Paula Kahumbu: A global alliance to end wildlife crime is within reach. Let’s start talking about how it can be made to work
Source: Together we can end wildlife crime | Environment | The Guardian
Indonesian birds face extinction due to pet trade – study | Environment | The Guardian
Indonesia’s national bird, the Javan hawk-eagle, is among 13 species threatened by illegal trade, warns a wildlife watchdog
Source: Indonesian birds face extinction due to pet trade – study | Environment | The Guardian
Spring Means Nesting Sea Turtles – Defenders of Wildlife Blog
Whether you live in the Sunshine State or are just visiting, as sea turtle nesting season hits Florida’s beaches, make sure you know what to do to keep these creatures safe.
Source: Spring Means Nesting Sea Turtles – Defenders of Wildlife Blog
Hillary Clinton’s Energy Initiative Pressed Countries to Embrace Fracking, New Emails Reveal
Newly disclosed emails show Clinton State Department officials working alongside fossil fuel companies aggressively pushed for fracking even in countries where local objections were growing.
Source: Hillary Clinton’s Energy Initiative Pressed Countries to Embrace Fracking, New Emails Reveal
Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas | Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative
Source: Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas | Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative
GR: You can download the Atlas free.
UN calls for overhaul of national laws to tackle wildlife crime | The Guardian
All Earth’s creatures need protection from humans. Sad that the ones that serve as the top regulators of ecosystem function are also the most visible and therefore subject to our purposeful abuse.
“Countries urged to outlaw possession of wildlife and timber illegally harvested or traded elsewhere. . . .” Source: UN calls for overhaul of national laws to tackle wildlife crime | The Guardian
New Study Maps the Way for California Wolves, Highlights Key Strategies for Coexistence – Defenders of Wildlife Blog
Now that wolves have returned to California after a nearly 90-year absence, where are they most likely to live? Will their new territories overlap significantly with grazing lands and create conflicts with livestock? What kind of proactive strategies are most feasible for northern California ranchers to implement on their operations to keep both livestock and wolves safe from harm? With our partners from the Bren School, we started looking for answers.
The Other Wolverine Who Rivaled X-Men for Fame – Defenders of Wildlife Blog
Wolverine. By Robert Carleton.
GR: The pointless killing of this special individual from a rare species indicates just how total is our threat to nature.
M56 never made it to the silver screen, but he fascinated millions, trekking hundreds of miles and bringing much-needed attention to the plight of wolverines.
Source: The Other Wolverine Who Rivaled X-Men for Fame – Defenders of Wildlife Blog
“His movements were first recorded in Wyoming in 2008. He took off in 2009, heading south for hundreds of miles. He traveled across inhospitable lands looking for a place he might fit in and finally settled in Colorado. He wandered around Colorado for years, then headed north once again, possibly up to Montana. He trekked east across flat lands and found himself in North Dakota.
“This is no tale of a wandering, fugitive human, following some wanderlust or trying to find a job. This is M56. He’s a wolverine, the largest (and arguably the toughest) member of the weasel family. These fearless scavengers are incredible — they can drive grizzly bears and wolves away from carcasses, and have been documented climbing 5,000 vertical feet in the middle of winter in less than two hours. M56 was an ambassador for his species, captivating the entire state of Colorado with hope of a reestablished wolverine population, and inspiring all who learned of his immense travels and ability to traverse unlikely habitat. Sadly, wolverine M56’s remarkable life and unbelievable journey ended a few weeks ago near Alexander, North Dakota, where he was killed by a ranch hand who didn’t recognize what M56 was and thought he could threaten livestock.”
Biodiversity Day – May 22
A Day for Biodiversity
The United Nations has declared that May 22 is Biodiversity Day. The goal this year is to publicize biodiversity. After studying the text of the UN Convention on Biodiversity, I believe that the UN is doing little or nothing for biodiversity. I have studied plants and animals for many years. What I’ve seen, and what others report, is that all of nature is in steep decline. Humans are the cause. I fear that people might be led to believe that the United Nations is taking effective action to protect biodiversity. It is not.
The theme of the UN Convention on Biodiversity is sustainable development. It’s text has lofty goals with vague strategies for their attainment. The text makes clear the Convention’s desire for acceptance by even the most growth oriented government. Each Article begins with phrases such as: “Each Contracting Party shall, in accordance with its particular conditions and capabilities. . . .” and this: “Each Contracting Party shall, as far as possible and as appropriate. . . .” Since human desires are the conditions that define what is appropriate, the phrases prohibit no “contractor” from full-bore growth and development if they say that these are needed to provide jobs and improved standards of living.
This is the UN’s definition of the Convention:
Signed by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the Convention on Biological Diversity is dedicated to promoting sustainable development. Conceived as a practical tool for translating the principles of Agenda 21 into reality, the Convention recognizes that biological diversity is about more than plants, animals and micro organisms and their ecosystems – it is about people and our need for food security, medicines, fresh air and water, shelter, and a clean and healthy environment in which to live (United Nations).
Biodiversity is definitely not about the needs of only one species. It is a general term that gives equal importance to all species. By placing humans ahead of all other species, the Convention’s definition replaces biological validity with the human bias that is destroying the Earth.
This year’s meeting focus is on promoting biodiversity. The meetings never do much more than report on small achievements. They serve as an opportunity to search for funding for their development-friendly activities and they let governments reward their environmental managers with a two-week vacation in an international resort.
Homo sapiens’ unrelenting rape of the Earth and the rapid decline of biodiversity is taking us toward the greatest mass extinction of all time. No one has found an effective means to stop this. In 1992, the United Nations decided to formalize their support for continued devastation by sugar-coating human impacts with the term “sustainable.” A genuine Biodiversity Day would focus on curtailing human:
- Population growth
- Habitat destruction
- Material aspirations
Over and over, our leading biologists call for emergency responses to our impacts on the Earth. This blog has more than a thousand well-reasoned warnings and suggestions related to biodiversity. However, biodiversity decline continues. What do we do? Even as our impacts grow beyond the hope of remediation, our environmental managers lay by the pool sipping rum punch, eying the pretty young servers, and discussing funding proposals and plans for more meetings.
What can we do for biodiversity?
I intend to look for ways to oppose development, call for population control, live a simpler life, and learn more about plants and animals.