Archive for October, 2009
October 30th, 2009
The Gulser Ana going down. Photo via Australia
A ship carrying toxic waste sunk off the coast of Madagascar, and thousands of tons of refuse were emptied into the rich marine ecosystem. The wreck has had devastating effects on the sea life and the health of people who live inland–causing whales to mysteriously beach in greater numbers, and afflicting the locals with grave respiratory and skin diseases.
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October 30th, 2009
Image via: Be True to Blue
It’s easy to harp on the big guys for creating massive big-box stores that sell massive piles of cheap products that ultimately end up in landfills. But let’s be honest, from time to time we’re still going to need to buy stuff and like it or not, sometimes those items come from chain or department stores. Action sports i… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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October 29th, 2009
For at least the past eighteen months there have been consistent cries that a fishing ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna was required to prevent the iconic species being relegated to extinction. Now, scientists at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas say (finally) that position is supported by data indicating the species has declined so much it should be listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endanger… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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October 29th, 2009
Camels are “like the bank for the Turkana.” Photo by xikita via Flickr.
The global economic crisis has shattered many families’ financial security as the value of investments plummet and jobs become vulnerable, or nonexistent. But in the rural Turkana district of northwest Kenya, the culprit robbing peoples’ bank accounts is climate change…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
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October 29th, 2009
Photo via NM
Researchers were recently surprised to find that the world’s longest cave formation–the Fort Stanton Cave in New Mexico–is growing even longer. They discovered that calcite is still accumulating in the trough of the cave, which cuts through miles and miles of rock. More photos of the stunning, tunnel-like cave after the jump…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
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October 29th, 2009
photo: Photos8.com via flickr.
Recently we heard that Africa’s elephants face a bleak future, but it seems the world’s tigers aren’t long for this world either. The Economic Times reports that at the Kathmandu Global Tiger Workshop, the latest numbers show that the world population of 3,500 tigers could all be e… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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October 29th, 2009
Greater short-nosed fruit bat feeding on kapok, photo: Wikipedia.
New research published in the online journal PLoS ONE demonstrates for the first time that a non-human adult animal species regularly engages in oral sex behavior. While the behavior has been seen in juvenile animals before, this is the first time it has been observed in adult animals. Warning: While the following information is scientifically accu… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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October 29th, 2009
The 10th Annual Global Green Challenge
The Global Green Challenge (a kind of spin off from the World Solar Challenge) in Australia is the place to be for alt-fuel vehicles of all kinds. It’s a good snapshot of what is currently possible, and of where things are going in green(er) transportation. The latest record comes from a red 2008 Tesla Roadster: Simon Hackett and co-driver Emilis Prelgauskas drove 313 miles (501 km) on a single charge, something that no production EV has done before…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
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October 29th, 2009
Bed frames are made from trees, but sleeping bags? Why not, reckon Vaude, the German mountain sports company.
The insulation for a new range of Vaude sleeping bags due in 2010, will comprise 50% Tencel, a more benign form of nasty old viscose (aka Rayon), made from plantation tree pulp in a process that recycles most of the production solvents. Tencel is a relatively new fibre, having first appeared in 1987, and scoring its own textile category, known as Lyocell. Interest in the fibre waned for a while, but has been revived of late, with a whole raft of new fabrications coming to light. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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October 29th, 2009
After U.S. and China…
Indonesia is made up of 17,508 islands, most of which were totally covered by forest until about 50 years ago when that number dropped to 80%. But now, illegal logging and the burning of forests are making the country the third biggest emitter of GHG in the world (!) behind the U.S. and China. According to a piece in the Independent, Indonesian officials estimate that illegal logging alone is responsible for the loss of 10 million hectares of tropical rainforest…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
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