21/02/2022

Archive

Marine champion great loss

from The Marine Biological Association Sir Crispin Tickell, MBA President, 1990 to 2001 Sir Crispin Tickell, a career diplomat and environmentalist who led the MBA from 1990 to 2001, passed away on January 25th 2022 aged 91. Professor Mike Whitfield MBA director from 1987 – 1999 noted that Sir Crispin was a “strong and energetic leader”. A full obituary can be found here. From the Guardian newspaper: Sir Crispin Tickell… When  John Major was desperate for a big idea to...

Climate change reaches top of the world. Yes – Everest!

From MOUNTAIN RESEARCH INITIATIVE / university of Maine Human-Induced Climate Change Impacts the Highest Reaches of the Planet—Mount Everest Melting and sublimation on Mount Everest’s highest glacier due to human-induced climate change have reached the point that several decades of accumulation are being lost annually now that ice has been exposed, according to a University of Maine-led international research team that analyzed data from the world’s highest ice core and highest automatic weather stations. The extreme sensitivity of the high-altitude...

Mountain snow and ice disappearing – FAST!

From Mountain Research Initiative Decline in Mountain Snow and Ice May Be Faster Than Anticipated  “Enhanced mountain warming coupled with reduced elevation dependency of precipitation may deplete stores of mountain snow and ice more rapidly than previously thought, new research conducted by the MRI’s Elevation-Dependent Climate Change Working Group has found. Mountains hold most of the world’s snow and ice outside of polar regions and play an essential role in supplying water to meet the needs of both fragile ecosystems...

Birdlife International celebrating 100 years

Has it it really been 100 years ….. “ A century ago, visionary conservationists concerned about the plight of the world’s birds and the wider environment came together to form an international movement.  “  At midday on 20 June 1922, a group gathered at the London home of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Robert Horne – then MP for Glasgow. United by their passion for birds, the group decided that co-ordinated international action was the answer to the various...

Pangolin – most trafficked animal!

  They are unique They are amazingly beautiful They are the planet’s most “trafficked” wild species….. Say hello to a tiny tank that’s being exploited Pangolins are uniquely covered in tough, overlapping scales. These mammals eat ants and termites using an extraordinarily long, sticky tongue, and are able to quickly roll themselves up into a tight ball when they feel threatened. Eight different pangolin species can be found across Asia and Africa. Poaching for illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss...

Australian fires: Indigenous peoples were experts; British colonialists got it wrong

Long before British invasion of southeast Australia in 1788, Indigenous people managed Australia’s flammable vegetation with “cultural burning” practices. These involved frequent, low-intensity fires which led to a fine-grained vegetation mosaic comprising grassy areas and scattered trees. World-first research confirms Australia’s forests became catastrophic fire risk after British Invasion…  The Conversation this week reveals its research Australia’s forests now carry far more flammable fuel than before British invasion, research by The Conversation shows, revealing the catastrophic risk created by non-Indigenous bushfire...

Endangered birds – mostly bad, but some good news

An update from Birdlife about IUCN RED LIST OF ENDANGERED SPECIES In December: Asia’s big forest birds bear the brunt of hunting and habitat loss, while the heat is on for species on the front line of climate chaos. Meanwhile, rousing recoveries show us the way forward in this year’s Red List update. Now : BirdLife has released its yearly update to birds on the IUCN Red List of threatened species: the result of months of hard work from our science...

Is Black leadership strong enough in the outdoors?

          Do “black peoples “ – peoples from non-European ethnic groups – do good for the environment? Yes. Do these deeds get enough recognition. No. Children & Nature Network discusses this…   Black leadership is, and always has been, a powerful force in the environmental, climate justice, and nature connection movements. This leadership takes many forms, from the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, formed in 1995 to end discriminatory wastewater treatment practices in West Atlanta – to...

A global convention to stand together against pandemics

Some thoughts and responses to the current pandemic – from IUCN   The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 5.7 million people worldwide. As its devastating impacts continue to unfold, economic recovery is marking time, extreme poverty is rising, the labour market is being damaged, essential health services have been interrupted, natural resources are being depleted, access to energy, water and sanitation is hampered, plastic pollution is proliferating, and biodiversity is declining. With the combined effects of...

Creature feature: Hippos – fascinating, actually world’s large land mammal

It’s  World Hippo Day …… Five fast facts about hippos… some may surprise you …but look out below Hippo’s Cannot Swim – We Know, It’s Shocking! … They Have Incredibly Sensitive Skin. … They Cannot Breathe Underwater. … Hippos Are Territorial – But Only In Water. … They Are Not Big Eaters. … Hippos Have A British Connection. Hippo’s Cannot Swim – We Know, It’s Shocking! Hippos spend pretty much their whole lives in water, so it really doesn’t sound...