dangerousmeta!, the original new mexican miscellany, offering eclectic linkage since 1999.

Good morning, mountains.

WaPo: Scientists close to entering Vostok, Antarctica’s biggest subglacial lake.

“… although the lake has not ‘felt the wind’ in 20 million to 30 million years, the water in it is not as ancient — in the 100,000s to low millions of years old. The only ancient water present, she said, is probably in the sediment at the bottom.” The lake’s apparently quite gassy - if we hear a roar sometime next week, it’ll be Vostok spewing like a champagne bottle into the atmosphere.

NY Times: Drought and Cold Snap Cause Food Crisis in Northern Mexico.

As far as drought and cold go, we’re not much better off.

CSM: Volcanic eruptions emerge as lead cause for Little Ice Age.

“Globally, temperatures averaged a modest 0.6 degrees Celsius, or about 1 degree Fahrenheit cooler than usual. But regionally, cooling could be profound. Glaciers in the Alps grew, bulldozing mountain villages. In Europe, the growing season became shorter, with spring and summers often cold and wet, triggering famines.” Averages never tell the story.

New Scientist: Vultures skeletonise corpse for the sake of forensics

I don’t think our New Mexican vultures would be so slow on the draw. They’re always on the lookout.

Live Fast: (Tiny) Flying Dragon In Indonesia.

If only our local lizards had wings ...

McClatchy: Alaska woman, 85, fends off moose attack on husband.

“An agitated moose ran down and stomped a well-known Bush pilot from Willow, Alaska, but he was saved when his wife grabbed a shovel from their pickup truck and whacked the big animal until it backed off.” Way to go, Dorothea.

Spaceweather.com Northern Lights photo gallery: January 2012.

WOW.

WaPo: Biggest solar storm since 2005 underway, will peak Tuesday.

“A strong aurora over much of North America is possible Tuesday night.”

Keep your eyes on the skies, Tuesday night then. Camera handy.

New Scientist: Why deep-sea anglerfish have such extraordinary jaws.

“Kenaley says the results suggest the fangs may not just impale prey as previously thought but help keep it in the best orientation to reduce drag on the jaw when it shuts.” Still don’t want one noshing on my kneecap.

Tom Dispatch: Ellen Cantarow, An Environmental Occupy Fracks Corporate America.

“I saw well drilling, huge trucks, muddy crisscrossing pipeline paths cutting through the woods, disposal pits, sites of diesel spills, dusty coatings on plants, noisy compressor stations—you name it. So I decided to put my legal background to work to prevent the same thing from happening where I lived. We’d been corporate lawyers before. We know the sort of resources the energy corporations have. The grassroots people have nothing. And they have this behemoth coming at them.” And more. Fight with might and main.

SF New Mexican: Forecast gloomy for state ranchers.

“This is about as good as it has looked since February 2011. [snip] Let’s hope that it doesn’t go downhill from here.” Amen.

NASA Earth Observatory: Where the Trees Are.

The density of trees in the US.

New Scientist: Vegetarian orang-utans eat world’s cutest animal.

Burp. Video of a slow loris, if you’ve blanked on the animal.

Adbusters: Rural/City/Cyberspace.

“series of psychological studies over the past 20 years has revealed that after spending time in a quiet rural setting, close to nature, people exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory, and generally improved cognition.”

Rodale: 30 years of testing organic vs. conventional farming.

I said I’d step back from commenting on GM foods. This is hitting enough front-line news organizations, that I need to link it. I will note, as no doubt my astute commenters will, that Rodale is potentially no more ‘objective’ than Monsanto is in their self-published reports. 

S+R Today: What Is the “Deep Conflict” Between Naturalism and Science?

Leave this one for the weekend, after work. 

Design You Trust: Pollution in China the World’s Worst.

Good grief. Yet photos I’ve seen of the Alberta tar sands aren’t anything to brag about, either.

*Five* great Santa Fe sunset shots.

Click the photo above to see it on black, and then click “newer” at the top to run through all five. The sunset that just kept on getting better ...

USA Today: Interior bans mining near Grand Canyon.

“Republican members of Arizona’s congressional delegation have lambasted temporary bans imposed by Salazar in 2009 and again last year. They say a permanent ban on the filing of new mining claims would eliminate hundreds of jobs and unravel decades of responsible resource development.” Good, but still leaves 3,000 already-staked claims in place. And ‘responsible resource development’? Any east-coast journalists walked around the West lately?

Snowing in Eldorado.

B&W, + red.

BBC News: Stricken cargo ship Rena breaks up off New Zealand.

A tragedy for sure ... however, I’m curious if the release of milk powder will help the breakdown of oil. Bacteria should be in seventh heaven.

Earthworks: EPA - Metal Mining Industry is the Nation’s Top Toxic Polluter.

But only because the oil and gas industry don’t have to report the toxic materials they discharge. This is a big deal - and continue to let your Congresspeople and State legislatures know that it is flat-out dangerous.

NY Times: How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body.

“Yoga is for people in good physical condition. Or it can be used therapeutically. It’s controversial to say, but it really shouldn’t be used for a general class.” Moderation, kids. It’s like taking ‘natural vitamins.’ Folks seem to believe that ‘natural’ means nontoxic. Nature spews out sulfuric acid in many geologic locations - ‘natural’ is never a guarantee of safety. Likewise, yoga is not necessarily beneficial for everyone - especially if performed carelessly.

SF New Mexican: State, LANL reach deal on waste cleanup.

“While it is not considered high-level radioactive material, it can be highly active and must be processed, handled and shipped carefully. Officials estimate it will take nearly 600 shipments to WIPP to clear the site. Last year, a record 171 shipments were made.” It’s about freaking time ... they knew they needed to move this stuff after the Cerro Grande Fire in 2000. You can easily see the canvas tents shielding the drums from various Sangre de Cristo hiking trails. Understand why forest fires freak us out just a little bit more?