Monthly Archives: September 2016

The end of grizzly trophy hunting in B.C. in 2017? 

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by Emily Pickett

Sep 2nd, 2016

September 1st marks a dark day in British Columbia – the start of the province’s controversial fall grizzly bear hunt. This widely opposed slaughter sees greed-driven trophy hunters setting out into BC’s wild places every spring and fall in search of a bear they can shoot and kill for nothing more than a trophy – a head to put on the wall, a rug for their floor and paws to prove their supposed prowess.

We have the BC Liberal government to thank for the continuation of this archaic and senseless slaughter. In 2001, the NDP government announced a three-year moratorium on grizzly bear hunting in BC. Sadly, this victory was short-lived. When the Liberals came into office a few months later, that moratorium was lifted and grizzlies were once again in the sights of sport hunters. Today, this Liberal Party legacy continues despite the lack of social license, science, economics and ethics.

The BC Liberals argue the hunt is sustainable, yet the very science behind this hunt is questioned by independent scientists, who state the province’s grizzly population numbers on which hunt quotas are based are flawed and overinflated. It’s also troubling to see the hunt described as sustainable given that a study published earlier this year by a government scientist found that a hunted population in the South Rockies has declined by about 40 per cent between 2006-2013, under the government’s watchful eye.

Economically, there is the logical argument that a live bear is worth more to the province than a dead one – that same bear can be “shot” with a tourist’s camera, time and time again. Meanwhile, it’s been suggested that the revenue generated by grizzly trophy hunting fees and licences fails to even cover the province’s management costs for the hunt, making it a poor economic decision as well.

Ultimately, what it comes down to is whether or not the practice of killing for sport aligns with our values as British Columbians. Polling over the years has reflected clear opposition to the trophy hunt, with the latest indicating that 91 per cent of British Columbians, both rural and urban dwelling, condemn the practice.

This iconic species, the same one featured in the province’s “Super, Natural” tourism ads, has been the victim of government inaction for far too long. September 1st marks the start of the fall trophy hunt.

May 9th, 2017 is our opportunity to end it. BC’s next premier needs to be a strong advocate for local economies and ethical, effective wildlife management. I urge all British Columbians to join me in contacting their current MLAs to tell them they will be voting for the party that commits to ending the trophy hunting of grizzly bears once and for all.

More: http://www.vancouverobserver.com/opinion/end-grizzly-trophy-hunting-bc-2017

HERE’S WHERE SPECIES WILL FLEE BECAUSE OF GLOBAL WARMING

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https://www.wired.com/2016/08/heres-species-will-flee-global-warming/

USMigration.gif

DAN MAJKA
SOME ANIMALS, LIKE people with second homes, travel seasonally in search of more hospitable climes. Scientists have mapped these migratory patterns for years, confirming along the way that they are, in fact, patterns. Some species even pass down migration routes via their genes.

But Migrations in Motion predicts a new kind of migration—one forced by climate change. The new data-visualization project is based on research from The Nature Conservancy and the University of Washington, and depicts how more than 2,900 species of birds, mammals, and amphibians might migrate in response to rising sea levels and temperatures.

It’s mesmerizing, if unsettling, to behold. The interactive map overlays tadpole-like swirls of color atop black maps of the Americas. These color-coded eddies link the various species’ current habitats with where they’ll need to move in response to climate change.

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DAN MAJKA

To connect the species’ current habitats to future ones, scientists used flow models from electronic circuit theory. Electrical engineers have been using these models for decades to predict the behavior of—you guessed it—circuits; but in recent years, ecologists have co-opted them to map things like gene flow and help conserve endangered species. In the case of Migrations in Motion, the circuit models account for route-determining factors like cities, infrastructure, and bodies of water. “Around the Great Lakes, for example, you’ll see that species steer around them, since most can’t go through water,” says Dan Majka, the ecologist at The Nature Conservancy who created the map. “Or through New York City.”

Like any graph that makes the slow-moving march of climate change suddenly visible all at once, Migration in Motion is a little anxiety inducing. You can watch as thousands of species flee their homes for the earth’s poles—a forceful reminder that large swaths of the planet could soon become inhospitable to their animal residents (assuming they haven’t already).

But hopefully not too soon. “I don’t know if in our lifetimes we’ll see these migrations that are extreme and obvious,” he says. “It’s a little more subtle than that.” In the meantime, Migrations in Motion comes with a few thoughts on what humans can do. A study from earlier this year found that only 41 percent of the United States is available to animals migrating towards fairer climates; the remaining 59 percent has been blocked off by development. Less fencing and smarter infrastructure—like wildlife overpasses that stretch over highways—could improve things for animals. With new passageways open, they could seek manifest destiny and, hopefully, adapt to new climates.

Warm, Storm-Force Winds Blowing From the Equator Flip West Antarctic Winter to Summer

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robertscribbler's avatarrobertscribbler

In a record-hot world, there’s a lot of lower-latitude heat just waiting for a weakness in the increasingly feeble Jet Stream to make a big poleward rush. Such was the case today as an intense wave of warmth exploded up from the Equatorial region and began to spread summertime temperatures over sections of West Antarctica — technically still in the grips of the Southern Hemisphere’s winter season.

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(A surge of heat breaks over West Antarctica on September 2nd, 2016, pushing air temperatures over vulnerable coastal glaciers and ice shelves near or above the melting point [0 degrees Celsius]. Image source: Earth Nullschool.)

The warm winds began their southward turn about a thousand miles west of coastal South American and along the 20 degrees south latitude line. Tapping hot, tropical air, the winds then ran over hundreds of miles of open ocean — following the arch of a bulging ridge…

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Madonna blasts Donald Trump’s sons for killing wild leopard

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https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/02/madonna-donald-trump-sons-leopard

Madonna has attacked Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s sons after they posed for a picture with a leopard they had killed during a hunting trip in Africa.

The pop icon wrote on Instagram that the picture, which showed Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump holding the dead cat’s body, was another reason to vote for the Democratic party. She wrote: “How big of [a] pussy do you have to be to kill this noble animal for sport? Just ask Donald Trump Jr and his brother Eric. One more reason to vote for Hillary!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJzZiBHBaQR/embed/captioned/?v=7

The picture is believed to have been taken in 2011, during a safari trip to Zimbabwe. Other photos that emerged, including the brothers posing with dead elephants and crocodiles, have been condemned by animal rights activists.

Trump has defended his sons in the past saying: “My sons love to hunt. They are members of the NRA [National Rifle Association], very proudly. I am a big believer in the second amendment. But my sons are hunters, Eric is a hunter and I would say he puts it on a par with golf, if not ahead of golf. They’re great marksman [sic], great shots, they love it.”

In supporting Hillary, Madonna joins many musical celebrities, including Paul McCartney, Justin Timberlake and Jon Bon Jovi. However, Madonna is actually related to the Democratic hopeful – they are 10th cousins.

Endless Hot Summer of 2016 — Heavy Arctic Sea Ice Losses, Record Temps for Alaska and Hermine’s Rains Barreling In

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robertscribbler's avatarrobertscribbler

From the Arctic leveling yet another challenge to all-time record lows for sea ice, to a ridiculously long spate of hotter-than-normal temperatures for Alaska, to Hermine — which appears to be readying to drop 20 inches of rain over parts of the Southeast — there’s a ton of concerning climate news today. Let’s get to it.

Storms, Mega-Dipoles, and Shattered Sea Ice

A few weeks ago, big storms of near-record intensity started ripping through the Arctic. These storms saw numerous pressure dips into the 960-millibar range. These severe systems raked the ice with gale-force winds, heavy seas, and rainfall. A vulnerable ‘arm’ of ice extending out from the central Arctic toward Wrangel Island began to disintegrate under these multiple insults.

Melt Lobes

(The two frames above provide a good visual of the most vulnerable Arctic Ocean melt regions for early to mid-September. These primarily compose the Siberian side of the Arctic…

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Group protests eradication of Profanity Peak wolf pack

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http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Group-protests-eradication-of-Profanity-Peak-wolf-9198320.php

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Dozens of protesters gathered outside of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to decry the killing of a pack of wolves in northeastern Washington.

The group rallied in opposition of the agency’s decision to eradicate the Profanity Peak pack in order to protect cattle. WDFW has been using hunters flying in helicopters to shoot the animals north of Sherman Pass. Many protesters carried pictures of wolves and signs that read “Protect The Wolves” and “Stop The Slaughter.”

Since mid-July, WDFW has confirmed that wolves from the Profanity Peak pack have killed or injured six cattle and probably five others.

So far, six of the 11 members of the pack have been killed. Remaining are two radio-collared adults, used by the department to track the wolves, and several pups.

Claim that rancher turned out cattle on wolf den untrue, WSU says

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http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/claim-that-rancher-turned-out-wolves-on-den-untrue-wsu-says/

Claim that rancher turned out cattle on wolf den untrue, WSU says
Originally published August 31, 2016 at 8:06 pm Updated August 31, 2016 at 8:15 pm
A researcher’s statements about wolves interacting with livestock that stirred up controversy were inappropriate and inaccurate, Washington State University says.

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By Lynda V. Mapes
Seattle Times environment reporter
Statements by a Washington State University researcher that a rancher turned out his cattle on top of a wolf den were inappropriate and inaccurate and “contributed substantially to the growing anger and confusion about this significant wildlife management issue,” the university said in a statement Wednesday.

As state officials work to exterminate a wolf pack, the university apologized and said it disavows the statement made by the researcher, Robert Wielgus, associate professor and director of the Large Carnivore Conservation Lab at WSU, to The Seattle Times. Wielgus “subsequently acknowledged that he had no basis in fact for making such a statement. In actuality, the livestock were released at low elevation on the east side of the Kettle Crest more than four miles from the den site and dispersed throughout the allotment,” the statement asserted.
In an interview with The Seattle Times last week, Wielgus had said, “This livestock operator elected to put his livestock directly on top of their den site; we have pictures of cows swamping it, I just want people to know.”

Another statement by Wielgus that none of the participants in his study, in which both wolves and cattle are radio-collared, experienced loss of livestock also was not true, the university stated. At least one rancher in the study had lost livestock to wolves, according to the study.

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Asked to comment Tuesday on challenges to his statements by a conservation group, Wielgus told The Seattle Times that he would have no further public comment on the subject.

The rancher he criticized, Len McIrvin of the Diamond M ranch on the Canadian Border north of Kettle Falls, did not return calls for comment.

In an Aug. 19 email to The Seattle Times, Wielgus stated: “No ranchers in wa that cooperated w us or wdfw had any losses over the last 3 years,” and, “None of the cooperators with me or wdfw has experienced any losses in 2 years. Len Mc (Irvin) has refused to cooperate with us to reduce depredations and has had 2 wolf packs killed so far. He hates wolves … and welcomes conflict … because the wolves die in his allotments.”

McIrvin and another rancher actually had been taking steps to avoid conflict with wolves on their allotments on public land in the Colville National Forest, including deploying range riders, putting out calves at higher weight, and picking up carcasses to avoid attracting predators, according to Donny Martorello, wolf-policy lead for the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

But Wielgus gave a very different impression.

“After careful thought…..go ahead and quote me ‘where mcI (rvin) grazes … dead wolves follow’. He will be proud of it!,” Wielgus wrote to The Seattle Times in an email.
The controversy erupted as the WDFW was killing the Profanity Peak pack to protect McIrvin’s cattle, after he and another producer lost stock to wolf kills. It is the second time the department has killed a pack to protect McIrvin’s cattle; the first time was the Wedge Pack, in 2012