Headlamp Pictures

I heard Bill McKibben describe this first…this article on 2011’s extreme weather ends with sobering statistics on how our human-warmed atmosphere is leading directly to heavy flooding and snowfall. Those of us who dealt with high water this year had better get used to it!

The year 2011 has begun with a remarkable number of high-impact floods world-wide, and much of the blame for this can be placed on the current La Niña event occurring in the Eastern Pacific… When one combines the impact of La Niña with the increase of global ocean temperatures of 0.5°C (0.9°F) over the past 50 years, which has put 4% more water vapor into the atmosphere since 1970, the result is a much increased chance of unprecedented floods. A 4% increase in atmospheric moisture may not sound like much, but it turns out that precipitation will increase by about 8% with that 4% moisture increase. Critically, it is the extreme rainfall events that tend to supply the increased rainfall. For example, (Groisman et al., 2004) found a 20% increase in very heavy (top 1%) precipitation events over the U.S. in the past century, and a 36% rise in cold season (October – April) “extreme” precipitation events (those in the 99.9% percentile–1 in 1000 events. These extreme rainfall events are the ones most likely to cause floods.

Empty pools, spray paint and Dave Reul come together here (Salba too.) Check it out.

The unofficial local chronicler of all things Skatopia… Beth Sergent taps in to how Skatopia and Walmart have more in common than you might think.

Bowl Bash tradition continues: ‘88 Bands of Anarchy’ promised

by By Beth Sergent Gallipolis Daily Tribune

BSERGENT@MYDAILYSENTINEL.COM

RUTLAND — Starting Friday, skateboarding pilgrims will flock to the hills of Rutland Township for the 16th Annual Bowl Bash at Skatopia which promises “88 Bands of Anarchy.”

Bowl Bash is an unofficial and offbeat tourist destination that “dare not speak its name” in the hallowed halls of officially sanctioned Meigs County events though it still brings in visitors who spend money here.

This year’s event begins Friday well into Sunday morning with those 88 bands playing on three stages – bands like Nassau Chainsaw, Green Jelly The Snotty Kids, The Stink and The Cooties. It’s an annual weekend of music, skating and tired eyes watching the sun come up over a Rutland hollow. As usual, no tickets are sold for the event though a donation is greatly appreciated for admission, according to Brewce Martin, owner of Skatopia.

Yesterday, Martin and crew were busy preparing Skatopia for the bash and its pilgrims; pilgrims who have likely read the Rolling Stone spread or seen the documentary “88 Acres of Anarchy” and/or the MTV Skatopia True Life episode – and they want to know more. The True Life episode which was broadcast this past April, featured footage shot at last year’s Bowl Bash – the episode was aired across the nation on the Emmy-award winning series, casting a light on a small but notorious corner of Meigs County.

Myths, rumors and truths about the place aside, Martin has claimed his place “isn’t just a place to party” and that “99 percent of the time out here it’s just normal life going on.” Martin has also poked fun at the Skatopia stereotypes, saying it “isn’t full of poverty-ridden dirt bags” though he’s admitted it attracts a diverse population when it comes to those pilgrims who arrive at the gates.

“This is the funny thing, there are all kinds of people here just like when you go to Wal-Mart…you don’t know who you’re going to see,” Martin has said in the past.

A complete list of bands can be found on Skatopia’s official website.

Everyone should have TV party every couple weeks! Check out Skatopia’s party – The Bowl Bash – this coming weekend! We’ll be down with Collector’s Edition DVDs, T-shirts & more. See you there.

Pretty tricky quiz!

Interactive Quiz: Think You Know Our Nation’s Budget Problems?

Recent polls suggest that Americans are woefully in the dark when it comes to balancing the federal budget. Test your budget IQ by taking the Center for American Progress’s quiz below.

Right: 0, Wrong: 0

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With a few exceptions (including my alma mater Burley) most of the bicycle industry has not been on the cutting edge of sustainability. I’m really happy to see one of the world leaders in both sales and innovation taking a strong stance.

But Trek, in conjunction with Materials Innovation Technology (MIT), has implemented a solution to recycle carbon fiber scrap from its US facilities. This will make the material less of an environmental burden, diverting a projected 54,000 lbs of material from landfill to re-purposed use each year.