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What REALLY Kills Birds?

By Jane West, Esq., Environmental Attorney

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act is not a heavily litigated piece of federal legislation, mostly because the courts have chiseled down the scope of the Act so narrowly that it rarely applies to indirect, unintentional commercial activity. But last week, an informative ruling emerged from a North Dakota federal court grappling with migratory birds that had died as a result of highly toxic reserve pits used by the Brigham Oil & Gas Company. The ruling is not so interesting in its ultimate outcome (the oil and gas company prevailed on a motion to dismiss) but rather some of the significant factual findings that were presented to the Court by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service who were the plaintiffs in the case. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has published a summary of estimates on how many birds are killed each year by human-caused threats that the Court reiterated in its Order. These include the following:

“1. Collisions. Building window strikes may account for 97 to 976 million bird deaths each year. Communication towers conservatively kill 4 to 5 million birds annually (possibly closer to 40 to 50 million; a nationwide cumulative impacts study should help resolve this question). Strikes at high tension transmission and distribution power lines very conservatively kills tens of thousands of birds annually. Taking into account the millions of miles of bulk transmission and distribution lines in the U.S., and extrapolating from European studies, actual mortality could be as high as 174 million deaths annually. Electrocutions probably kill tens of thousands of birds but the problem is barely monitored. Cars may kill 60 million birds or more each year, private and commercial aircraft far fewer, while wind turbine rotors kill an estimated 33,000 birds annually.”

The U.S. Fish Wildlife Service report also noted that pesticides were estimated to result in the direct deaths of 72 million birds annually, oil spills can kills hundreds of thousands more and up to 2 million birds are killed annually in oil and wastewater pits – that was the source of bird kills in the instant case. In addition, cats are responsible for killing hundreds of millions of songbirds and other avian species each year. A recent study in Wisconsin estimated that in that state alone, domestic rural cats kill roughly 39 million birds annually. Lastly, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service noted that tens to thousands of seabirds are estimated to die in fisheries each year as a result of by-catch.

Bird kills are not a pleasant topic. No one, other than a hunter perhaps, wants to see a bird die. But neither do I want to see humans die. Right now, according to NOAA, air quality in the U.S. is so poor that it accounts for over 50,000 premature deaths per year. Human deaths. As an amateur birder myself and a mother of two small children, there is an intrinsic balancing act here. I think we can be confident that the the great majority of us who care about our environment and our future are most certainly in favor of developing renewable energy. Impacts from wind development proposed in the sugarcane fields of the Everglades Agricultural Area must absolutely be examined, but so too should the heavyweights of bird mortality that have an indelible presence in western Palm Beach County, such as high tension transmission and distribution power lines, communication towers and pesticides. Consistency with an eye on the big picture helps with the balancing that challenges us all.

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January 26, 2012- River of Grass Canoe Expedition 2012

This week, Radio Green Earth is covering the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation’s River of Grass Canoe Expedition that took place January 18th through the 24th. Twelve paddlers embarked on a 78-mile journey, including our very own Jim Jackson, to experience the Everglades wilderness for seven days and he’ll be telling you all about their adventures.

The expedition begins at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge in Boynton Beach, flows through Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, and ends at Tamiami Trail at the Everglades National Park. The paddlers, ranging from ages 22 to 70, are wildlife lovers that come from backgrounds in science, environmental disciplines, education, media and the arts.

Schools in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties had the opportunity to participate in daily webcasts that give students a close view of the Everglades. The paddlers shared their experiences with the students, teaching them about the Everglades vegetation and wildlife. In this special show, we will be talking with Jim not only about his canoe trip experience, but also about the beauty of the Everglades he experienced.

Join us for an hour of environmental news, this feature story, our green tip-of-the-week, and our environmental events calendar Thursdays at 9 AM on WQCS 88.9 FM and Thursdays 6 PM on Seaview Radio 960 AM, 95.9 FM and 106.9 FM. Also available live at www.radiogreenearth.org and on iTunes.

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Fish for Dinner? Take a Pass on the Chilean Sea Bass

Written by Radio Green Earth correspondent Chris Cherniak.

Pity the poor Chilean Sea Bass. It’s neither from Chile or a Sea Bass. It’s unattractive looks are only outdone by it’s even more unattractive original name, the Patagonian Toothfish. Here’s the worst part (if you’re the fish at least), it tastes really good and chef’s love it for it’s color, texture, oil-rich flesh and cooking qualities.

As a result, Chilean Sea Bass have been overfished to the point that their current populations are unsustainable. So if it’s on display at your local market or offered on a menu, and not labeled as certified, there’s a good chance it’s been illegally caught. Avoid it until more sustainable fishing policies and practices are in place. At $25 per pound, and $38 per plate, that shouldn’t be too difficult.

Patagonian Toothfish is found in the deep waters of the southern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, along with underwater shelves around the Antarctic. They feed largely on squid, fish, and prawns and, in turn, are food for sperm whales, elephant seals and giant squid. They average about 20 pounds when commercially caught but can exceed over 7 feet and 400 pounds in size.

They are capable of living for up to fifty years but don’t begin to reproduce until they are around 9 or 10 years old, which is about the same time they become large enough for harvest. Therefore, many females reach market size before they reach sexual maturity. As sustainability goes, that’s a worst case scenario.

The methods used to catch toothfish also cause problems. Bottom trawling can damage seafloor habitat, collect juvenile fish and other unwanted bycatch. And miles of baited longline gear can fatally hook and drown endangered albatross and other seabirds as they take the baited hooks at the surface and then dragged down as the gear sinks.

The Chilean Sea Bass is listed as a “fish to avoid” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium on its Seafood Watch list due to overfishing and potentially high levels of mercury which bioaccumulate within older fish.

At present, only the South Georgia and Ross Sea Patagonian Toothfish longline fisheries are certified as sustainable to the standard of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The MSC is an independent non-profit organization that has developed an environmental standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. The MSC product label can be found at www.msc.org.

All restaurants and stores that sell Chilean Sea Bass should have the MSC “Chain of Custody” certification. Legitimate sellers should be able to produce this document when consumers ask. If the certificate is not available, don’t make the purchase. Note: according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, this fish also goes by the names of Antarctic Cod, Black Hake and Icefish, so don’t be fooled by those names.

However, at the end of the day, it’s all about us, the one’s with the forks in our hand, that matter most. If we don’t choose it, the chef won’t buy it; and if we don’t ask for it, the fishmongerer won’t stock it. So, until its populations recover, illegal harvesting is shut down, and more sustainable fisheries are certified, simply “Pass on the Chilean Sea Bass”.

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Town of Haverhill’s Garage Sale

The Town of Haverhill is having a garage sale on Saturday, January 21. The garage sale will be located at the Town Hall Ball Field from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Don’t miss out on these remarkable deals! Come out to Haverhill’s garage sale to catch these great prices, meet with old friends and make new ones.

Also, residents from the Town of Haverhill, Ocean Ridge and Atlantis should stop by the Haverhill booth to learn how to apply for an Energy Rebate for up to $1,200. For more information on the rebate program, go to www.energy2save.net.

For additional information on the Town of Haverhill, go to its website, www.townofhaverhill-fl.gov.

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January 19, 2010- Green Solutions to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient and Reduce Your Electric Bill

This week, Radio Green Earth will be talking about how to retrofit your home to save energy AND money! We’ll discuss helpful green tips for your home and preview a few very important events coming up in 2012.

Join Missy Strauss, co-host of Radio Green Earth, as she gets a home energy audit and advice on how to “green” her house. We’ll also hear from Super Green Solutions about their solution to eco-home retrofits. An air conditioning expert will teach our listeners what consumers need to watch out for when buying a central air-conditioning system and we’ll chat with an FPL expert about the Top Ten Energy Saving Green Tips. And did you know that there’s an inventor who took Thomas Edison’s discoveries and built a box that receives more efficiency from your home electrical system and even saves you money? We’ll be talking about this amazing invention on the show!

We’ll also hear about Jim Jackson’s upcoming venture with the Marshall Foundation’s 2012 Canoe Expedition through the Everglades. He’ll be keeping us updated on their progress via email and cell phone updates! Jim’s part will also rendezvous with wildlife photographer, Carlton Ward, Jr. whose Wildlife Corridor Expedition will also be starting a 1000 mile trek through the Everglades at the same time.

Join us for an hour of environmental news, these feature stories, our green tip-of-the-week, and our environmental events calendar Thursdays at 9 AM on WQCS 88.9 FM and Thursdays 6 PM on Seaview Radio 960 AM, 95.9 FM and 106.9 FM. Also available live at www.radiogreenearth.org and on iTunes.

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