On the Pittsburgh Zoo website (http://zoo.pgh.pa.us), there is an
article on elephant calls, and their superb hearing.


http://zoo.pgh.pa.us/conservation_projects_detail.asp?ProjectID=3

Hi everyone!  Today, Jeremy and I picked up loose paper and trash
that had flown all over the place in our apartment development.
What happened was that the trash cans had gotten so packed that when
the wind started up this morning, the lids came off (or never
closed, I'm not sure) and everything that was in there went flying.
So, we got a couple of the plastic bags from the grocery store and
went around picking everything up.

Have anyone of you done that?  Has anyone ever participated in Adopt
A Highway programs?

A good idea for all of us is that when (or if) we take walks during
the day (or night), to bring a bag with you to pick up any stray
trash that you see.  This is especially important in areas where
there is a lot of construction since that is usually followed by a
lot of litter.

Anyway, have a good day everyone!

--Holly

The California Condor
                           By: Holly L. Koppel

The California condor, once revered by the native American tribes of
California, were almost extinct by the early 1980's.  Now, they
are a success story of hard work and determination by the two
biggest breeding centers for the condors, the Los Angeles Zoo and
the San Diego Zoo.  From the brink of extinction, condors have been
brought back and are now being released back into the wild.
	 For years though, the condor was in trouble and hardly
anyone noticed the plight of this bird.  By the beginning of the
1980's, there were less than thirty Californian condors left in
the wild and people finally started taking notice.  A joint program
between the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the California Dept. of
Fish & Game, the San Diego Zoo, and Los Angeles Zoo was set up in
1982 to try and save this species.
	 The first step was to learn more about the condor in hopes
of finding out what was killing it and how to help.  Scientists at
the San Diego Zoo and L.A. Zoo concluded that there were three main
threats to this species.  The three threats were: hunting of the
bird for game (the condor being 45 inches with a wingspan of 120
inches proved to be a very big prize for hunters), residues from
pesticides such as DDT making condor eggshells so thin that the
parent condors would accidentally crush the eggs while nesting, and
finally lead poisoning from un-recovered deer shot by hunters.  The
California Condor is a scavenger, meaning they eat dead animals and
with deer that were shot by hunters, the condors would end up
inadvertently eating the bullets in the deer as well.
	 Steps have been taken to try and minimize these risks, such
as the banning of DDT, and putting the condor on the Endangered
Species List (therefore making it illegal to hunt this bird).
Unfortunately, there was little they could do for condors dying of
lead poisoning other than asking hunters to use bullets made of non-
toxic material and making sure that the buck shot was not left out
in the wild.
	 While the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service tried to save the
condor by fighting the legal battles, the San Diego Zoo and Los
Angeles Zoo set up breeding centers in their zoos for the condor.
They set about trying to capture the remaining condors in the wild
and transport them to these breeding centers to try to increase the
population.  The last condor from the wild was brought to the
breeding center in 1987.  The first successful breeding of captive
condors was accomplished in 1988 and by late 1995, the population
had grown to 103 individuals.
	 In January 1992, biologists involved with the breeding
program were able to start releasing some of the captive born young
condors into the wild.  Additional condors were just recently
released on the Vermillion Cliffs near the Grand Canyon, the first
condors to fly outside of California in 70 years.  Because of the
work done at the breeding centers, there are now more condors in the
wild than there were in 1982 when efforts were first started to save
this species.
	 The positive results from the reintroduction of the
California condors into the wild is a step in the right direction;
however, there are still threats to this bird.  Unfortunately a lot
of the habitat that the condor used to live in has been demolished
and/or turned into homes for wealthy actors.  Condors need high
cliffs with caves or ledges for nesting as well as large open spaces
with regular winds and thermal updrafts for taking off for flight.
With the population explosion in California, there are very few
areas left for the condor to live, let alone find food.

Since much of California has been turned into cities, there are very
few animals for them to eat anymore. Their primary diet consists of
dead deer, antelope, elk and occasionally domestic cattle, and there
is little of that left in the wild in the regions the condor
inhabits. As you can guess due to their size difference, the condor,
in comparison to the turkey vulture, feeds on larger dead animals,
and eats about 3-4 lbs. at a time. Luckily, after feeding, they can
go without food for another three days. But supply is dwindling.

We need to ensure that when the condors are released back into the
wild, there is a place for them to live and breed as well as
ensuring that they will have a source of food. We also need to make
people more aware of the effects of their actions on the
environment, so we can reduce the chances that a condor will fall
victim to toxic chemicals and materials. There is hope for the
California Condor and with more work, we might be able to take this
bird off the endangered list.

Sites of Interest:
http://www.hawk-conservancy.org/priors/california.htm
Hawk Conservancy--California Condor

http://www.csubak.edu/FACT/ETCondor.html
California Condor

http://ww.sandiegozoo.org/cres/condor.html
CRES, San Diego Zoo

http://www.lazoo.org/condorco.htm
L.A. Zoo--California Condor

Happy New Year everyone!  I apologize for this being a day late, I
was having a bit of trouble finding information for you all since
most of the Department of the Interior websites are still done.
Anyway, enjoy!

				 Brown Bears
                                 By: Holly Koppel

	 Throughout history, people have had two very different
mental images of the brown bear.  One picture is of a cute ,cuddly,
friendly animal, like the teddy bear, Fozzie the Bear, and the
Berenstain Bears.  The other picture is of a wild and ferocious
beast that attacks humans and animals alike for food.  Both of these
views have come from bits of myths, legends, and horror stories past
down through generations so the actual facts over the years have
become so garbled that most people do not know what the truth is
anymore.  This, unfortunately, is one of the biggest reasons the
brown bear is listed as a threatened species.
	 For the past hundred years or so, the human population has
been growing at an exponential rate, and this has brought humans
into more contact with bears in the wild, as we take over more of
the land that once belonged to them.  In most cases however, the
brown bear would rather not have any contact with humans as they
prefer remote mountainous habitats near sources of water, but as we
build more homes and more people move into their territory, remote
regions are becoming few and far between and this has lead to some
unfortunate encounters between bears and people.  If people had a
better understanding of the brown bear, it's habits, and it's
life in general, then perhaps the popular misconceptions of the cute
teddy bear and the ferocious beast would be put to rest and we would
have a better chance at saving these creatures.
	 Brown bears, despite their outward appearance (or how they
have been "trained" to act in circuses) are neither cuddly
nor ferocious.  A brown bear is a huge beast of a bear, standing up
to five feet when on all fours, and up to nine feet tall when
standing on two feet.  The female brown bear's weighs averages
450 lbs. and males can weigh up to 1,000 lbs.  Their extraordinary
size alone would make one think that they would be violent
creatures, but in actuality they are not.
	 Brown bears are actually more of a solitary animal,
wandering widely throughout their habitat in search of food.  Bears
usually only come together with other bears during mating season,
hibernation, or in areas where food is concentrated, such as streams
where the bears will fish for salmon or trout.
	 During hibernation, which usually occurs in October or
December through March or April, bears will come together, and sleep
in dens inside caves, dug-outs, or dead trees.  The bears will
emerge during warmer weather to search for food.  Brown bears
hibernate during the winter months as they are not equipped to deal
with the bitter cold of the upper Northeastern U.S., which is one of
the areas they are found in.  Another thing that often occurs during
the hibernation months is that brown bear cubs are born in their
mother's den.

The young cubs, usually two or three born every four years, are born
between January and March and stay in the dens with their mothers
until April, May, or June.  The young stay with their mother for 1
½ to 4 ½ years when they reach maturity.  Female brown bears
reach sexual maturity between four and ten years old and mate with
male bears in the late spring or early summer.

Because of their slow reproductive cycle, brown bears do not bounce
back from losses in their population easily.  Brown bears used to be
found all throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia; however,
now there are fewer than 1,000 left in the lower 48 U.S. states, and
they are mainly concentrated in Yellowstone and Glacier National
Parks.  The largest populations of brown bears are still found in
Alaska, Canada, and Russia where humans populations are still
small.

The big reason people view this bear as an aggressive animal is
because the brown bear is a classic omnivore, they will eat almost
anything they can catch.  Most brown bears eat primarily vegetation,
including berries and nuts; however, they also eat moths, rodents,
and occasionally large animals such as horses, bison, moose, and
small deer, as well as salmon and trout.  Having such a wide range
of diet, most people fear that a brown bear will intentionally kill
a human and eat it for food; however, this rarely ever happens as
the brown bears typically have no trouble finding food.

Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of conservation groups and
societies, the views of the brown bear being either a cuddly teddy
bear or a violent beast still prevail.  Bears are being hunted for
the "safety" of humans, the illegal selling of their fur,
claws, and teeth, and they are being thrown out of their natural
habitats by human settlements.  Luckily, the brown bears and their
subspecies, the Grizzly Bear and Kodiak have been recognized by the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as a threatened species and steps are
being taken to bring back this species and to save parts of their
habitats as wildlife refuges and national parks.

There are steps we can take though, as individuals to help save
these creatures.  We can voice our support of the National Wildlife
Federation's work to return the grizzly populations to their
former range in the Selway-Bitterroot region of central Idaho and
northwestern Montana by writing to your local representative in
Congress.  We can also try to reduce human-bear conflicts out in the
wild.  Once a brown bear is used to people, often through eating
human food left in the woods (trash and litter), they start to lose
their wariness of people and conflicts arise.   When you are out in
the woods, you can try and curb this by making sure that you throw
all your trash away in appropriate trash cans and pick up any loose
litter you see laying on the forest floor.  For more information on
how we can help brown bears, you can visit the World Wildlife
Fund's website (http://www.worldwildlife.org) or the National
Wildlife Federation's website (http://www.nwf.org).

We participated in the 5th annual Loudoun County (VA) Christmas Bird Count
yesterday.  A good day for us and birds even with the cold and windy
weather.
A brief history of the CBCs, this is the 102 nd year of the counts and are
now handled by The National Audubon Society.  Locally the counts were
handled through Fairfax Audubon and groups such as the Loudoun Conservancy.
The count is a count of all birds found in a 15 mile diameter cirle during
one 24 hour period, usually within 2 weeks of Christmas.  Information can be
obtained from these groups or the Audubon Society web page.
Now on to our results.  We saw 50 species in our sector, highlights for this
time of year were Barn Owl, Gray Catbird and Eastern Towhee.
The complete list:

Pied billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
American Black Duck
Mallard
Ring necked Duck
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Norther Harrier
Red shouldered Hawk
Red tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Common Snipe
Ring billed Gull
Mourning Dove
Barn Owl
Red headed Woodpecker
Red bellied Woodpecker
Yellow bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red breasted Nuthatch
White breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Golden crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Yellow rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White throated Sparrow
White crowned Sparrow
Dark eyed Junco
Common Grackle
Purple Finch

Glenn and Mary Alice

I am enjoying the group so far, and the endangered species reports are
well-written and informative.

I've been meaning to post more, but haven't had the time. I hope to more so
in the future!

One more thing, I know that it makes Holly happy to hear that the National
Zoo made the newscasts out of the DC area, so I thought I'd mention that the
baby tiger was on Channel 6's (WPVI Philadelphia) Action News the other
night :)

Janet

Hi everyone!  Well, this group has been around for almost a month now
and I thought I'd ask all of you what you thought of the group so
far.  Are you enjoying the discussions?  What do you think of the
endangered species reports that are done each Friday?  Is there
anything that you'd like to see more of on the list and also, is
there anything you'd like to see less of?

Please let me know!  I'd love some feedback on how you all think
we're doing.

--Holly

How do you find out about these bird counts?  I've only heard a
couple mentions of them, is there an organization that has more
information on these?

--Holly

--- In wildlife-watchers@y..., "Glenn Koppel" <koppel@e...> wrote:
> Actually, even though I've been birding since 1972 (!), I did my
first
> Christmas count last year.  I did the Fort Belvoir count in VA.
This year I
> have done the Syracuse and Oswego, NY counts and next Sunday will
do the
> Central Loudoun county count in VA.  They can be a lot of fun but
if the
> weather is bad, they can also be pretty miserable.
> It's a nice tradition that's been going on lo these 100+ years and
gives a
> good accounting of the wintering bird populations around the
country.  And,
> all skill levels are welcomed and it can be a good way to start
birding.
> Beginners are teamed up with more experienced birders so everyone
gets a
> chance at good birds and all can learn.
> Glenn

With one of the National Zoo's newest residents just going on
display this week, I thought it appropriate that today's
endangered species report be on the Sumatran Tiger.

                   Sumatran Tigers: An Island Tiger
                   By: Holly Koppel
The Sumatran Tiger is the only tiger subspecies that is tied down to
a specific region.  Sumatran tigers are found only on the island of
Sumatra and unlike their cousins, the Siberian, Bengal, South China,
and Indo-Chinese, the Sumatran tiger has many differences due to
where they live.

The Sumatran tiger is smaller than other tigers.  The females weigh
between 165-242 lbs. and males weigh between 220-310 lbs. whereas
other tigers have been known to weigh up to 570 lbs!  The Sumatran
tiger also has the darkest coat of all the tigers, with their black
strips closely spaced and sometimes doubled.  They are also one of
the more endangered of the tigers with only 400 remaining in the wild
and 210 living in zoos.

Other than their size and coloring Sumatran tigers are not unlike
other tigers found throughout Asia and India.   All tigers are
carnivorous, feeding mostly on wild boar, medium to large deer, and
red deer.  When tigers get together and hunt, which does not happen
often, they will hunt "guar" which is a huge wild cattle.
Tigers are also known to eat domestic animals such as cows, goats,
and sometimes even humans.  A tiger eats about 33-40 lbs. of a meat a
night and must kill about once a week.

Tigers have exceptional eyesight, especially at night.  During the
daytime, their eyesight is about as good as a human's; however,
at night their large eye openings gather in more light making
everything look brighter.  Tigers also have binocular vision which
helps them gage how far away objects are which is helpful when
stalking prey.

They also have a good sense of hearing; however, their sense of smell
is much better than most animals.  Tigers primarily use their sense
of smell to communicate with other tigers, but they can also use it
to track prey.  Tigers use not only their nose to smell, but also
scent glands in the roof of their mouth near the upper incisor
teeth.  So, if you ever see a tiger with it's mouth open,
there's a good chance, they are just trying to smell something as
those scent glands are more sensitive than their nose.

Tigers are known to be solitary creatures; however, this does not
necessarily mean that they are anti-social creatures.  Tigers can
tell when other tigers are near by scent marks, visual markings such
as scratch marks and by the stripes on the coat, they can tell the
individual tigers apart.

Tigers usually only come together to mate and females can only have
one litter every two years.  The female's gestation period is
about 100-112 days.  When they give birth, it is usually to a litter
of two to three cubs blind and helpless cubs.  Cubs weigh only about
two pounds at birth and will nurse for sixth months after birth.
During the next 18 months, the cubs become more independent and
eventually strike out on their own at two years of age.  Usually the
male tigers roam farther away from their mother's territory
whereas a female tiger will establish territory adjacent to their
mother's, or even take over part of their mother's territory.

Tigers do not live very long lives out in the wild due to hunting,
poaching, habitat destruction, and fights with other tigers over
territory.  Tigers live to 20 years of age in zoos, but only 15 years
in the wild.  Only half of all cubs born survive long enough to
separate from their mother and of those, only 40% live long enough to
establish a territory of their own and produce young.  This does not
bode well for tiger survival; however, most of the countries that
tigers inhabit have set up nature reserves for the animal and also
barrier areas to keep them away from human settlements.


To help out the tiger population even more, most zoos participate in
the Species Survival Plan (SSP) which keeps a stud book of all
available males and females to mate.  The zoos go through these stud
books to pick out tigers and try to mate them with genetically
compatible females.  This helps to make sure that they are breeding
tigers without genetic mutations.

One genetic mutation however that  zoos were particularly interested
in keeping was the mutation that created the white tigers.   White
tigers are different than most regular tigers as their fur is all
white with chocolate colored stripes and blue eyes.  The first white
tiger cub is believed to be one that was trapped by the Maharaja of
Rewa who found the cub orphaned in the jungle in 1951.  The cub was
named Mohan and was later mated to a normal colored captive tigress
who produced three litters of cubs—all with normal coloring.  A
few years later, Mohan was mated with one of the offspring thus
producing the first litter of white cubs who were the ancestors of
white tigers found in zoos today.  Once zoos found out that the white
tiger coloring was a gene mutation and could only be reproduced by
inbreeding a white tiger with its children or other relatives, they
have since disbanded the breeding of the white tiger.  As of June
1998, there were 30 white tigers left in US zoos and no one is quite
sure how many are in the hands of private individuals.

Despite efforts of zoos worldwide and the nature preserves set up by
India and the Asian countries, tigers are disappearing at an alarming
rate.  Overpopulation and the illegal trade of tiger fur is quickly
pushing this species towards extinction.  There are some things we
can do to help the tigers survive though.  We can write letters to
our local newspapers expanding awareness of the tiger's plight,
volunteer at local zoos, adopt a tiger at your local zoo, or join
organizations like the World Wildlife Fund and the National Wildlife
Federation.   Hopefully together we can save the tigers.

Found a pretty cool site for those of you in Virginia., a subsection
of the Virginia Depertment of Game & Inland Fisheries, specifically
for wildlife.  The URL for that page is here:

http://www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlife/index.cfm



They have a section (URL below) for the Virginia Birding & Wildlife
trail (currently under construction), which looks like it's going to
be a driving trail connecting several locations across the state
already set aside for wildlife, such as regional, state, and national
parks, plus other lands volunteered by landowners, and purchased by
contributing corporations to this project.  On this page, you can
view current site nominations by map.  The URL is here:

http://www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlife/birding_trail.html



Also, they have another link off of that homepage - it looks like
Front Royal held an educational wildlife event right before my
birthday this year, and I didn't even know it.  On the menu was
wildlife photography, birding, and plant identification.  It's listed
as the 2nd Annual Wild for Wildlife Days, so let's hope they do it
again this summer.

Endangered Asian freshwater turtles to be moved to Florida's
Appalatah Flats Turtle Preserve for protection from illegal fishing
in China.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28249-2001Dec26.html


By Eric Pianin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 27, 2001; Page A01


International conservationists will begin airlifting several thousand
Asian freshwater turtles to southern Florida this week in a dramatic,
large-scale effort to try to save the endangered reptiles from
extinction.

The plodding creatures were part of an illegal shipment of 7,500 live
tortoises and turtles headed for Chinese meat markets that was
intercepted by customs and wildlife officials in Hong Kong on Dec.
11. Although 90 percent of the turtles are considered critically
endangered by the World Conservation Union, they were packed in
cardboard crates one on top of another -- with no water and with fish
hooks still stuck in their mouths.

The soft-shell Asian turtle is the latest victim of the multibillion-
dollar exploitive international trade in endangered species ranging
from tigers and rhinos to primates, exotic birds and plants.
Southeast Asia has become a major hub of the trade in wildlife,
functioning as supplier, consumer and an emporium of plants and
animals, according to TRAFFIC International, a conservation group. As
a result of high levels of wildlife consumption in some regions,
unsustainable rates of harvesting are threatening species that were
once plentiful and bringing many already endangered species closer to
the brink of extinction.

In the wake of the Hong Kong government's unprecedented mass seizure,
Conservation International and other environmental groups have
launched their biggest effort ever to try to save the turtles and
eventually return them to their natural habitats, principally in
Southeast and East Asia. Southern Florida was chosen as a way-station
for many of the turtles because it has one of the few facilities in
the country that can care for large numbers of turtles. There are at
least 12 endangered species at risk in the operation, including the
black marsh turtle, the Malaysian giant turtle, the yellow-headed
temple turtle and the Asian brown tortoise.

Although turtles have roamed the Earth for more than 200 million
years, some of the best known soft-shell species could be wiped out
in a matter of decades because of the lucrative market in China,
where turtle meat is a middle-class luxury and turtle shells are
believed to have remarkable medicinal and sexual rejuvenation powers.

"The trade is so heavy that these things are going to go extinct in a
short while," said Kurt Buhlmann, coordinator of the turtle
conservation program. "You haven't heard as much about turtles
because they're not as charismatic as rhinos or tigers. Our goal is
to eventually be able to return these creatures to protected areas in
their country of origin."

The turtles -- many of them sick -- are being kept temporarily at
Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, an animal refuge in Hong Kong.
Under the conservationists' plan, they will be farmed out to zoos and
breeders in the United States and Europe and will be kept until they
can be safely returned to their natural homes in Southeast and East
Asia.

An initial wave of about 700 of the turtles will be flown by United
Airlines from Hong Kong to Miami over the next several days, with
thousands more to come, according to Conservation International. The
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued permits to allow more than
3,500 of the turtles in the country, according to Brad Phillips, a
spokesman for Conservation International.

They will be treated and catalogued by species and sex at the
Appalatah Flats Turtle Preserve near Miami before they are
distributed to zoos and breeders around the world by the conservation
groups, which call themselves the Turtle Survival Alliance. "This is
our first trial by fire," said Rick Hudson, a conservation biologist
at the Fort Worth Zoo who helped form the alliance last year.

The alliance is establishing an international network of "assurance
colonies" designed to house and maintain enough turtles of each
species to thrive in the wild once the threats to their existence
have been eliminated. The organizers originally envisioned gathering
several hundred of the endangered turtles as part of their effort,
but now they must try to cope with thousands at one time. "We've got
our work cut out for us," Hudson said.

Buhlmann, a visiting professor at the University of Georgia who has a
doctorate in the study of turtles, said he has been interested in the
reptiles since he was a child and believes they're the most
fascinating animal of all. "They were around before the dinosaur and
yet we're threatening to make them extinct," he said in an interview
yesterday. "If they were extinct, we would marvel at them" and then
wonder why they hadn't been protected.

The number of critically endangered freshwater turtles has more than
doubled in just the past five years. Of the 90 species of Asian
freshwater turtles and tortoises, 74 percent are considered
threatened. More than half of Asian freshwater turtle and tortoise
species are endangered, including 18 that are critically endangered.
One is already extinct: the Yunnan box turtle.

It can take turtles 10 to 20 years to reach full sexual maturity, and
once they do they can live for another 50 years. The widespread
harvesting of turtles -- often with fish hooks or spears thrust
through their soft shells -- can literally wipe out generations of
turtles that can never be replaced, according to experts.

Soft-shell turtles are especially popular as a luxury food and fetch
prices that may be six times the price of lamb or chicken. Moreover,
turtle shell is traded to supply the traditional Chinese medicine
industry and is used by some as an aphrodisiac. Many Chinese believe
that the turtle jelly made from the shell has cancer-curing
properties, and it is consumed as a general health tonic.

Many countries in Southeast and East Asia have adopted legislation
providing some protection to turtles, but those laws are loosely
enforced. Recently, Hong Kong, the gateway to the mainland Chinese
market, has begun to crack down on smugglers and the illegal
trafficking in turtles.

Two weeks ago, customs and fisheries officials confiscated the
shipment of roughly 7,500 turtles, worth an estimated $3.2 million,
that had been kept in boxes in four 20-foot containers on board an
incoming vessel. The creatures, which likely came from Malaysia and
Indonesia, were infested with parasites and were suffering from cold
and dehydration. About 500 of them died shortly after they were
discovered.

"We have poured a lot of effort and resources into handling these
vulnerable animals, and we will try our best to rescue as many of
them as possible," said Gary Ades, senior manager at Kadoorie Farm
and Botanic Garden. "Many of the turtles are injured and sick as they
were smuggled in extremely poor conditions."

Staff researcher Lynn Davis contributed to this report.


© 2001 The Washington Post Company

Today between 11:00 - 13:00, Berani, the National Zoo's new baby
Sumatran tiger cub, will be let outside for visitors to see.  Here's
an excerpt from the whole article that can be found at:

http://natzoo.si.edu/News/tigercubdebut.htm




The Sumatran tiger cub born on September 18 (See News Release) at the
Smithsonian's National Zoological Park will make its public debut
December 27 at 11 a.m. At the debut, the 20-pound, three- month old
male cub, named Berani (Bahasa Indonesian for brave) will be on view
for the first time inside the large glass-fronted enclosure opposite
the Bat Cave at the Zoo's Great Cats exhibit. His eight-year-old
mother, Soyono, will be nearby, or with Berani, as she chooses.
Berani is still too young to venture out into the outside yards
(particularly in cold weather).

The name, Berani, was one of three names originally suggested by the
Great Cats keeper staff. The three name choices were then put to a
vote in a contest co-sponsored by Friends of the National Zoo and The
Washington Post KidsPost. Berani won the most votes. From 9:30 to
10:30 a.m., 21 winners of the naming contest will receive prizes
provided by the National Zoo, FONZ, and KidsPost.

The grand prize winner, Ana Cruz, 12, of Rockville, Md., will take
home prizes ranging from a Fujifilm 35mm camera to a $500
tiger "ADOPT" package. Ana will also be invited to go behind the
scenes with the Sumatran tiger keeper Wayne Millner to see the cub up
close.

Eleven-year-old Rokan is the father of the tiger cub. Tiger mothers
do not allow adult males near their cubs, so Berani and Soyano are
currently housed separately from Rokan. During the debut Rokan will
be on view at the Great Cats exhibit in one of the outdoor habitats.
Beginning December 27, people can see Berani at the Great Cats
exhibit from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., daily. If long lines form, entry to
the line or to the exhibit may be cut off before 1 p.m. Also, NO
flash photography please; it may disturb the tigers.

National Zoo Director Lucy Spelman said, "We have had a great year at
the Zoo! Berani is a great example of the Zoo's mission. With the
cub's debut today, we celebrate the Sumatran tiger, a beautiful,
powerful, but highly endangered animal. At the same time, we continue
to study and help protect this species and its habitat in the wild.
Berani was born as a result of the hard work and planning of many
experts within the zoo community, particularly our senior curator,
Dr. John Seidensticker.

Berani's birth also signifies a larger effort to help this species
survive into the future, through continued partnerships between the
National Zoo and other organizations around the world, including the
AZA [American Zoo Association], STF [Save The Tiger Fund], WWF [World
Wildlife Fund], and USFWS [U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service]. Finally,
with all of our recent births at the Zoo, we also have big plans now
underway-a ten-year renewal plan that begins with the Kid's Farm and
then the Asia Trail that includes new, modern homes for our sloth
bears, fishing cats, red pandas, giant pandas, and Asian elephants.
We look forward to continued support from the community to help bring
this vision to life."

Fewer than 500 wild Sumatran tigers still exist. Only about 170 live
in zoos. National Zoo senior curator John Seidensticker
said, "Berani's birth was carefully planned as part of the American
Zoo and Aquarium Association's Species Survival Plan. The National
Zoo is one of more than 80 zoos working collectively with tigers in
this scientifically managed breeding program."

Actually, even though I've been birding since 1972 (!), I did my first
Christmas count last year.  I did the Fort Belvoir count in VA.  This year I
have done the Syracuse and Oswego, NY counts and next Sunday will do the
Central Loudoun county count in VA.  They can be a lot of fun but if the
weather is bad, they can also be pretty miserable.
It's a nice tradition that's been going on lo these 100+ years and gives a
good accounting of the wintering bird populations around the country.  And,
all skill levels are welcomed and it can be a good way to start birding.
Beginners are teamed up with more experienced birders so everyone gets a
chance at good birds and all can learn.
Glenn

Found this article via the FONZ website.  Do any of you participate
in Birds Counts?  If so, for how long have you been doing them?  How
did you get started?  What are they like?  And how do you join?

--Holly

  Holiday season bird count sweeps the nation

Wednesday, December 26, 2001
By eNature.com

With thousands of birders joining forces all over the continent, the
single biggest nature event of the year is upon us: the annual
Christmas Bird Count which takes place during the last two weeks of
December.

The tradition started in 1900 when ornithologist Frank Chapman
proposed an alternative to the recreational hunting of birds. He
enlisted the help of twenty-seven conservationists in twenty-five
different areas. Rather than kill birds, the group simply counted
them.

It's a novel way for birders to spend their time. Most pursue the
hobby individually or with a handful of friends. As January
approaches, though, these separate efforts instead become channeled
toward a single goal.

Sponsored by the National Audubon Society, Christmas Bird Counts now
take place in every Canadian province and every state in the Union.
In smaller states like Massachusetts, the combination of modest size
and intense interest in birds means that practically every inch of
the state is covered. In larger states, however, a birder may have to
travel a bit to find a count, but the effort is well worth it.

The way Christmas Bird Counts work is that each group of birders
adopts a circular piece of land with an area of about 177 square
miles. Often the birders cover the same area year after year.

In fact, many of the same count circles have survived for decades. On
a chosen day during the final two weeks of December, the birders then
venture out and count as many birds as possible within their circle.
The birders usually regroup at the end of the day and spend the
evening eating, drinking, and the comparing their observations.

For many participants it can be the social highlight of the birding
year. The Christmas Bird Count is not over, though, until the
National Audubon Society publishes the results of the count in a
yearly volume that birders and ornithological researchers alike
prize.

An article from the Washington Post on our Pandas!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24856-2001Dec25.html




By D'Vera Cohn
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 26, 2001; Page B01


It was shortly before 9 a.m. at the National Zoo's Panda House, and
the two black and white bears were itching to get outside. Tian Tian
tossed his head in frustration. Mei Xiang stood on her hind legs to
peer out a small window.

Glancing up at a bank of 20 video monitors that track the animals
wherever they are, Mary Lou Schmidt typed a running account into her
laptop computer of everything the female panda did or ate. That
information goes into a database that is creating a valuable
scientific record of the pandas, who arrived in Washington a year ago
this month.

"See that smack she gave him?" panda keeper Brenda Morgan asked. She
mimicked a female panda scolding a male: "And another thing . . . "

Finally, the heavy metal door slid open. The pandas shoved each other
aside in their eagerness to get out into their yard. "Take it easy,
fellas," Schmidt murmured.

The behavior database compiled by Schmidt and other zoo volunteers
will help scientists find patterns in the pandas' preferences,
behavior and development. Other scientists are developing better ways
to test panda hormone levels and study any link with behavior
patterns to improve the chances for reproduction of the notoriously
hard-to-mate species.

The behavioral database showed that Tian Tian displayed mating-season
behavior for a week last spring. Mei Xiang turns 4 next year, the
earliest a female panda is known to be fertile, and scientists are
keeping a hopeful watch.

Since they arrived from China, accompanied by a police escort from
Dulles International Airport, the "pandas have truly revitalized the
zoo," said Director Lucy H. Spelman. She wants them to be the model
for projects with other endangered animals, such as elephants and
sloth bears, that mesh with the zoo's growing focus on conservation
in the wild.

The pandas have drawn more than 2.5 million visitors, exceeding the
zoo's predictions. Souvenir and refreshment sales this year also are
higher than forecast -- $10.5 million through mid-December, up from
$6 million in the same period last year. A portion of the profits
goes to China to preserve its dwindling population of wild pandas,
and there is new hope for this conservation campaign.

But the zoo's panda experience has not gone perfectly. The animals
have demanded more care and attention than some staff members had
anticipated. The pair ripped up a few things in their carefully
designed exhibit. And although most visitors are entranced, many
question zoo officials closely about why they are sending China $1
million a year for 10 years to have pandas in Washington.

"The money comes up -- $1 million to China," said Lisa Stevens,
associate curator for primates and pandas. "It is not taxpayer money.
It is corporate money. And it is going to conserve habitat."

By studying what Tian Tian and Mei Xiang like or do not like about
their exhibit here, zoo scientists hope to gain insight into what the
animals need in the wild, thereby guiding government policy. The
behavioral data compiled by the volunteers also will help in
designing a new, larger National Zoo exhibit, to open in 2004.

Initial conclusions about the pandas' preferences won't be made
public until a news conference Jan. 10, the anniversary of the day
the animals went on public view. The zoo also will hold a Panda Day
on Jan. 12, with children's activities, and a two-night public
lecture series Jan. 15 and 16 about its panda research.

But scientists and keepers drop a few hints. The animals avoid the
sand pit in their outdoor enclosure but love the trees. They pay no
attention to visitors, so they didn't notice that summer's long lines
have dwindled. It is now usually possible to walk right into the
panda exhibit.

The animals typically play together two to five times a day. The most
likely time for them to be active is early afternoon. At first, the
female followed the male's lead, but now she is more independent and
controls when play begins or ends.

"What a cool animal," Spelman said of the giant panda. "We've learned
a lot about them in a year. An amazing amount. We have a lot left to
learn."

Zoo scientists are involved in a dozen research projects, some in
cooperation with other U.S. zoos. They have compiled a database of
how Chinese zoos feed, house and breed their animals, hoping to
correlate that in coming years with breeding success -- or failure to
breed. Zoo employees also held several workshops to train staff of
panda reserves in China, helping them build scientific expertise.

The zoo's animal researchers have perfected a way to test an animal's
health using only a pinprick of blood, anticipating the need to test
tiny newborns without causing them stress. They also devised a method
to measure panda hormones in feces, which are easier to collect than
urine.

Spelman, a veterinarian, did the physicals on the two pandas herself
in February. Mei Xiang's tooth enamel had worn away, so a sealant was
applied. The exams also found some lung damage from a serious
parasite infestation. The pandas received antibiotics and repeated
deworming to treat both problems.

The deworming helped improve their health, and their weight shot up.
Mei Xiang weighs 193 pounds, up from 139 a year ago, and Tian Tian is
255 pounds, up from 217.

The animals are as frisky as any adolescent. Tian Tian loved eating
one clutch of ornamental grass so much he nearly killed it. He has
broken tree branches while lying on them. Mei Xiang climbed a wall
near some electric cables, and zookeepers had to install a protective
barrier. They both chase squirrels and crows.

It has been years since the zoo had that much panda energy. The Panda
House's last occupants, a gift from the Chinese government in 1972,
slowed markedly in their last years. The female, Ling-Ling, died in
1992. The male, Hsing-Hsing, died in 1999. They had five cubs, but
none survived.

"I hear people comment that they visited Hsing and Ling and all they
did was sleep," Stevens said. "I feel compelled to remind them of the
age difference. Tian and Mei may present the same behaviors. Enjoy it
now, because we don't know how long it will last."

Keeping up with them, zoo scientist David Powell said, has "been a
lot more effort than I would have thought for a bear." Still, he
said, "it is a good challenge." And even when they destroy things,
that is grist for the data collection.

"One of our big projects is preparing animals for reintroduction" to
the wild, Powell said. "One thing we want to know is which skills
they develop" and when they develop them.

For example, in order to know whether it is safe to put young animals
into the wild where they might be killed by predators, he said, "we
have to know when they become tree climbers."

Meanwhile, another zoo has applied to join the three U.S. facilities
that house a total of seven pandas. The Memphis Zoo recently filed an
application with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to import a pair
of young giant pandas, under the same $1 million-a-year fee
arrangement as the other zoos.

At the San Diego Zoo, which has had pandas since 1996, the adult pair
and cub recently moved into a 52,000-square-foot enclosure funded by
the owner of the San Diego Padres, with room for six animals. The zoo
is considering trading its aged male, who has not been able to breed
naturally, for a younger animal in China, if the Fish and Wildlife
Service approves. At San Diego, adult admission is $19.50.

Zoo Atlanta, faced with declining revenue and attendance even before
Sept. 11, recently raised its adult admission charge by a dollar, to
$16. A spokeswoman, Xiamara Richards, said, "I have never heard any
conversations about returning the pandas," even though a $6 million
deficit led to layoffs.

The National Zoo, which does not charge admission, raised $10 million
for its 10-year loan of the pandas before they arrived.

The happy mood among the panda crew members at the zoo is echoed by
scientists and policymakers fighting to save the giant panda in the
wild in China, where only 1,000 are thought to remain in bamboo
forests under assault from development. A ban on logging has helped,
as has the government's promise to allow some farmland to revert to
natural habitat.

"The panda situation in China is probably as good as it's been in
many years," said Ginette Hemley, vice president for species
conservation at the World Wildlife Fund, whose symbol is the
panda. "The whole panda issue has been elevated politically
there. . . . As a whole, it's not a bad time for pandas."


© 2001 The Washington Post Company

Since next week is Christmas, I decided that this week's endangered
species report should focus on an animal that is found in the arctic
regions of the world.  After much research, the endangered species
this week is the "Caribou," a relative of the reindeer.

                   The Caribou--Their World Endangered
                   By: Holly Koppel

Ever since George W. Bush took office last January, one of his
biggest issues has been the drilling of the Arctic Wildlife Refuge
in Alaska for oil.  So far, every time it comes up for a vote,
Congress has managed to vote against drilling in this area; however,
with our war in the Middle East, things are looking grim for the
animals of the arctic.  Though many of the species normally found in
this area of the world would be quickly placed on the endangered
species list if we drilled there, currently only one is on the
Endangered Species List.  This is the caribou.

Caribou at one time could be found throughout North American and
into Britain and Ireland, but now the species has all but vanished,
except for the few still living in the Arctic refuge and in the far
north regions of the U.S. and Canada.

The caribou's physical characteristics are much like their relatives
the reindeer, but caribou are much bigger.  A caribou can grow to a
height of 34 to 55 inches and weigh up to 701 lbs!  Both male and
females of this species have antlers; however, the female's antlers
are smaller and less elaborate than those found on the males.

The caribou's diet consists mostly of lichens; however, if they
cannot find a good supply, the caribou will also eat grasses,
shrubs, tree shoots, and mushrooms.  Currently, their supply of
lichens is dwindling as more and more trees in old growth forests
are destroyed for  logging and vacation homes.

Caribou spend summers in the tundra of the Arctic and they winter in
the evergreen forests south of the tundra.   The caribou roam for
days at a day, they don't overgraze because they keep moving from
place to place before they overgraze.

Right now, the caribou are endangered, but if we drill for oil in
the Arctic, they may become more threatened, as well as the other
animals in the Arctic.  You can help out by sending letters to your
senators and donating money to the World Wildlife Fund and the
National Wildlife Federation.

Well, despite what our own views on the Kabul Zoo are, it looks like
a fund raising project has the potential to do some good for them.  I
found this article off of the FONZ website this afternoon and thought
I'd share it with you all.  The article is linked here:
http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/12/12202001/s_45924.asp?
site=fonzorg

And in case that doesn't work, the article is at the end of this e-
mail.

--Holly

                Fundraising effort tops $130,000 for Kabul Zoo

Thursday, December 20, 2001
By Environmental News Network


Contributions are pouring in from across the United States to the
office of the North Carolina Zoological Society in response to an
appeal for funds to help the zoo animals trapped by war in the Afghan
capital city of Kabul.
"It has exceeded our wildest expectations," said Dr. David Jones,
director of the North Carolina Zoo, announcing that a fundraising
effort for Afghanistan's Kabul Zoo had drawn nearly $130,000 and
generated thousands of calls to his zoo and others across the United
States and Canada.

Jones had been asked to spearhead a drive for funds on behalf of the
American Zoo and Aquarium Association and its 201 accredited
institutions to help the Kabul Zoo. Kabul Zoo animals are reported to
be hungry, in need of veterinary care, and suffering public abuse.
Zoo staff members have gone for months without pay.

Although details of the situation at the Kabul Zoo remain sketchy due
to ongoing fighting, local reports indicate there are about 40
animals remaining in the Kabul Zoo, including a lion, a black bear,
two wolves, one or two gazelles, five monkeys, and about 10 birds and
some rabbits.

The zoo staff has remained on site throughout the recent difficult
weeks despite having received no pay since the Taliban fled the city
in response to U.S. bombing raids.

Jones said that the current poor physical condition of the animals
and the zoo structures did not result from the recent military
activities. Injuries to the male lion, reported in several media
accounts, occurred at least six years ago, and those to the bear are
at least a year old. No major injuries to other zoo animals have been
reported recently.

Jones said damage to the zoo site is the result of fighting over the
previous 10 years. Many of the walls and roofs of the zoo buildings
have collapsed, and there is no electricity or reliable water
supplies.

When the project, originally targeted at only $30,000, exceeded the
$100,000 mark earlier this month, zoo officials decided no additional
contributions for the Kabul Zoo were needed. They established a
second fund to provide assistance to the thousands of dogs, cats,
horses, and other domestic animals in Afghanistan who will need
treatment once the war has subsided and a stable government has been
established.

"It is important to remember that what we are seeing at the Kabul Zoo
is only the symptom of a much larger animal welfare problem
throughout Afghanistan," Jones said. "Many Afghans are very dependent
on their domestic animals. We are working in close cooperation with
The Brooke Hospital and World Society for the Protection of Animals
so that any further support is directed to their attention."

Funds raised in the United States for the Kabul Zoo will be added to
monies collected by zoos in Europe and Australia. In addition to
Jones, the international coordinators for the project have included:
Mary Talbot Rosevear, director of the National Federation of Zoos in
the United Kingdom; Professor Gunther Nogge, director of the Cologne
Zoo in Germany; and Dr. Peter Dollinger, director of the World Zoo
and Aquarium Association based in Switzerland.

This team has maintained regular contact over the past week with the
U.S. State Department as well as with the British and German
governments. The zoo group is also working in close cooperation with
the London office of the World Society for the Protection of Animals
(WSPA).

With the assistance of the London newspaper The Mail on Sunday, WSPA
was able to deliver US$3,000 to the Kabul Zoo director about 10 days
ago. That money is being used for immediate needs, including animal
food, some basic equipment, and ensuring that the zoo staff is paid.

An additional $5,000 from the funds collected by the zoo consortium
will be delivered through that same connection within the next week.
According to Jones, this should provide the Kabul Zoo with sufficient
resources to keep going over the Christmas and New Year period.

"The international zoo coordinating team, through its many contacts,
will be looking for the first opportunity to put in a small expert
team, which will provide immediate help to the zoo staff and assess
the zoo's short- to medium-term needs," Jones said.

There will be three stages to the operation. First, the emergency
stage will provide food and other immediate needs. It is now
underway. Second, will be assessment of the situation on the ground
and provision of any specialist animal care, which the Kabul Zoo
staff is unable to give. Third, is a plan to ensure continuing food
supplies for the animals, adequate veterinary care, and provision of
electricity and water.

The third stage is the effort for which most of the funds collected
in the United States will be used. Buildings which house the animals
and their keepers will be made wind- and water-proof, and some
temporary method of heating will be provided.

"It is felt that the funds raised so far are adequate for all these
purposes," Jones said. "Names and contact numbers of donors
continuing to contact the North Carolina Zoo Society offices are
being recorded in case there is further need for assistance. But at
the present time, everything that possibly can be done is being done
for the Kabul Zoo."

-----Original Message-----
From: Janet [mailto:indigo@...]
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2001 11:03 PM
To: wildlife-watchers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [wildlife-watchers] MINI-MOOER

It's a short little story, but I found it tonight and thought it might be of
interest.
Here's the link, and the small story copied below in case the page changes.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/features/FS_GreenScene.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
MINI-MOOER
12/9/2001

You might call it a "mini-mooer", even though it looks more like a
pint-sized water buffalo. In San Diego, the world's smallest wild cattle
gave birth. The lowland anoa mom had a male calf. This small arrival is big
news because it's the first lowland anoa to be born at San Diego's zoo in a
decade. By the way, the species is also known as the dwarf water buffalo.
Normally, it lives on an Indonesian island.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----



To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
wildlife-watchers-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

It's a short little story, but I found it tonight and thought it might be of
interest.
Here's the link, and the small story copied below in case the page changes.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/features/FS_GreenScene.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
MINI-MOOER
12/9/2001

You might call it a "mini-mooer", even though it looks more like a
pint-sized water buffalo. In San Diego, the world's smallest wild cattle
gave birth. The lowland anoa mom had a male calf. This small arrival is big
news because it's the first lowland anoa to be born at San Diego's zoo in a
decade. By the way, the species is also known as the dwarf water buffalo.
Normally, it lives on an Indonesian island.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

In honor of our new baby Asian elephant at the National Zoo, this
week's endangered species report is on Asian elephants.


                           The Asian Elephant
                           By: Holly Koppel

"I will send President Lincoln some elephants!" the King of Siam--
The King and I

Asian elephants are not too different from the popular African
elephant.  The main differences are that African elephants have ears
that are shaped like the continent Africa and Asian elephant ears
are smaller.  Also, the Africa elephants, both male and female, have
tusks whereas the Asian elephants both male and female have tusks;
however, on the females and males from some areas do not have
visible tusks.  African elephants are also known to grow to up to 12
feet tall; however, Asian elephants grow only to be 10 feet tall.

Asian elephants come from many different countries, though they only
inhabit  large blocks of forest near water.  The countries where you
can find Asian elephants include India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Indonesia,
Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Bangladesh, and
southern China.
The Asian elephant, like their African counterparts, also live in
herds.  They are ruled by the matriarch, the oldest living female in
the clan.  Most male Asian elephants leave the herd when they are
about thirteen years of age and reach puberty.

The male elephants only return to the herd when it's breeding time;
however, only the older and larger males dominate the breeding and
win the females.  A female Asian elephant is pregnant for 20 to 22
months and only one calf is born at a time.  After the calf is born,
the female elephant cannot give birth for another four years.

Asian elephants are listed on the endangered species list, but there
is great hope for them in the future.  The National Zoo's Asian
elephant Shanthi just gave birth to her second baby (the first one
back in 1992 and it did not survive past 16 moths old).  She became
pregnant via artificial insemination which marks only the fourth
successful artificial insemination of an Asian elephant in the US
and the fifth for the world.  This bodes well for Asian elephants.

Hopefully with the birth of a new Asian elephant at the National Zoo
and efforts worldwide to save these creatures, we can make a
difference.  The best way to help these animals out ourselves is to
not buy any ivory products and to donate money to the World Wildlife
Fund and FONZ (Friends of the National Zoo).

Mosquitoes - I never thought I'd see them in December, yet here they are, on
occasion. Also, lots of fruit flies, some regular flies, and I *think* I may
have seen a bee or two (though that was probably just a fly masquerading as
a bee).

I think up here we are still in a drought period as well. Even when it
(gasp!) was in the lower 40ºs on Sunday, it still felt like a spring-time
cold rather than a winter bite.

And *wow*, that really is something that the Kodiak bear is out of
hibernation at the National Zoo....

The Washington Post published an article last week I've been meaning
to post, since it has some relevance to wildlife in North America.
Since it's been unseasonably warm, our Kodiak Bear at the zoo has
come out of hibernation, some birds haven't been migrating, and
insects are lingering.  Here's the URL, and the article copied below,
in case they get rid of it.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64470-2001Dec5.html

By Monte Reel
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 6, 2001; Page A01


For all who live according to nature's calendar, welcome to the land
of confusion.

Around here, mosquitoes are biting when they should be dead, or at
least comatose. Birds are lingering up north when they should be
flying south. Grass is continuing to grow, coaxing lawn mowers out of
storage. Even the golfers are acting strangely, roaming the links
when they should be dreaming of spring.

December is masquerading as May, prompting some unseasonable behavior
among those who can't -- or choose not to -- see through the disguise.

"I have people calling me saying, 'Oh, my grass is so tall, what do I
do?' " said Eric Roozen, owner of Roozen Nursery & Garden Center in
Fort Washington. "I say, 'Well, cut it then.' If the grass needs
cutting, you cut. That's clear."

Clear as the blue sky. High pressure systems and warm air masses have
conspired to keep things sunny and mild around Washington recently,
and forecasters predict the trend will continue for at least a couple
of weeks.

"Anyone looking for wintry-type weather will have to go somewhere
else," said Jim Travers, a meteorologist at the National Weather
Service's Baltimore-Washington headquarters in Sterling. "There
doesn't seem to be much on the horizon here."

Temperatures in the mid-70s broke records at Dulles International,
Reagan National and Baltimore-Washington International airports
yesterday. Temperatures are expected to hover around 70 today, then
dip into the 50s for the weekend. Travers said the temperatures
should climb back toward 60 by the middle of next week.

"Unfortunately, it also looks like it will stay on the dry side,
too," Travers said. "We could get scattered light showers [today],
but they'll be very light, and some spots probably won't get anything
at all. It certainly won't be enough to relieve this dry spell."

Ryan Reid, assistant manager at the Glade Valley Golf Club in
Walkersville, Md., also was looking for a little relief yesterday.
Normally, it wouldn't be so bad being the only employee in the
clubhouse on a December afternoon. But instead of the seasonal
average of about 20 golfers, Reid was besieged by more than 150. His
compatriots in the maintenance department have been equally active,
he said, mowing the greens every other day instead of every other
week -- the standard schedule for December.

The mild weather has proved that Mother Nature can be fooled, though
not that easily. Some magnolia trees have bloomed -- setting
themselves up for a cruel blow when it gets cold -- and the bulbs of
some irises and daffodils have sprouted. But most warm-weather plants
have not stirred because they respond more to the number of hours of
sunlight in a day than temperatures, said Joe Sullivan, a plant
physiologist at the University of Maryland.

Some visitors to the National Zoo thought they spotted a severe faux
pas of nature when a nearby cherry tree blossomed this week. It would
have been unusual had it been a Yoshino cherry tree, like most of
those found around the Tidal Basin, said Robert DeFeo, chief
horticulturalist for the National Park Service's National Capital
Area. But this species was a Prunus subhirtella var. autumnalis, also
known by a more revealing common name -- autumn flowering cherry.

Though most of the birds that migrate south for the winter have
passed through the area on schedule this year, the warm weather could
delay the migration of some waterfowl, said Chandler Robbins, a
wildlife biologist with the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in
Laurel.

"A lot of the diving ducks stay up in the Finger Lakes until they get
frozen out," Robbins said. "They generally come down in December or
even November, but they might stay up there until early next year."

Wildlife managers in Maryland and Virginia report that animals like
deer and bears are mostly unfazed by the high temperatures. The deer
might move around a little less in warm weather, but only the most
seasoned of hunters are likely to notice. Bear hibernation depends on
the scarcity of food, not warmth, and the acorn crop was average this
year, according to Bob Duncan, director of the wildlife division for
the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

National Zoo keepers have been letting many of their exotic animals --
  including a 10-day-old baby elephant -- spend an unusual amount of
time outside in recent days. They are friskier outside and less
likely to be bored, said Janine Brown, a zoo endocrinologist.

Animal scientists say there's a rule of thumb that can help determine
how different species react to unseasonable temperatures: The smaller
the animal, the more likely it is to be duped.

Which brings us to mosquitoes.

Of the 63 species found in Maryland, about 30 hibernate as adults
during winter. A majority of those that hibernate usually are killed
by cold weather, though some live until spring.

"We've been getting calls this year from people who say they've never
seen mosquitoes flying around their house so late in the year," said
Cy Lesser, chief of the mosquito control program for the Maryland
Department of Agriculture. "I've been under a couple of homes
collecting mosquitoes for [West Nile] virus surveillance, and large
numbers have been congregated in the crawl spaces. With this weather,
they don't have a whole lot of worries right now."

If the warm spell isn't broken, Lesser said more mosquitoes are
likely to survive until spring, giving the mosquito population a head
start on control efforts. It also means that reports of West Nile
virus could surface earlier in the season, he said.

Lesser, like most who are keeping an eye on the thermometer, does not
believe that temperatures are going to stay in the 70s forever. But
while they do, he is going to enjoy them.

Said Travers of the Weather Service: "I just hope we don't pay for
all of this somewhere down the line."

That's a tough one.  The problem with taking the animals out of the
zoo, though I also believe it best for the animals, is that the zoo
belongs to Afghanistan.  We (nor any of our allies) would
intentionally target the zoo, and under the best of circumstances,
I'd like to say it fairly unlikely that they have anything to worry
about.

But since our military seems to be about as sharp as a bowling ball
at the moment, we do need to consider an accident.  Perhaps the most
compelling thing the AZA could do is to offer substantial financial
aid under the condition that the zoo be moved to a neighboring
country.

--- In wildlife-watchers@y..., "hollysbears" <hollysbears@e...> wrote:
> According to an article on the AZA website, the AZA and its 201
> accredited members are putting together plans to help the
struggling
> zoo in Kabul.
>
> In these times, do you think we should send aid over to the Kabul
> zoo?  What are your thoughts about Kabul having a zoo?  Do you
think
> if the war gets much worse, the animals should be transported to a
> safer location or just left for the bombs?
>
> Just some things to think about.
>
> --Holly

I think in this situation, the animals all should be taken out of Afganistan
and moved somewhere safer.  From the history of this country, when this
"war" if over, another one will soon start.  Plus the fact that the country
and it's people are very poor does not bode well for having a zoo there with
all the food and care issue to maintain healthy animals.
Glenn

According to an article on the AZA website, the AZA and its 201
accredited members are putting together plans to help the struggling
zoo in Kabul.

In these times, do you think we should send aid over to the Kabul
zoo?  What are your thoughts about Kabul having a zoo?  Do you think
if the war gets much worse, the animals should be transported to a
safer location or just left for the bombs?

Just some things to think about.

--Holly

Couple of things here:

The first is that SUV's are not the biggest fuel consumers by far.
While SUV's are a problem, I'll get to that in a minute.  From an
environmental standpoint, it seems to me that two of the biggest
pollutents (from vehicles) to be concerned about are jumbo jets and
the space shuttle.  These monsters not only produce more pollutents
in a single trip than a small city, they take them directly into the
atmosphere.  Now, while many airlines really strive to cut emissions,
and boost fuel economy (jet fuel is expensive), they are not
regulated as tightly as they should be.

The next two?  How about stock-car racing (methanol fuel cells), and
sports cars?  Is stock car racing really necessary?  I don't even
have to go into their contribution to the wonderful world of smog.
Personally, I think we should follow Austrailia's example.  They race
with solar and wind powered cars across the Outback every year.  I
think it requires more ingenuity, and is much more entertaining.  And
as for the sports cars; I'm not so much talking about your Corvettes
and Firebirds, though they do add their share, but especially in this
area we have a large number of Ferrari, Mercedes Benz, Porche, and
BMW drivers.  The low end cars aren't so much of a problem (except
for Ferrari), but the more powerful the car, the more gas used, and
the more oil burned.

After that, and I probably missed some (like semi's), comes the SUV
problem.  SUV's are not a problem by themselves.  The critique is
that they're big, noisy, smelly, and guzzle gas.  So the answer
supplied in this article is to make them more streamlined, take away
the super-tred on the tires, give them weaker engines - in short,
make them cars!

An SUV like that is useless, and will have no target audience.
People that want a weak SUV, "just to haul the kids around", will get
a minivan.  They're cheaper, pollute less, and have all the room you
need.  They are already a weak SUV.  If you need an SUV, a truck, you
need something rugged.  It's a trade-off - the more rugged and
capable a vehicle, the more resources it'll use to make it's power.
You can't have both.

The problem then?  Less than 1% of the people _need_ an SUV.  For
somebody that's going to use it, an SUV is the only way to go.  But
most people don't.  They'll start the thing up, go a mile to the
store and bring back 3 bags of groceries.  In China, they use bikes
for the same task.

The solution for this problem?  I only see one: regulate who can buy
an SUV.  If you want to drive a semi, you need a CDL.  I say that in
the same way, we require a seperate license for SUV drivers, along
with a justification for why this equipment is required.  Draw up a
list:  Farmers, lumberjacks, the military, etc.

Finally, set aside the roads only for vehicles that meet a national
safety and pollution standard - say cars and public transportation
vehicles.  SUV's and semi's are hard to see around, and cause the
most accidents anyway, so this will help there, too.  Then restrict
the hours that other types of vehicles may use these roads:  SUV's,
semi's, farm vehicles, etc. - kind of like they do now for HOV
lanes.  Make them convienient to use for only those that will need
them.  A farmer won't mind having to wait until 10:00 am (after rush
hour) to use his SUV on the street, but a CEO will be unable to use
it only to drive himself to work in the morning at 8:00 am.

Make 'em hard to buy and use for those who don't need them, and the
amount of people buying them will decrease, and that should in turn
decrease production of SUV's from the factories.


--- In wildlife-watchers@y..., "hollysbears" <hollysbears@e...> wrote:
> Hello members of Wildlife Watchers!  I hope you all will enjoy
being
> on this list as much as I'm enjoying moderating the list.  :)
>
> Enclosed is an article called "Breaking free of the oil-hog cycle"
> which I thought was an interesting article on oil consumption in
> America and how the SUV's and trucks have contributed to the
> environmental problems we now face.  After reading this article,
can
> you think of things we can do to help out?  Are you currently doing
> what you can to curb oil consumption?  Examples would be: walking
to
> the local store instead of driving, taking public transportation,
> etc.  Just something to think about.
>
> --Holly
>
> Article:
>
> Breaking free of the oil-hog cycle
>
> Thursday, December 06, 2001
> By David Suzuki
>
> There's never been a better time to buy a new vehicle! Zero percent
> financing! Be a patriot: Buy a car!
> The ads are hard to miss, and they're striking a chord with North
> Americans. Low interest rates are pushing record vehicle sales. And
> what vehicles are selling? In the United States last month, light
> trucks and SUVs topped the list. Those vehicles may guzzle gas, but
> with low prices once again returning to the pumps, people aren't
very
> concerned about fuel efficiency.
>
> That's too bad for a number of reasons. First, transportation has a
> bigger impact on the environment than any other sector of society.
A
> whopping 40 percent of all the oil consumed in the United States is
> used to power passenger vehicles. And although modern pollution
> controls have reduced some vehicle emissions that cause smog, the
> average new passenger vehicle today still burns more gasoline than
a
> new vehicle did nearly two decades ago. That means higher
emissions,
> especially of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
>
> The atmosphere and climate are not limited by human borders, so
> transportation isn't just a local, regional, or even a national
> issue. It's global. Certainly the effects of air pollution are
> largely local and regional, but the costs of dealing with the
health
> problems associated with poor air quality extend to a national
level.
> And global warming is a problem that affects the whole planet, and
it
> will impact the world's poorest people the most.
>
> Consider Bangladesh, for example. Most of its 130 million citizens
> earn less than US$1 a day. Together, these people emit just O.1
> percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. But because of the
> country's low-lying geography, it could be one of the hardest hit
by
> a changing climate. Even a small rise in sea level could have
> catastrophic effects, and increases in extreme weather events like
> cyclones could be equally disastrous.
>
> Second, all the gas-guzzling done by our light trucks and SUVs
> doesn't just change the climate, it also drives wild fluctuations
in
> oil prices — what MIT economist Paul Krugman calls the "oil-hog
> cycle." Those price fluctuations and the high demand for imported
oil
> in the United States is one of the causes of the instability that
> plagues the Middle East. Reducing our consumption of oil would help
> reduce that instability. And in a recent editorial in the New York
> Times, Mr. Krugman argues that politically and economically, now is
> an ideal time to implement conservation policies.
>
> One of those policies would be to close the loophole that exempts
> SUVs and pickup trucks from passenger fuel-efficiency standards.
> Manufacturers have resisted this step on the grounds that it would
be
> too expensive. But the Union of Concerned Scientists says existing
> technologies can "green" SUVs by using a more efficient engine and
> low-resistance tires, improving aerodynamics, and reducing body
> weight to improve fuel efficiency by nearly 50 percent. These
changes
> would increase the price of the vehicle slightly, but reduced fuel
> costs would, over a few years, more than make up the difference and
> eventually yield substantial savings. The U.S. National Academy of
> Sciences also recently concluded that automakers could improve fuel
> efficiency of the vehicle fleet by 40 percent without undue cost
> burdens.
>
> Unfortunately, Canada doesn't set its own fuel efficiency
> regulations. It essentially copies those from the United States and
> makes them voluntary for manufacturers, not compulsory. This leaves
> Canadians at the mercy of the American political process, and that
is
> unacceptable. It's time for Canada to take a stand and require
> stricter standards, as California has done for air quality. As Mr.
> Krugman notes, it's time to acknowledge that conservation is more
> than a personal virtue; it's a way to make the world more stable.
> Although he was referring to politics and the economy, the most
> important increased stability in the long term might just be to the
> climate.
> * END of article

Hi everyone! Today is Friday and this marks our very first
endangered species day! Each Friday, I will post a profile of a
different endangered species.
  This week's profile is The Red Panda.  Enjoy and let me know if you
have any questions or comments on the piece:


                   The Red Panda--A Lesser Known Panda
                   By: Holly Koppel

     The Red Panda or "lesser panda" was the first panda ever
discovered by European scientists. Back when the Red Panda was
discovered, no one knew anything about pandas, let alone knew there
were Giant Pandas in the world!

     Two scientists, one from England and one from France, discovered
the Red Panda about the  same time, although both came up with very
different names.

     Major General Thomas Hardwicke, the English scientist,
discovered the Red Panda in the year 1821.  His name for the Red
Panda was "Wha."  According to Hardwicke, the name came from the
Red Panda's loud cry or call, resembling the word "Wha." Hardwicke
also mentioned several other names for the Red Panda
including "poonya" which eventually became the word we now know
as "panda." Unfortunately for Hardwicke, he could not get back to
England before another scientist returned to Europe and beat him to
the chase.

     The scientist who came up with the name frequently associated
with the Red Panda was Frederic Cuvier, a French naturalist. Cuvier
gave the Red Panda its Latin name which is Ailurus fulgens,
meaning "fire-colored cat."

     Despite the panda's Latin name, the Red Panda is not a cat at
all. Most people see the Red Panda as a relative of the American
raccoon; however, despite their obvious look-alike features, the Red
Panda's closest relative is the Giant Panda. As one can observe, both
pandas eat bamboo, though the Red Panda only eats the newest leaves
off the bamboo, while the Giant Panda devours the entire thing. Both
pandas also walk with their feet pointing inward, and both are adept
at climbing trees; however, the Giant Panda prefers to spend more of
it's time on the ground and you are more likely to find a Red Panda
stretched out on a tree limb sleeping.

     Red Pandas, like their relatives the Giant Pandas, live in the
temperate forests in the Himalayan foothills from western Nepal
through northern Burma and into the mountainous regions of
southwestern China. The Red Panda is very sensitive to weather
changes and prefers the cooler temperatures around 50-60°F. On
cold days, you will see the Red Panda curled up on a tree limb
sleeping to conserve energy whereas on hot days, they completely
stretch out to sleep.

     Red Pandas spend most of their day sleeping and are most active
during the night and early mornings. Part of the reason is because of
their bamboo diet.  Bamboo, which is the primary food for the Red
Panda, does not have many calories and does not give the Red Panda
much energy.  To keep their energy levels up, the Red Panda will
spend much of its time sleeping or resting in between times when the
search for food.  The Red Panda exerts the most energy when it
searches for bamboo.  Since they will only eat the newest leaves, it
takes them much more time to find "good" bamboo than their
counterparts the Giant Pandas.

     When it comes to reproduction, the Red Panda and Giant Panda
also differ. Red Pandas have a longer gestation period than their
counterparts the Giant Pandas. The Red Pandas reproduce generally in
the late spring and summer when in their native land, the more tender
and digestible bamboo shoots are available. The gestation period for
a Red Panda is 135 days (about 4 1/2 months) and produce only small
liters averaging about two cubs each. The young pandas grow fast and
reach adult size at about 12 months and reach sexual maturity at 18
months.

     Even though Red Panda reproduction is slow and does not produce
many young, the National Zoo's Conservation and Research Center (CRC)
in Front Royal, Virginia has been able to bred over three hundred Red
Pandas! Almost all zoos that have Red Pandas participate in
management programs designed to ensure that their zoo population
survives in the future. All North American zoo Red Panda populations
are managed under the Species Survival Program (SSP) a subsidiary of
the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA).
This program maintains a studbook of all Red Pandas in North America,
uses genetic and demographic management analysis to determine which
animals should be mated, and develops long-term management and
research strategies. There is a similar program that has emerged in
Japan, Europe, Australia and China. The International Red Panda
Management Group (IRPMG) was formed to coordinate these programs and
integrate them with the conservation efforts of governmental and non-
governmental agencies around the world.

     Since the Red Panda was discovered by competing scientists in
1821, it has had a rich history of conservation. It has gone from a
truly endangered species to one that we have great hope in bringing
the Red Panda back from the brink of extinction. With the help of the
researchers at the National Zoo's CRC facility and conservation
efforts world wild, we can help make people more aware of these
endangered species.
		               ***

Sources consulted: Roberts, Miles "The Red Panda: The Fire Cat"
(March/April 1992)
http://www.fonz.org/zoogoer/zgpanda1992/redpanda.htm

Links of interest:

http://www.hollyandjeremy.com/photos/zoo/redPandas.html
Jeremy's pictures of the Red Pandas at the National Zoo

http://www.si.edu/crc/home.htm
Website of National Zoo's Conservation & Research Center

http://www.aza.org/publications/
American Zoo & Aquarium Association

This was an interesting article Holly, to say the least.

I've always been anti-SUV, and a few years ago was hoping the trend would
fade away, but it now looks like it never will. It doesn't help, as the
article says, that gasoline is currently so cheap - for example, here in New
Jersey regular unleaded is selling (from what I've seen in my area) between
as low as 91¢ a gallon to at the
most $1.01. Every day the price drops another cent. I'm wondering if it will
get as low as 1998 when gas was down to 89¢ in most places, and at a few
stations it went as low as 56¢  - yes, 56¢ a gallon. When gas is cheaper
than milk, or even a gallon of water, something is wrong. It certainly
doesn't make people think it's time to trade in their monster vehicles for
smaller, more efficient cars.

Another unfortunate thing regarding emissions is that public transport is
just not a viable option in many (most) places. The government/car industry
made sure of that many years ago and we are still dealing with the
consequences. If you live in suburbia, it's pretty rare to see a bus, and
even if you *do* happen to see one, it comes on a not-so-regular schedule
and the cost of riding it is high. The transportation situation with trains
for example on the Jersey shore up to NYC, where many people commute, is
horrible. The coastal line only has one train each hour and from the end of
it's line in Bay Head to Penn Station, it's over a two hour trip, and it
gets extremely crowded. People want to live far from the cities, but then
have to commute to their jobs therefore clogging highways and road systems
that are outdated and cannot handle the amounts of vehicles. All these SUVs
clogging up the air with their tailpipes.... and making the roads unsafe for
those of us who drive compact (and sub-compact) cars. It would be so nice to
have a trolley system or something of that matter set up in every town; it'd
be brilliant if there was a high-speed train from here to Philadelphia, or
to NYC.... but no trolleys, and to get to any train (and it's definitely not
going to be
high-speed), one has to drive.

And.... there's nothing worse than seeing all the SUVs on the road with one
person in each truck.

Interesting article!  I for one agree that we need to reduce the use of oil
in this country.  It's hard for me to believe most people need the
capabilities of an SUV to go to the supermarket and the mall!
And, if we would each walk a bit more, it could save lots of oil.
Glenn

-----Original Message-----
From: hollysbears [mailto:hollysbears@...]
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2001 8:59 AM
To: wildlife-watchers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [wildlife-watchers] Conservation News


Hello members of Wildlife Watchers!  I hope you all will enjoy being
on this list as much as I'm enjoying moderating the list.  :)

Enclosed is an article called "Breaking free of the oil-hog cycle"
which I thought was an interesting article on oil consumption in
America and how the SUV's and trucks have contributed to the
environmental problems we now face.  After reading this article, can
you think of things we can do to help out?  Are you currently doing
what you can to curb oil consumption?  Examples would be: walking to
the local store instead of driving, taking public transportation,
etc.  Just something to think about.

--Holly

Article:

Breaking free of the oil-hog cycle

Thursday, December 06, 2001
By David Suzuki

There's never been a better time to buy a new vehicle! Zero percent
financing! Be a patriot: Buy a car!
The ads are hard to miss, and they're striking a chord with North
Americans. Low interest rates are pushing record vehicle sales. And
what vehicles are selling? In the United States last month, light
trucks and SUVs topped the list. Those vehicles may guzzle gas, but
with low prices once again returning to the pumps, people aren't very
concerned about fuel efficiency.

That's too bad for a number of reasons. First, transportation has a
bigger impact on the environment than any other sector of society. A
whopping 40 percent of all the oil consumed in the United States is
used to power passenger vehicles. And although modern pollution
controls have reduced some vehicle emissions that cause smog, the
average new passenger vehicle today still burns more gasoline than a
new vehicle did nearly two decades ago. That means higher emissions,
especially of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

The atmosphere and climate are not limited by human borders, so
transportation isn't just a local, regional, or even a national
issue. It's global. Certainly the effects of air pollution are
largely local and regional, but the costs of dealing with the health
problems associated with poor air quality extend to a national level.
And global warming is a problem that affects the whole planet, and it
will impact the world's poorest people the most.

Consider Bangladesh, for example. Most of its 130 million citizens
earn less than US$1 a day. Together, these people emit just O.1
percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. But because of the
country's low-lying geography, it could be one of the hardest hit by
a changing climate. Even a small rise in sea level could have
catastrophic effects, and increases in extreme weather events like
cyclones could be equally disastrous.

Second, all the gas-guzzling done by our light trucks and SUVs
doesn't just change the climate, it also drives wild fluctuations in
oil prices — what MIT economist Paul Krugman calls the "oil-hog
cycle." Those price fluctuations and the high demand for imported oil
in the United States is one of the causes of the instability that
plagues the Middle East. Reducing our consumption of oil would help
reduce that instability. And in a recent editorial in the New York
Times, Mr. Krugman argues that politically and economically, now is
an ideal time to implement conservation policies.

One of those policies would be to close the loophole that exempts
SUVs and pickup trucks from passenger fuel-efficiency standards.
Manufacturers have resisted this step on the grounds that it would be
too expensive. But the Union of Concerned Scientists says existing
technologies can "green" SUVs by using a more efficient engine and
low-resistance tires, improving aerodynamics, and reducing body
weight to improve fuel efficiency by nearly 50 percent. These changes
would increase the price of the vehicle slightly, but reduced fuel
costs would, over a few years, more than make up the difference and
eventually yield substantial savings. The U.S. National Academy of
Sciences also recently concluded that automakers could improve fuel
efficiency of the vehicle fleet by 40 percent without undue cost
burdens.

Unfortunately, Canada doesn't set its own fuel efficiency
regulations. It essentially copies those from the United States and
makes them voluntary for manufacturers, not compulsory. This leaves
Canadians at the mercy of the American political process, and that is
unacceptable. It's time for Canada to take a stand and require
stricter standards, as California has done for air quality. As Mr.
Krugman notes, it's time to acknowledge that conservation is more
than a personal virtue; it's a way to make the world more stable.
Although he was referring to politics and the economy, the most
important increased stability in the long term might just be to the
climate.
* END of article









To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
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Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Hello members of Wildlife Watchers!  I hope you all will enjoy being
on this list as much as I'm enjoying moderating the list.  :)

Enclosed is an article called "Breaking free of the oil-hog cycle"
which I thought was an interesting article on oil consumption in
America and how the SUV's and trucks have contributed to the
environmental problems we now face.  After reading this article, can
you think of things we can do to help out?  Are you currently doing
what you can to curb oil consumption?  Examples would be: walking to
the local store instead of driving, taking public transportation,
etc.  Just something to think about.

--Holly

Article:

Breaking free of the oil-hog cycle

Thursday, December 06, 2001
By David Suzuki

There's never been a better time to buy a new vehicle! Zero percent
financing! Be a patriot: Buy a car!
The ads are hard to miss, and they're striking a chord with North
Americans. Low interest rates are pushing record vehicle sales. And
what vehicles are selling? In the United States last month, light
trucks and SUVs topped the list. Those vehicles may guzzle gas, but
with low prices once again returning to the pumps, people aren't very
concerned about fuel efficiency.

That's too bad for a number of reasons. First, transportation has a
bigger impact on the environment than any other sector of society. A
whopping 40 percent of all the oil consumed in the United States is
used to power passenger vehicles. And although modern pollution
controls have reduced some vehicle emissions that cause smog, the
average new passenger vehicle today still burns more gasoline than a
new vehicle did nearly two decades ago. That means higher emissions,
especially of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

The atmosphere and climate are not limited by human borders, so
transportation isn't just a local, regional, or even a national
issue. It's global. Certainly the effects of air pollution are
largely local and regional, but the costs of dealing with the health
problems associated with poor air quality extend to a national level.
And global warming is a problem that affects the whole planet, and it
will impact the world's poorest people the most.

Consider Bangladesh, for example. Most of its 130 million citizens
earn less than US$1 a day. Together, these people emit just O.1
percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. But because of the
country's low-lying geography, it could be one of the hardest hit by
a changing climate. Even a small rise in sea level could have
catastrophic effects, and increases in extreme weather events like
cyclones could be equally disastrous.

Second, all the gas-guzzling done by our light trucks and SUVs
doesn't just change the climate, it also drives wild fluctuations in
oil prices — what MIT economist Paul Krugman calls the "oil-hog
cycle." Those price fluctuations and the high demand for imported oil
in the United States is one of the causes of the instability that
plagues the Middle East. Reducing our consumption of oil would help
reduce that instability. And in a recent editorial in the New York
Times, Mr. Krugman argues that politically and economically, now is
an ideal time to implement conservation policies.

One of those policies would be to close the loophole that exempts
SUVs and pickup trucks from passenger fuel-efficiency standards.
Manufacturers have resisted this step on the grounds that it would be
too expensive. But the Union of Concerned Scientists says existing
technologies can "green" SUVs by using a more efficient engine and
low-resistance tires, improving aerodynamics, and reducing body
weight to improve fuel efficiency by nearly 50 percent. These changes
would increase the price of the vehicle slightly, but reduced fuel
costs would, over a few years, more than make up the difference and
eventually yield substantial savings. The U.S. National Academy of
Sciences also recently concluded that automakers could improve fuel
efficiency of the vehicle fleet by 40 percent without undue cost
burdens.

Unfortunately, Canada doesn't set its own fuel efficiency
regulations. It essentially copies those from the United States and
makes them voluntary for manufacturers, not compulsory. This leaves
Canadians at the mercy of the American political process, and that is
unacceptable. It's time for Canada to take a stand and require
stricter standards, as California has done for air quality. As Mr.
Krugman notes, it's time to acknowledge that conservation is more
than a personal virtue; it's a way to make the world more stable.
Although he was referring to politics and the economy, the most
important increased stability in the long term might just be to the
climate.
* END of article