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Observations of Climate Change from Indigenous Alaskans

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:30:06 +0000

Personal interviews with Alaska Natives in the Yukon River Basin provide unique insights on climate change and its impacts, helping develop adaptation strategies for these local communities. The USGS coordinated interviews with Yup’ik hunters and elders in the villages of St. Mary’s and Pitka’s Point, Alaska, to document their observations of climate change. They expressed concerns ranging from safety, such as unpredictable weather patterns and dangerous ice conditions, to changes in plants and animals as well as decreased availability of firewood. . By integrating scientific studies with indigenous observation, these multiple forms of knowledge allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the complex challenges posed by climate change.

The most common statement by interview participants was about warmer temperature in recent years. It was observed to be warmer in all seasons, though most notably in the winter months. In previous generations, winter temperatures dropped to 40 degrees Celsius below freezing, while in present times temperatures only reach 25 C or 30 C below freezing. The considerable thinning of ice on the Yukon and Andreafsky Rivers in recent years was the topic of several interviews.
One interview participant also discussed how the Andreafsky River, on whose banks their village lies, no longer freezes in certain spots, and several people have drowned after falling through the resulting holes in the ice. Participants also discussed lower spring snowmelt flows on the Andreafsky and Yukon Rivers, meaning less logs are flowing down the river. This hampers people’s ability to collect logs for firewood and building materials, placing a strain on an already economically depressed region through increased heating costs and reliance on expensive fossil fuels.

Title: Observations of Climate Change from Indigenous Alaskans.
Publication: USGS Newsroom.
Author: Nicole Herman-Mercer, Jessica Robertson
Url: http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article_pf.asp?ID=2931

Student researcher: Sean Lawrence, Sonoma State University
Faculty Advisor: Peter Phillips, Sonoma State University

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Wachovia Bank Laundered Money for Latin American Drug Cartels

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:31:52 +0000

Between 2004 and 2007 Wachovia Bank handled funds totaling $378.4 billion for Mexican-currency-exchange houses acting on behalf of drug cartels. Wachovia conceded it didn’t do enough oversight in processing the $378.4 billion for Mexican-currency-exchange houses from 2004 to 2007. The transactions amount to the largest violation of the Bank Secrecy Act, an anti-money-laundering law, in U.S. history.

Between 2006 and 2010, over 22,000 people have been killed in drug-related battles that have raged mostly along the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) Mexico-U.S. border. Illegal narcotics cost the U.S. economy $215 billion annually.

Martin Woods, who directed Wachovia’s anti-money-laundering unit in London from 2006 to 2009, left the bank after Wachovia executives disregarded documentation he produced showing drug dealers were channeling money through Wachovia’s branch network.

The case of Wachovia is not exceptional; it is just one of the U.S. and European banks that have been used by the drug cartels to launder money. Since the early 1990s, Latin American drug traffickers have gone to U.S. banks to launder their dirty cash, says Paul Campo, head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s financial crimes unit.

Sources:

Article Title: American Banks ‘High’ On Drug Money: How a Whistleblower Blew the Lid Off Wachovia-Drug Cartel Money Laundering Scheme, AlterNet, November 1, 2011.
Author: Clarence Walker
URL:http://www.alternet.org/story/151135/american_banks_’high’_on_drug_money:_how_a_whistleblower_blew_the_lid_off_wachovia-drug_cartel_money_laundering_scheme>.

Article Title: The Banksters Laundered Mexican Cartel Drug Money, Economic Populist, June 29, 2010.
Author: Robert Oak
URL: http://www.economicpopulist.org/content/banksters-laundered-mexican-cartel-drug-money.

Article Title: Banks Financing Mexico Gangs Admitted in Wells Fargo Deal, Bloomberg, June 29, 2010.
Author: Michael Smith
URL: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-06-29/banks-financing-mexico-s-drug-cartels-admitted-in-wells-fargo-s-u-s-deal.html>.

Student Researcher: Alysha Klein, Florida Atlantic University
Faculty Advisor: James F. Tracy, Florida Atlantic UniversitySimilar Posts:

NFL Ignores Iraq War Hero and Star Quarterback on Ten-Year Anniversary of September 11

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:25:04 +0000

On Sunday, September 11 2011 NFL teams across the United States commemorated the 10^th anniversary of the New York and Washington DC terror attacks. Yet the name of former NFL player-turned-soldier Pat Tillman was only mentioned before the game at his home field in Arizona. The absence of Tillman’s name during memorial activities that swept the nation suggests a conscious effort to conceal his sacrifice and the suspicious circumstances surrounding his battlefield death.

Tillman was the only professional athlete to die in the Iraq-Afghanistan war theater since September 11th, 2001. He walked away from fame and a multi-millions dollar career to join the U.S. Army because of how 9/11 impacted him. On the day after the September 11^th attacks, Tillman remarked in an interview, “My great-grandfather was at Pearl Harbor and a lot of my family has gone and fought in wars, and I really haven’t done a damn thing.”

Twenty-two months after enlisting, Pat Tillman was dead. His memorial service was aired on national television. The Army awarded him a Silver Star for his “gallantry in action against an armed enemy.” Army officials claimed Tillmanʼs convoy was ambushed in Afghanistan. They said Tillman charged up a hill to protect his men but was struck down by Taliban forces. The NFL in turn created statues and commemoratives in his honor.

In fact, the Pentagon’s official story, and the one adopted by the NFL, was proven false. Tillman died in friendly fire, and the event was knowingly hidden from his family, his fans, and the broader public. It is also known that Tillman began to turn against the war before his death, telling fellow soldiers that the Iraq war was “illegal.” An avid reader, Tillman’s final months included evaluating the works of anti-war authors in an attempt to understand the conflict he was in and how he had become America’s most famous solider.

Source:

“Where was the Pat Tillman Story on NFL Sunday?” Edge of Sports, September 13, 2011
Author: Dave Zirin
URL: http://www.edgeofsports.com/2011-09-13-649/index.html

Student Researcher: Kirk Moncol, Florida Atlantic University
Faculty Advisor: James F. Tracy, Florida Atlantic University

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Are Genetically Modified Chickens on the Dinner Table?

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:09:10 +0000

British scientists have developed genetically altered chickens that reportedly do not transmit bird flu to other chickens. Yet these chickens may still contract the sickness themselves. Yet by tampering with the DNA of the chicken, the safety of its meat for human consumption is called into question. The scientific literature remains mute on whether GM chickens will appear on your dinner table — or if they already have.
To stop the spread of the virus, scientists spliced a gene into the chicken’s DNA that produces a “decoy” molecule mimicking a central element of the bird flu virus. The decoy obstructs duplication of the virus, thus curbing transmission. With the success of the first GM chicken, scientists are now considering modification of the rest of the food chain. Indeed, researchers have pondered the creation of an array of disease free, genetically modified animals. Still, many scientists harbor reservations toward such research. For example, Peter Bradnock of The British Poultry Council says that more research is needed to understand the long-term health impact of such practices. “We have to have a big debate as to whether society wants to have GM animals even for this very good potential benefit,” he told BBC News.

In fact, compelling scientific studies have already revealed the impact of human health from consuming generically modified organisms. Numerous studies, including an important paper published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences, have established the hazards of ingesting GM ingredients. The researchers discovered that the organs that typically react to chemical food poisoning were the first to face problems after research subjects ate GM foods. The researchers urged that GM foods not be openly available on supermarket shelves.

Sources:

Article Title: GM Chicken – Scientists Create Flu-Resistant Chickens That May End Up On Your Dinner Table,” NaturalNews.com, February 13, 2011
Author: Anthony Gucciard
URL: http://www.naturalnews.com/031310_GM_chicken_bird_flu.html

Article Title: GM Chickens Created That Could Prevent the Spread of Bird Flu, January 13, 2011, UK Guardian
Author: Alok Jha
URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/jan/13/gm-chickens-bird-flu-influenza

Article Title: Organic Chickens Are Genetically different from conventional chickens,” February 18, 2010, NaturalNews.com
Author: Ethan Huff
URL: http://www.naturalnews.com/028188_organic_chickens_genetics.html
Student Researcher: Lamise Mansur, Florida Atlantic University
Faculty Advisor: James F. Tracy, Florida Atlantic UniversitySimilar Posts:

U.S. Counter-Terrorism Policies Under Obama Are Intensifying Overseas Conflict

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:56:27 +0000

The United States’ National Strategy for Counterterrorism (NSC) is intended to disrupt and defeat the Al Qaeda terrorist network and its affiliates. Yet this policy is likely increasing the incidence and severity of terrorist attacks on US forces abroad. The NSC is basically an outline for summary executions, which includes assassination of would-be terrorist via unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones. The NSC is presently operational in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. Actions carried out under NSC have increasingly caused a majority of Pakistanis to regard US armed forces as a foe. Since implementation of the counterterrorism strategy there has been increases in suicide bombings, the number of those deemed US enemies by the US, and the broader threat of nuclear proliferation. Indeed, since the “counterterror surge” began, violence has increased by 51 percent in Afghanistan and by over 400 percent in Pakistan. Such increases have gone unreported in US news media as military officials publicly maintain the strategy constitutes a more “cost-effective” form of counterterrorism.

Source:

Article Title: Obama’s Secret Wars: How Our Shady Counter-Terrorism Policies are More Dangerous than Terrorism, AlterNet, July 11, 2011
Author: Fred Branfman

URL: http://www.alternet.org/world/151596/obama%27s_secret_wars%3A_how_our_shady_counter-terrorism_policies_are_more_dangerous_than_terrorism

Student Researcher: Jasmine Lang, Florida Atlantic University
Faculty Advisor: James F. Tracy, Florida Atlantic UniversitySimilar Posts:

Growing Research Points to Health Risks of Microwave Ovens

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:49:55 +0000

The Microwave oven has been a common household item for more then 40 years now. Yet while microwaves reheat food, they also generate a host of known carcinogens. The ovens produce micro wavelength radiation at a rate of up to 2.45 GHz. This microwave radiation interacts with the molecules in food. The waves agitate the molecules to produce friction, which in turn heats the food. With this friction and heat comes the production of free radicals, or cells that can grow and spread into carcinogens. Several studies found that the microwave ovens risk out weight the convenience of fast reheating. Amino acids in natural products such as milk and raw vegetables convert their amino acids and alkaloids into carcinogens when molecular friction is present. Furthermore, the study showed a short-term decrease of Lymphocytes (white blood cells) following the intake of microwaved food. The FDA has yet to recognize studies that suggest microwave ovens change the nutritional make-up of food. Instead, the agency’s criteria only consider the heat-specific effects where directly bodily exposure to microwaves may result in burns or cataracts. A Nazi invention, the microwave oven is in the majority of households in the modern world, but corporate media seldom raise the question of whether consumers need them at all. Further, evidence is mounting that this common household appliance is not as safe as the manufactures would like for the public to believe.

Sources:

Article Title: Microwaved Water Kills Plant in Home Grown Experiment, April 2, 2011.

Author: Richard Stossel
URL: http://www.naturalnews.com/031929_microwaved_water_plants.html

Article Title: Why did Russia Ban an Appliance Found in 90% of American Homes? May 18, 2010
Author: Joseph Mercola
URL: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/18/microwave-hazards.aspx

Article Title: Microwaves Ovens: The Curse of Convenience, April 14, 2008
Author: Christopher Gussa

URL: http://www.naturalnews.com/023011_microwave_food_oven.html

Article Title: The Hazards of Microwave Ovens” http://www.health-science.com/microwave_hazards.html health-science.com

Article Title: Radiation-Emitting Products: Microwave Ovens, n.d.

Author: Food and Drug Administration
URL: http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/RadiationEmittingProductsandProcedures/HomeBusinessandEntertainment/ucm116385.htm#rb

Student Researcher: Todd Roller, Florida Atlantic University
Faculty Advisor: James F. Tracy, Florida Atlantic University

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Iraq and Afghanistan Wars Have Cost Americans $3.7 Trillion, $12,000 Per Person

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:36:18 +0000

US War Costs Reach $3.7 Trillion
Iraq and Afghanistan Wars Have Cost Americans $3.7 Trillion, $12,000 Per Person

A study conducted by Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies found that over the past 10 years the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost United States taxpayers a total $2.3 to 2.7 trillion, with a final tally being at least $3.7 trillion, an average of $12,000 per American citizen. According to the study, titled, “Costs of War” (www.costsofwar.org) in 2011 the United States Congress has given $1.3 trillion to the Department of Defense for war spending. Projected costs do not include care for wounded US veterans and interest on the war debt. At the end of April 2011 average costs of the combined military occupations of Iraq and the Afghanistan amounted to $9.7 billion per month, a figure equivalent to the annual budget for the Environmental Protection Agency. Republican and Democratic lawmakers remain divided about cutting the military budget even as federal spending in almost every area far exceeds funds taken in by the government. Part of the confusion concerning military costs is related to the Pentagon’s inability to pinpoint specific war costs. Further, despite excessive military spending, the US how has a smaller set of armed forces that are inefficiently trained and poorly equipped.
Sources:
“Report: $3.7 Trillion for U.S. Wars, $12,000 Per Person,” Global Research, August 16, 2011
Author: Nancy A. Youssef
URL: http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=26039
“U.S. War Costs Reach At Least $3.7 Trillion and Counting”
Author: Reuters via Huffington Post
URL: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/29/us-war-costs-3-trillion_n_886879.html

Student Researcher: Joanne Marszal, Florida Atlantic University
Faculty Advisor: James F. Tracy, Florida Atlantic UniversitySimilar Posts:

Washington Post’s Kaplan University Strong Arms Whistleblowers

admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:47:20 +0000

Kaplan University, the for profit college subsidairy of the Washington Post Company has been the subject of about a half dozen false claims whistle blower law suits filed by former employees — and they are not happy about it. The Post Company recently settled one suit with the Department of Justice for $1.6 million related to allegations of defrauding students at the CHI surgical tech program in Broomall, PA.

The Washington Post Company is using such tactics as employment termination, criminal prosecution and civil suite in order to silence and intimidate current and future whistle blowing by employees. As a result of these tactics, Ben Wilcox, who was the former director of legal studies at Washington Post Company’s Kaplan University, was sentenced to prison on July 20, 2011. He was prosecuted for allegedly hacking into Kaplan’s computer system in 2007 and making threats to take the computer system down. Wilcox denied the claim at trial and said he was framed, yet was still sentenced to a year in prison.

Then again on October 26, 2011 Kaplan filed suit and obtained a temporary restraining order against former directors Jonathan David and Ali Ahmed for computer fraud. Allegedly the information they were caught downloading from company computers was going to be used in a false claim suit against Kaplan.

Another similar case is with whistle blower Carlos Urquilla Diaz, who has a lawsuit pending in Florida claiming in April 2005 he was fired by Kaplan as an act of retaliation. Diaz informed them he was going to file a complaint with State and Federal authorities related to dishonest practices, and was fired soon after.

Title: “Washington Post Co silences Employees with Intimidation: Kaplan Again”

Source: DailyCensored.com, November 3, 2011

Author: Danny Weil

URL: http://dailycensored.com/2011/11/03/washington-post-co-silences-employees-with-intimidation-kaplan-again/

Student Researcher: Brianna Santo- Sonoma State University

Evaluator: Professor Karen Grady at Sonoma State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Professional Athletes Support Gay Rights

admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:42:27 +0000

In the last few years, gay rights have been a very popular topic politically and in society. Professional athletes like New York giants player Davis Tyree, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendan Ayanbadejo and New York Rangers forward Sean Avery have made advocacy videos challenging homophobia and publically supporting marriage equality.

Charles Barkley, who has become one of the most vocal supporters of gay rights in the athletic arena, shocked people in a radio interview when he said that he had several gay teammates, and that their sexual orientation did not concern him.

While it may be easier for straight male athletes to advocate gay rights, it seems more difficult for gay athletes to come out of the closet. Not a single American male athlete has ever come out while still playing for a professional sports team. However, there’s a lot of support in the sports community now and as former NBA MVP and longtime gay rights supporter Steve Nash said recently, “Anyone who’s not ready for this needs to catch up.”

Article Title: Giving Gay Rights a Sporting Chance
Source: In These Times Magazine/ September 2011
Author: Pete Redington
URL: http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/11789/giving_gay_rights_a_sporting_chance/

Student Researcher: Claire Lueders, Sonoma State University
Faculty Evaluator: James Dean, Sonoma State University

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FBI Agents Responsible for Majority of Terrorist Plots in the United States

admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:04:19 +0000

The Federal Bureau of Investigation employs over 15,000 undercover agents with many of them earning as much as $100,000 per assignment. Well paid and many in number, these undercover agents have been responsible for stopping a large amount of terrorist stings that have could have resulted in catastrophic events comparable to the 9/11 attacks.

These same agents are also responsible for plotting these terrorist schemes.

According to a story done by the Moscow based “RT TV” website, the FBI has in recent years used trained informants not just to snitch on suspected terrorists, but to set them up from the very beginning. The RT website cited a report put together by Mother Jones and the Investigative Reporting Program at the University of California-Berkley that reveals, “that the FBI regularly infiltrates communities where they suspect terrorist-minded individuals to be engaging with others.” and would encourage the suspects to carry out attacks by “providing weaponry, funds and a plan,” only to bust them before any of the events fully materialize.

The report goes on to state that this tactic has been used by the FBI to stop many of the high profile would-be terrorist attacks including “the Washington DC Metro bombing plot, the New York City subway plot, the attempt to blow up Chicago’s Sears Tower and dozens more were all orchestrated by FBI agents.”

Most of these “set-up” stings go purposefully unreported as many of the men set up by FBI informants to carry out attacks don’t actually go through with the attack, but are still sentenced upwards of 25 years. “The problem with the cases we’re talking about is that defendants would not have done anything if not kicked in the ass by government agents” says Martin Stolar, who represented a suspect involved in a New York City bombing plot that was set-up by FBI agents; “They’re creating crimes to solve crimes so they can claim a victory in the war on terror.”

The FBI claims this method is a plan for “preemption,” “prevention” and “disruption.”

Title: FBI organizes almost all terror plots in the US

Publication: RT.com (RT TV), August 23, 2011

URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/fbi-terror-report-plot-365-899/print/

Faculty Evaluator: Peter Phillips, Sonoma State Unniversity
Student Researcher: Taylor Falbisaner, Sonoma State UniversitySimilar Posts: