Listing the Cook Inlet belugas as endangered - federal biologists estimate there are only 375 of the animals left -

Declaring Cook Inlet beluga whales an endangered species - as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration did Friday was only the first step toward protecting them. Now federal biologists are trying to figure out exactly what's endangering them.

The newly released "Conservation Plan for the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale" - a 128-page report compiled by the National Marine Fisheries Service - takes a preliminary stab at the question, listing 18 possible threats to the local whale population.

Five of those threats would pose a "high" risk of jeopardizing the belugas were they to occur, the study says. Among them are two natural dangers: disease and stranding of whales on mud flats.

Three are man-made dangers: whale poaching, food reduction (by damaging salmon habitat or over-fishing) and unnatural noise in the water (such as off-shore drilling, pile-driving in the construction of a Knik Arm bridge or expansion of the Port of Anchorage).

The report also lists as "unknown" the impact on belugas that might result from three man-made dangers: Oil and gas spills, systematic water pollution (including the partially treated sewage Anchorage discharges into Cook Inlet) and environmental change (such as ocean warming).

"Certainly oil and gas development and all in-water activities that might introduce pollutants are a concern," says Fisheries Service biologist Brad Smith, one of the conservation plan authors.

Read the rest of the story and check out the pix of the 18 stranded whales (they're the white whales in the filthy mud flat water):
http://www.adn.com/3246/story/563481.html

 http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/wildlife/story/559040.html

2 pix next pg

Today: Palin's future son-in-law meets the press Levi Johnston, who's having a baby with the daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin, has dropped out of high school and taken a North Slope job as an apprentice electrician. He would be a senior had he returned to school. http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/newsreader/story/554608.html

My son is a senior, and he's worked for NOAA, as an apprentice his entire junior year, and did Field and Track and helped build a Science Sphere, now housed at Lena Point (modeled after one in Washington DC). I don't see why his parents would let him quit school to work on the oil slopes with Todd Palin.

These Palin's (Todd and Sarah) are 'loyal to oil' only,  and Alaskans are left out, Alaskan issues are left out, they're being duped, as well as the right wing party. They're all about building the oil corporation, look Sarah's mission is to plant miles of pipeline that will eventually corrode and cost tax payers hundreds of millions. It's already happened on her beat on the North Slope (Prudhoe Bay)...oil spills and fires. I keep asking "what's wrong with tanking the gas?" Trucks are easier to maintain and not a national security issue. And what's wrong with a kid continuing his education? Most girls expecting, HAVE to complete school and go to alternative school to receive a diploma. HE's not expecting, BRISTOL is. There's been no mention of Bristol, only that the Palin children are going to the Juneau school district, which is a big hairy lie too. They are NOT in Juneau, maybe in Wasilla, or Anchorage area, but not registered in Juneau, as they claimed. If I were Levi's mom, I'd be pleading for him to stay in school, or he's just going to become a survivor, and holding onto the hem of Palin's skirt. He'll never be independent. He even said that Sarah better win the election. Why? What's in it for him? His life should be separate from DC politics, so the statement was strange. It just makes me wonder if he were taught responsibility of using protection, both in relationships and in governing his life (school). We know Sarah didn't teach her daughter, but what about Levi's parents? Didn't they teach him either? What's wrong with those CONSERVATIVES up north? Ever heard of being conservative with relationships until you can be responsible for one?

They said:

If the bailout does not pass the people are going to loose the money in his bank accounts.

FALSE: THEY ARE INSURED BY THE FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)

If the bailout does not pass is the end of the world, it’s a financial catastrophe.

FALSE: nothing like that is going to happen because this crisis is a failure of CORRUPTED financial institutions and they are small in number compare with those who are playing by the rules.

If the bailout does not pass the economy are going to sink in to a deep recession.

FALSE: This is another argument they use to hidden the real true and scare the people in “MAIN STREET”. This economy of this country is “IN CONTRACTION STATUS”, this means the power of acquired good for the people every day is less than before. This could be corrected with a good and strong policies reinforcing the INCOME of every American and reinforcing this sectors of the economy that are capable to generate more employment. A good example could be investing this 700 billion in infrastructure around the nation.

If this bailout does not pass you can not get loans to buy house, cars and you can loose your credit card.

FALSE: One of the main problems of this crisis is THE ABUSE and the BAD USE of the credit. They buy houses they couldn’t afford to pay. They buy cars they couldn’t afford to pay. They misused his / her credit card and they couldn’t afford to pay. All this happen for the ambition and mismanaged of the CEOs of this corrupted bankers or institutions.

So what kind of bailout (CORRECTION) would be this, if this money go again to the market with the same purpose as is the mantra of the government and the lawmakers who are supporting this legislation.

Moreover if you want a loan and have a good credit and you can afford and pay your debts do so, but if not, don’t do it!

If this bailout does not pass the entirely banking system are going to crash and people in Main St., are going to suffer for a lot!

FALSE: As I said before, this particular crisis can be solving by the market as is. In this country there are very serious banking institutions that are capable to absorb the failure of the others in a very intelligent manner without compromising his capital.

Bank of America, JP Morgan and other banks are a good example and they will be very happy receiving those people looking loans for homes, cars, boats and credit cards!, working people who are capable and can afford to pay on time his bills.

These bailouts has to pass, to secure more liquidity to the banking systems buying his negative assets and generate the reactivation of the economy, them people in Main St., can get more loans of any kind.

FALSE: The economy of this country is IN CONTRACTION STATUS, people can afford pay his bill because the power of the dollar is less than before. Essentially this MODEL can’t afford print more dollars with the deficit the country had. Actually the difference between this country and countries around the world less wealthy is his ability to PRINT MONEY. This NEGATIVE economic behavior is the main concern of economists around the world. I have no doubt Mr. Paulson and Mr. Bernanke know very well about it, but they prefer to buy time instead to try and get the right solution for this crisis.

If this bailout does not pass the economy could be worsened

TRUE: The economy will be worsened but not because the bailout could be pass or not. The economy is in a bad shape and the solution has to come with a structural correction of the deficit and a best economic practice with the conscientious study of the factors that are generating this contraction in the economy and come up with good, reliable and stable economic practice solutions.

People must remember this on November 4 and remove this politician with the "POWER OF THE VOTE"

Percy H Florez