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Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Mountain Seer Has Moved! (Link) *Visit new website!*
Mountain Seer Has Moved to a New Website! Mountain Seer has moved to a new website www.Transcend.ws. All new posts will be published there and the prior posts on this blog have been re-posted there. We hope to have new posts very soon!
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Saturday, December 10, 2011
Mountain Seer Is Moving! (Link) *Visit new website!*
Mountain Seer Is Moving to a New Website! Mountain Seer is moving to a new website www.Transcend.ws. All new posts will be published there and the prior posts on this blog are being re-posted there. We hope to have new posts very soon!
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Saturday, November 12, 2011
The 7 Wonders of Nature (Video, Images) *Provisional winners announced from global voting*
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7 Wonders of Nature Announced The provisional list of the New 7 Wonders of Nature have been announced by New7Wonders. The global voting is now being checked, validated, and independently verified. The official winners will be announced in early 2012 during the official inauguration ceremonies. It is possible there will be changes between the provisional winners and the confirmed winners.
The provisional winners, in alphabetical order, are:
▲ Amazon (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela)
▲ Halong Bay (Vietnam)
▲ Iguazu Falls (Argentina, Brazil)
▲ Jeju Island (South Korea)
▲ Komodo (Indonesia)
▲ Puerto Princesa Underground River (Philippines)
▲ Table Mountain (South Africa)
The other finalists, in alphabetical order, are:
▲ Angel Falls (Venezuela)
▲ Bay of Fundy (Canada)
▲ Black Forest (Germany)
▲ Bu Tinah Island (United Arab Emirates)
▲ Cliffs of Moher (Ireland)
▲ Dead Sea (Israel, Jordan, Palestine)
▲ El Yunque (Puerto Rico)
▲ Galapagos (Ecuador)
▲ Grand Canyon (United States)
▲ Great Barrier Reef (Australia, Papua New Guinea)
▲ Jeita Grotto (Lebanon)
▲ Kilimanjaro (Tanzania)
▲ Islands of the Maldives (Maldives)
▲ Masurian Lake District (Poland)
▲ Matterhorn/Cervino (Italy, Switzerland)
▲ Milford Sound (New Zealand)
▲ Mud Volcanoes (Azerbaijan)
▲ Sunderbans (Bangladesh, India)
▲ Uluru (Australia)
▲ Vesuvius (Italy)
▲ Yushan (Chinese Taipei)
Announcing the Provisional New7Wonders of Nature The provisional New7Wonders of Nature are, in alphabetical order: Amazon, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls, Jeju Island, Komodo, Puerto Princesa Underground River, Table Mountain. Here, Bernard Weber, Founder-President of New7Wonders, announces the names of the provisional New7Wonders of Nature at the New7Wonders headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.
A global movement, creating 7 symbols of heritage and nature, becoming part of Global Memory forever.
Amazon (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela)
Halong Bay (Vietnam)
Iguazu Falls (Argentina, Brazil)
Jeju Island (South Korea)
Komodo (Indonesia)
Puerto Princesa Underground River (Philippines)
Table Mountain (South Africa)
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| International Union for Conservation of Nature Conserving Biodiversity |
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Sunday, October 30, 2011
World Population Reaches 7 Billion (Videos) *Unprecedented, dangerous, unsolved problems of human impact on biosphere*
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World Population Reaches 7 Billion Apparently there are 6,999,999,999 of you around me out there. Living in a rural area looking out at woodlands with no evidence of neighbors while I write this creates a comforting illusion, but this is most likely temporal even at this local level. Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, in the video below, says, "To keep the kind of economy we have today, and that many in the poor world aspire to reach in the future, is already imposing unprecedented, extremely dangerous, and unsolved problems of human impact on the natural environment."
Ecological Costs Sachs discusses the ecological costs, noting deforestation and pollution, of feeding 7 billion people. The power generation necessary for 7 billion people is staggering, requiring the burning of coal, oil, and gas which results in 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere annually and ultimately climate change. The world population continues upwards at 75 - 80 million people per year. More people, more pressure on the Earth's resources. The current economic system is already unsustainable for water, biodiversity, climate change, pollution, etc. and Sachs says, "We have absolutely an unsolved, first-rate conundrum that is a challenge for the whole world." Sachs reiterates Malthus' warning that the human population would press against the finite limits of the planet and agrees this is "absolutely correct". "It is a focal and central challenge for the planet in the decades ahead." A "decent and sustainable world" is the mission of the Earth Institute and the reason for Jeffrey Sachs video.
The 7 Billion Challenge The rapid rise in the world's population to 7 billion - from 6 billion just a dozen years ago - poses enormous challenges. In this video, Earth Institute Director Jeffrey D. Sachs talks about the stresses our population already puts on the planet, and the mission of the institute to tackle those problems and promote sustainable development.
7 Billion People The UN estimates that the 7 billionth baby will be born on October 31, 2011.
The Earth Institute brings together the people and tools needed to address some of the world's most difficult problems, from climate change and environmental degradation, to poverty, disease and the sustainable use of resources.
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| International Union for Conservation of Nature Conserving Biodiversity |
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The Great Ocean Garbage Patches (Videos) *Human trash impacting marine life*
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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Plastic bags and other human trash are now common in the world's oceans. With the world's population now reaching 7 billion people, up 1 billion in 12 years, the pollution of the world's oceans with human trash intensifies. Dr. Marcus Eriksen, of the 5 Gyres Institute, studies the amount and impact of plastic debris in the ocean. He has traveled to the ocean gyres that trap this debris in a giant garbage patch, an enormous plastic soup. The North Pacific Gyre, or garbage patch, may be the size of Texas. Dr. Bill Van Bonn, of the Marine Mammal Center, adds that he has seen plastic bags in the stomachs of whales, sea lions, and dolphins. Trash is mistaken for food or prey by the creatures in the sea and ingested.
Plastic Bags and the Environment CNN's Amber Lyon examines the effect plastic bags have on the ocean.
Plastics in the Oceans Dr. Marcus Eriksen, was interviewed on 11 Alive News for Earth Day. Eriksen studies plastics in our oceans, and the effects on our water and planet.
World's Ocean Gyres
Our mission is to conduct research and communicate about the global impact of plastic pollution in the world’s oceans and employ strategies to eliminate the accumulation of plastic pollution in the 5 subtropical gyres.
Our mission is to expand knowledge about marine mammals - their health and that of their ocean environment - and to inspire their global conservation. Our core work is the rescue and rehabilitation of sick and injured marine mammals, supported by state-of-the-art animal care and research facilities, a corps of dedicated volunteers, and an engaged community.
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| International Union for Conservation of Nature Conserving Biodiversity |
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Saturday, October 29, 2011
The Great Penguin Rescue (Video) *Dyan deNapoli, an oil spill, & 40,000 penguins!*
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African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus) during The Great Penguin Rescue
The only penguin species that breeds in AfricaConservationists Respond to Save African Penguins The world's largest animal rescue occurred in 2000 in South Africa. The iron-ore carrier MV Treasure sank in Table Bay. A 3-mile oil slick formed and 75,000 African Penguins, about 50% of the entire population, were threatened during breeding season. Ultimately 20,000 penguins would be coated with toxic oil and 90% would survive as a result of feeding and cleaning each penguin. It would take 2 people at least 1 hour to clean 1 penguin. Another 20,000 penguins were captured and transported away from the threatened area. In addition, 3,000 chicks were rescued, hard-raised, and the survival rate was higher than chicks raised by parents in the wild. Conservationists worldwide, including Dyan deNapoli, responded to the monumental task to rescue the penguins. In the video below, Ms. deNapoli tells the story of 12,500 volunteers saving 40,000 penguins in a 500,000 hours effort. The IUCN lists the African Penguin as Endangered, undergoing a rapid population decline, probably as the result of commercial fisheries and shifts in prey populations. deNapoli says this is due to over-fishing and global warming. She concludes, "Humans have always been the greatest threat to penguins, but we are now their only hope".
Dyan deNapoli: The Great Penguin Rescue A personal story, a collective triumph: Dyan deNapoli tells the story of the world's largest volunteer animal rescue, which saved more than 40,000 penguins after an oil spill off the coast of South Africa. How does a job this big get done? Penguin by penguin by penguin ...
Related Story
Saving South African Penguins (Video) "No one wants a world without penguins!"
About Dyan deNapoli Call her "the Penguin Lady." Dyan deNapoli educates the world about these fascinating birds. While she was the Senior Penguin Aquarist at the New England Aquarium, Dyan deNapoli hand-raised dozens of penguin chicks, presented daily programs about penguins to aquarium visitors, and traveled the globe to work with penguin researchers in the field. Now, as head of her own educational company, she frequently writes on penguin topics and has served as the onboard penguin expert and guest lecturer on cruise ships visiting the Galapagos Islands and Antarctica. She estimates she has taught about 250,000 people in the US and abroad about penguins. |
| International Union for Conservation of Nature Conserving Biodiversity |
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Monday, October 24, 2011
Baby Dolphins Steal the Show (Videos) *Diego, Doerte, Darwin make first public appearance*
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Star Attractions at Duisburg Zoo The star attractions at Germany's Duisburg Zoo, baby dolphins Diego, Doerte and Darwin make their first public appearance. The three were born in the late summer to different females. Zoo director, Achim Winker says the births are very special because dolphin breeding in captivity is a relatively new discipline. Winker said, "It took the young dolphins about half an hour to be born and they immediately swam to the water surface to take their first breath. Since then they have swum next to their mothers as dolphins do".
Baby dolphins swim into Germans’ hearts Baby dolphins Diego, Doerte and Darwin make their first public appearance at Germany's Duisburg zoo. Tara Cleary reports.
Dolphins Steal the Show at German Zoo Three baby dolphins are the star attraction of Germany's Duisburg Zoo. The three dolphins named Diego, Doerte and Darwin were born in late summer to three different mothers. According to the zoo, the birth of the animals was a very rare occurrence.
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| International Union for Conservation of Nature Conserving Biodiversity |
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Sunday, September 25, 2011
African Golden Cat Recorded on Video for First Time (Videos) *Most elusive, least studied cat in Africa*
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First Known Footage of African Golden Cat Released by Panthera – Part 1 A team led by Panthera Kaplan scholar and graduate student, Laila Bahaa-el-din, in Gabon captured this rare footage of one of the least known and most elusive wild cats on earth – the African golden cat. The footage was taken with cameras set as part of a research project to understand how African golden cats are affected by different levels of human activity, such as logging and hunting, which are prevalent across forested Africa. The footage shows what Panthera believes to be a young adult male of the grey phase with a very rich spotting pattern, sitting directly in front of our camera.
First Known Footage of African Golden Cat Released by Panthera – Part 2 A team led by Panthera Kaplan scholar and graduate student, Laila Bahaa-el-din, in Gabon captured this rare footage of one of the least known and most elusive wild cats on earth – the African golden cat. The footage was taken with cameras set as part of a research project to understand how African golden cats are affected by different levels of human activity, such as logging and hunting, which are prevalent across forested Africa. The footage shows what Panthera believes to be a young adult male of the grey phase with a very rich spotting pattern, hunting a bat at night.
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| Distribution of African Golden Cat (Caracal aurata) |
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| Panthera |
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| International Union for Conservation of Nature Conserving Biodiversity |
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Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Mountain Wildlife in Afghanistan Survive Conflict Zone (Video) *Further protection needed*
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| The Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) of Nuristan, Afghanistan Listed as Endangered, population trend decreasing, by the IUCN |
Spectacular Wildlife in Afghanistan Needs Protection While war comes to mind when Afghanistan is mentioned, the mountain region of Nuristan is the home of spectacular wildlife and magnificent scenery. Joe Walston, Asia Program Director for the Wildlife Conservation Society, is leading an effort to preserve and protect this special ecosystem. Nuristan is unlike other areas of Afghanistan and is "much more like the Italian Alps or the Rocky Mountains in the United States". The Snow Leopard inhabits this region along with the Markhor (Capra falconeri), a large species of wild goat with large corkscrew, spiraling horns. The Markhor is listed as Endangered, population trend decreasing, by the IUCN. The Asian Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus), aka Himalayan Black Bear, Moon Bear, or White-Chested Bear, is indigenous to Nuristan and listed as Vulnerable, population trend decreasing, by the IUCN. Another inhabitant of Nuristan is the familiar Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) and is listed worldwide as Least Concern, population trend stable, by the IUCN.
Wildlife Conservation Society Efforts The WCS reports and surveys are optimistic. Camera traps set in a 1,000 square kilometer area between 2006 and 2009 show the wildlife in Nuristan is surviving despite the ongoing war. Joe Walston of WCS says, "WCS helped the Afghanistan government develop its first national park (Band-e-Amir National Park) not far from Kabul. It's already a tourist site, people are regularly going out." In a time of war, stress, and tension, "people want something that provides an escape from that, but also something that is a point of pride". Walston said, "Band-e-Amir is an example of something that Afghanistan can and should be proud of".
Wildlife Conservation Society Efforts The WCS reports and surveys are optimistic. Camera traps set in a 1,000 square kilometer area between 2006 and 2009 show the wildlife in Nuristan is surviving despite the ongoing war. Joe Walston of WCS says, "WCS helped the Afghanistan government develop its first national park (Band-e-Amir National Park) not far from Kabul. It's already a tourist site, people are regularly going out." In a time of war, stress, and tension, "people want something that provides an escape from that, but also something that is a point of pride". Walston said, "Band-e-Amir is an example of something that Afghanistan can and should be proud of".
Animals in Afghanistan Survive Conflict Most people think of Afghanistan as a conflict zone, but it’s also the home of spectacular wildlife in need of protection.
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| Nuristan is important mountain habitat for wildlife |
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| Wildlife Conservation Society Saving Wildlife, Saving Wild Places |
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| International Union for Conservation of Nature Conserving Biodiversity |
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