Kirtland warbler

The Kirtland warbler may be taken off the endangered spices list. The Kirtland warbler is unique bird found in Michigan. In fact the only place the Kirtland warbler will bread is in Northern Michigan

Kirtland warblers will only breed in Jake Pine stands of at least 80 acres with trees 5 to 20 feet tall. They build nest on the ground beneath low hanging branches. Strangely Kirtland warblers will not nest in Jake Pine stands that are taller then 20 feet.

In the past this was not a problem because of the frequent forest fires in Michigan most Jake Pine stands were not fully grown meaning more breading grounds for the warblers.

However during the last 100 years or so Forest Fires in Michigan have been put out early resulting in mature Jake Pine stands that stand well over 20 feet. Which the Kirtland warbler will not breed in.

Nowadays the U.S. forest Service and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources manage about 190,000 acres of warbler habitat. Mature stands are logged and millions of seedlings planted each year.

At one point in the 1980’s there were less then 500 Kirtland warblers. Last year around 3500 warblers were counted.

The return of the Kirtland warbler warms the heart of any nature lover such as myself.

Finch-fighting rings

Finch-fighting rings are popping up across the United States. Authorities busted too such rings last month.

People place bets while they watch the birds kill each other. Much like dog fighting and rooster fighting.

Finch are tinny little song birds from South America. In nature finch don’t fight too the death. But like any animal when their caged and frightened they will fight for their survival.

Anyone who can participate in animal blood sport should be considered a dangerous person.

Polar Bears are a relatively new Bear species

Polar Bears are relatively new arrivals on the evolutionary scene. After studying the DNA from a 120,000 year old Polar Bear, researchers have discovered that Polar Bears split from Brown Bears around 150,000 years ago. That was in the late Pleistocene just before the end of the ice age.

The species that was too become polar bears may have been adapting too the opening of new habitats and food sources in the interglacial period.

Michigan's bottle return program works

In Michigan we have a 10cent deposit on most soft drink bottles and cans. Most beer bottles and cans also have a 10cent deposit.

This is how it works
When you buy a soda you also have too pay a deposit of 10 cents. After you finished your soda you bring the can back too the store and get your 10 cents back.

Michigan bottle deposit program has been a huge success. No one in Michigan throws out there soda cans. Which keeps all that material out of our landfills.

I wish more states would start there own bottle deposit programs.

Glacier National Park Is Melting

Glacier National Park in Montana is down to 26 glaciers from 150 in 1850. By 2020 the park is expected to be ice free. Think about that in ten years there may not be any glaciers in Glacier National Park!

In fact studies from both hemispheres indicate that 95% of the worlds alpine glaciers excluding Antarctica are retreating.

Global Warming is real and it’s effects are being felt right now.

President Obama wants too clean up the Great Lakes

President Obama’s 2011 budget requests $300 million too continue an environmental restoration program of the Great Lakes.

The Program eventually calls for spending more then 20 billion for a wide ranging cleanup of the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes have been damaged by industrial pollutants, farm runoff and many invasive species.

I’m glad we have a president who understands the important of restoring the health of the Great Lakes.

The environmental Holocaust

There is an environmental Holocaust occurring right now as you read this. Every 20 minutes a species goes extinct. In fact by 2050 it’s estimated that half the species that now live on earth will no longer be with us.

If you find this horrifying your not alone…The destruction of Gods green earth continues and I will continue too inform you about it.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Bovine Tuberculosis rates are increasing in Northern Michigan deer herds. Michigan Department of Natural Resources said that 1.8 percent of deer tested in 2008 were infected with Bovine TB up from 1.4 percent in 2007.

The Bovine Tuberculosis outbreak among deer populations in Michigan began in the
1990’s. Since then the DNR has attempted too contain the outbreak with little luck.

Fisherman Beware

Michigan is no longer the fisherman’s paradise it used to be. In-fact the number of licensed anglers in the State are on a decline. Partially because our water ways are literally becoming open sewers.

In February 2008 we had a release of 43 million gallons of partially treated sewage into the Saginaw Bay. That’s around 37 gallons of sewage for every licensed angler in the State. Not to mention that is just one release! There have been many more.

The United States may begin importing nuclear waste

The private company EnergySolutions is (sic) attempting to bribe the state of Utah with 50% of the net revenue for the disposal of the low level nuclear waste from Italy.

I find this too be horrifying can you imagine if this nuclear waste somehow contaminated a communities drinking water….or somehow was released into the environment…

Although horrifying I’m not surprised. The State of Michigan has been importing Canadian Garbage for several years now. I guess importing nuclear waste is the next logical step.

The recession is literally contaminating the air we breath!

Sales of hybrid cars such as the Honda Civic, Ford Escape and Toyota Camry have all took bigger percentage dives in January compared to the dives in sales of their conventional versions.

The drop in hybrid car popularity is being linked to the recession. Hybrid cars cost more then their conventional counterparts so people are having to buy the cheaper and more polluting versions of these cars.

People just aren’t able to afford the hybrid cars they would prefer too drive. So in effect the recession is not only hurting families it’s also literally contaminating the air we breath!

President Bush's shameful environmental legacy

President Bush has not been a friend of nature. During his eight years in office President Bush has systematically attacked eco system across the United States. From drilling in the Artic refugee too off shore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. President Bush’s answer too all of America’s economic problems has been too advocate the destruction of our country’s natural world.

For example President Bush’s Clean Air Act has put more pollution into our air. While Bush’s Healthy Forest Initiative allows logging in National Parks.

President Bush’s actions against the Natural World are embarrassing too say the least and in my opinion border on Ecological Terrorism.

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Albino Killer Whale

An albino Killer Whale has finally been photographed in the Alaska's Aleutian Islands. For a while now people have been coming forward with reports of this albino Killer Whale in the region however no one has ever photographed it. After examining the photo Scientists are having doubts that the Killer Whale is actually a true Albino because you can see some skin pigments. Which actually is good news for the Killer Whale because albino animals usually have many health problems.

Anyway thanks for reading

Asian Carp threaten Lake Michigan

Asian Carp are now within 45 miles of Lake Michigan. While areas of the Illinois River are infested with 80,000+ Asian Carp according too annual sampling.

Last year Congress passed 9 million in funding to complete a electric barrier to keep Asian Carp from entering Lake Michigan. However the electric barrier is still not operating and we are running out of time.

If Asian Carp enter Lake Michigan the entire Great Lakes 4.5 billion dollar commercial and sport fishing industries could be devastated. Because of the impact Asian Carp would have on the delicate Great Lakes Eco-System.

The Gray Wolf may go back on the endangered species list

Six months ago the Bush administration had taken gray wolfs off the endangered species list. Now the Bush administration is asking a federal judge too put the gray wolf back on the list.

Apparently the wolfs have not bred enough in the wild too maintain stable populations in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.

Gray wolfs play an important role as the dominate predator in healthy ecosystems. In areas were the gray wolf have been reintroduced entire ecosystems have benefited.

Some people say why worry about global warming

Personally I live in Michigan and some of my uninformed friends will say things like “Global Warming is good at least our winters won’t be as bad” and “why should I care if the polar ice cap melts, I’ve never seen the north pool and don’t ever plan on too.”

Many of my friends would be surprised to know that during the last ice age the world was only 6 degrees cooler on average then they are now. During the last ice age Michigan had a two mile deep glacier over it.

If 6 degrees cooler then average can cause a 2 mile think glacier too form over Michigan what would 6 degrees of warming do. Kind of scary when you think about it.

The polar ice cap is melting

Global Warming is causing the polar ice cap too melt. Within a few years we just might have our first summer with an ice free artic. Never before have humans lived on earth with open ocean at the north pole.

Because wind patterns are caused by the interaction between artic cold and tropical heat. The possibility of entire wind currents being disrupted because of the warming artic is a possibility that cannot be ruled out.

How an ice free artic will effect global weather patterns is being debated. What is for certain is that Famine, floods and intense storms will be a byproduct of Global Warming.

Garden soil on the Big Island has elevated levels or arsenic

In Hawaii elevated levels of arsenic have been found in Garden soil near sugar fields on the Big Island. The arsenic is thought too have come from the use of herbicides in the sugar fields back in the 1920’s until the 1940’s. A recent study has concluded that vegetables grown in the arsenic laden garden soil are safe to eat.

How sad is it too think that even in a tropical paradise such as Hawaii pollution is harming the environment and putting peoples health at possible risk.

West Nile Virus

For most of the United States and Canada mosquitoes have always been a summer pest but their bite never really carried a health risk other then the itching they caused. Now with the arrival of West Nile Virus which originated in the Middle East people are afraid to let their children play without insect repellent. For the past few summers several people have died each year from West Nile infection.

West Nile Virus is a potentially fatal disease that is spread by mosquitoes. West Nile Virus was first found in the Western Hemisphere in 1999 and has spread thought the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Zebra Mussles

Zebra mussels are an invasive species to the Great Lakes region. Zebra mussels first appeared in Lake St. Clare in 1988 and has since spread throughout the Great Lakes and tributaries.

Zebra mussels are voracious filter feeding organisms. Which simply means, they remove particles from the water column for food. By removing particles from the water column indigenous species have to compete with the Zebra mussels for food resulting in a stress through out the food chain.

It’s unclear what the long term effect Zebra mussels will have on the eco system of the great lakes…All we can do for now is wait and see…

Thanks for reading