All Entries Tagged With: "Jennifer Maclellan"
Fully Intact Baby Mammoth Discovered
Baby Mammoth Found Perfectly Preserved
What did cause our Prehistoric soft and fuzzies to vanish from the Earth so many thousands of years ago? Well to be honest, no one is 100% certain, but the discovery of an almost perfectly preserved one-month old Woolly Mammoth may give us some new clues. The remarkably preserved calf is named Lyuba after the wife of the hunter who found the 37,000-year-old remains in the frozen Yamalo-Nenetsk region of Arctic Russia.
The animal has undergone Computer Tomography (CT) scans in Japan which have given the first detailed internal look at a prehistoric mammal. Thanks to the oxygen-deprived resting place where Lyuba remained for almost 40,000 years her body suffered almost no decay, except for her shaggy coat which would have been similar to pictorial representations of mammoths we see today.
Longest Zero-Carbon Trip Ever Attempted
Kevin Shannon, a long time cyclist is about to undertake a grueling 3 year trip around the world in what will become the longest, unintentional zero-carbon trip ever attempted. That’s right, the ambitious 23 year-old isn’t even crusading for a green cause. Shannon’s trip which will also include a sailing portion across two oceans was planned to raise money for a charity that assists combat veterans. Because he also noted that he intends to create absolutely no carbon emissions, Kevin Shannon is being championed as the newest Earth advocate.
Shannon’s expedition will take him through Europe by bike, then across much of Russia, through Mongolia and China’s Gobi Desert, and down through Southeast Asia. From there he will exchange biking with sailing for a brief period while he navigates through the Indonesian islands, Australia, and New Zealand. From New Zealand Shannon hopes to hitch a yacht to Chile, where he will continue his journey through South America.
Insects: It’s hateful that we should love them.
Recently my bedroom has become what I am assuming is a breeding ground for the common house fly. This is a situation that has driven me to the brink of insanity and unless it turns around in the very near future I believe it may push me over the edge. I am among those people who duck, cover, scream, and wave their hands in the air like they are having some sort of attack, or just run in the opposite direction when I am challenged by almost any kind of insect. The current state of my living arrangements has made me realize that while I spout equal rights for every animal, great and small, I am not necessarily applying those rights to insects, who, according to my proposed philosophy deserve the same consideration as fuzzy cuddly animals. It is something I constantly try to work on since my irrational fears prevent me from doing things I would otherwise enjoy (i.e. African Safaris, rain forests).
Insects, whether I like it or not have a purpose and actually are useful, therefore deserve more respect than I have been showing them. However, in my defense I have given them every opportunity to leave the room of their own free will and only when I felt threatened did I engage in hand-to-hand combat with the distasteful little creatures.
Climate Change Linked to Amphibian Decline
Amphibians are among the oldest living things appearing on earth and date back as far as 360 million years. They have existed relatively unthreatened until the Homo-erectus moved into their territories and introduced new unnatural species into their environment driving some species of the Amphibian family to extinction.
Amphibians can live on the land as well as in water and have a very permeable skin which makes them great indicators of environmental irregularities. For some reason this species that has existed for millions of years has been subjected in the last 30 to mass die-offs and a huge number of deformities throughout a variety of species.
World’s First Shark Sanctuary
This week we have had a few mentions of sharks, their importance, and the cruelty they have suffered at the hands of man. I thought it was appropriate and hopeful to share the news that the tiny Pacific Nation of Palau is creating the world’s first shark sanctuary that will ban all commercial fishing in a move to protect more than 130 shark and Ray species that are currently fighting extinction.
Because they are a small nation they are able to provide only one boat to patrol 240,000 square miles of Palau’s newly protected waters. Palau’s president who will announce the news to the UN General Assembly today will also acknowledge that patrolling an area roughly the size of Texas with one boat will be a daunting task but he hopes that others will respect Palau’s waters and possibly be inspired to do the same in neighbouring nations and globally.
Military puts Golfina Turtles in Vulnerable State
I bet you thought this was going to be about some military operation destroying the habitat of an endangered species; if so prepare to be happily mistaken. The situation is quite the contrary as the Mexican Navy Patrols have moved in to protect the nesting grounds of the endangered Golfina or Olive Ridley Turtles as they begin laying their eggs on what is described by locals and scientists alike as the ‘most important beach for marine turtle nesting in the world.”
Each year thousands of turtles arrive on the beach at Oaxaca, Mexico to begin nesting. This year federal and local authorities have been deployed to protect the turtles and their eggs from poachers. As officials patrol the grounds at least 5 biologists record the number of nests and number of eggs in each. Last year the turtles left roughly 1.3 million eggs in the beach and researchers expect the same thing this year.
Dust to Dust: Green graves and why you might consider one.
It is clear that nature has intended our bodies be returned to the earth.
Death is an uncomfortable topic but one that we will all inevitably be faced with at some point. I had mentioned previously that because of a decrease in infant mortality, coupled with advances in modern medicine our populations have skyrocketed. This doesn’t just put pressure on the living but on the dead as well; and where exactly to put them.
Like many people I was stuck on the idea of a satin lined oak box where I could comfortably rest for…awhile? Unfortunately ground space is becoming a huge concern for areas that have a, shall we say high turnover. As a result of the boom in population we have less and less room to inter the remains of the equal number of people leaving the earth. Not to mention the extremely high cost of preparing a body to be waked and laid to rest. A ‘green’ burial removes the financial and environmental burdens, offering instead a return to an older more natural journey back to the earth.
Bob Timmons – Endangered Marine Animal Artist and Activist
A few months ago I was randomly surfing the Internet for animal conservation news and I came across the website of this really unique artist. His name is Bob Timmons and his originality lies stems from the specific area he has chosen to focus his talents. The marine world is one that has been silently suffering for hundreds of years. Even before the 16th century huge trawlers have been sweeping our oceans and leaving behind ghost nets that will continue to needlessly kill marine life for centuries
Only recently have we made a serious effort to reverse or at least halt some of the damage we have done beneath the waves. Inspired by the 2007 film ‘Sharkwater’ which chronicles the struggle of many shark species for survival against the increasing demand for shark fin products, Bob Timmons decided to use his natural abilities and the public’s connection to art as a way to communicate these atrocities that have gone unnoticed.
Legal Victory for the Marine Life of Canada
When it comes to my levels of excitement over conservation news it always seems to focus on the animals and even more specifically the marine animals. I am not exactly sure why but I think it has something to do with feeling sorry for the animals/fish that most people think of as ugly and unnecessary so I am pretty happy when I hear that the marine world has had some sort of breakthrough. I also really want to be patriotic or at least supportive of my homeland Canada but it is just so damn hard when we do things like chase, terrify, and club baby seals as they scamper across the ice desperately trying to get away from the crazies on land who want to cuddle up in a seal fur scarves and mittens.
Luckily for them, and for my ever decreasing faith in my nation they have had a mini-breakthrough when it comes to the marine life in Canada.
