l****z
发帖数: 29846 | 1 April 14, 2012 by Don Surber
That is correct. We have twice as many penguins in Antarctica than
scientists thought, a count by satellite revealed. Far from being a species
endangered by the carelessness of man, scientists say we have nearly 600,000
emperor penguins. The scientists counted 44 colonies of these birds —
including 7 previously unknown. Counting penguins in Antarctica is so easy,
I may apply for the job because they are black and white against the snows
of Antarctica.
From Science Daily: “A new study using satellite mapping technology reveals
there are twice as many emperor penguins in Antarctica than previously
thought. The results provide an important benchmark for monitoring the
impact of environmental change on the population of this iconic bird, which
breeds in remote areas that are very difficult to study because they often
are inaccessible with temperatures as low as -58 degrees Fahrenheit.”
This blows holes through the theory that global warming endangers penguins.
That theory as articulated by Penguin World: “Scientists believe that half
of the population of penguins in the Antarctic region has been depleted in
the last 50 years due to the climate change. It is the species known as the
Emperor Penguins that have seen the largest losses. This is due to the
warming trends continuing for several years. There is plenty of change that
takes place over that span of time, and most of it isn’t positive when it
comes to the natural habitat of the penguins.”
Of course, the research on penguins goes beyond this silly global warming
fairy tale.
From Science Daily:
“The methods we used are an enormous step forward in Antarctic ecology
because we can conduct research safely and efficiently with little
environmental impact, and determine estimates of an entire penguin
population, said co-author Michelle LaRue from the University of Minnesota
and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).
“The implications of this study are far-reaching: we now have a cost-
effective way to apply our methods to other poorly-understood species in the
Antarctic, to strengthen on-going field research, and to provide accurate
information for international conservation efforts.”
Scientists still think penguin populations will decrease over the next
century due to global warming. We shall see. At the other end of the world,
they have more polar bears than they thought.
Too many penguins. Too many polar bears. Too little change. Not a good time
to be a doomsayer. | l****z
发帖数: 29846 | 2 “There are twice as many stupid scientists as we originally thought!” —
Penguins & Polar Bears |
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