• Global Warming Puts Reindeer at Risk of Extinction
  
• Americans, Russians Partner for Siberian Tiger Census
  
• Human Testing of Vaccine for Deadly Ricin to Begin
  
• EPA Adds Regulation to Voluntary Phaseout of Flame Retardants
  
• Grants to Reduce Lead Poisoning Available
  
• Soy Biodiesel Plus Heating Oil = Bioheat
  
• Alaska Wildlife Agency Permits Aerial Gunning of Wolves
  
• 1,500 Devices Float the Global Oceans Picking Up Data
  

Global Warming Puts Reindeer at Risk of Extinction

Their study looked at the archaeological record in southwestern France, where reindeer became locally extinct during two earlier episodes of warming roughly 10,000 and 130,000 years ago.

"There will be a direct impact of increases in summer temperature on reindeer well-being if global warming is allowed to proceed," said University of Washington archaeologist Donald Grayson, lead author of the study. "The number of southern reindeer will diminish dramatically as their range will move far to the north, and the number of reindeer in the north also will fall greatly."

Grayson and his colleague, Francoise Delpech, a French paleontologist at the Institut de Prehistoire et de Geologie du Quaternaire at the University of Bordeaux, will report their findings in a forthcoming issue of the journal "Conservation Biology."

The researchers examined the fossil record left in Grotte XVI, a cave above the Ceou River in the Dordogne region of France. The cave, which was occupied by both Neandertal and later Cro-Magnon people, has a very well dated archaeological sequence from about 40,000 to 12,000 years ago.

Grayson and Delpech correlated the number of reindeer bones found in the cave with summer climate data from previously published paleobotany studies of pollen counts.

"As summer temperatures went up, the number of reindeer went down," said Grayson. "The warmer the summer, the fewer the reindeer. And when the Pleistocene Epoch ended about 10,000 years ago and summer temperatures soared, reindeer disappeared. Sometime between 11,000 and 10,000 years ago, reindeer became extinct from higher elevations in southwestern France."

Grayson said the idea of looking at summer temperature as a driving factor in declining reindeer populations is important and controversial. Biologists have linked declines in animal populations to a combination of changing climate and vegetation, increased rainfall and even insect harassment. He admits that there is no fossil record of rodent or small mammals to support the findings in Grotte XVI, but contends reindeer biologists have ignored summer temperature.

"Reindeer cannot physiologically tolerate high summer temperatures," he said. "They have almost no sweat glands and keep their insulation, a heavy pelt, in the summer. You would expect them to have trouble in high temperatures. Summer in those conditions would be the worst time for them because they have to eat a great deal to make up for the scarcity of winter food."

The National Science Foundation, the Sous Direction de l'Archeologie et Direction des Musees de France and the Conseil General de la Dordogne funded the research.

Americans, Russians Partner for Siberian Tiger Census

Tiger surveys in Russia are conducted in winter, when a blanket of snow allows fieldworkers to canvass the vast region of the Sikhote-Alin Mountain Range, which holds 95 percent of the remaining Siberian tigers.

This census will involve hundreds of biologists, hunters and trackers. Last surveyed in 1996, the population, then estimated at 415 to 476 individuals, has been under continuing pressures from poaching, logging and hunting.

"This tiger survey represents a milestone in cooperative, international conservation efforts, with full political support from both regional and national governmental bodies of the Russian Federation, as well as financial and technical support from the international conservation community," said Dale Miquelle, director of the WCS Russia Program, and coordinator for the project, at a press conference Vladivostok, Russia.

Starting now, the survey team will search for tracks left by tigers as they move through their home ranges looking for prey. A geographic database records the location and characteristics of each track reported, allowing specialists to estimate minimum numbers of tigers in the entire region.

The lone remaining population of Siberian tigers was under pressure during the early 1990s, when the collapse of the Soviet Union resulted in political and economic chaos, forcing local residents to seek any means, including poaching of endangered species like tigers, to earn a living.

The results of the last survey, along with subsequent monitoring, initially indicated that the Siberian tiger population had stabilized due in part to stepped-up enforcement efforts. However, in the past five-to-seven years, some indicators suggest that tiger numbers may again be decreasing.

"To develop effective strategies to conserve endangered species, it is essential to know how many there are out there," said Boris Tsoy, assistant Director of the Provincial Department of Natural Resources. "Such surveys, of course, are very expensive today, but thanks to the support of both the federal government and non-governmental organizations, we'll be able to obtain this vital information in 2005."

For the first time in 10 years, the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources has allocated funds for tiger conservation. About $50,000 is earmarked for thissurvey, one-sixth of the $300,000 required to do the work.

American and international organizations have come forward to provide the remaining amounts, including the Exxon-Mobile Save the Tiger Fund, the Liz Claiborne Art Ortenberg Foundation, 21st Century Tiger, Wildlife Conservation Society, and WWF.

Human Testing of Vaccine for Deadly Ricin to Begin

EPA Adds Regulation to Voluntary Phaseout of Flame Retardants

The two chemicals, penta and octa, are part of a chemical group called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, and have been used as flame retardants in commercial products such as furniture foam and structural plastics in small electronic appliances and computers.

PBDEs have been found in human breast milk, fish, aquatic birds and elsewhere in the environment. Toxicological testing indicates that these chemicals may be harmful to humans.

The EPA's regulatory action follows a November 3, 2003 phaseout announcement by the Great Lakes Chemical Corp., the only U.S. manufacturer of Penta and Octa.

In a statement today, the EPA said it is "concerned that manufacturing could be restarted in the future." This regulation, a Significant New Use Rule, provides that the agency will have 90 days to evaluate potential risks, and can prohibit or limit any new use or activity that may pose a concern.

Great Lakes is the world’s leading producer of flame retardants with what the company calls "an aggressive commitment to technological innovation and product development."

Its products include flame retardants based on bromine, phosphorus, and antimony. These products protect against fire in plastics for consumer applications such as automotive, electrical, building materials, and furnishings.

Phasing out these two chemicals, penta and octa, and encouraging the development of safer alternatives, without losing the benefits of flame retardant use, are priorities for EPA and various stakeholders.

The EPA has convened a group of stakeholders in its Furniture Flame Retardancy Partnership, including chemical manufacturers, the furniture industry, government agencies and consumer groups.

In addition, the agency is evaluating PBDE chemical test data submitted by industry in the Voluntary Children's Chemical Evaluation Program and will make the results of this evaluation available this winter.

Little is known about the specific toxic effects of brominated flame retardants, but their increasing presence in human tissue worries health officials because they have been associated with cancer, endocrine disruption and impaired brain development in animal studies.

The European Union has banned two types of PBDEs - the penta and octa formulations - and is currently considering a ban on a third type, the deca formulation.

More information on PBDEs, the Significant New Use Rule and the Furniture Flame Retardancy Partnership is online at: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pbde

Grants to Reduce Lead Poisoning Available

Under a new competitive lead grant program, the EPA will provide funding to communities having high rates of elevated blood lead levels, as well as to communities where there are conditions associated with elevated blood lead levels.

Children are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning because of their metabolism and hand-to-mouth activity. Lead can cause neurological problems and learning disabilities in young children.

State and local governments, federally-recognized Indian Tribes and Tribal consortia, territories, institutions of higher learning and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for grants that will range from $25,000 to $100,000.

Applicants must represent communities with historical and likely incidences of elevated blood lead levels. Proposals should include ways to address unique and challenging issues in lead-poisoning prevention, particularly ones that could be replicated in other high-risk areas, the agency says.

Applicants should submit written applications on plain paper to regional lead contacts. Decisions will be made on the basis of this informal application; successful applicants will then be required to submit the full application.

The grantees will be announced in April 2005.

More information about the proposal process, the new grant program and measures to prevent lead poisoning is available at: http://www.epa.gov/lead.

Soy Biodiesel Plus Heating Oil = Bioheat

Bioheat is becoming increasingly available, particularly in the Northeast, according to the National Biodiesel Board.

Two Northeast companies have recently joined the small number of energy retailers that provide bioheat to their customers.

MASS BIOFUEL, the sister company of Fisher Churchill Oil Co. in Dedham, Massachusetts, began offering a blend of soy biodiesel and low sulfur heating oil on November 1.

Bob Warren, MASS BIOFUEL president, says that although marketing has just begun the initial response from his customers has been positive.

“Bioheat's time has come,” said Warren. “Customers are looking for alternatives. They are fed up with OPEC. Bioheat will reduce our dependency on foreign oil, help clean up the environment and increase income for our American farmers.”

In Manheim, Pennsylvania, Worley & Obetz, Inc. began providing bioheat to its customers this year. Company officials estimate that, on average, there are five gallons of renewable fuel in each home heating oil delivery.

Testing conducted by the Massachusetts Oilheat Council and the National Oilheat Research Alliance found that a blend of 80 percent low sulfur heating oil and 20 percent biodiesel (B20) reduced sulfur oxide emissions by at least 80 percent.

Nitrogen oxide emissions were lowered by about 20 percent. In addition, carbon dioxide emissions can be lowered by 20 percent.

Alaska Wildlife Agency Permits Aerial Gunning of Wolves

Last year 147 wolves were killed as the Alaska Board of Game resumed the practice of aerial killing, despite the fact Alaskans have twice voted to ban the practice in statewide referenda in 1996 and 2000.

"Alaska’s aerial assault program violates any notion of sensible wildlife management techniques, which is what we believe violates the Federal Airborne Hunting Act," stated Karen Deatherage, Alaska Program Associate for Defenders of Wildlife. "Hundreds of wolves will be decimated, leaving only scant representation of the species in areas that could and should support much more."

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game wants at least 500 wolves killed this winter, while the Board of Game has targeted nearly 1,000 wolves through seven approved aerial killing programs.

Coupled with legal hunting and trapping, almost a third of Alaska’s wolf population could be slaughtered this winter, Defenders says. More than 80 sport hunters have applied for aerial gunning permits and nearly 30 permits have been issued.

Defenders of Wildlife believes that the state is killing wolves and bears in order to artificially increase moose and caribou populations. "These hunter subsidy programs are clearly for the benefit of rich sportsmen," said Deatherage. "More than 80 percent of the moose killed in some areas is done by non-resident and non-rural trophy hunters."

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game acknowledges that it does control wolves for the benefit of hunters. "Currently, wolf control programs are scheduled for this winter on less than two percent of Alaska's land. In these areas, wolf numbers will be temporarily reduced, but wolves will not be permanently eliminated from any area.

"Successful programs allow humans to take more moose, and healthy populations of wolves to continue to thrive in Alaska," the agency says.

Alaska is inhabited by the largest remaining population of gray wolves in the United States. State biologists estimate some 7,000 to 9,000 wolves roam the state.

Unlike wolves in the lower 48 states, wolves in Alaska are not protected under the Endangered Species Act, and wolf hunting is allowed in 95 percent of Alaska. In the past six years, more than 9,000 wolves have been killed through hunting and trapping.

1,500 Devices Float the Global Oceans Picking Up Data

The fleet will eventually include 3,000 floats, according to a NOAA press release. The devices, collectively called Argo, are in all the world’s ice-free oceans and are principal tools of many nations’ climate and weather programs. The European Union and 17 nations participated in the program.

“These devices are an important part of a global ocean observing system,” said NOAA Administrator Conrad Lautenbacher. “Argo floats collect and deliver information on the temperature and salinity of the upper 2,000 meters of the ocean and help give answers to a wide range of oceanographic and climate issues.”

Data collected by the floats are available without restriction to anyone wanting to use them. They are made available as soon as initial quality checks are completed, usually within 24 hours.

Scientists around the world use the Argo data to calculate heat storage by the ocean, study salinity changes because of changing rainfall, predict El Niño events, monitor how the oceans drive hurricanes and typhoons and other applications.

Information about the Group on Earth Observations is available at: http://earthobservations.org

Follow the floats at http://www.argo.ucsd.edu/FrAbout_Argo.html