Home/Archive for March, 2010
Archive for March, 2010
Climate & Change, Wildlife & Flora, Mar 3rd, 2010,
A census on marine life in the Antarctic called The British Antarctic Survey seeks to shed some light on how the wide variety of animals that live on the Antarctic sea floor might react to climate change. According to the survey, which began in 2005, ‘the Polar Regions are amongst the fastest warming places on Earth’. Changes in winter sea ice levels, ocean acidification and rising temperatures are already reducing the population of krill, an important food source for Arctic penguins, seals and whales. Changes also favor an increase in the amount of jellyfish in the area. From a BAS…
Tags: Antarctic, BBC, British, change, climate, ecosystem, glacier, global, iceberg, life, marine, Mertz, ocean, polar, research, scientist, sea, survey, warming
Climate & Change, Nature, Politics, Wildlife & Flora, ,
The world today faces two main problems: the economy and the environment. Some would suggest these 2 issues go hand-in-hand. Many have different ideas on how to deal with them. However, very few can agree on what should be done about them. Recently, I was sent a rather interesting video that gives some interesting ideas on how to deal with these very problems. Promoted by The Wilderness Society, this particular video talks about how helping the environment will also help the economy. In particular, it focuses on creating a more “green economy”. Considering the path the world has been on…
Tags: climate change, economy, environment, green economy, green jobs, natures, renewable energy, SaveOurEnvironment.org, The Wilderness Society
Climate & Change, Nature, Wildlife & Flora, ,
Sumatra: A large, Indonesian island that is home to over 200 mammal and nearly 600 bird species, including critically endangered animals such as the Sumatran tiger, rhino, and orangutan. It’s also the target of a new environmental initiative launched by Australia and Indonesia. Yesterday, those 2 nations announced a multi-million dollar plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by deforestation and forest degradation on Sumatra. Named the Sumatra Forest Carbon Partnership, immediate action will be taken against threats to forests in Jambi province. According to Neil Scotland, coordinator of the Indonesia-Australia Forest Carbon Partnership: “The partnership in Jambi is a…
Tags: australia, deforestation, emissions, global warming, Indonesia, Sumatra, Sumatra Forest Carbon Partnership
Climate & Change, Nature, Politics, Science & Technology, Wildlife & Flora, Mar 2nd, 2010,
Today, a number of officials are gathering in Florida to discuss the ongoing issues with whaling. Things appear to be split at least 3 ways amongst them and right now it’s hard to tell what direction the meeting will go in. First, you have the IWC (International Whaling Commission), which is responsible for slapping a 1986 ban on commercial whaling. Since Japan uses “lethal research” as a loophole, while Iceland and Norway completely ignore the ban altogether, the IWC is hoping to strike up a compromise. Part of this compromise includes more control over the whaling done by those nations,…
Tags: 1986 commercial whaling ban, australia, carbon, climate change, compromise, global warming, IWC, japan, meeting, research, study, the forests of the ocean, whales, whaling
Science & Technology, Sustainable living, ,
The energy crisis of the 1970s kick started an energy revolution in Denmark. Previously dependent on foreign oil, the Scandinavian country ‘learned the hard way’ about the importance of diversifying its power sources. Government subsidies for wind power, a carbon tax and energy efficiency investments – as well as the discovery of North Sea oil, it must be said – all lead to Denmark’s successful endeavor for energy independence. Denmark is home to the largest offshore wind farm in the world and gets the highest proportion of its energy from wind turbines. Wind power in Denmark is sourced not only…
Tags: CNN, denmark, energy, oil, power, turbines, wind
Climate & Change, Wildlife & Flora, ,
A wildfire is currently raging in Western Australia, some 170 miles (275 km) north of the state capital, Perth. Though the area is mostly farmland and not densely populated, Australian Fire Emergency Services have urged residents to leave the area with ‘survival kits’ in tow. According to a Press Association report on the situation in Western Australia, wildfires are a common threat during hot Australian summers and this summer is particularly blazing, with Tuesday’s temperature predicted to hit 41 C (106 F). Last year, 173 people were killed and more than 2,000 homes destroyed in one day as hundreds of…
Tags: australia, fire, forest, logged, logging, Western, wildfires
Climate & Change, Science & Technology, sustainable living, ,
Another storm is brewing. This one won’t only hit the southern US, western South America or Southeast Asia. It will travel across the globe; seasonal for some and a daily thing for others. Oh, and it might just be courtesy of climate change. What kind of storm am I talking about? Simply, an allergy storm and it’s heading your way. Okay, so maybe that was a bit over the top, but in all seriousness, research conducted in Italy suggests that the increasing temperatures are causing the pollen season to last for a longer period of time. This increases the pollen…
Tags: allergies, allergy season, Bordighera, climate change, Italy, pollen, pollen allergy, study
Nature, Weird & Wonderful, Wildlife & Flora, ,
Honey bees suffering from the growing malady Colony Collapse Disorder are receiving aid from an unexpected source: Häagen-Dazs ice cream. Now, I’m sure you may be wondering why on Earth an ice cream manufacturer would care about helping the honey bee. Well, the answer is pretty simple. Bees pollinate a lot of things besides flowers, such as fruits, berries and other plants. Some of these things are used as ingredients in many foods, including ice cream. In fact, about half of all Häagen-Dazs flavors include ingredients that require bee pollination. So, what is this giant ice cream manufacturer doing to…
Tags: Colony Collapse Disorder, Häagen-Dazs, HelpTheHoneyBees.com, honey bees, ice cream, Vanilla Honey Bee
Climate & Change, Science & Technology, Mar 1st, 2010,
For some, the melting of Arctic sea ice is a sure sign of global warming and habitat loss. For others, it simply means a chance to reap more economic and strategic benefits. China fits one of these descriptions. Can you guess which one? Linda Jakobson, a researcher from SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) stated “The prospect of the Arctic being navigable during summer months, leading to both shorter shipping routes and access to untapped energy resources, has impelled the Chinese government to allocate more resources to Arctic research.” While China may be interested in the possibilities that the Arctic…
Tags: Arctic sea ice, China, climate change, global warming, Northwest Passage, SIPRI, study, trade routes
climate change, Politics, ,
British companies with financial ties to Canada’s controversial tar sands oil operations will face considerable pressure this week from UK environmental lobbies and investors with ethical concerns. The tar sands of Alberta, Canada are the world’s largest deposits of bitumen, a heavy, black form of crude oil extracted via surface mining. Generally considered to be of more harm to the environment than conventional oil drilling, tar sand mining has taken a heavy toll on Alberta’s air, land, water, wildlife and people. According to an article in the Guardian, ethical and environmental groups opposed to British investment in the tar sands…
Tags: Alberta, British, Canada, Co-operative, environmental, ethical, Fair Pensions, Guardian, mining, oil, tar sands, UK
Nature, Politics, Wildlife & Flora, ,
Last week the European Commission backed a ban on the international trade of bluefin tuna due to overfishing and a critical decline in global fish stocks. The EU will look for support from its 27 member states. According to a report from the Voice of America, key European players Italy and France have already voiced support for the ban, but European fishermen are opposed. Japan – the major consumer of bluefin tuna – said it would not recognize a ban. A spokesperson for the WWF was quoted by the VOA: “We are seeing a historic decline in the order of…
Tags: ban, bluefin, End of the Line, EU, European, fishermen, ignore, japan, overfishing, tuna
Climate & Change, ,
Storms in Europe caused at least 58 deaths over the weekend. Most of the deaths occurred in France, where floods drowned victims and severe winds felled trees and sent debris flying, causing deaths and injuries. Transportation infrastructure has been severely affected and hundreds of thousands have been left without power according to a CNN report. Besides France, the storms battered Spain, Portugal, Belgium, England and Germany, claiming lives in each of these countries. A BBC News story has eyewitness reports from several of the affected sites: Everywhere was flooded. The wind had backed up a high tide which met torrential…
Tags: deaths, Europe, flood, France, storms
sustainable living, ,
The aftermath of Chile’s earthquake has been anything but positive. Aftershocks continue to happen, looters are running rampant, and the death toll has climbed to over 700 thus far. At least 500,000 houses were destroyed or damaged. There is also a “growing number of people” listed as missing, according to President Michele Bachelet. She also stated that “we are facing a catastrophe of such unthinkable magnitude that it will require a giant effort”. The looters have been worst of all. Every type of store or market you can think of has been looted. Items ranging from food and water to…
Tags: aftermath, Chile, death toll, earthquake, help needed, looting, rescue
Science & Technology, sustainable living, ,
When I was no more than 2 years old, I had my first seizure. Since then, I’ve gone through a number of seizure attacks over the years—both major and minor. Yes, I am on medication. Yes, I’ve had CAT scans and EEGs. No, I do not have to wear a helmet or special padding and flashing lights don’t bother me one bit. Epilepsy has been around for an extremely long time and it’s probably the least understood “disease” to this day. Some people believe it’s a form of insanity. Others believe it’s contagious—some places have gone to the extent of…
Tags: chronic neurological disorder, epilepsy, epileptic patients, how to deal with epilepsy, how to help someone having a seizure, seizures, study, TV drama
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