u/evapotranspire

There were two side-by-side, getting breakfast from the rocks, but the first one flew away before I could get her in the photo!

For all you eligible blood donors, this would be a great time to make a donation. Red Cross is reporting historic nationwide shortages, and Stanford Blood Center has an urgent need listed for all blood types. If you've never donated before, you can check your eligibility online ahead of time. Note that restrictions against blood donation by LGBT folks have recently been lifted - finally! I'm not affiliated with a donation center; I'm just a regular donor and a grateful patient whose life was saved by blood donations a few years ago when my youngest child was born. Thank you for helping our community!

This post is for u/party_poison8095 , who yesterday shared a heartbreaking snapshot of breakfast cereal floating in a glass of water, captioned "I ran out of oat milk." Well... today I had the same problem, but I did *not* use the same solution. Folks, I know this sub portrays our basest instincts to survive, but there are some depths to which I refuse to sink. <gets off soapbox, takes a bow>

I've never been to Antarctica but, as an ecologist who loves traveling, I have long dreamt of visiting someday. Now I'm reconsidering that dream in light of a study by three social scientists who specialize in polar tourism. This blog post on The Conversation summarizes their peer-reviewed academic paper.

The authors interviewed two dozen Antarctic tour guides who quit their jobs even though they loved working in Antarctica. They quit because they could no longer bear the hypocrisy of teaching tourists about fragile ecosystems and the dangers of climate change - while at the same time disturbing the ecosystems and worsening climate change. (Getting to Antarctica requires more CO2 emissions than just about anywhere else.)

For those of you who have been to Antarctica, I'm curious if this critique resonates with you. Do tour companies behave scrupulously (despite the environmental impacts of getting there)? Or is profit prioritized over caution, and "Disneyfication" over genuine education?

The authors and interviewees predict a big increase in the already-booming Antarctic tourism business in the next decade, and I'm no longer sure if I want to participate in that. Maybe instead I should just continue to enjoy the Gentoo penguin photo hanging in my bathroom.

Hi Livermorons, Happy 4th of July! Just wanted to be sure you saw yesterday's SF Gate article about what to eat, drink, do, and see in Livermore. It highlights some local business owners and has lots of complimentary things to say. Enjoy! https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/livermore-day-trip-22311660.php

And apparently rattlesnake fatalities are a lot higher than average this year so far in California. Be alert and give these guys / gals a respectful distance! https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/snake-bites-attacks-deaths-california-b2962878.html