Natural Environment Blog

The number one thing that people turn to in today’s world to deal with pain is pharmaceuticals. This is understandable, as that is the most well known solution on the market for solving those kinds of problems.

The Problem with Pharmaceuticals

The problem is that pharmaceuticals are not ideal as a long-term solution, but since that’s all people have, it becomes just that. Nearly all of the synthetic chemicals produced in that industry have negative effects on body organs, especially the liver. Due to these effects, it is all too easy to overdose, and there are actually several hundred accidental overdoses of aspirin each year which lead to fatalities, not to mention the thousands that exist from intentional overdoses.

Natural Health by Eating Right

It is up to everyone who knows the power of natural health to spread this information, so people can learn of an alternative to what has been touted as the only choice. By eating the right things, especially nutrients that have specific pain-reducing properties, you can start to feel relief without turning to pharmaceuticals. This is especially true of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis. These diseases happen because the body’s inflammatory-antiinflammatory response is malfunctioning, and often the root cause of this is something in the diet. Even when it is not, changing the diet to incorporate healing foods is a much better way to deal with pain.

The best part about this solution is that it makes you stronger over time, not weaker. Constantly taking pharmaceuticals puts a huge toll on the body that can shorten your lifespan and detract from your quality of life. Considering the unimaginable significance and importance of each moment of life, you should take every action possible to make your life the best it can be, and that means eating the right things.

Healing Foods

Foods rich in antioxidants are great for reducing inflammation, and that includes nearly every fruit and vegetable out there. Choose the fruits/vegetables that are richest in nutrients, such as pomegranates and alfalfa sprouts.

You also need to make sure you are getting a high-quality, total source of macronutrients, including carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Carbs can be covered with sprouted bread, the highest quality bread available, whereas essential fatty acids and protein can be supplied by hemp seed. Hemp seed in itself has anti-inflammatory properties and is perhaps the greatest healing seed on Earth. Incorporate all of this together, and you have a recipe for a life of pain-free, high-quality living.

This article was contributed by Justin Kander who would like to let you know about Versativa Inspirin.

If you want to experience the revolutionary healing effects of natural foods immediately, then Inspirin is the solution for you. The product is a delicious combination of hemp seed, concentrated marine phytoplankton, whole fruits, and other carefully-chosen extracts. The effects range from helping with simple prolems like headaches stemming from stress, to immediately reducing the pain of serious diseases like fibromyalgia and cancer, as seen in these emotional testimonials. To try Inspirin, visit the Versativa Inspirin page, click “Get Started Now”, and follow the simple steps to become a preferred customer.

You can also contact Justin Kander at thehempsolution@gmail.com for more information or if you have absolutely any questions.

This planet currently has over 8.7 million species of animals with approximately three quarters of them still undiscovered.¹ Every animal, plant or insect has its own unique role when it comes to the planet and the ecosystems that are part of it.

When you look at the big picture, the ten most threatened animal species doesn’t even begin to cover it as there are hundreds of species at risk for extinction. However, I have chosen to focus on a few well-known species that are at risk due to human involvement in their habitats and environments.

10. Polar Bear

Photo Credit: longhorndave

While the population of Polar Bears (60% of which are in Canada) exists at around 20,000-25,000, they are perhaps one of the most threatened species on our list due to climate change and global warming. One of the major threats is the melting of the polar ice caps, which is causing polar bear cubs to have to swim farther distances with their mothers, many of whom die.

9. Giant Panda

Photo Credit: donjd2

The Giant Panda has been a staple among endangered species lists for years now. While they are still in existence, many outside factors threaten them. The largest is that while there are 2,500 mature animals in the wild, most of their population is fragmented across China living in much smaller groups. This creates lack of genetic diversity and can cause premature death, which will continue to deplete the species. Luckily, the Chinese government has established over “50 panda reserves, protecting more than 2.5 million acres - over 45 percent of remaining giant panda habitat – protecting more than 60 percent of the population”.²

8. Leatherback Turtle

Photo Credit: USFWS/Southeast

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), “as few as 2,300 adult females now remain, making the Pacific leatherback the world’s most endangered marine turtle population”.³. The population is at risk due to many adults being accidentally killed by fishing fleets. In addition, they are subject to pollution and climate change as well as egg harvesting.

7. Mountain Gorilla

Photo Credit: Sara & Joachim

While the population of Mountain Gorilla’s is currently on the upswing, having increased by 26% with a new population of 786⁴, they are still considered a threatened species. They are at risk of losing their habitats to continued deforestation and pollution and are often still poached. Another and lesser-known threat is disease. As Mountain Gorillas are so closely related to humans and are in areas where many tourists visit to see them, they are often unknowingly exposed to various “human ailments and can even die from the common cold”. ⁵

6. Mediterranean Monk Seal

Photo Credit: flickkerphotos

There are approximately only 600 of these seals in existence. As it stands, “the species is the world’s most endangered seal and one of the most endangered marine mammals”.⁶ They are in danger from various circumstances such as hunting, heavy ship traffic, fishing nets and pollution. According to another article, the survival rate of pups of the Mediterranean Monk Seal is very low. In fact, “the pup survival rate is very low with just 50% chances of an individual’s survival”.⁷ When it comes to the cold season from September to January, only 29% of pups survive. For the rest of the year, “their survival rate is 71%”.⁸

5. Siberian Tiger

Photo Credit: Daisyree Bakker

According to a recent study, population of the Siberian tiger is “down to just 14 animals, scientists report in the journal Mammalian Biology”.⁹ There are approximately 500 Siberian Tigers in existence, but their genetic diversity is depleting, which puts the effective population much lower. Not only this but the constant deforestation of their habitats is also shrinking their population. The WWF believes that if no action is taken, tigers (not just Siberian) will be extinct within the next twelve years.¹⁰

4. Philippine Eagle

Photo Credit: www.siargao-paradise.com

While not on many typical threatened species list, the Philippine Eagle certainly deserves to be there. It is approximated that “there are only from 180 to 500 Philippine eagles in nature”. Despite the secondary effects of deforestation, the demise of this beautiful bird is coming directly from human hands. These eagles are often poached, hunted or their eggs collected to sell to zoos and bird collectors. Farmers even hunt them for food or for fun. Due to the fact it takes these birds from 5-7 years to become sexually mature, they are simply not recovering at the rate they are being destroyed.

3. Red Wolf

Photo Credit: LaggedOnUser

According to the Red Wolf Recovery Program, “today 100-120 red wolves call northeastern North Carolina home” ¹¹, which is their only wild population. In 1980, the red wolf population declined to only 17 animals due to deforestation and was declared extinct by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. While the population still exists, they are continuing to be threatened by deforestation. In addition, red wolves are still often hunted as they are considered pests to farmers.

2. Javan Rhinoceros

Photo Credit: http://library.thinkquest.org/26993/animals.htm

The Javan Rhino resides in Western Indonesia and “with no more than 60 left in the wild and none in captivity” is considered to be the rarest large mammal on the planet. The main reason for this species almost being wiped off the Earth is that they have been widely poached since colonial times. Additionally, they are, like many other species on this list, losing their environment to deforestation and agricultural plots. Another concern, similar to the Amur Leopard and Siberian Tigers, is that due to the small population, the Javan Rhinoceros is now also lacking in genetic diversity, which is key to survival.

1. Amur Leopard

Photo Credit: Arran Edmonstone Photography

The Amur Leopard recovered from having population of less than 40 individuals around the 1950’s. However, today, the population is again at risk. Today, the wild population of Amur Leopards is “estimated at less than 50 individuals”.¹² Some of the main threats to the Amur Leopard that worry conversationalists are habitat loss due to deforestation and development, prey scarcity and poaching or illegal trade for the fur. Additionally, another threat to this species is the fact that they have declined to such a small population, which not only reduces their genetic diversity, but also makes them at risk for disease.

Though the list of threatened species across the planet is much larger than ten, what we can do to help protect their existence fits every species. The first is to become aware of what wildlife lives in your area. Though they may not be as exotic as the leopard or Giant Panda, they still deserve your attention. Once we become aware, we can start to make change such as supporting legislation to build nature reserves or protect wildlife from poaching. Other things we as individuals and as a society can take part in, is to be mindful of the environment and focus on sustainable living. This will help us to protect the environment as it is today and for future generations.

¹ http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/310775
² http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/giantpanda/panda.html
³ http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/marine_turtles/leatherback_turtle/
⁴ http://articles.cnn.com/2011-01-07/world/africa.gorilla.population_1_mountain-gorilla-population-world-population-species?_s=PM:WORLD
⁵ http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/mountaingorilla/threats.html
⁶ http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9416000/9416895.stm
⁷ http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Carnivora/Phocidae/Monachus/Monachus-monachus.html
⁸ http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Carnivora/Phocidae/Monachus/Monachus-monachus.html
⁹ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/07/siberian-tiger-population_n_829348.html
¹⁰ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/07/siberian-tiger-population_n_829348.html
¹¹ http://www.fws.gov/redwolf/
¹² http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/amur_leopard2/

This article was contributed by Amy Lizee from Environment911.org.

Environment911.org is an interactive website for individuals to come and discuss the environment from green business to natural disasters. We feel it is important for people to come together and share their thoughts, ideas and visions for the future.

A quick note to mention that the Nature Conservancy is accepting entries for its 6th Annual Digital Photo Competition.

You can submit your entries in one of two ways:

• Enter your Facebook login details at The Nature Conservancy Photo Contest page.
• Via the Nature Conservancy’s Flickr photo sharing group. Details here.

This year, they are looking for digital photos that feature the natural wonders of the lands, waters, plants, animals and people around the world. All photos must be original, of course.

At least 35 photos will be selected as honorable mentions and finalists, and the Nature Conservancy online community will vote for their favorite images to determine the winners. The grand prize winner will be featured on the cover of the 2013 Nature Conservancy calendar.

To give you an idea of the photo quality you will need to produce, take a look at these previous winning photos.

Photo submissions need to be uploaded by 11:59 pm PST Monday, September 12, 2011.

So what are you waiting for?

The Big Wild asks “How Wild is North America?”

Theodora at The Big Wild recently contacted me to let me know about an infographic posted on The Big Wild website.

The infographic (right), compares how “wild” Canada, the United States, and Mexico are based on facts like each country’s ecological footprint.

I was particularly interested to see that Canada’s “wildness” factor is 82%, compared to 36% and 18% for the United States and Mexico respectively.

I was also amazed to learn that Canada accounts for 24% of the world’s wild forests, 20% of the world’s fresh water, and 24% of global wetlands.

According to The Big Wild:

Real wilderness needs to be large enough to keep the natural balance – and that means thinking big.

That’s the vision behind The Big Wild. Conservation scientists believe we need to protect at least half of Canada’s wild spaces to ensure the integrity of our ecosystems.

About The Big Wild

The Big Wild is a partnership project between Canada’s Mountain Equipment Co-op and Canadian Parks and Wilderness. The Big Wild is a a conservation project dedicated to protecting at least half of Canada’s publicly-owned land and water.

The Nature Conservancy have announced the finalists of their 4th Annual Digital Photo Contest. In an email to members, the Nature Conservancy said:

Thank you to everyone who submitted an image for consideration. Your love of nature has inspired us and continues to remind us of the magnificent lands, waters and wondrous species we work to protect and preserve, every day.

The support of members like you has allowed us to protect and restore over 119 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of river and is the reason that we are the leading conservation organization working around the world today.

There are 15 finalists in total, and it’s now up to you to vote for your favorite. Voting is open until Monday, February 8, 2010 at 10am EST. The Grand Prize Winner will be announced on February 15, 2009.

The winning photo will be featured on The Nature Conservancy’s website, which is visited by more than 3 million people annually.

So, place your vote now.

You can also check out all submitted photos at the Nature Conservancy’s Flickr page.

Dolphins can be deafened by loud noises, which can lead to death.

A new study has found that loud sonar can cause deafness in dolphins.

The study found that loud, repeated blasts of sonar caused dolphins to temporarily lose their hearing for 20 to 40 minutes.

Published in the British journal Biology Letters on Wednesday, the findings could provide further evidence that human made noises can be attributed to dolphin and whale deaths. 

The study, led by Aran Mooney Marine Biologist at the University of Hawaii, exposed an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin to progressively louder pings of mid-frequency sonar. The dolphin was born in captivity and was trained. 

A suction cup was fitted to the dolphin’s head, with a sensor attached that monitored the animal’s brainwaves.

“What we found was if you play sound you can cause temporary hearing loss. The sounds have to be surprisingly loud and they have to be repeated over an extended period of time – two to three minutes.” Mooney said. “In that time you would expect them to swim away as fast as possible. They have to be within 40 metres of a ship, but when you have certain oceanographic conditions it’s hard for the animals to get out of the way.” 

Many people believe that human made noises, also referred to as acoustic smog, has been the cause of whale and dolphin beachings around the world.

Mooney acknowledges that, given the study was undertaken in a lab with a captive-born dolphin, it does not provide proof that military sonar is to blame for mass strandings. 

“We definitely showed that there are physiological and some behavioural effects [from repeated, loud sonar], but to extrapolate that into the wild, we don’t really know,” Mooney told AFP.

Satellite image of the ozone hole on 24th September, 2006.

You may have heard about the “ozone hole” that’s located somewhere above us, in the Earth’s atmosphere. You may also have heard that it’s not really a good thing for us here on Earth. If you’ve heard this, you heard right.

But what exactly is the ozone hole?

The ozone hole is an area of extremely depleted ozone in the ozone layer above the Antarctic. The ozone hole is not present all year round though. It only occurs during the beginning of the Southern Hemisphere spring - between August and October. 

The problem with the ozone hole is that, it allows harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun to reach Earth. These UV rays are usually filtered out by the ozone layer, but when the ozone has been depleted (as is the case with the ozone hole), the UV rays are no longer filtered out.

Why are UV Rays Harmful?

Although in small doses, UV light can be beneficial, overexposure can cause sunburn and some forms of skin cancer. Prolonged exposure to UV rays can also cause other problems for the skin, eyes and even the immune system.

UV rays don’t only affect humans. Studies have shown that hundreds of species of plants and animals display a negative reaction to increased UV rays. There are however, some species that react positively to an increased exposure to UV light.  

What Causes the Ozone Hole?

Here are the main factors that contribute to the ozone hole:

• Stratospheric sulfate aerosols - In other words, volcanic eruptions
• Stratospheric winds
• Greenhouse gases
• Sunspot cycle - an 11 year cycle that causes variation in the UV radiation produced by the sun
• Stratospheric chlorine - coming mainly from man-made halocarbons

While we generally have little control over natural occurrences, we do have control over the man-made ones. You may have heard that chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) are causing the ozone hole to grow bigger. CFCs are a group of chemical compounds that consist of alkalines such as methane or ethane. They also have one or more halogens linked, such as chlorine or fluorine.

CFCs find their way into the atmosphere from refrigeration and propellant devices and processes.

Basically, man-made products are contributing to the increasing size of the ozone hole.

What’s Being Done About It?

Many countries have banned the use of most CFC-emitting aerosol products, such as fly spray, deodorants, and hair spray. The bans generally require that those types of products are produced in a way that doesn’t result in CFCs being emitted.

Such a ban was introduced in the U.S. in 1978, and although most CFC-emitting products were banned long ago, there are still some that are being phased out. For example, albuterol metered dose inhalers (MDIs) will not be available in the U.S. after 31 December 2008.

There is also an international environmental treaty called the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. At present, 191 countries are involved in this agreement, which is designed to phase out substances that lead to ozone depletion. There is also a belief that, as long as the treaty is adhered to, the ozone layer will recover by 2050.

The tuatara's ancestors roamed the earth with the dinosaurs 225 million years ago.

The tuatara is the only survivor of a group of reptiles that roamed the earth at the same time as dinosaurs - about 225 million years ago.

There are two species of tuatara, both of which are endemic to New Zealand. The scientific name for the two species are Cook Strait Tuatara (scientific name: Sphenodon punctatus) and Brothers Island Tuatara (scientific name: Sphenodon guntheri). 

Appearance

The tuatara is a greenish, brown reptile that grows to between 50 cm and 80 cm long.

It has distinctive soft spines along the top of its head and down its backbone. Although it looks much like a lizard, tuatara is actually the only surviving member of the order Sphenodontia. 

Tuatara don’t have external ears but they are able to hear. 

The tuatara is famous for its “third eye” or pineal or parietal eye located in the middle of its forehead. The eye has a small lens and retina, but it becomes covered by a thin layer of opaque scales about 4 to 6 months after birth.

The purpose of this parietal eye is unknown, but some scientists have suggested that it is used as a light sensor as opposed to forming visual objects. 

Habitat and Distribution

The tuatara is endemic to New Zealand.

Up until a thousand years ago, tuatara occurred in both the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Now, the tuatara can now only be found on islands in the North Island.

Tuatara tend to live in burrows in native forest, but can often be found occupying abandoned sheep pasture. They will often share burrows with seabirds such as petrels and shearwaters.

Growth

Tuatara has the slowest growth rate of any reptile. It can take as many as 30 to 35 years for a tuatara to reach full size. 

Tuatara usually lives to around 60 or 70, but they have been known to live to more than 100. In fact, one tuatara was seen mating last year at the ripe old age of 111.

Diet

Tuatara’s main diet consists of Insects, spiders, earthworms, snails and small lizards. Tuatara have also been known to kill and eat small seabirds and their eggs as well as young tuatara.

Behavior

Tuatara are mainly nocturnal and remain in their burrows during the day and prowl at night. They tend to have a lower body temperature than their environment, and they are active at lower body temperatures than most reptiles. They often come out during the day to bask in the sun.

Although they don’t actually go into hibernation, tuatara will often go six months without food during winter. 

Ancestory

The tuatara’s ancestory dates back to the dinosaur time. Ancestors of the tuatara and many other sphenodons were roaming the world 225 million years ago. This was about the time the first dinosaurs appeared. 

All other sphenodons disappeared around 65 million years ago and exist only as fossils. As a result, scientists often refer to the tuatara as a “living fossil”.

Tuatara Mating & Breeding

Tuatara reach sexual maturity at between 10 to 20 years of age. 

The female, on average, lays between 5 and 18 eggs only once every 4 years, which gives it the longest reproductive cycle of any reptile.

Mating season for tuatara is between January and March. Female tuatara then lay their eggs between October and December.

Hatchlings appear between 12 to 15 months after the eggs were laid. To break the egg, they use their egg tooth (a sharp pointed spike at the end of the snout).

Conservation Status

For millions of years, tuatara populations thrived in New Zealand. Then over the last thousand years or so, tuatara populations declined rapidly, almost to the point of extinction.

The main culprits were introduced rats, cats, dogs, and humans. Not to mention fires and land clearing.

The tuatara, was almost wiped out by the 1700s. In fact, in 1895, the tuatara was one of the first animals in the world to become fully protected by law.

Since then, significant tuatara populations have survived on 32 remote islands around New Zealand. Stephens Island/Takapourewa is home to about 50,000 tuatara, which represents about 90% of the tuatara population.

Since 1996, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has listed the Brothers Island Tuatara as Vulnerable and the Cook Strait Tuatara as Lower Risk/least concern, although IUCN has also stated that this needs updating.

The term ecosystem service refers to the many services that are supplied to us by natural ecosystems. 

More specifically, these services are ones that we value, and support our existence the way we know it.

Put another way:

Ecosystem services are the transformation of a set of natural assets (soil, plants and animals, air and water) into things that we value.

Another, well thought out, definition can be seen below.

Examples of Ecosystem Services

Here are some examples of ecosystem services (based on widely used definitions): 

• Purification of air and water
• Mitigation of droughts and floods
• Maintenance of soil fertility
• Maintenance of soil health
• Maintenance of healthy waterways
• Waste absorption and breakdown
• Pollination of crops and natural vegetation
• Dispersal of seeds
• Cycling and movement of nutrients
• Control of the vast majority of potential agricultural pests
• Maintenance of biodiversity
• Protection of coastal shores from erosion by waves
• Provision of shade and shelter
• Partial stabilization of climate
• Moderation of weather extremes and their impacts
• Provision of aesthetic beauty and intellectual stimulation that lift the human spirit

The Importance of Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem services are important services that we need if we are to continue life on Earth as we know it.

Unfortunately, to date, ecosystem services haven’t been properly recognized in economic markets, government policies and land management practices. Because of this, ecosystem services are highly vulnerable to degradation. 

If all the world’s ecosystems were to disappear, how would we recreate these services?

A Dollar Value for Ecosystem Services

One of the reasons ecosystems services have been undervalued is because of the difficulty in coming up with a dollar figure that accurately reflects the benefit of the services. Without being worth something in monetary terms, its highly unlikely that governments and other organizations are going to want to invest in ecosystem services.

There have been a number of attempts at valuating ecosystem services. Here are two examples:  

• Science magazine - a highly respected journal - estimated the value of replicating just the most readily quantifiable ecosystem services at $30-$40 trillion per year. This is about the equivalent of the total Gross Planetary Product.
• Canopy Capital - a company aiming to drive capital into rainforests - have said that it would take the equivalent of 50,000 times the daily energy output of the world’s largest hydropower station to evaporate the 20 billion tonnes of water coming off the Amazon each day. 

Measuring Ecosystem Services

One of the reasons it’s been so difficult in coming up with a dollar figure is because, there hasn’t been an effective way of measuring ecosystem services.

What exactly do you measure? And how do you measure it? If you were to walk down to the forest today, could you point at all the services and say how much of each service is there?

How do you judge nature’s value?

This issue is what Resources For the Future (RFF) has been working on for some years now. They sought to establish a definition that enabled more accountability of ecosystem services. Such a definition would help conservationists and governments define and manage ecosystem services. 

In 2006, following a workshop involving various environmental groups, RFF released a discussion paper which put forward the following definition for ecosystem services: 

Ecosystem services are components of nature, directly enjoyed, consumed, or used to yield human well-being

Using this definition, an ecosystem service would be restricted to the end product - rather than a process or function of the ecosystem. This is where it differs from other definitions, which tend to include processes and functions as a system.

For example, using the definition put forward by the RFF, water purification would not be an ecosystem service. Clean water would be.

As RFF put it, this definition aims at providing standardized environmental accounting units - it would provide a standardized way of counting nature’s benefits.