Free Republic

The carcass of a 'monstrous' fish spotted on Sunday (Feb 14) at MacRitchie Reservoir is the latest sighting of an alien species that is not supposed to be here at all. It was identified as an alligator gar. The fish, native to North America, can grow to a length of 2.5m, and is known to be released by owners who cannot cope with its size. Over the past 10 years, more than 20 people have faced enforcement action for illegally releasing animals, national water agency PUB and the National Parks Board (NParks) said in a joint statement on Wednesday. The...

State water board regulators are mulling a plan to stop power companies from vacuuming the ocean for water to cool their machinery. Environmentalists said the practice destroys too much sea life, while utility advocates said the impact is minimal. Banning the practice would cost too much, jeopardize the reliability of the electricity grid and slow the state's transition to clean energy, supporters of the practice said.

BUCHANAN, N.Y. — For a striped bass in the Hudson River, a clutch of trout eggs in Lake Michigan or a salmon in San Francisco Bay, drifting a little too close to a power plant spells death. Sucked in with enormous volumes of water, battered against the sides of pipes and heated by steam, the small fry of the aquatic world are being sacrificed to the cooling systems of power plants around the country. Environmentalists say the killing is needless, but energy-industry officials say opponents of nuclear power exaggerate the losses. The issue is being debated at an Indian Point...

I'm new here and hoping you can help me. I have a friend who told me that I should take McCain's speech last night to heart . . . that I should be positive, trust my country, and support our new president. Does this advice reflect true conservative values? What should I tell him?