Kate Good from One Green Planet put it best when she wrote that humankind, more than any other species has the ability to mold and shape the world. And while that has resulted in many accomplishments, the downside is becoming evermore apparent. It’s a mass extinction alert. 

Scientists have reported that plant and animal species are going extinct at a rate that’s nearly 1,000 times faster than normal. And as a result, scientists and conservationists are declaring that the 6th mass extinction is upon us. But the difference between this mass extinction and those of the past, is that humans are to blame.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, planet Earth has lost 50 percent of its wild animal populations in the past 40 years. Whether on land in rivers or the ocean, humans are diminishing and extinguishing their existence.

“If half the animals died in London zoo next week it would be front page news,” Professor Ken Norris, ZSL’s director of science said to The Guardian. “But that is happening in the great outdoors. This damage is not inevitable but a consequence of the way we choose to live.”

The data was collected by calculating 10,000 different populations, covering 3,000 species total in a “Living Planet Index” that reflects 45,000 known vertebras. In all, 37 percent of loss is due to animal exploitation, 31 percent habitat degradation, 13 percent to habitat loss, 11 percent to other, and 7 percent to global climate change.

“We have lost one half of the animal population and knowing this is driven by human consumption, this is clearly a call to arms and we must act now,” Mike Barratt, director of science and policy at WWF said to The Guardian.

Whether it’s forest elephants in central Africa, where poaching rates now exceed birth rates, turtles drowning in fish nets as a result of unsustainable fishing practices, or the now 35,000 walruses that have come ashore in Alaska because the ice they once found refuge on has melted–these massive declines are due to humans consuming FAR more than is sustainable. In fact, we would need 1.5 planet Earths to consume at the current rate.

But there are steps that you personally can take to make a huge difference in stopping this mass extinction including cutting out meat considering that 22 percent of global carbon emissions come from meat production. Stop deforestation by cutting out palm oil, which is found in many places that might surprise you including organic and vegan products. Stop eating seafood because overfishing is killing our oceans. And finally, spread the word. Read more here.

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7 Endangered Species Making a Comeback

Image: jinterwas

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This is a healthy pelican – quite beautiful. Unfortunately, very sick pelicans are falling out of the sky these days. It’s one of many recent alarming indicators from our fellow creatures that things are seriously wrong.

Hundreds of sick pelicans have fallen to the ground from Mexico to Oregon, smashing into cars, boats and beaches, and experts are baffled. Authorities have ruled out domoic acid poisoning, which has affected wildlife before. It’s nothing short of a mystery. Surviving pelicans have been found in yards and on roads, disoriented and weak. So far, experts think the cause could be anything from unknown poison contamination to exposure to the toxic run-off from the recent Southern California fires to malnutrition due to evaporating fish stocks.

Though the exact cause is a mystery, it’s almost certainly due to human impact. And, it’s only the most recent case in a slew of disturbing mass animal deaths around the world.

• In Arkansas this week, there were sightings of 5,000 blackbirds dropping from the sky. The reason? Wildlife experts said that the birds have poor night vision, and with the sounds of New Year’s Eve fireworks, the birds became spooked, causing them to crash into houses and signs.
• On New Year’s Eve, 300 turtle doves mysteriously fell to their death in Faenza, Italy. Found with blue stains around their beaks, this rare occurrence was said to be either a result of hypoxia caused by suffocation or potassium cyanide, a poison which is often used by poachers.
• This week alone, two million fish have washed up on the shores of Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, with the same occurrence happening in Spruce Creek, Florida, where thousands more have been found. Maryland Department of Environment said it is most likely caused by natural causes like cold water stress – “An increased juvenile population and limited deep water habitat would likely compound the effects of cold water stress.”
• In the last two years, California’s crops were affected by a mysterious disappearance of bee hives. Known as Colony Collapse Disorder, the worker bees simply fly away and never return. Since October 2006, over 35% of the honey bee population in the United States has vanished. In some states, as many as 90% of bees have disappeared. Scientists don’t know what causes CCD, but theories range from stress due to travel (bees are trucked across thousands of miles, in some cases, to pollinate), or pesticide exposure. A case for local, organic food?

• Dolphins off the beaches of Cornwall, thought to be stressed by Royal Navy operations, apparently committed a mass suicide last summer. 26 dolphins consumed and inhaled debris and mud. Though dolphins have been found dead en masse before, this is the most baffling incident. The only other possibility, experts say, is that the dolphins may have been scared by a whale. Scared enough to willingly fill their lungs and bellies with mud?

• Cases of seals and sea birds washing ashore have been common in recent years. For example, over 1000 Shearwater sea birds were found dead in the Bahamas and parts of Florida in 2007. The cause wasn’t bird flu, as experts had suspected when shearwaters turned up dead in 2005. There is still no explanation, but every year sees an increase in sea bird deaths, with toxicity the most common culprit.

• Also last year, at least 40 endangered gharials in the Chambal river in India died of cirrhosis of the liver, due to apparent poisoning (a flood in 2007 is thought to have increased metal levels in the river). What was particularly odd about the incident was that only wild gharials, of breeding age, died – the captive bred animals were fine.

• And here’s a case for organic textiles in addition to food: in 2006, a controversy erupted over the plight of sheep and goats who became ill and died after eating genetically modified cotton. People working with the animals said they simply became “dull and lifeless and died”. They were found dead with swollen stomachs, mouth lesions and black stools. Bacterial and viral infections were ruled out; and no sheep grazing on non-modified cotton died. In 2007 the same thing happened, also in India, to cattle.

• Hundreds, and possibly thousands, of sea turtles were found floating dead or washed ashore in El Salvador in 2006. At first thought to be caused by fishing activities, experts quickly ruled this out and the case remains a mystery.

Image: sir mervs

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Now I see them every day. In fact, as I type these words, there is one drinking sugar water from my feeder hanging on my balcony right outside the dining room. It’s perched on the rim rather than hovering but I can see its little head going back and forth as it drinks. The rational explanation for why I’m working at the dining table instead of in my home office is the ceiling fan above me. I suspect the real reason is that I get a better view of the birds from here. With the balcony doors open for the breeze, I can also hear them when they sing.

Oh look, now it seems to be preening its wings! So cute!

While we all know that you shouldn’t feed wild animals, for fear of upsetting the eco-system and encouraging dependency, this is one of the exceptions. Scientists say that hummingbirds need all the help they can get on their long migratory journeys. Urban areas have replaced much of their natural feeding grounds so having a feeder, or planting hummingbird-friendly flowers, help even that out. On a selfish level I’ll also admit that I get a lot of joy out of looking at them!

I bought the feeder at the local hardware store last summer. My environmental principles meant that I forked out extra cash for a feeder made of metal and glass rather than plastic. Besides, I wanted only the best for my hummingbirds!

I also bought a bottle of formula to feed the hummingbirds. The idea was I’d mix one part of the red syrup with three parts of water. The information on the bottle indicated that this was the very best food for hummingbirds:

“Scientific studies have repeatedly shown that hummingbirds prefer sucrose to the monosacharides glucose or fructose. Knowing this, First Nature Nectar uses the finest food-grade sucrose and not less effective invert sugars found in other products. Not only is First Nature Nectar the easiest hummingbird food to use, it’s also the most healthy choice for these colorful visitors.”

Now I don’t doubt the quality of First Nature Nectar’s product and it definitely sounds superior to formulas that use glucose or fructose, which are less nutritious for the hummingbirds. But I now prefer to make my own, and here’s why.

My friend Kimberly saw my photos and alerted me to the fact that red dye may not be safe for hummingbirds. I did some research and it seems that while the issue is not fully resolved, there is enough convincing evidence that it should be avoided. Testing of the red dye (FDA #40) has shown no conclusive detrimental effect on human health, although it is banned in several European countries anyway. But hummingbirds are tiny creatures and they consume vast quantities of nectar, so the concentrations of red dye in the amounts they consume is quite large. I figure why give it to them if they don’t need it.

Ooh, a second hummingbird just flew in and was chased away by the first! … Sorry, I’m easily distracted …

My friend suggested that I make my own syrup by mixing one part white table sugar to four parts water. She suggested using boiling water to dissolve the sugar and cautioned against using hot tap water because of the possible bacterial content. Well, that seems awfully simple, right? Honestly, part me felt that I should trust the experts who made the syrup and I worried that white table sugar might be the wrong sort of sugar to mimic flower nectar. I told her that I’d heard sucrose was the best food for hummingbirds.

Silly me. Turns out, sucrose is the scientific term for white table sugar. So essentially I have been paying to buy a syrup made of table sugar but with the additives of potassium sorbate as a preservative and red food dye. If you Google this topic, you’ll find hundreds of helpful links – and not one suggests formula is really better.

The red dye is there to attract the hummingbirds, but my friend pointed out that the red flowers on the feeder attract them anyway. The fact that I bought a metal feeder also means that the lid and base are a nice reddish copper colour.

Since I switched to home-made syrup a week ago, the hummingbirds have been coming just as often, if not more often than before. I’m glad that I’m now feeding exactly them what they need – simple-carbohydrates to fuel their bug-hunting expeditions – without preservatives or dyes. And since one cup of sugar makes enough syrup to fill the feeder several times (I’m storing the excess in a closed container in the fridge), it’s likely that I’ll be saving money!

For all the talk of monosaccharides or sucrose, glucose and fructose on the label of the shop-bought syrup, the formula really is just sugar and water. Hold the dye.

Photo credits: Images are by the author Caitlin Fitzsimmons and used here with permission. All rights reserved.

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I was sitting in traffic recently, when I noticed that the license plate in front of me featured a majestic bald eagle, its wings spread in flight above a caption that instructed me to “Conserve Wildlife.” Clearly this is a worthwhile sentiment, although I was surprised to see it on a license plate from New Jersey (a state better known for grand-scale corporate polluting than for saving the wetland habitats of nesting ospreys). But the real surprise of the conservation license plate was that it was attached to the back of an enormous white stretch limousine – a vehicle one does not immediately associate with conservation, wildlife, or any other earth-friendly concern.

The fact is, limos are really only known for two things: one is for transporting totally hammered young adults to and from bars, clubs, and bachelorette parties –  the other is for crapping on the planet by using an obscene and unnecessary amount of gasoline. Either way, it’s hard to see the limousine as a friend to bog turtles, when it is more commonly associated with inebriated meatheads who insist on popping up through the moon roof, fist-pumping and woo-hooing their way through residential neighborhoods.

I have to admit to a certain prejudice against limos. For one thing, whenever you see a young man in a powder blue tuxedo, he is almost always coming out of a limousine – as far as I’m concerned, this alone should be grounds for outlawing them. Limos used to be the vehicle of choice for prime ministers, brides, and captains of industry – they evoked an image of class and gracious living. Now they are likely to come with a “vomit deposit,” in case the backseat mini bar leads to an unpleasant, yet not entirely unpredictable conclusion.

Of course, limos are not the only fuel-inefficient cars sporting conservation license plates – the state of New Jersey will issue one to anybody willing to fork over $50.00 (most of which does actually go towards protecting endangered wildlife).

Promoted with the tag line of “Drive Conservation Home” these plates are intended to “let everyone know you believe in conservation, and let them know you’re doing something about it.” A noble sentiment, but the message is somewhat diluted when it’s attached to a car that’s bigger than my first apartment”¦a car with disco lights and a plasma T.V. …a car that is charged a “gas guzzler” tax to compensate for the pollution it creates.

Perhaps 33-foot party-bus limos should be charged $100 for conservation plates – or even $1,000. The extra money would go a long way towards helping the smog-choked peregrine falcons of Jersey City.

You have to wonder if encouraging citizens to take public transportation might not be a better way to protect animal habitats. But then we’d have to live without the unintended hilarity of having wildlife conservation promoted on the back of Hummers, SUVs and stretch limousines. Those license plates should really read: New Jersey: The delicious irony state.

Image: Gene Hunt

The post Pimp My Wildlife Vehicle appeared first on EcoSalon.

It’s been five weeks since the catastrophic explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling platform and since then, millions of gallons of sticky black oil have killed countless animals and fouled sensitive wetlands along the Gulf of Mexico.

Yet, the spill still hasn’t been contained, those responsible are still pointing fingers at each other and we’re all waiting for a decisive response from the government. Meanwhile, oil regulators have been sitting around watching porn and using crystal meth. Everything’s under control, people! Please ignore the nauseating sight of suffocating seabirds!

Here’s a quick rundown on the latest oil spill news:

Officially the Worst The U.S. Geological Survey has officially confirmed what we already knew: the Deepwater Horizon spill is far worse than the Exxon Valdez disaster. 12,000 – 19,000 barrels of oil have been pouring into the ocean for 36 consecutive days. USGS Director Dr. Marcia McNutt says 130,000 to 270,000 barrels remain on the surface of the water, while about an equal amount has been burned, skimmed, dispersed or evaporated.

Top Kill Stops Spill? After numerous failed efforts to contain the spill, including attempts to cap the gushing pipe with a “top hat”, BP decided they’d try to cut off the pipe altogether using a method called a “top kill”, injecting cement over the well to seal it. As of early Thursday, the oil giant refuses to say whether this latest cleanup effort is working, but the Coast Guard reports that the pipe seems to have been plugged.

Don’t Drill, Baby Just weeks after President Obama’s controversial statement that offshore drilling may be a necessary part of U.S. energy independence, his administration has not only fired the head of the Minerals Management Service for lax oversight of offshore drilling, but will also extend the offshore drilling ban.

Volunteer Illness This much oil is bound to have an effect on human health, and some oil spill respondents are already falling ill. Crew members on three of the commercial fishing vessels that were helping to clean up spilled oil have been hospitalized with severe nausea, headaches and dizziness. The Coast Guard has sent all 125 commercial vessels filled with volunteers back to the shore as a precaution.

BP Seeks Oily Judge BP is still trying to deflect legal blame, but they’re hoping that in the 100-odd  lawsuits already filed against them for oil spill damage and worker deaths, they’ll have at least one person on their side. BP is requesting that a single judge with oil ties, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes, will handle all pre-trial issues.

Impact on Wildlife Most of the oil might be under the surface of the sea where we can’t see it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not already affecting wildlife. One scientist called the impact “a slow moving train wreck” with effects that will “go on for years, if not decades.” Louisiana’s marshes in particular are a critical habitat for wildlife, and the Gulf of Mexico is home to the endangered sperm whale. Countless other species including sea turtles, pelicans, manatees and bottlenose dolphins are also at risk.

Image: IBRRC

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The tens of thousands of albatross chicks who have been sickened or killed by lead-based paint can’t exactly walk into a courtroom and stand up for themselves – so an environmental group is doing it for them.

The Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to clean up lead-contaminated paint on buildings at a former U.S. Navy base on the Midway atoll, which is the most important breeding site for the Laysan albatross.

Up to 10,000 chicks are killed each year by lead poisoning, says the center, citing a study published last October. Many more albatross chicks are affected by neurological conditions like “˜droopwing’, in which the chick is no longer able to lift its wings. This condition, which makes flying impossible, often causes the affected chicks to die of starvation.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took over responsibility for the Midway atoll, located near Hawaii, in 1996. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, FWS stopped maintaining 95 military buildings coated with layers of lead-based paint which are now chipping off and being eaten by the chicks.

In fact, confused albatross parents even feed such inedible debris to their chicks. Photographer Chris Jordan documented the consequences of this unfortunate habit in a series of troubling images depicting albatross remains filled with bits of plastic. The shocking photos illustrate the effects that human civilization can have upon the natural world.

The center alleges that in failing to clean up the lead paint, the Fish and Wildlife Service is violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Endangered Species Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery. The Laysan albatross is listed as a “vulnerable species” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Image: Kristin McCully/Midway Coral Reef

The post The Chicks Aren’t All Right appeared first on EcoSalon.

Vast, open landscapes, clear blue skies and plenty of space for wild horses to run free: The image is a quintessential part of the American West. Yet with changing environments, those wild spaces and the ability of animals to live and roam are under threat.

This week, officials began a roundup of about 2,500 wild horses from public and private lands in Nevada, positing that the 850 square miles of land is overpopulated and could become unlivable to wildlife and livestock in the next four years. The mustangs will be placed for adoption or moved to holding facilities in the Midwest.

The roundup is part of a greater effort by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to remove thousands of mustangs from public lands across the West in order to protect wild horse herds and the lands that are essential to their livelihood.

Unfortunately, the roundup has raised concerns from animal protection groups. Two helicopters have been used in the roundup to move the horses to corrals, which horse defenders say is inhumane and risks injury, and even death, to the animals. Timing is another factor; opponents to the round up hold that executing a roundup in winter exposes the horses to risk of respiratory illness. There are also complaints regarding BLM’s transparency when it comes to how the horses are treated during roundups.

Earlier this month, In Defense of Animals called the Nevada roundup illegal, asking a federal judge to block the plan. Despite their efforts, the roundup was not called off. BLM contends that without removal, the land will no longer be able to provide the horses with enough water or foraging space.

IDA doesn’t just have protesters on the ground; the organization has filed an official lawsuit against the government.

“We are on strong ground in charging that the BLM’s policy of stockpiling tens of thousands of horses in the Midwest, off their rightful Western ranges, is contrary to law, the intent of Congress and the will of the American people,” says William J. Spriggs, the attorney who filed the case on behalf of IDA.

But for now, the roundup continues.

Photo credit: RickC

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Back in the day when I was in elementary school, scouting was the road most traveled by children wanting to explore the great outdoors. These days, scouting is still around, but it’s hardly the draw it was in past decades. Instead, we rely on costly summer camps to help wean children off the Wii controls and laptops and get them into the woods, challenging their bodies and imaginations.

But if you’re like me, you don’t want camp staffers to have all of the fun teaching your kids about their natural world. We need to put on our own counselor caps and lead the way to the redwoods, caverns and caves. We should be the ones pointing out the planets and stars in the night time sky. Our family trips to Yosemite (below) without the intrusion of toys and TV have afforded us precious quality time we will always treasure.

Mapping out these adventures is now much easier, thanks to a new family outdoor campaign called Nature Rocks.

The four founders – all experts in recreation and conservation – designed a website that guides parents on where to go and what to do, from camping at national parks to pitching tents in your own backyards. Many include the “F” word. Don’t be silly, of course I mean free.

When given the choice, these fresh air proponents want you to choose outdoor recreation over indoor hibernation because air and wind and surf and mountains make humans feel more alive.

You don’t have to be  John Muir to make these choices.

Whether flying kites on the beach instead of flying on planes…

paddling your kids down the river instead of dropping them off at the mall…

or looking at life forms rather than looking up images via Google…

the experience of  family bonding amid the beauty and mysteries of nature has tremendous rewards, including the kind of toasty, S’Mores round-the campfire memories that last a lifetime. Scout’s honor!

“The benefit of nature for children are fundamental,” says Richard Louv, co-founder of  The Children & Nature Network, one of the four sponsors of the Nature Rocks campaign. “As families look for lower cost vacation options, we hope they will discover that nature offers families a personal stimulus package, letting them save money while improving the physical and emotional well being of their children.”

Louv’s organization is fostering an international movement to connect children with nature. An author who has written for the New York Times, his most recent book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, sees the urgency in nurturing a future relationship between children and nature.

After all, the next generation will inherit a planet rife with pollution, water and energy shortages, and a loss of habitat and wildlife – the plagues of modern civilization.

Just as committed are the other three leaders in the campaign: The Nature Conservancy, REI, and ecoAmerica. Their Nature Rocks launch was timed to coincide with the beginning of summer when parents are searching for activities that will keep children busy – but not so busy that they miss the joys of the season.

“As a working mom with two young children, I appreciate the useful ideas that improve my and my family’s lives,” says Meighen Speiser, VP of Marketing for ecoAmerica. “The Nature Rocks website offers loads of easy-to-use tools, tips and over 100 fun activities like nature art, weekend camping, hiking at a nearby park or an impromptu neighborhood nature scavenger hunt. The added bonus is that these activities are either inexpensive or free.”

The tips are available on the 2009 Summer Nature Staycation Planning Guide, which is chalk-full of fun suggestions for planning family recreation close to home. The site is very user-friendly. Just input your zip code and designate what you’re looking for. The Nature Finder map points you in the direction of nearby activities, such as horseback riding, swimming and snorkeling, camping and skiing. There are hundreds of activities to choose from.

The Nature Conservancy – which works to protect ecologically important lands and waters – says its goal is for a people to feel they are a part of all living things. “Now, working on the Nature Rocks initiative, we’re able to help the next generation better their health and reconnect with nature,” says M. Sanjayan, Lead Scientist, who adds that the Conservancy is dedicated to supporting conservation work that will not only enrich the natural world but also better our health and our lives.

So dust off those sleeping rolls and rinse out the sticky cooler. To quote Joni Mitchell, who wrote Woodstock about her generation’s desire to end war and take stock in nature, “It’s time to get ourselves back to the garden.”

Image: Fabian Bromann

The post Nature Rocks Campaign Urges Families to Get Outdoors This Summer appeared first on EcoSalon.

We like the wit and imagination being poured into sustainable architecture. We particularly like where green roofs are going. But we weren’t expecting this – a water filtration plant with a green roof so large it’s going to become a golf course. Hole in one, guys.

In a post that couldn’t be more timely, BldgBlog ponders the role that healthily-designed urban architecture has on the transmission of infectious diseases, and wonders: “What would a biosecure world look like?”

And while on the subject of unhealthy urban living – is it really true that 6 out of 10 Americans live in places with air dirty enough to put them in hospital? That’s what the American Lung Association is claiming, as you can read at the Huffington Post.

When we look back from a better, greener future and get all Mount Rushmore about the eco-pioneers who cut through the greenwashing and really made a difference, who would we choose? Okay, so we just know that Al Gore will be there somewhere – but who else? MNN’s Peter Dykstra hazards a few wild guesses.

There’s an awful amount of evidence for climate change nowadays. If you want to quibble or flat-out deny, it’s uphill all the way. Grist’s Auden Shendler has lost patience with these industriously skeptical fence-sitters, and frankly, we see his point.

Ever get the feeling the world is going mad? On the one hand, we have marine conservationists clamoring for a fishing ban on a third of the world’s oceans – and on the other, we have invasive Yellowstone lake trout being killed off with Jell-O. Yep, you heard me. Thanks go to Blue Living Ideas for making my head spin.

Ever wonder how the word plastic came to be so quickly associated with everything tacky and buck-chasing? Green Design has the answer (one of my favorite films, in fact), and goes on to nicely summarize just where we are with this symbol for a throwaway world.

Is there anything more sad and pathetic-looking than a punctured, grubby beach-ball? The end of fun – unless you are designer Toby Sanders, who upcycles them into snazzy beach-ball lamps bouncing with life. Good catch.

Since you appear to have as much of a thing for upcycling and DIY as we do, you’re enjoy Makezine – a crazy, creative collection of tips for turning nothing much into something else.

So, baking at home may be enormous fun and make the house smell positively edible – but is it cost-effective? That’s the question Jennifer Reese sets herself at Slate, checking out the cost of restocking her whole pantry with her own two hands compared with shop-bought products. And the winner? Did you really just ask that?

Lemon juice is amazing. It cleans metal, it bleaches grime out of clothes, it makes floors squeaky-shiny, and it stops puppies barking (put a drip in their mouth – a much friendlier alternative to the threatened rolled-up newspaper, I’m sure you’ll agree). Take a look at these 27 household uses for citrus fruit if you want some more ideas.

Now for an article that could only be described as sobering. In fact, about as sobering as it gets. Could food shortages tip us over the edge? Read if you dare.

If the last article not only got you wanting to roll your sleeves up and do your bit but also pass these principles along to your young ‘uns, it could be you’re that powerful new breed of super-mother, the EcoMom. Have a read of Nancy McDermott’s article at Spiked and see if you fit the bill.

Now, climate change skeptics notwithstanding, we’re all worried about global warming – aren’t we? “Yes and no” seems to be the answer, according to a survey undertaken by George Mason University’s Center for Climate Change Communication. It suggests that twice as many Americans are concerned about the threat to wildlife than the threat to themselves directly. Confidence that our technical ingenuity will cushion us…or head-in-the-sand arrogance that it’s someone else’s problem?

And finally – did you know birds did this?

Image: sanguinie

The post Eco Links to Green Your Weekend appeared first on EcoSalon.

The terrible bushfires that ripped through the heart of rural Victoria in southern Australia last week are still burning, though firefighters are hopeful the worst is over.

In Australia’s worst natural disaster, at least 200 people have died and thousands left homeless. People around the world – including musician Pink – have opened their hearts and wallets to help the victims rebuild their lives – and closer to home people have opened their veins as well, with record numbers flocking to donate blood. The Australian Red Cross is continuing to accept donations from around the world for its Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund.

While it’s clearly a traumatic time for many families, please also spare a thought for the other victims of the bushfire – all the animals left homeless as the forest burnt down around them. Koalas, which are already under threat from disease, habitat destruction and climate change, have been found sitting dazed and thirsty on the forest floor. Koalas are slow moving and they do not breed prolifically. Wildlife rescue centres in Victoria are calling for donations to help them treat the overflow of sick and injured animals and release them back to the wild. Here’s a full round-up of ways to donate to help the animal victims of the bushfire.

As Australian children are taught in school, fire is a natural part of the eco-system in eucalyptus forests. Many plant species require fire to germinate and the regular cleansing effect of fire is what keeps the forest from turning into rainforest, as found in the wetter parts of Australia such as the subtropical rainforest of the north and the cool temperate rainforest of Tasmania. There is evidence that the Australian Aborigines who lived before the arrival of white people understood this and undertook controlled burning to keep the forest in the optimal condition for hunting.

However, the natural bushfires of yore bear scant resemblance to the monster fires that are currently taking Victoria hostage. Part of this is because, without the indigenous people to regularly burn the undergrowth, the forests are more densely vegetated, providing more fuel for the fires. There’s also the fact that police believe many of these fires were deliberately lit – in the middle of a heat wave that saw temperatures climb to the mid forties (120 Fahrenheit). Australia already has an infamously harsh climate marked by extreme weather – as a traditional Australian folk song puts it, the “creeks run dry or 10-foot high”. Unfortunately, climatologists predict Australian weather will become even hotter and drier as global climate change progresses.

In the mean time, research into Australia’s unique ecology and wildlife is essential if we are to give them a fighting chance against climate change. The Australian Koala Foundation is a scientific organisation devoted to koala research and spreading awareness and understanding of how to support Australia’s cuddliest national icon.

Image: tiny froglet

The post How Much Can a Koala Bear? appeared first on EcoSalon.