New girl got style: President Obama has selected Sally Jewell, the CEO of sporting goods company REI, to head the Interior Department. We expect she'll be bringing the latest in warm-yet-breath
Iditarod gets odd: First it was skiing. Then it was hockey. Now the latest winter sport to be sabotaged by climate change is Alaskan dog-sled racing. Warming temperatures and a lack of snow have forced the cancellation of several recent races. In the ones that have taken place, dogs have overheated, stepped on brambles, and been forced to mush sleds over mud. Huskies might want to think about unionizing -- seems like they deserve worker’s comp with their biscuits and bones. New York Times
Pollution preemies: You know what’s cute? Lil' babies. You know what’s not cute? Air pollution that makes tiny babies too tiny. According to a new global study, though, that’s exactly what happens: infants born in cities and towns with high levels of sooty pollution come into the world smaller, with a higher risk of mortality and a greater likelihood of “impaired mental development.” The Guardian
Weed greed: Next time you partake in marijuana (for which you undoubtedly have a state-issued license certifying a legitimate medical need), consider that the pot business has become one of California’s most destructive industries — lopping down trees, slurping up water, and slaughtering wildlife (see "Smoking Them Out"). Mother Jones
Shooters and hooters: Remember when endangered spotted owls justifiably shut down logging throughout the Pacific Northwest? Well, spotted owls (pictured above) are in trouble again, but this time due to a very different foe: a rival raptor species called the barred owl, which has flown across the continent and is now outcompeting spotted owls for prime nesting territory. The situation is so drastic that the Fish and Wildlife Service is considering a plan to shoot barred owls on sight to see if the spotted owls can recover. Baseless conspiracy theory of the day: the timber industry planted the barred owl in the region to get revenge against the spotteds for blocking tree-cutting in the ‘90’s. Boom! #barredowlTRUTH. Slate
Climate refugees: Hurricane Sandy hammered Staten Island in the fall, and today the borough remains in terrible shape, plagued by an insurance system that’s slow to compensate the worst-affected people. That’s how you get travesties like home-owners being forced to sleep in tents in city parks on freezing January nights. Then again, should flood insurance payments really be used for rebuilding in flood-prone areas? Might be time for a well-managed retreat... Los Angeles Times
Not-so-great lakes: Thanks to a combination of prolonged drought and unconscionable dredging, water levels on Lakes Michigan and Huron are the lowest they have ever been recorded, and Ontario, Erie, and Superior are lookin’ awful dry, too. If this keeps up -- and scientists expect that it will -- the time might be ripe to consider a new moniker for the lakes: The Great Craters? The Great Mudflats? The Great Drag-Racing Arenas? Muscle-car owners across Michigan are salivating. UpNorthLive.com
Hard-core mamatross: A 62-year-old female albatross named Wisdom is still flying around the world and cranking out babies. Wisdom hatched her 35th chick on Sunday. You’d think her three dozen other kids would chip in and buy her a condo in Boca one of these days (or at least send a letter to her address in Midway Atoll), but noooo: they never call, they never write, and worst of all, they’re dating seagulls. Washington Post
Tips: @OnEarthMag
Image: USFWS Headquarters
