Now that the polar bear is about to receive over 128 million acres of critical habitat designation, the state of Alaska is taking legal action to challenge the decision.

Following the announcement that threatened polar bears are set to receive over 128 million acres of critical habitat designation, Alaska Governor Sean Parnell and Attorney General Dan Sullivan responded by taking legal action against federal protection of polar bears.

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A class of young school children from Alaska found a dead beluga whale on the beach during a weekly field trip. The Winterberry Elementary School second graders came across the whale along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.   According to their teacher, Meg Eggleston, the children saw the whale moving its tail and were convinced the whale will be fine.   But the whale, dead for hours, had already begun to decompose. 

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From the proposed bill to protect the North American black bear to the resurgence of elephant poaching in Kenya - and the skinning of a tiger inside an Indonesian zoo - the issues are not over yet.

Lions and tigers and bears … and elephants, whales, and rhino: Here are a few updates - as of today - on nine of my wildlife conservation posts. Four zoo posts are included, as zoos are (ideally) intended to be facilities for protecting precious wildlife.

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Up to 200 walrus carcasses - mostly calves - have been spotted on the shore of Chukchi Sea on Alaska’s northwest coast.

While on their way to a walrus tagging project, federal wildlife researchers discovered nearly 200 dead walruses about 140 miles southwest of Barrow, on Icy Cape.

Although the age and cause of death is not officially known, the walruses appear to be mainly new calves or yearlings, according to early reports.

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Subsistence activities, including whaling, are a way of life in the traditional Iñupiat Eskimo village of Kivalina.

Yesterday, the residents of Kivalina had the opportunity to enjoy tradition as they have for generations - sharing the first beluga whale kill of the year.  In this time-honored harvest ritual, Monday’s beluga whale kill allowed each of Kivalina’s 77 families to enjoy five pounds of muktuk and meat.

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Finally, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing the status of the Pacific walrus to determine whether or not the marine mammal will receive Endangered Species Act protections.

The Center for Biological Diversity stated that the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) is facing a double threat to its ice habitat: Global warming and increased oil development.

A petition seeking protection for the Pacific walrus was submitted by the Center back in February 2008. After the USFWS failed to respond to the petition, the Center filed a lawsuit - prompting the USFWS to take action.

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The salmon fisheries along the Chuit River would be severely damaged, so much so that the researchers say that restoration would be “virtually impossible”.

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The Port of Anchorage has been given the green light by the National Marine Fisheries Service to continue an expansion project in the habitat of critically endangered Cook Inlet Beluga Whales.

A Port of Anchorage construction project will be using underwater pile drivers and chipping hammers in waters frequented by the critically endangered Cook Inlet Beluga Whales. The National Marine Fisheries Service has determined that the whales would not experience long-term adverse affects form the noise generated by underwater activity.

Regulations require that work must stop if a whale is spotted within a certain distance. Unfortunately, new regulations have reduced the distance required for stopping work to just 200 meters, although when the project started, the distance was 1,300 meters.

According to Marine Issues Field Director for the HSUS, Sharon Young, the NMFS has underestimated the “impact of chronic noise on marine mammals over time.” She points out in the same article that even if behavioral changes have not been shown so far by the whales, it is inconclusive to assume they are not suffering from adverse effects, such as stress.

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The pictures, kept secret by Washington during the presidency of George W Bush, were declassified by the White House last week. President Barack Obama is currently trying to galvanise Congress and the American public to take action to halt catastrophic climate change caused by rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

One particularly striking set of images - selected from the 1,000 photographs released - includes views of the Alaskan port of Barrow. One, taken in July 2006, shows sea ice still nestling close to the shore. A second image shows that by the following July the coastal waters were entirely ice-free.

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In 2003 “Nature” published a study showing that 90% of the large fish living in our oceans were fished out of existence. A group of scientists recently predicted, major seafood stocks will collapse by 2048. This is a staggering number, considering the technology and amount of people needed to cause overfishing is a relatively new phenomenon, starting really only in the late 19th century.

Most governments have shrugged these claims off, and continued their fishing practices. Alaska has shown to be the only sovereign state willing to self-police their fishing practices. Sarah Palin jokes aside… Threatened with the loss of one of its top industries, Alaska began limiting the number of fishing vessels, restricting the size of their catches; and perhaps most importantly, giving incentives to fishermen. Alaska currently gives fishermen a stake in the long-term viability of salmon and other fish.

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Cook Inletkeeper, a community-based nonprofit, is ensuring the survival of critically endangered Cook Inlet Beluga Whales as part of its mission to protect Alaska’s Cook Inlet watershed and the life it sustains.

Founded in 1994 by a group of Alaskans who met for a workshop on environmental law, science and policy, Cook Inletkeeper combines advocacy, education, and science for a vibrant and healthy Cook Inlet watershed.

Cook Inletkeeper has an impressive list of environmental accomplishments. It is interesting to note that the organization won 3 years of start up funding from oil and gas producers in a 1995 lawsuit:

Alaska Center for the Environment, Greenpeace and Trustees for Alaska - joined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - sued Cook Inlet oil and gas producers (Unocal, Shell-Western & Marathon) for over 4,200 Clean Water Act violations. The oil and gas companies settled the lawsuit rather than face hefty penalties in court, and directed 3 years of start-up funding to Cook Inletkeeper.

Most recently, Cook Inletkeeper was awarded the 2009 River Warrior Award.

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Disclaimer: 60 days have come and gone, but still no sign of the lawsuit. Chances are Palin has decided not to pursue this after all.

For the second time in less than a year, Palin’s administration has sought legal action against an endangered species in favor of the oil industry. This time, the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale is her target.

In August 2008, it was the Polar Bear. Now Palin has the critically endangered Cook Inlet Beluga Whale in her sights.

The Cook Inlet Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) is a genetically distinct and geographically isolated population. And that population is only about 375 whales.

But Palin doesn’t believe that qualifies as “endangered.”

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Want to argue about the causes of global warming? OK… but as you do so, keep in mind this slideshow by a group of high school students in Kwigillingok, Alaska. The effects of climate change aren’t matters of theory for these kids and their families: they’re seeing them first-hand.

via Twilight Earth

4. Kenya Fears Link Between Elephant Killings and Chinese Construction Projects

Summary:
The Kenya Wildlife Service suspects it is more than a coincidence that a large number of elephant killings have occurred in areas where Chinese crews have recently arrived for massive construction projects.

Update:
Despite the growing list of suspicious “coincidences”, it is no surprise that the Chinese government officially denied links to elephant poaching in Kenya. Major media outlets did the same by syndicating one article that referred to poaching in the title, but leaving the information about China out of the content altogether.

Later, most sources altered the title of the article and removed the word “poaching” - although a search will reveal the original title in some of the syndicated pages.

The response by China appears to be a little more than the flexing of newly-acquired PR muscles, which the country quickly attempted to develop during the Uighur riots earlier this year. There is more at China Denies Links to Elephant Poaching in Kenya

5. Tiger Killed, Skinned Inside Indonesian Zoo

Summary:
Sheila the tiger was poisoned and then skinned in her enclosure at Jambi’s Rimbo Zoo in Indonesia.

Wildlife authorities fear this crime is a shocking new development in the illegal wildlife trade: The tiger’s skin, along with body parts in demand for traditional Asian “remedies”, were taken from the tiger’s enclosure.

Update:
There has been one arrest in the Indonesian zoo tiger killing. Sadly, it appears that this is only one link in a chain of an organized effort to meet the demands of China’s flourishing illegal trade in tiger skin and body parts.

6. Tiger Poaching Scandal? Goa Forest Official Says Remains ‘Not a Tiger’

Summary:
Suspicion is growing around the investigation of a Goa tiger poaching incident earlier this year which allegedly involved an employee of the home guard department - and now it appears a senior forest official is trying to cover it up.

Chief Conservator of Forests Goa, Shashi Kumar, claims that the Wildlife Institute of India’s investigation shows the slaughtered animal was “not a tiger.” Such a claim is dubious, especially considering eyewitness accounts and published photographs of physical evidence at the location where the tiger was killed.

Update:
It looks like Kumar has changed his tune once again, according to a Thaindian News report on the “official flip flop”:

After initially claiming that a “preliminary” forensic report had ruled out poaching of a tiger in a Goa wildlife sanctuary, the state’s top forest official has now said that he has not seen the forensic report yet. Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Shashi Kumar now maintains that he had made the statement only on the basis of a letter faxed to him by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).

Oh, really?

7. 20 Animals Dead This Year at Dhaka Zoo in Bangladesh

Summary:
Negligence, inadequate care, inexperience, and poor living conditions the Dhaka Zoo are to blame for the reported deaths of 20 animals so far this year.

Update:
Just two days after the original post, one of Dhaka zoo’s Bengal tigers, Garjan, died.

There are now apparently ten tigers left at this facility. A photo shows a tiger in a cement enclosure.

Despite the suspension of the zoo’s curator and deputy director, Dhaka Zoo is preparing to welcome holiday visitors, according to an online Bangladesh news source.

The zoo publicity officer, Saiful Islam, said the authorities are taking all measures to entertain the visitors.

By all means, since entertaining the visitors seems to be working great - just great.

8. 14 Deer Dead in One Night at Kanpur Zoo

Summary:
A disturbing discovery at the Kanpur Zoo revealed that thirteen chital (Axis axis) and one swamp deer (Cervus duvauceli) had died overnight. Coincidentally, five black bucks died last at Kanpur Zoo last year within one hour around this same time of year.

Seven employees were suspended.

Update:
Last Wednesday, PETA India held a demonstration in front of the Central Zoo Authority calling for the closure of all zoos, citing this incident as the latest in the rising death toll of animals in India’s zoos.

And last Thursday, an official inspection by a four-member team was conducted at the Kanpur Zoological Park.

During their stay, the team members inspected the enclosures of various animals and observed the cleanliness. They went to the site where the deer were found dead. Kanpur zoo, director, K Praveen Rao was asked to provide documents on the zoo management.

The inspection team is expected to submit a report within 15 days.

9. Tiger Cub Dies at Zoo — To Attract More Tourists

Summary:
A white tiger cub has died at India’s Indore Zoo after zoo authorities decided to keep a litter of sick cubs on display to attract more tourists.

Wildlife experts believe that putting the cubs on display prematurely made them ill in the first place - and zoo authorities knew the cubs had been suffering from bacterial gastroenteritis since late August. A zoo employee reportedly said the cubs were dehydrated and had diarrhea, but were kept in the enclosure anyway so tourists would come and see them.

Update:
It turns out the tragic death of the tiger cub wasn’t the first animal death at the Indore Zoo.

Apparently, three animals - a deer and two male black bucks - died the week before from internal injuries inflicted during a “clash” in their enclosure. And in July, 20 rabbits reportedly died from an infection.

However, it appears that action is being taken in this matter.

Stung by a series of deaths in the Indore zoo, including that of a white tiger cub, the civic agency has removed more than 25 employees, including the superintendent and the zoo in-charge, for negligence of duty, officials said Tuesday.

One of the surviving tiger cubs is still undergoing medical treatment.

Not over yet

At times, it looks as if the world is somehow conspiring against the survival of its wildlife treasures.

The struggle to protect endangered species from poachers and habitat loss - or to provide proper care to zoo inhabitants - seems at times to be a difficult and lonely one. Many believe the battle to save endangered species from extinction is already lost.

Yet, thanks to the dedicated efforts of organizations such as Cook Inletkeeper, Wildlife Direct, International Rhino Foundation (and many more) along with countless, caring individuals, hope for wildlife remains.

And where there is hope for wildlife … perhaps there is hope for humans, too.

Image source: istock.com

I recently wrote a post concerning a report on climate change issued by the U.S. Government stating that “climate change has immediate and local impacts – it literally affects people in their backyards.” Well, as it turns out, there’s more to the story.

With the recent introduction of H.R. 2454 - the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 - there has been an increased push for climate change awareness. The purpose of the bill is to create clean energy jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce global warming pollution and transition to a clean energy economy.

This all sounds great, right? Well, not to everyone seems to agree. Not everyone believes in climate change. With such a debate raging, it may be difficult to see through the haze of words and opinions that is filling the air.

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With the spotlight shining on clean energy, the stage has been set for the U.S. to rid itself of a harmful addiction to foreign oil. The stars are aligned and the cards have been dealt. Soon we’ll have kicked the dirty habit, right?

Sarah Palin seems to think so. Perhaps you’ll remember her proposal to tap the natural gas supply found under the pristine Alaskan wilderness. As Governor of Alaska she “fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history . . . a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.”

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The U.S. Department of the Interior reports that they will start spending the stimulus money granted them in February, and among the $140 million-worth of projects is $15.2 million for Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal’s favorite activity: volcano monitoring!

This has been covered before, but it’s too good to let go easily. The complete disregard for actual science shown was thrown back in Jinda’s face immediately, but the volcano gods joined in only a month later when Alaska’s Mt. Redoubt erupted. Residents of the area had been warned two months earlier than eruption was pending, and perhaps as a result there were no major incidents when the volcano finally blew. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said that the Alaska Volcano Observatory’s “top priority is to prevent repetition of the incident that occurred during Redoubt’s eruption 19 years ago, when a Boeing 747 passenger aircraft strayed into an ash cloud and nearly crashed.” Eh, who needs monitoring, right?

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And the mere fact that she is even considering running in 2012 makes me ill…

…but maybe it’s just gas.

Now if the natural gas and land depletion aren’t enough to get you thinking; the water consumption is heinous. It takes two to four barrels of water to produce one barrel of bitumen (which is what they are really after). The used tailings are then stored, unusable, in tailings lakes, which have potential negative effects on the health of the environment and the population surrounding the contaminated area.

Oil Sands Facts

Climate Change
· Alberta’s greenhouse gas regulation does not require real reductions in emissions from oil sands operations.
· Oil sands production is much more greenhouse gas–intensive than conventional oil production.
· Oil sands are the fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.
· Continued increases in greenhouse gas emissions show that Canada’s commitment to address climate change falls far short of what’s needed.
· Large-scale carbon capture and storage for oil sands emissions is currently a distant and uncertain prospect.
· Companies are allowed to switch to burning dirtier fuels as a source of energy for oil sands extraction — further increasing greenhouse gas emissions from the oil sands.

Water Impacts
· Oil sands mining uses two to four barrels of water for every barrel of bitumen produced.
· Oil sands companies are not required to stop withdrawing water from the Athabasca River, even if flows are so low that fisheries and habitats are at serious risk.
· Capping toxic tailings waste in end pit lakes with water is an unproven and risky concept.
· For over 40 years, oil sands mining companies voluntarily managed tailings on their own, in the absence of concrete government regulations.
· Tailings lakes seep toxic waste. It is uncertain exactly what is seeping, how much is seeping and what ecosystem components are affected.
· Tailings lakes house compounds known to be acutely toxic to aquatic organisms.
· Reclamation of tailings lakes has not yet been demonstrated.

Boreal Forest Impacts
· Alberta’s oil sands underlie one-fifth of the province, and development is already planned for more than 79,000 square kilometers.
· The Athabasca Boreal Forest will not be restored to its native state following mine closure.
· Oil sands mining reclamation standards are weak and lack transparency; only one square kilometer of land has been certified as reclaimed to date.
· The security bonds that are supposed to protect Canadians from costly environmental liabilities may be inadequate.

Perhaps Alaska’s natural gas store will help America achieve oil independence. But it is going to take strong regulations to stop the spread of “the most destructive project on earth.”

Photo Coutesy of Suncor Energy

Map Courtesy of Enbridge Pipelines

Alaska abruptly resumed shooting wolves from helicopters this weekend in hopes that shooting the wolves will increase the population of caribou for hunters to kill. The state plans to kill up to 328 wolves, sparing under 100 in the Yukon area.

Not everyone in Alaska is gung-ho about the plan. The National Park Service has been collaring wolves for a two-decade-long study tracking predator-prey relationships, and now many of those wolves are bound to turn up dead.

>>UPDATE: Defenders of Wildlife has taken legal action to stop the hunt.

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From 2002 to 2007, Alaska’s coast eroded at a rate that was more than twice that of the years 1955-1979. It is not just land that the sea is taking in these days either. It has swallowed a historic ghost town (Esook) and a historic whaling boat as well as an oil well (and probably more soon).

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