Coral reefs need protection

WWF report says last marine wilderness area on the planet must be protected!

Coral Sea sharks could be wiped out
Uploaded by therealnews

Christian the Lion - the full story

Christian left the Kora Reserve in 1973. He made his new territory along the Tana river, but when the Wakamba herdsmen kept bringing their livestock to his hunting ground, he moved on. George Adamson said in his autobiography, "I used to count the days on which we hadn't seen Christian, but when they reached 97, I gave up recording them in my diary." Because a lion can live from 12 to 15 years in the wild, Adamson believed that Christian ended his days in the Meru National Reserve only a few miles up river.



To see the whole amazing story, you can buy the full dvd at http://www.bornfree.org.uk and help The Born Free Foundation save more wildlife.

Protect the Polar Bears of Chukchi Sea!

Less than a month after listing polar bears as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided to give oil companies legal protection to potentially harm the bears as they move forward with oil and gas exploration and development in Alaska's Chukchi Sea.

Head over to the National Wildlife Federation and copy the e-mail they've prepared for people to use as a way to open up their representatives' eyes.

They want you to edit and send the message to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall, urging him to protect the Chukchi Sea polar bears, not big oil profits. I say send it to any political figure, Democrat or Republican, you can think of!

Bee-boys drop dead

One of the most interesting Public Service Announcements (PSA) I have come across in a very long while. And the message is an important one: SAVE THE BEES!

Bee-Boy dance crew drops dead
Uploaded by helpthehoneybees

Then check out the site that goes along with this PSA. It was created by Haagen-Dazs (yeap, the ice cream makers) but the message is an important one. AND you can download a great little pdf file of a booklet explaining what you can do to attract more bees into your neighborhood. Check it out at helpthehoneybees.com!

Beautiful images

A collection of images (of animals, of nature) with the song 'what a wonderful world' by Louis Armstrong.

Must see: Sharkwater

I saw Sharkwater the other week and I swear I haven`t been the same since. If any movie can persuade people to take action to protect this world (and that means protecting one of the most misunderstood animals in the world) it is this one.

Having garnered 21 awards at film festivals around the world, filmmaker Rob Stewart’s epic journey Sharkwater puts him on the front lines to save the planet. Part biologist, part investigative reporter, Stewart follows the trail of the multi-billion dollar shark fin trade and sets off a chain of events that has to be seen to be believed. His adventure becomes a dangerous mission involving espionage, corrupt governments, mafia rings, his arrest and a glimpse at his own mortality.

In an effort to protect sharks, Stewart teams up with renegade conservationist Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. A confrontation between the Sea Shepherd and shark poachers in Guatemala results in a dramatic confrontation with a pirate Guatemalan fishing boat. But that’s just the beginning. As they become involved in a gunboat chase, face corrupt court systems and attempted murder charges, they are forced to flee for their lives.

Filmed in 15 countries in visually stunning, high definition video, Sharkwater takes you to the most shark-rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world’s shark populations. What one comes away with is a story about the beauty of life on earth and our role in protecting its amazing balance.

Purchase the book: Sharkwater: The Photographs.
Purchase the movie: Sharkwater.
Visit the official website: here.

Eco-Bunnies save Earth ... Day

The Eco-Bunnies are back! And this time they save the EARTH...day festivities.

Protecting the Beluga

Biologists study the Beluga whale in Russia's White Sea region as a way of preserving one of its unique breeding grounds. The project to study the whales receives aid from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). It aims to protect natural habitat as Russia plans to develop energy reserves in the Barents Sea. The IFAW hopes the Solevetsky island will be declared a UNESCO heritage site.

Pelican's making a comeback

The brown pelican has made a dramatic recovery since the early 1970s. Now, they number more than 600,000 in the western hemisphere. Simon Perez reports.

Squirrels are people, too

An exploration of a unique habitat for squirrels.

Eco-bunnies know how it's done

Being a bunny isn't all about hopping around and eating carrots. Well mostly, but we do other stuff too. We are spreading the word about the effects of carbon emissions on the environment and encourage everybody to offset those emissions whenever they can. We recommend zeroing out emissions through The Conservation Fund's Go Zero program. It's kinda funny when you think about it: decreasing your impact on the environment actually impacts the environment!

From "eek!" to "I love you"

Insects often scare or annoy, but bugs are a much needed part of our environment.

Giraffe masterminds circus break-out

Fifteen camels, two zebras and several llamas and pot-bellied pigs escaped from a circus visiting Amsterdam.

"We suspect that a giraffe kicked open a pen," claimed Dutch police, adding that the animals did not get far before they were rounded up and returned to the circus.

And you thought the coyote was wily ...

Another Year of Disappearing Honey Bees

The 2008 calendar indicates that another spring has arrived in North America and the signs of the new season are everywhere. Buds have appeared on trees, heralding the arrival of new leaves. The increased daylight and the warming sun act as harbingers for the appearance of flowering plants that will soon begin their summer cycle of growth. Nurseries and home improvement stores; such as, Home Depot and Loews, are selling plants, rakes, shovels, mulch, and fertilizer.

Indeed, the familiar signs of spring are everywhere. However, once again this year, there is a real problem in nature which is tempering agricultural enthusiasm for the upcoming growing season. It is a problem that was first identified in 2006. The problem continues to be the disappearance of the honey bee. Once again there is little progress to report from research into this mystery surrounding the honey bee called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

CCD occurs when all adult bees disappear from the hive, leaving the honey and pollen behind. Few, if any, dead bees are found around the hive. Between 50 and 90% of the commercial honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in the United States have been afflicted with CCD and the problem is making it difficult for U.S. commercial beekeepers to pollinate crops. About a quarter of beekeeping operations were affected by CCD during the 2006-2007 winter alone. It is estimated that up to 70% of honey bees in the United States have just disappeared due to Colony Collapse Disorder. The problem has continued during the winter of 2007-2008.

In addition to the ongoing problem of CCD, consider that news reports indicate significant regional problems with dying honey bees this spring in the United States. In Hawaii, a microscopic mite is devastating Oahu's honey bee population and the long term affects could wipe out much of the island's agriculture. Western Washington State has a developing agricultural crisis as bees are dying from a new pathogen called Nosema Ceranae. This fungus attacks the bee's gut, making it impossible to process food and the bee eventually starves to death.

In general, the various problems with disappearing and dying honey bees are rapidly taking a toll on the entire United States beekeeping industry. It has been reported that the number of keepers who produce more than 6,000 pounds of honey annually has declined from 2,054 in 2005, (the year before keepers started experiencing colony collapse) to about 1,100 this year.

Internationally, a lack of a sufficient number of honey bees is responsible this spring for problems in blueberry pollination in Canada. The Fraser Valley produces about one-fifth of the world's blueberries, but no longer has a sufficient number of honey bees to support its blueberry pollination, and honey bees are now being imported for pollination.

In England and Wales, proposals to protect honey bees have recently been announced by the government. However, bee keepers complain about a lack of research funding and the slow pace of governmental response since the number of honey bees continues in decline.

It is now estimated that nearly half of Italy's 50 billion bee population died last year. That bee mortality rate will have a drastic effect on the country's 25-million-euro honey industry (which could plummet by at least 50% in 2008) and wreak havoc on fruit crops. The worldwide bee epidemic has also hit France, Germany, Britain, Brazil, and Australia.

The increased cost of energy in food production and transportation has already led to a world food price inflation of 45 percent in the last nine months alone. There are serious worldwide shortages of rice, wheat, and corn. The rising cost of food has recently been responsible for deadly clashes in Egypt, Haiti, and several African states.

However, if the population of the honey bee continues to decline, worldwide events from higher prices and shortages of food will have only just begun. The pollination of the honey bee is crucial to agriculture and the world’s food supply. Without the honey bee, prices of vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, and dairy prices will all spiral much higher.

The disappearance of the honey bee poses a threat to eating premium ice cream as well. Haagen-Dazs, (owned by General Mills) said bees are responsible for 40% of its 60 flavors, such as strawberry, toasted pecan, and banana split. The company is launching a new flavor this spring called Vanilla Honey Bee to raise consumer awareness about the problem. Proceeds from the sale of the ice cream will be used to fund CCD research.

The ramifications to our diet and lifestyle are enormous, but government's response to the developing food crisis has been limited and slow. The disappearing honey bee issue has not been discussed in any Presidential debate or in any campaign forum. In fact, both of our major political parties have been silent on the problem.

Hopefully, American politicians on the campaign trail in the 2008 United States presidential election like Haagen- Daz products. The truth is that Vanilla Honey Bee ice cream may be the only way to bring the candidates attention to a serious, developing, agricultural crisis. A world without sufficient honey bee pollination will create a food crisis of economic, national, and international ramifications. Indeed, it is another year without a solution to the problem of disappearing honey bees.

About the Author: James William Smith has worked in Senior management positions for some of the largest Financial Services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. Visit his website at http://www.eWorldvu.com