...any Bad Religion fans out there? Oh nevermind. The daily feed from NASA's MODIS Aqua satellite has some cool images of the Los Angeles wildfire. It's shocking to see how close it is to the city. You can follow the images as the fire progresses on the MODIS website for the LA area. Double click to zoom in below:

Last January, Bryan praised Barack Obama’s inaugural address for promising to make decisions based on observation, data and statistics. Bryan also said,

We will keep a watchful eye over the next four years to make sure that science policy adheres to the agenda and principles that our new president has set out.

So, how are things going so far?

One:

Last week, the White House released a new report on climate change. Roger Pielke Jr., professor of environmental studies at the University of Colorado, says the study is seriously flawed. He finds the report relies on data that is old, narrow, non-peer reviewed, second- and third-hand, and contradicted by more recent, peer-reviewed studies. He specifically objects to claims that global warming is leading to more natural disasters. Such disasters are Dr. Pielke’s specialty, and he argues there is no such trend.

Two:

Back in February, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said that global warming was going to destroy agriculture in California. Dr. Pielke (who is becoming something of a one-man band in reigning in the more outrageous claims of global warming) picked apart that one as well.

Three:

In March, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar removed gray wolves in the northern Rockies from the Endangered Species list. This action was first proposed by President George W. Bush just before he left office, but suspended by the incoming administration. Two months later, they decided that Bush was right to accept the unanimous recommendation of Fish and Wildlife scientists.

Mark hates it when I point out stuff like that…

Northern and central California are beset by more than 800 wild fires. Last week, the state baked under four days of triple-digit heat, which dried out brushland in many areas. On Friday, severe lightning strikes set them to blaze. California brushland, called chaparral, naturally becomes very dry in the summer and burns easily. The burning is nature’s way of recycling dead plant material. It’s only when humans build houses and things that we don’t want burned that it becomes a problem.

Aptera Typ-1 electric vehicle
Courtesy Aptera Motors, Inc. Aptera Motors, Inc. is now taking reservations (California only) for either its 300 mpg hybrid or its all electric vehicles. The electric version of the Aptera typ-1 is slated for delivery in 2008 with the hybrid model to follow. The all-electric model has a range of 120 miles. The plug-in series hybrid has achieved more than 300 miles per gallon with a range of more than 600 miles.

The Aptera Typ-1 is loaded with safety features.

• Driver and passenger side airbags
• Energy absorbing and impact deflecting passenger safety cell
• Advanced drive computer with GPS navigation, CD/MP3/DVD player, XM
• Large rear view camera and complete vehicle diagnostic system
• LED interior and exterior lighting for maximum energy efficiency
• An RFID (Radio Frequency ID) ? an automatic identification method so a driver never has to pull out their keys to enter or start their Aptera
• USB port for powering a laptop or charging an MP3 player and other mobile devices

Aptera videos are on You Tube

Click this to see more Aptera electric vehicle You Tube videos.

Sources: Jalopnik.com/cars and Aptera.com/details

Bring 'em on: Come on you nasty sharks...I'll take you all on. (Flickr photo by Cayusa)The Miami Dolphins on the NFL football field maybe struggling through a winless season so far, but their namesakes off the coast of California chalked up a big win a few months ago.

When surfer Todd Endris was surfing near Monterey on Aug. 28, a 12- to 15-foot great white shark attacked him. It’s not uncommon for surfers to be the targets of sharks, who look up through the water to see what they think is a tasty seal.

Three shark bites peeled skin off his back and had ripped his right leg down to the bone. Then to the rescue came a pod of dolphins.

The formed a protective ring around him, allowing Endris to get his wits about him, paddle to shore and get first aid attention on shore from a friend.

I heard Endris share his tale on the Today Show earlier this week. You can get the full report by clicking here. But my biggest question was left unanswered. Why did the dolphins intervene?

Science doesn’t have the answer yet, but cases of dolphins rescuing people go back to tales from ancient Greece.

Just last year, four lifeguards in New Zealand were saved from sharks by the similar action of a pod of dolphins.

One more interesting twist to the story, within six weeks Endris was back on his surfboard riding the waters off on Monterey again.

So what do you think is at play with dolphins coming to the rescue? Do you think they do this for other species as well, or just humans? Share your thoughts here with Science Buzz readers.

Squid attack: This squid is a shrimpy two feet long, but monster squid are being found off the coast of central California, eating up the marine life that is vital to the fishing economy of the area. (Photo from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)Jumbo shrimp is one of those oxymorons that still crack me up.

Jumbo squid now being seen off the coast of central California don’t have anybody laughing.

Humboldt squid, which can grow up to 7 feet long and weigh more than 110 pounds, are gobbling up the anchovy, hake and or commercial fish schools that are a vital part of that area’s economy.

That type of squid used to only be found in the warmer, equatorial waters of the Pacific. But over the past decade and half, they’ve been spreading out to cooler climates and seem to be hitting central California especially hard.

Sounds like another example of global warming, right? Not so fast.

The chief reason behind the squid migration is probably food supply. They’re adapting to the cooler waters due to other fishing practices, researchers say.

Predators of the Humboldt squid are primarily tuna and swordfish. As their numbers have dropped due to high fishing pressures in the northern Pacific, the squid now have more room to roam to find their own food, researchers say. And with the new territory, they’re acquiring a taste for new aquatic species as well.

Planning to take a California vacation yet this summer? Don’t worry about a squid attack on you. Despite their large size, these jumbo squid are still pretty low on the food chain and have no interest in consuming humans, or any other mammals for that matter.

This squid is a shrimpy two feet long, but monster squid are being found off the coast of central California, eating up the marine life that is vital to the fishing economy of the area. (Photo from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

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