As China prepares for the many Olympic athletes and tourists that will visit this summer, it’s already hosting some uninvited Olympic guests: invasive species.
Archive for the 'Animals' Category
China’s growth brings in more invasive species
Published April 18th, 2008 in Science, Plants, Earth, Animals and Human World. 0 CommentsEven in the United States, some species go extinct
Published March 27th, 2008 in Science, Plants, Earth and Animals. 2 CommentsTwo species have gone extinct since 2001 and at least one other is on the brink of extinction, all because of Bush administration policies that undermine the Endangered Species Act. It seems like a case of politicians ignoring science and the law.
New elephant shrew species found
Published February 15th, 2008 in Science, Photos, Earth and Animals. 0 CommentsRecently, scientists announced the discovery of a new species of elephant shrew in the mountains of Tanzania. Related more to elephants and aardvarks than to shrews, this new species is the size of a very small dog and weighs only 1.5 pounds. It’s another example of how there are many new animals to discover.
How do you conserve what the climate’s going to change?
Published January 31st, 2008 in Oceans, Science, Earth, Climate & Weather, Global Warming, Animals and Human World. 4 CommentsAn article this week in the New York Times explores an interesting predicament: In an era of climate change, conservation groups that work to preserve biologically important landscapes could find their work eventually undermined, or even pointless.
Europe suffers its first tropical virus
Published December 31st, 2007 in Science, Climate & Weather, Animals, Global Warming and Human World. 4 CommentsA village in northern Italy got the dubious distinction this year of becoming the first place in modern Europe to suffer an outbreak of a tropical disease.
Two approaches to saving coral reefs
Published December 8th, 2007 in Oceans, Science, Innovation, Earth, Animals and Global Warming. 2 CommentsIn Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, people are taking different approaches to preserving – and in one case re-growing – coral reefs. Global warming and rising sea temperatures have been “bleaching” and killing reefs worldwide, making reef conservation an important issue.
Blue crab numbers near historic low
Published November 30th, 2007 in Science, Earth, Animals, Global Warming and Human World. 2 CommentsScientists have found that the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population has dropped to its second-lowest level of the past 17 years and is only one-third the population of 1993 (the top year in that time period).
How biodiversity is like an airplane
Published November 30th, 2007 in Science, Plants, Oceans, Earth and Animals. 0 CommentsIf you were flying in a plane, would you remove a rivet or bolt from the fuselage? Would you toss the spare parts out the window because they’re not doing anything at the moment?
Wildlife caught on candid camera
Published November 19th, 2007 in Science, Photos, Earth and Animals. 6 CommentsYou may not see many animals when you go hiking, but they’re out there. This year Smithsonian Institution scientists used motion-triggered cameras to take more than 1,900 photos of wildlife — when nobody was watching — along a stretch of the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. (Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution)
Right whales getting wronged?
Published October 22nd, 2007 in Science, Oceans and Animals. 3 CommentsThere’s a good plan to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale, but the government is not implementing it. A recent Washington Post article explains why.