Climate change is rapidly expanding the size of the world’s tropical zone, threatening to bring disease and drought to heavily populated areas, an Australian study has found. Researchers at James Cook University concluded the tropics had widened by up to 500 kilometres (310 miles) in the past 25 years after examining 70 peer-reviewed scientific articles. […]
By Matt Walker, Editor, Earth News The world’s largest cat is down to an effective wild population of fewer than 35 individuals, new research has found. Although up to 500 of the big cats actually survive in the wild, the effective population is a measure of their genetic diversity. That in turn is a good […]
By Matt Walker, Editor, Earth News Hopes are dashed that some of the few remaining hirola antelope have managed to colonise new, safer territory. Fleeting sightings of the world’s rarest antelope, the hirola, in a new safe haven are cases of mistaken identity, a survey has found. That has dashed hopes that some of the […]
By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent In the West Midlands dead fish were found floating in a park due to oxygen depletion from the algae and the fountains in Trafalgar Square had to be closed because of the green slime. It has also caused trouble for gardeners and fishermen. Vets have now raised concerns that dogs […]
Nearly 17,000 plant and animal species are known to be threatened with extinction, while more than 800 have disappeared over the past 500 years, reports the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). While these numbers are substantial, they are likely “gross” underestimates since only 2.7 percent of 1.8 million described species have been assessed. […]
Update: Apparently, some retouching shenanigans occurred with this series, and The New York Times has withdrawn the photos. Too bad we didn’t get that kind of probity from NYT before the invasion of Iraq. We have been discussing Whither the McMansion, wondering about their future; their present is equally troubling. The New York Times sent […]
From Calculated Risk: By popular request … The FDIC closed seven more banks yesterday, and the following graph shows bank failures by week for 2009. So far there have been 52 FDIC bank failures in 2009.It appears the pace has picked up lately (12 bank closings over the last two weeks). … FDIC Bank Failures […]
Extinction looms for amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds restricted to declining mangrove forests (American Institute of Biological Sciences) More than 40 percent of a sample of amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds that are restricted to mangrove ecosystems are globally threatened with extinction, according to an assessment published in the July/August issue of BioScience. The […]
By Michael Perry SYDNEY (Reuters) – Mounting loss of seagrass in the world’s oceans, vital for the survival of endangered marine life, commercial fisheries and the fight against climate change, reveals a major crisis in coastal ecosystems, a report says. A global study of seagrass, which can absorb large amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide, found […]
By Matthew McDermott Hopefully you already are aware of the plight of orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra as logging and palm oil plantations continue to rapidly destroy their habitat. The rate of deforestation and habitat loss is so great that some scientists are predicting that the orangutan will be the first great ape to go […]
