The tussle between Martha and J. Lo may be a somewhat common occurrence in the wild -- the increased density of eagle populations has given us a more intimate look into their lives as they nest closer to human civilization. NPR's Weekend Edition interviewed Craig Koppie, an endangered species biologist, about the incident:
I'm afraid [George] has got a deck stacked against him .... The timing of this episode is such that the eaglets are starting to hatch .... If the bird, George, needs to leave the nest for any time, these birds will be wet, and it only takes, you know, a half hour, if that, and that birds will be chilled, and expire.
Unfortunately, George may have already blown it -- he recently left the nest to fly out to Hollywood and pitch his story as a heartwarming family dramedy ("It's Mr. Mom meets March of the Penguins ...")
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Biodiversivist Posted 5:48 am
09 Apr 2006
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2006/04/05/news/local/112726.txt
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Help acquire and protect ecological hotspots, give to a conservation organization: http://www.saveourbiodiversity.com
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Francis Stokes Posted 7:08 am
09 Apr 2006
Of course, not funny funny. More like disturbing funny. Though now it's more like disturbing disturbing.
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Larryjk Posted 12:47 pm
09 Apr 2006
I am currently a student at a small school in Florida, and in are class we have to make a blog on an environmental blog website. I am interested in the environment and hopes of becoming an environmental lawyer. Anyways I am Florida resident and also a Pensacola native have been for 19 years. I have seen Pensacola Bay turn from decent water quality to barely being able to swim in it in that amount of time (20 years) I have lived here. For ex:
Pensacola Bay System is composed of 7,000 square miles of watershed, 65% of which has its origin in Alabama. The 35% of the watershed that is located in Florida is located primarily in 4 counties - Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton. Pensacola Bay is the 4th most polluted body of water in Florida, and according to the EPA. 1998 Clean Water Act it showed that 39% of the surface water was polluted in Pensacola. Pensacola is an old city (and way behind times) and there has been not resolution to the cities waters in till the late 90's.
The Escambia County Utilities Authority's Main Street wastewater treatment plant discharges about 13.5 million gallons of treated wastewater each day into Pensacola Bay. ECUA has approved a plan to replace the sewer plant with a $165 million facility (maybe it will be finished in 2-3 years) in eastern Escambia County that will not discharge directly to local waterways.
Pensacola Bay has really no filter system (such as sea grass or wetlands) if some were planted this would help filter out what is dumped into the the bay everyday. (Studies conducted by the National Estuarine Program show that approximately 50 percent of all nitrogen pollution in estuarine systems is a result of non-point source runoff. Additionally, biological sampling conducted during 1998/1999 has indicated that 20 out of 22 streams sampled within the Pensacola Bay System were impaired from agricultural activities.) --- EPA
One of the problems with trying to clean up the bay and force the big industries that pollute to share the burden is that when evidence of their pollution surfaces, the industries claim that they will have to lay off hundreds of workers to pay for it and therefore cutting off any popular movement to hold them to account. Thoreau said "If a thousand men are laid off, maybe they weren't well employed" but true as that might be, the threatened employees seem to go along with the potential job-loss rhetoric and any accountability is up in smoke.
Local attorney and Air-America host, Mike Papantonio, came up with the effective idea of using local suburanites whos property value has decreased from polluted bayous, to band together and file a civil suit. What I'm wondering is: 1. What are some of the most effective and ethical conservation /environmental groups to consider joining and 2. What literature/websites do you recommend?
Thanks in advance.
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amazingdrx Posted 1:19 am
10 Apr 2006
Maybe you should "join" your own organization?
Print out your blog every week and circulate it! That might build some grassroots support.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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atreyger Posted 3:01 am
10 Apr 2006
Solutions to nutrient pollution usually require building (!) a new addition to the wastewater plant and/or adding a nutrient-retention wetland. This would actually create employment, and the reason that industries do not want to do it is because it cuts their profit margin (or increases taxes with wastewater). The way to go about it (beside the lawsuit) is to make the community become aware of how unneighborly the industries are. So basically make it a PR issue for them.
Agriculture is a bit difficult to deal with, since their profits are really low, but usually BMPs (best management practices) are a good thing to implement. These tend to be local in definition, however, usually require buffer strips/zones around streams, using rotational crops (including N-fixers), reduce the fertilizer input to levels actually needed (You would be amazed how frequently farmers keep on putting in a fertilizer that is overabundant in the soil, because thy think it will help them, but it won't because it is not a limiting nutrient), and many others.
You're on the right track, keep working at it.
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caniscandida Posted 7:54 am
10 Apr 2006
As for George's chicks -- and by now it may be far too late, of course -- , it would be justified to capture them and raise them safely. Probably that would mean they must remain in captivity for the rest of their lives, unless their care and release were done very thoughtfully, along the lines of how the California condor chicks have been raised.
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