Posted on June 17, 2019 by Envirothink

How wild salmon are supposed to look. But you won’t see this at British Columbian fish farms. Photo by Barbara Jackson, Pixabay.
They said it couldn’t happen. They said wild salmon would never breach penned-up fish farms. They were wrong. And that’s a big problem.
Continue reading →
Filed under: Marine wildlife | Tagged: Chinook salmon, fish farms, salmon farming, sea lice, Sea Shepherd, toxic chemicals, UNESCO World BIosphere Reserve, wild salmon | Leave a comment »
Posted on September 11, 2017 by Envirothink
Many of you know I was a long time resident of Northern California, a place of beauty and many natural wonders that still holds a special place in my heart. The following is an excerpt from an article I wrote that was recently published online about one of these remarkable public places and the trials and transformations it’s gone through.

A cleared section of Lower Diestelhorst Open Space is once again available for visitors to enjoy
With wildfires and smoke threatening the north state and beyond, it’s easy to forget the natural wonders in the middle of Redding (California). Those of us who’ve meandered our river trails recognize these as crown jewels.
Among these is the land on the north and south sides of the Diestelhorst Bridge. Many have enjoyed its paved paths, but few know the hidden trails of what’s called Lower Diestelhorst Open Space – the long-overgrown area between the Union Pacific Railroad trestle and the Anderson Cottonwood Irrigation District (A.C.I.D.) intake. Continue reading →
Filed under: Nature | Tagged: illegal encampments, natural wonders, open space, wildfires | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 25, 2017 by Envirothink

Farmed fish have escaped into the Pacific, threatening wild salmon, photo courtesy of NOAA
Contrary to assurances by fish farming concerns, thousands of farmed Atlantic salmon have escaped into the Pacific Ocean. They escaped from a damaged net pen at a Cooke Aquaculture fish farm off Cypress Island in Washington’s Puget Sound on Saturday, This has sparked fears that the farm-raised fish could threaten wild Pacific salmon.
Continue reading →
Filed under: Marine wildlife | Tagged: chemical arms race, environmentalists, farmed salmon, natural gas pipelines, NOAA, sea lice, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, US Fish and Wildlife, wild caught salmon | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 17, 2017 by Envirothink
Editor’s Note: The following article was published in the March-April 2017 issue of AgMag magazine.

The Science Academy of South Texas has a secret – a garden where students learn about growing food
Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley used to mean being surrounded by citrus orchards and farmland. Today, residents are surrounded by strip malls, countless restaurants, pawn shops and automotive repair places, many reminiscent of junk yards.
“There’s a big disconnect between food producers and consumers,” said Brad Cowan, Texas A&M AgLife Extension Service‘s County Extension Agent – Agriculture, Hidalgo County.
Continue reading →
Filed under: Gardening | Tagged: biodiversity, compost, Rio Grande Valley, school gardens, Texas A&M AgLife Extension Service | Leave a comment »
Posted on November 29, 2016 by Envirothink

Trees are vital to life. They provide oxygen, store huge amounts of carbon and provide critical habitat and food for wildlife. Yet the world’s forests are dying. In California alone, over 100 million of them have died due to climate change related factors, to say nothing of the scourge of clear cutting that’s decimating our forest land.
But there are rays of hope.
In Washington state, twenty-six Puget Sound cities are planting sapling clones of Coast Redwoods – among the oldest, largest, most iconic trees on earth.
Continue reading →
Filed under: Reforestation | Tagged: Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, champion trees, climate change, cloned redwoods, coastal redwoods, fossil fuel, old growth forests, Puget Sound | Leave a comment »
Posted on September 12, 2016 by Envirothink

Ever wondered about the language of trees? They have one.
If you haven’t spent much time walking or hiking through a forest, you may not grasp the amazing link trees have with each other. Scientists now know that they communicate with each other and support each other through difficult times.
Continue reading →
Filed under: Nature | Tagged: carbon, clear cutting, drought, forests, language, Peter Wohlleben | 1 Comment »
Posted on August 8, 2016 by Envirothink
Saw an interesting article today about how putting wind turbines on the Great Lakes could do serious harm to the birds around and migrating through the Great Lake region.
Traditional wind turbines create a horrendous level of bird kills. Endangered birds such as bald eagles, which are federally protected, and bats – which are threatened by the white nose syndrome plague – are losing their lives in continually growing numbers due to strikes by wind turbines.
Continue reading →
Filed under: Wildlife | Tagged: bird kills, bird migration, cheap energy, endangered wildlife, Great Lakes, innovation, white nosed syndrome, wildlife, wind farm, wind turbines | 1 Comment »
Posted on July 11, 2016 by Envirothink

Dead mangrove forest off Australia’s east coast, photo by James Cook University
Climate change has wrecked havoc not only on our weather patterns but on the world’s forest and ecological systems. And the impact is devastating.
In the U.S., severe drought and major insect infestations have been responsible for almost unimaginable die-offs of old growth forests. In Australia El Nino conditions have caused the die-off of a 7000 kilometer (approximately 4,349 miles) stretch of mangrove shoreline in the southern reaches of the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Continue reading →
Filed under: Climate Change, Nature | Tagged: climate change, drought, ecosystems, James Cook University, mangrove forests, Norm Duke, pollution | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 22, 2016 by Envirothink

Would this wildlife overpass at Banff, Alberta, Canada be the model for the new Liberty Canyon/ 101 Wildlife Corridor overpass through L.A.?
Wildlife in and around one of the countries biggest metropolises is about to get a lifesaving reprieve.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles’s City Council Planning unanimously voted to approve a Regional Wildlife Linking Zone in the hillsides of Los Angeles between I-5 and I-405, which will be added to the City’s municipal code. This will establish a zone to protect open space connectivity in any new building permits.
Continue reading →
Filed under: Wildlife | Tagged: Animal Legal Defense Fund, Center for Biological Diversity, Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife, Griffith Park Connectivity Study, habitat, mountain lion, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Urban Wildlands Group, wildlife, wildlife overpass | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 21, 2016 by Envirothink
The world has lost over 90 percent of its old growth forests. And we’ve lost 95 percent of our magnificent redwoods. Those that remain are threatened by logging and climate change-related insect epidemics.
While a number of organizations and NGOs are working on reforestation projects around the globe, one group has been striving to save the remaining “champion” ancient trees and their genetics for future generations to appreciate.
Continue reading →
Filed under: Exciting New Developments, Reforestation | Tagged: Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, carbon capture, champion trees, coastal redwoods, David Milarch, endangered species, environment, old growth forests, reforestation, wildlife | Leave a comment »