Friday, April 10, 2009

Loose Feathers #182

American Bittern / Photo by Gary Kramer (USFWS)

Bird and birding news
Birds in the blogosphere
Environmental news
  • While Arctic sea ice has a greater area than in 2008, most of it is very thin; only 10% has formed over more than two years, compared to 30%-40% during the 1980s. Even with the slight increase in area, Arctic sea ice now covers a much smaller area than it did 30 years ago.
  • Commercial flame retardants are present in all U.S. coastal waterways, with the highest concentrations in the sediments and shellfish of the Hudson-Raritan Estuary. Anaheim Bay also had high concentrations in shellfish. These chemicals are known to cause developmental problems.
  • The EPA has a list of its most wanted environmental fugitives. Sadly, there are no Exxon executives.
  • The Gowanus Canal is slated to become a Superfund site.
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