Category: Science and Stuff,

Montana bill would ban pipelines from crossing underneath rivers, lakes

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Environment,, Money, Class, and Poverty,Leave a comment

The measure would ban pipelines with a diameter of 10 inches or greater from going under navigable water bodies and establish construction requirements for them to cross above ground, including rules on casings and leak detection. The new regulations would apply to fossil fuels such as crude petroleum, coal and their products.

The bill’s introduction comes after several major spills into Montana rivers over the last decade, ranging from Glendive to Billings. And it comes as the nation debates the best methods to transport crude oil, what risk to water sources is acceptable, and how far tribal sovereignty extends when projects cross aboriginal lands that are no longer tribally owned, as was the case outside Standing Rock where thousands have gathered for months to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline.

White Wolf : Montana bill would ban pipelines from crossing underneath rivers, lakes

hmmm

Rare blue pigment found in medieval woman’s teeth rewrites history

On By peanutgallerynhIn Europe,, Media and Culture,, Science and Stuff,1 Comment

The researchers were studying a skeleton of a woman who was estimated to be between 45 and 60 years old when she died sometime between 997 and 1162. The skeleton itself was unremarkable, with no visible signs of trauma or infection.

But blue flecks were embedded in her teeth. Multiple spectrographic analyses revealed the blue pigment to be ultramarine, a rare pigment made from crushed lapis lazuli stones. It was as expensive as gold at the time, mined from a single region in Afghanistan and the ultimate luxury trade good then.

…”Only scribes and painters of exceptional skill would have been entrusted with its use,” said Alison Beach, study co-author and historian at Ohio State University, in a statement.

…”Based on the distribution of the pigment in her mouth, we concluded that the most likely scenario was that she was herself painting with the pigment and licking the end of the brush while painting,” said Monica Tromp, study co-author and microbioarchaeologist at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, in a statement.

Rare blue pigment found in medieval woman’s teeth rewrites history – CNN

hmmmm

A year later, why no federal charges in Dakota Access Pipeline sabotage?

On By peanutgallerynhIn Environment,, Local Interest,Leave a comment

It’s been one year since two Iowa environmental activists claimed responsibility for deliberately causing millions of dollars in damage to the Dakota Access Pipeline project, but federal prosecutors haven’t filed charges against them.

The activists — Jessica Reznicek, 36, and Ruby Montoya, 28 —  have gone into hiding. The lack of federal prosecution has some Iowans wondering whether charges will ever be filed.

…Rachel Scherle, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Des Moines, declined to say last week why no criminal charges have been filed against either Reznicek or Montoya. But she indicated the matter hasn’t been dropped by federal authorities.

“I cannot comment on any ongoing investigation,” Scherle said.

…Vicki Granado, a spokesman for Energy Transfer Partners, said in an email that there is no truth to any assertions that her company has asked the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Des Moines not to pursue criminal charges against the two women.

“Beyond that, I will decline to comment as we don’t discuss issues related to current or pending legal matters,” she said.

A year later, why no federal charges in Dakota Access Pipeline sabotage?

hmmm

Winter Solstice 2018 Coincides With Both A Full Moon And Meteor Shower

On By peanutgallerynhIn Science and Stuff,Leave a comment

How often do these events coincide, where the winter solstice is adorned by a full moon? The last time it occurred was in 2010 and the next event will not be until 2094. On December 21 you will also be able to see Mercury and Jupiter in conjunction in the long night sky. On top of all that, the Ursid meteor shower will peak on the nights of December 21 and 22, adding shooting starts to the mix.

Winter Solstice 2018 Coincides With Both A Full Moon And Meteor Shower

Wild.

Gobsmacked by germ theory denialism. Again. | ScienceBlogs

On By peanutgallerynhIn Science and Stuff,Leave a comment

Fassa first misrepresents the Pasteur model of disease. …Germ theory denialists …tend to assume that germ theory states that pathogenic microbes are 100% infectious and always cause disease. Consequently, when people are exposed to pathogenic microbes and don’t become ill, people like Fassa point to that as evidence that germ theory is invalid. …Even most teenagers can understand that catching an infectious disease is dependent not just on the microbe but each person’s resistance to that microbe.

…In many cases big pharma deserves a lot of mistrust; its record in many areas demands it. What distinguishes many of these germ theory denialists is that they take healthy skepticism and take it to a pathological extreme. They also seem to think that the reason that antibiotics ultimately fail is because germ theory is invalid, which reveals an incredible ignorance of how antibiotics work. … Bacteria are incredibly good at evolving under the selective pressure of antibiotics. That’s what creates superbugs, that and our tendency to overuse antibiotics.

…The condition of the body and a person’s immune system does matter. …Debilitated people do not resist the invasion of microorganisms as well as strong, healthy people.

…Although their rhetoric against vaccines is often cloaked in appeals to “strengthening the immune system” or similar words, much of it, when you strip away the obfuscation and come right down to it, often denies germ theory. Second, germ theory tells us that there are some things we cannot control, and alt-med is all about the illusion of control. Germs, after all, are scary. You can be perfectly healthy, and an infectious disease can strike you down–possibly even kill you–through no fault of your own. By denying that the germs are the cause of disease, germ theory denialists can tell themselves that if they just eat the right diet, do the right exercise regimen, take the right supplements, germs can’t hurt them. Righteous living triumphs!

Too bad the real world isn’t like that and infectious diseases can kill.

Gobsmacked by germ theory denialism. Again. | ScienceBlogs

sigh….