Environmental Outlook: Bird Conservation
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-05-04/environmental-outlook-bird-conservation
Bird conservationists describe Gulf Coast rescue efforts, the threats posed by climate change and habitat loss to many kinds of birds, and international projects under way to identify and protect areas along the astonishing paths of many migratory birds.
Guests
Margaret Atwood
conservationist and author of more than 40 books of fiction, poetry, and essays. Her internationally bestselling novels include "The Handmaid's Tale, "Cat's Eye, and "The Blind Assassin, winner of 2000 Booker Prize.
Graeme Gibson
ornithologist, novelist, and author of "The Bedside Book of Birds"
Greg Butcher
Director of Bird Conservation, National Audubon Society
Rosa Maria VIdal
Pronatura, a non profit conservation organization and BirdLife Partner in Mexico
Comments
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Between the oil in the water, the toxins on land and the toxic exhaust in the air, bird life (or any other wildlife for that matter) don't stand a chance. You are highlighting this issue only after anticipating disaster from the spill. What about before, when we all knew this tragedy was inevitable, but weren't willing to do anything, weren't willing to alter our consumption or stem our wastefulness?
I have watched the loss of habitat and the devastation of bird and other wildlife in the 50 years I have lived in Florida. And now, even now, will we start to alter our behavior, choose alternative forms of transportation, boycott high petroleum content products and packaging? At 54 years old, I choose to bicycle the 15 miles to work here in South Florida. It is hard and it is hot. Don't bore me with this upset, it is only the latest "rage."
"A typical supertanker has a load capacity of around 300 000 tonnes (around 2 million barrels) of oil.
NOAA experts now estimate that 5,000 barrels a day of oil were spilling into the gulf. Officials had estimated the leak for days at 1,000 barrels a day.
HERE IS THE PLAN:
1. - Cut two holes - one in each end of the top deck of an empty supertanker ( 1 large, 1 small )
2. - Have 4 Nuclear Submarines pull tanker to bottom of ocean
3. - Turn tanker upside down OVER GUSHER so oil pours up into Large hole in tanker, displacing water down, out the smaller hole at other end
4. - After 400 days or so, get another tanker ready to catch more oil
John G. Grants Pass, Oregon
I work for the Alaska Wilderness League and we are celebrating the 5oth anniversary this year of the Arctic national Wildlife Refuge.
Every year, birds that are hatched on the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge journey to all 50 states and across six continents, before heading back to the Arctic, where the cycle of life begins again. We are working to connect folks in the lower-forty-eight with the Refuge by pointing out that that bird in your back yard (a Snowy Owl or Snowe Goose) may be dependent on a pristine Arctic safe from the kind of oil spill that is ravaging the Gulf Coast.
We have swans nesting in the marsh in our yard, they come back year after year to lay their eggs and last year they hatched but their off spring have yet to survive. Whay is anything can we do to help? Donna Bridgeport Ct
I cannot find the book they are talking about online. I am looking at BirdLife.org but it's nowhere in sight. Can anyone help?
I want to point out that many (almost all) HOAs REQUIRE green grass. I hate maintaining my lawn and would love to get rid of it, but the HOA specifically prohibits getting rid of it and replacing with a garden.
It seems to me there needs to be legislation protecting homeowners' rights to not have a lawn much as there is federal legislation to protect having satellite dishes.
As an artist I am doing a series to shed light on the Audobon list of Common Birds in Decline. I would love to connect with folks who are interested in showing this work and helping to spread the word.
I wanted to comment about declining insect populations and birds. Native insects eat very few non-native plants. Yet birds, even seed-eaters, must feed insects to their babies. The real problem comes, therefore, in the spring, when our paucity of native plants causes there to be a paucity of insects for the babies to eat.
If you look here,
http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/sites/american_ibas/americas-ibas... , you will find a downloadable version of what I believe you are looking for.