The Hooded Grebe - Maca Tobiano

 
Some people suggest that there are no cryptids or mysterious animals out there because they say that they should have been discovered a long time ago. After all, Europeans have been roaming around Patagonia and its coast since 1520. Aren't 490 years enough time to discover a strange species?

Well, as we all know, species unknown to science crop up quite often (though not as fast as those that are known and become extinct through our actions -or rather our lack of actions!).

Among these "recently discovered" species is one endemic to Patagonia, that is, found only in Patagonia, and more specifically, in certain small habitats within Patagonia.

I am talking about the Macá Tobiano or Hoded Grebe (Podiceps gallardoi), a tiny aquatic bird found only in the windswept lakes of Southern Patagonia's basaltic highlands.[1][2]

It was discovered and described barely 36 years ago, in 1974, by Mauricio Rumboll (a well known naturalist and ornithologist, son of Hilda and Bill Rumboll who, in 1976 reported sighting Nahuelito the Nahuel Huapi lake creature. at Bariloche, Patagonia - isn't it a small world?).

This bird, so recently discovered is at risk of becoming extinct. Its numbers are dropping quickly (its population has fallen by nearly a 73% over the last 21 years) and no one knows why. Birdlife International has ranked it as Endangered, [3] and also on the IUCN red list as Endangered. [4] A real tragedy!

It seems that human action may be causing this dramatic drop in its population (garbage may be increasing the population of predator gulls that attack the Macá and its young). Furthermore, the introduction of exotic fish (trout and salmon) into the lakes that the Macá uses to mate and build its floating nests seems to have had a negative impact on them. Though the exact reason is not yet understood.

I love fishing in Patagonian lakes, but, I do realize that these rainbow, brown, brook and lake trout (plus the Pacific salmon on the Pacific watershed and some sea-run brown trout on the Atlantic basin) are a serious problem (see my posts on this issue and their negative impact for other species such as the naked minnow).

Sources

[1] Imberti, S. & Casañas, H.. 2009. Hooded Grebe (Podiceps gallardoi), Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; retrieved from Neotropical Birds Online: http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p_spp=91111.
[2] SIB. Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad Podiceps gallardoi
[3] Birdlife. Hooded Grebe.
[4] The IUCN Red list of thratened species. Podiceps gallardoi

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Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia

2010 International Year of Biodiversity Copyright 2009-2010 by Austin Whittall © 

Beavers or the small northern monsters

 

The destructive effect of Beavers in Patagonia.


These Northern Hemisphere animals (Castor canadiensis) were introduced to Tierra del Fuego Island by the Argentine navy, to kick-start the local fur industry. It was a failure so some tender hearted navy man, instead of killing off the twenty five pairs of beavers, set them loose in the wilderness.

They expanded quickly and adapted marvelously to the new environment. Nowadays they number between 35 and 50 thousand, [1] and their territory occupies a large portion of Tierra del Fuego Island and several smaller ones in both Chile and Argentina.

To make matters worse, beavers have left Tierra del Fuego and colonized the southern tip of the continent at Brunswick Peninsula. The Chilean government is working hard to errdicate this foothold and to create a buffer zone on the Island.
If beavers manage to gain a firm hold on the mainland, the whole ecosystem of the Andean Forests will be at risk.[2]

The local forests made up mostly of Nothofagus (Southern Beech) have not co-evolved with beavers like the Northern Hemisphere's forests. They grow slowly and just can't keep up with the logging habits of beavers.

Furthermore, the guanaco feeds on the new saplings and the combination of flooded forests (beaver dams block the flow of rivers and flood the woods), tree foraging and slow growth / sapling destruction is taking its toll on the Fuegian forests.

American Beaver at Tierra del Fuego. Copyright © 1992- 2009 by Alec Earnshaw. From [3]

Beavers, they can explain the monster at Lake Fagnano

Since beavers have spread along Lake Fagnano into Chile and it occupies the central part of their Fuegian habitat, they may help explain Fañanito, the lake creature that is said to live in it, and which has been described as follows:

[the] large head appeared suddenly and looked at him, and then submerged without leaving any trace. The man screamed, startling the people; the boat turned around but they did not see it again

For someone on a tourist excursion along the lake, a beaver head appearing on the surface would be a frightening experience. One that could easily be attributed to a lake cryptid.

Bibliography.

[1] Lizarralde, M., Escobar, J. and Deferrari, G.Invader Species in Argentina: A review about the beaver (Castor canadiensis) Population Situation on Tierra del Fuego ecosystem.Interciencia Jul 2004. Vol. 29 pp. 356
[2] Parkes, J.; Paulson, J, Donlan, J.; Campbell, K. (2008). Control of North American beavers in Tierra del Fuego: feasibility of eradication and alternative management options. Landcare Research Contract Report LC0708/
[3] Photograph is copyright © by Alec Earnshaw, Fauna of Argentina, it has some beautiful photographs of the Fuegian Fauna.

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Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia

2010 International Year of Biodiversity
 
Copyright 2009-2010 by Austin Whittall ©
 

2010 Bicentennial Year

 

2010 Stamp. Patagonia Biodiversity. Copyright © 2010 by Austin Whittall

I made this stamp to promote 2010 as the U.N.s International Biodiversity Year. But, while I was doing it, I remembered that 2010 is a very important year for several South American countries (Chile, Mexico, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia), and especially for Argentina.

2010, Argentina's bicentennial.

A bit of history. After Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492, the Spanish monarchs chartered several expeditions to explore and conquer the newly discovered land.

It was a personal endeavor of the kings of Spain. They paid for these expeditions from their own personal royal purse.

Futhermore, a Bull by Pope Alexander VI in 1493 gave America to the "Crown". It was a fief of the King. Therefore, the rest of Spain had no part in America. It was the monarch's own "property".

The Spanish Kings set up a bureaucracy to run their "personal estate" and later named Viceroys to govern on their behalf, but it was a separate entity and did not belong to the "Kingdom of Spain".

In 1776, the Viceroyalty of Peru was dismembered and one of its parts became the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata, with its capital at Buenos Aires. It comprised what is now Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay and some parts of Brazil.

Patagonia's fate.

Patagonia, which had been an empty hinterland since its discovery in 1520 was incorporated as part of the Rio de la Plata Viceroyalty. The King had three settlements built on its Atlantic coast:

A town was built at Puerto San Julián and named Floridablanca, it was quickly abandoned as it lacked water and the soil was unsuitable for farming.

The settlement at San Josén on Valdés Peninsula survived until it was razed by the natives in 1810.

Only Carmen de Patagones, on the Negro River remained, and was the outpost on the Patagonian border.

Western Patagonia, rain drenched and useless in Spain's eyes, remained abandoned until 1843, when an independent Chile founded the town of Punta Arenas on the Strait of Magellan.

Freedom and revolution.

The European Napoleonic wars would change things. England invaded Buenos Aires twice (1806 and 1807) and after the Viceroy ran away from the invaders the locals had to arm themselves and expel the English army on their own.

Buenos Aires citizenry appointed an interim Viceroy until the King sent out a replacement.

In 1809, Napoleon abducted the King of Spain and his father, had him abdicate and named his brother Jose Bonaparte as new King. The Spanish people opposed this and fought Napoleon's invading army.

They named a "Junta" to run the government until the king was restored to the throne.

When the news reached Buenos Aires, the local Creoles decided that they should act.

They were a wealthy and well educated group of people; they were the descendants of the very ancient Spanish families who had settled in the area, but being born in America, they were not allowed to take part of the Colonial administration.

They were discriminated against by the Peninsular Spaniards appointed by the Royal Court in Spain.

They were also inspired by the new ideas that were changing the world: the United States independence war in the 1770s-80s, and the French revolution in the 1790s promoted ideals of freedom, liberty, equality and rationality which strongly contrasted with the colonial system imposed by Spain where church and state stifled any kind of open mindedness.

The Creoles deeply resented this sitauation and in 1810, after having proven their might during the bloody 1806-1807 Invasiones Inglesas (English Invasions) felt that they could face up to Spain.

On May 22, 1810 the local City Hall (where the Creoles did have a say) called for an "open assembly" to look into the matter.

On May 25, 1810 with the support of the local militia (created after the English Invasions) and the populace of Buenos Aires, they ousted the Viceroy and named a "local Junta" which was known as "La Primera Junta" (First Junta).

This is known as the Revolución de Mayo, (May Revolution) and May 25^th is commemorated as the beginning of Argentina's self government and the end of Spanish domination.

Argentina's Bicentennial Logo. Online Site (in Spanish)

To justify their actions they used a legal loophole:

The Viceroy represented the King, America was the King's personal property. If the King was held prisoner, he could not take care of his belongings. The Viceroy lost the power that the king had delegated in him. Furthermore, the Spanish Junta did not have any right to govern America since it was not a part of Spain or the Spanish Nation / Kingdom but a personal property of the King.

Therefore, the sovereignty reverted to the King's subjects, the Creole Americans, who would govern in his name.

The "in his name" part meant that though the Creoles had evicted the Viceroy, they were still the King's loyal subjects.

The "Junta" soon grew into a "Big Junta" with members from other provincial capitals, then it created a Triumvirate (an Executive with three heads - too cumbersome), then in 1813 it convened a Constitutional Congress, which finally, on the 9^th of July of 1816, in the city of Tucumán, declared Argentina's independence.

A long war was fought against Spain (1810-1824) and during the process, Uruguay was invaded by Brazil and after an Argentine-Brazilian war in 1826-1828 it became an independent country, a buffer state, created by British diplomacy; Paraguay repealed the 1810 Junta's Army and kept to itself until the 1860s. Bolivia broke off and became an independent country.

Eastern Patagonia was retained by Argentina (Britain snatched the Malvinas - Falklands Islands from Argentina in 1833).

So Argentina is what remains of the Rio de la Plata Viceroyalty and 2010 is our 200^th birthday.

Viva Argentina!

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Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia

2010 International Year of Biodiversity
 
Copyright 2009-2010 by Austin Whittall ©
 

Patagonia - Environmental change and cryptid survival

 

Patagonia has suffered serious environmental alterations as a consequence of its occupation after the Chilean and Argentine governments military campaigns to occupy Northern Patagonia in the 1870-80s and both countries border conflict 1880-1900 which prompted them to effectively occupy the region.

This ended millennia of sustainable use of the resources by the native people and began a period of careless over-exploitation.

What does all this have to do with Cryptids?

In many entries we have mentioned different kinds of creatures and wondered why they are so scarce and their sightings so far apart and discontinuous.

If cryptids are beeing subjected to stress by human activity in their formerly untouched habitat, it is reasonable to assume that our mining, fishing, tourism and farming industries coupled to oil extraction, river dams and sheep breeding will have a serious impact on them.

Though many believe that Patagonia in 2010 is still the Patagonia of the 1800s, that is not true.

We have changed it, like we change everything we touch. Though population in Patagonia is low, and mostly confined to the river valleys and coastal areas (which hold two thirds of the population), human impact exists and may affect our elusive cryptids.

I have already mentioned sheep farming and its negative impact on the native guanaco and the local predator feline, the puma. There are others.

As part of my personal contribution to the 2010 Biodiversity year, in this post I will summarize some of the causes of environmental deterioration in Patagonia:

1. Irrigation.

Patagonia’s arid steppe area is crossed by several rivers that flow east into the Atlantic Ocean. These provide water for farming.

The valleys of the Negro and Neuquén rivers in the North and Chubut River in Central Patagonia hold roughly 34% of the total Patagonian population (about 463,000 persons). This is followed by the coast, which is home to 32% of Patagonia’s population mostly because all the Provincial capitals are there (the exception is landlocked Neuquén), so public employment is abundant.

These irrigated oasis produce apples, pears, plums and grapes (Patagonian wines come from these valleys).

The excessive use of irrigation has led to an increased salinity in the soil and also to the drying up of the Chico River in Chubut (due to the use of Senguer River’s water at the Sarmiento Oasis its flow into Lake Colhue Huapi has been dramatically reduced).

In today's post I will focus exclusively on Argentina's Patagonia. I will mention Chilean Patagonia in a later post.

2. Dams.

Argentina’s need for electricity has led the country to invest in hydroelectric projects on many Patagonian rivers since the 1960’s. The Limay has several “mega”dams along its 450 km course and the backwaters of the last one nearly reach Lake Nahuel Huapi.

Neuquén river and Colorado River also have hydroelectric dams.
Even a series of lakes at Los Alerces National Park in Chubut, close to the town of Esquel have been flooded by a large dam that supplies electricity to an Aluminium foundry built on the coast 700 km (435 mi.) away.

Rivers in Chile are facing the threat of new dams that will flood large areas of pristine forests.

3. Oil and Natural Gas.

81% of Argentina’s natural gas reserves are in Patagonia [1] and 92% of the Oil [2]. They flow down pipelines that cross northern Patagonia from Neuquén and Rio Negro to Buenos Aires and from Tierra del Fuego along the coast by the rich coastal oil fields of Stanta Cruz and Chubut, all the way to Buenos Aires. Thousands of kilometers of gas and oil pipes.

Mining is also important: 45.2% of non metallics minerals and 25,7% of the quarry minerals produced in Argentina are Patagonian.[3] I have already posted on the growing concern about gold and silver mining and the use of open-pit mining and cyanide.

4. Coastal deterioration.

Starting in the late 1700s, ships from many nations stopped by along the Patagonian coast to slaughter penguins, seals and whales. They sea elephants and sea lions were wiped out in many northern Patagonian locations. Whales faced a similar situation. Nowadays though protected, several countries continue the slaughter of whales.

Fishing, which is quickly depleting the Argentine sea and the South Atlantic Ocean, impact negatively on Patagonia’s biodiversity and overfishing is a very serious issue and is driving the Argentine Hake ( Merluccius hubbsi) to extinction.[4]:

Spawning biomass has declined significantly in the last two decades
with little prospect of restoring the 1+ million t biomass of age 4+ fish
estimated in 1986, but it is hoped to recover the spawning biomass to
400,000 t.The very poor recruitment in the last three years is seriously
threatening the overall continuity of the fishery.There is concern about
continued overfishing of the Argentine hake stock and the long-term
sustainability of its fishery however reported landed catch has been
progressively declining since 2004 due to lesser abundance. In 2008,
landing decreased again by 30% from previous year and hit the level of
198,000 t [5].

The Chilean hake is in bad shape too:

The current stock status is described as recovering. A peak in catch in
2000 was followed by stock collapse between 2003 and 2004 and the
spawning stock biomass is currently at very low levels. A recovery plan
has been announced but not yet explained or implemented. Quota has
been reduced this year again by 5% and other measures adopted.
Good recruitments in the last two years allow some optimism about
prospects for recovery in the mid-term [5].

5. Exotic species.

Red deer, European boars, salmon and trout, carps, beavers, and why not, sheep, cattle, the German wasp and even bears... a long list of exotic animals that were deliberately (or unwillingly) introduced into Patagonia such as beavers.

Here, lacking predators they quickly adapted and multiplied, displacing local species (such as the Patagonian otter) and becoming a plague.

The local Patagonian deer, the huemul and the Pudu-Pudu (the World's smallest deer) were hunted relentlessly by sheep farmers and travelers who shot them for the fun of it.

To be continued...

Bibliography.

[1] INDEC. Argentine Government's Statistics Institute.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Servicion Geologico Minero Argentino
[4] de Villalobos, Ruy, (2002). La valuación de recursos naturales extinguibles: el caso de la merluza en el mar continental argentino.
[5] Seafish responsible sourcing guide: Hake.

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Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia

2010 International Year of Biodiversity
 
Copyright 2009-2010 by Austin Whittall ©
 

2009 Hottest year on record in Southern Hemisphere.

 

According to Nasa, last year was, on a global level, the Second Hottest Year on Record, and it marks the End of Warmest Decade ever recorded.[1]

Global land – ocean temperature Index. Notice the growing trend. From [1]. By NASA.

Earth’s surface temperatures have been increasing since 1880. During the period between 1940 and 1970 the trend levelled off, but since then the increase has been even sharper than before.

Getting hotter in the South

Climate Change is what makes Southern Hemisphere cryptids disappear.

Furthermore, 2009 was the second warmet year on record and, it has been the hottest year on record in the Southern Hemisphere.

Most of the world’s land mass is in the Northern Hemisphere where roughly the ratio of land to ocean is between 1 to 1.5. The Southern Hemisphere on the other hand is mostly ocean, with a ratio of land to oceean of 1 to 4.

Land warms very quickly and cools fast too (that is why the Northern Hemisphere has scorching Summers and freezing Winters). The opposite is true for water, which warms slower than land and cools slower (there is less variability between Summer and Winter in the Southern Hemisphere).

For this reason an increasing temperature in the Southern Hemisphere is a sure indicator that the oceans are getting warmer. The 2009 temperatures have been 0.49°C (0.9 °F) hotter than the period spanning 1951 to 1980.

The World is also warming up

The coolest year of the decade was 2008 (due to a cooling phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean the Niña – Niño), but despite this anomaly, the growing temperatures trend continued in 2009.

The warmes year ever (globally) was 2005 and the other warmest years (besides 2009) have been: 1998, 2002, 2003, 2006, 1007, 1998. The period between January 2000 and December 2009 has been the hottest decade ever recorded.

Since 1880, the global temperature has increased about 0.8°C (1.4°F).

Niña – Niño

These are due to very warm or cool sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. After the Niña, the global temperatures drop – this led to low 2008 temperatures. This year (2010) the el Niño will have the opposite effect pushing global temperatures upwards, this may make 2010 the warmest year on record if the El Niño persists.

Greenhouse Gases warm the Earth

The real culprit however are the Greenhouse Gases (GHG). Our cars, heaters, air conditioners, light bulbs, TVs, refrigerators, PCs, just keep on consuming energy and therefore spewing out CO² and NO^x gases into the atmosphere. The cows that we feed on (sheep too) burp Methane (CH⁴) in vast quantities when they inefficiently transform fodder into beef and milk -being vegan is a greener option than being a carnivore.

So you can act now and reduce your Carbon Footprint see some tips on how to bee greener.

Stop Climate Change. Copyright © 2007 by Austin Whittall

Bibliography.

[1] NASA. 2009: Second Warmest Year on Record; End of Warmest Decade.

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Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia

2010 International Year of Biodiversity
 
Copyright 2009-2010 by Austin Whittall ©
 

Biodiversity - Actions (Post 2)

 

Stop Climate Change. Copyright © 2007 by Austin Whittall

Continuing with our previous post on 2010 International Year of Biodiversity in which I mentioned several factors that have a negative impact on ecosystems and biodiversit, today I will give some tips and suggestions on how to we can reduce our carbon footprint and mitigate climate change.

Carbon footprint is a way of measuring the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. It tells us the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating, cooking, transportation, etc. It is a measurement of all greenhouse gases we individually produce and has units of tonnes (or kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Together we can fight Global Warming.
We can revert Climate Change.
Lets cut down NOW on our CO₂ emissions

Reducing our Carbon emissions

Every time fuel (gas, coal, oil, wood) is burnt, carbon dioxide (CO₂) is generated. Paper, garbage, branches, leaves, when burnt, also emit CO₂. Our cars, cookers, boilers, heaters, electric appliances (most electricity is made by burning fossil fuels) all generate CO₂. All the things that we consume (clothes, magazines, food, their packaging, shoes, toys, tools, PCs, CDs... all of them) require energy to be manufactured and transported to our homes. Energy means CO₂ emissions.

Taking some simple, easy and cheap measures at our homes can help reduce these emissions, save energy and, save us some money too!.

Below are tips and information for householders to identify their carbon footprint sources and tips to reduce them.

Cooking

   » Cover your pans when you cook. This can reduce the energy needed by up to 90%
   » Boil only the amount of water you need. Every cup you boil represents 25 cups of CO₂ released.
   » Use the right size pan for the food and cooker ring (the base should just cover the cooking ring) if you can see the heat (either the electric ring or the gas flame up the side of the pan) it’s too big and is costing you money.
   » Choose locally grown food that is in season (reduces transportation and therefore emissions) - do you need strawberries that have been grown and flown in from Chile in summer?

Appliances

   » Get the message: just unplugging things when you are not using them saves energy. Televisions, videos, DVDs, stereos, cordless phones, mobile phone chargers and computers all waste energy if you leave them plugged in when you are not using them.
   By switching off at the plug when not required you could save up to 8% off your electricity bill and and around 150 kg / 331 lb. of CO₂ per year.
   A TV if left on standby will be responsible for 30 kg / 66 lb. CO₂ over the year.
   » A mobile phone charger if left plugged in when not charging will be responsible for between 35 to 70 kg / 77 to 154 lb. of CO₂ over the year.
Always unplug the mobile phone charger when not in use. Feel it, the warmth is caused by the constant consumption of electricity.
   » Avoid using a dishwasher. If you have to, always make sure it’s full and uses a low temperature programme. Every time you use you a dishwasher you use enough electricity to release nearly 1 kg / 2.2 lb. of CO₂. If you use it just once less a week that’s a saving of 52 kg / 115 lb. of CO₂.
   » Use the lowest temperature setting appropriate on your washing machine and always wash a full load.
Washing clothes at 30°C/ 86°F (rather than higher temperatures uses around 40% less electricity and saves around 45 kg / 99 lbof CO₂ per year. Or, just do not use hot water: try cold washing.
   » On a nice day hang your washing outside instead of using a tumble dryer. Every time you use a tumble dryer you use enough electricity to emit over 1.5 kg / 3.3 lb. CO₂. A tumble dryer if used for every wash will be responsible for emitting about 140 kg / 308 lb. of CO₂.
   » Fridges and freezers: Make sure all food is cooled down before it goes in the fridge or freezer. Defrost your freezer regularly to keep it running efficiently and cheaply.

Lighting

   » Always turn them off when you leave a room!
   » Keep curtains as wide open as possible during the day to let the light in but make sure they are drawn at dusk to stop heat leaving your home through the window.
   » Replacing one of the most used traditional bulbs in your house with an energy saving bulb will save up to 40 kg / 88 lb. of CO₂ a year.

Heating, Air conditioning and Hot Water

   » On those cold winters evenings always reach for a jumper first before going for the thermostat. Every degree over 18°C (65°F) will increase your heating bills by about 8%. For a gas fired system that’s about 230 kg / 507 lb. CO₂ a year.
   » If your curtains are above a radiator – tuck them behind it when they are closed. This will keep the heat in the room and not out the window.
   » If you can, set your hot water cylinder thermostat to 60°C / 140°F.
   » If you have the choice, go for the shower. Baths use more hot water and will cost you more.
   » Get a new shower head. Get a low–flow shower head, it will save an average of 200 kg / 441 lb. of CO₂ a year.
   » Buy a programmable thermostat. Automatically lower your monthly energy bill by giving your heat and air conditioning a break while you are asleep or out: 476 kg / 1,050 Pounds of CO₂ savings per year.
   » Cast a critical eye on your air conditioning and central heating: If you adjust your thermostat by just one–half degree Celsius during summer months, the average household can save 453 kg / 1,000 lb. of CO₂.
   » Stay comfortable by wearing fewer clothes and being less active in the home during summer months, while layering up in the winter. During the summer months, remember to run house–warming appliances like your washer, dryer, dishwasher and oven after the sun goes down to avoid heating up your house. Alternately, in the winter months use these appliances whenever your house is the coldest.
   » When it’s practical, use a ceiling fan instead of your air conditioning and save 181 kg / 400 lb. of CO₂. Help your air conditioner work smarter, not harder; remember to replace your filter according to recommendations and you can save 79 kg / 176 lb. of CO₂.
   » Wrap your water heater in an insulating jacket. It can save 500 kg / 1,100 lbs. of CO₂ per year for an electric water heater, or 100 kg / 220 lb.for a gas heater.

Reduce and Reuse

   » Reduce. Cut down on purchasing products with lots of packaging. Simply trimming garbage by 10% can save up to 454 kg / 1,000 lb. of CO₂ within a year. Reducing your consumption of takeout boxes alone can save 11 kg / 24 lb. of CO₂ per year.
   » Reuse. Instead of replacing items, fix them. Reuse plastic shopping bags for rubbish, garage sales or to carry your lunch. Simply switching to reusable cleaning products like sponges instead of paper towels saves 5 kg / 11 lb. of CO₂ a year.
   » Remove yourself from junk mail lists: Your mailbox is stuffed full of CO₂ every day. Junk mail is more than just a nuisance: 1 million trees are used to create junk mail each year, which are transported via CO₂–emitting vehicles The average adult gets 19 kg of junk mail per year. If you cut down on this waste, you can save up to 104 kg / 230 lb. of CO₂ every year.

Recycle

Making things from scratch consumes large ammounts of energy (CO₂ is generated), to mine, log, sow, harvest, mill, grind, refine, pump, move, store, transport, pack… Recycling uses less enegy.
   » Recycling 1 kg / 2.2 lb of aluminium saves up to 6 kg / 13.2 lb. of bauxite, 4 kg / 8.8 lb. of chemical products and 14 kWh of electricity.
In fact, making 1 ton 2204 lb. of aluminum from bauxite gives off around 1300 kg / 2,900 lb. of CO₂ plus other air pollutants.
A recycled aluminium can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours.
   » Recycling 1 ton of paper saves the same amount of energy as is provided by about 740 litres / 200 gallons of crude oil. On the other hand, burning 1 ton of paper generates about 680 kg / 1,500 lb of CO₂ and 27 kg / 60 lb. of other air pollutants.
   » Recycling 1 ton of steel saves the energy equivalent of about 370 litres / 100 gallons of oil.
   » Recycling 1 ton of glass saves the equivalent in energy of about 37 litres / 10 gallons of oil.

So, at your home, you can…

   » Sort cans (aluminium), glass and plastic bottles in appropriate recycling bins. Cardboard boxes, printer paper, newspaper, plastic bags and bottles, milk cartons… a lot of your trash can probably be thrown in the recycling bin instead.
Ink cartridges for your printer have them refilled and reuse them.
   » If your car has an air conditioner, make sure its coolant is recovered and recycled whenever you have it serviced. Leakage causes emission of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which damage the ozone layer as well as add to global warming. The CFCs from one auto air conditioner can add the equivalent of 2,178 kg / 4,800 lb. of CO₂ emissions per year.

Food

Methane, a gas (natural gas is mostly methane) is responsible for nearly as much global warming as all other non–CO₂ greenhouse gases put together. Methane is 21 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than CO₂, most methane is generated in the gut of livestock bred for food.
Livestock is responsible for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO₂ equivalents. By comparison, all transportation emits 13.5% of the CO₂, the impact of cattle’s digestive gases is evident.
Cutting down on meat (primarily cows, chickens, and pigs) and increasing vegetable consumption can help curb these emissions.

A diet of 30% meat, dairy and poultry produces 1,485 kg / 3,274 lb. of CO₂ each year, but a vegetarian diet generates only half of that. Animal flatulence, processing, packaging and transportation of products are to blame. If you replace red meat with fish, eggs and poultry, you can save more than 430 kg / 948 lb. of CO₂ a year. Alternately, eat meat–free meals every other day for a 215 kg / 474 lb. of CO₂ savings.

Gardening

   » Plant a tree (1): Trees are attractive, cheap, help with energy costs and reduce the CO₂in our air. They provide cooling shade and absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere while creating oxygen. Planting a tree native to your region in your garden can save 2,268 kg / 5000 lb of CO₂ per year. If you're really a go–getter try planting 10 trees per year and save 22,680 kg / 50,000 lb of CO₂. If you don't have room for 10 trees at home, offer to plant them for your friends, family and neighbours.
   » Plant a tree (2): plant a shade trees and paint your house a light color if you live in a warm climate, or a dark color if you live in a cold climate. Reductions in energy use resulting from shade trees and appropriate painting can save up to 2,400 kg / 5290 lb. of CO₂ emissions per year in addition those mentioned above.
   » Use a mechanical lawn mower: Get rid of your petrol powered mower, use a push mower. Get some exercise, save petrol money and save the environment by switching to a push mower. You'll save 36 kg / 80 lb of CO₂ in a year.
   » Compost food and garden waste: for every kilogram of waste you throw out, you produce 1 kg of CO₂. An average household throwing out 1 dustbin’s worth of waste every week emits 1,400kg of CO₂ a year. You can cut this figure by 20% if you compost all kitchen and garden waste.
   » Swap the garden hose for a water butt: greenhouse gas emissions per litre of water treated and supplied to customers: 0.00029kg CO₂ equivalent (0.0005 lb per gallon). Installing a water butt saves on average 1,940 litres / 520 gallons of water per year.

Drinking Water

   » Drinking water has to be processed, pumped through filters, sedimentation and coagulation tanks, storage tanks and pipes. This uses energy and generates CO₂. By cutting waste (closing the tap when not in use, while you’re brushing your teeth or shaving; fixing drips and leaks) you save energy.
Greenhouse gas emissions per litre of water treated and supplied to customers: 0.00029kg CO₂ equivalent (0.0005 lb per gallon).
   » Rain water can keep your garden fit. Cut down on watering and save energy.
   » Don’t Drink Bottled Water at Home. Disposable plastic water bottles are made from petroleum and tens of millions are thrown into landfills every day.
   » Install a save–a–flush in your bathroom: Installing a save–a–flush saves 2,000 litres / 540 gallons of water a year.

Cars and driving

Our cars release over a tonne of CO₂ each year for every man, woman and child.

   » When you are using your car drive with style, keep your distance, drive smoothly and minimise the amount of breaking and accelerating you have to do. It can save you about 13% of your fuel costs.
   » Every journey under 4.8 km / 3 miles that you decide not to use the car for will save about 2 kg / 4.4 lb. CO₂. During short journeys, particularly those under 1.6 km / 1 mile, an engine uses twice as much fuel when it is cold. Walk or cycle instead and it will improve your health and your waistline.
   » Check your revs (manual shift) changing up before 2,500 revs per minute (rpm) for petrol engines or 2,000 rpm for diesel engines.
   » Try to anticipate road conditions.
   » Use air conditioning sparingly.
   » Obey all speed limits, but be aware that the most efficient speed is between 72 – 88 km per hour / 45–55 miles per hour. On the highway, every 8 km/h – 5 mph you drive over 104 km/h – 65 mph represents a 7% decrease in fuel economy.
   » Drive away immediately when starting from cold – idling the engine increases wear and wastes fuel.
   » Remove accessories like roof racks , boxes and bike carriers: they affect the car’s aerodynamics increasing drag. Remove excess weight from car trunk. All the little things cluttering up your car can add up (every 45 kg / 100 lb. in the trunk will reduce your fuel economy by 1 to 2%).
   »Plan routes so that you can avoid congestion, roadworks or getting lost.
   » Check tyre pressure regularly; not only are under–inflated tyres dangerous, they can increase a car’s fuel consumption by 3%. (and save 114 kg / 251 lb. of CO₂ every year).
   » If you are stuck in traffic congestion and expect to be there for more than one or two minutes, switch off the engine.
   » Combine errands. A little planning can make a big difference in fuel economy. When your engine is cold, it uses more fuel than when it is warm. Combining errands can improve your gas mileage because your engine will be warm for more of the trip. It might also mean you travel less total miles. Several short trips with a cold start engine can use twice as much fuel as a single, longer trip covering the same distance. Try doing one weekly supermarket shop, not three: save hundreds of miles driven a year.
   » Use the Highest Gear Possible. When you are cruising at a steady speed, such as on the highway.
   » Think Clean. A washed and waxed car improves aerodynamics and therefore affects fuel economy by up to 7% on a long trip.
   » Running your air conditioner does cause your vehicle to consume more fuel, but driving with your windows rolled down can be even worse due to the increase of drag on the vehicle. If you are driving slowly, such as around town or in city traffic, then you are better off leaving your windows open, if at all possible. For highway driving, roll up the windows and turn the air conditioning on.
   » Car pool.

Some other CO₂ busting measures…

Measures that will cost you in time and money to do but will save you money in the long run and reduce carbon emissions.

   » Change your electricity to a green energy tariff (be sure that it is for the supply of energy from renewable sources). Some tariffs are no different in cost to regular ones.
   » When your appliances (such as washing machines or fridge freezers) need replacing purchase an "A" rated energy efficient one. This can save you up to 150kg / 331 lb. of CO₂ a year, it will cost you a bit more, but you will recoup those costs through reduced electricity bills .
   » Fit low energy light bulbs where you can. For each bulb you will save about 80 kg / 176 lb. CO₂ each year. They will also last for many years before needing to be replaced.
   » Draughtproofing windows, doors and your loft hatch (if you have one), you will save about 100 kg / 220 lb. of CO₂ a year.
   » Make sure your loft insulation is at least 200 mm / 8" thick. A poorly insulated loft could be losing you up to 25% of your heating.
   » Install double glazed windows: Double glazed windows are made up of two glass panels with a space in between. This space is generally filled with air or gasses that can help with insulation. They also often have a UV coating, which can be customised to your climate. Cold regions can use a UV coating that maximises the warmth of the sun, while those in hot areas can employ a UV coating that keeps heat out. If you switch 6 medium to large windows to double pane this year, you could save a whopping 4,536 kg / 10,000 lb. of CO₂.
   » Update the insulation of your home: Updating your home’s insulation can add up to big CO₂ and financial savings. In just one year, updated wall and ceiling insulation can save 907 kg / 2,000 lb. of CO₂. Think about the savings over the life of your home. Just 5 years with updated insulation will save up to 4,535 kg / 10,000 lb of CO₂. If you caulk and weather–strip your doorways and windows, add another 454 kg / 1,000 lb. of CO₂.

At Work

   » Switching off the lights overnight in an empty meeting room throughout the year can save 440 kg / 970 lb. CO₂
   » Replacing standard fluorescent lights in a typical 10,000 m2(108,000 sq. ft) office with energy efficient lamps and electronic ballasts and adding sensors could save 135 Tonnes of CO₂ per year.
   » Properly calibrated lighting controls in a 15m / 50 ft – long corridor can save 250 kg / 551 lb. CO₂.
   » Switching off a photocopier at night and at weekends can save 20 kg / 44 lb. of CO₂ a month.
   » A monitor uses 3 times more energy when it is switched on than while on standby, CRT monitors use twice as much energy and emit twice as much heat as flat LCD monitors
   » Ensuring that chargers and power supplies in offices are unplugged when not charging has no costs and can save up to 10% on energy bills.
If 20 people commit to plug in their chargers only when charging their phones, it will save 1000 kg / 2204 lb. CO₂ per year.
Switching off or unplugging a microwave has no costs and will save 80 kg of CO₂ per year.
   » A 10°C / 18°FC reudction in the setting of the thermostat has no costs and could reduce energy bills by as much as 10%.
Recycling paper; recycling 1 tonne of paper is equivalent to providing heat and hot water for a home for a year. It also saves 15 trees, 2.5 barrels of oil, 2.26 m3 / 80 cu ft. of landfill spaces, 31,000 gallons / 115,000 litres of water and 27kg / 59 lb. of air pollutants.
   » Setting double–sided copying feature as default on the copier can save 1500 kg / 3307 lb. of CO₂ per year.

Business and community

   » Work with your employer to implement these and other energy–efficiency and waste–reduction measures in your office or workplace. Form or join local citizens' groups and work with local government officials to see that these measures are taken in schools and public buildings.
   » Keep track of the environmental voting records of candidates for office. Stay abreast of environmental issues on both local and national levels, and write or call your elected officials to express your concerns about energy efficiency and global warming.

CO₂ Calculators

Carbon footprint calculators help you measure your impact on our climate:

World Resources Institute has a carbon dioxide calculator.
American Forests has a carbon dioxide calculator.
The National Energy Foundation UK, Advice – carbon dioxide calculator.
Bonneville Environmental Foundation carbon dioxide calculator.


CO₂ Argentina in the global context

Argentina generated 133,264 thousand tonnes of carbon dioxide (2002) [1], equivalent to 0.6% of the world’s total output. Argentina has a reasonable ranking (26^th) among countries emitting CO₂. Considering Argentina’s population, its per capita contribution to global warming is of 3.63 ton (2004), where it ranks 90^th out of 211 countries listed. [2]

As an example, other countries’ carbon dioxide emissions are shown below:

In ton of CO₂/person [3]
27.54  Australia
23.66 ton  United States
21.90 ton  Canada
12.60 ton  Russia
11.95 ton  Germany
10.90 ton  United Kingdom
10.22 ton  European Union
 9.28 ton  France
 8.86 ton  Japan
 8.14 ton  Sweden
 3.63 ton  Argentina [*]

[*] Argentina's figures includes Malvinas Islands (Falklands) emissions.


CO₂More information on climate change

UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme Climate Change
Argentina - Climate Change (In Spanish)
China - Climate Change Network
EU - European Commission Climate Change
US - Global Change Research
Australia - Climate Change

Copyright 2009-2010 by Austin Whittall ©

Patagonian Monsters Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia

2010 International Year of Biodiversity

 

2010 - International Year of Biodiversity. From [2].

2010 was declared as the International Year of Biodiversity by the United Nation's General Assembly. Although initial celebrations began in November under the slogan “Biodiversity is life, biodiversity is our life,” the official launch will take place in Berlin tomorrow, on 11 January, 2010.

The purpose of this declaration was to to bringing greater international attention to the continued loss of biodiversity and to increase awareness of the importance of biodiversity by promoting actions at the local, regional and international levels.[1]

Below I quote textually from the UN website.[2]


Take Action in 2010!
Biodiversity is life
Biodiversity is our life


Participate
Be inspired and get involved! It is the actions of individuals that will ultimately make a difference for safeguarding biodiversity.

Learn
   » About biodiversity in your city, region and country
   » How your consumption patterns and everyday actions may impact on biodiversity, sometimes in distant ecosystems

Speak
   »Make your views known to the government and the private sector
   »Share your knowledge with people around you
   »Send us your Success stories so we can share them with the rest of the world

Act
   »Make responsible consumption choices
   »Support activities and organizations that conserve biodiversity
   »Join a local environmental NGO or organize your own activities that will help biodiversity
   »Be creative and find solutions to biodiversity loss
   »Send us your pictures, artwork, videos and other creations, and we'll share them with the world

So, it sounds quite interesting, but what does this have to do with cryptozoology? or Patagonia?

Cryptozoology

Cryptozoology is all about biodiversity: its subject is scarce (endangered), or possibly extinct cryptids. We should be concerned about this critical subject and do something about it.

Patagonia

This unique place is also under threat. Climate change, logging and mining, overfishing, whale killing, sheep farming, oil extraction,reckless tourism, dams and utility plants built to produce electricity used elsewhere have a negative impact on the fragile Patagonian ecosystem. The steppe and the forests harbor endemic species (unique to the Patagonian region) which must be protected.

Taking Action

What can WE do about it?

1. Improve our impact on the Patagonian ecosystems

Tourists (whether the average nature loving person or a cryptozoolgist investigating on site) often visit wild and "untouched" natural places. As responsible global citizens, when outdoors we should not harm the environment.

We should leave no trace and tread lightly, in other words, when we are enjoying the outdoors we must minimize our impact on the environment.

Some smart tips on what to do (and what not) when outdoors can be found at the following websites of two NGOs: Leave no Trace and Tread Lightly [3][4]:

2. Learn more about Biodiversity

Below is a cool informative website on Argentina's living species, biodiversity and our National Parks (it includes Patagonia):

Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad. Argentine National Parks Administration.

I will keep on posting on "Biodiversity" and what we can do to reduce our impact on the environment:
   » Climate Change.

Bibliography.

[1] UN years and decades
[2] International Year of Biodiversity official website
[3] Tread Lightly
[4] Leave no Trace

Copyright 2009-2010 by Austin Whittall ©

Patagonian Monsters Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia