Her birth represents the first cloning of an endangered species native to North America, and may bring needed genetic diversity to the species. From a report: Last year, Ben Novak drove across the country to spend New Year’s Eve with a black-footed ferret. Elizabeth Ann had just turned 21 days old — surely a milestone for any ferret but a particularly…
Tag: endangered species
Grizzlies Are Coming Back. But Can We Make Room For Them?
As grizzly bears expand their range in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming into places where they haven’t been seen in a century or more, they’re increasingly encountering humans. From a report: Things intensified last summer as trails and campgrounds across the region flooded with inexperienced tourists seeking refuge in the outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic. Grizzly attacks spiked. Bear managers were inundated…
Monarch butterflies are in trouble: Here’s how to help in your own yard
The 2020 annual count of monarch butterflies in the western United States found shockingly few, confirming fears that the insect is on the brink of extinction. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/monarch-butterflies-of-western-us-nearing-extinction-what-you-can-do…
Are We Slowing Global Warming?
This week New York Magazine featured a new article by journalist David Wallace-Wells about the state of the fight against global warming. He warns that “Already, the planet is warmer, at just 1.2 degrees, than it has ever been…” But there’s also some good news:
Just a half-decade ago, it was widely believed that a “business as usual” emissions path would bring…
Scientists Use Satellite Imagery To Count Elephants
Scientists from a trio of universities have combined satellite imagery with deep learning to detect elephants from space. The goal is to help protect these endangered species from poachers or habitat destruction. Their study was published in the journal Ecology and Conservation. Interesting Engineering reports: The team’s method proved comparable to human detection accuracy and could help solve a number of…
A New Population of Blue Whales Was Discovered Hiding in the Indian Ocean
Weighing up to 380,000 pounds and stretching some 100 feet long, the blue whale — the largest creature to have ever lived on Earth — might at first seem difficult for human eyes and ears to miss. But a previously unknown population of the leviathans has long been lurking in the Indian Ocean, leaving scientists none the wiser, new research suggests….
New marine protection zone will help endangered penguins and more
Plans are in place to create the world’s 4th-largest fully protected marine reserve at the Tristan da Cunha archipelago. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/new-marine-protection-zone-tristan-da-cunha-penguin…
750 Million Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Approved For Release In Florida Keys
A plan to release over 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes into the Florida Keys in 2021 and 2022 received final approval from local authorities, against the objection of many local residents and a coalition of environmental advocacy groups. The proposal had already won state and federal approval. CNN reports: Approved by the Environment Protection Agency in May, the pilot project is…
Can Firefox Be Saved?
“Even with another infusion of cash from Google, you have to wonder just how long Firefox will survive as a viable, mainstream web browser,” argues ZDNet contributing editor Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols:
I’ve been using Mozilla’s Firefox browser since it was still in beta. In 2004, for a while, it was my favorite web browser. Not because it was open-source, but because it…
Western Bumblebee Population Drops Up To 93% Over the Last 20 Years
The western bumblebee is one of around 30 bumblebee species in the western U.S. and Canada. Now a federal review “unveils an alarming trend for the western bumblebee population, which has seen its numbers dwindle by as much as 93% in the last two decades,” reports the Associated Press: The find by the U.S. Geological Survey will help inform a species…