Can’t send lions to gun country: IUCN norms

AHMEDABAD: If guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are anything to go by, Gir's lions can't be translocated to the Kuno-Palpur forest in Madhya Pradesh. One of the world's oldest, largest and respected global environmental networks says before translocation of any wildlife species, the natural habitat and range has to be considered. The guidelines also state the site should have a natural corridor between the original site and the new site.

Most importantly, however, the guidelines say that a thorough assessment of attitudes of local people to the proposed project is necessary to ensure long-term protection of the re-introduced population. This is especially true if the cause of the species' decline was due to human factors, include over-hunting or loss or alteration of habitat.

TOI had in its news report 'Life for Cheetah, death for lion', published on April 20 highlighted that Kuno-Palpur sanctuary is in Sheopur district, a region infamous for the gun cult. Licensed firearms alone are estimated to be 4,800 in a population of six lakh. There was no way of counting the number of illegal firearms, which could well be even higher given that this is the tip of Chambal valley, a favourite hideout of dacoits even today.

In stark contrast, Junagadh district which is home to Gir sanctuary has a population of 27 lakh with just 2,600 licensed firearms. Even the Union ministry of forests and environment had taken note of the gun cult in Sheopur when it was considering reintroducing cheetahs from Africa here.

"The state government should submit the IUCN guidelines in court along with the review petition against the translocation oder," says environmentalist Bharat Jethwa. "You can raise a number of issues against translocation with the help of these guidelines." Forest officials in Gujarat also say that Kuno-Palpur can't be considered a natural habit for the lions as there has been no sighting of lions outside Gir since the late 1880s.

The guidelines further state, "The site should be within the historic range of the species." Officials said that IUCN also states that reintroduction should be undertaken only as a last resort when no opportunities for re-introduction into the original site or range.

Besides, the Supreme Court verdict on translocation states, "Re-introduction of Asiatic lion, needless to say, should be in accordance with the guidelines issued by IUCN and with the active participation of experts in the field of re-introduction of endangered species."

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Plants moderate climate warming: Study

LONDON: As temperatures warm, plants release gases that help form clouds and cool the atmosphere, according to a new study.

Researchers from International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the University of Helsinki, Finland identified a negative feedback loop in which higher temperatures lead to an increase in concentrations of natural aerosols that have a cooling effect on the atmosphere.

"Plants, by reacting to changes in temperature, also moderate these changes," said IIASA and University of Helsinki researcher Pauli Paasonen, who led the study.

Scientists had known that some aerosols - particles that float in the atmosphere - cool the climate as they reflect sunlight and form cloud droplets, which reflect sunlight efficiently.

Aerosol particles come from many sources, including human emissions. But the effect of so-called biogenic aerosol - particulate matter that originates from plants - had been less well understood.

Plants release gases that, after atmospheric oxidation, tend to stick to aerosol particles, growing them into the larger-sized particles that reflect sunlight and also serve as the basis for cloud droplets.

The new study showed that as temperatures warm and plants consequently release more of these gases, the concentrations of particles active in cloud formation increase.

While previous research had predicted the feedback effect, until now its existence has not been proved except for case studies limited to single sites and short time periods.

The new study showed that the effect occurs over the long-term in continental size scales.

The effect of enhanced plant gas emissions on climate is small on a global scale - only countering approximately 1 per cent of climate warming, the study suggested.

"This does not save us from climate warming. Aerosol effects on climate are one of the main uncertainties in climate models. Understanding this mechanism could help us reduce those uncertainties and make the models better," said Paasonen.

The study also showed that the effect was much larger on a regional scale, counteracting possibly up to 30 per cent of warming in more rural, forested areas where anthropogenic emissions of aerosols were much lower in comparison to the natural aerosols.

That means that especially in places like Finland, Siberia, and Canada this feedback loop may reduce warming substantially.

The researchers collected data at 11 different sites around the world, measuring the concentrations of aerosol particles in the atmosphere, along with the concentrations of plant gases, the temperature, and re-analysis estimates for the height of the boundary layer, which turned out to be a key variable.

The new study was published in journal Nature Geoscience.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Odisha to formulate a new policy to avoid elephant deaths

PTI Apr 26, 2013, 08.56PM IST

BHUBANESWAR: With elephant deaths taking place at regular intervals, the Odisha government has decided to formulate new policy in order to protect jumbos from electrocution and other accidents, official sources said.

The government has estimated Rs 21 crore to be spent for the new plan.

The decision in this regard was taken during review of elephant and tiger management policy by chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

As a number of elephants die due to electrocution and train mishaps, the government has decided to spend money on repair of sagging live electric wire in elephant passage areas, said chief conservator of forest (wildlife) JD Sharma.

Both forest department and energy departments have been asked to identify places where electric wires sagging have occurred in elephant corridors. The officials were asked to tighten electric wire and put additional poles, they said adding that Keonjhar, Dhenkanal and Bhanjagar have been identified as the places where maximum elephant electrocution cases are reported.

"We will take up electric wire repair work at certain places on priority basis," said a senior official of energy department.

This apart, Sharma said the state government's request the railway ministry on speed restriction in elephant passage route may yield result soon. Elephants have died in train mishaps at Huma in Ganjam district.

The state government's proposal before Centre for constituting Special Tiger Protection Force in Satkosia sanctuary was also discussed in the meeting. Issues relating to proper rehabilitation for the people residing in the core areas of Similipal and Satkosia sanctuaries were also discussed, a senior official said.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lion safari project caught in Centre-UP govt logjam

LUCKNOW: The ambitious lion safari project of UP government appears to be the latest casualty of strained relations between the state and the Centre, with the latter delaying green signal to it. To end the logjam, chief minister Akhliesh Yadav has written to the Union minister of environment and forest Jayanthi Natarajan seeking her intervention for the ministry's consent to the project.

In a letter dated April 3, CM has sought a clarification if establishing the lion safari in Etawah needs clearance under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), 1980. The project was cleared by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) in February this year. Its management and the master plan, too, have been approved. But at present the project is stalled, awaiting clearance under FCA from the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF).

Since safari is an "extended zoo", permission from CZA has been secured and is sufficient, said sources in the forest department. Approval under FCA is not needed to set up zoos in the country. But, the regional office of MoEF has raised objections to the project citing reasons that it's a non-forestry activity and to pursue any such activity on forest land, clearance under FCA is required.

The chief minister has sought clarification on the point from the Union minister so that the project gets expedited. The minister is yet to respond to him. The project has been held up for two months since CZA gave its nod in February. All activity has been stopped by the state forest department at the project site after the regional office of MoEF objected to felling of 'babool' trees in the area and sought explanation from the department.

When contacted, chief wildlife warden and PCCF (wildlife) Rupak De said, "We have all necessary clearances and we already have clarification on FCA."

A lion safari and a breeding centre would be set up on 150.83 hectare of fisher forest area in Etawah, which is a reserve forest area. The project mooted by Mulayam government in 2005 was actively pursued by the state till 2007 when Mayawati came to power and shelved it. In March 2012, after SP government came to power, it revived the project. But, presently its fate hangs in balance as MoEF nod is awaited.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Whales display human-like ability to learn from each other

LONDON: Humpback whales are able to pass on hunting techniques to each other, just as humans do, new research has found.

A team of researchers, led by the University of St Andrews discovered that a new feeding technique has spread to 40 per cent of a humpback whale population.

The community of humpback whales off New England, US, was forced to find new prey after herring stocks - their preferred food - crashed in the early 1980s.

The solution the whales devised - hitting the water with their tails while hunting a different prey - has now spread through the population by cultural transmission. By 2007, nearly 40 per cent of the population had been seen doing it.

"Our study really shows how vital cultural transmission is in humpback populations - not only do they learn their famous songs from each other, they also learn feeding techniques that allow them to buffer the effects of changing ecology," Dr Luke Rendell, lecturer in the School of Biology at the University of St Andrews, said.

The team used a new technique called network-based diffusion analysis to demonstrate that the pattern of spread followed the network of social relationships within the population, showing that the new behaviour had spread through cultural transmission, the same process that underlies the diversity of human culture.

The data were collected by naturalist observers aboard the many whale-watching vessels that patrol the waters of the Gulf of Maine each summer.

"We can learn more about the forces that drive the evolution of culture by looking outside our own ancestral lineage and studying the occurrence of similar attributes in groups that have evolved in a radically different environment to ours, like the cetaceans," researcher Will Hoppitt from Anglia Ruskin University said.

Humpbacks around the world herd shoals of prey by blowing bubbles underwater to produce 'bubble nets'.

The feeding innovation, called 'lobtail feeding', involves hitting the water with the tail before diving to produce the bubble nets.

Lobtail feeding was first observed in 1980, after the stocks of herring, previously the main food for the whales, became depleted.

At the same time sand lance stocks soared, and it would seem the innovation is specific to that particular prey, because its use is concentrated around the Stellwagen Bank, spawning grounds where the sand lance can reach high abundance.

Using a unique database spanning thirty years of observations gathered by Dr Weinrich, the researchers were able track the spread of the behaviour through the whales' social network.

The study was published in the journal Science.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Modi orders strong review petition to keep lions in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: Stung by criticism and protests within Gujarat over losing the lion transfer case against Madhya Pradesh in the Supreme Court, chief minister Narendra Modi took control over the matter at a meeting of the State Board for Wildlife, which he chaired on Thursday. He called for a strong review petition to be filed before the apex court to prevent the transfer of the first lot of lions from Gir to Palpur Kuno sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

Many of the members also spoke about the gun cult which exists in this part of MP - an issue raised by TOI after the judgment - and insisted that this point be strongly put forth in the petition. They felt that NGOs should also intervene in the SC and support Gujarat's case.

The meeting saw an agitated Modi snapping at senior forest officials for messing up the case. He glared at one member who quoted the TOI report, which stated that the best lawyers were not hired for the job. He ordered that all other matters on the agenda be dropped and only the lion issue be discussed.

Though he said he did not want the lion issue to be seen as a Gujarat versus MP case, Modi appeared clearly upset over the neighbouring state's chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan celebrating the victory in two quick tweets on April 8 - the day of the judgment.

Modi raised objection to the fact that the order had ignored the views of the board. Also, he found the idea of Gujarat sending lions regularly to MP objectionable.

Eminent environmentalist Lavkumar Khachar said the poaching problem in MP should be raised strongly. "The people of MP are expert poachers. The presence of large number of guns is a worrying factor. Also, one can kill lions by just spraying insecticides on the kill," he said.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Greenpeace launches Arctic 'whistleblower' site for oil workers

Reuters Apr 24, 2013, 06.06PM IST

(Greenpeace wants governments…)

OSLO: Environmental group Greenpeace launched a website on Wednesday seeking to attract whistleblowers from within oil companies to reveal risks with drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic.

Greenpeace wants governments to ban oil and gas firms from the fragile Arctic environment.

It urged employees of oil firms and sub-contractors to submit information to the new website (www.arctictruth.org) if they knew about serious safety issues or risks that were in the public interest.

Greenpeace said that posters advertising the new website would be on show near the London offices of Royal Dutch Shell plc.

Shell, which says it puts safety first, said in February that it would not drill in Alaska's Arctic waters this year after a 2012 season that culminated in the grounding of its drillship in a storm.

Earlier this month, in another setback for Arctic drilling, ConocoPhillips shelved plans to drill exploration wells in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska next year due to regulatory uncertainties in the United States.

A retreat of Arctic ice, blamed by the UN panel of climate scientists on climate change, is making the region more accessible to oil and gas exploration.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gujarat will have to keep sending its lions to Madhya Pradesh

AHMEDABAD: The State Board of Wildlife is meeting on Thursday to prepare a strong review petition to be filed in the Supreme Court shortly to oppose the decision earlier this month to shift some Gir lions to Palpur Kuno sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

Studying the decision carefully, the authorities here have realized that this is not a one-time transfer of lions. The SC decision states that the gene pool in MP would be kept healthy by sending fresh male lions from Gujarat every three to five years. The wildlife board and the forest department feel that sending males from Gir to Kuno will disturb the social fabric of the prides.

Their main argument, according to top forest officials, will be that the gene pool of Gir lions has improved and not deteriorated as suggested in the project report for translocation. Gujarat forest officials will quote a study — 'Genetic variation in Asiatic lions and Indian tigers' — jointly conducted by the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad; Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata; and Center for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad.

Quoting the study, Gujarat will try to establish before SC that the lions are healthy and have no genetic disorder at present and are not likely to suffer any kind of such disorder in the next several years to come. Forest officials said that they have several scientific evidences to drive home the fact that the health of the lions is steadily improving. Earlier, the litter size was just one or at the most two, it is now normal to see a litter of two or three or even four cubs.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘Take your ads off trees or face legal action’

NEW DELHI: Using a tree as a free display board can have you prosecuted now. Taking note of a Times of India article titled "Ads nail city's greens" that was published on April 22, a five-member bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar has asked all civic and land owning agencies to immediately remove all boards, advertisements, signages and nails from trees in their respective areas. Anyone whose board is found nailed to a tree is to be prosecuted by the relevant authority.

The bench observed that based on facts presented before it on Tuesday, "it is clear that all the public authorities have failed to discharge their duties and statutory obligations. They have not only violated of various special statutes but also infringed their legal obligation arising out of the Environment Protection Act 1986. It is the obligation of the state to provide a healthy environment to the citizens and redress injuries to trees".

Based on the pictures carried in ToI report showing a DTC timetable hammered into a tree, the transport corporation has also been made party to the case as the 13th resopndent.

The court was hearing a case filed by Aditya Prasad against Union of India regarding de-concretization of trees and allied matters. It has directed all government authorities, specifically the three municipal corporations, Delhi Development Authority, DTC, Delhi Metro, National Highway Authority of India, director general of Central Public Works Department and chief engineer of the Delhi PWD to remove forthwith all boards, nails, advertisements and signs from trees in their respective areas and prosecute any person or agency whose board is found tacked to a tree.

The officials have also been asked to ensure that a space of 1m or as much is necessary is left around trees while tiling or concretizing. The bench said all such trees which are currently concretized should be freed up and no further tiling around trees should be permitted. It has made the vice-chairperson, commissioners, chief engineers, director generals and all senior-most officers of the respective organizations personally responsible for carrying out these orders.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Greenpeace launches Arctic 'whistleblower' site for oil workers

OSLO: Environmental group Greenpeace launched a website on Wednesday seeking to attract whistleblowers from within oil companies to reveal risks with drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic.

Greenpeace wants governments to ban oil and gas firms from the fragile Arctic environment.

It urged employees of oil firms and sub-contractors to submit information to the new website (www.arctictruth.org) if they knew about serious safety issues or risks that were in the public interest.

Greenpeace said that posters advertising the new website would be on show near the London offices of Royal Dutch Shell plc.

Shell, which says it puts safety first, said in February that it would not drill in Alaska's Arctic waters this year after a 2012 season that culminated in the grounding of its drillship in a storm.

Earlier this month, in another setback for Arctic drilling, ConocoPhillips shelved plans to drill exploration wells in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska next year due to regulatory uncertainties in the United States.

A retreat of Arctic ice, blamed by the UN panel of climate scientists on climate change, is making the region more accessible to oil and gas exploration.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More