One of the sweetest surprises of the Blog Action Day 09 – Climate Change, was a post by Sukuma Kenya. As you already know, we have been ‘collaborating’ with this passionate Kenyan to try and end the show of opulence and total disregard for climate change – with the vehicles they drive – among UN employees in the Nairobi office.

Did UNEP staffers drive such a car on #BAD09?

Although I get carried away by wildlife conservation matters and tend to wander away from this ‘campaign’ to end ‘environmental impunity’ at the offices that house the global headquarters of the United Nations Environmental Programme, Sukuma Kenya doesn’t.

I was thus pleasantly surprised when he informed me that he had chosen to address the ‘Kick the Habit‘ campaign in his Blog Action Day 2009. Never mind the post was on 16th not 15th October, which is the official Blog Action Day, the post was simple but very powerful.

You might want to read it yourself…So UNEP, did you Kick The Habit (Just for today)?

This post is my call to you to think about the wildlife. It is my contribution to the Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change.

Dead crocodile in dried river

When world leaders discuss climate change, the picture that is in their minds is of people caught in drought and floods, melting snow and icecaps in the mountain ranges and polar regions, and the polar bear. Well, that is not the worst case scenario. Less obvious wildlife (as compared to the polar bear) will suffer too – and perhaps more than humans.

You see human kind – as a species – will survive this rapid change in climate better than wildlife. Humans, in short, will survive. But some non-human inhabitants of mother Earth will not. It’s a given that wild species of animals and plants survived the beginning and end of the Ice Age, but they did so naturally. The climate change then was not as rapid as the climate change we are witnessing today. We all know the reason why – humans had not invented the steam engine, hadn’t discovered coal and petroleum and industrialisation was not even a seed in the little mind our ancient ancestors.

Now greenhouse gas emissions and an opulent consumerism has renderd the natural systems weak and the pace at which global warming and other climate change factors are progressing is mind boggling – and wildlife cannot keep abreast.

Take the example of trees. In mountain ranges, there is a nice tiered arrangement of different dominant species of plants. From lowland forest trees to upland, bamboo, alpine glades, tundra etc. Two problems arise here. 1) Assuming the vegetation belts can quickly stay at pace with temperature rise, they will push each other up the mountain until they all have nowhere else to go then they go extinct. 2) In reality, they cannot keep up the pace so they will die on the way up.

The great Savannahs of Africa may look indestructible – but they are not. We are increasingly seeing irregular rain patterns which is disrupting vegetation growth resulting in mass deaths of the massive herds of charismatic and much loved large herbivores, and their attending predators iconically represented by lions, cheetah, leopard and the like.

In Kenya recently, prolonged drought – and we can not rule out the effects of climate change as the cause – first killed livestock, then pushed the livestock into wildlife habitats, then killed the wildlife. Now Kenya is – ironically – waiting for El Nino rains to settle in so that it can save people, their livestock and wildlife. But the El Nino could be made more severe by the effects of climate change. So more people, livestock and wildlife will die. Iregi Mwenja, a Kenyan bushmeat researcher posted pictures of the onset of the El Nino rains in Voi today. One of the casualties of the big water was a masai goat that died in the floods.

That is a look on the extreme weather conditions that climate change is making worse. The silent increase in temperature will have the most devastating impact on wildlife as habitats change. According to the BBC:

It is estimated 20-30% of plant and animal species will be at increased extinction if the temperature rises by more than 1.5 – 2.5C. Less snow in winter, warmer temperatures in summer and more winter rain will affect wildlife across the board. Sea level rises will reduce land area in some countries, which will instantly affect vegetation which is currently used for homes and foods by animals.

In Africa, most of traditional dispersal area for wildlife is now occupied by humans as population increases exponentially. When climate change takes full effect, wildlife will attempt to move to these areas and human-wildlife conflict will escallate. The result is that wildlife will be killed. From another perspective, humans, with the effects of climate change on their heels, will invade wildlife protection areas, killing wildlife to create room for themselves, and their ravenous progeny.

Lest you tell me that the earth is man’s home, and we don’t need the wildlife, let me remind you the intricate balance between biological  systems, including bacteria! and the physical (rock) earth. The scientific author, Edward O Wilson, in his book “The Future of Life” talks of the earths biological system as a layer of living matter so thin you cannot see it sideways from space but absolutely neccessary for overall integrity of the planet as a whole (including energy flows). So there you have it: Without the biological system, there is no earth. Or in a language that you will understand, without the biological matter of old that became fossilized millenia ago, we would not have oil or coal = no fuel = no cars = no industrialization.

It is time to act. Our first wave of action is no doubt massive adjustment to our consumption patterns in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This, if dully practiced, could slow down climate change. Talk, write, chant, wave placards at or do what you do best, but make your leader act on climate change. Tell them that when they get to Copenhagen on 7-18 December 2009, they have to come up with a climate deal that saves us and wildlife. And go over to TckTckTck and join the more than 2 million ‘planet earthians’ tell the world leaders that you are ready for a climate deal that works.

It is said that climate change is inevitable, but the pace will have to slow down. Climate change has occured before, but not at this pace. Let us all change the way we live, slow climate change and give the other inhabitants of this planet a chance to take on climate change at their own pace. We cannot make them adapt at our pace…they were not made that way.

Let’s slow climate change. Lets save our wildlife.

Back in 2007, some 2,000 UN scientists produced a massive 4-volume report of an assessment of Earth’s climate. In this dossier they came up with a projection that as global temperature rises, species will start falling. They called this projection the “Highway to Extinction”.

This must have been lost from the daily parlance of governments, organizations and individuals because neither you nor I have ever seen a ‘layman friendly’ version of this grand assessment report. But that has not stopped the Earth’s climate from changing. So even as a small, but growing number of pundits take the matter of climate change and it’s effect on biodiversity to the public, species are still being lost.

Let’s go back before 2007. Way back to 2004 and the journal Nature said that most species will not survive climate change. The had that story on the cover of their January 2004 issue. The extract from this particular story says, in part:

New analyses suggest that 15–37% of a sample of 1,103 land plants and animals would eventually become extinct as a result of climate changes expected by 2050.

Given that climate change was responsible, in part, to the loss of the woolly mammoths and mastodons some 10,500 years ago, there is no doubt that climate change will claim a large number of species again. The difference is that the current climate change is being accelerated – and made more severe – by human activities. In short, despite the direct extinction from human activities such as hunting and habitat loss, we – the plague of the earth – have acquired a new way of killing off species indirectly: accelerating climate change.

It is clear that climate change will leave the planet in abject ecological poverty. But not many people are talking about this – and fewer still are doing anything about it. It is upon everyone of us to take action. To do those things that we have been told will reduce the severity of climate change – however remote the chance that these actions will actually work – and to take the matter to our leaders and public.

Remember, an ecologically poor planet is not good for humanity – if we are to be human-centric (as usual). Generally, an ecologically poor planet is bad for itself.

Kenya is currently in the grip of the most severe drought in decades. People are suffering. It is estimated that about 10-million Kenyans are facing starvation. Wildlife, normally more resistant to drought, are also starting to cave in to the pressure. I got these pictures from various blogs at WildlifeDirect. They are just examples of how bad the situation is.

Clicking on these pictures will lead you to their original location and to the story behind them. Lets pray for the rain.

Elephants and zebras wait for rain

Not a single blade of green grass in sight

Wildebeest in the dry plains at Nairobi National Park

Both wildlife and livestock are suffering

No water for the crocodile

Dry Ewaso Nyiro riverbed

Digging for water in dry Ewaso Nyiro

Decaying water buck carcass

It’s that time of the year again. Blog Action Day is happening on 15 October 2009. This year, it’s about the ‘big one’: Climate Change. I will take part in this global conversation about the most urgent matter for humanity. Will you?

If you have not heard about Blog Action Day you should go over to this site and read all about it. Essentially they will tell you that;

Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day on their own blogs with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. Blog Action Day 2009 will be the largest-ever social change event on the web. One day. One issue. Thousands of voices

Since this year, the focus is on climate change, you will also read that;

Climate change affects us all and it threatens more than the environment. It threatens to cause famine, flooding, war, and millions of refugees.

Let this video explain to you a bit further:

To me, there is an even more pressing effect of climate change that has been lost in the debate – loss of biodiversity. Clearly, climate change is not only about flooding, famine and the like. And when we talk about biodiversity loss we are not only thinking about the polar bear.

In Kenya for instance, we have seen the Mara River at it’s lowest, and the drought that has brought thousands of cattle into wildlife refuges (only for them to die) and threaten the very existence of our beautiful wildlife. That to me is a pressing issue. Therefore I agree with the organisers of the Blog Action Day when they say that;

Given the urgency of the issue of climate change and the upcoming international climate negotiations in Copenhagen this December, we think the blogosphere has the unique opportunity to mobilize millions of people around expressing support for finding a sustainable solution to the climate crisis.

I will weigh in with a post, or two, about climate change and biodiversity. What will you do?

This is just a treat for all those who’ve been coming to this blog and finding nothing new. Pride of Kenya. Enjoy.

The Mighty Androcles Lion

Mr Bones

Butterflion

Pride of the Nation

Looks like someone or some people did lots of work to put this one together. Fully dressed in safari outfit and standing under a ‘tenty’ canopy.

Simbaiosis

There are others out there but I wont post them here. I will lead you to where you can find their profile pictures instead. Go to the Pride of Kenya website and check them out. You can also check out the Pride of Kenya blog for what’s happening.

There is also a map of where they physically are on display in Nairobi so now you can take a lion safari in the city. The map was developed by the Nation Media Group, am told.

CERCOPAN, a primate sanctuary in Nigeria, is in need of urgent help. They have to raise some 3,000 odd American dollars or they shut down.

CERCOPAN has more than 150 orphaned primates under their care. They sometimes take some other random animals which find themselves in the wrong side of the illegal wildlife trade. They recently rescued a bush dog and a clawless otter. The otter has been a source of entertainment bringing some much needed relief to the gloomy threat of eviction of the primates and their carers. You really need to watch this.

If you really care about wildlife, you should go over to the CERCOPAN blog and donate. I will see if you do and I will thank you for it,

Please help.

There has been much going on in Kenya about Furadan - that lion-killing pesticide for which the US EPA has revoked all tolerances in food, the EU banned two years ago, Canada is considering to ban and Kenyans are agitating for a total ban.

Lion paralysed by Furadan in the Masai Mara

Despite the withdrawal of this most lethal of pesticides by the Philadelphia-based manufacturer Farm Machinery and Chemicals Corporation (FMC) from the Kenyan market, unscrupulous traders are still hoarding stocks and are selling them to farmers/herders for poisoning wildlife.

It is not surprising that Furadan is still available in the shelves (or under the counter) since Kenyan traders are known to be hungry for profits regardless of the consequences of their profiteering. It is thus clearly logical that environmentalists should be calling for a total ban. Perhaps when trading in this lethal poison becomes illegal, it will not be worth the risk of high fines, trading license revocation and lengthy jail terms – assuming that the punishment for such trading is made that severe.

The call for a total ban on Furadan is gaining momentum. The issue was discussed in parliament – following a question raised by Naivasha Member of Parliament, Hon. John Mututho -  on Tuesday, 2 June 2009. The Minister for Forestry and Wildlife, Hon. Noah Wekesa, to whom Mututho addressed the question, said that he’s tasked a committee to draft a legal notice that will lead to the final ban.

Now that is good news and travel writer, Rupi Mangat, reported this message of hope in this weeks East African. In the same spread in the same weekly newspaper, a correspondent Philip Ngunjiri wrote about the under-the-counter dealings by the traders who’ve rendered the FMC instituted buy-back of remnant Furadan stocks ineffective.

I believe that a ban is forthcoming, just how fast it comes is the question. Hopefully, the Kenya government will act fast enough so that we can save the remaining 2100 lions, many hyenas, vultures, and other wildlife that are being poisoned by Furadan.

Pray with me.

After the brutal attack by chimp on a defenseless woman in Connecticut, the state has finally passed a bill that outlaws the keeping of chimps, gorillas and orangutans as pets. This bill had been ignored for weeks until the proposer lamented that the his bill was being ignored prompting its revival and a unanimous pro vote that is something of a phenomenon in my opinion.

The bill in – i must say – should cause primate lovers and conservationists to rejoice as a step forward in saving the great apes. It should be emulated by all states in the US, all European countries, China and all other wildlife pet-obsessed peoples and it should encompass all wild animals as we know them today.

The Hartford Courant wrote from the State Capitol that:

In the waning hours of the regular legislative session Wednesday, state lawmakers revived and unanimously approved a previously stalled bill prompted by the Stamford chimpanzee attack — a ban on the private ownership of gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans.

Interestingly, this matter had been postponed for weeks because of worries by legislators and pet owners because the proposal, in its original form was too sweeping and it would – for example – have included ferrets.

One issue that had stalled the bill’s progress, for example, was the proposed ban on wolverines. It turned out that ferrets, which many people own as pets, are related to wolverines, and ferret owners expressed concerns about that part of the bill, said state Rep. Richard Roy, D-Milford, co-chairman of the legislature’s environment committee.

The proposal passed on 151-0 in the House and 36-0 in the Senate.

Now that is something you don’t see in Kenya’s parliament except when the Members are voting for their own salaries.

It would be interesting to see how parliament would treat the issue of a Furadan ban as proposed by Hon. John Mututho, the MP for Naivasha. Furadan is a carbofuran-based pesticide and nematicide that has been killing lions, hyenas, vultures and other wildlife in Kenya

The story of the ban is contained on here

General Assembly Votes To Ban Chimps, Other Animals, As Pets.

It is interesting to learn that in the US, they are serious about the misuse of pesticides. On 27 May 2009, the Portland Business Journal reported that five Malheur County onion growers were fined $180,000 for pesticide misuse – specifically Furadan and Basagran. That is equivalent to KShs 13.5 million! Now that is what I call enforcement.

In Kenya’s case, even after FMC announced the withdrawal of Furadan, and instructed the local dealer Juanco to buy back all stock in the market, birds are still being killed in Bunyala, and lions in the Mara. The case in the Masai Mara has all the tale-tale signs of Furadan poisoning but it is yet to be confirmed that it is Furadan.

The fact that implementation and enforcement in Kenya is lax should however not stop lobbyists from pushing for the total ban on Furadan. The incomplete withdrawal of Furadan should indeed motivate the lobbyists to get the government to ban this lethal chemical. A ban would make it illegal hence that much expensive to buy. We should not forget that Furadan is the poison of choice for retaliatory herders targeting predators and bushmeat hunters looking for a quick buck because it is cheap. Making it more expensive should give predators, raptors, scavangers and gamebirds a break.

You can take action. The issue of banning Furadan in Kenya is coming up in Parliament on Tuesday (hopefully). Therefore, just go to nothoney’s blog, write a letter of protest and post it to the Ministers concerned so that when the discussion comes up in Kenya’s parliament, they will support the proposed ban.