Articles by Biodiversivist
My real name is Russ Finley. I also have my own blog called Biodiversivist, which contains articles in addition to those submitted to Grist. I live in Seattle, married with children. Suffice it to say that although I am trained and educated as an engineer, my passion is nature. I very much want my grandchildren to live on a planet where lions, tigers, and bears have not joined the long and growing list of creatures that used to be.
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OK, you found me
Yes, they have deer on Maui, and Brazilian cardinals, and just about anything else you can think of. Following dinner one night, our hosts took us into the yard to see some "chameleons." Everyone calls the common green anole a chameleon, so I was not expecting much. However, sitting on a tree branch staring at me with one eye (and at our host with the other) was a Jackson's chameleon. Hawaii may be a look into the future of the planet's biodiversity. Although about a quarter of its native birds are extinct, some introduced species that are heading for extinction in their native habitat are thriving here.
Islands are especially sensitive to invasive species. Hawaii is not alone with its problems.
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Chinese takeout
I apologize for two China-bashing posts in such short order. The following articles suggest that the emerging Chinese middle class are in all likelihood going to behave like the upright walking primates they are and seek status with any and every opportunity. Eating wildlife is presently a way to show off in China. From Reuters:Chinese police have seized hundreds of bear paws and dead pangolins that smugglers had injected with tranquillisers ...
Other exotic wildlife that make their way onto Chinese dinner tables include camel's hump and monkey's brain. Tiger bones dipped in liquor are considered a tonic and tiger penis is believed to be an aphrodisiac."Wow that pangolin soup I had for lunch made me sleepy. Why is it dark outside?" Luckily, conflicting self-interest as well as a healthy dose of self-preservation is starting to have an impact.
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Where’s Biodee?
My daughter found and I photographed these creatures yesterday. Can you tell where I am by identifying them? From left to right: Roach (the size of my thumb), day gecko, anole. I wish you luck, because none of them are endemic to this area. Maybe that's the hint you need. More photos in my next post. The next time someone asks you why we should save our biodiversity, tell them this: "Doing so will prolong and improve the lives of billions of people ... including your own sorry ass." This article found in People and Planet summarizes a report just released by the WWF describing compounds recently discovered in the jungles of Borneo with the potential to treat AIDS, TB, cancer, and malaria.
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One word … bamboo
China will host the 2008 Olympics, which are an expression of human nature, which is all about competition and status. The Olympics, in my humble opinion, are little more than a pissing match writ large. The Chinese will of course use this event to show the world how cool they are. One way they plan to impress visitors is to build things out of luxurious tropical hardwoods, like the rich, dark red Merbau tree, which grows in the jungles of Indonesia and Malaysia.From the Jarkarta Post:
Experts forecast that China's drive to develop its infrastructure to host the Olympics will consume tens of millions of cubic meters of primary forestry products, including solid wood flooring.
