JUNEAU, AK – A federal judge rejected yesterday an enormous commercial timber harvest and road-building plan for Prince of Wales Island in the Tongass National Forest of Southeast Alaska. The judge ruled that project approval violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which sets standards for public engagement on federal projects that will alter the […]
Tag: climate change
Petition: Polar Bears in Danger of Being Buried Alive as their Dens Go Undetected During Oil Drilling
A study found that polar bear dens often go undetected during oil industry checks. According to Reuters, a study found that the oil industry’s method for finding polar bear dens while drilling in Alaska fails half the time. The study evaluated thermal detection records from the oil industry and compared them to biologists’ records of […]
California Pioneers a New Way to Manage Fish for Birds
This month marks the beginning of a sea change for California’s fisheries and the birds that rely on them. On March 1, the state of California finalized a new set of regulations protecting Pacific herring, a critical forage fish for waterbirds on the Pacific Flyway. Forage fish are tiny, numerous fish that serve as food […]
‘Intense’ human pressure is widespread among terrestrial vertebrates, study finds
A new study assessing the cumulative impacts of human activities on wildlife found that the vast majority of terrestrial species are facing “intense” pressure due to humanity’s footprint across the globe. A research team led by Christropher O’Bryan of Australia’s University of Queensland looked at human pressures across the ranges of 20,529 terrestrial vertebrates and […]
Polar bears are being forced into CANNIBALISM by climate change and fossil fuel extraction with large males attacking females with cubs, scientist reveals
Climate change and humans are driving polar bears to cannibalism. A Russian scientist reveals the animals are feeding on each other in the Arctic as melting ice and fossil fuel extraction destroys their habit. Ice levels are falling due to rising temperatures and industrial companies are moving into the area -forcing polar bears out of […]
King Tides Are a Sign of the Future for Oregon’s Coast
With the king tides in Oregon this month, we are getting a preview of the rising sea levels that climate change will bring to the Oregon Coast. These extremely high tides – which are 2 to 4 feet higher than normal – currently only occur a couple times a year when the moon is closest […]
‘Out of control’: Unprecedented fires ravage Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands
PORTO JOFRE, Brazil – Only fragile wisps of freshly-sprouted grass dotted the charred plot of farmland in Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands. Standing amid the ash and burnt vegetation, Eledilson Nunes de Souza lifted his hand, marking a line halfway up his chest. “Usually, at this time of year, it’s all flooded here – the water is […]
Listening to marine mammals is helping scientists understand Arctic impacts of climate change
A 4-year bioacoustic study of marine mammals in the northern Bering Sea will help scientists track the impacts of global climate change on Arctic ecosystems. Researchers with WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society), Columbia University, Southall Environmental Associates, and the University of Washington wanted to understand how seasonal variation in sea surface temperatures and sea ice affect […]