Must Read
Requiem for the Birds
Nearly a third of all U.S. bird species are "imperiled or in significant decline because of habitat loss, climate change, invasive species and other threats." The "State of the Birds" report, which Interior Secretary Ken Salazar referred to as a "clarior call," looked at 800 domestic bird populations over 40 years, and called for a "new ethic of conservation." The good news? Bird populations do respond to conservation efforts, as past conservation programs have "paid huge dividends." [New York Times/Greenwire; Also listen on NPR]
Perfect Storm of Shortages
Increasing demand for food, water, and energy as population grows will create "a perfect storm" of shortages globally by 2030, warns the U.K.'s chief science advisor. "Demand for food and energy will jump 50 per cent by 2030 and for fresh water by 30 per cent, as the global population tops 8.3 billion." [Telegraph]
Should Read
Getting Weirder Every Day
Are you ready for "global weirding?" Some climate experts are using the term to explain the real-world consequences of global warming, "which are expected to amplify the abnormal: hotter heat spells, longer and sharper droughts, more violent storms, and more intense flooding." [Yale Environment 360]
Garden Victory
Yesterday, news of the new White House vegetable garden was blog fodder. Today it gets the Times treatment. [New York Times]
In 1492 they came from across the ocean, they took the breath of life from millions of natives, they destroyed the land, poisoned the water, polluted the air, stopped the rivers from flowing, wiped out the salmon, obliterated the four legged and winged beings, today they seek solutions to their reckless behavior and yet in 2009 while the polar caps melt and the land dies they including their scientists are still to arrogant to accept 10,000 years of native wisdom that could reverse the destruction of the planet.
xoje:’-tilte’