[ By Chris in Animals & Habitats , Nature & Ecosystems , News & Politics . ] (Images via: South Villa Orlando , Flickr , Wikimedia ) Since the sad and shocking death of a SeaWorld trainer who was attacked by a killer whale earlier this week, much speculation has ensued about what would happen to Tilikum, the 12,000 pound orca in question. Earlier today, SeaWorld’s president announced that Tilikum will not be euthanised or punished for the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau, who suffered multiple injuries and drowned after being grabbed by the ponytail and dragged into the water by the whale during a session of SeaWorld’s Shamu Believe Show on Wednesday. In a press conference this morning, SeaWorld added that the controversial Tilikum, which had been linked with two prior human deaths, will continue to be featured in the park’s upcoming shows, set to resume on Saturday. While a review of the killer whale attack is ongoing, SeaWorld said that trainers will not be allowed to swim with any of the park’s killer whales, which have been cast into a national spotlight following this tragedy. The Misleading Name of the Killer Whale (Images via: Yale , Yukul , Nature Crusaders ) Here are a few surprising facts about killer whales before examining this week’s stunning attack in more detail. Killer whales, or orcas, are not actually whales but the world’s largest dolphins. Powerful predators that stalk seals, sea lions, and even other whales and sharks for food and survival, killer whales are generally not seen as a threat to humans. While there have been several killer whale attacks on humans in confined settings over the years, these situations have often been described as isolated and rare incidents. So What May Have Prompted the Killer Whale Attack? (Image via: Julie Fletcher/Orlando Sentinel/Associated Press ) While SeaWorld has not admitted human error on behalf of Brancheau (seen above), her mentor has indicated that she likely made a mistake by getting too close to the whale’s face. According to some reports, Brancheau was lying in rather than standing in an area meant to interact with the whale. It is suspected that Brancheau’s hair may have brushed Tilikum’s face and even its mouth, which may have confused the whale and caused it to attack the trainer. Sadly, this event happened in front of an audience that was initially unsure what was occurring until the orca started violently thrashing the trainer. In the days since the attack, SeaWorld has been criticized for letting Brancheau lie in the water with the killer whale. Tilikum’s Controversial Past Adds to Mystery (Images via: Free Webs , MySpace ) Even before this week’s attack, SeaWorld trainers reportedly were not supposed to be in the water with Tilikum due to the killer whale’s history. Tilikum was one of three killer whales that drowned a SeaWorld trainer in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1991. Eight years later, a dead man was found floating on Tilikum’s back. It was later determined that the man sneaked into the whale’s tank and drowned. With the whale’s history in light of this week’s death, there has naturally been some people who’ve wondered if Tilikum is a danger to its trainers and should be killed. Apparently, SeaWorld does not feel that this is the case, as evident in its decision to keep the killer whale a part of its shows and its explanation that the circumstances surrounding all three deaths varied. Early Reaction to SeaWorld’s Handling of Tilikum (Images via: Thunda Funda , Answers in Genesis , SMH ) According to those close to Brancheau, she would have never wanted Tillikum to be harmed, thus suggesting that she would have been happy with the park’s decision. Likely not as happy with the decision, PETA and other organizations have argued that this killer whale attack is further evidence of the dangers of taking animals out of their natural habitats, and then called for Tilikum to be released gradually into the wild, a scenario that others say is not viable since the whale has become so dependent on humans for its survival. Whatever the case, it will be interesting to monitor when Tilikum is incorporated back into SeaWorld’s shows and to gauge how killer whales in general are viewed in terms of audience attendance and public opinion. Also worth noting, SeaWorld has said that Tilikum has not been separated from the park’s other orcas since the attack, although the whale was not present in a glass tank of killer whales that was directly behind today’s press conference. Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist: Carp Attack! Beware of the Invasive Asian Carp The dreaded, invasive Asian carp could be entering the Great Lakes, posing a serious threat to not only the ecosystem but fishermen on boats. Click Here to Read More »» Unseasonably Cold, Globally Warm Animal Dangers Unseasonably cold weather and globally warm scenarios pose grave animal dangers to tropical fish, sea turtles, colobine monkeys, gorillas and other marine animals. Click Here to Read More »» Eyes on the Prize: A Super Bowl of Incredible Animal Vision Just as Peyton Manning and Drew Brees are known for great downfield vision, sea urchins, hammerhead sharks and bees possess quite eye-opening visual skills. Click Here to Read More »» [ WebEcoist - By Chris in Animals & Habitats , Nature & Ecosystems , News & Politics . ]
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Examining Killer Whales after the Tragic SeaWorld Attack
New technology could cut by half the cost of building a solar thermal plant, the company’s green energy czar said on Friday.
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Google develops prototype mirror for solar energy
This Economist Intelligence Unit report discusses why firms are embracing sustainable practices, how companies are embedding corporate social responsibility into their businesses, and how they are gauging and reporting their success.
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Managing for Sustainability
Photo via steepways @ flickr Get your Oscar celebration rolling early at Global Green USA ‘s Pre-Oscar Party, where a host committee that includes James Cameron, Adrian Grenier, Woody Harrelson, and Orlando Bloom put together an evening of performances from Camp Freddy (featuring The Cult’s Billy Morrison, Janes Addiction’s Dave Navarro, and Velvet Revolver’s Matt Sorum), Joel and Benji Madden, and Mia Maestro. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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A Pre-Oscar Party for a Good Cause, Simon Cowell’s Meaty Makeover, and More
To help marketers and advertisers avoid the mistakes of vague, non-specific or misleading environmental claims, the International Chamber of Commerce has produced a new global Framework for Responsible Environmental Marketing Communications.
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Framework for Responsible Environmental Marketing Communications
As Fashion Editor of EcoSalon and owner of an eco-boutique I talk to a lot of designers. This was my first time going to Market Week in NYC as both and it was as thrilling as it was tiring. Market Week, if you haven’t been, is where clothing designers worldwide show their seasonal collections in New York City. Buyers from stores large and small come here to buy what best represents their brand. It is a tough, tedious job and forges a deeper appreciation for the fashion industry beyond hitting the shops with a girlfriend to check out the newest duds. D&A , Coterie , Train , NOW Showcase and two individual appointments in studios kept my boutique partner, Amanda, and I busy as devil’s advocates representing an eco-boutique. (I admit, it surprised me how many people raised their eyebrows when we said that.) Since we knew we’d really have to grill the designers about their knowledge of their lines for our eco-minded purposes, we anticipated this process was going to be a hard pill to swallow for some. We were right. If the price is too low, somebody’s getting paid to make it with rice. On at least three occasions when we asked eco-designers why their price was so low, they didn’t have a real answer except, “We just like to keep the prices low.” One designer in particular, looming over me at 6’2″ in her super chunky platform heels, couldn’t offer me much in terms of information and fumbled with sheets of paper as I inquired. Her heavily made-up eyes and fierce Frankenstein eyebrows finally communicated the message loud and clear: get the hell out of her booth. (I’m not kidding about the eyebrows.) But cheers to my two new favorite eco-designers, Ethos and Toggery , who seem to keep it all in balance, designing truly beautiful pieces as well as producing at amazing prices. I’ll be telling you their fantastic stories soon – can’t wait. Some eco-designers think just tossing up a sign that says you’re a sustainable designer makes you part of the eco pack. Note to designers: one organic piece out of many does not an eco brand make. Thank goodness my partner and I scrutinized each and every label to make sure we stood by our boutique mission, which is to sell 100% sustainable materials. 10% soy and 90% conventional cotton? Thanks, but no thanks. A caveat, though. I actually believe a compromise like that is fine if you’re just starting out with eco manufacture, because it takes time to learn and test. But for experienced designers, claiming eco status when you’re really not is just greenwash. (I wish I had the cojones to name names.) To that point: Evolving into a sustainable designer is not a bad thing! In one vendor’s booth (many of you would recognize the label) they’d pushed all their eco-apparel into a corner that was being dripped on from a malfunction in the ceiling. When asked about the eco-friendly part of their line, they were timid to show us what they had. Sensing their embarrassment, we walked away. Highlights? – Meeting Howard Brown of Stewart & Brown and getting to hear about his and his partner’s (Karen Stewart) passion for their line. And the fact that they were actually there instead of letting reps do all the hard work! – Meeting Doucette Duvall in their studio and their offer to search remnant fabrics for us to create the pieces in their line that are not yet eco because they “ love going on a hunt.” (Hunt more, ladies, and make it all eco!) – Meeting Kate D’Arcy of Toggery, who designs from the perspective that every woman deserves to wear sustainably designed clothes made in the U.S. (that means beautiful and fairly priced). – Learning from the ever-exuberant Celeste Lilore of Restore Clothing just how the plastics used in her line are recycled and made into fibers with touch bowls and great literature. – Meeting the one and only Starre Vartan , founder of Eco Chick, editor of Greenopia and author of The Eco-Chick Guide To Life . Thanks to all her great social media head shots, she was easily identified. – Eating as much delicious ethnic food as possible. – Sitting and spending time with eco-designers I love and support. I write all this and wonder if it’s interesting to you, this behind-the-scenes detail. I hope it is. I want you to understand how much work goes into those shops you love. All those online eco-boutique shop owners were there in the throes of Market, picking out some really great things for you. You see, it’s not just a shopping free-for-all. They’re personal shopping for you. Image: The Train New York
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To Market, to Market, to Market We Go
Boeing must think radioactive waste is mighty tasty. After all, they’ve allowed plenty of it to sit at one of their research facilities and seep into the surrounding community. So naturally, some students who want the company to clean up its toxic mess at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory thought that offering a bribe of ‘meltdown morsels’ and other radioactive sweets might do the trick. But the “Teens Against Toxins”, a group of tenth-graders at Oak Park High School in Southern California, must have realized that what Boeing wants above all is money, since the company recently filed a civil lawsuit in an attempt to get out of paying for cleanup of the site. They held a “bake sale meltdown” and presented the company, which made over $68 billion last year, with a gigantic check for the proceeds. The grand total? $99.31. Shocker: Boeing didn’t show up to accept the money. After 30 minutes of waiting around outside the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, the students, some parents and community members were informed that a Boeing spokesperson was camera-shy and that as a private company, Boeing can’t accept donations. The 2,859-acre Santa Susana Field Laboratory was once home to 10 nuclear reactors, which experienced a partial meltdown in 1959 when it was run by Rocketdyne. Thirty years later, an environmental survey revealed shocking toxic and radioactive contamination. Boeing bought the site in 1996 and shut it down in 2006. A state senate bill passed in 2007 set strict cleanup standards for the site, which is set to eventually become state parkland. But a Boeing spokesperson told MichaelMoore.com that the law “singles out the site to meet cleanup requirements that go far beyond what is required to protect citizens elsewhere in California under generally applicable state law.” Apparently those delicious Uranium Cakes and Peanut Butter Plutonium Treats were just too bitter for Boeing to swallow – but it’s okay if everyone else eats them. Image: lavocado
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Meltdown Morsels? Students Bribe Boeing with Radioactive Sweets
Soot, screeching sirens and forbidding skyscrapers; is this your definition of the big city? Think again. The urban landscape might seem like the epicenter of everything that’s wrong with the world, but in fact cities are where some of the most interesting components of the green movement are currently taking place . With everything from urban farms and electric cars, large cities are surprisingly livable, and now there’s another trend on the rise: urban hiking. Living the city life has long been equated with staying indoors and neglecting to feed our human need for spending time in nature, but the onslaught of urban hiking tours is showing us that it is in fact possible to get outside, be active and explore new places in the process. What is Urban Hiking? Forget the days of mindlessly jumping in a taxi to go from point A to point B. Urban hiking is all about planning, executing and enjoying the journey, another great example of slow travel . According to the Urban Dictionary , urban hiking is “the exploration of diverse urban environments on foot.” Conservation and travel groups alike promote urban hiking, as it not only gets people outdoors and active, but also allows them to explore the ins and outs of urban landscapes. Choose a Theme The key to a great urban hike is planning. Pick a theme to your hike so you can choose specific points of interest to visit. This allows you to explore a certain aspect of the city you’re in and makes it easier to plan an itinerary. Here are some possible themes to consider: Local food – Find three restaurants or cafes that all focus on serving local food and plan for an appetizer at each. Markets – Markets abound in big cities – Paris and San Francisco in particular come to mind – and offer everything from local foods to crafts. Pick out a few you want to explore and track your route. Parks – For a more natural experience, explore the green spaces that your urban environment has to offer. Choose a few within a walkable distance and pack a picnic item for each. Architecture – Explore the designs and spaces that make the city that you’re in unique. Cities like Los Angeles have already started offering architecture-inspired guided urban hikes . Art galleries – If you want a chicer urban hike, give it an art theme. Many cities offer an Art Walk on a certain night of the month. This is a great chance to plan a quick and easy urban hike itinerary. Plot out some of your favorite galleries that you want to check out and end the evening with a glass of wine at a local bistro. Planning your route Easy tools like Google’s pedometer will help you track how far you will be walking. Plan realistically; if you’re going with a group of friends, you’ll go at a slower pace than you expect. Assume you’ll cover about one or two miles per hour. A great day trip could be 5 or 6 miles with several stopping points incorporated, keeping you active but also ensuring that the day is enjoyable. Be sure to bring Just because you’re in the city doesn’t mean you can throw traditional hiking rules of thumb out the window. Carry a bottle of water and some healthy organic nuts or dried fruit to snack on. If you’re planning on making stop off at a cafe, bring your reusable thermos or mug. And just in case you come across a to-die-for item in an unknown corner boutique, make sure you’ve got a reusable bag on hand. Resources If you’re looking for urban hiking suggestions, tourism websites are a great place to start, and many have suggested routes if you don’t want to plan your own. Guidebooks that have walking tour routes are also a great resource. But remember, the best part about urban hikes are that you can tailor them to explore all the things that you’re interested in, so don’t be afraid to break out of the box! Do you have a favorite urban hike? Tell us about it! Image: brartist
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The City Girl’s Guide to Urban Hiking
It’s been a while since I’ve posted on anything fashion-oriented. But I was browsing over at Wired when these slick wallets caught my eye, and they definitely deserve a shout out. Made from old bicycle inner-tubes, with felt and fabric sections added on, the wallets are said to feel so far from the rubber materials they started out as that they actually feel closer to velvet to the touch. Oh yeah, and they’re almost indestructible. More pics after the jump. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Rubber Wallets Made From Inner Tubes are Nearly Indestructible