Sea Shepherd Conservation Society UN reports that 22,000 elephants were poached last year in Africa Elephants are one of Africa’s critical “keystone” species, and estimates place the total population of elephants around 450,000. The loss of 22,000 mostly adult elephants, or roughly 5%, is critical as elephant young require the care of the parent. The demand for ivory that fuels the poaching conducted on the continent comes primarily from Asia, and more specifically from wealthy Chinese who pay over $1000 per pound for what is seen as a status symbol. The poaching trade has advanced beyond automatic weapons and chainsaws in its process to harvest the animals' tusks. In September of this year, cyanide was used to poison the water supply of an area, killing 109 elephants. Read more... Orphaned elephants don’t typically survive long after the loss of the parent.
Navdanya How Fat Might Be the Key to Improving People's Lives Sometimes the most amazing scientific discoveries happen by accident; a loaf of moldy bread or a game of connect the dots with a public water pump becomes a clue to a breakthrough. Researchers at UCLA announced a similar happy accident this week: the discovery of human stem cells in adipose tissue, aka fat, taken from liposuction procedures. This is actually nothing new; researchers have noted the presence of adipose stem cells since 2001, and they’ve been used in a variety of procedures in both human and veterinary research. These cells, though, are particularly special. Why? As with all exciting scientific discoveries, there’s a lot more work to do before we leap to any conclusions about the significance of the findings and what they mean for the biomedical sciences, but they’re a step in a potentially very promising direction. All because a machine failed in the lab one night and a researcher’s cells were left stranded without oxygen and nutrients!
350.org Australia Save the Last 20,000 Polar Bears | COMPASSION AND EMPATHY FOR ANIMALS | causes.com WARNING: Video contains graphic footage The Polar Bears ,their Habitat shrinks by Global Warming. By the additional Hunting for their Pelts they are in Danger of Extinction. There are only 20,000 left! The argument with the Inuit is just a bullshit pretext. Now in the Arctic Circle, hundreds and thousands of hunters come to hunt for polar bears for $35,000 a head, and they come from all over the world- Mexico, Europe, the U.S, and even Canada's "Inuit" communities, many of whom hunt their quotas and legally sell them onto outsiders wiling to part with cash. Hunter Photo: HSUS- American trophy hunters are gunning for Canada's shrinking polar bear population President Obama has proposed,with Russian Support, a Ban on the Trade in Polar Bears, but another Polar Bear Range State, Canada, is adamantly opposed to it 新しいFB-グループで共有し、緊急時における動物のために他の請願に署名 새로운 FB-그룹에 공유하고 비상의 동물에 대한 다른 탄원서에 서명
ANTaR Wildfire sparked by target shooters results in Utah evacuations Thousands of families in Utah have been evacuated from their homes as winds continue to fuel a wildfire believe to have been sparked by target shooters. Residents of at least 2,300 properties in the northern part of the the state sought refuge Friday, as flames scorched a growing area around 40 miles south of Salt Lake City. High winds that have helped fan the blaze onto tinder-dry grasslands are expected to last throughout the weekend, prompting fears of further upheaval for some people in areas of risk. The fire began to take hold on Thursday. Authorities were initially worried as flames moved toward property owned by an explosives company, but the focus turned yesterday to saving homes as winds kicked up and the fire moved toward Saratoga Springs. On Friday, fire officials were calling in additional aircraft and extra ground crews. Utah County Sheriff Jim Tracy said he feared the fire could take down the area's power grid, shutting off electricity to up to 7,000 homes.
See this turtle's miraculous recovery after getting caught in a piece of litter. When it comes to prioritizing environmental concerns, curbing litter isn't exactly at the top of the list. After all, when there are much bigger dangers like harmful emissions, overfishing, and climate change to worry about, how much harm are a few pieces of plastic on the ground really going to do? Just splitting a sixer of Strawberry Crush with my bros. But there's one turtle that would staunchly disagree with that mindset (or, at least he would if he could talk). Meet Peanut. The red-eared slider was found wandering the St. Peanut re-creating the fateful incident. Even after his rescuers snipped the plastic rings off, Peanut's shell was forever deformed into a figure-8, peanut-y shape (hence his name). These impairments made Peanut an easy target for predators, which meant he was unable to be released back into the wild. Today, Peanut has a home and a job with the State of Missouri. Peanut is ready for his close-up. Peanut rockin' out. Now that Peanut's a little older, he's taking it easy.
The world's oldest clove tree 23 June 2012Last updated at 10:51 GMT By Simon Worrall Ternate, Indonesia Indonesia's "Spice Islands" produced more nutmeg, mace, pepper and cloves than anywhere else in the world and on the island of Ternate, one particular tree has an extraordinary history. "Bule, Bule," shout the children excitedly, as our jeep threads its way up a steep road on the side of the volcano. "White man, White man." I am on Ternate, one of Indonesia's fabled Spice Islands. The midday call to prayer mingles with the mosquito-whine of motorcycles. It had erupted only a month earlier, sending a tongue of molten lava pouring down the mountain into the sea. I am searching for the world's oldest clove tree. For millennia, Ternate and the neighbouring island of Tidore were the world's only source of those fragrant, twig-like herbs that love to hide at the back of our kitchen cupboards. Cloves from Ternate were traded by Arab seafarers along the maritime Silk Route as far afield as the Middle East, Europe and China.
EARTHWORKS Earthworks' Mission Earthworks is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting communities and the environment from the adverse impacts of mineral and energy development while promoting sustainable solutions. Earthworks stands for clean air, water and land, healthy communities, and corporate accountability. We work for solutions that protect both the Earth’s resources and our communities. How We Work We fulfill our mission by working with communities and grassroots groups to reform government policies, improve corporate practices, influence investment decisions and encourage responsible materials sourcing and consumption. We expose the health, environmental, economic, social and cultural impacts of mining and energy extraction through work informed by sound science. The Genesis of Earthworks Earthworks evolved from the work of two organizations: Mineral Policy Center and the Oil & Gas Accountability Project. In 2005, these two organizations joined forces.