tagged w/ Galapagos Islands
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Even though Darwin’s voyages to these unique islands have been followed by countless travelers, theGalapagos Islands are still a pristine place.Even though Darwin’s voyages to these unique islands have been followed by... more
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First Breaking News...
MASSIVE QUAKE HITS JAPAN
Tokyo (CNN) -- An 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit Japan early Friday, triggering tsunami alerts and sending people fleeing out of buildings in the capital. The quake rattled buildings and toppled cars off bridges and into waters underneath.
In Tokyo, crowds huddled together and tried to reach relatives via cell phone. Its epicenter was 373 kilometers (231 miles) from Tokyo, the United States Geological Survey said. It triggered a tsunami alert for various countries, the National Weather Service said.
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March 11, 2011 5:35 a.m. EST
Tokyo (CNN) -- An 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit northern Japan on Friday, triggering tsunamis and sending a massive wave filled with debris that included boats and houses inching toward land.
The number of fatalities was unclear, but Japan's Kyodo news reported at least 10 killed and numerous injured.
The quake prompted at least 20 countries and numerous Pacific islands to issue tsunami warnings. It was followed by powerful aftershocks that were felt in capital of Tokyo.
At Tokyo Station, one of Japan's busiest subway stations, people grabbed each other to steady themselves. Children cried. An announcement over the station loudspeaker warned commuters to remain underground.
With bus and train lines interrupted, workers and children poured into the streets after offices and schools were closed.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan appealed for calm and said there were no reported leaks of radioactive materials from power plants.
Firefighters battled a blaze at an oil refinery in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo.
"This was larger than anyone expected and went on longer than anyone expected," said Matt Alt in Tokyo.
"My wife was the calm one ... she told us to get down and put your back on something, and leave the windows and doors open in case a building shifts so you don't get trapped."
Richard Lloyd Parry said when the quake struck, he looked through a window and saw buildings shaking from side to side.
Such a large earthquake at such a shallow depth creates a lot of energy, said Shenza Chen of the U.S. Geological Survey.
A tsunami is sweeping across the Pacific Ocean, with a wall of water heading toward at more than a dozen countries.
An earthquake of that size can generate dangerous tsunamis to coasts outside the source region, the National Weather Service said.
Humanitarian agencies were working with rescue crews to reach the people affected.
"When such an earthquake impacts a developed country like Japan, our concern also turns to countries like the Philippines and Indonesia, which might not have the same resources," said Rachel Wolff, a spokeswoman for World Vision.
In Philippines alone, the tsunami is expected to hit in the early morning and the government has ordered the evacuation of 19 provinces along the coast, which could affect hundreds of thousands of people
Authorities in at least 20 countries and numerous Pacific islands issued tsunami warnings, the National Weather Service said.
The tsunami could cause damage "along coastlines of all islands in the state of Hawaii," warned the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property."
Tsunamis are a series of long ocean waves that can last five to 15 minutes and cause extensive flooding in coastal areas. A succession of waves can hit -- often the highest not being the first, said CNN meteorologist Ivan Cabrera.
A day earlier, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off of Honshu, the country's meteorological agency said.
CNN's Kyung Lah, Faith Karimi and Kevin Voigt contributed to this report.
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March 12 2011 - 3:38PM PT -
CNN's reporting two "MAJOR" aftershocks. Tsunami alerts reinstated.
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March 12 2011 - 11:07PM PT -
Japan upgrades magnitude of killer earthquake to 9.0; USGS keeps number at 8.9.
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March 13 2011 - 2:52PM PT
http://ow.ly/4dvh0
Here is what I think is, thus far, the most horrifying video (no, no dead or dying people) of what the tsunami looked like, taken from someone who had time to get up to higher ground and watch the town around him get destroyed.
Just picked it up from Sean Bonner, on Twitter...
seanbonner Sean Bonner
by BadAstronomer
Seriously, this first person Tsunami video is one of the scariest things I've ever seen.
http://ow.ly/4dvh0
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[Scroll down -- if you're set with oldest to newest -- to see new photos and videos, along with updated news]
http://cbskllc.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/japan-earthquake-today-tsunami-warning.jpg?w=311&h=337First Breaking News...
MASSIVE QUAKE HITS JAPAN
Tokyo (CNN) -- An... more
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Back To The Planet was commissioned by the Charles Darwin Foundation to make a short film exploring the attitudes of two important groups of people on the Galapagos Islands – scientists and residents. Following collaboration between Back To The Planet, the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park, Paola TV was developed.Back To The Planet was commissioned by the Charles Darwin Foundation to make a short... more
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According to the Charles Darwin Foundation's Stuart Banks, one in five of the 43 threatened Galapagos marine species may already be extinct.
In a landmark article published today by respected science journal, Global Change Biology, Stuart Banks, Senior Marine Scientist with the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), headquartered in Galapagos, teams with the world´s leading marine researchers in calling for increased focus on the forces of climate change.
Banks asserts that:
"Galapagos is well-known for being unique, but what is less apparent is how tenuous the archipelago's unique status really is." He reveals that of the 43 threatened Galapagos marine species, one in five may already be extinct.
The article provides an in-depth analysis of major studies charting changes in Galapagos biodiversity and marine ecosystems over the past 30 years. Former CDF Marine Sciences Director and ongoing CDF collaborator Graham Edgar of the University of Tasmania led the development of the paper bringing together such luminaries as Sylvia Earle; National Geographic Society, and Peter Glynn, University of Miami, Les Kaufmann, Boston University, and CDF´s Stuart Banks.
In a sobering snapshot, Banks explains that:
"The unpredictable mix of El Niño, increased human presence, and global climate change is a recipe for the breakdown of natural ecological functions with serious impact on the recovery potential of species and habitats."
The article cites the Galapagos Marine Reserve as being "a near ideal environment for quantifying effects of oceanographic anomalies and fisheries on marine biodiversity, and for modeling future impacts of climate change," areas of study currently being addressed by CDF's Galapagos Climate Change Initiative.
This major new body of investigation takes a much-needed step in understanding the ties between climate, biodiversity, and the human impact, and will combine new and historical data to increase understanding of these relationships.
http://www.savegalapagos.org/news/mockngbirds/
REPORT: Wildlife of Galapagos Islands 'devastated by ocean warming'
Ocean warming and human activity have devastated the coastal wildlife of the Galapagos Islands, say scientists.
Several species of marine plants and animals are believed to have become extinct and many others are seriously threatened, a new report reveals. Researchers blame the impact of rising ocean temperatures coupled with fishing and tourism.
Once abundant coral reefs and kelp beds had been wiped out in just a few decades, said the scientists from US-based Conservation International. Species that were previously plentiful such as the Galapagos black-spotted damselfish, the 24-rayed sunstar and the Galapagos stringweed were now thought to have vanished. Dozens of others, including the Galapagos penguin, were within ''a hairsbreadth of annihilation''.
Based on criteria laid down by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List, two species were ''probably'' extinct, another seven ''possibly'' extinct, and a further 36 ''vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered''. Over-fishing had led to an expansion of sea urchin populations, which in turn had upset the delicate web of marine life in the islands, said the scientists.
The researchers warned the Galapagos was a ''canary in a coalmine'' indicating what the world could expect from global warming.
http://www.savegalapagos.org/news/charles-darwin-foundation/According to the Charles Darwin Foundation's Stuart Banks, one in five of the 43... more
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(Marquette, Michigan) - National harmonica champion "Hurricane" David McChesney and folk singer Michael Waite will perform at a free candlelight benefit concert on February 23 for the non-profit Cedar Tree Institute.
Everyone is invited to attend the 7 p.m. "Songs of the Earth" concert this Monday at the Messiah Lutheran Church in Marquette.
Twice named one of the 15 hardest working non-profits in America by World Magazine, the Cedar Tree Institute (CTI) was founded in 2004.
"To show respect and honor the environment 100 votive candles will be glowing during the concert," said Rev. Jon Magnuson, the co-founder of the Earth Keeper Initiative and CTI director.
Best-known for its interfaith and youth-related environmental projects, the CTI founded the Great Lakes Earth Healing Initiative, the Zaagkii Wings and Seeds Project involving teens and Native American youth protecting pollinators and the Manoomin Project that is restoring wild rice across the central U.P. Other CTI efforts include the Janus Project for hospice workers.
A songwriter from Joshua Tree, California, McChesney has played the harmonica for nearly four decades and performs under the name "Hurricane" David. An avid wildlife photographer, McChesney recently published the book "Muir Roots: At One with the Wild," a collection of 176 color images and various tales about his adventures in the wilderness including the Galapagos Islands.
The son of a gourmet cook and an English professor from the Milwaukee area, Waite has always lived in the U.P. Waite, who plays guitar, and two friends recorded the 2007 album "Let it Go."
Waite said he will play some ballads and original songs about a "stark winter" that were inspired by his home in the forest near Halfway Location between Marquette and Big Bay.
Both performers said they are helping to raise funds for the CTI because of its dedication to protecting the environment.
"Taking care of the earth and what's around us is part of living on the Earth," Waite said. "What ever you do you should include that as part of your work."
McChesney, who lives near the Joshua Tree National Park, said "everything I have done has been nature and wildlife oriented."
"I have been an environmentalist for years and years," McChesney said. "My home is a wildlife sanctuary with 95 species of birds, bobcats on the roof, coyotes in the yard and roadrunners looking through the window."
There is no charge to attend however donations are welcome.
For more information call 906-228-5494
Related websites:
CTI:
http://www.cedartreeinstitute.org
"Hurricane" David Jesse McChesney
http://www.outmywindows.com
Michael Waite
http://www.michaelwaitemusic.com(Marquette, Michigan) - National harmonica champion "Hurricane" David... more
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Had Charles Darwin explored the Volcan Wolf volcano when he visited the Galápagos in 1835 he might have spotted this pink land iguana, a species that originated in the islands more than five million years ago.
The northernmost volcano on the island of Isabela is the only home of the "rosada" iguana, a newly identified species of the land iguana Conolophus, scientists said today.
Genetic analysis of the rosada and other species of land iguanas performed by the scientists show that the rosada iguana diverged from the Galápagos's other iguana populations more than five million years ago, when the archipelago was still forming.
Earlier genetic studies suggest that the split of the marine and land iguana lineages could have occurred as late as 10.5 million years ago, when the archipelago did not have the current configuration and none of the present islands had yet emerged, the paper noted.
"Despite the attention given to them, the Galápagos have not yet finished offering evolutionary novelties," the researchers wrote in their paper.
They called for efforts to conserve the new species before it becomes extinct.Had Charles Darwin explored the Volcan Wolf volcano when he visited the... more
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Sadness.
53 sea lions were found with crushed skulls in the Galapagos Islands, where Ecuadoran authorities are investigating the matter. The dead sea lions had apparently died a while ago based on advanced decomposition.
This is terrible. They're an endangered species and it's clear they were struck in the head by a strong blow from someone. How awful. Why would u do that?Sadness.
53 sea lions were found with crushed skulls in the Galapagos Islands,... more
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Short documentary about the state of eco-tourism in the Galapagos Islands and the impact it has on the islands.Short documentary about the state of eco-tourism in the Galapagos Islands and the... more
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Enter into a state of higher consciousness with Don George of Lonely Planet. For his Bluelist, he shows us the top three places in the world for natural highs. Caution: Don't operate heavy machinery while watching this pod.Enter into a state of higher consciousness with Don George of Lonely Planet. For his... more
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