Luckiest Lizard Alive

And you thought Charles Johnson of LGF was lucky-- well take a look at this!

The species is almost certainly critically endangered, and might well have disappeared entirely without ever being catalogued had a large male specimen not been rescued alive from a hunter last June.

Finding such a distinctive species in a heavily populated, highly deforested location "comes as an unprecedented surprise," note the authors, writing in the journal Biology Letters.

...

Males have a double penis, called hemipenes, also found in some snakes and other lizards.

And they're going extinct?!?!? There should be twice as many!


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UN on Climategate: Uhhhhhh

The UN has apparently had something to say about the growing scandal about global warming data. Leaks have placed great doubt on the scientific "consensus" that unchecked, global warming will kill us all.

Even though leaked emails have shown that even many of the environmental scientists are fudging the numbers about warming, thew UN won't take them into account.

But of course, there won't be bias because of peer review. Peer review is an excellent tool to weed out incompetence, unless of course, everyone agrees on something:

Pachauri said the large number of contributors and rigorous peer review mechanism adopted by the IPCC meant that any bias would be rapidly uncovered.

"The processes in the IPCC are so robust, so inclusive, that even if an author or two has a particular bias it is completely unlikely that bias will find its way into the IPCC report," he said.

Well, that's reassuring.

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Obama Considering Repainting the White House to Help Environment

Helen Terrell
New York Reviewer
June 2, 2009

WASHINGTON- The White House could soon lose its world-famous color. According to Administration officials, the President is considering repainting his new home with environmentally friendly paint; and that potentially could mean a color other than white.

The move comes at a time when the President has urged Americans to take up a sense of environmental responsibility in the world, including the newly passed gas-mileage requirements by Congress.

Officials stated that "the President would like to lead by example. Not only will he be trying to purchase zero-VOC paints [volatile organic compounds], but that he also is willing to paint the White House the most effective color possible to help the environment."

The President himself did not release a detailed press release on the subject, simply saying that the plans to paint the White House "will be considered, regardless of the color." It is also believed that Michelle Obama is a reason that the President is considering the change, because she "hates the color white."

Despite the President's well-meaning, the plan has been received coldly by many. "This plan is not something I would support," said Vice President Joe Biden. "Barack is my President, and my friend, so I will always encourage him to do what he thinks is right. Personally, though, I'm not quite sure that changing the color of a national landmark will help the environment all that much.

"It's puzzling in a way," Biden added.

It is unknown when the President will make his decision, but it is expected within June.


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Environment Watch: Obama to Ban NASCAR Because of 'Environmental Impact'

DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY, DAYTONA- In what environmental analysts are calling a "landmark decision," President Barack Obama has announced his plan to ban NASCAR and car related races, citing the "environmental impact" that NASCAR is having on "habitable ecosystems."

"My case is simple," said the President on Sunday. "I know that NASCAR does not use natural gas to fuel their vehicles. However, I am aware of post-race celebrations involving the "burning" of tires. This undoubtedly pollutes the air, wastes money, and destroys resources.

"Now, I'm aware that my critics say that I am able to do this because I don't care about NASCAR and its fans. This is simply not true. I myself love NASCAR. For example, this Sunday I watched Dale Gordon Jr. win his first race in a year and a half." The President then smiled, "Good ol' number 28."

Critics of the President's plan have called attention to the fact that this victory celebration is part of tradition, has been happening for decades, and is done by normal citizens in their own cars.

The President dismissed these rebuttals by saying, "The drivers in NASCAR set a bad example for those watching. Little children watching television and witness the abject destruction on tires. And these children grow up thinking it's all right. Well, I'm here to say that it is not all right."

"Don't get me started on how many insects NASCAR kills," the President added.

The passage of the NASCAR No More Bill, as critics call it, is meeting considerable obstacles from the House of Representatives.

"We will not let the President touch our National Pasttime," said Henry E. Brown (R) of South Carolina. "The President doesn't know the feeling of the wind through his hair, the need for speed, and bloodcurdling screams when you hit a wall at 200 miles-an-hour.

"This injustice will not stand," Brown concluded.



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Solution to Global Warming: Dumping Iron into the Ocean

Well, no matter if global warming is man-made or not, we may want to be careful about some... extreme measures. A country like Germany, not known for extremes, is pushing one really strange option. Dumping iron into the sea!

Dumping iron in the ocean to reverse global warming evokes strong reactions and epitomizes the political hot potato. The German government lead resistance to attempts to use the fertilization of plankton growth in oceans for commercially offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, ultimately promoting an international convention restricting iron fertilization. The irony was not lost on many when Germany's own Alfred Wegener Institute announced plans for a large scientific study of iron fertilization. And this potato got so hot, the German science ministry suspended approval for the experiment pending further analysis -- even as the research ship Polarstern cruised toward the planned destination for the iron dump.

Independent Review of Ocean Fertilization Study
Independent reviews of the study were evaluated by both the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. The reviews affirmed the green light for the project. "After careful study of expert reports, I am convinced there are no scientific or legal objections to the German-Indian marine research project," said Science Minister Annette Schavan, as quoted at The Earth Times.

Bush Environmental Contributions Ignored, Again

Know it or not, but George W. Bush may be the friendliest president to the environment we've ever had. Yes, he didn't sign the Kyoto Protocol, but my statement still stands.

Why? Well, Texas is the number one state in the Union as far as wind energy is concerned. This is because Governor Bush actively pushed for wind turbines throughout the state, even giving lucrative tax credits before it became en vogue.

Bush also has reversed an almost 30 year-old statute, so that homeowners can receive credit for installing solar panels on their houses. He has also asked Congress for billions of dollars to fund alternative energy.

President Bush has also signed into law the preservation of the largest wildlife preserve in United States history. And recently, he has established another large zone for ecological conservation.

“The monuments will prohibit resource destruction or extraction, waste dumping and commercial fishing,” President Bush said.
President Bush says the goal is to keep these delicate ecosystems intact, while gradually opening them up to scientific research and recreation.

“For sea birds and marine life, they will be sanctuaries to grow and thrive. For scientists, they will be places to expand the frontiers of discovery. And for the American people they will be places that honor our duty to be good stewards of the Almighty’s creation,” he said.

...

The three new marine monuments together equal an area roughly the size of Spain and are made up islands, reefs, atolls and underwater mountain ranges that are home to countless species.

Good for President Bush, credit or no.