WASHINGTON – “This ruling by the Supreme Court directly threatens our ability to protect birds, people, and the places we need,” said Marshall Johnson, chief conservation officer, National Audubon Society. “Birds are telling us that the climate is changing and more action is needed. Stripping agencies like the EPA of their ability to respond to […]
Tag: climate change
EDF to construct nuclear power plant overlooking haven for avocets, bitterns and harriers
Last Wednesday, business at the RSPB’s Minsmere reserve’s Bittern Hide was consistent. The hilltop shelter, which views out over a wide expanse of heath, freshwater pools, and reed beds extending to the Suffolk coast, was filled with more than a dozen birdwatchers. Marsh harriers whirled overhead, and a bittern would occasionally fly across the scene. […]
Swallowtail butterfly in danger of extinction due to fungal die-back of milk parsley
The uncommon plant that its caterpillars depend on has suffered a catastrophic die-back due to fungus diseases, putting Britain’s largest butterfly in danger. Only 16 locations in Britain, all on the Norfolk Broads, where milk parsley grows, are known to have swallowtail breeding activity. But at one of its breeding sites last summer, more than […]
The breeding of rainbow-hued bee-eaters along the Norfolk coast shows the climate emergency has reached Britain
Conservationists claim that the breeding of rainbow-hued bee-eaters along the Norfolk coast this summer and the rare sighting of three black-winged stilt fledglings in Yorkshire are “unmissable signs” that the environment and climate emergency has reached Britain. Following the discovery of seven European bee-eaters near Cromer by a local birder, birdwatchers are swarming to north-east […]
Polar Bears Found Surviving in Greenland Despite Lack of Sea Ice
Few animals represent the face of the Arctic like polar bears. The largest bears in the world, polar bears are excellent swimmers who spend more time in the sea than they do on land. Sea ice is the platform from which they hunt the seals needed to obtain the necessary calories to survive. Now, scientists […]
Endangered Tasmanian devils insured against future threats
The largest ever analysis of Tasmanian devil genetics has found protected populations are as robust as wild ones, raising hopes for the endangered species’ survival. Last year a number of threatened species recovery plans were removed by the former government; now new research shows “insurance populations”—isolated from threats to prevent extinctions—could help preserve many animals. […]
The North Atlantic right whale is a critically endangered species with an estimated population of fewer than 350
Most North Atlantic right whales that are severely injured in fishing gear entanglements die within three years, a new study led by scientists at the New England Aquarium and Duke University finds. North Atlantic right whales are a critically endangered species whose population has shrunk in recent decades. Scientists estimate fewer than 350 of the […]
In the last month more than 500 dead little blue penguins have washed ashore in New Zealand
The penguins are arranged in neat, precisely spaced rows, their wings spread and their bright blue plumage faded by the sand. There are a total of 183, which were meticulously collected by locals, placed out, and photographed for further research. The birds were discovered last week at Ninety Mile Beach, the latest in a long […]