News Archives

Week of March 14, 2004

So is it the start of an extinction wave, or not?

I was reading around a few more articles which discuss the studies of British wildlife that I mentioned yesterday. These articles focus more closely on the subject of whether these declines herald another wave of mass extinctions in earth's history, which would be the sixth in Earth's history as we understand it. The scientists who did the studies seem to think that's entirely likely, and from what I know of the decline of biodiversity in recent history, I don't find the thought surprising either.

In Wired News, though, there's an interesting interview with Stewart Pimm, a conservation biologist at Duke Univeristy. Dr. Pimm thinks the studies certainly support what we know already of declining biodiversity, but he's not entirely pessimistic and even offers some plans to slow or reverse the declines.

Posted by Jennifer on Saturday, March 20 2004, 12:01 PM

Recent Misc. News

Wildlife in the United Kingdom declining

From the BBC, a report that UK wildlife populations are facing a severe decline, mostly due to human activity. One study from the 3/18 issue of Science magazine, says that native UK insects, including butterflies, are vanishing (report available to subscribers only).


US Park Service tried to hide service cuts

And here in the U.S., the National Park Service tried to hide service cuts from the public, calling them "adjustments" instead. The Chronicle report says:

"We will need to be sure that adjustments are taken from as many areas as is possible so that it won't cause public or political controversy," said a memo sent from the Park Service's regional office in Philadelphia last month to superintendents of all the Northeast national parks.

Posted by Jennifer on Friday, March 19 2004, 4:09 PM

The Cutting Edge of Activism

The Guardian has a remarkable story by Jamie Wilson, who is onboard a Greenpeace ship named Esperanza. This ship is tracking a cargo of illegal lumber logged in an Indonesian wildlife preserve.

Indonesia's rainforest contains a long list of highly endangered species, including such charismatic megafauna as tigers and orangutans.

The story of Greenpeace's attempts to stop this lumber from reaching the market makes compelling reading.

Posted by Jennifer on Friday, March 19 2004, 11:46 AM

About the Site

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Posted by Jennifer on Thursday, March 18 2004, 7:27 PM

Which Fish Should You Eat?

Assuming you eat fish at all of course. If you love the taste and health benefits of fish, but are concerning about over-harvesting of certain species, or would like to know which species contain mercury or other toxic chemicals, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a wonderful resource online that you should know about. Seafood Watch (Choices for Healthy Oceans) contains a listing of all commercial fish with detailed information on their conservation and health status. At this site you can print out a card to carry with you, or browse the list to find out which fish is best for you (I'm personally fond of Alaskan Red Sockeye Salmon, fortunately a good choice both health- and conservation-wise).

This is a great resource. Check it out!

Posted by Jennifer on Thursday, March 18 2004, 1:51 PM

Europe Implements the Kyoto Protocol

Europe has now implemented all phases of the Kyoto Protocol, which is the United Nation's attempt to provide a framework to address the buildup of greenhouse gases.

Here in the U.S., the current administration has declined to accept the Kyoto Protocol. Our own EPA has a Draft Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks available for public comment at the moment, in case you'd like to learn more about how the U.S. is doing at controlling greenhouse gases.

Posted by Jennifer on Thursday, March 18 2004, 1:41 PM

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