Green Daily

The Department of the Interior released a report that indicated of the 800 species of birds in the U.S., close to 300 are endangered, threatened or declining in population.

Habitat loss, climate change and invasive species are a few of the causes cited, and house cats aren't blameless either. Urban sprawl is a huge part of the problem according to ornthologists. Rusty blackbirds, Laysan ducks, Hawaii goose and California condor are all in grave danger of extinction. Only 30 Hawaii goose may remain.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said the figures are alarming. He says birds are a bell weather for the environment. "From shorebirds in New England to warblers in Michigan to songbirds in Hawaii, we are seeing disturbing downward population trends that should set off environmental alarm bells. We must work together now to ensure we never hear the deafening silence in our forests, fields and backyards."

The study is called The U.S. State of the Birds, and it brings together data from three separate bird counts involving citizens and professionals. At the link you can find a more complete list of endangered and threatened birds as well as other details on recovery.

The only good news in the report is what habitat restoration has done for waterfowl. the creatures aren't fully recovered, but pelicans, herons, egrets, osprey, and ducks are all on the rise, as are the bald and golden eagles.

Salazar and other nature organization leaders called for an increased partnership on habitat restoration and bird protection.

Are you unclear on how exactly your meat and dairy were produced? 'Natural' or 'free range' or 'no animal by-products?' Whether it's at the farmer's market or the grocery store the terms can be pretty loose and non-specific.

Sustainable Table has made a brochure to help you nail down the terminology. The group advocates for sustainable and local food production, they also create educational tools like this one for the public.

The Glossary of Meat Production Methods can be downloaded, printed and taken with you. Diane Hatz is the founder of Sustainable Table. She says the group created the brochure because so many people said food labels got in the way of their attempts to be more sustainable and humane with their food.

Hatz says the term "cage free" is an example of that. She says the terms really just means the chickens weren't in cages. It doesn't mean they went outside or had plenty of room.

"Most often, cage free means the animals were raised indoors in crowded conditions," she explains. "This label is very similar to free range or free roaming – it does not guarantee the animals ever went outside. Because none of these labels, except organic and biodynamic, are independently certified, the only way you're really going to know how your food is produced is to ask the farmer that grew/raised it."

You can download the glossary here.

If you are in Austin or on your way there, keep in mind that you can relatively sustainable at SXSW. SXSW is a 22 year old music festival in Austin that is the place to be for musicheads and techie types, and it is in full swing right now.

Here are few things to consider while you do your daily listening:

• SXSW has partnered with Bicycle Sport Shop to provide a variety of rental bikes. Bike, don't drive, or walk. Downtown Austin is not that big.
• Pedicabs are also available. And who doesn't want a ride in one of those?
• Everyone has a battery need at a time like this. Use rechargeable batteries, and buy solar powered battery chargers for your cell phone, iPod, etc.
• SXSW suggests you head to their sustainability panels, and that you read "The Weather Makers" by Tim Flannery.
• SXSW also suggests you avoid the brand new "I was at SXSW" t-shirt in exchange for vintage clothes on South Congress
• They also encourage getting your water bottle out and refilling it with tap water or water from the fountain at the Austin Convention Centre.
• As many will be craving an alcoholic beverage, SXSW also suggests you look for local beers and wines. Local means less carbon created in getting your beer to your lips.
  

And check out the SXSW YouTube site if you can't go.

Some say that if the oceans rise three feet, 20 percent of Bangladesh would be swallowed up. Were this a science fiction movie this might be the thrilling moment that either results in bad guys being killed, or good scientists reversing the calamity.

Unfortunately, this is just science. No morality or magic involved, and Bangladesh has a problem, but it also has a solution that appears to working. Low spots in the land in Bangladesh are called soup bowls, and while these spots are typically the most vulnerable to erosion and submersion, silt is actually making them more sollid.

Silt flows downriver into the Bay of Bengal and into the ocean. But it also builds up on the banks and sometimes in these soup bowls. The silt is marshy and, if the water is still trapped within it, useless. But locals have found a way to release that water, and the build up of silt has increased the land mass and elevation. That has made those areas actually safer and less prone to submersion.

In the U.S. levees along the Mississippi River prevent silt from building up in marshes and other places that feed on the nutrient rich soil, but the accidental success here may have some impact on how the River is allowed to flow in the future.

That said, just as quickly as the river giveth, it can take all of that silt away in a torrent. And the accumulation of that silt is a slow process. Perhaps, some say, too slow for today's rising oceans.

[NY Times]

People in countries like China will pay a premium price for snapping turtles, venomous snakes and salamanders, and people around the U.S. are capturing and selling those animals illegally.

Green Daily reported earlier on similar problem in Florida. There Florida's turtle population is being threatened by people capturing animals that are or are not yet protected, then selling them oversees or in places like L.A.'s Chinatown.

In this sting federal officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife as well as state officials from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation went undercover for two years to gather evidence against 25 people operating in New York, Canada, Pennsylvania and Maryland. More than 2,400 animals, many of them protected were documented in illegal sales and poaching.

[Seattle Times via AP]

Of the designers studying and designing at Art Center College of Design, Spencer Nikosey is one of designers whose products have made it to market. Nickosey graduated from ACCD in December. His products are made from recycled materials, largely military. He is also a history buff, so many of his designs have a retro feel, of army years gone by.

KILLSPENCER makes bags, manly bags. The products aren't cheap, but they are hand crafted, well-designed and very durable. They have water resistant zippers, coated materials and patented cobra buckles. The canvas is aged and specially coated, the tarp has been used in combat, the nylon is flame retardant and the tarpaulin is waterproof. Nothing but the best for the military, and for those looking for re-purposed military materials. Nikosey also used discarded fire hoses for his backpacks. Each item comes with a dog tagged number letting you know this is--or perhaps could be--a limited edition.

The above video gives a glimpse into the process and design of these bags. It is the most enjoyable process video I have seen in a while. The gallery below provides a more detailed look at the gear.

It's true you can turn your shower liner into a tarp, and your tea tins into q-tip receptacles. You can even turn your bath mat into a chamois for your car and replace it with a mat of green moss. But can you turn a used fire hose into a back pack?

Not without some training and an industrial sewing machine. The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena has made sustainability a focus of its entire school. Every program focuses on creating and processing sustainable, frequently recycled products. And the gear is already making its way to market.

Take for example Spencer Nikosey's designer messenger bags and totes. The student has designed ruggedly chic bags from surplus army tarps and discarded fire hoses. He has already found an unnamed company to produce the bags along with numbered dog tags.

Radhika Bhalla has designed multipurpose bicycle carts that women in India can build easily out of common materials. The project would reduce back breaking labor on the women's part and use sustainable materials to build something useful.

Leslie Evans designed the "Vespera Hairdryer," a hair dryer that is easy to disassemble, repair and recycle. Hair dryers are known to be unfriendly to both. And Joseph Choi designed a single-serving tea set that saves energy usually spent heating more water than needed. That's a big deal in countries like India and England.

The school has embraced the concept as a challenge. Designers have long thought of eco-friendliness as an afterthought or an impediment to attractive, smartly designed products. Classes in sustainability are required, and the goal, and so far the achievement, is to create smarter, more effective and attractive stuff sustainably.

[via LA Times]

Palm Desert, Calif. gets 350 days of sun a year. The town is a short drive from Joshua Tree National Park and its residents tend to be sun bunnies and Republicans. But solar is making it big in town, and it has everything to do with a public financing program.

California cities across the state, and an increasing number of cities around the country, are helping home owners finance solar panels. Buying and installing solar panels costs upward of $50,000, even more in hot climates and large homes. The cost is prohibitive, even for people certain they will stay in their homes for decades. Moreover, while companies and environmental groups talk some very big talk about how much solar panels save, the proof is in an electric bill. Most people have no evidence and no testimonials that might help them make the leap.

But cities like Palm Desert are offering loans for solar panels that are tied to the house. When the home is sold, the loan on the panels goes with it, and the interest is akin to a car loan. A few other factors are helping residents finance the project. California residents get a rebate of roughly 20 percent for solar panels (the state is required by law to cut carbon emissions) and a new federal income tax credit is available for about 30 percent of the cost of installing the panels.

Palm Desert used its own financing to push the program along, and 100 homes have installed or are about to install solar. One resident told the New York Times that his summer energy bill is typically $1,400. This year he expects the entire year to cost him no more than $500. Factoring in the loan he will still come out ahead.

Colorado, Arizona, Texas and Virginia are all working on their own legislation that would help similar projects along.

[via NY Times]

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but walking to the North Pole is inevitably a zig zag.

British explorers are headed north in an attempt to measure sea ice and gauge conditions on the ground during the final months of the Arctic winter.

The three explorers landed north of Canada on February 28th, and in the days since they have been blown this way and that from the slicing winds and shifting ice. They have actually made about the same amount of progress in 12 days as they had in 6. During the course of the night the ice shifts and sometimes floats up to a mile.

Explorers say they are bruised and carrying gear in their clothing to keep it warm enough to function. That said, they have also had the chance to speak with international leaders about the importance of addressing climate change. The Department for International Development held its annual conference in London this week, and explorers talked via satelite phone about the impact of thinning Arctic ice.

You can read more about their travails here. They are blogging.

[BBC]

If you are a supporter of green energy and you haven't gotten to know President Barack Obama's Energy Secretary, you should hop to it.

The Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Steven Chu is still talking about sustainable energy, nearly three months after his confirmation to office. Some might call that refreshing. Environment watchers are absolutely ecstatic.

Andrew Leonard on Salon.com has glowing praise for Chu, citing his recent remark on the Charlie Rose show. On the show Chu explained why, despite falling oil prices, there is still an impetus and a desire to alter the way Americans get energy.

"There's a new 800-pound gorilla in the room, let's be frank about this, and this is that most scientists agree that the carbon emissions that humans are responsible for have, in fact, begun to change our climate," he said on the show. You can watch the segment of the show above.

Chu favors ethanol, but from non-food sources. He supports solar and wind energy, and he is open to coal, but his approach is to stress the need for better technology that removes particulate matter from coal before it reaches the atmosphere. He is also a proponent on nuclear power.

Perhaps the most compelling reason eco-geeks are so pumped about him (in that high school pep rally way) is his insistence on science. It is absolute madness over there in the White House. I hear down on K Street the Sierra Club is holding weekly Steven Chu celebrations--of course that's a total fabrication.

Next time you swat a bee, or squish one into the cement, ask the Bee God for forgiveness. The Colony Collapse is a serious problem, and scientists have a few theories on what's going on. Any one or all of them could be at play.

The varroa mite is one dangerous creature for bees. Dr Eric Mussen of the University of California says this mite attaches to a bees abdomen and sucks out bee blood. That weakens the bee, and while the bee tries to shake the mite off, it just isn't that good at fighting the mite.

Another possible cause is bee exploitation. Some scientists suggest that the reason the Colony Collapse is acute in the U.S. is due to poor management. Bees may be stressed to greatly during travel when bees are 'rented out' to pollinate crops. Or they may be under-cared for in captivity. Many bee keepers take great offense at this suggestion.

A third possibility is climate change. Damp weather is bad for bee productivity. Physically, bee keepers say they don't do well in that weather. But a bigger problem may be earl flowering. bees build their hives as flowers bloom. As that period has moved up in the year, bees may not be able to keep up with the shift, drastic weather shifts could also be disrupting their life cycle.

[via BBC]

Poop! We all do it! Next to dying and that horrible surgery you had to remove that weird tumor poop is one of those things no one wants to talk about it. So, let me say it one more time just for effect: Poop!

Gosh that felt weirdly good. Now on to the subject of this blog post. Your cat or dog produces a lot of waste, but most Americans treat it like it was a broken lamp or a soggy pizza box and throw it in the garbage.

That is not smart! The bacteria is harmful to the land, and often ends up in waterways. That leads to algae blooms, which prevent sunlight from reaching below the surface of water and stops the production of oxygen for plant and animal life below.

Just think, your dog poop could be killing a fish! You might need to go to confession for that.

For dog owners, you have a few good options to dispose of the waste. You can flush it down the toilet, because most sewage systems can treat the bacteria in the poop. You can also bury it at least 12 inches underground. Your third and final option is to create a dog poop composter. City Farmer and the U.S. Department of Agriculture both have instructions on building an effective one.

In the making of "Kingdom of the Blue Whale" National Geographic photographer Flip Nicklin photographed the youngest blue whale calf ever seen. His photographs were part of the first major expedition to follow the creatures.

"It probably made four passes under the boat, curiously zooming by, taking a look at us," Nicklin said in an interview with Green Daily. "You could see every sucker fish swimming around on it. It would roll over and you could seethe eye look you over," he said. Scientists, photographers and videographers started their exploration of the blue whale off the California coast and then headed to the Costa Rica Dome for a month.

The Dome is an area about 300 to 500 miles off the western shore of Central America. It's a spot where the rich nutrients of the ocean's bowels rise to feed the phytoplankton that blue whales feed on. Scientists have long suspected that blue whales wintered there, but this was the first time they were able to track some of those whales. Nicklin said the team discovered that the whales do feed and mate in the winter. They also give birth.

These are huge discoveries that help scientists understand the behaviors and patterns of the whales. Seeing any of these behaviors is rare. The discoveries could help protect the largest mammal on the planet. Blue whales are bigger than any dinosaur. "You can stand an elephant on their tongue," Nicklin said. The blue-gray whales are long and sleek. Nicklin described them as a missile. "If you look at a humpback from the air, it looks like a big pollywog. If you look at a blue whale it is an arrow."

The number of blue whales are greatly depleted. By the 1930s whale hunters slaughtered nearly all of them. Today, their population is believed to hover above 2,000. Nicklin said that is good number to grow from, but, "they're coming back to a new world, a busy world."

Saturday night three arctic explorers were chucked from a plane, onto a plot of ice so far north of Canada, Canadians couldn't locate it. You have to imagine this would sound like a reality television show if it weren't for the nature of their task.

These three brave souls will measure the depth of the Arctic ice at its typically deepest and most expansive point: the end of winter.

Pen Hardow, Ann Daniels, and Martin Hartley will trek nearly 700 miles north with a sledge full of equipment, including radar that will constantly measure ice thickness. The goal is to turn satellite images into on the ground, measurable data.

Will the Arctic be ice free in summers to come? Will polar bears have a place cold enough to live? Will penguins live?

Will the three explorers make it over expanses of open water? That's when they'll put on survival suits and swim.

The project should wrap up this May.

[via BBC]

Speaking of airports, Los Angeles's is making even more environmental news. The megalith on the Pacific has asked airplanes to land differently than usual. The "continuous descent" has planes just coast down toward the airport until touching tarmac.

Under half of the planes landing at LAX use the technique today, but already it's saving a lot of fuel, emissions and noise. So far, it's estimated 1 million gallons of fuel has been saved and 18 million pounds per year of carbon dioxide have been cut.

This technique was part of a study conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration to see whether noise could be reduced and safety improved during landings. Traditionally, planes land by stepping slowly down, which requires a lot of engine engagement.

Right now this approach is only available for flights landing from a certain direction. The FAA is looking for ways to make this available to all approaches, and get airports and pilots across the country on board.

[via LA Times]