east of Culbertson, Montana: 35,000 gallons of crude oil spilled when BNSF train derailed

This type of accident is very worrisome, and not uncommon. It is extremely lucky that no fire or explosion or further catastrophe was caused by this derailment. The same type of BNSF train traffic occurs in the town where I live and I seriuosly doubt an evacuation plan would save all the humans, pets, businesses, etc. along the waterfront if there were such an incident here. It would certainly be devastating to Bellingham Bay inhabitants and the entire natural environment.

Photo source: http://www.columbian.com/news/2015/jul/17/35000-gallons-of-oil-spills-after-montana-train-de/

On  Thursday 7/16/15, 22 cars derailed. The BNSF train included 106-108 loaded crude oil tankers and two buffer cars loaded with sand. It was traveling from North Dakota and was not speeding. There was no fire or explosion. No humans were hurt. Hazardous Materials teams arrived Friday morning and the track reopened by that afternoon.

The CBC.CA news podcast I listened to said the cause of the 7/16 wreck is unknown. More info at: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/oil-spill-132-000-litres-of-crude-leaked-in-montana-derailment-1.3158089

Click here for Google search of more news articles related to the spill.

USA & beyond: Join in Launch of World Population History.org

From: "Population Connection" <action@popconnect.org>
Date: Jul 7, 2015 7:03 AM
Subject: Join Us As We Launch World Population History.org
To:

If you are unable to view the message below, please go to http://zpg.populationconnection.org/site/MessageViewer.

Dear Liz, I want you to be among the first to know that we are launching WorldPopulationHistory.org tomorrow! This website is built for users like you to explore how our world's population has grown throughout history. You can also discover the events, innovations and forces that have shaped population growth throughout time. To celebrate the launch of the website, we hope you can join us for two exciting online events: a live Twitter Chat (happening tomorrow) and an in-depth RedditAMA (happening Thursday). Learn more about each event below, and set reminders on your calendar – we look forward to celebrating with you soon! Twitter Chat July 8, 2015 1:00-2:00pm EST To view the chat, you must have an account on Twitter. You can create an account by clicking here. Once you are logged into your account, use the search bar to search for the hashtag #WorldPop between 1-2pm EST on July 8, 2015. Join the conversation by including "#WorldPop" in a tweet. You can also retweet and favorite tweets from @popconnect and other participants as much as you would like! Get started by signing on to Twitter and following the account @popconnect. Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) July 9, 2015 1:00pm – 2:30pm EST On July 9, join us on Reddit.com for a conversation about world population history. Starting at 1:00 pm, we'll be hosting a free-flowing question and answer session with Reddit community members about the growth of the world's population throughout time, and explaining some of the key moments when the course of human population has been influenced by innovations, tragedies and other events. If you'd like to watch the conversation unfold, you can simply click here on July 9 and look for a link to our conversation. To ask a question, you will need to create a Reddit account. Registration is simple: get started by clicking here and enter your information. Then, save your username and password, and check back on July 9 at 1:00pm. Once our post is live, you'll be able to read, ask questions and respond as you please. To learn more about Reddit, check out this list of frequently asked questions. We can't wait to reveal WorldPopulationHistory.org tomorrow, and we look forward to chatting with you on Twitter and Reddit soon. Sincerely, Pam Wasserman Senior Vice President for Education Unsubscribe | Forward to a friend | Visit our web site Donate Now! 2120 L St NW, Suite 500 Washington, D.C. 20037 Main: 202-332-2200 Fax: 202-332-2302 Toll Free: 1-800-POP-1956 info@populationconnection.org Population Connection Copyright © 2012 All rights reserved.

nonprofit software

Bellingham WA: Pets & Veterans, Families Human & Non-Human are All Safer without Fireworks

Thank heavens for Clay Butler RIP. He was the "Control Fireworks Guy" in Bellingham WA. His inspiration came from his Australian Shepherd who suffered during the long New Years and July 4th seasons of booms, barrages, and rockets. Inviting citizens to sign petition initiatives, Clay said he was a shy, retired guy but felt compelled to go public to campaign for peace, quiet, sanity and law enforcement. Many other cities in Washington state had instituted successful bans on consumer fireworks many years earlier. 

Clay Butler RIP
(from his public Facebook timeline)

When there was no "watchdog" survey-type email from Clay around July 4th, I searched and was surprised to see per various hits including the Mountain Dulcimer Club of Bellingham that he had passed away May 24, 2015 at the age of 71. The post says his Facebook timeline can be consulted to leave condolences. I had never met him in person but am deeply saddened that he is gone. Fireworks are banned now. It took more than one initiative and he didn't back down when the first petition didn't pass. It took five years. But now, thanks to his gumption, even unincorporated parts of the agrarian county in which Bellingham is situated and smaller cities, are following suit. 

Clay's daughter mentions on Clay's FB timeline his Australian Shepherd "Charlie Girl" (she is around 11 years old now). I trust she has been having a peaceful July 4th season. Illegal fireworks are still set off, but less than in 2014, and law enforcement is slightly more responsive than they were in 2014 as far as I can tell. All dogs and cats of Bellingham thank Clay Butler.

There is now just a "professionally run" commercial show over Bellingham Bay, but in my opinion, it should be banned too. It would be more respectful to veterans of all centuries to have moments of silence. It is especially important considering about 5 million veterans in the USA currently suffer from PTSD. Critters in the bay are undoubtedly frightened, hurt and appalled with the idiocy. As a neighbor of the site where "professional" cannon noises are set off, I do not tolerate the disturbance well at all. Of course birds and other land-based wildlife and pets are upset by them. Because of citizen law-breakers (and probably City-endorsed "professional" fireworks), the shelter is full per their Facebook page. As far as I am concerned, both consumer and commercial fireworks should be prohibited nationwide.

Related articles:

July 2, 2015 - NWCitizen

Fireworks and Clay Butler - by Dick Conoboy

http://www.nwcitizen.com/entry/fireworks-and-clay-butler 

In Bellingham WA "Consumer fireworks are now banned.  This speaks volumes to the power of one person with an idea." 

June 30, 2015 - BellinghamHerald

Whatcom View: Families, environment safer without fireworks in Bellingham - by Taimi Gorman

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/opinion/article26016532.html

March 3, 2013 - NWCitizen

Support our Troops - Ban Fireworks - by Dick Conoboy
http://www.nwcitizen.com/entry/support-our-troops-ban-fireworks

July 7, 2012 - SweeneyBlog
Banning Fireworks in Bellingham: Blast or Dud? - by J. Riley Sweeney
http://sweeneypolitics.com/2012/07/01/banning-fireworks-in-bellingham-blast-or-dud/

Quoting Taimi Gorman, “They used to hand out cigarettes to people on a plane. You don’t have the right to make everyone in the neighborhood suffer because you want to blow stuff up.”