A mess of pottage

In their continuing attempts to ruin as much of the world as humanly possible while their guy still has office, Republicans have figured out how to avoid a filibuster on legislation allowing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by tacking provisions onto a budget bill. In much the same manner as small town America heralds the opening of Walmart Supercenters, the Alaskan legislature has passed a resolution urging the feds to decimate their treasures as soon as possible. Though the enthusiasm of locals seems grossly misrepresented.

The legislation itself seems to be an exceptional piece of voodoo economics. In the last four years, the average bid for an acre of the North Slope has been $39; in order to see the income predicted by the administration, the average bid would need to be 100 times that: $4000. (And then, of course, there's the sad fact that increased fuel efficiency legislation would save as much oil as we stand to gain by ANWR drilling.

The Sierra Club's petition is here. I can't even muster a witty scree. I'm just sickened by this administration's desire to trash everything worth caring about.


musk oxen and the midnight sun



Inupiat cemetary



Aurora borealis

(Photos from the California Academy of Scientists)