Graph of the Day: Annual Mass Balance of Glaciers, 1980-2008

Preliminary mass balance values for the observation period 2007/08 have been reported now from more than 90 glaciers worldwide. The mass balance statistics (Table 1) are calculated based on all reported values as well as on the data from the 30 reference glaciers in 9 mountain ranges (Table 2) with continuous observation series back to […]

Endangered Kenya rhinos de-horned to deter poachers

By Staff WritersNairobi (AFP) Jan 26, 2010 Four extremely rare Northern White rhinos recently transferred to Kenya from a Czech zoo have been dehorned to protect them from poachers, a conservation group said Tuesday. “With the increase of poaching in Kenya, we are simply not taking any chances,” Elodie Sampere from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, […]

30 wild tigers remain in each of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Tigers in the Greater Mekong region are facing extinction, their numbers down more than 70 percent in slightly more than a decade due to poachers and habitat destruction, conservationists say. A new report by wildlife group WWF says tiger populations in the region that includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam have […]

Half of North America freshwater mussel species in decline

Norman, Okla.–Biodiversity in freshwater systems is impacted as much or more by environmental change than tropical rain forests, according to University of Oklahoma Professor Caryn Vaughn, who serves as director of the Oklahoma Biological Survey. “When we think about species becoming extinct, we don’t necessarily think of the common species in freshwater systems, many of […]

Maximum height of extreme waves up dramatically in Pacific Northwest

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A major increase in maximum ocean wave heights off the Pacific Northwest in recent decades has forced scientists to re-evaluate how high a “100-year event” might be, and the new findings raise special concerns for flooding, coastal erosion and structural damage. The new assessment concludes that the highest waves may be as […]

Graph of the Day: California Groundwater Storage Loss, October 2003 – March 2009

Observed ground water trends in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River basins, Oct. 2003 to March 2009. NASA Data Reveal Major Groundwater Loss in California’s Heartland Technorati Tags: freshwater depletion,drought,agriculture,California,GRACE,North America

Drug money eclipses oil exports in Mexico

By Jason Lange, ZAPOPAN, MexicoFri Jan 22, 2010 7:40am EST ZAPOPAN, Mexico (Reuters) – At a modern factory in a city whose main claim to fame is an image of the Virgin Mary revered for granting miracles, Mexican pharmaceuticals firm Grupo Collins churns out antibiotics and other medicines. But the United States contends that the […]

Graph of the Day: Mammal, Bird, and Amphibian Declines by Cause

Red List Index (RLI) for (a) birds, (b) mammals and (c) amphibians showing trends driven by the impacts of invasive alien species (IAS)  compared with trends driven by other factors, for the proportion of species expected to remain extant in the near future without additional conservation action; n = 9,785 nondata deficient extant bird, 4,555 […]

Little owl in decline across Britain and Europe

Nature Notebook: Unlike similar introductions, the little owl has been an attractive addition to Britain’s avifauna By Michael McCarthyTuesday, 26 January 2010 Here’s some sad news for birdwatchers and classicists alike: the wise old owl is in decline. Across Europe, the bird which began the association between owls and intelligence is dropping in numbers – […]

Torrential rain not enough to end California drought

By Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 01.25.10 …While this week of rain has brought some relief to water officials, much more rain and snow is needed to pull California out of its three-year drought. The state could emerge from drought, but only if the rain is persistent, and is complemented by heavy snowfall […]

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