News You Should Know - 7/11/2009

The Pickens Plan on Hold

Billionaire T.Boone Pickens has shelved his $12 Billion dollar wind farm, due to the downturn in the economy. The US became the world's leader in wind power in 2008 even though it is a fraction of a percentage of actual energy usage. This is a setback for alternative energy enthusiasts.

Learn More:
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2009/07/06/daily23.html

Ayers Rock Closing to Climbers?

Australia's famed Ayers Rock, the bright red mass of sandstone, may ban climbers from scrambling around on it.

Known as a sacred site to the Aborigine tribe that owns that land and leases it to the government, the mountain Aluru, begs to be hiked, but is dangerous and has taken the lives of over 30 tourists that have fallen to their deaths.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the rock is surrounded by signage asking tourists not to climb the rock as it is held as sacred to the Aborigines. This is no deterrent and there are no laws in place to forbid people from walking on it.

"You shouldn't climb. It's not the real thing about this place. The real thing is to listen to everything," said an Aborigine elder, regarding Ayers Rock. We have a lot to learn from our elders.

Learn more:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8141614.stm

Greenpeace Protest

An 11 member volunteer team for Greenpeace scaled Mt. Rushmore Wednesday and unfurled a protest banner that ripped the Obama Administration

The banner read: Americans respect leaders not politicians: Stop Global Warming Now

The climbers were promptly arrested by the National Park Service.

Read more:
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dc/2009/07/greenpeace-sends-g-8-message-f.html

Arctic Sea Ice Disappearing at Astonishing Rate

The above activists are correct. Denying global warming is dangerous. It's like the old commercial 4 out of 5 scientists agree...

NASA issued a statement this week stating that over 40% of the arctic sea ice has melted. This means: more exposed open water, which absorbs the suns heat and melts the remaining ice. Uh-Oh.

Learn more:
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/more-on-thinning-arctic-sea-ice/?em