Forest Service Aims $40 Million at Bark Beetle Control

Submitted by ecofactory on Thu, 2009-12-10 16:39
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Forest Service Aims $40 Million at Bark Beetle Control

WASHINGTON, DC, December 10, 2009 (ENS) - The U.S. Forest Service will receive $40 million more to address public safety concerns and forest health needs arising from the millions of acres of dead and dying trees killed by bark beetles in the West, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Colorado Governor Bill Ritter announced Tuesday.

Could the Ocean Benefit from More CO2?

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Thu, 2009-12-03 11:04
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Could the Ocean Benefit from More CO2?

New research may reverse theory that ocean CO2 levels will harm coral and other sea creatures.
New Guinea Coral Reefs

In recent years, ocean acidification has become a talking point for climate scientists as an additional symptom of increased atmospheric CO2. It was believed that carbon dioxide diffused in ocean water would slightly acidify it, wreaking havoc on coral, crustaceans, and mollusks that require a specific chemistry to grow their shells and skeletons. Scientists believed that these populations and habitats would be devastated, and turn the ocean food chain upside-down.

Research suggests global warming will trigger instant ice age

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Thu, 2009-12-03 10:08
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Research suggests global warming will trigger instant ice age

Scientists revealed research that shows that a previous warming period triggered a massive global ice age in a matter of months, and that it's certain to happen again.
Beach snow. Photo by Peter Urwin on Flickr

Climate scientists recently released a new report which claims that global warming could trigger an ice age that would grip the planet in a matter of months, not years. According to the biogeochemists and climate scientists involved, melting ice from a previous warming period slowed or stifled ocean currents. Geological evidence that points to a deluge of cool freshwater suggests that a melting ice sheet in North America effectively shut down ocean convection and insulated the polar ice caps from the equator's warm waters.

German factory to mass produce ancient Amazonian fertilizer

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Mon, 2009-11-30 12:58
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German factory to mass produce ancient Amazonian fertilizer

A German company claims to have re-discovered a self-regenerating fertilizer that was thought to be lost with the great Amazonian cultures.
Terra Preta

It is believed that the ancient Amazon people crafted a special fertilizer by burying clay jars filled with char, bones, and manure. This time-consuming process created a substance the Portuguese called "terra preta" or "black earth." In modern times, scientists have come to know that this ultra-fertile soil is filled with micro-organic activity that generates a regenerating soil-bound ecosystem that produces astonishing crop yield and needs no fertilizer.

Polar Bear Cannibalism Comes Early

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Mon, 2009-11-30 10:45
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Polar Bear Cannibalism Comes Early

Polar bears, which routinely cannibalize their cubs and challengers, have resorted to eating their own kind months too early, leading environmentalists to believe that they are starving.
Polar Bear

While cannibalism is common among polar bears during the spring mating season, eight cases have been reported so far this fall in Churchill, Manitoba. Environmentalists fear that the thinning sea ice and reduced hunting range could be to blame for this early outbreak of polar bear cannibalism. Ursus maritimus males have been known to eat polar bear cubs before and after impregnating females.

Valuing Ecosystem Services Makes Economic Sense, Experts Report

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2009-11-17 15:21
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Valuing Ecosystem Services Makes Economic Sense, Experts Report

BRUSSELS, Belgium, November 17, 2009 (ENS) - Decision makers who factor the planet's multi-trillion dollar ecosystem services into their national and international investment strategies are likely to see far higher rates of return and stronger economic growth in the 21st century, finds a new United Nations-backed report.

Family Forests Alliance Outlines National Strategy

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Tue, 2009-11-17 14:31
in
Press Release:

Family Forests Alliance Outlines National Strategy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

16 November 2009

CONTACT: Kate Albert Read, 207-688-8195,

kate@tcnef.org

http://www.dovetailinc.org/content/ffa

Family Forests Alliance Outlines National Strategy

Outcomes of 2009 National Gathering Grow Capacity and Plans for Coordinated Expansion

Alaska criticizes federal position on Polar Bears

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Tue, 2009-11-17 12:08
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Alaska criticizes federal position on Polar Bears

Alaskan lawmakers challenge the threatened status of polar bears, stating that their strongest-ever population count is a better indicator of their health as a species rather than climate models.
Polar Bear

Alaska Governor Sean Parnell has come to clash with the federal government on the issue of polar bears. The arctic predator, which hunts on declining sea ice, has grown to its largest population in decades — over 20,000 today over as little as 8,000 in 1960. Despite this successful recovery, the Department of Interior lists this species as threatened due to climate change models. Alaskan lawmakers argue that the science is flawed, showing conflicting federal research that show arctic thaws as soon as 2013, as late as 2050, or never at all.

David McConville on perspective, ecosystems, and climate change as a symptom

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Mon, 2009-11-16 17:53
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David McConville on perspective, ecosystems, and climate change as a symptom

Green TV

David McConville of Elumenati shared insights with us at West Coast Green, 2009 about addressing human problems from a different level. David's work, which largely revolves around using immersive displays to explain complex concepts from molecular biology to galactic ecosystems, has given him insight into how perspective plays into the decisions we make as a species.

Water Bills Pass California Legislature Ending Years of Wrangling

Submitted by ecofactory on Thu, 2009-11-05 12:17
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Water Bills Pass California Legislature Ending Years of Wrangling

SACRAMENTO, California, November 5, 2009 (ENS) - The California state Legislature Wednesday approved a far-reaching water package featuring an $11-billion bond as the Sun rose over the Capitol building after an all night legislative session.

The package includes a comprehensive policy measure that improves water conservation, groundwater monitoring, water rights and governance as well as a water infrastructure bond to be placed on the ballot in November 2010.