ECEDC TO CELEBRATE ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY OCT. 25
October 8, 2014 (El Cajon)–The East County Economic Development Council (ECEDC), a local non-profit, business-growth organization founded in 1984, will host its own 30th birthday party with a special celebration from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25, inside an aircraft hangar at High Performance Aircraft, 1850 Joe Crosson Dr., El Cajon. The public is invited to attend. The theme for the 30th anniversary celebration, “Back to the Future,” will showcase a dual focus of highlighting previous successes and looking ahead. Longtime ECEDC members will be recognized during a brief program. Scattered throughout a 20,000-square-foot hanger will be table displays from East County-based companies touting their history of growth. The 30th anniversary celebration will feature food and dessert stations prepared by East County eateries, beer from local breweries, musical entertainment and a door prize drawing. Major sponsors include San Diego Gas & Electric, Cox Communications and the San Diego County Water Authority. Cost to attend is $50 per person (1984 prices). Purchase online tickets, www.EastCountyEDC.org. Sponsorship information is available by contacting Re-al Lewis at (619) 258-3670 or re-al.lewis@eastcountyedc.org. The ECEDC is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting a healthy economic climate and enhanced quality of life in San Diego’s East County region.
WHY SAN DIEGO’S EAST COUNTY IS A GLOBAL WARMING “HOTSPOT”
By Roger Coppock October 7, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) Everybody has heard of global warming. There is at least one article in the news every day. Scientists who study and write about global warming have reasons to say our Earth’s near surface is on average warming. All their instruments are in agreement. During most of the last couple of hundred years things have gotten hotter. Around the Earth are ground stations, white wooden boxes called “Stevenson Screens” with a thermometer and other instruments inside. More than four out of five of the records 30 years or longer from these instruments show increasing temperatures. According to NASA’s gathering of history, the average temperature rise is about 1.2 degrees F per century since 1880. (NASA Goddard Institute For Space Studies, GISTEMP, GLB.Ts+dSST.txt file, J-D AnnMean series) Now let’s look at what two local weather station records have to say. (Data from the United States Historical Climatology Network database for 2013 as supplied by the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Graphs by the author using the R Statistical Package.) Chula Vista temperatures are rising at 3 degrees F every century. Lake Cuyamaca temperatures are jumping up nearly 5 degrees F per century. This is 2.5 and 4 times the global average, respectively! Now, . . . why? The major reason for this warming, both global and local, has been known since the late 19th Century. Mankind’s addition of Carbon Dioxide to the atmosphere from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas makes our atmosphere increasingly opaque to infrared energy leaving the surface of Earth. The Sun heats the surface of the Earth. The Earth’s surface spreads that energy as infrared radiation in all directions. Some of that infrared energy leaves the Earth for outer space, cooling the planet. The rest is trapped by greenhouse gases. The trapped infrared energy heats the atmosphere. The great mathematician Fourier presented an outline of the idea in 1824. However, the first quantitative theory was written by the Nobel Prize winning Chemist, Svante Arrhenius in 1896. (Arrhenius, Svante, 1896. On the Influence of Carbonic Acid in the Air upon the Temperature of the Ground. Philosophical Magazine ser. 5, vol. 41, 237–276. https://nsdl.org/sites/classic_articles/Article4.htm) (“Carbonic Acid” is CO2 dissolved in water.) This 1896 paper makes several predictions about the times and locations of the warming. All of these predictions can now be seen in historical data from ground stations, and other weather instruments. That is a 100% score! Arrhenius was right about nearly everything. Because he did not foresee the explosive rise in fossil fuel use, Arrhenius just underestimated the time the warming would take. (The author gives public talks about global warming theory which cover the Arrhenius’ theory in detail.) One of the predictions made by the modern CO2 greenhouse theory is that dry places warm faster than places with high humidity. There are two reasons for this. First, water vapor is a greenhouse gas that competes with CO2 for infrared energy. ( http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11652-climate-myths-co2-isnt-the-most-important-greenhouse-gas.html ) More water vapor decreases CO2’s effect. Places with less water vapor, like the desert found East of San Diego, unleash CO2’s greenhouse gas effect. Secondly, water vapor forms clouds. Clouds block daytime sunlight, cooling the ground, preventing it radiating infrared at night. This reduces the greenhouse effect, too. So, don’t let anyone tell you that global warming isn’t part of the East County scene. Bone dry East County is “global warming central!” Roger Coppock, a former computer scientist who was forced into retirement by both cancer and ‘death’ on an operating table, became a serious amateur climate scientist while helping his son with a science fair project about global warming. Today, a decade later, he is preparing to ‘decode’ data from NASA’s new Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite. The East County Magazine is nonprofit news in the public interest, supported by our readers. You can help support our nonprofit award-winning media by donating or becoming a sustaining community member. To donate or get more information visit http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/donate .
SOLAR AND WIND ENERGY ARE NOT NECESSARILY GOOD
A Review of the video Good News, from Climate Reality Originally Published in the ECOreport View video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTH3otcW_hs[/embedyt By Roy L Hales October 9, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – “Good News,” from Climate Reality, is good propaganda. The message is clear and, to a large extent, true – only it also perpetuates a myth. Solar and wind energy are not necessarily good, it depends how they are used. Harnessing the wind to produce energy ceases to be a good idea if it is making people sick, or if wind turbines may be eradicating a species like golden eagles. Solar panels are not a good idea if they are forced into unwilling communities, or if building them necessitates the destruction of a local ecosystem. Not too long ago I had a chat with someone from the DOE about some solar farms going on to land considered sacred by Native Americans: Ivanpah, Blythe, Palen, Blythe, McCoy, Genesis. He could not explain why it is necessary to put solar farms there, rather than on brownfield areas. Instead, he acknowledged it was a good question and that he had been given orders “from upstairs.” That is not good enough. One of the most outrageous solar stories comes from Boulevard, California, where retired tugboat captain Don Renard settled because the community plan prohibited industrial development or even dense housing. He and his family enjoyed the solitude, until an industrial solar farm was slated to surround his property. “Why aim 1,500 panels at our house?” he asked East County Magazine. Simplistic equations like “solar = good,” or “wind = good,” are sometimes bad. There have been many reports of people who live close to wind turbines being deprived of sleep, or getting dizzy, or a number of other symptoms. Industry apologists like to dismiss these complaints as imagination. A radiologist found that people living within 1.4 kilometers of the Mars Hill Wind Farm, in Maine, found that noise from the turbines disrupted sleep and had “the potential to harm human health.” The Falmouth Board of Health, in Massachusetts, came to the same conclusion. Follow this link to an ariel photograph sleep deprivation reports from that area. They all occur within 1.4 kilometers of the turbines. A number of bad reports have come to me and, so far, they fall within that radius. Thousands of wind turbines may have been built too close to houses. Kevon Martis told me that every wind turbine in Michigan state is closer than 1.4 kilometers. Industry apologists like to dismiss reports of bird and bat fatalities with statistics about the number of birds that crash into windows or are eaten by pussycats. Firstly, North American studies of turbine kills appear to be flawed. According to Jim Wiegand, of Save The Eagles, the search area has not expanded since wind turbines were 100 feet tall! He said most of the carcasses are being catapulted outside the search area. Furthermore, as reporting is voluntary, Wiegand said you have absurd situations that – on paper – there are virtually no fatalities in Texas (America’s #1 wind state). More important, the real issue is not the numbers but rather the species being killed. Pussycats do not normally eat eagles, nor do eagles crash into many windows. Both Wiegand and industry bird expert David Bittner agree the golden eagle population of Southern California is disappearing. They disagree as to the cause. Comparing their arguments, I find Wiegand’s far more compelling. If he is correct, wind farms may be eradicating a species. It has been almost two years since the Ocotillo Wind Project went online and gigantic dust storms still hit the town when-ever there are strong winds. The problem is not the turbines, but the fact the desert floor was scrapped clean of vegetation in preparation for them. The same kind of preparation is made for solar projects, as you can see in the photo below, and when done over thousands of acres could be releasing more carbon than these projects are supposed to save. The disturbing thing about the myth “wind = good” is that blindly acting out that assumption can lead to some very bad consequences. Cars are “good” – but imagine what would happen if they were manufactured without steering wheels! Solar and wind energy are both good, if used properly. Some critics question the appropriateness of the propeller design used for almost every wind turbine. Some believe that most of the problems with wind technology would be reduced by building facilities 15-50 miles offshore. There would be no worry about setbacks from houses and bird fatalities may be greatly reduced. The winds are generally stronger, which means a better yield. This might be the solution (I do not know). There are incredible utility scale solar success stories, like Yolo county, as well as the phenomenon of rooftop solar. The video “Good News” is actually quite good and, despite my rant, I would recommend watching it. _______________________________________ Photo credits newscaster from the video Geoglyph of the Creator, Ometeotl, at Blythe CA, viewed from an airplane (Click on image to enlarge) – from the Movie “Who Are My People?” Diagram of Bird fatality search area – Courtesy Jim Wiegand White Tailed Sea Eagle Corpse stuck in a tree outside of the search area – Courtesy Save The Eagles Illustration of a solar project’s negative impact on the desert. Note all the vegetation is gone from the lower photo – from Alicia Previn’s book: The Strange Disappearance of Walter Tortoise.
EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS
October 8, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)– East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include: LOCAL Local pastor tells congregation who to vote for (10 News) Judge clears way for trial of border agents over Taser death (KPBS) Grossmont president to lead MiraCosta (UT San Diego) Police Chief Aceves to retire (La Mesa Today) STATE Could ratepayers day be coming soon? Feds investigate secret e-mails between PG&E and CPUC (SD Reader) With dry taps and toilets, California drought turns desperate ( New York Times) Gov. Brown vetoes Sweetwater-inspired reform bill (UT San Diego) Tom Torlakson vs. the corporate education reform machine (SD Free Press) For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down. LOCAL Local pastor tells congregation who to vote for (10 News) A well-known local conservative pastor is getting involved in the heated 52nd Congressional District race between Carl DeMaio and Rep. Scott Peters. Pastor Jim Garlow of Skyline Church is as conservative as they come. Yet in his Sunday sermon, the Wall Street Journal reported that Garlow announced his endorsement of Peters — a Democrat — and encouraged his church members to also vote for Peters. Judge clears way for trial of border agents over Taser death (KPBS) A civil case brought by the relatives of a man who died after being beaten and shot with a Taser by U.S. border agents can go to trial. A federal judge in San Diego ruled against the agents’ request for summary judgment in the case, saying valid questions of constitutional rights were at stake. Grossmont president to lead MiraCosta (UT San Diego) MiraCosta College hires Grossmont College president as new superintendent/president. Police Chief Aceves to retire (La Mesa Today) With almost 30 years with the La Mesa Police Department, Chief Ed Aceves has decided to resign. Aceves said today that he plans to retire as soon as a replacement can be hired. STATE Could ratepayers day be coming soon? Feds investigate secret e-mails between PG&E and CPUC (SD Reader) Things are happening fast and furious over the back-channel communications between Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and officials of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) over the amount PG&E should be assessed for its role in the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion that killed eight people and leveled a neighborhood. PG&E has announced that federal prosecutors are investigating eight years’ worth of emails in which the utility was seeking — and got — pro-utility administrative law judges in the deliberations. With dry taps and toilets, California drought turns desperate ( New York Times) After a nine-hour day working at a citrus packing plant, her body covered in a sheen of fruit wax and dust, there is nothing Angelica Gallegos wants more than a hot shower, with steam to help clear her throat and lungs…But she has not had running water for more than five months — nor is there any tap water in her near future — because of a punishing and relentless drought in California. Gov. Brown vetoes Sweetwater-inspired reform bill (UT San Diego) Gov. Brown on Tuesday vetoed an anti-corruption bill inspired by revelations of a “pay-to-play” culture among contractors and South Bay public officials at Southwestern College, the Sweetwater Union High School District and the San Ysidro School District. Assembly Bill 1431, authored by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, would have banned school and community college administrators from soliciting or accepting campaign donations for their elected officials. Tom Torlakson vs. the corporate education reform machine (SD Free Press) The Most Important Race on the Ballot is the One No One is Talking About.
ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS
October 8, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)– East County Magazine’s World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include: U.S. Justice Dept. will review practice of creating fake Facebook profiles (Washington Post) Dems ask for hearing on Ebola response funding (The Hill) Contact lost with planes one by one as FAA fire spread (Bloomberg News) Sen. Warren: We Need Regulators Who ‘Work For The American People’ (NPR) Walmart cuts healthcare for 30,000 workers (The Hill) Oklahoma reconsiders energy plans (Spokesman) WORLD North Korea, already under U.N. sanctions, prepares launch site for longer-range rockets (Reuters) Kobane: IS and Syria Kurds in fierce gun battle (BBC) Hong Kong’s ‘Umbrella Revolution’: the politest protests ever? (CS Monitor) Special Report: In ‘Umbrella Revolution,’ China confronts limits of its power (Reuters) UN: At least 1,119 Iraqis killed in September (UT San Diego) At least 10 people killed in shelling on and near school in Ukraine’s Donetsk: city authorities (Reuters) For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down. U.S. Justice Dept. will review practice of creating fake Facebook profiles (Washington Post) The Justice Department said Tuesday that it will review federal law enforcement practices in light of an incident in which a federal agent used a woman’s photographs and other personal information to create a fake Facebook account as part of a drug investigation. Dems ask for hearing on Ebola response funding (The Hill) Democrats on a House Appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are calling for a hearing on funding to combat the Ebola outbreak. Contact lost with planes one by one as FAA fire spread (Bloomberg News) The first radio links with pilots were lost just as the pre-dawn crush of flights into Chicago began. Air-traffic controllers in a nondescript Federal Aviation Administration building about 40 miles from the city switched to backup channels. Then those failed. They tried emergency connections, which also went dead. Within minutes, radar feeds, flight plans and other data controllers rely on to direct more than 6,000 aircraft a day above five U.S. states had vanished as a fire was being set in a communications room one floor below. Sen. Warren: We Need Regulators Who ‘Work For The American People’ (NPR) Elizabeth Warren tells NPR that newly released recordings of conversations by Federal Reserve officials show that the same kind of cozy relationships that led to the 2008 meltdown have continued. Walmart cuts healthcare for 30,000 workers (The Hill) Wal-Mart is eliminating health coverage for roughly 30,000 U.S. employees who work less than 30 hours a week, according to a report. The decision by the largest private employer in America is a response to a rise in projected healthcare costs and a lower-than-expected number of workers enrolled in ObamaCare’s coverage options. Oklahoma reconsiders energy plans (Spokesman) …now that wind turbines stand tall across many parts of the nation’s windy heartland, some leaders in Oklahoma and other states fear their efforts succeeded too well, attracting an industry that gobbles up huge subsidies, draws frequent complaints and uses its powerful lobby to resist any reforms. The tension could have broad implications for the expansion of wind power in other parts of the country. WORLD North Korea, already under U.N. sanctions, prepares launch site for longer-range rockets: report (Reuters) North Korea, already heavily sanctioned by the United Nations for its missile and nuclear tests, has completed a major overhaul of its rocket launch site, a U.S. think tank said on Thursday, enabling it to fire larger, longer-range rockets. Kobane: IS and Syria Kurds in fierce gun battle (BBC) Kurdish fighters are engaged in fierce gun battles with Islamic State (IS) in the Syrian border town of Kobane, as US-led coalition air strikes continue. In its latest report, the US Central Command said six air strikes had destroyed IS weaponry around Kobane. Hong Kong’s ‘Umbrella Revolution’: the politest protests ever? (CS Monitor) The future of China could depend on a bunch of kids, some of them so young they need their parents’ permission to stay out late to demonstrate / If the pro-democracy protesters now blocking the streets of Hong Kong end up winning their demand for a more open electoral system, they will have forced the Chinese Communist Party to back down – an achievement nobody else has managed since the 1949 revolution put Mao Zedong in power. Special Report: In ‘Umbrella Revolution,’ China confronts limits of its power (Reuters) In the heart of Mong Kok, one of the most densely populated districts on earth, an abandoned Hong Kong police van is enveloped in the student-led demonstrations paralyzing swathes of the city. Along with yellow ribbons and flowers, symbols of the city’s pro-democracy movement, protesters have taped a hand-written placard in Chinese and English to the side of the locked and undamaged vehicle. … UN: At least 1,119 Iraqis killed in September (UT San Diego) The United Nations said Wednesday that at least 1,119 Iraqis died in violence in September but that the real figure was likely much higher since the reported death toll did not include killings in areas controlled by the Islamic State group. At least 10 people killed in shelling on and near school in Ukraine’s Donetsk: city authorities (Reuters) At least 10 people were killed on Wednesday when shells hit a school playground and a mini-van in a nearby street in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, city authorities and Reuters witnesses said.
JUDGE RULES INTRUSIVE MEDICAL EXAMS BY COUNTY ON CHILDREN ARE ILLEGAL
October 6, 2014 (San Diego)–The County is violating constitutional rights of children and their parents by conducting intrusive medical exams on youngsters, federal judge Thomas Whelan has ruled. The examinations have been routinely conducted on all children brought to the Polinsky Children’s Center, the county’s emergency shelter by social workers, UT San Diego reports. The tests include genital and anal exams, or what amounts to strip searches without parental notification or consent. Back in 2013, CityBeat reported on the problem and indicated that 2,000 children a year are placed in the county center. The article documented past legal cases in which federal courts have imposed limits on intrusive medical exams of children. The suit was filed by parents of a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old child who were taken from their home by county social workers in 2011 after one of the children was reportedly injured at a day care center. The family’s doctors had examined the children and did not suspect abuse, but the children were removed by the county anyway. The young children underwent the intrusive exams of their private areas, as well as drug tests and a skeletal exam on one of the children. Steven and Joanna Swartwood sued the County. Their lawyer contends that the exams, which the County has conducted on all children entering the facility for the past 10 years, amount to an illegal search for evidence against parents disguised as medical checks for diseases or other health issues. Parents do sign a consent form but are not told about the invasive nature of the exam, nor that medical treatment is generally not offered at the facility except in cases such as a contagious condition. Charles Wilson, executive director of Rady’s Chadwick Center for Children and Families, has previously said that the purpose of the county’s exams is to assure good medical health, adding that they’re similar to a thorough medical examination in any good pediatric checkup, CityBeat reported. But Judge Whelan agreed that with the parents’ lawyer that these searches are investigatory in nature and violate children’s protections against illegal searches. If the exams are halted, how might the County obtain proof of suspected abuse, to assure that children who are being molested can be protected? The family’s attorney contends that instead of doing genital exams and other intrusive procedures on all children in the facility, the County should obtain a court order first if there is reasonable cause to suspect sexual abuse. No trial date has been set yet in the case. UT San Diego reports that the family’s attorney, Donnie Cox, says the County has ignored prior federal court rulings, which held that such exams cannot be done. He aims to seek a temporary restraining order against the county to stop all exams at the Polinsky Children’s Center, except those that are clearly medically necessary. A spokesman for Supervisor Dianne Jacob told ECM that the county counsel’s office is reviewing the Whelan ruling and the Board of Supervisors will take it up at their next closed session.
EARLY VOTING BEGINS FOR NOV. 4 ELECTION
October 6, 2014 (San Diego)–Voters interested in casting their ballots early for the Nov. 4 Gubernatorial General Election can now do so at the County Registrar of Voters new office at 5600 Overland Ave. in Kearny Mesa. Early voting began Monday and will continue from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and until the polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day. The office also will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 for weekend voting. Approximately 850,000 mail ballots were sent out through the post office Monday and voters could find them in their mailboxes starting Tuesday. Voters who requested them are urged to act on them right away. Registrar Michael Vu states, “If you know how you want to vote, grab that mail ballot when you get it, vote it and send it back in right away. The sooner we get the ballot back, the sooner we can start processing it so it will be counted right when the polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 4.” Mail ballots are convenient for voters who’d rather not make a special trip to the Registrar of Voter’s office to cast their ballots or wait for the polls to open on Election Day. The Registrar is also offering another option. Starting Oct. 27 through Nov. 3, voters will be able to swing by any one of 15 locations located throughout the County to drop-off their completed mail ballots. An insert with locations and additional information has been added to each mail ballot packet. Registered voters can request a mail ballot until Oct. 28. Meantime, the Registrar is still looking for poll workers especially bilingual poll workers. For more information, call (858) 565-5800 or visit sdvote.com.
DEPUTY INJURED IN SR-94 MOTORCYCLE CRASH
October 7, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Alcarion, 28, has suffered major injuries in a motorcycle accident this morning. According to the California Highway Patrol, Deputy Alcarion was riding his motorcycle westbound on State Route 94 east of Euclid on his way to work at 7:05 a.m. when he struck the right rear of a Nissan Titan, lost control and was knocked off his motorcycle. A large truck then hit the Deputy, who was transported to Scripps Mercy Hospital. Assigned to the downtown courts, Deputy Alcarion has served with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department for a little over a year.
CRASH GROUNDS 22 CAL-FIRE AIR TANKERS
East County News Service October 8, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)—Amid peak fire season, a fatal crash has grounded all of California’s 22 S-2T air tankers, the Los Angeles Times Reports. That’s troubling news in San Diego, where the two worst wildfires in the state’s history both occurred in late October. Yesterday, an air tanker battling the Dog Rock Fire in Yosemite National Park crashed, killing the pilot. The cause is not yet known and the tankers will remain grounded until officials deem that they are safe, according to Daniel Berlant with CAL-FIRE. The tankers are capable of carrying up to 1,200 gallons of fire retardant each. Temporary grounding of the remaining 22 S-2T tankers leaves CAL-FIRE with 11 UH-1H Super Huey helicopters and 14 OV-10A airtactical aircraft. The aircraft can reach most fires within 20 minutes from 13 air attack and nie Helitack bases statewide, according to CAL FIRE’s website. The grounded tanker planes are former Navy aircraft retrofitted for firefighting, including addition of turbine prop engines. A California Highway Patrol witnessed the accident and said the plane appeared to hit a canyon wall during an air drop. “This crash under scores just how inherently dangerous wildland firefighting is and the job is further compounded this year by extreme fire conditions,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, CAL FIRE director. “We have secured the crash site and will be cooperating with the NTSB on their investigation.” The pilot worked for DynCorp International, which also does maintenance on CAL FIRE’S planes. The name of the pilot has not yet been released pending notification of family members. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the pilot’s family during this difficult time,” said Jeff Cavarra, program director for DynCorp.
BLOOD MOON RISING
by Miriam Raftery October 8, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) — Tom Lemon snapped this dazzling shot of this morning’s blood moon, an unusual type of eclipse in which the moon appears red or orange. The red color of the moon is caused by a shadow cast by the earth. If you missed this morning’s sighting, two more blood moons will occur next year on April 4 and September 28, 2015. These will be the last of four blood moons occuring over a 16 month interval. It is rare to have so many total eclipses in a single year, says NASA. In fact you would have to go back 300 years in time before the 20th century to find a similar pattern. A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth casts a shadow that blocks sunlight that normally reflects off of the moon. A total lunar eclipse can only happen when the sun, Earth and moon are perfectly aligned. During the time of total eclipse, the moon will often look reddish due to red and orange light being scattered by the atmosphere. This eerie, harmless effect has earned the tongue-in-cheek nickname “blood moon.” For more details on blood moons including the upcoming viewings next year, visit http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OH2014.html Watch an educational video about lunar eclipses at http://www.nasa.gov/watchtheskies/lunar-eclipse-oct-2014.html