Environment

Hunting as a wildlife management tool has come under increasing attack by antihunting organizations, resulting in increased concern by fish and wildlife agencies across North America, many of whom fear that the scientific management of wildlife is in danger due to the influence of an uninformed public. This study of Manitoba (Canada) residents indicated support for hunting as wildlife management, for habitat preservation, and to maintain healthy animal populations. [Excerpted from published abstract].

This report describes the trend of increasing per capita meat consumption in China and its environmental impacts. The authors suggest undertaking a critical examination of industrial animal agriculture to help prevent large-scale environmental issues. The report includes statistics describing China's factory farming industry.

This article from Conservation Biology examines the social impacts of conservation and poverty, including "reconciliation ecology," the balancing of the interests in preserving protected areas versus the interests of humans living in these areas.

According to research by Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), more than 80% of the total U.S. adult population show some type of "green motivation." Moreover, the number of consumers who are "sustainability active" has increased since 2004 and now extends to several consumer segments identified by NMI.

Marine biodiversity loss is increasingly impairing the ocean's capacity to provide food for humans and other animals, maintain water quality, and recover from disturbances like erosion. However, the available data suggest that these trends are still reversible.

In "Happier Meals: Rethinking the Global Meat Industry," Worldwatch Institute researcher Danielle Nierenberg documents the harmful effects of factory farming in both industrialized and developing countries and explains the range of consequences for the environment, human health, and local communities.

A report by the Food Climate Research Network of the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom warns that people should "ration" their meat consumption to four portions per week and their dairy consumption to one liter of milk per week to help avoid global climate change caused by animal farming.

This article discusses the impact of meat consumption on global climate change, spurred by a comment by the head of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Rajendra Pachauri, a vegetarian himself, recommended a reduction in meat consumption to combat climate change.

Consumers say they want to buy ecologically friendly products and reduce their impact on the environment. But when they get to the cash register, their Earth-minded sentiments die on the vine. Although individual quirks underlie some of this hypocrisy, businesses can do a lot more to help would-be green consumers turn their talk into walk. [Excerpted from article]