Skywatch: Geminid meteor shower set to put on a show

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Bob Berwyn
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An Orionid meteor streaks across the Colorado sky during one of the most recent meteor showers. Photo courtesy Daniel McVey, Click on the image to see more of McVey’s astrophotography.

Shooting stars to peak Dec. 13; moonless night could yield up to 60 meteors per hour

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — One of the year’s best meteor showers peaks this week under what could be ideal viewing conditions, with no moonlight to mar observations of the bright shooting stars. The only question for viewers in the Colorado high country is whether skies will clear enough to offer a nighttime view of the Geminids, so named because they appear to originate from the Gemini constellation.

The meteor shower peaks on the nights of Dec. 13 and 14. the best viewing is between midnight and dawn, with up to 50 to 80 meteors per hour possible — that’s more than one per minute during peak activity, the winter equivalent of the August Perseids. Odds are good, even if you only head outside for a few minutes on one of these chilly winter nights, that you’ll catch a glimpse of a shooting star (if the skies are clear).

Experts from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will be available to answer meteor questions on a late night web chat, and there will also be a Ustream the same night featuring views of the shooting stars. The Ustream and the web chat will be at this NASA website. Read more »

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Energy: Key East Coast grid could be powered with renewable sources by 2030 — at an overall cost savings

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Bob Berwyn
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Offshore windpower could be a critical part of a renewable East Coast power grid. Photo courtesy Hans Hillewaert.

Smart planning, with mix of sources and adequate storage the key to renewable energy future

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Powering the U.S. with renewable energy sources has always seemed to be a long-term dream, so distant that the temptation to stick with fossil fuels — despite the obvious environmental costs — has so far outweighed to motivation to move into a greener future.

That perception is, of course, supported by heavy duty lobbying and advertising by the fossil fuel industry, but evidence continues to mount that a renewable energy future is attainable in the foreseeable future, with existing technologies and at a cost comparable to today’s electricity expenses.

One of the most recent studies comes from the University of Delaware and Delaware Technical Community College, finding that a well-designed combination of wind power, solar power and storage in batteries and fuel cells would nearly always exceed electricity demands while keeping costs low, the scientists found. Read more »

Filed under: climate and weather, energy, Environment, global warming, renewable energy | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Study says conservatives respond to different kind of environmental messaging

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Bob Berwyn
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Conservatives and liberals share the same globe, but vastly different viewpoints on conservation. Image courtesy NASA.

Can we bridge the ideological divide on crucial conservation issues?

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — It’s astounding that environmental issues have become so politically polarized, with liberals generally favoring stronger environmental protection, while conservatives tend to reject efforts to preserve natural resources as government over-reach. Recent debates about global warming and the EPA’s ability to control greenhouse gases are a case in point.

It doesn’t really make sense. Toxic heavy metals in water, air pollution and the loss of biodiversity affect everyone equally and just by the nature of their fundamental philosophy, one would think that conservatives would want to conserve natural resources and the environment.

But new research from psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley, suggest that conservative view on issues like deforestation and toxic waste may not be as intractable as assumed. It appears those viewpoints can be changed when the messaging about environmental stewardship are shifted to focus on the concepts of  of fending off threats to the “purity” and “sanctity” of Earth and our bodies. Read more »

Filed under: air quality, climate and weather, Environment, global warming | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Morning photo: (Almost) monochrome

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Icy shores and thistles …

Portrait of a thistle in winter: "He wore his passion for his woman like a thorny crown."

Portrait of a thistle in winter: For some reason this flower makes me think of Paul Simon’s l;ip-slidin’ away: “He wore his passion for his woman like a thorny crown.”

FRISCO — As much as I’ve been looking forward to photographing snow, it’s still a bit of a shock to go outside at 7 a.m. into single-digit temps. But the dogs must be walked, so Monday, I headed over to one of my favorite shoreline trails for a quick stroll. I couldn’t find my thin glove liners, so I decided to leave the DSLR at home and just use the iPhone. At first it looked a little desolate and barren; stumps from the clearcutting jutting through the snow, scraggly grass … but once I let my eyes wander, I found some pleasing subjects, including a stand of dried thistles that were just begging to have their picture taken. It turns out that the thistles were about the only bit of color in a monochromatic landscape.

Many of the images in Summit Voice photo essays are available in our Fine Art America online gallery, and there’s also Summit County gallery at our ImageKind website. You can also order images by contacting me directly at bberwyn@comcast.net. It’s a great way to support independent online journalism! Read more »

Filed under: Colorado, Morning photo, photography | Tagged: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Colorado: Marijuana task force starts meeting Dec. 17

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Bob Berwyn
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The federal response to Colorado’s marijuana-legalizing Amendment 64 is still unclear. Bob Berwyn photo.

Stakeholders will develop recommendations for regulating legalized marijuana consumption and cultivation

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — A state task force charged with implementing Colorado’s Amendment 64, which legalizes personal consumption and cultivation of marijuana — will be working under a tight schedule, meeting weekly to develop recommendations that will be delivered to Gov. John Hickenlooper and the State Legislature no later than the end of February.

That will help set the stage for the next technical step in the process of regulating marijuana in a way similar to alcohol, with state agencies required to develop regulations for that process by July 1, according to Sean McAllister, a Breckenridge-based attorney and spokesman for Colorado NORML.

AP reporter Kristen Wyatt tweeting from Gov. John Hickenlooper’s press conference on marijuana legalization:

McAllister said the task force, representing an array of stakeholders ranging from local governments and health and safety officials to the state department of agriculture and medical marijuana providers, will meet weekly. Read the executive order establishing the task force here.

Read the executive order codifying Amendment 64 here. Read more »

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NASA debunks 2012 end-of-the-world myths

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Bob Berwyn
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Odds are good that the world will keep on turning after Dec. 21. Image courtesy NASA.

No meteors, mysterious planets or polar reversals coming

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — When my son started questioning whether he should be studying for his geometry final — set for the same day that the world is supposed to end — I knew that I needed some strong ammunition to keep him motivated.

It’s one thing for an impressionable teenager to pay attention to far-fetched internet myths about a mysterious planet on collision course with the Earth, or a sudden reversal of our planet’s magnetic field, but it’s a bit more disturbing to realized that even some adults that could otherwise be considered fairly intelligent and reasonable attach some sort of special significance to Dec. 21, 2012, but I suppose people will believe what they want to believe. Read more »

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Environment: Traces of Deepwater Horizon oil cause deformities, swimming deficiencies in Gulf fish

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Bob Berwyn
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An explosion and subsequent fire on BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico led to the biggest oil spill on recornd in U.S. coastal waters. Photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard.

Study shows that sunlight intensifies the impacts of PAHs

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — In yet another sign that BP’s spilled Deepwater Horizon may have long-lasting impacts on Gulf ecosystems, a team of researchers said last week that even low-level, short-term exposure to traces of oil remnants causes deformities and impairs the swimming ability of fish.

The research was led by scientists with the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science. The school is a leader in the field of marine toxicology and used a state of the art hatchery to study the effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on various species of fish, including cobia and mahi mahi.

PAH’s are toxic components of oil that are released from oil into the water column. The team also studied the effects of photo-enhanced toxicity, or the impact of sunlight on the potency of the toxic compounds found in the oil from the DWH spill.

A previous study by Smith University scientists showed similar impacts to fish during  embryonic stages of development.

“We found that in more sensitive species the photo-enhanced toxicity could account for up to a 20-fold higher sensitivity,” said Dr. Martin Grosell, professor and associate dean of graduate studies for the Rosenstiel School. “This is an important part of the equation because it means that traditional toxicity testing performed under laboratory conditions will tend to underestimate the toxicity that might have occurred in the natural environment under the influence of sunlight,” he added. Read more »

Filed under: biodiversity, BP Gulf oil spill, Environment, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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