Oregon range rider hired to watch out for wolves, quits

The unique Oregon effort garnered international attention-

OPB News · Wolf-Watching Range Rider Quits.

Don’t know what really happened here, but the suggestion that the range rider was forced out for not being anti-wolf enough is disturbing.

I think it is true that there is social pressure in many rural areas to be anti-wolf.  If you are not, best be quiet if you don’t want trouble. This, of course, is how cultures maintain their hold over people, and one reason why many young people leave the little town they grew up in when they are old enough and get an opportunity.

Disgusting deformed fish show up below giant Alberta tar sands pits

Condition of fish in Lake Athabasca appall scientists, natives-

The tar sand pits have been called the world’s greatest on-going environmental disaster.  Many are fingering the pits as the cause of hideously deformed fish showing up downstream.

Mutant fish lead to calls for Ottawa to monitor oil sands. Bob Weber. Edmonton — The Canadian Press. “The fish are hard to look at.”

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New blog. Dirty Oil Sands

Idaho county declares disaster over wolves

Trouble is, there’s no disaster of any kind-

Idaho County declares disaster over wolves. By Jessie Bonner and John Miller. Associated Press Writers

This backcountry county wants the governor to declare a disaster, but they seem to have no information about anything terrible going on. Seems to me like a gross misuse of the process of declaring a disaster.