Amphibian News: Killer Fungus Found In Third Major Amphibian Group, USGS Amphibian Survey Findings ‘Alarming’

Posted on by
Reply
caecilian amphibian

Two important amphibian news items to report here…the first regards the spread of the lethal Chytrid fungus into Caecilians (a third major grouping of the Amphibia); the second item: a report on the recent USGS survey of US amphibian populations. Rare Amphibian Group Now at Risk from Frog-killing Fungus Frogs (and toads), salamanders, and Caecilians — a lesser known amphibian looking somewhere between a large worm or a smallish snake — represent the three major … Read More

Bike Commuting Skyrocketing, Especially In “Bike Friendly Communities”

Posted on by
Reply
bike commuting growth

Here are a couple reposts from Bikocity. The first documents the rise of bike commuting in the US, especially in “Bicycle Friendly Communities” and 10 key cities. The second repost is about how Bicycle Friendly Communities are evaluated. Check them out: Where Bike Commuting Grows Fastest (Infographics) The League of American Bicyclists recently created some cool infographics about bicycle commuter growth across the country. In general, bike commuting has skyrocketed, doubling from 1.7 billion in 2001 … Read More

Holland — The Original Cool (& Green)

Posted on by
Reply
Holland — The Original Cool (& Green)

Holland — one of my favorite places in the world. More info in this Bikocity repost below. Below is a fun (& funny) video about Holland. Of course, biking is highlighted a bit. Biking makes life so much cooler, easier, more relaxed and carefree. It is used in (non-car) advertisements of all kinds simply to stick a cooler and more positive image on the product being sold. With bicycling at the center of one’s transportation … Read More

Grow Plants In Your Backyard, Not Chickens

Posted on by
Reply
Image credit: Lost Albatross, via Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/emilymills/

As the tide of locavorism continues to rise around the world, more and more people are looking closer to home for their food with the idea that, by reducing food miles, they are solving the world’s problems. Instead of seriously questioning the eating of animals, and taking the compassionate approach of veganism, people simply shift the source of their consumption habits instead of actually changing them for ethical and environmental reasons. One of the most … Read More

Almost 100% New Electricity To Be From Solar In California In 2nd Half Of 2013

Posted on by
Reply
estimated-revenue-natural-gas

Reposting this big news from Solar Love: Herman Trabish of Greentech Media has happened across a pretty interesting find — 97% of new electricity generation capacity in line to be added to the California grid in the second half (2H) of 2012 is from solar power projects. This is according to the California Independent System Operator (the ISO), as published in the 2012 Annual Report on Market Issues and Performance. In total, 1,633 megawatts of generation capacity are in line to be … Read More

Bicycling Cat — MJ (VIDEOS)

Posted on by
Reply
Bicycling Cat — MJ

Here’s some weekend fun for you, reposted from bike-loving site Bikocity: As you’ll see in the videos below, MJ the cat is now a famous Philadelphia cat thanks to his bike courier owner Rudi Saldia. Rudi gave the 1-year-old cat a ride up and down the street, which MJ seemed to like. So they went further and further. Being his only time outside (plus, you know, the wonders of biking), MJ apparently loves the rides. In … Read More

Indigo Bunting — Bird Facts, Song, Images, Etc (VIDEO)

Posted on by
Reply
Image Credit: Indigo Bunting via Wikimedia Commons

The Indigo Bunting — Passerina cyanea — is a type of small bird in the family included in the family Cardinalidae. It lives a migratory lifestyle, with a range extending from northern Florida up to southern Canada during the breeding season, and from southern Florida to northern South America during the offseason/winter. The species travels primarily by night, using the constellations/stars of the night for navigation. The bird lives primarily within farmlands, open woodlands, and … Read More

Alaska Volcano — Pavlof And Cleveland Volcanoes Both Erupting Now

Posted on by
Reply
Image Credit: NASA

The two most active volcanoes in Alaska (in recent years) — Pavlof Volcano and Cleveland Volcano — are now both erupting. As of now, the activity is at relatively low levels, but the potential is there for larger eruptions, or a general intensification of activity. Mount Pavlof (Pavlof volcano) is situated near the western end of the Alaska Peninsula. It’s one of the most regularly active volcanoes in all of the Aleutian arc, it’s experienced … Read More

Extremely Active Atlantic Hurricane Season Predicted For 2013 — Florida, East Coast, South, Etc

Posted on by
Reply
Image Credit: NOAA/NASA

The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season is gearing up to be an extremely active one according to NOAA’s Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook, which was released yesterday. The outlook, issued by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, states that there is a 70% chance of there being 13 to 20 named storms this year. Out of these, 7 to 11 will likely become hurricanes, of which 3 to 6 will likely be major hurricanes. By “major hurricanes” the report … Read More

Large-River Fish May Benefit From New Conservation Approach

Posted on by
Reply
Image Credit: Brenda Pracheil

Fishes that find their home in large-rivers — such as paddlefish, blue catfish, crystal darters, silver chub, etc — are largely headed towards extinction in the US as a result of habitat loss. But now, new research is suggesting that by utilizing a different approach to conservation that there is “hope” for them. The new research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison estimates that 60 out of 68 US species, or 88% of the fish species … Read More