molly peterson

Did you know that the US Geological Survey has filmmakers on staff? One of these guys has made a new film, The Heat is On: Desert Tortoises and Survival, and it’s worth checking out. Despite quoting the Glenn Frey song in its title, I’m sorry to report that the music doesn’t have 80′s sax solos and the video has no Axel Foley in sight. Instead, the film, which you can watch online, looks into the reported 95% mortality rate among

Peter Graves’ death put me in mind of the Airplane films. Which in turn reminded me about the Tyler Prize USC awarded last week. What’s the fastest animal on earth? The cheetah. Airplane 2′s information booth guy is right. (Though Airplane is funnier.) But the downside to bursting fast after prey is that cheetahs aren’t really excellent at anything else. Except capturing the attention of Laurie Marker, one of the two people awarded the Tyler Prize this year. Laurie Marker

DWP’s strategy here has been a moving target. That can’t have helped it get done. But desert environmental groups seem to have successfully played this as their victory.