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Earth Saving News > September 1, 2009
Wolves in the crosshairs again this fall.
Gray wolves were first put on the endangered species list in 1974 when just 400 wolves remained in the entire continental U.S. After spending nearly 35 years on the endangered species list, the wolf population in America's northern states appears to be rebounding. As a result the gray wolf was removed from the list earlier this year.
At the end of August, Idaho authorized the intentional killing of up to 30 percent of the current wolf population in that state, and Montana authorized the killing of 15 percent of its known existing population. Both states report less than 900 wolves per state (Montana may have less than 500), and perilously small breeding populations. Despite this, the hunting began on September 1. Many conservation groups are concerned that it's much too early to lift the hunting ban and fear the plan will hurt the long-term recovery of the gray wolf, so they're taking steps to block it.
Are you concerned about the possibility of this species being wiped out? Learn why groups like Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, and NRDC are trying to protect the gray wolf, and then take action yourself!
How does your state match up on climate legislation?
Even though Congress is on recess, there are politicians still hard at work right now. Many senators are working to revise the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) to include more legislation about emissions limits, transportation provisions, green jobs, and coal pollution.
Across the country, the states are also working to develop their own legislation for setting emissions standards. Last week the Southern Governors' Association was warned by retired military officials that climate change will have major impacts on their states, including increasing the occurrence and severity of natural disasters like drought and floods.
More and more states are turning to renewable electricity standards as an effective way to develop cleaner, more sustainable power supplies. Want to know how your state matches up? EarthShare member organization Union of Concerned Scientists has a handy Renewable Electricity Standards Toolkit where you can see what your state is (or isn't) doing to ensure that renewable energy progress is made. Need to get up to speed on climate change and its potential impacts? Learn more in our Climate Change resource section.
Grow zucchini …on your roof.
Depending on where you live, it can sometimes be challenging to find fresh, affordable and locally-grown produce. With 81 percent of us living in urban or suburban areas we're always seeking new and creative ways to get our greens. Farmer's markets and community supported agriculture (CSA) are increasing in popularity, and people are even growing their own veggies in rooftop or apartment gardens – visit this link to check out a cool video that teaches you how to build a self-watering container!
Planting your own garden was made a lot more popular when First Lady Michelle Obama started her organic garden at the White House this past March. Don't live in a place where a backyard garden is a possibility? Starting your own urban garden is actually quite simple. You can reuse household items such as teapots, plastic bottles, and even folded newspapers as pots, follow our composting tips to create nutritious soil, plant your seeds, and place items in sunny spots in your apartment (or rooftop if you're so lucky). For more tips, check out Inhabitat's great article on urban gardening.
If planting your own garden just isn't an option, check out your local farmer's market. President Obama announced that he's considering launching a farmer's market outside the White House where they could make the bounty from the First Family's garden and other local farmers available to the city's residents. If you like this idea you can sign a pledge from American Farmland Trust (AFT) to show your support! Check out AFT's website for more details on how to support local farms and their markets.
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EARTH SAVING NEWS
Not every country in the world would have enough space and resources to have your own garden at home - some are too populated and some are too barren. And of course some would be poor.
Posted by: Belinda | November 03, 2009 at 11:18 PM
Thanks great post!
Posted by: jessica392 | October 28, 2009 at 07:50 AM