EcoLocalizer

A report, citing figures obtained from the government, says Hong Kong’s roadside air pollution reached life-threatening levels one in every eight days last year.

The air pollution index was recorded by the Environmental Protection Department. It said there were 44 days of “very high pollution” last year. That number is up from the 39 reported days in 2008 and the 13 days in 2005. Read the rest of this entry »

Time is running out for one of the world’s most beautiful, charismatic and powerful species, the tiger.  According to conservationists, the wild tiger population has declined by 95 percent during the past century.  Only 3,200 tigers, Panthera tigris, remain in the wild today. Read the rest of this entry »

Chemical structure of the antibiotic tetracycline–one of the four classes of antibiotics that sampled soil microbes showed increased resistance to in the 2009 Study.

The prevalence of antibiotic resistant genes (ARG) in soil bacteria has been increasing steadily over the past seven decades, despite tighter controls on the use of antibiotics for agricultural purposes (in Europe). This is according to a recent benchmark study/analysis* of soil samples from five sites in the Netherlands. The research team, lead by David Graham of Newcastle University in the UK, found that “Seventy-eight percent of detected resistance genes, associated with four classes of antibiotics, showed increasing levels since 1940.”

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Some species are already on the move because of climate change, but a lot more is needed for species & ecosystems to survive.

A new study by the California Academy of Scientists attempts to estimate how fast species and ther ecosystems will have to move to keep up with climate change. On average, the team of scientists have concluded that ecosystems will have to shift at a rate of 0.42 kilometers (or about a quarter mile) per year.

There are differences across all the different ecosystems, of course. And there are human factors that will come into play as well.
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The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) recently teamed up with good50×70 to create a great collection of graphics depicting the climate change situation we are in today.

They are so great that I decided to share the news with you here.

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The Fur Seal – victim of possibly the most emotive culling.

A recent post on the culling of rabbits on Robin Island, prompted a quick look at news items on culling over the last month. This revealed a variety of motivations for culling, very different numbers culled and a range in the opposition to the culls. The culling of a quarter of a million dairy cows in an attempt to raise milk prices with almost no protest is the outlier in the group.

40,000 Domestic Goats and Sheep in Netherlands

The Dutch government is culling 40,000 goats and sheep this month in an attempt to limit the spread of Q fever, an animal-borne disease that can cause flu-like symptoms in people. It is believed that Q fever has caused six human deaths in the Netherlands in 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

Starting on Christmas, yesterday, two sea turtles that are being tracked by scientists as they swim around the world’s oceans can also be tracked online by common, interested folks.

The turtles, named Noelle and Darwinia, are both females and are leatherback turtles that nest in Gabon in Western Central Africa. As the University of Exeter states, “The research team has fitted each turtle with a small satellite tracking device, which enables the scientists to monitor their precise movements and observe where and how deep they dive.”

So far, the turtles have swum a combined 800 miles (since the tracking started on December 7th).
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Alaska’s erosion is not a new discovery – natural ice barriers along Alaska’s coastline have been eroding at a rate of 45 feet a year along the North Slope. While concerns have always surrounded the impact upon Alaska’s oil fields and energy industry dominated by Exxon Mobil Corp and BP Plc, some are shifting their focus to the devastation this could cause to migratory shorebirds along the coast.

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White alligators are among the rarest of the species. While they do come in two forms – albino or leucistic – it’s the leucistic alligators that are especially unique. It is estimated that among the 5 million alligators that are in the United States, only about 12 of them have these unusual genetic traits. This species of alligator is not endangered, but does require some special care.

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The National Marine Fisheries Service has proposed to designate over 3,000 square miles of critical habitat for endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales.

Good news for critically endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales: The Center for Biological Diversity announced today that over 3,000 square miles of critical habitat has been proposed by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

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