The amount of wild animals caught or eaten each year is close to or possibly even exceeding the species’ maximum yield levels. One day, they’ll be driven to extinction due to human intervention. The extinction of these animals will cause us losing our rich biological system forever.The amount of wild animals caught or eaten each year is close to or possibly even... more
# Tigers in the Russian Far East (Amur Tigers)
# Gray Whale
# Southern White Rhinoceros
# Black Rhinoceros
# African Savannah Elephant
# Mountain Gorilla
# Saiga
# Greater one-horned Asian Rhinoceros
# Golden Lion Tamarind# Tigers in the Russian Far East (Amur Tigers)
# Gray Whale
# Southern White... more
Yet another reason why Global Warming and polluting our oceans sucks.
Just in case you haven't heard, jellyfish are on the rise.
Important Fact: jellyfish taint or poison the fish in the nets, thus, not good for humans, or live stock, as we use fish to feed livestock. See the connection?
There is something wrong here. So if you like the idea of fish for dinner, better get ready for jellyfish stew.
There are plenty of mentions of indicator species world wide that are sending signals, let's stop ignoring them.
As the insistent beat of unregulated mass consumption continues, another species faces annihilation. If you're eating bluefin tuna, congratulations; you've become part of the problem!As the insistent beat of unregulated mass consumption continues, another species faces... more
A rare Panamanian tree frog, a rodent from Madagascar and two lizards found only in the Philippines are among over 17,000 species threatened with extinction, a leading environmental group said Tuesday.
The Rabb's fringe-limbed tree frog, only discovered four years ago, is one of 1,895 amphibian species that could soon disappear from the wild because of deforestation and infection, the International Union for Conservation of Nature said.
The Switzerland-based group surveyed 47,677 animals and plants for this year's "Red List" of endangered species, determining that 17,291 of them are at risk of extinction.
More than one in five of all known mammals, over a quarter of reptiles and 70 percent of plants are under threat, according to the survey, which featured over 2,800 new species compared with 2008.
"These results are just the tip of the iceberg," said Craig Hilton-Taylor, who manages the list. He said many more species that have yet to be assessed could also be under serious threat.
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is measured in parts per million. Before the Industrial Revolution, before men began greater coal burning, destruction of forests and use of oil, the concentration was 280 parts per million by volume. We are now at 387. The Kyoto Protocol provided not to exceed 450 parts per million. But it is only a maximum level to avoid the catastrophe, not a disaster.The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is measured in parts per... more
How towns and cities cause the extinction of local plants has been revealed for the first time.How towns and cities cause the extinction of local plants has been revealed for the... more
I AM IN DISBELIEF THAT A COMPANY that is supposed to be based on healthy, CRUELTY-FREE and ECO-FRIENDLY principles would even associate with RSPO!
Sustainable palm that is “certified” by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil…
The RSPO ‘organization’ is a corporate GREENWASHING SCAM!
The people who are the RSPO are precisely the PEOPLE WHO HAVE PERSONAL INTERESTS in making PROFIT off of DIRTY PALM!
This is like letting the FOOD corporations determine FOOD SAFETY regulations (WAIT! THEY ARE TRYING TO DO THAT! For more info on this, go to: foodandwaterwatch.org & TAKE ACTION!)
Seventh Generation... HOW COULD YOU?
In the 'comments' section (of linked page) I posted detailed information about SUSTAINABLE PALM CERTIFICATION.I AM IN DISBELIEF THAT A COMPANY that is supposed to be based on healthy, CRUELTY-FREE... more
PLEASE LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD!
If you care about about marine wildlife, the health of our oceans, and the future of life on this little blue planet... please read this report and comment.
The Task Force’s Interim Report is now available and is undergoing a 30-day public review and comment period. This report provides proposals for a comprehensive national approach to uphold our stewardship responsibilities and ensure accountability for our actions. Additionally, the report outlines a more balanced, productive and sustainable approach to our ocean resources.
The Task Force seeks input on its work from interested communities, governments, tribes, businesses, associations, non-governmental organizations and the general public.
THE PRESIDENT'S MEMORANDUM
On June 12, 2009, President Obama sent a memorandum to the heads of executive departments and federal agencies establishing an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by the White House Council on Environmental Quality. The Task Force is charged with developing a recommendation for a national policy that ensures protection, maintenance, and restoration of oceans, our coasts and the Great Lakes. It will also recommend a framework for improved stewardship, and effective coastal and marine spatial planning.
"The oceans, our coasts, and the Great Lakes provide jobs, food, energy resources, ecological services, recreation, and tourism opportunities, and play critical roles in our Nation’s transportation, economy, and trade, as well as the global mobility of our Armed Forces and the maintenance of international peace and security," President Obama wrote in the memorandum. "We have a stewardship responsibility to maintain healthy, resilient, and sustainable oceans, coasts and Great Lakes resources for the benefit of this and future generations."
"The challenges our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes are facing are complex, and to meet these challenges we must have the participation of a wide spectrum of views from within the federal government," said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "The Task Force has a wealth of opportunity to make our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes healthier - both environmentally and economically."
The recommendations and frameworks developed by the Task Force will be cost effective and improve coordination across federal agencies. The Chair will terminate the Task Force upon the completion of its duties.
Scientists believe that the mightiest of mighty dinosaurs, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, became extinct due to a sore throat.
It is thought that the T-rex may have been susceptible to a bacterial infection caused by parasites. This would have made eating so painful that the dinos stopped dining.Scientists believe that the mightiest of mighty dinosaurs, the Tyrannosaurus Rex,... more
Imagine almost as many people in gorilla suits as there are mountain gorillas on the planet, all of them running in the busy heart of London to raise funds for conservation projects.
Described as one of the most entertaining charity event on the planet, the Great Gorilla Run took place past Saturday.
YoG Ambassador Ian Redmond, intent on behaving like a gorilla all the way (7 miles!), took part. This is a section of his entertaining blog...
26th September
Knuckle-walking over London’s Tower Bridge in a gorilla suit is quite a novelty, I found today. How to describe it? Imagine almost as many people in gorilla suits as there are mountain gorillas on the planet (more than twice as many as there are Cross River Gorillas) - no, wait a minute, no need to imagine it - just look up the photos and videos of London’s annual Great Gorilla Run http://www.greatgorillas.org/gallery
The Great Gorilla Run is in its seventh year and has raised more than 60,000 pounds for grassroots community projects in areas of precious gorilla habitat in Africa, such as:
·Training 13 000 Rwandan farmers in sustainable agricultural techniques.
·Building water cisterns in Rwanda and DR Congo.
·Teaching local communities how to produce and distribute 500 fuel-efficient stoves in DR Congo, reducing consumption by up to 70% (firewood and charcoal are often illegally taken from gorilla habitat)
·Providing training to miners on ethical mining techniques. Illegal mining in DR Congo has been a huge problem for gorillas.
·Involving almost 30,000 young members in conservation activities through wildlife clubs in Rwanda and Uganda.
·Providing beekeepers in Uganda with investment and equipment.Imagine almost as many people in gorilla suits as there are mountain gorillas on the... more
BBC nature presenter Chris Packham has caused some upset with his statement that we should “pull the plug” on the giant panda.
"Here's a species that, of its own accord, has gone down an evolutionary cul-de-sac. It's not a strong species. Unfortunately it's big and cute and it's a symbol of the WWF, and we pour millions of pounds into panda conservation. I reckon we should pull the plug. Let them go, with a degree of dignity," said Packham.
Living in the mountains of China, pandas are considered an endangered species with various guesses on their actual population from fewer than 1,600 worldwide to less than 2,500 pandas in the wild, with about 250 in captivity. The leading factor in the pandas dwindling population is loss of habitat as a result of human development.
While Packham may have pushed the envelope with his comments, he raised a point regarding the efforts and expenses used to protect only one species because it’s cute when we could be using these resources to protect larger areas of critical habitat.
However, those on the other side easily counteract his argument by pointing out that by protecting the panda's habitat, or the habitat of any larger species, will act as an umbrella aiding other flora and fauna that live there, preserving biodiversity in the area.
Despite its elusiveness, the panda doesn’t live in isolation. It's part of a community of other animals, plants and trees that work together in a balance that allows all creation to continue. If the panda, or any species, is lost, no one knows how its link in this web will be filled or what impact it will have on the future of nature.BBC nature presenter Chris Packham has caused some upset with his statement that we... more
Dairy farmers are being blamed for the destruction of tropical rain forests. New Zealand cows ate more than 1 million tonnes of palm kernels last year - a quarter of the world's total consumption of the palm oil by-product.
Environmentalists say the trade is a DEATH sentence for endangered orangutans.
New Zealand dairy farmers are now being held partly responsible for turning the once-lush Indonesian rainforest into a charred, smoking wasteland.
"Clear felling the rainforest, some of the last great rainforest, in order to feed dairy cows I think is environmental suicide," says Green Party co-leader Russel Norman.
Last year, local dairy farmers imported $300 million worth of palm kernel. It is a by-product of palm oil production, used to feed cattle.
"New Zealand dairy is sold overseas as clean and green, with cows on green pastures, and so if people realise that in fact those cows are being fed on a product of the destruction of the last of the great rainforest, it will be extremely damaging," says Mr Norman.
Pictures provided by Greenpeace show the devastation caused by the palm oil industry. It is also blamed for KILLING orangutans.
But farmers say they are not accountable, because palm kernel would be thrown away if not used as cattle feed, and dairy giant Fonterra claims much of what is imported here has no negative impact on the environment.
Palm oil products have already caused much controversy this month. Last week Cadbury bowed to public pressure and stopped using palm product in its chocolate.
Environmentalists say dairy farmers should follow the company's lead and find something else to feed their cows.SEE VIDEO -... more
Scientists have unearthed striking evidence for a sudden ancient collapse in plant biodiversity. A trove of 200 million-year-old fossil leaves collected in East Greenland tells the story, carrying its message across time to us today.
Results of the research appear in this week's issue of the journal Science.
The researchers were surprised to find that a likely candidate responsible for the loss of plant life was a small rise in the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, which caused Earth's temperature to rise.
Global warming has long been considered as the culprit for extinctions--the surprise is that much less carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere may be needed to drive an ecosystem beyond its tipping point than previously thought.
"Earth's deep time climate history reveals startling discoveries that shake the foundations of our knowledge and understanding of climate change in modern times," says H. Richard Lane, program director in the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Division of Earth Sciences, which partially funded the research.
Jennifer McElwain of University College Dublin, the paper's lead author, cautions that sulfur dioxide from extensive volcanic emissions may also have played a role in driving the plant extinctions.
"We have no current way of detecting changes in sulfur dioxide in the past, so it's difficult to evaluate whether sulfur dioxide, in addition to a rise in carbon dioxide, influenced this pattern of extinction," says McElwain.
The time interval under study, at the boundary of the Triassic and Jurassic periods, has long been known for its plant and animal extinctions.
Until this research, the pace of the extinctions was thought to have been gradual, taking place over millions of years.
It has been notoriously difficult to tease out details about the pace of extinction using fossils, scientists say, because fossils can provide only snap-shots or glimpses of organisms that once lived.
Using a technique developed by scientist Peter Wagner of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., the researchers were able to detect, for the first time, very early signs that these ancient ecosystems were already deteriorating--before plants started going extinct.
The method reveals early warning signs that an ecosystem is in trouble in terms of extinction risk.
"The differences in species abundances for the first 20 meters of the cliffs [in East Greenland] from which the fossils were collected," says Wagner, "are of the sort you expect. "But the final 10 meters show dramatic loses of diversity that far exceed what we can attribute to sampling error: the ecosystems were supporting fewer and fewer species."
By the year 2100, it's expected that the level of carbon dioxide in the modern atmosphere may reach as high as two and a half times today's level.
"This is of course a 'worst case scenario,'" says McElwain. "But it's at exactly this level [900 parts per million] at which we detected the ancient biodiversity crash.
"We must take heed of the early warning signs of deterioration in modern ecosystems. We've learned from the past that high levels of species extinctions--as high as 80 percent--can occur very suddenly, but they are preceded by long interval of ecological change."
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For several years we've heard the bad news about honeybees. They're disappearing. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has ravaged bee colonies throughout the world and is likely due to a perfect storm of factors—habitat loss, industrial agriculture, the heavy use of pesticides, global warming, etc.
Over the weekend the 41st world apiculture congress met in France to assess the state of the honeybee and noted that the situation is pretty grim. If current trends continue the European bee keeping industry will be wiped out in the next decade.
An average of 300,00 colonies a year have disappeared from France since 1995, the same year that Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin published their book, The Sixth Extinction: Patterns of Life and the Future of Humankind, and in which they noted that 17,000 to 100,00 species vanish from our planet every year. Today, right now, we are living through the sixth great extinction and some estimate that by the end of the century half of all species will have disappeared.
“The golden frogs of Panama are gone,” reads a recent poem by Mark Strand.
Now we learn that it is not only the honeybee but also bumblebees that are fighting for survival. A report in Earth Island Journal reveals that a North American bumblebee found only in northern California and southern Oregon has disappeared, last seen in 2006. Several other species have also experienced alarming declines. These are insects that have been around for millions of years and on which plants, animals, and, yes, humans rely for their pollination.
As one of the scientists quoted in the article says, “It would be like if you went out one day and there were no cardinals or mockingbirds anymore. It’s that obvious to bee people.”
The cause: well, this time global warming is not high on the list. Rather, the spread of disease from commercially reared bumblebees used to pollinate greenhouse tomatoes is the leading culprit. As a result America's native pollinators may be in danger.
If there is a thread that connects the honeybee and bumblebee declines it is our system of industrial agriculture that depends on the bees for pollination and has at the same time accelerated habitat loss and the widespread use of pesticides. Rachel Carson warned of a silent spring way back in 1962. It seems we still haven't gotten the message.For several years we've heard the bad news about honeybees. They're disappearing.... more
Giant pandas cost too much to protect and should be allowed to become extinct, television presenter Chris Packham has declared.
The wildlife expert thinks the millions of pounds spent on trying to save the species could be better spent on other environmental projects.
Last year he was quoted saying: "I'd eat the last panda if I could have the money we've spent on panda conservation back on the table for me to do more sensible things with."
Giant pandas - should they be allowed to die out naturally?Giant pandas cost too much to protect and should be allowed to become extinct,... more
Tauranga, New Zealand — John Key’s Government today admitted that production of palm kernel animal feed is helping destroy Indonesian and Malaysian rainforests.
In response to questions in Parliament about palm kernel imports, Deputy Prime Minister Bill English, speaking on behalf of Prime Minister John Key, admitted that the production of palm kernel harms the environment saying, "Of course, it has some impact; the Government does not deny that."
Mr English also sought to deflect attention from Fonterra’s use of palm kernel by twice challenging Greenpeace to picket the nation's supermarkets over palm-oil products such as margarine, processed foods and soap.
Greenpeace New Zealand climate campaigner Simon Boxer said Mr English’s statement showed that the government had moved its position.
“It’s clear that the Government has been poorly advised by Fonterra on the realities of the rainforest and climate destruction wrought by the palm industry. The Government knows New Zealand’s palm kernel imports impact the world’s climate and are damaging our clean, green reputation. John Key needs to stop listening to Fonterra and act to stop palm kernel imports.”
Following on from yesterday’s blockade of a palm kernel shipment by Greenpeace activists over 100 people, including farmers, gathered at a public rally outside the Port of Tauranga late today to demonstrate support for stopping palm kernel imports.
The 15 activists involved in yesterday’s blockade were arrested and charged with summary offences and will appear in Tauranga District Court next Wednesday.Tauranga, New Zealand — John Key’s Government today admitted that production of... more
The massive invasion of introduced species like the cane toads are only one of the pressures on Australia’s small and increasingly endangered species — others include large grazing (non-native) herbivores, ferocious late-season wildfires and feral cats.
A New York Times article today, (September 19, 2009), noted the following:
It’s estimated that there are between 4 million and 12 million feral cats in Australia, the progeny of former house cats. Just in the Kimberley — a region of northwestern Australia that is about the size of California — feral cats are eating as many as 300 million small mammals, especially small nocturnal marsupials, a year.
What is happening is a population crash. Scientists surveying native mammals in northern Australia, widely regarded as an oasis of biodiversity, report that they are finding it almost impossible to catch native mammals. During a recent study, it took an average of 1,000 trap-nights to trap 3 mammals.
The "Gorilla King" Titus has passed away from old age.
September 2009. On the morning of Sept. 14, trackers at the Karisoke Research Centre found the legendary silverback gorilla Titus, dead on his night nest in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. He was 35, which is quite old for a male mountain gorilla. Titus had been the dominant male in one of the gorilla groups studied for many years by Karisoke and was the subject of the documentary "Gorilla King" TV series.
Born in 1974
Titus' eventful life began in 1974, observed by Dian Fossey and her research assistant Kelly Stewart, daughter of actor Jimmy Stewart. Kelly was the first to see the newborn, so she named him Titus after a character in a novel she was reading. His mother, the elderly Flossie, lived in Fossey's Group Four, led by his father, Uncle Bert. Fossey noted in Gorillas in the Mist that Titus seemed to be "underdeveloped and spindly" and had difficulty breathing. He soon overcame these disabilities, the first of many challenges he faced in childhood.
Father killed by poachers
When Titus was 4 years old, poachers killed his father Uncle Bert, his uncle Digit, and his younger brother. Soon after, a newly arrived silverback named Beetsme killed Titus' infant sister, causing his mother and older sister to flee to another group. Titus was left at age 5 to live with a few unrelated males, including Beetsme and Tiger, that were soon joined by Peanuts and two others. The group remained all-male for several years, until another group's silverback died and five females came to join the bachelors. Beetsme eventually drove off all the other males except for Titus, who was favoured by Papoose, the dominant female.
Even tempered
An unusually even tempered and skillful leader, Titus maintained his dominance over a group of some 25 individuals without difficulty for many years.
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Please follow link to learn more about Titus and his incredible story...
* Follow the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International on Twitter.com and get the latest updates http://twitter.com/savinggorillasThe "Gorilla King" Titus has passed away from old age.
September 2009. On the... more
