tagged w/ Conservation
-
Johanness Haasbroek, founder of Elephant Human Relations Aid, a Namibian non-profit organization aimed to facilitate the peaceful co-habitation among subsistence farmers, community members and desert adapted elephants living in the region, shares future challenges.Johanness Haasbroek, founder of Elephant Human Relations Aid, a Namibian non-profit... more
-
-
Betsy Fox has moved to Africa to work for Elephant Human Relations Aid, a Namibian non-profit organization aimed to facilitate the peaceful co-habitation among subsistence farmers, community members and desert adapted elephants living in the region.Betsy Fox has moved to Africa to work for Elephant Human Relations Aid, a Namibian... more
-
-
-
Who owns the water?
Good documentary on the struggle to protect our most precious resource.Who owns the water?
Good documentary on the struggle to protect our most precious... more
-
-
If you've never seen a home energy audit in progress, here's your chance! Just a few tweaks, and you might be surprised how much you can save.
Click to watch the video: http://ow.ly/41Xb0If you've never seen a home energy audit in progress, here's your chance!... more
-
-
This is the second episode on an ongoing series where Matt & Joce chronicle their experiences as they go about the process of building their earth-sheltered dream house. In this episode, there are no big, firey explosions, talking robots or anything else Michael Bay would rely on. Instead, this video contains footage that people would actually want to watch. So, click on play to watch Matt, Joce and their bowling pin Toby as they look for builders to construct their dream home.This is the second episode on an ongoing series where Matt & Joce chronicle their... more
-
-
All hail the power of using energy more efficiently! Study after study after study has shown that, along with energy conservation, energy efficiency is probably the most important component of getting a handle on humanity's growing energy use and the environmental damage that currently entails.
:http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/world-energy-use-reduced-73-percent-energy-efficiency.phpAll hail the power of using energy more efficiently! Study after study after study has... more
-
-
suzane
-
added this
-
2 years ago
- |
-
-
Birds of Prey are making an amazing effort to adapt to New York City. In some cases, you have Hawks in Central Park that have utilized attack tactics only observed in Peregrines. At the north tip of Manhattan you have Eagles making nests and utilizing the one section of the island that has not changed from its original landscaping.Birds of Prey are making an amazing effort to adapt to New York City. In some cases,... more
-
-
-
If you are looking for a Christmas gift for your children, then buy this action adventure fiction book for children and help save the planet or tropical rainforest preservation.
The Doughty Warriors discover that all the bear cubs are disappearing from the forest. With lots of adventure on the way, they trace the bear cubs to a ‘bear bile farm’. They are so shocked at what they find that they agree to rescue all the bears from the farm. But, of course, they have to incorporate the efforts of their forest friends to do so.If you are looking for a Christmas gift for your children, then buy this action... more
-
-
We have seen unsettling changes in the hydrologic cycle and in the world of water in general this past year which have affected economy, health, and agriculture as well as water access. Climate events were the big news in 2010 with droughts, floods, glacier melt and stronger storms (both rain and snow) leading us to the reality that we indeed have entered a period of consequences regarding our climate.
The BP Gulf Oil Ecocide that is now virtually forgotten is still working its evil on the Gulf, with an 80 mile stretch all the way to the bottom of oil with no life present. The Arctic also saw its second lowest ice extent this past November and the melting is affecting ocean currents in line with a La Nina weather event.
Floods are now taking place in the North of Australia that cover an area as big as France and Germany combined that have stranded 200,000 people, with people saying it is now a catastrophe of "biblical" proportions. Pakistan, India, China, Latin America, the Southwest and Northeast US, all examples recently of climate events where the reality of what we are doing to affect the hydrologic cycle is becoming more evident and that is also related to oversaturation of land and oceans with CO2. The proliferation of dams globally is also a factor that we must now also consider regarding our concerns about water access and availability.
As climate change bears down on us water will be affected drastically regarding both access and quality in relation as well to pollution, privitization, politics and outdated infrastructure (which led to Ireland's current water woes.) Yet, governments of the world (Cancun the most recent example with water left out again) are woefully unprepared for the effects bearing down on us as we continue to push out 90 million tons of Co2 along with other GHGs daily which exacerbates the release of methane from permafrost, which then effects the atmosphere, glaciers, all the way to ocean currents which effect our climate in both extremes. And that does not even take into consideration climate refugees which are already beginning to leave lands due to sea level rise, drought, dying of crops, livestock, etc.
How are events like these not in the consciousness of all sentient beings? How can we say Happy New Year unless we are truly resigned to changing the factors that lead us to disasters like these?
In the coming year we must become more involved in seeking water justice, food security and climate justice for all peoples of the world. We can no longer leave it just in the hands of governments in collusion with corporations seeking to profit off the misery of others. The challenges we now face regarding our global water resources are challenges that if not addressed now will bring nothing but hardship for those feeling the effects of climate change the worst, and those who are the prey of interests using land and water for profit at the expense of our planet's sustainability and the cultural/economic sovereignty of those nations.
Therefore, in reviewing the year gone by and looking ahead we must all become part of the Water Justice Movement in whatever way we can. Whether it is in protest, in writing, in educating, in conserving, it is incumbant upon us all to become part of the solution. Seventy percent of our planet is now is some stage of environmental stress. The signs are evident, the message is clear. We can no longer afford to close our eyes, ears and hearts to the work at hand.
In this year I will be working to provide potable water to those in need through organizations that make a difference, as well as standing up for indigenous people of the world in regards to their land and water, writing my book in earnest and doing all I can to conserve. Whatever you do however small you may think it is, just remember that many raindrops together make a flood, only this flood should be one that turns the tide for true water justice, food sovereignty, climate balance and peace.
This year, let's make it happen.
Thank you for all of the support on this blog.We have seen unsettling changes in the hydrologic cycle and in the world of water in... more
-
-
-
Orphaned gorillas find a safe haven
From Jessica Ellis, CNN
December 17, 2010 5:19 a.m. EST
Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (CNN) --
In a remote, rural area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund has opened the country's first rehabilitation center for Grauer's gorillas.
Called GRACE (Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education), the center's goal is to teach orphaned gorillas how to survive in the wild as a new, self-sufficient "family," with the longer-term goal to release them into a natural habitat in a neighboring forest in the Congo Basin.
These young gorillas are physically and emotionally fragile, most having suffered from extremely traumatic conditions and experiences. Many have been violently taken from the forest by poachers, intent on selling them either as bush meat or for the animal trafficking trade.
CNN's Jessica Ellis and Ferre Dollar recently followed the first group of gorillas to be transported to the forested area from a temporary facility in Goma, in eastern DRC.
The pioneering young orphans were airlifted to GRACE by a helicopter donated by MONUC, the United Nations peacekeeping force in the DRC -- a first for a U.N. mission. Traveling by road would have been almost impossible due to poor infrastructure and potential trauma to the animals.
Mapendo, Amani, Kighoma and Ndjingala were all originally snatched from the forest and their families by poachers. They are all Grauer's gorillas, a subspecies related to the Mountain gorilla, but live exclusively in eastern DRC.
Sandy Jones is the confiscated gorilla rehabilitation manager for the Dian Fossey Fund and now the manager of GRACE. "All of the gorilla species are endangered because Congo is so unexplored they have not done a real census on how many Grauer's gorillas there are," she says.
"But at the rate at which we know they are being killed and the forest is being destroyed we are really concerned that if things aren't stopped and changed now they can be wiped out very soon."
This freshman class of GRACE gorillas range in age from between one and five years old. Mapendo, whose name means "love," was rescued in December 2007. She was confiscated along with a male gorilla but he only survived for two days.
When Amani -- which means "peace" -- was rescued a year ago she had a large wound on her leg. "It seemed obvious that her mother was shot and she was caught in the crossfire," Jones explains. "It took many weeks to heal but now she is walking perfectly normal."
Kighoma -- "drums" -- is the only male in the group. He arrived in May 2009, and Ndjingala was rescued earlier this year. She is only a year old and was named after the place from which she was taken.
"A lot of primates, when they are taken by poachers, they have ropes around their hips and it digs in and so they have bad wounds and Ndjingala suffered from that," Jones says.
The Dian Fossey gorilla fund and the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project have been caring for rescued gorillas in temporary quarters in Kinigi, in Rwanda, and in Goma.
Now they (the gorillas) are in the real forest and they are climbing and getting some forest food, so they are happy.
"What I know is that many of them have died," says Dr. Eddie Kambale of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project. "We may have, I can say, about 20% that have been taken from the forest."
The GRACE center is the first facility of its kind in east Central Africa. It has room for up to 30 young gorillas to live in species-typical groups and roam through 350 acres of natural habitat.
Kambale helped bring the four orphans from Goma to GRACE. "The gorillas are enjoying this place compared to where they were," he says.
"In Goma there was too much noise and dust from the road; here is less pollution so this will be good for their health. Now they are in the real forest and they are climbing and getting some forest food, so they are happy."
The remaining rescued Grauer's gorillas currently cared for by the Dian Fossey Fund and Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project will leave Kinigi on a second airlift scheduled for early next year.
"Having the gorillas here will help give the people a glimpse of the world of gorillas," says Debby Cox, of the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance.
Cox worked with the local community to build the infrastructure for GRACE. "When the local people see gorillas as so much like us -- they live in families, the infants need their mothers, they hug each other -- you immediately get an empathy coming," she says.
"So we need to work with the people in this area, and that helps create stability and that creates confidence too."
While for decades the world has only heard bad news from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, conservation is striking an increasingly important chord of awareness among the people.Orphaned gorillas find a safe haven
From Jessica Ellis, CNN
December 17, 2010 5:19... more
-
-
A lot of businesses, households and campuses have recently adopted water conservation plans to save money and protect the environment, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us.Here are 101 ways to conserve water in college, whether you’re a student, college president or professor.
LINK : http://www.onlineclasses.org/2010/12/14/101-way-to-conserve-water-in-college/A lot of businesses, households and campuses have recently adopted water conservation... more
-
-
Chinese conservationists have traded their birkenstocks and lab coats for giant fluffy panda costumes to help prepare captive-born cubs to survive in the wild. The researchers are anxious to ensure the endangered animals have as little contact with humans as possible. By dressing up as giant pandas the researchers hope that the newborn cubs will have a better chance to survive amongst wild pandas in the future.
Funnily the costumes look just like the hilarious "Never Say No To Panda" cheese ads - but luckily these mama pandas don't have such a temper.
Most pandas born in captivity are hand-reared but these little ones are being brought up by their "mothers" in a piece of protected woodland. The researchers are never far away, and the cubs every move is monitored by CCTV. Their vigilant keepers can see in a moment if they need medicine or a health check-up. Keepers at the Hetaoping Research and Conservation Centre in western China don't want the cubs to get used to seeing humans and believe the costumes are vital if the cubs are to survive when finally released into the wild. In 2006, Xiang Xiang, a five-year-old male, was freed after spending three years being taught survival skills such as foraging for food and marking his territory. After initially appearing to be adjusting well, he died after getting into a fight with a group of wild pandas.They are thought to have sensed something different about the human-reared interloper.With fewer than 2,500 giant pandas living free in China, conservationists are desperate not to take any chances with the next group facing life in the wild.
Chinese conservationists have traded their birkenstocks and lab coats for giant... more
-
-
In Defense of Smart Meters attempts to debunk the myths and fright talk circulating about the smart grid installations around the country. These meters are the latest tool needed to control our energy waste but, as usual, rumors abound about their safety and reliability. Regarding risk, it might be smarter to worry about the radiation from an electric can opener, microwave oven or blow dryer.:) http://greenlandlady.com/site/energy/in-defense-of-smart-meters/In Defense of Smart Meters attempts to debunk the myths and fright talk circulating... more
-
-
In 2010, the Year of the Tiger, about 3,600 of the majestic predators remain in the wild, their existence threatened by habitat-loss and poaching.If there is one man who can give hope to a species whose numbers have plummeted from 100,000 only a century ago, it would be Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
LINK : http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/11/19/tiger.summit/index.html?hpt=C1In 2010, the Year of the Tiger, about 3,600 of the majestic predators remain in the... more
-
-
Governments of the 13 countries where tigers still live aim to agree moves that could double numbers of the endangered big cats within 12 years.
The International Tiger Conservation Forum in St Petersburg will discuss proposals on protecting habitat, tackling poaching, and finance.
About 3,000 tigers live in the wild - a 40% decline in a decade.
There are warnings that without major advances, some populations will disappear within the next 20 years.
Five prime ministers are due to attend the summit, including China's Wen Jiabao and Vladimir Putin of the Russian hosts.
"Here's a species that's literally on the brink of extinction," said Jim Leape, director general of conservation group WWF.
"This is the first time that world leaders have come together to focus on saving a single species, and this is a unique opportunity to mobilise the political will that's required in saving the tiger."
More at link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11791105Governments of the 13 countries where tigers still live aim to agree moves that could... more
-
-
"The fear of drinking water contamination from CO2 leaks is one of several sticking points about CCS and has contributed to local opposition to it," says Jackson, who directs Duke's Center on Global Change.
Leaks from carbon dioxide injected deep underground to help fight climate change could bubble up into drinking water aquifers near the surface, driving up levels of contaminants in the water tenfold or more in some places, according to a study by Duke University scientists.
Based on a year-long analysis of core samples from four drinking water aquifers, "We found the potential for contamination is real, but there are ways to avoid or reduce the risk," says Robert B. Jackson, Nicholas Professor of Global Environmental Change and professor of biology at Duke.
"Geologic criteria that we identified in the study can help identify locations around the country that should be monitored or avoided," he says. "By no means would all sites be susceptible to problems of water quality."
Storing carbon dioxide deep below Earth's surface, a process known as geosequestration, is part of a suite of new carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies being developed by governments and industries worldwide to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions entering Earth's atmosphere.
The still-evolving technologies are designed to capture and compress CO2, emissions at their source - typically power plants and other industrial facilities - and transport the CO2 to locations where it can be injected far below the Earth's surface for long-term storage.
The U.S. Department of Energy, working with industry and academia, has begun the planning for at least seven regional CCS projects.
"The fear of drinking water contamination from CO2 leaks is one of several sticking points about CCS and has contributed to local opposition to it," says Jackson, who directs Duke's Center on Global Change.
"We examined the idea that if CO2 leaked out slowly from deep formations, where might it negatively impact freshwater aquifers near the surface, and why."
Jackson and his postdoctoral fellow Mark G. Little collected core samples from four freshwater aquifers around the nation that overlie potential CCS sites and incubated the samples in their lab at Duke for a year, with CO2 bubbling through them.
After a year's exposure to the CO2, analysis of the samples showed that "there are a number of potential sites where CO2 leaks drive contaminants up tenfold or more, in some cases to levels above the maximum contaminant loads set by the EPA for potable water," Jackson says.
Three key factors - solid-phase metal mobility, carbonate buffering capacity and electron exchanges in the overlying freshwater aquifer - were found to influence the risk of drinking water contamination from underground carbon leaks.
The study also identified four markers that scientists can use to test for early warnings of potential carbon dioxide leaks.
"Along with changes in carbonate concentration and acidity of the water, concentrations of manganese, iron and calcium could all be used as geochemical markers of a leak, as their concentration increase within two weeks of exposure to CO2," Jackson says.
The study was funded by the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory and Duke's Center on Global Change."The fear of drinking water contamination from CO2 leaks is one of several... more
-
