Coffee and Provocation

Tracking Fox to Determine Their Impact on Nesting Birds
Sound science is key to sensible wildlife management. This is how it’s done... and why. An excellent read.

Starbucks is Finally Coming to Italy
The company has been asked to serve its coffee in reusable cups, like everyone else in Italy, rather than contribute to a waste and pollution problem.

Groundhogs Ate Paul Ryan's Car 
Apparently he parks it at his mother's house and he never drives.

From Mountaintop Coal Removal to Elk?
My father was born in Pineville, in Bell County, Kentucky. Wildlife biologist David Ledford wants to turn a moutnain top removal coal mine in Bell County into real habitat for elk and other wildlife. Towards that goal, Ledford is assembling the Appalachian Wildlife Center for a nonprofit wildlife viewing, research and education on 12,500 acres of land (over 19 square miles) of wich 4,500 acres (about 7 square miles) are a reclaimed mountaintop-removal mine. Ledford says he hopes that when the Center opens in 2020 it will“kick off economic diversity based on conservation instead of coal mining.” Good luck! Our family has already done its part by givingm back in 2005, a square mile of land to the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust for the protection of area surrounding Blanton Forest.

Trump's Face Used to Market Toxic Substance?
An asbestos company in Russia (of course) is using Trump's face on it product. The huge "seal of approval" on every pallet of asbestos says "Approved by Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States”.

Island Rats Can Harm Tropical Reefs?
Coral reefs near rat-infested islands have fewer nutrients, fewer fishes and reduced numbers of fishes grazing on the algae that compete with corals.

The Irish Will Lead Them
Ireland is going to completely divest itself from fossil fuels. Bravo!

Trump Knows Nothing About Trade or Agriculture
While in Europe, Trump said "Our farmers have been shut out of the European Union." In fact, U.S. farmers have made $23.1 billion in sales to the European Union over the last two years, and the E.U. is the fifth-largest agricultural export market for the U.S.

Progress, I Suppose
In the real world, almost everything is better than it once was and cheaper too. For example, a century ago, a worker on the average wage had to work 4,265 hours to buy a new Chevy. In 2018, he or she needed to work a comparatively short 2,350 hours to buy an even better car from the same company. That's a reduction of 45 percent. And, of course, the cars themselves are not comparable; the modern car is light years better than what we had 100 years ago!