Forest Quest

Brown, Roxanne

CLERMONT

ROXANNE BROWN | Staff Writer

roxannebrown@dailycommercial.com

Lake Louisa State Park’s annual Nature Fest celebration is planned from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the U.S. Highway 27 park, located midway between Highway 192 and Highway 50.

Most of the activities will take place at the park’s main beach area.

“It’s good for people to get to know the environment that they live around, so that they can learn to better protect it,” Assistant Park Manager Rachel Payne said.

Some of the activities planned for the day include how to stay safe while hiking, and being healthy in Florida. Local businesses and organizations will be on hand to show how guests can become more “green” in their day-to-day living.

Payne said attendees will also have the opportunity to discover fascinating facts about the plants, animals, and history of Florida’s environment and ecosystems through demonstrations, activities, and guided birding, butterfly and geocaching hikes every hour throughout the day.

In addition, two special pre-event hikes — a birding and photographing nature hike and a separate butterfly hike — will take place at 8 a.m. for those interested in a more in depth experience.

Payne said she suggest those wanting to take in the early morning hikes pre-register by calling 352-394-3969 and arrive about 7:30 a.m. Saturday, armed with their own cameras and binoculars. The event is sponsored by The Friends of Lake Louisa State Park,

“Every year people have such a great time here,” Payne said. “Everyone always comments on how beautiful the park scenery is and one thing we hear every year from so many people is, ‘We’ve lived here all these years and didn’t know this was here,’” Payne said.

Confirmed exhibitors for the event include Swamp Girl Adventures, Florida Native American History Demonstration, Audubon Center for Birds of Prey, SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, Florida from a Kayak, Florida Scrub-Jay Consortium, South Florida Water Management District, Our Vital Earth, Louise’s Rain barrels and many more.

Attendees may also want to stick around for a free yoga on the beach with Groundwork Yoga at 12:45 p.m., a Native American demonstration at 1 p.m. and a drawing for many raffle prizes, including Sea World tickets, at 1:40 p.m.

Children — or those attendees who are young at heart — may also enjoy getting their pictures taken with Texas Roadhouse’s very own Andy the Armadillo between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., along with other “hands-on” activities, including canoeing, kayaking, and paddle boarding and live animals.

Some food and refreshments will be available for sale during the event, but Payne said people may also bring picnic lunches to enjoy at various picnicking spots around the main beach area.

Admission to Nature Fest is included in the park admission fee of $5 per vehicle, for up to 8 people per vehicle. An added $2 will be charged for each additional person.

For more information call 352-394-3969 or visit www.friendsoflakelouisastatepark.org.

Article source: http://dailycommercial.com/051512naturefest

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Article source: http://tehrantimes.com/science/98029-with-natural-gas-plentiful-and-cheap-carbon-capture-projects-stumble

Norah Silva aims to capture the detail and beauty of our environment with her “Art of Nature” exhibition at the Sunrise Civic Center Art Gallery.

The Boca Raton photographer’s passion is seen through the collection of more than 25 shots on display.

“I try to really emphasize for people to pay attention to the beautiful details of nature, so a lot things are very macro,” she said. “I shoot with a wide aperture with one line of focus that kind of draws you into one area of an element. They kind of take on an abstract painting type of look. A lot of the works are printed on canvas, so often I get complimented that one of my pictures is a great painting. I wish I could paint that well.”

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Silva comes from an artistic family. Her father, George Holsten, was a photographer, her mother, Sharon Holsten, is a mixed media artist, and her grandmother, Betty Brooks, also is an artist.

“It’s exciting,” Silva said. “It was really cool to hang my work for the show and have these big white walls to use for myself. I had a lot of fun setting it up.”

The exhibit features shots of nature, including greenery and flowers, many of which she grew herself.

Julie Flaig, the gallery’s curator, saw Silva’s pictures at an Earth Day Festival in Sunrise.

“The colors in her work are very vibrant to me,” Flaig said. “They really stand out. The way she captures the images is very unique.”

The exhibit runs through June 2 in the gallery, 10610 W. Oakland Park Blvd. Admission is free, and the works are available for purchase. Call 954-747-4641.

For more information on Silva and her photography, visit http://www.norahsilva.com.

Scott Fishman can be reached at smfishman@tribune.com.

Article source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/sunrise/fl-cn-silva-0520-20120518,0,1808471.story?track=rss

In 2002, “Captain” Paul Watson, a conservationist/activist, rammed his ship the Ocean Warrior into a fishing boat that was illegally shark finning in Guatemalan waters.  The crew of the Ocean Warrior were on the way to Costa Rica where they were to sign a deal with the government to protect a section of waters from sea-poachers.  However, under advisement from Guatemalan authorities, Paul Watson attempted to apprehend the poachers and ultimately had to resort to the drastic tactic.  Paul Watson and his crew, which included filmmaker Rob Stewart, were charged with attempted murder, purposely damaging property and shipwrecking.  Because the incident was filmed, Watson seemed to have a very good defense and the prosecutor decided that charges would not be pursued.  That decision was later reversed and Paul Watson was formerly charged in May of 2002.

On May 17, “Captain” Paul Watson now sits in a German prison, where he awaits extradition to Costa Rica for the aforementioned charges.  Supporters of Paul Watson now have only a few days to protest this extradition.  Should the extradition be processed, the Costa Rican government will have up to ninety days to collect the accused.  During that time, Paul Watson would be kept in the German prison.  According to Watson’s counsel, “the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs have the power to stop the extradition procedure on political ground.”

According to Watson’s supporters, because of a delay in the filing of the extradition, coupled with a German holiday, that supporters still have time to appeal to the Ministers to throw the case out.

In an email distribution, supporters of Watson wrote,

“We only have hours to change the minds of the German officials who can make a difference and do something, not only to save the life of Captain Watson, but also to save the lives of the whales, dolphins, seals, and fish that he has spent his life courageously defending.”

More information about this case can be read at the following links:

http://www.ticotimes.net/Current-Edition/Top-Story/Will-Captain-Paul-Watson-be-extradited-_Friday-May-18-2012

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2012/05/17/german-prosecutors-late-motion-gives-german-ministers-more-time-to-free-captain-paul-watson-1378  

http://blogcritics.org/video/article/an-interview-with-documentary-filmmaker-rob/#ixzz1vDQlRk2t

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Article source: http://www.adi-news.com/environment-and-nature-news-supporters-of-captain-paul-watson-need-urgent-help/213967/

14 May 2012
Last updated at 19:48 ET

By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News

Animals in the tropics are facing the severest threats and showing the worst declines

Environmentalists say leaders at June’s Rio+20 summit must urgently step up nature protection, as a report confirms a 30% decline in wildlife since 1970.

The Living Planet Report combines data on more than 9,000 populations of animals across the world.

Rio+20 is billed as a chance for world leaders to put global society on a sustainable path.

But the report’s main authors, WWF, say progress on nature protection and climate change is “glacial”.

“The Rio+20 conference is an opportunity for the world to get serious about the need for development to be made sustainable,” said David Nussbaum, CEO of WWF-UK.

“We need to elevate the sense of urgency, and I think this is ultimately not only about our lives but the legacy we leave for future generations.”

The Living Planet Report uses data on trends seen in various species across the world, compiled by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

Further analysis from the Global Footprint Network aims to calculate how sustainable our global society is in terms of its overall ecological footprint – a composite measure of issues such as fossil fuel burning, use of cropland to grow food, and consumption of wood and wild-caught fish.

Tropical waste

For this edition of the report, ZSL has examined more species (2,600) and more populations of those species (9,014) than ever before.

Overall, these populations show a decline of about 30% since 1970 – the same figure as in the last edition, published two years ago.

Tropical species show a decline of more than 60%, while in temperate regions there has been an average recovery of about 30%.

The worst affected species are those in tropical lakes rivers, whose numbers have fallen by 70% since 1970.

The director of the ZSL’s Institute of Zoology, Professor Tim Blackburn, likened the figures to a stock market of the natural world.

“There would be panic of the FTSE index showed a decline like this,” he said.

“Nature is more important than money. Humanity can live without money, but we can’t live without nature and the essential services it provides.”

One of the draft recommendations for Rio+20 is that governments should develop and use economic indicators that include valuation of “natural capital”.

Cotton buds

The global footprint analysis, meanwhile, concludes that humanity is using one-and-a-half times more natural resources than the Earth can sustainably supply.

Land clearance for agriculture is a major driver of biodiversity loss and climate change

The Persian Gulf emerges as the region with the highest per-capita ecological footprint, with Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates topping the list of the least sustainable nations.

The US makes the top 10, which also includes Denmark, Belgium, Australia and Ireland. The UK ranks 27th.

A new measure that WWF has developed allows tracking of water scarcity in 405 river systems across the world on a monthly basis.

It reveals that 2.7 billion people experience a lack of water for at least one month each year.

The report highlights some examples of progress on sustainability, such as a programme in Pakistan that has helped cotton farmers slash water, pesticide and fertiliser use while generating the same yield.

It also highlights areas that could be tackled urgently, such as the 30% wastage of food caused by profligate behaviour in the West and by lack of storage infrastructure in developing countries.

Mr Nussbaum said it was not too late to turn existing trends around, but “we need to address this with the same urgency and determination with which we tackled the systemic financial crisis globally”.

Follow Richard on Twitter

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18060323

A new study by the University at Buffalo concludes that state oversight and better industry practices have significantly reduced the risk of major environmental problems stemming from drilling high-volume natural gas wells in the Marcellus Shale region in Pennsylvania.

The report, which examined nearly 3,000 reported violations at almost 4,000 Pennsylvania natural gas wells between January 2008 and August 2011, found that nearly two-thirds of the violations were administrative in nature, and less than 2 in 5 were linked to environmental concerns.

The report, released Tuesday by UB’s new Shale Resources and Society Institute, also found that during 2008 there were slightly less than 3 environmental violations for every 5 wells drilled, or 58.2 percent. In the first eight months of 2011, there was a little more than 1 environmental violation for every 4 new wells drilled, or 26.5 percent — less than half the 2008 level.

“Regulatory oversight has been quite effective in Pennsylvania in ensuring the safe development of natural gas resources,” said Timothy J. Considine, a University of Wyoming economics professor and the lead author of the UB report.

“One of our surprising findings is that the regulatory oversight and environmental regulation has reduced the incidence of environmental events,” he said. “I can guess this is likely to continue because the regulatory structure has been refined and updated and modified.”

Considine’s previous research, often funded by the drilling industry, has highlighted the potential economic impact of natural gas drilling, using a controversial technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” that critics say poses a grave threat to water supplies and the environment.

The UB institute, so far, has been funded solely by the university, said John P. Martin, the institute’s director and one of the report’s authors. Considine said his involvement in the study was funded by the University of Wyoming.

Critics, however, noted that much of Considine’s funding on other research projects has come from the drilling industry. “He’s extremely cozy with the industry,” said Kevin Connor, co-director of the Public Accountability Institute, a local activist group that currently is studying the gas drilling issue. He has a history of working within the natural gas fracking industry.”

Opponents also have focused on the cumulative impact of environmental violations, and the study confirmed that the number of violations has increased as more wells have been drilled, even if the rate of incidents per well has improved.

“In just four years, this report shows that there have been major land spills, water contamination and other major problems in Pennsylvania,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of the advocacy group Food and Water Watch, based in Washington, D.C.

“We don’t know what will happen long-term,” she said. “Research published last month, for example, shows that fracking can enable contaminates to migrate thousands of feet underground, over a long period of time, potentially reaching drinking water aquifers.”

Considine, however, defended the study as a “dispassionate look at the facts.”

New York, which lies over vast amounts of natural gas trapped in a swath of the Marcellus Shale that stretches across much of the Southern Tier, has banned the drilling of horizontal natural gas wells that use fracking while the state Department of Environmental Conservation develops new regulations. Those rules, first released in preliminary form last year, still are under review.

Martin said New York’s proposed regulations would have helped avoid or mitigate the 25 major environmental events in Pennsylvania that were studied in the report. Most of the 845 environmental violations were minor in nature, such as a gallon of diesel fuel or antifreeze spilling on the ground, the report said.

“While prior research has anecdotally reviewed state regulations, now we have comprehensive data that demonstrates, without ambiguity, that state regulation coupled with improvements in industry practices results in a low risk of an environmental event occurring in shale development, and the risks continue to diminish year after year,” Considine said.

Those 25 major events included nine spills on land, eight spills that contaminated local water supplies, four incidents involving well blowouts and venting, and two each involving gas migration and major site restoration issues. All but six have been cleaned up, the authors said.

“The majority of the events were due to operator error, negligence or a failure to follow proper procedures while drilling,” the report said. “This suggests that the industry has room for improvement and the frequency of environmental events can be reduced.”

In New York, the Marcellus Shale stretches for more than 20,500 square miles beneath 23 southern counties. The most gas is likely to come from areas where the shale is thickest and deepest underground, primarily in areas along the Pennsylvania border, especially in Broome and Tioga counties and parts of Chenango and Chemung counties.

Considine’s previous research has estimated that allowing natural gas drilling in New York’s portion of the Marcellus Shale could generate $173 million in spending next year, which then would jump to $1.9 billion in 2016 and $2.2 billion in 2021. He estimated that Marcellus drilling could support more than 15,000 jobs by 2016.

The authors said New York regulators have “the luxury of learning from the experience in Pennsylvania.”

Some of the “strict procedures” included in New York’s draft rules may help avoid or lessen the impact of incidents, the report said.

“New York’s current regulations would prevent or mitigate each of the identified major environmental events that occurred in Pennsylvania,” Martin said. “It’s important that states continue to learn from the regulatory experience — both strengths and weaknesses — of others.”

According to the report, “Many others, however, might provide little extra protection, while creating restrictions that ultimately stifle industry and investment.”

drobinson@buffnews.comnull

Article source: http://www.buffalonews.com/business/article858419.ece

12 May 2012
Last updated at 20:27 ET

By Mark Kinver
Environment reporter, BBC News

The study identified that high biodiversity areas also had high linguistic diversity

The decline of linguistic and cultural diversity is linked to the loss of biodiversity, a study has suggested.

The authors said that 70% of the world’s languages were found within the planet’s biodiversity hotspots.

Data showed that as these important environmental areas were degraded over time, cultures and languages in the area were also being lost.

The results of the study have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

“Biologists estimate annual loss of species at 1,000 times or more greater than historic rates, and linguists predict that 50-90% of the world’s languages will disappear by the end of the century,” the researchers wrote.

Lead author Larry Gorenflo from Penn State University, in the US, said previous studies had identified a geographical connection between the two, but did not offer the level of detail required.

Dr Gorenflo told BBC News that the limitation to the data was that either the languages were listed by country or there was a dot on the map to indicate the location.

“But what you did not know was if the area extended two kilometres or 200 kilometres, so you really did not get a sense of the extent of the language,” he explained.

“We used improved language data to really get a more solid sense of how languages and biodiversity co-occurred and an understanding of how geographically extensive the language was.”

He said the study achieved this by also looking at smaller areas with high biodiversity, such as national parks or other protected habitats.

“When we did that, not only did we get a sense of co-occurrence at a regional scale, but we also got a sense that co-occurrence was found at a much finer scale,” he said.

“We are not quite sure yet why this happens, but in a lot of cases it may well be that biodiversity evolved as part-and-parcel of cultural diversity, and vice versa.”

In their paper, the researchers pointed out that, out of the 6,900 or more languages spoken on Earth, more than 4,800 occurred in regions containing high biodiversity.

Dr Gorenflo described these locations as “very important landscapes” which were “getting fewer and fewer” but added that the study’s data could help provide long-term security.

“It provides a wonderful opportunity to integrate conservation efforts – you can have people who can get funding for biological conservation, and they can collaborate with people who can get funding for linguistic or cultural conservation,” he suggested.

“In the past, it was hard to get biologists to look at people.

“That has really changed dramatically in the past few years. One thing that a lot of biologists and ecologists are now seeing is that people are part of these ecosystems.”

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18020636