Green Options

For the second time, a convicted poacher from Linn County, Oregon, is going to prison for killing bears and selling their gallbladders.

Convicted poacher Raymond Edward Hillsman will be serving his second jail sentence for leading a team that hunted bears in five western Oregon counties in order to harvest and sell the bears’ gallbladders.

In 2007 federal protections were dropped for the protection of Yellowstone grizzlies. Ever since then, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition have been fighting to give protection back to the bears. They argued that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) failed to address the loss of essential food sources for the bears, whitebark pine seeds and cutthroat trout.

On Monday, September 21 they finally achieved what they were fighting for when Judge Donald Molloy ruled that inadequate regulatory mechanisms were put in place to manage the bears. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and six other groups, represented by Earthjustice, have a similar case pending in Idaho.

Innovative artist Joshua Allen Harris has created a menagerie of inflatable monsters that are ephemeral, whimsical and utterly delightful. All of his different creatures are made from old plastic bags, and magically come to life from the air generated by New York city subway vent exhaust.

Steven Psyllos interviewed Harris recently for New York magazine to discuss his inspiration, artistic process,  and to unveil a new animated plastic bag beast; the video was shot by Jonah Green.

Animals Asia successfully rescued 13 Asian black bears (moon bears) from bile farms in the past month. This is a small step in a continuing fight, as an estimated 7,000-10,000 moon bears still suffer in bile farms across China.

Researchers and officials from the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service on Tuesday presented the findings of a 4 year study that estimated the population of grizzly bears in Montana. The results confirmed what was assumed: the endangered grizzly bear population has grown. There are now an estimated 765 bears living in northwest Montana, in places like Glacier National Park. This number indicates that the [...]

As EcoWorldly continues its theme with transport news and views from across the globe, two items have come to my attention here in the UK.

Air Pollution

Aviation tax proposals have been outlined by the government. Under the new guidelines, due to come into effect in November this year, it will be the planes, not the passengers, that will be taxed.

New Government figures released showed that emissions from air travel are continuing to rise. Between 1990 and 2006, emissions from aviation fuel use more than doubled.

21 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions will be attributable to air traffic by 2050, and the Treasury report insisted the proposed tax system would, “introduce fairer duty, more in line with the environmental impact of flights, including the distance travelled”.