Missouri River Gives Up Her Wrecks

A symptom of the midwestern drought is the shrinking Missouri River that has reached record low water levels, restricting trade on the river and exposing hundred year-old paddle steamer wrecks. Nearly sixty percent of the northern Great Plains and Midwest is experiencing below average rainfall causing the river levels to drop, disrupting barge traffic critical to moving harvest products downstream for export.  The river carries more than half of US grain exports, but traffic is down about 45%.

The river was never easy to navigate as Mark Twain famously discovered working on paddle steamers in the 19th century.   In modern times, the rivers has been extensively altered and dredged to keep it navigable.  But in this drought sandbars once sufficiently covered by water to allow safe passage are now exposed, or nearer to the water's surface.  The US Coast Guard has counted eight barge groundings   Federal officials have temporarily closed some stretches of the river and advised barge operators to lighten their loads. [the Diamond Lady, credit Getty Images]

Low water has also allowed some interesting discoveries.  Sightseers are flocking on foot to Tower Rock in Perry County, Missouri, a rock formation normally only accessible by boat.  Shipwrecked paddle steamers are popping up too.  The steamer North Alabama, which sank in 1870, appeared above the waterline again.  It surfaced in 2004 and 1904.  The ship was a 200 ton wooden packet steamer en route to Montana gold fields with supplies when it hit a snag that holed the bottom near the Nebraska shore. It carried a cargo worth $300,000 in today's money.  More recent vessels exposed include the Diamond Lady, a floating casino taken out of commission in 1999 that succumbed to a storm in 2021.  A hundred year old ferry boat, presumed to be the SS Brookhill, sunk near Baton Rouge, LA in 1915. Its remains now rest high and dry on the river bank.  More historical treasurers may come to light if the drought conditions continue. [photo credit: AP]

TWIT: Another MAGA Judge

credit: C. Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press

If you had any doubts about the political impartiality of the United States Supreme Court, you could put them to rest this week.  MAGA-aligned Justice Clarence Thomas placed a stay on the appeals court order requiring Senator Lindsey Graham to testify to the Fulton County grand jury investigating Trumpillini's attempt to influence the presidential election outcome in Georgia.  Thomas acted alone in granting the stay because he has jurisdiction over the 11th Circuit for emergency hearing purposes.  Nevertheless, his action is consistent with his and his wife's sympathy for Trump's unprecedented plot to usurp power.

The 11th Circuit ruled that not all of Graham's communications with Georgia election officials was protected under the Constitution "speech and debate" clause.  Efforts to cajole or extort Georgia officials into 'finding' more votes for Trump are not within the privilege wrote a three-judge panel, which heard the case.  Moreover, if a dispute arises over whether a grand jury question infringes on the privilege, Senator Graham could raise objections then.  The Senator wants the entire subpoena quashed.  Graham appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court on Friday of last week.  The litigation over his subpoena has played out since the summer. More delay, and the midterms are already here.

COTW: Greenhouse Gases Hit Record High

source: EPA

A report released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says three main greenhouse gases, CO₂, methane (CH) and nitrous oxide (NO₂) have all reached record levels.  Climate scientists say we are loosing the fight to prevent catastrophic climate change. The biggest rise year over year was for methane, a hydrocarbon with potent warming effects. Carbon dioxide is also rising rapidly with the annual change from 2020 to 2021 larger than the annual growth rate for the last decade.  The WMO says the three gases account for almost all global warming, with carbon dioxide accounting for 80% of the rise between 1990 and 2021.  Atmospheric concentrations of the three chemicals are now, respectively 149%, 262% and 124% of pre-industrial levels.

Methane and nitrous oxide can be controlled with application of technologies to industry and transportation, but carbon dioxide is a more difficult problem.  Slashing carbon emissions will take concerted, global efforts over a long period of time given the long life of atmospheric CO₂.  So far, countries are failing to meet their commitments made at the Paris Climate Conference and the Glasgow Climate Conference.  Countries will gather again shortly in Egypt for COP27 (Conference of Parties 27th Meeting).  The United Nations has issued a sober warning: with current commitments, Earth will experience catastrophic climate breakdown as warming will exceed 2.5°C. Deeper emission cuts are necessary to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5°C to avoid the worst effects of global warming.  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that emissions need to fall 45% by 2030.  It is unlikely that such a drastic reduction can be achieved given the lackluster response to the crisis by most governments.  Only 24 countries have updated their reduction plans as agreed in Glasgow.  Some countries, in response to the supply crisis caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, have even resorted to renewed coal burning.  Current diplomatic tensions between the US and China are also reducing the chances of significant progress on climate in Sharm-el-Sheik. 

source: EPA

Sagebrush Habitat Disappearing Fast

A federal report released by the US Geological Survey (USGS) finds that a staggering 1.3 million acres of sagebrush steppe ecosystem is being lost annually in the USA.  This habitat is critical to many bird species like the sage grouse, songbirds, and indigenous mammals such as the mule deer and pronghorn. More than 350 species of concern depend on this habitat for survival. Sagebrush prairie has become fragmented and degraded by a combination of factors--grazing livestock, invasive grass species like cheatgrass, human development and climate change.  In some moist areas it has been replaced by woodland. Since the mid 1880's western juniper has increased ten fold. Sagebrush biome was once widespread in the Intermountain West, accounting for one third of the continental US.  The degradation and disappearance of this important ecosystem leads to soil erosion, decreased water quality, and increased fire danger.

There has been increased work on sagebrush conservation in the last two decades, but the focus has shifted to a more defensive strategy, labeled "save the core, grow the core" in which the best remaining sagebrush regions are the focus of protection, and then expansion into areas that are marginal. Sagebrush steppe now occupies less than half of its historic range, and half of that is considered degraded,  Healthy shrub ecosystems play a role in local western economies too--providing forage for livestock, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities for humans

TWIT: The Mar-a-Lago Papers

What do Herr Trumpillini and the Russian military have in common? America's Top Secrets? No, they are both loosing.  Trumpillini suffered significant setbacks this week in his battle to avoid indictment for his crimes. Readers may remember federal district Judge Carter in Oakland who ruled against former law professor and Trump minion, John Eastland.  Eastland is litigating the surrender of communications with Trump regarding the coup and insurrection. This week Carter specifically found that certain communications were not protected by attorney-client privilege because of the crime-fraud exception to the privilege. These communications must now be turned over to the House Select Committee. This is the first time such a significant evidentiary finding has been made, and deals a death blow to one of the primary defenses used by Trumpworld to prevent evidentiary discovery in the investigation of the events leading up to the January 6th riot.

In Georgia where a special grand jury in Fulton County is examining election interference by Der Leader, Senator Lindsey Graham has been ordered to testify after loosing his appeal of his subpoena to testify.  Lindsey claim he called the Georgia Secretary of State as part of his official duties as a US Senator making his communications privileged under the Constitution's speech and debate cause.  The Select Committee formally issued a subpoena this Friday for Trump's testimony under oath and documents related to the coup attempt.  Steve Bannon, a leading strategist in the Trump long con, was sentenced to four months imprisonment for two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress, but remains free pending appeal.  Trump's business, Trump Org, goes on trial for civil tax and financial fraud in New York next month. His former CFO, Alan Weisselburg, must testify for the state under his plea agreement.

Special Master Judge Raymond Dearie in Brooklyn has proven himself unsympathetic to Trump's cause. He chided the Trump lawyers for missing a filing deadline in the quibble over individual documents.  Apparently, only fifteen documents are in dispute as to whether they are protected from disclosure. The desperate Trump lawyers are reduced to making conflicting claims, alleging some documents are personal, yet still protected by Executive privilege.  The Justice Department responded saying personal papers are seized all the time in searches pursuant to lawful subpoenas for evidentiary purposes, and Executive privilege does not apply within the Executive branch of government, of which DOJ is a part.

The Mar-a-Lago Papers criminal case is the most potentially dangerous for the former guy.  It is a relatively simple matter to prove that a) he possessed classified US secrets; b) he took them from the White House and stored them in insecure locations (including his desk drawer) commingled with personal and non-classified government documents; c) he did not give all government property back when asked for it, and attempted to conceal documents from officials; and d) he knew the government papers did not belong to him.  Indications are that Justice is finally moving in the direction of an indictment of Trump.  Cash Patel, his leading former staffer who was the intermediary with the National Archives seeking return of the records, was summoned to testify before a DC grand jury. But for Trumpillini being a former president, he would already be in jail awaiting trial.

He's sweating now!

Horn of Famine

Scientist have been warning us for over a decade of the human disasters to be brought about in whole or part by climate change. We are seeing this predictions become reality in the news headlines each day.  The famine overtaking Somalia in the Horn of Africa is a tragic example.  The country is historically arid, but it has not seen any rain in five failed rainy seasons and likely a sixth.  The drought makes it impossible to grow crops or raise livestock,  Consequently,  the vulnerable are already starving to death.  The seemingly endless civil war makes some areas inaccessible to aid agencies trying to help the starving.  

Unless something is done on a huge scale, Somalia will succumb to a famine that will rival the one that occurred in 1992 in which an estimated 220,000 to 300,000 people died.  The disaster was primarily caused by the civil war, and when the UN disaster relief efforts failed, the United States was called upon to send its troops to protect aid workers and restore order.  That mission effectively ended in the infamous "Blackhawk Down" incident in which city residents killed US soldiers after two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were shot down in Mogadishu, and dragged their bodies through the streets.  The ensuing urban battle cost eighteen American lives and 73 wounded.  

This current prolonged drought has already killed 9 million animals.  Seven hundred Somali children, not even alive when the Blackhawk went down in Mogudishu, have died from starvation.  In Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, 36 million people are struggling against malnutrition that affects nursing women and small children the most.  Somalis name their frequent droughts. A sixty year old man walking seven hundred miles to find relief with his two small sons suggested to AP: White Bone.  He has seen a lot of death in his exhausting journey.  People say this is the worst drought they have ever witnessed, astonishing proud pastoralists that have coped with generations of drought.  As climate scientists correctly understood global warming has altered planetary climate patterns to such an extent that some regions are flooded with torrential rains while others bake bone dry in unrelenting sun. The effects of global warming are made even more terrible by war in Europe and religious fanaticism in Africa.  A rare famine declaration could be made as early as this month, the first significant one anywhere since Somalia's last one a decade ago that killed an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 humans.  

Macron Wants to Accelerate Clean Energy

France is famous for many things: food, language, culture and strikes. Unfortunately, it also is notorious for its dependece on nuclear energy. Sixty-seven percent of the electricity generated in France comes from nulcear power plants, more than any other country. President Macron wants that to change, His initiative comes at a time of energy crisis, as Russia's weaponization of gas supplies takes effect. Eventhough he has announced plans to extend the life of exisitng reactors and build six new ones, he says that expanding France's renewable energy infrastructure is the way forward. 

Despite extensive coastlines, only the Saint Nazaire offshore wind farm with its eighty turbines is producing energy  Macron wants to build fifty similar installations by 2050. He has acclerated ambitions for solar power too. He wants to reduce the delays in building larger solar farms from six to three years, but also keeping them relatively small and building on vacant land along highways,railways and car parks. to preserve valuable and increasingly scarce agricutural land in France. 

About half of France's 56 nuclear reactors are off-line for maitenance and to repair corrosion problems from water and high levels of radiation that plague nuclear plants France's nuclear safety records has been good, but utility EDF has to deal with exporting radioactive waste abroad for disposal and importing uraniaum for nuclear fuel. Energy officals want to see 10% reduction in France's electricty consumption by 2024.

Another Pack Slated for Extermination

Another Oregon wolf pack has been slated for lethal removal. A permit was issued for two wolves from the Balloon Tree Pack to allow the federal killer agency, USDA Wildlife Services, until October 15th to exterminate two wolves in Union County. No word on whether the permit has been extended. The agency has a policy of only announcing permit extensions or lethal removals. The permit was issued at the request of a landowner who lost four sheep in September, including a lamb whose carcass showed signs of deep teeth lacerations to its neck. Only the hindquarters were consumed. The livestock owner claims that both dogs and humans were used to disaude the wolves from attacking. They moved their camps and employed non-lethal devices to haze the predators. The livestock owner's agent shot and killed a wolf in the act of fighting with working dogs on September 14th, which the owner is legally entitled to do under the wolf management rules. Two wolves in the pack have working GPS collars.

'Toontime: DEFUND THIS!

Is this the new face of Portland?

 

FUND THIS:

You decide--VOTE.

TWIT: Smokin' Video

credit: S. Santis

We now know why the Department of Justice alleged Herr Trumpilini obstructed justice in its search warrant application for the Mar-a-Lago papers. After receiving a grand jury subpoena for classified documents concealed at the Mar-a-Lago resort, he ordered them moved from storage to his residence. This revelation comes from an unnamed staff person cooperating with the FBI and reported by the WaPo this week. He told aides, "the documents are mine". Not only did he personally review classified documents to be handed over to the National Archives and pack file boxes himself, but he attempted to evade returning them all by moving them within the resort before and after a subpoena was issued in May to produce them. Trump wanted one of his underling attorneys to certify that all classified records had been returned when he sent 15 boxes back to the Archives. He forced the DOJ to resort to a search warrant based on probable cause that government records were still illegally on the Mar-a-Lago premises.  The lawyer refused, but a junior mouthpiece, Christina Bobb, did sign a certification that was false. She is now cooperating with the FBI.

Clearer evidence of Trump's criminal intent is not possible short of a voluntary confession. Unless of course you have a smoking video of the boxes actually being moved by Trump personnel including Walt Nauta, a former White House valet who served Il Douche Diet Coke on demand. Unbelievable, but true. DOJ subpoenaed CCTV records in June, probably based on information from the informer. This video evidence formed part of the probable cause for obtaining a warrant from a federal court in August. FBI agents found 33 boxes of government records including 103 classified documents in their lawful search of Mar-a-Lago.

More good news: the Supreme Court, in a one sentence order, DENIED Trump's emergency appeal seeking a reversal of the Eleventh Circuit's decision to allow the Justice Department to go forward with the criminal investigation and national security assessment of the 103 classified papers illegally removed from the White House. DOJ continues to pursue its appeal in the Eleventh Circuit to have the entire special master delay ploy allowed by biased district judge Aileen Cannon overturned.

In perhaps it's last public hearing, the January 6th Committee voted unanimously to subpoena the former guy to testify to his crimes on that fateful day. It is highly unlikely he will comply, despite public statements that he wants to tell his side of the case. Whether he will be referred for contempt prosecution is entirely dependent on which party controls the House in 2023.

credit: J. Heller

Murder Hornets Absent from Washington

It may be too early to say definitively, but murder hornets, Vespa mandarinia, appear to have evacuated the state of Washington. An invasive species from Asia, the insect garnered headlines for the large size, painful sting and behavior of decapitating native bees with large mandibles when they raid bee hives to feed to their larvae. Department of Agriculture researchers have found no northern giant hornets (their new common name) in traps set out for them. The Department laid 960 traps and volunteers laid 373 more this summer. State officials took decisive action in locating their nests and eradicating the insects before their numbers got out of control. A total of four hives were destroyed over the past few years. Hornet experts will contiue to set traps until there are three consecutive years without confirmed captures of northern gian hornets. They were first found in British Columbia and Washington in 2019, undoubtably a result of international trade in commodities.

    

Meanwhile on another part of the planet, a giant Asian hornets' nest was found hanging from the ceiling of a public restroom in Jersey, England. [J. DeCarteret photo right] The theme park where they choose to nest is closed, but still accessible to the public. They are the largest hornet in the world with queens reacing two inches in length. Single stings are not fatal, but extremely painful. If a swarm were to attack a person, it could kill them, esopecially if the unfortunate victim is allergic to insect stings. Of more conern is the havoc they wreak on native bee populations. One hornet can eat fifty bees in a day. Both Channel islands of Jersey and Guernsey are infested with the invasive flying insects. A record 158 nests have been exterminated in Jersey this year. Giant Asian hornets began spreading through Euorpe in 2004 after arriving in southern France on a freighter. They were first spotted in Jersey in 2016.

Six Wolves Poisoned in Washington

Six wolves in Washington state were poisoned concluded state wildlife officials after an investigation into wolf deaths in Stevens County.  Four members of the Wedge Pack were discovered in February and two more located a month later.  Toxicology tests confirm that the pack members died from ingesting poison, most probably from tainted bait.  Conservation groups are offering a $51,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the perpetrator.  So far, substantial rewards have not led to the conviction of those responsible for illegal wolf killings in the northwest.  A conservationists commented to the press, "We need to find solutions to allow wolves to inhabit this wild country without constant death threats hanging over their heads."  Killing a protected wolf is punishable by a $5,000 fine and up to one year in jail in Washington.  [photo credit: AP]

Parts of eastern Washington and the Cascade Range are prime wolf habitat. Biologists estimate a statewide population of 206 wolves in 33 packs in 2021. In Oregon leight wolves were found poisoned to death ast year .  Those crimes remain unsolved despite the offering of rewards.  State officials must up the deterrence and make wolf killing a felony criminal offense.

Crypto Endangers the Planet

As a symptom of human greed, cryptocurrency data mining is endangering the future of our planet.  The activity that relies on thousands of servers dedicated solely to cranking out digital guesses that enable the creating of new crypto currency--that is why it is euphemistically called "minning"  The process is hugely electric energy intensive. Mining uses more electricity than some mid-sized European countries. Profits from crypto mining are driving demand for new fossil fuel plants, or extending the life of old ones, that interns makes reducing carbon emissions more difficult.

At Seneca Lake in upstate New York, a private equity firm bought obsolete Greenidge coal plant and converted it to a plant that uses fracked gas in 2014.  In 2020 the company plugged in thousands of computer servers in an off-grid data center to mine Bitcoin.  Rather than a score a bonanza in the crypto world, the firm generated unanticipated local opposition.  Residents of Seneca Lake began noticing a crassly droning coming from the data center--fans operating non stop to cool the massed electrical equipment.  Air pollution levels also jumped. Operating for just 48 days in 2019, the operation produced the carbon emission equivalent of 7,700 gasoline driven cars driven for a year.   When the plant ramped up  by 2020, the data center emitted the equivalent of 44,500 cars.  That level was reached with 6,900 mining servers.  The operators target is 32,500.  The more machines generating guesses, the more likelihood of a generating a correct code. [photo credit: Getty images]

Greenidge Generation LLC, under the cover of producing electricity from a defunct plant and using a clean air permit intended for that purpose, created a new business model for resurrecting fossil fuel generating plants to mine cryptocurrencies.  Activists contacted Earthjustice, a prominent and successful environmental litigation group, for help battling the crypto operation in their backyard.  Earthjustice and the Atlantic Chapter of the Sierra Club contacted the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, pointing ou that the air permit was being used in way not anticipated when it was issued to a company ostensibly generating electricity, not consuming it in ever-increasing amounts.  They suggested that the upcoming application to renew the permit be rejected.

This action provoked an intense response from Bitcoin enthusiasts who almost religiously support Bitcoin's "proof of work" protocol to mining cryptocurrency.  This method consumes more energy than others in use in the industry. It also got attention from the media and other activists, who surfaced similar operations in the US.  Following a partial ban in the home of crypto mining, China, the operations migrated here.  Most miners are plugging into power sources dedicated to their operations like Greenidge's.  Most often these power sources are fueled with fossil fuels. In Kentucky, 70% are fueled by coal.

Despite massive lobbying from the miners, legislation was passed by the New York legislature in its final hours on June 3rd to impose a moratorium so the impact of crypto mining could be evaluated.  The legislation would not help Seneca Lake, however because a operators with a permit application that predated the legislation like Greenridge's would be exempted.  All was not lost.  When their permit came up for renewal on June 30th, it was denied.  Four thousand public comments had been submitted, 98% against.  Greenridge still operates today pending appeal of the denial, and a pernicious new industry is born.

TWIT: Delay is the Game

credit: M. Ramirez
BC Idonwanna sez:  What's wrong with this picture?.

Update: The undue deference given the former guy but the Justice Department may be ending soon, after the newspaper of record when on record stating that Trump intended to use illegally possessed government secrets as exchange for FBI files concerning its investigation into his 2016 campaign's ties to Russia.  If this story proves to be entirely factual, it is eerily similar to the extortion he attempted against Ukraine, in which he threatened to withhold aid money unless President Zelensky investigate Hunter Biden.  The National Archives and Records Administration--"those radical left lunatics"--earned his infamous ire when it refused to give him sensitive documents he thinks would support his allegations of politically motivated mistreatment, i.e. "witch hunt". He told his aides, according to the Times that he would return boxes of documents he illegally took out of the White House if he got the FBI documents he wanted from NARA.  So now you know why.  US Person says it is way past time to put this white-collar crime boss from Queens in the dock for the sake of the Republic where no one is above the law, even deranged "deal makers" in over their head.

Rolling Stone reported Friday that the FBI has questioned witnesses about government documents that may be stashed at Trump Tower in New York or at the Bedminister Golf Course in New Jersey.  Der Trumpminister still claims the seized documents-including the classified ones--belong to him.  Who is the lunatic in this sad, sociopathic tale of defiance?

{07.10.2022}As Trumpillini's high-paid defense team become evermore ridiculous in their defense of the indefensible, The WaPo revealed this week more evidence of his criminal intent to illegally possess government secrets. He personally packed some of the 15 boxes that were returned to the National Archives in January after his lawyers convinced him that he could not contiue to store them at his country club home. Trump tried to get attorney Alex Cannon to tell the "left wing radicals" at NARA that all the government papers had been return. Cannon demurred to this request, with apparent good reason. A few months later, the FBI seized documents at his resort including 100 highly classified papers. Prior to this discovery, on February 7th he dictated a statement referring to his "friendly" return of the documents without stating whether all government records had been returned.  This statement was never released. He still refuses to make that statement under oath, or agree in court to the accurate inventory of seized material from Mar-a-Lago. The Justice Department's chief counterintelligence officer said at this late date  there still may be missing documents lodged at Mar-a-Lago or one of his other residences in New York City or Bedminster, New Jersey. Ask yourself, what did those empty classified folders contain and where are the contents? Der Leader's neurotic insistence on retention of material that is not his to own is more than mind-boggling stupid, it is criminal. Even blasé Washington pundits are beginning to admit his blatant lawlessness. Under the Presidential Records Act, any records created or received during the exercise of official duties are property of the United States government. NARA is custodian of those records.

The DOJ was granted an expedited appeal by the Eleventh Circuit of the lower court order appointing a special master to review some 11,000 documents. Rightly so, because appointment of the master by an obviously biased district judge was nothing more than a delaying tactic in which Individual One's lawyers could argue seratim about each document that they wanted to assert a privilege for to prevent public disclosure.  Such a process could take months. Trumpillini has even resorted to petitioning the Supreme Court to stop DOJ from using the classified material exempted from special master reviw by the Court of Appeals. No doubt he was encouraged by the fact that the conflicted MAGA justice, Clarence Thomas, oversees the Eleventh Circuit. Thomas was the only justice to vote against the Houser Select Committee obtaining White House communication records relating to the coup attempt. His wife was communicating with former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and others in support of the coup. 

Special Master Dearie is speedily moving ahead in his review of unclassified records. He has in fact, already ordered the return of some papers clearly personal in nature such as tax records,  personal notes, and personal communications of the former occupant, which DOJ agreed earlier to return.  He has imposed an October 20th deadline for a declaration of which documents are still in dispute after consultation by the parties.

Weekend Music: Original Joe

Hershel Walker may have listened to this one too often:

The Snail Darter Escapes Extinction

The tiny snail darter, Percina tanasi, was once the disparaged icon of anti-environmentalists after the fish was responsible for holding up TVA's Telico dam in Tennessee for two years over fears for the loss of its only known habitat, the free flowing Little Tennessee River. Litigation about the fish's future went to the Supreme Court. Telico dam was eventually built, but not before the fish were relocated to other streams in 1975. They were later discovered in more streams as well. The darter is often cited as example of environmental extremism. 

In 1984 the fish's status was changed from an endangered species to threatened. The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to have the darter removed from the threatened list three years ago as the species continues to recover. Intereting the petition to remove federal protection was filed by the biologist who petitoned to have it declared endangered, and the lawyer who sued to protect it. On Tuesday, the Department of Interior announced the darter would be only the fith US fish species to be delisted due to recovery under the Environmental Protection Act. Secretary Haaland called the delisting a "remarkable conservation milestone that tells a story about how controversy and polarization can evolve into cooperation" 

A member of the perch family, darters like fast flowing streams with gravel shoals that have little or no silt. Daming the Little Tennessee put an end those condtions. It took an act of Congress to exempt the Telico project from Endangered Species Act mandate to protect critical habitat--it was pork barrel legislation too lucrative to pass up for a little fish. The Telico is rather small and is not needed to produce electricity. Now that the fish has been delisted, some populations still need human assistance. TVA adds oxygen to the river water and pulses dam operations to remove silt from gravel shoals. The Clean Water Act helps insure the water quality if good enough for spawning. Fifty years passed before federal protection could be relaxed, but the passage of time proves environmental proctection laws work to everyone's benefit, even for tiny fish.

COTW: The Artillery War

Update: The Pentagon is providing 18 more HMAR launchers to Ukraine as part of a new $1.1 billion aid package.  The new systems will take a few years to build and deliver, however. Pentagon officials said that the mobile rocket system will be the core of Ukraine's fighting force in the future.  Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to push Russian troops out of the so-called annexed areas of Ukraine.  Advances are now being made in Kherson Oblast in the south after regaining large amounts of territory in the north.  Recapturing Kherson, which fell early in the war, would be a key victory for Ukraine's forces.

It has become axiomatic that the war on Ukraine is an artillery duel.  This chart compares the number of shells expended by both sides in comparison to the World Wars:

The chart shows that Russia is in the neighborhood of the British, French and German armies in World War I, which is over 50,000 shot per day.  Russia has been known to rely heavily on artillery in previous engagements, but it enormous supply of munitions is not making up for incompetence, ineffective close air support, and poor training on the battlefields of eastern Ukraine.  This situation explains why HMARS, MLRS and similar systems provided by the West are proving effective.  Now, with the Ukrainian counteroffensive going forward, a lot of those shells are being captured and returned via air to the Russians.  The taking of just annexed Lyman this weekend by the Ukrainians is a key strategic victory because the town controls a critical rail link the Russians were using to supply their troops to the south.  Undoubtably those supplies included munitions.  

Ukraine continues to take out ammo dumps with precision rocket strikes.  Ukraine faces a problem however, its supply of precision munitions is limited.  It now has about 20 HMAR launchers, counting the latest shipment of four more. Each pod of six missiles costs $750, 000.  The Pentagon is rapidly shifting funds to expand production of the weapons in the United States, but that expansion will take time and more money.  Current monthly production rate is 126 pods, not close to being enough for Ukraine's purposes.