Mary Catherine O'Connor

Home at Last: The Kashia Band of Pomo Indians Returns to the California Coast

December 15, 2016 by mcoc

Partnering with local agencies, The Trust for Public Land devised a plan that would return the land to the Kashia while allowing for an addition to the California Coast Trail. Land+People (The Trust for Public Land’s magazine: Go to Page 30) “Close your eyes,” instructs Reno Franklin. Chairman of the Kashia band of Pomo Indians, Franklin […]

Categories: Climate Change, Food and Agriculture, Oceans, Policy, Recreation, Wilderness • Tags: Kashia band of Pomo Indians, Kashia Coastal Reserve, Reno Franklin, Trust for Public Land

SIERRA: Outdoor Afro Provides Opportunities to Hike and to Heal

December 12, 2016 by mcoc

Rue Mapp sees nature as a vehicle to help African Americans address the violence in their past and present. SIERRA Magazine Growing up in Oakland, California, Rue Mapp learned to love the outdoors. She was an avid Girl Scout, and she spent her summers roaming the family ranch in nearby Lake County. As an adult, […]

Categories: Action Sports, Climate Change, Recreation, Wilderness • Tags: black lives matter, Eric Garner, Harriet Tubman, Outdoor Afro, Rue Mapp, Sierra Magazine, Underground Railroad

Guardian: The Latest Weapon in the Fight Against Illegal Fishing? Artificial Intelligence.

November 20, 2016 by mcoc

A $150,000 reward is up for grabs for any data scientist who can write code for facial recognition software that can pinpoint illegal catch on fishing boats. The Guardian Facial recognition software is most commonly known as a tool to help police identify a suspected criminal by using machine learning algorithms to analyze his or […]

Categories: Climate Change, Food and Agriculture, Oceans, Policy, Technology • Tags: artificial intelligence, facial recognition software, illegal fishing, kaggle, silicon valley, the nature conservancy

Outside: Why Is It So Hard to Get Answers About Deepwater Horizon?

October 24, 2016 by mcoc

A new book and movie explore the causes, legacy, and drama of the oil spill. But neither probe deeply enough. Outside It seemed inevitable that the deadly 2010 explosion of the BP-operated Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling platform, which caused millions of gallons of oil to gush into the Gulf of Mexico, would eventually get the Hollywood […]

Categories: Climate Change, Energy, Oceans, Policy, Wildlife • Tags: BP, BP Blowout, BP Blowout: Inside the Gulf Oil Disaster, British Petroleum, Daniel Jacobs, deepwater horizon, Donald Vidrine, John Browne, John Malkovich, Mark Wahlberg, Peter Berg, Tony Hayward

Guardian: My (Imagined) Trip Off the Meatless Wagon

October 23, 2016 by mcoc

The Impossible Burger is making a big impression on foodies, chefs and vegetarians, but can it find its way onto the McDonald’s menu? The Guardian I hold the burger with both hands and bring it, somewhat trepidatiously, to my mouth. I commit myself to at least one bite. As I close my eyes and chew, […]

Categories: Climate Change, Energy, Food and Agriculture, Technology • Tags: Chris Cosentino, David Chang, impossible burger, impossible foods, Pat Brown, Tal Ronnen, Traci Des Jardins

Guardian: How to Visit America’s National Parks Without the Congestion

August 27, 2016 by mcoc

Traffic congestion has become part of the experience of visiting popular national parks in the US. Now, more parks are beefing up their public transport options. The Guardian If you’ve ever visited an iconic national park like Yellowstone, Yosemite or Glacier, your first glimpses of arresting, postcard-perfect vistas were probably framed by a car window. […]

Categories: Climate Change, Policy, Recreation, Transportation, Wilderness, Wildlife • Tags: arcadia national park, bus, climate change, island explorer, National Parks, National Parks Centennial, public transit, transportation, Yellowstone, Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System

Outside: The Race to Build the World’s First Totally Green High-Performance Gear

July 8, 2016 by mcoc

Gear and apparel manufacturers are big chemical users. A new overhaul of the Toxic Substances Control Act has them scrambling to innovate—minus the toxins. Outside You might have missed it, but last month President Obama signed into law a bill that many consider the most significant environmental legislation to pass Congress in 25 years. The […]

Categories: Climate Change, Gear, Lifecycle, Policy, Recreation, Technology • Tags: epa, Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety, outdoor industry association, perfluorooctanoic acid, Toxic Substances Control Act

Outside: Patagonia’s New Study Finds Fleece Jackets Are a Serious Pollutant

June 20, 2016 by mcoc

The brand commissioned a study to find out how many synthetic microfibers—the tiny bits of plastic that marine scientists say could be jeopardizing our oceans—are shed from its jackets in the wash. The results aren’t pretty. Outside It all started on a beach in southwestern England in the early 2000s. Richard Thompson, then a senior […]

Categories: Action Sports, Climate Change, Gear, Lifecycle, Oceans, Recreation, Technology • Tags: Bren School, Jill Domain, mark browne, microfibers, microplastic, Patagonia, richard thompson, UCSB

Pacific Standard: The Pleasures — and Ecological Benefits — of River Snorkeling

June 14, 2016 by mcoc

In praise of river snorkeling, a pastime for fish obsessives that also reminds riparian activists what they’re protecting. Pacific Standard I’m like the reverse of a fish out of water — a floundering human in water, I think to myself and let out a nervous chuckle. This breaks the seal my mouth has formed around the snorkel’s […]

Categories: Action Sports, Climate Change, Food and Agriculture, Oceans, Policy, Recreation, Wilderness • Tags: Columbia River, Matt Collins, Native Fish Society, pacific northwest, Pacific Standard, riparian, river snorkeling, Russ Ricketts, salmon native, Tellico River, Wenatchee River

Wall Street Journal: Bringing Smart Technology to Old Factories Can Be Industrial-Size Challenge

June 8, 2016 by mcoc

Installing networked sensors to monitor performance and prevent problems is costly, and every case is different. Wall Street Journal It’s a tantalizing vision: Bright and shiny factories where robotic arms and conveyors never break down and production goals are never missed—all thanks to internet-connected sensors that monitor machine health and respond to the slightest supply […]

Categories: Energy, Lifecycle, Technology • Tags: general electric, harley-davidson, industrial automation, industrial internet, iot, retrofit, sensors

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