tagged w/ Biodiversity
-
A 'Defenders of Wildlife' Campaign
Warning: Contains graphic footage of aerial gunning of wolves.
Easy targets against fallen snow, wolves can be gunned down from airplanes or chased to exhaustion, then shot at point blank range. Since 2003, nearly 900 wolves have been killed by aerial gunners. It's a brutal practice, captured here in this video.
Over the past 5 years, Alaska’s aerial hunting program has claimed the lives of more than 800 wolves. During these hunts, wolves are shot from the air or chased by airplanes to the point of exhaustion before the pilot lands the plane and a gunner shoots the animals point blank.
Despite strong scientific, ethical and public opposition to aerial hunting, Governor Sarah Palin has…
- Proposed paying a $150 bounty for the left foreleg of each dead wolf.
- Approved a $400,000 state-funded propaganda campaign to promote aerial hunting.
- Introduced legislation to make it even easier to use aircraft to hunt wolves.
Please Help Us End Aerial Hunting of Alaska’s Wolves!
If you would like this horrific cruelty to end, please visit:
https://secure.defenders.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=1329&s_einterest=C3C4A 'Defenders of Wildlife' Campaign
Warning: Contains graphic footage of... more
-
-
Presidential memorandum initiates review and eventual replacement of Bush administration's eleventh-hour weakening of endangered species conservation
WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama today vowed to let science guide decisions at the Department of the Interior, and recognized the vital role of the Endangered Species Act in protecting America’s imperiled wildlife.
Speaking from the halls of the Department of the Interior, President Obama requested that federal agencies continue to consult with federal wildlife experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or National Marine Fisheries Service regarding actions that might impact threatened and endangered species. Today’s memorandum also requests the Interior and Commerce Departments to review controversial Bush-era regulations that weakened protections for the nation’s most imperiled plants, fish, birds and other animals.
The following is a statement from Jamie Rappaport Clark, executive vice president for Defenders of Wildlife and former director of the FWS.
“It’s refreshing to hear good news for endangered species coming from the White House. By restoring the requirement for federal agencies to get agreement from federal wildlife experts on the effects of their projects, President Obama has begun the process of returning oversight and accountability under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are the ‘keepers of the flame’ for imperiled plants and animals.
We look forward to working with the administration to permanently withdraw the flawed Bush administration regulations and restore the Section 7 consultation procedures that have been successfully used for more than 20 years.
“President Obama waited less than 6 weeks after taking office to visit the Department of the Interior, declare his support for the goals of the Endangered Species Act, and begin to restore public trust in the Department that manages a 5th of our country’s land.
By contrast, former President Bush waited until the final 6 months of his presidency before visiting the Department of the Interior, after his administration spent years politically manipulating science and decision-making at the Department. What a welcome change!”
Background: 1st proposed by the Department of the Interior in August 2008, the Bush administration changes to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act would have eliminated the requirement that agencies seek advice from expert biologists with federal wildlife agencies in decisions about whether dams, towers, highways and other projects will likely harm imperiled species.
Approximately 200,000 comments opposing the changes were submitted to the Interior Department in the 60 days it allowed for the public to respond to the changes.Presidential memorandum initiates review and eventual replacement of Bush... more
-
-
When a dark-colored S.U.V. raced through the streets of Washington, flipped over and burst into flames on Fox’s fast-paced action show “24” last week, viewers probably were not calculating how much carbon dioxide the explosion produced.
On Monday the network will announce that “24” is going green, becoming the first “carbon neutral” television series.
So the producers decided to settle for buying carbon offsets, which in theory make up for emissions of carbon dioxide, the main heat-trapping gas linked to global warming, by paying other people to generate enough clean energy to compensate — in this case wind-power plants in India. The producers said they bought enough credits to offset 1,291 tons of carbon dioxide, just over a half-season’s worth of emissions.
Rupert Murdoch, spurred by a presentation by former Vice President Al Gore, said last year that he intended to make News Corporation, Fox’s parent, carbon neutral by 2010, and the network’s campaign, the producers say, is part of that effort. Still, the green fervor is an interesting turn for a show known more for playing out terrorist themes pioneered by the Bush administration and for graphic portrayals of torture in prime time.
Mr. Gordon said that he knew more skeptical viewers might see the effort as a way to rehabilitate the show’s reputation among liberals, but he insisted that there was no connection.
“People continue to ascribe political agendas to the show, so they may see this cynically, but, no, absolutely, one has nothing to do with the other,” he said.
Fox is not the first network to tout its devotion to the planet. In November NBC Universal committed to “greening” three shows, including the “Nightly News With Brian Williams” and “Saturday Night Live,” by using alternative fuels and increasing recycling and composting. Warner Brothers and Disney also have environmental divisions.
Still, Fox executives said that they were the first to make a series carbon neutral and that they hoped “24” would be a model for other shows and inspire a higher level of environmental consciousness in viewers. On Monday the network will begin broadcasting announcements in which the stars of “24” — including Kiefer Sutherland, who plays Agent Jack Bauer — encourage viewers to take steps themselves.
Joel Makower, executive editor of GreenBiz.com, which advises businesses and evaluates the effectiveness of environmental measures, said he was impressed with the show’s efforts.
“These are not just feel-good measures,” Mr. Makower said. “They did their homework.”
Mr. Gordon said there was still reason to try. “We are arguably the worst possible offender, which is why, in a way, it made sense to start with us,” he said. “If we can do it, anyone can.”When a dark-colored S.U.V. raced through the streets of Washington, flipped over and... more
-
-
'Extinct' bird photographed for the first time ever... before it is sold for 10p and EATEN
Worcester's buttonquail: This picture was taken by a film crew before the bird was sold for 10 pence, cooked and eaten
A bird believed to have been extinct for decades was captured on film in a remote mountainous area of the Philippines... before it was sold at a market for 10 pence and eaten.
Scientists believed the Worcester's buttonquail had died out years ago and the only evidence of its existence was in illustrations based on dead specimens discovered centuries ago.
However, a television crew inadvertently filmed a one of the birds while recording a documentary on traditional methods of bird trapping in the mountains of Luzon in the Philippines.
Neither the film crew or the bird trappers realised the creature was rare and after filming it was sold at a poultry market - as food.
By the time the film was spotted by a stunned ornithologist from the World Bird Club of the Philippines, the bird had already been sold, cooked and eaten.
Club president Mike Lu said: 'We are ecstatic that this rarely seen species was photographed by accident.
'It may be the only photo of this poorly known bird. But I also feel sad that the locals do not value the biodiversity around them and that this bird was sold for the cooking pot.
'What if this was the last of its species?'
The bird, which only lives in the Philippines, is believed to have fetched the equivalent of 10 pence.
Desmond Allen was the sharp-eyed World Bird Club of the Philippines member who spotted the Worcester's buttonquail in the bird trapping documentary - appropriately entitled Bye-Bye Birdie.
The Worcester buttonquail is listed as 'data deficient' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's 2008 Red List. Scientists believed it could have been extinct.'Extinct' bird photographed for the first time ever... before it is sold for... more
-
-
More than 80 percent of the world's major armed conflicts from 1950-2000 occurred in regions identified as the most biologically diverse and threatened places on Earth.
Scientists compared major conflict zones with the Earth's 34 biodiversity hotspots identified by Conservation International (CI). The hotspots are considered top conservation priorities because they contain the entire populations of more than half of all plant species and at least 42 percent of all vertebrates, and are highly threatened.
"This astounding conclusion — that the richest storehouses of life on Earth are also the regions of the most human conflict — tells us that these areas are essential for both biodiversity conservation and human well-being," said Russell A. Mittermeier, president of Conservation International (CI) and an author of the study.
"Millions of the world's poorest people live in hotspots and depend on healthy ecosystems for their survival, so there is a moral obligation — as well as political and social responsibility — to protect these places and all the resources and services they provide," Mittermeier said.
The finding, announced today, is published in the journal Conservation Biology.
The study found that more than 90 percent of major armed conflicts — those resulting in more than 1,000 deaths — occurred in countries that contain one of the 34 biodiversity hotspots, while 81 percent took place within specific hotspots. A total of 23 hotspots experienced warfare over the half-century studied. "More than 80 percent of the world's major armed conflicts from 1950-2000 occurred... more
-
-
Arizona officials have captured and placed a tracking collar on a wild jaguar for the first time ever in the United States, the state wildlife agency said Thursday.
The male cat was captured Wednesday southwest of Tucson during a research study concerning mountain lions and black bears. The location of the capture was not released.
While individual jaguars have been photographed sporadically along the Mexican border the past few years, the capture occurred outside the area where the last known photograph of a jaguar was taken in January, state Game and Fish officials said in a press release.Arizona officials have captured and placed a tracking collar on a wild jaguar for the... more
-
-
The Burning Season
Video: Full Episode
Every hour in Indonesian rainforests, an area the size of 300 soccer fields is mowed down and burned. Often this clearing is done to make way for oil palm plantations. The resulting palm oil is used for cooking, cleaning and even as a biofuel. But the fires farmers set to clear their land have helped to make Indonesia the world’s third-largest emitter of carbon dioxide — exceeded only by the U.S. and China.
A 29-year-old Australian “green” entrepreneur named Dorjee Sun believes he has a solution to reduce those harmful greenhouse gas emissions. He has canvassed the world pitching the sale of Indonesia’s carbon credits to polluters in the West.
His business model would maintain the standing swaths of Indonesia’s rainforests by selling their carbon credits. Burning Season follows Dorjee Sun on a whirlwind trip into boardrooms around the world – from Starbucks to eBay to Merrill Lynch – as he tries to convince skeptical financiers that his proposal is viable.
To carry out his plan, local political leaders in Indonesia must also agree that their forests are worth more alive than dead. Small farmers like Achmadi, who makes a living by cutting down trees to plant oil palms, fear the layers of government officials will be the only profiteers from the carbon credit sale.
Burning Season kindles both sides of the climate divide and explores whether capitalism can step in where altruism has so far failed to succeed.The Burning Season
Video: Full Episode
Every hour in Indonesian rainforests, an... more
-
-
FYI: 300 football fields worth of trees are destroyed every hour. The wildlife and native peoples have no 'claim' to the land. The animals are simply killed or sold into the wildlife-trade as pets, meat, or as laboratory research specimens.
PLEASE BE A RESPONSIBLE CONSUMER!
Look at ingredients when you purchase food. You'll be surprised to see how many products contain some form of palm! PLEASE call or write the manufacturer and let them know that you do not support palm derived from unethical or unsustainable methods (ex. destroying rain-forest for palm plantations!).
Efforts to slow the rapid expansion of oil palm plantations at the expense of natural forests across Southeast Asia are being hindered by industry-sponsored disinformation campaigns, argue scientists writing in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution. The authors, Lian Pin Koh and David S. Wilcove, say that palm oil may constitute the "single most immediate threat to the greatest number of species" by driving the conversion of biologically rich ecosystems — including lowland rain-forests and peat-lands.
"Why have efforts by conservationists failed to halt the expansion of oil palm plantations at the expense of tropical forests? We contend that part of the reason could be the aggressive public relations campaigns undertaken by the oil palm industry to promote public acceptance of palm oil and to dismiss the concerns of conservation biologists and environmentalists," Koh and Wilcove write. "It is not unlike the campaign that some energy companies waged against efforts to curb global climate change."
Under fire from environmental groups, which are now pushing for consumer boycotts of products containing palm oil in some markets, industry groups have launched marketing campaigns to depict palm oil as a environmentally benign — or even ecologically beneficial — product. Despite substantial scientific evidence to the contrary, the industry claims that expansion has not occurred in natural forest areas and that oil palm plantations sequester more carbon than rain-forests.
Ultimately, pressure on the industry to improve environmental performance will hinge on whether environmentalists can overcome this propaganda to convince consumers and governments on the merits of eco-friendly palm oil. Until then, biodiversity will continue to be at risk from the palm oil industry, conclude Koh and Wilcove.
"To effectively mitigate the threats of oil palm to biodiversity, conservationists need to persuade consumers to continue to demand both greater transparency in land-use decisions by governments and greater environmental accountability from oil palm producers."
"A prohibition on the conversion of primary or secondary forests to oil palm is urgently needed to safeguard tropical biodiversity. Until that happens, oil palm might well be the single most immediate threat to the greatest number of species."
* Lian Pin Koh and David S. Wilcove. Oil palm: disinformation enables deforestation. Trends in Ecology and Evolution Vol.24 No.2FYI: 300 football fields worth of trees are destroyed every hour. The wildlife and... more
-
-
I also think that greater incentives need to be given to those companies like MDI and Tesla who are actually deploying alternative fuel vehicles, and not just showing "concept cars" at the auto shows.
When the Chevy Volt ships 500K units nationwide, I'll take their commitment seriously.I also think that greater incentives need to be given to those companies like MDI and... more
-
-
The majestic forests are vanishing in smoke and sawdust, but there's still hope for the island's fabled biodiversity—if the palm oil rush can be slowed.The majestic forests are vanishing in smoke and sawdust, but there's still hope... more
-
-
Soy, she tells me, is "a disease, stuck in the marrow of my bones. It sustains me enough to keep me breathing at the end of each day, but it is rotting me alive. It is slowly numbing my body from the inside out. This crop has robbed me of my child. It has robbed me of my youth, my hope, my want to look ahead to a future. I am not the only one. There are many of us. In America you have cocaine to kill slowly; in Argentina we have soybeans."
Her name is Sonita Ponce. She is thirty-three, but she looks much older. She lives with her husband in the same stone, tin and mud hut that her great grandparents built and passed down through the generations. Their farm is located thirty miles south of Bolivia, in the northern Argentine province of Jujuy. Sonita's family members have always been farmers, and until quite recently their farm produced a wide variety of crops including maize, quinoa, lettuces, and other legumes. This changed in the early years of 2000 when the craze of soy hit America and China. Then genetically modified soy seeds were introduced to Argentina. Suddenly the production demand for soybeans increased so dramatically that the local farmers of these countries could no longer meet the consumer demands, and land was bought up by multinational soy corporations. Many farmers have lost their jobs, homes, land, and health.
In the past, farming in Northern Argentina was community based and structured. The provinces in this part of the country are very hot and dry, and this ecosystem can naturally support only small networks of farms. Thus this area consisted of small communities built around many little farms. The average farm contained 100-250 hectares with 10-15 male field hands who maintained and harvested the crops by hand or simple machinery. Many of the workers lived in small shacks on or close to the property of the farm, turning it into a gathering and meeting place for them and their families. Without modern technology, these small farms had jobs or chores for every age group. Small children could harvest vegetables or tend animals. Wives cooked or accompanied the men in the fields. Older generations assisted the children with harvesting and other simple tasks.
A farmerless crop
As soy fields spread, the US agrochemical giant Monsanto Corporation, developed and introduced the genetically engineered "Roundup Ready" (RR) soybean into the agriculture sector of South America. All parties concerned predicted that the introduction of the genetically modified (GM) soybean would advance farmers economically and technologically. The RR seed is resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, meaning that when the farmers spray glyphosate on their fields, the herbicide kills all the weeds without hurting the soy seed. Without a weed problem, the farmers dramatically decrease or stop tilling their fields, saving gas and machinery cost.
From an economic standpoint, Monsanto thought that cutting production costs would increase profit. They failed, however to understand that by bringing in these GM crops, they were uprooting the social structure and culture that the people of Northern Argentina survived on. "Genetically modified soy is a farm product that needs no farmers," Sonita explains, "which was what made it so appealing to all of us. We just weren't ready for the long terms effects."
With less machinery being operated, and the "built-in" weed management system, few hands are needed to tend to the crops. The labor requirement now for a soy farm is only one job per 100-55 hectares, which creates a large increase in unemployment throughout Northern Argentina. Without the need for extra field hands, suddenly thousands of workers and their families found themselves jobless, and, not soon after, homeless. These workers were the first people to feel the direct impact of the new GM soy crop.Soy, she tells me, is "a disease, stuck in the marrow of my bones. It sustains... more
-
-
PHOTO: Described in 2005, the Laotian Rock Rat [Laonastes aenigmamus] was first encountered by scientists on sale at an outdoor food market in Lao
Over one thousand new species have been discovered in the Greater Mekong Region of Southeast Asia since 1997, says a new report by WWF.
Among the most incredible finds documented in 'First Contact in the Greater Mekong' are the Lao Rock Rat, thought to have gone extinct 11 million years ago but discovered in a Lao food market; the hot-pink “dragon millipede” that produces cyanide in self-defense; the world’s largest huntsman spider, which has a leg span of over 30 centimeters; and a new species of purple banana from Southern China.
All told, over 500 plants, 250 fish, 80 frogs, 40 lizards, and 20 snakes, as well as 15 mammals, 4 birds, 4 turtles, 2 salamanders and a toad, were found throughout the six countries of the Greater Mekong region, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the southern Chinese province of Yunnan.
In documenting such a prolific rate of discovery—an average of two species per week were discovered over the past decade—the report’s findings reaffirm the importance of the Greater Mekong as a biodiversity hotspot and conservation priority. As a result of such high biodiversity, the region is also recognised as a hub for the illicit trade in wildlife. Plants and animals of all sizes and description are poached from their natural habitats, transported across the region to major markets such as China and Viet Nam.
However, while many of these discoveries are new to science, Sulma Warne, Co-ordinator of TRAFFIC’s Greater Mekong Programme, says it is likely that many of the species have been known by local communities, and in some cases have long been harvested for food, medicine or other reasons.
While excited about the recent discoveries and recognizing the importance of sharing such news with the rest of the world, he was, however, concerned that high levels of publicity might motivate a demand for some species that was previously non-existent beyond low level local consumption.PHOTO: Described in 2005, the Laotian Rock Rat [Laonastes aenigmamus] was first... more
-
-
The reptiles, especially softshell turtles, are prized in China as food and as a source for traditional medicines. U.S. experts fear the trade could lead to extinctions.
The turtle tank at Nam Hoa Fish Market is empty, but not to worry: The manager of this bustling Chinatown store says he has plenty in back.
As Asian economies boomed, more and more people began buying turtle, once a delicacy beyond their budgets. Driven in particular by Chinese demand, Asian consumption has all but wiped out wild turtle populations not just in China, but in Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and elsewhere in the region.
Now conservationists fear that the U.S. turtle population could be eaten into extinction.The reptiles, especially softshell turtles, are prized in China as food and as a... more
-
-
Wow, I actually agree with something the Vatican says. Hmm, and he called those using them only seeking profit 'unscrupulous.' I wonder who he was talking about?
From the article:
NOTE: Note the tone of Cardinal Martino's statements here about hunger and GMOs.
The head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace has previously been seen as little short of Monsanto's man in the Vatican, working hand in glove with the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See to try and achieve the papal blessing of GMOs as a key tool in the fight against hunger.
If Cardinal Martino's remarks have been correctly reported here, then this looks like a massive setback for the industry.
I wonder what brought about the change?Wow, I actually agree with something the Vatican says. Hmm, and he called those using... more
-
-
· Report says Bush administration official bullied scientists
· Committee critical of handling of endangered species act
· Politics played a role in 20 endangered species decisions
Politics corroded Bush administration decisions on protecting endangered species in regions nationwide, federal investigators have concluded in a sweeping new report.
Former interior department official Julie MacDonald frequently bullied career scientists to reduce species protections, the interior department investigators found.
"The results of this investigation paint a picture of something akin to a secret society residing within the interior department that was colluding to undermine the protection of endangered wildlife and covering for one another's misdeeds," Congressman Nick Rahall, a Democrat from West Virginia, said late Monday afternoon.
Rahall chairs the House natural resources committee, which has been highly critical of the Bush administration's handling of the Endangered Species Act. Particularly in western states, the environmental law will be one of the biggest issues confronting President-elect Barack Obama's interior secretary.
The Bush administration took office promising to relieve farmers, loggers and developers of some of the regulatory burdens imposed by the Endangered Species Act. MacDonald, a civil engineer who was appointed to serve as deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks, played an especially active role.
"MacDonald caused an incredible waste of time and money," one Fish and Wildlife Service official told investigators.
The 141-page investigation released Monday elaborates on inquiries conducted earlier by the interior department's office of inspector general. The earlier probes into MacDonald's work spurred the interior department to reconsider some of its decisions concerning species.
The new investigation offers additional details and interviews, fleshing out how politics potentially played a role on 20 different endangered species decisions. The decisions in question ranged from the northern spotted owl to the northern Mexican garter snake.
"One fish and wildlife service employee told us that MacDonald's influence was so prevalent that 'it became a verb for us - getting MacDonalded,' " the investigators reported.
MacDonald could not be located for comment late Monday. She has largely stayed out of public view since leaving the interior department in May 2007.· Report says Bush administration official bullied scientists
·... more
-
-
-
"Until a few years ago this giant forest in the mountainous north of Mozambique was known only to local villagers; it did not feature on maps nor, it is believed, in scientific collections or literature. But after "finding" the forest on a Google Earth internet map, a British-led team of scientists has returned from what is thought to be the first full-scale expedition into the canopy. Below the trees, which rise 45m above the ground, they discovered land filled with astonishingly rich biodiversity.
The scientists found what they believe are three new species of butterfly, a previously undiscovered adder snake and new populations of rare birds. They also expect to find new plants among the hundreds of specimens they have brought back with them."
The pictures are fantastic! Definitely worth checking out!"Until a few years ago this giant forest in the mountainous north of Mozambique... more
-
-
This "ruling" is being shoved through before Bush leaves, and now it is unsure with the Obama administration cheerleading for "clean coal" if this will even be reversed.
So, this question then goes out to the Current community:
Just what are you prepared to do this coming year to finally stand up for this planet and your future?
This ruling is a TRAVESTY and it should incense anyone with a conscience. It shows a direct disdain for the health of the people and the well being of this planet. So what says the Current community about this?
I tell you what:
How about we just continue with the celebrity news distractions and other fluff bs and allow them to build their toxic Earth killing monstrosities any damn place they want. And then we can continue to also cover this world in garbage and toxic waste until we are knee high in it. We can then continue to pollute our water until it is all black and thick with the beautiful bitumen and coal that gives us our electricity to run our distractionary gadgets that keep us happy, because it is CLEAN afterall and we really don't need food and water to live. We can then continue to run our SUVS and live excessively, eating tons of plastic fast food grown with genetically modified food crap as we get fatter and fatter and sicker and sicker, and watching hours of brain numbing tv while teaching our children that to actually get up off their asses to FIGHT for what is right is just not worth the time because that celebrity and fluff bs news is so much more important. Sound good to you? I would hope not.
Drowning in toxic waste, climate change pollution that wrecks the climate balance of this planet, and knee deep in garbage while killing ourselves and other species in the process for a false choice while going merrily to our demise because we actually think all of the "stuff" we have makes it all better? I have never seen such a species as we humans, and I hope to never see one again. We as a species truly then have become a caricature of ourselves if the above is actually to continue to be our fate.
So will you continue as usual, or will you fight?This "ruling" is being shoved through before Bush leaves, and now it is... more
-
-
Ecological engineering could offer cheaper, more efficient long-term strategies for pest control than genetically modified (GM) crops, say Josef Settele and colleagues in Nature.
Ecological engineering in irrigated rice — controlling insect pests through landscape management — has almost eradicated insecticide use in the field sites of the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines.
The authors argue that, unlike GM rice, ecological engineering does not undermine the independence of farmers in developing countries by relying on big business for pest control.
In such a well-studied crop as rice, ecological engineering could be implemented immediately, they say. Future research should focus on developing sustainable management schemes for other key crops.
more at the link:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v456/n7222/full/456570a.html
_________
In developing countries of this world this would be the best way to maintain sustainability and independence for farmers, with less pollution and transgenic contamination that kills biodiversity. This is how you feed hungry people. Not by limiting biodiveristy, but by preserving it.Ecological engineering could offer cheaper, more efficient long-term strategies for... more
-
-
BANGKOK (AFP) – Scientists have discovered more than 1,000 species in Southeast Asia's Greater Mekong region in the past decade, including a spider as big as a dinner plate, the World Wildlife Fund said Monday.
A rat thought to have become extinct 11 million years ago and a cyanide-laced, shocking pink millipede were among creatures found in what the group called a "biological treasure trove".
The species were all found in the rainforests and wetlands along the Mekong River, which flows through Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the southern Chinese province of Yunnan.
"It doesn't get any better than this," Stuart Chapman, director of WWF's Greater Mekong Programme, was quoted as saying in a statement by the group.
"We thought discoveries of this scale were confined to the history books."
The WWF report, "First Contact in the Greater Mekong", said that "between 1997 and 2007, at least 1,068 have been officially described by science as being newly discovered species."
These included the world's largest huntsman spider, with a leg span of 30 centimetres (11.8 inches), and more at the linkBANGKOK (AFP) – Scientists have discovered more than 1,000 species in Southeast... more
-
