Ivan Kok

EES028

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

Josh Donlan is one of the author behind the idea of Pleistocene re-wilding, reintroducing extinct animals back in North American landscape using related species alive today. He thinks the reintroduction of these species will fill the ecological roles once lost. #ees028 #rewilding

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

Tamiami Trail, built almost a century ago, connects Tampa and Miami, but also acted as a dam. It blocked water flow and caused part of the Everglades to dry up. Recently, sections of the highway were elevated, restoring some of the flow. #ees028 #everglades

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

Military bases have the highest density of threatened and endangered plants and animals of any federal land, surpassing even the national parks. Many are decades to century old, so they are time capsules for biodiversity. #ees028 #militaryecosystems

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

The prairie dogs in the American Midwest are declining because of the sylvatic plague. Since they are a crucial food source to many species like the black-footed ferret, scientists are creatively using drones to vaccinate the prairie dogs with pellets. #ees028 #ferretdrones

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

A healthy giraffe was killed at Copenhagen zoo in 2014 to prevent inbreeding. This decision was controversial, but the director defended their decision, saying that their goal is to care for the well-being of the population rather than individuals. #ees028 #zoo

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

Rhino horns have no medical or practical value, but poachers have gone so far to strike at a zoo, killing a white rhino and sawing off his horn. The five species of rhinos in the wild are endangered, and even zoos should be alert against break-ins. #ees028 #rhinohorn

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

Kolbert said that "humans have brought some species so low that it seems only heroic human efforts can save them". This applies not only to the rhinos, but also the whooping cranes in Operation Migration, an ambitious attempt to teach cranes how to migrate. #ees028 #cranesplanes

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

Trump administration had changed how Endangered Species Act is enforced in terms of critical habitat range and foreseeable future time frame. It may not actually make a big difference as the changes could be mainly for political reasons. #ees028 #esaChanges

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

It is good to acknowledge history, even tragic events like the Donora smog and the Cuyahoga River fire. This raises awareness of the environmental issues that caused them and prevent them from happening in the future. #ees028 #smogdeath #riverfire

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

With climate change, species need to migrate to new, geographical habitats now more than ever. However, humans have created an "obstacle course" of barriers like roads, clear-cuts, and cities that prevent them from doing so. #ees028 #the6thextinction

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

Travis Rieder's idea to reconsider society's value on having kids may seem foreign and radical, but it's been done in one of the most populated countries on Earth: China's one-child policy. This policy can be studied to understand the trade-offs. #ees028 #kidsclimate

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

After the Ivory-billed woodpecker case study, I am not optimistic that the Tasmanian Tiger is back from extinction. Researchers are right to be skeptical until conclusive evidence is found. #ees028 #tasmaniantiger

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

A podcast I listened to, also by NPR, talked about the dying of freshwater mussels. They are important for water filtration. The cause is unknown yet, but scientists have looked at the amphibian extinction for clues. #ees028
https://t.co/kY4evzDAjr

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

Thousands of species unique to Madagascar are endangered on Madagascar's dwindling forest fragments. The forests themselves are threatened by fires and deforestation. Conservationists there hope to expand and reconnect the fragments. #ees028 #fragmentedforests

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

https://t.co/o6HsQtmNLA

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

"Global warming is part of a natural cycle" is a common argument made. Earth's climate is not a pendulum, but it is affected by forcings such as solar output, albedo, and greenhouse gases. Only man made increases in greenhouse gases fit the observed warming. #ees028 #climatemyth

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

https://t.co/zerTmhwGrV

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

People may want to ignore climate change because "CO2 limits will harm the economy". The net economic impact will be minor, especially compared to the potential consequences. Some analysis ignore the revenues of a carbon cap, skewing results in their favor. #ees028 #climatemyth

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

"There's no empirical evidence that CO2 emissions are causing global warming." Direct observations find that CO2 is rising because of human activity, which results in trapping of heat and global warming. #ees028 #climatemyth
https://t.co/PmrQe4EsoZ

[Ivan Kok @IvanKok12]

It is important to use data rather than personal experiences when looking at climate trends. According to NOAA, January 2020 was Earth's hottest January on record, while February was the second hottest on record. #ees028 #weatherclimate