TreeHugger

Coral Attacks! Caught Eating Jellyfish for 1st Time (PHOTOS)

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:51:00 -0500

Photo via the BBC Since it's Friday, I figure it's time to forget about the raging climate policy debates, deforestation news, and other world woes--and turn to something everyone can appreciate. And that, of course, is weird nature stuff. Above, observe--for the first time in recorded history--coral chowing down on a jellyfi]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

World's Deepest Living Fish Caught On Camera

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:01:00 -0500

Close up of a dead snail fish--its deeper-living relatives were caught on camera A species of snail fish--the deepest living fish in the world--have been captured on camera n the southern hemisphere for the first time. These strange, pink-bodied fish were photographed at a stunning depth of 24,800 feet in the Kermadec Trench off the coast of New Zealand. See photos and video of the bizarre deep sea fish in action after the jump. Some companies specialize in excess. Nobody really needs a Rolls Royce, but some people feel a need for exclusivity. Other companies go ever further and attempt excessive excess, like Read the full story on TreeHugger

Boreal Forests Store Twice as Much Carbon as Tropical - So Why Aren't We Doing More to Protect Them?

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:07:00 -0500

photo: Gabriel Legaré via flickr. With all the focus on tropical forest conservation and the amount of carbon emissions resulting from its deforestation, are we overlooking protecting the massive amount of carbon stored in the world's boreal forests? That's the question asked in a new report, The Ca]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Illegal Ivory Trade on the Rise as Organized Crime Syndicates in Africa, Asia Grow in Strength

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:30:00 -0500
photo: Matt Rudge via flickr. A couple weeks ago we learned that at present poaching rates Africa's elephants will all be extinct in just fifteen years. Well, here's so more on that: The wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC brings word that the illegal ivory trade has increased markedly in the latest analysis, and that organized crime ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Patagonia's Yvon Chouinard: One of America's Best Leaders

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:44:51 -0500

America's 25 Best Leaders. Yvon knows about risk. Both personal (climber, skier, white water paddler, surfer). And corporate. In 1972 Yvon told rockclimbers there was a more environmentally sound way to protect themselves on rock routes that didn't require bashing metal pitons in and out of the rock. At that time he was making his money selling pitons. ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Outdoor Industry Looks to Improve Sustainability Standards

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:07:26 -0500

David Brower (Executive Director of the Sierra Club and founder of both Friends of the Earth and the Earth Island Institute.) It is also the view of outdoor clothing and equipment industry. You need seasons of consistent rain, snow and ice, if you want to make a living selling rain jackets, hire skis, or make crampons. So key mover-and-shakers in outdoor adventure industry, on both side of the Atlantic, are pulling up their merino wool socks to ensure sustainab]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Shark Bites Pregnant Shark in Stomach, Saves Eight Shark Pups

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:30:00 -0500

Photo via A.M. Kuchling In weird animal news, two sharks in an aquarium tank had a less than friendly encounter that had a happy ending. After being bitten in the abdomen by another shark, a pregnant school shark gives birth - in a rather involuntary way and in front of an audience of human aquarium visitors - to four pups who likely wouldn't have survived had the mother given birth naturally. Another four pups were found inside her when medical staff moved her for treatment. The odd thing is the bite essentially saved the pups' lives.]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Solar Birdhouse: Giving Birds the Edge Over Mother Nature

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:12:00 -0500

Image via: Ooms Sooo, birdhouses these days are made from a variety of materials: plastic, recycled plastic, composite, wood, reclaimed wood, recycled milk jugs, you get the picture. And, oftentimes birdhouses today come with upgrades and new gadgets, like lids and mesh to keep squirrels out or special compartments for different food types, etc etc. But, to be honest, birds have gotten along for years without manmade ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Carbon Nanotube Sponge Can Absorb Toxic Oils and Solvents up to 180x Its Weight!

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:14:26 -0500

Photo: Peking University and Tsinghua University Is There Anything We CAN'T Do With Carbon Nanotubes? Cleaning up toxic spills has always been a problem. It's hard, and it's expensive, and you have to be thorough. But things might have just got easier: Scientists from the Peking University and Tsinghua University h]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Koalas Extinct in 30 Years as Climate Change, Habitat Loss, Sexually Transmitted Disease Take Their Toll

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:56:00 -0500

photo: Drewe Zanki via flickr. New figures from the Australian Koala Foundation paint a dark picture for the future of the iconic marsupial. Just completed research shows that the current koala population is somewhere between 43,000-80,000 individuals, a decline from an estimated 100,000 in 2003, and without better conservation efforts they could all be extinct within 30 years:]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Zebra Mussels (and Lots of Other Species) Invading Great Lakes and No One Can Decide What to Do About It

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:07:00 -0500

Photo via benimoto Out of the 185 invasive species in and around the Great Lakes, zebra mussels are posing a painful problem. The mussels have sharp shells and a tendency to slice up the feet of beach-goers. The mussels have hitched rides in the ballasts of ships coming into port, and while politicians have tried to get the shipping industry to help curb the problem through regulations, there haven't been any successes. Well, unless you're looking at it from the perspective of zebra mussels. But with 15,000 lakes to worry about, standing around bickering about what to ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

A 10-Ton Japanese Fishing Trawler Sunk By Giant Jellyfish

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:43:00 -0500

Photo via nurpax You could say it was the jellyfish, or you could say it was the overzealous fishermen on board. While trying to haul in a catch of several dozen giant Nomura's jellyfish - one of the largest in the world - a Japanese fishing trawler tipped right over. ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Space Tourism Lifts Off: 2012 Space Resort Launch

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500

Photo via Exclusive Lifestyle. Artist's rendering of the Galactic Suite Space Resort. You think you'd find the Galactic Suite Space Resort in a cartoon, comic strip or kitschy hotel in Disney World, right? Wrong. Whether you like it or not, it's real, and plans to open its super-future-like doors to paying guests in 2012. Don't confuse this hotel however, with Read the full story on TreeHugger

A Garden Blooms Inside a Concrete Cloverleaf

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:08:00 -0500

In the loop: a botanical garden inside a highway interchange (inset). Photos via Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden (inset) and the Istanbul Governor's Office. A botanical garden inside an "urban void" -- the loop of a busy highway's cloverleaf interchange -- has been recognized by Deutsche Bank as a creative solution to the problems facing residents of Turkey's largest city, and those of other metropolitan areas around the world.]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Good News! Water Use in the U.S. Less in 2005 Than 1975

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:52:00 -0500

Despite 30% Population Growth We always hear about how we're using more of this and more of that, so it is welcome new to learn that apparently the people of the U.S. were using less water in 2005 than in 1975 despite a significant increase in population. Daily water consumption in the U.S. is 410 BILLION gallons of water, and 49% of those are being used for for producing electricity at thermoelectric power plants. Irrigation is 31%, and public use is 11%. "The remaining 9 percent of the water was for self-supplied industrial, livestock, aquaculture, mining and rural domestic uses."]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Dwindling Fish Stocks Lead Pelicans to Eat Gannet Chicks

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:25:00 -0500

Image via BBC Earth News Gannets on the island of Malgas in South Africa are in a bit of a pinch. Usually they nest with one parent out fishing, while the other parent guards the chick. However, fewer fish to catch means both parents have to go hunting and leave the chick unguarded. This leaves an opportunity open for pelicans who have adopted a bizarre survival strategy. Rather than fly out to fish for themselves, they're gobbling up the unattended gannet chicks. And BBC film makers have caught the behavior on tape. ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Humming Bird With an Incredible Tail Does a Mating Dance (Video)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:50:00 -0500

... Read the full story on TreeHugger

David Burdeny's Incredible Iceberg Photography (Slideshow)

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:19:29 -0500

Image credit: David Burdeny/Young Gallery David Burdeny is an architect and interior designer. He is also a skilled photographer. His iceberg series shows that these frozen giants are far more than platforms for penguins: They are floating sculptures that are becoming increasing]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Great White Sharks Along California Coast Are Unique Population - Haven't Met Outsiders in 10,000+ Years

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:44:00 -0500

photo: Hermanus Backpackers via flickr. Mongabay is pointing out a really pretty cool piece of shark research from Proceedings of the Royal Society B: The great white sharks along California's coast were previously thought to roam far and wide, but we now know that the California population is distinct and hasn't mixed with other white sharks for tens of thousands of years:]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

EU Puts Bulgaria on Notice Over Enviro Negligence

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:45:00 -0500

The Pirin mountains are among Bulgaria's threatened natural habitats. Photo by Marin Nikolov via Flickr. Come December, the European Council will assess Turkey's slow, sometimes stumbling efforts toward EU accession. If the country gets a decent grade, the next chapter of negotiations to be opened is likely to be the one dealing with environmental issues. And if neighboring Bulgaria's recent experience is any indication, the European body won't be letting Turkey off easy]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

China Cleaning Up Two Toxic Spills on Yangtze River, Drinking Water Source of Millions

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:20:41 -0500

Should Shipping on the Yangtze be Made Safer and Cleaner? Even when everything's going according to plan, cargo ships can be major sources of air pollution (see "Just 15 of the world's biggest ships may now emit as much pollution as all the world's 760m cars"), but when things go wrong and they're carrying dangerous chemicals, things can degenerate quite a bit. Chinese workers are currently trying to clean up two spills that took place on the Yangtze River this week (oil was spilled in one case and hydr]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

British Earthworms May Get Nudged Out by European Invaders Thanks to Climate Change

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:00:00 -0500

Photo via schizoform Earthworms in Britain are seeing their turf taken over by a European species that is better suited for warmer, drier climates...the type of climate we're seeing more of thanks to global warming. At Whitley Wood in the New Forest, the change in the ecosystem has made it too much of a battle for native earthworm species to keep European invaders at bay. As non-native earthworms continue to make their way to Britain, hitching rides with imported plants, the balance of species will continue to shift. ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Warren Buffett Makes a $44 Billion (!) Bet on Trains, Buys BNSF

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:19:33 -0500

That's Quite a Nice New Toy You Got There, and It's Not Even Xmas Has the Oracle of Omaha seen the future? If so, it seems to include more trains, because Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett's investment vehicle, decided to buy the remaining 77.4% of Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railway that it didn't already own, and the price tag wasn't small: 44 billion dollars when cash, stock and debt are included. Mr. Buffett says that he's betting on "the United States", because "railroad operators cannot do well unless American businesses were producing goods and customers were buying them." But is it possible tha]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

36% of World's Flora and Fauna Now Threatened With Extinction

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:24:00 -0500

The monitor lizard is under threat due to habitat loss and hunting by humans for food. All images: ICUN. The latest update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is in and if you were expecting good news prepared to be disappointed. Of the more than 47,000 species surveyed, about 17,000 are at serious risk -- of those 21% of the world's mammal species, 12% of birds, 28% of reptiles, 30% of amphibians, 35% of invertebrates, 37% of freshwater fish and 70% of plants:]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

25% of Zimbabwe's Rhinos Killed in Past Three Years by Gangster Poachers

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:48:00 -0500

photo: derekkeats via flickr. As if Zimbabwe didn't have enough problems: The Economic Times forwards on the news that Zimbabwe's director of national parks has told a parliamentary committee that one-quarter of the nation's rhinoceros population has been killed by poachers, just in the last three years:]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Montane Puts the Squeeze on Recycled Outdoor Clothing

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:43:59 -0500

Photo: Montane Montane may not be one of the iconic names of outdoor gear, having only been around for 16 years. But they are taking it to the big boys by offering part of their outdoor sport clothing line in eco materials. The garments shown below, for example, use recycled polyester in either shell fabrics or insulations. Yet British-based Montane are still able to offer their signature low weight and pack size, demonstrating that eco-textiles still offer performance characteristics.]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Thieves and Vandals: Vélib is Still Under Siege

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:16:59 -0500

Photo: Flickr, CC Tragedy of the Commons? Vélib, the Parisian bike-sharing program, is great. But it would be incorrect to pretend that tout est parfait dans le meilleur des mondes (lit. transl.: everything is perfect in the best of worlds). Vandalism and theft has been a problem, and the latest news aren't good: About 80% of the original 20,600 bicycles have been damaged or stolen and the resources required]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

The Ups and Downs of the World's Most Isolated Sea

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0500

The Black Sea is an integral part of millions of peoples' lives. Photo of Trabzon, Turkey, by Whewes via Flickr. With its watershed covering almost one-third of continental Europe, an area home to some 160 million people, there are plenty of opportunities for pollution to run into the Black Sea -- and only one outlet to the world's oceans and seas, the Bosphorus straits in Turkey. It's little wonder, then, that a dozen years ago, it was described as "facing an environmental catastrophe." More surprising, perhaps, is that conditions in the Read the full story on TreeHugger

The World's Second Largest Tropical Rainforest

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:21:00 -0500

Me, pictured center, with just one of six million indigenous Mayans living in the Maya Forest. Why I didn't know much about Mesoamerica's Maya Forest (or 'Selva Maya' in Spanish), I'm not sure (and yes, am admittedly embarrassed). My guess is that since the Amazon takes the gold for being the largest rainforest, it receives the most attention. (A quick search on TreeHugger results in pages upon pages of Amazon news and you guessed it, close to zilch on the Read the full story on TreeHugger

Pronghorn Antelopes Are the True Marathoners of the American West

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:00:00 -0500

photo: W.B. Karesh Modern technology came in handy for several scientists tracking the marathon migration of pronghorn antelopes. Using GPS collars, the scientists were able to follow the species in what is being called the longest migration of any land mammal in the Western Hemisphere. ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Great Lakes, Great Problems, and Pretty Good Restoration Plan, Finally

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:52:53 -0500

Credit: GLERL. Once upon a time, a president named George W. Bush called the Great Lakes "a national treasure," formed a group to come up with a restoration plan, and did nothing. That was in May 2004. The regional group he formed later came up with a $20 billion plan to clean up the lakes. This year, 2009, Part 1 of that regional strategy is about to kick off, to address th]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Rent-a-Goat in Action! Clearing Brush the Way Nature Intended It

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:45:34 -0500

Photo: Rent-a-Ruminent LLC Could goats be the past and the future? We've written many times about goats being used to replace lawnmowers and to clear brush (for example, in Arizona, in North-Carolina, and even at Google's Mountainview HQ). Well, we can now add to that list the Seattle-based Read the full story on TreeHugger

UK's Cycle to Work Guarantee: Good Idea, But Doesn't Go Far Enough...

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:09:35 -0500

Photo: Flickr, CC Storing, Changing, Buying, Repairing, Inspiring The UK transport secretary, Andrew Adonis, has launched a new program to encourage more people to commute to work on bicycles. Currently, only about 3% of UK citizens do that, compared to about 40% in Copenhagen. The initiative is named the Cycle to Work Guarantee and it is a voluntary program that workplaces can join. Members are basically sending the message to their current and potential employees that they'll tak]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Horrifying Plants That Eat the Living (Slideshow)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:55:16 -0500

Image credit: worak/Flickr Anyone who has seen Little Shop of Horrors has felt it: that sinking feeling that something is not right. And I'm not talking about Rick Moranis singing. I'm talking about sinister carnivorous plants. We all know plants can poison us, sure, but it seems unnatural for a plant to eat another living thing. It's hard to believe that a member of the largely peaceful and beneficent Plantae kingdom would lurk in the forest, waiting for prey. Well believe it. You're about to see a whole hoard of horri]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger