Chasing the Blues

Wildlife

Four crows congregate in my back yard, carrying out a tribal ritual of some sort, perhaps sexual, or terrotorial. They stab at each other with their black beaks; the pecking order enacted, I suppose, a contest to show power. Or, they could be dancing or engaged in primitive theater.

Years ago, a flock of crows lived near our home, then disappeared. In the last few weeks, crows have come back. The birds possess a sinister quality, as Poe understood. They are raucous, conspiratorial, mocking. Their screeching call is distinctive, unsettling. They either trumpet their presence or communicate with each other, probably a combination of both. Reviving my childhood horror at Hitchcock's "The Birds," they place me on guard, half-expecting them to attack. The crows appear to be predators, and if they eat the chipmunks that scurry around the yard, I will see them as a useful evil.

Along with the crows, we have a fat red cardinal or two. One banged into the window the other day as I played the piano, learning the bass line to "Stand By Me," and it, or another one, was flying yesterday near the rose bush, where a fresh set of blooms has arrived.

Although we live in the city, we have an interesting selection of wildlife. A snake, it looked like a copperhead, crawled down the driveway one Sunday afternoon. One day, I saw a turtle crawling behind a condominium community, near Nancy Creek. Recently, I understood why turtles leave the water behind. Beside another condominium community, I saw a round, cagelike structure with a sign above it that said Turtle Nest Eggs/Do Not Disturb. I walked over to it to see if I could see the eggs, which were too well-hidden, then walked on through the twilight, in which fireflies flashed their messages of love.

The New York Times recently had an article about how zoos are having to make tough choices about which endangered species to preserve. When I see animals close to our home, even the pesky, multiple squirrels, I have a sense of loss, that I am witnessing the final act of a long drama. I hope the cardinals and turtles survive. Even the crows.

Coral Reefs Endangered, New York Times Reports

New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller appeared on Tom Ashbrook's "On Point" radio show the other day, saying he expected the print newspaper to survive for a few more years. He wryly mentioned the committees and subcommittees at the newspaper trying to come up with a plan for "monetizing" the newspaper's online offerings. It sounded as if casual readers wouldn't have to pay, but more serious in-depth readers would be charged for subscriptions. Penalizing regular readers over more casual ones didn't sound like a good business model, but all of those committees surely know what they're doing.

A guy called in and said he didn't need his daily print newspaper with all of its long, in-depth articles and that he gets all of the news he needs from a 15-minute Google search of news headlines from around the world. Also, he pointed out that the Internet allows him to be exposed to a variety of voices and viewpoints that he wouldn't get subscribing to one daily newspaper.

That very day, however, the Times printed a disturbing, in-depth story that showed how reading a daily print newspaper can give in-depth knowledge that might be missed in a cursory Google search of a variety of news sources. The newspaper reporteed that this summer's extremely warm temperatures are severely damaging the world's coral reefs, leading to "bleaching" and possible death for many of them.

The coral's poor condition is truly frightening, since the reefs provide protean feeding grounds for fish and are a foundation of the food chain.  They are like the oceans' rain forests, and their condition is an indication of the health of the rest of the ocean. The article was supported by in-depth scientific reporting. This in-depth, focused story is just the latest evidence of the poor condition of the world's oceans and fishers. The Times also had an editorial about overfishing of krill, the small fish that are a primary link in the food chain, supporting the lives of many much larger species.

As evidence mounts of the severe changes caused by climate change, the United States is totally igoring the crisis. The weak cap and trade bill is all but dead, and the GOP has succeeded in taking the issue off the table. The Times report shows that Nature is not waiting, however.

Stephen Strasburg to Undergo Tommy John

Sorry to hear that the Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg will likely need Tommy John surgery. He follows another young right-hander, the Braves' Kris Medlen, in undergoing the reconstructive operation.

The good news is that pitchers usually bounce back strong from the surgery; see the Braves' Tim Hudson. The prospects are good for Strasburg and Medlen to have long, successful careers.

The question rises as to why such young pitchers as Strasburg and Medlen must undergo the knife so soon in their careers. Hudson and Kerry Wood suffered their injuries after years in the big leagues, and my impression is that Tommy John surgery, as with the eponymous Mr. John himself, used to be a trademark of aging pitchers. Not anymore.

Strasburg, who received a $15.1 million deal, was one of the most pampered, watched and nurtured pitchers in history. I suppose it shows that one awkwardly thrown pitch can counteract all of the attention and care in the world. The question also rises whether today's young pitchers are too pampered, their inninngs and pitch counts too controlled.

Whatever the reason, Strasburg's loss is a blow to all of baseball, not just the Nationals. His power pitching drew huge crowds across the National League earlier this summer in one of the most heralded pitching debuts in memory. All lovers of the game hope he comes back strong.

BP Goes for the Kill

BP has apparently succeeded with its "static kill" procedure. Now it is deciding whether to use concrete to seal the well, which I thought was non-negotiable. Could that mean that the oil company still has plans to take oil from the well for commecial use? Concrete sounds like a long-term plan than relying on drilling mud.

Contrary to reports on the ever shrill "Keith Olberman Show," BP is still planning to use the relief well for a bottom kill procedure to permanently seal the well, according to an in-depth report in the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate. But who knows, in the topsy-turvy world of BP, the oil company might decide against the bottom kill procedure. Government point man Thad Allen gives me confidence that he'll make the oil company do the right thing to make sure the well is permanently sealed.

According to a Bob Edwards interview with Mark Schleifstein, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, a huge amount of oil was spilled in coastal Louisiana during Hurricane Katrinia, even more than has been reached the marsland  this summer. This bolsters hopes that the long-term effects of the present spill won't be as bad as feared, but the long-term effects of the Katrina oil spill are probably not yet known.

Meanwhile, The New York Times reports the gulf "Dead Zone" is bigger than ever this year. What effect the oil spill had on this has not been determined, according to The Times.

 

Where Has All the Oil Gone?

The welcome news about the oil's disappearance from the gulf is a testament to nature's resilience, along with the eventual effectiveness of the massive cleanup effort. Still, concerns remain about the long-term effects on coastal marshes and wildlife. The oil's breakup brings feelings of unease and wariness, with worries of what might be happening beneath the surface and how much oil is in the marshes.

According to The New York Times, much of the oil has evaporarated (what does that do for the atmosphere?). Apparently, oil continually seeps from the ocean floor, and the gulf has natural defenses such as oil-eating bacteria. While BP and the government were slow to react, they've eventually shown problem-solving perseverance. Government front man Thad Allen is a calm leader, and all of those volunters have made a difference.

If the oil spill crisis proves to be waning, the country shouldn't rush ahead and forrget about the long-term problems of the Louisiana coast. The marshlands are rapidly disappearing, and agricultural and industrial pollution dumped into the Mississippi from upper states keeps pouring into the gulf, a constant threat to wildlife.

The oil spill's breakup is another demonstration of nature's amazing recuperative powers. But this doesn't show that we can keep doing nothing and continuep pounding her with our carbon, our plastic, our trash. The spill is a momentous sign that the U.S. must reduce its oil dependence. Yet, the Congress is unable to pass legislation such as the cap-and-trade bill to counteract climate change. After encouraging signs of bipartisan support for such legislation, the Senate drifts into political paralysis. As the old folk song said, when will they ever learn?

 

Oil Spill Pessimism Grows

Apocalyptic scenarios about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill grow more plausible. At an informative meeting at the Blue Heron Nature Center the other night, the dispersent BP is using against the oil sounded as bad if not worse than the oil itself. One lady worried about the dispersent killing all of the oxygen-bearing plankton in the ocean. Then we heard that the dispersent is more of a threat to the coral reefs off the coast of Florida than the oil.

No one seemed too confident that the relief well being drilled by BP will actually stop the leak. Nor did anyone see much hope in dropping bombs down the hole to seal it, although Bill Clinton apparently sees validity in this proposal.

The oil keeps billowing out. Now, Hurricane Alex raises the stakes. With the oil spill threat increasing, the country has few options for stopping it. If the relief well fails, and the bomb plan is foolhardy, what possible solutions are left? Again, the future of the oceans is dependent on the plans and expertise of one company, which has proven itself technically deficient.

One plan offered is to draw oil to another rig and bring it to the surface for possible use. But, the expert speaking of this possibility qualified his remarks by saying that this may only take care of 90 percent of the oil, leaving a signfican amount spilling into the gulf, possibly for years.

Despite the growing pessimism, history is full of examples of our ingenuity overcoming seemingly insurmountable threats to human life. Hope remains persistent, as the oil gushes further.

 

Welcome back fireflies

Ace AJC nature columnist Charles Seabrook had an informative column Saturday morning on the return of fireflies to the summer landscape. The column struck home with me, because I'd also been charmed by the return of their twilight spectacle. I was particularly entranced by the fireflies' light show one evening when a thunderstorm blew in, and their rhythmic bursts made a lovely counterpoint to lightning flashing.

Like Charlie, I also have strong childhood memories of warm summer evenings watching fireflies, w hich we also called lightning bugs. One of our favorite pastimes was to capture them in Mason jars, and study their flashers. Charlie draws  upon his excellent reporting skills to give a nice account of the fireflies' biology.

Charlie said the fireflies' comeback was the result of adequate rainfall last winter, blaming their abscence in recent years to the drought. I've noticed the return of another summer insect knocked back by dry weather: mosquitoes. While unpleasant, the buzz of mosquitoes, their sting and the bump left on the skin are another summer memory.

Along with the fireflies, we've also loved the flocking of birds to a feeder we have hanging from a tree. Watching through our kitchen window, we see a variety of birds show up to feast. I've been amazed to notice a young red-headed woodpecker coming to dine with his long, narrow beak. Everytime he shows up, I hear the "Woody the Woodpecker Theme" in my mind.

Now, if only honey bees would return.

Obama Still Adrift on Oil Spill

I have more faith in the Plaquemines Parish president than the president of the United States in solving the oil spill. Barack Obama's big Oval Office speech was disturbingly flat, lacking in specifics and prematurely looking ahead before taking care of the pressing need to plug the leak.

Meanwhile, Billy Nungesser, the president of Plaquemines, in his constant presence on CNN displayed passion and commitment, as well as plans and ideas for fixing the problem. Unlike Obama, he seems to grasp the seriousness of allowing the oil to continue leaking and permeate the Louisiana's marshlands.

Obama did claim that BP will sop up 90 percent of the oil "in the coming days and weeks," whatever that means. Considering BP's track record, this sounds dubious. But, it it turns out so, even a 90 percent reduction will still leave a bunch of oil spewing out, especially since the estimates of the amount leaking each day was raised to 60,000 barrels, millions of gallons, as Maureen Dowd pointed out.

The president said that an "entire way of life" is threatened and said he'd appoint a commission headed by Ray Mabus to restore coastal lands. Obama loves those commissions; there's been enough reports, studies, books and proposals written about the destruction of wetlands to plug the oil leak. The leak is just the latest blow to the Louisiana coast, which has been under assault for decades. There's been commissions, panels, seminars, and on and on. Everything but money and action.

That's because of political realities. A big consideration is that the Mississippi River is artificially forced by the Army Corps of Engineers to keep flowing down its current channel. The river naturally wants to follow its historic course and shift to the west, to find a shorter route to the gulf. This would allow the river to spread its sediment along the gulf, as it did for centuries, building the delta and replenishing the wetlands. However, this would abandon the ports of Baton Rouge and New Orleans, with dire economic consequences. Therefore, the river forced into its present course, with most of the sediment that would be spread along the wetlands lost. The New Yorker writer John McPhee presented the most in-depth study of these matters in "The Control of Nature." 

La. Sen. Mary Landrieu on "The Larry King Show" recited the mantra about the Louisiana economy's dependence on offshore oil drilling. She opposes Obama's six-month moratorium on offshore drilling.

It's true that Louisiana's economy has gained jobs and economic benefits from offshore drilling. Yet, these benefits have come at tremendous costs, which the esteemed senator neglected to mention. To start, the oil industry's drilling of canals for transportation has contributed to the decline of wetlands. As with Third World countries, Louisiana's dependence on oil has resulted in a distorted, undifferentiated economy. The state has faced years of environmental degradation, poor education and bad health care.

Landrieu claims that during the six month moratorium, the oil companies will take their rigs to Africa or China, where they will be welcome to drill. Larry didn't bother to ask her why, if those countries are so weloming, the oil companies aren't already drilling there. Her claims that the oil companies will just hook up their rigs to boats and take them away sounded dubious.

There's no doubt, though, that a six-month stop in gulf drilling will be a serious shock to Louisiana and the country's economy. Obama's moratorium call is nothing but rhetoric; the political and economic realities will put a quick end to the moratorium.

Meanwhile, the oil spill will continue, despite Obama's blithe forecasts. As Chris Matthews chortled on MSNBC, the president keeps referring to Energy Secretary Stephen Chu's Nobel prize. If he has a Nobel prize, shouldn't he be in charge of finding a way to stop the leak? No, he'll be in charge of another commission.

Feds Should Take Control of Stopping Oil Spill

The news keeps worsening from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Now huge oil "plumes" have been discovered underwater. The plumes threaten to deplete oxygen and kill sealife. At first, the environmental threat was thought to be limited to the coastal marshland. Now, the entire gulf is threatened, along with coral reefs and coastland in the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean.

A small bit of good news arrived with the working of a tube inserted into the leaking equipment, which allows some of the oil to be sucked into a tanker. That's just a partial remedy, however.

As British Petroleum fumbles along with attempts to halt the oil, including use of chemical dispersants that also pose environmental threats, the question rises as to why the oil company is  the only entity seeking to fix the leak? When the disaster first occurred, BP was reportedly going to solicit ideas from other oil companies. Was this done? Perhaps the tube and the idea of blasting material such as golf balls or timber into the leak was the result of this. Or, is BP on its own? The government doesn't want to absolve BP of any responsibility, but would it be more productive for the government to take control of the effort to fix the leak, the put together a panel of experts from different oil companies, to solilcit ideas from any people who may have relevant information? A plumber who fixes leaks of water pipes might come up with a solution. Giving total control over fixing the problem to a single company is impractical and shortsighted.

While BP takes its time, the oil keeps flowing. Hey, we'll have oil plumes instead of bird plumes. The spill is of much greater magnitude than the government is saying, according to New York Times reports. As the oil spreads, so does its threat to not only the gulf, but the Atlantic and perhaps even the Pacific. It's long past time for a more concentrated and multipronged effort. The Obama administration should set up a task force, perhaps put the military in charge, and begin a warlike mobilization to stop the spill.

Lucia Micarelli Shines on "Treme"

Among the strengths of the HBO series "Treme" is the emergence of Lucia Micarelli, a wonderful violinist and actress. Classically trained, Micarelli sizzles when playing music with her street musician boyfriend, or in more formal gigs. She's also radiates a soulful, sexy loveliness. An Internet search shows that she's a Julliard grad, has toured with Josh Groban, and has released a CD. I caught a YouTube performance of her doing a classical piece with Groban's tour. She definitely has that combo of chemistry, talent and charisma that equals starpower.

Meanwhile, the latest episode, sort of a Christmas special, featured the appearance of the great Steve Earle, who also played a significant role in "Treme" creator David Simon's "The Wire." Happily, the "Treme" episode featured Earle performing, with Micarelli's street musician Annie. Earle never played on "the Wire," with the notable exception of providing the resonant theme song, "Down in the Hole."

"Treme's" depiction of New Orleans' misery following Hurricane Katrina only makes more heartbreaking the current tragedy of the oil spill ravaging the Louisiana coast. Just when the city and the coast had gained momentum in recovering from Katrina, the oil spill hits. With the magnitude of the spill, and the delay in capping it, if it is ever capped, not only is the Gulf of Mexico threatened, but New Orleans' Lake Ponchartrain as well, along with the entire gulf coast, from Florida to Texas and Mexico. Some fear the oil could be caught in the gulf stream and be transported to the Atlantic Ocean.

Some, including the Rev. Al Sharpton on ABC's "This Week," say that the oil spill is not of the same level as the Katrina devastation of New Orleans. So far, the human toll is not as great, although the gulf coast fishing and tourism industry could be wiped out. And, some are seeing the oil spill as triggering a double dip recession. While people are not losing their homes, not clinging to life on their rooftops, are not packed in the SuperDome, the environmental costs loom large, with a total cost perhaps even surpassing Katrina's.