All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.
THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER
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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
This Week’s Solar Flare Illuminates the Electricity Transmission Grid’s Vulnerability (NY Times)
American Rivers CEO Is Nominated for Interior Assistant Secretary Post – “…group has…advocate(ed) for the removal of dams on the Lower Snake River and criticizing an Obama administration salmon restoration plan for the Columbia River…” (NY Times)
Oregon Green Energy Tax Breaks Face Sweeping Changes, Cutbacks (Oregonian, Portland)
Snowpack Declines in Northern Rockies - Upper Columbia Region ‘Almost Unprecedented’ in Last 800 Years, Study Says (Oregonian, Portland)
Study of 800-Year-Old Tree Rings Backs Global Warming (Seattle Times)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- This Week’s Solar Flare Illuminates the Electricity Transmission Grid’s Vulnerability
- Solar Storm Delivers a Glancing Blow to Earth – And a Warning
- Wind Dispute is Costly – Bonneville Power Administration’s Excess Hydro at Play
- All That Hydropower, But No Rate Cuts, As Missouri River Roars Through Dam Systems
- Arizona wildfire calms overnight, firefighters added – Electricity Transmission Lines Threatened
- American Electric Power to Retire 6,000 MW of US Coal Generation
- New Hampshire - Degrading Materials at Seabrook Station Didn’t Impact Overall Safety
- California - Copper Thieves Besiege Farms on Island in Sacramento River Delta
- Power-Pole Posters A Safety Hazard, BC Hydro Says
- Texas - Energy Theft Costing San Antonio Ratepayers Big Bucks
- American Rivers CEO Is Nominated for Interior Assistant Secretary Post
- See Big Trout, White Sturgeon at State of Oregon’s Alsea Hatchery
- California Water Pumps’ Fish Slaughter Alarms Conservationists
- Snowpack Declines in Northern Rockies - Upper Columbia Region ‘Almost Unprecedented’
- Rockies Snow Decline Bad Sign for Water Supply
- Heavy Runoff Making River Trips More Challenging
- Nesting Owl Fouls Water Supply in Northeast Oregon Town
- Oregon Green Energy Tax Breaks Face Sweeping Changes, Cutbacks
- Idaho Keeps Smaller Rate for Wind, Solar Power Production
- Blustery States Boost Wind Power over Gas with US Tax Break
- Wind Farms Adapt to Forest Conditions
- Experts Lay Out Energy Game Plan
- United Kingdom - Paying for Wind We Don’t Use: How Effective is Wind?
- News Whiz - Seattle Should Be Steamed Over Filthy, Dangerous For-Profit Incinerators
- EcoFactor: Using Big Data to Reduce Home Energy by 17%
- Study of 800-Year-Old Tree Rings Backs Global Warming
- Global Warming Since 1995 ‘Now Significant’
- Wild, And Deadly, Weather: Is La Nina To Blame?
- The Self Corruption of Climate Science
- Six Electric Car Charging Stations Installed At Qwest Field
- Nissan Leaf: Cute Ad, But Will It Backfire?
- Editorial - In ‘Green’ Trade-Off, Ecology Is the Bottom Line
- Oregon Biogas Industry Primed to Ignite
- Improve Quality of Life Downtown, Reduce Our Carbon Footprint
- Greenhouse Gas Pains: Shoot the Farting Camels?
- Analysis: FCC’s Slow Pace on Internet Rules Puzzles Some
- CenturyLink Is Selling $2 Billion in Bonds
- June 22-23 - PUD 3 Upgrading Major Fiber Optic System Components, Short Service Outage Scheduled
- Power is a problem. Cloud is the answer
- Shelton Mayoral Challenger Files – Mason County’s Day 4 Election Filings
- Mason County Elections’ Department Site - 2011 Candidate Filings
- Hood Canal School Near Potlatch Closed After Fire
- Mason County Fire District 5 Chief to Retire
- Thurston County Detectives Find Olympia Teen Safe at Shelton Motel
- Feds to Look into Title IX Practices at 125 Washington State School Districts
- Washington State Supreme Court: Workers Can be Fired Over Medical Pot
- Vandals Target Photojournalist, Tag Olympia Newspaper
- Study: In-Flight Cell Phone Use May Cause Serious Problems
- Tsunami Brought a Wave of Change to Brookings, but the Oregon Coast Port is Finding Its Way Back
- Help Calibrate Grays Harbor’s New Doppler Weather Radar
WORD OF THE DAY
Diorama • \die-uh-RAM-uh • Noun - 1: a scenic representation in which a partly translucent painting is seen from a distance through an opening 2a: a scenic representation in which sculptured figures and lifelike details are displayed usually in miniature so as to blend indistinguishably with a realistic painted background b: a life-size exhibit (as of a wildlife specimen or scene) with realistic natural surroundings and a painted background
The museum’s grim-faced docent glided silently across the buff-waxed floors to the latest diorama, which had been meticulously constructed and sealed by the normally attentive maintenance staff. Unfortunately, they did not count off before hermetically sealing the display, leaving Clem gasping for breath in the background of a tableau featuring stone-faced (actually wax-faced) Cro-Magnon family huddled around a campfire. “Poke some holes in the top so he can get some air,” barked the docent. “And then get the giant can opener from the broom closet. This is gonna take some time.”
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
This Week’s Solar Flare Illuminates the Electricity Transmission Grid’s Vulnerability (NY Times)
Solar Storm Delivers a Glancing Blow to Earth – And a Warning (Christian Science Monitor)
Wind Dispute is Costly – Bonneville Power Administration’s Excess Hydro at Play (EnergyBiz Insider)
All That Hydropower, But No Rate Cuts, As Missouri River Roars Through Dam Systems (Associated Press)
Arizona wildfire calms overnight, firefighters added – Electricity Transmission Lines Threatened (Reuters)
American Electric Power to Retire 6,000 MW of US Coal Generation (Reuters)
New Hampshire - Degrading Materials at Seabrook Station Didn’t Impact Overall Safety (Foster’s Daily Democrat, Dover, NH)
California - Copper Thieves Besiege Farms on Island in Sacramento River Delta (Sacramento Bee, CA)
Power-Pole Posters A Safety Hazard, BC Hydro Says (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
http://www.timescolonist.com/business/Power+pole+posters+safety+hazard+Hydro+says/4915287/story.html
Texas - Energy Theft Costing San Antonio Ratepayers Big Bucks (San Antonio Business Journal, TX)
FISH & WILDLIFE
American Rivers CEO Is Nominated for Interior Assistant Secretary Post – “…group has…advocate(ed) for the removal of dams on the Lower Snake River and criticizing an Obama administration salmon restoration plan for the Columbia River…” (NY Times)
See Big Trout, White Sturgeon at State of Oregon’s Alsea Hatchery (Oregonian, Portland)
California Water Pumps’ Fish Slaughter Alarms Conservationists (SF Chronicle, CA)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Snowpack Declines in Northern Rockies - Upper Columbia Region ‘Almost Unprecedented’ in Last 800 Years, Study Says (Oregonian, Portland)
Rockies Snow Decline Bad Sign for Water Supply (Reuters)
Heavy Runoff Making River Trips More Challenging (Seattle Times)
Nesting Owl Fouls Water Supply in Northeast Oregon Town (Associated Press)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Oregon Green Energy Tax Breaks Face Sweeping Changes, Cutbacks (Oregonian, Portland)
Idaho Keeps Smaller Rate for Wind, Solar Power Production (Twin Falls Times-News, ID)
Blustery States Boost Wind Power over Gas with US Tax Break (Bloomberg – And so it begins…)
Wind Farms Adapt to Forest Conditions - New generations of turbines with higher towers and longer blades are opening up previously impractical sites to development (Renewable Energy World)
Experts Lay Out Energy Game Plan (MSNBC)
United Kingdom - Paying for Wind We Don’t Use: How Effective is Wind? (British Broadcasting Corporation)
News Whiz - Seattle Should Be Steamed Over Filthy, Dangerous For-Profit Incinerators (Real Change)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
EcoFactor: Using Big Data to Reduce Home Energy by 17% (GigaOM)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Study of 800-Year-Old Tree Rings Backs Global Warming (Seattle Times)
Global Warming Since 1995 ‘Now Significant’ (British Broadcasting Corporation)
Wild, And Deadly, Weather: Is La Nina To Blame? (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)
The Self Corruption of Climate Science (Forbes Magazine)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Six Electric Car Charging Stations Installed At Qwest Field (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)
Nissan Leaf: Cute Ad, But Will It Backfire? (Christian Science Monitor)
Editorial - In ‘Green’ Trade-Off, Ecology Is the Bottom Line (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Oregon Biogas Industry Primed to Ignite (Sustainable Business Oregon – Ha, Ha! Give Lee points for a creative headline…)
Improve Quality of Life Downtown, Reduce Our Carbon Footprint (Christian Science Monitor)
Greenhouse Gas Pains: Shoot the Farting Camels? (Live Science)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Analysis: FCC’s Slow Pace on Internet Rules Puzzles Some (Reuters)
CenturyLink Is Selling $2 Billion in Bonds (Denver Business Journal)
June 22-23 - PUD 3 Upgrading Major Fiber Optic System Components, Short Service Outage Scheduled (Mason County PUD No. 3)
Power is a Problem. Cloud is the Answer (Gigaom)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Shelton Mayoral Challenger Files – Mason County’s Day 4 Election Filings (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Mason County Elections’ Department Site - 2011 Candidate Filings (Mason County Auditor)
GENERAL NEWS
Hood Canal School Near Potlatch Closed After Fire (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Mason County Fire District 5 Chief to Retire (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Thurston County Detectives Find Olympia Teen Safe at Shelton Motel (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
Feds to Look into Title IX Practices at 125 Washington State School Districts (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
Washington State Supreme Court: Workers Can be Fired Over Medical Pot (Associated Press)
Vandals Target Photojournalist, Tag Olympia Newspaper (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
Study: In-Flight Cell Phone Use May Cause Serious Problems (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
Tsunami Brought a Wave of Change to Brookings, but the Oregon Coast Port is Finding Its Way Back (Oregonian, Portland)
Help Calibrate Grays Harbor’s New Doppler Weather Radar (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)
DIVERSIONS
Crows Attacking Cops in Everett
Snow Pile in Massachusetts Hangs On Despite Extreme Heat
Telescope in Chile Captures Stunning Views of Cosmos (Photos)
Statue of Hindu God Drawing Complaints in Idaho
SONG OF THE DAY
Foreigner – Cold as Ice
