GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS
* The most remarkable places on earth are also the most threatened. These are the hotspots, the richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and aminal life on Earth. Conservation International maintains a site with regional summaries and current science.
CONSERVATION EMPHASIS
* Emphasis to "celebrity animals" OR to bugs, bats, rodents, and plants and whole habitats? Chris Packham, a British conservationist and one of the more provocative advocates of a new approach, says more would be achieved with the conservation dollar by shifting resources from "celebrity" animals such as the panda to less glamorous species — bugs, bats, rodents and plants — and to whole habitats. Packham says it would be better to make urban and semi-rural environments friendlier for wildlife rather than concentrating on isolated nature reserves.
* Native species often are preferred for gardens and other plantings -- for aesthetic and moral reasons and for maintenance of diversity (vs homogenization). Nativity, though, is a relative concept, because some natives have been in place for a very short time. For example, “native North Americans” are native because they arrived here sooner than Europeans. And native species may not be optimally adapted to the native environment. Read more about this from Stephen Jay Gould in a 1998 essay: An evolutionary perspective on strengths, fallacies, and confusions in the concept of native plants. Arnoldia 58(1): 2–10.
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES
* Plant-based liquid fuels like ethanol potentially could take the place of petroleum and break America's dependence on foreign oil as well as produce less-polluting auto fuel. Opponents dismiss biofuels — most of which are currently distilled from crops like corn and sugar cane — as "a blind alley, one that drives up food prices without saving the earth." See article in Time, 7 Jan 08.
* "I know there are substantial reasons to argue against ethanol [as an alternative fuel] - skyrocketing corn prices, expansion of annual crop production leading to soil erosion, intensive nutrient supplements via petrol-based fertilizer etc, but if all that won't get you to protest it, maybe this will --" (Jason Best, BRIT): A shortage of hops threatens Christmas (The Economist, Dec 2007)
* Switchgrass Makes Better Ethanol than Corn Does. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) contains five times more energy than it takes to grow it, which makes it significantly more cost-effective than corn as a biofuel. The average greenhouse gas emissions from cellulosic ethanol derived from switchgrass were found to be 94 percent lower than gasoline. By contrast, corn ethanol generates slightly less greenhouse gases in its production than gasoline. Other advantages of switchgrass are that it can grow in a range of climates and it does not require as much water as other processes. It also does not pose the same risk of raising food prices as corn ethanol. See Pimentel commentary about the theoretical basis of these claims.
* Commentary by David Pimentel, Professor, Department of Entomology, Cornell University. Points out that "No one in the world has been able to produce net ethanol energy from cellulosic biomass to date, except in paper models. This is the reason that there is no commercial plant in the world converting cellulosic biomass into ethanol. [Corn ethanol is derived from sugars and starches in corn grain, not from cellulose. Soybean oil is the main ingredient in biodiesel.] ... I am truly concerned when people publish some unscientific opinions such as these because they mislead the people and politicians. At present there is no easy solution and we in science need to be investigating all potential renewable energy technologies and cease claims that ethanol from cellulosic biomass is the solution to all U.S. energy problems. A truly thorough examination of biomass and its environmental relationship to water, land, and solar energy is needed."
* Biofuels Deemed a Greenhouse Threat (New York Times, 8 Feb 2008)
"Almost all biofuels used today cause more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels if the full emissions costs of producing these “green” fuels are taken into account, two studies being published Thursday [in Science] have concluded.
The destruction of natural ecosystems — whether rain forest in the tropics or grasslands in South America — not only releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere when they are burned and plowed, but also deprives the planet of natural sponges to absorb carbon emissions. Cropland also absorbs far less carbon than the rain forests or even scrubland that it replaces.
Together the two studies offer sweeping conclusions: It does not matter if it is rain forest or scrubland that is cleared, the greenhouse gas contribution is significant. More important, they discovered that, taken globally, the production of almost all biofuels resulted, directly or indirectly, intentionally or not, in new lands being cleared, either for food or fuel."
WASTED ENERGY
* The Meat of the Matter (Mark Bittman, Dallas Morning News 10 Feb 2008). Prepare to become vegetarian, or mostly so. "Each forkful [of meat] comes at an environmental price, with enormous amounts of energy and pollution required to get it ready." What much of the world already knows: to produce a 'dish' of 6 oz. of beef steak requires 16 times more energy than a substantial dish of broccoli, eggplant, cauliflower, and rice. And ... "an 1100-pound beef cow can produce manure at a clip of about 14.6 tons annually. U.S. livestock produces perhaps 900 million tons of waste annually, about 3 tons of manure for each American." A huge amount of this waste, especially from hogs, is "stored" in lagoons. And ... demand for beef in the US largely drives destruction of rainforests as they are cleared for crop and grazing land.
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
* What it is, how it's caused, and what to do about it. An excellent overview from the Natural Resources Defense Council.
* The Global Warming International Center is the international body disseminating information on global warming science and policy, serving both governamental, non-governamental organizations, and industries in more than 145 countries. It sponsors unbiased research supporting the understanding of global warming and its mitigation.
* Climate change: The evidence (BBC News) nice graphs, brief summaries
* An Inconvenient Truth: the website.
* Polar Bears: Looking at Extinction. See maps of projected changes in Arctic ice pack, polar bear distribution, and related links in World Resources Institute article. Two-thirds of the world's polar bears could disappear by 2050 as global warming continues to melt the Arctic's sea ice. Polar bear habitat at center of Alaska drilling debate: "Native Alaskans and environmentalists have filed a suit to prevent the federal government's sale of drilling leases in Alaska's Chukchi Sea. The sales, set to begin Wednesday [6 Feb 2008], will allow drilling in about 30 million acres, including critical polar bear habitat, environmentalists say. A decision on whether to list polar bears as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is expected this week as well."
* Climate change may bring "abrupt and irreversible" impacts, the UN's climate advisory panel is set to announce. (16 Nov 2007) According to the IPCC, we are in for a minimum of 90 more years of warming no matter what, since greenhouse gases remain aloft for about a century. Among other conclusions are that evidence for climate change is unequivocal, that humankind's emissions of greenhouse gases are more than 90% likely to be the main cause, and that impacts can be reduced at reasonable cost.
IPCC projections:
- Probable temperature rise between 1.8C and 4C
- Possible temperature rise between 1.1C and 6.4C
- Sea level most likely to rise by 28-43 cm
- Arctic summer sea ice disappears in second half of century
- Increase in heatwaves very likely
- Increase in tropical storm intensity likely
* Global warming will have unforeseen consequences. Sharon Begley (Newsweek, Dec 31 2007) notes that less-than-obvious consequences of climate change are likely to wreak havoc. For example, airport runways will need to be longer, because in warmer, less-dense air, planes need to take off faster to gain lift and stay aloft. Desalinization plants will be necessary for the time when seawater must substitute for diminished rain and snowpack.
* Are increased frequency and intensity of hurricanes correlated with trends in global warming? Even if not, hurricanes themselves can have huge, unexpected consequences. Rita and Katrina destroyed 5 million acres of forested land, mostly in Mississippi — dying trees will ultimately release about 367 million tons of carbon dioxide as they decompose, about the same amount of carbon that is absorbed by all US forests in one year.
Washington Post, 16 Nov 2007
The research article (Science, 16 Nov 2007) concluded that "Changes in disturbance regimes from increased storm activity expected under a warming climate will reduce forest biomass stocks, increase ecosystem respiration, and may represent an important positive feedback mechanism to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide." See Katrina intensity and damage maps.
OVERPOPULATION
Almost all ecological problems are directly or indirectly related to this. See "Overpopulation.org"
World population reached:
1 billion in 1804,
2 billion in 1927 (123 years later)
3 billion in 1960 (33 years)
4 billion in 1974 (13 years)
5 billion in 1987 (12 years)
6 billion in 1999 (12 years) ................. 6.5 billion in 2007
7 billion in 2013 (14 years - projected)
8 billion in 2028 (15 years - projected)
10.7 (high), 8.9 (mid), 7.3 (low) billion projected for 2050
* Google search on 'overpopulation'
* See "Environmental impacts of overpopulation" "The one process ongoing ... that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendents are least likely to forgive us." (E.O. Wilson)
* Die-off.org. "If a path to the better there be, it begins with a full look at the worst" (Thomas Hardy). A population crash resource page, with an interesting collection of capsule discussions and links to topics such as these:
oil depletion
food, land, water, & population
sustainability
carrying capacity
tragedy of the commons
disease
economic theory
scientific consensus
moral theory
* The Olduvai Theory. Hypothesizes that industrial civilization (as defined by per capita energy consumption) will have a lifetime of less than or equal to 100 years (1930-2030). The theory provides a quantitative basis of the transient-pulse theory of modern civilization. The name refers to the Olduvai Gorge in Africa. Olduvai Theory graphs -- old, new, combined.
TRINITY RIVER MASTER PLAN
Trinity River Vision Master Plan encompasses 88 miles of the Trinity River and its greenbelts and tributaries throughout the Fort Worth area. The "vision" advocates for this natural resource -- keeping the river beautiful, accessible, enjoyable, and productive and making sure it remains a valuable asset for the entire community.
The master plan considers environmental quality (including flood protection and water conservation), preservation of green space and natural ecosystems (including reforestation), beautification, recreation facilities and access to the waterfront, and trail developments with linkage to parks, neighborhoods, downtown, and other special districts. The plan also addresses adjoining land uses, transportation and how other facilities best complement and benefit from the greenways.
OTHER TEXAS TOPICS
* Conservation easements are an effective way to conserve private property. A conservation easement is a restriction placed on a piece of property to protect its associated resources. Such an easement protects land for future generations while allowing the owner to retain many private property rights and to live on and use the land, at the same time potentially providing tax benefits.
* Sale of Christmas Mountains in West Texas is delayed (link2). The Texas School Land Board delayed the sale of the Christmas Mountains on Tuesday to give the National Park Service three months to come up with an offer to buy them – declining to require that the park service allow hunting on the property. Notice of auction. Potential buyer.
* State senator calls sale of Christmas Mountains “nuts” (10 Dec 2007). In a December 6 letter to Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, State Senator John Whitmire (D-Houston) said it is nuts to sell the Christmas Mountains to the private sector. "Not only is it ill-conceived to sell off public land to the private sector, it sends a dangerous message to anyone who is considering donating wilderness land or parks to the State of Texas," said Whitmire. "Instead of selling Christmas Mountains because there is no public access, we should be working with the neighboring landowners and using our available measures to solve the issue of access to the land. ... With the number of people moving to Texas every day and the rapid development in our state, we should be protecting our public lands for generations of Texans to enjoy, not selling it to the highest bidder," commented Whitmire. "We can continue to build more malls, office buildings, and condos; but we will never be able to produce more precious, undeveloped land."
* U.S. seeks donation of Texas land (Star-Telegram, 2 Feb 2008). "AUSTIN -- Because the Christmas Mountains were donated to the state for conservation, the state should in turn give the property to the National Park Service, the federal agency said in a proposal Friday. 'The National Park Service proposes that the Christmas Mountains be added to Big Bend National Park and be managed as a backcountry area of the national park,' the agency said in a new management proposal." The two areas share a border of about 1 mile.
* More than 10,000 oppose Christmas Mountains sale. (4 Feb 2008)
More than 10,000 Texans have signed a petition or sent e-mail messages to Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson protesting the sale of the Christmas Mountains to a private individual, says Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas.
* Two bids are rejected for Christmas Mountains. (Star-Telegram, 6 Feb)
"On Tuesday, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and the School Land Board -- a three member panel over which he presides -- rejected competing bids from two private interests to buy the 9,269-acre tract. However, the vote left open the question of whether the state would honor an agreement to transfer the property to the National Park Service, which has offered to maintain it as an addition to the Big Bend National Park." Good summary here.
RECYCLING IN FORT WORTH (FW Environmental Management Department)
Lids and screw tops made of plastic or metal can be recycled. Just take them off of the jar, bottle or other container before tossing them in the blue cart. Removing the lids ensures that the container can be crushed easily in processing. If lids have food on them, please rinse before recycling.
Foam cups, plates, bowls, packaging material and packing “peanuts” are not accepted in the blue cart—even if they have a recycling symbol on them. Foam rubber cannot be recycled either.
Aluminum foil is made from a less desirable grade of aluminum and is often contaminated with food waste. Do not put aluminum foil in the blue recycling cart.
KEEPING PERSPECTIVE
* Human decisions regarding stewardship of our own species and others of planet Earth are not being managed by 'best interest' policies. Does it make any difference if humans are "not alone," if we are under scrutiny by more advanced intelligence? Are we aware of being monitored? Are we currently investigating possible sources of evidence ?
* What is the relationship between developing aesthetic sensibilities and a conservation ethic ? Does the right frontal syngenesious reticulate of the brain allow neural links between aesthetics and conservation motives?
