EcoLocalizer

12 suspected rhino poachers and rhino horn buyers have been arrested in Kenya following the killing of a female Southern white rhino on a private ranch.

A manhunt in central Kenya has resulted in the arrest of 12 suspected rhino poachers and rhino horn buyers, after a 10-year old female Southern white rhino was shot at the Mugie rhino sanctuary on December 28, and her horns brutally hacked off.

The rhino’s horns were recovered in the arrest, along with $8,500 USD in cash.

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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 »

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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Ecovillages are great habitats and support systems for people who want to live environmentally friendlier, happier, healthier lives. One of the most famous modern ecovillages, Findhorn Ecovillage, starts this ecovillage spotlight series.

Ecovillages often combine ecological planning and design with innovative social, political and/or economic systems. Additionally, they often include certain cultural or spiritual goals.

The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) states, “Ecovillages are urban or rural communities of people, who strive to integrate a supportive social environment with a low-impact way of life. To achieve this, they integrate various aspects of ecological design, permaculture, ecological building, green production, alternative energy, community building practices, and much more.”

Due to their great features but still rather obscure existence, I decided to do this “Ecovillage Spotlight” series to highlight some of the great ecovillages that exist around the world.

The ecovillages that follow show some of the great possibilities that are out there for ecologically friendly, community living.

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Nearly 200 pilot whales stranded on two New Zealand beaches over the weekend.  The first incident involved 63 pilot whales stranded on North Island.  Rescuers were able to coax 43 of the magnificent creatures back to sea.   Read the rest of this entry »

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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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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Officials have confirmed a 13-year-old male mixed-breed dog has tested positive for H1N1. This marks the first case of a dog in the United States contracting swine flu. Read the rest of this entry »

A Chinese court has sentenced a man to 12 years in jail, plus a fine, for killing an endangered Indochinese tiger – which was made into a stew and eaten.

The Mengla county court in Xishuangbanna has sentenced Kang Wannian to 12 years in jail, plus a fine of over $14,642 USD, for killing an endangered Indochinese tiger in southwest China’s Yunnan Province.

Kang claimed he did not know the animal he shot was a tiger.

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Two greater one-horned rhinos were found murdered with their horns missing inside India’s Kaziranga National Park – and authorities believe it was the work of poachers posing as park visitors.

Forest guards covering the Agartoli range of Kaziranga National Park have discovered the bodies of a male and female rhino – both with their horns removed.

Officials say the killers simply entered the park posing as visitors.

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