Vultures are seen by a lot of people as ugly and disgusting creatures, but in reality these birds have been an important part of our ecosystem by keeping the environment clean and preventing the spread of dangerous diseases.

Here’s the sad part: approximately 40 million vultures have been lost in the last 15 years. Their rapid decline is blamed on the widespread use of diclofenac, a non-steroidal drug used for treating inflammation in livestock such as cows. When these scavengers feed on the carcass of those cattle, they die of liver and kidney failure.

In a move to revive the dwindling population of vultures, “restaurants” have been established in Nepal which provide nourishment for the endangered birds. These feeding stations get their meat from old ox and cows, and the serving of healthy food has helped increase the number of vultures in that region.

From Reuters:

Pithauli, some 100 km (60 miles) southwest of the Nepali capital of Kathmandu, was the site of the first such feeding station, which now number six around the country.

The number of nesting pairs there has grown to 46 compared with just 17 before the feeding site was opened five years ago, said Dhan Bahadur Chaudhary, who coordinates the project.

The vulture restaurant has become a tourist attraction in the poverty-stricken village, and admission fees from visitors — who last year numbered some 2,000 — help support it.

Despite the positive results, though, some locals remain skeptical.

“Why save a bird that feeds on dead animals?” said 34-year-old Chet Nath Gandell, noting that the scavengers sometimes leave parts of the carcasses unfinished. “Stinking carrion pollutes the air and we are forced to breathe in a slow poison.”

Check out this amazing footage of vultures feeding from a cow carcass in Nepal.

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Nepal sets up “restaurants” for endangered vultures

The idea of elephants wearing contact lenses may seem absurd at first. But when their vision has clouded to the point of total impairment, people find strange ways to help them get better.

Take for example the case of Win Thida, a 45-year-old Asian elephant living in Amsterdam’s Artis Zoo. Her cornea was badly injured during a scuffle with her jumbo pals so a veterinarian decided to put a contact lens over the patient’s eye.

The operation is delicate and requires special training for veterinarians. Vet Anne-Marie Verbruggen, who had only ever put contact lenses into horses, had to use a ladder to reach the elephant’s left eye and perform the procedure– which lasted just under an hour.

“The main difficulty was her height,” Verbruggen said. “Elephants can’t lie down for long before their immense weight impairs their breathing, so I used a ladder to get close enough. It wasn’t ideal, but it worked. She seemed happier straight away.”

Win Thida, the oldest elephant in the zoo’s herd, is expected to make a full recovery.

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Elephant gets contact lens

This is the moment a group of ex-laboratory chimpanzees see sunlight for the first time in their lives, and most are over 20…

[Hat tip to Geekologie]

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Chimps see sunlight for the first time in their lives [VIDEO]

Australia is an amazing country, but the weather Down Under is getting a bit out of hand. The video below shows the situation in south of Sydney, wherein strong winds gusting up to 75mph (120km/h) have literally blown some waterfalls back up.

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Australian waterfalls flow upwards [VIDEO]

I don’t know how nature friendly Coke is, but this should make them feel better.

If you drive along Northbound EDSA-Forbes in Makati City, Philippines, you’ll see this billboard made of thousands of Fukien tea plants (Carmona retusa), a species capable of absorbing air pollutants.

The 60 x 60 foot billboard was unveiled last week by the beverage giant together with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). According to the press release, each plant can suck up to 13 pounds of CO2 in a year, on the average.

“Recyclable materials were used for the overall make-up of the billboard. 3,600 pots were used, recycling old bottles of various Coca-Cola products. These bottles were filled with a potting mixture made up of a combination of industrial by-products and organic fertilizers—a formulation that is stable and light-weight . These bottles were also designed to hold the plants securely and to allow the plants to grow sideways. Additional holes were made for proper drainage and for holding the drip lines in place.

A drip irrigation system, also known as trickle irrigation or micro-irrigation, was especially installed for efficient water distribution. This irrigation method saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, through a network of valves, pipes, tubing and emitters. The system is operated on a schedule to distribute water with nutrients to the plants. It provides the plants with what they need when they need it.”

Hopefully this will inspire others to find clever and green ways to promote their products in the future.

[Image by WWF-Philippines / Lory Tan]

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Coca-Cola goes green with eco-friendly billboard

One day, you’re going to die. So, how would you like your body to be disposed of when the time comes?

For those people who would prefer to be cremated after death, this eco-friendly urn offers an opportunity for the departed to be reborn as a tree of some sort.

Designed by Martin Azua, the Bios Urn is made from compacted coconut shells mixed with organic fertilizer and tree seedlings that will germinate upon burial of the urn and grow into a tree.

For now the Bios Urn can only be purchased online, but hopefully crematoriums will make this option available in the near future.

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Bios Urn will turn you into a tree when you die

While many talks on climate change being debatable and controversial has been widespread, it is still important to go green with some more practical reasons. Here are the five most basic and practical reasons of going green, to the benefit of the person going green.

1. You save water – Water is no longer cheap with some places reaching an astronomical amount of Php 80 per cubic meter. Do not forget, whatever you are paying for water in per cbm basis, you have to pay its sewage treatment cost as well. Invariably, saving water also leads to savings in money. If you live in a place where you are water tank dependent, you will best understand the main reason behind this.

2. You save energy – Just as water is an expensive resource, energy is just as brutal in its cost. Our Php 9.5 per kwh makes us one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive, energy cost in Asia. Each kilowatt saved per hour means a lot, especially when you see how it all adds up. One has to best find a way to manage electricity, and it is not just about changing lightbulbs. More has to be done to see the reality on energy consumption in a residence or office.

3. Recycling benefits – We all love to hog our old stuff and keep them in our storage. Let’s face it though, if we have not had the need for said product for the past 7 years, what are the chances we will need the 1920s lamp, or the old newspaper in the storage room? Clear up your storage and make money off recycling, it also means that the product is being constantly utilized, reducing its carbon footprint based on the carbon lifecycle system.

4. It is what you eat, breathe, and drink – Volatile Organic Compound is a major issue. You might not get sick now, but it is building up several possible diseases in our body. Watch out for VOCs in your paints and carpets. Just as important, the bleach and whatever chemical we use will be in our eating utensils, in the table we use, in the glasses of water we drink. We have to rethink what we are using in the house, it affects us too.

5. Plant your Benefits – Plants are vital in helping cool our place, it also helps produce oxygen from the carbon dioxide we exhale.Putting plants at home or in the office means bringing back the interdependence in nature that we need urgently.

You may be selfish to not think of others, but if you think about yourself and the people you care, going green is just as important anyways. Try to reflect on what lifestyle is being lived and contemplate, would this be what you want to feed to your children?

***
About the Author: Haresh Daswani is a contributor for National Free Press and Augusta Free Press, he is also an advocate of environmentalism, managing an environmental solutions company called Manhattan Green Solutions (http://mgs.jw-world.com)

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Top 5 Reasons to Go Green Besides Climate Change

A new species was classified in the African nation of Madagascar. The new species became one of only two species of the genus salanoia.

Salanoia Durrelli was first observed in 2004. It however looked very similar to the brown-tailed mongoose (pictured), which is the other species in the genus, scientifically named salanoia concolor.

Salanoia Durrelli is described to be a carnivorous mammal. It is only found in the Lac Alaotra area of Madagascar. It is characterized with broad feet with prominent pads, reddish buff underparts, and broad, robust teeth. In two weighed specimens, body mass was 600 and 675 g (21 and 24 oz). It is a marsh-dwelling animal that may feed on crustaceans and mollusks.

The new species doesn’t still have a conservation status. However, it is probable that it will be classified as endangered due to threatened habitat, competition with introduced species and since Lac Alaotra is a declared protected area.

The brown tailed mongoose is also found only in Madagascar. It is currently categorized as threatened vulnerable due to habitat loss.

Madagascar, the world’s fourth largest island, has an endemic fauna making some ecologists name the country as the eighth continent of the planet. Of the 10,000 plants native to Madagascar, 90% are found nowhere else in the world.

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New Species Classified in Madagascar

A leather shoe made out of cow hide and complete with laces was found in a cave in Armenia. It dates back to the Chalcolithic period or 3500 BC making it 5500 years old.

The shoe is now declared as the world’s oldest leather shoe after it outdated the one found in Otzi the Iceman by a few hundred years. The shoe, now named as Areni-1, is 1000 years older than the Great Pyramid of Giza and 400 years older than the Stonehenge.

Areni-1, which is in very good condition, was discovered by Diana Zardaryan, a student of Armenia’s Institute of Archeology, in a pit where a broken pot, grass, and sheep horns were also found. It was found in a cave, now known as Areni-1 Cave, in Vayotz Dror which is at the border of Armenia with Iran and Turkey.

“I was amazed to find that even the shoelaces were preserved,” Zardaryan said about her discovery.

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World’s Oldest Leather Shoes Stand at 5,500 years old

A small diving bird that was classified as native to the island nation of Madagascar has been declared as extinct after it has not been sighted for the last 25 years.

The Alaotra Grebe, scientific name Tachybaptus rufolavatus, was believed to have died out due to a combination of predatory fish and poaching. Carnivorous fish introduced to the lake and local fishermen who have been using nylon gill nets may have contributed to the demise of the species.

The bird is also known as the Delacour’s Little Grebe or Rusty Grebe. They have small wings and are therefore thought to be not capable of long flights.

They are known to be living mostly in Lake Alaotra and surrounding lakes.

There is only one known picture (see left above) of the bird.

It is the first bird extinction declaration since 2008 when the Liverpool Pigeon was declared extinct. There were instances before where a bird has been declared to be extinct but was later sighted again. Experts believe however that this may not happen with Alaotra Grebe.

Post from: Daily Contributor

Madagascar Bird Declared Extinct

Cities and landmarks took turns in switching off lights for 1 hour as the planet celebrated Earth Hour 2010.

A total of 126 countries and territories pledged to join this year’s event. That’s a significant increase from the 88 countries and territories that participated in 2009. It is an event calling for climate change action. It began in 2007 in the city of Sydney. It was organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Lights were turned off at 8:30 PM local time.

Landmarks that plunged or are to be plunged into darkness include:

• Acropolis of Athens, Athens
• Abu Simbel temples, Aswan
• Alamo, San Antonio
• Al-toot Palace, Riyadh
• Amsterdam Arena
• Arc de Triomphe, Paris
• Artis Zoo, Amsterdam
• Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima
• Atomium, Brussels
• Baiyoke Tower II, Bangkok
• Bank of America Tower, Miami
• Belém Tower, Lisbon
• Big Banana, Coffs Harbour, Australia
• Big Ben, London
• Brandenburg Gate, Berlin
• Bosphorus Bridge, Istanbul
• BT Tower, London
• Buckingham Palace
• Burj Al Arab, Dubai
• Burj Khalifa, Dubai
• Botanical Garden of Curitiba, Southern Brazil
• Cairo Tower, Cairo
• Capitol Records Building, Los Angeles
• Chengdu Panda Breeding Station
• Chichén Itzá, Mexico
• Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro
• Chrysles Building, New York
• Çiçek Pasajı, Istanbul
• CN Tower, Toronto
• Cologne Cathedral
• Colosseum, Rome
• Coca Cola Billboard, Kings Cross, Sydney
• Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem
• Donauturm, Vienna
• Downing Street
• Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh
• Eiffel Tower, Paris
• El Ángel, Mexico City
• Empire State Building, New York City
• Forbidden City, Beijing
• Four Seasons Hotel, Miami
• Freedom Tower, Miami
• Gateway Arch, St. Louis
• Grand Mosque, Mecca
• Grand Palace, Bangkok
• Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
• Hagia Sofia, Istanbul
• Hanoi Opera House, Hanoi
• Helsinki Cathedral, Helsinki
• Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles
• Tallest Fountain In The World, Jeddah
• Kampong Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery, Bandar Seri Begawan
• KL Tower, Kuala Lumpur
• Kuwait Towers, Kuwait City
• Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pisa
• London Eye, London
• Malacanang Palace, Manila
• Manila City Hall, Manila
• Millenium Stadium, London
• Mount Rushmore, Keystone
• Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany
• Nhà Rồng Harbour, Ho Chi Minh City
• Niagara Falls
• Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai
• Obelisk of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
• Ostankino Tower, Moscow
• Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur
• Piccadilly Circus, London
• Pyramids of Giza, Cairo
• Red Fort, New Delhi
• Reunification Palace, Ho Chi Minh City
• Rialto Tower, Melbourne, Australia
• Q1 Tower, The Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
• Saigon Opera House, Ho Chi Minh City
• Sagrada Família, Barcelona
• Schipol Airport, Amsterdam
• Sky Tower, Auckland, New Zealand
• SM Mall of Asia, Manila
• Smithsonian Castle
• Space Needle, Seattle
• Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney
• Sydney Opera House, Sydney
• Taipei 101, Taipei
• Taj Mahal, Agra
• Times Square, New York City
• Tokyo Tower, Tokyo
• Torre dos Clérigos, Porto
• Tower Bridge, London
• Trevi Fountain, Italy
• Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
• Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign, Las Vegas
• Willis Tower, Chicago
• Windsor Castle

Even Davis Research Center in Antarctica participated. Meanwhile, thousands of Filipinos wearing black Earth Hour t-shirts participated from the SM Mall of Asia.In Singapore, many buildings and offices participated in the celebration.

Post from: Daily Contributor

Earth Hour 2010

Tucson-based environmental group Center for Biological Diversity will be distributing 100,000 condoms starting Valentine’s Day to help increase awareness of the impact of human overpopulation over endangered species.

The slogans that can be seen in six different original artwork packages include: “Wrap with care, save the polar bear”, “Wear a jimmy hat, save the big cat” (jaguar), “Hump smarter, save the snail darter”, “Cover your tweedle, save the burying beetle”, “Use a stopper, save the hopper” and “Wear a condom now, save the spotted owl”.

It will be distributed by about 3,000 volunteers in bars, concerts, parties, schools, supermarkets, and other public places.

The campaign is partnered with a website called Endangered Species Condom. It has explanations regarding the overpopulation. It also provides a venue where you can donate, signup to be a volunteer distributor or enter a raffle where you can win lifetime supply of condoms (5 winners).

The current human population is at 6.8 billion, which is project to reach 9 billion by 2050.

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Environmental Group to Distribute Condoms for Valentine’s Day

Watch Wild Earth TV‘s Bear Cam (wilderath.tv) as they spy on a female black bear named Lily hibernating in her den. According to researchers, Lily, a two-year-old black bear, is about to give birth in two weeks.

Wild Earth crew Dough Hajicek installed their new Infra Red camera near Ely, Minnesota on Friday, January 8, for the study of the black bear ecology and behavior being conducted by the North American Bear center (bear.org) and Wildlife Researcher Institute (www.bearstudy.org).

You can watch the bear cam live here.

[via wildearth.tv]

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Wild Earth TV’s Bear Cam: Watch the Black Bear Den LIVE!

An Australian scientist team exploring the Indonesian seas found out that the Veined Octopus is one of the smartest animals in the planet after it was documented to be able to plan ahead and use tools to help defend itself. CNN reports.

The veined octopus, scientific name Amphioctopus marginatus , then became the new inductee to the very elite animal tool-using club – and the only one that is an invertebrate, one without a backbone.

The octopuses would be found trying to lug around coconut shelves with its tentacles and use two of them together as a fort or shelter to defend themselves against predators. The idea of using foreign objects as shelter is not a new idea for animals. The octopus however, takes it in a higher level by cleaning the shells first; dragging them for long distances and then reassembles them as a fort in the destination area.

This octopus breed is now given another name – the coconut octopus.

“Amazing behavior,” said team lead Australian biologist Julian Finn of Museum Victoria in Melbourne. He was the first to notice the phenomenon.

Their findings would be published in the journal, Current Biology.

The octopus is a member of the class cephalopods. The class is known to have the most complex brain structure among invertebrates.

WATCH:

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Octopus Joins Smart Animals Club

Shark finning refers to the “barbaric” practice of capturing sharks and slicing off their fins. Since shark meat isn’t considered valuable and therefore not worth the cost of transporting the massive shark bodies to market, the finless creatures (which are most often alive) are thrown back into the water. Without its fins the shark simply sinks beneath the ocean where it likely won’t survive.

Shark fins are used as an Asian delicacy – primarily as the main ingredient in shark fin soup.

WATCH:

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Shocking PSA against the cruelties of shark finning