Reverend Larry Dentler of the Bermudian Church of the Brethren baptizes Joel Miller in a creek behind their church in East Berlin, Pennsylvania, USA, 26 June, 2011. Like the Amish and Mennonites, the Brethren immigrated to central Pennsylvania in the 18th century after fleeing religious persecution in Germany. In the US they became known as 'Dunkers,' a term derived from the German tunken, 'to dip or immerse,' that characterized the church's baptismal method. One of the American South's most symbolic religious traditions is making a comeback. Outdoor baptisms, popularized in the 18th century by African slaves, had all but disappeared by the 1950s with the rise of indoor baptismal pools. Yet an increasing number of Baptist churches are forsaking the safety and convenience of these pools for nearby rivers, lakes, oceans, and even fire hoses. 'It's a re-discovery,' says Gregory Hughes, Pastor of True Life Ministries, which holds an annual ocean baptism in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. 'It's a way to embrace tradition while renewing our spirit.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
The trunks of dying palm trees rise from from the shores of Salton Sea Beach, California, USA, 19 January 2011. Erosion and high toxicity levels from farm runoff has left the Salton Sea increasingly contaminated, and lake-side towns like this one all but deserted. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin greets motorcycle riders in the parking lot of the Pentagon before Rolling Thunder's annual "Ride For Freedom" in Arlington, VA, USA on 29 May, 2011. Palin is kicking off a weeks-long bus tour across America, inciting speculation that she may run for president in 2012. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
A safety net to catch debris at the Washington National Cathedral reflects light coming in through stained glass windows in Washington, DC, USA, 01 September 2011. The National Cathedral was damaged by a 5.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the East Coast on 23 August. President Barack Obama will speak at a service at the cathedral on 11 September in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
A photo made available 05 September 2011 shows Robey Harrison (R), a member of the 'Signs' Pentecostal denomination, an amalgam of Christianity and folk beliefs unique to Appalachia, anoints Betty Payne (C) with oil during an evening service at the Church of the Lord Jesus in Jolo, West Virginia, USA, 03 September 2011. The church hosts one of the last Signs denominations in the country, which encourages worshippers to speak in tongues and to handle serpents. Popular throughout Appalachia in the 1920s, the practice is rooted in a Biblical passage from the Book of Mark. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Dead tilapia float in the Salton Sea near Salton Sea Beach, California, USA, 19 January 2011. Erosion and high toxicity levels from farm runoff has left the Salton Sea increasingly contaminated, causing massive fish die-offs, and lake-side towns to become all but deserted. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Members of the Knights of the Southern Cross of the Ku Klux Klan (KSCKKK), joined by members of other Virginia klan orders, wait to begin a cross lighting ceremony on private property near Powhatan, Virginia, USA, 28 May 2011. The Invisible Empire is experiencing a revival in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three chapters of the Ku Klux Klan have reemerged in the state, holding rallies, lighting crosses, and seeking new members. Anger over gay rights, racial changes in the population, and a black president are frequent refrains at these rallies. Yet Klan members say they are not about hate, but about taking pride in their own race. 'The blacks have the NAACP [The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People], the Mexicans La Raza, and the Jews have the ADL [the Anti-Defamation League],' says Stan Martin of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. 'We whites have the Ku Klux Klan.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Dr. Will Arrington (L) and Pastor Gregory Hughes (R), both of True Life Ministries, a Baptist church near Atlanta, prepare to baptize LaDonna Jones (C) in the Atlantic Ocean during an event they called 'Baptism 2011: The Year of Rededication' at St. Simon's Island, Georgia, USA, 18 June 2011. One of the American South's most symbolic religious traditions is making a comeback. Outdoor baptisms, popularized in the 18th century by African slaves, had all but disappeared by the 1950s with the rise of indoor baptismal pools. Yet an increasing number of Baptist churches are forsaking the safety and convenience of these pools for nearby rivers, lakes, oceans, and even fire hoses. 'It's a re-discovery,' says Gregory Hughes, Pastor of True Life Ministries, which holds an annual ocean baptism in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. 'It's a way to embrace tradition while renewing our spirit.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
A teenage visitor to The Ramp, a non-denominational ministry popular with Christian youths, goes into a trance-like state, weeping and speaking in tongues after being baptized in a pond during one of The Ramp's bi-monthly summer 'gatherings' in Hamilton, Alabama, USA, 30 July 2011. One of the American South's most symbolic religious traditions is making a comeback. Outdoor baptisms, popularized in the 18th century by African slaves, had all but disappeared by the 1950s with the rise of indoor baptismal pools. Yet an increasing number of Baptist churches are forsaking the safety and convenience of these pools for nearby rivers, lakes, oceans, and even fire hoses. 'It's a re-discovery,' says Gregory Hughes, Pastor of True Life Ministries, which holds an annual ocean baptism in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. 'It's a way to embrace tradition while renewing our spirit.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Numerous Republican Senators and House members hold a news conference to accept over 1.6 million petitions from American citizens who are urging Congress to immediately repeal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA, on 05 October 2011. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Members and supporters of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan raise their arms during a salute prior to a cross lighting on private property near Martinsville, Virginia, USA, 02 July 2011. The Invisible Empire is experiencing a revival in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three chapters of the Ku Klux Klan have reemerged in the state, holding rallies, lighting crosses, and seeking new members. Anger over gay rights, racial changes in the population, and a black president are frequent refrains at these rallies. Yet Klan members say they are not about hate, but about taking pride in their own race. 'The blacks have the NAACP [The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People], the Mexicans La Raza, and the Jews have the ADL [the Anti-Defamation League],' says Stan Martin of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. 'We whites have the Ku Klux Klan.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
U.S. Republican Speaker of the House from Ohio, John Boehner, looks at the media after commenting Representative Ryan's FY2012 budget proposal following a Republican caucus in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, USA, on 15 April 2011. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
A file picture dated 22 July 2011 shows a Christian youth attending an annual beach gathering called 'A Closer Walk,' getting smacked by a wave while being baptized in the Atlantic Ocean in Wildwood, New Jersey, USA. One of the American South's most symbolic religious traditions is making a comeback. Outdoor baptisms, popularized in the 18th century by African slaves, had all but disappeared by the 1950s with the rise of indoor baptismal pools. Yet an increasing number of Baptist churches are forsaking the safety and convenience of these pools for nearby rivers, lakes, oceans, and even fire hoses. 'It's a re-discovery,' says Gregory Hughes, Pastor of True Life Ministries, which holds an annual ocean baptism in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. 'It's a way to embrace tradition while renewing our spirit.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Members of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan light their torches during a cross lighting ceremony on private property near Martinsville, Virginia, USA, 02 July 2011. The Invisible Empire is experiencing a revival in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three chapters of the Ku Klux Klan have reemerged in the state, holding rallies, lighting crosses, and seeking new members. Anger over gay rights, racial changes in the population, and a black president are frequent refrains at these rallies. Yet Klan members say they are not about hate, but about taking pride in their own race. 'The blacks have the NAACP [The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People], the Mexicans La Raza, and the Jews have the ADL [the Anti-Defamation League],' says Stan Martin of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. 'We whites have the Ku Klux Klan.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Members of the United House of Prayer For All People are baptized by fire hose, a church tradition since 1926, at the end of the church's annual convocation in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC, USA, 29 August 2010. Unlike others Christians who look at baptism as a one-time event, members of the United House of Prayer believe in being re-baptized every year. One of the American South's most symbolic religious traditions is making a comeback. Outdoor baptisms, popularized in the 18th century by African slaves, had all but disappeared by the 1950s with the rise of indoor baptismal pools. Yet an increasing number of Baptist churches are forsaking the safety and convenience of these pools for nearby rivers, lakes, oceans, and even fire hoses. 'It's a re-discovery,' says Gregory Hughes, Pastor of True Life Ministries, which holds an annual ocean baptism in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. 'It's a way to embrace tradition while renewing our spirit.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
A dead oak tree glows under a full moon in a salt pan on the southern end of the Salton Sea near Niland, California, USA
Photographer: JIM LO SCALZO
President Barack Obama prepares to deliver his much-anticipated jobs speech to a joint session of Congress in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, USA on 08 September, 2011. President Obama used the speech to pressure Congress to pass his $300 billion jobs bill, a plan he believes will create jobs, and perhaps preserve his own. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
The Imperial Wizard of Virgil's White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Gary Delp participates in a cross lighting ceremony in Dungannon, Virginia, USA, 17 September 2011. The Invisible Empire is experiencing a revival in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three chapters of the Ku Klux Klan have reemerged in the state, holding rallies, lighting crosses, and seeking new members. Anger over gay rights, racial changes in the population, and a black president are frequent refrains at these rallies. Yet Klan members say they are not about hate, but about taking pride in their own race. 'The blacks have the NAACP [The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People], the Mexicans La Raza, and the Jews have the ADL [the Anti-Defamation League],' says Stan Martin of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. 'We whites have the Ku Klux Klan.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
The pastors and deacons of five baptists churches in Louisiana and Mississippi wade into Lake Providence to baptize new congregants during an annual summer revival in Lake Providence, Louisiana, USA, 31 July 2011. Baptist churches flourish in the region, which is one of the poorest in the country. One of the American South's most symbolic religious traditions is making a comeback. Outdoor baptisms, popularized in the 18th century by African slaves, had all but disappeared by the 1950s with the rise of indoor baptismal pools. Yet an increasing number of Baptist churches are forsaking the safety and convenience of these pools for nearby rivers, lakes, oceans, and even fire hoses. 'It's a re-discovery,' says Gregory Hughes, Pastor of True Life Ministries, which holds an annual ocean baptism in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. 'It's a way to embrace tradition while renewing our spirit.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Juanita and Jerry Tignor are married in a Klan wedding, ministered by Gary Delp (C), Imperial Wizard of Virgil's White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, after a cross lighting ceremony in Dungannon, Virginia, USA, 11 June 2011. The Invisible Empire is experiencing a revival in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three chapters of the Ku Klux Klan have reemerged in the state, holding rallies, lighting crosses, and seeking new members. Anger over gay rights, racial changes in the population, and a black president are frequent refrains at these rallies. Yet Klan members say they are not about hate, but about taking pride in their own race. 'The blacks have the NAACP [The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People], the Mexicans La Raza, and the Jews have the ADL [the Anti-Defamation League],' says Stan Martin of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. 'We whites have the Ku Klux Klan.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Waves and storm surge in the Atlantic Ocean are seen from the porch of a beachfront house as Hurricane Irene strikes the Outer Banks in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USA on August 27, 2011. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center rate Irene a category 2 storm with winds in excess of 105 mph (169 kph). EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Members and supporters of Virgil's White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, including Ernie Campbell (on horseback) and Imperial Wizard Gary Delp (purple robe), march through town during a Fourth of July weekend 'Mountain Treasures Festival' in Dungannon, Virginia, USA, 02 July 2011. The Invisible Empire is experiencing a revival in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three chapters of the Ku Klux Klan have reemerged in the state, holding rallies, lighting crosses, and seeking new members. Anger over gay rights, racial changes in the population, and a black president are frequent refrains at these rallies. Yet Klan members say they are not about hate, but about taking pride in their own race. 'The blacks have the NAACP [The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People], the Mexicans La Raza, and the Jews have the ADL [the Anti-Defamation League],' says Stan Martin of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. 'We whites have the Ku Klux Klan.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
The First Baptist Church of Richmond, Virginia, holds its '2nd Annual River Baptism' in the James River in Henrico, Virginia, USA, 09 August 2010. One of the American South's most symbolic religious traditions is making a comeback. Outdoor baptisms, popularized in the 18th century by African slaves, had all but disappeared by the 1950s with the rise of indoor baptismal pools. Yet an increasing number of Baptist churches are forsaking the safety and convenience of these pools for nearby rivers, lakes, oceans, and even fire hoses. 'It's a re-discovery,' says Gregory Hughes, Pastor of True Life Ministries, which holds an annual ocean baptism in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. 'It's a way to embrace tradition while renewing our spirit.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Two female members of the Knights of the Southern Cross of the Ku Klux Klan (KSCKKK) dawn their robes and hoods inside the home of a KSCKKK member just before the start of a cross lighting ceremony on private property near Powhatan, Virginia, USA, 28 May 2011. The Invisible Empire is experiencing a revival in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three chapters of the Ku Klux Klan have reemerged in the state, holding rallies, lighting crosses, and seeking new members. Anger over gay rights, racial changes in the population, and a black president are frequent refrains at these rallies. Yet Klan members say they are not about hate, but about taking pride in their own race. 'The blacks have the NAACP [The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People], the Mexicans La Raza, and the Jews have the ADL [the Anti-Defamation League],' says Stan Martin of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. 'We whites have the Ku Klux Klan.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
The US Capitol is seen on a gray morning on the day the Super Committee was to have presented their agreement to cut 1.2 trillion US dollars from the federal budget over the next decade in Washington, DC, USA 21 November 2011. Indications are that the Committee has failed, with members bracing for political fallout. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Members of the United House of Prayer For All People are baptized by fire hose, a church tradition since 1926, at the end of the church's annual convocation in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, 22 August 2010. Unlike others Christians who look at baptism as a one-time event, members of the United House of Prayer believe in being re-baptized every year. One of the American South's most symbolic religious traditions is making a comeback. Outdoor baptisms, popularized in the 18th century by African slaves, had all but disappeared by the 1950s with the rise of indoor baptismal pools. Yet an increasing number of Baptist churches are forsaking the safety and convenience of these pools for nearby rivers, lakes, oceans, and even fire hoses. 'It's a re-discovery,' says Gregory Hughes, Pastor of True Life Ministries, which holds an annual ocean baptism in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. 'It's a way to embrace tradition while renewing our spirit.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
An abandoned building sits in a salt pan near Bombay Beach, California, USA, 20 January 2011. Erosion and high toxicity levels from farm runoff has left the nearby Salton Sea increasingly contaminated, and lake-side towns like this one all but deserted. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
US President Barack Obama shakes the hands of tourists visiting the Lincoln Memorial during a surprise visit a day after budget negotiations with Congress prevented a government shutdown in Washington, DC, USA on 09 April, 2011. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
A deserted area of Salton Sea Beach is lit by a full moon in southern California, USA, 19 January 2011. Erosion and high toxicity levels from farm runoff has left the nearby Salton Sea increasingly contaminated, and lake-side towns like this one all but abandoned. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Discarded clothes form a carpet in the desert in a homeless encampment called 'Slab City' near Niland, California, USA, 21 January 2011. Erosion and high toxicity levels from farm runoff has left the nearby Salton Sea increasingly contaminated, and lake-side towns all but deserted. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Members of Virgil's White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, watched by the daughter of a member (background), lift a tree trunk that they chopped down, and which they will fashion into a cross, in preparation for a cross lighting ceremony on private property in Dungannon, Virginia, USA, 11 June 2011. The Invisible Empire is experiencing a revival in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three chapters of the Ku Klux Klan have reemerged in the state, holding rallies, lighting crosses, and seeking new members. Anger over gay rights, racial changes in the population, and a black president are frequent refrains at these rallies. Yet Klan members say they are not about hate, but about taking pride in their own race. 'The blacks have the NAACP [The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People], the Mexicans La Raza, and the Jews have the ADL [the Anti-Defamation League],' says Stan Martin of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. 'We whites have the Ku Klux Klan.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
A street sign marks the end of the road in Salton City, California, USA
Republican Representative from Arkansas Tim Griffin (R), followed by reporters and other freshman Republicans, walks to a press conference where he threw his support to Speaker Boehner's budget bill during outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, USA, 28 July, 2011. The House was expected to vote on Boehner's budget plan on 28 July. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Hundreds of visitors to The Ramp, a non-denominational ministry popular with Christian youths, are baptized in a pond during one of The Ramp's bi-monthly summer 'gatherings' in Hamilton, Alabama, USA, 30 July 2011. During their baptism, many of the teenage candidates appear to enter a trance-like state, weeping and speaking in tongues. One of the American South's most symbolic religious traditions is making a comeback. Outdoor baptisms, popularized in the 18th century by African slaves, had all but disappeared by the 1950s with the rise of indoor baptismal pools. Yet an increasing number of Baptist churches are forsaking the safety and convenience of these pools for nearby rivers, lakes, oceans, and even fire hoses. 'It's a re-discovery,' says Gregory Hughes, Pastor of True Life Ministries, which holds an annual ocean baptism in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. 'It's a way to embrace tradition while renewing our spirit.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
A view of one of many abandoned homes near Bombay Beach, California, USA, 21 January 2011. Erosion and high toxicity levels from farm runoff has left the nearby Salton Sea increasingly contaminated, and lake-side towns like this one all but deserted. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Pastors Danny Holdren (back L) and Richard Hall (back R) of the Valley Cowboy Church baptize Jessica Nelson (back C) in the Maury River while Nelson's partner, Michelle Martin (R) and other church members look on in Glasgow, Virginia, 26 June, 2011. A non-denominational church originally founded for rodeo cowboys, the Cowboy Church now serves farmers, ranchers, and others who want to worship in a casual setting. One of the American South's most symbolic religious traditions is making a comeback. Outdoor baptisms, popularized in the 18th century by African slaves, had all but disappeared by the 1950s with the rise of indoor baptismal pools. Yet an increasing number of Baptist churches are forsaking the safety and convenience of these pools for nearby rivers, lakes, oceans, and even fire hoses. 'It's a re-discovery,' says Gregory Hughes, Pastor of True Life Ministries, which holds an annual ocean baptism in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. 'It's a way to embrace tradition while renewing our spirit.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Two teenage visitors to The Ramp, a non-denominational ministry popular with Christian youths, weep and speak in tongues after being baptized in a pond during one of The Ramp's bi-monthly summer 'gatherings' in Hamilton, Alabama, USA, 30 July 2011. One of the American South's most symbolic religious traditions is making a comeback. Outdoor baptisms, popularized in the 18th century by African slaves, had all but disappeared by the 1950s with the rise of indoor baptismal pools. Yet an increasing number of Baptist churches are forsaking the safety and convenience of these pools for nearby rivers, lakes, oceans, and even fire hoses. 'It's a re-discovery,' says Gregory Hughes, Pastor of True Life Ministries, which holds an annual ocean baptism in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. 'It's a way to embrace tradition while renewing our spirit.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
A lawn statue of a hooded Ku Klux Klan figure sits on the private property of a member of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the KKK near Martinsville, Virginia, USA, 02 April 2011. The Invisible Empire is experiencing a revival in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three chapters of the Ku Klux Klan have reemerged in the state, holding rallies, lighting crosses, and seeking new members. Anger over gay rights, racial changes in the population, and a black president are frequent refrains at these rallies. Yet Klan members say they are not about hate, but about taking pride in their own race. 'The blacks have the NAACP [The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People], the Mexicans La Raza, and the Jews have the ADL [the Anti-Defamation League],' says Stan Martin of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. 'We whites have the Ku Klux Klan.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Visitors to a rally of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan raise a homemade cross in preparation for a nighttime cross lighting on private property near Martinsville, Virginia, USA, 02 July 2011. The Invisible Empire is experiencing a revival in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three chapters of the Ku Klux Klan have reemerged in the state, holding rallies, lighting crosses, and seeking new members. Anger over gay rights, racial changes in the population, and a black president are frequent refrains at these rallies. Yet Klan members say they are not about hate, but about taking pride in their own race. 'The blacks have the NAACP [The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People], the Mexicans La Raza, and the Jews have the ADL [the Anti-Defamation League],' says Stan Martin of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. 'We whites have the Ku Klux Klan.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
A cross burned by members of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan remains at the rally site on private property near Martinsville, Virginia, USA, 02 April 2011. The Invisible Empire is experiencing a revival in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three chapters of the Ku Klux Klan have reemerged in the state, holding rallies, lighting crosses, and seeking new members. Anger over gay rights, racial changes in the population, and a black president are frequent refrains at these rallies. Yet Klan members say they are not about hate, but about taking pride in their own race. 'The blacks have the NAACP [The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People], the Mexicans La Raza, and the Jews have the ADL [the Anti-Defamation League],' says Stan Martin of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. 'We whites have the Ku Klux Klan.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Members of Virgil's White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan begin a late-night cross lighting ceremony on private property in Dungannon, Virginia, USA, 11 June 2011. The Invisible Empire is experiencing a revival in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three chapters of the Ku Klux Klan have reemerged in the state, holding rallies, lighting crosses, and seeking new members. Anger over gay rights, racial changes in the population, and a black president are frequent refrains at these rallies. Yet Klan members say they are not about hate, but about taking pride in their own race. 'The blacks have the NAACP [The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People], the Mexicans La Raza, and the Jews have the ADL [the Anti-Defamation League],' says Stan Martin of the Rebel Brigade Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. 'We whites have the Ku Klux Klan.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
The trunks of dying palm trees are lit by a late afternoon sun in Salton City, California, USA, 18 January 2011. Erosion and high toxicity levels from farm runoff has left the Salton Sea increasingly contaminated, and lake-side towns like this one all but deserted. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
An abandoned trailer is lit by a full moon in Salton Sea Beach, California, USA, 18 January 2011. Erosion and high toxicity levels from farm runoff has left the nearby Salton Sea increasingly contaminated, and lake-side towns like this one all but deserted. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO