18 January 2013, 3:05 PM

Kari Birdseye

Going to Extremes In Arctic: Is it Worth It?

Industry not ready for offshore drilling in treacherous waters

Shell drill rig grounded near Kokiak Island. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Painter)

As Royal Dutch Shell continues to make perfectly clear, industry is not prepared to safely explore for oil in the pristine waters of America’s Arctic. Shell’s Arctic operations have been called the “gold standard” of the oil industry and if this is the best they’ve got, the industry is not Arctic ready.
Beyond the arguments of the Arctic being a harsh, dangerous, infrastructure-less environment, the question remains, does it make economic sense to drill for oil in this remote region now for barrels of oil in 10 years? In 12 years, cars will be averaging 54.5 mpg. Energy efficiency and a growing renewable fuel market are also making headway. U.S. oil production hit its highest level in 20 years in 2012 and it is projected to increase an additional 14 percent this year—without the extreme oil of the Arctic. In 10 years, will Americans need the extreme oil of the Arctic that Shell is so desperately seeking?
What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic. In addition to the potentially catastrophic local impacts, climate pollution from drilling in the region, especially black carbon emissions from the drill fleet accelerates Arctic warming and melting. Black carbon, which was reported this week to be the second-largest human contributor to climate change after CO2. It is even worse when this pollution is emitted in the Arctic where it has direct effects on ice.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar should take notice on his way out the door to Colorado that our country is done with lining the pockets of the oil industry and we do care about climate change and special places like the Arctic. Tens of thousands of our supporters have already written to the Secretary and President Obama this week. Our goal is 60,000.
Caution and concern goes beyond the environmental community. As the drill ships were being prepared to head north for the summer, Lloyd’s of London warned that offshore drilling in the Arctic would “constitute a unique and hard-to-manage risk.” The insurance giant also urged companies to “think carefully about the consequences of action” before exploring for oil in the region. Watching Shell's problems, Norwegian Statoil continues to defer its plans to drill in the Arctic Ocean, and French oil company Total SA ended the year by publicly calling Arctic drilling too risky for any company."
The Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, a group of 45 Democratic congressional representatives, called for a formal investigation of the Kulluk incident in order to determine whether Shell should be allowed to continue drilling for oil in Alaskan waters. And my personal favorite quote; Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said recently:

Oil companies keep saying they can conquer the Arctic, but the Arctic keeps disagreeing with the oil companies.

This week, former EPA administrator and the director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change policy under President Barack Obama Carol Browner and former Chief of Staff for President Clinton, John Podesta delivered a strong warning to stay out of the Arctic.
Secretary Salazar has called for a 60-day investigation into Shell’s 2012 Arctic operations and media reports say there is an ongoing criminal investigation into pollution related to their drilling vessels. The top dogs from U.S. environmental groups sent Salazar a letter last week requesting a time out. We can go on about rigs hitting shores and the numerous “free passes” the Administration has granted Shell. Now is the time for the President and his team to recognize that drilling in the Arctic now just does not make sense and poses too great a risk.
Meanwhile, our attorneys here at Earthjustice will continue to represent its clients in challenging flawed and unlawful oil and gas permits that put the Arctic Ocean, its wildlife and its people at risk. Our aim is to promote a clean energy future and protect the pristine American Arctic waters from harmful industrial activities in the short term with a long-term focus of conservation based on the best available science.

Speak Up to Save Puget Sound's Orcas

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• signatures: 28,235
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• deadline: January 28, 2013
• signature goal: 30,000

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• Target: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Sponsored by: Center for Biological Diversity

The rare and playful orcas of the Pacific Northwest urgently need your help. A property-rights group is trying to strip away Endangered Species Act protections for the last remaining killer whales in Puget Sound. We can't let that happen.

There are only about 86 orcas left in this population -- and they continue to face the very real threat of extinction because of pollution, climate change and food shortages. This unique population feeds on fish -- unlike other orcas -- and their salmon food source has been severely depleted.

Despite these threats, the federal government is considering a proposal by the property-rights group Pacific Legal Foundation to remove orcas from the endangered species list.

Please sign the petition today to take action and protect Puget Sound's orcas.

Alice in Chains Announce Spring 2013 Tour Dates

Posted 01/14/2013 at 12:08pm | by Damian Fanelli

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Alice in Chains

Related Content

• Alice in Chains Premiere "Hollow" Music Video
• 1996 Guitar World Interview: Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains Discusses Songwriting and Band's New Self-Titled Album

Alice in Chains posted a handful of 2013 US tour dates on their Facebook page this morning.
You can check out the complete date and venue info below.
Fan pre-sale for most tour dates begins tomorrow, January 15. Tickets for all headline tour dates go on sale to the general public on January 18.
Just last week, the grunge icons posted the official music video for their new song, "Hollow," which you can see below.
The song debuted online last month along with a lyric video made up of images contributed by fans. The track is the first from the band's upcoming, as-yet-untitled new album, which is expected this spring.
"It’s like having to deal with the sophomore jinx for the second time in our career,” said guitarist Jerry Cantrell of the pressure to follow 2009's Black Gives Way to Blue. "In my opinion, that record stood up to anything else we’ve put out in our career. And this new one is right up there as well."
For a look back at the band's 2009 comeback album, Black Gives Way to Blue, check out our 2009 interview with Jerry Cantrell here.
Alice in Chains 2013 US Spring Tour
Thu-Apr-25 Miami Beach, Fillmore
Tue-Apr-30 Birmingham, BUCC Concert Hall
Wed-May-01 Augusta, GA, William B. Bell Auditorium
Sun-May-05 Norfolk, VA, Norva
Tue-May-07 Bethlehem, PA, Sands Events Center
Wed-May-08 Pittsburgh, Benedum Center
Tue-May-14 Sioux Falls, SD Lyons Fairgrounds
Wed-May-15 Milwaukee, Eagles Ballroom
Sat-May-18 Philadelphia, Susquehanna Bank Ctr
Tue-May-21 Ft. Wayne, IN, Embassy Theatre
Wed-May-22 Evansville, IN, Aiken Theatre
Fri-May-24 Lincoln, NE, Pinewood Bowl Amphitheater

Waifs of the Week

Shadow

6 years / 8 months
Brussels Griffon / Mix

Hi there! I'm Shadow, a spunky 6 year-old Brussels Griffon mix looking for my forever home. While small in stature (16 pounds), I have a big personality. I'm a confident, fun-loving, like-to-be-in-charge type of dog. And don't let my mature age fool you. I'm an active, playful, full-of-life little guy.

I love going on walks, fetching balls and playing tug of war with my favorite toys. I'm housebroken and walk well on a leash. I came to Wayside as a stray, and wasn't in the best of shape when I arrived. But the good folks here have worked their magic and I'm ready to find a home to call my own.

I'm a pretty social little guy; I love people and warm up to them quickly. However, I'm more picky when it comes to other dogs. Being the confident little guy that I am, I can sometimes be bossy around my canine peers. It would be best if I meet all members of my adoptive family - canines as well as humans - to make sure we all get along.

Also, I'm not what you'd call a high maintenance dog, but Brussels Griffons do require regular grooming, so hopefully that won't be a problem for my new owners. So if you think we might be a good match, please come by and meet me. I have a lot of life and lot of love in me and hope to find my new home soon!

Love and doggie kisses, Shadow

Adoption fee: $65 

 

Tessy

6 years 
Domestic Short Hair / Mix

Are you looking for a sweet, loving, experienced companion cat? Then look no further! I'm Tessy!

I was adopted from Wayside Waifs several years ago by a very nice family. They say I am a great pet. Sadly, they have recently had a change in their family circumstances and can no longer take care of me. So, here I am looking for a new forever home.

I should tell you that I form very strong bonds with my human family. I'm the kind of cat who needs strong connections and time with my humans to be happy and healthy. I'm a little shy of strangers and will probably run and hide when the doorbell rings, but when it's just me and the family who loves me, I'm a real lover.

In fact, I love just about everybody. I got along really well with the dog in my former home and also with the older children there. I am shy of younger children though. They are just too noisy and unpredictable to suit me.

I'm a very affectionate cat, and enjoy crawling into your lap in the evenings to watch a movie or listen to music. I love to look out the windows and enjoy the sunshine, so I hope you'll have a comfy window perch for me.

Most of all though, what I really hope you'll have is never-ending love for me. Won't you please come down to Wayside and meet me today? I just can't wait to find my new forever family and get back to doing what I do best---loving you!

Love, Sweet Tessy

Adoption fee: $25

Cindy

2 years / 7 months
Shepherd / Mix

Hi everyone! It's Cindy here, and I'm very excited to meet you and to tell you all about myself! I'm a sweet shepherd/mix with tan and white fur who weighs right about 50 pounds. I previously had a home to call my own, but recently I was found as a stray and I was brought here to Wayside Waifs.

First of all, I must say that some of the volunteers here at Wayside have told me what I sweet girl I am. Besides that, I have a list of commands that I know, so that will tell you what a smart girl I am as well. With just a treat for persuasion, I know the commands of sit, down, shake, and come! When I get to my new home, it will be important that I continue my obedience training so I will continue learning to be the best girl that I can be.

Also, since I'm quite energetic, it will be important that I get some exercise every day. This would be perfect for spending time with you while we go outside for a walk or a jog. Afterwards, it would be perfect with me to curl up beside you while we relax together or watch TV! So what do you say?

Have you been wishing for a sweet girl like me to make your family complete? If you have, why don't you come on over to Wayside so we can meet? When you come, be sure to bring the whole family with you, including any canine kids, to see if we'll all get along. When you get here, be sure to ask for Cindy and I'll be anxiously waiting to meet you!

Love and happy tails, Cindy

Adoption fee: $130

http://www.waysidewaifs.org/site/R?i=O3VbrlMpPYBfJ5ktt3IWLQ

PETA NEWs

There's no better feeling than being able to share a happy ending for puppies to begin the holiday season!

Following a dynamic international PETA campaign, 70 4-month-old beagles destined for painful experiments in an Indian laboratory have just been saved! An investigation by the government of India prompted by a PETA India complaint found that the dogs were wrongfully imported, including being misleadingly identified as "pets" on required paperwork. The dogs, who were being held at a quarantine facility at Chennai International Airport, were released earlier today to local organizations and are being adopted out to loving homes.

The young dogs were headed for a laboratory where they were slated to endure cruel toxicity tests in which they would be injected with or force-fed chemicals, experimental drugs, and pesticides in increasingly higher doses until they became very sick or died.

PETA also discovered that the notorious laboratory breeder that sold the dogs, Marshall Biotechnology (a subsidiary of U.S.-based Marshall BioResources), lied to the airline transporting the beagles from China to India, stating in a letter that "they ... won't be hurt or killed as Lab Animal."

Based on whistleblower evidence and additional information gathered by PETA India staff, including heartbreaking photos and videos, our Indian affiliate filed a complaint with the government alleging that the shipment was done in violation of the law and calling for the dogs' release.

News about the case spread like wildfire around the world, and through PETA's international websites, 50,000 compassionate people sent e-mails asking Indian authorities to rescue the dogs.

We've saved these 70 lucky dogs from lives of misery and pain in a laboratory, but there's still more work to be done to keep animals out of the hands of experimenters in India. Air India recently resumed shipping animals to laboratories after promising PETA that it had banned the practice. Click here to write to Air India officials now and tell them to stop facilitating cruelty in laboratories.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,









Justin Goodman
Director
Laboratory Investigations Department
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Ask Edmonton to Let Lucy Pack Her Trunk!

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Lucy—the sole pachyderm prisoner at the Edmonton Valley Zoo in Alberta, Canada—is a highly social animal whose life at the zoo is a miserable contrast to what she would experience in the wild. Because of Edmonton's freezing winter weather and the zoo's policy of locking Lucy indoors when the zoo is closed, she spends the majority of her time in a small barn. When she is allowed outside, she is restricted to an enclosure that is less than an acre in size. In addition, Lucy exhibits signs of mental distress and has health issues, including arthritis, obesity, chronic foot ailments, and respiratory problems, all of which are the result of the substandard and inadequate conditions at the zoo and are further aggravated by the region's frigid climate.

The city of Toronto recently agreed to release the elephants at its city zoo to a sanctuary by the end of 2012 and also formally urged Edmonton to do the same with Lucy. This is a huge step forward, and it's time for Edmonton to follow Toronto's example!

In January 2007, elephant biologist Winnie Kiiru identified the Edmonton Valley Zoo to be the worst zoo in Canada for elephants. PETA and Zoocheck Canada have been campaigning to convince the city of Edmonton to release Lucy to a sanctuary. The zoo's African elephant, Samantha, had the good fortune to be transferred to a more appropriate facility, but more than five years later, Lucy—a 38-year-old Asian elephant—remains alone and ailing. Beloved TV host Bob Barker, Montréal native William Shatner, and retired NHL player Georges Laraque have all urged the city to move Lucy to a sanctuary.

After enduring decades at the Edmonton Zoo, Lucy deserves a dignified retirement. The only way to ensure that Lucy's suffering doesn't continue—and that her health conditions don't eventually kill her—is to transfer her to a sanctuary. The PAWS sanctuary in California—the same sanctuary where the elephants from the Toronto Zoo are headed—will offer Lucy ponds for bathing, fresh vegetation, foraging opportunities, the company of other elephants, and the freedom to roam over many acres of natural habitat.

The City of Edmonton Is Violating the Law
Although the Government of Alberta's Standards for Zoos states that animals must be kept in appropriate social groupings, Lucy has been alone for more than three years. In addition, Alberta's Animal Protection Act states, "No person shall cause or permit an animal of which the person is the owner or the person in charge to be or to continue to be in distress." Four renowned elephant experts have each unequivocally stated that Lucy is suffering and is deprived of any semblance of a normal life and that the conditions at the zoo causing Lucy's illness and distress will only continue to exacerbate her health problems if she is not transferred to a sanctuary.

Please urge Mayor Stephen Mandel and the Edmonton City Council to do whatever is necessary to get Lucy relocated to a sanctuary and to close the zoo's elephant exhibit permanently.

Please send polite comments to:

• The Honourable Stephen Mandel
  Mayor of Edmonton
  stephen.mandel@edmonton.ca
• Edmonton City Councillors
  councillors@edmonton.ca

A Thirst for Adventure in Botswana

Ecologist Gordon Orians thought he’d arrive at camp with enough time to enjoy a cool beverage with the setting sun. It didn't happen.

• Date: January 08, 2013
• Author: Gordon Orians, WWF Board Member Emeritus

© Dana Allen/Wilderness Safaris

A lioness patrols the water's edge along the Savuti Channel in Botswana.

We flew northeast from Seba Camp in Botswana’s Okavango Delta to the Chobe airstrip. A rich network of wildlife trails clearly visible from the air told us that, despite the apparent barrenness of the landscape, animals were abundant beneath us.
After landing, we quickly drove westward toward the Savuti Channel, a linear oasis in a landscape otherwise lacking surface water at the end of the dry season. The only water available for many miles, Savuti is a magnet for herds of buffalo, zebra and impala and for solitary giraffes, kudu and warthogs. Egyptian geese and jacanas graced the shoreline, African fish eagles filled the air with their ringing cries, and an osprey, a long distant migrant from Europe, dove for its fish lunch.
Our reward? Finding a pack of wild dogs with six half-grown pups resting in what little shade they could find at the bases of the leafless trees. The adults were clearly successful in capturing enough prey—probably impala—to satisfy six hungry mouths and their own.
Guided by information he received over the radio from other guides, our capable expedition leader Thuto Moutloatse spotted a cheetah resting beneath a shrub. The bush had just enough leaves to cast a streak of shade from the hot afternoon sun.
Although we were protected from the sun by the canopy of our safari vehicle, we too welcomed natural shade. In our case, it was beneath spreading fig trees along the bank of a channel where grunting hippos peered at us while we ate sandwiches.
Thuto’s keen eyes soon spotted a pride of lions resting in the bushes on a low ridge overlooking the water. A group of nine females and young males, they were clearly assessing the options for their evening hunt.
“See that solitary buffalo?” Thuto pointed out. “The lions are going to kill it tonight.”
He may have been right, and we wished we could have stuck around to find out. But our destination for the night was still a long drive away.
“We must hurry,” Thuto reminded us, but then he couldn’t resist stopping to point out another pride of lions along the way. We also repeatedly halted to let elephants cross our path. They were heading for water—their version of happy hour, perhaps?—but were indifferent to our need to reach camp before dark.
The last traces of pink remained in the western sky when we finally approached arrived at camp. We were tired and hot—and, yes, thirsty too—but none of us would have preferred to arrive earlier.
Ecologist and author Gordon Orians is a emeritus member of WWF's Board of Directors and professor emeritus of biology at the University of Washington in Seattle.

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Missouri

GPA 0.94

State rank: 34th

Overall
Grade

• Overview
• Elevate
  Teaching
• Empower
  Parents
• Spend Wisely
  & Govern Well

Currently, Missouri's education policies do not prioritize great teaching, empowering parents with quality choices, or allocating resources wisely to raise student achievement. The state is behind when it comes to enacting critical education reforms. Missouri has moved to improve its educator evaluations, but the new system is not meaningful, and districts are not required to link student performance, educator performance, and personnel decisions. The state should free teachers locked into the state's existing pension systems by offering more attractive, portable retirement options. Missouri could empower parents more by providing meaningful information regarding school and teacher performance. The state recently strengthened accountability for public charter schools and expanded authorization, both positive steps forward. State policy should prioritize the establishment and replication of high-performing schools as well. Finally, Missouri should allow mayors to take control in low-performing districts and strengthen the state's ability to intervene in low-performing schools.

Where Missouri Ranks

GPA

Missouri Fast Facts

Stats, 2010–11

STUDENTS	918,710
SCHOOL DISTRICTS	567
SCHOOLS	2,410
PUBLIC CHARTERS	53

NAEP Scale Score Rank, 2011

4TH GRADE	MATH	READING
	27	31
8TH GRADE	MATH	READING
	32	24

NAEP Proficiency, 2011

58%

42%

66%

34%

4TH GRADE

MATH

READING

Fast Facts Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2011 Mathematics and Reading Assessments.

Elevate
Teaching

State rank: 39th

GPA 0.73

Missouri is behind when it comes to ensuring effective teachers and principals are identified, retained, and rewarded by districts. Missouri does not require districts to evaluate educators in a meaningful way. Although student academic growth plays an undefined role in evaluations, evaluations lack annual frequency and there are no consequences for poor performance. Seniority drives personnel decisions, allowing other states to pass Missouri by in efforts to improve teacher quality and elevate the profession. If Missouri wants to strengthen its teaching corps, it must treat them like the professionals they are by establishing meaningful annual evaluations tied significantly to student growth and requiring districts to use teacher effectiveness as the driving factor in recruitment, placement, layoff, tenure, and compensation decisions. The state should also improve the selectivity and quality of its alternative certification pathways.

Empower
Parents

State rank: 9th

GPA 1.24

All families should have the information and access they need to provide a quality education for their children, and no student should be forced to attend a low-performing school or be taught by a low-performing teacher. Therefore, Missouri must empower parents to take action by providing meaningful information on school performance and more high-quality school choice options. Missouri must require PK-12 schools to receive an annual report card that includes an A-F letter grade based on student achievement data. Also, the state should require parental consent if a student is placed with an ineffective teacher and grant parents the power to petition local school districts to turn around failing schools. The state must do more to increase high-quality school choice options by removing restrictions on charter school growth, strengthening charter accountability policies, and creating a publicly funded scholarship program for low-income students in chronically failing public schools to attend private schools.

Spend
Wisely

State rank: 45th

GPA 0.89

Missouri is not permitting its districts to use resources wisely and has yet to develop strong accountability measures. The state may undertake limited intervention in schools that lose accreditation, but Missouri should establish stronger models that enable robust state authority and targeted mayoral control for other low-performing schools and districts. To enhance transparency and accountability and promote data-driven decisionmaking, Missouri should require districts to link spending to academic achievement and allow governance changes when resources are mismanaged. To provide all teachers with career flexibility and retirement security, Missouri should move to fully portable retirement plans.

Dear Jenni,

Fur-Free Friday was a raging success this year, with more than 60 protests in the U.S. and Canada to protest the use of fur as well as leather, wool, down, and exotic skins! Check out these articles from San Francisco; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Philadelphia; Chicago; Concord, N.H.; and Long Island, N.Y. as well as these two from Beachwood, Ohio.

Here are some photos from protests across the U.S. to inspire you to speak up for animals all winter long and beyond:






I'd love to help you get active for animals by sending you free leaflets about animals killed to make fur garments and other clothing items. You can pass the leaflets out and make a difference for animals just as the people in the photos did! Please let me know how I can help you. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,








Lauren Stroyeck
Action Team Coordinator
LaurenS@peta.org
757-962-8205
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Make a Resolution for Happy and Healthy Pets in 2013

Wednesday, January 2, 2013 - 3:00pm

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Happy new year from all of us here at the ASPCA! As you set your resolutions for 2013, don’t forget to consider ways to improve your pet’s wellbeing, too. Providing a little bit of extra grooming or playtime for your pet can go a long way. We suggest you start by making a few simple resolutions that will keep your furry friends healthy and happy from January to December.
Here are some easy ways to get started:
Exercise time! Before you rush to join a gym, consider ways to incorporate your pet into your new workout routine. Healthy adult dogs need at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise twice a day—jogging, swimming and playing at the dog park are all great options. Engage your cat with rousing play sessions of chase and fetch with furry toys, small balls or toy mice.
Battle the bulge. Humans aren’t the only ones who might need to cut back on excess food after the holidays. This year, vow to lay off those table scraps and consider switching your cat or dog to a well-balanced, high-quality pet food.
Schedule a check-up. Give your veterinarian the chance to notice any developing illnesses by scheduling regular check-ups for your pet. If it’s been a year or more since your pet has seen a vet, make an appointment today!
IDs, please! Get an updated look by outfitting all of your animal companions—even indoor pets—with an ID tag. Implanted microchips are also a smart option.
Want to make a resolution to help homeless animals in 2013? Consider becoming an ASPCA Guardian. For just a few cents a day, you can make a big impact for animals.  

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Pet Care

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