Other Stories

NYC Officials Battle Longhorned Beetles

The Asian longhorned beetle has infested 2 Central Park trees and these have been chopped down. The beetles are an invasive species from China which has caused many trees in New York state to be chopped down or treated.

Gardeners Warned About Planting Weeds

North Dakota state agriculture officials are warning customers not to inadvertently buy and plant noxious weeds, some of which are ornamental plants, from garden centers. Customers should check the scientific name.

Officials Fear Spread of Oak Disease

The fungal disease Sudden Oak Death, which has already killed thousands of trees on the West Coast, has been spread South on ornamental plants shipped from nurseries. Owners are asked to watch out for spots on leaves and dead twigs on camellias, rhododendrons and other ornamentals. Do you think that it is time that we stopped importing non-native species?

Salmon farm escapees threaten wild cousins-WWF

The WWF conservation group believes that 25% of the fish found off Norway have escaped from fish farms. This is a threat to the wild races through interbreeding and parasites as well as competition for food. The percentage is believed to be considerably higher in some fjords. Salmon born in Norwegian rivers are believed to make up around 50% of all wild Atlantic salmon.

Fishing Industry Hurt as Salmon Runs Drop

The number of Chinook salmon swimming up the Columbia River to spawn this spring remains extremely low. The fishing industry and related industries have been badly hit. When salmon fishing was banned 3 weeks ago only 2,030 had been spotted, but that number has risen to around 50,000 which, although very low, is higher than the 10,000 of 1995 which was the lowest year.

34 Bases on Worst Toxic Waste Sites List, Top 10 Polluted Former Military Bases

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) includes 34 military bases on the Superfund list of worst toxic waste sites. They are among more than 100 Defense Department facilities that have not been completely cleaned up. The latest round of base closings being considered is likely to add to the list. Not only do stockpiles of weapons need to be safely disposed of, but also there has been contamination of soil and groundwater. The cleanups may be expensive, but without them the sites cannot be converted to new uses.

Bahrain May Build Sea Horse-Shaped Island

Several islands have been created in the Persian Gulf, and Bahrain plans to create one in the shape of a sea horse. Environmentalists are concerned because a coral reef will be destroyed. Do you think that real sea horses should be put at risk for this development project?

New Species of Rodent Found in Laos

A new rodent found in Laos is not only a new species, but belongs to a previously unknown family.

Bed bugs threaten to put bite on U.S. hotel industry

The number of requests to pest control firms and entomologists for help with bed bug infestations has risen, particularly from hotels, etc. DDT was used to keep them down in the late 1940s and 1950s in America, but it has now been banned. Bed bugs are not known to carry disease.

What do you think can be done to reduce the amounts of PCBS and other pollutants in the environment?

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