statism

The war on African poaching: is militarization doomed to fail?

"Governments have given game rangers better weapons, engaged intelligence analysts, and put spotter planes, helicopters, and unmanned drones into the air. Some have deployed their national defense forces into national parks. Private wildlife custodians have spent millions on their own armed anti-poaching guards, sniffer dogs, mini-drones, and informants. The continental-scale slaughter of rhinos and elephants continues to intensify, despite rising arrests and killings of poachers and increasing interdiction of illegal shipments of rhino horn and ivory. Some drug policy experts liken the uphill battle against African poaching to the war on drugs, an extraordinarily expensive, bloody failure." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe war on African poaching: is militarization doomed to fail?

Invasive starfish species threatens Philippines coral reef

"A coral-killing starfish has begun infesting a channel of water in the Philippines famed for having some of the most diverse marine life in the world. The appearance of the crown-of-thorns starfish in the Verde Island Passage could cause great damage to the area’s biodiversity, Jacob Meimban, head of the wildlife bureau’s coastal marine management office, told AFP. 'The crown-of-thorns starfish really kills the corals. It eats the polyps of the corals, leaving the bleached, white bodies. Then it moves elsewhere… until it leaves the reef dead,' Meimban said. Environmentalists have warned for years that the passage, a popular dive location, is under grave threat from pollution and overfishing." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingInvasive starfish species threatens Philippines coral reef

More than 200 manatees killed in Florida by ‘red tide’ algae

"Wildlife officials in Florida are facing an especially stiff challenge this year in saving the state’s manatee population from a poisonous brand of algae that has spread around the coast. CBS News reported on Friday that 207 manatees have died this year after being infected by toxins released by 'red tide' algae. The poisonous materials found in the algae attach themselves to the manatees’ food, and can paralyze manatees after digestion, causing them to drown. 'When you do find them it’s almost too late,' said Virginia Edmonds, director of a manatee critical care facility at Lowery Park Zoo in Tampa. 'They’re out there struggling. They’re going to end up drowning.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMore than 200 manatees killed in Florida by ‘red tide’ algae

Millions spent to begin razing of 7,000 abandoned properties in Dayton

"Kevin Powell, the city’s acting manager of housing inspection, says officials plan to use $5.2 million to raze 475 abandoned properties by the end of September. The city knocked down 1,172 abandoned structures - single-family homes, strip malls, multi-unit buildings, commercial properties etc. — between 2009 and 2012, using money that included $8 million in federal funds. The average cost for a demolition, which includes asbestos removal, is $11,000. Abandon properties have a negative impact on the city’s tax collection, which are used to remove abandon properties and pay for other city services. 'It’s a complete circle that keeps eating upon itself,' Powell said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMillions spent to begin razing of 7,000 abandoned properties in Dayton

Predators in Your Backyard?

"This 2010-11 BBC documentary, Predators in Your Backyard, shows how 'Rewilding' is being accomplished in the US and other places. They state up front that this is a dangerous experiment but strangely fail to show the real downsides to the actual project. For instance, the BBC film would leave you believing that the reintroduction of wolves in the west has been an unparalled success. The Predators in Your Backyard gives the viewer the impression that efforts to reintroduce predators such as the wolf, bear and panther, into areas of human habitation are edgy projects but also entirely noble ones." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPredators in Your Backyard?

Wildlife trafficker kills 5 crocodiles, 90 rare birds as police descend on his compound

"Five dead crocodiles, 14 critically endangered turtles and a cache of other rare species have been found in the home of a suspected wildlife trader in one of the Philippines’ biggest slums, the government said Friday. The juvenile saltwater crocodiles, as well as 90 birds, were killed by the trader or his aides shortly before police and environment officials raided the place Wednesday, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said. He denounced the unnamed suspects’ 'cruelty'. 'What’s particularly alarming about this poaching incident is that there were reports that most of these endangered animals were intentionally killed to avoid detection by authorities,' Paje said in a statement." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWildlife trafficker kills 5 crocodiles, 90 rare birds as police descend on his compound

Government plans to euthanize hundreds of desert tortoises after budget cuts to refuge

"The Desert Tortoise Conservation Center — a 23-year-old federal refuge in Las Vegas for the threatened species — has collected only $290,000 from its primary funding source of local developer fees over the last 11 months, the AP reports. The center can’t count on the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or Nevada Department of Wildlife to make up the shortfall on the center’s $1 million annual operating budget because of federal and state budget constraints. The result? Center administrators are planning to close the 220-acre facility in 2014 and euthanize about half of the 1400 tortoises under their protection." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGovernment plans to euthanize hundreds of desert tortoises after budget cuts to refuge

Tesla Wants To Eliminate Side Mirrors; Regulators Stand In The Way

"Instead of the traditional wing-like mirror jutting out into the air, the Model X used small video cameras built into the doors with display cameras on the inside. This drastically improved the aerodynamics of the Model X, but also broke Federal safety regulations. While Federal regulations requiring the addition of back-up cameras to cars was slated to go into effect this year, lawmakers have pushed that law back to 2015. That means Tesla has time to lobby lawmakers to rewrite the law to allow for the option of eliminating side mirrors and replacing them with video cameras. Some estimates say that by just getting rid of side mirrors, aerodynamics could improve as much as 5% overall." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTesla Wants To Eliminate Side Mirrors; Regulators Stand In The Way

Bush Winks, Sends Millions in Untraceable Cash to Musharraf [2007]

"After Pervez Musharraf declared martial law this weekend, Condoleezza Rice vowed to review U.S. assistance to Pakistan, one of the largest foreign recipients of American aid. Musharraf, of course, has been a crucial American ally since the start of the Afghanistan war in 2001, and the U.S. has rewarded him ever since with over $10 billion in civilian and (mostly) military largesse. A considerable amount of the money the U.S. gives to Pakistan is administered not through U.S. agencies or joint U.S.-Pakistani programs. Instead, the U.S. gives Musharraf's government about $200 million annually and his military $100 million monthly in the form of direct cash transfers." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBush Winks, Sends Millions in Untraceable Cash to Musharraf [2007]

Belarus and Russia in a ‘chocolate war’ against Ukraine

"Belarus will not allow confectionery manufactured by Roshen to cross its territory. That’s after the Russian sanitary services banned the confectioners products after the toxic hydrocarbon benzopyrene was found in Roshen milk chocolate. Roshen could stand to lose $200mn from the ‘chocolate war’ with Russia according to Oleksandr Sokolov, director of analytics at Pro-Consulting talking to Ukrinform. Kazakhstan, the third party to the Customs Union with Russia and Belarus, has so far not found any signs of benzopyrene in Roshen products. On Saturday Tajikistan said it had found no impurity in Roshen confectionary products imported into the country." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBelarus and Russia in a ‘chocolate war’ against Ukraine