Month: February 2014
Sacred Mountain
The Treetalker
News from and about the trees
This week, a couple of stories, courtesy of WWF:
WWF and Mondi to sustain ecosystems through responsible business practices -WWF and Mondi Group announced on Feb. 20 that they will work together in a three-year strategic partnership that focuses on increasing environmental stewardship in the packaging and paper sectors. The work program will cover three main areas: ecosystem, manufacturing, and product stewardship
and: Can Indonesia’s notorious deforesters turn over a new leaf? – A year ago, the industry’s largest player, Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) announced that its fibre supplies would no longer come from pulping Indonesia’s natural forests. Just over a week ago, the second-largest player, Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) followed suit with its own announcement of changed practices and new conservation initiatives.
Kangaroo evolution and climate change in Australia
This video is called Mutant Planet- The Evolution of Marsupials.
Talking about Australia and climate change …
From Murdoch University in Australia today:
Kangaroo evolution maps climate change
2 hours ago
The evolution of kangaroos has given a clear picture of Australia’s changing climate, according to a new study.
Murdoch University’s Dr Natalie Warburton and Dr Gavin Prideaux from Flinders University have analysed changes to the kangaroo skeleton over time which reflect Australia’s changing environment and climate.
Dr Warburton said in this way kangaroos represent a sort of barometer for climate change.
“This is important for our understanding of historical climate change in Australia,” she said.
“Our study represents the most comprehensive anatomical analysis of the evolution of modern and fossil kangaroos on the basis of the skull, teeth and skeleton – including some of the new fossil species we recently identified from caves on the Nullarbor.”
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Zambian court stops mining in national park plan
This video is called Watching Buffalo in Tongabezi, Zambia – African wildlife.
From Wildlife Extra:
Zambian High Court overturns government mining plan in Lower Zambezi
February 2014: A plan to mine copper from the Lower Zambezi National Park has been halted by the High Court in Lusaka, Zambia, despite gaining government approval. In January the government granted approval for Mwembeshi Resources Ltd to mine up to 80 million tonnes of copper ore from the park per year despite protests by Zambian environmental organisations.
The park is an Important Bird Area and is being considered for listing as a World Heritage Site and these groups are concerned that such a massive project could have serious impacts on biodiversity, water and people downstream.
“As a unique and world renowned ecosystem with immense financial and ecological value to Zambia, the area deserves the highest form of protection,” said Mr. Moses…
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Letter to help save 2,000 Mute Swans
2,000 Mute Swans in New York State are being threatened by a plan to kill them, on the grounds that they are harming the natural world. As we know, it is humans, not swans, that harm the natural world. Please read more about this issue on the Friends of Animals website. The link is given below, at the end. And please write a polite letter to help save the swans. Thank you.
Letter sent to
gov.cuomo@chamber.state.ny.us;
NYSDEC Bureau of Wildlife,
Swan Management Plan,
625 Broadway,
Albany,
NY 12233-4754
Dear Madam, Sir,
Please cancel the plan to kill 2,000 Mute Swans in New York State.
Mute Swans and other waterbirds do not destroy habitat. They are part of the natural world — a beautiful, innocent part of nature, and they have every right to live in peace, undisturbed.
I have personally cared for Mute Swans in Utah for many years, and I know them well.
All wildlife must be respected and protected – this is the core principle which forms the basis of all wildlife law. The problems that human beings have in their relationships with nature are caused entirely by humans – by our aggressive and destructive relationship with the planet we live on. These problems will never be solved by killing other species whenever we find them inconvenient.
It is time for us to come to our senses and relate to animals and all of nature with kindness, respect and compassion – to protect wild animals and not kill them.
How can we help ourselves by destroying other forms of life?
Sincerely,
Sharon St Joan
Thank you to Sharon Hopkins for passing on information about this threat to Mute Swans in New York.
To read more about this issue on the Friends of Animals website, click here.
http://friendsofanimals.org/news/2014/january/stop-mute-swan-slaughter-ny
Photo: Author: Geni / File:Mute Swan Emsworth.JPG / “This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.” / Wikipedia Commons / Mute Swan swimming on Emsworth Millpond
Art, animals, and the earth 