Jul 30 2010

Modern-Day Captain Ahab Spears Whale With Cruise Ship

dead whale photo Image credit: AP Photo/NOAA The Sapphire Princess, a cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, struck a 43 foot long female humpback whale on Wednesday, causing it to become lodged in an undersea protuberance of the bow. The ship, en route to Juneau, Alaska, was forced to make a detour to Douglas Island, where the whale was removed from the bow and taken into the custody of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A necropsy will be performed to determine the cause of death....Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Jul 30 2010

SF Artists Explore What ‘Green’ Sounds Like

soundwave green sound festival photo Musician Christopher Willits performs in "The Illuminated Forest." Photo by Michael Smith via Soundwave. What does "green" sound like? Artists and musicians in San Francisco are attempting to answer that tricky question with a series of avant-sound performances and shows, including a month-long installation that allows visitors to explore an illuminated "forest" that changes with their presence, reflecting the impact people have on real Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Jul 30 2010

Herpes Virus Strikes UK Oyster Beds, Could Wipe Out Local Stocks

pacific rock oyster photo Photo by adactio: "A Pacific oyster from Whitstable about to consumed on Brighton seafront." Oysters worldwide have been faring badly. From pollution levels in filthy bays to now a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the populations of the popular shellfish have been hit hard. But now a new problem has hit the oysters of Whitstable -- a herpes virus is spreading among the Pacific variety. While not transferable to humans or even native oysters, the disease could wipe out what little harvesting is still done in the area once famed for its oyst...Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Jul 30 2010

Mekong River Dam Threatens Four of World’s Top 10 Biggest Fish Species

giant mekong catfish photo Photo by Suthep Kritsanavarin A hydropower dam project planned for the lower Mekong River is getting greater attention from conservationists as it nears the final stages of an approval process. The project would cut off the migration route for the Mekong giant catfish, an iconic fish within the culture, severing off the spawning grounds located upriver in northern Thailand and Laos. The species is already critically endangered due to overfishing and poor water quality. The dam would also impact three other species of the world's top ten largest, as well as cut off sedi...Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Jul 30 2010

Condor Born in 1910 Finally Kicks the Bucket

andean condor photo Photo via Tom Nord The planet is short one centenarian this week after Hector, the world's oldest condor, passed away in Algeria at the ripe old age of 100. Experts say Hector's long life was quite a feat considering that the scavenging birds generally don't live past 50. But as impressive as his longevity was, Hector's entire species of condor has a place in the record books, too, for having the longest wingspan of any land bird on the planet. Perhaps those magnificent wings came in...Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Jul 29 2010

Galapagos Islands Moved Off Endangered Sites List

tortoises-at-dawn-lanting.jpg The Galapagos Islands are among the most stunning places on earth. The unparalleled biodiversity and spectacular wildlife makes it a travel destination the world over. But it's also in big trouble. When I traveled there two years ago, I saw firsthand how a number of factors are putting the islands' delicate ecosystems in danger: invasive species threaten the local animal populations, more and more tourists are tromping through, and a burgeoning immigration from the mainland is straining the natural resources there and producing unmanageable waste. The islands w...Read the full story on TreeHugger

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