Bees Trees Frogs Elephants - Nature and Ecology Blog

Global warming and the death of Canadian forests

2011-10-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

by Dr. Reese HalterConservation biologist, broadcaster

All is not well in the semi arid, warming oil sands of Alberta -- the second largest hydrocarbon reserves in the world; only Saudi Arabia has more. To get at the oil sands and supply the Keystone XL pipeline, its leaving Canada with a colossal carbon footprint, which has increased by 120 percent since 1990. Of all the industrial nations, Canada footprint has increased the most during this time.

An overheating climate has enabled mountain pine beetles -- nature's emissary of massive ecological change to march north and east like never before in modern or prehistoric times.

Recent data from the International Energy Agency shows that governments in developing countries pay $310 billion subsidies to oil, gas and coal companies.

So far both politicians and the public has a burgeoning disdain for climate and biological sciences that overwhelmingly shows that burning carbon-based fuels are forcing the climate and causing climate disruption, globally. Moreover, many politicians and the public are grabbing at whatever denial statements they can -- analogous to the behavior of an addict.

They can run but they cannot hide from some conspicuous and startling facts across western North America. Indigenous bark beetles, on an epic feeding frenzy fueled by rising temperatures, have killed over 60 million acres of mature pine forests. In just over a decade the beetles have killed billions of trees or enough wood to make a city of 8 million homes.

Entire hillsides and mountains are red. Those dead forests are ripe for wildfires that are costing taxpayers billions of dollars and perilously placing over four million homeowners who straddle the urban/wildland interface at high risk.

These are the irrefutable facts whether you fly, drive or peddle your bicycle across the West, I guarantee that you will encounter the wrath of the unintended consequences of spewing 82 million metric tons, daily, of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere -- death of our wild forests.

What's more is that when forest ecosystems become destabilized by rising temperatures ranging in the Northern Rocky Mountains by 2.4 degrees F to 3.6 degrees F in the Southern Rockies some organisms, like the trees -- loose; while others, like the mountain pine beetles -- win.

It's not that the bark beetles are just killing the trees but rather in less than a decade they have completely and perfectly adapted to enter Earth's northern most contiguous forest type -- the boreal or emerald crown of our planet.

Up until very recently the ecological "cold curtain" prevented the ravenous bark beetles from crossing the great continental divide. Beetles quite simply couldn't exist on the northern, eastern side of the Rocky Mountains or if they did they reproduced within 2 years and populations never reached an epidemic.

In central British Columbia over the past decade and a half the mountain pine beetles have single-handily devoured half the commercial forests or an astounding 39 million acres (enough wood to build 5 million homes). As if that weren't bad enough as those forests decay they will be releasing 250 million metric tons of greenhouse gases or the equivalent of five years of car and light truck emissions in Canada. Essentially, 39 million acres of British Columbian lodgepole pine forests that once sucked CO2 out of the atmosphere are now dead, decaying and bleeding CO2 into an ever-rising pool of accumulating heat-trapping gases.

The plot thickens, considerably. At least thrice in the last decade billions of bark beetles were sucked up into the lower stratosphere and spat out onto the eastern side of the Northern Rockies. Millions lived and successfully reproduced within a year (because temperatures have risen that dramatically) enabling populations to reach an epidemic.

In fact, in the summer of 2006, my faithful companion, "Naio", a Chesapeake Bay retriever and I were on a road trip in Northern Alberta near Grand Prairie. We were exploring a pine forest when the sky rained bark beetles on us. In almost 3 decades of working in wild forests around the globe, I've never experienced anything like it.

Mountain pine beetles carry blue stain fungi, bacteria and micro-organisms which help them overcome the tree's autoimmune system. The beetles have quickly found a strain of blue stain Leptographium longiclavatum that is adapted to the colder eastern Rocky Mountain temperatures. Furthermore, the beetles have reduced their body size and have successfully adapted too much thinner living bark spaces of the diminutive Jack pines.

Tree scientists and entomologists knew that mountain pine beetles could exist in lodgepole/Jack pine hybrids in Alberta. In the last half-decade the beetles have successfully transited from the hybrids into pure Jack pines -- an a priori.

The coast is now clear for them to march across northern Canada to the Atlantic coast and into the Jack pines of the Lake states.

Earth's natural systems for absorbing CO2 are rapidly breaking down. Let me remind you that 40 percent of the oceanic phytoplankton is missing because warming currents are preventing upwelling of cold waters carrying essential nutrients requisite for growing green life and supporting the base of the entire marine ecosystem.

The time for subsidizing toxic and life threatening carbon-based fuels is over. Imagine the breathtaking innovations in new green energies if we made available $310 billion per annum to all centers of concentrated brainpower - our colleges. And then imagine the millions of long-term jobs those green industries will create.

Politicians and the public can sneer at climate and biological sciences but how long can they turn a blind eye to the death of Mother Nature?

Earth Dr Reese Halter is a science communicator: voice for ecology and distinguished conservation biologist at California Lutheran University. His latest books are The Insatiable Bark Beetle and The Incomparable Honeybee.

Source: HuffPost

Baby elephant confused by his own trunk

2011-10-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

aaaahhhh, so cute!

Harlem Grown a garden of learning

2011-09-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

NYC's poor kids invigorated by their own garden

by Alex Budman, Undergraduate student at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland

The same hands that are opening the limousine door for celebrity clients such as Edward Norton, Matt Damon and Tom Hanks are planting the seeds of change in the Harlem Success Garden. Tony Hillary is the brains behind the limousine company T.Z.Z Transportation with an all-star clientele, as well as the founder of the non profit organization Harlem Grown. How Tony seamlessly brought these two worlds together is where the story gets interesting. Let me explain.

Roderick with Harlem Grown founder Tony Hillary

Tony Hillary started his own limo company T.Z.Z Limos in 1999. Over the next eleven years he built the business up to one that serves many Hollywood VIP'S. Tony developed personal relationships with many of his clients, and the airport pick-ups usually led to lively discussions about current events. In the 2009 recession, Tony saw a massive decline in bookings, resulting in his spending more time at home, brooding about his future.

Feeling depressed and watching his business go down the drain, Tony needed something to fill his time. He started reading about the American education system. He decided that he wanted to get involved working with children. He also made a life choice; he decided, "If I can't be rich, I might as well be happy." Tony was about to experience a new form of richness in his life, one that is not based on monetary rewards.

Tony started volunteering at the public school PS175 at 134th and Lennox, in the heart of Harlem. He instantly became a father figure to the students at the school. For many of them, Tony is the only constant male figure in their lives; very few of them live with their fathers.

The majority of these children live in government housing; approximately 10 percent live in homeless shelters. Many of these students suffer from obesity; healthy options are too expensive and hard to find in the streets that are saturated with fast food restaurants. It is hard to believe that all of this 'just above the poverty line' living takes place just 30 blocks north of the swanky Upper East Side.

After volunteering at the school for a few months and becoming a regular fixture there, Tony started to take interest in a fenced in area across the street. When he asked in the neighborhood about the purpose of the space, Tony found out that it was a locked up Green Thumb Garden, one of the 500 communal garden spaces throughout New York City. Whoever was in charge of the garden had turned it into a neighborhood dump and drug haven. The local school children would cross the street to avoid walking past it; they thought that it was haunted.

This is how Harlem Grown, the non-profit organization that Tony founded, was started. He decided that he wanted to reclaim this space and make it a safe place for children to learn. With the help of some money and a phone call from Edward Norton, Tony convinced the New York City Parks department to allow him to reclaim the garden. So there Tony was with a fenced in dump and a twenty-five thousand dollar start-up fund to turn this forgotten space into the home of Harlem Grown.

Immediately, Tony hired Sean. Sean was born in Georgia and grew up on a farm; he has been harvesting crops since he was a little boy.

Together, Tony and Sean cleaned out the garden. They pulled out the piles of trash that had accumulated over the years of its neglect. After the space was cleaned, the two became Google Gardeners. Self-taught, they came up with ways that they could plant a garden that would eventually grow before the children's eyes.

They started off by growing tomatoes and lettuce; in the past year and a half they have added over eight varieties of vegetables and fruits, from tomatoes to melons. The latest addition is a small herb garden. The garden is so inviting that at least eleven different bird species nest and fly through this space. The birds' songs are a welcome change from the harsh noises of the congested streets of Harlem.

The garden is now a beautiful green space for all of the community to use; as a result, everyone is thankful to Tony for reinvigorating this space. Yet the most astounding thing about the garden is the effect that it has had on the children from PS 175. The 400 children who come through the garden monthly have learned so much from the green space and associated programming that it is hard to fully recap, but here are the main points that I noticed after volunteering there for a month.

In the garden, the children gain a respect for nature and the environment. They study about earth sciences and insects, gaining insight into the fundamentals of nature. This space is so far removed from the concrete jungle of the projects that is home to these children. Through their experiences, they learn to understand the need to preserve and protect nature. In the garden there is a composting system and recycling program. Recently Tony brought that same model into the school cafeteria. He assigned "Recycling Ambassadors" who monitor how people dispose of their garbage after lunch. In addition to having a smaller environmental impact, the children now have a sense of responsibility and pride, turning the cafeteria into a hub of social and environmental stewardship.

This appreciation and respect for the earth has manifested in the children's respect towards each other. The principal of P.S175, Ms. McClendon, observed that fights in the school were down eighty percent. When the garden was first opened, each of the 400 students planted an individual seed. Therefore each child takes ownership in the growth and development of the garden, as one of those seeds is their own. This teaches the children to respect each other's space, and by doing so the children can respect each other in the classroom.

Harlem Grown teaches students about healthy lifestyles. When I started volunteering, I noticed that many of the children's packed lunches consisted of a soda and bag of chips. Tony has partnered with Wellness in Schools to change all of this. He now has a chef come to the cafeteria and cook with the fresh grown vegetables from the garden, showing the children that healthy food is delicious. It is also breaking the stigma that vegetables or un-fried foods are poison.

To tackle the current obesity problem in the school, Tony is implementing a "thousand pound challenge" where the student body will collectively lose a thousand pounds. Sean Combs', (also known as P. Diddy) trainer Mark Jenkins will introduce a physical activity program that will teach the children how to maintain a healthy weight.

"Mr. Tony," as the children call him, has created an organization that provides a physical space for learning to take place, as well as programming and mentorship that positively impacts the Harlem community at large. The garden is a labor of love, it has taken hard work and dedication to keep it going; Tony is no professional grant writer and has seen his own wallet shrink drastically. Yet the optimism and smiles of the community involved make him realize that it will all work out. As the fresh vegetables and initiatives at Harlem Grown continue to grow, Tony's life has been immensely enriched and he is looking forward to the changes that will occur as the program blossoms.

Source: HuffingtonPost.com

UK elephant Karishma a charming artist

2011-09-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

Asian elephant paints colourful artworks, now on display

DUNSTABLE, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Karishma, a 13 year old female Asian elephant, paints at an easel in her enclosure at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo on September 20, 2011 in Dunstable, England. A selection of Karishma’s artwork will go on display at the Zoo this weekend to celebrate Elephant Appreciation Day. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Follow "Happy Feet" penguin back home to Antarctica

2011-09-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

NZEmperor.com website tracks penguin's progress on journey home

The wayward emperor penguin who washed up on a New Zealand beach in late June began his journey back to Antarctica last Monday as a research vessel dropped him off closer to his Southern home.

Happy Feet has been fitted with a Sirtrack KiwiSat 202 Satellite Transmitter which will transmit signals to satellites twice a day for three hours. Transmissions from the KiwiSat 202 will allow us to monitor Happy Feet's position as he travels. Each new position will be plotted on the map so we can all follow his progress. It is not known which direction Happy Feet will travel, hopefully back to his home in the Antarctic, which makes this all the more fascinating and such a rare opportunity to learn about the movements of an amazing animal.

The KiwiSat 202 will be fitted to Happy Feet's feathers using glue and tape, a technique commonly and successfully used, by an experienced scientist and supervised by the experts at Wellington Zoo. The KiwiSat 202 weighs less than 100g, less than 1% of Happy Feet's body weight. It has been designed to be streamlined so it will not affect the penguin's swimming. To learn more about the Sirtrack KiwiSat 202 Satellite Transmitter click here

Since Happy Feet's arrival on Peka Peka Beach on June 21st 2011 he has been cared for by the team at Wellington Zoo, supported by the Department of Conservation and Dr. Colin Miskelly, Curator of terrestrial vertebrates at Te Papa.

The penguin gained the name from his similarity to a situation in the animated film "Happy Feet."

The Associated Press reports that the penguin was moved to a zoo after he confused sand for snow and became sick. Karen Fifield, Wellington Zoo's chief executive said, "He's brought a lot of hope and joy to people ... His story has driven to the heart of what makes us human."

Huffington Post article on penguin Happy Feet and tracking device

Happy Feet penguin - official website

Sources: NZEmperor.com, huffingtonpost.com

PEI researcher seeks more data on lost Ladybugs

2011-08-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

Concerned citizens asked to photograph species

A Masters student at the University of Prince Edward Island has joined a continent-wide project to find native ladybugs, and is asking Islanders to join in the search.

Native ladybugs, or lady beetles as they are properly known, have become increasingly difficult to find in populated areas, as they have been pushed out by imported species. Non-native species are reproducing faster than domestic varieties.

This could mean trouble for urban gardeners trying to deal with aphids.

"Particularly our natives will produce more viable eggs when they're eating the aphid diet," said UPEI Masters student Meagan Marriott.

"The problem with some of our non-natives is that the ones that have established as what they're calling generalists and they can produce viable offspring on a wide range of foods."

Just how serious the problem is is not known. Just because native lady beetles are becoming less common in urban areas doesn't mean their population is dwindling. It is possible they are retreating to wilderness areas.

The Lost Ladybug Project was launched to search for an answer to this question. There are not enough entomologists to cover all the geography scientists are interested in, so they are recruiting citizen scientists to help.

"If we can find out where they are we can try to preserve them," said project co-director of outreach Rebecca Rice Smyth.

"The fact is [non-natives] are dominating habitats now. The more dominant those species are, the less diverse the ladybug composition in the habitat becomes. "
The Lost Ladybug Project web site contains information to help people identify different kinds of the beetles, and a tool for uploading pictures they take of them. Those pictures will help researchers determine where the different species of beetles are, and aren't.

While the number of native lady beetles appears to be declining, no species has yet become extinct. Some have been extirpated in parts of Canada.

The Great Ladybug mystery; Lost Ladybug Project info

Source: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/look-ladybugs-researchers-ask-114304450.html

RARE Black Deer Fawn photos with twin, mom

2011-08-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

Melanistic deer are rarer even that albino deer!

Here's hoping you have enjoyed these inspiring photos! Okay, one more...

Transparent butterfly is Central American habitat's canary in coal mine

2011-08-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

The Transparent Butterfly originates in Central America and it's habitat is found from Mexico to Panama. It is quite common in its zone, however is not easy to find because of its transparent wings, which are a natural camouflage mechanism.

A butterfly with transparent wings is rare and beautiful. As delicate as finely blown glass, the presence of this rare tropical gem is used by rain forest ecologists as an indication of high habitat quality and its demise alerts them of ecological change. Rivaling the refined beauty of a stained glass window, the translucent wings of the Glass wing butterfly shimmer in the sunlight like polished panes of turquoise, orange, green, and red. All things beautiful do not have to be full of color to be noticed: in life that which is unnoticed has the most power.

Can mankind breed stronger bees? Declining populations spur research

2011-07-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

Scientists Breeding Honey Bees Resistant to Mites and Disease

by Lori Zimmer, Inhabitat.com

Over the last five years the world’s honey bee population has been steadily dwindling, with many beekeepers citing 2010 as the worst year yet. In order to save these extremely important insects, scientists are working on breeding a new super honey bee that they hope will be resistant to cold, disease, mites and pesticides. If all goes well, the new and improved insect will continue to pollinate our crops for years to come.

Pesky mites, which have become immune to insecticides, have been terrorizing bees significantly for the last few years. According to the U.N., mites, along with viruses, have been responsible for killing 10-30% of Europe’s bees, one third of America’s bees and a whopping 85% of Middle Eastern bees! The external parasites are small and flat, and attach themselves to adult honey bees’ bodies, suck their bee blood and slowly kill them. What’s worse is that the mites also attack the bee brood. By planning the perfect attack, they enter the brood just before the larvae are sealed in together to develop. They feed on the developing bees, causing many of them to grow into weakened adults, often missing legs or wings. The mites spread further when bees from larger colonies “rob” smaller colonies.

Rather than fighting off mites, which seems to be an impossible process, scientists have focused on breeding stronger bees. Some bee populations in Canada have shown resistance to the mites, so they have been isolated, studied, and bred by the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. Being raised so far north, they are also resilient to the harsh winters of Winnipeg, a quality that European bees lack, as many do not even survive winter.

Although not a solution to the bee crisis, these Canadian bees are strong stock, and could be the “prototype” for a stronger bee population. Since bees pollinate 90% of the world’s food crops, multiple steps must be taken to preserve them, and strengthening from within seems the first logical step.

Video of Valentina the Whale being freed, showing thanks (or joy!)

2011-07-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

This is an inspiring video, for whether the whale is expressing gratitude or is just elated at being free and alive, it is a must see:

New meaning to a "talk about birds and bees"

2011-04-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

Bee pollinating a peach tree flower

The Toronto Star's gardening columnist Mark Cullen recently published an article about the importance of bees to humanity's food supply, and i found it so inspiring I have decided to share it with our readers.

Time to talk about the birds and the bees

April 01, 2011

by Mark Cullen, Special to the Star

Father to pre pubescent son: “It is time for you and me to talk about the birds and the bees.”

Son: “Sure Dad. What do you want to know?”

I am impressed by many of the things that kids learn about in school today that were never talked about in my day. Subjects like multiculturalism, character, fairness, recycling, worm composting and bullying are just a few. But ask a kid today about the importance of fostering honey bees in the neighbourhood and chances are he will give you a blank stare. In fact, most adults do not seem to understand that the future of civilization as we know it depends on a thriving culture of honey bees.

Albert Einstein said, “Mankind will not survive the honeybees’ disappearance for more than five years.”

What, you might ask, did Einstein know that the rest of us don’t? I wondered the same thing and did some digging for answers. What I came up with is surprising, alarming and hopeful all at the same time.

Bees are nature’s primary pollinators. Given that many of the plants that produce our food are pollinated by bees, we would be doing ourselves a service to pay attention to survival. Reports over the last six years indicate that their population is in steep decline throughout much of the world, including where you live. Nurturing and protecting them seems like a good idea.

Perfect and Imperfect Flowers

It is true that many plants have “perfect” flowers, complete with both male and female parts. This might lead you to think that a pollinator with wings is hardly necessary. Your tomato plants, for example, do not require pollination from bees or hummingbirds or butterflies. But any experienced gardener will tell you that the greater the population of bees in a neighbourhood, the more productive the tomatoes, peppers and potatoes (all members of the same solanaceae family). The pollinating activity of bees is beneficial even when it is not entirely necessary.

“Imperfect” flowers exist on a host of food plants, including all members of the cucurbit or squash family. They have female and male flowers, usually on the same plants though not always, which require a visit from one of nature’s flying pollinators in order to mix things up. It is the transfer of pollen from flower to flower (anther to stamen, to be exact) that fertilizes your pumpkin or cucumber and nothing does it quite as efficiently as bees. About one-third of everything that we eat has been pollinated by a bee, according to Cathy Kozma, past chair of the Toronto Beekeepers Co-operative.

Bees dig in to a nice squash flower looking for food and come out covered in pollen grains. I have heard that they buzz a lot when they are in the middle of the flower in an effort to dig as deeply as possible for what they are really looking for. Buzzing is nature’s way of removing the pollen and maximizing the exposure of it to the body and pollen pockets of the bee, so the theory goes. Like power sanding a wood-working project: buzzing makes bees one of nature’s most efficient pollinators.

Bees in Decline

The population of bees is in decline, this is a fact. In Southern Ontario we have experienced about a 30 to 40 per cent decline in bee population since 2005. In other parts of the continent, the decline is much greater, especially in arid areas.

According to Kozma, it is because of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). While there is no one cause for it, CCD is blamed on:

• The Varroa Destructor mite.

• The loss of natural habitat.

• Monoculture agricultural practices.

• Widespread pesticide use.

What can the average hobby gardener do to help?

Considering that the average bee performs her work (and they are all female) between a six and 10 kilometre radius of their home, there is lots that you can do. First of all I recommend that you plant plants that are attractive and useful to bees. My list includes:

• Bachelors Buttons an easy to grow annual.

• Borage, a useful herb and soil enhancer.

• Russian sage, a metre-high reliable perennial that flowers for up to eight weeks.

• Bee Balm or monarda, which is one of my favourite perennials for the sun. Grows up to one metre.

• Sunflowers. The kids will love these, too.

• Sage, a useful herb and rather fragrant.

• Oregano. Plant one and enjoy a lot. An aggressive perennial groundcover in sun.

• Basil. You want this for your tomatoes come September anyway.

In addition, Kozma recommends that we:

• Plant larger patches of flowering plants to encourage bee foraging.

• Diversify your blooming plant portfolio. Have bee-friendly plants in bloom throughout the season.

• Avoid the use of pesticides.

• Let some of your garden naturalize. This will encourage bees to nest and tunnel without being disturbed. Note: bumble bees nest in the ground; some native bees build their nests in dead raspberry canes.

• Provide a constant source of water. A hive will consume about half a litre of water a day. Put out small containers of clean water and float a small piece of wood in it to provide a landing strip and access to the water.

Want to Learn More?

Whether you want to foster bees in your neighbourhood, help out the Toronto Beekeepers Co-operative or have a hive in your own yard (for which you will need about half acre), here are some suggestions of where you can learn more:

• Toronto Beekeepers Co-operative: An active group since 2001, the TBC’s mission is to “create an opportunity for Torontonians interested in working with bees to learn about hive ecology and maintenance, honey and products of the hive, and gain hands-on beekeeping experience in a supportive environment.” More information at www.torontobees.ca.

• They have placed bee hives at Downsview Park, Evergreen Brickworks, Fairmont Royal York rooftop and most recently at the Toronto Botanical Garden.

• They are active presenters at the Evergreen Brickworks Farmers Market, Downsview’s Farming in the City and the Royal Winter Fair.

• A series of seminars are being offered at the Toronto Botanical Garden aimed at novice beekeepers. For details go to www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca.

• Read: Keeping the Bees, by Laurence Packer (2010); Sweetness and Light, by Hattie Ellis; Fruitless Fall, by Rowan Jacobsen.

“I feel privileged to have the opportunity to get up close and personal with honeybees,” says Kozma, “to teach others about their incredible world, and I see this as an easy way to make a significant contribution to making my world a better place.”

Touché. Next time I am called upon to talk to a youngster about the birds and the bees I think I will call Cathy Kozma.

I urge you to support your local beekeepers by buying their bee products. I can assure you that this is a labour of love, not a profitable venture. Sources are available at their website, TorontoBees.ca .

Man Gave Names to All the Animals by Bob Dylan

2011-02-14T20:01:00.000-08:00

Bob Dylan Lyrics: Man Gave Names to All the Animals

Man Gave Names To All The Animals

Music and Lyrics by Bob Dylan

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

He saw an animal that liked to growl
Big furry paws and he liked to howl
Great big furry back and furry hair
“Ah, think I’ll call it a bear”

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

He saw an animal up on a hill
Chewing up so much grass until she was filled
He saw milk comin’ out but he didn’t know how
“Ah, think I’ll call it a cow”

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

He saw an animal that liked to snort
Horns on his head and they weren’t too short
It looked like there wasn’t nothin’ that he couldn’t pull
“Ah, think I’ll call it a bull”

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

He saw an animal leavin’ a muddy trail
Real dirty face and a curly tail
He wasn’t too small and he wasn’t too big
“Ah, think I’ll call it a pig”

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

Next animal that he did meet
Had wool on his back and hooves on his feet
Eating grass on a mountainside so steep
“Ah, think I’ll call it a sheep”

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

He saw an animal as smooth as glass
Slithering his way through the grass
Saw him disappear by a tree near a lake . . .

Bees Trees Update: New content feeds for nature and ecology blog

2011-01-25T18:37:00.000-08:00

Today I added blog feeds from great sites about bees and beekeeping, global frog populations, elephants in the wild and in zoos, and the health of trees worldwide.

I hope you like the changes; please post any ideas or suggestions in the Comments section below.

Peace 2 All,

Joe

Stop Site 41 in Tiny Township Ontario; New Dump Makes No Sense

2009-05-30T16:42:00.000-07:00

Photo by BILL SANDFORD FOR THE TORONTO STAR

Aboriginal residents of Christian Island have set up a camp to protest the dump being built across the road. They want the premier to halt construction.

Why would Ontario want to build a new dump:

- 5 miles from Georgian Bay?

- when their own report in 1989 ruled out the site?

- when there are already 2 dormant dumps in the region?

- when the province claims to be moving to a "zero waste " policy?

The interia of 21st century thinking and entrenched business interests seems to be the culprit. Everyone within driving distance of Elmvale (north of Sprimgwater, northeast of wasaga Beach, south of Midland and Christian Island) should try and come out at least once this summer to support the protest against the dump. I am going to try and bring my guitar out there one day to lend my voice to the protest.

Here is a recent article featuring insightful comments from First Nations Regional Chief for Ontario, Angus Toulouse:

First Nations Dump Site Protest

May 19, 2009 - Regional Chief for Ontario, Angus Toulouse, stated his support today for a peaceful protest against the creation of a landfill at "Site 41" in Tiny Township of Georgian Bay, Ontario.

"I fully support this peaceful protest organized by First Nations and non-Aboriginal people who are standing together to protect their environment," Regional Chief Toulouse said. "The people of nearby Beausoleil First Nation have raised concerns about this proposed dump site for some time and these concerns have not been addressed. The health of our people and all people, and the health of the environment are too important to be ignored. It is time for the government to listen to the voices of First Nations and to their constituents."

The peaceful protest took place at a farm near the proposed landfill site. The protesters include men, women and children, First Nations and non-Aboriginal, people from the surrounding area as well as those who have traveled to the site to show their support.

Initially the landfill project was rejected after a 70-day environmental assessment hearing in 1989. However, the government intervened and overturned the decision through an Order in Council. The landfill is currently under construction and is located within eight kilometers of Georgian Bay

"The Beausoleil First Nation was never properly consulted on this landfill and that is contrary to their rights," Regional Chief Toulouse stated. "In addition, there are serious concerns of contamination of drinking water, groundwater, surrounding waters and the destruction of the environment in general. Any destruction to the traditional territory of the Beausoleil First Nation is potentially a violation of their constitutional rights. A respectful dialogue amongst the First Nations, local residents and the Government of Ontario is the way forward. We have duties and responsibilities to our children and to the land and the waters that must inform our decisions and conduct."

May 30th Toronto Star article on dmp site protest:

Long fight over dump near Midland heating up

MOIRA WELSH, ENVIRONMENT REPORTER

ELMVALE, Ont. – At the roadside well where cottagers stop to fill bottles with cold, clear water, a sparkling white sign bears the indignation of a community.

"Purest Water in the World," bellow bold letters. "The dump will fix that! Stop Site 41."

One of dozens planted across Tiny Township, near Midland, the sign is the handiwork of Stephen Ogden, volunteer citizen leader of the long fight against Simcoe County's plan to build a waste disposal facility over lush farmland that bubbles with pure water flowing into Georgian Bay.

More than two decades since it was first proposed, the county's newest garbage dump – approved by the Ontario Environment Ministry – is now under construction, with plans to open in the fall. Twenty hectares in size, it has the capacity to hold 1.6 million cubic metres of garbage from Simcoe County residents, enough space to last roughly 40 to 50 years.

Maude Barlow, named the United Nations' senior adviser on water issues and chair of the Council of Canadians, has thrown her energy into the fight, vowing to lead protests at the site throughout the summer.

"This dump will not open," Barlow vowed.

As trucks with giant wheels roll down the site's gravel roads, Ogden watches outside the locked gates, under the No Trespassing sign.

On the farm across the road is a growing collection of tents and trailers, a vigil manned by aboriginal residents of nearby Christian Island, on Georgian Bay, who say the clarity of the water that flows underground cannot be put at risk.

Leaders like Vicki Monague say they will stay, keeping their sacred fire burning, until Premier Dalton McGuinty stops construction on the site. Monague said the site is on native treaty land, but there has been no consultation from the federal government.

"The federal government has a duty to consult First Nations people when something like this is going on with treaty land," Monague said. "We are here to make our presence known."

Ogden says the protesters have given up on the Ministry of the Environment, which has backed the project for years despite questions about potential for leachate in the water, whether there is a need for a new dump in a province that is leading a charge toward zero waste and why the county's two dormant dumpsites are not being used instead.

If protesters like Monague, Ogden and Barlow claim it is a water and land issue, the chief administrative officer of Simcoe County says they have it all wrong.

"They are trying to make the issue political," Mark Aitken said in a phone interview. "And they are trying to make it all about water. And frankly, the issue is not about water. The issue is about waste. Garbage."

Aitken questioned claims that the water is the "purest in the world," but said that issue is not relevant.

"This site has been designed to be protective of the water resources...."

Ontario's environment commissioner, Gordon Miller, says the battle over Dump Site 41 is a political mystery – a site being built on an aquifer in 2009, using an engineering concept proposed in the early 1990s.

"If we were to start this process today, we would not build this site," Miller said.

"Is it going to fail? Not likely. There will be so much money and engineering spent on it."

But protesters across the road from the dump site are taking no chances.

"We are responsible for the water, for the future generations, and we are not going to leave until the site is closed," said Monague.

Locals are donating fresh food to the protesters and clean drinking water is coming from a tap behind the farmer's hill, all under the watchful eye of an OPP officer.

"We're going to let the premier watch. We don't have to do anything," Ogden said.

"You can be sure that the police are calling him to let him know if things are going to heat up and interfere with his summer holidays."

Steve Erwin's Nature Reserve in Australia threatened by mining plans

2009-05-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

Save Steve's Place Blog

Photograph by Peter Taylor

The Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve (SIWR) is a wetland conservation property and a tribute to Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin. The 135,000 ha property, in Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula, is home to a set of three important spring fed wetlands which provide a critical water source to threatened habitat, provide permanent flow of water to the Wenlock River, and is home to rare and vulnerable plants and wildlife.

The Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve (SIWR) was acquired as part of the National Reserve System Programme for the purpose of nature conservation with the assistance of the Australian Government.

The Situation

The Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve (SIWR) is being threatened by strip mining. Cape Alumina Pty Ltd has lodged mining lease applications which include approximately 12,300 ha of the Reserve. Cape Alumina company documents indicate an intention to mine 50 plus million tons over a 10 year period commencing 2010. The greater part of this mine is on SIWR

The proposed area for mining on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve contains the head waters of irreplaceable waterways and unique biodiversity which will not recover after mining operations are finished.

Online story about mining threat to Steve Irwin Nature Park in Australia

Australia Zoo will not give up the fight to Save Steve’s Place. Although the Land Court has granted Cape Alumina the right to continue the exploration and drilling of the 135 000 ha conservation property this does not mean they have the right to mine on the Reserve.

Cape Alumina company documents indicate an intention to mine 50 million tons of bauxite over a 10 year period, the greater part of this mine on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve.

Mining in an environmentally sensitive area such as the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve will endanger and possibly irreversibly destroy many rare and endangered natural treasures such as:

Rare plants

Vulnerable Wildlife

Palm Cockatoos

Spear-tooth Sharks

Saw Fish

Estuarine Crocodiles

Irreplaceable Waterways

These results are only after initial surveys, imagine what we will discover once a full study has been conducted.

Sign the Online Petition to support the Wenlock Wild River protection proposal

Not Just Steve's Place

There’s also another Nature Refuge in central-west Queensland, which is one of the few uncleared properties in the whole region, and it’s in line to be dug up for coal! There’s a petition running for this one too, which you can find through www.bimblebox.org.

Haagen-Dazs really loves honey bees and cherries

2009-05-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

If anybody ever felt indulgent for indulging in HD, take small comfort in the knowledge that at least the comrades over there understand the crucial nature of the majestic bee. Throughout human history, the bee has been a source of light (wax), sweetness (honey), medicine (propolis, Royal Jelly) and food (fruit, herb and vegetable polination); truly humaninkind's best friend.

Haagen-Dazs Loves Honey Bees HelpTheHoneyBees.com website

Are new global cooling systems and technology the key to human adaptation and survival?

2009-04-18T17:22:00.000-07:00

If global warming is both caused by man's activities and dangerous to human beings and other mammals, at minimum, does that mean that global cooling projects are a key to our survival?

Here are some thoughts on what may help cool the planet:

- tree planting

- water conservation

- energy conservation

- geothermal energy

- energy efficiency

- re-using materials

- wind energy

- recycling products

- photovoltaic solar energy

- eating local, organic food

many people still don't realize that $100+ oil played a significant role in the global economic meltdown, as eyes are myopically focused on the mortgage derivatives market with little analysis on catalysts and co-factors. In addition to the climate threat from global warning, reliance on oil also infers an economic weapon that can be turned against those dependent, and clear minds expect green power alternative energy stocks to continue to lead this post-Bush rally in global equity markets.

Let's hope and pray and work like hell to support Barack Obama, T. Boone Pickens and all supporters of clean energy solutions to economic and environmental problems.

Peace 2 All,

Joe College

2008 Review; Nature, Ecology, Environment and Clean Energy Investing

2008-12-29T08:43:00.000-08:00

The end of the Bush era was a wild ride for ecologists and clean green energy investments, as the highs of early in the year gave way to waves of crashing corrections, resulting in alternative energy stocks off 60% to 80% and more from their peaks. With oil plummeting from $140 to $35 while the stock market was being halved, the world's most promising companies took it on the chin.

Look for green energy stocks to be among the stock market's leading performers in 2009. Some names to keep an eye on include Vestas, Ormat, Suzlon, FSLR, LDK Solar, GT Solar and many more. Here are some environmental, ecological and alternative energy related online stories and web articles from 2008:

2008 Wind Energy Summary - Dec 28, 2008

2009 Investing Ideas: Guide to Green Energy Mutual Funds - Dec 7, 2008

Pollution in Asian megacities threatening food production, human health - Nov 18, 2008

Obama Win a Blessing for Ecology and Clean Energy Stocks - Nov 4, 2008

CCD link to neonicitinoids; honey bees ccd multiple causes - Oct 25, 2008

DOE wants USA to increase wind to 20% of electricity requirements - Oct 12, 2008

Alphabetical Guide to Best Alternative Energy Websites Blogs - Oct 5, 2008

Green Energy Stocks Investments; Fifty Top Clean Power Companies - ct 4, 2008

Nature, Ecology and Renewable Energy Books for sale online - Sep 20, 2008

TD Canada Shoreline Cleanup for Toronto and other waterfront communities - Sep 19, 2008

300 new coral species found off Australia, new iguana in Fiji - Sep 19, 2008

5 Top Geothermal Energy Stocks - Best Geothermal Power Investments - Sep 5, 2008

What is Geothermal Power? Globe-net.com online article - Aug 24, 2008

Geothermal power investments incl stock symbols for publicly-traded geothermal stocks - Aug 24, 2008

Google.org venture capital: Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) - Aug 23, 2008

Alternative Energy Investing News; clean green power websites - Aug 14, 2008

Geothermal power / cogeneration stocks, water purification / desalination - Aug 12, 2008

Native bees on to Vancouver Island are super-efficient pollinators - Aug 3, 2008

Geothermal Power offers huge untapped potential - Jul 20, 2008

Toronto Zoo in campaign to save frogs from chytrid fungus - Mar 2, 2008

Online Guide to trees that produce the most oxygen - Jan 12, 2008

Pollution in Asia threatening food supply, human health

2008-11-18T18:08:00.000-08:00

The Toronto Star article excerpted below illustrates in a profound way that we need to green up not just the energy supply, but the entire economic cycle. Green energy companies will lead the way, but all firms promoting and practicing green, ecologically sound and environmentally sustainable business must be considered as worthy investment targets for evaluation.

hazy brown clouds in Asia threaten food, health

Latest UN report covers 7-plus years of findings

November 14, 2008; TINI TRAN, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BEIJING–Thick brown clouds of soot, particles and chemicals stretching from the Persian Gulf to Asia threaten health and food supplies in the world, the UN reported yesterday.

The regional haze, known as atmospheric brown clouds, contributes to glacial melting, reduces sunlight and helps create extreme weather conditions that affect agricultural production, said the report commissioned by the UN Environment Program.

The huge plumes have darkened 13 megacities in Asia – including Beijing, Shanghai, Bangkok, Cairo, Mumbai and New Delhi – sharply "dimming" the amount of light by as much as 25 per cent in some places.

Caused by the burning of fossil fuels, wood and plants, the brown clouds also play a significant role in exacerbating the effects of greenhouse gases, the report said.

"Imagine for a moment a three-kilometre-thick band of soot, particles, a cocktail of chemicals that stretches from the Arabic Peninsula to Asia," said Achim Steiner, United Nations undersecretary general and executive director of the UN Environment Program.

Some particles in the clouds, such as soot, absorb sunlight and heat the air. That's led to a steady melting of Himalayan glaciers, the source of most of the continent's major rivers, the report said. At the same time, the clouds have also helped mask the full impact of global warming by helping cool the Earth's surface and tamp down rising temperatures by between 20 to 80 per cent, the study said. That's because some of the particles reflect sunlight and cool down the air.

The latest findings, conducted by an international collaboration of scientists over seven-plus years, are the most detailed to date on the brown cloud phenomenon, which is not unique to Asia. Other hotspots are seen in North America, Europe, South Africa and South America.

Full article at: Toronto Star story on pollution in Asia

President Obama Victory a Blessing for Environment and Clean Energy Stocks

2008-11-04T15:40:00.000-08:00

If you take a few minutes and visit the website that specializes in statistical analysis of USA Presidential election polls, www.FiveThirtyEight.com , add all the tossup states to McCain's safe and projected seats, and it looks like the United States of America will have a vibrant and aware new President.

Individual investors looking to benefit from the anticipated green energy stocks post-Bush rally may want to consider initiating dollar-cost averaging programs into a few different renewable energy mutual funds and green power exchange traded funds.

Here are a few renewable power investment funds for you to research, prices quoted as of NOV04 2008:

Clean Energy Mutual Funds / Green Power ETFs

New Alternatives Fund (NALFX)

Invests at least 25% of assets in common shares of companies which have an interest in alternative energy. $29.00

Calvert Global Alternative Energy Fund A (CGAEX)

CGAEX invests in the alternative energy sector. Recently held and may still hold top global alternative energy stocks such as Vestas, FSLR, and Gamesa. $8.12

Guinness Atkinson Alternative Energy (GAAEX)

Invests 80% in companies involved in the alternative energy and clean energy technology sectors. At 6.21, stock down over 60% from a high around $17. Recently held good positions in Ormat, Vestas, Nordex, EDF, SOLON and Iberdola, all major global competitors in the alternative energy sector.

Market Vectors Global Alternative Energy ETF (GEX) Trust

Goal is to match performance of Ardour Global Index (Extra Liquid) (AGIXL) by investing in publicly-listed companies engaged in alternative fuels and clean energy technology and renewable power generation. At 28.17, down from 62; GEX was formerly a Van Eck Fund.

First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge US (QCLN)

Pursues investment results to match performance of equity index NASDAQ Clean Edge U.S. Liquid Series Index (the Index). Shares closed today at 14.33.

Powershares Cleantech (PZD) Portfolio

52 week high is 38.02; shares closed today at 20.04, up $1.37.

PowerShares Global Clean Energy (PBD) Portfolio

Based on the WilderHill New Energy Global Innovation Index. Focuses on greener and generally renewable sources of energy and clean energy technology. At 14.52, down from 38.10, but up $1.47 on election day.

Publicly-listed Wind Energy Investment Funds

PowerShares Global Wind Energy Portfolio (PWND)

Exposure to worldwide windpower industry, off from year high of 29.09, at 11.92 may be time to dollar cost average a position into this vehicle. Do some research and consult your investment advisor as to suitability for you.

PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (AMEX:PBW)

Attempts to match investment performance of WilderHill Clean Energy Index (the Index). $10.95

First Trust Global Wind Energy (FAN)

At 14.19 (up 12% today), seeks to track performance of ISE Global Wind Energy Index. Year's high was 31.50.

Solar Power Investment Funds

Claymore/MAC Global Solar Index (TAN)

Worldwide solar power index fund; now at 13.55, the shares have a 52-week high of 30.79, but are also up from their low of 7.77. Invests in many photovoltaic solar power companies.

Alternative Energy Stocks Investing Info

Green Stocks Investing Mutual Funds

PVintell.com Solar Photovoltaic Power Companies

Geotherma.info Geothermal Power Stocks Investing

WindIntell.com Top Wind Energy Investing Blog

WaterIntell.com Water Purification, Desalination; Energy From Water

CCD link to neonicitinoids deepens; honey bees colony collapse disorder multiple causes

2008-10-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

One of the most important issues requiring the attention of the new President of the USA will be ensuring the safety of the honeybee population and thus America's food crops.

From LandLineMag.com:

SPECIAL SERIES: Bee crisis – OOIDA member credited with discovery
Editor’s note: Staff Writer Clarissa Kell-Holland searches for answers from OOIDA member David Hackenberg of Lewisburg, PA, who is credited with discovering colony collapse disorder or CCD, a mystery that is decimating bee hives worldwide. (To read Part One click here. For Part Two click here.)

Part Three: Lawsuit filed on behalf of honeybees

OOIDA Member and beekeeper David Hackenberg and other beekeepers he talks to regularly are worried that a seed treatment being used in corn and soybeans is slowly poisoning their bees. The treatment, known as neonicitinoid, is a nicotine-based product that became readily available in the U.S. around 2004, about the time he and other beekeepers started noticing a decline in their bees’ immune systems.

His beekeeper contacts in Canada started noticing problems with their bees in 2002, according to Hackenberg, after neonicitinoid insecticides were used on potato crops in Eastern Canada. Then clover was planted on that same land the next year for cover crop. The neonicitinoid wasn’t being used on crops in the U.S. at that point, so when his Canadian beekeeper friend called to tell him this new chemical seemed to be “killing his bees,” Hackenberg told him it was “probably just mites.”

But when the product started becoming widely used in the U.S. around 2004, Hackenberg said he started noticing his bees’ immune systems were weakening. It wasn’t until CCD hit his hives in 2006, though, that he focused on insecticides as a possible source.

In August of 2008, the Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to force it to disclose studies that were supposed to be done on the effect pesticides are having on honeybees.

In 2003, EPA granted a registration to a new pesticide called clothianidin, manufactured by Bayer CropScience. Josh Mogerman, public information officer for the NRDC, said registration came with a caveat that the company study its product’s effects on the bees.

Mogerman told Land Line Magazine in August that the NRDC filed the lawsuit only after the EPA failed to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request, filed on July 17.

He said the EPA still has not provided the studies Bayer CropScience was to have completed at least two years ago. Those studies could be an important resource for scientists and researchers studying CCD.

“The federal government needs to do much more to address why these bees are dying and disappearing,” Mogerman said.

Germany and France have both banned the pesticide product, known as clothianidin, because of concerns about its impact on bees. CCD has also been reported in Canada and Italy as well.

The British Beekeepers’ Association is reporting that one in three honeybees did not survive winter and spring, although it has not yet been confirmed that CCD is the source of the problem.

Mogerman said scientists on staff at the NRDC say there is a possible connection between clothianidin and honeybees’ collapse.

“If you read up on what this product is supposed to do to pests, it is supposed to compromise their nervous system and limit their ability to navigate. And that’s one of the things that is central to CCD,” he said.

After losing a significant number of bees in the previous two seasons and having to pump a huge amount of money back in to keep his beekeeping business operating, Hackenberg has seen his fuel costs and operating costs go up as well.

“In the U.S., we truck a lot of bees,” he said. “Most people don’t have the foggiest idea what goes on and how much bee movement there is in this country.”

Currently, many beekeepers are planning to go to the West Coast for the almond pollination. Hackenberg estimates that beekeepers will truck between 1 million and 2 million hives of bees out to California this year to pollinate the almond crop. That breaks down to about 500 hives loaded on each truck.

There are few opportunities for backhauls when you are hauling bees, especially on short runs like to Maine for blueberry pollination, Hackenberg said. He said he’s paying on average about $3.50 per mile to get his freight moved.

Adee Honey Farms – one year later

Richard Adee of Adee Honey Farms owns the largest beekeeping operation in the U.S. He lost more than 40 percent of his bees that he trucked out to California in the fall of 2007 in preparation to pollinate the almond crop, which starts in early February.

Around Dec. 1, 2007, he said his bees were looking real “nice,” but Adee said things went downhill quickly from that point.

“All of a sudden they started collapsing through the rest of December and through most of January and early February, so it was a big hit,” he said. “We lost a lot of them before they started pollinating the almonds, so we had to scramble all over the U.S. to find bees to fill our contracts, which we were fortunate to do. That really takes a toll on a person.”

Online article about Beehives Colony Collapse Disorder - Part Three

Land Line Article Part Two: Toxic cocktail may be causing bee collapse

LandLineMag.com Article Part One: What’s happening to our bees?

From ResponseSource.com:

The honeybee crisis: paradoxical findings deepen the CCD mystery
Submitted by: Palam Communications
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Vita urges beekeepers to become more proactive to prevent bee deaths

Beekeeping practices must change to ensure that honeybees survive and thrive, says Dr Max Watkins of Vita (Europe) Ltd, the honeybee health specialist, following one of the worst honey harvests in the UK and Northern Europe for many years. Although poor weather conditions may have badly affected the harvest an array of unexplained research findings indicates a more sinister and long-term challenge.

In recent decades, beekeeping has had to change radically to cope with the arrival of the varroa mite, a honeybee parasite. Minimalist or reactive management is no longer enough. Now with the threat of CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) and other unexplained colony deaths, beekeepers must now become more vigilant and pro-active and use emerging pre-emptive bio-technologies from trusted sources to avert beekeeping catastrophe.

“Although the bad weather has had a significant impact on reducing this year’s UK honey harvest by something in the order of 30-50%, something more complex is afoot,” said Dr Max Watkins, Technical Director at Vita (Europe) Ltd. “I have never before seen so many paradoxical research findings and anecdotal reports in beekeeping.

“Although I firmly believe that varroa is at the core of the problem, the developing interplay of other factors while unsettling for beekeepers, is fascinating yet perplexing for researchers. The answers can only come from a thorough scientific approach. Investigations are underway across the globe and many suspects and accomplices are under suspicion – viruses once of little consequence are now becoming more prominent killers, but a clear pattern is elusive. One novel line of enquiry in Israel is focusing on “gene silencing” in an attempt to suppress the expression of bee viruses in the honeybee genome.

“Controlling varroa is now merely the first – and still absolutely essential – line of defence. Other action is also now necessary to keep colonies healthy. As a honeybee health company we are investing heavily in researching new bio-technologies and treatments. Already we have introduced two Vita Feeds to boost honeybee immune systems and all-round health, and we are now developing several new potential products which we expect will become vital weapons in the beekeeper’s armoury. One strand of our R&D is focusing on new alternative anti-varroa treatments and another is looking at ways of inhibiting microbes which are implicated in the death of colonies.”

The array of strange recent findings, many of them aired at the recent international conference of the Society of Invertebrate Pathology at the University of Warwick, UK, organised by Rothamsted IACR and sponsored by Vita, include:

Heavy bee losses are not new. They have been recorded several times during the history of beekeeping in the USA and Europe, with some symptoms similar to those attributed to what is currently termed Colony Collapse Disorder. Denis van Engelsdorp, Pennsylvania State Apiarist, USA recounted such experiences in American beekeeping history. Mike Brown of the National Bee Unit, UK, has also pointed out previously that largely unexplained heavy bee losses have occurred at intervals throughout Europe in the past. It may be that what is now termed Colony Collapse Disorder is not new at all, but is a variant of a recurring syndrome.

Viruses are implicated in CCD, but no single one has been identified as being “the cause”. Colonies with CCD apparently present with multiple viral infection, usually with four or more viruses: commonly Deformed Wing Virus (DMV), Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV), Black Queen Cell Virus (BQCV), and Acute Paralysis Virus (APV) out of a total of 18 viruses discovered widely in US honeybee colony samples.

Varroa and nosema are also implicated in CCD and varroa saliva is now known to destabilise the immune system of honeybees. Dr Diana Cox-Foster of Penn State University, USA discussed this briefly in relation to the impact of viruses and other secondary infections where the bee’s immune system is already compromised.

Viruses can be found in almost all hive contents – and even in pollen on plants – before it enters the hive. Other pollinators, including wasps and bumble bees, have also been discovered to be infected with IAPV and DWV.

Viruses don't always debilitate: infection can be covert – Dr Elke Genersh of the Institut for Bee Research, Hohen Neuendorf, Germany showed that it depends on the threshold and the presence of infected varroa.

Full article on multiple causes of colony collapse disorder in beehives

Nature, Ecology and Renewable Energy Books

2008-09-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

Books on Bees for sale online

Books on Trees and Forest Preservation

Nature and Ecology Books

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough, Michael Braungart

Earth The Sequel: The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming (Fred Krupp)

Farewell My Subaru; An Epic Adventure In Local Living by Doug Fine

Green Investing A Guide To Making Money Through Environment-Friendly Stocks by Jack Uldrich

Green Living For Dummies by Yvonne Jeffery, Liz Barclay, Michael Grosvenor

Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage by Daniel C. Esty (Author), Andrew S. Winston (Author)

Living Like Ed; A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life - Ed Begley, Jr.

Natural Capitalism; Creating The Next Industrial Revolution by Amory Lovins and Paul Hawken

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America - Re-issued with new, bigger illustrations, by Roger Tory Peterson

A Safe and Sustainable World, The Promise of Ecological Design by Nancy Todd and John Todd

Silent Spring - Top selling environmental book by Rachel Carson

The World Without Us - Revealing bestseller by Alan Weisman

Books on Frogs and Amphibians

Green Power and Clean Renewable Energy Books

Apollo's Fire: Igniting America's Clean Energy Economy by Jay Inslee / Bracken Hendricks

Careers in Renewable Energy by Gregory McNamee

The Citizen Powered Energy Handbook by Greg Pahl

Clean Electricity from Photovoltaics - Authors: Mary D. Archer / Robert Hill

The Clean Tech Revolution: Discover the Top Trends, Technologies, and Companies to Watch by Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder

Coming Clean by author Michael Brune

The First Billion Is the Hardest; On a Life of Comebacks and America's Energy Future by T. Boone Pickens

Freedom From Oil: How the Next President Can End the United States' Oil Addiction by David Sandalow

Future Energy - by Author Trevor Letcher

Green Your Place In the New Energy Revolution by Jane Hoffman and Michael Hoffman

Profiting from Clean Energy - Author: Richard W. Asplund

Stirring It Up; How To Make Money And Save the World, by Gary Hirshberg.

Untapped; The Scramble For Africa's Oil by John Ghazvinian.

Books on Elephants, African Elephant Books, Indian Elephant Books

More renewable energy stocks investing info:

Wind Energy Stocks Info, Renewable Energy Investing Tips

Solar Power stocks investments, Alternative Energy Investing

Geothermal Power Stocks, Geothermal Energy Company Investing

Cassava, a calorie-rich root crop; Africa's great hope?

2008-09-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

Easy to grow tuber offers Africa hope

TheStar.com - Opinion - August 15, 2008

by Carol Goar

We can be so clumsy in our enthusiasm, so destructive in our haste, that African development experts have learned to speak carefully in our presence.

Dr. Nzola Mahungu, one of Malawi's leading scientists, sees cassava, a calorie-rich root crop grown in tropical regions, as Africa's great hope. But he dared not describe it that way during a recent visit to Toronto. He might have set off a stampede of well-intentioned but overzealous aid agencies.

Instead, he outlined the benefits and challenges of commercializing cassava in almost clinical terms.

It is one of the most versatile plants in the world. It is drought resistant. It can grow in poor soil. It can be left in the ground for up to three years and harvested as needed.

It contains the highest concentration of starch of any food crop. Its leaves are loaded with proteins.

The tubers can be eaten (like potatoes) boiled, baked or fried. They can be milled into flour for making bread, crackers, pasta and tapioca. They can be fermented to produce alcohol. They can be ground into fibres for paper, textiles, adhesives and dry cell batteries. Or they can be added to animal feed.

The leaves can either be eaten (like spinach) or used to increase the protein content of animal feed. The stalks can be burned as firewood. The residue can be used to produce ethanol.

These properties have led some agronomists to call cassava a supercrop. Mahungu is more cautious. He and his colleagues at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture are acutely aware of its potential, but know the importance of ramping up production at Africa's pace, taking into account the needs and culture of its people.

Full Toronto Star article on cassava as super crop for Africa

TD Canada Shoreline Cleanup Initiative improving Toronto and dozens of other waterfront communities

2008-09-19T18:44:00.001-07:00

Over 90,000 kilos of junk has already been pulled from waters across Canada. Here is a page from Vanaqua.org webpage for TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup describing what they do.

The TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is a national conservation initiative that allows all Canadians to have a positive impact on their local environment.

More than just a program to pick up trash, we collect valuable data from each cleanup which then allows us to determine the major (and minor) causes of shoreline litter in each region.

Collecting the data makes the TD Canada Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup one of the largest contributors to the International Coastal Cleanup in the world.

All site coordinators who register through our website are sent a free 'Shoreline Cleanup Package' that provides all the necessary items to conduct their cleanup - including the data cards which are returned to the Vancouver Aquarium for tallying.

Once all the information is returned to the Vancouver Aquarium, all tallied information from across the country is then submitted to the International Coastal Cleanup for their worldwide stats and reference.

Further water conservation and water purification reading:

WaterIntell.com Water Technology Stocks Investing

300 hundred new colouful coral species discovered off Australia, new iguana species found in Fiji

2008-09-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

An exciting discovery of 100s of new species near a reef off Australia delights and humbles the soul. Here is a story about this fascinating, enthralling underwater ecosphere, plus a report about a new igunana species found in Fiji:

Hundreds of new ocean species discovered near Australia

Research project studying marine life on reef off Australian coast

by Moira Welsh

Toronto Star Environment Reporter

A Canadian scientist leading a research expedition that studies marine life on Australia's Great Barrier Reef says hundreds of new species have been documented there – including 300 colourful soft corals and a parasite that eats the tongues of fish.

Researchers are analyzing and naming the marine life as part of an ongoing inventory of fragile reef ecosystems that will give scientists a baseline from which to judge whether species are thriving or dying from the impact of pollution and climate change, said Julian Caley, a University of Guelph alumnus.

"We went to places where people have been going for a long time ... so they were all very accessible places. And despite that, under our noses, we were picking up hundreds of new species," Caley said in a telephone interview from Australia.

"The important message is that there is an awful lot of stuff out there that we really don't know about."

Researchers left behind artificial homes – like underwater dollhouses – which they expect will become new residences for reef species. They plan to collect them over the next three years for future studies. The same structures will be placed in waters near Brazil, Hawaii and Pacific islands such as those of American Samoa.

Full Toronto Star article on new species discovered on Australia's reef

New species of iguana found in Fiji Islands

A team of Australian and US scientists have found a new species of iguana living in Fiji.

The newly discovered lizard is bright green with white bands, grows up to 90cm long and is thought to be highly endangered.

Associate Professor Scott Keogh from the Australian National University's School of Botany and Zoology said the iguana was the third species of the creatures known to inhabit Fiji.

Keogh said the origin of the Fiji iguanas, which have lived in the Fiji islands for millions of years, had long puzzled scientists.

He said they probably floated across the Pacific Ocean from the Americas 8,000 kilometres away, where all other iguana species live.

Full story on Iguana Discovery in Fiji Islands

More fun links:

Water Purification, Desalination, Tidal Energy, Wavepower

A Green Realtor Environmental Ecology Blog

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2008-09-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

Research nature and ecology studies, term papers, for environmental studies, endangered species, useful homework tool, find ecology articles, research science projects, find ecological websites, green energy info online, nature and environmental blogs, clean energy websites, environment websites, nature research, world wildlife studies, ecology movement, green politics, clean energy activists, environment movement, geothermal power, clean energy technology, environment and ecology research.

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Ike approaching Gulf Coast; links to Galveston Traffic cameras, Houston live webcams

2008-09-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Ike slams into Texas on Saturday, September 13, 2008

Galveston live webcams, traffic cameras and video feeds of Hurricane Ike:

Twelve web cameras from Galveston Bay, Houston, Port Aransas and Matagorda

Eight Live webcams from Galveston.com

Twenty Houston traffic cameras, live webcams

German researchers find 99% of dead bees contaminated with clothianidin,; Govt bans 8 neonicotinoids

2008-09-11T19:42:00.000-07:00

Germany Bans Eight Pesticides from Neonicotinoid family, linked to Colony Collapse Disorder in Beehives

(NaturalNews) The German government has provisionally banned a family of pesticides conclusively linked to the massive dieoff of honeybees in a southern state.

"It's a real bee emergency," said Manfred Hederer, president of the German Professional Beekeepers' Association, referring to the collapse of bee populations in the state of Baden-Württemberg. "Fifty to 60 percent of the bees have died on average and some beekeepers have lost all their hives."

Government researchers tested the bodies of dead bees, and found that 99 percent had been contaminated with the pesticide clothianidin, made by Bayer. The pesticide had been applied to the seeds of oilseed rape in the nearby Rhine River Valley.

Bayer blamed the dieoff on the improper application of the pesticide, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified as "highly toxic" to honeybees. Normally, seeds to be sprayed with clothianidin and similar pesticides are treated with a kind of glue so that the toxin sticks. In this case, Bayer said, the glue was not applied, allowing the poison to get into the air.

Clothianidin is a pesticide in the neonicotinoid family. This class of chemicals is applied to seeds and then spreads into all the tissues of the plant. Based on nicotine, the neonicotinoids are toxic to the nervous systems of any insect that comes into contact with them.

"We have been pointing out the risks of neonicotinoids for almost 10 years now," said
Philipp Mimkes of the Coalition Against Bayer Dangers. "This [incident] proves without a doubt that the chemicals can come into contact with bees and kill them. These pesticides shouldn't be on the market."

The German government, apparently in agreement, withdrew the licenses for eight neonicotinoid pesticides, including Bayer's best-selling insecticide, imidacloprid. If manufacturers submit evidence that the chemicals are safe for bees, however, the government may reinstate the licenses.

Full Text of NaturalNews.com story on Germany banning clothianidin

Elephant Websites, Elephant News, Elephant Conservation

2008-09-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

Websites about elephants, blogs on elephants, African Elephants, Indian elephants, nature preservation, ecology and conservation, elephant habitat.

Elephants page on www.Wikipedia.org, online encyclopedia

The Elephant Sanctuary of Hohenwald Tennessee at Elephants.comi

Elephant Information Repository - All About elephants

African Wildlife Federation information on elephants

World Wildlife Federation info on elephants

Asian elephant that was addicted to heroin is ready to be released

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Clothianidin, Imidacloprid, neonicotinoids kill insects AND bees

2008-09-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

Evidence from France, Germany, supports USA attempts to research link to colony collapse disorder in beehives

Here are links to research and news stories on Clothianidin, Imidacloprid:

Imidacloprid effects on bee population, Wikipedia page

Clothianidin webpage on Wikipedia

German lawsuit, beekeepers sue Bayer Chairman

Germany Bans Use of Pesticides Toxic to Bees

Marketing Imidacloprid, Clothianidin coincides with emergence of large scale bee deaths in Europe and America

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Gustav spares New Orleans, washes out Republicans

2008-09-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Gustav left New Orleans with only minimal damage, including minor flooding in the Ninth Ward.

The following article is from NOLA.com:

Storm surge tests Industrial Canal floodwalls
by The Times-Picayune
Monday September 01, 2008, 5:37 PM
Although New Orleans escaped serious damage from Hurricane Gustav on Monday morning, winds of the Category 2 storm pushed a 12-foot storm surge into the Industrial Canal, sending waves sloshing over the western wall and triggering minor flooding in the Upper 9th Ward.

Gustav's landing point was 72 miles away near Cocodrie, a low-lying fishing community in Cajun country. Cocodrie is about 20 miles from Port Fourchon, a vital hub in the energy industry where huge amounts of oil and gas are sent inward via pipelines to refineries. There had been fears of extensive damage.

Although Gustav went ashore as a Category 2 hurricane, it weakened to a Category 1 storm by early afternoon.

By mid morning, water was splashing for several hundred yards over the western side of the Industrial Canal's floodwall near North Claiborne Avenue, said Jerry Sneed, New Orleans' director of homeland security and emergency preparedness.

The incident doesn't pose a major threat, Army Corps of Engineers officials said. Water levels had dropped 2 to 3 feet by mid afternoon near the Claiborne Avenue bridge, New Orleans police reported.

But after lower water levels were reported, other witnesses said waves continued to spill over the west floodwall at Florida Avenue, closer to the lake and near the junction with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

There was no apparent problem with the wall on the canal's eastern side. It was built stronger and 2 feet higher than the wall on the west side after Hurricane Katrina.

The walls are considered an integral part of the plan to protect the area from flooding caused by a "100 year" hurricane storm surge, a term meaning that the storm has a 1-in-100 chance of occurring in any year.

An emergency response plan is ready should part of the wall fail, Corps of Engineers officials said.

The Corps has available on short notice six barges filled with rock and several hundred filled sandbags, each of them the size of a car. The sandbags would be dropped by large helicopters. But weather conditions would have to be good enough to allow the helicopters to fly, officials said.

"If something cracked, you would try to patch it. If something big happened, like the breach at 17th (Street Canal during Katrina), Black Hawks would fling the sandbags," said Capt. Jason Royston of the Corps' emergency operations center. "We have contingency plans in place, but the plan used depends on the assessment."

On Monday, the spillage was landing on cement pads, which reduce its impact at the base of the wall.

"We're confident in the stability of that wall," which was fortified after Hurricane Katrina, said Karen Durham-Aguilera, director of Task Force Hope for the Corps.

Although water was splashing over the wall, "it is not a breach," she said.

Federal officials said the high-water threat along canal walls would not have been as great, except for an obstruction caused by a lowered railroad bridge over the canal.

Chris Bonura, spokesman for the Port of New Orleans, said the L&N Railroad bridge, also called the Almonaster railroad bridge, was lowered because it cannot withstand hurricane force winds. The controls for the bridge were underwater on Monday morning.

There were no signs of seepage on the eastern side of the canal near the Danziger Bridge.

Nevertheless, Col. David Gooch of the Louisiana National Guard said the guard would evacuate anyone who feared the wall will give way.

"Obviously, there's an interest in getting people out of there as soon as possible,'' he said, adding that people who want out of the area can flag down Guardsmen in the trucks.

Corps officials are posted in bunkers and pump stations near the Industrial Canal and will continue to assess the health of the floodwall, Durham-Aguilera said.

Staff writers Frank Donze, Sheila Grissett, Laura Maggi and Gordon Russell contributed to this story.

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Water overflowing Industrial Canal into Upper and Lower Ninth Ward

2008-09-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

USA Today UPDATE on Industrial Canal, Ninth Ward New Orleans:

Update at 11:10 a.m. ET: The Times-Picayune says a railroad bridge was left in the down position, helping boost water levels inside the canal. "What we're seeing is small overtopping, white caps,"Col. Al Lee, the Corps' local commander, tells the paper.

Original posting at 11 a.m. ET: The Times-Picayune just posted a photo that shows water flowing over a levee along the Industrial Canal in the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Earlier, the paper reported that three vessels broke loose in that canal.

Mayor Ray Nagin tells WDSU-TV that levees along the Industrial Canal are being overtopped by the Hurricane Gustav storm surge. Water level at the canal was being measured at more than 11 feet high, according to Army Corps of Engineers data. The flood walls there are 11 feet high.

Overtopping levees is much less alarming than levee breaches, Nagin said.

(Photo by Lee Celano, Reuters.)

NOLA.com: Water coming over Industrial Canal floodwall
by The Times-Picayune
Monday September 01, 2008, 9:07 AM

The Army Corps of Engineers confirms that water is lapping over the Industrial Canal floodwall. Water is coming over the top in waves. Levee and Corps officials are assessing the floodwall.

The L & N railroad bridge across the Industrial Canal is in the down position, said Mark Lambert, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation and Development. That bridge is owned by the Port of New Orleans, but Lambert said DOTD has offered to send teams to the area to help raise the bridge.

Engineer Bob Turner, executive director of the East Bank Regional Levee Authority, said the bridge is causing a 3-foot backup of water in the canal. Turner has been in contact with the port and DOTD authorities about raising the bridge but it the controls are underwater.

Bonura said the bridge, built in 1919, is only able to handle winds up to 45 miles an hour, which means it cannot weather a hurricane in an upright position.

"Really, the public safety concern is that if it were raised during hurricane-force winds, the bridge could become unstable and fall on the floodwall or levee," Bonura said.

He also said that at the moment, there is no way to raise the bridge because the controls are under water and equipment can't be moved to the area.

It is the Port's usual protocol to keep these old railroad bridges in the down position during a hurricane, Bonura said. The canal is designed with that factor in mind, he said.

Col. Al Lee, New Orleans district commander of the Army Corps of Engineers, also said the wind is blowing water over the floodwall. "What we're seeing is small overtopping, white caps," he said. "The water is about 1 foot below the top of the wall. They say those walls have been significantly strengthened since Katrina and have slope paving to help prevent erosion."

St. Bernard Parish Sheriff Jack Stephens and Parish President Craig Taffaro were on the Claiborne Avenue bridge, checking the water levels. Water was lapping over the wall on the Upper Ninth Ward side, but had not yet overtopped the side closest to the Lower Ninth Ward.

"It's better than seeing cement collapsing but it's not good," Taffaro said.

"We're worried about the pressure building up on this wall," he said pointing at the corner of the floodwall nearest to the Claiborne Avenue Bridge.

Full article: NOLA.com on water over Industrial Canal by Ninth Ward, New Orleans

NEW Photos of Hurricane Gustav hitting New Orleans; Weather.com, NewOrleans.com links

2008-08-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

September 1st, 2008 Hurricane Gustav UPDATE

As of Monday morning, damage in New Orleans was less than expected so far, but Grand Isle is reportedly under seven feet of water, and the storm continues to move west toward western Louisiana and the northeast Texas area. Shell Beach in New Orleans is said to have a 9-foot swell this morning.

Satellite photograph of Hurricane Gustav:

Satellite image showing Hurricane Gustav approaching New Orleans Sunday night:

Satellite image of Hurricane Gustav Monday 12.20pm EDT 01SEP08:

Here is a view down a main street of New Orleans from CNN.com:

CNN photo from Monday morning in New Orleans:

Photos from New Orleans traffic cameras Sunday night as Hurricane Gustav approaches

A Sunday night photo of Causeway Blvd illustrating the calm before the storm:

Causeway Blvd Monday morning:

Photo from New Orleans traffic camera looking along Canal Boulevard Sunday night August 31, 2008:

Monday morning, Canal Blvd:

Traffic camera at Power Blvd in New Orleans Sunday night shows emerging disturbance:

New Orleans interchange 610 and I-10, Monday morning:

New Orleans Clearview Parkway Sunday night:

Old Man River Cam is located at Poydras St. and Magazine St

Old Man River Cam in New Orleans Monday morning:

Follow the paths of Hurricane Gustav, Hurricane Hanna at Weather.com

New Orleans hurricane Gustav news at NewOrleans.com

Links to live cameras operating in New Orleans

Traffic Cameras in Baton Rouge Louisiana

NRDC alleges pesticide clothianidin linked to colony collapse disorder in beehives, sues Feds

2008-08-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

Mysterious Honey Bee Disorder Buzzes into Court

From Environmental News Service

WASHINGTON, DC, August 19, 2008 (ENS) - The nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit Monday in federal court in Washington DC to force the federal government to disclose studies on the effect of a new pesticide on honey bees.

Studies on the pesticide, clothianidin, were ordered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from the pesticide's manufacturer, Bayer CropScience, in 2003 when the federal agency granted the company a registration for the chemical.

An NRDC bee researcher and the organization's attorneys believe that the EPA has evidence of connections between pesticides and the mysterious honey bee die-offs reported across the country called "colony collapse disorder," or CCD, that it has not made public.

The connection is important because commercial honey bees pollinate about 90 of the country's crops, valued at $15 billion. Apples, peaches, pears, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, cherries, berries, peppers, squash, soybeans, almonds, cashews, and sunflowers all require or benefit from honey bee pollination.

The EPA has failed to respond to the NRDC's Freedom of Information Act request for agency records concerning the toxicity of pesticides to bees, prompting Monday's legal action.

"Recently approved pesticides have been implicated in massive bee die-offs and are the focus of increasing scientific scrutiny," said NRDC attorney Aaron Colangelo. "EPA should be evaluating the risks to bees before approving new pesticides, but now refuses to tell the public what it knows."

"Pesticide restrictions might be at the heart of the solution to this growing crisis, so why hide the information they should be using to make those decisions?" Calangelo asked.

At an apiary by the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, bees fill the air as beekeepers examine hives for disease. (Photo courtesy Penn State)
The EPA has issued a fact sheet on clothianidin, one of a relatively new class of insecticides known as neonicotinoids that impact the central nervous system of insects.

Full article on ENS-Newswire.com: Natural Resources Defense Council sues government over pesticide link to CCD

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2008-08-14T18:02:00.000-07:00

August 2008 links to renewable power articles in the news, recent alternative energy news, renewable power investing, recent stories on windpower, solar energy investments, geothermal energy stocks and water desalination, water purification, water technology company stocks.

Canada has huge potential for geothermal power projects

Microturbine leader Capstone (CPST) To Make Turbines Run on Solar Power

India's Titan Energy to build 2 meg grid-connected solar power plant

Clinton Foundation wants to build world's largest solar project in Gujarat, India

Solar Electric Highway Installation begins in Oregon - Environment News Service story

Forbes.com article: Analysts bullish on First Solar (FSLR), thin film solar powerhouse

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Bees native to Vancouver Island are ultra-efficient pollinators

2008-08-03T12:30:00.000-07:00

ORCHARD MASON BEES AND THEIR CARE

from http://www.cvseeds.bc.ca/bees.htm

The Mason Bee can help pollinate our trees and crops

THE MASON BEE

Honeybee populations on Vancouver Island are rapidly being destroyed by mites. Blue Orchard Bees (Orchard Mason Bees Osmia lignaria) are native to our area and are 17 times as efficient at pollination of fruit trees as honeybees. These bees are not available to fertilize later food crops as the parent bees die in early summer.

Mason bees may well be able to take over the fruit tree pollination if we give a little help.

The bees are about 7/16” long and look like blue bottle flies except for having 4 wings rather than two. The male is a little smaller and has two longer antennae. The female has long belly hairs to hold pollen.
Cells for laying eggs

ITS LIFE CYCLE

The bees emerge from their over-wintering nests in the spring after about three days of 14°C (57° F) maximum day time temperature. In nature, they generally have been in beetle-made holes or other similar narrow spaces. The males are the first to appear as they come from the outer portion of the “tube”. They feed briefly and await the females which come from the deeper part of the tube.

The natural emergence of these bees is generally around March locally, but this can vary artificially if the nests are man-made and are kept in cooler temperatures until the plum or early apple trees just begin to break into bloom. The nests are then moved to a warm location.

The females emerge 3-4 days later than the males, and fertilization occurs almost immediately. The males die soon afterwards without doing any pollination. The female gathers a little nectar and about 20 loads of pollen and builds a little pyramid inside a suitable nest site. Then a single egg is laid on its end in that mass of food. She then gathers about 10 loads of clayish soil and builds a wall which seals off the egg with its food supply. Hence the name, Mason Bee. This sequence is repeated until she has provisioned, laid, and walled-off about 30 eggs. The one female will fill two or three 6” holes with eggs.

It is useful to know that she will lay eggs into holes only to a maximum of about 6” deep. She will continue to lay eggs for only 5-6 weeks. Also, as the egg-laying process brings her to the last inch or two near the surface, she withholds sperm from the eggs she lays, thus the last eggs of one hole will develop into males, So males will begin to grow only in the area near the surface, while all the deeper laid eggs will produce females. For our purposes, it is important to understand that if we want a large majority of females to be born, shallow holes such as 3-4” deep, are almost useless—they will predominantly yield males which do not pollinate and are not needed in large quantities for population expansion. Thus, in our efforts to optimize the production of bees, it seems that 6” depth is ideal.

The newly laid eggs hatch into larvae in about three days and they devour their food for the next 25 days. Then they spin a cocoon inside of which they become adults before winter time. It is important that the nest not be moved or even vibrated much between March and the end of September (as the eggs and larvae will suffocate), at which time it can be moved to a garage or other unheated space until next spring.

Full article at:

How to Raise Orchard Mason Bees in BC

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Geothermal Energy offering massive untapped potential

2008-07-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

Story from TheStar.com:

Geothermal Power offers huge potential to replace oil and natural gas

Canada has significant `earth energy' potential, but critics say it's not doing much about it

By Tyler Hamilton, Toronto Star Energy Reporter

Canada's obsession with "clean coal" and carbon capture technologies has left it blind to the vast potential of its own geothermal resources, says the head of one of the country's few publicly traded developers of geothermal power.

Gary Thompson, chief executive of Sierra Geothermal Power Inc. of Vancouver, said the neglect has left Canada a laggard among peers who view emission-free geothermal power as a strategic part of their electricity mix.

"We're one of the few countries with significant geothermal potential that's not doing anything about it," said Thompson, adding that the federal government has shown little interest, despite calls for more study. "It's rather disconcerting. They've really been letting Canadians down."

Thompson recently became vice-chair of the Canadian Geothermal Energy Association in Calgary. He said he joined because geothermal "is not getting any love" in Canada and he wanted to create more public awareness of the potential.

It's a suggestion Natural Resources Canada disputes. "The Government of Canada supports increased supply of clean electricity from renewable sources, including geothermal," said department spokesperson Héloïse Perron, citing a government ecoENERGY program that supports up to 4,000 megawatts of electricity development from geothermal, wind, solar and other renewable power systems.

Critics, however, say the inclusion of geothermal power under a general program designed around renewables is not akin to specifically backing research and development of the resource.

"It's really a shotgun approach," said Michal Moore, former chief economist at the U.S. National Renewable Laboratory and a senior fellow at the University of Calgary's Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy.

Moore co-authored a study released last week, mostly focused on Alberta, that recommended geothermal be "subject to a co-ordinated and multi-faceted ongoing research program." It concluded that next-generation geothermal technologies could reduce or substitute for proposed clean coal or nuclear plants "at competitive prices."

But Thompson said more groundwork is needed. He said the association's first goal is to have Natural Resources Canada, through the Geological Survey of Canada, invest in a thorough assessment of the country's geothermal potential – something that hasn't been done in more than two decades. It's also preparing a policy white paper that will break down myths that have hindered development of the resource.

"A lot of politicians just don't understand it," Thompson said.

"In their view it has no potential."

Meanwhile, billions of dollars are being put into unproven technologies aimed at giving the oil sands and coal industry a greener image, he said.

Last week, Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach announced plans for a $2 billion fund that would accelerate development of carbon capture and storage technology.

The geothermal power plants tap hot temperatures kilometres below the surface to create steam that spin turbines that generate electricity.

Conventional geothermal, or earth energy, facilities tend to be located in countries, including Canada, that lie along the so-called Ring of Fire – a region with shallow heat.

Though out of date, estimates for potential in Canada range from 3,000 to 6,000 megawatts, much higher as drilling and engineering costs fall.

Thompson's company has focused its efforts on Nevada because of U.S. incentives that help fund early drilling costs.

The U.S. also offers a production tax credit of two cents per kilowatt-hour, while Canada offers one cent.

"I had done a lot of research in Canada and after several years ended up banging my head against the wall," said Thompson, recalling the difficulty of getting support.

"We ended up looking at projects stateside."

It's a similar story for Nevada Geothermal Power Inc., Polaris Geothermal Inc. and Western GeoPower Corp., all Canadian-based companies that have done most of their development outside of Canada.

The only commercial geothermal power initiative under development in Canada is Western Geo's South Meager project in B.C.

Germany, on the other hand, is forging ahead with next-generation "enhanced geothermal" that will make it possible to develop the technology in more locations around the world.

In the U.S., the Department of Energy last month pledged to invest up to $90 million (U.S.) over four years into research related to enhanced geothermal systems.

More info: Geothermal Energy Investing

Dengue Fever spreading; early detection and replacement of fluids crucial

2008-07-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

Health: INFECTIOUS DISEASES: 'BREAK BONE FEVER'

Dengue fever: spreading and often undiagnosed
Travellers are sometimes unaware they have contracted the illness, leaving them vulnerable to more dangerous subsequent infections

HELEN BRANSWELL

The Canadian Press

July 1, 2008

It goes by the nickname "break bone fever." And after his brush with dengue fever, Phil Day knows why.

Mr. Day, an expatriate Canadian living in Singapore, contracted the mosquito-borne viral disease in 2007 after years of working in cities across Asia. He and his wife, Karen, were both afflicted, struggling through an illness that left them exhausted and in pain.

While they were sick, they needed to be monitored for signs they were developing the severest form of the disease, a life-threatening hemorrhagic fever (neither did). That monitoring required them to go to hospital for daily blood tests. On one of those trips, Mr. Day saw a sight that embodied how he was feeling.

"We were waiting at a traffic light and this old guy, probably 90 years old or so, crossed the street with a cane. He was moving very slowly and every step looked painful," he recounts via e-mail.

"And I turned to my wife and said: 'That's it. That's exactly how I feel.' "

Dengue fever is a disease of warm climes; Canada's cold winters deter the virus from setting up shop here.

But the thousands of Canadians who travel to the wide swaths of the world where the virus does spread are at some risk of becoming infected with a virus that can trigger symptoms ranging from flu-like fatigue and aching joints to a hemorrhagic fever that can kill.

A newly published study looking at trends in dengue infections in travellers notes that the past 20 years have seen a marked expansion of the virus's turf, from Southeast Asia to the islands of the South Pacific, the Caribbean and the Americas. There have even been domestically acquired infections in the United States.

Dengue fever has become a more common diagnosis than malaria for ill travellers returning from tropical regions other than Africa, notes the study, published in the July issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

An analysis of cases reported to the GeoSentinel Surveillance Network, an international collaboration of specialized travel and tropical medicine clinics, shows that from October, 1997, through February, 2006, 522 of nearly 25,000 ill travellers seen at network clinics were diagnosed with dengue or dengue hemorrhagic fever.

While that is only 2.1 per cent, it is also only a fraction of the cases that would have occurred during that period, says one of the study's authors, Kevin Kain. Not everyone who falls sick after a trip will end up at a travel clinic.

"Many people will have ... feverish illnesses that don't progress and they just stay at home," says Dr. Kain, director of the travel and tropical medicine clinic at Toronto's University Health Network.

"Or they present to their GP and no one ever does a confirmation test - no one ever does [blood testing]. So this is the tip of the iceberg, the cases we're seeing."

Anyone who has had dengue fever once faces a much higher risk of developing dengue hemorrhagic fever if they contract the disease again. Nine out of 10 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever occur in people who have previously had dengue fever, Dr. Kain says.

"The first time you get it you feel like you're going to die, but you survive. But it's the subsequent infections [that are dangerous]. So people want to know if they've actually had dengue, because then they're a little more apprehensive about subsequent exposures."

Every year, an estimated 50 million to 100 million people worldwide contract dengue fever, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. And several hundred thousand people come down with dengue hemorrhagic fever.

In Canada, 40 to 50 laboratory-confirmed cases of dengue fever are reported every year, in travellers who have visited parts of the world where the type of mosquito that spreads the virus are found.

Protecting against infection poses real challenges for travellers in these areas. There is no vaccine and, unlike for malaria, no pills that block infection. So it comes down to DEET-based insect repellents and luck.

The disease cannot spread from person to person directly, though mosquitoes become infected by drawing blood from an infected person and then pass the virus along.

The disease typically manifests itself with a high fever, severe headache, backache, joint pains, nausea and vomiting, eye pain and rash. Younger children usually suffer milder disease than older children and adults.

In a portion of cases, though, the hemorrhagic syndrome develops. Blood begins to pool under the skin and there can be bleeding from the nose and gums and even internal bleeding. Blood vessels become leaky, which can lead to blood loss, circulatory system failure, shock and death.

There are no drugs to combat the virus. But with good care - which largely involves replacing fluids - most people will survive. The earlier treatment starts, however, the better.

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Toronto Zoo launches campaign to save frogs from chytrid fungus

2008-03-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

article by Joanna Smith, TheStar.com

The Toronto Zoo chose "leap day" to raise awareness about an unprecedented crisis threatening amphibians around the world.

Cute gimmicks aside, zoo workers and local politicians gathered in front of frogs, toads and reporters yesterday to speak about the global amphibian problem and what they are trying to do about it.

"This is an extinction crisis that is unprecedented in the history of the world," said Bill Peters, national director of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Frogs and other amphibians have managed just fine for the past 360 million years, but now up to half of the 6,000 known amphibian species face extinction within the next few decades. Pollution, loss of habitat and overharvesting continue to be problems. But the big killer around the world is actually an infection called chytrid fungus.

"That fungus attacks the skin of the frogs. It can no longer take in oxygen or water and they die," said Bob Johnson, curator of reptiles and amphibians at the zoo.

About 120 species have already gone extinct and many others are threatened around the world.

The killer infection originated in South Africa and spread quickly throughout Asia, Central and South America, and has arrived in the United States and Canada.

Johnson said the disease is especially difficult to deal with because even natural conservation parks and other wildlife havens provide no protection against it.

The zoo declared 2008 the Year of the Frog to celebrate the opening of its amphibian breeding centre to the public. The zoo launched a breeding program for Puerto Rican crested toads in 1986 and has since released 52,000 of the animals, once thought to be extinct, back into the wild.

The zoo will also open a frog rescue centre this summer to increase the number of animals they will be able to quarantine from the fungal disease. "There is a worldwide effort of scientists trying to fix the problems in the wild and we're holding the animals here in trust so that they can go back hopefully in the near future," Johnson said.

Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield said the province is ironing out legislation to protect 128 plant and animal species.

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Which trees produce the most oxygen?

2008-01-12T16:57:00.001-08:00

An interesting question for sure, and though the answer is not yet known, in the excerpt below from an article / post by Anna Fraser, webmother of The-Tree.org.uk, she mentions that the contenders may include such diverse tree species as Monterey Pine, Hybrid Poplar, Eucalyptus and Fig:

Pick a tree that you are interested in and research the annual wood production for this species in the geographical location of your choice (the figures available are most probably given per hectare or per acre rather than per tree). Find out the energy value of the wood and the annual caloric intake of a human being. Using these figures, you can calculate what you would need to produce enough oxygen for one human being without even knowing how much oxygen they produce.

NASA does research on this using crops and they can produce enough oxygen for one human being with 20 square metres of land.

However we can of course speculate, keeping in mind that trees produce excess oxygen whilst growing and putting on wood (of course when they decay in old age the reverse will be true). Therefore the biggest oxygen producers will be the trees which have the fastest ability to convert the air and the soil they feed on into wood.

Opinions are divided which tree deserves this accolade and the reason for this disagreement is that the growth pattern of trees is inevitably affected by local conditions, such as poor or rich soil, sunshine wind and humidity, which side of the hill does it grow, what helpful fungi are there in the soil and various other factors. A Douglas Fir that can grow up to an amazing 300 ft in a given period in Oregon, may 'only' grow a 100 feet high in the south of California in that same period, because trees have their favourite spot, where conditions for their growth are optimal.

Presently the contenders for the fastest accumulation of square feet of timber in the trunk are Pinus radiata (Monterey Pine). This has shown amazing growth of 8 to 10 feet a year in favoured conditions. It originates from a small coastal area in California and is one of the most popular timber trees in the southern hemisphere, particularly South America.

Hybrid Poplar (cross between European Black Poplar and the North American Eastern Cottonwood). This can also grow of the rate of 8 ft a year in favourable circumstances. Other fast growing trees that deserve a mention are Chitalpa, Chinese Elm, Eucalyptus, Locust tree, and Fig tree, not necessarily in any particular order.

There are of course also genetically engineered trees in the making, which will be trying to break all records. An example is the "Supatree", which is experimentally grown in a remote place in Australia. Investors in the genetic engineerin industry are told that this tree aims to grow as much 30 to 35 feet in the first year and will accomplish in 10 years time what a regular forest plantation tree takes 75 years to do.

This sounds fantastic in a world with dwindling resources (due to growing populations and the silly consumer attitude we have towards the natural world), but please remember that this is a tree which has been engineered far more for business interests, rather than with the Good of the Whole World in mind.

In my opinion the world needs biodiversity and its inherent creativity for survival of the Earth on which we all depend and therefore food and resource security. This is far more important than identical clones, which depend on fertilizer and fossil fuel based growing practices.

Maybe we will be forced to grow Supatrees if we carry on the way we are and squander our precious heritage. If I were a judge with blinkers on, ignoring the real needs of the Earth and therefore people, Supatree would no doubt they would be the winner of your contest as oxygen producers during growth.

But will the world be a better, safer or richer place with Supatree plantations all over the world???

I really appreciate your genuine search for the highest oxygen producing tree, but please allow me to suggest also that oxygen is not the only gift the trees to the wellbeing of the patients of a tuberculosis hospital. Nor necessarily the most important: trees clean air pollution in many different ways and heal also by their presence.

Trees have always been our friends, healers and providers .There is of course infinite beauty in trees and woodland, but there is far more to it than that:
There is something about the aura of trees, that can make you feel as if you're in the presence of a being greater than ourselves. I don't mean greater in statue, but in a knowledge deeper and wiser than most people have.

Few people fail to be impressed by wonderful beings like the Dalai Lama and feel better for meeting him. But many trees are to me like Dalai Lama's and everyone can seek their healing friendship.

Trees seem to know that the Earth is all one. One giant interacting web of life. The divisions between us are artificial and temporary. As a separate identity I give my own contribution to the consciousness/vibes of the Earth, but since I exist only by the grace of inhaling air, drinking water, eating food, interacting in countless ways to make my consciousness grow: How can I think I am not intimately related to everything else?

Full article / post continues at: Which tree species produces the most oxygen?

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Pictures of Elephants; African Elephant Photos, Asian Elephant Herd

2008-01-12T16:42:00.000-08:00

And, our good friend the Asian Elephant:

Penn State U researchers says virus causing honeybee deaths

2008-01-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

Breakthrough on mystery of vanishing honey bees

by Am Johal

article from: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2007/12/31/news0019.htm

Over the past year, honey bees have been dying across North America in unprecedented numbers and, until this month, no one seemed to be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt what the cause may have been.

What has been dubbed "colony collapse disorder" can work through a honey bee colony in a matter of weeks. Bees fly off to collect pollen, but never return -- or simply weaken and die in the hives. Beyond the larger effects on the food chain, the economic implications of these deaths are immediate because honey bees are integral to the pollination of tens of millions of dollars of cash crops in North America.

Scientists from Penn State University say they have found a connection between Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) and colony collapse disorder. In a conference call last week, researchers argued that the virus, in conjunction with other stress factors, is likely the cause of the disorder, which has resulted in a loss of 50-90 percent of North American bee colonies. It was originally discovered in Israel in 2004, the same year that Australian bees were imported in to the United States.

Colony collapse disorder has also been observed in Poland, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain, and unverified reports have surfaced in Switzerland and Germany. Cases have also been reported in India and Brazil.

David Hackenburg, a beekeeper near Tampa Bay, Florida, lost nearly 2,000 of his 3,000 hives in a matter of weeks last winter. He has since been raising the issue with university researchers, bureaucrats at state agencies and elected politicians. He has told a number of media outlets that new synthetic nicotine-based pesticides known as neonicotinoids, or neonics, are the major contributing factor. Researchers told IPS that further studies will include these pesticides as possible contributing factors. Some large environmental groups, like the Sierra Club, also believe that genetically modified food production could be a contributing factor. A comprehensive British study found that genetically modified crops in conjunction with powerful chemicals were harmful to bees, butterflies and birds.

Researchers from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and other U.S. states have been conducting geographic database tests to understand the magnitude of the problem and whether linkages exist with colony collapse disorder.

But other scientists argue that there is scant evidence that the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin produced by genetically modified crops is a factor in the mass deaths of bees.

According to Science Daily, a team of scientists from Edgewood Chemical Biological Centre and the University of California at San Francisco have identified a virus and a parasite that are likely culprits in the recent deaths.

Penn State University's Colony Collapse Working Group had drawn no clear conclusions as to what the causative factors may be until this week. In July 2007, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a "Colony Collapse Disorder Action Plan" which states, "The current strategy for addressing the CCD crisis involves four main components: 1) survey and data collection; 2) analysis of samples; 3) hypothesis-driven research; and, 4) mitigation and preventative action."

Dr. Mariano Higes, a scientist based in Guadalajara, Spain, has concluded that European honey bees suffering from colony collapse disorder fell victim to Nosema ceranae, a micro-sporidian fungus. The research team led by Higes has been investigating the issue since 2000 and ruled out any other causes. U.S. scientists have stated that although it may be a factor, it is not the only cause of the disorder.

Eric Mussen, a University of California Davis apiculture expert, believes that small variations in weather caused by climate change could affect the water, nectar and pollen the bees rely on. Mussen also argues that bees have many viruses, but it is their weakened immune systems that are making them susceptible to death. The first cases came to public view in late 2006. Since then, speculation has ranged about the causes from a diverse set of theories which range from new pesticides, genetically modified crops, agricultural products, climate change, viruses cell phones.

In the 1940s, there were an estimated 5 million managed bee colonies in North America. Now there are just over 2 million. Adverse weather conditions and hurricanes have also contributed to the heavy losses of bee colonies in recent years.

For example, the almond season begins in February for the bees, a cold season in North America which can affect their endurance. The economy of the almond season is particularly lucrative for those raising bee colonies. Migratory beekeeping is also widespread in the United States. Beekeepers earn more money renting bees out for pollination than they do from honey production. Bee keepers often truck their colonies to Florida, Texas, California and other states. Migratory beekeeping has been in practice in the United States since 1908. Climate change could also be a factor in weakening the bees and has affected the pollination of crops in many agricultural areas in North America. The value of crops for which honey bees are the prime pollinator is estimated to be in the 15-billion-dollar range in the United States. California's almond industry alone, which relies on pollination from honey bees, is worth 1.5 billion dollars.

Honey bees are not native to North America. Though indigenous plants can survive without them, the pollination from honey bees is instrumental for growing fruit and vegetables like apples, cherries, tomatoes, zucchinis, cantaloupes and many other crops. Dr. Leonard Foster, a University of British Columbia Assistant Professor of Biochemistry told IPS, "There is certainly something happening in the United States and it is difficult to say if it is due to a bacteria or fungus -- it is difficult to detect with the current methods."

"It could be various factors combined, but it is difficult to verify at this time -- climate change, antibiotics or the use of pesticides where bees may visit. We have various historical records that show that there are fluctuations with beehives every seven or eight years that are affected by weather conditions and crop yields. It is too early to draw conclusions yet."

Troy Fore, president of the American Beekeeping Federation, told IPS, "Lately, we haven't heard much since it is the summer season. The losses seem to be associated with the winter as it's the natural end of a colony's life cycle."

"I hear from beekeepers, but many have been damaged earlier in the year. The colonies that have been affected are not as productive," he added. "But we still have no smoking gun."

(This story is part of a series of features on sustainable development by IPS and IFEJ - International Federation of Environmental Journalists.)

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Uganda Forests Endangered by Sugar, Over-farming of Medicine

2007-12-28T14:42:00.000-08:00

Sugar Cane Expansion and Roots Medicine Make Uganda's Forests Go Down

By Alexis Okeowo/Mabira Forest Reserve

article from: Time.com

Scientists are combing rain forests around the world for potential cures for cancer and other ailments, but the residents near Uganda's last rain forests are are not waiting around for a multinational drug company to discover their treasures first. They have always believed that there are cures in the plant life of the Mabira Forest Reserve, the green, leafy jungle that sprawls through the middle of the country. And so, locals seeking treatments for sexual impotence, cancer, malaria and other illnesses are simply taking plants from the forest, parts of which are already in danger of being razed to make room for the construction of a sugarcane plant.

For example, there is what the locals call the "sex tree," which grows deep in Mabira's dense, tropical bush. It is a skinny, scruffy, slow-developing plant with springy green leaves that is decidedly unremarkable. It has a lonely existence. Other members of its plant family have been uprooted by local aphrodisiac-seekers long ago.

"We need to think about conservation in a scientific way," says Dr Mauda Kamatenesi, a lecturer of botany at Uganda's Makarere University and a lead researcher on Mabira's medicinal plants. Kamatenesi is leading a drive to conserve plants such as Citropsis articulata, or the "sex tree." Also in danger of extinction in Mabira is Pronus africana, which is commonly used to treat malaria and some forms of cancer.

Kamatenesi believes that plants like the "sex tree" may have other medicinal properties besides treating sexual impotence and says that Uganda will miss out on drug discovery and manufacturing if the government does not protect the forest. Researchers also say that the plants' extinction would take a toll on local Ugandans who have been using the trees as herbal cures for generations. Says Kamatenesi: "We are losing out if we let these plants go extinct without doing more research. The people say that the medicines work."

Crunching leaves on the damp, muddy ground as he walks in the forest, Ibrahim Senfuma, a bird guide, says that he and his friends take Citropsis articulata to boost their sex drives. Locals either chew the roots and leaves of the plant (salt is added for flavor), or mix them in a half liter of water and then boil to make tea. Lowering his voice amid the crowing and squawking sounds of the forest, Senfuma confides: "I don't know if it is psychological, but it works. You feel stronger than before."

Nearby, sunlight streams from an opening in a thatch of trees onto Faziira Nakalama, a cook, as she proudly lists the ailments (her own and her neighbors') cured by the leaves and roots of the Pronus africana. "Decreased immunity, stomach pains, malaria... the forest is very important," Nakalama says.

A great deal of the forest may not be around much longer. Over a fourth of the rain forest is in danger of being cleared in order to make way for a sugarcane estate, if a plan by Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni is approved. Last year, Museveni ordered a study into the feasibility of clearing 7,000 hectares (17,000 acres) of the forest after a sugarcane company applied for permission to expand its farm. The study concluded that the sugarcane plan endangers rare trees and birds in the 30,000-hectare forest. At risk are 218 species of butterflies, 312 plant species and 315 bird species, including nine found nowhere else in the world.

Full article continues at: Ugandan Forest Endangered by Sugar Cane, Its Own Medicines

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Global Trees Campaign aims to save world's threatened tree species

2007-12-24T20:58:00.000-08:00

Over 8000 tree species, 10% of the world's total, are threatened with extinction. Destruction of woodland and forest and unsustainable felling of valuable timbers are causing the loss of many important species. Very few of these endangered trees are being conserved in the wild. The Global Trees Campaign, a joint initiative between Fauna & Flora International (FFI), Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) in association with other partners around the world, is drawing attention to this global problem and finding solutions.

The Global Trees Campaign aims to save the world's most threatened tree species and their habitats through provision of information, conservation action and support for sustainable use. The campaign focuses on trees as flagship species for conservation of ecosystems and landscapes, and enables local people to carry out rescue and sustainable use operations. We are working in partnership with organizations around the world to save endangered trees.

Endangered Trees List from United Nations

2007-12-24T20:50:00.000-08:00

A

African Blackwood, which is also known as Mpingo in Swahili is considered to be the national tree of Tanzania, despite the fact that it is native to 26 African countries, ranging from northern Ethiopia, to the south in Angola, also spreading from Senegal across to Tanzania.

Mpingo not only improves soil fertility, but is also good at maintaining soil stability. Its leaves offer feed for migrating herbivores and for domestic livestock. The mature African Blackwood trees are capable of surviving fires that destroy other vegetation in grasslands. The dark heartwood of Mpingo, is one of the most economically valuable timbers in the world.

B

Bois dentelle is a beautiful tree, endemic to the high cloud forest of Mauritius. Despite the fact that it has no commercial value, only two individuals are left. The most remarkable thing about the species are the flowers â€“ sprays of white bell flowers with fine lacy petals that cover the tree in summer (January â€“March).

C

The Clanwilliam cedar is a species endemic to the Cederberg Mountains in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. A majestic tree of 6-18 meters in height, the Clanwilliam cedar is a rot-resistant, fragrant and visually beautiful timber that was extensively exploited for building, furniture and later on telegraph poles by European settlers in the eighteenth century.

D

The Dragon Tree is found on the Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Madeira and Morocco. The Guanche people of the Canary Islands used the sap for mummification purposes. In Ancient Rome, Sangre de Drago (Dragon Tree) was used as a colorant and across Europe it has been used as a varnish for iron tools.

According to the Greek myth, "The Eleventh Labor of Hercules: The Apples of the HespÃ©rides", the hundred-headed dragon, Landon, who was said to have been the guardian of the Garden of the HespÃ©rides, was killed by either Hercules or Atlas in order to fulfill Herculesâ€™ task to bring back three golden apples from the garden. As told in the myth, the trees known as 'Dragon Treesâ€™ sprung from Landon's red blood, which flowed out upon the land.

The species is classified as being "Endangered" by Cape Verde, while it is identified as being extinct in the wild on Brava and Santiago where only planted specimens exist today.

H

The Honduras rosewood is found in Belize in Central America and produces timber, which is extremely valued on the world market because of its use in musical instrument production.

Since the Honduras Rosewood supplies hard, heavy, durable and very resonant timber, when struck, it gives off a clear, loud note and making it itself most highly valued in the production of orchestral xylophones and claves. It is also used to make thin covering for fine furniture and cabinets, , knife handles etc.

L

The Loulu is a palm endemic to the northernmost of the Hawaiian Islands chain with the most variety of plant species of any island in Hawaii. There are fewer than 300 individuals of the Loulu left, because of limited regeneration caused by seed predation by rats and pigs as well as competing plants.

M

The Monkey Puzzle is the National Tree of Chile. Nevertheless, there is at least of these trees in every botanical garden in Europe. Its local name is PehuÃ©n and its existence has great historical and social importance to the people living in that area known as the Pehuenche, which means â€œpeople of PehuÃ©nâ€. The seeds of the tree shape an important part of their diet.

The Monkey puzzle is also valued for its unique and natural beauty, which makes it an emblem of a national parks and provinces in both Chile and Argentina. The timber found from the PehuÃ©n has a high mechanical resistance and moderate resistance to fungal decay, hence for its being used for beams in buildings, bridges, roofs, furniture, boat structures, thin covering etc. Monkey puzzle forests have been fast destroyed and degraded due to logging, fire and grazing.

N

Nubian Dragon Tree is found in Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda and was once a widespread and abundant species.

It is one of the few species that can survive wide periods of drought in all parts of its scope, hence making it an important part of the desert ecosystem. The mature fruits of the Nubian Dragon tree are eaten and its sap and fruit may also have medicinal properties.

P

Pau brasil is the national tree of Brazil, making it have strong cultural links to Brazilâ€™s social and economic history. The species is known for the dye extract taken from the heartwood, for which it has been exploited since 1501. Presently, the dye extract and its bark are used locally for medicinal purposes. Research is being carried out to find out whether the bark of this tree can be used as a cure for cancer.

Pau brasil wood is hard and compact, which is almost indestructible and was traditionally used to make hunting tools; commercially, it was harvested for use as a construction timber and in craftwork. It is also highly valued by musical instrument makers and still being exported for the production of bows for stringed instruments.

The various uses acquired from the Pau Brasil have made it target to extensive collection and export of the dyewood, resulting in the loss of large areas of forest and the enslavement of local people and later on the demand for its timber by bow manufacturers has contributed to a great loss.

Q

Quercus hintonii, also known as Encino of Hinton (Hinton's Oak), is endemic to Mexico. Some of the woodâ€™s uses range from locally made tool handles, to beams and fencing poles, and primarily for firewood. Traditionally the wood is used to bake bread known as "las finas", which the distinctive taste is brought on by the smoke.

The species has also been highly affected by grazing, which prevents regeneration as well as the coming up of agriculture, coffee plantation and road construction have all contributed to the decline in the Quercus hintonii populations.

S

St Helena gumwood was selected as St. Helenaâ€™s national tree in 1977. The endemic floras of St Helena are not only of great biogeographical significance, but they are also home for equally rare and unusual animal species. The St. Helena gumwood is one of the fourteen most globally endangered and endemic tree species in St Helena. It is threatened by human presence and their use of the timber for firewood and building.

W

The Wollemi pine belongs to the ancient Araucariaceae species, thought to be over 200 million years old. Until 1994, the Wollemi pine was believed to have become extinct about 2 million years ago, but it was rediscovered in a gorge 150 km north-west of Sydney, Australia. There are less than 100 mature trees in the wild, making it one of the rarest species in the world. Because of this rarity, the Wollemi attracts a lot of tourism, which threatens its existence because of the therefore threatened by tourism, for it may be disturbed by human activities, also exposing it to seeds being trampled, compaction of the soil, the introduction of weeds and an increase in the possibility of fires.

List of Endangered Tree species from United Nations Environment Programme

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Whooping Cranes on comeback trail creating hope among scientists

2007-12-23T20:21:00.000-08:00

Whooping cranes lifting spirits; Scientists counting record numbers of endangered birds at Texas wintering grounds

Jason Unrau, THE CANADIAN PRESS
YELLOWKNIFE, N.W.T.

One of the most majestic and endangered birds on the continent appears to be making a slow flight to recovery, say experts who see whooping cranes returning to their Texas wintering grounds in record numbers this year.

The cranes were on the verge of extinction in 1941 - a mere 15 birds could be accounted for. But last week Tom Stehn, whooping crane co-ordinator for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, confirmed 262 had arrived at the Aransas reserve on Texas's Gulf of Mexico coast and four more were in transit.

"The comeback is what makes them really a symbol of conservation in North America," said Stehn.

After centuries of being squeezed out of their habitats by expanding agriculture, collected as specimens by European travellers and eaten during the leaner times of colonial settlement, the near-mythical migratory birds appear now to have benefited from the concerted efforts of wildlife biologists and strict protective legislation.

Since 1982, Stehn has been counting whooping cranes as they complete the 4,000-kilometre, four-to- six-week journey from their nesting grounds in the Northwest Territories, inside Wood Buffalo National Park.

"Every whooping crane now came from the genetics of those 15 birds and, to be that close to extinction ... it's a tremendous success story," he said. "I'm probably so excited it makes it sound like we have a million of them. There are only 266, so you don't have to be a biologist to know that they're still extremely endangered."

But slowly increasing sea levels and their impact on the cranes' blue-crab-rich marshland on the gulf are causing Stehn some new concern.

And if marshes start drying up in Wood Buffalo National Park from warmer temperatures, "the crane could go downhill," he says.

Brian Johns, wildlife biologist and whooping crane co-ordinator with the Canadian Wildlife Service, monitors nesting habits and counts the nesting pairs and resulting offspring.

Johns counted 73 pairs that produced 80 offspring this year. Of those, 40 survived until migration and 39 made it from Wood Buffalo park to Texas last week.

Johns said the marshes where the cranes rear their young in Canada's largest national park have been under pressure from warmer springs and summers, but the climate change may actually be helping the birds thrive, at least temporarily.

"At hatching time is when a lot of young will die because of cool, wet weather during brooding time and the young can't keep warm on their own," Johns said.

"Now this June we didn't have any cold or wet weather - that was a good thing. But you can only tolerate no rain for a certain length of time, then the wetlands start drying up and the whole area gets more accessible to predators like foxes and wolves."

Back 150 years ago, the whoopers had more than just foxes and wolves to contend with. Settlers moving into the American Midwest transformed much of the wetlands to farmland. Cranes landing in a field to eat seeds often found themselves in a shooting gallery. It's believed the population was only around 1,300 even then - still considered endangered by today's standards.

Johns estimates that, at their height, whooping cranes numbered "a highly optimistic 10,000."

European curiosity-seekers chipped away at that over the centuries.

"I've got a listing of whooping crane specimens all around the world and you wouldn't believe it - there's several hundred of them in museums in Europe alone," he said.
Ron Heflin the canadian press file photo A whooping crane searches for food at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge near Rockport, Tex. The Lone Star state's waters are wintering grounds for the species, with record numbers returning there this year.

December 17, 2007

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African and Asian Elephants in the Wild

2007-12-16T08:27:00.000-08:00

article from:

http://bagheera.com/inthewild/van_anim_elephant.htm

VANISHING IN THE WILD: THE ELEPHANT

Throughout history, the elephant has played an important role in human economies, religion, and culture. The immense size, strength, and stature of this largest living land animal has intrigued people of many cultures for hundreds of years. In Asia, elephants have served as beasts of burden in war and peace. Some civilizations have regarded elephants as gods, and they have been symbols of royalty for some.

Elephants have entertained us in circuses and festivals around the world. For centuries, the elephant's massive tusks have been prized for their ivory.

The African elephant once roamed the entire continent of Africa, and the Asian elephant ranged from Syria to northern China and the islands of Indonesia. These abundant populations have been reduced to groups in scattered areas south of the Sahara and in isolated patches in India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.

Demand for ivory, combined with habitat loss from human settlement, has led to a dramatic decline in elephant populations in the last few decades. In 1930, there were between 5 and 10 million African elephants. By 1979, there were 1.3 million. In 1989, when they were added to the international list of the most endangered species, there were about 600,000 remaining, less than one percent of their original number.

Asian elephants were never as abundant as their African cousins, and today they are even more endangered than African elephants. At the turn of the century, there were an estimated 200,000 Asian elephants. Today there are probably no more than 35,000 to 40,000 left in the wild.
Description

At first glance, African and Asian elephants appear the same. An informed eye, however, can distinguish the two species. An African bull elephant (adult male) can weigh as much as 14,000 to 16,000 pounds (6300 to 7300 kg) and grow to 13 feet (four meters) at the shoulder. Its smaller relative, the Asian elephant, averages 5,000 pounds (2300 kg) and 9 to 10 feet (3 meters) tall.

The African elephant is sway-backed and has a tapering head, while the Asian elephant is hump-backed and has a huge, domed head. Probably the most interesting difference between the two species is their ears. Oddly, the African elephant's large ears match the shape of the African continent, and the Asian elephant's smaller ears match the shape of India.

Elongated incisors (front teeth), more commonly known as tusks, grow up to 7 inches (18 cm) per year. All elephants have tusks, except for female Asian elephants. The largest of the African bulls' tusks can weigh as much as 160 pounds (73 kg) and grow to 12 feet (4 meters) long. Most animals this big, however, are gone; they were the first to be killed for their ivory.

Most African elephants live on the savanna, but some live in forests or even deserts. Most Asian elephants live in forests. As herbivores (plant eaters), elephants consume grass, foliage, fruit, branches, twigs, and tree bark. Elephants spend three-quarters of its day eating, and they eats as much as 400 pounds (880 kg) of vegetation each day. For this task, they have only four teeth for chewing.

In the hot climates of their native habitats, elephants need about 50 gallons (190 liters) of water to drink every day. Elephants boast the largest nose in the world, which is actually part nose and part upper lip. It is a large natural hose, with a six-gallon (23-liter) capacity.
Role in the Ecosystem

Elephants are considered a keystone species in the African landscape. They pull down trees, break up bushes, create salt licks, dig waterholes, and forge trails. Other animals, including humans, like the pygmies of the Central African Republic, depend on the openings elephants create in the forest and brush and in the waterholes they dig.

Even elephant droppings are important to the environment. Baboons and birds pick through dung for undigested seeds and nuts, and dung beetles reproduce in these deposits. The nutrient-rich manure replenishes depleted soil. Finally, it is a vehicle for seed dispersal. Some seeds will not germinate unless they have passed through an elephant's digestive system.
Behavior

Wild elephants have strong family ties. The females and young are social, living in groups under the leadership of an older female or matriarch. Adult males are solitary, although they stay in contact with the females over great distances, using sounds well below the range of human hearing. Family groups communicate with each other using these low-frequency vibrations. It is an eerie sight to see several groups converging on a waterhole from miles apart, apparently by some prearranged signal, when human observers have heard nothing.

The natural lifespan of an elephant, about 70 years, is comparable to a human's. Elephants reach breeding age at about 15 years of age. Females generally give birth to one 200-pound baby after a 22-month pregnancy.
Elephants and Humans

Humans first tamed Asian elephants more than 4,000 years ago. In the past, humans used elephants in war. Elephants have been called the "predecessors to the tank" because of their immense size and strength. They were important to military supply lines as recently as the Vietnam War in the 1960s. Although African elephants are harder to train than Asian, they too have worked for humans, mostly during wartime. For example, the elephants that carried Hannibal's troops across the Alps to attack the Romans in 200 B.C. were African.

In modern times humans use elephants primarily for heavy jobs like hauling logs. An elephant is the ultimate off-road vehicle and can get tremendous traction even on slippery mud. An elephant actually walks on its toes, aided by a great flesh-heel pad that can conform to the ground.

In some remote areas of Southeast Asia it is still more economical to use elephants for work than it is to use modern machinery. Scientific researchers use elephants for transportation in the hard-to-reach, swampy areas they study, and tourists ride elephants to view wildlife in Asian reserves. Elephants are the ideal mobile viewing platform in the tall grass found in many parks.

Asia has always had a strong cultural connection to the elephant. In Chinese, the phrase "to ride an elephant" sounds the same as the word for happiness. When Thailand was called Siam, the sacred White Elephant dominated the flag and culture. According to Thai legend, in the beginning all elephants were white and flew through the air, like the clouds and rain.

Thousands of years later, a white elephant entered the side of Queen Sirimahamaya as she lay sleeping. Later she gave birth to Prince Siddhartha, the future Guatama Buddha. Among the predominantly Buddhist kingdoms of Southeast Asia, the most auspicious event possible during a monarch's reign was the finding of a white elephant.

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Frogs and Toads are part of growing up

2007-12-16T08:17:00.000-08:00

Frogs and Toads

by Chin Fah Shin

WHEN I was a kid, my family lived in a low-lying area on the outskirts of Kulim town, in the state of Kedah. Often, the area was flooded when there was heavy rain. Even when it rained lightly, puddles of water formed on the ground. And in the night, frogs and toads would call loudly. Sometimes their "chorus" could be quite deafening.

White-Lipped Frog (Rana chalconota). Copyright © Chin Fah Shin

One frog species, the Banded Bullfrog, Kaloula pulchra (family Microhylidae), was plentiful then. There seem to be fewer of them around now.

full article at:

http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/8983/frogs/frogs.html

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Asian and European countries to increase renewable energy spending

2007-05-03T04:56:00.000-07:00

More info: http://www.aseminfoboard.org/content/documents/070426_EnvMM3_Declaration.pdf

Europe and Asia agree to boost renewables

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, May 2, 2007. Environmental leaders from Europe and Asia have stressed the importance of increasing the share of renewable energies.

The final declaration of the third Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) after a two-day summit in Denmark recognised the “key link” between energy generation and GHG emissions. ASEM represents half of the global economy, grouping EU states with the ten-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus China, Japan and South Korea.

Last year, ASEM heads of state and government at the summit in Helsinki called for continuation of the ASEM dialogue on environmental issues. The countries support the ultimate objective and principles of the Kyoto Protocol to stabilize GHG concentrations and, in order to fulfil full implementation, the countries “decide to support a strengthened international cooperation on addressing climate change in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities,” the communique explains.

“Recognising the key link between energy generation and GHG emissions, ASEM countries agree that an urgent shift in the nature of energy systems is needed, in order to ensure continued sustainable economic development, sustainable security of supply and improved demand management in order to avoid lock-in of unsustainable technologies in ASEM developing countries,” it continues. “ASEM countries are determined to enhance cooperation on research and development, deployment and transfer of low carbon emissions technologies.”

There is a need to decouple economic growth from energy consumption and CO2 emissions, and the ministers “recognise the priority of developing countries to achieve sustainable economic growth and eradicate poverty,” it explains. “The ASEM countries underlined that meeting climate change goals, inter alia by improving energy efficiency and promoting renewable energy and the transfer of such technologies, is not only necessary, it is also possible while maintaining sustainable economic growth.”

“ASEM countries recognise that measures to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency can boost economic performance and ensure energy security while, at the same time, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants,” and measures should be promoted to “combat climate change and to ensure sustainable transition and diversification of supply,” it notes. They “stress the importance of increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix, acknowledging the need to take national circumstances into account,” and pledged to “strive to improve access to such modern energy technologies.”

They also expressed the importance of an ambitious post-2012 arrangement in promoting the use of renewable energy technologies, and “acknowledge the role of targets specifically for renewable energy and energy efficiency taking national circumstances into account,” the document concludes. “The production of biofuels has considerable potential for diversification of energy, mitigation of climate change and the creation of livelihoods and income generation for rural people; however, the production of biofuels may have adverse environmental impacts if not applied in a sustainable manner.”

The 38 participating countries adopted the declaration, which is the first time that environment ministers of EU and Asia have reached agreement on an actual text under ASEM. At earlier ASEM environment meetings, the outcome has taken the form of chairman’s summary drafted by the host country only.

“I am very pleased that it has been possible for us to agree upon such an ambitious declaration, which can contribute to the future international climate process,” says Danish environment minister Connie Hedegaard. “The result of this meeting shows that there is willingness between the two continents to work closely together when it comes to the common challenges of combating climate change; however, we have still important ground to be covered.”

More info: http://www.aseminfoboard.org/content/documents/070426_EnvMM3_Declaration.pdf

Colony Collapse Disorder threatens honybees and global fod suppply

2007-05-03T03:58:00.000-07:00

Honeybee die-off threatens food supply

By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer Wed May 2, 10:49 PM ET

Story from: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070503/ap_on_sc/honeybee_die_off

BELTSVILLE, Md. - Unless someone or something stops it soon, the mysterious killer that is wiping out many of the nation's honeybees could have a devastating effect on America's dinner plate, perhaps even reducing us to a glorified bread-and-water diet.

Honeybees don't just make honey; they pollinate more than 90 of the tastiest flowering crops we have. Among them: apples, nuts, avocados, soybeans, asparagus, broccoli, celery, squash and cucumbers. And lots of the really sweet and tart stuff, too, including citrus fruit, peaches, kiwi, cherries, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, cantaloupe and other melons.

In fact, about one-third of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that pollination, according to the U.S.

Even cattle, which feed on alfalfa, depend on bees. So if the collapse worsens, we could end up being "stuck with grains and water," said Kevin Hackett, the national program leader for USDA's bee and pollination program.

"This is the biggest general threat to our food supply," Hackett said.
While not all scientists foresee a food crisis, noting that large-scale bee die-offs have happened before, this one seems particularly baffling and alarming.

U.S. beekeepers in the past few months have lost one-quarter of their colonies — or about five times the normal winter losses — because of what scientists have dubbed Colony Collapse Disorder. The problem started in November and seems to have spread to 27 states, with similar collapses reported in Brazil, Canada and parts of Europe.

Story continues at Yahoo News