"Every Awful Thing Trump Has Promised to Do in a Second Term
The former president has pushed a slew of terrifying proposals, both publicly and privately, that he plans to unleash on America should he take down Biden"
It is a mistake to think of #nature as warm and cuddly. Many, perhaps most, #violent encounters between #humans and #wildlife are the result of the former treating the latter as #Disney characters.
One reason “#birds are #dinosaurs” made immediate sense to me was a vivid childhood memory: when I was about ten, I thought some #goslings were cute and wanted to pet them. #Mother#Goose had other ideas. Yeah, don’t do that.
It is equally a mistake to assume nature is All #Killing, All The Time. Fighting takes a lot of energy, and wild animals—including our own distant ancestors—are in constant peril of #starvation. Even a minor #injury can lead to #infection and #death.
Violence is a tool of survival, to be sure, whether in #predation, self-defense, or squabbles over #territory and #mating. Unnecessary violence is a quick road to #extinction. Most animals would rather do something else, when they can.
So before you fall back on “red in tooth and claw” as a default, look for other explanations. They’re usually more interesting anyway.
The likelihood of extinction necessitates a rapid response in terms of reassessing the composition of influenza vaccines, enhanced surveillance for B/Yamagata, and a possible change in the biosafety level when handling B/Yamagata viruses in laboratories.
Scientists tracked a young #whale's journey before he vanished. What they learned could help save his species.
#Bishop’s story, from birth to presumed death, shows the extreme danger facing right #whales, which could be extinct in 3 decades if they continue to disappear at the present rate. Bishop’s species is not doomed to #extinction …but time is running out.
In most ways #Bishop was a normal #RightWhale. For the first year of his life, his mother nursed & protected him, & he learned to feed by swimming, mouth agape, through patches of plankton floating near the surface.
But on Jan 20, 2015, Bishop became something more: a precious source of data that would help scientists better understand the dangers afflicting his species.
For much of his migration, #Bishop swam through waters where the lack of #SpeedLimits makes #vessel strikes more likely.
In 2022, the #Biden admin proposed expanding that area & applying speed limits to smaller #vessels….
The proposed expanded boundaries have been embraced by scientists & advocates, who say it could help save #NorthAtlantic#RightWhales from #extinction. But NOAA Fisheries, the agency behind the proposal, has yet to finalize the rule, which is still being reviewed by the WH.
The delay has frustrated #whale advocates, who say more urgency is required. “As we watch this species go extinct one by one, the solution sits idle in the hands of the administration,” said Kathleen Collins, a snr marine campaign manager at the Intl Fund for #AnimalWelfare.
As a 1-yr-old, #Bishop managed to weave through #vessel-filled waters unscathed. Other #RightWhales aren’t as lucky.
So far this year, a dead female turned up off Virginia w/ a dislocated spine, a calf was discovered in Georgia w/head lacerations, & a young female was found — again in Georgia — w/ a fractured skull. All the injuries are consistent with #vessel strikes.
"Bishop’s story, from birth to presumed death, shows the extreme danger facing right #whales, which could be #extinct in three decades if they continue to disappear at the present rate.
Koalas face habitat loss pressure by deforestation and sprawl. The verge of the road is their new home now.
"Urban koalas and ones in rural areas are not doing so well, they are continuing to decline at an alarming rate.This is a classic sign of loss of habitat and these animals having to struggle in areas where habitat has been removed...The number of koalas being hit by cars recently has been concerning..."
@pkw These organism already exist under the so-called extremophiles. But they would have to work hundreds, thousands or even millions of years.
Now, at the moment, humans are effectively eradicating big parts of the species that make up our planet and ensure that it is this wonderful and unique planet. These living beings are often more sensitive and go before us. 😭 https://earth.org/sixth-mass-extinction-of-wildlife-accelerating/
First the thylacine, then the koala, then the kookaburra...
"The tree hollows kookaburras need to breed can take a hundred years to develop. Every forest patch felled means hollows are lost. Over the past 200 years, nearly 50% of our forest cover has been felled. Urban development all along Australia’s east coast has continued."
The “guuguubarra” laughed for 16.3 million years. "That once-ubiquitous call will be heard no more."