YubaNet.com

hadow of the Giants 50K to take place June 8

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:23:34 PST

A long-running trail race will once again take place just outside Yosemite National Park as the 24th Annual Shadow of the Giants 50K run is set for June 8. Started by Baz Hawley 1990, an avid trail runner for decades, the race takes place just outside of the park and incorporates some amazing scenery.

Gov. Brown Deploys Six California Urban Search & Rescue Specialists to Oklahoma

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:52:20 PST

In the wake of the devastating tornado that hit Oklahoma yesterday, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today directed the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA) to deploy specialists from California's Urban Search & Rescue teams to assist in response and recovery efforts.

Suit to End Era of Ruinous ORV Open-Riding at Ocotillo Wells

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:45:18 PST

The California Department of Parks & Recreation has let off-road vehicles run amok in its largest off-road park, in violation of state resource protection laws, according to a lawsuit filed today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and the Desert Protective Council (DPC). If successful, the suit would end ORV "open-riding" beyond designated trails and require the park to implement strategies to protect the park's rich archaeological resources and desert environment.

Andy Rowell: Tar Sands Makes Climate Change "Unsolvable"

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:22:07 PST

One of the world's leading climate scientists Dr James Hansen has warned British MPs that exploiting the tar sands and oil shale would make the problem of climate change "unsolvable".

European Banks and Pensions Funds Fuel Land Grabs in Uganda

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:49:03 PST

European banks and pension funds are funding palm oil giant Wilmar International, a company implicated in land grabbing in Uganda, according to new research released today.

Hundreds of Federally Contracted Low-Wage Workers to Stage Historic Strike in DC

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:18:54 PST

On Tuesday, May 21 at 7:30 a.m. ET, hundreds of low-wage workers employed under federal contracts, concessions, and leases will go on strike at the Ronald Reagan and Old Post Office Buildings, the Smithsonian museums, and Union Station, calling on President Obama to guarantee a living wage and a voice on the job. These low-wage workers employed by private businesses serve the American public by working in the food courts at government buildings like Union Station and the Ronald Reagan Building, greeting visitors and selling memorabilia at the Smithsonian Museums, driving trucks hauling federally-owned loads, and making military uniforms for our troops. Earlier this month, the workers announced the launch of their organization, Good Jobs Nation, and called on President Obama to ensure contractors pay living wages and improve working conditions for all those employed by federal dollars.

CHP Out in "Full Force" this Memorial Day Weekend with One Goal in Mind, To Save Lives

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:08:21 PST

Memorial Day is a time to show our appreciation for the men and women who fought, and those who still are fighting, for our country. Many Californians will celebrate this occasion, which also kicks off the summer travel season, with social gatherings, outdoor events, and barbeques. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) encourages you to enjoy the holiday but always designate a non-drinking driver and buckle up.

UCSB Study Shows Where Scene Context Happens in our Brain

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:06:09 PST

In a remote fishing community in Venezuela, a lone fisherman sits on a cliff overlooking the southern Caribbean Sea. This man –– the lookout –– is responsible for directing his comrades on the water, who are too close to their target to detect their next catch. Using abilities honed by years of scanning the water's surface, he can tell by shadows, ripples, and even the behavior of seabirds, where the fish are schooling, and what kind of fish they might be, without actually seeing the fish. This, in turn, changes where the boats go, and how the men fish.

Traditional Cultures Can Show Wasteful World How to Preserve Food

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:56:58 PST

From condensing the meat of whole cow to the size of a human fist, to preserving seabirds in sealskins, there are hundreds of ways in which traditional cultures can teach the wasteful developed world how to preserve and conserve one of our most-precious yet most-squandered resources: food.

New study finds blind people have the potential to use their 'inner bat' to locate objects

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:55:44 PST

New research from the University of Southampton has shown that blind and visually impaired people have the potential to use echolocation, similar to that used by bats and dolphins, to determine the location of an object.

CPUC Staff Enter Settlement Agreement of $37 Million With Southern California Edison Over 2007 Malibu Fire

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:52:21 PST

The California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) Safety and Enforcement Division today filed for CPUC Commissioner consideration a $37 million settlement agreement with Southern California Edison (SCE) that would resolve all issues regarding the October 2007 Malibu Canyon Fire with respect to SCE. Of the $37 million in shareholder funds, $20 million would be a penalty paid to the State of California's General Fund and $17 million would be spent on pole loading assessments and resulting remediation work in Malibu Canyon and surrounding areas.

Governor Brown Issues Executive Order to Streamline Approvals for Water Transfers to Protect California's Farms

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:51:20 PST

With near record-low precipitation in California this year, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued an Executive Order to streamline approvals for voluntary water transfers to assist California's agricultural industry.

Inyo National Forest Hosts Pack Stock Center of Excellence

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:47:07 PST

The U.S. Forest Service has a long tradition of using stock to bring supplies to remote locations to support fire response, trail crews, timber, and for patrol in a manner consistent with the Wilderness and Forest management.

UN officials in Afghanistan urge ratification of law to eliminate violence against women

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:29:43 PST

Senior United Nations officials in Afghanistan are today urging the Government to fully implement legislation to protect women from child marriage and other forms of violence, in line with international commitments, after the Afghan Parliament failed to ratify the law over the weekend.

Merkley: Let's Repeal the "Monsanto Protection Act"

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:26:33 PST

"The Monsanto Protection Act is an outrageous example of a special interest loophole," said Merkley. "This provision nullifies the actions of a court that is enforcing the law to protect farmers, the environment and public health. That is unacceptable."

Two accidental vegetation fires yesterday in western Nevada County

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:01:43 PST

Two separate vegetation fires occurred in the joint operational area yesterday.

Early-life traffic-related air pollution exposure linked to hyperactivity

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:00:06 PST

Early-life exposure to traffic-related air pollution was significantly associated with higher hyperactivity scores at age 7, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Amazon River exhales virtually all carbon taken up by rain forest

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:56:39 PST

The Amazon rain forest, popularly known as the lungs of the planet, inhales carbon dioxide as it exudes oxygen. Plants use carbon dioxide from the air to grow parts that eventually fall to the ground to decompose or get washed away by the region's plentiful rainfall.

Study finds air pollution and noise pollution increase cardiovascular risk

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:55:51 PST

Both fine-particle air pollution and noise pollution may increase a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to German researchers who have conducted a large population study, in which both factors were considered simultaneously.

Cancer and birth defects in Iraq: The nuclear legacy

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:54:41 PST

Ten years after the Iraq war of 2003 a team of scientists based in Mosul, northern Iraq, have detected high levels of uranium contamination in soil samples at three sites in the province of Nineveh which, coupled with dramatically increasing rates of childhood cancers and birth defects at local hospitals, highlight the ongoing legacy of modern warfare to civilians in conflict zones.

Keep Your Children Healthy by Avoiding Drugs & Alcohol: Truckee Tele-Town Hall Community Forum Tonight

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:52:00 PST

Join other parents and take action to stop your children from using alcohol or drugs. According to the 2012 California Healthy Kids Survey for TTUSD; 19% of 7th graders, 36% of 9th graders, and 52% of 11th graders report past 30-day drinking- putting them at high risk for developing dependence later in life.

Per Student Public Education Spending Decreases in 2011 for First Time in Nearly Four Decades, Census Bureau Reports

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:48:40 PST

Fiscal year 2011 marked the first decrease in per student public education spending since the U.S. Census Bureau began collecting data on an annual basis in 1977, according to new statistics released today (dollars not adjusted for inflation). The 50 states and the District of Columbia spent $10,560 per student in 2011, down 0.4 percent from 2010. The top spenders were New York ($19,076), the District of Columbia ($18,475), Alaska ($16,674), New Jersey ($15,968) and Vermont ($15,925).

Glenn Close Narrates Groundbreaking New Documentary That Shatters Misconceptions About Mental Illness

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:46:52 PST

Award-winning actress and mental health advocate Glenn Close will narrate "A New State of Mind: Ending the Stigma of Mental Illness," an inspiring documentary that tells the stories of everyday people to shatter myths about mental illness, highlighting the struggles faced by those with mental health challenges, and their hope, resilience and recovery.

UNEP Launches Knowledge and Cooperation Platform for a Sustainable Future

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:44:36 PST

In the face of economic crises, increasing environmental degradation and the menace of climate change, the global community needs to do more and better with a more-efficient use of the Earth's natural resources.In the face of economic crises, increasing environmental degradation and the menace of climate change, the global community needs to do more and better with a more-efficient use of the Earth's natural resources.

Study reveals how fishing gear can cause slow death of whales

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:40:41 PST

Using a "patient monitoring" device attached to a whale entangled in fishing gear, scientists showed for the first time how fishing lines changed a whale's diving and swimming behavior. The monitoring revealed how fishing gear hinders whales' ability to eat and migrate, depletes their energy as they drag gear for months or years, and can result in a slow death.

Brady Campaign Applauds California's Microstamp Law

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:36:50 PST

After years of countless delays, the cutting-edge 'Microstamping' law in California has recently gone into effect. The law requires all new semi-automatic handguns to come equipped with technology that stamps each bullet casing with intentional markings that indicate the make, model and serial number of the firearm. The legislation, authored by former Assembly Member Mike Feuer, was signed into law in 2007 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, but the implementation was delayed due to patent issues over the years. The Brady Campaign and its California Chapters were instrumental in securing passage of the legislation and the bill was their top priority in 2007. The legislation was also supported by 65 police chiefs and sheriffs throughout the state.

West Coast Senators to CFTC: Energy Swap Markets Continue to Avoid Oversight

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:29:20 PST

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairman of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, together with Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (both D-Ore.), and Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell (both D-Wash.), today sent a letter to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) asking if proposed new rules exempting energy traders from regulation will undermine the Dodd-Frank law and prevent oversight of energy markets.

India's Ministry of Environment and Forests Bans Dolphinariums

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:27:02 PST

In the strongest stance yet opposing the development of dolphinariums in India, the federal Ministry of Environment and Forests has issued a ban, which says "State Governments are advised to reject any such proposal" that comes forward. Humane Society International/India applauds the Ministry's action and encourages states to adhere to the policy.

Alaska governor's oil exploration plan ignores the value of the Arctic Refuge

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:26:02 PST

Gov. Sean Parnell's plan to ask the Alaska Legislature for $50 million to look for oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is incompatible with the reasons the refuge was established, and would cause significant harm to a vital and irreplaceable American landscape.

Getting to One-Planet Living

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:24:07 PST

As the world continues down the path of unmitigated and unsustainable development, it is becoming increasingly clear that we have successfully pushed ourselves out of the stable geological era of the Holocene and into the more volatile and unpredictable Anthropocene. Nevertheless, many remain blissfully unaware of this truth due to the fact that ecosystem thresholds are not always marked with warning signs of impending danger. Unfortunately, this means that we may actually pass through a tipping point unaware because it is quite possible that nothing significant will happen at first.

Tips for Keeping Your Pets Safe During Warm Weather

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:14:21 PST

As we prepare to kick off summer this Memorial Day weekend, The Humane Society of the United States reminds everyone to keep pets safe during the warm months ahead.

Video: Bear River High School's Every Minutes Minutes 2013

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:16:16 PST

Every two years, high schools across California take part in a program to help promote drinking and driving awareness and the deadly dangers it poses. My school, Bear River High School, is one of these schools that participates. It is common within the program for the mock events that take place to be filmed and shown to the school's student body the next day.

Brad Carter: Benefits of Native Shrubs

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:58:51 PST

In early April I was outside working in my garden, doing what I do a lot this time of year—grooming and weeding my native landscape in preparation for two big garden party fundraising events we host each year. The weather was unsettled, but it was warm and sunny with nice breeze. As I picked pine needles off a large California anemone shrub, I smelled a deep, musty scent and realized I had worked my way over to the big specimen of Ceanothus 'Julia Phelps' that I planted about ten years ago. It was in full bloom, covered with intensely colored deep purple flowers and was swarming with thousands upon thousands of flies, wasps and bees—a parade of pollinators. There were so many flying insects, I could hear the hum generated by their myriad beating wings.

RSVP Current Volunteer Opportunties

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:56:19 PST

Everyone is invited to share their time and talents with Nevada County non-profits, public agencies, and schools. For persons 55 and over, accident, liability, and excess auto insurance are provided and limited mileage reimbursement is available. If you are interested in any of the following positions, e-mail us at rsvp3@nccn.net, visit our office at 471 Sutton Way, Suite #202, in Grass Valley, or call weekdays 9AM-2PM at 271-0255.

Google glass

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:52:56 PST

Google glass - cartoon by David Fitzsimmons

Do Nothing Congress

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:50:48 PST

Do Nothing Congress - cartoon by R.J. Matson

The Return of Mark Sanford

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:49:36 PST

The Return of Mark Sanford - cartoon by R.J. Matson

Millennials Graduate

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:48:15 PST

Millennials Graduate - cartoon by Adam Zyglis

Eau de Wingnut

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:46:38 PST

Eau de Wingnut - cartoon by Bill Day

Update on the small plane crash in Sierra County

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:38:10 PST

It was confirmed that a 1980 twin-engine Cessna 421-C crashed just southwest of Verdi Peak in Sierra County. Based on the initial investigation it is believed the pilot was the sole occupant and the flight route was between the Reno, NV and San Jose, CA areas. The aircraft was registered to a Reno company.