Fracking Waste Water Being Dumped Legally Into California's Coastal Waters

According to information from Truthout.org, KCET-TV in Los Angeles and  RawStory.com, an oil company has been given the go ahead to dump hydraulic fracking fluid waste water directly into the Pacific Ocean.

Oil Company DCOR has been given the green light from federal regulators to dump the poisonous chemicals from off shore oil platforms into the Santa Barbara Channel.

From Rawstory: " The Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition Wednesday asking the Environmental Protection Agency to rewrite those federal permits to put an end to the practice and to develop national guidelines for disposal of offshore fracking wastewater." And "The fracking wastewater contains toxic substances such as methanol, benzene, naphthalene, and trimethylbenzene, as well as lead and arsenic that comes from deep inside the undersea rock formations."

Read More about this:

Truthout.com
RawStory.com
KCET-TV

GMO's Verses Organic Agriculture, Which Is Better For The Planet?

An Op Ed in this weeks Mad River Union Newspaper written by Editor Kevin Hoover with help from HSU's President and Genetics Expert Rollin Richmond touts the benefits of GMO's. The full page Op Ed  titled "Everything you know about GMO's is probably wrong" also points out the hysteria and belief of some that GMO's are not safe or are in some way bad for the environment. I'm not really here to say that GMO's are good or bad but to point out that one of their arguments that splicing genes is the same as hybridizing and has been going on for thousands of years is misleading. While that statement is partially true, the fact that genes from animals can and are being spliced into plants and vice versa is an new phenomenon.

Photo from Commondreams.org

Another point to be made about GMO's verses Organic or all natural (the Op Ed goes after the all natural marketing saying that asbestos, volcanoes and cleft palates are all natural which is true) is which one is better for the planet?

A new study that you can read about at Common Dreams.org touts the benefits of Organic Agriculture verses mono culture and big agra that include GMO farming shows how Organic farming can be used to off set or combat global climate change. This article doesn't go into any of the hysteria or make any claims about the safety of GMO's but it does offer solutions to climate change that begin with changing the way we grow our food. The article points out that industrial agriculture is responsible for up to 50 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

Read the study for yourself here.  

Some Big Rain Over Eureka Tonight

Here is a screen shot of wunderground.com radar at about 9:50 pm tonight. It is moving north and you can watch the animation loop here. It's been nice to see it really come down again. Stay safe.

Since We're Having Weather Again

It's raining tonight as I write this. It is a warm friendly sound as it hits the fiberglass roof of my porch. It's not really cold, 53 degrees, but I have a fire anyway. It's times like this that I enjoy being inside and checking out the computer.  Things are nice and wet around here and I wish I could say that for the rest of the state and parts south east of here. If you want to track the real rain we are getting to see if it's on its way to you check out my favorite website for weather radar, Intellicast. Of course I go to the National Weather Service for forecasts but I really like the google earth style map built in to the Intellicast site. If you turn the opacity down to zero you can remove the rain clouds and see the terrain quite well. Of course you can't see the rain on the radar then but you get some great pictures.

Below is a shot of Yosemite that I took today. For being just an electronic picture, I can really feel the depth and height represented by the walls around the valley. Notice the water fall in the center left.

This next one is where I call home. I was noticing the clear cuts from the logging being done by Green Diamond Resource Company. You can fly over miles and miles of forest and see the same thing. The small white spot shaped a bit like a rabbit at the top center is about where Strawberry Rock should be and the big white spot shaped like a turtle near town is the rock quarry.  You can zoom in a bit closer with google earth but this doesn't require a special download and it has good clear images. This is not zoomed all the way in as you can see from the fader on the left. Intellicast isn't paying me to write this and I hope they will let me keep this images up for an example of what their web site can do other than weather. Check it out for yourself and see where it takes you. It's also a great site for weather!

Storm Moves Through Humboldt County, Time For Some Pictures

We actually got real rain with some of the latest storms that have pounded the north coast here over the past week or so. Below is a video from the National Weather Service in Eureka. It was taken today in their parking lot on Woodly Island in Humboldt Bay.



After the heavy rain moved through, the sun came out in places.

 A view of the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean. Taken at Murry Rd. and the Hammond Trail in McKinleyville Ca. The body of water in the foreground is the Mad River. A sand spit divides the river from the ocean.

 The trail is actually paved for the entire distance going from Clam Beach to Arcata. Plans are in the works to extend the trail over the Little River and up to Trinidad. The portion  below is actually just a gravel spur that goes up to near the mouth of the Mad River. It is a right turn along an old coastal railroad bed that goes north toward Clam Beach from the intersection in the above picture. There is a camp ground right on the beach at Clam Beach that offers a few tent sites with picnic tables and fire rings.

 About 10 mile north of the above pictures is Trinidad Ca.  These pictures are of the Seascape Restaurant and the Trinidad Pier. Seacape offers great  views of the pier and bay to diners and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Its also a great place to enjoy libations while taking in the stormy weather. Dinners are a little pricey but breakfast wont set you back too much.

The Trinidad Pier was rebuilt last year in a project that included new waste water facilities, public restrooms, new fishing equipment on the pier and a completely rebuilt concrete pier built over the old creosote soaked wooden structure. After the new one was finished, the old one was dismantled. The pier serves a small fleet of commercial crab boats.

There is also a boat launch  that lifts your boat off your trailer and places it on a cart that is lowered down a set of tracks safely into the bay, There are also chartered fishing vessels available as well as a small strip of beach in the bay side that one can launch small boats or kayaks from and you can drive right onto it with your 4 wheel drive vehicle.

NWS Forecasting Up To 1 Foot Of Rain In Smith River Basin By Saturday

HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
CAZ001-003-004-121700-

HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EUREKA CA
246 PM PST TUE FEB 11 2014
http://www.intellicast.com/local/wxmap.aspx
...SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AND RAPIDLY RISING RIVERS IN DEL
NORTE...HUMBOLDT...AND WESTERN TRINITY COUNTIES...

A SERIES OF SYSTEMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT THROUGH
SATURDAY. THESE SYSTEMS WILL BRING SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AMOUNTS TO
DEL NORTE...HUMBOLDT...AND WESTERN TRINITY COUNTIES. THE
PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN TONIGHT IN DEL NORTE COUNTY AND THEN
SPREAD SOUTHWARD AND EASTWARD OVERNIGHT. PERIODS OF RAIN ARE
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY WEDNESDAY AND INTO THE
EVENING. THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE IN THE FORM OF SHOWERS LATE
WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND DURING THE DAY TUESDAY. THE NEXT ROUND OF
PRECIPITATION ARRIVES THURSDAY EVENING. PERIODS OF RAIN ARE
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT WHEN THE COLD FRONT
MOVES ACROSS THE REGION.


THE RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL RESULT IN RAPID RISES ON AREA RIVERS AND SMALL
STREAMS AND TRIBUTARIES. DURING THE PERIOD THURSDAY THROUGH
SATURDAY...SMALL STREAMS AND TRIBUTARIES MAY OCCASIONALLY EXCEED
THEIR BANKS. LOCALIZED STREET FLOODING IS POSSIBLE DUE TO CLOGGED
STORM DRAINS. IN THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ROCK AND MUDSLIDES ARE
POSSIBLE ALONG HIGHWAYS AND COUNTY ROADS.

FORECAST PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY:

SMITH RIVER BASIN    10 TO 12 INCHES
LOWER KLAMATH RIVER    8 TO 9 INCHES
REDWOOD CREEK          8 TO 9 INCHES
EEL RIVER BASIN        4 TO 5 INCHES
SF EEL RIVER BASIN     4 TO 5 INCHES
MAD RIVER BASIN        5 TO 6 INCHES
VAN DUZEN RIVER BASIN  5 TO 6 INCHES
TRINITY RIVER BASIN    3 TO 4 INCHES

FOR THE FORECAST UPDATES VISIT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/EUREKA OR
LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA.

Humboldt County 211 Free Phone Service Turns One Year Old - Help Is Just A Phone Call Away

February 11, is National “211” Day! 

February 11, 2014 marks the one-year anniversary of “211 Humboldt” when Humboldt County residents gained access to free, confidential information and referral services throughout Humboldt County.

“211”is an easy to remember number that connects Humboldt County residents to appropriate health and human services.  You can access 211 with your cell phone, land line phone, and even access 211 free from any pay phone.

 

Click For Photo Information

The number of people using “211” has exponentially increased.  In December 2013, “211” received 629  calls and in January 2014 received 842 calls from Humboldt  You can reach a live 211 Call Specialist  by simply calling 211 or 707.441-1001 or call the toll free line at 877.460.6000.  “211” service is also available online @ http://211humboldt.org.

You can call “211” to find resources for basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, childcare, as well as physical and mental health resources, employment support, resources for seniors and people with disabilities, assistance with immigration and more.  You can call about volunteer opportunities, as well as donation opportunities.

You can read the Press Release Here

During a crisis such as a major earthquake or tsunami the 211 service should be the first place people in Humboldt, Del Norte and the Wine Country call for information on services such as food, transportation, shelter and public health. 211 coordinates with 911 to help reduce misdirected calls. This helps free up 911 for absolute emergencies. 

Local partners and community supporters for the 211 system include: First 5 Humboldt, Humboldt County DHHS, McLean Foundation, Arcata House Partnership through HUD Housing, Humboldt Network of Family Resource Centers, Humboldt Area Foundation, IRS and Unite Way.

What Is P.A.R.C.?

Peoples' Action for Rights and Community.  P.A.R.C. People's Actions for Rights and Community... One of the definitions of community is: "a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals."


Sarah Torres puts it this way:

I'd like to break down this definition and apply it to P.A.R.C.

The people who P.A.R.C. helps mostly seem to have good attitudes about their lives despite their current situation. By looking at the lending library, pamphlets, newspapers, or just zoning out at the helpful information covering most of the walls, I'd say from the volunteers and donors that help keep this safe place open, to the everyday people that need P.A.R.C.'s services, everyone's interests are, to say the least, common. Goals are important in anyone's life. These are some of the goals that apply to the human beings that rely on P.A.R.C.'s services. Goals such as: restroom accessibility with a shower, warm/clean clothing, a safe comfortable environment to hang out in, free phone and internet access, mailing address, among other basic goals... But P.A.R.C. doesn't just try to help supply basic goals and needs, it also helps people understand their rights as humans.

The P.A.R.C. office is indeed a great ally and aid to our community up here in Humboldt County. When i think of community, I think of P.A.R.C. This special place recognizes that our 'neighbor' is whoever is near us at the time. I know that P.A.R.C. is near to many thankful people's hearts.

On P.A.R.C.'s behalf, I'm writing these things to express the need for funds to keep this haven open. Rent is due, again, and thanks to many, many wonderful individuals, the door is still open. Thank you for your time, thoughts, donations, and love.

My name is Sarah Torres who has received help from P.A.R.C. and who also just enjoys singing and playing with and for the beautiful people who fill this space...

Sincerely,

Sarah Torres

To donate to PARC, you can:
Come by and drop off cash (or call & we'll come to you!)
Address Money Orders to Kimberly Starr
Address Checks to James Decker
and/or mail any of the above to:

PARC
P.O. Box 5692
Eureka, CA  95502

(707) 442-7465
Read more about P.A.R.C. from Highboltage

House Republicans Vote Tomorrow On California's Water Problems, Governor Is Against Federal Involvement

House Republicans have decided to stick their noses into California's water woes tomorrow as they vote to roll back endangered species protections and salmon habitat rehabilitation efforts in order to  send more water to some California farmers.

Our local Congressman, Jared Huffman offered an amendment to the bill, HR. 3964 which would leave some of the hard fought environmental gains around the Sacramento Delta in tact. That is likely to be removed by the Republican led house though.

Here is more from KQED