Tag: wildlife

EPA Flags Silicone Chemical D4 as Risk to Humans, Wildlife

U.S. regulators said that D4, a chemical used to make silicone goods from solar panels to cosmetics, may harm women’s fertility and damage aquatic and land animals.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Sept. 17 draft risk evaluation concluded that D4—formally known as octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane—presents “unreasonable” risks to human health in almost two dozen uses and to the environment in seven cases. The agency found no such risk in 37 other applications.

EPA said the human health concerns are driven mainly by worker exposures in 23 uses, such as manufacturing D4, processing it into adhesives and sealants, and applying D4-containing paints and coatings in industrial and commercial settings.

The agency’s draft risk evaluation points to reproductive toxicity studies as the hazard driver for the human health finding. In the document, EPA notes that D4 exposure is linked to adverse reproductive outcomes in women.

While one consumer use—inhalation of fumes or skin contact with paints and coatings—was also flagged as hazardous, the agency determined that for the general population, no uses of D4 “significantly contribute to unreasonable risk.”

The agency noted that its findings did not assume the use of personal protective equipment, though it said that equipment like respirators and gloves could mitigate risks.

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8,000 years of human activities have caused wild animals to shrink and domestic animals to grow

Humans have caused wild animals to shrink and domestic animals to grow, according to a new study out of the University of Montpellier in southern France. Researchers studied tens of thousands of animal bones from Mediterranean France covering the last 8,000 years to see how the size of both types of animals has changed over time.

Scientists already know that human choices, such as selective breeding, influence the size of domestic animals, and that environmental factors also impact the size of both. However, little is known about how these two forces have influenced the size of wild and domestic animals over such a prolonged period. This latest research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , fills a major gap in our knowledge.

The scientists analyzed more than 225,000 bones from 311 archaeological sites in Mediterranean France. They took thousands of measurements of things like the length, width, and depth of bones and teeth from wild animals, such as foxes, rabbits and deer, as well as domestic ones, including goats, cattle, pigs, sheep and chickens.

But the researchers didn’t just focus on the bones. They also collected data on the climate, the types of plants growing in the area, the number of people living there and what they used the land for. And then, with some sophisticated statistical modeling, they were able to track key trends and drivers behind the change in animal size.

The research team’s findings reveal that for around 7,000 years, wild and domestic animals evolved along similar paths, growing and shrinking together in sync with their shared environment and human activity. However, all that changed around 1,000 years ago. Their body sizes began to diverge dramatically, especially during the Middle Ages.

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Radioactive Wasp Nest Discovered Near South Carolina Nuclear Weapon Facility

A radioactive wasp nest has been discovered near a former nuclear weapon manufacturing facility in South Carolina.

The nest was found by workers at the Savannah River Site in Aiken County, according to a report from the Department of Energy.

According to reports, the contaminated nest was found on July 3, just before 2 p.m., by Radiological Control Operations workers during routine inspections.

Located on a stanchion near a tank in the F-Area tank farm, the nest registered a staggering 100,000 disintegrations per minute (dpm), a level described as “moderately high” radiation.

Workers promptly sprayed the nest to eliminate the wasps, which were then bagged and disposed of as radiological waste.

The Associated Press reports:

The report said there is no leak from the waste tanks, and the nest was likely radioactive through what it called “onsite legacy radioactive contamination” from the residual radioactivity left from when the site was fully operational.

The watchdog group Savannah River Site Watch said the report was at best incomplete since it doesn’t detail where the contamination came from, how the wasps might have encountered it and the possibility there could be another radioactive nest if there is a leak somewhere.

Knowing the type of wasp nest could also be critical — some wasps make nest out of dirt and others use different material which could pinpoint where the contamination came from, Tom Clements, executive director of the group, wrote in a text message.

Thankfully, no contamination was detected in the surrounding ground or area, but the very presence of radioactive insects highlights the persistent threats from “onsite legacy contamination” tied to the site’s history of producing plutonium and tritium for nuclear bombs during the Cold War era.

“I’m as mad as a hornet that SRS didn’t explain where the radioactive waste came from or if there is some kind of leak from the waste tanks that the public should be aware of,” Clements told AP.

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Giant, flightless bird is next target for de-extinction company Colossal Biosciences


A species of huge, flightless bird that once inhabited New Zealand disappeared around 600 years ago, shortly after human settlers first arrived on the country’s two main islands. Now, a Texas-based biotech company says it has a plan to bring it back.

Genetic engineering startup Colossal Biosciences has added the South Island giant moa — a powerful, long-necked species that stood 10 feet (3 meters) tall and may have kicked in self-defense — to a fast-expanding list of animals it wants to resurrect by genetically modifying their closest living relatives.

The company stirred widespread excitement, as well as controversy, when it announced the birth of what it described as three dire wolf pups in April. Colossal scientists said they had resurrected the canine predator last seen 10,000 years ago by using ancient DNA, cloning and gene-editing technology to alter the genetic make-up of the gray wolf, in a process the company calls de-extinction. Similar efforts to bring back the woolly mammoth, the dodo and the thylacine, better known as the Tasmanian tiger, are also underway.

To restore the moa, Colossal Biosciences announced Tuesday it would collaborate with New Zealand’s Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, an institution based at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, that was founded to support the Ngāi Tahu, the main Māori tribe of the southern region of New Zealand.

The project would initially involve recovering and analyzing ancient DNA from nine moa species to understand how the giant moa (Dinornis robustus) differed from living and extinct relatives in order to decode its unique genetic makeup, according to a company statement.

“There is so much knowledge that will be unlocked and shared on the journey to bring back the iconic moa,” Ben Lamm, CEO and co-founder of Colossal Biosciences, said in the statement. For example, the company said, researching the genomes of all moa species would be “valuable for informing conservation efforts and understanding the role of climate change and human activity in biodiversity loss.”

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U.S. Air Force Halts Musk’s SpaceX Rocket Project on Pacific Atoll After Leftist Activists Raise Alarm Over Seabirds

The U.S. Air Force has scrapped its plans to test hypersonic rocket cargo deliveries using Elon Musk’s SpaceX rockets from the remote Johnston Atoll in the Pacific Ocean—all to protect a few seabird nests.

The decision, first reported by Stars and Stripes, comes just weeks after Reuters ran a story quoting so-called “experts” who raised concerns that the high-speed delivery project could disturb nesting tropical birds on the uninhabited atoll.

The Air Force had intended to use the atoll—an uninhabited U.S. territory located 800 miles southwest of Hawaii—as a launch and landing site for experimental rocket systems capable of delivering 100 tons of cargo anywhere on Earth in under 90 minutes.

The implications for battlefield logistics and humanitarian aid were monumental. But that vision has now been grounded.

Why? Because a handful of environmentalists raised concerns over the nesting patterns of tropical birds on the atoll.

A petition opposing the program gathered fewer than 4,000 signatures. In response, the Air Force initially promised an environmental review. Now, they’re outright exploring new locations.

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Bird brains! Moment man is surrounded by police and arrested after feeding pigeons in town centre

This is the shocking moment a man was surrounded by police officers for feeding pigeons.

The incredible footage includes the man, wearing a beanie, being handcuffed and being pushed against a police car door as three officers surround him. 

A large bag of birdseed can be seen next to him on the kerbside.

The nicked bird feeder can be heard saying to officers ‘I feed birds that’s my religion’ whilst shoppers watch on.

Footage later shows the distressed man hunched over and being led into the back of the police van where the door is shut and an officer can be heard saying he is ‘under arrest’.

The incident happened in Ellesmere Port town centre, in Cheshire, on Friday last week.

Tony Gath who witnessed the incident said he was ‘disturbed’ by what he had seen.

Tony said: ‘It was disgusting behaviour, all they had to do was educate the man on where he can and can’t feed the birds, then send him on his way.

‘I’m disturbed that they felt that level of intimidation and power was acceptable at all, not just in public.’

According to Wirral Council’s official website there are ‘no laws’ that the council can effectively use to stop people feeding wild birds.

But Environmental Health may be able to ‘take action in significant and excessive cases’ where rotten food waste is accumulating or the bird feeding can be shown to be the cause of an infestation of rats or mice.

Cheshire Police said the council had previously reported to the police that feeding of the birds in the area was causing an ‘increase in vermin’.

They also said officers only arrested the man who was feeding birds after be became ‘verbally and physically aggressive’ towards an officer.

A spokesperson for the force said: ‘At around 2.15pm on Friday 27th June, officers on patrol in Ellesmere Port town centre spoke to a man who was feeding birds in the area.

‘The council had previously reported to police that the feeding of the birds was causing an increase in vermin in the area and that they needed the details of the male to speak to him.

‘An officer attempted to engage with the man, but he became verbally and physically aggressive towards the officer.

‘He was then arrested for a public order offence – the man subsequently calmed down and was de-arrested.’

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Invasive Asian needle ants with potentially deadly sting spreading across multiple states

Asian needle ants that carry a potentially fatal sting have spread across multiple states, with experts warning people to be cautious when spending time outdoors.

The invasive species has been found in more than a dozen states from Washington to Florida, but is expanding more rapidly in the southeastern United States.

Entomologists at the University of Georgia are tracking these ants and have warned that their stings could be deadly.

People who have strong reactions to stings from insects like bees, wasps or yellowjackets should be especially careful, experts said. If you suffer from anaphylaxis, you should be especially vigilant and carry an EpiPen.

The insect has been in the U.S. since at least the 1930s, but only recently has started to disrupt local ecosystems by competing with other ant species that are important to the ecology of that area.

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SETI Researchers Report Potential Discovery of ‘Communication’ by Non-Human Intelligence in Earth’s Oceans

For the first time, scientists have documented a unique behavior in the animal kingdom that provides new insights into non-human intelligence and potential clues in the search for intelligent life from other worlds.

The intriguing discovery, made by scientists with the SETI Institute in collaboration with scientists at the University of California at Davis, involves large bubble rings produced by humpback whales. These bubble rings are not unlike the smoke rings produced by tobacco enthusiasts, which the cetaceans make while interacting with humans.

Although known from past observations, the researchers say this behavior, which had never been significantly studied until now, could represent a unique form of interspecies communication.

Bubbling Bursts of Communication?

In the past, humpback whales have been observed using bursts of bubbles under a range of different circumstances, including corralling prey and during mating, when males produce trails of bubbles while escorting females.

In the recently documented behavior, researchers with the WhaleSETI team say humpback whales also generate these bubble rings while interacting with humans during friendly encounters.

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Trump Rightly Pardons 2 Florida Divers Who Became Federal Felons Because of an Honest Mistake

Here are some things you don’t do when you know you are committing a crime. You don’t do it in broad daylight in front of witnesses. You don’t enlist the help of those witnesses and invite them to record the event with their smartphones. You don’t report what happened to a law enforcement agency or leave evidence of the incident in plain view in a public place.

John Moore and Tanner Mansell, two Florida diving instructors, did all of those things on August 10, 2020, when they took Camryn Kuehl and her family on a snorkeling trip and came across a buoy-tethered fishing line that had caught 19 sharks. Moore and Mansell, who worked for a company that specializes in shark encounters, told the Kuehls the catch was “illegal.” Based on that assessment, they hauled in the line and freed the sharks, reported the incident to Florida Fish and Wildlife Officer Barry Partelow, and followed his instructions by leaving the fishing gear on the marina dock in Jupiter. But after it turned out that the shark catch had been authorized as part of a research project, both men were convicted of a federal felony, even though the evidence suggested they had made an honest mistake.

President Donald Trump reversed that injustice on Wednesday, when he granted pardons to Moore and Mansell. Unlike many of Trump’s clemency decisions, such as his pardons for violent Capitol rioters and corrupt public officials who abused their powers for personal gain, his intervention in this case epitomizes how “the benign prerogative of pardoning,” as Alexander Hamilton called it, should be used: to make “exceptions in favor of unfortunate guilt,” overriding “cruel” criminal penalties in circumstances that “plead for a mitigation of the rigor of the law.”

That certainly seems like an apt description of this case. Kuehl, who documented the shark release with photos that she posted on social media, testified that she “thought we were doing a great thing.” That was the impression she got from Moore and Mansell, whose conduct suggests they were sincere in that belief. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Watts-FitzGerald nevertheless obtained an indictment that charged them with violating 18 USC 661, which applies to someone who “takes and carries away, with intent to steal or purloin, any personal property of another” within “the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.”

During their 2023 trial in the Southern District of Florida, Moore and Mansell asked Judge Donald Middlebrooks to instruct the jury that stealing property means wrongfully taking it “with intent to deprive the owner of the use or benefit permanently or temporarily and to convert it to one’s own use or the use of another.” After the prosecution objected to including a conversion element, Middlebrooks omitted it, although he did tell the jury that the defendants maintained they had “removed property without the bad purpose to disobey or disregard the law and therefore did not act with the intent to steal or purloin.”

The jurors, whose deliberations lasted longer than it took to present them with the evidence against Moore and Mansell, evidently were troubled by the facts of the case. They sent the judge several notes before telling him they were unable to reach a verdict. Middlebrooks then gave them an Allen charge, encouraging them to continue deliberating and saying they should be open to changing their positions, provided they could do so “without violating your individual judgment and conscience.”

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Fury as Welsh Labour government spends £250,000 on project to count MOTHS while it cuts public services

Taxpayers have been left furious after the Welsh Labour government spent £250,000 on a project to count moths – while it cuts public services. 

The ‘Cryptic Creatures of the Creuddyn’ project is surveying the moths’ limestone habitats on Llandudno’s Great Orme headland and in neighbouring areas. 

It was handed a grant of £248,348 by the Government’s Nature Networks Fund, and will be delivered by the Heritage Fund.

The under-fire government claims it with help protect at-risk insects, including the Horehound Plume micro-moth. 

A Tory councillor branded the spending ‘ridiculous’ – as families struggle with the cost of living and local authorities cut frontline services.

Llandudno’s Louise Emery hit out after a grant was awarded by the Welsh Government to Conwy county council.

She said: ‘Rather than for the benefit of invertebrates, how about Welsh Government benefit schools and communities by properly funding local authorities to improve education and provide basic services such as maintaining highways and public toilets?

‘It’s about priorities, and establishing the number of moths on specific limestone headlands should not be a priority when Welsh Labour in Cardiff continue to tell local authorities they have no money. This is utterly ridiculous.’

The project, which also works with schools, found ‘a staggering’ 1,109 horehound plume moth caterpillars on the Great Orme in Llandudno.

Cllr Emery continued: ‘There is money available from Welsh Government but only for certain things, so while local authority budgets are really being squeezed, Welsh Government finds money for projects such as the Cryptic Creatures of the Creuddyn.

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