Thursday, March 28, 2013

Is De-Extinction a Word?

Yes, really it is, and it means exactly what you think it does: recreating animals that have gone extinct.

Image by George Edwards via Wikimedia

This is not a futuristic Jetsons-meets-Jurassic Park concept anymore, friends. In this era of possibility, science will stop at nothing to challenge our ideas of what can be done.

The latest issue of National Geographic examines the genetic research that has already made the cloning of an extinct Pyrenean Ibex a reality (even if it was unsuccessful) and discusses a number of controversies surrounding the subject. 

For a list of 10 species that are potentially viable candidates for de-extinction, read my latest article on About.com.



Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Species Most Likley to Feel the Heat

Have you ever wondered which species will be the first to suffer the effects of climate change?

It's easy to name the polar bear, but what else?

Photo by USFWS
 
The IUCN has profiled nine animals that are most likely to be affected by climate change, and the Wilderness Conservation Society followed up with its own list of "Species Facing the Heat."

Learn which species are listed here


Love Coffee? Read This ...

Yes, I love coffee. Crave coffee. Wake up looking forward to my first cup. 

That said, I'm trying to cut down ... really ... but that's another post. 

Photo by Stewart Yu via Wikimedia

Today, I'm talking about how critical our choices of coffee are when it comes to protecting vast tropical habitats and their amazing bird species. Did you know that some of the same birds we enjoy watching in the springtime have wintered in coffee plantations? 

It's true.

So, with the same devotion that you fill you bird feeders, read coffee labels. It matters. Learn more about why this is so important here.



Tuesday, March 26, 2013