Free Republic

Of all the things we have to blame the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020-21 for, perhaps the most unexpected is that some desperate people used them as a handy opportunity to begin having sex with trees. In 2020, a 45-year-old Canadian “somatic sex educator” named Sonja Semjonova was going out on her daily walk permitted to her by the Trudeau Taliban, when she came across (perhaps even literally) a giant oak tree by the side of a path in British Colombia. Perceiving “a connection” with the tree, Sonja began to “lie against it” loving the “feeling of being tiny and supported...

Shocking new statistical evidence has emerged that suggests the golden eagle could be on a wind turbine-induced glide path to extinction in the United States. Eagle deaths due to wind turbines in the western US were increasing by around 9% a year from 2013 to 2020, but this annual increase leapt to 13% from 2020 to 2024, a jump of 49% in the annual increase in death rate. Bird maps are said to show that the relative abundance of golden eagles across much of their western range has declined and areas where declines occurred, “align with areas where the most...

SAN FRANCISCO — Former Vice President Al Gore on Monday compared President Donald Trump’s administration to Nazi Germany and issued a dire warning about Trump’s use of power in a speech devoted to climate change. Speaking at an event at the start of San Francisco’s Climate Week, Gore said the Trump administration was “trying to create their own preferred version of reality” to achieve their sweeping objectives similar to Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party in the 1930s and ‘40s. “I understand very well why it is wrong to compare Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich to any other movement,” Gore said to an...

Get ready for a spectacular light show tonight as geomagnetic storms bring the northern lights closer to unexpected locations. The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are expected to put on a stunning display across several U.S. states tonight, thanks to geomagnetic storms that are disrupting Earth’s magnetic field. These solar-driven storms, forecasted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will bring the auroras closer to areas typically outside their usual range. This rare opportunity offers a chance for skywatchers in unexpected locations to witness one of nature’s most mesmerizing phenomena. Where Will the Northern Lights Be Visible? According to...

The tiny ice inhabitants darken the glacier’s surface, which can accelerate its melting. Glaciers are massive bodies of white ice that reflect a significant amount of sunlight. However, in areas where the snow has melted and the bare ice is exposed, dark patches often appear. These dark areas are caused by microscopic algae that grow directly on the ice. By darkening the surface, these algae reduce the glacier’s ability to reflect sunlight, leading to increased absorption of heat. This, in turn, causes the ice to warm and melt more quickly. Mysterious algae growth Little is known about how the tiny...

The Democrat Party is on an impressive losing streak. The Dems comprehensively lost the 2024 presidential election, they're obsessively focused on being on the 20 side of the 80-20 transgender athletes issue, and then they elected David Hogg as the Democratic National Committee's Vice Chair. Hogg, not known as one of the country's brightest thinkers, is using his newfound importance as vice chair to make media appearances and demonstrate in exact detail why he was a terrific choice to lead the party. If you're a Republican. In a CBS News appearance this week, Hogg said in an interview that his...

Geologists have uncovered a long-lost continental fragment buried beneath the thick ice of Greenland, a discovery that offers new insight into the ancient forces that shaped Earth’s surface. This previously unrecognized microcontinent, formed tens of millions of years ago, is believed to be part of a complex tectonic rift system between Greenland and Canada. The finding not only redefines the geological map of the North Atlantic, but also deepens our understanding of plate tectonic reorganization, continental separation, and how fragments of ancient crust become stranded during the birth of new oceans. Rifting Forces Between Greenland and Canada The region separating...

* Yellowstone’s upper magma chamber is just 2.3 miles deep, closer than previously thought, raising new questions about eruption risks. * Scientists used advanced seismic imaging to map the magma system, revealing a silica-rich upper chamber and a larger basalt reservoir below. * Volatile gases venting naturally reduce pressure but don’t eliminate the long-term threat of a catastrophic eruption. * Past supereruptions reshaped landscapes and altered global climates — the last one was 640,000 years ago. * NASA’s controversial plan to cool the magma via drilling carries risks and would take millennia to show effects. ********************************************************************** Yellowstone National Park, home...

We can all only hope we'll be this prepared when disaster — any kind of disaster! — eventually strikes: A Tennessee family managed to save their home from biblical floods by building their own levee around the property. The Humphrey family home in Ridgely - about three hours outside of Nashville - was seen untouched by brown, murky flood water on April 8 after severe rainfall trapped more than 100 people in the area. Miraculously, the large home was still standing, as incredible aerial images posted to Facebook showed it sitting alone in the middle of a disaster zone while...

NATIONAL TITANIC REMEMBRANCE DAY On April 15th, National Titanic Remembrance Day remembers the lives lost when the Titanic sank into the North Atlantic's icy waters in 1912. We remember the more than 1,500 people who died that day. #TitanicRemembranceDay Known as the “the unsinkable ship,” the Titanic hit an iceberg at 11:40 pm on April 14, 1912, on her maiden voyage from England to New York City. Later, in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean, on April 15, the Titanic sank. Those who perished did so mainly due to an insufficient number of lifeboats onboard the ship. Since that...

Scientists at the University of Oregon are working on a greener way to make iron metal—a big step toward cleaning up the steel industry, which is one of the largest sources of carbon pollution worldwide. Their latest research, published in ACS Energy Letters, shows how this new method could be more efficient and environmentally friendly than the traditional way of making steel. Right now, making iron from iron ore usually happens in blast furnaces that burn fossil fuels and release a lot of carbon dioxide into the air. But chemist Paul Kempler and his team have developed a new method...

Arizona Hot Springs and Goldstrike Trails announced they have closed multiple trails in Arizona’s Lake Mead National Recreation Area following the death of one hiker and the rescue of 33 others over the course of two days. The social media post says the closure occurred due to dangerously high temperatures and multiple heat-related search and rescue incidents. They say the canyons are expected to exceed 100°F, and many hikers are not "adequately prepared for these extreme conditions." "With the season’s heat just beginning, most people are not yet acclimated, increasing the likelihood of heat illness," they said. "Yesterday, a hiker...

The National Weather Service has paused automation that provided language translations to severe weather alerts after the government contract paying for the services expired. The contract for artificial intelligence modeling used to send emergency alerts in different languages is just one of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) contracts that lapsed this week The translations have been provided by Lilt, an artificial intelligence company, since 2023. It provided them in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, French and Samoan. The contract lapse comes as President Donald Trump's administration cuts spending at federal agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that have...

A recent study has uncovered the existence of ancient lakes, rivers, and a massive water-formed valley beneath Arabia’s vast desert. ***************************************************************************** A recent study has uncovered a long-forgotten landscape hidden beneath the vast expanse of Arabia’s Empty Quarter—one of the driest and most desolate regions in the world today. The groundbreaking research, published in Communications Earth & Environment, reveals that the desert was once home to ancient lakes, rivers, and valleys, formed during periods of high rainfall between 11,000 and 5,500 years ago. This discovery sheds new light on the dramatic environmental shifts that occurred in the region during the...

A sudden stratospheric warming event reversed the winds that make up the northern polar vortex on March 9. A new animation shows the vortex also moved away from the Arctic towards Europe. Between March 1 and March 20, the polar vortex traveled from above the Arctic to above Northern Europe. (Image credit: NOAA Climate) A major disruption to the Arctic polar vortex has bumped the ring of wind that circles the North Pole off its perch and towards Europe, a new animation shows. The migration could trigger colder-than-average temperatures in parts of the continent and across the eastern U.S. over...

The Atlantic hurricane season is fast approaching, and early indications have forecasters worried that it will have similarities to the 2024 season, which was one of the most devastating and costliest on record. "Super-charged" encapsulates the ferocity of last year's deadly hurricane season. Beryl entered the record books as the earliest Category 5 on record, Helene pummeled the Southeast with biblical rain and flooding, and Milton tore across Florida with deadly flooding and dozens of tornadoes. AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva warns it could be another year with volatile hurricanes, with the season officially starting on Sunday, June 1.

The Atlantic coast of the United States is set to experience an active and dynamic hurricane season in a possible repeat of last year’s lineup of devastating storm systems, experts warn. As many as 18 hurricanes are expected to sweep across the eastern United States after the stormy season begins on June 1, according to a report from Accuweather. Experts say three to six of those named storms will reach or exceed Category 3 strength in the continental United States in 2025. The regions most at risk for the powerful storms will be the Gulf coast, the ocean-side of Florida’s...

[Pics at site. Can't post Getty] A new steam vent near Nymph Lake in Yellowstone National Park attracted a lot of attention when it suddenly appeared in August 2024. Even in the ever-changing landscape of Yellowstone, it’s not every day that people see a new thermal feature emerge. The U.S. Geological Survey was observing the new steam vent until the winter snow prevented easy access. Once they’re able to get back to it, the new feature might already be gone. “That new vent was much diminished by the end of last year,” said Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano...

The environmental organization Greenpeace was ordered to pay more than $660 million dollars to the Texas-based pipeline company Energy Transfer this week over its role in the Dakota Access Pipeline protests nearly a decade ago. The outcome was a blow to the environmental advocacy group, which has previously said that a lawsuit of this size could bankrupt its U.S. operations. Energy Transfer, the operator of the Dakota Access Pipeline, accused Greenpeace USA and International of playing a central role in organizing the resistance to the pipeline at Standing Rock in 2016 and 2017. The protests drew national attention as activists...

A large sponge, a cluster of anemones, and other life is seen nearly 230 meters deep under a recently calved iceberg. Credit Schmidt Ocean Institute. =========================================================================== After an iceberg in Antarctica measuring roughly the size of Chicago suddenly broke off into the Bellinghausen Sea in January, scientists aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too) were shocked to find a thriving community of diverse organisms living underneath. The team says witnessing an iceberg of this size break off in real time was unexpected. However, it provided the group already aboard the vessel with a unique opportunity to investigate how these...