The Conservation Report

IMAGES:  The first image shows a broken-rays mussel (Lampsilis reeveiana) with its fish lure.  The actual prey species it mimics is shown in the image as well.  The middle image shows a tiny juvenile mussel (tiny juvenile mussels are often called spat, as are other juvenile bivalve species such as oysters and scallops, but the tiny juvenile mussels released by female freshwater mussels that attach to a host are called glochidia) attached to the gill of its host.  The last image illustrates the destruction caused by zebra mussels.  These zebra mussels are attached to a native freshwater mussel species.  Invasive species such as the zebra mussel can have damaging impacts on native ecosystems and species.

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Freshwater mussels or freshwater clams are some of the most fascinating aquatic creatures.  They are typically found in freshwater streams and rivers throughout the United States. However, these creeks, rivers, and streams—particularly those associated with mountains—are some of the most sensitive ecosystems, and the aquatic creatures inhabiting these environments depend on clean, clear, and oxygenated water. As a result, many species inhabiting these clear waters, including freshwater mussels, are considered canaries in the coal mine or indicator species.  The condition of these mussels—good or bad—reflects the health of the aquatic ecosystem they inhabit.

As a result of human activities, many species of freshwater mussels are endangered or threatened with extinction. Threats include “dams and impoundment, channelization and dredging, pollution, sedimentation, fish kills that eliminate potential host fish, and introduction of non-native species.”

Invasive species such as zebra mussels are of a special concern, because zebra mussels aggressively take over habitat needed for native mussels.  Zebra mussels will even attach themselves to native mussel species or other aquatic creatures such as crayfish.

It is important to protect freshwater mussels, because they are essential to the health of aquatic ecosystems, since they act as natural filtration systems.  Imagine the cumulative effect of thousands of mussels constantly siphoning particulates from the water column.

Conservation measures such as building public awareness, listing some species as endangered or threatened, and supplementing depleted mussel populations via captive breeding programs are happening.  However, some species of freshwater mussel are difficult to reproduce in captivity, because of their peculiar reproductive cycle.

Freshwater mussels use specially modified tissue to mimic a certain species of baitfish, which is the favorite prey of their targeted host.  The female mussel flaps this specially modified tissue in the current to attract fish.  Once an attracted fish nibbles the tissue, minute juvenile mussels or glochidia are simultaneously released into the water column, and the lucky juvenile mussels attach themselves to the gills of their host fish.  After a period of time—depending on the water temperature—the mussels, having been nourished with oxygen and nutrients by attaching to the fish’s gills, fall off onto the substrate.  Some species of freshwater mussel are difficult to reproduce in captivity, because some species seem to be particular to a certain species of fish.  Subsequently, the correct host species needed to reproduce some freshwater mussels is unknown.

VIDEO: Endangered Mussels

POSTER: Life Cycle of the Freshwater Mussel

POSTER: The Zebra Mussel

On the Net:
Freshwater Mussels of the Upper Mississippi River System

See more Weird And Fascinating Creatures

Image information:

1. The image showing a broken-rays mussel (Lampsilis reeveiana) with its fish lure is by Chris Barnhart, and the image was found here.
2. the image showing a freshwater mussel attached to a host’s gill is by Roger Gordon of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the image was found here.
3. The image of zebra mussels covering a native species of mussel known as the fat mucket (Lampsilis siliquoidea) is by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the image was found here.
4. The poster showing the life cycle of the freshwater mussel was found here.
5. The zebra mussel poster was found here.

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Here are some very interesting science news picks from one of my favorite science news sites—ScienceDaily—that I’ve recently read and want to share with you.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Forests May Play Overlooked Role In Regulating Climate, Second Warmest October For Global Temperatures, NOAA Says, Global Warming Predictions Are Overestimated, Suggests Study On Black Carbon

EVOLUTION: Discovery Of Giant Roaming Deep Sea Protist Provides New Perspective On Animal Evolution, Flies May Reveal Evolutionary Step To Live Birth

GREEN CONSTRUCTION: Dangers Of Going Green: Industrial Hygienists Suggest Watching Out For Mold When Going Green

INVASIVE SPECIES: Earthworms’ Underground Invasion Threatens Forest Sustainability

MATHEMATICS: Mathematicians And Artists Use Algorithms To Make Complicated Paper Sculptures

POLLUTION: Polymer Sponge Catches Household Pollutants in Storm Drains

RENEWABLE ENERGY: ‘Fish Technology’ Draws Renewable Energy From Slow Water Currents

RFID CHIPS: RFID Chips: A Privacy And Security Pandora’s Box?

SEA LEVEL RISE: Sea Level Rise Alters Chesapeake Bay’s Salinity

SPACE: Strangulation Of Spiral Galaxies: ‘Missing Link’ Discovered, Hubble Captures Outstanding View Of Mammoth Stars, Mars Express Observes Aurora On The Red Planet, Mystery Of Missing Hydrogen: Apparent Absence From Distant Galaxies Puzzles Astronomers

WATER QUALITY: Environmental Scientists Use Fish Behavior To Monitor Water Quality

WETLANDS: Value Of Satellites Recognized For Conserving Wetlands

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The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), a type of salamander, is a critically endangered amphibian endemic to central Mexico. This species is a “paedomorphic species, living permanently in water, and does not undergo complete metamorphosis,” so the gills are retained into its adult life. The axolotl is declining due to competition, disease transmission, and predation from introduced species, in addition to overfishing, pollution, and urbanization. Captive populations do exist, since “the species is used in physiological and biomedical research, as well as in the pet trade, but the re-introduction of captive-bred axolotls is not recommended until threats can be mitigated, and disease and genetic risks to the wild populations assessed.” From the Dallas Morning News, TX:

The axolotl, also known as the “water monster” and the “Mexican walking fish,” is a key part of Aztec legend and diet. Against all odds, it survived amid Mexico City’s urban sprawl in the polluted canals of Lake Xochimilco.

But scientists are racing to save the foot-long salamander from extinction, a victim of the draining of its lake habitat and deteriorating water quality. And nonnative fish introduced into the canals are eating its lunch and its babies.

Researchers say the axolotl could disappear in five years.

“If the axolotl disappears, it would not only be a great loss to biodiversity but to Mexican culture, and would reflect the degeneration of a once-great lake system,” biologist Luis Zambrano said.

The number of axolotls (pronounced ACK-suh-LAH-tuhl) is not known. But the population has dropped from roughly 1,500 per square mile in 1998 to a mere 25 per square mile, according to a survey using casting nets.

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Photo source for attribution. The author or licensor of this image does not endorse my work or me and their image is protected under an attribution license.

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ALGAE-BASED FUEL: Colorado Company Takes Algae-Based Fuel to the Next Level

ANIMAL WELFARE: Activists Throw Flour On Fur-Clad Lindsay Lohan

ASTRONOMY: Sun Shows Signs Of Life: Long-Awaited Solar Cycle 24 Starting To Take Off, Cassini Finds Mysterious New Aurora On Saturn, NASA: A Bubble in Cygnus

AUTO INDUSTRY: Reasons to Bail Out GM, Here’s Why We Need A General Motors (GM) Bailout, You F***er

BALLOT INITIATIVES: Mixed Bag for State Environmental Ballot Initiatives

BIG OIL: In secret agreement, Shell nets 25-year monopoly on S. Iraq’s gas, Blow to Brown as BP scraps British renewables plan to focus on US

CHERNOBYL: Chernobyl. 21 years later

CLIMATE CHANGE: Impact Of Climate Warming On Fish: International consensus on the reality of climate change is now apparent: global warming is ascribable in large part to human activities. It is causing rapid deterioration of the environment and is increasing the threat to biodiversity. However, the mechanisms of its impact are still poorly known, particularly in the aquatic environment., Warming Trend Is Steepest in 5,000 Years, Canada Offers Continental Climate Pact, Lemming Numbers Dwindling Under Warming

CLONING: Frozen mice cloned - are woolly mammoths next?

COAL: EPA Blocks Coal Plant, Could Change Power Landscape

DIESEL ELECTRIC HYBRID: Hybrid tugboat may give local ports a green push

ENDANGERED SPECIES: Water restrictions ordered to help California fish

ENERGY MIX OF THE FUTURE: How Floating ‘Energy Islands’ Could Power the Future

FOSSILS: Marine Plankton Found In Amber: Marine microorganisms have been found in amber dating from the middle of the Cretaceous period. The fossils were collected in Charente, in France. This completely unexpected discovery will deepen our understanding of these lost marine species as well as providing precious data about the coastal environment of Western France during the Cretaceous.

FUNGAS-BASED FUEL: Microbes: Fuel of the Future?, Rainforest fungus makes diesel: Colorized environmental scanning electron microscope photo of Gliocladium roseum, an endophtic fungus that produces myco-diesel hydrocarbons.

FUEL EFFICIENCY STANDARDS: New York City’s Green Taxi Program Red Lighted By Federal Judge:

GREEN: Best of what is new in green technology 2008, In Times Square, a Company’s Name in (Wind- and Solar-Powered) Lights: The first eco-friendly billboard is coming to Times Square, entirely powered by the sun and the wind — but there is one small catch.

GREEN CONSTRUCTION: 10 Amazing Buildings Made of Dirt and Straw

HIV/AIDS: AIDS Patient Reportedly Cured, T Cell-based HIV Vaccine Candidate Demonstrates Positive Results: The question of whether or not to continue to pursue the development of T-cell-based HIV-1 vaccines has been a source of controversy following last year’s widely publicized failure of the field’s most promising candidate, a vaccine developed by Merck known as V520.

INAUGURATION TICKETS: It’s time to plan your inauguration trip: Festivities could last 10 days, but hotel rooms, flights to D.C. will be scarce

INVASIVE SPECIES: Scientists: Reverse Age-Old Engineering Or The Great Lakes Suffer

LED LIGHTS: Would You Buy This Funny-Looking Bulb?

LIGHT POLLUTION: Efficiency’s Mark: City Glitters a Little Less: The bright lights of the big city are getting a little bit duller — with just a hint of green.

MARINE CONSERVATION: Sea Snakes Seek Out Freshwater To Slake Thirst

MARINE MAMMALS: Killer Whales Are Discriminating Diners

NATURAL GAS: Does Natural Gas Have an Ally in Rahm Emanuel?

NATURE: Venom Hunt Finds ‘Harmless’ Snakes A Potential Danger, Tiny Radio Tags Offer Rare Glimpse into Bees’ Universe

NANOWASTE: Plants Can Accumulate Nanoparticles In Tissues

NUCLEARIZATION OF ENERGY SOURCES: Mini nuclear plants to power 20,000 homes: £13m shed-size reactors will be delivered by lorry

OCEANS: Mysterious Microbe May Play Important Role In Ocean Ecology: An unusual microorganism discovered in the open ocean may force scientists to rethink their understanding of how carbon and nitrogen cycle through ocean ecosystems., Elusive Microbe Fertilizes Oceans

PESTICIDES: Organic Farmer Murdered After Protesting Toxic Dumpsite: An Indian organic farmer and anti-pollution advocate was shot to death on Monday while in the midst of exposing an illegal dumpsite on his property to the media.

PIRATES: Somali Pirates Seize Supertanker Loaded With Crude

POLITICS: Prop 8 Myths, Fox’s Shepard Smith Disputes Idea That The Media Secured Win For Obama, Senate Dems To White House: Preserve Records (Especially You, Cheney)

POLL: Should Cape Wind be built?

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: California gives green light to high-speed train

RECLAIMED OR RECYCLED WATER: NASA astronauts to drink their own urine: As NASA prepared to double the number of astronauts living aboard the International Space Station, nothing did more for crew bonding than a machine being launched aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on Friday.

RECYCLING: Eat & Drink from Recycled Bottles, Recycling By the Numbers: The Truth About Recycling: Americans haul 82 million tons of trash to recycling centers each year—but that’s still just 32.5 percent of what we throw out. Here’s how much energy recycling saves and how much that’s worth., Is Recycling Worth It? PM Investigates its Economic and Environmental Impact: Americans haul 82 million tons of trash to recycling centers each year. But does it pay off—for the environment or the economy? PM has some real answers.

SCIENCE: New Path Found To Antibiotics In Dirt, Forced Evolution: Can We Mutate Viruses To Death?, Mystery solved: How bleach kills germs, Octopus Family Tree Traced Using New Molecular Evidence, Rock-Eating Bacteria “Mine” Valuable Metals

SEA LEVEL RISE: Mass Relocations Planned as Sea Levels Rise

SOLAR: Mid-East’s Largest Solar Panel Manufacturing Plant to be Built In Dubai, Coating helps solar panels soak up more of the sun

THE MEGAFISHES PROJECT: Giant Prehistoric Fish Rebounding in Canada

WATER POLLUTION: Freshwater Pollution Costs US At Least $4.3 Billion A Year: Pollution by phosphorous and nitrogen isn’t just bad for lakes, streams and other bodies of fresh water. According to researchers at Kansas State University, it’s also bad for Americans’ pocketbooks., Thousands of factory farms will be exempt from needing permits that limit water pollution thanks to a new Bush Administration rule signed today. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency did not adopt improved controls for bacteria and other pathogens that can pose risks to human health and wildlife.

WATER WARS: Atlas of hidden water may avert future conflict

WIND POWER: Pickens Delays His Wind Farm Plan, Largest Wind Farm in World Halted By Credit Crisis, Wind power blights la belle France

YEAR OF THE FROG: Global Warming Link To Amphibian Declines In Doubt

ZOOLOGICAL CONSERVATION: 90 Year-Old Giant Tortoise Mates, Lonesome George, the World’s Rarest Tortoise, Isn’t Ready to Be a Dad, Breeding program may fail to produce progeny for Galapagos’ Lonesome George, VIDEO: Last Tortoise’s Hopes Dim

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Photo source for attribution. The author or licensor of this image does not endorse my work or me and their image is protected under an attribution license.

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In terms of cost to tax payers and conflicts with humans, Burmese pythons are going to become a big problem for Florida. It’s very irresponsible for pet owners to release their non-native pets outdoors—or any pet for that matter.

Theoretically, it is possible for these large constrictors to spread further north out of Florida, since habitat suitability extends much further north. Warming temperatures as the result of anthropogenic climate change is expected to exacerbate the problem.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had used “Non-native Pet Amnesty Day” to take custody of unwanted non-native wildlife. It’s one of many tools Florida biologists are employing to bring the Burmese python plague under control. From the Sun-Sentinel.com:

The 12-foot non-venomous snake was caught by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers on Indiantown Road near Sierra Square Plaza late Monday night.

The snake appeared to be injured and may have been hit by a car, commission spokeswoman Gabriella Ferraro said.

It was taken to Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter.

Releasing a Burmese python, a non-native species, is illegal because it can prey on native wildlife, Ferraro said.

Such pythons also are classified as “reptiles of concern” by the commission. Owners must have a permit and pay an annual fee of $100.

People may surrender their unwanted nonnative pets free of charge, no questions asked, during FWC’s pet amnesty days.

Read more about invasive Burmese pythons in Florida here.

On the Net:

1. Non-native Pet Amnesty Day
2. News Release: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission holds Non-native Pet Amnesty Day
3. Non-native Species Information

Image by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission found here.

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AGRICULTURE: Amazon Rain Forest’s Untapped Fruit Bounty

AIR POLLUTION: 35W sculptures aren’t just for looks: Cemstone became the first company in the nation to use a new form of concrete that removes carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides and sulfur dioxide from the atmosphere.

CLIMATE CHANGE: A baaa-d idea? Aussie sheep made to wear gas masks so scientists can see how their breath can affect climate

CONSERVATION: Colorado tests high tech roadkill prevention system

CORAL REEFS: Florida Town Wants to Grow Coral Reefs with Electricity: As coral reefs around the world continue to disappear, one Florida town has taken the initiative by investing $60,000 to stimulate coral reef growth using electricity. While there is not yet peer-reviewed evidence to suggest that using a low powered electrical current works, scientists are not dismissing the idea. The company that has been hired to make the reefs claims that they have had many prior successes.

DINOSAURS: Site thought to be a watering hole discovered on Arizona-Utah border where dinosaurs ‘were happy’

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Texas Teen Builds His Own Electric Car on $10,000 Budget, Johnson Controls: electric cars will eventually win out, Berlin Announces Plans for World’s Largest Community Electric Car Infrastructure, Oreva Super Electric Car Going for $2000 in India

ENDANGERED SPECIES: Government May Weaken Endangered Species Act For Fish, IUCN Reveals That 1,141 of the 5,487 mammals on Earth Are Threatened with Extinction: The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List reveals world’s mammals in crisis

ENERGY: Can Electricity From Trees Power Gadgets?

ENVIRONMENTALISM: Do environmental messages do more harm than good?

EVOLUTION: Scientists Discover Fish in Act of Evolution in Africa’s Greatest Lake

FUEL SPILL: Hurricane Ike Spilled 12,000 Barrels of Oil: Is Offshore Oil Worth the Risk?

FUNDAMENTALS OF OUR ECONOMY: You Buy, You Break At Sarah’s Smash Shack

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY: Geothermal Sources Could Add Significant Power Generation Capacity

GLOBAL WARMING: Memos tell wildlife officials to ignore global-warming impact: New legal memos by top Bush administration officials say that the Endangered Species Act can’t be used to protect animals and their habitats from climate change by regulating specific sources of greenhouse gas emissions, the cause of global warming.

GREEN: How green is Apple now?

GREEN CONSTRUCTION: 15 Inspiring Glimpses into the Future of Green Housing

HABITAT DEGRADATION, LOSS, & FRAGMENTATION: Chimps 90 Percent Gone in a “Final Stronghold”

HOMOSEXUALITY IS NATURAL: How gay sex can produce offspring

HYBRID TECHNOLOGY: 2010 Toyota Prius Adds Muscle at Expense of Fuel Efficiency: Toyota’s yet-to-be-unveiled 2010 Prius will have a bigger engine and a higher top speed, but improvements to CO2 emissions and fuel efficiency will take a backseat, Honda Takes on the Hybrid Motorcycle

HYDROGEN FUEL: Scientists Reach Hydrogen Storage Milestone

INVASIVE SPECIES: Aquatic alien ‘thugs’ set to meet

MARINE MAMMALS: Picture is Worth a Thousand…

NATURE: Planet’s loneliest bug revealed: A bug which lives entirely on its own and survives without oxygen in complete darkness underground has been discovered in South Africa, Deepest-Ever Fish Caught Alive on Camera

OBAMA: Racist Obama Billboard Causes Outrage, Man shot three times in street by racist gunman - for wearing Barack Obama T-shirt

OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION: Lockheed Martin to Develop Ocean Thermal Energy Prototype

OFFSHORE DRILLING: Making America Stupid

PLANET EARTH: Birth of an Ocean: The Evolution of Ethiopia’s Afar Depression: Formation of an ocean is a rare event, one few scientists have ever witnessed. Yet this geophysical nativity is unfolding today in one of the hottest and most inhospitable corners of the globe. Visit the site in safety through this extraordinary photographic essay

RECYCLING: Real Simple Recycling A to Z: A Comprehensive Primer on Recycling Nearly Everything, Often for a Good Cause, 7 Hurdles to Electronics Recycling

SARAH PALIN: Sarah Palin: Palling Around With Secessionists

SOCIAL ISSUES: Homeless numbers ‘alarming’

SOLAR: Solar Power Replaces Human Toil in New Rickshaws, Solar Wineries Taking Root and Coming into Bloom

TOXIC CHEMICALS: Adding the ‘Nasty Nine’ to the ‘Dirty Dozen’: The United Nations Considers Expanding Toxic Chemical Ban by 75%, Heavy Metal-Eating “Superworms” Unearthed in U.K.

WATER CONSERVATION: Caroma Profile Smart Dual Flush Toilet: 2008 Breakthrough Product

WIND POWER: Taiwan students invent wind-powered bicycle headlights, Navy charters kite-powered cargo ship to deliver equipment, Huge Offshore Wind Farm Wins Approval

WTF?: Cheney: Wildlife Conservation Has Been A ‘High Priority’ Of Bush Administration

AGRICULTURE: SCIENTIST AT WORK | NORMAN T. UPHOFF: Food Revolution That Starts With Rice

ANIMAL WELFARE: Boy fed zoo reptiles to crocodile: A seven-year-old boy has been filmed going on the rampage at a popular zoo in Australia, killing rare reptiles and feeding live ones to a crocodile

ARCTIC MELTING: Arctic Ice in “Death Spiral,” Is Near Record Low

AUTO INDUSTRY: No “Revolting” the Volt: Chevy Battery Does Not Recharge While Driving

BUSHMEAT: Bush-Meat Ban Would Devastate Africa’s Animals, Poor?

CARBON: Heat Hinders Ground’s Ability to Absorb CO2

E-WASTE: 7 Hurdles to Electronics Recycling

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: 19 Electric Car Players Pitch San Francisco, 30 electric cars companies ready to take over the road, China Planning Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

ENERGY: Researchers Developing the “Internet for Energy”, New Energy Project Will Be Even Larger than the Pickens Plan: Move over, T. Boone Pickens. You’re about to be overshadowed by Babcock and Brown

ENDANGERED SPECIES: Croc Hunter’s ‘Bum-Breathing’ Turtle Faces Extinction

EVOLUTION: Scientists Discover Fish in Act of Evolution in Africa’s Greatest Lake, From the Onion: Dolphins Evolve Opposable Thumbs ‘Oh, Shit,’ Says Humanity

FUEL CELLS: First Fuel Cell-Powered Plane Presented in Germany

GOOGLE: Google search finds seafaring solution

GREEN CONSTRUCTION: 15 Inspiring Glimpses into the Future of Green Housing, The First LEED Platinum Skyscraper Nearly Completed, Lost middle-class tribe’s ’secret’ eco-village in Wales spotted in aerial photograph taken by plane, Paint it white: Cool roofs save cash and carbon, New experimental homes will heat themselves

HIV/AIDS: Colonial clue to the rise of HIV: The arrival of colonial cities in sub-Saharan Africa at the dawn of the 20th Century may have sparked the spread of HIV

HYBRID TECHNOLOGY: Honda Takes on the Hybrid Motorcycle, Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHYBRID unveiled

HYDROGEN FUEL: Scientists Reach Hydrogen Storage Milestone

INVASIVE SPECIES: State wildlife commission seeks tougher rules for owning pet snakes, Stop slithering intruders: Asian swamp eels are an invasive foreign species that is dangerously prolific and adaptive, threatening fish and other native creatures

NATURAL GAS-POWERED VEHICLES: Pickens Overlooks Existing Natural Gas Cars in Energy Plan: Reality Check

NEW SPECIES: New Iguana Species Revealed

OFFSHORE WIND POWER: Huge Offshore Wind Farm Wins Approval, Offshore Wind To Supply 15% of Rhode Island Electricity

PHEV: Plug-In Hybrids Aren’t Coming — They’re Here, Houses passes bill with $5k Volt tax-credit, mandatory alternative fuel pumps

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: California’s 220 MPH High-Speed Train Will Be Emissions-Free

RECOMMENDED IMAGE(S): Earth From Above comes to NYC, Yup, still a pig, Monk Seal

RECOMMENDED MAP: USA National Gas Temperature Map

RECOMMENDED YOUTUBE: SOUTH CENTRAL FARM - PART 1, The End of Suburbia - 52 minute documentary on oil, McCain’s YouTube Problem Just Became a Nightmare, Sarah Palin Gibberish

REDISCOVERED SPECIES: Rare Plant Thought Extinct Re-discovered in Upstate New York

SCIENCE: Sciencedebate2008: Presidential answers to the top 14 science questions facing America, Japanese Scientists Plan to Build Space Elevator

WASTE-TO-ENERGY: Indiana will get $227 million waste to fuel plant

WATER AVAILABILITY: When Will Los Angeles Run Out of Water? Sooner Than You Think, Cactus Goo Makes Water Safe: The slimy ooze inside prickly pear cactuses that helps the plants store water in the desert can also be used for scouring arsenic, bacteria and cloudiness out of rural drinking water, according to research at the University of South Florida in Tampa

WATER CONSERVATION: Harvesting Rainwater by Not Letting It Go to Waste

WTF?: Cheney: Wildlife Conservation Has Been A ‘High Priority’ Of Bush Administration

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK: Yellowstone seeks to balance nature, cell phones, Judge refuses to let snowmobiles roam Yellowstone

ZOONOTIC DISEASES: Hamsters, Exotic Pets May Put Young Children At Risk, Doctors Say

Residents and parents of the Miami Neighborhood, Coconut Grove are being overwhelmed by peacocks. Not rats or cockroaches but peacocks. Personally, I’ve kept peacocks and they are charming creatures, but some residents of Coconut Grove don’t think so. Besides complaints of noise pollution residents of Coconut Grove are complaining about peacock droppings staining their expensive sport utility vehicles, kids stepping in peacock droppings, and the peacocks mating in public are prompting kids to ask questions that overwhelm parents. Authorities are afraid that some residents of Coconut Grove will resort to “animal vigilantism.” However, the peacocks are considered protected, because they roam in an official bird sanctuary. From the NYTimes.com:

Because this city has designated itself a bird sanctuary, peacocks and peahens cannot be legally trapped or killed. And so far, officials are siding with the animals.

.       .       .

[Guano] frequently ended up on the shoes of their two children, ages 6 and 8. The children like the birds, she added, but they wonder, during mating season, what they are doing.

“We get a lot of questions like, ‘Why is that one on top of the other one?’ ” Mrs. Goggins said.

.       .       .

Before the peacocks arrived as the pets of a neighbor and started mating from January to April, Mr. Conner said, he used to sleep with his windows open. He listened to the crickets, frogs and owls, shutting his book when he heard the local raccoon climb up his oak tree.

“But you know what, I don’t do that anymore,” he said. “I sleep with my windows locked tight shut, in the nicest part of the year, simply because the peacocks on my roof will wake you up out of a dead sleep. And I’m a strong sleeper.”

He added, “It’s degraded my quality of life.”

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY: $800 Million Prize for Alternative Energy to Power Africa’s Villages

ANIMAL WELFARE: Wheeled Tortoise Gets Around

ANTARCTIC MELTING: “New” Killer Whale Types at Risk From Antarctic Warming

ARCTIC MELTING: Shellfish May Invade North Atlantic As Ice Melts, Hungry Musk-Oxen, Caribou Could Help Warming Arctic

AUTO INDUSTRY: Shaq buys smart fortwo, wears as shoe, Saudi Arabia threatens Nissan boycott over Israeli ad

BIG OIL: ExxonMobil owns the media’s convention coverage Oil Expansion Plans In L.A. Rile Residents

BIOPLASTICS: Biodegradable Plastics Are Good for Atmosphere, Too

BIOPRODUCTS: Dandelion Rubber Could Replace Rare Sources, Silk-Based Optical Lenses Green Enough to Eat

BLOGGING: What Makes for a Good Blog?

CARBON SEQUESTERING: Cattails Shown to Be Effective CO2-Eaters

CHINA: MINI Clubman Rickshaws running around Beijing

CLIMATE CHANGE: Climate Change Caused Widespread Tree Death In California Mountain Range, Study Confirms, West Africa’s coastline redrawn by climate change: experts

COMPOSTING: Human Waste Used by 200 Million Farmers, Study Says

ENERGY MIX OF THE FUTURE: Smokestack heat: Fuel of the future?

ENVIRONMENTALISM: ARE WE ALL STILL ENVIRONMENTALISTS?, The Death of Environmentalism?, FREE & GREEN: A NEW APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, Green but Anti-Government, Pro-Environment, Not Pro-EPA

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW: Appeals Court OKs Oil Firms’ Billion-Dollar Award, Companies to end lead wheel weight use in Calif.

EXTINCTION: Extinction Threatens Half of Primate Types, Study Says

FOOD: Half of All Food Produced Worldwide is Wasted

FUEL ECONOMY: Sweden Requires Fuel-Efficient Driving Lessons, Billions of gallons of gas could be saved by “Smart Intersections”

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY: Oregon Tech To Be Powered Entirely By Geothermal Energy, Google Investing Over $10 Million in Geothermal Energy

GIANT SQUID: Colossal Squid Ripped, Stitched, Hoisted and Moved

GLACIAL MELTING: Huge Greenland Glacier Disintegrating

GLOBAL WARMING: Will Grasslands Overtake U.S. Forests Due to Warming?, Dead Penguins Found Closer to Equator Than Ever Before, Birds Thrown Off by Global Warming, Arctic Tundra Holds Global Warming Time Bomb

GREEN: Colorado Creating US’s First Fossil Fuel-Free Community

GREEN CONSERVATISM: Gingrich Cites Big Oil And Right-Wing Intern To Claim That All Economists Support Drilling, Extreme anti-environment Cheney aide up for top Energy Department post, McCain: ‘I Have Not Missed Any Crucial Vote’ On Energy Legislation

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS: Kangaroo Meat Could Help Australia Cut Gas Emissions

GREENWASHING: Shell rebuked for ‘greenwash’ over ad for polluting oil project

HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT: People vs. Monkeys in Singapore

HYBRID TECHNOLOGY: Calif. Requires Hybrid Cars To Make Some Noise

INVASIVE SPECIES: Invasive Lionfish Explode

MARINE CONSERVATION: NASA Tool Helps Track Whale Sharks, Polar Bears, Bush Seeks to Protect 3 Pacific Island Chains

MARINE MAMMALS: “Ugliest Dolphin” Finally Filmed, Mexico Invests to Save Endangered Porpoise

NANOTECHNOLOGY: Nanomaterial Cleans up Broken Fluorescent Bulbs

NEW SPECIES: Newfound Monkey Species “Rarest in Africa,” Expert Says, New, “Chubbier” River Dolphin Species Found in Bolivia

OCEAN DEAD ZONES: Ocean ‘dead zones’ expanding worldwide: study

PLASTIC: Did Big Plastic Pay Off The FDA???

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Amtrak Gets Funding Boost To Meet Record Demand, Sweden Rolling Out 183 MPH High-Speed Green Train

RECLAIMED OR RECYCLED WATER: Recycled Sewage: Coming to a Tap Near You?

RECYCLING: Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle, gets trashy, Old tires make new roads, No Economic Slowdown For Reusable Bags

RENEWABLE RESOURCES: Colorado to Ditch Two Coal Plants, Moving to Solar and Wind, 13 Magnificent Renewable Energy Successes and Failures

SOLAR: IKEA Solar Panels on the Horizon, Miami Gets 600 Solar Bus Shelters, Coal Power Plant Retrofit With Solar, Solar Efficiency Record Broken, Oregon Launching First Solar Highway in the US, Want Solar? Head to Sam’s Club, 2 Large Solar Plants Planned in California, Will Each Be 10 Times Bigger Than Largest Now in Service, Solar-Powered Plane Flies for Nearly 83 Hours, Doubles World Record, Hot Asphalt as Better Energy Collector than Solar Panels?

SUSTAINABILITY: Wal-Mart Pares Costs By Selling Local Produce

WALL-E: Wall*E + Kleenex = Iron*E

WATER POLLUTION: AP: Drugs found in drinking water

WATER WARS: McCain’s Colorado River Gaffe Might Cost Him Key Western States

WETLANDS: Australian Wetlands Threatened

WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING: 14 Tons of Frozen Scaly Anteaters Seized in Indonesia

WIND POWER: New Study Says City-Based Rooftop Wind Power Doesn’t Pay Off, Kites Could Become Major Source Of Wind Power, Wind Turbines Give Bats the “Bends,” Study Finds

ZOOLOGICAL CONSERVATION: Huge Insectarium Opens, Lonesome George a Father?

Irresponsible pet owners that have released Burmese pythons into the Floridian landscape have caused an expensive problem that is certain to spread throughout the United States, and these large snakes can spread even further north into the United States as the climate warms. More here and here

Current areas of the U.S. suitable as Burmese python habitat:

Projected areas of the U.S. suitable as Burmese python during 2100 based on global warming models:

From the SFGate:

Burmese python facts

Size: They can grow to 250 pounds and stretch over 23 feet.

Popular pets: They’re often released into the wild by irresponsible owners.

Lifestyle: When young, the pythons spend much of their time in trees. In adulthood, their weight makes tree-climbing too difficult.

Food: They survive on small mammals and birds but have been known to eat deer and alligators.

Eggs: They lay up to 100 at a time.

On the Net: New threat to our way of life: giant pythons

The emerald ash borer is native to Asia, and like all invasive species they are threatening native wildlife and causing economic damage. In Michigan, the invasive is responsible for destroying millions of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.), and there is a concern with transporting firewood, because people can help these nasty little bugs spread to uninfected areas. Firewood isn’t allowed into the Upper Peninsula (UP), Michigan, but you can buy firewood inside the UP. Many other areas have similar policies to control the spread of the invasive bug. Infestations can be difficult to detect until it is too late, and the most powerful weapons against any invasive species is public awareness and education campaigns in addition to early detection. From the Wisconsin Ag Connection:

Emerald ash borer, the destructive green metallic beetle that has killed tens of millions of trees during the past six years in the eastern part of the United States, has been discovered on a private woodlot near the village of Newburg in Ozaukee County. State Agriculture Secretary said Rod Nilsestuen says Wisconsin is home to 725 million ash trees, including five million in the state’s urban areas.

During a joint press conference between the state’s agriculture and natural resources departments on Monday, the agencies noted that finding the invasive pest wasn’t a surprise, since the state pest experts have been looking for it since 2004. Since it was first found in suburban Detroit in 2002, emerald ash borer has killed more than 40 million ash trees in southeastern Michigan and tens of millions more lost in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia. Quarantines are in place in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to prevent the spread of infested trees, logs or firewood.

On the Net: Emerald Ash Borer Information
On the Net: Study looks promising against emerald ash borer

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AIR POLLUTION: Beijing Olympics: China to celebrate week of ‘fresh air’: China’s Olympic organisers are hoping to celebrate a week of “clean” skies tomorrow after recording another day when Beijing’s notoriously poor air quality was officially judged good enough for the Games

APICULTURE: Commercially raised bees spreading disease

AQUACULTURE: The salmon business: Can marine farming ever be eco friendly?: Every day, a million Britons tuck into salmon, and demand is rising fast. Marine farming is the supermarkets’ answer – but can it ever be eco-friendly? Martin Hickman reports

ARCTIC MELTING: Stuck polar bears eating birds, Canadian ice shelf loses 7-square-mile section

BIOFUELS: McDonalds to power Manila’s police cars

BIG OIL: BP 2Q profits soar

CONSERVATION: Ancient tree needs help: environmentalists: The founder of National Tree Day wants the Federal Government to help save a rare Tasmanian tree

CRONYISM, LIES, COVER-UPS AND INDICTMENTS: Senate Democrats call on EPA administrator Stephen Johnson to resign, want DOJ investigation

ECO-DRIVING: You can tell Google Maps that you want walking directions to supplement your driving directions, which can save you gas in high density areas, and google will find known routes that are direct, flat, and that use pedestrian pathways

ENERGY: U.S. Motorists May Drive Less for 1st Time Since 1980, Energy conservation: Starting at home

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW: A look at the ‘tough’ Montana judge in the gray wolves case

EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS AND TOXINS: Political appointees at the Department of Labor are moving with unusual speed to push through in the final months of the Bush administration a rule making it tougher to regulate workers’ on-the-job exposure to chemicals and toxins

FOOD: L.A. blocks new fast-food outlets from poor areas, In New Orleans, a fried chicken institution revived, Every bite you take: How Sysco came to monopolize most of what you eat

FUEL EFFICIENCY STANDARDS: 180mpg hatch by 2050

GREEN GRAFFITI: Anti-Bush graffiti: 25 countries, six continents

GROSS IN APPROPRIATE USE OF RESOURCES: Airbus superjumbo lands at New York’s JFK

HIV/AIDS: U.S. blacks, if a nation, would rank high on AIDS, Number of new HIV infections in US much higher than government reported, study finds

HUMANITY: US House of Representatives set to apologise to black Americans for ‘enslavement and racial segregation’

INVASIVE SPECIES: Underwater, a disturbing new world: A Tribune team follows researchers to the bottom of Lake Michigan as they try to explain the rapidly shifting ecosystem

OFFSHORE DRILLING: Obama shifts, says he may back offshore drilling, GOP continues full-court press on oil drilling

OIL: Bush wants lower royalties levied on oil shale: Department of Interior says move would be an incentive

PLASTIC: Congress weighs ban Of chemical used in plastics

RECYCLING: Houston resists recycling, and independent streak is cited

REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE: How to carry groceries with a square of cloth

SCIENCE: Personalized stem cells one step closer to reality: Researchers create disease-specific, individualized human stem cells, Exercise pill: Drug burns fat, boosts endurance without moving a muscle, Ice on Mars confirmed by Phoenix Lander

SHARK: Rare shark stolen from tank, Great white shark filmed breaching at night: A first

TIDAL POWER: France plans groundbreaking tidal power experiment

TRAFFIC: Solo drivers would be able to a pay a toll for the privilege of using carpool lanes to speed their commutes on a dozen highways from the South Bay to Sonoma and east under a plan approved Wednesday by Bay Area transportation officials

WASTE: Within the Sonoran Desert National Monument, Arizona, is one of the largest stockpiles of discarded vehicle tyres1 in the US - perhaps as many as 10 million individual tyres

WIND POWER: Japan owes its energy efficiency in part to wind farms, Wind-powered tall ships are once again important as oil prices hurt trade, World’s largest wind farm planned in Oregon