Tinkering: Global Warming Not The Only Danger

We really need to stop people tinkering with our food.

It isn't bad enough that we ingest, one hundred percent involuntarily I might add, poison on a daily basis.  Now scientists are experimenting with bonding the swine flu genes/vaccine to corn in order to feed it to human and animal alike?worldwide? Have we now become guinea pigs?

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/swine_flu_genes_to_be_inserted_in_corn_making-vaccine-foods-hog-humans.php#ch02

News about wildlife

Smart Octepus

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?rn=222561&cl=17147353&ch=

Cloud of birds

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?rn=222561&cl=17133522&ch=

Nature continues to be a mystery, the grand artist and inventor.
Susan

Interaction between birds and man

That we are affecting the patterns, behavior and survival of the wildlife on this planet negatively is not in question.  Many species of wildlife are now extinct, and many are on their way to extinction thanks to man kind's interference with the natural pattern of this world. The migratory patterns of birds for example are changing and being affected in some manner all over the world, but are we now also helping some species to adapt?  If so is there may also be a means by which we can help others to do so, or is there at least a means where we can adapt ourselves to live more in harmony with nature again?:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/11/1122_051122_winter_birds.html
http://naturecanada.ca/newsroom_sep_22_08_birds.asp

Well according to the following article we may in fact actually be helping at least one species of bird adapt.:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/birdfeeders-found-to-cause-evolution-bird-species.php?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29


This is really good news and provides some hope at the very least.  Since we have unwittingly accomplished this much for the benefit of wildlife, I am sure we can do much more if we put our minds to it, and in so doing we can manage to turn back the devastating tide of environmental damage we have caused.

Susan

Discovery new creatures

It is amazing to me that we are still discovering new species of lifeforms on this planet...all over the planet and in the sea
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/11/new-species-discovered-thanks-to-vomiting-snake.php?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/11/strange-deep-sea-creatures-beyond-sunlight-marine-census.php?campaign=th_rss

How smart are we really?

We as humans are very smart and we think we know exactly how to take care of ourselves, but do we really?  We are at the top of the food chain. We know a lot of things about how to survive. Our scientists have brought us to the point where we enjoy longer lives, and have taught us a lot about the cycles of life, the weather and our planet.  Yet we do not know everything and are making new discoveries every day.  But how smart are we really? 

Some good news about wolves

I just came across some exciting news. Wolves are making a comeback in some places in the world at least.  In East Germany they are being protected, this is wonderful. Follow the links:
http://wolves.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/wolf-pack-of-at-least-ten-in-oregons-imnaha-river-drainage/
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=14&click_id=143&art_id=vn20060831055049228C817681

Susan

War on the Wolf?

I have recently learned that the US government has taken the Gray Wolf off  the endangered species list.  It seems almost immediately after that permission was granted to hunt them. Already too many of these Wolves have been  killed by hunters in Montana and Idaho, despite the fact that they have not yet reached a stage where recovery from near extinction is a certainty, or  where  they may be seen and understood as to be overabundant in population.  The time frame of the allowed hunt has since been extended.  http://wolves.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/idaho-fish-and-game-commission-votes-to-extend-wolf-hunt-until-march-31/  In addition I have learned because of the decline in the Wolf population, Elk have thrived, become overabundant and are damaging  the environment by feeding on grasses to the point that soil erosion has taken place and rivers and streams polluted with muck as a result. It seems both the government and the enthusiastic great hunters of the world have not yet learned to research and think before they shoot from their perspective pens and/or guns, or is there more to the killing than just that?

Wolves are not hunted for food, they are hunted due to a perceived threat to livestock,  for their bad and undeserved reputations, for their fur and perhaps to prop up someone's ego. I realize that for some hunting is a way of supplementing their diet. Hunting is even necessary in some instances. This is all good, especially if they are hunting to control the Elk population for example or disease such as rabies, but are Wolves truly such a threat to livestock, and if so how much of a threat?

I would think that this was true only if the Elk and Deer populations were to decline to the point were Wolves were starving and if there was a large population of Wolves in the world.  Most wild life, it seems to me, including the Wolf, tries to avoid human contact.  Fact is there are not even any documented attacks by Wolves  ( healthy Wolves) on humans, unlike Cougars, Bears, and even  the Coyote. So they are not a threat in that regard.  So what gives?  Are we just giving hunters the thrill of something new to hunt, something that is perceived to be extremely dangerous?

I had to know.   So I did a little research.  It seems the Wolf is struggling against more than just merely a bad reputation.  There are people out there who actually hate Wolves to the point that they will put out misinformation about them.  Tall tales are spread in regards to Wolves, such as don't leave your children outside Wolves will eat them, or Wolves breed like rabbits and so on.  I will not claim that there are animals that I do not like very much, because, for instance I'm not very fond of Spiders, but to go to such extreme as to actually set out to eradicate a species ...well it is ludicrous. Anyway here  is the link if you are interested:  http://www.wolfhaven.org/misInfo.php  Further research led to the fact that Wolves are seemingly forever tied to such legends as werewolves, religion with ties to demons and witches, and stories like little red riding hood, originating way back in Europe's history.  All of these ties, legends and stories are based in fear. Again follow the link:http://www.wolfweb.com/history2.html  The conclusion, the Wolf,  like some people is a seriously misunderstood animal, and things need to be set right.  So here are some facts about Wolves: 

Wolves are natural hunters and eat meat, but they will eat other foods as well, like Earthworms, berries and Grasshoppers. Because of the danger from flying hooves and antlers,  Wolves prey on weaker members of a herd of Deer or Caribou, such as old, young or sick animals. In summer, when the herds migrate, Wolves will eat Mice, Beaver, Birds and even Fish. They may also eat carrion. The Wolf is also important to the food chain:

"Wolves take the sick and weak animals such as the older ones,  making sure that the strongest of the herds survive, and so making the herd stronger through this type of selective breeding." At Yellowstone National Park when the Wolf population disappeared, populations of these herds multiplied to overabundance, ended up over grazing the land, creating a food shortages and resulting in the deaths of many animals. "Now that Wolves have been reintroduced the balance is even again."  Wolves will often go for days without food, and then gorge themselves when they make a kill, leaving only scraps for the Ravens.  In fact, Ravens and Crows will often lead Wolves to a food source so that they can share in the kill.

Wolves run in packs, where in only the dominant male and female produce offspring once a year.  The rest of the pack does not reproduce.  The pack size is usually fairly small, with about 12 members.  Wolves also have established territories which control the Wolf population, depending on the amount of available food.  When a Wolf is old enough it may leave the pack to form its own pack or be forced out.  If a Wolf is forced out of a pack it has a difficult time surviving, because it takes a pack to take down an Elk, Deer or Moose.
http://www.forwolves.org/ralph/
http://www.wolfcountry.net/information/WolfPrey.html
http://www.wolf.org/wolves/learn/intermed/inter_mgmt/endangered.asp

Wolves are a threat to humans because they are at the top of the food chain and therefore in direct competition with us. This is obviously the source of the fear in regards to Wolves, who have in past been forced to kill livestock because we so very efficiently killed off  most of the Buffalo, a major food source for them.   The Wolf's fur also became prized as a  trophy to signify bravery, and Wolves were hunted merely for sport even when they were of no threat, and so it seems they still are.

Susan