Critically endangered Angolan antelope gets a second chance
Travel to the African nation of Angola and you'll see representations of the giant sable antelope ( Hippotragus niger variani ) everywhere you turn: on the country's currency, on stamps, and on company logos. But unless you look really hard, you probably won't find any actual giant sable antelopes. Fewer than 100 of the iconic animals are believed to exist following the devastation of Angola's bloody 27-year civil war. Now a new project hopes to reverse that and create some hope for this critically endangered species. [More] rss.sciam.com |
Wind Projects Don't Hurt Neighbors' Property Values
Proximity to a wind power project does not generally hurt property values, according to a new report that seeks to settle a long-standing concern with the technology.The study, released yesterday by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , assessed nearly 7,500 single-family houses and applied statistical methods and 10 different pricing models to draw its conclusions. [More] rss.sciam.com |
Haiti's Legacy of Environmental Devastation Compounded by Earthquake
Dear EarthTalk: What are the primary environmental concerns in the aftermath of the big earthquake in Haiti? --Frank Dover, Portland, Ore. [More] rss.sciam.com |
In South Africa, Diversions Far From the Field
With two days off between the end of the Round of 16 and the start of the World Cup quarterfinals, four journalists took a trip to a wildlife game preserve outside Johannesburg. nytimes.com |
Noise Reduces Ocean Habitat for Whales [Video]
The oceans were once a relatively quiet place. Yet in recent decades, anthropogenic ocean noise levels have risen markedly--doubling every decade for the past 50 years, according to research by scientists at Scripps Whale Acoustic Lab. Today, due to the volume of shipping as well as offshore oil and gas drilling and exploration, the din underwater--where sounds can travel long distances--is constant. In fact, some scientists say virtually no marine environment is now without noise pollution. This finding is startling to scientists who study cetaceans and other marine life, as it is becoming clearer that whales rely heavily on the integrity of their acoustic habitat. If ocean noise continues to increase as a result of human activities, whales may soon have nowhere to go.Of greatest concern are low-frequency sounds that travel long distances in the ocean. Ship propellers and motors, for instance, produce sound at low frequencies, as does seismic activity. These profound, loud noises reverberate in the deep ocean and can effectively mask or block vital whale communication. In Cape Cod Bay, man-made noise has reduced right whales' acoustic habitat by as much as 80 percent, says Chris Clark, director of Cornell University's Bioacoustics Research Program. [More] rss.sciam.com |