No. 379, December 28, 2006

 

WELCOME NEW RINGTONE MEMBERS

   
 

COMEBACK KID #10: BIG BEND GAMBUSIA

   
 

POLAR BEAR #1: FEDS PROPOSE ENDANGERED SPECIES LISTING

   
  POLAR BEAR #2: FEDS CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT CAUSES GLOBAL WARMING
   
  SEA ICE MELTING FASTER THAN PREVIOUSLY PREDICTED
   
 

MOTH DRINKS TEARS OF SLEEPING BIRDS

   
  FRANKINCENSE WOODLANDS DECLINING
   
 

YANGTZE RIVER DOLPHIN DECLARED EXTINCT

   
 

YOU'RE INVITED: PREMIER OF "A RIVER REBORN: THE RESTORATION OF FOSSIL CREEK"

 

 

 


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WELCOME NEW RINGTONE MEMBERS

Welcome to the thousands of people who have joined the weekly Endangered Earth newsletter by downloading free endangered species ringtones! I try to keep the news short, though unfortunately it's not always sweet. You can unsubscribe by following the instructions at the end of this newsletter. But we hope that your love of wildlife and your interest in saving them will keep you around. Our newsletter is an easy way to keep informed and get involved.

Kieran Suckling
Policy Director
Center for Biological Diversity


COMEBACK KID #10: BIG BEND GAMBUSIA

The Big Bend Gambusia is a small fish which lives in a spring complex at the edge of the Rio Grande River within Big Bend National Park in Texas. Habitat destruction, water diversions and introduced exotic fish reduced the species to a mere three survivors in 1957.  It was placed on the federal endangered species list in 1967. Due to rescue efforts by scientists and a strong commitment to habitat restoration by the National Park Service, the population increased to about 50,000 fish in 2005.


POLAR BEAR #1: FEDS PROPOSE ENDANGERED SPECIES LISTING

In keeping with a court order obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity, NRDC and Greenpeace, the Bush administration announced Dec. 27 that it is formally proposing to list the Polar Bear as a "threatened" species under the Endangered Species Act. Protecting the Polar Bear has been one of the top priorities for the Center since it petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the bear in February 2005.

Time Magazine: "There is a limit to the pugnacity of any Administration. Richard Nixon reached it in Cambodia; John F. Kennedy reached it at the Bay of Pigs. Until now, George W. Bush may have never encountered an eye he wasn't willing to at least consider poking. But even for him, the polar bear may have finally proven to be a fight too far."

Washington Post: "Identifying polar bears as threatened with extinction could have an enormous political and practical impact...Because scientists have concluded that carbon dioxide from power-plant and vehicle emissions is helping drive climate change worldwide, putting polar bears on the endangered species list raises the legal question of whether the government would be required to compel U.S. industries to curb their carbon dioxide output."

Los Angeles Times: "Environmentalists hope that invoking the Endangered Species Act protections eventually might provide impetus for the government to cut back on its emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping "greenhouse" gases blamed for warming the atmosphere. The proposed listing also marks a potentially significant departure for the administration from its cautious rhetoric about the effects of global warming"

Senator Barbara Boxer: "The polar bear's plight reflects the health of the planet. Global warming is melting polar ice at an alarming rate and we are now beginning to realize the consequences of this. This news serves as a wake-up call to the U.S. Congress and the administration that we must quickly begin to address global warming through legislative action."

Listen to Kassie Siegel, director of the Center for Biological Diversity's Climate/Air/Energy program on CNN, NPR and BBC.


POLAR BEAR #2: FEDS CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT CAUSES GLOBAL WARMING

Apparently there is no limit to the mental gymnastics the Bush administration will employ in its quest to avoid all discussion of global warming. In presenting its proposal to list the Polar Bear as threatened, the Secretary of the Interior stated: "While the proposal to list the species as threatened cites the threat of receding sea ice, it does not include a scientific analysis of the causes of climate change. That analysis is beyond the scope of the Endangered Species Act review process."

And we thought the purpose of the Endangered Species Act was to identify and eliminate the threats pushing species to extinction. Go figure. Looks like our campaign to save the Polar Bear is far from over.


SEA ICE MELTING FASTER THAN PREVIOUSLY PREDICTED

National Geographic reports that global warming may eliminate summer Arctic sea ice by the year 2040 - decades earlier than scientists had thought previously. The loss of sea ice is the primary threat to the Polar Bear and will likely result in the extinction of other species as well.


MOTH DRINKS TEARS OF SLEEPING BIRDS

The New Scientist reports the discovery of a moth on the island of Madagascar that drinks the tears of sleeping robins and Newtonia birds. It inserts the tip of its specially evolved proboscis under the bird's eyelid and drinks fluid from the tear duct without waking the birds. As water is readily available elsewhere in the forest, scientists think the moths are seeking out salt rather than water.


FRANKINCENSE WOODLANDS DECLINING

Frankincense is an aromatic wood resin obtained by tapping one of five tree species in the Boswellia genus. For 2,000 years, it has been an important ingredient in incense and perfumes, especially during Christmas. The Three Wise Men are said to have brought frankincense as a gift to the newborn Jesus. In many Arab communities, weddings, Eid celebrations, and the birth of a newborn are incomplete without the burning of frankincense. In Omani homes, frankincense is essential when demonstrating hospitality to guests.

Now Scientific American reports that overtapping is causing Boswellia trees in Africa's Cape Horn to divert too much carbohydrate into resin, at the expense of reproductive organs, such as flowers, fruit and seeds. As a result, Boswellia woodlands are not regenerating fast enough to sustain themselves in the long-term. Scientists recommend less intensive tapping of individual trees and establishment of a rotation system that allows some trees to go untapped each year.


YANGTZE RIVER DOLPHIN DECLARED EXTINCT

China's Yangtze River dolphin, or baiji, has been declared extinct. As many as 6,000 dolphins plied the waters of the Yangtze in the 1950s. By the early 1980s only 400 baiji remained.  The dolphin population declined to just 13 in 1997 and none have been seen since 2004. Scientists blame habitat destruction, illegal fishing, collisions with ships, and dam building for the extinction of what was once called the "goddess of the Yangtze."

The 20-million-year-old species is the first cetacean to be driven extinct unequivocally by humans. Many others are endangered or declining and will join the baiji if not more vigorously protected.


YOU'RE INVITED: PREMIER OF "A RIVER REBORN: THE RESTORATION OF FOSSIL CREEK"

On Jan. 14, the Orpheum Theater in Phoenix, Ariz. will screen the world premier of "A River Reborn: The Restoration of Fossil Creek." The documentary tells the story of Arizona's Fossil Creek, and how after 100 years of degradation, is being restored thanks to an agreement between Arizona Public Service Inc. and environmental advocates including the Center for Biological Diversity. It is narrated by "Cheers!" actor, Ted Danson.

"A River Reborn" will air on KAET Arizona Public Television at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17 and will be distributed to public television stations across the country via satellite by the National Educational Telecommunications Association.

Screenings will be held at 4 p.m. and at 7 p.m. A reception follows at 6 p.m. The Orpheum Theatre (602 262-7272) is at 203 West Adams. Tickets are available also at Ticketmaster.com or 480-784-4444.


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