More Bad News from Environmental Reports

In the wake of the discovery that “dead zones” in oceans have grown at alarming rates, a new report shows that arctic sea ice levels are remarkably low. From the Washington Post:

Arctic sea ice has shrunk to the second-lowest level since record-keeping began three decades ago…a revelation underscoring how rapidly climate change is transforming ecosystems in northern latitude.

The extent of Arctic sea ice is now 2 million square miles below the long-term average for Aug. 26…

Besides the obvious long-term effects to humanity of the shrinking ice, wildlife is in immediate trouble:

The shrinking sea ice is increasing the pressure on polar bears in the region: A recent federal aerial survey found nine polar bears swimming in Alaska's Chukchi Sea, with one at least 60 miles from shore….

By comparison, federal scientists spotted a total of 12 polar bears swimming in the open ocean between 1987 and 2003.

Yikes.

-- Dylan Blaylock  

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[Stanley P Brown]

Walt Monegan firing
Private lawyer hired to represent Palin in Monegan inquiry
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin -- Republican John McCain's pick for vice president -- now has a private lawyer representing her office in the investigation into the firing of her public safety commissioner. 3:02 PM
PDF: Palin lawyers' letter to state investigator
PDF: Sen. Hollis French letter to Palin lawyers
More on the Monegan inquiry
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Alaska's former commissioner of public safety says Gov. Sarah Palin, John McCain's pick to be vice president, personally talked with him on two occasions about a state trooper who was locked in a bitter custody battle with the governor's sister.
Video: Palin news conference about the Bailey phone call (08/13/2008)
More on the Wooten/Monegan investigation
Palin aide put on leave in firing flap
Gov. Sarah Palin has placed one of her aides on paid leave until an investigator finishes looking into accusations her team broke ethics or personnel rules.
Palin staff pushed to have trooper fired
Palin says staff's calls were not pressure
As an investigator hired by the Legislature began looking into the firing of the state's former top cop, Gov. Sarah Palin was defiant Thursday.
Alaska Politics blog: Audio interview with Palin
Audio: Phone call from Palin aide to troopers
Palin staff pushed to have trooper fired
Gov. Sarah Palin on Wednesday revealed an audio recording that shows an aide pressuring the Public Safety Department to fire a state trooper embroiled in a custody battle with her sister.
Audio: Phone call from Palin aide to troopers
Excerpts from conversation between Frank Bailey and trooper Rodney Dial
Here are excepts of the phone call from longtime Palin aide Frank Bailey to Alaska State Troopers Lt. Rodney Dial on Feb. 29 of this year.
Palin staff pushed to have trooper fired
Palin aide says he acted on his own
An aide to Gov. Sarah Palin said he acted on his own when he pressed a state official to fire a trooper who had gone through a bitter divorce with Palin's sister.
Palin launches Monegan inquiry ahead of special investigation
Gov. Sarah Palin is trying to find out what the Legislature's special investigator might discover as he probes her firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.
Palin appoints panel to find new safety boss
Gov. Sarah Palin has appointed a committee to help select the next Public Safety commissioner, her office said on Friday.
Branchflower will investigate Monegan case
Steve Branchflower, a retired prosecutor, was named Friday as special counsel to the Legislature to investigate Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.
Hired help will probe Monegan dismissal
Alaska legislators on Monday voted to spend up to $100,000 to investigate Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of state Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.
Complete coverage of the Monegan firing
Is Wooten a good trooper? (7/27/08)
He's the governor's ex-brother-in-law, and his job as an Alaska State Trooper is drawing scrutiny in a way rarely seen except in cases of killings by officers.
Voorhis defense subpoenas Wooten personnel files
PDF: Complaint memo against Wooten, 4/11/05
PDF: Troopers warning to Wooten re DV complaint, 4/12/05
PDF: Letter from Col. Julia Grimes suspending Wooten, 3/1/06
Kopp steps down as Public Safety chief
Public Safety Commissioner Chuck Kopp resigned late today after a tumultuous two weeks on the job.
Raw video: Kopp's statement
Raw video: Gov. Palin's statement
Governor says Kopp didn't tell of letter
Video: Kopp denies sexual harassment (7/22)
Governor says Kopp didn't tell of letter
New state Public Safety Commissioner Chuck Kopp never told Gov. Sarah Palin that he received a letter of reprimand stemming from a sexual harassment complaint when he was chief of the Kenai police, the governor's office says.
Kopp steps down as Public Safety chief
Video: Kopp denies sexual harassment (7/22)
Transcript: What Kopp said at news conference (7/22)
No solid plans yet to investigate Monegan firing
Plans for a possible legislative investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of her former public safety commissioner have not yet taken shape, a state senator with a prominent role in the matter said Wednesday.
Lawmakers may look into Monegan firing (7/19/08)
Kopp acknowledges harassment complaint
New Public Safety Commissioner Chuck Kopp on Tuesday for the first time said he had a sexual harassment complaint made against him in 2005 when he was Kenai police chief and that he was reprimanded by the city.
Transcript: What Kopp said at news conference (7/22)
Video: Kopp denies sexual harassment (7/22)
Public Safety already headed in 'new direction,' some say
Is the "new direction" for the Department of Public Safety really new?
Legislature may appoint investigator in firing
Legislature may appoint investigator in firing
Alaska Senate leaders want an investigation of whether Gov. Sarah Palin pressured and then fired the public safety commissioner because he wouldn't get rid of a state trooper who had gone through a bitter divorce with Palin's sister.
Public Safety already headed in 'new direction,' some say
Palin outlines plan for Kopp, troopers
A week after she had an assistant fire Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, Gov. Sarah Palin has offered an outline of the "new direction" she suggested Monegan couldn't give her.
PDF: The state's plan for troopers
Monegan says he was pressured to fire cop (7/19/08)
Blog: Alaska politics
Lawmakers may look into Monegan firing (7/19/08)
State legislators are talking about hiring a special investigator to dig into the circumstances surrounding Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.
Monegan says he was pressured to fire cop (7/19/08)
Former Department of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan on Friday said that since Gov. Sarah Palin took office, members of her administration and family pressured him to fire a Palmer Alaska State Trooper to whom her sister was involved in a bitter child custody battle.
Palin outlines plan for Kopp, troopers
Lawmakers may look into Monegan firing (7/19/08)
Blog: Alaska politics
Palin denies accusation over firing of Monegan (7/18/08)
A feud within the family of Gov. Sarah Palin spilled into the public Thursday with accusations she tried to get a state trooper fired and then fired the trooper's boss because he wouldn't act on her request.
PDF: E-mail from Palin to Alaska State Troopers regarding Wooten 08/10/05
PDF: Transcript of interview with Palin and state troopers, 08/08/2005
PDF: Transcript of interview with Sarah Palin and state troopers, 05/02/2005
'Out of the blue,' top cop Monegan gets Palin's axe (7/13/08)
The state's top cop has been fired, he said Saturday. The news came "out of the blue," said Walt Monegan, a former Anchorage police chief.
Blog: Alaska politics

S. P. Brown Jr.