Author Archives: coolmathgamesn

Here’s Why Sea World in San Diego Can’t Breed Killer Whales Any Longer

by coolmathgamesn Posted on October 9, 2015

Mother Jones

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN” “http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd”>

You may have seen the news that Sea World in San Diego will no longer be allowed to breed killer whales:

After an all-day meeting that drew hundreds of supporters and critics of the park, the California Coastal Commission moved to ban captive whale breeding and drastically restrict the movement of whales in and out of the park.

The California Coastal Commission? Why do they have any say over Sea World’s orca breeding? One of the charmingly idiosyncratic aspects of governance in California is that the Coastal Commission regulates all construction done within about 1000 yards of the coastline. As you can see, Sea World is well within that boundary, and it so happens that they wanted to build a bigger tank for their killer whales. But they could only do this if the Coastal Commission approved it.

Still confused? Well, the initiative that created the Coastal Commission didn’t really put any boundaries on the commission’s power. They can pretty much cut any deal they want, which is why they’re so furiously hated by every gazillionaire who lives near the coast. In this case, their deal was this: you can build the bigger tank, but only if you stop breeding whales and don’t bring any new ones in. And that was that.

This has been today’s California Explainer for all you poor folks who are forced to live in less desirable parts of the country and don’t understand our tribal customs. You’re welcome.

See original article here: 

Here’s Why Sea World in San Diego Can’t Breed Killer Whales Any Longer

Posted in FF, GE, LAI, LG, ONA, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Here’s Why Sea World in San Diego Can’t Breed Killer Whales Any Longer

If We Can’t Stop This Tiny Alaskan Town From Falling Into the Sea, What Hope Is There for the Rest of Us?

by coolmathgamesn Posted on December 15, 2014

Mother Jones

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN” “http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd”>

This story originally appeared in the Huffington Post and is republished here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

It’s a Wednesday morning in late August, the first day of classes at the Shishmaref School. The doors of the pale blue building haven’t opened yet, and the new principal is hurriedly buttering toast in the kitchen for the students’ breakfasts. Teachers are scrambling to make last-minute adjustments to their classrooms, while anxious kids, ranging from pre-K students through high schoolers, wait on the porch, their jackets zipped against the chill of the early-morning air. It’s all so incredibly normal, you might not know that, just a few years ago, no one thought Shishmaref would be here anymore.

The remote village of 563 people is located 30 miles south of the Arctic Circle, flanked by the Chukchi Sea to the north and an inlet to the south, and it sits atop rapidly melting permafrost. In the last decades, the island’s shores have been eroding into the sea, falling off in giant chunks whenever a big storm hits.

The residents of Shishmaref, most of whom are Alaska Native Inupiaq people, have tried to counter these problems, moving houses away from the cliffs and constructing barriers along the northern shore to try to turn back the waves. But in July 2002, looking at the long-term reality facing the island, they voted to pack up and move the town elsewhere.

Relocation has proven much more difficult than that single vote, however. And 12 years later, Shishmaref is still here, ready to begin another school year.

Continue Reading »

Link:  

If We Can’t Stop This Tiny Alaskan Town From Falling Into the Sea, What Hope Is There for the Rest of Us?

Posted in alo, FF, GE, ONA, oven, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on If We Can’t Stop This Tiny Alaskan Town From Falling Into the Sea, What Hope Is There for the Rest of Us?