This light-hearted yet sciencey piece in the New York Times examines claims by modern dog fanciers that their breed has existed for thousands of years: When I asked Greger Larson, of the University of Oxford, who studies ancient and modern DNA of dogs and other animals, whether any breeds date to antiquity, he looked, as … Continue reading Treats on the Internets
Category: climate change
Bugs in the Pet Food Bowl
One of the more surprising things that happened while I was on hiatus is the insect based pet food trend. Developed in response to concerns about the deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and unsustainability associated with the use of protein obtained from livestock, insect based pet foods purport to offer a reduced carbon footprint. But Swedish … Continue reading Bugs in the Pet Food Bowl
The Arctic National Wildlife… Refuse?
The Trump Administration seems to be having trouble comprehending the words "wildlife refuge": An internal Interior Department memo has proposed lifting restrictions on exploratory seismic studies in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a possible first step toward opening the pristine wilderness area to oil and gas drilling. [...] The Arctic refuge, which covers more than … Continue reading The Arctic National Wildlife… Refuse?
Climate Change: An Unnatural Disaster
These parrots, as shown on the ABC News website, appear to be using this Miami high rise hotel window ledge as refuge from Hurricane Irma. I think they are red-headed conures (although I am no expert so please put in your two cents if you think they are another type of bird). Wikipedia has this … Continue reading Climate Change: An Unnatural Disaster