Interesting read from #TalkingPointsMemo. "Science activism has long been considered taboo, as many in the field fear that politicizing science undermines its objectivity. Even so, scientist-activists have still managed to shape the U.S. political landscape throughout history. Over the past century, for example, scientists have protested the atomic bomb, pesticides, wars in Southeast Asia, genetic engineering and the federal response to the AIDS epidemic." https://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/science-activism-is-surging-demonstrating-a-culture-shift-among-scientists

#CitizensUnited has hurt our democracy terribly. Please sign More To Amend's Motion to Amend. Make so much sense to "move to amend our Constitution to firmly establish that money is not speech, and that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights." https://www.movetoamend.org/motion

We are in a #ClimateEmergency. Our #forests are our best natural climate defense. #Biden must declare a moratorium on the logging of any more mature forests on federal lands that protects our remaining structurally complex mature forests and their biodiversity. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/biden-old-growth-forest-service_n_64938b63e4b02f808ab3632f

RIP Daniel Ellsberg, a true American hero, brave man. Heavy heart, with thoughts to family and friends. Heather Cox Richardson provides excellent history around the Pentagon Papers at https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/june-16-2023. Photos thru years with bios at https://www.huffpost.com/entry/daniel-ellsberg-pentagon-papers-dead_n_647f6463e4b0a7554f472cce and https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/16/daniel-ellsberg-pentagon-papers-whistleblower-dies.

Newly published study documents global GHG emissions worsened by our food choices. #vegetarianism #NoMeatMondays

"Annual global GHG emissions associated with food increased by 14% (2 Gt CO2-eq) over 20-year period [2000-2019]. The substantial increase in consuming animal-based products contributed to some 95% of global emissions rise, accounting for almost half of total food emissions. Beef and dairy contributed 32% and 46% of increase in global animal-based emissions." https://phys.org/news/2023-06-food-choices-chances-tackling-global.html

Proud Mum. My 21 yo kiddo earned BA and BS degrees on Saturday from WWU. Monday started working for WA Dept of @Ecology on #WaConservationCorps crew (subset of #AmeriCorps). They are working hard all summer on restoration of our natural world to make WA more habitable, enjoyable, beautiful for human recreation and wildlife habitats. https://ecology.wa.gov/Local-projects-issues/Investing-in-communities/Washington-Conservation-Corps

"Consumers can protect themselves by avoiding plastic as much as possible, bringing non-plastic carryout packages to restaurants and moving food products from plastic packaging to containers made of safer materials. But, ultimately, most effective remedy is elimination of plastic and societal use of safer materials." Personally I've been bringing my glass containers to restaurants for leftovers for years. Get either weird look or grateful nod. Worth it to make it a habit! https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/27/recycled-reused-food-plastic-toxins-study

Happy #CascadiaDay! To celebrate I went foraging for Devil's Club. The new #CascadiaFieldGuide edited by Bradfield, Fuhrman, Sheffield, page 141 discusses this member of the ginseng family and its uses medicinally, for beads, walking sticks, and more. Here is the video mentioned by Tlingit Elder Helen Watkins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyUssKc2TLQ

We need to rethink these huge data centers that produce so much carbon pollution and yet are considered "green". Yes we need data server space (I teach online -- guilty of being on my computer and phone and tablet all day long), but let's put the brakes on a bit until we can make them truly sustainable. https://columbiainsight.org/data-center-on-columbia-river-would-nearly-double-town-energy-consumption/

Sad news. Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge in Olympic National Park burned to the ground Sunday. I visited this lodge atop Hurricane Ridge on fantastic camping trip few years ago. No one was in the structure and no injuries were reported.

Via Columbian newspaper, "closed since 3/27 for a $10.8M rehabilitation project inc interior/exterior improvements, weatherproofing, bringing into compliance w current codes, accessibility standards. Updates to fire systems were expected to be completed spring 2024."

Interesting gun violence #database where you can explore wide variety of filters. Some surprises. #ViolenceProject https://www.theviolenceproject.org/mass-shooter-database/

I know I'm weird, but as a first-born USA person to two Brits I love all the ceremony and history behind the #royals and #coronation. Appreciated #FLOTUS #JillBiden and #FinneganBiden homage to #Ukraine too!

30 years ago this week WWW "something called the #WorldWideWeb launched into the public domain. #CERN owned Sir Tim Berners-Lee's invention and had the option to license out for profit. But Berners-Lee believed that keeping the web as open as possible would help it grow. He eventually convinced CERN to release the World Wide Web into the #PublicDomain without any patents or fees."

W3C statement: https://www.w3.org/blog/2023/04/30th-anniversary-of-licensing-the-web-for-general-use-and-at-no-cost/

NPR article: https://www.npr.org/2023/04/30/1172276538/world-wide-web-internet-anniversary

Oil/gas co's sought to move cases to fed courts where focus wd be less on local damages caused by extreme weather, more on national issues related to energy needs under Clean Air Act. Big oil argued GHG emissions are “inherently federal.”

“After decades of climate change deception by fossil fuel defendants, and now nearly 1/2 decade of delay tactics in our lawsuit to hold them accountable, our residents, workers, businesses, taxpayers are ready for their day in court.”

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/25042023/supreme-court-fossil-fuel-climate-change-lawsuits/

My thoughts to #Navalny, a brave and valued man, and his courageous wife, Yulnia, and their family. Scary situation under evil KGB Putin’s watch. “Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition politician, has been grappling with severe stomach pain in jail that could be the result of slow-acting poison. Ruslan Shaveddinov said an ambulance was called to maximum security IK-6 penal colony at Melekhovo, [but no transport to hospitol]. “His situation is critical”.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/14/alexei-navalny-in-critical-situation-after-possible-poisoning-says-ally

“A well-crafted housekeeping bill that would abolish a number of unconstitutional statutes has passed out of the Washington State House, marking the first time that both chambers of the Legislature have voted to repeal the #DeathPenalty.” Almost 70% of Washingtonians believe the death penalty should be abolished. https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2023/04/victory-washington-state-house-votes-to-remove-death-penalty-and-eymans-two-thirds-nonsense-from-our-states-body-of-laws.html

Uplifting 20-min film about small Appalachian community trying to protect Hellbender salamander, preserve fresh clean water, and stop corporate greed installation of fracking injection well. Free streaming through the weekend! https://network.halttheharm.net/c/hellbent/