Giant Pandas fight for survival

The Giant Panda is one of the most beloved animals in the world. Its characteristic black patches of fur around the eyes, ears and body, as well as its love for bamboo sticks and apparently noble nature, have made it a favorite of zoo-visitors, animal lovers and the general public.

Unfortunately, this species faces an uncertain future as it continues being a target for poachers and its natural habitat continues shrinking. Another threat of great concern is the species' alarmingly low birthrate. Altogether, these factors have led to an increasing concern over its survival.

As of now, the Giant Panda is classified as an endangered species. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), an international non-governmental organization that seeks to "stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature", there are only 1,600 pandas living in the wild.

It is estimated that another 180 more live in captivity within China and around 20 others in other countries around the world.

In the National Zoo in Wahington, three of them live happily under the care of zoo staff as they are admired by visitors. Mei-Xiang, the female, Tian Tian, the male, and their first baby, 20-month-old Tai Shan, live in a reserve that mimics thir natural habitat as scientists learn about their behavior.

In this entry's video, you can take a look at how they interact with each together and also, obtain a better understanding of this zoo's efforts to help in the international campaign to save the panda.

By the way, you can help the Pandas too. Visit http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Forms/GPDonation/ for more information.

New York City's Yellow Cabs Turn Green

Instead of a sea of yellow cabs, the Big Apple will soon have a "green" taxi fleet.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced today that little by little, the city's entire fleet of yellow cabs will be entirely replaced by fuel-efficient hybrid cars.

As of now, only 375 of the 13,000 cabs rolling through New York city's streets are hybrids. But with this measure, the number will rise to 1,000 in 2008, and grow by 20% every year. It is expected that by the year 2012, every single cab will be a hybrid, a type of vehicle that runs on a combination of gasoline and electrical power.

Of course, the cabs will keep their emblematic yellow color, but will emit less exhaust and reduce carbon emissions, and will thus be kinder to the environment.

The measure is part of Bloomberg's PlaNYC, a plan that seeks to achieve a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within the city by 2030.

Boca Raton favors more green construction

The city of Boca Raton is joining many other cities around the nation as it encourages developers to increase the construction of green buildings.

This according to an article from The Palm Beach Post, "Boca mulling incentives for an eco-friendly building," which talks about Boca Raton's Deputy Mayor Susan Whelchel efforts to help the environment with the building of such structures.

In order for a building to be officially considered "green," it must fulfill the standards established under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System. This system was designed by The US Green Building Council (USGBC), a national coalition of members from every sector of the construction industry that seeks to "promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work."

Among the techniques used to make a green building , such as the one shown, are:

• 
  The use of organic or milk-based paints.
• The use of recycled materials.
• The use of packed gravel for parking lots instead of concrete or asphalt.
• The usage of materials manufactured near the building site so as to reduce the environmental impact of long-distance transportation.
• The installation of insulated glass windows and solar panels.
• The presence of wildflower or native plant gardens.

There are also many benefits attributed to green buildings, among them:

• Higher employee productivity.
• Improved health and increased sense of happiness among tenants.
• Lower energy and water bills.
• Less greenhouse gas emissions.
• Less impact on the environment overall.
  

Yard-watering schedule reminder

South Florida is going through a critical water shortage emergency and one of the driest periods in its history, which has led to the enforcement of rigid, though necessary water restrictions.

Due to the drought, yard-watering can only be done one day a week. Why specifically yard-watering?, you may ask. Well, because according to the experts, since many people unnecessarily over-water their garden, the easiest way to save water is precisely, to cut back on the times we water our lawn.

And while our gardens and backyards may not look as pretty as we wished they did, we must take into account that we must do everything we can to help water conservation.
Remember:

We are experiencing one of the worst drought on record. Brown lawns are a small price to pay to have an adequate source of drinking water for our very large population.
-Carol Wehle, Executive Director.

With this in mind, here are the details on Phase III Water Restrictions for Broward and Eastern Palm Beach County.

• Odd-numbered addresses: 4 to 8 a.m. on Saturdays.
• Even-numbered addresses: 4 to 8 a.m. on Sundays. Watering by hand with one hose and an automatic shutoff nozzle: 5 to 7 p.m. the same day.

These same restrictions apply to car washing.

For more details and specific information for your area, visit South Florida's Water Management District's Web page or call the SFWMD Water Shortage Hotline at (800) 662-8876.

Gas-saving tips for the good of the planet and... your wallet

There is no doubt that the use of gasoline is harmful to our planet. Scientists explain that this is due to the fact that gasoline releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that is linked to global climate change. To make matters worse, gasoline also emits other pollutants, among them carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and unburned hydrocarbons, which all create air pollution.

Today, the NPR program "Talk of the Nation", had a segment in which Amy Mattinat, automotive expert for askpatty.com gave listeners some tips on how to save money at the pump by improving their mileage. By following her recommendations, we can definitely save a few dollars but most importantly, we can reduce the amount of gasoline we waste, therefore helping the environment, through these simple steps:

1. Slowing down.
One of the best things you can do to save gas is to go at the speed limit whenever possible.
Remember: for every 5 miles per hour (mph) that you go over 60 mph., you're paying the equivalent of an extra 20 cents per gallon!

2. Using cruise-control.
If you have the cruise-control feature in your car, use it! This will help improve your fuel mileage by helping you drive at a steady speed.

3. Don't drive like a maniac!
When you push on the gas pedal and accelerate, and when you suddenly slam on the brakes, you unnecessarily waste a lot of gas.

4. Avoiding excesive idling.
According to Patty, when your car's idling away, not only do you get zero miles per gallon, but you also burn more gas than if you restarted the engine. As if that weren't bad enough, idling also increases your car's toxic emissions, so stop!

5. Plan all your shopping and errands so you can make them all in one trip.
Patty explains that "several short stop and go errands can use twice as much fuel than a longer multipurpose trip covering the same distance".

These are just a few of the free and easy ways you can save some money at the pump and at the same time, help reduce air pollution. Visit Patty's website for more useful ideas.

DiCaprio brings global warming documentary to Cannes

This week, Leonardo DiCaprio is attending the Cannes Film Festival among other Hollywood stars, though not as an actor, but as a writer, producer and narrator of a climate change documentary.

"The 11th Hour," a film that discusses how humans have affected the climate and what can be done to remedy the damage, will be featured as a special screening at the festival.

Following the footsteps of Al Gore, who won an Academy Award last year for his documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," DiCaprio seeks to bring attention to the critical issue of global warming, although in a different way. According to the Associated Press, the film not only shows the impact of climate change but also provides advice from over 50 leading scientists, visionaries and leaders from around the world on how to heal our planet. Among them, Wade Davis, an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, who sends a clear message about humanity's ability to repair the harm done:

"All of these forces sweeping over the planet are the
forces created by human beings. And if human beings are the source of the
problem, we can be the foundation of the solution."

The 11th Hour will be shown in U.S. theaters towards the fall; however, you may visit www.the11thhourfilm.com to find out more about the film itself and also learn about the crisis our planet is currently facing due to the climate change. You can also sign up for the campaign "Lighten your Footprint," which provides information on how you and your community can take action and become part of the solution.