Largest Copper and Gold Mine Would Destroy Bristol Bay, Alaska

An international mining group is planning North America's largest copper and gold mine at headwaters of Bristol Bay, Alaska. Environmentalists are outraged, as this is a "vital ecosystem" for salmon and other species. The National Resource Defense Council explains:

The only way to extract the low-grade ore from the region would be to use a brutal and pollution-prone technique known as hard-rock mining, which includes powerful explosives and massive drilling equipment. At one of the proposed mines in Pebble, a remote, roadless area sandwiched between two national parks, spongy, lake-studded tundra would be scraped away, leaving a yawning two-mile-wide, 2,000-foot-deep pit in its place. This would be the largest open-pit mine in the world -- wide enough to line up nine of the world's longest cruise ships end to end and deep enough to swallow the Empire State Building. At a second mine, explosives would be used to create a series of underground cave-ins to extract ore.

Wildlife Crimes in Britain Push Some Species Close to Extinction

Britain's wildlife is troubled by crime. According to the Telegraph:

The number of wildlife crimes more than doubled in the last year, from 2,177 to 5,854, with badgers and rare birds among the most persecuted, according to the National Wildlife Crime Unit, a police-led, multi-agency unit which gathers intelligence on national wildlife crime.

Cases of cruelty to animals in their natural habitat are now being reported at a rate of 120 a week. Among them are badger bating, egg thefts, bird trapping, deer poaching, hare coursing and habitat destruction.

Many of these species are close to extinction, like the hen harrier. Hen harriers are "hated by gamekeepers for killing grouse and other birds on shooting estates".  These birds have also had unsuccessful breeding seasons in recent years, further compounding the issue. Badgers have also been targeted by wildlife criminals, largely because they are thought to spread bovine tuberculosis.

Obama Gives Shell Oil Permission for Offshore Drilling in the Arctic

In a move reminiscent of the Bush administration, President Obama has given Shell Oil permission to "begin exploratory wells off the north coast of Alaska in an Arctic area that is home to large numbers of endangered bowhead whales and polar bears, as well as walruses, ice seals and other species."  What is the president thinking?

Via: Truthout and the Guardian

Great Pacific Garbage Patch Images by Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan is well known for his images that expound western culture's consumerism and its effect on the environment. One of my favorite piece by Chris Jordan includes 32,000 Barbie dolls to highlight the number of breast augmentations that occur each month in the US. Chris' latest work features images he took on Midway Atoll, and unlike Chris' other work, he did not  arrange objects to create these images:

These photographs of albatross chicks were made just a few weeks ago on Midway Atoll, a tiny stretch of sand and coral near the middle of the North Pacific. The nesting babies are fed bellies-full of plastic by their parents, who soar out over the vast polluted ocean collecting what looks to them like food to bring back to their young. On this diet of human trash, every year tens of thousands of albatross chicks die on Midway from starvation, toxicity, and choking.

To document this phenomenon as faithfully as possible, not a single piece of plastic in any of these photographs was moved, placed, manipulated, arranged, or altered in any way. These images depict the actual stomach contents of baby birds in one of the world's most remote marine sanctuaries, more than 2000 miles from the nearest continent.

Via: Treehugger

Animal Rights: BLM Roundup of Wild Horses

I have always had an affinity for horses since I was a child, and I have fantasized about adopting one of the wild horses the Bureau of Land Management rounds up every year and auctions off to the public.

ALove4Horses writes:

The Bureau of Land Management is rounding up and eliminating 12 herds (650 horses) off 1.4 million acres in Nevada right now- next they plan to destroy Cloud's herd with a massive removal of 70 horses that would include OLDER HORSES and YOUNG FOALS...The House just passed the Restoring of American Mustangs (ROAM) act and the Senate will review this bill (now S.1579) when they return from recess in September. Is BLM just trying to do as much irrevocable damage to America's wild horses as they can before Congress can act?

I know question if this is a practice I should support or if I would actually be "rescuing" an animal.

New Species Discovered in the Mekong Delta by the WWF

Among the new species discovered by the World Wildlife Federation (WWF) in the Mekong River region are a fanged frog, leopard striped gecko, a tube nosed bat, and the Nonggang babbler. All of these species are potentially threatened by climate change. Stuart Chapman, director of the WWF Greater Mekong Programme, explains:

After millennia in hiding, these species are now finally in the spotlight, and there are clearly more waiting to be discovered. Some species will be able to adapt to climate change, many will not, potentially resulting in massive extinctions. Rare, endangered and endemic species like those newly discovered are especially vulnerable because climate change will further shrink their already restricted habitats.

The Guardian points out that just as we have learned about these species existence, there very survival is threatened by climate change.

Photograph: Thomas Ziegler/WWF/EPA

California Condor Restoration Foiled by Trash Ingestion

Despite 2009 being a "record-breaking" year for Central California condor restoration, trash ingestion has become a problem for chicks. Four chicks are currently residing in wild nests; however, one was recently found dead from assumed trash ingestion. The Pelican Network reports:

We suspect that condor parents are mistakenly picking up micro-trash (pieces of glass, plastic and metal) and delivering it to their nestlings thinking that they are bringing calcium-rich bone fragments to their offspring. The chicks then ingest the micro-trash and probably have trouble regurgitating it.

This problem was first discovered in southern California but in Big Sur, very little micro-trash has been collected in nests despite an intensive effort to study condor reproduction. In the central coast region since the birds started breeding in the wild there, we have had 11 nesting attempts. A total of 10 chicks hatched in wild nests (with our assistance - check out the video) and 9 of these survived to fledging age. Two of these later died after leaving the nest, however. This is the first chick in our region to die of trash ingestion and now is the time to act. We feel the situation is urgent because we still have condor chicks in nests presently.

Coastal clean up projects are planned to help combat the problem.

100-Year-Old Sturgeon Found in Shasta Lake Predates Dam

Earlier this month, angler Dan Frost found the carcass of an estimated 100-year-old white sturgeon in Shasta Lake. This seven-foot long beast could predate the construction of Shasta Dam, which was completed in 1945. White sturgeon live in Shasta Lake's inlets, but they have been unable to spawn since the 1960s when powerhouses on the Pitt River obstructed their spawning grounds.  The sturgeon is not the first large carcass to be found near Redding, CA.  An 85 pound salmon carcass was found this fall in Battle Creek.

Via: Redding Record Searchlight

Obama Administration Fails to Protect Polar Bears

Time has expired for Obama's Secretary Salazar to rescind a "special rule" created by the Bush administration that sharply limits protections for the polar bears under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Congress gave Salazar until May 9, 2009 to strike the Bush special rule that exempted federal activities from ESA review to protect polar bears, including those that produce greenhouse gases causing habitat to disappear. The Center for Biological Diversity explains:

Salazar ignored strong criticism of the rule and requests to revoke it from more than 1,300 scientists, more than 50 prominent legal experts, dozens of lawmakers, more than 130 conservation organizations and hundreds of thousands of members of the public.

The rule severely undermines protection for the polar bear by exempting all activities that occur outside of the polar bears range from review. The polar bear, however, is endangered precisely because of activities occurring outside the Arctic, namely emission of greenhouse gases and resulting warming that is leading to the rapid disappearance of summer sea ice.

Once again, Big Oil and its powerful lobby has won, as the Bush special rule reduces the protection bears receive under ESA from oil industry activities in the Alaska.

Many Butterflies May Go Extinct in Britain

Many of Britain's butterflies are hovering on the brink of extinction. Wet summers, housing developments, and intensive agriculture are to blame. Some of the affected species are:

• high brown fritillary
• wood white
• small tortoiseshell
• pearl-bordered fritillary

According to Tom Brereton, head of monitoring at Butterfly Conservation:

If we have a nice, sunny year, some species will bounce back, but some species got to such a low ebb on some sites we're not sure if it has tipped them over the edge of extinction.

The cuckoo is also on the verge of being listed as an endangered species in Britain, as less pairs are migrating from Africa because of the scarcity of food and water.

Via:  Daily Mail

The Last Known US Jaguar Has Been Euthanized

The last known living jaguar in the US has been euthanized. Jaguars were thought to be extinct in the US until there were confirmed sightings of two male jaguars (Macho A and Macho B) in Arizona in 1996. Macho A was last seen in 2004, and it is suspected he has crossed the border into Mexico or is deceased.

Macho B was captured in 2008 and fitted with a tracking collar. Biologists noticed that Macho B's movements were slowing, and he had lost weight. He was recaptured and taken to the Phoenix Zoo. According to the LA Times:

Shortly thereafter, Macho B was euthanized when tests revealed severe kidney failure from which he could not recover. Fish and Wildlife spokesman Jeff Humphrey said kidney failure was common in older cats, but questions remained about whether stress from his capture had caused or exacerbated Macho B's condition. A necropsy was performed, and today Phoenix Zoo Executive Vice President Dr. Dean Rice is saying the capture probably played a key role in the jaguar's death. While Macho B probably had existing kidney problems, stress and the increased pressure on his body to process the tranquilizer drugs used during his capture probably hastened his death, according to Rice.

It is so sad that human interference has hastened the death of this 15-16-year-old jaguar, but the situation may become even more bleak. The only chance the US jaguar population has for survival is from the Mexican cats; however, the 700-mile border fence being built to stop illegal Mexican immigrants will also prohibit jaguars from crossing the border.

World's Only Pink Albino Bottlenose Dophin Needs Protection From Tourists

What a rare sight to see a pink dolphin! Discovered in Lake Calcasieu, an inland saltwater estuary in Louisiana, this dolphin has gotten so much attention from tourists that conservationists are warning it needs protection. Regina Asmutis-Silvia, senior biologist with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, explains:

I have never seen a dolphin coloured in this way in all my career. It is a truly beautiful dolphin but people should be careful, as with any dolphins, to respect it - observe from a distance, limit their time watching, don't chase or harass it. While this animal looks pink, it is an albino which you can notice in the pink eyes.

Via: Telegraph

California Sea Lions' Epileptic Seizures Caused by DDT and Domoic Acid

California sea lions living in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and National Park are experiencing epileptic seizures. Scientists believe the cause of the sea lions' seizures is the interaction between DDT and domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced by harmful algal blooms. According to the Environment News Service:

The researchers observed that sea lion exposure to domoic acid during fetal development can lead to brain seizures when the young are two to four years old. Exposure to residual environmental DDT appears to contribute to increased seizures, the study shows. A pesticide that was banned in the 1970s, DDT still persists at high but declining levels off the southern California coast. Driven by climate changes and coastal pollution, algal blooms have been increasing in the sea lions' habitat over the past decade, resulting in more cases of acute poisoning.

Scientists are also studying how harmful algae blooms and residual chemicals will affect humans.

Killer Whales Being Poisoned by Eating PCB Tainted Salmon

A new study of orca whales living off the coast of British Columbia has revealed their dwindling populations are being negatively affected by eating salmon that is tainted with PCBs. Although PCB use has been largely banned in the United States since 1977, this persistent organic pollutant is still present in our environment. Salmon are the staple of killer whale's diet, and even though the amount of PCBs in chinook salmon is relatively low, even small amounts pose a significant risk to the whales.

In fact, the whales have become the most contaminated marine mammals in the world.

Peter Ross, supervising researcher on the study published in the current issue of the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, explains:

Killer whales are long-lived, top-of-the-food-chain animals. They have small, isolated populations. They have very large habitat needs. If we're trying to protect 84 animals in an area where we've got 8.5 million people, we've got a bit of work to do.

One out of every 2000 Pacific orca whales have dangerous levels of pollutants that damage their immune systems, affect reproduction, and lead to developmental abnormalities.