Image caption,Researchers say the UK has little room for nature due to development and agriculture
The UK is one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries – in the bottom 10% globally and last among the G7 group of nations, new data shows.
It has an average of about half its biodiversity left, far below the global average of 75%, a study has found.
A figure of 90% is considered the “safe limit” to prevent the world from tipping into an “ecological meltdown”, according to researchers.
The assessment was released ahead of a key UN biodiversity conference.
Biodiversity is the variety of all living things on Earth and how they fit together in the web of life, bringing oxygen, water, food and countless other benefits.
Prof Andy Purvis, research leader at the Natural History Museum in London, said biodiversity…
This probably won’t happen for another billion years or so. But when the change comes, it’s going to happen fairly rapidly, the study from earlier this year suggests.
This shift will take the planet back to something like the state it was in before what’s known asthe Great Oxidation Event(GOE) around 2.4 billion years ago.
What’s more, the researchers behind the new study say that atmospheric oxygen is unlikely to be a permanent feature of habitable worlds in general, which has implications for our efforts to detect signs of life further out…
“I think the strangest situation was trying to photograph a household of 25 Chihuahuas and a very large iguana at the same time.”Kate BubaczBuzzFeed News Photo Director
If there is one common theme in Sage Sohier’s work, it is being witness to the often private ways that people experience love. The New England-based photographer has explored everything from her relationship with her former fashion model mother to the obsessive world of hobbyists in her photos. An animal lover herself, Sohier started photographing people with their pets in the 1980s and collected the work in a book, Animals, 40 years later.
Her newest book, Peaceable Kingdom, expands on the theme by diving into the world of animal rescue organizations. There are thousands of shelters in the United States, and most work with companion animals, such as cats and dogs. But Sohier also focuses on smaller organizations, often run by individuals or families, that aid different species, like skunks and hawks.
Most of the time, these rescues are run independently by devoted people, so the animals may end up living in close proximity to their human rescuers. This makes for great pictures, and Sohier’s photos highlight the humor and compassion that animals can bring into humans’ lives.
“Animals activate our best selves: They feed our desire for companionship and affection. They inspire us to nurture and protect,” writer Sy Montgomery says in the book’s introduction. Sohier’s work highlights this sentiment, both within the more typical pet–owner relationship as well as with more unusual creatures.
Sohier took the time to answer a few questions by email about Peaceable Kingdom, including where the title came from and why rescue organizations are so important.
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What was the most surprising situation you encountered while making this book?
I think the strangest situation was trying to photograph a household of 25 Chihuahuas and a very large iguana at the same time. These were not species that related to each other at all! The Chihuahuas moved as one, like a turbulent ocean with many waves, and the iguana was very still and zen, reclining on the back of an overstuffed chair. Although they did coexist peacefully, a good photograph of the situation proved elusive.
Can you talk about the title,Peaceable Kingdom?
Edward Hicks was a Quaker minister and painter in the 1800s who made over sixty “Peaceable Kingdom” paintings of various species of animals (predators and prey) coexisting peacefully, along with children. These were based on a quote from the book of Isaiah: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid.” It seemed a perfect title for my series, which is about different species relating to each other.
How common are the small rescues you encountered, and how do they operate?
Mom-and-pop rescues are extremely common. They start with someone with a good heart (often a woman) taking in some animals that she finds by the side of the road or in extremis in some other way. She becomes passionate about saving these animals, develops a reputation in her community for taking them, and suddenly finds herself with lots of animals in her home and backyard.
Eventually, she figures out how to apply to become a non-profit so that she can raise funds to feed and house the animals more appropriately. Most of these people are not particularly well-to-do financially, so it is a real struggle for them and a triumph when they succeed.
Most people in the rescue world are unsung heroes — people who work quietly behind the scenes to help animals. They spend their time doing things that other people would find extremely inconvenient — like driving hundreds of miles, with no advance notice, to pick up animals in need. They not only dedicate their time and energy to their animals, but also much of their life savings. Sometimes they have to make difficult decisions about euthanizing unhealthy or aggressive animals, so it can be very trying emotionally. I love and respect these people, but I would not be resilient enough to do this kind of work myself.
Do you have any pets?
Animals have been a very important part of my life since childhood, when we had four dogs and I helped my mother raise an orphaned blue jay on our screen porch. I currently live with three rescue dogs, and I’m an enthusiastic bird-watcher.
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Any final thoughts?
I hope that people will find the book moving, amusing, and informative, and that it will make them want to adopt rescue animals and donate to rescues. I hope it will bring them some joy and hope. We humans haven’t done well in our interactions with other species, but we’re starting to try to do better. Perhaps exposure to the efforts of some will help motivate others.Interested in JPG articles?Thanks for the feedback! This helps us improve your experience.
MPP urges Ford to mandate bird-friendly design in windows of new buildings
TORONTO – Spadina-Fort York MPP Chris Glover has introduced a motion to protect migratory birds from fatal collision with windows, calling on the Ford government to integrate the Canadian Standards Association (CSA)’s 2019 Bird-Friendly Design standard in the Ontario Building Code.
At a press conference Friday, Glover addressed his motion – which would make it the law for all new residential and commercial construction to use bird-friendly materials for windows. He was joined by advocates Michael Mesure, Executive Director of FLAP Canada; John Carley, architect and Co-Chair of Friends of the Spit; Albert Koehl, an environmental lawyer and Emily Rondel, President of the Toronto Ornithological Club.
“Maintaining our ecosystem is a part of preventing and dealing with the impacts of climate change, and birds play a critical role in native ecosystems,” Glover said. “They pollinate plants and help maintain fertile agricultural land, healthy wetlands, and lush forests. Many of Ontario’s migratory bird populations are in dangerous decline because of climate change. But buildings represent a major killer of birds as well, including bird species at risk”
An estimated 25 million birds die in Canada each year due to collision with building windows.
“Ensuring that all new construction uses bird-friendly window materials is a simple, proactive and inexpensive way to reduce fatal collisions and protect this vital wildlife, as well as our biodiversity,” Glover said.
The previous provincial government sponsored the CSA to develop a national standard for bird-friendly building design to make windows more visible to birds. Several municipalities, including the City of Toronto, adopted these guidelines, but the Ontario government has failed to mandate them. Ontario’s Environmental Protection Act and Canada’s Species at Risk Act make it an offence to harm or kill birds due to window collisions, but governments have not enforced these laws.
“We need to take concrete, meaningful action to conserve our bird species and protect our environment for the coming decades,” Glover said. “The Ford government must act now and enshrine in law the use of bird-friendly materials in all new buildings in Ontario.”
Glover submitted the motion to the Ontario legislature’s official record this week.
Quotes
Margaret Atwood, internationally renowned author and environmental activist:
“Between 1 and 10 million migratory birds collide with windows in Toronto each year. Bird populations have decreased across Canada, and the number of bird species at risk increased from 47 to 86 between 2001 and 2014. MPP Chris Glover’s motion to change the Ontario building code to mandate bird safe buildings is an essential green policy for Ontario. Birds need our help!”
Never Collide:
“We live in a unique time where we have the means and knowledge by which to do better, and we more than understand the severe consequences of choosing to do nothing. The chance to include proven and actionable bird-friendly design standards into the Ontario Building Code means that we choose a better and brighter Ontario and Canada.”
Michael Mesure, Executive Director, FLAP Canada:
“This motion is a game changer for the protection of migratory birds. No doubt, should Ontario lead in including bird-friendly glass into the Building Code, others will be inspired to follow nationwide. The time has come to welcome wildlife preservation into the green building movement.”
Emily Rondel, President, Toronto Ornithological Club:
“The Toronto Ornithological Club is grateful to MPP Chris Glover for his vision in recognizing and addressing building collisions as a driver of bird decline. We support him wholeheartedly as he champions the changes we have to take with our building practices to make our province a safer place for birds.”
Lynne Freeman, President, Ontario Field Ornithologists:
“Given how many birds we are losing mostly to human-related causes (25% decline in North America in just 50 years!), and given how important birds are for both our natural environment and quality of life, Ontario Field Ornithologists urges the Ontario government to require bird-friendly building design for all new construction. This is an easy yet meaningful action.”
Garth Riley, Co-Chair, Friends of the Spit:
“Friends of The Spit welcome and support this initiative. The Leslie Street Spit, portions of which are known as Tommy Thompson Park, is classified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International and Birds Canada, and is home to thousands of breeding birds. We need all new structures in the province to be bird-friendly, to mitigate the carnage of bird-building collisions, which is estimated to be responsible for 100 million to 1 billion bird deaths in North America each year. The CSA A460 Standard must be adopted into the Ontario Building Code.”
Ainslie Willock, advisor, Animal Alliance of Canada:
“Animal Alliance of Canada applauds and welcomes MPP Chris Glover’s Motion to the House. This would be a significant measure to end the senseless killing of millions of birds in Canada and lead the way for other provinces.We have a responsibility to stop designing buildings that kill birds. I urge all Ontario MPPs to celebrate birds and protect them from dying by mandating the CSA’s Bird-Friendly Design standards for all new construction.”
Paul Groleau VP Feather Friendly Technologies Inc.:
“Feather Friendly endorses this motion for conservation of our wildlife. Continued education and conservation efforts around this global issue is paramount.”
Brendon Samuels, PhD candidate coordinator, London Bird Team:
“Over the past few years, our members have advocated for the City of London to implement bird-friendly building design requirements in new site plans, following in the footsteps of the City of Toronto. However, the risk of bird-window collisions spans across municipal boundaries and includes residential buildings not covered by site plan by-laws. The Government of Ontario should take action and require the bird-friendly standard in all new construction across the province. This common-sense measure is consistent with the Government’s goals to protect biodiversity and will position Ontario as an international leader in bird conservation.”
London Environmental Network:
“We aim to make London one of the greenest and most resilient cities in Canada. To do that, we need sustainable building code standards and policies that mandate sustainable and resilient design. One of those elements is bird-friendly design processes, like treated glass, motion activated lights and lights pouting downwards. We are so glad to see this moving forward at the building code level, so it is addressed from the beginning of design, instead of retrofit buildings afterwards.
John Carley, FRAIC:
“One thing I learned as an architect is: “A sustainable building can’t be truly called sustainable until it is bird-friendly”.
Albert Koehl, Environmental lawyer:
“Integrating the CSA standard into the Building Code is an effective way of protecting migratory birds as a vital natural resource that serves humans by reducing pests that harm our agriculture, dispersing seeds, and giving Ontarians immense enjoyment, adding to the richness of our surroundings and our lives.”
Additional supporting organizations:
Toronto Island Community Association Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington Birds Canada Canadian Wildlife Federation
The Erie County Legislature opted to allow 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt big game like deer with a firearm or crossbow, but County Executive Mark Poloncarz has vetoed the measure.
Erie County 12- and 13-year-olds will not be allowed to hunt deer with a firearm like other kids their age across the U.S., after County Executive Mark Poloncarz vetoed a new law and the county Legislature failed to overturn the veto this week.
New York state is the only state in the country to not allow kids aged 12 and 13 to hunt big game, like deer and bears, with a firearm and crossbow, but this year’s state budget allowed counties to opt in to permitting it. Every county north of Rockland and Westchester counties has chosen to opt in.
Elon Musk endorsed a carbon tax at Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday, a position he’s held since 2015, even though implementing one could impact his spaceflight ambitions.
Earlier this year, Musk said he suggested the policy to the Biden administration but was told it was too “politically difficult.”
(CNN)In a year of extreme heat, Antarctica’s last six months were the coldest on record.”For the polar darkness period, from April through September, the average temperature was -60.9 degrees Celsius (-77.6 degrees Fahrenheit), a record for those months,” the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said.The last six months is also the darkest period at the South Pole, which is where the name polar darkness (alsocalled polar night)comes from. Here, the sun sets for the last time around the spring equinox, and does not rise again until near the autumn equinox six months later.
For the entire Antarctic continent, the winter of 2021 was the second-coldest on record, with the “temperature for June, July, and August 3.4 degrees Celsius (6.1 degrees Fahrenheit) lower than the 1981 to 2010 average at -62.9 degrees…
A white-tailed deer pauses while walking through a field Nov. 1, 2015, in Elk Township, in New Jersey’s Gloucester County. (Ed Prince | For NJ Advance Media)Ed Prince | For NJ Advance Media
A 75-year-old Hudsonville man found himself alone and trapped in the woods for 11 hours after he fell 30 feet from his tree stand and broke his back, before being found and airlifted to a trauma center for treatment.
Dr. Alan Lazzara said a review of five years of hunting-related visits to Henry Ford Health System shows hunters are two-to-three times more likely to be injured by a fall from a tree stand than from a firearm. Injuries often happen when hunters are climbing up or down from the tree stand, resulting in serious leg fractures and spinal cord injuries.
“Every fall we see people falling out of trees,” Lazzara said. “We see about six to seven falls per year that present to the emergency department at Henry Ford Allegiance, which doesn’t really seem like a very large number but a lot of these people are significantly injured.”
While the main rifle deer hunting season won’t begin until Nov. 15, several other hunts, including archery hunting are underway.
“Both of which can be significantly devastating for somebody’s body, but also long term they’re going to end up with chronic back pain, have to do a lot of therapy and surgery, not to mention the multiple-day stay in the hospital or rehab,” Lazzara said. “We did see some spinal cord injuries as well. Most of those are permanent and obviously drastically affects somebody’s life.”
Lazzara participated in a study of hunting-related injuries that has yet to be published. He said research shows injuries are often caused by hunters not using safety harnesses.
Hunter safety laws and an increased emphasis on firearm safety have contributed to a notable drop in firearm injuries and deaths over the last several decades, Lazzara said.
Henry Ford Health System used a state grant to put up billboards in Jackson County about tree-stand safety.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recorded 38 hunting-related injuries and 18 deaths from 2015 to 2020. Last year was the deadliest during those five years, though 2015 led for the most number of incidents overall (13).
State officials recorded three fatalities and five hunting-related injuries in 2020. The DNR also reported eight incidents in 2019, but only one was fatal. Seven incidents were reported in 2018, including two fatalities.
Two deaths recorded last year involved handguns, while the third involved a crossbow.
Another hunter shot his friend with a crossbow less than a month later in Baraga County. The shooter saw a flash of white and thought it was the chest of a whitetail deer. The 60-year-old victim was struck in his chest and died at the hospital.
The DNR report includes other incidents from last year where hunters accidentally shot themselves or others when their firearms were caught on pieces of equipment or fell to the ground. In one case, a group of hunters looking through a thermal scope mistook a person for a coyote and shot them in the chest. The victim survived.
Henry Ford Health System provided the following precautions hunters should be aware of to avoid accidental falls:
Always wear a high-quality, full-body tree harness.
Keep your stand at a reasonable height of 10 to 15 feet.
Make sure your tree stand is securely built and the tree is healthy.
Clear the area beneath your stand of rocks and branches.
Do an equipment safety check before and after every outing, replacing any broken straps or parts.
Avoid alcohol and other drugs before and during your hunt.
Carry a cell phone and a whistle for emergency signaling.
Clip into your safety line or linemen’s belt every time you leave the ground.
Research proper safety procedures for climbing up and down from the tree.
Archery deer-hunting season on Nantucket is underway and runs through Nov. 27.COURTESY OF NANTUCKET CONSERVATION FOUNDATIONPreviousNextPosted Monday, October 4, 2021 11:58 amThe Inquirer and Mirror
(Oct. 4, 2021) Archery deer-hunting season is underway on Nantucket and runs through Nov. 27, with shotgun season Nov. 29-Dec. 11 and primitive firearm, also known as black powder or muzzle-loader season, running Dec. 13-31.
Hunting on Nantucket is permitted a half-hour before sunrise through a half-hour after sunset and is prohibited on Sundays. Hunters must maintain a distance of 500 feet from occupied buildings and at least 150 feet from paved roads and bike paths, and obtain permission from the property owner before hunting on posted land.
On Nantucket, much of the Land Bank’s open-space holdings are open to hunting. The Nantucket Conservation Foundation also allows hunting on many of its properties. Exceptions include Foundation parcels that receive high levels of year-round pedestrian use.
Closed Foundation properties are conspicuously posted and include, among others, Sanford Farm, Ram Pasture and The Woods, Tupancy Links on Cliff Road and the Masquetuck Reservation in Quaise, property bordering Quaise Road, the University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station on Polpis Road, portions of the Milestone Cranberry Bog, portions of the Windswept Cranberry Bog and portions of Squam Farm.
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