Notes from a rare planet: Officials want to double the number of tigers in the world

Rare Planet   
July 15th, 2010

Become friends with Rare Planet

This photo of a tiger comes courtesy of Flickr user catlovers.

Officials seek ways to double the number of tigers in the world, at an international forum in Bali, Indonesia

• There are just 3,200 tigers left. The lowest number ever.
• The WWF has warned that a lack of global action could kill off the endangered species.
• Rare has several campaigns to protect tigers across the world, including Thailand, Laos, Indonesia and China.

How Cap & Trade Would Help Wildlife (Or: Cap Pollution, Trade Otters!)

• “Let’s say Congress enacted a cap-and-trade system and pollution permits were selling for about $20 a ton. If [scientist Chris] Wilmers is right and a healthy sea otter population could sequester ten million tons of carbon, that’d be worth $200 million. So polluters might decide that it’s cheaper to fund sea otter preservation programs than cut power use (at least in the short term), and new offset projects could get approved. Voila: There’s suddenly money to try this sea otter strategy.”

Black bears may escape Gulf oil contamination, experts hope

• “Two subspecies of the American black bear, the Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) and the Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus), have received less attention. But they also serve as umbrella species in the Gulf Coast region for a diversity of fauna living in somewhat disparate zoogeographic regions where these occasional and common peri-domestic, and highly adaptable opportunistic omnivores find themselves, as suitable and available habitat continues to shrink.”
• “In March of 2009 the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) designated critical habitat for the Louisiana black bear in the state of Louisiana, where the bear is also celebrated as the state mammal. The designated area covers 1,195,821 acres spanning 15 parishes.”

A GAO study indicated by 2013, 36 states could face water shortages. Enter WaterSense

• “WaterSense is a partnership program paralleling the agency’s Energy Star program for electric appliances. Working with manufacturers, retailers, water utilities, state governments and nonprofits, the agency has established guidelines for fixtures, like toilets, shower heads and faucets, that use less water without sacrificing performance. WaterSense-labeled products use about 20 percent less water than standard models, the E.P.A. estimates.”
• “Although the agency has been addressing water efficiency issues for some years, said Stephanie Thornton, a marketing specialist with the WaterSense program, the impetus for starting up WaterSense in 2006 came from a Government Accountability Office study indicating that water managers in 36 states were anticipating shortages by 2013.”
• “A family of four uses 400 gallons of water every day; homes fitted with WaterSense-labeled toilets and bathroom faucets could save more than 11,000 gallons a year, the E.P.A. estimates.”

BP Says Cap Is Repaired and Oil Cutoff Test Can Proceed

• “After a new setback because of a hydraulic leak, BP prepared Thursday to pick up where it left off the day before: with a crucial test that could stop the rush of oil from its well in the Gulf of Mexico for the first time since the disaster began three months ago.”

This story originally appeared at the Rare Conservation Blog

(+4 rating)

 Loading ...

You might also enjoy:

• National Parks Project Exiles Musicians for a Cause
• Raising tiger populations in Laos by protecting tiger prey
• Photo of the Day: Red Muntjac mascot helps villagers learn about legal hunting practices
• Never a dull moment when traveling to the Onon River, but plenty of bonding
• Scientists Investigate Water Memory