Amateur Naturalist: The Mathematics Of Sunflowers
A sunflower showing its central disk of small flowers called florets surrounded by a ring of large petal flowers. Courtesy photo
By ROBERT DRYJA
Los Alamos
Sunflowers of all sizes had been blooming during the summer but now have faded with the arrival of autumn.
Sunflowers are eye-catching in several ways. It is easy to think that a sunflower is one single flower, (see Picture 1). A central disk is surrounded by yellow petals, suggesting a single flower. But what are those small yellow patches on the central disk? A closer look shows that they are small flowers. The small flowers are called florets Read More
New Mexico Game & Fish: Moose Spotted Near Mora
NMGF News:
MORA — A young bull moose has been seen near Mora, and, based on photographs, officers from New Mexico Game & Fish (NMGF) suspect this may be the same moose spotted in Questa and on Taos Pueblo last month.
This is the southernmost known sighting of a moose in New Mexico.
There have been approximately a half dozen confirmed sightings of moose in New Mexico over the past 10 years, mostly of younger males in search of new habitat and breeding opportunities. Females have been observed in New Mexico as well, but there is no indication that moose are becoming established here nor are they expected Read More
Daily Postcard: Rainbow Viewed Along Horizon
Daily Postcard: A rainbow on the horizon Thursday viewed from Barranca Mesa. Photo by Ann Greene Read More
PEEC: Explore The Earth And Sky With NMOP Sunday!
PEEC is hosting an earth and sky-themed day Sunday, Nov. 6 at Los Luceros Historic Site. Courtesy/PEEC
PEEC News:
Created by Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) and Los Luceros Historic Site, the New Mexico Outdoor Pass (NMOP) is a FREE booklet included with FREE community events for families where everyone gets rewarded for spending time outside.
Participate in this activity and get a stamp for your New Mexico Outdoor Pass booklet. Fill your book with stamps and you’ll be rewarded with prizes.
Join PEEC for an NMOP special event: Earth and Sky!, 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 6. During this Read More
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board To Hold Public Hearing At Santa Fe Community Convention Center And Online Nov. 16
The DNFSB to a hold public hearing noon to 9:45 p.m., Nov. 16 at the SFCCC and online. Courtesy photo
DNFSB News:
Wednesday, Nov. 16, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) will hold a virtual and in-person public hearing noon to 9:45 p.m. MT at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.
The DNFSB’s goal is to gather information regarding legacy cleanup activities, nuclear safety, and increased production of plutonium pits, or triggers, for nuclear weapons at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).
There will be two opportunities for oral public comments. Written comments also Read More
County Reminds Residents Of Winter Driving Safety Tips
Find more policies, guidelines and tips related to inclement weather here: website. Courtesy/LAC
COUNTY News:
Winter weather is here, and Los Alamos County would like to remind residents of some important safety considerations for motorists to take in order to make their travel as safe as possible.
Motorists are encouraged to equip their vehicles with chains and/or snow tires and carry a container of sand and a shovel in their vehicle. Additionally, motorists should make sure their vehicle is ready for winter driving by making sure the washer fluid reservoir is topped off with washer fluid Read More
Los Alamos County: Winter Sidewalk Guidelines
COUNTY News:
During the winter months, the County would like to remind residents that it is important to keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice so that they remain passable for postal workers, children walking to school and others who need to use them.
When possible, and depending upon available resources, County crews will conduct sidewalk-clearing operations by removing snow first from the adopted “safe routes to school” and then move to other selected sidewalks.
The County does not clear every sidewalk due to limited resources.
Sidewalk priorities are listed below:
- Safe routes to school
Levin Introduces Legislation To Strengthen Safety Standards For Nuclear Waste Canisters
U.S. Rep. Mike Levin
From the Office of U.S. Rep. Mike Levin:
OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Levin introduced the 100 Year Canister Life Act to require nuclear waste canisters to have a design life of at least 100 years.
Under current Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations, applicants are only required to certify the safety of spent nuclear fuel canisters for a proposed term of up to 40 years. This legislation would more than double the design life requirement, ensuring spent nuclear fuel remains safe within its canister as the nation continues to develop long-term Read More
Public Forest ‘Listening Session’ On Zoom Nov. 10
Courtesy/The Forest Advocate
By SARAH HYDEN
The Forest Advocate
The Santa Fe Mountains Landscape Resiliency Project Decision is about to be reinitiated, with no changes from the previous draft Project Decision.
This project is highly controversial, and has become even more so since the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, caused by two escaped prescribed burns.
The Forest Service plans to thin up to 18,000 acres of our local Santa Fe National Forest, and burn up to 38,000 acres. Past thinning treatments have been very aggressive, and together with likely too-frequent prescribed burns, Read More
Daily Postcard: Fall Foliage In Pinon Trails Loop Area
Daily Postcard: Fall foliage growing recently in the Pinon Trails loop area. Photo by Russell Purvis Read More
Roswell In Global Spotlight For Lunar Eclipse Show Nov. 8
The Moon bit the Sun Oct. 25, producing a partial solar eclipse and two weeks later, November 7-8, Earth’s shadow will cover the Moon, resulting in a total lunar eclipse. Courtesy/timeanddate
Roswell Astronomy Club News:
A team of eclipse chasers from timeanddate.com will be in Roswell Nov. 5-9 to film and live stream the Nov. 8 total lunar eclipse, in collaboration with the Roswell Astronomy Club.
The timeanddate.com eclipse broadcasts regularly attract millions of views worldwide.
Weather permitting, the broadcast also will include footage from partnering organizations in several Read More
1000 Luminaria By Moonlight At Luminaria de Abó Dec. 3
Courtesy/NPS
NPS News:
Spend an evening of enchantment among the ruins of Abó at Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, illuminated by more than a thousand luminarias. Luminara de Abó is scheduled for 5-7 p.m., Dec. 3, sponsored by the Friends of Salinas Pueblo Missions.
New Mexico’s newest luminaria event will be held at the San Gregorio de Abó Mission at the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. More than 1,000 luminarias, handmade, hand-placed, and hand-lighted, will set the landscape aglow, tracing the outline of the seventeenth century church.
Friends of Salinas Pueblo Missions Read More
EM-LA & N3B To Host Hybrid Community Meeting Nov. 9
N3B News:
A hybrid community meeting on monitoring storm water runoff from sites potentially contaminated from historical operations at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is scheduled for 2-4 p.m. MT, Wednesday, Nov. 9.
The public is encouraged to attend to learn more about the subject matter and participate in the question and comment session.
The meeting will be hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA) and legacy environmental cleanup contractor N3B.
The in-person component of the meeting will be held at Cottonwood on the Read More
LANL News Roundup For Week Of Oct. 24, 2022
Science: This is not your grandparents’ power grid
Reliably operating the power grid around the clock without interruption depends on the dedicated service of tens of thousands of people across the country. Equally vital, though out of sight and unknown to the general public, is the software that network operators rely on to make decisions for operating the grid in the most reliable and cost-effective way possible. Read full article here. Courtesy/LANL
LANL News:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) shares a compilation of news stories for the week of Oct. 24, 2022.
Keeping Mars scientists Read More
New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board Adopts New Regulation Implementing Greenhouse Gas Emission Standard For Coal-Fired Power Plants
NMED News:
SANTA FE — Today, the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) adopted regulations that implement a new air quality standard to strictly limit the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from coal-fired power plants in the state.
The standard, which was adopted by the Legislature in the Energy Transition Act of 2019, applies to new and existing power plants and limits CO2 emissions from those facilities to no more than one thousand one hundred pounds per megawatt-hour on and after Jan. 1, 2023.
As specified in the amendments made to the Air Quality Control Act by the Energy Read More
Daily Postcard: Clouds Over Navajo National Monument
Daily Postcard: A cloud formation at sunset Sunday over the Navajo National Monument. Photo by Evan Rose Read More
Response To Notice Of Violation With Proposed Penalties For FY20 Added To LANL Electronic Public Reading Room
LANL News:
Per regulatory requirements, Los Alamos National Laboratory announces new documents have been added to the Electronic Reading Room.
The document(s) have been submitted to fulfill one or more requirements of the Los Alamos National Laboratory:
View these documents and many others at LANL’s Electronic Public Reading Room. Read More
New Mexico Counties: Living With Wildfires In The Southwest
NM Counties News:
SANTA FE — Fire season is year-round and challenging for responders and for community recovery.
Local governments, state and federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations that have a passion for fire prevention will host an in-person NM Wildland Urban Fire Summit (WUFS) Wednesday, Nov. 16 through Friday, Nov. 18, at The Lodge in Santa Fe.
The summit provides post fire onsite field trips, strategies for forest and watershed management, reducing human-caused wildfire ignitions, evacuation execution principles, post fire flooding prevention, adaptation to climate Read More
Monitoring Storm Water Runoff From LANL Added To Electronic Public Reading Room
LANL News:
Per regulatory requirements, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) announces new documents have been added to the Los Alamos Legacy Cleanup Contract Electronic Public Reading Room.
All legacy cleanup documents required to be posted after April 30, 2018, are available on the site linked above.
For legacy cleanup documents that were posted prior to April 30, 2018, visit the LANL electronic public reading room:
- Monitoring Storm Water Runoff from Los Alamos National Laboratory under the New Individual Permit Hybrid Public Meeting (Link)
