From the monthly archives: January 2009

Sheepdogs Enlisted to Guard Dwindling Penguin Colony

By On January 5, 2009

Conservationists have brought in two Maremmas sheepdogs to watch over a small colony of fairy penguins on Australia’s Middle Island. The effort has been so successful that Middle Island is recommending sheepdogs be used to protect other endangered species across the globe.

“We are now starting to see some great results,”

Continue Reading →

Severe Coral Bleaching Could Devastate Reef Ecosystems

By On January 4, 2009

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting severe bleaching for parts of the Coral Sea, near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and the Coral Triangle, causing immense damage to an important global marine environment over the next few months.

“This forecast bleaching episode will be caused by [...]

Continue Reading →

Planned Australian Dam Poised For Failure?

By On January 3, 2009

Conservationists in Australia are claiming that the postponement of the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam is actually a sign that the dam will never be constructed. The dam, set to be built on the Mary River in Queensland, Australia, faces fierce criticism from local activists, residents, and councils.

A major hurdle for [...]

Continue Reading →

More Than 15,000 People Protest Against Indian Tiger Reserve

By On January 2, 2009

More than fifteen thousand people have taken part in a mass protest in southern India, against the extension of a new reserve to protect tigers facing a very real threat of extinction.

The last count revealed that the number of Indian tigers has plummeted from around 40,000 at [...]

Continue Reading →

Prominent Activist and Organizer Outed as FBI Informant

By On January 2, 2009

Brandon Darby, co-founder of Common Grounds, has publicly admitted to working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and being responsible for the arrest of two activists from Austin, Texas. On Monday he wrote an open letter in explanation of his actions, though the letter does not disclose many details.

In the [...]

Continue Reading →

Victory: Shell Cancels Plans to Drill in Arctic Waters

By On January 1, 2009

Score one for the environment – at least temporarily. Shell Oil announced that it will not be drilling off the Alaskan coast in the Beaufort Sea in 2009 as planned. This decision comes after a November court ruling which determined that Shell had erroneously been given permission to drill without properly assessing the [...]

Continue Reading →