Earth Changes
Honey bees have genes specific to combating toxins that are altered with insecticides.
Steve Ausmus, USDA
Once upon a time all honey bees had to worry about were silly old bears. Now there may be some hard evidence that a new kind of insecticides called neonicotinoids could be weakening and killing bees. And since bees are critical to the production of more than a quarter of our food, new evidence of a danger is
The study, led by Reinhard Stöger of Nottingham University, demonstrated that just 2 parts per billion of the neonicotinoid called imidacloprid had an effect on the workings of some honey bee genes. Genes involved in combating toxins and other functions were affected so that cells basically had to work a lot harder. These kinds of changes are known to shorten the lifespan of fruit flies (the most studied insect in the work) and to reduce the numbers reaching adulthood.
© USGS
2013-07-04 17:16:00 UTC
2013-07-05 04:16:00 UTC+11:00 at epicenter
Location
7.039°S 155.644°E depth=72.0km (44.7mi)
Nearby Cities
81km (50mi) SSE of Panguna, Papua New Guinea
92km (57mi) S of Arawa, Papua New Guinea
478km (297mi) SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea
543km (337mi) WNW of Honiara, Solomon Islands
630km (391mi) ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea
Technical Details
© Wikimedia Commons
Monterey Pine, Pinus radiata
Monterey Pine, Pinus radiata
Some 206 of the world's 606 species of pine, cedar, cypress, fir, yew and other conifer plants could cease to exist in the coming years unless strong measures are taken to conserve them, according to first comprehensive assessment of these cone-bearing plants since 1998.
The so-called Red List of threatened species includes California's Monterey Pine, the world's most widely planted pine because it grows quickly and produces good quality pulp to make paper. The species, which is found in Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Mexico as well as the US, has gone from a low risk of extinction to being "endangered" in 15 years as a result of disease and feral goats, which eat the seedlings and erode the soil.
"The overall picture is alarming. We must use this knowledge to its fullest - making our conversation efforts well targeted and efficient - if we are serious about stopping the extinction crisis that continues to threaten all life on Earth," said Jane Smart, global director of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which carried out the assessment.
© IUCN/Greg Davies.
Sidamo lark, edging towards extinction.
Sidamo lark, edging towards extinction.
These are some of the messages in a new report State of the World's Birds: indicators for our changing world by BirdLife International, an IUCN Red List partner, who gathered last week in Ottawa, Canada to launch the report and unveil their vision for a world rich in biodiversity, where people and nature live in harmony.
Many species slipping towards extinction
The status of the world's birds continues to get worse with many species slipping towards extinction and others in steep decline. Birds are facing threats on many fronts but habitat destruction and degradation, owing to changes in agriculture, as well as direct impacts from invasive species are the major causes. However, birds also provide a lens through which we can view all nature.
"Birds provide an accurate and easy to read environmental barometer that allows us to see clearly the pressures our current way of life are putting on the world's biodiversity", said Dr Leon Bennun, BirdLife's Director of Science, Information and Policy.
© Mike Baird, Wikimedia Commons
Risso's Dolphin
Risso's Dolphin
The Risso's dolphin was discovered stranded by five trampers last weekend at Kahurangi Point.
The trampers managed to move the struggling dolphin to a nearby stream but a Department of Conservation ranger who went to inspect it found it dead. The ranger identified it as a Risso's dolphin.
Pelorus Jack became famous more than 100 years ago for accompanying ships in the Cook Strait area.
He met vessels bound for Nelson at Pelorus Sound in the Marlborough Sounds and escorted them as far as the entrance to the treacherous waters of French Pass.
He did this for 24 years and was the first dolphin in the world to be protected by law.
Only 17 Risso's dolphins are recorded to have been found stranded on the New Zealand coast since 1846.
© Sky News, Australia
The survery showed no signs of any whales being re-stranded. Two of the whales died, reportedly a mother and her calf, around 9am (AEST) on Wednesday.
Rescuers managed to free the surviving five, including two around 5pm (AEST) on the rising tide.
The PWS Acting Regional Director Peter Wright said rangers will continue to monitor a pod of whales that remain deep near Deep Creek.
© Associated Press/Lt. Matthew Hertzfeld
This photo provided by the Toledo, Ohio Fire and Rescue Department shows a car at the bottom of a sink hole caused by a broken water line in Toledo, Ohio Wednesday, July 3, 2013. Police say the driver, 60-year-old Pamela Knox of Toledo, was shaken up and didn't appear hurt but was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
This photo provided by the Toledo, Ohio Fire and Rescue Department shows a car at the bottom of a sink hole caused by a broken water line in Toledo, Ohio Wednesday, July 3, 2013. Police say the driver, 60-year-old Pamela Knox of Toledo, was shaken up and didn't appear hurt but was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
Toledo police Sgt. Joe Heffernan says a water main break beneath the road may have caused the sinkhole Wednesday. The hole is estimated to be at least 10 feet deep.
Police say driver Pamela Knox didn't appear hurt but was shaken up and was taken to a hospital as a precaution. Heffernan says Knox saw the vehicle in front of her start to slip into the hole but drive beyond it. He says Knox couldn't avoid it.
Officials used a crane to pull the car from the hole. Repairs to the road are expected to take days.
Source: The Associated Press
© South West News Service
A resident in Cornwall fends off a seagull. .
A resident in Cornwall fends off a seagull. .
Perranporth, a small town on Cornwall's northern coast, has seen its share of angry gulls, but attacks on residents seem to be worse than ever. Seagulls are currently nesting and actively protecting their chicks. Apparently bright colors aggravate the birds, causing them to swoop down and target people's heads.
"In the past five years the seagulls have become more aggressive," 67-year-old resident Eric Hardinge told the South West News Service. "The birds need to be culled."
However, most gulls are protected and require special permitting to target.
© Brandon Hurley
Silver Lake had a large population of 12- to 14-inch bass, according to fisheries biologist Mike Hawkins. When fish or wildlife populations become overpopulated, the transmission of diseases becomes more frequent. Hawkins said he received three calls from concerned homeowners who saw a large number of dead fish on the shore.
"We associate it with a very large class that is all five years old," Hawkins said. "We didn't anticipate the kill but it's not a huge surprise that a huge class like this could succumb to a bacterial infection. Most likely it's something that will run it's course in the population and will affect mostly those age 5 fish. It did get a lot of attention but they looked to all be the same size and same fish. You can quickly start to put the pieces of the puzzle together on a number of fish kills, whether it's natural or caused by a pollutant."
The disease affecting the fish is not transmissible to humans and residents are not in any danger.
Highland Park, Mich - Residents say dozens and dozens of seagulls were found dead, dying or injured in a Highland Park neighborhood on Tuesday.
The birds were found in the area of 12200 Oakland Park Court. Witnesses say the bodies of dead birds were everywhere. Sick and injured birds roamed the street as cars drove over the dead and dying.
"We are unsure what happened to the birds at this point," said Kristin Simon a cruelty investigator with PETA. Simon says the Michigan Humane Society and many concerned residents were in the area collecting injured birds.
It is not yet known what or who caused the death of the birds.
