(no subject)

[conuly]

NASA: Earth Could Warm 20 Percent More Than Earlier Estimates

http://ecowatch.com/2014/03/18/nasa-earth-warm-20-percent/

President Of Company That Tainted West Virginia’s Water Wants To Be Paid During Bankruptcy

http://bit.ly/1l3A8j5

You thought your pot came from environmentally conscious hippies? Think again. The way marijuana is grown in America, it turns out, is anything but sustainable and organic.

http://bit.ly/1eL8gIZ

This entire order of insects has a life history that will curl your toes. Adults are most commonly found in the butt-ends of wasps. Their wasp hosts serve as a full-service dining and public transportation system, as well as a hookup spot. That is generally not the sort of thing you actually want happening in your body unless you are personally involved.

http://wrd.cm/1m3D3bI

The New York City gas explosion and the neglect of infrastructure

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/03/17/infr-m17.html

Republicans are angry about the poor getting food ... so, who are these people?

http://bit.ly/1g02YOc

"They tell us that we are violating the norms of international law. First of all, it's good that they at least remember that international law exists," Putin said, pointing at what he called the U.S. trampling of international norms in wars in Serbia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.

Ouch.

http://aol.it/1gaAfHF

Thousands of abandoned roosters and past-their-prime hens have landed in animal shelters across the country since urban farming took flight.

http://bit.ly/1hUAeoe

FDR's Economic Bill of Rights could be our Democratic Platform every American needs to hear again

http://bit.ly/1iCGpQ0

You can find another long FDR quote that is appropriate here: http://bit.ly/1dcYx3l

China Splits With Russia Over Ukraine

http://bit.ly/1eOXUrz

Ukraine's Crimea base taken, commander detained

http://abcn.ws/1paWlcs

While Darwin was writing his masterpiece, his children were drawing pink birds and carrot soldiers on it.

http://bit.ly/1fi59rL

Comments

[dogstar]

the Pacific Standard article on chickens is very interesting. I think that the uptick in roosters ending up in shelters is sort fo an unfortunate but inevitable consequence of people thinking of poultry as pets, not production livestock. :(

I *do* think it's interesting that they quote the Chicken Run Rescue lady as a reputable source. She's NUTS. The chickens she adopt out? She does vet procedures on them to sterilize them (an unapproved contraceptive implant, effectively the equivalent of a chicken IUD) in a way that poultry and avian vets are NOT approving of (the two who commented on her rescue other places that I knew were moderately and extremely horrified) - if she was running a group for cats or dogs, she'd be in danger of being charged with practicing vet medicine without a license.

[conuly]

I had no idea!

[dogstar]

It's been the topic of fairly lively discussion on various FB topics.

I think the reality that people who didn't grow up with livestock just don't understand is that eating surplus roosters has ALWAYS been part of the paradigm- there's nothing 'sustainable' about it otherwise. Ditto the older laying hens. Most of the heritage breeds (and mutt bred 'game' chickens, which makes up about 90% of what ends up in the shelters around here) lay at a slower rate but are productive longer, compared to your average "Production Layer" terminal cross hybrid (Ideal 256, Red Star, Brown Star, Ida Brown, Etc) who will start laying at 4 months, lay hugely for a year, and then slow down DRASTICALLY (and stop laying altogether by 2-3- chickens easily live for a decade if you don't eat them.)

It's all good and well to have pet chickens! But people need to think about what they want- pet chickens- and a pet is for life- or livestock. You eat livestock if you don't want it any more- or sell it or give it to someone who does (or at least, you don't make many/any conditions about it's sale). But you don't just dump it at a shelter, get yourself new adorable baby chicks, and pretend it's all adorable and sustainable.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

As it happens, I know my pot comes from environmentally-conscious hippies - both that which is grown legally for the medical-marijuana trade, and that which is not. As so many commenters pointed out, that article is pure propaganda.

It's totally absurd to say that it takes the energy of 29 refrigerators to grow four plants indoors, sheesh! My ex used to grow six plants in an ordinary closet lined with mirror tile, and it sure as hell did not take "as much energy as 29 refrigerators" to do it, good grief!! we certainly could never have afforded that! As for the water, I don't know how much was required, but every drop of it was carried upstairs in a bucket. My friend was (legally) growing 30 plants in her little shed; I filled the five-gallon bucket for her once a day at most; less than that during most of the grow-cycle.

As for trespass-grows on wild lands, yes, they are a big problem. However, that problem has been wholly created by marijuana prohibition. Repeal the prohibition and the problem will go away, because the profit will go away.

Horrifying wasps! Horrifying Republicans!

Chickens are food. There is something fundamentally messed-up about surplus roosters going to the animal shelter instead of to the stew-pot.

Huzzah, FDR! The man's definitely got my vote.

[conuly]

"Chickens are food. There is something fundamentally messed-up about surplus roosters going to the animal shelter instead of to the stew-pot."

It makes sense that if the only reason you're surrendering your beloved chicken is because she turns out to be a rooster instead of a hen, that you might not want to eat her. In case of famine, I don't want to eat my cats either.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

No it doesn't. Cats are not raised for food in this country, whereas chicken is one of the three most popular commercial meats, and far-and-away the most popular home-raised meat.

I think it unlikely that the surplus roosters being surrendered are all that 'beloved'. It doesn't take long for a chicken to mature, and roosters don't make nice pets. I think the roosters are being surrendered because people can't stand their never-ending crowing and their aggressive territoriality, and because the hens are happier without them.

LOL, when my daughter was a toddler, the kindergartner I looked after brought home two eggs to hatch. We duly hatched them, brought up the little peeping chicks with loving care - when they grew their plumage, one was black and one was white; one was female and one was male; one was a sweet little friend and one was a velociraptor with feathers: Snowball the Psychotic Attack Chicken. Eventually he 'flew South'... about half a mile south, to the large Chinese farm family at the end of the road.

[marveen.livejournal.com]

well-said, on all counts. (I grow tomatoes indoors. It can't be that different than growing hemp--energy requirements, etc.)

And when the rooster turns difficult you stew the bugger.