I was browsing the news this morning when I saw a story about the Balkan lynx being close to extinction after years of poaching. It surprised me as I thought Europe had killed all of its animals a long time ago.

The lynx’s current population in the wild is only around one-hundred animals, and the poaching shows no signs of letting up. The animal is synonymous to the Balkans so hunting one is akin to an American hunting a bald eagle. (Of course Americans did hunt bald eagles but that’s besides the point.) Scientists say if the numbers drop any lower the population will be at great risk of becoming unstable.

Sadly, these are more than likely the animals last days.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090222/lf_afp/balkanswildlifespecieslynx

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A lot of you have heard of the ‘Clean Development Mechanism’. Excuse me, let me rephrase. None of you have heard of the ‘Clean Development Mechanism’. It’s the UN sponsored carbon credit trading system in which governments from first-world nations invest in green friendly projects that will reduce the carbon emissions from a third world country. And by doing so they’re giving themselves licence to pollute with a clear conscious, perfect right? Not quite. It seems something so noble as rich countries buying their way out of personal responsibility has been tainted by those third-world tricksters!

The People’s Republic has had a long standing fascination with hydro power. China has been building hydro-electric plants for a long time now, often forcibly displacing those who live in the region. But now they’re not doing it with their own money, they’re doing it with European money. That’s smart business for China, but it’s not actually reducing any carbon emissions because these were plants whose construction would have gone ahead with or without CDM money.

Now I agree in principle that rich nations should spend money to help less privileged nations meet carbon emission standards. But this is not the ideal system.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090125/ap_on_re_as/china_s_golden_dams

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I’m starting a new thing. I’m going to periodically post eco-adventures for the travellers out there and I’m going to pretend that Captain Planet is endorsing it, just like I’ve pretended he endorsed this blog. I’d like to thank a little thing called parody for keeping Ted Turner from suing me.

Go swimming in the world’s deepest lake, Lake Baikal, Russia
Located in Siberia, Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world with its depths sinking over one mile below the surface. One-fifth of the world’s freshwater is housed in this lake. Lake Baikal is also the world’s oldest lake and its isolated location has led to some unusual freshwater fauna, leading to its being known as the ‘Galapagos of Russia’. The lake is also a great place for swimming, but be warned, Siberian summers are not known for their longevity. The most popular way to access the lake is the Trans-Siberian Railway which makes a scenic loop around the lake.

Lake Baikal is currently under threat from local lumber and fossil fuel industries. But there is something you can do about it. The Great Baikal Trail is an international volunteer-driven non-profit organization promoting sustainable development of Lake Baikal through low-impact ecotourism. Currently they’re building a network of hiking trails around the lake in an effort to supply more revenue to the region through earth-friendly tourism. And like any non-profit group they always need donations and volunteers. Visit their website to find out ways you can help.

http://www.greatbaikaltrail.org/index_en.html

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A recent report has revealed that shark attacks in 2008 dropped to their lowest levels in five years. While the cynic in you might attribute this occurrence to shark populations having collapsed due to human interference. The true cause has been identified as the economy.

“I can’t help but think that contributing to the reduction may have been the reticence of some people to take holidays and go to the beach for economic reasons,” said George Burgess, an ichthyologist and director of the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida’s Museum of Natural History.

All of this has lead to speculation that the current stimulus package is really just an elaborate government conspiracy intent on feeding freedom loving Americans to sharks.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090219/ap_on_re_us/shark_attacks

In other news: Studies claim no correlation has been found between the recent lack of buffalo sightings and the wide-scale hunting of the American Bison. The phenomena has instead been attributed to President Harrison’s signing of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

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The much maligned economic stimulus package that has been championed by President Obama might not actually stimulate the economy in the traditional sense, but it will absolutely stimulate the nation’s ‘green economy’. More than ten percent of the package’s 787 billion dollars are expected to go towards renewable domestic energy, a better grid to transmit electricity, energy research and programs to reduce the use of fossil fuels, such as weatherizing homes and federal buildings.

Ignoring for the moment that the United States’ economic foundation is no more sturdy than that of a house of cards, I am pleased to see even in the face of dire economic straits America’s current leadership has recognized the importance of protecting the environment.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20090216/sc_mcclatchy/3169168

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Professor Chris Field, an author of the 2007 landmark report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, has spoken out saying that the previous report seriously underestimated the amount of warming to expect in the coming century.

The difference between now and two years ago is a better understanding of greenhouse emissions since the turn of the century. From the year 2000 to 2007 greenhouse emissions worldwide have increased 3.5 percent per annum, or four times the average increase during the nineties. The culprit of course being the increase in coal based electric production in China and India as their economies start to mature.

Do you understand what I’m saying, but just need a little credibility to go along with it? Well I’ve got you’ve covered, just click on the following link to hear the same things I’ve said but with a British accent. Ya heard me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y06aWhSVY8

The video points out that not all people believe in global warming. Which I get because everyone likes some good old fashioned absolution. But I don’t really understand exactly what the debate is all about.

Are people really doubting whether greenhouse gases heat the earth? Because there is absolutely no scientific debate on that, it’s a fact. The catalyst that moves the earth between normalcy and glacial periods is the release or lack thereof of greenhouse gases. Humans are also unquestionably producing greenhouse gases and releasing them into the atmosphere.

Some of these gases are released naturally, and when it comes to carbon dioxide human activity only accounts for 5% of the total annual production. But believe it or not, that 5% is the difference between accumulation in the atmosphere and natural absorption.

Another gas is methane, which also has natural sources but in this case human activity is accountable for the majority of the 500 million annual tonnes. Also there is nitrous oxide of which humans account for 40% of annual emissions.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7890988.stm

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Millions of animals lay dead today after Australia’s worst ever wildfires. The state of Victoria has been the hardest hit but there are several groups doing everything they can to help. Whether it’s treating the animals for scorched paws, or special vaporising tents to help with scorched lungs.

These groups need donations to keep doing their work, so send a few Dollars and help a wallaby, you’ll feel better about yourself.

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Ashley Judd has recently taken Sarah Palin to task over the Governor’s wildlife policies concerning wolves. The Governor says the controversial policy of aerial wolf hunting is needed to control predator populations in the state, and has branded the opposition as nothing more than extremist groups. While Ashley Judd claims that the practice is senseless and unscientific.

Read both statements in full.

I’m going to have to agree with Ashley Judd here (shocker, me siding with the environmentalist). The basic rationale behind the state’s wolf hunting policy is to increase the number of caribou and elk (etc.) so that those animals can be later shot from the ground. Therefore the great crime of the wolf is that it’s mildly standing in the way of human recreation (excuse me, cultural practices).

You can check out the following website for some extremist info on Sarah Palin’s wildlife policies: http://eyeonpalin.org/

And if you are interested in helping to protect the wolves right to exist, you can take a look at one of my favourite charities, Defenders Of Wildlife: http://www.defenders.org/

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A report published in China has recently begun to gain traction in the scientific community. It details the relationship between the occurrence and strength of earthquakes with the proximity of large man made reservoirs, such as those created by dams.

Many of you will remember the earthquake in the Sichuan Province last year that claimed so many lives. The geographic center of the earthquake was located only a few kilometers from the Zipingpu Dam and its 287 million metric tonne reservoir.

It’s being alleged that the weight of the water on the fault line may have played a role in the quake’s uncommon strength.

The scientist pushing the theory has so far been unsuccessful in his attempts to petition the People’s Government to halt construction of the numerous hydroelectric projects in the volatile region.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090204/ap_on_re_as/as_china_quake

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