Go Green

By John Sutter

The federal government settled a lawsuit this week over protection status for the black-tailed prairie dog.

Environmental groups had sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, asking the agency to act more quickly. An initial statement on the issue must come by November, and then the agency will have a year to decide whether or not to recommend the black-tailed prairie dog for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

According to WildEarth Guardians, one of the groups that filed the suit, black-tailed prairie dog populations are 1 or 2 percent of what they used to be.

The black-tailed prairie dogs previously were considered for such endangered species protection. WildEarth contends it was removed from consideration because of political pressure.

Sharon Rose, spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the agency will review the information submitted by environmental groups by November. At that time, the government could rule that not enough information has been provided to warrant formal protection; or it could decide to look into matters further, she said.

I wrote about this issue when the lawsuit was filed back in Feb. 2007. At the time, many farmers considered the black-tailed prairie dog a major pest since they dig holes that livestock will trip in. They also chew up the land so there’s not much left for cattle to graze, a rancher told me.

Environmental groups contend that prairie dogs are a vital part of western ecosystems. They say their habitats are being destroyed, and that the animals are shot for pleasure.

There’s always more than two sides to every story. What do you think about prairie dogs? Cute critters? Essential to ecosystems? Annoying rats? Model city planners? Feel free to comment.

See below post and this story for more about OSU researcher Kris Karsten’s discovery. Here are some more of his chameleon pictures, used with permission. — John

F. labordi lives and dies within a year.

The chameleons live 4 or 5 months of their year-long lives as eggs.

The chameleon’s desert habitat in southwest Madagascar.

I’m assuming this is one of Karsten’s Malagasy colleagues, using a radio tracker to find chameleons. I’ve seen lemur researchers use similar devices.

Madagascar is home to many bizarre plant and animal species. This is a baobab tree.

F. labordi, courtesy of Christopher J. Raxworthy. Karsten said the weird nose extension and cranium play a role in the chameleon’s all-or-nothing mating patterns. If the chameleons can’t reproduce in one season, their genes won’t continue.

(photo by John Sutter: Makira National Park in northeast Madagascar is home to incredible biodiversity. You can see some of the forest near the park burning in the top right part of the image.)
By John Sutter

An Oklahoma State researcher has gotten lots of media attention for untangling the secrets of a tiny chameleon in Madagascar. Furcifer labordi lives a high-speed life that’s much more like the life of a plant or an insect than a reptile: it dies in a year, and spends much of that time trapped inside an egg.

It’s an all or nothing existence. The chameleon has one chance to mate. One chance to reproduce. It only has one season to survive. It operates like an annual plant, spreading its seed before dying off. That may be a survival technique, since the chameleons live in a harsh desert environment that would be tough to live through anyway.

Kris Karsten, the recent PhD graduate at OSU who did the research, told me the discovery shocked and excited him in part because it’s proof that humans know so very little about this planet of ours. People have known F. labordi existed for more than 100 years, Karsten said, but no one knew about its bizarre life style until just recently.

It’s that sentiment–the idea that so much of the world is unexplored, and everything we do know seems worthy of our reverence for its incredible complexity–that pushed me to move to Madagascar last summer.

The huge Indian Ocean island, just off the coast of Africa, is known for its incredible biological resources. Most species of chameleons in the world live only in Madagascar and nowhere else, to site just one example. The whole island, which has been on its own evolutionary track for millions of years, seems a Dr. Seussian adventure. There are beetles with periscoping necks, geckos that look exactly like tree leaves and palms that poke their fronds up in a perfect line. It’s wonderful and amazing. And, in some ways, tragic.

Much of Madagascar’s natural resources have been exploited, and conservationists say more than 80 percent of the island is now deforested. When you fly over the central highlands, you see why people call it the Red Island: the iron-rich red dirt is visible everywhere. But there aren’t simple causes or solutions. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries on earth, and locals burn down the forest to plant rice paddies so they can feed their families. Or they plant a few cash crops, and sell them at market to get money for food. Environmental groups say the burning practices are unsustainable and are ruining the soil, but some locals say the burning is part of their culture. Foreign groups are trying to teach more sustainable farming practices. They seem to be catching on well in some areas, and are largely ignored in other places.
One thing seems clear about the burning practices: when an acre of land is lost in Madagascar, species could go extinct. I spent a couple of weeks in the northeast part of the island near a national park called Masoala. There, biologists say you can find species of orchids and palms that exist in one valley on one side of one mountain. Nowhere else. If those patches of forest go, so do the species.

As you’ll hear in the podcast, there’s reason to be optimistic that Malagasy people can come to benefit from their rich natural resources. As mentioned, there is a government effort to expand protected land. But environmental groups are also trying to get carbon credits for local people who will protect virgin forest or replant land that has been burned.

All that aside, I found Karsten’s perspective interesting and refreshing. He showed a true appreciation for how complex nature is. When we take a minute out of our days to look at how amazing the details of natural systems are — that we’re still discovering new life cycles in species we know about, and are finding species we’ve never heard of all the time — then it’s hard not to be kind of impressed.

(PS: You don’t have to go to Madagascar to get that feeling. Did you know Oklahoma has more ecoregions than almost any other state in the country?)

By John Sutter

Here’s a bit of what I’m following this week, or found interesting in recent environment news:

Energy: The Economist’s cover story this week is about the need for innovation in the energy sector. As their charts show, changes in the energy sector have been slow, but major economic booms have occurred when new types of energy are discovered and used. Oil has been cheap, so there’s been little incentive for change until recently, the magazine writes. But those times are over. Wind and solar can compete with coal, and, in California, groups like google.org are searching for further alternatives. Oklahoma is situated to be a top-10 wind producer, but most of that potential hasn’t been realized.

Climate: James E. Hansen spoke on Capitol Hill yesterday, 20 years after the scientist testified before Congress that global warming is real and caused by humans. As The New York Times notes on its “Dot Earth” blog, Monday’s talk and Hansen’s previous comments have stirred discussion on this question: Are the leaders of big oil companies committing crimes by knowingly emitting pollutants known to alter the climate and cause extinctions? What do you think?

Sewers: The News-Leader, in Missouri, found that municipal sewers are leaking and fouling up rivers, despite fines from the government. Oklahoma sewer systems paid some of the biggest fines, according to the story:

- States where sewer systems paid the largest amounts in fines, both federal and state, were: California ($7.8 million), Tennessee ($3.4 million), New York ($3 million), Kentucky ($2.9 million), Maryland ($2 million), Florida ($1.5 million), Pennsylvania ($1.4 million), Indiana ($1.4 million), North Carolina ($1.2 million), and Oklahoma ($1.1 million).

Buses: As John A. Williams reports in The Oklahoman, some Edmond residents think riding the local bus sounds nice, but they won’t actually do it.

Climate: If you missed it last week, the U.S. government came out with its broadest report yet detailing the effects of climate change on extreme weather patterns. The report, issued by the Climate Change Science Program, says extreme weather “could seriously effect” agriculture, health and water, according to Reuters. Tying specific weather events to climate change is tricky, but in the long term, trends become more clear, according to scientists. In a center for severe weather like Oklahoma, I wonder what you all think of this report.

Drilling: George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain favor lifting a ban on offshore drilling to cut gas prices. Some have called that proposition disingenuous since the oil could take 10 years to actually hit the market. The Chicago Tribune looks at what offshore drilling could mean for Lake Michigan, and includes this bit from Oklahoma’s Jim Inhofe:

America’s outer continental shelf holds some 14 billion barrels of oil and 55 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, which according to Sen. James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican and ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, is more than 25 years of Saudi Arabian imports. That’s in addition to the uncounted billions of barrels in North American oil shale, which, of course, is being extracted by Canada, but not by the United States.

Corn: NYT: Floods in the Midwest are leading the government to consider reducing ethanol mandates and planting conservation land with corn. That would off-set the crops that have drowned in floods. About a quarter of U.S. corn goes into ethanol, which has gained criticism from environmentalists.

Frogs: British scientists examine how Costa Rican tree frogs stave off a deadly fungus by sunbathing. Their skin absorbs and reflects the suns heat, so they don’t dry out. This video is cool, too.

Dish soap: Grist tests four green kitchen soaps. Most still contain potential carcinogens, the environment magazine writes, but read more to decide for yourself what’s safe, and what will tackle the grease on your pots and pans.

By John Sutter

Here are some notes on recent environment stories you may have missed, and what’s coming up this week:

China: There’s a new report to add certainty to the idea that China has surpassed the United States as the world’s top carbon dioxide emitter. Carbon dioxide is the most significant greenhouse gas. You’ll recall that the Senate recently debated a cap-and-trade system to contol carbon emissions. It failed. U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, was an outspoken opponent of the bill.

Tar Creek: Tonight, tornado victims in Picher will get government offers for their property that was destroyed or damaged. Residents of the area, which is part of environmental disaster site, were already in the middle of a federal buyout process when the tornado hit. Find more background on the story here, and look for a story from tonight’s meeting in Tuesday’s paper.

Drought: The Oklahoma Panhandle remains in the middle of a drought that government monitors have labeled “extreme.” State officials say they’re planning a trip up to the Panhandle soon. Residents of the area say they’re selling off herds of cattle and facing non-existent wheat harvests. They say they’re often forgotten by “down staters” in Oklahoma City.

Floods: Meanwhile, the Midwest, and parts of eastern Oklahoma remain soaked in floodwaters. Find a real-time map of flood sites here.

Genius plants/bacteria: These are my two favorite stories from last week, both from NPR. First, this feature on plant research is about one plant can tell who its relatives are. The plants won’t compete with or kill family members, but will strangle others to ensure their survival. The other is about an ocean bacterium that’s responsible for the oxygen in every one in five of your breaths — yet, scientists didn’t know it existed until 20 years ago. Maybe that sounds boring, but listen. The writer makes it hilarious and fun. The bacterium, named Prochlorococcus, even has its own song.

Inhofe: U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe has been running a TV ad that talks about his role in getting help and money for residents of Tar Creek. The features a Picher resident who thanks the senator for his help. If you live in the area or have worked with the site, I wonder what your thoughts are. Feel free to comment.

As Oklahoma energy companies make plans to greatly expand their wind power production, they’ve been dealing behind the scenes with environmentalists who want to protect a tiny bird that may become quite confused when bunches 300-foot wind turbines start sprouting up in bigger numbers out in western Oklahoma.

In this week’s environment podcast, I talk to environmentalists, government representatives and and an OG&E spokesman about what wind turbines mean for the lesser prairie chicken, which is a pretty unique creature in its own right.

Environmentalists fear the prairie chicken’s habitat will become fragmented, which could stop the bird from participating in its elaborate mating dances. Populations are already in decline, according Jay Pruett of the Nature Conservancy in Oklahoma. He said the birds may become confused by the turbines since they’re naturally afraid of tall things. It’s an evolved response, he said, since the birds think raptors and other predators could be perching on anything that’s very tall. On the empty plains of western Oklahoma, the turbines certainly will be noticeable to the birds, he said.

Pruett said the lesser prairie chicken and wind farms certainly can co-exist, but energy companies and wind farm developers must take the bird into account as they develop Oklahoma’s wind resources. That’s happened so far, he said, adding that this is the perfect time to talk about these ecological issues — before all of the plans are permanent.

To help in the efforts, the Nature Conservancy has developed maps of Oklahoma that show areas where wildlife would be threatened by wind farms. You can look for more on this story in future editions of The Oklahoman.

John

If you’re into animals, or find animal migrations interesting, you may want to check out this BBC site … it’s all about them. One of the coolest features is the timeline: you can drag it back and forth to see where animals are located at what time of year. Right now, for instance, European Eels are in the western Atlantic. By about January, they’ll be in the UK.

John

The Great Turtle Race is back!

You may remember this site from last year: you can watch real leatherback sea turtles, wearing backpack-like tracking devices, race towards the international date line. Get to know the turtles and follow your favorite with customized updates.

Here’s a video that explains some more: The site also has tons of educational tools. You can learn about threats to sea turtles: everything from plastic bags, which turtles think are jellyfish, to climate change and coastal development. The race even has video games intended to up your turtle IQ.Here are some sea turtle facts, from the site:

» Unlike other turtles and tortoises,they cannot retract their heads and limbs into their shells.

» Scientists estimate that only 1 out of every 1000 sea turtle eggs will produce a fully mature adult.

» Turtles that hatch from the other 999 eggs will die before they mate,from natural events or human causes.

» Females have two oviducts.These structural adaptations help insure that females lay large clutches of fertile eggs.

» In China the sea turtle is a symbol of longevity and, for that reason, is often revered. Five species of sea turtles are present in Chinese waters in the South China Sea; Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), green turtles (Chelonia mydas), hawksbills turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) and olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea).

» Most reptiles lay amniotic eggs.The egg shell protects the embryo,and the intemal membranes help embryos develop.

» Each species has a distinct appearance,habitat,and diet

» Sea turtles are reptiles.Their closest relatives are snakes,lizards,crocodiles,and alligators.

» By studying the fossil record,scientists have shown that turtles have been on Earth for more than 250 million years,which is long before dinosaurs.

The world community is trying to put an estimate on what diverse plant and animal life is worth for people on earth.

One of the first attempts, as the BBC reports, comes from a report called the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity. It estimates biodiversity is valuable enough that loss of biodiversity — due primarily to habitat destruction — could cause the world’s GDP to shrink by 7 percent by 2050.

Among the world’s billion poorest people, the effect is more severe — with about 50 percent of the average poor person’s GDP tied up in the health of ecosystems and biodiversity, the BBC reports.
The 7 percent figure is based largely on the loss of forests, the BBC reports, noting also that it’s harder to put a dollar figure on biodiversity loss than it is to quantify climate change’s impact.

A British economist has reported that, under the worst scenarios, climate change could cause global consumption to drop by 20 percent per person.

Trends in biodiversity are well understood, according to the BBC. Here’s a numbers look at biodiversity loss:

A 50% shrinkage of wetlands over the past 100 years.

A rate of species loss between 100 and 1,000 times the rate that would occur without 6.5 billion humans on the planet.

A sharp decline in ocean fish stocks and one third of coral reefs damaged.

John

(PS: The photo is from Masoala National Park, Madagascar.)