Pinnacles National Monument Set To Become National Park

by Kraig Becker on

California’s Pinnacles National Monument is set to be promoted to a national park after a bill to that effect passed through the U.S. Senate on Sunday. That same bill was approved by the House of Representatives in July and now only waits for President Obama‘s signature to make it official.

Located in California’s Gabilan Mountains, just east of the Salinas Valley, Pinnacles National Monument is the site of an ancient volcanic field. The volcano has long since eroded and moved further north along the San Andreas Fault, but its remnants remain throughout the area today. The landscape features towering rock spires, large boulders, narrow canyons, talus caves and other amazing geological formations, all of which have made it a popular destination for climbers.

The 26,000-acre site has also been instrumental to the comeback of the California condor, giving the birds a place to roost amongst its rocky cliffs. The National Park Service has released 32 free-flying condors into the park since 2003, and it has proved to be a safe home for the extremely endangered birds. Elevating the monument into a national park will provide further protections to the condor’s habitat, improving their chance for continued recovery in the future.

There is no word yet on when the President will sign the bill but its proponents have said that it will help give Pinnacles a higher profile amongst travelers and outdoor enthusiasts – something that should be good for the local economy as well.

[Photo Credit: Brocken Inaglory via WikiMedia]

Flying Is The Safest It Has Been In Years, Data Shows

by McLean Robbins on

New data show good news for panicky travelers: commercial flights in 2012 were safer than ever before. The Wall Street Journal published a large article detailing advances in flight safety and analyzing crash data, which shows that commercial flying is the safest it has been since the 1960s. In fact, there has not been a fatal crash in the United States since 2009.

The article stated that there have been 22 fatal crashes worldwide this year, with the majority occurring in Africa. In 2011, there were 28 fatal crashes. The ten-year average is 34 crashes, USA Today reported. The WSJ article came out just days before a crash near Moscow killed four, bringing the total for 2012 crashes to 23.

Still worried? The data also show that North American and North Asian carriers are the safest, with African and Caribbean carriers being the least safe.

We’d encourage all travelers to use basic safety precautions when traveling, choosing reputable airlines (i.e. not this one from North Korea) and following basic safety suggestions while in-flight, including wearing your seat belt when requested to do so. While a seat belt might not make the difference between life and death during a crash, it certainly can help prevent turbulence-related injuries.

Beyond that, we’d suggest that nervous travelers conduct simple in-seat meditation or deep breathing exercises while in flight, or perhaps enjoy a relaxing glass or wine or a sedative for something a bit stronger.

[Image Credit: Nick McKeta]

2700-Year-Old Temple Discovered In Israel

by Kraig Becker on

A construction crew planning an expansion to a highway running between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in Israel has discovered an ancient temple believed to be more than 2700 years old. The archaeological site was unearthed last Wednesday and is part of the larger dig at Tel Motza, which features ruins dating back to the Neolithic Era.

The temple has an entrance that faces east, allowing the first light of the day to illuminate its sparse interior. Inside, archaeologists found a large square structure that is thought to be an alter, as well as an array of ceremonial objects. Those objects include the remains of pottery and chalices, and tiny clay figures of humans and animals that are believed to have been used in religious rituals.

This new find is just the latest to be discovered in Motza, which has been part of an ongoing archaeological excavation since the 1990s. The temple is similar in age to some of the other ruins in the area, which also include an underground reservoir that dates to the time of the Crusades and grain silos that once served as storage for the city of Jerusalem.

Once the small temple has been completely examined it will be sealed off from the public and preserved from harm. The new highway expansion will move ahead directly over the site, which will prevent it from being accessible to the public. The ceremonial objects discovered inside will be cataloged and put on display in museums.

[Photo Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority]

California Completes Nation’s Largest Marine Reserve

by Kraig Becker on

More than 13 years after the California State Legislature passed the Marine Life Protection Act, the wildlife reserves that it was meant to create have now been completed. The final section of these preserves went into effect just before Christmas, officially protecting 16% of the state’s waters and covering 848 square miles stretching from Oregon to the border of Mexico. The move also created the largest network of underwater parks in the U.S. while establishing important protections for wildlife living in those regions.

Establishing these marine reserves was no easy task as the Act had to survive opposition from a variety of interest groups including commercial fisherman. The majority of the new preserves ban fishing of any kind, something that wasn’t well received in a state that issues more than 2 million fishing licenses each year. That ban also had to be negotiated with Native American tribes who viewed the changes as a threat to their traditional way of life. In the end, all sides agreed that the move would be a benefit for everyone in the long run, as they all had a vested interest in a healthy marine population off California’s coast.

While marine reserves are not a new concept, what is unusual about California’s system is that it is off the coast of a heavily populated area. Most of the world’s undersea preserves are in sparsely populated regions, making them much easier to establish and maintain. This system presents new challenges but is a milestone for marine conservation worldwide.

It is believed that this new system of marine reserves will make for healthier fish populations along the entire west coast. That means that visitors to not just California, but Oregon, Washington and beyond will see improved fishing, as well as better options for whale watching, sea kayaking and scuba diving too.

[Photo Credit: State of California]

Queen Elizabeth Immortalized In Antarctica Setting Off An International Incident

by Kraig Becker on

As Queen Elizabeth‘s diamond jubilee year comes to an end, she has received yet another honor celebrating her 60th year on the throne. However, this latest nod to the Queen’s longevity has managed to anger another country, setting off a minor international incident in the process.

Recently, the British Foreign Office announced that it was renaming a section of Antarctica in honor of her majesty. The pie-shaped piece of land, which will now be known as “Queen Elizabeth Land,” starts along the coast at the Ronne Ice Shelf and comes to a point directly at the South Pole. The area of land is approximately twice the size of the United Kingdom itself and is bounded on one side by Ellsworth Land and Dronning Maud Land on the other.

Obviously the renaming of this large section of frozen ground at the bottom world was meant to pay tribute to the popular Queen, but there is just one problem. The land may not belong to the U.K. at all, which means they don’t have the right to name it anything. It turns out that both Chile and Argentina have claimed ownership of this particular region in the Antarctic, and the Argentine government has already issued a formal note of protest to the British ambassador. That note used strong language to condemn the action, saying the move was an act of “anachronistic imperialist ambitions that hark back to ancient practices.”

The statement went on to accuse the British of failing to act in accordance to the Antarctic Treaty, which was signed in 1959 to avoid the colonization or militarization of the frozen continent. Since that time, Antarctica has largely remained open to research and exploration, although occasional disputes have arisen over specific plots of lands. Those disputes have become more pronounced in recent years as nations seek to claim potential oil or mineral reserves locked under the ice.

What will become of this dispute between the U.K. and Argentina remains to be seen, but it is unlikely to turn into a major conflict such as the 1982 Falklands War. More than likely what will happen is that Queen Elizabeth Land will exist on British maps alone, while the rest of the world will continue to leave the section unnamed.

[Photo Credit: NASA]