ENN: Environmental News Network -- Know Your Environment

Please allow me to introduce the plight of the Tasmanian devil.

The Tasmanian Devil is the worlds’ largest carnivorous marsupial. Related to such unique creatures as the kangaroo, platypus, echidna, and the opossum, wild populations of the Tasmanian Devil can only be found off the coast of Australia on the island of Tasmania. For those of you who have never seen a real Tasmanian devil before, they look nothing like the Looney Toons character Taz. Wild Tasmanian devils are actually black in color and walks on four legs, not in a tornado. Tasmanian devil populations are also on the path to extinction due to Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), a fatal infectious cancer.

The first case of Devil Facial Tumour Disease was identified in 1996 and is believed to originate from a single female Tasmanian Devil. Since 1996, DFTD has reduced Tasmanian Devil populations by up to 80%. DFTD causes giant tumors to grown onto the face of the infected Tasmanian Devil, which eventually leads to death by either starvation (since the tumors eventually get so large they can no longer eat) or the tumors metastasize to other organs. DFTD is transmitted through the behavior of biting, which is a common behavior among Tasmanian Devils who tend to be aggressive.

The exact transmission of DFTD is unclear but a new study published in “The Journal of Animal Ecology” found that Tasmanian Devils with less bite marks are MORE likely to develop DFTD.  This implies that dominant individuals who deliver bites may be acquiring the disease that way. This is different than the assumption that the disease was transmitted from the bite of an infected individual.  The study also found the Tasmanian Devil populations with lower bite rates are less impacted by the disease.

Unless Tasmanian Devils go through a behavior makeover, wild Tasmanian Devils may become extinct in the near future. One hope is that DFTD will evolve to become more benign (DFTD usually kills within 6 months), but there is no way to predict how the cancer will evolve. Another option for trying to preserve wild Tasmanian Devil would be creating a vaccine, but that’s a stretch. How this will affect the eco systems is undetermined.

 Tasmanian Devil via Shutterstock

by Maddie Perlman-Gabel

Winter is prime time for attracting birds. Beckoning birds to your backyard in winter can be easier than in any other season if you provide what they need to weather and survive the coldest months.

Scarcity of natural available food, cold temperatures and severe storms push bird mortality high all winter long. You can help birds meet their nutritional needs during wintertime, and will surely be rewarded with a diverse, frequent flock of feathered friends.

There’s lots of birdfeed to choose from, much of it is produced as a sideline business and can contain low quality fill that birds just won’t eat. Some birdfeed has even been identified as containing toxins known to be harmful to wildlife. Responsible research on your bird feed choices will provide birds with the food they require and protect them from toxic chemicals.

Companies like Cole’s wild bird feed offer a wide variety of seed, suet and specialty products specifically formulated to attract birds. Their entire line of products is all natural; seed is top of the crop pulls with absolutely no fillers, preservatives, mineral oils, or pesticides, so you can be sure you’re giving your backyard birds the best in high quality, safe food choices they’ll love.

Birding expert Elaine Cole offers some timely tips to ensure birds in your backyard this winter season.

Food

Feeding birds is by far the simplest way to attract them.  Adding the best winter bird food choices to your feeders when the temperatures drop, will give birds the extra energy they need to survive even the worst weather. Foods high in oil and fat are the most popular winter picks.

* Black oil sunflower seeds –Seeds have slightly thinner shells and a higher oil content than other types of sunflower seeds, making them a more efficient and nutritious food. Offer them in platform, tube or hopper feeders to attract a wide range of hungry birds. You can eliminate discarded shells (that lie under snow and damage new grass in spring) by serving Cole’s Sunflower Meats, with shells already removed.

* Suet – For maximum calories, suet is an optimum winter food choice. Cole’s offers no-melt suet cakes as well as suet specialty feed blends adding nuts, seed and other enticing elements into the suet.

* Peanuts – From jays and titmice to nuthatches and chickadees, many backyard birds love this high-calorie, fat-rich nut. Because peanuts don’t freeze, they’re perfect for winter feeding.

* Niger – Also known as thistle seed is a favorite food for winter finches such as pine siskins, redpolls, and goldfinches. Another oily seed that offers lots of calories, niger helps birds store fat they need to keep warm.

* Fruit – Many songbirds that favor fruit migrate in winter, but many other birds that stay in snowy areas year-round will also enjoy the treat. Offer chopped apples, orange wedges, or banana slices, on platform feeders, spikes or nailed to trees. Chopped or dried fruit can also be added to suet mixtures. Cole’s Nutberry Suet combines fruits, nuts and seed, making it a perfect choice.

* Seed mixes – For convenient and economical winter feeding; nothing beats a good-quality birdseed mix. While birds can probably tell a good mix just by looking at it, humans cannot. Choose a mix that features large proportions of sunflower seeds and millet, but avoid mixes with large proportions of unappetizing fillers such as wheat, milo and corn. Birds will pick out the yummy stuff and leave the filler – and a big mess – behind. Learn about seed mixes at www.coleswildbird.com.

Water- Fresh, liquid, moving water using birdbath spritzers or fountains will readily attract many backyard birds in winter. Add a heater to your water supply and you’ll be surprised at the number of birds that use it.

Shelter- A cozy place to roost will keep your backyard birds secure and comfortable even in the worst weather. Bird roost boxes and other shelters are essential to protect small birds from frigid, dropping temperatures. Offer birds a source of winter nesting material to use as insulation.

Serve safely- Just as backyard birds may be more desperate during the lean times of winter, so are predators such as cats and hawks. Position bird feeders in a safe place to protect them and pay attention to prints in the snow to learn what predators may be threatening your feeders.

Start now preparing your yard for winter so birds will learn it’s a safe place long before they’re in desperate need. By providing for birds’ basic needs as cold weather approaches, it can be easy to attract birds to your yard in winter. You’ll enjoy their company even when the weather is at its worst.

Photo credit: Coles Wild Bird Products.

by Roger

With Halloween around the corner, people are trying to come up with crazy and unique ways to eat so much candy that they would explode or see how they can upstage their friends by wearing the craziest costumes. However, my favorite part about Halloween is an aspect that people try to one-up each other every single year with (and no, it’s not trying to see which house is giving out the best tricks and treats). That’s right, it’s the main reason why people go all out for this Americanized holiday: the pranks.

Pranks on October 30^th (Mischief Night) and on Halloween day have forced many towns to issue and enforce curfews during this week. But what do you do with all that used toilet-paper? And what about those eggs dried up on your cars?

Once you unravel all the toilet paper off your house and landscaping, people can re-use the TP for everyday Halloween parties. Use the extra toilet tissue for party games like being wrapped up as a zombie or “Minute to Win It” style paper dragon (this race consists of unraveling a roll of party streamers or toilet paper and then wrapping it totally around your arms and torso until none is on the ground anymore). Because you actually won’t reuse the toilet-paper, you might as well get some use out of it.

For those eggs, they won’t really do you any good. But there is a very eco-friendly thing you could use some of those flying yellow things for. Now, you don’t want to eat them (that’s VERY unhygienic). Once scraped off of houses, the leftover eggs could be mixed in with fertilizer to be utilized as manure. This extra protein could give the lawn some extra strength and make it healthier for the upcoming winter season.

I really hope I don’t have to use any of these off-the-rocker techniques this year if I do get pranked, but if I do, they’ll really come in handy. And if you decide to use any other ideas for your leftover prank supplies, write a comment!

by Scott Sincoff

We’re a little over a week from Halloween, my favorite holiday. When else can you dress like whoever or whatever you dream of being, whether it be a person in the news like Mitt Romney, or something a little less human like a butterfly, or a hydrogen atom?

Last year for Halloween I wrote a how to article addressing how to celebrate a “Green Halloween”. This year I decided to have fun with the article and decided to put together a list of Eco-themed costumes.  These ideas are great for anyone who wants to do something creative or funny for Halloween but also wants to make a statement.

Enjoy!

Crocodile Costume Made of Recyclable Items ;Photo Source : Evil Mad Scientist

1.       Captain Planet and the Planeteers

Captain  Planet is probably the most obvious Eco-themed costume I can think of. For those of you unfamiliar with Captain Planet (did not watch cartoons during the 90′s), Captain Planet was a popular children’s animated series revolving around a blue super hero, Captain Planet, and a  team of diverse teens who use their magic rings to help him take pollution down to zero.

2.       Recycle Bot

Making a robot out of recyclables is an easy, and cheap, costume for anyone who doesn’t have the time or money to put together something elaborate, and the best part is when the night is over all you have to do is sort the pieces into the proper recycling bin instead of putting in the back of your closet never to be worn again like a normal costume.

3.       Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Radioactive waste turned the TMNT into superheroes, most animals that come in contact with radioactive materials aren’t that lucky (See Japanese Mutant Butterfly).

4.       Japanese Mutant Butterfly

I’m not talking about Mothra (though Mothra and Godzilla would make a great eco costume too), I’m talking about the butterflies recently discovered outside of Fukushima, Japan. Which  as a result of  last years radioactive accident have dented eyes and stunted wings.

5.       Snorkeling Polar Bear

In the “future” polar bears will have to take up snorkeling and other tropical water sports like water and jet skiing.  Though this costume is a little extreme, it will get people talking, which is important. 

6.       A Landfill After Halloween

Do you have a bunch of old Halloween costumes and decorations that you don’t know what to do with? Wear them all at once (along with your leftover candy wrappers) to remind people of the negative aftermath of Halloween mass consumerism

7.       Fin Less Shark

ENN’s blog has written a few articles on the plight of our oceans sharks, dress in support of sharks and the shark finning ban by dressing as a shark (dark eyes, large teeth) but leave off the fin. If someone asks you whether if you had a fin, but it fell off, tell them that unfortunately your fin is now in a bowl of soup.

8.       FrankenFood

Many people are worried about the health effects of genetically modified foods. Show your concern (or wonder) by coming up with a frankenfood of your own.

9.   The Lorax

Dr. Seuss’s beloved character the The Lorax “speaks for the trees”, he also starred in his second animated film this past year.

PS. Please share your eco-themed costume ideas in the comments section!

by Maddie Perlman-Gabel

Guest Contributor: Walter J Gabrysiak

As I ride my bike on West Park Avenue, a busy street that runs down the middle of my hometown, I see the Post Office, American Way Convenience Store, the Towne Shoppes, and Starbucks—places I have visited numerous times with my friends throughout my high school years. However, recently I have also noticed a few things which, until now, had never caught my attention: litter, garbage, and a seemingly infinite amount of cigarette butts scattered on the ground, our Earth—the Earth that was once pure and without pollution, the Earth for which I have great appreciation. I see the damage that we as humans are contributing to each and every day. This planet is here for us, it gives us the opportunity to live and breathe and it is our job to preserve this beautiful and natural habitat which we all occupy.

A few months ago, I watched a documentary entitled Gasland, which discusses the process of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking,” as some say) and the detriment it places on water and air quality, as well as the ecosystems in the vicinity of the drilling. It is a big political issue currently, and one that has captured my attention. The documentary covers the negative aspects of fracking; as for the other side of this environmental debate, I am not as educated as I would like. However, after research and discussion with my peers, it seems clear that the fracking process needs significant scientific review to determine whether or not it is unhealthy for the environment and for all of us as humans.

With all the talk about climate change, environmental migration, and alternative sources of energy, I have become increasingly interested in learning about the environment. My increased appreciation for the environment has also come from my part-time job. This summer I worked on a farm, part of Matt’s Farm Market—a local distributor of fresh grown produce, owned and operated by my Uncle Chris and his business partner. I picked tomatoes, learned which were ripe and which were not (the heirloom varieties get tricky), and most importantly saw the true beauty of the farm and neighboring area. Among the thousand tomato plants are cantaloupes, peppers, eggplant, and squash—all of which I picked at some point. I arrived at the farm early in the morning and left in the afternoon, a task I thoroughly enjoyed, but nevertheless was tedious and time consuming. The experience gave me time to organize my thoughts and learn new things, an old school job without technology of any kind. The Earth is a beautiful place where plants will grow as long as the sun shines and rain falls, a beautiful place that must be protected and preserved.

We are on a path of environmental degradation and the bottom line is, as the Earth changes, we as a community must as well. Plastic bottles, aerosol, cigarette smoke and cigarette butts—we encounter them on a daily basis, whether we take notice of them or not. Regardless of our awareness, these socially normal entities are affecting our Earth, whether by littering the ground or polluting the air. It seems like an American tradition, to treat our mother Earth as an astronomically sized garbage can. Is there a way to shed this human tendency, to be wasteful and unmindful of our planet’s environment? Can we all change as a collective whole? If so, how? These are the questions I ask, these are the questions that potentially house the solutions to the issues we face together as a community. Many of these questions have also inspired my new interest and awareness concerning environmental issues, both scientific and social. Through all this uncertainty, I am certain that my motivation to pursue a major in Environmental Science at The University of Vermont, Rubenstein School of Environmental and Natural Resources, is an experience for which I am excited and grateful.

by Editor

Cellphones. Cameras. Computers. What do these items have in common (besides all starting with the letter C)? They are all electronic devices that tend to be replaced every few years, due to the “need” to replace them with newer technology (or longevity/quality issues). According to a study by the EPA, 438 million new electronics were sold in the USA in 2009. That’s a lot of devices, many which will be replaced within a few years.

What happens to them once their “useful” life is over?

The fate of “dead” electronics is not pretty. The same study by the EPA found that only 25% of electronics end up being recycled. The rest are either put into storage, because their owners don’t know what to do with them, or are thrown out in the trash and condemned to a very long life in the land fill.

But there is good news. A team of scientists from the University of Illinois, Tufts University, and Northwestern University are working together to create biodegradable electronics technology which they call “Transient Electronic Systems”.

Transient electronic systems are made from ultra thin sheers of silicon that can dissolve when immersed in bio fluids like water. Used with soluble conductors and dielectrics, the transient electronic systems can be made into a wide range of electronic components. The transient electronic systems are then encapsulated in silk, which is responsible for the rate of dissolution of the device.

Transient electronic systems will not only have an impact on reducing electronic waste but will also be useful for the medical field and for environmental monitoring. Transient electronic systems could be used as medical implants that are eventually absorbed into the body or as environmental sensors that leave no ecological impact.

I look forward to transient electronics hitting the consumer market and seeing what innovations are attached to them.

Broken Electronics via Shutterstock

by Maddie Perlman-Gabel

Go back a few decades and people from all eras can tell you how people were memorialized and remembered. Having parks and buildings named after them; trophies; public sculptures. With it now being 2012, many people know this generation as the age of the internet. 1 out of 7 people around the world are on Facebook, almost everything has a hashtag or some type of Twitter reference and people are blogging about anything that pops into their mind. But today is one of the many examples of how an international technology company like Google combines the age of the internet and remembering something that one could say is quite… old school.

To celebrate Nobel Prize-winning physicist Niels Bohr’s 127^thbirthday, Google decided to memorialize the respected Danish scientist with one of its famous Google Doodles. The doodle is one of a kind as it combines modern technology with Bohr’s most famous contribution to science, the Bohr Atomic Model. Bohr was the first scientist to input quantum mechanics in a way that could help average people understand the structure of atoms. His atomic model presented the theory that electrons do in fact orbit around the nucleus of an atom.

Image Credit: ABC News

But one of the most interesting facts of all is that Google has done this to recognize multiple scientists and specific scientific events. The internet search engine honored inventor and scientist Thomas Edison’s birthday on February 11, 2011 with a doodle of his inventions (or as I like to view them: science experiments). They also recognized the total lunar eclipse that occurred on June 15, 2011 with a complete time-lapse of a total lunar eclipse on its Google homepage.

The combination of scientific recognition and modern internet technology easily gives everyday people access to learn about science in an unconventional media outlet. It also means that you can Google pretty much anything.

by Scott Sincoff

It seems like everyone has some kind of Smartphone, be it an Android, Galaxy, or Iphone. Thousands of Apps have been created for these Smartphones in order to make our lives easier (or at least more entertaining).  Smartphones Apps give people the ability to get directions, play angry birds, and of course talk and text, anytime or anywhere they want.

Last month the Sierra Club published a blog on the Top Ten Eco Friendly Smartphone Apps. In response I have created a list of the coolest FREE APPS that are environmentally and sustainability themed.

1.      Iviro

 Iviro allows users to estimate their homes environmental impact. Iviro gives users the ability to perform detailed energy analysis of homes by calculating their homes energy, heating, and water consumption.  Iviro also teaches users what changes can be made to their home and lifestyle to reduce their environmental impact and save money.

Similar (free) Apps relating to home assessment include: Home Sustainability Mobile Assesor, Waterprint, and EcoFootPrint

2.       iRecycle

 Almost anything can be recycled, you just need to know where to bring it. iRecycle makes it easy to identify the closest recycling facilities for hundreds of products.

 Similar (free) Apps relating to the recycling of atypical objects include: My Recycle List and RadioShack Trade & Save

3.       Seafood Watch

Seafood Watch was created by the Monterrey Bay Aquarium to help users choose the most sustainable fish options while at the market or while going out to eat.

Similar (free) Apps relating to the sustainable consumption of fish include: Sustainable Seafood Guide, SeaChoice, Best Fish Guide, Ocean Wise, and Good Fish Guide

4.       Recyclebank

RecycleBank is one of many Apps that attempts to reward users for Eco-friendly decisions. 

 Similar (free) Apps relating to rewards and challenges include: EcoChallenge and RecyclePix by Greenopolis.

I hope you find these Apps helpful. If you have any other suggestions of helpful “green” Apps please share in the comments sections!

smartphone girl via shutterstock

by Maddie Perlman-Gabel

When touring the Golden Gate Bridge or taking a train to work, the last thing people want as they close out their summer is a natural disaster. And even if it doesn’t happen, don’t you want to make sure that you and the people you care about are safe? You’re in luck because next time you visit the city by the bay you’ll notice a new warning system for earthquakes.

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system team up with the University of California-Berkeley’s Seismology Laboratory to come up with a warning system that will automatically halt trains in their tracks (literally) when a quake strikes the City by the Bay. This new safety technology allows trains to stop tens of seconds to minutes before an earthquake so the passengers are safe as the ground starts to shake. Put into motion in August 2012, the new system provides new electronic warning signals to over 200 stations in the Northern California region.

These electronic warning signals are sent to the stations from seismic stations, and the researchers say that these specific wavelengths travel at a quicker pace than seismic waves themselves. These signals also help people outside of the Bay Area be notified of quakes. Outside of the San Francisco area, the data gives BART’s central computer system advanced warning that seismic activity’s about to occur; the farther the earthquake is away from San Francisco, the more time the high-speed trains have to stop from their top speeds of 70 miles-per-hour. The response is even faster if it’s inside San Francisco.

“The earthquake early warning system will enable BART to stop trains before earthquake shaking starts, and thereby prevent derailment and save passengers from potential injuries,” said BART Board President John McPartland. “We are the first transit agency in the United States to provide this early warning and intervention.”

The new warning system should be welcomed with open arms to the area which is prone to earthquakes and it gives the Northern California region another vital resource to provide awareness in addition to prevent injuries.

Image Credit: Earthquake via Shutterstock

by Scott Sincoff

“It’s environmental evolution, art intervention as growth, or a balancing of relationships“- Jason deCaires Taylor

Last month I wrote about art as catalyst for positive environmental change. I wrote about WENDY, a sculpture that actively cleans the air. This month I’m going to highlight the works of Jason deCaires Taylor, an artist who uses underwater sculpture to improve underwater biodiversity by creating new habitats for threatened underwater sea life.

Jason deCaires Taylor is an award winning underwater photographer and eco sculptor who’s work is both awe-striking and contemplative. Taylor received a BA in Sculpture in 1998 from the London Institute of Arts and is also a certified diving instructor.  Taylor created his first underwater sculpture garden in 2006. Only 10-15% of the sea bed has strong enough substratum to allow reefs to form naturally. By “sinking” PH neutral sculptures, Taylor creates an artificial reef which attracts coral, fish, and crustaceans. Taylor hopes tourism to his reefs will reduce pressure from natural coral reefs, which are dying at an alarming rate.

One of Taylor’s newest pieces,  “The Listener”, is planned to literally act as a “ear” to  the under sea life, testing that whether Taylor’s sculpture is a legit conservation tool. “The Listener” is a humanoid sculpture composed of ear castings and rigged with a hydrophone. The recordings will be reviewed by Heather Spence, a marine biologist and PHd Candidate at Hunter College, to determine whether the sculptures are beneficial or disruptive.

Jason deCaires Taylor documents his sculpture by periodically diving and photographing their changes in growth. The images are beautifully haunting(and sometimes a little creepy). As time passes the sculptures in the picture start to look like lost treasure from a sunken ship. My favorite of Taylor’s images is of “Phoenix”,  a sculpture of a woman arching backwards with coral “wings” sprouting from her sides (see right).

Taylor’s underwater sculptures are innovative in both the visual and environmental sense.  By marrying his love of sculpture to his love of ocean life Taylor has, like the coral on his sculptures, transformed art. I suggest anyone with a few spare minutes on their hands check out his photo galleries on underwatersculpture.com.

All photos in this article were taken by Jason deCaires Taylor and were found at underwatersculpture.com

by Maddie Perlman-Gabel