Environment

Moniz Travels To Israel And Kazakhstan To Continue Discussions On Energy Cooperation

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DOE News:
 
WASHINGTON D.C. ― The U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz traveled to Israel. He will continue discussions with Yuval Steinitz, Israeli Minister of National Infrastructures, Energy, and Water Resources, on the ongoing energy partnership between the two countries.
 
He also will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. These discussions will cover a wide range of issues, including the U.S.-Israel Energy Dialogue, as well as expanded cooperation in energy research and energy water nexus programs.
 
Secretary
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Nature On Tap At UnQuarked Thursday April 7

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LACD News:

Come to Nature On Tap at 5:30 p.m., Thursday at UnQuarked Wine Room, 145 Central Park Square, to discuss what is new and planned for the Los Alamos County trail network.

Los Alamos County’s Open Space Specialist Eric Peterson will provide an update on upcoming projects, expected maintenance, and how community members can get involved. There are numerous volunteer opportunities throughout the summer in the 1st Annual Summer Series—Volunteer Trails Cleanup Days!

Peterson serves as the Open Space Specialist overseeing the County’s open space and trails systems. He Read More

Governor Visits Los Alamos To Highlight $32 Million In Water And Transportation Upgrades Around LANL

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New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez this morning, at the White Rock Y on N.M. 4, highlighting $32 million in water and infrastructure upgrades around LANL. Photo by Chris Clark/ladailypost.com
 
STATE News:
 
Gov. Susana Martinez highlighted $32 million in water and infrastructure upgrades around Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) during press conference this morning at the White Rock Y on N.M. 4.
 
These funds provide for Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) based on settlement agreements between New Mexico and the U.S. Department
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New Book Helps Wildflower Lovers Identify What They See In The Jemez

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Book cover. Courtesy photo

BOOK News:

If you have ever wondered about the name of a plant you see on one of the trails around Los Alamos, there’s a new way to help you find out.

Local naturalists Terry Foxx and Craig Martin have published a book, Plants of the Jemez Mountains Volume 1, that offers up drawings and color photos of the trees, shrubs, and vines found in the Los Alamos area and beyond.

“The book is a revision and expansion of the plant guide I did with Dorothy Hoard in 1984 and last revised in 1995,” Foxx explained.

Long out of print, the Foxx and Hoard guide was a popular and important book that Read More

The American Lion: Pumas At The New Mexico Wildlife Center

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Mountain lion kittens at the NM Wildlife Center in Espanola. Courtesy photo
 
Orphaned mountain lion kitten at the NM Wildlife Center. Courtesy photo
 
By KATHERINE EAGLESON
NM Wildlife Center

Historically this powerful predator claimed a range that covered most of the New World. The only other mammal that covered more territory and flourished in as many environments was Homo sapiens. Nearly all of the Western Hemisphere was home to the mountain lion (cougar, catamount, puma, painter).  By the 1900s the other top predator in its range had managed to extirpate it from the eastern Read More

Stone Calendars Of The Southwest Talk Tuesday

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Courtesy/PEEC

PEEC News:

Ron Barber will describe the technology, culture, and history of stone calendars in the Southwest at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 5 at the Nature Center. His presentation includes results of the Stone Calendar Project; a hobby that somehow got out of hand.

There are hundreds of stone calendar sites around the Southwest. These calendars are found with specific glyphs that align with unique shadows to mark the time of year and important dates. The Stone Calendar research project surveys sites throughout the Southwest. Sites are studied using a variety of techniques from modeling Read More

Udall, Alexander: Sick Nuclear Workers Deserve Better

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From The Office Of U.S. Sen. Tom Udall:

  • Department of Labor should delay new rule that could jeopardize benefits for those who worked at Cold War-era sites
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., this week urged the U.S. Department of Labor to delay a new rule that could make it more difficult for sick nuclear workers who served at Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Y-12 and other Cold War-era nuclear sites to get benefits they deserve under the department’s Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program.
 
“It’s shameful that so many Americans
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Amateur Naturalist: Climate Change And Green Vultures

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Front of green vulture—Less green due to less algae present. Photo by Sally King, Bandelier National Monument
 
PEEC Amateur Naturalist
Climate Change and Green Vultures
By Robert Dryja
 
We have been considering the possible impact of climate change on bird species in Los Alamos and the north-central mountains of New Mexico. Two ways of evaluating possible change include: (1) consider species that are unique to areas of the north-central mountains and (2) consider species that are common throughout the mountains. Are unique species being replaced by common species?
 
A
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From Earth To The Universe At Planetarium April 2-3

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A still from ESO’s planetarium show From Earth to the Universe showing the Helix Nebula, also known as NGC 7293. Courtesy/T. Matsopoulos, ESO

PEEC News:

View stunning imagery from space in this weekend’s full-dome feature film, From Earth to the Universe.

This great film is playing in the Los Alamos Nature Center Planetarium at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 2-3, the last chance to see this film until late summer or fall. From Earth to the Universe takes passengers on a voyage through space and time. Along the way, adventurers will visit birthplaces and burial grounds of stars and explore Read More