Caribou

Early warning signals of the global warming that is predicted by many scientists could be found among musk oxen and caribou in Greenland, according to U.S. and Danish researchers. Though separated by 600 miles and a continental ice sheet, the populations of the two wild animals fluctuated in similar ways in response to natural changes in long-term weather patterns in the North Atlantic, according to an article in this week's Nature. Researchers from Penn State University and the University of Copenhagen say Greenland's herds of caribou and musk oxen increased and dropped based on weather conditions created by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)

I was beginning to wonder if Wednesday was April Fools day when I read Robert H. Nelson's op ed piece, "A missed opportunity on energy" (Feb. 17). There is so much to raise the ire of many of us who are defenders of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (degrogatorily dismissed as ANWR) in his piece that it is hard to know where to begin. First, I am speaking as someone who has had the privilege of rafting down the Kongakut River, the easternmost river of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that empties into the Beaufort Sea. My defense of that spectacular area is not from religious zealotry.

As chairman and chief executive of Minneapolis-based Caribou Coffee, Michael J. Coles is tackling a difficult challenge - trying to defeat a persistent 2-year-old Internet rumor that the chain of coffee shops is linked to Islamic terrorists. "Things on the Internet don't go away," said Coles, who explained that the rumor is hurting sales at stores in communities with Jewish populations and could threaten Caribou Coffee Company Inc.'s expansion plans. Not dealing effectively with rumors can alienate customers and hurt the bottom line.

Deborah Williams and Rick Welshans opened a Coffee Beanery franchise in 2004 and experienced problems right from the start. Their store, at 2641 Riva Road in Annapolis, hemorrhaged money, and an arbitrator denied their claims to recover their losses. They have been scrambling to avoid financial ruin and were scheduled to testify yesterday before a House committee on a bill to limit the role of arbitration in consumer contracts. Their experience with arbitration is an example of how the system can be biased against consumers, the bill's supporters say. The couple's story starts in 2003, when Welshans was laid off from his job as a sales representative for Rohm and Haas, a chemical manufacturer.

What it is -- A new ultra-dark brew from Caribou Coffee What we like about it --Obsidian impressed us with its robustness as well as its smooth finish. Have to bypass caffeine? We also enjoyed the pure flavor of Caribou's decaf feinated varieties, which are all processed with a chemical-free water system. What it costs --$13 per pound Where to buy --Available at Caribou outlets and at cari boucoffee.com

THE REPUBLICAN congressional drive to weaken environmental laws continues with riders tacked onto crucial agency appropriations and budget bills. Near the top of this list is the budget reconciliation provision to allow oil drilling and exploitation in the fragile coastal plain wilderness of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.Pushed by Alaska politicians to restore their dwindling oil-revenue kitty that pays annual $1,000 entitlements to all state taxpayers (who also pay no sales or income taxes)

Boy, am I in trouble with the Hoosiers. "Hoosiers," of course, is what people from Indiana proudly call themselves, and for an excellent reason, which I will explain shortly. Unfortunately, I managed to get a batch of Hoosiers very upset recently, when I wrote a column about which is the stupidest state. For the record, I did not say that Indiana is the stupidest state. I believe that many states, including mine, are stupider than Indiana. What I did say -- and I now realize that I was wrong -- was that "Hoosier" is a stupid nickname.

NOME, ALASKA - About 3,500 reindeer take off across the snow-covered tundra in a big, tan-colored clump, running away from Larry Davis and the buzz of his snow machine. With a little prodding, they go anywhere he wants, these 4-foot-tall, 300-pound animals whose meat and antlers have provided income, jobs and a way of life for Inupiat Eskimos here for more than 100 years. This year, though, the domesticated reindeer have been running off with their wild cousins, the caribou of the Western Arctic herd, instead of sticking around to chew lichen poking out of the snow that still blankets the northern part of the state.

"Store your coffee in an airtight, opaque container at room temperature. Freezers and refrigerators are full of odors that will be absorbed into your coffee. Refrigeration and freezing can also cause condensation on the coffee, causing the flavor to further deteriorate." Caribou Coffee Co. mrbreakfast.com Can't get enough breakfast? This site, anchored by a Los Angeles cooking-school graduate who calls himself Mr. Breakfast, offers recipes, restaurant reviews and articles such as "300 Ways to Enjoy Toast."

FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- In the great forests near here, the state has begun killing wolves by the dozens -- trying to reduce predators and save caribou for human hunters.To the displeasure of almost everyone involved, the wolves are being slain in the worst of ways, causing suffering and social disruption among these highly organized and rare creatures.Political compromise and worry about national reaction have brought Alaska to this unhappy pass. A hotblooded clash between hunters, environmentalists and animal protectionists is now also a tale about the fickle attention of the news media and the torturous maneuverings by both sides to shape public opinion.

As a clean and articulate man, I was surprised to see the "Biden for President" movement run over a bicycle while backing out of the driveway and then take out the gladiolas, but there it was, and the distinguished gentleman from Delaware had to go on Comedy Central to explain himself and then clarify his explanations. All of us little macacas derive some pleasure from this, of course, seeing big guys stumble. It's Darwinism in action. Your head gets too big and your pants too tight and you trip and fall down.

"Store your coffee in an airtight, opaque container at room temperature. Freezers and refrigerators are full of odors that will be absorbed into your coffee. Refrigeration and freezing can also cause condensation on the coffee, causing the flavor to further deteriorate." Caribou Coffee Co. mrbreakfast.com Can't get enough breakfast? This site, anchored by a Los Angeles cooking-school graduate who calls himself Mr. Breakfast, offers recipes, restaurant reviews and articles such as "300 Ways to Enjoy Toast."

What it is -- A new ultra-dark brew from Caribou Coffee What we like about it --Obsidian impressed us with its robustness as well as its smooth finish. Have to bypass caffeine? We also enjoyed the pure flavor of Caribou's decaf feinated varieties, which are all processed with a chemical-free water system. What it costs --$13 per pound Where to buy --Available at Caribou outlets and at cari boucoffee.com

In 1985, I lost myself in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Wild grizzlies gamboled shyly above camp, Arctic char dimpled the rivers and Dall sheep avalanched down mountainsides. I did not see the threat posed to the refuge by global warming. I had no idea that over the next 20 years scientists would predict the disappearance of the Brooks Range glaciers, that I would see acres of coast collapsing into the sea as permafrost foundations melted, that year-round ice would begin disappearing from the rivers or that the caribou herd would be reduced because of changes in snow cover.

As chairman and chief executive of Minneapolis-based Caribou Coffee, Michael J. Coles is tackling a difficult challenge - trying to defeat a persistent 2-year-old Internet rumor that the chain of coffee shops is linked to Islamic terrorists. "Things on the Internet don't go away," said Coles, who explained that the rumor is hurting sales at stores in communities with Jewish populations and could threaten Caribou Coffee Company Inc.'s expansion plans. Not dealing effectively with rumors can alienate customers and hurt the bottom line.

The World Walid Ba'Attash, an al-Qaida operative thought to have played a role in the Sept. 11 attacks and the bombing of the destroyer USS Cole, was arrested in Pakistan along with five other suspected al-Qaida figures. All U.S. combat forces will be withdrawn from Saudi Arabia by the end of the summer, the Defense Department said. An Iraqi lawyer who helped in the rescue of POW Jessica Lynch was granted asylum in the United States along with his wife and daughter. At least 17 Iraqis in the town of Falluja were killed when U.S. troops, who said they were under fire, fired on demonstrators.

ARCTIC VILLAGE, Alaska -- In this tiny mountain village of log cabins, snowy paths dotted with spruce trees, one shower and one laundry facility, life is as peaceful and primitive as it gets in the United States. Here, just south of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, live 125 Gwich'in Indians, people who for centuries have lived off the caribou that migrate through their land each year on their way to and from calving grounds in the refuge. In many ways, the Gwich'in still live as their ancestors did, in houses that have no running water or indoor heating.

I was beginning to wonder if Wednesday was April Fools day when I read Robert H. Nelson's op ed piece, "A missed opportunity on energy" (Feb. 17). There is so much to raise the ire of many of us who are defenders of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (degrogatorily dismissed as ANWR) in his piece that it is hard to know where to begin. First, I am speaking as someone who has had the privilege of rafting down the Kongakut River, the easternmost river of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that empties into the Beaufort Sea. My defense of that spectacular area is not from religious zealotry.

Boy, am I in trouble with the Hoosiers. "Hoosiers," of course, is what people from Indiana proudly call themselves, and for an excellent reason, which I will explain shortly. Unfortunately, I managed to get a batch of Hoosiers very upset recently, when I wrote a column about which is the stupidest state. For the record, I did not say that Indiana is the stupidest state. I believe that many states, including mine, are stupider than Indiana. What I did say -- and I now realize that I was wrong -- was that "Hoosier" is a stupid nickname.

Early warning signals of the global warming that is predicted by many scientists could be found among musk oxen and caribou in Greenland, according to U.S. and Danish researchers. Though separated by 600 miles and a continental ice sheet, the populations of the two wild animals fluctuated in similar ways in response to natural changes in long-term weather patterns in the North Atlantic, according to an article in this week's Nature. Researchers from Penn State University and the University of Copenhagen say Greenland's herds of caribou and musk oxen increased and dropped based on weather conditions created by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)