Weekly Science Roundup 11/16/2018

THE TERRIFYING SCIENCE BEHIND CALIFORNIA'S MASSIVE CAMP FIRE WIRED, 11/9/2018

Washington's carbon fee defeat is an invitation to think bigger The Hill, 11/11/2018

Rare 'shark nursery' discovered hidden in deep waters west of Ireland The Independent UK, 11/12/2018

Costly recycling changes put burden on Dayton, local cities  WHIO Dayton OH, 11/12/2018

Solving Microplastic Pollution Means Reducing, Recycling—and Fundamental Rethinking Scientific American, 11/12/2018

Canada's salmon hold the key to saving its killer whales The Guardian, 11/12/2018

China Suspends Its Relaxation of Wildlife-Trade Ban Wall Street Journal, 11/12/2018

The remote Arctic town that is melting away BBC, 11/12/2018

EU states call for tough action on deforestation to meet 2020 UN goal The Guardian, 11/12/2018

Five myths about wildfires BBC, 11/13/2018

Climate change damaging male fertility Phys.org, 11/13/2018

Purple bacteria can turn human waste into clean hydrogen energy ResearchGate, 11/13/2018

The plastic backlash: what's behind our sudden rage – and will it make a difference? The Guardian, 11/13/2018

What would a smog-free city look like? The Guardian, 11/13/2018

The Earth Is Eating Its Own Oceans LiveScience, 11/14/2018

100% renewable electricity is viable Physics World, 11/14/2018

West Coast crab fisherman sue 30 fossil fuel companies, citing economic losses due to climate change San Francisco Chronicle, 11/14/2018

Cities Grab Onto Hurricanes; Buildings Make the Rain Worse Wired, 11/14/2018

New Zealand asks travelers to help protect the environment CNN, 11/14/2018

Lionfish invasion in the Gulf of Mexico expected to worsen as the climate changes Houston Chronicle, 11/14/2018

Giraffes at risk of extinction as they are given 'critically endangered' status for first time Telegraph UK, 11/14/2018

Oceans are losing a football field of seagrass every 30 minutes Popular Science, 11/15/2018

The case against cruises Vox, 11/15/2018

Climate change: Worries over CO2 emissions from intensifying wildfires BBC, 11/15/2018

US oil firm's bid to drill for oil in Arctic hits snag: a lack of sea ice The Guardian, 11/15/2018

California Condors

I was a soon-to-be college graduate, and my family wanted to take a trip together, since we had never really traveled together much once we were pretty well grown up. So they asked me where I wanted to go. Immediately I responded - the Grand Canyon.

"No matter how far you have wandered hitherto, or how many famous gorges and valleys you have seen, this one, the Grand Cañon of the Colorado, will seem as novel to you, as unearthly in the color and grandeur and quantity of its architecture, as if you had found it after death, on some other star; so incomparably lovely and grand and supreme is it above all the other cañons in our fire-moulded, earthquake-shaken, rain-washed, wave-washed, river and glacier sculptured world."-John Muir, Our National Parks

[coincidentally or not at all coincidentally, that is also the Book of the Month! Check it out HERE]

So naturally, with billing like that from the great John Muir, I wanted to go to Grand Canyon National Park. Onward to the grandest of canyons, please!

When we first arrived at the park in May 2007, I was eagerly scanning the sky looking for birds. Well, eagerly looking for California Condors and/or Golden Eagles, specifically. I don't even remember which of my parents was driving, or what I was even thinking (probably I wasn't) but I literally jumped out of a moving vehicle with my binoculars in hand, darted across the parking lot, and stood at the edge of the canyon and watched two California Condors for as long as they were in sight.

All I remember was looking out the window, hopeful, and then I was running across the parking lot to get a better view. Real smart, self. But I got great looks at the 2 majestic beasties, and I still haven't seen another condor after that.

They were beautiful. Gliding around, being amazing, doing important condor stuff. Their massive wingspan is downright impressive. I'm used to seeing bald eagles (wingspan ~6.5ft) in Louisiana, but these condors just dwarfed all memory of them with their wingspan of 9+ ft. Even a golden eagle I saw later in the day didn't seem that impressive after these condors. Don't get me wrong, golden eagles are also super impressive in their own right but the condors set a really high bar that was just not attainable for the also majestic golden eagle. I probably only saw these condors for a total of 5 minutes, but it's a memory I'll have forever.

I saw these California condors [Gymnogyps californianus] pretty easily, from a parking lot, without nearly zero effort on my part, and that's truly a testament to the recovery of the species. It wasn't that long ago that they were extirpated from the wild and nearly extinct. 

The condor population plummeted in the early to mid 20th century because of a variety of factors:

-low clutch size (1 egg per pair per nesting attempt)

-late sexual maturity (at 5-7 years old)

-DDT poisoning

-lead poisoning

-trash consumption

-habitat modification (power lines, wind turbines, etc)

-loss of habitat

The species almost went extinct... and did actually go extinct in the wild. The population plummeted down to 22 individuals by 1987, and the remaining wild birds were captured and transferred to captivity. Efforts at captive breeding were made, and successful, with the ultimate goal to re-establish viable wild populations. But with the total population of the species being so low, biologists couldn't risk losing any birds to untested conditions in the wild. So instead, they released female Andean condors initially to test the viability of a condor release program. 

Andean condors are quite similar, and these efforts were successful. Once they determined that the plan would work, they recaptured the Andean condors and re-released them in their native South America. After that, California condors were released into the wild starting in 1992, only 5 years after they went extinct in the wild.

As of the 2017 population report, there were 463 California Condors alive and well - 290 in the wild, and 173 in the captive population. Also in 2017, there were 27 nest attempts, 10 young fledged from those nests, and an additional 21 captive-reared chicks released into the wild.

When I was in Arizona in 2007, they were only just about to reach the tipping point in the captive breeding program. By 2008, after 20ish years of captive breeding, the population swung to more wild birds than captive birds. That's a massive milestone!

Despite these valiant efforts and the amazing improvement in the populations, condors are still at risk. Some of the hazards that created their population crisis are still ongoing. 

Condors are scavengers, and forage on carrion [dead meat]. Oftentimes, that means they are feeding on the leftover carcasses/gut piles of harvested wildlife. They ingest lead bullet fragments during feeding, and that ultimately leads to lead poisoning. Lead ammunition has been banned in condor territory in California since 2007, with a statewide ban going into effect in 2019. It's now almost 2019 so that ban should be in effect soon. But in this political climate, who knows really. 

By banning lead, a hugely important step to protecting condors (and everything else in the food chain) has been completed. Wildlife biologists also provide non-contaminated carcasses for condors to scavenge on, as well as monitor birds for lead poisoning.

Lead isn't the only remaining challenge. Condors are also susceptible to micro trash ingestion. This problem is not isolated to condors (seabirds are also massively affected) but causes a huge problem for the wild population. The adults will ingest small bits of plastic, glass, trash, etc and regurgitate it with/without actual food to feed their chick.

Biologists keep detailed track of all the condors. They check nests for micro-trash, watch birds for signs of lead poisoning, provide non-contaminated carcasses for wild condors to feed on, and diligently monitor every aspect of the recovery process.

Thankfully the environmental movement in the 1950s-1960s resulted in many things, including the ban of DDT. That insecticide was the culprit in the decline of many birds populations. DDT bioaccumulated in the birds' bodies and manifested as thin egg shells, resulting in plummeting nest success. Thank you Rachel Carson! That's one major hazard for condor recovery that's off the table now so biologists can focus on other problems.

[Coincidentally, Silent Spring by Rachel Carson is the Book of the Month for December in the book club if you want to join the conversation on Goodreads!]

Today's condors live in partially protected areas like national parks, national forests, and designated refuges. I've often said that national parks are one of my favorite things, and not just because I like parks. They also have a functional purpose - protecting wildlife. By all accounts, and thanks to the amazing efforts of biologists and recovery teams, the condors are recovering. They are doing well, breeding in the wild again, and hopefully the existing obstacles to preservation can be resolved for them. Even if I never see another wild condor in all my traveling days, just knowing they exist in our national parks makes everything worth it.

The moral of the story is support wildlife conservation, visit national parks, and don't be a dick. 

Additional Reading:

California Condor Wikipedia, accessed 11/12/2018

Threats to California Condor Survival USFWS, accessed 11/12/2018

California Condor Restoration The Peregrine Fund, accessed 11/12/2018

California Condor California Dept of Fish and Wildlife, accessed 11/12/2018

California Condor Recovery Program Santa Barbara Zoo, accessed 11/12/2018

California Condor Recovery Program 2017 Annual Population Status USFWS, accessed 11/12/2018

Trump Administration Revokes Lead Bullet Ban, But California's May Hold KQED, 3/2/2017

California Bans Lead Ammunition Field and Stream, 10/17/2013

To Protect Wildlife, California Bans Hunting With Lead Bullets KQED, 10/11/2013
How Plastics Affect Birds International Bird Rescue, accessed 11/12/2018
Condor Re-introduction & Recovery Program NPS, accessed 11/12/2018
How ‘Silent Spring’ Ignited the Environmental Movement NY Times Magazine, 9/21/2012
A Review and Assessment of Spent Lead Ammunition and Its Exposure and Effects to Scavenging Birds in the United States Golden, Warner, and Coffey 2015

Shopping Ban: Month 1 Update

It's been 1 month since I started my shopping ban! The month of October has been interesting. I purged many items, stayed under my two week budgets, and learned a lot about my consumer habits. 

First thing I did was go through and declutter a few areas of my house. I went through office supplies, gear, clothing, various closets, linens, and kitchen cabinets. I counted and tracked every single item - every paintbrush or marker I gave to a teacher friend, every CD I recycled, every broken food container I recycled, every clothing item I donated, etc. All told in my October purge, I removed 845 items from my possession.

Donated: 566
Recycled: 196
Trash: 41
Gifted (or to be gifted): 29
Sold (or to be sold): 13

I have a few items I found that I will gift to others in the upcoming holidays, so I'm counting them in the purged category. I also have a handful of things to sell, but I have been traveling a lot for work and haven't quite had time yet.

The decluttering and purging felt so good. I love cleaning up, and making things happen, and it felt very freeing to get rid of things I didn't need, didn't remember I had, that didn't fit me anymore, etc. I will continue to declutter more in November and see how that goes!

The second thing I did was start a tracking file of everything I brought into the house (sans food). All told, I purchased 1 gift, a 2 pack of contact solution, 1 toothbrush, and 3 bike parts. Gifts, toiletries, and bike parts are all on the approved list. So that was pretty good! I had no real urges to buy anything, honestly. I imagine that might get harder as this experiment goes on though.

The third thing about this month is that I noticed a change in habits, perceptions, and reactions to things. Commercials on TV kind of disgust me. Especially with the upcoming holidays and and high shopping/consuming time, it is very disturbing. I don't actually need anything, and if I had a thought where "oh having X might make Y easier" I forced myself to think of alternative solutions. I turned it into a creative process and that was a bit of a challenge but I enjoyed it.

I also found myself getting sucked into a few marketing emails so I unsubscribed to the majority of them. I kept the outdoor shop ones but got rid of pretty much everything else. So that's been nice too! I never realized the mental challenge of constant marketing bombardment. It was almost subconscious. See marketing email, open email, see sale, click on link, browse items, see something that could be cool, think about it for 5 seconds, worry the sale will sell out, purchase item. But in reality, 2 minutes earlier I had no need for that item. So why do I need it now? I don't. So I unsubscribed to basically every marketing email. I had fallen into the consumer trap and now I'm trying to claw my way back out!

I also had to purchase some items for work, and felt very weird about shopping even though work was paying for it and it was necessary items. It was a strange carryover from the shopping ban into my professional life. It'll be interesting how those 2 versions of me coexist for this!

So far I haven't purchased anything on my "approved item list" either. I am sure I will, but so far nothing.

I did one other cool thing this month - I rented a dress for my formal event last week. I could have worn something I had, or I could have bought something, but I wanted to try something new. The experience was pretty good, I feel environmentally responsible, and I saved money by not spending $100+ on a fancy dress I'm going to wear for 8 hours and then not again for the foreseeable future. I felt good about the decision and it worked out great!

Spending and shopping go together with financial goals, and I managed to stay easily under budget this month. The shopping ban definitely made me rethink ALL purchases like eating out and grocery choices. I definitely still did eat out this month but far less than I normally do. That was not a goal of the process but an unintended side effect. I don't feel like I am deprived of any experiences so I won't overthink it!

So basically, I stayed easily under my financial budgets, started to be more aware of all the marketing around me, spent less money on accident, and had a successful first month!

Weekly Science Roundup: 11/2/2018

Where does your recycled plastic go? Perhaps into future highways. The Washington Post, 10/28/2018

Robots to play "stork" and plant coral larvae around the Great Barrier Reef New Atlas, 10/29/2018

A running list of action on plastic pollution National Geographic, 10/29/2018

Climate change: 'Wetlands vital to protect cities' BBC, 10/29/2018

A Rare Dumbo Octopus Has Been Filmed Swimming in The Deep Ocean Science Alert, 10/29/2018

John Kerry & David Cameron: Help us protect oceans from climate change, pollution, overfishing USA Today, 10/29/2018

Plastic waste elimination pledge by 2025 attracts more big firms BBC, 10/29/2018

We Cannot Recycle And Beach Clean Our Way Out Of A Plastics Crisis Huffington Post, 10/29/2018

Study uncovers high levels of previously unsuspected pollutant in homes, environment Phys.org, 10/30/2018

China Just Legalized Rhino Horn And Tiger Bone For Medical Use, Reversing 25-Year Ban Huffington Post, 10/30/2018

The planet’s hidden climate change Reuters Special Report, 10/30/2018

93 percent of the world’s children breathe toxic, polluted air each day USA Today, 10/30/2018

Scientists Have Found The Largest Deep-Sea Nursery, With More Than 1000 Octopuses Science Alert, 10/30/2018

Two generations of humans have killed off more than half the world’s wildlife populations, report finds Washington Post, 10/30/2018

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Just Smashed Two Records in a Single Day Gizmodo, 10/30/2018

LOS ANGELES MUST PAY BILLIONS TO ADAPT—OR SLIP INTO THE SEA Wired, 10/31/2018

Visualizing the Global Transition to Green Energy Visual Capitalist, 10/31/2018

Why Do Birds Have Colorful Eggs? Because They're Dinosaurs Gizmodo, 10/31/2018

5 recycling myths busted National Geographic, 10/31/2018

Earth’s Wildlife Populations Have Dropped By 60 Percent Since 1970 Huffington Post, 10/31/2018

Historic flooding in Italy: What role has climate change played in the destruction? USA Today, 10/31/2018

Five countries hold 70% of world's last wildernesses, map reveals The Guardian, 10/31/2018

Study: Freak summer weather and wild jet-stream patterns are on the rise because of global warming Washington Post, 10/31/2018

I tried living a zero waste life for 7 days — here's what I learned CNBC, 10/31/2018

DNA project to decode 'all complex life' on Earth BBC, 11/1/2018

Climate change: Oceans 'soaking up more heat than estimated' BBC, 11/1/2018

A supercomputer on the ISS will soon be open for science experiments The Verge, 11/1/2018

Conservation Book of the Month November 2018 - Our National Parks, John Muir

Come join the conversation in the Goodreads book club!

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It's 1 November so it's time for the next #ocbookofthemonth! Our National Parks by John Muir. I'm very excited to read this book. John Muir is one of my heroes and I've been meaning to read this book for ages. Now is the time! . Join the conversation here, on Goodreads, and on Twitter! . #ocbookofthemonth #ournationalparks #johnmuir #conservation #nationalparks #nature #conservation #publiclands #stewardship

A post shared by @ outdoorconservation on Nov 1, 2018 at 4:35am PDT