Tag Archives: Nature Conservancy
May 8, 2013 Three Different Types of Forest Fires
California Lutheran University Climate Change student assessment of Earth Dr Reese Halter's class
Wildfires came very close to the community of Malibu, California on May 3, 2013
OUR THOUGHTS & PRAYERS GO OUT TO ALL AUSTRALIANS WITH EXTREME TEMPERATURES FROM A PERSISTING HEATWAVE & CATASTROPHIC DRY CONDITIONS IN THE FORESTS ESPECIALLY IN NEW SOUTH WALES JAN 9, 2013
Australia, Radio 1, National: Ockham’s Razor
Fire is an integral part of western forests and all forest types throughout North America, Australia and elsewhere have evolved and adapted to fire.
Three types of forest fires occur.
When treetops burn it is called a crown fire and its lethal for most trees. In California oaks and big cone Douglas-fir, for example can regenerate new leaves after being scorched.
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Tags: Alaska, Australian Conservation Foundation, Avaaz, california, California wildfires, climate change, Colorado wildfires, crown fires, Defenders of Wildlife, Douglas-fir, Dr Reese Halter, drought, Ducks Unlimited, ellen degeneres, environment, Environmental Defense Fund, firestorms, global warming, ground fires, Jacque Cousteau, John Denver, lodgepole pine, Los Angeles, mountain pine beetles, Nature Conservancy, New Mexico wildfires, Oprah, ponderosa, Rocky Mountains, science, Sequoia, Steve Irwin, surface fires, water, wild fires, world wildlife Fund
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- Posted under climate change, ecosystems, environment, plants, trees, wildfires
May 7, 2013 Saving whales: a cause worth fighting war
From Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s The Drum January 4, 2013
In the 20th century humans slaughtered 1.5 million whales. It’s time now to end the whale hunt and The War Against Nature, writes Earth Dr Reese Halter.
Four Japanese whaling boats have once again set sail for the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. And four Sea Shepherd Conservation Society boats with 120 crew representing 26 nations are waiting to intercept and stop them.
It is without a doubt the most courageous and perhaps meaningful fight in The War Against Nature as the new year of 2013 commences.
This year the stakes are at an all-time high as the Japanese have armed coast guards on their boats, and a recent ruling by the US Court of Appeals stated that Sea Shepherd boats are to remain at least 500 yards from whaling vessels.
Led by their founder Paul Watson the Sea Shepherd has recently added a new fourth vessel – in a twist of fate, buying a former Japanese meteorological research boat with a gift from Sam Simon, one of the creators of the television cartoon series The Simpsons. And the Sea Shepherd has just appointed Dr Bob Brown, a long-time environmental champion and former Greens leader to their Australian board of directors. With two helicopters and three aerial drones, their largest-ever battle has daring goals: Zero Tolerance: Zero Cruelty: Zero Kills.
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Tags: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Conservation Foundation, Avaaz, cnn, Conservation International, Current TV, Defenders of Wildlife, Dr Reese Halter, Ducks Unlimited, ellen degeneres, Environmental Defense Fund, greenpeace, Grist, Jacque Cousteau, John Denver, London, Los Angeles, MSNBC, Natural Resources Defense Council, Nature Conservancy, Oprah, paul watson, Peta, Riverkeepers, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Sierra Club, Smithsonian, Steve Irwin, Ted Danson, Treehugger, world wildlife Fund
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- Posted under environment, Oceans
May 6, 2013 Regal Redwoods rule the coast
Story ran on Malibu Times Blog April 26, 2013
Imagine the most perfect tree on Earth: one that outdoes all others in magnificence, size, height, productivity, habitat, architecture and ability to draw thousands of gallons of water. Imagine, too, it is marvelously resistant to drought, fire, insects, disease, mudslides, flooding and wind, with exquisite biodiversity in its crown. Then, and only then, as John Muir put it, “you’d know the coastal monarch of their race” — the immortal Sequoia sempervirens, otherwise known as the coastal redwood.
Redwoods’ direct lineage can be traced back 144 million years ago to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period. That’s when Tyrannosaurus Rex was beginning to rule for 40 million years as no reptile nor animal has ever done since.
Redwoods are unique for many reasons. They are able to reproduce from both seed and organs, called lignotubers, located at the base of the tree just beneath the soil. No other conifer possesses this dual reproduction mechanism. It’s a trait that is widespread among the more advanced race of trees, the broadleaves or angiosperms, some 80 million years after the redwoods were born. Continue reading this article ›
Tags: Avaaz, Defenders of Wildlife, Dr Reese Halter, Earth Island Institute, ellen degeneres, Environmental Defense Fund, honeybees, International Fund Animal Awareness, Jacque Cousteau, John Denver, leonardo dicaprio, London, Los Angeles, Muir Woods National Monument, National Audubon Society, Natural Resources Defense Council, Nature Conservancy, Oprah, Peta, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Sierra Club, Steve Irwin, world wildlife Fund, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park
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- Posted under environment, trees
April 28, 2013 Effects of 2011 Japan Tsunami Continue
Story ran in Malibu Times January 4, 2013
On March 11, 2011 a 9.0 earthquake-spurred tsunami and its wave train pummeled the Japanese coastline.
Tons of debris including a dock and a Harley Davidson, and radioactivity are turning-up 15 months later along the westcoast, almost 6,000 miles away. The tsunami killed over 15,000 people and at least 3,000 are still missing. It also caused the shutdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant but not before major radiation leaked into our biosphere. Radioactive Iodine–131, Cesium-134 and Casium-137 were released into both the atmosphere and North Pacific Ocean.
On April 4, 2011 toxicity was detected in young konago or Japanese lance fish. Radioactive iodine has a half-life of 8 days and in humans it’s known to cause thyroid cancer. Radioactive cesium has unknown deleterious impacts on humans but its half-life is 30 years.
On May 28, 2012 fifteen Pacific bluefin tuna were found with levels of radioactive cesium, 10 times higher than the amount measured in tuna off southern California’s coast in the previous years.
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Tags: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Conservation Foundation, Avaaz, Conservation International, Defenders of Wildlife, Dr Reese Halter, Ducks Unlimited, ellen degeneres, Environmental Defense Fund, Green Peace, Jacque Cousteau, John Denver, leonardo dicaprio, London Olympics, Los Angeles, Marine Stewardship Council, Muir Woods National Monument, National Audubon Society, National Geographic, Natural Resources Defense Council, Nature Conservancy, New York City, Oprah, Peta, Riverkeepers, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Sierra Club, Steve Irwin, Ted Danson, world wildlife Fund, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park
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- Posted under environment
April 26, 2013 Solar Technologies: Breathtaking and Practical
Story ran Huffington Post August 6, 2012
Every hour the sun bathes Earth with as much energy as all human civilization uses in an entire year. Let me tell you about some spectacular and pragmatic solar technologies helping to reduce our global carbon footprint.
Austrian and Japanese scientists have recently pioneered solar cells thinner than a thread of spider silk. These new ultra thin solar cells are so flexible they can be wrapped tightly around a single human hair.
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Tags: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Conservation Foundation, Avaaz, Conservation International, Dr Reese Halter, Ducks Unlimited, ellen degeneres, Green Peace, Grist, honeybees, Jacque Cousteau, John Denver, leonardo dicaprio, London Olympics, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Muir Woods National Monument, National Audubon Society, National Geographic, Natural Resources Defense Council, Nature Conservancy, New York City, Oprah, Peta, Riverkeepers, Sea Shepherds, Sierra Club, Steve Irwin, Ted Danson, Treehugger, world wildlife Fund, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park
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- Posted under environment, technology
April 24, 2013 Halter: Global warming fatal to Earth’s trees
From Austin’s American-Statesman, December 14, 2012
Earth’s forests are breathtaking. In fact, trees are effectively the greatest CO2 warehouses to have ever evolved on Earth. For every metric ton of wood created, 1.5 metric tons of CO2 is absorbed and 1 metric ton of oxygen is released.
Frighteningly, Earth’s forests are dying from a warming world. The delegates from almost 200 countries who recently attended the Doha climate talks did not acknowledge the dying forests nor did they acknowledge what nature is unequivocally showing atmospheric, biologic and oceanic scientists.
Recently researchers once again sent an SOS call to denizens of Earth — drought conditions are placing deadly water-stress on forests around the globe. Moreover, Earth’s forests and myriad ‘ecosystem services’ that they provide all life — are approaching an irreversible tipping point.
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Tags: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Conservation Foundation, Avaaz, Conservation International, Defenders of Wildlife, Dr Reese Halter, Ducks Unlimited, ellen degeneres, Environmental Defense Fund, Green Peace, Grist, honeybees, Jacque Cousteau, John Denver, leonardo dicaprio, London, Los Angeles, National Audubon Society, National Geographic, Natural Resources Defense Council, Nature Conservancy, Oprah, Peta, Riverkeepers, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Sierra Club, Smithsonian, Steve Irwin, Ted Danson, Treehugger, world wildlife Fund
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- Posted under climate change
April 23, 2013 A Slice of Heaven: The Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux Park
A quarter of a century ago my forestry class examined the Stein Valley of southwest British Columbia – it was slated to be logged. Conservationists, Natives and activists including the late John Denver persuaded the government in 1995 to create a park – a global legacy.
There are conservatively 10 million different forms of life on our planet. All living organisms are made up of the same seven major atoms and come from the blueprint of life – DNA. Grizzly bears, wolves or dolphins share over 75 percent of DNA that is identical in humans.
The challenge for conservation biologists in the 21st century is to protect the genetic tapestry of all life forms.
The Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux Park is a remarkable biological jewel. It’s about a three-hour drive from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Continue reading this article ›
Tags: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Conservation Foundation, Avaaz, Conservation International, Defenders of Wildlife, Discovery, Dr Reese Halter, Ducks Unlimited, ellen degeneres, Environmental Defense Fund, Green Peace, Grist, honeybees, Jacque Cousteau, John Denver, leonardo dicaprio, London Olympics, MSNBC, Muir Woods National Monument, National Audubon Society, National Geographic, Natural Resources Defense Council, Nature Conservancy, Oprah, Peta, Riverkeepers, Sea Shepherds, Sierra Club, Steve Irwin, Ted Danson, Treehugger, world wildlife Fund, Yosemite National Park
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April 23, 2013 Hungry Green Carnivorous Plants
The most remarkable aspect of nature is how organisms have carved out an existence in the harshest of environments.
Plants, as an example, have adapted to live in soggy and sometimes perpetually saturated soils and ponds that are extremely acidic, very nutrient poor but with lots of bugs buzzing around. They still survive, like all other green plants, from the sun’s energy. But they’ve also learned to supplement nutrient deficient soil from an unusual source: Welcome to the world of green plants that eat ants, grasshoppers, slugs, spiders, mosquitoes, flies and even green tree frogs. These are carnivorous plants!
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Tags: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Conservation Foundation, Avaaz, Boston, Chicago, Conservation International, Defenders of Wildlife, Ducks Unlimited, ellen degeneres, Environmental Defense Fund, Jacque Cousteau, John Denver, Land Conservancy, leonardo dicaprio, London Olympics, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Memphis, Muir Woods National Monument, National Geographic, Natural Resources Defense Council, Nature Conservancy, New York, Oprah, Peta, Portland, San Francisco, Sea Shepherds, Sierra Club, Steve Irwin, sydney, Ted Danson, world wildlife Fund, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park
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April 22, 2013 Earth Day Atlanta: Lifestyle tweaks help planet, save money
A slice of heaven - our oceans
Story ran in Atlanta Journal-Constitution April 21, 2011
It’s simple to save cash when you know where to look and know what to do.
This Earth week and every day consider that by changing just a few habits you and your family can save money and make a big difference by helping our environment.
The first step is to calculate how much energy you use at home, traveling and at work. We call this calculating your http://carbonfund.org”>carbon footprint. Once you determine how much you and your family are spending, it is simple to begin to cut back. Continue reading this article ›
Tags: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Conservation Foundation, Avaaz, Conservation International, Dr Reese Halter, Ducks Unlimited, ellen degeneres, Environmental Defense Fund, Green Peace, Grist, honeybees, Jacque Cousteau, John Denver, leonardo dicaprio, London Olympics, Los Angeles, MSNBC, Muir Woods National Monument, National Audubon Society, National Geographic, Natural Resources Defense Council, Nature Conservancy, Oprah, Peta, Riverkeepers, Sea Shepherds, Sierra Club, Steve Irwin, Ted Danson, Treehugger, world wildlife Fund, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park
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April 21, 2013 The Incredible World of Dolphins
Story ran in the Malibu Times June 20, 2012
I’ve watched many dolphins from the Malibu shoreline lately. They are playful, affectionate, curious, intelligent, social and vocal. Are they the creatures humans would have been had we not left the water?
Dolphins are aquatic, top-predator mammals classified as a type of whale or cetacean. There are two types of cetaceans. Baleen whales filter massive amounts of small oceanic organisms, called krill, with comb-like sieves in their mouths. Toothed whales, on the other hand, grab prey with their teeth. Dolphins and their mistaken twin, the porpoise, are a type of toothed whale. There are about 70 kinds of toothed whales, and about 45 species of dolphins, porpoises and false whales, such as killer whales or orcas. Continue reading this article ›
Tags: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Conservation Foundation, Avaaz, Denver, Dr Reese Halter, Ducks Unlimited, ellen degeneres, Environmental Defense Fund, Grist, honeybees, Jacque Cousteau, John Denver, leonardo dicaprio, London, London Olympics, Los Angeles, Marine Stewardship Council, MSNBC, Muir Woods National Monument, National Audubon Society, National Geographic, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Nature Conservancy, New York, oceans, Oprah, Perth, Peta, Riverkeepers, San Francisco, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Seattle, Sierra Club, Steve Irwin, Ted Danson, Treehugger, water, world wildlife Fund, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park
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- Posted under critters, environment, Nature, Oceans, water
