Normally, HDL cholesterol removes LDL or “bad cholesterol” from the blood stream, decreasing the risk of heart disease. Therefore, high levels of HDL are beneficial, while low levels are risky.

Yet breathing vehicular emissions damages HDL cholesterol, making it actually contribute to clogging arteries instead of preventing them.

Image credit: www.TheEnvironmentalBlog.org

From the UCLA Newsroom:

In addition to changing HDL from “good” to “bad,” the inhalation of emissions activates other components of oxidation, the early cell and tissue damage that causes inflammation, leading to hardening of the arteries, according to the research team, which included scientists from UCLA and other institutions.

Another worrying finding of the study is that breathing clean, filtered air for a week following a two-week exposure to car exhaust is not enough to reverse the damage.

The results were obtained not on human subjects, but on laboratory mice, which may not sit well with many readers.

From the Houston Chronicle:

The mice were exposed to the pollutants several hours a day at a concentration similar to working in a mine. After these exposure[s], researchers found the protective qualities of good cholesterol had been adversely altered by the emissions.

Moreover, what results can we expect from this new knowledge about how smog is killing us? We already know that the more cars a city has the more people get sick and die as a result of particulate matter and gasses from vehicular engines. For example, as a result of the dramatic rise in cars in Asia, 2.1 million people died prematurely from pollution-related illnesses in 2010.

The advice offered by the researchers in lieu of these recent findings? Limit your exposure to pollutants.

Fair enough, but for most of us that’s easier said than done.

Hedgehogs have declined by a third during this century. Pic: Ian S (Flickr CC)

We are perhaps more accustomed to hearing about the conservation of exotic endangered species in tropical biodiversity hotspots in places such as Southeast Asia. We tut and swear at foreign governments and multinational corporations who wantonly destroy the habitats of cuddly pandas, beautiful tigers and supremely sympathetic orangutans, but what about the already-industrialized world?

Have the British given up on the UK’s wildlife? Hardly. Scarcely a week goes by when I don’t read about a controversial badger cull, arguments over urban foxes and even bats’ vulnerability to wind turbines.

So in the land that exterminated all of its native beavers, wolves and bears, people do care – even as wildlife continues to disappear.

And yet…

A new ground breaking study has revealed that 60% of species in the UK have declined during the past 50 years and 10% are at risk of extinction.

From the Independent:

Its findings, based on studies of 3,148 species, offer clues to the overall fortunes of the UK’s 59,000 species. Hedgehogs, turtle doves and red squirrels were among the species seeing the biggest falls in recent years, while butterflies, moths and bats also saw rapid declines.

It’s disconcerting to imagine that a species so iconic to Britain like a hedgehog or turtledove (think Twelve Days of Christmas) will no longer exist on the Sceptred Isle.

Beloved naturalist and television presenter Sir David Attenborough has long been lending his voice to British conservation. He launched the report with these words (via the Evening Standard):

This ground-breaking report is a stark warning – but it is also a sign of hope. For 60 years I have travelled the world exploring the wonders of nature and sharing that wonder with the public. But as a boy my first inspiration came from discovering the UK’s own wildlife. Our islands have a rich diversity of habitats which support some truly amazing plants and animals. We should all be proud of the beauty we find on our own doorstep; from bluebells carpeting woodland floors and delicately patterned fritillary butterflies, to the graceful basking shark and the majestic golden eagle soaring over the Scottish mountains. This report shows that our species are in trouble, with many declining at a worrying rate.

So what’s to blame? The usual suspects, of course: unsustainable farming practices and the over use of pesticides, overfishing, climate change, construction, urbanization, and the destruction of natural habitats. You know, progress.

No, it’s not an Al Gore style mansion fitted with solar panels and other energy-efficient innovations. No one but the super-rich can afford such green luxury.

I’m talking about minimal space minimal resource use. Introducing a personal fetish of mine: tiny houses.

Ever since first seeing articles on the Micro Compact House I always liked it’s futuristic appeal, but their life cycle doesn’t appear to be very long. This reclaimed boat inspired apartment in Barcelona looks great, but it’s not all that small and looks way outside my budget anyway. Next!

Tiny houses in Washington DC. Pic: boneyardstudios.com

Tiny houses: These tick most if not all of the boxes. They’re portable, beautiful and have more or less all you need in a house if you don’t have kids or a big dog. I discovered them while reading my original hometown rag, the Washington City Paper.

A bunch of young, liberal DIY types have been building these cute partial solutions to a local housing crisis – characterized by astronomical prices, underemployment and bad credit – in an alley in the Stronghold area of DC.

From the Washington Post:

The people aren’t really tiny, but their homes are — 150 to 200 square feet of living space, some with gabled roofs, others with bright cedar walls, compact bathrooms and cozy sleeping lofts that add up to living spaces that are smaller than the walk-in closets in a suburban McMansion.

The so-called “small house movement” sounds good to me, but where to park your tiny house? Land is also incredibly expensive and you’d need plumbing and electricity if you really want to experience all the modern comforts of home. How would your grandparents feel about you parking it in their backyard?

Too small? Too rural? There’s always the Loft Cube, a perennial futuristic favorite of mine that isn’t designed for the mega-rich. Still, where to put it?

Worry about that later. For now check out this tiny house tour:

Species: Tehuantepec jackrabbit (Lepus flavigularis)

Status: Endangered (EN)

Interesting Fact: The Tehuantepec jackrabbit has impressively long ears which can measure up to 12 centimetres in length.

The Tehuantepec jackrabbit is considered to be the most endangered hare species in the world. Like other hares, it is characterised by its long legs, large hind feet, huge ears and superb running ability. This species is active at night or at dawn and dusk, sheltering in cover during the day. Like most hares, it does not dig burrows, instead relying on its camouflage and speed to escape predators. Young Tehuantepec jackrabbits, known as leverets, are well developed at birth and are left in a concealed place by the female, who only returns to nurse them briefly each day. This species is named after its distribution around the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico.

Only four small, isolated populations of Tehuantepec jackrabbits remain, with a total population estimated at fewer than 1,000 individuals. This species has a restricted range and is threatened by habitat loss and human-caused fires, as well as by hunting. Unfortunately, conservation laws are not well enforced and this species’ habitat is unprotected. Urgent protection of its habitat is therefore needed, together with better enforcement of hunting regulations. Captive breeding, educational programmes and further research may also benefit this rare hare.

Image by: jasonippolito (source Flickr)

This week we saw a classic David vs. Goliath court case in the United States. An Indiana Farmer, who planted soybean seeds he got from a grain elevator, played the role of David. The role of Goliath was played by the seed-selling corporation Monsanto, that recently came in the news when The United States passed a bill that is now known as ‘the Monsanto Protection Act’. Monsanto didn’t like it one bit that the Indiana farmer used seeds that he didn’t buy from them. So they sued him. Unfortunately for ‘David’ this is the real world and so the small Indiana farmer lost the case and has to pay a fine of $84,456 to Monsanto.

The Indiana Farmer named Bowman planted his first crop with genetic manipulated seeds he bought from Monsanto. When he wanted to plant a late season second crop, he used seeds from a local grain elevator. The reason he bought those seeds is that they were cheaper of course. The average cost of planting an acre of soybeans has risen 325% between 1995 and 2011. But unfortunately for Bowman, he already signed a contract with Monsanto.

Monsanto stated that the seeds that Bowman used were from the same genes as the Monsanto seeds, and so that they were patented and belonged in fact to Monsanto. I already told you the outcome: Little David got beat by Goliath.

The lobbyists are behind the wheel

This court case enforces the power of big seed selling corporations like Monsanto. The recently passed bill, also known as the Monsanto Protection Act, states that the seed selling companies aren’t responsible when their seeds turn out to be linked to illness or environmental problems. This puts these corporations above the law in the United States.

How is this possible you ask? There are quite a few stunning reasons. The main reason off course are the lobbyists that corporations like Monsanto have crawling around Washington. Some of these former lobbyists of Monsanto even occupy high positions in government offices. This explains why this corporation has so many friends with influence in the government; they used to be on their pay roll.

What about Europe?

The policy is also spreading to the Old Continent, Europe. Tonio Borg, the European commissioner for public health and consumer policy has recently tabled some bills. Luckily the bill that had to make the seed trade of small business owners stricter did not pass. This means that small individuals will still be able to buy and sell seeds on their own in small amounts.

The question is for how long Europe will be able to withstand the pressure that is being held by the lobbyists of the big corporations. Some think that it will only be a matter of time before Europe passes a bill that forces farmers to use standardised seeds from companies that make seeds, pesticides and fertilizers.

On May 25^th, 2013 protests against Monsanto will be held in more than 300 cities all over the world. I wonder why…

More info on these protests can be found here: http://occupy-monsanto.com/tag/protest/

pic: Saima Says (Flickr CC)

Since I discovered that YouTube has gone HD, I’ve been devouring animal documentaries. The BBC’s Natural World is my favorite. Unusual and uplifting stories about gorillas, koalas, jaguars and other intelligent or beautiful animals are generally what I’m looking for, but I try to keep an open mind.

What are especially appealing are stories about unlikely friendships or adoptions between not only humans and animals, but also between different species of wild animals. “Kangaroo Dundee”, about a guy who lives in the Australian outback and acts as a surrogate mother to orphaned kangaroos, ticks all the boxes.

Another episode was about orphaned lions and hyenas in Africa. Three lions in the reserve had formed a pride with a hyena they had been raised with since they were all cubs. Something is so fascinating about how some animals, when removed from typical circumstances, adapt to new ones in unexpected, but completely practical ways. We’ve all seen videos or read stories about dogs nursing tiger cubs or other wild animals.

Sometimes these things even happen without human intervention. In the waters off the Azores a bottlenose dolphin with a deformed spine was adopted by a group of sperm whales. Researchers speculate that the dolphin’s deformity may have made it difficult to keep up with others of its kind, so it opted to join up with the slower whales.

Author Jenny Holland has written a book, entitled Unlikely Friendships, all about such relationships. She believes that empathy might be the key.

From National Geographic:

Mammals have the same brain structures, the same system, related to emotion that we have, so why not? These stories give us another perspective on non-human animals. Sometimes we don’t give them as much credit as they deserve for being complex, thinking, empathetic beings.

–Jenny Holland

So if pet dogs and cats can be friends, why not a lions, tigers and bears?

Check out this story about a lion, tiger and bear that were confiscated from a drug dealer as babies and now live together at a zoo in the state of Georgia, US.

photo by ulybug

Creating your sustainable home has a benefit not only to the environment and your personal health, but also helps by reducing utility expense over the long term for home owners.  If you are thinking about renovating your home there are many ways to choose products and building methods that will ensure that your home has a positive and not negative impact on the environment.

Reuse and Repurpose

Building a new home can be expensive.  Perhaps that is why more people are turning to renovation compared to new homes.   According to the National Association of Home Builders, the average 2,200 square foot home requires no less than 13,000 feet of framing lumber.  If you stretched that out, it would span 2.5 miles of wood products needed just for the framing, let alone other interior elements such as flooring and cabinetry.   Home construction and remodeling in the United States alone is responsible for approximately 1/3 of annual municipal solid waste.

Much of what you remove from your home during renovation can be repurposed for other projects, or utilized in a new way.    Instead of replacing a worn countertop, consider having it resurfaced with an environmentally friendly process.  Refacing your countertop saves you the expense of replacing it entirely when only the surface is worn, and you can get a variety of quality no VOC (volatile organic compound) finishes.   If you are replacing an old tile backsplash, repurpose the tiles and create a new outdoor patio table top and look for other ideas to reuse instead of generating waste.

Create Natural Light

Did you know that creating a new window or expanding the size of an existing window can create more natural light in your home, and reduce your energy bill?   The ambiance of natural light is always appreciated and it can have a big impact on your annual lighting costs.

Revisit Your Water Heater

We tend to forget about the water heater when we are measuring the energy efficiency of our home.  It’s important when you consider that an old water heater can run up your energy bill faster than any other appliance in the home.  Investigate replacing your old water heater with a new tankless model.   They have been available in Europe for more than fifty years but are starting to become popular and available now in North America.   They are about 20% more efficient than the standard water heater and are available in natural gas, propane or electric models according to the US Department of Energy.

Choose Local Materials

Creating an environmentally sound home and then trucking in exotic materials is counterproductive.  Be aware of the cost in terms of emissions when goods have to be transported over long distances.  Source your building materials and even your contractor locally to reduce the cost to the environment.   Choose lumbers that are locally sourced and sustainable.

Ventilation

Create cross ventilation and save money by installing quality, low energy but high efficiency ceiling fans.   Save on costs to cool your home during hot summer months and spare the environment both the cost of generating the energy as well as the emissions created from meeting increased demand to the energy grid when temperatures start to rise.   Ceiling fans are easy to install, but consult with a professional to determine the best placement to optimize the cross ventilation cooling.

When renovating your home, don’t just think of the end result as being more environmentally friendly.  Consider the renovation process and choices you make in building materials as part of the responsible act of making a change to reduce your carbon footprint while supporting sustainable living.

About Author: Stefanie Gomez is associated with Essentia, manufacturers of the best memory foam mattresses. She understands the importance about green/Healthy living hence she generally blogs about eco-friendly lifestyle, health/wellness, healthy and sustainable living options. She is also passionate about reading, photography, cooking, gadgets and yoga.

Terror Antiquus by Léon Bakst, 1908, State Russian Museum (public domain)

The recent discovery of what might be a lost continent off the coast of Brazil has stoked imaginations and fascinated geologists.

Granite formations some 1,500 km (950 miles) southeast of Rio de Janeiro may be remnants from a continent that sank when Africa and South America separated and the Atlantic Ocean was formed some 100 million years ago.

From Euronews:

According to geologists, as a result of tectonic movements, a land mass which was once above sea level could have sunk into the ocean during the separation of Pangaea, the name given to the giant landmass that existed at the end of the Paleozoic era and whose division formed the continents today known.

Among the questions being posed is if this “lost continent” could in fact be the Atlantis that Plato wrote about, though I don’t think any scientists are asking that one. Besides, most interpretations of the location of Atlantis are in the Mediterranean, around Crete, Cyprus or Santorini – not the southern Atlantic, which was just too far from the classical civilizations to have been written about by Plato or anyone else.

However, one classical Mediterranean city is being explored in its own watery grave. Thonis, aka Heracleion (not to be confused with the capital of Crete) mysteriously vanished 1,200 years ago into the Bay of Abu Qir off the coast of Egypt. Divers have found the remains of 64 ships, 700 anchors, gold coins and other relics. Massive statues of gods and inscriptions in both Ancient Greek and Egyptian have already been hoisted out of the water. The city was discovered when a French archaeologist was looking for 18^th century naval battle wreckage and as a bonus hit upon the remnants of a legendary late classical Egyptian civilization.

For more on the story including pictures of Thonis-Heracleion, see this piece in the Telegraph.

Read more about the Brazilian Atlantis and other lost landmasses in National Geographic.

Neonicotinoids are used directly on seeds rather than sprayed onto foliage or fruit. A recent study by the American Bird Conservancy found that neonicotinoids have a negative impact on “birds, terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, and other wildlife.” Birds can die from consuming the seeds directly and agricultural runoff from farms using neonicotinoids can poison groundwater and contaminate lakes, rivers and streams.

While the UK, Czech Republic, Hungary, Finland, Spain, Lithuania, Slovakia and Austria opposed the ban outright, claiming insufficient data, Germany, home to the largest neonicotinoid manufacturer (Bayer) publicly supported the ban, but lobbied for a loophole. Sneaky, right?

Meanwhile in the US, 31% of honeybee colonies died during 2012. Despite the EU’s ban, authorities in the US say there is no evidence that neonicotinoids are the main cause of Colony Collapse Disorder. But they are one of the causes.

From the Guardian:

In a report last week, the federal government blamed a combination of factors for the rapid decline of honeybees, including a parasitic mite, viruses, bacteria, poor nutrition and genetics, as well as the effects of pesticides. But scientists and campaign groups have singled out the use of a widely used class of pesticides, which scramble the honeybees’ sense of navigation.

Pic: Erik Hooymans (Wikimedia Commons)

So ban them already. Agricultural production in the US is gravely threatened by CCD and government inaction due to “uncertainty” or more likely pressure from pesticide manufacturers is no excuse to simply do nothing.

From Time Magazine:

Since 2006 an estimated 10 million beehives worth about $200 each have been lost, costing beekeepers some $2 billion. There are now 2.5 million honeybee colonies in the U.S., down from 6 million 60 years ago. And if CCD continues, the consequences for the agricultural economy — and even for our ability to feed ourselves — could be dire.

You see, we depend on honeybees to pollinate crops like apples, pears, almonds, peaches, berries, cucumbers – you name it.

But Colony Collapse Disorder is not the only thing that’s killing the bees off. In fact, if CCD were itself to disappear the bees would still be dying. The Varroa destructor, a parasitic mite, is perhaps even more of a threat to honeybees than CCD. Furthermore, research has found that the average hive contains 6 different pesticides, with a grand total of 121.

How do you like them apples? Not a hell of a whole lot, I’ll wager.

Read more in Wired.

Species: North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli)

Status: Endangered (EN)

Interesting Fact: The North Island brown kiwi is more like a mammal than a bird, with fur-like feathers, muscular legs and even cat-like whiskers on its face.

Kiwis are the national bird of New Zealand, and are some of the most unusual of all birds. One of five kiwi species, the North Island brown kiwi is flightless and lives on the ground, where it shelters in a burrow during the day. Its long, thin bill has sensory pits at the end which can detect prey moving underground, while, uniquely among birds, the nostrils are located at the end of the bill, helping the kiwi to locate prey by smell. North Island brown kiwis typically mate for life, and the female produces one of the largest eggs of any bird relative to her own size. The male incubates the eggs, and the chicks hatch fully feathered and are soon able to fend for themselves.

The North Island brown kiwi has undergone a dramatic decline over the last century, largely due to predation by introduced mammals such as dogs, cats and stoats. Fortunately, this intriguing bird has been the subject of concerted conservation efforts, including predator control and the incubation of eggs and rearing of chicks in captivity. Kiwi sanctuaries have also been established to help protect it. Where active conservation has taken place, kiwi numbers have rebounded, giving hope that this national icon can survive into the future.

So where do the weird, invasive fish that have been turning up in America’s iconic parks, coastlines and even on dinner tables figure in? Big deal, minor curiosity or somewhere in between climate change and wind farms spoiling the view?

Northern snakehead, pic: Brett Billings/USFWS

Let’s look at a couple of recent examples of invasive fish hype:

Fishzilla – the name alone says it all: This is one scary fish. It actually looks pretty frightening in some pictures.

Fishzilla, aka frankenfish’s real name is the northern snakehead, which only sounds slightly better. Native to Asia, the northern snakehead has reportedly been found in the waters of Central Park in New York City. You’ve come a long way, snaky. It’s got vicious-looking sharp teeth and can reach lengths of 40 inches (1 meter). It’s also a competent predator, eating fish, crayfish, toads, insects and other stuff. Amazingly, some species of snakehead can also survive on land for up to four days provided they’re kept wet. That means it’s a fish that can breathe air. The northern variety can’t walk, however, so it won’t be spreading throughout the States on foot.

But is it really bad news?

The northern snakehead is a prolific breeder and eats pretty much every other animal in its habitat, so yes.

From the Stamford Advocate:

While considered a valuable food fish in some places, snakeheads can inflict substantial ecological damage. The species can breed as often as five times per year and a single female can brood up to 75,000 eggs per year.

So like in the case of jellyfish, Western palates may eventually have to develop a taste for snakehead stew, but they’re not going to bite anyone’s toes off.

And then there is the Pacific Ocean lionfish, which is admittedly much prettier than the snakehead, but is causing a lot of damage to coral reefs in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s also come a long way, this Indo-Pacific transplant. But that’s what happens when Floridians can’t be bothered to care for their expensive exotic pets – they let them go. And now the lionfish are eating coral in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.

From the LA Times:

Although the ecological effects of these fish are not yet fully understood, it’s clear they are upsetting food webs and competing for resources with native species. They are also adding stress to coral reefs and other marine ecosystems already under pressure from climate change. Warming sea temperatures, ocean acidification, increased pollution and overfishing all threaten reefs. If the spread of lionfish is not slowed, it may be the final straw.

Ever resourceful, Floridians have started to eat the spiny fish. One restaurant serves them along with Florida’s favorite invasive reptile, the Burmese python. Oh yum.

A Pacific Ocean lionfish in the Bahamas, pic: nashworld (Flickr CC)

One-horned Rhinos in kaziranga National park, Photo credit: Debabrata Bandyopadhyay

Wildlife enthusiasts love to flaunt their knowledge about different species. If you are from the same group or wish to be a part of it, then have a look at the top interesting facts about the one-horned rhinoceros and sharpen your knowledge base.

Rhino horn is not a bone but a compacted mass of hairs

Keratin is the substance that makes the horn of rhinos. It is the same material that is used in making of human hairs and fingernails. So there is no bone in the rhino horn; rather, it is just a trampled bunch of fibers or hairs.

Teeth are the weapon and not horn

The great one-horned rhino use their sharp incisors and canine teeth of the lower jaw to defend themselves from the predators. They don’t use their horn to slash off the enemy.

Don’t go on the size, they are very fast!

Irrespective of their weight and size, it has been observed that rhinos can run at a speed of 30 -40 miles per hour. Figures say that the speed of an Olympic runner is around 15 miles per hour. Thus, a rhino can outrun a human!

The thick but sensitive skin

The skin of the rhinoceros is highly sensitive to sun burn and insect bites. Therefore they love to roll in mud all time as it keeps their skin cool and protects it from sun burn and insect bites. However, this nowhere changes the fact that their skin in very thick.

Perfect hearing and smelling sense, but poor eye sight

Owing to their poor eyesight it is difficult for the rhinos to see a man standing at a distance of mere hundred feet. However, the man needs to stand still as any little moment will make the rhino alert. Rhinos are blessed with sharp hearing and smelling senses; thus, they can get you by your odor.

Symbiotic relationship with bird

Specific bird species eat tick and insects from the great one-horned rhino. Myna is one such bird that shares this symbiotic relationship. In addition to this, when the bird sense any danger it creates commotion to warn the rhino.

They are not solitary creatures

Rhinos love to live with their extended families groups. If you visit a national park to witness this wildlife species, you will always find them wandering in groups.

Rhino horn is believed to be an Asian medicine

The horn of the rhino is believed to have healing elements. Therefore, the powder of the rhino horn is used to cure fever. However, it is illegal to use rhino horn as this practice leads to their brutal hunting.

The above mentioned are the interesting facts, but there is also a gloomy reality about the one-horned rhinoceros. These majestic animals are an endangered species. The authorities are taking considerable steps for their preservation. Various wildlife sanctuaries and national parks have been established for the same. The famous Kaziranga National Park, India is one such reserve that is known for the conservation of this endangered species. Their existence is important for maintaining an ecological balance of the planet.

Image by marinephotobank

Over the last several decades, there have been a number of headline making oil spills that have left the world with shocking images. We have seen the results of drilling in the ocean floors to find oil. We know that our dependency on fossil fuels drives an industry that requires destroying some of our most precious resources. Seeing pelicans covered in sludge and oil and other birds that can’t spread their wings, many people say that it is time we finally get off of depending on these tainted, dirty resources. These people champion electric vehicles as alternatives to regular oil burning cars. But other people also offer other solutions for preventing future oil spill disasters. What do the experts recommend? Here are a few thoughts.

Below are questions and answers to some of the most common questions about oil spills.

Why do we have oil spills in the first place?

This is a good question and one several experts have posited answers to. Elizabeth M. Young explains it as follows. “Of the anthropogenic causes, most of them are said to be from human dependency on oil which leads to the extraction, transport, refining, storage and waste from refined oil products.” She continues, “There are human causes that lead to collisions and human errors or malfeasance concerning oil extraction rigs, tankers and other operations. And there are natural conditions, such as rough seas, hurricanes and unexpected well blowouts.”

Are we doing anything to prevent these kinds of oil spills from happening in the future?

Every time a major oil spill happens, new laws take effect to make sure that such a crisis cannot happen again. (Those laws clearly do not always work!) This happened after the infamous Exxon Valdez spill as well as the most recent BP spill that happened in the Gulf Coast only a few years ago. For example, in the U.S. by 2015, all tankers will be required to have double hulls. Technology is also helping. Global Positioning Systems (aka GPS) help prevent collisions and groundings. Safety programs like inspections and audits require tankers and operators to stay in compliance with a number of regulations, laws, and procedures.

But are these measures enough to prevent future oil spills?

Unfortunately, these rules and regulations, while they can make spills less likely, will not be able to guarantee that they do not ever happen again.

What are the effects of oil spills?

Oil spills are deleterious to the environment, kill local wildlife, and often severely injure the local economies as well. According to the environmental justice organization, Earthjustice, “As the Gulf spill demonstrated (and 20 years ago, the Exxon Valdez spill), oil spills take an enormous toll on human communities, and are grim reapers of fishes, turtles and other endangered and threatened wildlife that Earthjustice, its clients and many others have worked for years to save from extinction.”

What more can be done to prevent future oil spills?

Luckily for the environment, the wildlife, and the locals, there are a lot of organizations fighting for the prevention of future oil spills. Earthjustice is one of the leaders of these efforts. Through a number of lawsuits, Earthjustice strives to “force federal agencies to do their jobs and stop being cozy with companies like BP, which was allowed to drill recklessly without an adequate plan to handle even a moderate oil spill, let alone the monster it let loose on April 20.” It is currently working through the court system to stall Shell Oil’s plans to drill in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas in the Arctic.

What should everyone else be doing to prevent oil spills?

It is important to always inspect for deterioration, leaks and decay, in all equipment. This should be done on an annual basis. On the boat vessel, check to see that all the fuel lines and hoses are still in good condition and that all of the seals are connected tightly. In your home, check your pipes, supply lines, and oil tank for any signs of corrosion or over-pressurization. If anything is damaged, be sure to replace it. If you have a heating system, make sure you have an oil safety valve. If you do not have one, it is time to install one. This automatically turns off the oil supply in the event that the line breaks. It is a smart feature for everyone to have in their homes if they have a heating system.

Mike Zook is a writer for MPC Containment Co.  MPC Containment manufactures environmental liners that are used to prevent oil spills and disasters. MPC Containment was instrumental in helping the Gulf Oil spill relief efforts.

Status:Critically Endangered (CR)

Interesting Fact: The kakapo is the largest parrot in the world, and is also the only flightless parrot species.

An extremely rare, nocturnal parrot, the kakapo was once widespread across New Zealand, but is now confined to two predator-free offshore islands. This unusual bird feeds on a variety of fruits, seeds and other plant material and generally lives alone, coming together only to breed. During the breeding season, male kakapos produce a loud ‘boom’ call to attract a mate, which can be heard up to five kilometres away. The kakapo is long-lived but breeds slowly, usually only once every two to five years. When threatened, rather than running away the kakapo freezes, relying on its mossy green, mottled plumage to help it blend into the forest floor.

The kakapo is highly vulnerable to introduced mammalian predators such as cats, dogs and rats. These predators, together with forest clearance and hunting, decimated the kakapo population on the mainland until the drastic step was taken of transporting the last few individuals to predator-free islands. Although the kakapo population remains critically low at 126 individuals, intensive management through a Kakapo Recovery Programme is beginning to show positive results.

A Dutch company called Mars One is planning the first manned mission to Mars for 2018, when Earth and the red planet will be best aligned for a swift 521-day journey between them. One way, of course. The four-person crew will not be able to bathe for the entire duration and will have to drink what they excrete. After it’s been processed, I assume.

The journey is to be financed by television rights to the story, basically reality TV in space. Sounds dreadful, right? I’ve said this recently – regarding the massive amount of space debris orbiting the Earth – but I mean it even more when it comes to Mars One: when our beloved sci-fi scenarios come true they usually suck. And when I mean they suck, they are just boring or dumb commercialized versions of ideas that fire up our imaginations when presented in fictional format.

“Mars needs women (and men)”. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

A manned mission to Mars is expensive. We plan to fund it by making it the biggest media spectacle in history. This way, everyone will get the chance to not only watch the astronauts make their journey, but choose who gets to do so. Four people, icons, who will leave their life on Earth behind and start an adventure on a new planet tens of millions of miles away.

–mars-one.com

This is Ron Paul’s space program, ladies and gentlemen.

I don’t care if some Canadian astronaut will be eating a cereal called Holy Crap aboard the International Space Station. It makes something patently not mundane into the most mundane thing in the universe.

And Mars One sounds like a con. 30,000 people had paid a €30 deposit one week ago. Or if it’s not a con, it sounds like a death trap. After 521 days what the hell are 4 non-astronauts going to do on Mars? Will their atrophied bodies slither off the landing craft and get into a Martian pop tent? Are they going to pilot some Mars rover in search of water? What about food? Freeze-dried and rehydrated with your own – or even worse, someone else’s urine?

Actually the Mars One FAQ attempts to answer all these questions and many more in short format. And I have to admit I started getting all sci-fi dreamy while reading it. I mean this is a genuine attempt to colonize another planet we’re talking about. A BBC report makes the mission look pretty implausible, however.

Meanwhile NASA, you know that organization that actually has put people in space and on the Moon (if you believe that obvious hoax – LOL), is proceeding more cautiously, proposing landing on an asteroid before going the whole hog and colonizing Mars.

From an article in Florida Today:

The asteroid mission opens doors to missions back to the moon or to Mars and its moon system. It helps NASA make incremental progress with small yearly investments (and big investments and budget increases are not coming soon). Finally, the build-up concept allows NASA to ensure technologies for a Mars mission are mature enough before diving into spending big money on development of the mission.

Asteroid? “Bo-ring!” says the Internet generation. We want to colonize Mars NOW and be reality TV stars in the process. Not that I wouldn’t watch it, mind you. It definitely falls into the category of “must-see TV”.

1950s artist’s conception of a base on the Moon. Image credit: James Vaughan (Flickr CC)

Cats can act like kids too. Like dogs, they know where they’re next meal is coming from. Yet in terms of hunting small game, keeping hidden and multiplying, cats win. They’re just more adaptable and better overall at surviving.

The African wildcat, descendent of the house cat. Look familiar? Pic: Rute Martins of Leoa’s Photography (www.leoa.co.za)

In Alan Weisman’s fascinating book “The World Without Us”, scientists propose that if humanity were simply to vanish, domestic dogs, outcompeted by wolves and other predators, would vanish with us. (I imagine that in places like Australia, where feral dogs and dingos are apex predators, that this would not be the case.) Cats on the other hand, would thrive.

Just look at feral cats now. Despite efforts to control them, the US alone is home to an estimated 60 million of them.

Cats have come a long way since being domesticated from African wild cats some 10,000 years ago. Humanity has spread cats to all corners of the world. They are believed to be the most popular pet on Earth. In terms of survival as a species, cats have no doubt benefitted greatly from human intervention. So have rats, which we don’t like nearly as much. And despite the ecological damage cats do in some places, we fight to protect their rights to kill as much as they like.

The law even recognizes the innate wildness of domestic cats. In the UK, unlike dogs and humans, cats can go where they like – trespassing, fouling and hunting – without their owners taking any responsibility. One might ask: are they really their owners then?

Check out the two following videos of domestic cats and their wild habits from National Geographic’s Wild Side of Cats series.

Apparently we’ve launched so much stuff into orbit that it’s making space travel dangerous. Yes, as weird, stupid and admittedly cool as that sounds, it’s true. But why is that it when the stuff of science fiction novels happens for real it’s always boring? I mean the reality of it is just so mundane. The problem is not that my rocket ship might smash into your flying saucer en route to the intergalactic space ball tournament, but that there’s just so much rubbish and disused satellites floating in Earth’s orbit that it might crash into a shiny new satellite, disrupting your Twitter feed or cable TV signal.

An artist’s conception of space debris, credit: troubadour1 (Flickr CC)

Some space crashes have already happened.

From BBC News:

Perhaps the best known was the 2009 impact between the defunct Russian Cosmos 2251 spacecraft and the American Iridium 33 satellite. The collision produced over 1,500 trackable fragments, many of which continue to pose a threat to operational missions.

Maybe Cosmos thought the Cold War was still on and faked the accident.

So… what’s to be done? How do you get an 8-ton (8,000 kilo) satellite out of orbit? According to NASA and the European Space Agency there are around 23,000 pieces of space junk larger than 10 cm across, plus hundreds of thousands of smaller pieces of debris.

Scientists discussed ways to clean up our orbit at a recent conference in Darmstadt, Germany.

From AFP:

The Darmstadt conference brought together more than 350 experts from Europe, North America and Asia, includingspecialists from national space agencies and industry. They heard proposals aimed at removing the largest chunks of debris out of orbit at the rate of five to 10 items per year. These pieces could be nudged into a death plunge in the atmosphere by netting or harpooning them from a robot vessel or bombarded by an ion cannon to deflect them onto a new course.

Another possibility is the use of solar sails. That’s right, nerds – like the ones in the original Planet of the Apes novel.

Maybe when they get some of the space debris down, someone can make it into space art. Kind of like they did in Nepal with all that rubbish left on Mount Everest by litterbug mountaineers.

Lead image credit: Paul Vallejo (Flickr CC)

Located in Timonium, MD, Renewable Energy Corporation provides solar installation services throughout Maryland, Northern Virginia, Southern Pennsylvania and Washington DC. Under the direction of company president Ryan McNeill, they have become one of the Mid-Atlantic region’s largest residential solar companies, installing more than 500 kW of solar power each year. As an industry leader, Renewable Energy Co has seen the changes in the solar field first hand, and has found that although a number of variables play into the recent increase in affordability, there are a few main causes:

• Solar panel (PV) component prices have dropped – The price of solar has been falling for a while now, but due to an oversupply of materials in the past few years and significant advancements in solar technology and efficiency, the cost of panel components has fallen dramatically, allowing more people to afford this green energy on a residential level.
• Increased solar financing options – Not only have the costs of panels dropped, but lenders have also opened up the market by providing more solar financing options. Similar to financing for new roofs or other major home improvements, these programs allow homeowners to pay for the panels incrementally so they can get this technology without having to spend years and years saving up.
• Government incentives – Lastly, federal, state, and local tax credits and other initiatives have made this technology even more appealing and affordable for homeowners. On the federal level, homeowners can claim a tax credit of 30% of the cost of the system, with no upper limit, potentially saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars! Furthermore, this federal credit is available for both principle and second homes. On a state level, programs range from tax credits to sales tax exemptions and more. You’ll want to check with your local government to confirm details, but DSIRE Solar provides a great resource for researching incentives in your area on federal, state, and even county levels.

While residential solar is still only a fraction of our country’s total power, with costs dropping and technology advancing, more and more homeowners will be able to reap the benefits of this green energy source.

To learn more about home solar options, follow Ryan on Renewable Energy Corporation’s blog. He talks about the state of the solar industry, emerging solar technologies and answers common questions about solar and your home.

Image by bbjee (source: Flickr)

Do you notice the articles on wildlife that get published these days? Everything in negative light….no hope for sustenance, loss of habitat, declining population of various species and what not. As if the world has come to an end and only the worst possible things will happen last of the survivors. However, tell truth…..do you actually believe a picture to be that bleak?  You know, there are good people trying to put in their expertise and efforts to make things better, even if that seems only an inch to those who do nothing but sit, observe and throw their useless de-motivating criticism.

The picture will get clear if you are able to guess the Asian country with its highlighted bio-diversity. Yes, it is India…as you thought right. 70 to 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity is found in the versatile landscape of this country; talk about some plant, grass, tree, animal, bird, insect, fish, etc., Alongside the unique geography, and there are chances that it is found in over 650 Protected Areas (PA) of India that includes more than eighty national parks, even more number of wildlife sanctuaries, bio-reserves, tiger reserves and bird sanctuaries.

A peek in Indian wildlife is really like getting teleported to a place only of jungle creatures. Some are hunters and others become their prey in a place of different kinds of vegetations; this is how the Jungle rule goes. The stealthy hunting instincts and fearful alacrity in that ambience is loud enough to leave a sound impression on you.

Want to see the some efforts in management that go hand in hand with conservation?

In the Light of Hope!

Let us see some of the positive steps taken in the wake of conservation.

1. Ministries of Environment and Forests had given a hope to endemic species Nicobarese Megapode found in Tillanchong by rejecting the proposal from Navy to fire dummy missile. So, you can just imagine the situations when political professionals think and act rationally. Though, you can spot the irony in the statement…politician and rational thinking!
2. Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary had faced severe land cuts due to various development projects, since it was declared a PA in 1927. By putting small but significant measures in the area to revamp degraded lands inside the PA and connecting other bordering PA’s of Goa alongside of some reserved forest to the area of the Anshi-Dandeli Sanctuary was increased to more than 2000 Sq Km. And the efforts are still on their way to make the place better for both flora and fauna.
3. Ramadevarabetta in Karnataka was declared as a Vulture Sanctuary in January 2012 with the multi-organisation efforts in multi-layered system of government and ministries in India. Imagine the voicing of suggestion initiated in 2005 through pitching of formal letters from various conservationists and NGOs, several presentations, numerous rejections and dilly-dallying authorities finally gave way to some fruitful result in 2012. Isn’t the achievement great!
4. Commercial presence beginning to became very common in areas around Bhadra Tiger Reserve (BTR). Local NGOs and Trusts then began taking against them because of the harm they were doing to the bio-diversity. The case was finally won by them in order to protect the area. Moreover, the High Court of Karnataka dismissed the case filed by the commercial entity challenging the prior judgment

You see, the road to victory is slightly rough when it comes with dealing bureaucracy and money-minded corporate, but anything which is won without any effort doesn’t hold much significance. So, a little fight and exchange of argument is good, more when fight is for the innocent animals who cannot voice their tragedies and pain.

A wide term- Wildlife Management

Wildlife Management which goes in the efforts put in by every single participant in various campaigns is tremendous and not limited only addressing to food and health issues inside wildlife sanctuaries. There is much to be done. Consider the case of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary- fondly called as Flamingo City, which is threatened by a massive road construction project. Another area that demands attention is massacre of Amur Falcon for consumption and sale in its home- Nagaland. More such cases require an emphatic take on survival of one species or other.

What were your ideas of wildlife management thus? Surely, nothing that you as a lone individual could take on from your end. But this is not true. Efforts that are taken inside any of the protected wildlife sanctuary is one thing and what you do to address issues that are not yet dawned on the local authorities is another.

Learning from above experiences, it is time to contribute your bit to conserve wildlife…ready?

Status: Critically Endangered (CR)

Interesting Fact: The large proboscis-like nose of the saiga antelope is thought to help with body temperature control.

The strange looking saiga antelope has an extremely distinctive appearance, with an enlarged nose that hangs down over the mouth. This impressive nose is thought to warm and moisten inhaled air during the winter, and act as a filter against dust during the dry summer. Saiga antelope feed by grazing on various plants, and are usually active during the day. They are nomadic, and undertake long seasonal migrations of up to 1,000 kilometers. During the mating season, male saiga antelopes will aggressively defend a group of females. Fighting between males can be violent, often ending in death. Males also tend not to feed during this time, and the mortality rate can reach 90 percent due to exhaustion. Females usually give birth to two young, and these remain concealed in vegetation for the first part of their lives. The saiga antelope can be found in Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia.

In the early 1990′s, Saiga antelope  were thought to have numbered over a million. However, habitat loss and poaching over the past 20 years have resulted in a population crash, with only around 50,000 individuals remaining. Hunting is now banned throughout the saiga’s range, and a captive breeding programme has been established with further research needed in order to understand how to best conserve the fascinating saiga.