I would trust Dan Coats as Director of National Intelligence.

He has been a long time patriot of the USA. He is different from Mueller in that he chose a different path after serving two years in the USA military. His path has been primarily legislative, but, he was also Ambassador to Germany. He was given the post a few days before 911. Germany is a big deal when it comes to intelligence that would effect the USA. So, he served as Ambassador for I think it was five years. Dan Coats knows intelligence.

July 23, 2018
By Pierre Atlas

With the German consul general from Chicago seated in the audience, (click here) Coats reminisced about those trying times and noted the tremendous support that Germany, a longstanding ally and fellow NATO member, had given the United States in its moment of dire need. The Islamist terror cell that attacked us was based in Hamburg, and as ambassador, Coats helped to coordinate the security and intelligence response in Germany.

NATO was founded in 1949 as a military alliance to hold off Soviet aggression and to keep Europe free and democratic. Article 5 of its charter establishes the principle of collective security: an attack on one member will be considered an attack on all members. Article 5 has been invoked only once — not in response to Russian aggression in Europe, but after the United States was attacked on 9/11. As the World Trade Center smoldered, the German Air Force flew combat air patrols over America’s eastern seaboard. NATO forces have been fighting alongside our troops in Afghanistan since 2001, with thousands being killed or wounded in action. NATO members are America’s truest allies.

I couldn’t help but think of Coats last week, as President Donald Trump publicly attacked Germany and brazenly sought to undermine the trans-Atlantic alliance at the NATO Summit in Brussels. I wondered, what must our former ambassador to Germany, now serving as Trump’s director of national intelligence, be thinking?

In his 2015 address at Marian, then-Sen. Coats, a traditional conservative Republican, also offered a blistering critique of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy. He said Obama did not take a strong enough stance against Russian leader Vladimir Putin after Russia invaded Ukraine, and that this sent the wrong signal to Putin. At the time, some people may have dismissed Coats’ comments as simply partisan sniping one year before the 2016 presidential election. But this week, it became clear to everyone that Coats puts country above party....

I think his views on Russia are clear.

January 5, 2017
by Brian Naylor

In choosing Coats, (click here) he is getting a veteran Washington establishment figure — a senator, former lobbyist and ambassador to Germany — with a rare distinction: being banned from Russia.

Coats' views on Russia after its annexation of Crimea, and his calls for stronger sanctions as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, landed him and other senators on Russia's banned list.

It's a major difference with the president-elect, who has praised Putin and cast doubt on U.S. intelligence conclusions that the Russian government, sought to help President-elect Donald Trump's election chances.

Coats even mocked Russia with a David Letterman-style top 10 list on Twitter in 2014:...

I understand there is a conflict of information in the Special Council's report regarding the Director of Intelligence and his staff about an incident that seems to alarm him and concerned his staff.

That doesn't worry me. It doesn't worry me because Dan Coats has a rather important and difficult job.

If I may?

I don't know first hand what it is to be Director of National Intelligence. I can imagine though. The job isn't simple and it has to be similar to working in a mist of information all the time. Sort of like breathing. We use oxygen, but, the oxygen is mixed with all sorts of gases, but, yet it is the oxygen our lungs bring into our metabolism. I think the information that intelligence uses is similar to that. Being director of that intelligence is more or less a place where the absolutely most important information is garnered with brevity.

I think Dan Coats is focused on the country and what is going on that seeks to undermine it. I am sure when he was summoned to speak with the Special Council he honestly didn't recall the same event his staff would have remembered. I really think his job requires so much focus that he simply dismisses events that interfere with his priorities. While he may have been upset, it probably washed away with his discussions with staff. I doubt he is impaired from performing his responsibilities.

In this case, I think it is more important to give greater brevity to Dan Coats staff than the man himself. I think the staff is concerned for their Director and remember things like an upset moment far better than he remembers it himself.

If this is the reason the Special Council left wiggle room in the report, it is because Dan Coats testimony would be given greater weight by STATUS than his staff. That has to be sorted out by the Congress.

Scientists take many risks in bringing people the truth. Today is Earth Day and they did not forget.

April 3, 2019

Scientists test the age of sea ice off the northern coast of Russia.

The northern coast of Russia (click here) is largely considered the most important spot for the formation of new sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, fueled by the area’s shallow waters, frigid winter temperatures, and a strong wind that pushes ice to the open sea. But scientists have discovered that 80 percent of this new sea ice now melts before it can leave coastal waters — up from 50 percent in 2000.

The melting is being driven by the region’s rapid warming, according to the new research published this week in the journal Scientific Reports. Temperatures in the Arctic have risen twice as fast as the rest of the planet.

With just 20 percent of new Russian sea ice making its way to the central Arctic Ocean, the region is losing an important means of transporting nutrients, algae, and sediment, the scientists note. And without new sea ice to replenish the region’s more stable, older ice, “the world is one major step closer to a sea-ice-free summer in the Arctic,” warned Thomas Krumpen, a sea-ice physicist at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany and lead author of the new study....

Sea ice floats through the seas. When it freezes it traps all kinds of nutrients and microscopic food into the seas and oceans. The loss of sea ice off Russia is a threat to the global marine food chain.

The sea ice floats out of the Arctic and melts as it reaches the oceans and seas. That melting will engage the food chain. If the ice can't reach global circulation full of these nutrients to the North Atlantic after passing through the Arctic Ocean, there will be a loss of viability in the oceans.

Fish don't happen by magic. The fisheries need to be monitored closely for loss of productivity. We already know there is the migration of species toward the north and the south as the equatorial regions warm and become a threatened habitat by many species. What occurs then when there is an inadequate food chain when they arrive in their migration?

On Earth Day, CNN is stating the climate crisis is signs of the rapture.

OMG.

Has CNN ever heard of Pope Francis and his "Encyclical and Climate Change?" 

It can be found here. (click here) I spent time and hours with it's content to validate the basis of his work.

Does CNN not read or are they just to lazy to educate themselves about global issues of concern to the people? Listening to Sarah Sanders, right?

Sarah Sanders is not a religious authority that has sound facts behind her. The Vatican does it's own research on many things.

I am fairly sure when God gave humans dominion over the Earth, it wasn't supposed to submit control to the petroleum industry, or exploitive fishing or destructive drilling and mining. Somehow, that just isn't God.

Genesis 1:26-28 King James Version (KJV)

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

King James Version (KJV)

Is there still misogyny at work after the defeat of Hillary Clinton?

The media is not covering women candidates the same as men. That is an issue that should not be ignored. I thought perhaps with debates that would change, but, I don't think it will.

Was the misogyny against Hillary Clinton ever documented in studies? It should have been by now. There are articles like this appearing in popular journals, but, this is more or less a self-help article, which I find useless. It is written in Ireland and not the USA, but, the idea girls are oppressed by external culture is already realized here.

I want women to stop blaming themselves and their culture and reach into documented proof of misogyny. I want to see journal articles and psychiatrists naming the syndrome. We know it exists and the disparity in the media is proof. It is time to name the REASON, with real facts, figures and analysis. Time's up, it is time to move forward with a real measure of the misogyny women face.

August 20, 2019
By Sarah Carey

My friend the psychoanalyst gave me great advice once: (click here) "Name It". Dr Ciara Kelly - in a fine piece in the Irish Independent last Monday - extracted some shrapnel from this BBC/Kevin Myers incendiary device. Struggling to answer Myers' question - why is there only one female chess grandmaster? - she Named It: Expectations.

That's when I remembered when we girls from the Convent were sent down to the Christian Brothers to try Honours Maths. On the first day, the teacher declared that he expected only half a dozen of the class to sit the paper in the Leaving Certificate. He looked at me meaningfully and I knew straight away I'd never make it. And ever since I've deferred to men I thought were smarter than me because they did Honours Maths.

So with expectations of Us and Them set hard in my psyche, I cheerfully laughed off the drunken groping because hey, they're only lads, and isn't a sense of humour the trick to getting through life and sure, some things you just have to put up with? And then you watch, in broad daylight, as the King of The Office actually grabs an intern, right in front of you, and you don't even know what you're looking at any more. Was that a friendly embrace or an assault? And it was the wonderful Barbara Scully who Named It for me: "But imagine if a woman did that? It simply wouldn't happen. We put up with this stuff and that's how they get away with it."

Or the years I spent arguing against gender quotas because I didn't want men to hate us any more than they already did, and sure, if you were good enough, there wasn't really anything stopping you getting that nomination to the ticket or the board....

Republicans don't read. They rely on others to read and then talk about it.

See how Senator Schumer has the papers from inside the folder before him? McConnell cannot read. Don't tell anyone, but, he is unable to read.

No one actually expects a reasonable response from the Republicans. I don't. I know they don't read. As a matter of fact it is well known that Republicans listen to others read in order to understand documents. It happens often in the right wing media. People read on the air because they know Republicans don't read.

All those fancy charter schools are experimental schools. That is what a charter school is by law. The Republicans are still looking to find a method that will allow them to read.

Case in point. Why would Republicans take so many votes about health care if they could read? Stubbornness? Really? People who can read are telling Republicans they know what they want from their country when it comes to health care, yet, they don't read it for themselves. If the people talking aren't valid Republican readers, the leadership does not listen, either.

Why would a Republican expose all his children to measles rather than have his children vaccinated? Because he doesn't read.

The illiteracy must be high in the Republican Party. It explains the obstructionism of McConnell. He doesn't read.

This article was written by Senator Schumer. He can read and write.

October 23, 2018
By Charles E. Schumer

With only a few weeks to go until the midterm elections, (click here) Democratic Senate candidates across the country just got a boost from the unlikeliest of places: Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

This past week, Leader McConnell told the American people exactly what another two years of Republican control of the Senate would look like. If Republicans retain the majority, he said, there will be another attempt to repeal the health care law, which could result in 20 million fewer Americans with health insurance. He then defended the partisan lawsuit that could end protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions — a lawsuit supported by 20 Republican officials, including two attorneys general who are running for Senate seats....

"Morning Papers"

The Rooster

"Okeydoke"

The Special Council report is not a "hit job."

To begin, what kind of language is that for a president of the United States of America. It lacks complete dignity that is this country.

Secondly, there is not a false fact in the report. These facts came directly out of the records that were produced because of Trump's activity. There is nothing dishonest about any of the information in the report.

Simply because people cooperated with the requests of the Special Council does not exonerate them. The facts in the report are because they cooperated because they had to cooperate.

The most deceptive and dishonest person ever to occupy the Oval Office provided all the facts in the report of the Special Council. He needs to look in the mirror and see more than a tie that reaches below his belt buckle. 

Enough of the lies already. Trump and his cohorts have no dignity, they don't even have self-respect. They will bargain for power without regard to the truth, honesty or the values American people hold dear. Even his family had to barter their way to a status of being considered above the reason for an indictment.

The US Congress needs to continue to press for the entire report and it's supporting documents. If this is what a redacted copy says, I can only imagine the rest of the report.

Additionally, the Attorney General needs to be held responsible for the willingness he has allowed with his office. He is more than willing to set up firewalls and false reporting at every turn to Congress and the American people. That is not permitted in the job of Attorney General. Covering for a ruthless and dangerous president is not in the job description.

Congress needs to do it's job and do it well. The parts of this report we already know are appalling and Trump definitely does not belong in the office of the highest office in this country. He is not a good president and his administration has lost credibility as the most corrupt administration in the modern era.

"Good Night, Moon"

The waning gibbous

17.6 day old moon

91.3 percent lit

April 17, 2019
By Douglas Main

A full moon is looming (click here) —and it will have a big impact on animals, especially those in the ocean.

Recent studies show that many types of animals have biological clocks finely tuned to the cycles of the moon, which drives fascinating and sometimes bizarre patterns of behavior.

Besides revealing hidden aspects of animal life, the research also has implications for better understanding the circadian clocks present in all animals, including humans.

The first circadian clocks evolved in the oceans, so studying them in marine animals can tell us a lot about how they evolved and how they work and interact with each other, explains Kim Last, a researcher at the Scottish Association for Marine Science.

Take zooplankton. These tiny animals engage in the world’s largest migration, which takes place every night when they swim toward the surface to feed on algae. These mini-creatures are prey to a many larger animals that hunt by sight. So to avoid predation, zooplankton head for the depths at dawn....

...When the winter moon is full over the Arctic, it stays above the horizon for a handful of days (depending on latitude), and during this time, zooplankton dive to take cover from predators. But while the moon is out, it also rises and sets—and the zooplankton respond, rising and diving over the course of this cycle, which takes 24 hours and 50 minutes....

 Zooplankton (click here) include such protozoans as the foraminiferans ; they are found at all depths but are more numerous near the surface. Bacteria are abundant in upper waters and in bottom deposits....

If he can hug a flag I can hug American trees.

The name tree hugger has an interesting history.

A young girl (click here) was reportedly the first to see the loggers coming. It was March 26, 1973, and loggers sent by sporting goods manufacturer the Simon Company were heading for Gopeshwar forest near the tiny village of Reni in Uttarakhand, which was then part of Uttar Pradesh. The girl ran to tell Gaura Devi, a village elder, who summoned dozens of other women to do the only thing they could: place their bodies between the trees and the axes. They hugged the 300 ash trees tightly, telling the loggers that in order to get to the trees they’d have to go through human bodies first. The loggers opted to leave instead. But Devi and the other women remained vigilant.

When the lumbermen tried to go to another village to fell trees, the villagers, inspired by what had happened in Reni, did the same: They hugged the trees in a 24-hour vigil designed to keep them safe. This soon became known as the Chipko andolan, or Chipko movement, from the verb meaning “to stick to.” It’s a movement that would rapidly spread to other parts of India and inspire activism beyond the country, while honoring the world’s first-known tree huggers … also from India. In 1730, villagers from the Bishnoi community 480 miles southwest of Reni embraced trees sacred to their faith to save them after the local king ordered they be felled for the construction of a palace. The king’s soldiers beheaded more than 300 protesters, but the villagers refused to give in. Ultimately, the king apologized and withdrew his decree.

But while the term “tree huggers” has become derogatory slang for those who care more about the environment than practical concerns, the villagers of Reni hugged the trees to preserve their economy....

There is this rumor going around that says most tree huggers are queer women. I don't know what exactly is wrong with that, but, I think it is intended as religious bigotry.

I am a conservation biologist, have a focus in botany and marine botany and have worked in the field. I have met "tree sitters" from time to time. The folks that sit in a tree to protect it from being destroyed, but, they are all men. Seriously. Now, they could have been gay men, but, they were far to busy to even mention if they were.

I know many women that are involved in conservation and environmental jobs and some are activists as well. They may be lesbian or bisexual, but, I can't honestly say I ever discussed that with them.

So, the nastiness that obviously exists on the political right in the USA is on full display these days. They want women to defined with long hair and make-up to pretend aging doesn't exist. They also will demonize anything that is not to their liking, including trees and tree huggers.

I never thought I'd see the day when a conservationist would be classified by the political right wing as a queer woman. It is sexist. It is anti-LGBTQI. It is inhumane and intended to hurt people and the natural world they love.

This is "Ailanthus altissima." It is the most toxic invasive species in the USA.

Ailanthus altissima (click here) is also known as Chinese Sumac. 

Tree-of-heaven (just to left of fence) in Coumbia State Park, CA. USDA, Forest Service

I think the popular name of "Tree-of-heaven" is probably American. I don't believe the Chinese named it that. This is not about China, it is about an invasive species that has taken over hillsides, roadsides, invaded forests and basically kills any other species within reach of it's roots.

An American botanist brought this species to the USA and placed it into an arboretum. That happened somewhere around the 1700s. Considering this is 2019, just think of the number of these lousy trees out there destroying the Amerian forests. Needless to say it escaped the arborteum and spread like wildlife ever since.

It is definitely an invasive species. The tree can grow up to 80 feet tall under normal conditions. With a dense CO2 content to the troposphere, it might grow taller. It's canopy is about two thirds of it's height.

The link above will provide anyone with all the information they need including what needs to replace it in all the affected states. 

Taxonomically, this is considered one leaf. Those individual leaves are actually called leaflets. There are 10 to 40 of the leaflets attached to the main stem. The bark of the tree is rather smooth and grey in color, but, the twigs are brown. The leaves are why it is called a sumac.


The tree will produce these hideous yellow "fruit." Like an apple there is a seed inside the fruit. A single mature tree can produce 325,000 seeds per season.

These are the seeds. The average person often think they are flowers. The flowers are small and green, but, they turn into this mess. As the seeds dry they turn a pinkish red color. But, it is obvious there are tons of these darn seeds produced in a season.

Ailanthus altissima kills other trees. It has root suckers that grow out from the tree and grow seedlings. It isn't just the seeds that are the problem, it is the entire lousy tree that is the problem. At any rate, these suckers will sprout seedlings and the roots go fairly deep at an early stage. If one is digging out the seedlings, the entire root has to be taken out because it will regenerate.

Yes, this tree is not only a menace, but it is also a virulent variety menace.

This tree is not from heaven. It is a lie. It will grow in very poor soils and that is what causes it's spread. It will grow where other trees will not. Once it started to grow in poor soils, there is no stopping it. There is no self-limiting behavior. It is like the Walking Dead, but, it is not afraid of water that is rain.

It is not tolerant of shade or wet areas. It is found in the city in allys, sidewalks, parking lots and vacant lots. In the country, it likes roadsides, fencerows, woodland edges and fields.

The roots can damage sewers, foundations and sidewalks.

The roots are toxic to other plants. It allows the plant to form a dense thicket that crowds out other plants and young trees. It is best to get rid of the entire tree before it drops it's seeds. The thicket has to be removed all the way down to the tip of the tap root. It is best to get rid of them as early in their development as possible.

There are chemical remedies, but, most folks are not interested in chemical resolve of a tree. I don't know if they make for good firewood, but, I would rather see them go through a chipper. Any firewood sitting around can start to sprout the suckers all over again.

But, for those interested in young forests, get rid of this species at every turn. It might look like interesting habitat, especially the thicket, but, it is actually not favored by wildlife. Wildlife much rather native species for food and shelter.

After Superstorm Sandy I don't' know how much people can take.

What I rarely hear being taken as a testimony for Congress are the mental health professionals and social works that have contact with the victims of the climate crisis. There needs to be a record of the impact of the severe weather and not just a record of the storms.

The impact of the climate crisis needs to be known to Congress in it's ability to ensure proper and effective climate policy.

April 20, 2019
By Jean Mikle

A flash flood watch (click here) remains in effect for most of New Jersey this morning, as storms, some including heavy downpours, continue to move across the state.

A flash flood watch means rapid flooding of urban areas and areas with poor drainage, caused by heavy rain falling in a short period of time, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service has also issued flood advisories for parts of southern, central and northeastern New Jersey. A flood advisory means heavy rain is moving through the advisory area, and could cause minor flooding.

Although heavy rain may happen throughout the state, most of the heaviest precipitation will be along the coastline this morning, according to metereologist Steven DeMartino, of NY NJ Pa Weather....

There are state forests, national forests, city forests and private forests and they can all be partners to the best outcomes of a young forest.

This is a map of just the state forests of New York State. To say they are sparse is an understatement, however, there are also other forests and I know first hand there are many more forests than this in New York.

The thing to remember about managing a forest is that partners are important. They can be an adjunct to any committee, the board of directors or trustees when managing a young forest. While there may be border lines to a forest where the law is concerned and ownership is made, however, the forest and all it's species of flora and fauna will not recognize those borders. Partners that are near the borders of a young forest are just as important to a healthy forest than anyone investing time to it's health.

As a matter of fact, for those partners that work with forests as a full time job may be able to warn others of new disease that has been discovered or invasive species of plants, fish or wildlife.

Partners are important and cannot be understated.

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) (click here) manages more than 787,000 acres of State Forests. Unlike the Forest Preserve, State Forests are located throughout New York State - except within the Adirondack and Catskill Parks - and include Reforestation Areas, Multiple-Use Areas, Unique Areas and State Nature and Historic Preserves. These lands are highly valued for the recreational opportunities they provide and for their contributions to ecosystem health. Thousands of miles of recreational trails are available for hiking, mountain biking, snowmobiling, horse riding, snow shoeing and cross country skiing. These properties are enjoyed by campers, hunters and trappers as well as by orienteering and geocache enthusiasts. On some of these lands, timber management is used as a tool to enhance biodiversity and to create habitat features that might be lacking in the landscape. Other portions are managed to protect and enhance rare, threatened or endangered species. Management of these multiple uses is guided by DEC's Strategic Plan for State Forest Management and by individual unit management plans....

An 8 year old girl is dead.

I have a very large family. They are from all sorts of trade and education. Some like to do home improvement and some even have built their own homes. They volunteer with "Habitat for Humanity" and they are Republicans. I know the pride they took when they built their own homes to code. I cannot imagine the feeling of such devastation to their homes should such tragedy ever visit them. To think the brick home they built betrayed them, would be devastating.

April 20, 2019

A friend of the owner (click here) reviews the remains of a storm damaged house in Morton, Mississippi on April 19, 2019, following a possible tornado touchdown Thursday afternoon, as strong storms again roared across the South on Thursday, topping trees and leaving a variety of damage in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

Atlanta — A strong storm system (click here) barreling through the South killed an 8-year-old girl in Florida on Friday and threatened to bring tornadoes to large parts of the Carolinas and southern Virginia on Saturday.

A tree fell onto a house in Woodville, Florida, south of Tallahassee, killing the girl and injuring a 12-year-old boy, according to the Leon County Sheriff's Office. The office said in a statement that the girl died at a hospital while the boy suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Their names weren't immediately released.

The same storm system was blamed for the deaths a day earlier of two people in Mississippi and a woman in Alabama.

The threat on Friday shifted farther east, where tornado warnings covered parts of northeast Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia, where four suspected tornado touchdowns were reported Friday night. Twisters touched down in Reston, Fredericks Hall, Barham and Forksville. Homes and small structures were damaged, but no injuries were immediately reported....

A genetic recored

I wanted to introduce the idea of keeping a genetic record for the young forests that will be managed in New York State. I think it is a great idea and will provide for a sound basis to the future.

It is always good to meet with colleagues from other states and countries. While their ideas may not be workable for every forest, it is always interesting to hear from others in how they see themselves protecting species and managing their forests.

"The basis of resilience in forest species and it's use in adaptive forest management in Britain."
By S. Cavers and J.E. Cottrell
Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research, Volume 88, Issue 1, January 2015, Pages 13–2625 July 2014

Britain's forest genetic resources (click here) are currently facing an unprecedented period of uncertainty due to the effects of climate change and increased exposure to new pests and diseases from global trade (Gilligan et al., 2013). Rather than tackle each new threat as it arises, it would be much more cost-effective to manage forests to promote their resilience, allowing them to change and adapt to new pressures. In this position paper, we discuss the theory that underpins the concept of resilience in general and then focus on the implications for British forest ecosystems in particular. As individual forest ecosystems in Britain contain relatively few tree species, we outline the important role of intra-specific genetic diversity in conferring resilience via evolutionary processes and discuss the major drivers of these processes. Finally, we outline the current policy and practice for managing the British forest genetic resource and discuss the conflicts and tensions in developing appropriate policy in the face of an uncertain future....

The climate crisis is more than storms, it is the emotional devastation of lives.

How much are people supposed to take before they become discouraged about their values and their paychecks?

FEMA funding cannot be tampered with otherwise the people are completely abandoned to find a way to live their lives. The funding isn't always the answer. There are problems with process at times, there are problems with the valuation of the property. The people can lose hope for the future when they are repeatedly faced with problem after problem.

This is North Carolina. Recently, the state university checked the Cape Fear River for purity. Due to the storms that have swept through, there is not significant pollution in the water of the Cape Fear River, including PCBs.

The climate crisis is all-encompassing and when devastation is the result with stationary and persistent rain and wind, the outcomes are not good. The USA MUST validate the climate crisis and have a national strategy to end the devastation now facing a growing number of Americans.

April 20, 2019

Severe storms (click here) that spawned several reports of tornadoes left behind damage across the Triangle on Friday, but no injuries were reported.

There were reports of tornadoes in Chatham, Orange, Edgecombe, Moore, Halifax and Sampson counties, and there were reports of funnel clouds in Wilson and Northampton counties. The National Weather Service will survey the damage to confirm tornadoes....  

Forest Fragmentation is an enemy.

I could go on for hours, and probably should, about forest fragmentation and the growing trend of coping with such issues. This is ridiculous. In order to have wildlife they have to breed. When forests are fragmented, there are issues with the viability of wildlife. Wildlife bridges have become an answer to allow transit of wildlife from one side of an obstruction to another. This type of intervention should be rare rather than common.

Forest fragmentation must be kept in check to ensure forest health.

October 13, 2014
By Michael Snyder

Due to concerns (click here) over habitat fragmentation, wildlife crossings such as this one are starting to become increasingly common.
on
Forest fragmentation (click here) is the breaking of large, contiguous, forested areas into smaller pieces of forest; typically these pieces are separated by roads, agriculture, utility corridors, subdivisions, or other human development. It usually occurs incrementally, beginning with cleared patches here and there – think Swiss cheese – within an otherwise unbroken expanse of tree cover.

Over time, those non-forest patches tend to multiply and expand until eventually the forest is reduced to scattered, disconnected forest islands. The surrounding non-forest lands and land uses seriously threaten the health, function, and value of the remaining forest.

Any large-scale canopy disturbance affects a forest, but it is important to distinguish between a forest fragmented by human infrastructure development and a forest of mixed ages and varied canopy closure that results from good forest management. The former is typically much more damaging to forest health and habitat quality, usually with permanent negative effects, whereas the latter may cause only temporary change in the forest.

The effects of fragmentation are well documented in all forested regions of the planet. In general, by reducing forest health and degrading habitat, fragmentation leads to loss of biodiversity, increases in invasive plants, pests, and pathogens, and reduction in water quality. These wide-ranging effects all stem from two basic problems: fragmentation increases isolation between forest communities and it increases so-called edge effects....

There are climate deaths occurring in many countries.

April 21, 2019

On the heels of the deadly severe weather early last week, (click here) a new storm threatens to spark violent thunderstorms from Iran to Afghanistan and Pakistan early this week.

The Middle East has been pounded this spring with deadly thunderstorms and flooding. More than three dozen people were killed when severe weather struck Pakistan early last week.

Lives were also lost in Afghanistan, pushing the death toll from rounds of flooding rain since March past 130, according to Anadolu Agency. Weeks of flooding have claimed 70 people in Iran, CNN reported.

Monday into Wednesday will bring another threat to lives and property across the Middle East.

"A new storm impacting Turkey this weekend will bring the increasing risk for isolated severe thunderstorms from central Iran to Pakistan Monday into Wednesday," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Houk....

There are different types of forests.

There are of course, regional forests. Regional forests are the species of tree found in a forest. In New York State, the majority of trees are maple, beech, and birch with some oak and hickory. There are other species, but, those are the majority species.

The idea of a forest is well understood and studied in the literature since the beginning of record keeping. Forests are important for many, many reasons, but, they are growing in importance in reversing the warming climate.

Example: Stand in the sun for a few minutes until you feel the warmth of the sun on your face. Then move under a tree that has full foliage. It doesn't have to be in a forest, but, it can be. You are now in shade and the air is cooler and the heat that was on your face from the sun no longer exists. The heat and light haven't gone anywhere, but, instead of on you, it is absorbed by the tree for it's own health. So, the coolness and shade are because the tree have absorbed the light.

Below is a Pennsylvania Forest. This article discusses "Edge Forest" and "Core Forest." A young forest can have these qualities as well. It is important to understand them and their differences.

In the same forest depending on the feet one walks there is a transition of species as well as tree growth. There are different plant species on the forest floor, possibly different tree species, different animal species and different quality of light and moisture. The core forest is important to protect because it is frequently where the more rare forest species live

Figure (click here) depicts the relationship between Edge Forest in red, and Core Forest in green.  Edge forest is the first 100 m of forest into the forest from a disturbed land cover such as agriculture, suburban/urban areas, and roads.  The image is of Central Pennsylvania. State College, PA - Home of Penn State University, is located in the lower left (SW) corner of the image.

In 2002, I co-authored a report for the State of Pennsylvania that assessed the condition of wildlife habitats within the state.  Here we noted that 57% of Pennsylvania's forest area was classified as edge forest.  Many conservation targets are linked in some way to forest health and condition.  Increasing edge forest is one symptom of forest fragmentation and as forests become more fragmented wildlife habitats become isolated as edge effects creep into the core areas.  For the report I defined edge forest as forested area found within the first 100 m (~300 ft) into the forest from any disturbance (i.e., agricultural row crop or pasture, suburban or urban development, and roads)....

There are storm related deaths in the USA. These are climate crisis deaths.

April 20, 2019

12:15 a.m.

Four suspected tornadoes have been reported in Virginia. (click here)

The National Weather Service says damage has been reported Friday night after twisters touched down in Reston, Fredericks Hall, Barham and Forksville.

Authorities say a tree fell through the roof of a condemned house in Reston and tree damage was reported at an intersection in Fredericks Hall. Several trees were reported down in Barham, while a house and various small structures were damaged in Forksville.

The strong storm system was barreling through the South on Friday and killed an 8-year-old girl in Florida and threatened to bring tornadoes to large parts of the Carolinas and southern Virginia.

9:35 p.m.

Forecasters have confirmed that 14 tornadoes touched down in Mississippi as severe storms made its way across the South.

The National Weather Service said in a news release Friday that it had surveyed Thursday afternoon’s twisters.

The strongest tornado had winds as high as 132 mph (212 kph) when it hit a neighborhood in the central Mississippi town of Morton, damaging numerous homes.

Four of the twisters were in Rankin County, just east of Jackson.

Damage from the storm system was reported in at least 24 of Mississippi’s 82 counties.

8 p.m.

The National Weather Service reports downed trees and structure damage as severe storms roared through central and eastern North Carolina.

A preliminary report said there was roof and structure damage in one neighborhood in Chatham County outside of Siler City on Friday afternoon.

News outlets reported at least one house near Interstate 85 outside of Hillsborough in Orange County was severely damaged by winds that were thought to have resulted from a tornado.

To the east, several locations reported wind gusts approaching and in excess of 50 mph (22 km/h).

An immediate account of power outages was not available Friday evening due to problems with the Duke Energy website....

What New York States is planning is to interrupt the progress of nature which can be dictated by the forest.

This is an illustration (click here for article) from New Zealand about the way forests begin and grow. It is properly named "Succession Forest."

Succession forests can start in a field as illustrated here or it can even start in the water. When it begins in the water it is fascinating, because, as time goes by the sediment that settles under and around the roots begin to form land. So, if someone wants to create land, it is not as complicated as it seems. It can be done with trees that love the water and extend their roots into the water.

But, the illustration clearly states as the plants grow and transition into shrubs and small trees it will ultimately grow into a forest where the trees are aged and the forest floor is virtually empty of much "understory" because the "canopy" blocks out the sun from the land below. Our national forests of Sequoias and Redwoods are those type of forests. The Old Growth forests of Washington State and the northwest USA are those types of pinnacle forests.

At one time there were incredible Cypress forests that were Old Growth forests. They were clear cut. The diameter of the trunks were far greater than the height of a logger.

It's Sunday Night

The New York Times featured an article (click here) about the new movement in New York State to preserve young forests, rather than letting them grow into Old Growth forests.

I think it is a great idea and has a great deal of merit to become a citizen's initiative by forming a non-profit conservation society to oversee ir or them.  With a non-profit conservation society, there will be allies to join the average citizen, such as Sierra Club and the Nature Conservancy. The land management becomes really interesting for all parties involved.

There are issues that can result in nature from decisions that change the natural order of things. They are not irresponsible decisions at all. I thought I might cover some of the basics and perhaps continue it for at least another week.

These are huge dynamics and are complicated at best. Thank you for your interest.