0
POPSWhere bombs were born, birds now flock More than 4.7 million tons of low-level waste remain at Fernald in a fenced-off, 110-acre pile encased in thick liners and caps made of synthetic material, clay, rock and clean soil. The 65-foot-high, grass-covered mound snaking along an edge of the preserve is about the length of two Empire State Buildings laid end to end. The rest of the radioactive waste - more than a million tons - was shipped to storage and disposal sites in Nevada, Utah and Texas. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I can express a naughty thought, that I hope the toxic waste sent to Texas goes near Bush's home, and far away from Wiccan Texan.
12
POPSHummingbird Photos and Some Surprising Facts This incredible flying ability makes hummingbirds one of the most fascinating birds to watch. You'll catch sight of a wild hummingbird in the Americas -- anywhere from Alaska to Brazil. Some Mexican hummingbirds will migrate north for spring, flying up to 500 miles in 20 hours without a break . Hummingbirds almost never stop moving, and they spend nearly all of their time in the air. Their legs are so small and weak, they typically can't walk at all. But in the air, they're masters. Hummingbirds beat their wings up to 80 times a second, which creates the soft humming sound that earns them their name . Their heart can beat up to 1,300 times per minute while in flight . All of this lightning-fast beating takes its toll: Hummingbirds have to eat every couple of minutes. They consume enormous amounts of pollen, using a string-thin, long tongue to draw pollen out of deep flowers.
1
POPSAnimal Communication Dr. Marler has contributed a wealth of information about animal communication, cognition and social biology. He has lead a very interesting life.
19
POPSWildlife in the DMZ: Vanishing rainforest of the Congo basin 1, The demilitarised zone (DMZ) separating South and North Korea is home to over 1,000 plant species and rare animals. The DMZ Forum is a lobby group promoting the idea of turning the area into a nature reserve. 2. The forest is the world's biggest after the Amazon. Now Britain and Norway have created a £108m fund to help protect it from logging and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The Congo basin forest is home to around 50 million people in six countries including Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Congo-Brazzaville. The Congo basin forest is twice the size of France and exceeded in size only by the Amazon. It is estimated that logging - much of it illegal - destroys an area the size of 25,000 football pitches every week. The UN estimates that at present rates two-thirds of the forest will have vanished by the year 2040.
6
POPSGender-bending chemicals are putting the high notes in birdsong "They discovered that the region of the brain that controls songs in starlings - the "high vocal centre" - was much bigger in contaminated birds. Their study, reported in the journal Public Library of Science One, did not look at the effect of the oestrogen on the birds' fertility. Past studies have shown that oestrogen in sewage outlets is changing the sex of fish and causing males to produce eggs. "
3
POPSKill the cat that kills the bird? Interesting article about the conflict between cat lovers and bird watchers. There is good evidence that America's large population of feral cats has decimate bird populations, including endangered species. Bird watchers advocate culling feral cats, which cat lovers do not want to do. The story focuses on Jim Stevenson, who was tried for shooting and killing a feral cat in defense of some piping plovers, an endangered species.
1
POPSNeed for Cash and Protein from Poultry Drives Bird Flu The desire for cheap protein, as well as extra cash in cash strapped areas illustrates why "culling" or killing thousands of birds does not suppress re-emergence of avian influenza. If you need the cash, you hide some birds or you re-import roosters and hens with no or few questions asked. Another solution is needed to break the cycle.
3
POPS Scientists Research Disappearance Of Bumblebees Thorp, an emeritus professor of entomology from the University of California at Davis, found one solitary worker last year along a remote mountain trail in the Siskiyou Mountains, but hasn't been able to locate any this year He fears that the species — Franklin's bumblebee — has gone extinct before anyone could even propose it for the endangered species list. To make matters worse, two other bumblebee species — one on the East coast, one on the West — have gone from common to rare. Honey Bee Die-Off-Alarm Beekeepers http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/02/05/bees_ani.html?category=animals&guid=20070205144500
22
POPSWHO'S YOUR MOMMA? Without such a promiscuous capacity for trust, an infant whose mother abandoned it or died shortly after its birth would face certain doom if it were unable to swap preferences for an adoptive parent.
1
Pops
Newest Clips
Latest Comments
Most Pops
Print
Save
Turn on live update