Nature

Image credit: AP Photo

A small frog that had been declared extinct more than 30 years ago has been rediscovered in Australia. Litoria castanea, better known as the "yellow-spotted bell frog" or the "tablelands bell frog," was found in a creek bed on private property by biologists Luke Pearce and David Hunter.

Hunter, who is a frog expert with the New South Wales Environment Department, commented that "this was definitely the most exciting moment of my career and I will be surprised if I repeat it." He went on to say that the discovery highlights the important roll property owners play in conservation efforts.

He explained:

The property owner at this particular site is extremely excited about having this critically endangered frog species on his land, and is very much looking forward to working with us in collaboration towards the conservation of the bell frog.

The exact location of the discovery will remain a secret to protect the fragile frog population and the homeowner's property.

State Environment Minister Frank Sartor said he was "advised that finding this frog is as significant a discovery as a Tasmanian tiger."

One of the frogs and a tadpole were collected and brought to Sydney's Taronga Zoo where biologists and conservationists hope to establish a captive breeding program.

 

David DeFranza is assistant editor at Treehugger, where this post originally appeared.

 

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It happened to the dinosaurs, most likely because of a meteor strike, and now all that's left are fossils. It happened to the mastodons, possibly because their icy climate overheated.

Evolutionary biologists will tell you that it has happened to 99.9% of all species that have ever walked the earth: Extinction, the death of not just an individual, but the last individual of an entire species. And in the last 20 years, most of the extinctions we've seen have been due, in some part, to human behavior.

What many don't realize is that many species are recently extinct. Only today, instead of a catastrophic meteor strike or a gigantic volcanic eruption, the primary threat today is us: Our growing population, our development of once-wild areas, our pollution, and even our globe-trotting ways, since many native species suffer when foreign competitors or predators are introduced.

Here we profile a few of the extinctions that have been documented in the last two decades or so. Take a look, then see these 10 things you can do to help endangered species.

 

Golden Toad (1989)

The Golden Toad: It's not the only species to disappear in the span of time it takes one American to reach the drinking age - but it might just be the brightest.

This fluorescent amphibian was found in the high altitude ridges of Costa Rica, but thanks to pollution, global warming, and fungal skin infections, the species became extinct in 1989.

It's not the only toad in trouble. Frogs, toads, and salamanders worldwide are going extinct at such a fast clip in recent years that some have termed it an "amphibian crisis." In 2008, the world recognized the issue with the Year of the Frog. Which isn't to say all the news about amphibians is bad: Recently, 10 new species of frogs and other amphibians were discovered in Colombia.

Photo: Charles H. Smith / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

 

 

 

West African Black Rhinoceros (2006)

The majestic West African Black Rhino was declared extinct in 2006, after conservationists failed to find any in their last remaining habitat in Cameroon. The West African black rhino was one of four subspecies of rhinoceros.

Cause of extinction: Poachers hunted the rhino for its horn, which is believed by some people in Yemen and China to possess aphrodisiac powers.

Photo: Sideog / Flickr

 

 

 

 

Zanzibar Leopard (1996)

One of several subspecies of leopard, the Zanzibar Leopard made its home on the Zanzibar archipelago of Tanzania. It's still unclear whether this large cat is technically extinct - there are occasional unconfirmed sightings.

Cause of extinction: Locals believed the leopards were kept by witches, so they aggressively hunted them. The animals were seen as evil predators that must be exterminated - and even the government was in on this campaign.

In the mid-'90s, there was a short-lived conservation effort, but it was deemed too little, too late. This is not the only big cat in trouble either: Tigers are also endangered, and several subspecies have gone extinct. There are several highly rated leopard conservation groups working to preserve related species.

Photo: Helle V. Goldman and Jon Winther-Hansen

 

 

 

Spix's Macaw (2004)

Spix's Macaw, also called the Little Blue Macaw, was known for its beautiful blue feathers. While some still exist in captivity, these tiny blue birds are extinct in the wild.

Cause of extinction: Habitat destruction and illegal trapping and trade contributed to the macaw's dwindling numbers.

Photo: M. Stafford / www.parrotsinternational.org

 

 

 

 

Madeiran Large White (2007)

The stunning Madeiran Large White butterfly was found in the valleys of the Laurisilva forests on Portugal’s Madeira Islands. The butterfly's closest relative, the Large White, is common across Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Cause of extinction: Loss of habitat due to construction as well as pollution from agricultural fertilizers are two major causes of the species' decline. To help butterflies in your yard and garden, consider planting some of these butterfly and bee-friendly plants.

Photo: A. E. Holt-White via Wikimedia Commons

 

 

 

Pyrenean Ibex (2000)

The last Pyrenean Ibex died in 2000. However, a cloned ibex, created from skin samples taken from the last Pyrenean Ibex, was born in 2009. It died shortly after birth from lung complications.

Cause of extinction: Hunting of the Ibex caused the animal’s numbers to seriously dwindle, and conservationists blame the Spanish government for failing to act in time to save it.

Photo: A. Cabrera via Wikimedia Commons

 

 

 

 

Po'ouli (2004)

A native of Maui, Hawaii, the Po'ouli, or Black-Faced Honeycreeper, was only discovered in the 1970s. The birds inhabited the southwestern slope of the Haleakala volcano.

But the population declined rapidly, and by 1997, there were only three known Po'ouli left. Efforts to mate the remaining birds failed, and the species was formally declared extinct seven years later.

Cause of extinction: Habitat loss, along with disease, predators, and a decline in its food source - native tree snails - are all seen as reasons for the bird’s demise. The unique threats to Hawaiian birds, which evolved to meet unique conditions on their islands, are a reason that one-third of U.S. birds are in decline, but there's a lot you can do to help birds in your backyard.

Photo: Paul E. Baker / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

 

 

 

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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

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EarthTalk is a Q&A column from E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: If the ice caps are melting, what is happening to the salt content of the oceans? And might this contribute to weather patterns or cause other environmental problems? — George Boyer, via email

It's true that the melting of the polar ice caps as a result of global warming is sending large amounts of freshwater into the world's oceans. Environmentalists and many climate scientists fear that if the climate heats up fast enough and melts off the remaining polar ice rapidly, the influx of freshwater could disturb ocean currents enough to drastically change the weather on the land as well.

The Gulf Stream, a ribbon of ocean water that delivers heat from the tropics up to the North Atlantic, keeps northeastern U.S. and northwestern Europe weather much milder than other areas at the same latitude around the globe. In theory, less salt in the ocean could stall out the Gulf Stream and rob some of the world's greatest civilization centers of their natural heating source, plunging the two continents into a cold snap that could last decades or longer — even as the rest of the globe warms around them.

The Gulf Stream keeps running because the warmer water traveling north is lighter than cold water, so it floats on top and keeps moving. As the current approaches the northern Atlantic and disgorges its heat, it grows denser and sinks, at which point it flows back to the south, crossing under the northbound Gulf Stream, until it reaches the tropics to start the cycle all over again. This cycle has allowed humans and other life forms to thrive across wide swaths of formerly frozen continents over thousands of years. But if too much dilution occurs, the water will get lighter, idling on top and stalling out the system.

Some scientists worry that this grim future is fast approaching. Researchers from Britain's National Oceanography Center have noticed a marked slowing in the Gulf Stream since the late 1950s. They suspect that the increased release of Arctic and Greenland meltwater is to blame for overwhelming the cycle, and fear that more warming could plunge temperatures significantly lower across land masses known as some of the most hospitable places for humans to live.

Of course — not surprisingly — others have noted a contradictory trend: Some parts of the world's oceans are getting saltier. Researchers from the UK's Met Office and Reading University reported in a recent issue of the peer-reviewed journal Geophysical Research Letters that warmer temperatures over southerly sections of the Atlantic Ocean have significantly increased evaporation and reduced rainfall from Africa to the Caribbean in recent years, concentrating salt in the water that's left behind. In fact, the Atlantic in this region is about 0.5 percent saltier than it was four decades ago.

But given how little we really know about the future effects of our carbon loading of the atmosphere, calling these two trends contradictory might be premature — as the two regions of ocean interact with one another and are part of a larger whole. Looking instead at the big picture, it's clear that climate change is already having a relatively large effect on the world's oceans by fundamentally altering evaporation and precipitation cycles. Only time will tell how dramatic the results of these changes will be.

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E / The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it here or via email. Read past columns here and check out the recent book Earthtalk: Expert Answers to Everyday Questions about the Environment

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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

Warmer ocean temperatures pose a serious threat to corals around the world.  Warmer waters typically kill the brown or green algae that a reef depends on for food, leading to bleaching and death of the reefs, but Penn State scientists have found some algae are not affected by rising temperatures, buying their coral partners some time.

Heat-resistant algae have been found in the Andaman Sea in the Indian Ocean as well as in spots in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.  Scientists aren't sure if the resilient algae can save corals - the algae may not be able to be imported to coral reefs where it doesn't naturally occur and there are other things threatening coral, including rising ocean acidification, pollution and bottom-trawling fishing.  Considering all of that, the algae may be just a temporary life-preserver.

But some scientists think warmer waters may encourage the growth of these algae, benefiting the reefs they occupy over the long-term.  Continued research will be needed, but this discovery does offer a glimmer of hope for the world's coral.

via Dot Earth

Scientists at Université Laval in Quebec have been tracking the movement of permafrost in the area and have found it's receding at an alarming rate.

Aerial photos of the James Bay region between the 51st and 53rd parallels taken in 1957 were compared to those taken in 2004 and 2005.  The photos showed the permafrost line (recognizable by distinct oval-shaped land elevations that form over permafrost) had retreated 80 miles and was deteriorating as far north as the 55th parallel.

The James Bay area makes up the southernmost part of Hudson Bay.  Warming temperatures - a rise of as much as 3 to 4 degrees in recent decades - are causing tundra disappearance in the area as well.

via Yale e360

Looking for a unique holiday for your family?  Want to teach your kids about our amazing natural world and environmental responsibility first-hand?  Do you like hiking, biking, and lobsters?  Look no further than beautiful Maine.

A recent list published by National Geographic Traveler featured Maine as one of the “places doing well” for its authenticity and stewardship. That’s especially true, noted the report, the further north you go.  One such destination is Mount Desert Island, home to Bar Harbor and the 46,000 acres of Acadia National Park.

Rainer Jenss, former publisher of National Geographic Kids, just lived out a life-long dream to take a year off and travel the world with his wife, Carol, and sons, Tyler, 11, and Stefan, 8.  After the first two months and 20 states, he published his U.S. Top 10 List.  The choice for the family’s “favorite national park” was Acadia.

Acadia National Park lies within the third largest island on the East Coast and has 24 mountain peaks.  That grand juxtaposition of where the mountains meet the sea gives Acadia its uniqueness and accounts for why travelers consistently name it one of the most beautiful places in the world. 

Yet, for families, it’s accessible and easy to manage.  As Rainer said, it has the scenery, wildlife, and hiking trails that rank it among our nation’s greatest national parks plus “terrific accommodations and food to boot.”

“I’ve never been so tired in my life”

For the Jenss' boys, hiking and biking were among Acadia’s major attractions.  The park has 130 miles of hiking trails and 57 miles of car-free carriage roads that wind among glacial lakes and around spruce-covered mountains.  Terrain for hiking can be as easy as the Ship Harbor figure-eight loop to the ocean or as challenging as climbing Beech Mountain to a fire lookout with spectacular 360-degree views.

Some hikes, such as the one to Acadia Mountain, offer a bonus. You can conclude your descent with sun-bathing on lakeside granite promontories. (Jumping into the lake is optional for anyone with energy left.)

Opening our eyes to sights unseen

An entrance pass to the park costs $20 and admits one vehicle for seven days.  But it’s also a pass for a lot of entertainment. Park rangers host daily walks, talks, amphitheatre programs, and cruises.  Adults become as engaged as the kids as they learn about birds of prey, insects in a stream, and the stars over Sand Beach.

Most programs are free, although some do require nominal fees; many are customized for different age groups.  Families can easily split up — while Dad takes the kids to look for frogs and tadpoles during “A Frog’s Life,” Mom and the older kids can get a lesson on photographing wildflowers.

Free bus service around the island makes this easy to manage and provides another opportunity for a lesson about conservation and the benefits of clean propane-powered public transportation.  The buses carry visitors not only to hiking trails, carriage roads, and island beaches, but also to in-town shops and restaurants.

New perspectives, deeper insights

Every island deserves to be seen from the perspective of the ocean, and Mount Desert Island is no exception.  There are kayaking excursions, whaling trips, and tours by sailboat, as well as nature cruises.

One of the best is the Dive-In Theatre, in which kids watch by video as Diver Ed explores the ocean floor.  He then returns with a bag of sea urchins, sea stars, hermit crabs lobsters, and wonderfully slimy sea cucumbers for the hands-on experience of his passengers.

Mount Desert Island also has a natural history museum, whale museum, and oceanarium.  Jaylene Roths, a resident of Bar Harbor, emphasizes how fortunate her daughters, Grace, 7, and Cecelia, 2, are to be surrounded by the natural world, but that, even for them, the museums and touch tanks “take the girls’ backyard experiences one step further: They see how porcupine quills are attached, what seal skeletons look like, and where the rabbit paths lead.”

Where to stay

Acadia National Park has two beautiful wooded campgrounds, Blackwoods and Seawall, both within a 10-minute walk of the ocean.  The island’s villages, especially Bar Harbor, also offer a wide range of motels, oceanfront hotels, and B&Bs.  Many, like the Jenss family, prefer to rent a cottage so that every meal doesn’t have to be in a restaurant.

A particularly exciting “all-inclusive” option is College of the Atlantic’s Family Nature Camp, an accredited six-day program presented by experienced teachers and naturalists that combines field trips, boat cruises, ecology hikes, and whale watches. The program is offered on College of the Atlantic’s stunning 35-acre waterfront campus in Bar Harbor, where families stay in suites in student housing with common rooms and kitchens. Meals are included.  For 2010, COA is offering a 10% discount for the first three weeks of camp in June, and there’s no reason that shouldn’t be part of the family discussion, too.

“Can we eat the blueberries?”

There are 60,000 acres of wild blueberries that grow naturally in Maine, so it’s no surprise that you can pick and eat them throughout Acadia National Park. That, after all, was what happened in Robert McCloskey’s Blueberries for Sal, which is a great memento from a trip to Mount Desert Island.  (Ecomii eco-friendly tip: Minimize waste and bring home things that matter instead of impersonal souvenirs that were probably imported.) Families will also be tempted to sample blueberries in everything from pie to ice cream.

Lobster is also plentiful.  Casual restaurants with picnic table seating, most often waterside, are called “lobster pounds,” in deference to the historic manner in which lobstermen impounded the crustaceans before bringing them to market.  Attractively priced and far sweeter than lobsters in city restaurants and markets, they round out the picture of a “perfect Maine vacation.”

Planning a trip

Our Acadia is a great place to begin planning a trip, starting with when is the best time to go.  This authoritative website also reviews a wide range of restaurants, features packing tips, gives ideas of what to do if it rains, and presents sample itineraries. 

Not to be missed is a popular list of 22 great things to do with your kids in Acadia National Park.

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7. The Matterhorn

(Photo: c. 1960 & today, Getty Images)

Many often wonder why Europeans get so hot and bothered about climate change. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they are in direct, daily contact with one very sobering reality — their ice is vanishing.

European glaciers have been some of the hardest hit by climate change. Since the first half of the 19th century, about two-thirds of the ice cover was lost in the Pyrenees with a marked acceleration after 1980 (Chueca et al. 2005 via: UNEP) and in the Alps, home to the world famous Matterhorn, nearly half the glaciers have disappeared since record keeping began.

Often called the "water tower" of Europe, the Alps contain 40 percent of Europe's fresh water supply. The dramatic disappearance of ice on the Matterhorn last year has prompted the need for the border between Switzerland and Italy to be redrawn.

 

6. Alaska

(Photo: Muir Glacier, 1941)

(Photo: Muir Glacier, 2004)

It's always struck me as a bit ironic that Alaska, home to several of the most famous gubernatorial climate skeptics (including Sarah Palin) is also home to some of the most dramatic examples of climate change.

The astonishing recession of the massive Muir glacier is just one example among dozens, causing many scientists to warn of earthquakes triggered by tectonic plates with suddenly lightened loads.

 

5. Himalayas

(Photo: NASA)

Home to the planet's largest body of ice outside the polar caps, the Himalayas feed several of the world's largest rivers, supporting close to a billion people. In the western region of Himachal Pradesh, new evidence tracks an annual ice loss of nearly 3 feet in thickness per year, doubling in the past decade from the decade prior (Berthier et al, 2007).

Will the Himalayan glaciers disappear this century? Not likely, but Chinese government officials are growing concerned that retreating ice may spell the end of reliable water supplies for China.

 

4. Greenland

(Photo: Helheim Glacier, Spring 2001)

(Photo: Helheim Glacier, Spring 2005)

Satellite images of Greenland’s Helheim Glacier dating back to the 50s shows that this massive glacier has remained in tact for decades. But In 2000 it suddenly began disappearing.

By 2005 the glacier had retreated a total of 4 1/2 miles — at an average rate of 110 feet per day. Ironically, retreating glaciers in Greenland have enabled dozens of new oil and gas exploration projects as vanishing ice makes room for heavy drilling equipment.

 

3. Mount Kilimanjaro

(Photo: Mount Kilimanjaro, February 1993 & February 2000)

Last week a band of celebrities hiked up Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness for the African water crisis. The famous snow-cap formed 11,000 years ago but has diminished more than 85 percent since 1912, and nearby Mount Kenya has lost nearly ALL of its ice at an average of 1 meter per year, threatening water supplies for millions of people. 

Scientists now predict that the last great African glaciers could be gone within 20 years.

 

2. The Andes

(Photo: Dr. Edson Ramirez/AP; Universidad Mayor de San Andres)

The Chacaltaya glacier, once the highest ski resorts on earth, has completely vanished in the relative blink of an eye. A study on Bolivian glaciers in 1998 predicted the glacier’s disappearance by the year 2015, a claim that at the time was dismissed as overly dramatic. But early last year, it was officially announced that the glacier "... no longer exists," an event which threatens both water and power supplies in the Andean region.

Melting has tripled in the last decade, and it is expected that several adjoining clusters could have less than 30 years to survive.

 

1. Glacier National Monument

(Photo: Glacial National Park — 1938 & 2005)

Based on the latest reports, Montana may have to think of a new name for its famous Glacier National Monument. Of the 38 square-mile area once covered by glaciers, less than 25 percent remains.

Researchers believe that by the year 2030, the vast majority of ice in Glacier National Park will be gone unless current climate patterns are reversed.

 

ADDENDUM: The GRID Report (PDF) has just released new data for its upcoming 2007/2008 report which shows ever-increasing rates of deglaciation. It's filled with dozens of almost incomprehensible graphs that shows how of the 16 major glaciers studied, all 16 are rapidly melting.

For a primer on basic glacier science click on Part 1 of this post. To learn more about the IPCC Glacier Goof-up read the oh-so-controversial post.

Karl Burkart is a regular contributor to Mother Nature Network, where a version of this post originally appeared.

 

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(Walkway Over the Hudson State Park,
pre-renovation. Photo Credit: Fred Schaeffer)

Two New York Times articles published earlier this month illustrate the highs and lows of land protection right now. One, "Preservation Groups Find Bargains in Housing Bust," described how plummeting real estate prices have provided once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for land-conservation organizations to protect irreplaceable natural treasures once destined for sprawling development.

From Idaho to Florida and Virginia to Oregon, groups have preserved fields and forests, marshland and ocean waterfronts that as little as a year ago were slated for massive housing projects. Many of these scenic wonders now will be turned into parks.

That's the high. The low, "New Year but No Relief for Strapped States," noted the challenges many state governments face to rein in skyrocketing deficits. Actually, the earlier article hinted at this dilemma's environmental implications: dedicated funds for protecting land and creating new parks already have been a casualty of fiscal belt-tightening in statehouses from Olympia to Albany – just when they could do the most good. With red ink continuing to rise, even more drastic cuts are likely.

There's a trickle-down effect, too. With less state support, county and municipal governments are being forced to slash their own budgets, so land preservation and parks often take another hit on the local level.

Why are these initiatives such easy deficit-reduction targets? Because there's a presumption they are luxuries. Sure, parks make us feel good and wildflower-filled meadows are pretty to look at, but they don't pay the bills. That's the all-too-common perception among legislators and even the public at large. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.

For proof, take a look at Conservation: An Investment That Pays, a study released last year by The Trust for Public Land. It's one of the most comprehensive looks yet at the myriad benefits land protection offers our cash-strapped economies.

The report compiles a wealth of statistics offering incontrovertible evidence that:

• Parks increase surrounding property values and hence local revenues, while protected open space such as farms keep the costs of municipal services low. (Remember, cows don't go to school).
• New parks spur economic development and boost nearby businesses, often providing the catalyst for downtown revitalization. This point was driven home forcefully in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., (headquarters of Scenic Hudson, the organization I head) with the October opening of Walkway Over the Hudson, which transformed a rusting railroad bridge into a dramatic park. In its first two months of operation, it attracted 400,000 visitors, while local restaurants have enjoyed a spike in business.
• Those of us who live near parks are more likely to exercise, which helps us ward off medical conditions responsible for out-of-control health care costs.
• Preserved forests and fields naturally purify our air and water while conserved floodplains prevent property loss from natural disaster – all reducing the need for costly manmade protections.
• By enhancing our quality of life, parks and open space attract new jobs and residents. (A healthy local environment is among business executives' top concerns when looking for a place to relocate or set up shop.)

Parks aren't freeloaders. Far from it, they provide communities with direct economic benefits. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has calculated that Americans who engage in hunting, fishing and wildlife-watching spend nearly $125 billion annually, supporting an industry responsible for 1.6 million jobs – more people than are employed by Wal-Mart, the largest U.S. retailer.

The National Parks Conservation Association reports that for each $1 invested in our national parks, there's a $4 return in local spending. In New York, figures are comparable for state parks; I bet the same holds for other states.

In many states, including New York, funds for land protection already have taken disproportionate cuts that fail to take into account these far-reaching economic and environmental benefits. It's imperative we let our legislators know they can't let the landscapes that enrich our lives – and, as it turns out, contribute so much to the bottom line – be the primary victims of future reductions. For in the end, it's us who wind up being the true victims.

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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

(Photo: National Snow and Ice
Data Center)

After Climate Gate, when some top climate scientists were found to be behaving badly via email, and Glacier Gate, when the Nobel Prize-winning U.N. climate panel was found to have included a bogus "fact" about the threat to Himalayan glaciers in its landmark climate report, climate skeptics have seeded some new doubts about the veracity of global warming science.

A careful look at all the facts reveals these two sensational bits of news to be insignificant, when compared to the multiple lines of carefully analyzed data that shows the world warming because of the accumulation of greenhouse gases.

But it might add to the fire that the two U.S. agencies that do the most research into global warming - NASA and NOAA (the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) - both put out authoritative press releases on the same day last week, each stating just how hot 2009 was in comparison to the historical record, each coming to a different conclusion, and neither explaining the discrepancy.

NASA's conclusion: "2009 was tied for the second warmest year in the modern record, a new NASA analysis of global surface temperature shows."

NOAA's conclusion: "For 2009, global temperatures tied with 2006 as the fifth-warmest on record."

So which is it, the second-warmest or the fifth-warmest?

We asked both NOAA and NASA to explain.

First up, Reto Ruedy, of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City. Ruedy makes clear, first, that all this data comes from real observations in the real world: "These global mean temperature data are estimates based on temperature reports from many weather stations and other sources."

But because not all weather stations are equally distributed across the globe, and not all weather stations have complete data or historical records, and not all weather stations report data that is free of errors. "Different techniques are applied to deal with these problems," Ruedy said. For instance, NASA estimates temperature for a larger swath of the Arctic based on surrounding weather stations than NOAA does; because the Arctic was particularly warm in 2009, NASA's global temperature estimate is warmer, too.

The graph below demonstrates just how closely NOAA and NASA data jives over the longterm, and it puts the latest discrepancy into perspective.

Next up, Derek "Deke" Arndt, chief of the Climate Monitoring Branch at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Since his explanation is so colloquial, here it is in full:

"There are methodological differences between the major global datasets (NOAA, Hadley, and NASA). (Hadley is the U.K.'s Hadley Center for Climate Change, which produces a third estimate for global temperature, which in this case agreed with NOAA's estimate that 2009 is the fifth-warmest year on record.) These are related to the details of, for example: how individual "grid cells" are filled; how missing data is handled, the exact quality assurance routines used to accept/reject data, how the polar regions are handled, if and how much satellite data is used (and where), and so on.

"Also, the concept of using ranks may add to the dissonance. Just like when watching a race, if a cluster of runners crosses the finish line together, small differences can make a big difference between, say, 2nd place and 5th place. That's what's happening here. Our 3rd through 6th place years were all quite close.

"Finally, as you likely know: In the context of step-back-and-take-stock-of-the-big-picture ... the important thing is that three different datasets are saying essentially the same thing, even if some of the details differ slightly. In essence, the three datasets are singing the same song, in a (slightly) different key.

"This phenomenon - the relative independence of the methods producing essentially the same big-picture results - is an indicator that the findings are fairly robust. While the concept of three different estimates of global-averaged temperature understandably confuses many people, it is quite healthy to examine planetary-scale temperatures using slightly different metrics."

So there you have it. Two (or three) different estimates for global temperature that are actually nearly the same. The main message is that multiple scientists, independently assessing sets of data are coming to nearly the same conclusions: The world keeps heating up as we pump more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

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(Photo: Milwaukee Public Museum)

The Milwaukee Public Museum's titan arum flowered on January 15, 2010 after a month-long wait. Most of us will never get to see a blooming titan arum in person because they are endangered in the wild and are not all that common in cultivation. It takes several years for the plant to bloom and then the flower (one of the world's largest) only lasts for a short time.   

"The titan arum is one of the wonders of the plant world because of its sheer size and rapid rate of growth," says Neil Luebke, curator of botany at the Milwaukee Public Museum.

Indeed, the museum's titan arum, which stands at 7 feet 8 ½ inches tall, grew several inches a day since the shoot emerged from the soil in mid-December. The plant expends so much energy growing so quickly that it can't sustain itself for long and usually only stays open for two days, according to Luebke. 

Known as the world's tallest flower, the titan arum is technically the world's largest unbranched cluster of flowers. (The largest single flower is rafflesia arnoldii, which can grow up to 3 feet wide.) In the wild titan arums can grow to be over ten feet tall, but in cultivation the world record is 9.55 feet. A spokeswoman at the museum dubbed the exotic plant: the "Godzilla of the plant world." 

A blooming titan arum usually draws large crowds because it's so rare, but also because of the foul odor it emits. It smells like rotting flesh or decaying meat, which is why it's also known as the "corpse plant." The smell is so intense that the human nose can detect it from over a half mile away.

The horrid smell attracts pollinators from afar. In nature the corpse plant only grows in the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. They are threatened because of rain forest destruction. The International Union of Conservation lists them as vulnerable.

 

(Photo: Milwaukee Public Museum)

 

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