Greenland melting faster than five years ago, study says

Sheet Happens ... Faster

We hate to give you bad news without some good, so here goes. The bad news from a study published this week in Science is that, by comparing satellite data from 2002-2005 to earlier data, researchers have determined that Greenland's ice sheet is melting about three times faster than it was five years ago. Put another way, about 57 cubic miles of ice melts there each year, enough to cause an annual 0.02 inch sea-level rise. The good news: in time, Greenland may be less of a misnomer. (There, don't you feel better?) Meanwhile, the other side of the world is also going the way of the Wicked Witch: according to recent research, between 2002 and 2005, at least 36 cubic miles of Antarctic ice melted annually. Computer projections had suggested that warmer temps in the region would lead to greater precipitation, compensating for the melt. But another study in this week's Science determined that in the past 50 years, there's been no real increase in Antarctica's precipitation. We've gotta stop reading that rag.

straight to the source: The Washington Post, Juliet Eilperin, 11 Aug 2006

straight to the source: National Geographic News, John Roach, 10 Aug 2006

straight to the source: BBC News, 11 Aug 2006

straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, David Perlman, 11 Aug 2006

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Gun in 60 seconds

That seems to have worked for the white-tail deer and turkeys on our side of the pond. Remains to be seen what the Chinese government will do with the money.

by atreyger at 12:41 PM on 11 Aug 2006

What's Chinese for "U-Turn"?

Shanghai Daily published the following update today (August 11):

Auction on wildlife hunting licenses suspended
Gu Jia
2006-08-11
CHINA postponed its first auction of wildlife hunting licenses, which was originally scheduled on Sunday, following a public outcry, the wildlife authority said this morning.

"The public response to the auction is much more active than expected," Xinhua news agency said, citing Cao Qiangyao, a spokesperson for the State Forestry Administration. "We will pick a proper time to hold the auction after soliciting public opinions."

The planned auction has prompted criticism on Websites that such hunting was inappropriate and that the sale of licenses was commercially motivated.

Wang Wei, a vice director of the administration's wildlife protection department, said that the country has conducted international wildlife hunting for 20 years since 1985.

"The auction will help the administration regulate the market, and the issuance of hunting licenses will help curb illegal hunts," Wang said.

He also said that the auction is also open to licensed Chinese hunters.

The planned auction this Sunday involved 289 animals of 14 species, three species of which are under first-level state protection and 11 of which are under second-level protection, the report said.

Currently, China has 25 international hunting areas open to overseas hunters only. The hunting quantity of each hunter has been raised from three per year to 123 per year in 2005, it said.

Overseas hunters have to strictly follow international practices that only "male animals rather than female ones, and older animals rather than young ones are hunted," Wang said.

By end of last year, China has received 1,101 overseas hunters, who have paid US$36.39 million yuan for their 1,347 quarries, the report said.

"It will be an efficient way for local residents to raise their income," Wang said. "And most of the income from hunting will be used to protect local wild animals."

The basic price for a wild yak will be US$40,000 and for an ovis ammon US$10,000, a blue sheep will cost US$2,500; and a cervus elaphus will cost US$6,000, said a previous report.

Carnivores and fowls are not included in the hunting. But wolves are an exception and will cost US$200 each, it said.

by Environmental Netowrk at 4:11 PM on 11 Aug 2006

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