On Whale "culling"

This is an incredible science - measuring the amount of genetic variation in existing animals to figure out population size in the past. Proof that Japan's "Scientific Whaling" of Minke (and other, endangered, whales) is unnecessary and harmful.

The argument put forth by the Japanese whaling business is that Minke whales have increased in abundance due to the lack of other large whales that eat similar food. The argument further states that due to this population explosion, other whale species' populations are oppressed by the Minke whale being over-abundant. False estimates were put out that Minke populations currently are higher than the pre-whaling era, and therefore they should be culled.

This argument is unsupported by science. Take a look at this video to see why.

This is a picture I took of an endangered humpback whale while in Cabo San Lucas. This species is also on the list for Japan's "Scientific Research."

On A New Year

It's certainly been a gap since my last post, but I have wonderful news! I applied to attend a conference in Japan, and I got the spot! It's a conference about the environment, so I'm very excited to attend and see what other people have to say.

I am a little bit conflicted, seeing as it is a very long plane ride using a lot of fuel to get me there for a week and then back again, but this is something I might bring up at the conference. Video conferencing might be a tool they could use in the future - it would cost a lot less and could involve more people. Though, there is certainly an allure to discovering a so-distant land and actually being able to explore another culture and place. I suppose it is one of those things to weigh pros and cons for.

I just watched "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss, and it was quite profound - I think I will use it for an upcoming design project!

The Lorax Part 1, Part 2, Part 3