No matter how we try to minimize fossil fuel impacts, we can't avoid the fact that these substances are inherently dirty. Oil, gas and coal are at their core, toxic substances. And as a result they are dangerous to humans and wildlife.
The ten species most threatened by fossil fuels were recently highlighted in a new report titled, Fueling Extinction: How Dirty Energy Drives Wildlife to the Brink. The Endangered Species Coalition, in partnership with seven conservation groups, released the report on January 19th. A panel of scientists selected species nominated by the conservation groups.
The tragic BP Horizon disaster killed humans and wildlife, such as the Kemp's ridley sea turtle -- nominated by Sea Turtle Restoration Project. The Kemp's ridley is the most endangered sea turtle and only breeds in Gulf waters. More than 800 Kemp's ridleys were impacted by the disaster, and of those 609 were killed. And this turtle's numbers had already been recovering from the 1979 Ixtoc 1 oil spill in the Gulf when the population plummeted to fewer than 500 nesting individuals.
Huffington Post Green
No comments:
Post a Comment