Thursday, July 31, 2014

"Caucasians" Parody T-Shirt Hot Seller at North American Native Reserves



Sunday, July 27, 2014

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

How Fracking Changed the World

Photo courtesy of Phys.org
Courtesy of EcoWatch and  | July 22, 2014

Fracking, as Wall Street Journal energy reporter Russell Gold writes in The Boom, has changed all that, fundamentally altering both the U.S. economy and the nature of communities across the country.

Read more:  How Fracking Changed the World

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Man shot dead, woman wounded in Hocking Hills shooting

File Photo
LOGAN, OH – The Hocking County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting that occurred Saturday night.
The incident took place at the Wildwood cabin, part of Hocking Hills Backwood Retreat cabins on State Route 678 in Rockbridge. The body of an unidentified male was found in the cabin and a 31-year-old female had been shot.

The unidentified victim was able to flee the scene to a residence close by where help was summoned. Deputies, Hocking County Emergency Medical Services and a unit from Hocking Hills State Park responded to the residence. The victim advised deputies the shooter may have shot himself and was possibly still in the cabin.

During a search of the cabin deputies did locate the body of a male. The alleged shooter fled the scene in a white 2007 Chrysler Town and Country van, Ohio registration DRA8659. It is not known in what direction the alleged shooter was traveling and is thought to live in Franklin County.

Anyone observing this vehicle is asked to immediately notify law enforcement. Do not approach the vehicle or the suspect.

Contacted Sunday afternoon, the sheriff’s office declined to release additional information and the case remains under investigation.


America's Response to Child Refugees on the Border is Downright Shameful

"Those seething with so much rage and xenophobia that they’d hurl ugly epithets in the faces of children fleeing bloody violence in Central America bring shame to the whole nation. But the response of mainstream America hasn’t been much better." by Joshua Holland

Read more:

America's Response to Child Refugees on the Border is Downright Shameful | Perspectives | BillMoyers.com

NOAA: Climate data from air, land, sea and ice in 2013 reflect trends of a warming planet

Increases in temperature, sea level and CO2 observed; Southern Hemisphere warmth and Super Typhoon Haiyan among year’s most notable events

In a July 14 media release, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the release of State of the Climate in 2013 report, released online by the American Meteorological Society.
In 2013, the vast majority of worldwide climate indicators—greenhouse gases, sea levels, global temperatures, etc.—continued to reflect trends of a warmer planet, according to the indicators assessed in the  Scientists from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., served as the lead editors of the report, which was compiled by 425 scientists from 57 countries around the world (highlightsvisualsfull report). It provides a detailed update on global climate indicators, notable weather events, and other data collected by environmental monitoring stations and instruments on air, land, sea, and ice.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Persons of interest wanted by Vinton County Sheriff

MCARTHUR – In a media release Tuesday evening, Vinton County Sheriff Shawn Justice asked for the public’s help in identifying two persons of interests. 

The two males appear in a photo provided by the sheriff’s office and are wanted for questioning and were last seen in the Hart Ridge Road area.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office, 740-596-5242.


Monday, July 7, 2014

Foods your pets should avoid

Photo by Michael O'Brien
By Michael O'Brien

If your pets are anything like mine, they may come off as omnivores, eating anything that does not eat them first. One of my cats has acquired a taste for tomato bisque and all of my dogs enjoy green pepper, zucchini and lettuce.

There is not much harm in feeding our pets human foods. However, there are some foods that our animal friends should definitely avoid. In addition to foods, certain plants can be downright deadly for our pets.

State parks offers special military and veterans discounts


Photo by Michael O'Brien
COLUMBUS – Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director James Zehringer announced that Ohio State Parks will now be offering additional military discounts.

A 10 percent discount is available for active duty or military veterans for camping, getaway rentals, cottages and lodge rooms at any of the nine state park lodges.

“Ohio’s active and military veterans have made countless sacrifices for our nation, and we wanted to find a way to thank them for their service,” said Zehringer. “I hope that the brave men and women that have proudly served our country can take the opportunity to enjoy, with their families, what their efforts have helped preserve.”

“We appreciate partnering with ODNR to better serve our Ohio active military and veterans,” said Ohio Department of Veterans Services Director Tim Gorrell. “Veterans have given much on our behalf, and this is a way to give back and encourage them and their families to enjoy the outdoor recreational opportunities Ohio offers.”

In honor of Veterans Day this fall, ODNR will provide active or military veterans with a 20 percent discount off camping, getaway rentals, cottages and lodge rooms from Friday, Oct. 31, through Sunday, Nov. 16, 2014.

Both of these military discounts may only be used for a single campsite, getaway rental unit, cottage or lodge room per visit and must belong to the cardholder using the facility. Military identification must be presented at the time of arrival or check-in to receive the discount.

For more information on discounts at Ohio State Parks, go to parks.ohiodnr.gov/discounts.



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After Hobby Lobby ruling, focus shifts to how Obama administration and Congress will ensure contraceptive coverage for affected employees

The U.S. Supreme Court Hobby Lobby decision said closely held corporations that assert a religious objection do not have to cover contraceptive services and methods in their employer-sponsored health plans as required under the Affordable Care Act.

Read more at the Guttmacher Institute




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Wednesday, July 2, 2014

ODNR: Ohio's natural gas production nearly doubles from 2012 to 2013

Photo by Michael O'Brien
CANTONOhio’s natural gas production nearly doubled from 2012 to 2013 because of increasing activity in the Utica shale and continued development of midstream infrastructure. The announcement came today at the “State of the Play” event at Stark State College.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) released data for 352 horizontal shale wells that reported production in 2013. The wells drilled in the Utica and Marcellus shale produced 3.6 million barrels of oil and 100 billion cubic feet of gas. On average, Ohio’s oil and gas production increased approximately 65 percent quarter to quarter from first quarter 2013 to first quarter 2014.

Ohio’s oil and gas industry is growing and moving our state toward energy independence,” said ODNR Director James Zehringer. “At the same time, we have updated our laws and increased our staff to provide Ohioans the proper protections as the industry continues to grow.”

ODNR projects all oil and gas wells in Ohio produced 8 million barrels of oil and 171 billion cubic feet of gas in 2013. Compared to 2012, Ohio’s total oil production increased by 62 percent and natural gas production increased by 97 percent. The percentage increase in natural gas production is the largest in Ohio history, and the total production is the fourth highest annual total in state history.

ODNR also released production data for the first quarter of 2014. A total of 418 wells reported production of 1.9 million barrels of oil and 67 billion cubic feet of gas.

The production growth depends heavily on the development of the midstream infrastructure needed to transfer the resources to market. In a little more than 24 months, a new industry developed, including 11 processing facilities and miles of new pipelines. Companies have spent or have committed more than $6 billion on midstream infrastructure.

Companies are investing billions of dollars and creating jobs for Ohioans, proving the value and importance of the Utica shale play,” said JobsOhio Senior Managing Director David Mustine.

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Unitarians vote to divest from fossil fuel companies

BOSTON – In a media release, delegates at the 2014 General Assembly (GA) of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) meeting in Providence, RI, today passed a resolution calling for divestment from fossil fuel companies in the UUA Common Endowment Fund (UUCEF).

The resolution requires the UUA to:
  • Cease purchasing securities of CT200 companies as UUCEF investments immediately.
  • Continue to divest its UUCEF holdings of directly held securities of CT 200 companies, reaching full divestment of these companies within five years.
  • Work with its current and prospective pooled-asset managers for the purpose of creating more fossil fuel-free investment opportunities, with the objective of full divestment of UUCEF indirect holdings in CT200 companies within five years.
  • Invest an appropriate share of UUCEF holdings in securities that will support a swift transition to a clean energy economy, such as renewable energy and energy efficiency-related securities.
  • Report, via the UUA President and the Treasurer, to each General Assembly from 2015 through 2019 on our Association’s progress on the above resolutions.

Following the vote, UUA President Peter Morales said, “The UUA has a long-standing history of fighting for our environment. I am proud that we are going to put our money where our values are on this issue.”

The resolution was carefully crafted by a committed group of activists known as UU Divest (formally, Unitarian Universalists for Fossil Fuel Divestment and Sustainable Reinvestment) in collaboration with members of the UUA Committee on Socially Responsible Investing and the UUA Investment Committee. The UUA Board of Trustees endorsed the resolution as it was originally written at their meeting on April 13.

Terry Wiggins, a leader in the divestment effort, stated, “We, private citizens and the private and nonprofit sectors, need to take matters into our own hands, and use every strategy we can to convince the government and public at large of our planetary emergency, and that we must act now.”

The resolution allows the UUA to retain investments in fossil fuel companies with which it is engaged in shareholder actions seeking environmental justice. David Stewart, co-chair of the UUA’s Socially Responsible Investing Committee, stated, “We are encouraged that the UUA can continue its longstanding successes in shareholder advocacy while helping to lead the divestment movement with the approval of today’s fossil fuel divestment resolution. We believe strongly that any effort that can change the current trajectory of climate change is a welcome improvement.”

The UUA has a long history of shareholder activism on a variety of issues including environmental justice. Most recently, the UUA has worked to increase transparency in the executive office of Chevron Corp. and supported new Environmental Protection Agency limits on carbon emissions for new and existing power plants.

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