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The Main Thing Killing Birds Near Power Lines Isn't Electrocution Illegal shooting, not electrocution, is now the leading cause of death for birds found along power lines. In an oft-cited study published in 2019, a team of researchers reported net population losses of some three billion birds across North America since 1970. Calling it a “staggering decline of bird populations,” the researchers cited “habitat loss, climate change, unregulated harvest, and other forms of human-caused mortality” as the causes of this biodiversity crisis. Those other forms of “human-caused mortality” are grim and frustratingly senseless. Up to three billion birds a year die from outdoor cats, and another one billion from colliding with glass. (Despite the narrative of fossil-fuel-aligned pundits, wind turbines account for deaths in the hundreds of thousands each year—which is still way too many, but it is not the leading cause of death, by far.) Another one of those anthropogenic causes is power lines

What to Do if You See a Turtle on the Road Turtles are among the most threatened groups of vertebrate animals on earth—and too many are dying on our roads. As the weather warms up, turtles and tortoises are on the move. Especially females, who may be looking for a place to nest—and unfortunately, that place may very well be on the other side of a road. In some areas, turtle habitats are entirely boxed in by roads, meaning that these creatures are at an even higher risk of a vehicle collision. "Because turtles are long-lived species that mature slowly and have fairly low reproductive outputs, the survival and longevity of adults, especially females, is critical to the survival of populations," explains Kiley Briggs at The Oreanne Society. "So the fact that roadkill disproportionately affects mature females means that for some populations, only losing a few turtles per year due to vehicle strikes can tilt the balance toward gradual extirpation (localized extinction)."

Top Famous Horses From History In the long history of domestic horses as our companions, there have been many standout superstars. Humans domesticated horses somewhere around 3,000 BCE, and since that time the horse has been one of our closest allies in work, war, travel and entertainment. Over these many thousands of years and millions of equines living alongside us, there have been quite a few standouts. Be it their speed, strength, smarts or simply their good looks or loyalty, the stories of a few special horses have become popular and stood the test of time. From horses living in ancient times whose memory still lives on today to beloved television stars of the 20th century, here are 12 celebrities from the equine world whose stories you want to know about. Figure While many people have likely heard of the Morgan horse breed—one of the earliest breeds developed in the United States—far fewer know about the much loved horse who started the lineage, Figure. Figure was a small bay sta

Dairy Farming: Environmental Impact, Ethics, and Industry Outlook How much does dairy farming contribute to global warming? Dairy farming is the practice of raising and breeding livestock to produce milk for human consumption. While the industry isn't going away any time soon, plant-based milk alternatives such as soy, almond, and oat milk have created a competitive market, driving down the rate of cow’s milk consumption in recent years. Given the dairy industry's tremendous land and water use and the substantial amount of methane produced from cows, this might be considered a gradual environmental win. How environmentally taxing is dairy farming? Here, we review the impacts and ethics of this sector of agriculture, the competition between small and large dairy farms, and the future of the industry. Processes of Dairy Farming Dairy farmers manage every aspect of a cow’s life—from what they eat and how much space they’re allotted to how much time cows spend with their offspring

The Environmental Impact of Ocean Noise Ocean noise pollution can extend beyond individual animals to impact entire ecosystems. Here are the facts and how you can help. Ocean noise broadly refers to the noise made by human activity that can obstruct the ability of marine animals to hear natural sounds in the ocean. Anthropogenic noise has been increasing over the years, even doubling each decade in some areas of the world. This noise can mask communication between aquatic animals and decrease their ability to find prey or be aware of predators, among other problems. This type of noise pollution can impact individual species from disturbance to mortality if not controlled. Ocean Noise Pollution Facts Sources of human-made ocean noise pollution include shipping vessels, sonar systems, seismic surveys, military exercises, and underwater construction. The intensity of ocean noise has increased dramatically over the past few decades due to the expansion of commercial shipping, offshore dril