Parts of the Amazon rainforest (as with the Congo and others around the world) are no longer carbon sinks

For as long as people have studied the carbon cycle, forests are considered essential carbon sinks. Unfortunately as we damage them, their ability to absorb carbon reduces.

A new study has confirmed, that large parts of the Amazon rainforest have crossed this line.

For many, it is hard to believe that humans could impact such a huge ecosystem, but we have, and without action this ecosystem will cease to exist
Continue reading “Parts of the Amazon rainforest (as with the Congo and others around the world) are no longer carbon sinks”

Manchin has made millions from coal since joining the senate, and he may be able to block Biden’s plan to halve greenhouse gas emissions

This website was designed to simplify wildlife travel – and we are making progress on this (slowly- terrible timing, given the epidemic), however without significant and rapid cuts to the worlds fossil fuel emissions, impacts from global warming will destroy many wildlife habitats so it is of importance.

Climate change is increasingly causing changes in rainfall. This is turning rainforests to savannahs and savannahs to deserts.

Without dealing with climate change, there will be far fewer ecosystems in which to save the wildlife.

This is why the USA is important. At this point the USA emits roughly 16% of the worlds warming gases.

Continue reading “Manchin has made millions from coal since joining the senate, and he may be able to block Biden’s plan to halve greenhouse gas emissions”

What should we do with companies like Exxon Mobil?

Despite having led the world on climate research, they were having board meetings about climate change and the impact of their activities 50 years ago, Exxon Mobil have spent the last half century putting out slick adverts and then carrying on with business as normal.

As the world wakes up to the incredible threat that climate change holds for the world, they are continue to fight hard against climate change mitigation or reduction in fossil fuel emissions – in private through professional lobbyists, but in public they act the good company taking their responsibilities seriously.

Continue reading “What should we do with companies like Exxon Mobil?”

New resident wolf pack in northern California

A small new wolf pack has formed in northern California. This pack, known as the Beckworth pack has established itself in Pumas county. The pack consists of a 2 year old female wolf born in California and two others.

The new wolf pack now residing in California

This is only the third wolf pack to establish itself in California in the last century. California and their authorities have been heavily supportive of the recovery of wolves in the west of the USA and have publicly decried decisions made by its neighbours – moves which make wolves returning to the endangered list a significant possibility.

Continue reading “New resident wolf pack in northern California”

Are the rich countries living up to their promises?

After the Paris climate accord, there are large numbers of climate activists who are becoming increasingly frustrated.

The rich countries promised dramatic cuts to their emissions. These cuts will change the way the world works. However, as they are so far from business as normal, governments need to take a leading role in incentivising and requiring cuts (carrot and the stick).

In the UK, we did some good things, but they did not last. One example, is the green housing grant. This was ostensibly a program designed to get various trades people back to work by retrofitting buildings all over the country. The retrofit should in turn cut the carbon emissions of the house that they are used for, and therefore can help towards meeting our Paris climate accord. However, the program was closed a year earlier than was discussed, with the government claiming that it had succeeded in what it was there to do – namely boost the economy.

Continue reading “Are the rich countries living up to their promises?”

Dozens of cats have been seized by the US authorities from the zoo set up by the ‘tiger king’ in the Netflix series

Many wild species cannot be bought or sold for profit, as a result of their endangered status. These have been seized on the basis they are not being looked after properly, and include 46 tigers, 7 tigers, a jaguar and 15 lion tiger hybrids.

Continue reading “Dozens of cats have been seized by the US authorities from the zoo set up by the ‘tiger king’ in the Netflix series”

Contradiction of wildlife tourism – do not kill the wild natural world while cutting your emissions

The world has an unfortunate problem. In many parts of the world we are successfully reducing our carbon footprint dramatically, through cleaning our electricity generation among other improvements.

Unfortunately, in our current setup, often the only way to pay for conserving the wild places on our planet is by visiting them, and for most people, this requires long-distance flights.

Something we must avoid in more wealthy countries is to simply halt all tourism to wild places. If in order to cut a few tons of carbon from our personal emissions, we remove the reason to conserve a large rainforest in Africa or Asia, can we really blame the locals when it gets cut down? In theory, money does indeed get sent to some of these countries to pay for offsetting our emissions. Unfortunately this rarely reaches people on the ground.

Continue reading “Contradiction of wildlife tourism – do not kill the wild natural world while cutting your emissions”

Reintroducing Jaguars to the south west of the USA?

It might be a shock to many, but Jaguars were once native to the USA. What’s more despite humans biggest efforts, the eradication was not completely successful. The third largest big cat, after Tiger and Lion, was persecuted along with many other native fauna after Europeans started to settle in the USA.

A news report from the last decade, talking about what is thought to have been the last Arizona Jaguar
Continue reading “Reintroducing Jaguars to the south west of the USA?”

Cicadas in their trillions are about to make their appearance in USA

Cicadas have a fascinating way of avoiding most predators. They spend most of their lives under ground. Every 17 years they awake from hibernation and emerge. At this point they mate, lay eggs and die. They young then climb back beneath ground and the process starts again.

However the numbers are incredible, with the average acre of land in the right states having 1.5 million Cicadas emerging from the ground.

1,200 cicada sightings have already been made.

One distinguishing characteristic behaviour is the males song, which can reach 105 decibels (louder than a lawn mower or many other heavy equipment.

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