Conservation A Permit Runs Through It Often, the biggest impediments to conservation are the conservation agencies. NOTE: this article was originally published to PERC.org on December 6, 2018. It was written by Martin Doyle. Oregon ranchers who set out to restore streams in Silvies Valley find regulatory purgatory Colby Marshall has given up on calling
"Invasion Biology" Will Mushrooms Be Magic for Threatened Bees? Seventy years ago, Dr. William Albrecht, the “Father of Soil Fertility,” wrote, “It’s not the overpowering invader we must fear but the weakened condition of the victim.” Outbreaks of parasite-spread diseases must be treated if possible, but treating symptoms can’t be confused with treating causes. While symptoms, both
blue-origin Blue Origin's January 23, 2019 Rocket Launch in far-West Texas Blue origin, the private rocket company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is based next to Circle Ranch in far-West Texas. Here is a video of their January 23, 2019 launch. The rocket’s flight lasted 10 minutes, the maximum altitude reached was 66 miles, the maximum speed was about
Animal Development Yellowstone Grizzly Bears Protected After Judge Bans Hunting This well-intentioned effort harms bear restorations. NOTE: this article was originally published to USAToday.com on September 24, 2018. It was written by Trevor Hughes. The judge ruled U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials were “arbitrary and capricious” in their 2017 decision to remove the bears’ protections under the
"Invasion Biology" One of Nature’s Smallest Flowering Plants Can Survive Inside of a Duck Nature constantly introduces new plants into new places as this article on the spread of the lowly duckweed illustrates. Usually “alien exotic” plants don’t “invade” stable systems, but colonize damaged habitats where they previously couldn’t survive. We often look at this natural process backwards, seeing the result while
hunters Poisoned Wildlife and Tainted Meat: Why Hunters Are Moving Away From Lead Bullets The lead in spent bullets and shot never goes away. It accumulates, year after year, eventually poisoning marshes and any environment where guns are fired. When the long-term environmental damage from lead shot and bullets is considered, it becomes obvious that non-toxic substitutes are necessary. NOTE: this article was originally
"Invasion Biology" Q&A - The Rules that Govern Life on Earth - with Sean B Carroll How resilient will nature be to climate change? Why are there no very large mammalian predators? Is there a place for controlled hunting of rhinos? Sean B Carroll answers questions from the audience following his talk, which can be seen by clicking here.
"Invasion Biology" The Problem with Ice Age Overkill Those on the left of the political spectrum are loathe to admit that the ancestors of Native Americans could have harmed the environment. While those on the right can’t acknowledge that our industrial methods—from manufacturing to agriculture—could be harming nature. Both sides should take a hard look
Bio-Diversity In Mozambique, a Living Laboratory for Nature’s Renewal This remarkable success story from Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park shows how fast systems can recover when keystone grazers, numerous prey species and the full compliment of predators are restored. For more on this topic look at the lecture of Dr. Sean B. Carroll, author of the Serengeti Rules: He
"Invasion Biology" Pronghorn: Experts in Speed and Sight Pronghorn are the fastest land animal in North America. They are found only in the grasslands. Pronghorn numbers are declining, yet at one time as many as 30-million existed interdependently with bison. For the same reasons they needed bison, pronghorn are compatible with cattle. Pronghorn: Experts in Speed and Sight
Bio-Diversity EPA Allows Farmers to Keep Using Bayer’s Controversial Weedkiller Collapsing insect populations probably explain the loss of much wildlife – including quail. Insect disappearance is an ominous trend which could foretell the failure of the world’s food web. Meanwhile the agrochemical giants continue to proliferate ever more powerful herbicides, pesticides and chemicals while a co-opted regulatory, academic and conservation
California Supervolcano California Supervolcano May Be As Dangerous as Yellowstone's “As described in this article, one of three super-volcanoes in the United States is in New Mexico. Valles Caldera is located in north-central New Mexico in the central Jemez Mountains west of Santa Fe. It is the oldest of three young caldera-type volcanoes in the United States; the other two
Bio-Diversity Hyperalarming Study Shows Massive Insect Loss Agricultural chemicals play a major role in this process, which ultimately threatens the world’s food web. NOTE: this article was originally published to WashingtonPost.com and circulated by ExpressNews.com on October 15, 2018. It was written by Ben Guarino. Insects around the world are in a crisis, according
Bio-Diversity Hotel California? Quoting the authors below: “If the Endangered Species Act is going to meet the wildlife challenges of the 21st century, it has to be something more than a one-way street into a cul-de-sac of perpetual stasis. Otherwise, in the immortal words of the Eagles, the endangered species list becomes like
"Invasion Biology" Black-Footed Ferrets They’re cute and cuddly, but nearly went extinct. Follow scientists in South Dakota as they capture black-footed ferrets to help save them. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, “Historically, the Black-footed Ferret occurred in the High Plains, Rolling Plains, and Trans-Pecos regions of North America. Black-footed Ferrets have
"Invasion Biology" Coyotes Conquered North America. Now They’re Heading South. Most landowners and wildlife managers think that killing coyotes is a good practice. They are mistaken – to put it mildly – that coyote ‘control’ is even possible. The more coyotes we kill, the faster coyotes breed. Biologists say we would need to kill 75% of all coyotes every year for 50-years
cancer diagnoses Can Eating Organic Food Lower Your Cancer Risk? Quoting the authors below,” …the most frequent consumers of organic food had 76 percent fewer lymphomas, with 86 percent fewer non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, and a 34 percent reduction in breast cancers that develop after menopause.” And, all these agricultural chemicals are bad for wildlife and habitat for the very same
"Invasion Biology" Book Review of "Coyote America: A Natural and Supernatural History" Paraphrasing a reader: “A wonderful book on coyotes, which covers several broad themes: coyote resilience, coyote individualism, coyote biology (including a little evolution, the science of which is easily understood), coyotes and people (in the broad sense—native American tales, coyotes in the city and more). Much of the book
"Invasion Biology" Elk Country Chronicles - The Sounds of Elk Country Volume 9 Nothing is as peaceful as elk country. The sounds of nature and bugling elk ringing in the landscapes are the perfect getaway from your day. This video will provide you exactly what you need – an escape to elk country. Note: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Published on Oct 16, 2018
Bio-Diversity Giving Malaria a Deadline Here is a beneficial form of genetic tinkering which stands in contrast to the horrible GMOs which in reality are drivers of agro-chemical poison sales. We wiped out screwworm without poisons, and, we can do the same with malaria. NOTE: this article was originally published to NYTimes.com on September
Beaver To Restore Salmon, Think Like a Beaver When Europeans arrived in North America about 500 years ago, it is estimated there were 300 million beavers and 50 million acres of beaver ponds. Within 200 years, 98 percent of this was destroyed, profoundly harming the hydrology of what is now the United States. In much of the United
Bio-Diversity Researchers: 80 Percent Drop in Butterflies in North Florida Quoting the article below,” …researchers believe two major factors could be responsible. Milkweed is the favorite food of young monarchs, and its availability has been sharply reduced by development and by glyphosate (Roundup®), an herbicide widely used in agriculture to kill weeds.” NOTE: this article was originally published to ExpressNews.
Bio-Diversity Report Finds Traces of a Controversial Herbicide in Cheerios and Quaker Oats “Of course glyphosate is in Cheerios: It’s in everything. Because grape growers use Roundup® (glyphosate) to suppress weeds between vines, most wine has glyphosate residue – as does beer. Cotton growers use it to defoliate plants before harvest. Farmers’ GMO seeds like soybeans and corn are modified to survive repeated
Bighorn What We Know About Mule Deer Subspecies Far-West Texas is home to the Desert Mule Deer, one of eleven subspecies of Odocoileus hemionus. Though larger than the Texas whitetail, Texas’ mule deer are smaller than their northern cousins. For many reasons, far-West Texas’ mule deer numbers have been falling irregularly for years. The many perversities of so-called
"Invasion Biology" Guadalupe County Begins Feral Hog Bounty Program Feral pigs would be valuable assets for landowners if we went back to the rules that applied until 30 years ago, which allowed feral pigs to be sold into the commercial food chain. Imagine getting $100 – $300 apiece and creating an additional annual revenue stream for the ranch while helping
