Carp devastate waterfowl at Malheur Lake

Rotenone has been used a number of times on carp at this national wildlife refuge, but it never gets them all.  Once again there over a million carp. Is there any long term solution?

Explosion in carp numbers have caused big drop in birds at eastern Oregon refuge. By Richard Cockle, The Oregonian

Hurricane season comes to oil slick country

Will hurricanes add to the on-going unnatural disaster?

Hurricane season begins June 1, and its peak is late August when the the relief wells might have finally stopped the oil gusher. Hurricane Season Raises New Fears. By Kenneth Chang. New York Times.

I recall that last year the hurricane season was quite mild in terms of them hitting the United States, but a tropical storm did form in the Gulf of Mexico in June and pounded ashore near where the oil slick floats.

Update: As if to underscore the beginning of hurricane season, the first tropical storm of the season hit central American May 30-31 and killed about 150 people. Nearly 150 dead from Central America storm. By the CNN Wire Staff

Oil gusher. Lost opportunity to redefine America’s political debate?

My opinion is the “spill” could be a gift to bring down the Cheneys, oil companies, “drill baby drill”-

With a huge natural disaster there is political danger, but also political opportunity. For the people living on the Gulf, and the fish and wildlife, it is all downside.  For the President there is a mighty political opportunity, but so far he has baubled the basketball while standing right next to the basket. He’d better recover and slam dunk it or the other team will soon have the ball. They are already calling it “Obama’s Katrina” now that it looks like the oil will gush until August, well into the hurricane season.

Let me explain.

In politics and government, there is what is actually happening, but for the average American who does not follow politics or current events much, it is what they think is happening.

What the public thinks is happening is the most important thing.

Most now understand the “oil spill” is a big disaster. They want it stopped and cleaned up, but they also want it explained. How could this happen after all the oil company ads saying how careful they are and all the political support for drilling.  The average person wants reassurance, and when angry they want justice. For there to be justice, there needs to be blame placed. A convincing story (a “narrative”) explaining all these things is what the public craves. Obama needs one quickly, a narrative before an alternative one about his aloofness is put firmly in place. Maureen Dowd’s latest column in the NYT certainly understands this. “Once More, With Feeling.” NYT. May 29, 2010.  The President has got to get angry and point the finger of blame. . . none of that “no drama, Obama.”  He needs drama, and a good melodrama requires a hero going after the villains.