Eco Dance

The village of Shishmaref in Alaska is turning out to be another victim of global warming. Not only is the village eroding away, but habitat for the polar bear population is in danger, too. Representatives of Alaska Conservation Solutions spoke to the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming in Washington, saying that the situation is urgent and must be dealt with.

Essex County in Massachusetts is having trouble with a growing population of deer, and it has gotten under control. Their answer to the problem is to make it open season for hunters to kill does and fawns. The shoot is being planned for sometime in January or February, and will be the first ever of its kind. Well, at least the hunters will be happy.

A new study has found that a rash of frog deformities in ponds and lakes across the US is being caused by fertilizers. The fertilizers wash out of lawns and farms and into the water, where they effect the frog population. It also has an effect on parasites like West Nile, cholera, and malaria - making the ponds more susceptible to these parasites that can sicken humans.

Rocky Spencer was a wildlife biologist in Washington State, and a huge champion of the plight of the cougar. He worked with CAT, Cougars and Teaching, a program that allowed students to work with scientists as they studied the cougar population. He was working when he was killed in a helicopter crash last Saturday. He will be greatly missed by the environmental community.

Am I the only one who had a problem with this year’s “green” Oscar ceremony? How can it be green, with all those limousines, the diamond-studded shoes? And I’ve always wondered how many of the celebrities and activists who are so big in the environmental movement actually put their money where their political stand is. Do they all drive hybrids or electric cars? Oh, I guess they can purchase carbon credits - but I don’t get how those work.