Slow-moving ‘earthquake’ under Olympic Peninsula monitored by University of Washington, will help understand devastating quakes
August 18, 2010 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
New research published by University of Washington seismologists reports the results of monitoring they have been recording of a slow-moving and unfelt seismic event under the Olympic Peninsula. It promises to be the best-documented such event in the eight years since the regularly occurring phenomena were first discovered.
“It appears to be right on time,” Steve Malone, a UW Earth and space sciences professor, said of the most recent of what are termed episodic tremor-and-slip, or slow-slip, events. “The first signals were mostly fairly weak, but they were easily detected.”
The first ground motion associated with the event was recorded very early Sunday morning in an area north of Olympia and west of Tacoma. By Monday afternoon the signals were substantially stronger. If the event behaves like past occurrences, the source of the rumbling will move north through the Olympic Peninsula during the next week before crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Canada’s Vancouver Island
Beaver Born in UK Wild for First Time in Four Centuries
August 18, 2010 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Scottish conservationists say the first beaver born in Britain in nearly 400 years emerged from its lodge last month, a significant step in the reintroduction of the species that was hunted into extinction centuries ago.
Plastics and Detergents May Contribute to Lobster Die-Offs
August 18, 2010 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Waterborne chemicals leached from plastics and detergents, including bisphenol A (BPA), may have contributed to significant lobster die-offs in the waters of Long Island Sound over the last decade, researchers say. As many as half of the lobsters tested in areas where lobster populations have plunged showed high levels of alkylphenols, a group of chemicals derived from detergents, paints, and plastics, according to researchers at the University of Connecticut.
Kihansi Spray Toads Make Historic Return to Tanzania
August 18, 2010 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
In a bold effort to save one of the world’s rarest amphibians from extinction, one hundred Kihansi spray toads have been flown home to Tanzania after being painstakingly reared at the Bronx Zoo and The Toledo Zoo working in close partnership with the Tanzanian government and the World Bank.
The toads now reside at a new, state-of the-art propagation center in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capitol, with the eventual goal of reintroducing the tiny amphibians into their former habitat.
“On behalf of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, we are very grateful to the Bronx Zoo and The Toledo Zoo for taking care of these precious toads (KST) for ten years, and now they have safely arrived home via KLM flight and all 100 toads are cheerful as witnessed by our Tanzanian trained KST keepers at the facility at UDSM Zoology Department. We are very optimistic that they will acclimatize soon and be taken to their homeland in Kihansi Gorge in the near future,” said Anna Maembe on behalf of the Government of Tanzania.
Oregon Dead Zone
August 18, 2010 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Dead zones are hypoxic (low-oxygen) areas in the world’s oceans, the observed incidences of which have been increasing since oceanographers began noting them in the 1970s. These occur near inhabited coastlines, where aquatic life is most concentrated. Every summer for the past nine years, water with lethally low concentrations of oxygen has appeared off the Oregon coast. The cause is not clear and it does not fit the pattern of several other dead zones associated with man made run off issues. Some other causes have been recently implicated in a research study by Oregon State University.
Most Canadians carry BPA in their blood
August 18, 2010 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Bisphenol A, a widely used chemical that Canada is banning from baby bottles, is present in the bodies of 91 percent of Canadians, according to a report that shows just how prevalent the controversial chemical is in daily life.
Statistics Canada said Monday’s report was the first time it has measured the extent that the industrial chemical, known as BPA, has been absorbed by people exposed to it.
“The real value in this is…for the very first time (we) have baseline information against which we can study trends and track what is happening with respect to bisphenol A exposure,” said Tracey Bushnik, of Statscan’s Health Analysis Division.
Social Media, Technology, and Change Conference, New York City November 1st.
August 18, 2010 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
ENN is proud to be a media sponsor of this important event hosted by our Affiliate, Justmeans.
The rapid adoption of social media and the shift within corporations to measure and manage social and environmental impact is fundamentally changing the way companies engage with their stakeholders. Companies will need to work much more closely with stakeholders in order to navigate these two trends. Despite the complexities of this new landscape, a wide variety of best practices are emerging to aid organizations.
A select group of corporate executives, social entrepreneurs, and digital gurus will meet to discuss emerging best practices in using social media to create positive social change at the 2010 Social Media, Technology, and Change conference, to be held on November 1st, in New York City. Topics to be discussed include:
Green Cruising or Cruise Ship Pollution?
August 18, 2010 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Facing increasing pressure, some cruise lines are working to clean up their act, although pollution problems remain. Also get ecotourism ideas.
14 of the Summer’s Biggest Wildfires, as Seen from Space
August 18, 2010 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
From Madeira, Portugal to the Madeira River in the Brazilian Amazon, huge wildfires in forests and peat bogs are raging. NASA has captured images of these fires sending huge plumes of smoke into the atmosphere. (Updated with eight new images!)
15 Eco-Friendly Volunteer Vacations
August 18, 2010 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
See beautiful scenery, visit exotic places and help the environment!
Find more great ecotourism vacation ideas.