Green Options » Smithsonian

Jaguar Swims Panama Canal, Then Takes Own Picture

Levi Novey — Mon, 11 May 2009 10:05:34 +0000

A jaguar recently swam onto an island located in the Panama Canal. It then triggered a hidden camera that took its picture. This is the first time a jaguar has been photographed in the 86 year history of 3,707 acre Barro Colorado Island– one of the most well-researched tropical ecosystems in the world.

The hidden camera had been set up as part of an annual effort to inventory mammals that live on Barro Colorado Island. According to the researchers who set up the cameras, the finding is exciting given that jaguars are already considered rare throughout the entire country of Panama (see photo below).

So just how far did the jaguar have to swim?

Stop Saving the Rainforest? Migration to Tropical Cities Revitalizing Secondary Forests

Jennifer Lance — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 23:17:09 +0000

New “secondary” forests are emerging in Latin America, Asia and other tropical regions rapidly as land that was once farmed is abandoned as people move into the cities.

In fact, it is estimated that for every acre of rainforest that is cut down, 50 acres of forest is revitalized areas that were once farmed, logged, or destroyed by natural disasters.

No Joke: Bush Urges for Greater Protection of Ocean Areas

Levi Novey — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:03:08 +0000

On Saturday, while speaking at the opening of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History’s new ocean exhibit, President Bush announced that California’s Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary would be expanded by 585 nautical miles. It will now include an underwater volcano that in its surroundings is home to a diverse spectrum of ocean life, including corals.

Bush also said that he would like to create several new marine sanctuaries in the Pacific Ocean. His actions to protect oceans might be one of the few positive environmental legacies from his presidency.

Congress Investigates Smithsonian “Toning Down” Global Warming

Maria Surma Manka — Fri, 25 May 2007 12:30:17 +0000

Earlier this spring, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi created the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Although it has no legislative-making power, it can study and make recommendations on the problem. This week it took on an American icon: the Smithsonian Institution.

The Committee is investigating allegations by former associate director of the National Museum of Natural History, Robert Sullivan, that Smithsonian officials toned down a climate change exhibit to avoid angering some members of Congress and the Bush administration.

Sullivan charges that the exhibit’s text was rewritten to make the connection between climate change and human activity more uncertain. The Smithsonian has denied the allegations, pointing out that Sullivan “was neither a scientists nor a curator.” Other scientists and curators have said that nothing major was omitted, although some admitted to political sensitivities. John Calder, a lead climate scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told the Associated Press:

"I remember them telling me there was an attempt to make sure there was nothing in there that would be upsetting to any politicians. They're not stupid. They don't want to upset the people who pay them."

The Natural Resources Defense Council had considered co-sponsoring the climate change exhibit but objected to the exhibit's text about uncertainties on the future warming of the planet.

Associated Press, via Examiner.com