Cat + Owl = BFFs?

Talk about an odd couple. Two years after we first shared a video of Fum the cat frolicking with Gebra the barn owl, the celebrity critters remain BFFs, with a shared website, YouTube channel, and Facebook page to prove it. 

What could explain the Spanish duo's unlikely affection? Some believe it's because they've been buddies almost since birth. They also share an instinct to prey on rodents.

Good luck trying not to "awww" over this adorable footage of Fum leaping and pawing at Gebra, who responds with a few pecks when playtime gets too rough.

 

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Cats Facts: Green Jobs Mean Big Bucks

Cats, again! This week has been a good run for our favorite companion animals and their accompanying green tidings. (Feel free to debate "favorite" in the comments.) 

From a fluff ball and EVs to a lean kitty and big savings, to a tabby who doesn't give a shale about oil, we've carried the April Fools' fun through to the weekend.

A final word from our feline overlords:

 

Just the facts:

What could shifting funds to greener pastures look like? Instead of building and expanding roads, green jobs include building and expanding mass transit, and increasing existing buildings' energy efficiency. 

Cat Facts: Electric Vehicles Beat Gas Cars

We've stuck our cat-noses up at the notion that April Fools' means one day of fun. So in the spirit of whimsy and whiskers, each day this week we present an environmental fact and a cat. First, we focused on a fat cat and oil shale. Next came big ears and bicycles. 

Any-meow, here’s today's environmental fact, along with a cat.

Just the facts:

While the best bet for curbing carbon emissions is driving less, period, driving smart helps.

Conventional cars and the process of extracting, refining, and transporting the oil they require dumps more than three trillion tons of carbon pollution into the air each year. Electric vehicles (EVs) rely on battery power — which can take from 30 minutes for an 80-percent charge to eight hours for a full charge, outlet-voltage depending. For fully electric vehicles, no tailpipe is necessary.

Cat Facts: Cycling Is a Lot Cheaper Than Driving

In keeping with Monday's April Fools'-ishness, this week we're sharing eco-facts paired with cats. Yesterday, we looked at oil shale and a tabby with an abundant belly.

Just the facts:

Cycling just makes sense, given the low overhead, the aerobic perks, and the fact that nearly half of all trips, cycling and otherwise, are made within two miles of home.

The thought of getting doored is scary, though, or perhaps you live near a version of Lombard Street and might as well leash your bike and give it a water bowl.  

Fortunately, bicycle commuting increased by 40 percent from 2000 to 2010. Investing in bike-friendly infrastructure, like separating cycling lanes from vehicular traffic with parked cars or posts, should maintain the trend.

Environmental impact aside, money talks. Portland recently spent close to $60 million on cycling infrastructure, the average cost of one mile of urban highway. According to this City of Portland Bureau of Transportation report: "The return on investment has been highest for bicycle transportation."

Cat Facts: Mining Oil Shale Doesn't Add Up

Yesterday, we had a little April Fools' fun at fossil fuels’ expense. The rest of the week, we’re getting into the silly spirit with cats. They fuel the internet, and since we haven’t hit peak cat yet, we're not above including them, just 'cause. 

This week, we'll give you some serious environmental facts paired with a kitteh. If you’re crazy for them, this week will be awesome. If not, write about canine superiority in the comments. The cats can handle it.

Just the facts:

It's a kind of dark comedy that the production of one finite commodity could require so much of another, especially when the other's essential to, you know, life. Coal, uranium, and petroleum production already uses 1 to 2.5 gallons of water in processing and cooling for every gallon of fuel product. But the quest for energy security has oil companies looking to other sources of fossil fuels, despite the even higher water cost. Basically, oil shale is sedimentary rock that must be heated either underground or mined and heated off-site to then separate and collect the resulting liquid. 

Even Internet Animals Can't Believe Fossil Fools!

Happy April Fools Day! We're not fooled by fossil fuel lovers, and neither are these cute animals. Watch our video to see why puppies, kittens, mice, and other adorable critters might be smarter than some humans when it comes to the climate.

If you don't tolerate fossil fools, take action on Facebook at http://sc.org/earthtosteve.

And if you like cute animals and smart ideas, stay tuned all week for more cuddly goodness. 

 

Green Careers: Wildlife Biology

Passionate about protecting animals and their habitats? Curious about different animal species and the complex relationships that make up an ecosystem? You might find your calling as a wildlife biologist. Stay tuned this week for more green career profiles. If you haven’t already, take our quiz to discover which eco-profession could offer the best fit for you.

Green Careers: Wildlife Biology

Wildlife biologists research the characteristics and habitats of animals. Some do primarily office work, but if you’d rather work outdoors, check out field biologist or research biologist positions, which involve studying species’ feeding, mating, and/or social habits in their natural habitats. Fieldwork could also include collecting specimens, which the researcher will take back to a lab. There, he or she might dissect dead animals to understand their anatomy or how parasite might be affecting a wildlife population.  Lab work could also entail data analysis using computer software.

Wildlife-Friendly Trash Disposal: Trash Bins

Trash can entangle, choke, and starve wildlife. This week we’ve been suggesting tips for disposing garbage to lessen harm to animals. Yesterday we talked about twine and fishing line. For our fourth and final tip, we turn to trash bins. 

Tip #4: Wildlife-Proof Your Trash Bin

If you live in the city or suburb, you’ve probably awoken to the scratching of paws amid the clatter of trashcan lids. How can you keep raccoons and other critters from rummaging through your potentially harmful garbage?

For wildlife, the more redolent the rubbish, the better. The Humane Society suggests discouraging scavenging by minimizing odors, washing and rinsing all food containers. That includes plastic food wrap, which you should always keep  in closed bags or containers.

Never leave trash bins unopened. For extra security, strap lids with a bungee cord tied to the handles. Better yet, cart out trash the morning it’s collected rather than the night before.

Wildlife-Friendly Trash Disposal: Fishing Line

Trash poses a major hazard to animals. This week, we’re suggesting tips for discarding trash to reduce harm to our fellow critters. Yesterday we discussed balloons. Today, we take a look at twine and fishing line.

Tip #3: Cut Twine and Fishing Line

We rely on twine and fishing line to tie everything from packages to hay bales to fishing bait. Turns out these all-purpose strings can also entangle wildlife.

Birds sometimes use twine as nesting material, making them especially prone to these perils. Along with moss and grass, ospreys like to adorn their nests with baling twine. They often snarl themselves in the twine, getting injured or even killed. In 2010, University of Montana researchers reported that baling twine entangles and kills about 10 percent of osprey chicks annually statewide.

Wildlife-Friendly Trash Disposal: Balloons

This week on the Green Life, we’re sharing tips for disposing of relatively common trash items in ways that reduce their risk of endangering wildlife. Yesterday we learned about properly discarding plastic bags. Today we consider balloons.

Tip #2: Deflate, cut, and bag used balloons.

If not properly disposed, these buoyant decorations can suffocate or starve wildlife long after the party’s over. The Marine Conservation Society estimates that the number of balloons along shorelines has tripled in the past decade. As with plastic bags, animals often mistake balloons for food. Eating balloon slivers can cause them to get sick or choke. Partially inflated balloons can clog the digestive tract, starving the animal to death. Besides the balloons themselves, the ribbon used to tie them can choke and/or strangle wildlife.

The latex in balloons can take from months to years to biodegrade, depending on the environment where they fall, and foil helium balloons don’t biodegrade at all. In other words, one balloon could harm several creatures.

Helium balloons can drift far and wide. Typically a balloon will rise five miles before freezing temperatures cause it to burst into pieces. Those then scatter across an area that varies depending on wind speed and direction.