MetaFilter posts tagged with conservation

Protecting Nature's Gems

netbros — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:09:18 -0800

Rising up from deep within the aquifer, cool clear water flows from hundreds of springs that dot the Florida landscape. Florida springs are natural wonders that are threatened constantly. A team of journalists, filmmakers and researchers documented how water travels through the aquifer, springs and downriver to the Gulf of Mexico. Located in the Florida Panhandle near Tallahassee, Wakulla Spring is a colossal spring system. On average, more than 250 million gallons of water flow from Wakulla Spring every day forming a nine-mile river that reaches the Gulf of Mexico. Florida springs database with location and maps by county.

Green? Orangutans, biofuel, and logging

ChuraChura — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:20:34 -0800

Green tells the story of one orangutan captured and brought to a rehabilitation facility after her home is logged and converted to a palm oil plantation. This award winning documentary is a powerful indictment of the palm oil and logging industries in South Asia. It is also another voice in the crowd drawing attention to the potential ecological consequences of growing dependence on biofuels. The Sumatran Orangutan is one of the top 25 most endangered primates, and like most of the other primates on the list, is especially threatened by habitat loss due to deforestation. Indonesia's forests are being chopped up or burned down to make way for palm plantations. Palm oil is found in an unlikely variety of products - from Ben and Jerry's to Loreal to Campbell's Soup - and has been used as a biofuel to power commercial air travel. Rain forest woods like teak and mahogany are particularly valuable, but come from the same forests orangutans depend on - rain forest advocates suggest avoiding rain forest hardwood altogether unless it has been certified by a sustainable forestry organization like the Forest Stewardship Council.

Extinked: tattoos of endangered species

jonesor — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:53:00 -0800

Getting something permanently inked upon your body is not to be taken lightly, especially if it is a rare type of fungus. A bunch of conservation charities (the Marine Conservation Society, Buglife, and The People's Trust for Endangered Species) have collaborated with a Manchester arts collective, Ultimate Holding Company, and some tattoo artists to carry out what they call a "social experiment". In the UHC art gallery there are 100 ink illustrations of endangered species displayed, each of which is listed as a priority on the UK's Biodiversity Action Plan. One-hundred volunteers are asked to choose one for permanent display on their skin to raise awareness of conservation issues. UHC say, "the result of this unique exhibition is an army of ambassadors for threatened and rare birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, plants and fungi." Personally I'd have gone for the Brown hare, or maybe the scarlet malachite beetle. The species list [pdf] Previously.

Circle of death :(

allkindsoftime — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:11:24 -0800

In 20 years, according to one estimate, wild lions could be extinct in Kenya. There are some hopeful efforts to help protect the native lion population, including this initiative to employ Maasai warriors to help protect them, the Mara Predator Project (part of Living With Lions), and the African Lion Working Group, but it may be too little too late.

The fascinating world of conservation

tellurian — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:31:52 -0800

Biohistorical research • Wax engraving • The Thinker after the bomb • Alfred Stieglitz's palladium photographs • Tibetan bronzes with interior contents • The examination and treatment of a pair of boots from the Aleutian Islands — A small sample of the articles available from the Journal of the American Institute for Conservation (JAIC).

The other problem with CO2- Ocean Acidification

WhySharksMatter — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:37:40 -0800

Most people have heard about how rising CO2 levels are resulting in a changing global climate. Fewer have heard about the other consequence of rising CO2 levels- when the CO2 is absorbed into the oceans, it disassociates into carbonic acid. This alters the pH of our world's oceans, and it's called "Ocean Acidification". This changing ocean chemistry has many important and devastating consequences. Many marine organisms rely on complex chemical interactions with the ocean for survival, and these processes will be more difficult (if not impossible) in a more acidic ocean. One organism threatened by ocean acidification is corals (which take calcium carbonate out of seawater to make coral reefs. These reefs serve as home for thousands of unique life forms, and make up a huge part of the world's ecotourism business- and if corals can't make this reefs, these reef residents (as well as SCUBA diving businesses) are in big trouble. Crabs and other crustaceans also rely on ocean chemistry to make their protective shells, and without their shells they won't be able to survive. Perhaps most devastating of all is that a more acidic ocean will make it impossible for pteropods to make their protective shells. Pteropods, also known as sea butterflies or sea angels, are a plankton species that serves as the base of many food chains. Without them, many commercially important fish populations could collapse. There is some good news- the same steps that we are taking to fight global warming will also help fight ocean acidification, since it's really just another symptom of the same problem.

Snow Leopards

homunculus — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:17:02 -0800

Out of the Shadows: The elusive Central Asian snow leopard steps into a risk-filled future. (No, not that Snow Leopard.)

IT'S ALL PIPES!!!

Sys Rq — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:35:56 -0800

Brazil's new water conservation campaign: Xixi no Banho! (slyt)

Sacred Groves

homunculus — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:42:14 -0800

UC Scientists Determine That Ancient Maya Practiced Forest Conservation — 3,000 Years Ago. "As published in the July issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science, paleoethnobotanist David Lentz of the University of Cincinnati has concluded that not only did the Maya people practice forest management, but when they abandoned their forest conservation practices it was to the detriment of the entire Maya culture." [Via] Meanwhile, in present-day India, conservationists are trying to preserve sacred groves: New Notion of the Sacred

Unlike much of the Western world, the Indian subcontinent has managed to retain many thousands of groves, forests, rivers, lakes, and mountains that are afforded special protection for religious or spiritual reasons. Despite the enormous cultural disruption caused by British rule and the wave of industrialization that followed independence, sacred places in India have survived as a living tradition into the modern age. As the nation starts to feel the environmental strain of its economic boom, with a rapidly expanding population growing ever more hungry for land and resources, ecologists have begun to recognize sound scientific reasons for preserving human-free zones. Ancient as the tradition is, and as imbued with folklore and myth, declaring certain places sacred dovetails with some very modern concepts. Conservation groups are currently urging the Indian government—whose policies have led at times to the erosion of many sacred-grove systems—to acknowledge and understand the ways in which the country’s past may be key to its future.

The dangers sharks face are real

WhySharksMatter — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:33:02 -0800

1/3 of open ocean shark species faces extinction, according to the IUCN. A recent report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Shark Specialist group shows that nearly 1/3 of open ocean shark species face extinction. These sharks are essential to keeping ocean ecosystems in balance, and we've already seen some of the devastating effects of catastrophically decreased shark populations. Shark advocate Wolfgang Leander offers his thoughts on this crisis, and also provides the full text of an article about this IUCN report.

What Would It Look Like?

netbros — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:13:44 -0800

The Global Oneness Project is exploring how the radically simple notion of interconnectedness can be lived in our increasingly complex world. They travel the globe gathering stories from creative and courageous people who base their lives and work on the understanding that we bear great responsibility for each other and our shared world. They hope that by showing the diverse ways oneness is expressed—in the fields of sustainability, conflict resolution, spirituality, art, economics, indigenous culture, and social justice—others will be inspired to create solutions to personal and community challenges from their own lived understanding of oneness.

Nature's Elegant Solutions

netbros — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:12:04 -0800

Imagine nature's most elegant ideas organized by design and engineering function, so you can enter "filter salt from water" and see how mangroves, penguins, and shorebirds desalinate without fossil fuels. That's the idea behind AskNature, the online inspiration source for the biomimicry community. The featured pages are a good starting point. Cross-pollinating biology with design. Biomimicry is the science and art of emulating Nature's best biological ideas to solve human problems. Non-toxic adhesives inspired by geckos, energy efficient buildings inspired by termite mounds, and resistance-free antibiotics inspired by red seaweed are examples of biomimicry happening today.

Your Voice for Wildlife and Nature

netbros — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:05:44 -0800

OdyseeTV explores the pressures faced by wildlife and habitat. Featuring video content like the Plight of the Snow Leopard, or a feature about manatees, Can Gentle Survive?, by conservation organizations worldwide. Limited at present to about 30 programs, but growing as more groups come on board.

Wilderness protection bill passed

stbalbach — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:46:43 -0800

The US Senate Sunday in an unusual session passed 66-12 the largest land protection bill in 25 years. It is an "omnibus" containing hundreds of bills that have been in the works for years. For a list of all the projects and new lands protected.. ..go here, type "S. 22" in the search field, click the "Bill Number" radio button, then "Search", and then "Text of Legislation". Towards the bottom are some interesting new projects including Ocean Exploration ($50m a year). Permlinks should eventually show up at OpenCongress which has exact vote breakdown. The bill is not law yet but it is expected to pass the House and President Obama.

Oh God, not again.

tkolar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:56:46 -0800

There used to be this problem you see, until one of our own kindly settled it. His services are desperately needed once again.

Social Networking, Mobile Phones, and Crisis Communication

divabat — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 23:12:12 -0800

Can social networking be used to effect positive social change? Ushahidi (meaning "testimony" in Swahili) is one such project that harnesses mobile technology to empower local citizens to report on crucial and crisis situations in their area. Started as a mashup of user-generated reports and Google Maps on the post-election crisis in Kenya, it has now been deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa. They are currently working together with other organisations, such as Kiwanja, which uses mobile technology to assist NGO communications and outreach, mobile programming education, and gorilla conservation. Currently they're collaborating on prototyping the "ultimate activist tool". MobileActive is a dedicated blog that tracks such technology in international development and advocates for the use of mobile technology in crisis situations and disaster relief. (This post is a collaboration between divabat and infini.)

Chicago Daily News Photos 1902-1933

winna — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 16:26:48 -0800

Man walks on water from the archives of the Chicago Daily News. During the Progressive Era conservation and environmental concerns became increasingly important thanks to pictures like the one above. It's important to note that in many ways conservation in this context meant conservation for use, not protection from development. A good example of the debate over this definition of conservation was the still-ongoing controversy over the Hetch Hetchy Valley reservoir. The Hetch Hetchy Valley struggle was John Muir's last battle for conservation in the way we now understand it. (previously) The provision of the 1910 Picket Act which confirmed the right of government to sell or utilize public lands based on the determined utility of that land was a key factor in the Teapot Dome scandal. And incidentally, Bubbly Creek, the photo in the first link, is still contaminated.

Hoh River

homunculus — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:35:13 -0800

Silence Like Scouring Sand. "One of America's quietest places, and the valiant effort to keep it that way." (Previously.)

Book repair

Upton O'Good — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:35:49 -0800

The Dartmouth College Library hosts a Simple Book Repair Manual, which teaches you how to repair common problems such as torn pages and wet books. For more complicated procedures, the Alaska State Library put together a training manual, with illustrations of repair procedures. (Full PDF here.) There is also a book conservation dictionary hosted by the Stanford conservation department, which explains many of the terms used.

Posts totally win

caddis — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:42:07 -0800

Saving the Regal Fritillary The Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia) is one of the largest and most spectacular butterflies found in North America....About ten years ago, the Regal Fritillary could only be found in a single nature preserve in Indiana. This year, the Fort Indiantown Gap Training Center won the [Environmental A]ward for its efforts in preserving the Regal Fritillary Butterfly and its habitat, building nesting boxes and tracking migratory patterns of 12 bird species, restoring five acres of wetlands, and conducting prescribed burns to manage fuel loads and forests. Currently there is no federal protection for the regal fritillary in the United States under the Endangered Species Act, but the USDA Forest Service (USFS) has designated it as a sensitive species in Regions 1, 2, 8 and 9. This species is listed as endangered in five states, threatened in one state, and of special concern in four states. Its decline in the East was so rapid that in many states the regal fritillary had disappeared before it could be listed. Still, the regal fritillary does not currently have any legal protection or special concern designation in any of the states comprising Region 2 of the USFS. The range of the Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia) originally stretched from Maine to Montana and south to Oklahoma and North Carolina. Because the caterpillars utilize the prairie species of violets, this species was never found outside tallgrass prairie. Over the last 50 years, the species has sharply declined in the east and has lost 30% of its range due to many possible factors. Suburban sprawl and the conversion of prairies to farmland has led to severe habitat loss. Use of herbicides and pesticides could also affect populations.

MarineBio

netbros — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:00:48 -0800

The ocean gives us life. It gives us oxygen, the rain, food, excitement, wonder, and mystery. The ocean buffers the weather and helps regulate global temperature. It manages vast amounts of our pollutants, contains all kinds of amazing creatures, and supports all life on our planet. But, the ocean is just now beginning to be understood and with that understanding comes the increasing realization that the ocean is in trouble. Marine conservation efforts are outnumbered by the problems. MarineBio is here to call attention to those issues and to provide information to inspire the actions necessary to address them.

Expeditions

netbros — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:14:41 -0800

One World Journeys produces exciting and educational photo-documentary expeditions that connect online viewers to unique wilderness areas around the world. Travel to the remote mountain forests of the former Soviet Georgia, track jaguars in Mexico, dive on pristine coral reefs, swim with wild salmon and wildlife of British Columbia and step into the heat of the Sonoran Desert.

The Arrival of Energy Positive Buildings

rongorongo — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:06:26 -0800

A positive energy building is one that produces more power than it consumes (yes they have been around for a while). The Masdar Headquarters in Abu Dhabi – due for completion in 2010 claims that it will be the first to do this on a substantial scale (mainly thanks to use of solar energy). David Fisher's spectacular “Dynamic Architecture” building in Dubai will aim to achieve the same goal using wind. Scaling up on the ambition stakes France has pledged all of its new housing will fit into this category by 2020.

tribals vs conservation

dhruva — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:46:19 -0800

Eviction Slip :"In the spring of 2003 about 8,000 tribal people and low-caste farmers living in the Kuno area of Madhya Pradesh, India, were summarily uprooted from the rich farmlands they had cultivated for generations and moved to 24 villages on scrub land outside the borders of a sanctuary created for a pride of six imported Asiatic lions."[via]

The oloid

No Robots — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:54:20 -0800

It's art; it's geometry; it's green tech. It's the oloid. The oloid (pronounced “oh-loh-weed”) was discovered by Paul Schatz. Schatz discovered in 1929 that the Platonic solids could be inverted, and one of the products of the inversion of the cube was the oloid. Based on two circles set perpendicular to each other, it rolls in a straight line such that its whole surface touches the plane on which it is rolled. Its gentle, rhythmic motion is extremely effective in mixing, aerating and purifying. The oloid is extremely evocative visually, resembling a Möbius strip. Schatz came to his geometric insights by studying the work of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy. Schatz obtained Swiss Patent no 500000 for his oloid mixer. Development has since continued, and the oloid is applied in ever more numerous ways.