Conservation News and Resources
| Mexico prepares to increase water rationing. Mexican authorities warned that over the past few weeks the water level in reservoirs of the Cutzamala system have dropped from 63 percent of capacity to 59 percent, which could require further rationing of the water supply for the Valley of Mexico. |
| Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars Arrive Hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars are now in the hands of consumers, with more on the way. These custom-made cars from Chevrolet, Honda and BMW are paving the way for production models of the future.  |
| Low Cost Paper House for Slum Dwellers A model of the prefabricated paper houseDesigners at Bauhaus University have developed a low cost paper house that could be used to provide housing for slum dwellers. From the article in Spiegel:Niemöller is a co-founder of the Swiss company The Wall AG, which holds the patent for material used in the construction of the [.] |
Conservation News and ResourcesUSDA’s Office of Ecosystem Services and MarketsAgriculture Secretary Ed Schafer recently announced the new Office of Ecosystem Services and Markets at USDA and the creation of a federal government-wide Conservation and Land Management Environmental Services Board to assist in developing technical guidelines and science-based methods to assess environmental service benefits. Operating within the Secretary’s office, OESM will help promote markets that compensate farmers, ranchers and forest owners for such ecosystem services as protecting air and water quality, providing wildlife habitat and helping mitigate climate change by storing carbon. Schafer said such markets help agricultural producers compete in world markets and help improve the environment.USDA plans to issue soon a call for nominations for an advisory committee to the board. Committee members are to include farmers, ranchers, forest landowners and Tribal representatives, as well as staff from state natural resource, agricultural and environmental agencies and non-governmental conservation and environmental organizations. EPA’s Ecosystem Services Research ProgramThe Environmental Protection Agency’s Ecosystem Services Research Program is looking for public and private organizational partners to participate in a research and development venture. The goals are to:
The application deadline is February 15. See the EPA’s Ecosystems Services Research Program brochure [PDF].  Revolution on the RangeCourtney White is the co-founder and longtime executive director of the Quivira Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to building bridges between ranchers and environmentalists. He’s also the author of a recent book: Revolution on the Range: The Rise of a New Ranch in the American West (Island Press, 2008). White tells how new cooperative efforts are replacing the old conflicts between environmentalists and landowners. He takes the reader to several ranches where concepts such as working wildernesses and ranching for wildlife are changing the rangeland landscape. New Online ToolsEffects of Agricultural Conservation Practices on Fish and Wildlife is a bibliographical guide to recent scientific literature. Cited works provide information on conservation programs and practices specifically designed to improve fish and wildlife habitat and also those intended for other purposes, such as water quality improvement. Part of a multi-volume set, the guide was developed by the Water Quality Information Center at USDA’s National Agricultural Library.Comprehensive and detailed information on species conservation banks is at speciesbanking.com. Sponsored by Ecosystem Marketplace Network, the new website lists over 120 species banks that developers use to offset their impacts on habitat by protecting habitat at other sites. For individual banks, speciesbank.com includes location, species, habitat and transaction data. |
| The Bike Depot Opens April 19 Park Hill’s newest resource for active living is opening soon. The Bike Depot provides Park Hill residents and neighbors opportunities to earn used bikes, become skilled at repairing bikes, and take bike safety classes. You can help by volunteering time, donating bikes or equipment, organizing a bike ride or collection, or making a cash donation. Call 303-393-1963 for more information. |
| Denvers Climate Plan In-Depth: Incentivize Energy Conservation On May 17, the Mayors Greenprint Advisory Council announced the release of Denver’s draft climate action plan. It offers a set of solutions to bring the city toward a 10 percent reduction in per capita greenhouse gas emissions from the 1990 rate by the year 2012, in conformity with the U.S. Mayors Climate Agreement.We [.] |