Link Herd

Ursine trouble: An orphaned Alaskan bear cub isn't hibernating, but instead is running amok trying to scrounge food. Good folks are working on catching him and introducing him to food and a nice comfy den. Click over for a picture. The little guy is adorable, but his situation isn't.

Christmas tree recycling, elephant style: "Elephant calf Thabo-Umasai at Germany's Zoo Dresden joined camels, deer, and sheep in a traditional new-year feast of Christmas trees yesterday." Another great photograph.

A fascinating article on the brisk growth of solar power in California, fueled by the new California Solar Initiative:

If [the initiative] works as planned, said J. P. Ross, the policy director for Vote Solar, an organization that advocates for large state-level solar projects, the initiative will stimulate the installation of 3,000 megawatts of solar electrical generating capacity in the state over the next decade. That would be an increase by a factor of more than 20, Mr. Ross said, equivalent to 30 small natural-gas-fired power plants.

Given the enthusiasm homeowners have shown for the initiative, filing nearly twice as many plans for solar systems with the California State Energy Commission in 2006 than in previous years, this goal may not be far-fetched.

(Note: Vote Solar's website may be accessed through the sidebar to the right.)

I came across this story earlier in the week. I can't put it any better than Laura Erickson at BirderBlog did:

Oh, dear--yet another assault on the natural world to fuel people's insatiable appetite for automobiles.

Yep. Pretty much.