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Riled Up is a journal of science, the environment, exploration, new technology, and related commentary.  Contributors include scientists, explorers, engineers, and others who provide perspectives and context not typically offered in general news circulation.  For interested readers, additional resources are included.

We are proud supporters of

The Conservation Alliance

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Climate crimes

Tim DeChristopher-- the climate activist --received a 2 year felony sentence for disrupting a federal auction of oil & gas leases near preserved parklands in southern Utah. He's now in jail. We're not attorneys but other successful bidders in earlier BLM drilling auctions didn't get tried or go to jail for failure to pay. The Huffington Post provided a reasoned perspective on the sentencing and related events here. Whatever the merits or demerits of the trial, we do agree with the ...
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The Inspiration Gap

Here at Riled Up we try to showcase a diversity of discoveries and thoughts about the world of science, exploration, and the excitement, issues, and beauty that can be encountered in such pursuits. National Public Radio has aired a commentary about inspiration and curiosity with the conclusion of NASA's shuttle program. It speaks to the scientific "sparks" that can grab and cultivate a young mind. The astrophysicist, Adam Frank, offers a personal reflection that is worth a listen here: ...
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Mountainfilm in Telluride

For 18 years, I have participated in the ongoing conversation about mountaineering, social action, and the environment known as Mountainfilm in Telluride. It is a remarkable gathering in the remote San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. I'm always thrilled by the engaged lives of those who come to present their latest thinking represented in books, photography, and documentary films. Their inspirational creativity, dedication, and progressive ideas draw us all back to Telluride like ...
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How to Pick Your Pet

[caption id="attachment_4348" align="alignnone" width="296" caption="Squirrel monkeys are cute, but not a great choice for a pet. "][/caption] Most of us had tabby cats or Labrador retrievers, but we probably all knew a kid who had a boa constrictor or a turtle for a pet. Maybe you were that kid, the one who got the expensive terrarium and the iguana? Or are you the parent with the aquarium and the exotic fish? There's more to picking a pet, it turns out, than just finding the most ...
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Record keeping

I once used a boring instrument to take core samples from trees at timberline in the Rocky Mountains. When the cores were examined, they showed growth rings over decades and, in some cases, centuries. Counting the rings, I could determine how much time had elapsed since fires had burned through the forest and allowed surviving trees to regrow. The "record keeping" of the rings helped me understand the long-term ecological events I was trying to interpret. Counting layers in various ...
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Earth Day 2011

We are reminded that Earth Day is today. Two examples illustrate the meaning of this day. Established in 1970, Earth Day was originally intended "to inspire awareness and appreciation of the Earth's natural environment". This was a worthy objective considering our dependence on the natural ecosystems that sustain us all. Today is also the first anniversary of the explosion/sinking of the  Deep Water Horizon drilling platform that resulted in one of the biggest oil spills ever. This ...
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Budget cuts, ugly forests?

The new governor of Maine, Paul LePage, said: “Maine’s working families and small businesses are endangered,” he said. “It is time we start defending the interests of those who want to work and invest in Maine with the same vigor that we defend tree frogs and Canadian lynx.” He's one of many governors working to cut the budgets of environmental regulation. When budgets get tight, the first things to go are the things you think are cosmetic. If you're a CEO, the first thing you ...
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