BP don’t pollute our environment, coz your ruining our wildlife from Felix Gonzales on Vimeo.

Darryl Walter Environmental toxicants, climate change, energy development climate change, conservation education, energy development, Environmental ethics

I want to share this story that I saw on ABC News this morning.  It tells the story of wildlife biologist and photographer Paul Nicklen and highlights the threat to wildlife due to climate change.

‘Polar Obsession’: Beauty, Science and….

Darryl Walter Animal behavior, Human-wildlife conflict, climate change climate change

The White House has said that on Friday, President Barack Obama will pledge the United States to achieve a 17% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. The Senate will determine whether he can deliver on that promise. 

Read the excellent analysis posted on Science Insider and see the list of how key Senators will play a part in this.

Darryl Walter climate change climate change

Jeff Corwin, in the Los Angeles Times, states, “every 20 minutes we lose an animal species. If this rate continues, by century’s end, 50% of all living species will be gone. It is a phenomenon known as the sixth extinction. The fifth extinction took place 65 million years ago when a meteor smashed into the Earth, killing off the dinosaurs and many other species and opening the door for the rise of mammals. Currently, the sixth extinction is on track to dwarf the fifth.”

Read Corwin’s entire column here.

Darryl Walter climate change, endangered species climate change, endangered species

Whether it’s a polar bear clinging to a melting iceberg in the Arctic or a tiny, rabbit like pika panting atop a warming mountain in western North America, scientists say that these species and others could be historical footnotes unless people help them survive.

Pushing animals to the brink – and then trying to bring them back – is nothing new for humans. Remedies have long included setting aside land for a special habitat (spotted owls) or making it illegal to kill them (whooping cranes).

But sweeping changes that would accompany projected climate change mean that an animal’s traditional range may no longer be habitable to it in a few years – or that a key food source or resource it needs is disappearing. And that calls for different solutions from those in the past.

Read more here and watch a video.

Darryl Walter Wildlife management, climate change climate change

USGS invites you to attend the next USGS Public Lecture Series: Science in Action scheduled for Wednesday, September 2, 2009 from 7:00 – 8:00 pm at the USGS National Center, Dallas L. Peck Memorial Auditorium, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192. Dr. Bruce F. Molnia will present “Baked Alaska: What’s Happening to the Glaciers in Alaska?” Please forward this invitation to friends, family and colleagues. All are welcome.

You can also visit their Public Lecture Series Website at http://www.usgs.gov/public_lecture_series/ for future lecture announcements. The lecture series is ongoing year round. Lectures are held at the USGS National Center the first Wednesday of each month and begin at 7:00 pm.

Please direct any questions to:
Judith F. Salvo (Judy)
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Eastern Region Office of Communications
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive (MS150)
Reston, VA 20192
(703) 648-5645, fax (703) 648-4588
Email: jfsalvo@usgs.gov

shannon Uncategorized, climate change climate change, lecture, USGS

Whether it is initially called junk science, heresy, lunacy, or whatever, there has always been great debate about new scientific findings and endeavors.  Classic examples include evolution, the earth rotating about the sun, the bio-accumulation of toxic contaminants (DDT), climate change, and even landing on the moon.   In each of these examples, even though the science is over-whelming, there STILL remains a minority who, for whatever reason, choose not to accept the science.

Just one case in point is that in this year, the 40th anniversary of man landing on the moon, the New York Times reports that “polling consistently suggests that some 6 percent of Americans believe the landings were faked and could not have happened.”

Clearly, those who wish to deny the science will do so, despite the evidence.  Meanwhile, the rest of society will move on and make great advances with the new discoveries. Indeed, and as it should, in the interest of wildlife conservation the wildlife profession is moving rapidly forward with addressing climate change.  Just a few of the endeavors underway include:

• The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has a Climate Change Committee, which is developing plans for incorporating climate change considerations into State Wildlife Action Plans.
• The USFWS has put forth a draft plan for addressing climate change impacts to wildlife resources.
• The USGS has established the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center.
• Other federal land management agencies are actively developing plans for addressing climate change impacts.
• TWS has established a climate change working group and AFS is working on a climate change policy.

The challenges to our profession are to:

1. develop appropriate strategies for effective wildlife conservation that take into account climate change; and
2. find the resources ($) to take on this new challenge.

The National Wildlife Federation is working on both of these challenges, including supporting the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES).  Passage of this legislation is critical for reducing our global warming pollution and providing the resources to our professions to manage wildlife in a changing climate. It is going to take a lot of continuing effort by every one of us to make sure this important legislation passes. For more information go here

Doug Inkley, Ph.D. Senior Scientist, National Wildlife Federation

Doug climate change climate change, science

Coral reefs, like the coral triangle seeing a large impact as the result of climate change. More than 50% of Earth’s coral reefs have disappeared over the last several years. Watch this WWF video to learn more.

Darryl Walter climate change Australia, climate change

Today’s Washington Post contained an article on the possible negative impacts of solar and wind power development on wildlife.  The Wildlife Society (TWS) has been on top of this issue from the beginning, as evidenced by its recent award-winning technical review on the potential effects of wind energy on wildlife and article on solar power and wildlife in the latest edition of TWS’s member magazine, The Wildlife Professional.

While wildlife professionals certainly recognize the need for clean energy to combat global climate change, we are also adamant that such development be done right and with sufficient forethought and planning.  In the case of wind and solar power, this means siting the facilities in areas where the impacts on wildlife would be minimal–not in highly sensitive habitats or where they can impact populations of threatened or endangered species.

As the article points out, a headlong rush to develop renewable energy resources could prove counterproductive.  This is especially true if it is not preceded by careful consideration of the potential impact of such development on wildlife and their habitats.  The American public wants clean energy, but they do not yet understand the potential consequences associated with it.

Education will be the key, as all forms of energy development–even renewable energy–have both costs and benefits.  Finding the appropriate balance between renewable energy development and wildlife conservation will be key.  It would be ironic if wildlife was a big loser in our efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and save our planet from the potential effects of severe climate change.

Michael Hutchins climate change, energy development, wildlife conservation climate change, energy development, wildlife conservation

Darryl Walter climate change climate change, endangered species