H ALIBUT HERALD

December 10, 2009

The Unbelievable World of Snowflakes

Check the links for lots of interesting facts. My fave: The largest snowflakes ever measured occurred in Fort Keogh,
Montana, in 1887. Flakes as large as 15 inches wide were reported.
READ ON: http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/12/the-unbelievable-world-of-snowflakes.php

Need Some Optimism Overwhelmed by Green Gift SF Offers Christmas Trees*

Around Climate Change? Advice? Shop Sustainably
Ode Offers "Solutions We Need Now" with 3 Simple Questions!
FREE ONLINE EDITION!
Amidst the
controversy
and debates
of the
COP15, it is
refreshing to
hear For just $95, Friends of the Urban Forest
someone talk and SF Environment have teamed up to
about real offer SF residents living, potted Xmas
solutions. Trees! The trees are all approximately 6’ to
FREE 8’ tall, and after the holidays Friends of the
EDITION: Urban Forest will help to re-plant them on
http://www.s 1. Is it up-cycled or made from SF City Streets!
olutionswen sustainable materials?
READ ON:
eednow.org/ 2. Is it resource saving?
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/11/16/san-
3. Is it vintage or pre-owned?
francisco-offers-christmas-trees-that-
READ ON: http://bit.ly/7audLq
live-on-after-the-holidays/
The GOOD Guide to COP15: All You Need to Know About the Copenhagen Conference
‘Copenhagen 101′ (VIDEO)
WATCH
NOW:
http://doteart
h.blogs.nyti
mes.com/20
09/12/07/cop
enhagen-
101/

COP15 Copenhagen climate

summit: Day 4
A general COP15
update from Richard
Black, BBC News
environment
correspondent.

READ ON:
http://www.bbc.co.
uk/blogs/thereporte
rs/richardblack/

Cap and Tirade: Hansen and

Krugman Can't Agree

NASA scientist James Hansen and lefty economist

Paul Krugman both want to save the planet from
disastrous climate change, but can't quite agree on
how. Yesterday, they traded op-eds in the New York
Times over the idea known as "cap-and-trade." WHY A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL?
READ ON: http://www.good.is/post/Cap-and-
There's a global mobilization coming together
Tirade-Hansen-and-Krugman-Can-t-Agree/
for the weekend in the middle of the
Copenhagen conference--Dec. 11-13.
Paying to Keep the Rainforests Our collective message
Standing: How rich countries can make "The World Wants a Real Deal" – people all over the planet are
demanding a binding global climate agreement guided by the latest
it pay to preserve rainforest (Video)
science and built upon principles of justice and equity.
A UN-backed scheme to reduce carbon emissions
from the burning of forests could be one of the big
Around the world people will gather to light lanterns or candles, in solemn
winners of the Copenhagen climate summit, with the
solidarity with the citizens of those nations who will be first to face the
possibility of a big injection of funds.
challenges to their very survival.
READ ON:
READ ON: http://www.350.org/about/blogs/lighting-candle-hope-will-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8399871.stm
you-start-vigil-survival

Birdfeeders Found to Cause
Evolution of New Species
According to the BBC, the European
blackcap bird's natural instinct has
historically been to migrate to Spain to
spend their winters, where they feed on
fruits and berries.
But the rise of bird-feeders in the UK have
changed that. Scientists discovered that
blackcaps "follow a different "evolutionary
path" if they spend the winter eating food
put out for them in UK gardens."
READ ON:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12
/birdfeeders-found-to-cause-evolution-
bird-species.php
CANNED TUNA ADVISORY
FOR HOLIDAY FOOD
DRIVES (USA)
Social Scientists Build Case
for 'Survival of the Kindest' Holiday food drives are in full swing and
canned tuna is a popular item for donating
and distributing to families in need. But for
women aged 18 to 45 and children, eating
more than one or two servings a week of
albacore or canned light tuna could be
harmful to their health, according to the U.
S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
See the FDA advisory.
READ ON:
http://scubadivergirls.com/conservation/
?p=851
Researchers at the University of California,
Berkeley, are challenging long-held beliefs
TRY THE MERCURY
that human beings are wired to be selfish.
CALCULATOR:
In a wide range of studies, social scientists http://www.gotmercury.org/
are amassing a growing body of evidence to
show we are evolving to become more
compassionate and collaborative in our
quest to survive and thrive.
READ ON:
http://www.physorg.com/news179512429
.html
Tiger, Lion and Bear Form Unusual Friendship Video: Marine Creature Robots Made
from Recycled Materials by KYG-Lab

Rescued eight years ago during a police drugs raid in Atlanta, Georgia,
the three friends were only cubs at the time and barely two months old.

They had been kept as status symbol pets by the drug barons. Masamichi Hayashi, president of marine education
establishment kyg-lab, has hand-crafted over 100 robotic
Delivered to the Noah's Ark animal rescue centre in Locust Grove, marine creatures from recycled items such as plastic bottles,
Georgia, the decision was made to keep the youngsters together. food containers, styrofoam, raincoats, and windshield wiper
READ ON: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6750373/Tiger- motors. A self-taught roboticist, Hayashi relies on his formal
lion-and-bear-form-unusual-friendship.html experience as a marine scientist to endow his machines with
realistic movements, and he uses them in free shows to teach
Otter Chaos: Otters Frolic in the Snow (VIDEO) kids about the locomotion and behavior of sea creatures.
READ ON: http://pinktentacle.com/2009/12/video-marine-
The footage is creature-robots-by-kyg-lab/
awesome, the
commentary is Dolphins, Therapy and Autism
questionable, the
otters are In response to my “Whales &
delightful ☺ Dolphins are magical and can
WATCH: read your mind!” Comment;
http://www.huffi Dr. Barett-Lennard passed on
ngtonpost.com/ this fascinating paper (with
2009/12/10/otter some beautiful quotes) that
-chaos-otters- almost prove my comment, or
frolic_n_387044 at least back up the notion of it
☺
.html
READ ON: http://www.planetpuna.com/dolphin-paper-
html/dolphin-paper.htm
Ancient Mediterranean Flood T. Rex 'Little Cousin'
Mystery Solved Psychedelic Weddell Seals
Discovered

Researchers have unveiled a new

Research has revealed details of the
catastrophic Zanclean flood that refilled the
Mediterranean Sea more than five million
years ago.
READ ON:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8
404363.stm
“You can hear the seals with this really
inorganic sound; it’s like Pink Floyd or
something...” Excellent clip from Werner
Herzog's Encounters At The End Of The
Earth about the sounds researchers hear
while camped out atop the icy ocean layer.
WATCH & LISTEN: http://bit.ly/6ibzYz
species of dinosaur from the late
Triassic period - a small, early relative
of T.rex and Velociraptor. The 2m-long
dinosaur, named Tawa hallae, was
found in a "bone bed" on the Ghost
Ranch in New Mexico, US.
READ ON:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/n
ature/8405897.stm
SU, IBM and New York State open First-Ever Expedition to Examine the Accumulation of
Green Data Center Plastic Marine Debris in the North Atlantic Ocean
Sea Education
Association (SEA)
is preparing to
conduct the first-
ever research
expedition
dedicated solely to
examining the
accumulation of
plastic marine
debris in the North
Atlantic Ocean.

READ ON: http://www.oceanleadership.org/2009/first-ever-expedition-to-

Syracuse University, with partners IBM and New examine-the-accumulation-of-plastic-marine-debris-in-the-north-atlantic-
York State, celebrated the construction of its new ocean/
Green Data Center (GDC)—a showcase of world-
class innovations in advanced energy-efficient The Most Psychedelic Lake on Earth (Osoyoos, BC!)
information technology and building systems.
READ ON: http://syr.edu/greendatacenter/

Sex and Trash and Rock ‘n’

Roll: Waste Management
Joins Live Nation in
Recycling Sponsorship

U.S. garbage behemoth Waste
Management has teamed up with the
world’s largest live music company, Live
Nation, in what promises to be one of the
most unusual sponsorships in the history of
rock and roll.
READ ON: http://bit.ly/8puOhf
Best and Worst of 2009: Green Tech Concepts
(Slideshow)
The lake is rich in calcium, sodium and magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) and
even silver and titanium. It is called Kliluk by the Okanagan Indians who have
known of the lake’s therapeutic powers for generations.
READ ON: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/most-psychedelic-
lake-on-earth/18196
B is for B Corps

Between impact investing and mergers, Lucy Bernholtz,

Fascinating and fun ideas that just might become a real part of our
future, from bendable cell phones, to gorgeous solar chargers, to
incredible furniture that eats bugs to use as a source of electricity.
VIEW: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/best-green-tech-
concept-gadgets-of-2009-slideshow.php
president of philanthropic consulting firm Blueprint
Research & Design, talked about B Corps, the designation
for businesses holding a social good certification (think
LEED for social enterprise) from a group called B Lab.
READ ON:
http://www.poptech.org/blog/b_is_for_b_corps
Archival Photo

Crocodile, 1965.

Library News
For more library news, book reviews, access to our online catalogue and much more, visit us on the
aquanet: http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/default.aspx

Get your up-to-the minutes news via RSS feed from the library’s What’s new pages. Currently, there are
two What’s new pages running a variety of interesting news feeds

What’s New – Animals and Nature – for news about birds, reptiles, marine mammals, and places such as
the Arctic http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/WhatsNewAnimalsandNature.aspx

What’s New – Business and General – for news about business, finance, tourism, visitor experience and
marketing http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/What%27sNewBGN.aspx

News on Environmental conservation and education will soon be available via the Conservation Current
http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/ConservationCurrent/Pages/Default.aspx

Did you know that the Library has access to over 100 journals and magazines??
At least 80 of these are available full text online.
For a complete hyperlinked list, visit the library journals page on Aquanet:
http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/Journals.aspx

As well, you can find new books and movies listed on this page of Aquanet:
http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/LibraryCatalogue.aspx
Events
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UVy7uUceXw
The VAHC meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. in the
Aquatic Planet classroom on the first Wednesday
of each month. Meet at the Aquaquest reception
entrance. Talks generally get going around 8 p.m.
after a hobby club Q & A session. The
talks/meetings are free to attend, but if you find
yourself coming to quite a few, a membership to
the club is always a great idea (a mere $20/year!)