Free Republic

The width and color of tree rings provides an extraordinary glimpse into a tree's history. (Dmitr1ch/Shutterstock) How extreme weather leaves a lasting mark on trees and shrubs POZNAŃ, Poland — In the Arctic’s harsh borderlands, where trees wage a constant battle for survival, an international research team has discovered that extreme cold leaves lasting fingerprints in wood. These “blue rings,” visible only under a microscope, reveal centuries-old stories of climate disasters that once brought summer temperatures plunging to near-freezing. The study, published in Frontiers in Plant Science, examined pine trees and juniper shrubs in the Arctic. The research team ventured...

Outdoor active-wear brand Cotopaxi is closing its San Francisco store after only a year following rampant theft that left the store’s staff “terrified.” The company’s founder, Davis Smith, announced the closing in a LinkedIn post Tuesday. “It’s sad, but San Francisco appears to have descended into a city of chaos,” he wrote. “Many streets and parks are overrun with drugs, criminals, and homelessness, and local leadership and law enforcement enable it through inaction. “One of the most beautiful and amazing cities in the world is now a place where many no longer feel safe visiting or living.” -snip “We opened...

Two minor explosions on Friday at Cotopaxi, located about 70 kilometres south of the capital of Quito, led to a precautionary evacuation of small towns in the centre of country. "We declare a state of emergency due to the unusual activity of Mount Cotopaxi," Correa said during his weekly Saturday address. "God willing, everything will go well and the volcano will not erupt."

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa declared a state of emergency yesterday as the dangerous Cotopaxi volcano rumbled to life and prompted evacuation orders in several villages threatened by landslides. “As a precautionary measure, a total of 400 people have been evacuated,” the president said in his radio and television address just before signing the decrees. The volcano, which towers to 5,897 meters (19,350 feet) high, is considered one of the most threatening in the region — both because of its size and because it is so close to well-populated towns. “The situation developing at Cotopaxi is a serious threat that has...