Susan Lauer on August 3, 2011 at 8:31 amFrom the Modesto Bee
Residents on Hale Aloha Way in a Ceres awoke to the sound of a man screaming early Thursday morning and went outside to find him lodged headfirst in a storm drain.
The photo became fodder for David Letterman’s Top 10 List.
See the photo and video by clicking here.
The best water toy ever! Water powered jet-pack will have you flying high …
Posted by: Maven on June 24, 2011 at 8:01 amLongtime Aquafornia readers will remember the JetLev…. If you thought that was cool, then check this out from the O. C. Register:
“There was James Bond. There was the Rocketeer. And now there is Bob Wilson, self-described “handyman, inventor, whatever,” who is inspiring awe by donning a water-powered jet pack and soaring high into the Orange County sky.
The 51-year-old Seal Beach man for a few weeks has been buzzing around Huntington Harbour, where tests of his “H20 Jet Pack” have led to rampant rubbernecking among motorists, impromptu crowds among passersby and at least a little attention from a police helicopter.
“The coolest thing ever,” said Costa Mesa resident Margie Do, who pulled over to snap photos after seeing a man flying in circles while propelled by twin columns of surging saltwater. … “
Aaahhh, the greatest water toy doesn’t come cheap, however….. Continue reading from the O.C. Register by clicking here, and check it out below:
(I don’t know, the JetLev guy looks like he can get higher to me …. )
Could a tugboat pulling an iceberg solve the world’s water problems? French engineer says “oui!”
Posted by: Maven on June 1, 2011 at 8:41 amFrom the TreeHugger blog:
“In perhaps one of the most unusual ideas for bringing fresh water to people in parched areas, French engineer Georges Mougin is convinced that pulling icebergs from Greenland across the oceans to drought-stricken areas is a possible, and practical, solution. Others, including this writer, might have reservations.
Fast Company reports that since 1977, Mougin has tried to prove that rather than letting icebergs melt away into the ocean, they could be pulled to areas that need the fresh drinking water. By selecting an iceberg from Greenland of the right shape and size, specialized equipment can be used to tug it to another location, such as Arabia. … “
Continue reading from the TreeHugger blog by clicking here.
Fishermen cited with poaching tiny salmon shortly after they were released into river
Posted by: Maven on May 10, 2011 at 8:06 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“Five people were cited late last week for allegedly poaching juvenile hatchery salmon only hours after the fish had been released into the American River.
In total, the suspects had 85 fall-run Chinook salmon in their possession, all of which died, said Patrick Foy, a state game warden and spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Game.
Foy said unscrupulous anglers catch the young salmon, often using nets or other contraptions, because they make good bait for striped bass and sturgeon. It is illegal to use nets to catch salmon, and illegal to use them as bait. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
In the ocean, it’s ‘sex, drugs, and sea slime’
Posted by: Maven on April 7, 2011 at 7:28 amWith a headline that really grabs attention, here is this from NPR Environment:
“Never threaten a hagfish. And if you do, watch out.
“When it’s threatened or in danger or gets injured, it produces — very quickly — huge amounts of slime,” says Ellen Prager, a marine scientist and educator. “In fact, they found that in just a few minutes, it can fill up seven buckets full of gooey, slimy gunk.”
The hagfish isn’t the only underwater inhabitant with unusual tactics for survival. In Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime: The Oceans’ Oddest Creatures and Why They Matter, Prager describes some of the craziest underwater activities that help ocean creatures stay alive, fight predators, find food and reproduce. … “
Continue reading from NPR by clicking here.
Pluviocabulary
Posted by: Maven on April 6, 2011 at 7:39 amFrom the New York Times (thanks to Emily Green of Chance of Rain blog for sending me this link!):
“”April showers bring forth May flowers” – that much is uncontested. But the variety of wet weather with which spring confronts us would test even an Eskimo’s power of description. To aid the discussion of precipitation, we present some of the pluvial terms to be found in the inestimable “Oxford English Dictionary”. … “
Bone up on your pluvial terminology at the New York Times by clicking here.
Friday’s top of the scroll: All those water stories you might have missed!
Posted by: Maven on April 1, 2011 at 8:51 am
Apparently the group out at the UC Davis Watershed Center have been doing my job better than me apparently, as they’ve found the stories that I have somehow missed:
“BDCP parties agree to a peripheral bucket line around Delta
– The 44 mile line would require 33,000 employees per shift, spaced 7 feet apart, and would have a capacity of 5 gallons per second. A DWR spokesman said, “This approach will guarantee full employment for San Joaquin and Sacramento counties and ensure that the diversion doesn’t pick up a single fish.”
Desert pupfish found near Delta export pumps
– Recent fish surveys in Clifton Court Forebay have found populations of endangered desert pupfish. A spokesman from the Desert Development Authority hailed the finding, saying, “We have always said these fish could be found everywhere. Now we can de-list the thing and get on with fully utilizing the desert’s vast water resources locked up in senseless environmental regulations.” A recent UC Davis study of striped bass in Clifton Court Forebay showed they grow twice as fast eating pupfish as they do eating smelt. … “
Continue reading from the California Water Blog by clicking here.
Looking for water-themed April Fool’s gags? Thirsty in Suburbia has you covered!
Posted by: Maven on March 31, 2011 at 8:18 amThirsty in Suburbia heads north for this year’s round of April Fools’ gags:
“Surely these goofball clips will give you an idea or two on ways to celebrate both water and our favorite special day! Canadian JustForLaughsTV uses the good old hidden camera schtick to pull off a variety of funny water-themed gags. And I literally mean gags. … “
Check ‘em all out here, courtesy of Thirsty in Suburbia. Of course, if you want some good old-fashioned American pranks, like the ice-laden cereal bowl, the sink-sprayer trick, or the ever-popular toilet prank, click here for Thirsty in Suburbia’s classic Americana pranks.
Toenail study: No heart risk from mercury in fish
Posted by: Maven on March 24, 2011 at 7:45 amHere’s one for the bizarre file, from the Fresno Bee:
“In an unusual health study, researchers analyzing toxin levels in tens of thousands of toenail clippings determined that mercury from eating fish does not raise the risk of heart disease or stroke.
Health experts have long urged people to eat fish to lower heart risks, but some have worried that the mercury in certain types of fish like shark and swordfish might offset any benefits. Earlier studies on mercury and heart problems in adults have yielded contradictory results. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
Denver Post guest column: The Colorado-Russia water connection
Posted by: Maven on December 9, 2010 at 8:55 amForget about the Great Lakes and the floodwaters of the Mississippi. And you can forget about Canada and the gigantic NAWAPA project. And desalination, too. Here’s a solution I’ve not yet heard as an answer to California’s water problem in this guest column by John M. Barbieri and Deborah A. Palmieri at the Denver Post:
“Colorado, the western United States, and much of the world face long term water scarcity. Russia has vast water resources and a huge surplus of fresh water. Is there water cooperation in the future between this western state and the world’s largest country?
Water shortages in the American west are well documented and worsening. There is a long history of “water wars” dating to our pioneer history, and as Mark Twain quipped, “Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting for.”
The Colorado River is what’s at stake. It’s been over-used, with too many parties fighting for too little water. States sharing the River, including Mexico, form the so-called Colorado River Compact, are given allocations by the federal government. … “
Will it be Russia to the rescue? Continue reading this guest column at the Denver Post by clicking here.
Tasteless or brilliant? Iceberg water might be both: A native Newfoundlander sees his fortune floating in a Greenland fjord
Posted by: Maven on November 23, 2010 at 7:06 amFrom the Los Angeles Times:
“Sometime in the next two weeks, a converted fishing boat called the Sikuk is due to sail from St. John’s, in Canada’s Newfoundland province, bound for a fjord in Greenland and a rendezvous with an iceberg.
Where most vessels give icebergs a wide berth, the Sikuk intends to sidle up close and — using a giant mechanical claw — begin ripping 1,500-pound bites of ice from floating bergs and depositing them in tanks below deck.
The product of this bizarre harvest is destined to become something called Glace Rare Iceberg Water, and it represents the latest turn in the lifelong obsession of a native Newfoundlander named Ron Stamp. Where others saw hazards to navigation, Stamp has long seen icebergs as objects of wonder and — eventually — as the key to his fortune. … “
Continue reading from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
Thirsty in Suburbia asks, “Can your iPad do all THIS? I don’t think so!”
Posted by: Maven on November 16, 2010 at 7:59 am
From Thirsty in Suburbia:
“For all the innovative “pads” already devised, be they iPads, bachelor pads, mouse pads, maxipads, whatever…they all pale in comparison to this, the “Drinking Water Energizer Pad.”
In the words of its enthusiastic marketer, Dr. K. Kannan (WOW, a Doctor!) on international marketplace www.alibaba.com, “After years of Research we have created this sensational Energizer Pad, which we are sure will be the ultimate penacea for many human sufferings.” … “
Thirsty in Suburbia’s 2010 Edition: Halloween costumes for the water-obsessed
Posted by: Maven on October 15, 2010 at 8:36 am
Scratching your head, trying to figure out what your Halloween costume is going to be this year? And maybe even feeling the pinch of hard economic times? Well, Thirsty in Suburbia’s got you covered with a collection of do-it-yourself Halloween costumes … well, except for the Dam costume, which is a Thirsty in Suburbia exclusive….
“For 2010, we’ve gone DIY! All these water-themed Halloween costumes are homemade. This year, use your skills, creativity and ingenuity to fashion a killer look and unforgetable water statement!
this is my dam halloween costume hoover dam sweatshirtTHIS IS MY DAM COSTUME THIS YEAR: Thirsty in Suburbia exclusive! I made this for myself on Cafepress…perfect thing for recession trick or treating around your local Hooverville. (While I was at it, I made a shop so you can get one, too! Yes, I know, it’s expensive…but who can put a price tag on this level of awesomeness? Check out the mug, too! http://www.cafepress.com/thirstyinsuburbia). … “
Bizarre fish story becomes obsession for San Diego teacher
Posted by: Maven on October 6, 2010 at 7:52 am
Check out the picture of that bizarre and rather satanic looking fish which washed up on a San Diego beach the other day …. and this, from Pete Thomas Outdoors blog:
“When a surfer recently discovered a bright-red, moon-shaped fish floundering in the surf off San Diego, Jon Schwartz arrived soon afterward with his camera and heaps of curiosity.
The surfer, Scott Williams, said the cherry-colored creature with silver specs and large round eyes “looked like it was from another planet,” and that might as well have been the case.
It was an opah, familiar to most only as a fillet on a plate, a mysterious pelagic denizen about as out of its element as a fish could be. Schwartz snapped photos and began to call or email scientists. … “
More from Pete Thomas Outdoors blog by clicking here.
So what you don’t see in that picture is how huge this fish was. Read the blog post from the guy who caught the fish (with plenty more pictures) by clicking here.
Water Wired blog: Caveman hydrology returns
Posted by: Maven on October 3, 2010 at 8:18 amFrom the Water Wired Blog:
“Like GEICO, I run the risk of being criticized for disparaging cavemen.Caveman
So what is ‘caveman hydrology’? Well, I define it as an approach to hydrology that should have become extinct with our dear departed ancestors. Perhaps ‘atavistic’ might be a better adjective.
In any case, what prompted my foray into ‘caveman hydrology’ was my recent introduction to a plan by followers of Lyndon LaRouche to revive the old NAWAPA – North American Water And Power Alliance – project, and then ‘export’ their ‘vision’ to Eurasia and Africa. … “
Antidepressants in the water are making shrimp suicidal
Posted by: Maven on August 11, 2010 at 7:00 am
From i09:
“Improving human mental health is having some serious unintended consequences for our friends in the ocean. Exposure to antidepressants makes shrimp five times more likely to place themselves in life-threatening situations, and the broader effects could damage the entire ecosystem.
Exposure to the antidepressant fluoxetine causes shrimp to radically alter their behavior. While normal shrimp are more likely to avoid swimming towards light because it’s often associated with prey like birds or fishermen, those exposed to fluoxetine become five times more likely to swim towards light than away from it. That change in behavior places them in harm’s way, and if enough shrimp are exposed to the antidepressant the entire population could be at risk. … “
Continue reading from i09 by clicking here.
Water Wired blog: Good golly, Gov. Wally! Water from Alaska!
Posted by: Maven on July 11, 2010 at 8:37 amFrom the Water Wired blog:
“While perusing Circle of Blue Brett Walton’s story caught my eye: Alaska Receives New Applications for Bulk Water Removal. Brought back memories ofsome ‘grand schemes’ to move water.
The story describes three applications that the state has received from the Aleut Corporation:
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources received three applications Tuesday from the Aleut Corporation for bulk water removal from Adak Island, according to Gary Prokosch, the state’s chief of water resources.
It will take up to one year to determine if bulk removal permits will be issued, Prokosch told Circle of Blue. The ADNR will determine if the water requested is surplus water that can be used and still leave enough in the lakes and rivers for fish as well as hydrologic functions. Prokosch said the department will also evaluate future alternate uses of the water. … “
Continue reading from the Water Wired blog by clicking here.
Environmental Graffiti: 12 weirdest water towers on earth
Posted by: Maven on June 26, 2010 at 8:07 am
From Environmental Graffiti:
“Sometimes water towers serve an aesthetic, as well as an aquatic, function. Used to attract tourists as a roadside display, advertise local businesses, or experiment with really tall sculptures, water towers are a fun way for a town to express itself. However, for towns with bizarre characters, water towers are particularly weird. … “
Continue reading from Environmental Graffiti by clicking here.
Water humor: Going with the low flow still takes help from a pro
Posted by: Maven on June 17, 2010 at 7:58 amFrom columnist John Bogert at the Daily Breeze:
“There are two ways to do things in this life, the right way and my way.
Or your way, as the case may be.
This is especially true of plumbing repairs and plumbing fixture replacement, activities that would be extremely easy if they didn’t involve the use of water. Maybe I’m alone in this. But I approach all water-related jobs in the same way that a zookeeper might a large baboon.
Sure, baboons and water delivery devices look innocent enough. But the former will happily chew your face off while the latter is really nothing more than an empty round of copper or steel.
So it’s that little pipe at your end … and the entire California Aqueduct at the other!
Which is to say, if one of your $5 hardware store valves fails, you could – theoretically – require several million tanker trucks to haul away the 1.7 billion gallons of water that daily flow in the general direction of your home through the longest aqueduct in the world. This is an aqueduct comprised of 23 dams and reservoirs, 22 pumping stations, 473 miles of canals, 175 miles of pipes and 20 miles of tunnels. … “
Continue reading from the Daily Breeze by clicking here.
Seemingly bottomless sinkhole opens up in Guatemala City
Posted by: Maven on June 1, 2010 at 6:26 amFrom the New York Times Dot Earth blog:
“This astonishingly unnerving photograph was posted today on the Flickr.com feed of the Guatemalan government and shows a seemingly bottomless sinkhole that opened up on Sunday in Guatemala City as a swath of Central America was drenched by tropical storm Agatha. … “
Egads! Check it out from the New York Times Dot Earth blog by clicking here.
Micromidas to test sludge-to-plastic tech
Posted by: Maven on May 27, 2010 at 7:00 am
From CNet’s Green Tech:
“Later this year, start-up Micromidas plans on testing how well an army of microbes can convert sludge from wastewater treatment plants into a biodegradable plastic.
The Sacramento, Calif.-based company, which raised $3.6 million last month in series A venture funding, expects to start pilot testing a waste-to-plastic machine at its labs within a month. Then, it hopes to take that biorefinery, which can fit in a shipping container, to a wastewater treatment plant in about five months, said CEO and founder John Bissell.
Because it’s still early in development, the company doesn’t know how much the system will cost compared to making the plastic polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from glucose or fructose. But if successful, the system will be valuable to wastewater treatment facilities where as much as 40 percent of operating costs is handling sewage sludge, Bissell said. … “
Continue reading from CNet Green Tech by clicking here.
Top ten new (& weird) species for 2010 named
Posted by: Maven on May 26, 2010 at 7:46 am
The Arizona State University’s International Institute for Species Exploration has released it’s list of the top 10 new (& weird) species. The list includes carnivorous sponge, a lobular yam and a flatfaced psychedelic frogfish.
You can check out the photo gallery by clicking here.
Eco-Absurdity: The water-soluble wedding dress
Posted by: Maven on May 19, 2010 at 8:08 amIn Good Grief, part 2, this next item comes from the always-clever Thirsty In Suburbia blog:
“What a dilemma: say you’re a greenie bride, and you’re tortured because, after your big day, there’s no recycling outlet for your wedding dress. And it’s not compostable, either! Reuse is out, as no one you know can fit into the overly (large, small, tall, short) size.
This is a complex problem requiring collaboration between great fashion and engineering minds and YES, a solution has been devised!
From myfoxla.com, with gratitude to Emily Green for the tip (you DO read Chance of Rain, don’t you?),
Fashion and engineering students at a British university have come up with an answer about what to do with wedding dresses after the big day: dissolve it in water.
Not recommended for those planning outdoor weddings in unpredictable weather …. Continue reading at Thirsty In Suburbia by clicking here.
Here’s my recommendation for the afterlife of your wedding dress. And who knows, the water here could have the same effect …..
Blog: The grand plan to steal Canada’s water resources: the traitors within
Posted by: Maven on March 3, 2010 at 7:54 amFrom Water Exports and the Water War Crimes blog (www.waterwarcrimes.com):
” … Water and our home , Planet Earth, hove a long history together, 6 billion years, or thereabouts. as humans, we are mostly water, 90%, (some say), curiously, scientists report that Planet Earth is one of the few places where water exists in its three states, solid, liquid, and gas.
Canada is one of those peculiar countries where, for six months of the year, water exists in its solid state as snow or ice and the country is, literally, covered in water. However, every spring, the water melts and drains back to the Oceans from whence it came. Politicians and environmentalists may tell you that fresh water is our most precious resource but they do precious little to preserve it. In fact the water is so valueless that Canadian people allow it to wash away into the sea knowing that it will return each year as snow or rain.
In Canada, most fresh water originally appears in the sky as snow flakes, accumulates on the ground and is so plentiful that people pay contractors to remove it from their driveways. This is no market for snow in Canada. It is a nuisance. … “
This post seems to detail a plan from 1990 to deliver water to Southern California from Canada via supertankers retrofitted to carry water instead of oil. Hmmmm….
Continue reading this post from the Water Exports and Water War Crimes blog by clicking here.
Bill Gates backs ‘Salter Sink,’ an attempt to tame hurricanes
Posted by: Maven on January 4, 2010 at 8:13 amJust because I found this interesting …. From the Palm Beach Daily News:
“He is a philanthropist, a business magnate and one of the world’s richest men. Now, Bill Gates wants to put a stop to hurricanes, or at the very least, make them a bit weaker.
The founder of Microsoft is backing an idea to reduce the strength of hurricanes by cooling sea surface temperatures. In a 2008 patent filing, Gates and his friends have come up with an idea to use a fleet of vessels that could pull up colder water from the ocean depths.
Hurricanes use the warm sea surface waters as fuel for their powerful engines. The warmer the water, the more powerful the fuel and, assuming all things are equal in the atmosphere; the more mighty the hurricane.
If, on the other hand, a hurricane or tropical storm moves across cooler ocean water the storm is likely to weaken. Gates and Stephen Salter, an emeritus professor of engineering design at the University of Edinburgh, think they may have found a way to draw up the chilly water from the ocean depths. … “
Continue reading this story at the Palm Beach Daily News by clicking here.
Water and drought jokes: How dry is it?
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2009 at 8:16 am
From Thirsty in Suburbia:
“[Thirsty in Suburbia is] taking it easy the last week of 2009 with reposts of some of our 2009 faves!
In case you missed it: In the thick of a blistering 2009 summer, we were inundated with news from far and wide of deep, devastating drought… so of course, that caused us to inquire, “Just HOW DRY is it?”
Drought Turning Texas Dry as Toast: Yesterday I saw this headline on MSNBC (via WaterSISWeb) so that’s my cue to dig up my collection of “It’s so dry…” jokes. … “
Nearby super-earth may be a waterworld
Posted by: Maven on December 22, 2009 at 2:45 pm
From Space.com (with a hit tip to the Water Sisweb!):
“A rocky and water-rich planet, not much heftier than our own, has been discovered so close to our solar system that astronomers one day may be able to study its atmosphere.
And though astronomers are pretty certain the water exists, they don’t know its state, with speculations ranging from liquid water to water ice and an exotic state called a superfluid.
The extrasolar planet, now named GJ 1214b, is about 40 light-years away. It orbits a red dwarf star. It is the only known “Super-Earth” exoplanet — worlds that have masses between Earth and Neptune — with a confirmed atmosphere.
“Astronomically speaking, this [planet] is on our block,” meaning it’s in our cosmic neighborhood, said study leader David Charbonneau of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Mass. “For perspective, our own TV signals have already passed beyond the distance of this star.” … “
Read more from Space.com by clicking here.
Couple’s water-saving invention uses fish feces
Posted by: Maven on December 18, 2009 at 8:08 amSuch an intriguing title, isn’t it? This, from San Diego’s channel 10:
“A San Diego couple said they have an invention that could help solve the state’s water woes and end world hunger, 10News reported.
Phyllis and Collie Davis’ Bay Ho back yard has a unique garden that has no soil. It has a little peat moss, and the only water required is in the heated tank that houses a secret ingredient — white fish tilapia.
The feces of the well-fed fish are sent into a pumping system that isolates the good nutrients. That nutrient-rich water is then pumped through the gravel bed several times a day. Seedlings with a bit of peat moss are rooted in the gravel. … “
Read more from San Diego’s channel 10 by clicking here.
Blog commentary: Columbia River water next export to California (?)
Posted by: Maven on December 12, 2009 at 9:09 am
From Oregon Catalyst:
“Speculation is high that Oregon has, for the first time, begun formal exploration into the feasibility of sending surplus water from the Columbia River south to thirsty California. The success of the recently announced giant wind farm has water export proponents salivating at the chance to tap just a small portion of the average 265,000 cubic feet of water per second that slips by Oregon, unused but for power generation, fish habitat and limited shipping.
Closed-door sessions have been held privately in recent months to discuss the very future of the Columbia River as we know it today. People have been asking for Oregon’s water for a long time. In 1990 Kenneth Hahn, an LA County Supervisor, formally requested water from Oregon via pipe to offset the severe water shortages they were experiencing. Then governor Neil Goldschmidt said no to the request, as did then Washington governor Booth Gardner.
Oh, how times have changed. With Oregon now leading the way in green power exports with the proposed Shepherds’ Flat Wind Farm, many around the state see the opportunity to export water as the next logical export. … “
Read more of this blog commentary from the Oregon Catalyst by clicking here.
Picture of Columbia River Gorge by flickr photographer WSK 2005.
Photo gallery: The most psychedelic lake on earth
Posted by: Maven on December 9, 2009 at 8:07 am
Check out this lake, which has got to be the world’s weirdest water body:
“The Spotted Lake near the city of Osoyoos in British Columbia, right at the Washington state border, is not the result of someone’s too vivid imagination but of the many different mineral deposits found in it: The lake is rich in calcium, sodium and magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) and even silver and titanium. It is called Kliluk by the Okanagan Indians who have known of the lake’s therapeutic powers for generations.
The lake changes colour throughout the year and therefore is beautiful to look at in any season. But it is only in the summer from about June to mid September that the lake water level lowers due to evaporation and reveals the “walkways” and different pools, the lake’s “spots.” Osoyoos in fact means “narrowing of the waters” in the Okanagan language. … “
Egads! Gigantic 450 lb. jellyfish!
Posted by: Maven on December 8, 2009 at 7:52 am
From Environmental Graffiti, the “eeeww” story of the day! No, that’s not photoshop there… that’s a 450 lb. jellyfish!!!
“They came from the deep – swarms of giant jellyfish that can sink trawlers and strike fear into the hearts of fishermen. Growing to almost seven feet wide, weighing a sumo-sized 450lb (200kg), and armed with myriad stinging tentacles, Echizen kurage sound like the stuff of Japanese sci-fi, yet the threat they pose is as real as it gets. Since 2005, these slimy horrors have been wreaking havoc in the waters off the coast of Japan – and how to stop them is anyone’s guess.
Over recent summers, the gelatinous giants, known as Nomura’s Jellyfish in English, have mysteriously materialised in the Korean peninsula and Yellow Sea off China before drifting across the oceanic void to terrorise the people of Japan. These huge marauding armadas have caused devastation due to their habit of clogging up and destroying fishermen’s nets with their sheer bulk, or poisoning and besliming catches with their toxic tentacles, leaving the fish inedible and worthless. … “
Read more from Environmental Graffiti by clicking here.
Jon Stewart on Climategate
Posted by: Maven on December 6, 2009 at 8:16 amFrom Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show: A story that Aquafornia has not been covering, but certainly you’ve heard of it. Here’s Jon Stewart’s take on it (hat tip to Water Wired):
Thirsty in Suburbia covers the Golden Poo Awards. Really.
Posted by: Maven on November 3, 2009 at 6:47 amHere’s one of those ‘odd posts’ I’ve been known to post, but hey, I think we can all use something a little humor to break up the day’s news, and who else but the clever Thirsty in Suburbia blog to provide that for us! Check this out:
“Toilet humor (humour) has moved out of the school yard and into the studios of some of the UK’s most creative animators. I thought I was good at the potty puns and chuckles, but the threshold has been raised to astounding heights with the winners of the short film “Golden Poo Awards” announced October 15th. In fact, it’s so over the top, I spent a few minutes pondering if it could be some sort of prank!
PooP Creative (really!) and The London International Animation Festival (LIAF) jointly promoted the competition to tackle the serious issues of sanitation and hygiene in an edgy, irreverent and humorous way. …”
Like how? Check out this video which won second place:
See the winning video & find out more from the Thirsty in Suburbia blog by clicking here.
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